Twenty-first (XXI) South'n Spine Raid 2025

[Kevin_T]

Now I know how Josh felt when he said Bill never got a picture of him smiling. Bill can be sneaky with his camera. I mean you want to catch people being natural and not poising all the time but that doesn't always tell the whole story. My knee ain't so good doesn't bother me riding but I can't stand on it long. Might not always look my best.  

[docc]

1 minute ago, Kevin_T said:

Now I know how Josh felt when he said Bill never got a picture of him smiling. Bill can be sneaky with his camera. I mean you want to catch people being natural and not poising all the time but that doesn't always tell the whole story. My knee ain't so good doesn't bother me riding but I can't stand on it long. Might not always look my best.  

Bill? Sneaky? Say it ain't so . . . 

[docc]

2 hours ago, Kevin_T said:

Now I know how Josh felt when he said Bill never got a picture of him smiling. Bill can be sneaky with his camera. I mean you want to catch people being natural and not poising all the time but that doesn't always tell the whole story. My knee ain't so good doesn't bother me riding but I can't stand on it long. Might not always look my best.  

Smile!

[docc]

Something between the trailers and the tractor  . . .    

[Joe]

1 hour ago, docc said:

Something between the trailers and the tractor  . . .    

Rosso Mandello, Coppa Italia and 900SS look good together Docc.

[Randy]

8 hours ago, docc said:

Something between the trailers and the tractor  . . .    

Ansel Adams?

[Bill Hagan]

On 9/11/2025 at 8:14 PM, Kevin_T said:

Now I know how Josh felt when he said Bill never got a picture of him smiling. Bill can be sneaky with his camera. I mean you want to catch people being natural and not poising all the time but that doesn't always tell the whole story. My knee ain't so good doesn't bother me riding but I can't stand on it long. Might not always look my best.  

Thanks for posting that, Kevin, as I had not realized I might have captured you not "looking your best."

In my own case, my best has been pretty low rent since the '90's!  

Seriously, I have been chronicling SSR's since the first.  I take (quite literally) hundreds of amateurish pix and then cull those down to (still too many) ones and post them here and, occasionally, another Guzzi forum.

That culling process is often hurried.  In this case, commitments and chores on our return meant I didn't even get to add captions to the pix.  I like those as if the pix don't insult the victims enough, the captions add a coup de grâce.  

But, "sneaky," no, at least ever intentionally.  

Now, as do all "historians," I may take liberties with the truth, but that is almost always in the sense of not posting unflattering pix of me, e.g., a sullen look, picking my nose, or one that highlights my avoirdupois.  Heck, maybe that's why I take the pix anyway, i.e., to have few of me and delete any that I get that others take -- at least with my camera.

For example, Kathi -- who ALWAYS looks better than I do  -- asked someone to get a pic of the two of us.  This:

As always, Kathi looks great; I failed to "suck it in," so ... yup, I didn't post it in the slideshow, thus proving that I, too, am not immune from vanity. 

Finally -- OK, almost -- I often take pix (especially of the posed kind such as the one you complained about) in "bursts," and then choose the one in which the fewest people are blinking or whatever.  In the case of the one of the three of you, Josh, and Adam, I only took two, did not study those intently, thus posted the one you did not like.  Here's the other:

 

As I peck out this TLDR response to your concern, both the original and this are in the slideshow.  Unless I hear differently from you, I'll sub the second for the original, as I think it does show you in a better light without making Josh and Adam less handsome than their actual selves.   [Edited to say "done."  ]

Now, happily for all reading this, I have to go tend to one of those back-home tasks.  The plumber crew will be here in about 15 minutes for their second day of work on our septic system.  

They  are “renewing” our Alternative Septic System’s peat mo$$, and will leave with $12K of our moto-money!  

I now know why scotch whisky is so expensive.  I wish I had known that peat moss was so dear when I chose my legal career.  But “Greta” wasn't around then, so I had no idea that to save the Chesapeake Bay I need to pump the contents of our fluids’ tank to an ASS — a fitting acronym — with its pricy peat moss before it was declared clean enough.  Grrrrr.

