Sun and 24C (75F) equals Playtime!

Once more with sunshine. We couldn't believe the weather guessers because they forecasted fair weather temperatures beyond 20C on the weekend.

After breakfast we ventured out on our little scooters to visit Hawg Supply, the place where my Harley Davidson Sportster 883 currently 'lives' until street-legal.
Recently the Vehicle Licensing Department 'invited me' and made me sign a statutory declaration that the ICBC Owner's Certificate and Vehicle License is the one and only valid and official document stating my property (Canadian authorities don't provide titles like the US does.).

But... my Sporty hasn't been given the road permit just yet. The verdict on the exhaust system is still pending as Rover has failed the emission test. Although some exceptions for moving goods from overseas apply, the authorities are undecided yet whether my current exhaust will be accepted as street legal in Germany. Time will tell.

Dieter (grey guy in black T-Shirt behind Rover), the shop owner is your typical dyed-in-the-wool mechanic, with rough edges and golden heart, plain-talking and honest. He has been tinkering on American iron since the 70's, and founded his business after he had gotten laid off during the 80's. Ursula, his wife is the heart of the business and takes care of the commercial stuff ever since. She also provides the necessary flair towards the authorities, such as TÜV and licensing department.

Other customers dropped in for a coffee, and admired my clean and pretty Sportster. They couldn't believe that it was made in 2008. I was mighty proud that Rover got so much attention. We had a great time chatting about. And we also got to tour the facilities. The shop is spotless and so clean, that it rather looks like somebody's living room. Everything had its place, and we were under the impression that the bikes were well taken care of.

It was noon and the road was calling, so we meandered southwest towards river Rhine. We were indeed getting hot in our gear. The man got hungry, and we stopped at a Turkish place in Schwanau-Ottenheim. The Donair Plate was huge, fresh and yummy, and somebody was very happy and stuffed after. I had a Vege Yufka (wrap), and it was delish as well.

After we took the ferry (free of charge) across the river towards Rhinau in France, and rode south along the Rhine.

It was so beautiful and warm that we decided to stop for a little rest. We found a pretty spot, watched the water and admired the clouds and autumn colors in the quiet of the afternoon.

We were so comfortable lying on our motorcycle gear with our filled bellies, that we almost fell asleep.

But not long after the sun was fading, and its rays lost their power. There was a sudden chill in the air, and we decided to get going.

At Marckolsheim we again crossed the Rhine. Not with another ferry though. This time it was system of bridges crossing a water lock and canal. Two dutch barges were waiting for the water levels to even out.

The watch tower provided a great view. If it hadn't been so late already we would have loved to travel on but we pressed on now in order to arrive home before sunset. 

Almost home we found this sort of crop. We couldn't figure out what it was but it was huge, growing over three meters (10ft) high. It looks like Sudan grass, which is not a native plant. If anyone knows what it is please share. All in all we had an awesome day with great people, great roads, a ferry ride, good food, a nap in the sun and 130 km of scootering fun. Life is good!

The route:

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Spielstunde (oder besser: Spieltag)

Es war kaum zu glauben, die Wettervorhersage hatte Sonne und 25 (!!!) Grad für heute angekündigt. Wir sattelten also unsere Roller und besuchten meine Sportster in ihrem temporären Domizil bei Hawg Supply. Dieter Uebel, eingefleischter Mechaniker schraubt schon seit den Siebzigern an Harley's und gründete sein Unternehmen in den Achtzigern. Und seitdem er seinen normale Anstellung verlor, macht er nur noch in amerikanisches Eisen und das macht er gut. Ursula, seine Frau, kümmert sich derweil mit dem so wichtigen Fingerspitzengefühl um die Zulassungen und die Administration. 

Andere Kunden kamen zum Kaffeetrinken vorbei und so man schwatzte über Kanada, Reisen und Motorräder. Ich war ganz stolz, dass meine Sportster für ihren guten Zustand gebührend bewundert wurde. Wir haben uns noch Werkstatt und (umfangreiches) Lager angeschaut. Man sieht auf den ersten Blick, dass die Motorräder hier in guten Händen sind.

Nach unserem Besuch bei den Uebels folgen wir dem Ruf der Straße, oder besser Roland's Magen, denn der Gatte hatte Hunger. Bei Hannemann's Eck in Schwanau-Ottenheim hatte er einen erstklassigen Döner Teller, während ich mir eine vegetarische Yufka 'reinzog. So gestärkt nahmen wir die Fähre bei Kappel über den Rhein und fuhren auf der französischen Seite weiter nach Süden. Irgendwann machten wir eine Pause, legten uns in die Sonne und schauten dem Wasser und den Wolken beim Vorbeiziehen zu. Doch nach einer Weile wurde es merklich kühler. Die Sonnenstrahlen hatten eben nicht mehr so viel Kraft wie im Sommer. Bei Marckolsheim ging es wieder über den Rhein auf die deutsche Seite. Wir schauten noch ein Paar holländischen Rheinkähnen in der Schleuse zu, doch dann machten wir, dass wir nach Hause kamen, denn der Sonnenuntergang war nicht mehr fern. Kurz vor dem Ende unserer Tour kamen wir noch an mehr als drei Meter hohen Gräsern vorbei. Leider wissen wir nicht, um welche Pflanzen es sich handelt, aber wir glauben, es ist Sudan Gras. Wer es weiss, darf es uns gern mit teilen. Es war ein wunderschöner Tag mit tollen Begegnungen und 130 km Rollerspaß.