Day 3: A TRIUMPH-ant Run

Ace Café in Orlando pulled out the hosting stops again with a great Cars and Coffee event this morning, although it took a while in the 35 degree Florida temperature for the cars to show up.

 
Not to waste the opportunity, our crew busied themselves with fixing the back window of the ’59 Cadillac that had dropped down from its mechanism and replacing the voltage regulator on the ’62 International Travelette

While that was going on, David got a rundown from Ace mechanics on the 865cc Parallel Twin 2014 Triumph Thruxton Ace that our hosts are allowing him to ride north toward Detroit. The formal bike description notes that “The Thruxton Ace combines the silhouette of a true Triumph classic racer, with a fabulous one-off pure white and jet black paint livery reflecting Triumph’s long historical connection with the Ace Café.”

After being interviewed by local TV about the Drive Home, David mounted the bike and the entire team roared toward Tallahassee amidst some significant traffic and drivers who seemed much more concerned about getting to their destination than the safety of our caravan.

 

 

After a few stops that included a visit to one of seemingly dozens of Florida Citrus Centers (complete with a wide variety of produce and gator heads) we finally made it the 256 miles to Tallahassee around 7 p.m. A long day, especially for David who had ridden the whole way in sub-45 degree temperatures.

 



 

 

We’ll say goodbye to Florida early tomorrow as we move toward Birmingham, AL and the Barber Racing Complex – stay tuned, the fun has only just begun!

Editor’s note: Not sure why Keith Flickinger is in nearly every photo today; as you can see he's not a particularly shy fella and it seemed like every time I raised my camera he jumped into the frame…  


#DriveHome, #AATDriveHome