Bill

 

P.S.  Nothing above, Kevin, is meant to make light of your knee pain.  After a career in the Army, involving as it did, routinely running in boots on pavement, jumping out of airplanes in the 82d Airborne Division, and other "fun," my own knees are shot, so I quite literally "feel your pain."  Best wishes with yours, with the hope that both of us can ride for a long time to come.   

 

Edited September 13 by Bill Hagan

[PJPR01]

11 hours ago, docc said:

Something between the trailers and the tractor  . . .    

What a nice Coppa!  Now that I see that people are not frowned on for trailering, maybe I'll do the same next year, in as much as I enjoy riding long distances, the Scura has no bags for required gear other than a rear tail bag...ideas, ideas!  

Edited September 12 by PJPR01

[PJPR01]

On 9/9/2025 at 11:29 AM, Bill Hagan said:

.

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Back home, so a few  -- OK, a bunch  -- more pix.

Captionless, but you can probably figure out who is who.

Bill H's SR 2025 Pix

Bill

 

 

 

 

 

Great pics!  So nice to see a Goldwing, Norge also comfortable amongst the Spine Raiders!

[Bill Hagan]

26 minutes ago, PJPR01 said:

Great pics!  So nice to see a Goldwing, Norge also comfortable amongst the Spine Raiders!

.

Over the years,I’ve ridden to the SSR on a Ballabio, Griso, EV, Stornello, V7 III, and Norge!
 

Bill

 

 

 

 

[Skip]

OK well, I finally got a chance to sit down with the computer. First I'd like to say hats off to Doc For everything that he does.(BIG hug My friend}                                                                                                                                                                                              Gus and I had a fantastic time this year At the SSR. It was great to see and talk to everyone that showed up Including Kevin, A fellow Michigander Who Rode his O2 V11 Le Mans All the way down.(Kudos)  Gus and I trailered ours. Because it's just too much saddle time And so Few days.

           My older son Josh, came up from Atlanta And met us at the lodge On Friday, early Afternoon. We all spent the rest of the day and evening. Behind Hardy 's.at the. large field, Where we flew RC gliders. Josh. also spent Friday night, Which gave us a chance to mingle in the garage, and then at the pavilion, were everyone all told stories and shot the breeze.

            Gus and I managed to ride 180 miles on Saturday, even though it was a little damp at the higher elevations Up in the Appalachian Mountains. We ended up with a cruise through the dragon's tail and stopped a few time for some pics, which I'll try to post.

       All in all it was a great time with friends and fellow riders And already looking forward to next year.

        Everyone stay healthy and ride safe!

SKIP

[Skip]

More Pics

[Pressureangle]

On 9/12/2025 at 9:26 AM, PJPR01 said:

What a nice Coppa!  Now that I see that people are not frowned on for trailering, maybe I'll do the same next year, in as much as I enjoy riding long distances, the Scura has no bags for required gear other than a rear tail bag...ideas, ideas!  

Oh C'mon now. I did 10k on this. You can make Tellico from Houston in a day, if you leave at 4am.

[docc]

After somewhere around six drift posts, they find their way to a better home . . .

 

[docc]

That housekeeping done (y'all carry on with that Texas bid'ness! ) . . .

I have to tell this South'n Spine Raid story, lest it fade away . . .

Late night in the Tellico Garage, the question of "Why a Guzzi?" came up.  One revered SpineRaider spoke up ( I paraphrase, but not entirely!) . . .

"I was always a Ducati guy and hated Guzzis ."  >hated<.

"One day I was at my dealer and walked by a SPOrT 1100 from behind. I squatted down and looked at it from behind. "

"It was like your girlfriend bending over in some hot shorts. "

 

 

Some quick-witted SpineRaider noted he said: YOUR girlfriend, not HIS girlfriend . . . 

Either way: he's been a Guzzi guy ever since.