Yes, at last.
It’s been at Rose Farm Classics in Woodstock, Illinois, since early November. Four months. All to have Guzzi magician Jim Barron “rollerize” it.
Actually, Jim got that job done, along with some other tasks, in pretty short order. But, Christmas, winter weather — which even, this morning, 6 March, as I type this, brought a snowy reminder that winter’s not ready to surrender to daffodils — and family commitments kept it in Illinois and me in Virginia.
Then, last week, I saw a window of three days, and leapt through it.
I asked recently retired veterinarian, friend, Guzzista, and vintage artillerist John Wells to come along on this 1400-mile, 3-day dangerous mission behind enemy lines. Our indulgent wives were, as I have said to others, almost suspiciously supportive of our absence. Hmmmmm. I’ll think about that tomorrow.
John, who collects motorcycles (and cannons!), offered to meet me up the road in Bedford, Pa., with a better trailer than I had planned to use, and the last-minute plan quickly went from "what if?" to execution phase.
Somehow, Dr. John convinced wife Mary Lou to drive him an hour south early on Thursday morning, we hooked up his trailer to my little do-anything-asked ’93 pickup (207K miles), and we were off to Woodstock.
Spent that night in Elgin, Illinois, after leaving a big chunk of my retirement savings in toll booths along the way, with Chicago-area’s being the most maddening. That said, it’s always interesting to me how good-humored tollbooth operators are. Booze?
On Friday morning, we rolled into Woodstock. I made John light a candle at the Andie MacDowell shrine downtown — for the inexcusably ignorant, “Groundhog Day” was filmed there — bought some (pink-sprinkled as Jim rather inexplicably prefers) doughnuts, and arrived at Rose Farm Classics.
Jim’s (nice, cute … and certified Guzzi wrench!) daughter Kacy greeted us, checked our passports, and admitted us into His Presence.
HRH Jim gave first-time pilgrim John a grand tour and then … drum roll and sound the herald trumpets! … presented my rollerized GRiSO to me. Naturally, Jim first let me hear it as he roared by on an access road. Then — yes, I brought my hemet despite the weather forecast! — I took it around for a few loops.
Yee ha! What joy.
Pix? Sure, though mercifully for you, not too many.
But first, go here to see why Jim isn’t only an incomparable Guzzi guru, but also a great gentleman. I promise you that the short video here is worth your time.
[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]Now mine,
[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]As usual, Best seen in “full screen” with captions.
(Blessed) Bill