Hi Everyone,
Well it’s been 9 months now since that day “old man emu” crossed mine & Dudley’s path and boy has a lot happened since then.
Progress update: everything is healed bones and liver wise. The only stickler is the right hand/wrist….the throttle hand. I’m continuing to see my hand therapist on a monthly basis now and have made significant progress since day 1, however, we are not going to get back to 100%. The therapist was up front with me from the start and if I can get 80% then all things considered she reckons that’s pretty good. The increments of improvement are slowing and taking alittle longer to get there these days but we are still moving slowly in the right direction.
I’m getting out in the garden and starting to do some more physical work but it does drain the energy, so a work in progress still. Pace myself and do a little bit at a time and reap the reward in a longer time period….still a win.
Still not able to open a bottle of drink (water bottle, small lids sizes) and working on it each day, still some goals to conquer. Picking up small objects and holding coins in my hand are challenging and these are practiced daily.
So all in all, making good progress and my hand therapist is extremely proud of the progress I’ve made.
Now for the good stuff………
I was given the green light to start to test ride a motorcycle after all these months of looking at brochures, comparing specifications and dreaming about colours and the eventual “ride”. I started on my short list with a BMW F800GS. Not a bad bike but the wind buffeting was terrible and not something even the largest screen you could get would fix. Next was the F900XR which was at the top of the list but I couldn’t even get it off the side stand. And you know what they say “if you can’t get it up”……LOL.
Next was the 2024 Tracer which I never rode cos the only real difference to Dudley was the electronics, which don’t get me wrong would be great but had the same engine so it wouldn’t be too much of a change….and I think I needed/wanted a change, something different.
Then there was the Suzuki but trying to find one to ride near impossible – so passed.
Next on the list was the Triumph Tiger range – 660 Sport, 800 Sport & 900 GT Pro. Well, I didn’t get to ride them all, what I did get to ride was the 900 GT Pro. A triple but different to Dudley, a little more thumpy, tractory even and no vibration through the bars. Low weight displacement made it easy to get of the stand and move without having to lower it. Was pretty impressed.
Needless to say when a 2024 pre-owned Tiger 900 GT Pro with 8200km came up for sale on bikesales in Sydney for a good price and Karl was able to have a look at it, confirm that what they were selling was good….there really was no option. So that afternoon I rang the dealer and sealed a pretty good deal.
On Saturday 21.06.25 I picked up my new to me 2024 Tiger 900 GT Pro……named Fergus
Karl followed me in the car, just in case I tired or had a problem, but I managed to make it all the way home – 546.8km. How was I feeling you say, well glad you asked. It was a cold ride home and I was frozen to the bone by the time we got home. My wrist and fingers were sore and tired, my arse was burning and my neck felt all cricked up but apart from that I was all good!!
How good did it feel……Bloody Fantastic, invigorating and alive!!
Anyway, meet Fergus. Wishing us many miles and smiles together.
