Vintage meets retro: A 1955 Royal Enfield is parked next to the writer's 2005 Springer Softail Classic at The Coffee Plantation in Tempe, Arizona.
Saguaro cactus, vast canyons, intricate switchbacks, and steep mountain grades . . . Just a few of the reasons I call Phoenix home. But on a Sunday morning, as the sun gently rises over the Superstition Mountains, a low speed meander through its desolate urban streets provide a unique perspective of the Valley of the Sun.
Mill Avenue, recently named by the American Planning Association as one of the Great Streets in America for 2008, transforms itself form a bustling collection of bars, restaurants, and Arizona State coeds to a subdued Sunday morning acoustic café. The urban ride provides a suitable fix when a half-day excursion just isn’t feasible.
I rolled onto Mill Ave. at about 8 a.m. The street was empty and there was ample parking in front of The Coffee Plantation, one of the few remaining coffee houses with large open spaces to encourage conversation and lounging. As I ordered my morning dose of caffeine, I heard a mid-pitched rumble from the street and turned to see a vintage motorcycle backing-in adjacent to my 2005 Springer Softail Classic. Vintage next to retro.
As my drink was served, I asked the guy for the year and model. It was a 1955 Royal Enfield. We made small talk and chatted for a few minutes before I took a seat with a view of our motorcycles. As I typed the intro to this blog, a voice reached out from a nearby table.
“That’s a beautiful bike, what year is it?” I replied with the details and Mark came over to introduce himself. Mark rides a 2002 Dyna Wide Glide and recently moved back to Phoenix from Clearwater, Florida. We talked for a good 15 minutes or so about the riding in Florida, riding in Phoenix, motorcycle modifications and how bikers just have a knack for striking up a conversation.
The Urban Ride is as much about the people you meet as the ride itself.
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