The sunshine, the open road, the deafening throb of a Harley Davidson engine – this is clearly the only way to get about in the US. While in California I hired a bike to go cruising around the Napa Valley wine region. Now I’ve always been a bit sniffy about HDs (this one was a 1200 for example – no clue where all that power goes because it isn’t exactly nippy…sit on a 1200 BMW and it’s like a rocket) but there’s something about the gentle chugging, the exhaust note and the leisurly ‘ sat in a bath’ riding style. Also the suspension – carefully honed to support the ample backsides of some of the heaviest bikers I’ve ever seen – is just perfect to wallow through the inevitable giant potholes on the dreadful roads here.

Anyway I’ve completely transformed my idea of biking. Years ago it was all about the speed, now I think it is the best way in the world to take in the surroundings. In the same way that driving around in a convertible car gives you a better, more intimate experience of the surroundings than a car with a roof, touring on a bike puts you another level closer. I guess that means I’m mellowing.

Just spent the weekend in Petrolhead heaven – at the Infineon racetrack in Sonoma for the Ferrari 430 Challenge. So there were a number of races over a number of days – each affected start positions for the next. The 21 or so bends of racetrack are organised compactly so, from the right vantage point you can see almost all the action.

The best bit for me was that you are able to wander around the pits – talking to drivers and engineers, poking about in the cars etc. With the challenge all the cars are the same production spec but it is amazing to what extent some cars are more equal than others. Spot the enormous cheesy grin 🙂

Actually it made a very welcome change to spend some time with people who like driving and who don’t think that American cars are acceptable modes of transportation. Bliss.