Sunday, November 5, 2017

πάντα ῥεῖ

I think years from now we'll be looking back at this moment and this time as marking the end of an era.

When I first moved my bikes and gear into this garage it was so that I would finally have my own space, with the added advantage of being literally in front of Witold's garage.

Our little group has enjoyed many evenings hanging out together wrenching on our bikes, planning and getting ready for trips, or just enjoying a beer with our friends and our rides next to us. We have all, truly, had many good times around here, in a way that any red-blooded gearhead around the world would recognize.

There's no reason to get into the specifics, but basically the logistics have changed, so those two garages will no longer be our hangout.
My garage is not really conveniently located for me, it was just great to have it near Witold, so now that things are changing it just makes no sense to stay. So, once again, it's moving time!

British bikes are seen exiting the garage... Brexit!

Over the course of a few days I moved all my stuff to a new top secret location with plenty of storage for the bikes as well as shelves and cabinets for spare parts and various chemicals; then there is a heated workshop right next door with a hydraulic bike lift, good lighting, an extensive range of tools, etc. Not bad at all...

The bikes were all loaded up in a van and brought over in a single trip, including the Honda, which will receive some much needed servicing and catch a break from the winter.

Honestly, aside from witnessing a cool situation fade out of existence and into shared memories (which isn't necessarily a bad thing!), I can see no drawbacks from this move and actually quite a few benefits!
For starters, I'll be saving a bit of money, never a bad thing. Ironically, I'll have more time to dedicate to my motorcycles, especially through the long, dark and unforgiving winter that is upon us.

The only slightly annoying thing is that if I need to do anything on the one bike I'll be keeping with me (the Honda mostly), I'll have to go squat at friends' garages, since my new location is still pretty far. I'll keep a small toolkit with me and I should manage with the basics should anything happen.

After that, we'll see what the future brings, and we'll keep very busy at the new place with all the maintenance we have to do. I just hope to have it all ready by next spring, when hopefully I'll be riding out on some cool trips and to new destinations.

Time for one last solitary coffee at the place 'round the corner, and to say goodbye to the garage:

In this moody shot above, Gianluca visits the garage one last time on his freshly rebuilt BSA 350.