October 2024
I’d been hunting for Vera’s replacement with uncharacteristic patience, waiting for a sign from the Motorcycle Gods. Naturally, that sign appeared while I was “just having a quick look” at the ukgser.com forum, a site more addictive than caffeine and twice as expensive. I saw her: a Triumph Sprint ST 1050. Having owned two 955cc models, I’m basically a repeat offender, but the 1050 had been my “one that got away.”
After a flurry of messages that felt dangerously like a teenage rom-com, I trekked 30 miles north. It was love at first sight. This bike was so clean it made showroom models look like they’d been dragged through a swamp. The owner had clearly pampered it more than most people treat their firstborn. The seller definitely smelled my desperation; I tried to play it cool, but my “puppy dog eyes” gave the game away. Deal struck.
The 50-mile ride home was a revelation. After wrestling my R1200GS—which has the turning circle of a tectonic plate, the Triumph felt like an extension of my soul. That 1050cc engine is pure sorcery; I may have giggled into my helmet like a toddler who just discovered sugar.
May 2025
Clifford the Big Red Triumph has left the building!
After a quick look at my spreadsheet (please, no eye-rolling), the truth was out: Clifford the Triumph was currently a “Museum Exhibit” rather than a motorcycle. I decided to see if anyone was interested, and the answer was “literally everyone.” The first suitor basically performed a drive-by purchase and rode off like he’d stolen it.
I’m sad to see him go, sure, but I did the math: 92 miles in seven months. My Fitbit registers more activity than that when I’m just looking for the TV remote.
