Seen in Richmond on a Fine Fall Day (November 5, 2011)

Nice day in Richmond, it was a beautiful fall day with a lot of great color here. Temperature was in the 60 range, and there were a lot of motorcyclists out running their bikes on this very fine day. Saw a lot of them, plus some different bikes while out. For instance this lime green Moto Guzzi is a very rare bike to see, and enjoyed checking this out for a while after enjoying a frosty cold beverage at Legend Brewing in Richmond, VA. Moto Guzzi is an old Italian brand, and has a long history having made motorcycles since 1921. This bike is a real beauty and is an interesting take on the popular V-twin engine (a BMW below also has a different sort of V type engine). They sell these at Ultimate Cycle in Richmond (or at least they used to, I assume they still do) but a very fine bike for sure. I enjoyed seeing this one and visiting Legend's was also good. Nice to check out the local beer, and they make some good ones in this city. Had planned to hit some bike shops today, but the bike shops came to me. Good when your ride in waiting for you in NC.

While out by Legends, went by Scoot Richmond. Sure scooters are not motorcycles, but like us they ride on two wheels, and they accept the same sort of adventure and danger, so I consider them brothers and sisters of the road. Liked this bike and for sure on a dark night you would see it coming. They were having some sort of event out in the lot (even a few motorcycles were there) and there was food as well as (gasp) beer there, though I did not have any while I was there. Scooters were popular in England back in the 60's during the "Mods and Rockers" period (The Who sang about those days) and as for today they sure make fuel efficient machines for the road.
Spoke about the BMW V-twin engine, saw this version off of Cary Street. Now they make in-line six and in-line fours as well as some twins (engines of the twins by Rotax who also make ultralight aircraft engines) but it was the Boxer that made the company a legend. They have made bikes since 1923, and have a long history in Germany. Known for technological innovation, BMW motorcycles come with a lot of items which are not found on other motorcycles, and have a reputation for stone reliability. Some of their touring bikes have been the best in the world. Their GS series motorcycles were a big part of the "Long Way Around" show of a few years back.
Finally, saw this Ducati Monster. One of the great designs this bike (think it is a 620, though could be bigger) is a real motorcycle classic. It is a basic air cooled engine on a basic trellis frame-both light and powerful. Ducati uses a different sort of system to make the valves work, which makes Ducati motorcycles some of the most powerful out there. Ducati is is another old brand which started production in 1926. They are heavily involved in racing and have been very successful at it over the years. There is a Ducati dealer in Charlotte, but not one that I know of in the Richmond area. That is a damn shame!