INDIAN LOVE AFFAIR
Warren took one look at the Indian and claimed it. If he was going to live a dream of Cali’ cruisin’ it had to be on American iron and he just soaked in the style and design cues of this new classic. And of course he took full advantage of relaxed local laws (or was it absence of cops?) to go, er, ‘native’.
ME TOO!
JB wasn’t impervious to the attractions of a little freeriding, either. There is something magical about riding with the wind in your hair (while you’ve still got it). The trick of course is to not look like you’re enjoying it too much…
SUNSET BOULEVARD
Actually this was Laguna Beach, but when you see a Cali sunset you stop quick and take it all in – it really is quite special. Of course you have to shoot as well as look – so JB got Warren to push the Scout Bobber onto the boardwalk.
SUN SOAK
This shot is as it came out of the camera, no fancy Photoshop tricks. We had to pinch ourselves, it was so pitch perfect.
OLD TOWN
Old town San Diego is enchanting. Low rise, and these avenues of weatherboard bungalows with just walkways between their front gardens make for a special atmosphere. And all just a few paces from the beach. And the culture was 100% Bohemian, artsy, foodie – kind of hipster in a sun-kissed beach-bum style. Being utterly uncool Brit and Saffie old boys we can’t say we fitted right in, but we certainly loved the style, and the fish tacos at Single Fin – sublime.
STREET SCENE
We could have walked the neighbourhood, but riding it was more fun – honestly what is more fun than riding bikes, any bikes? Warren’s been into riding with rolled-up sleeves ever since JB showed him how French enduro aces always ride like this, even in the depths of winter. See, even us old guys want to be cool.
HIT THE BUTTON
Warren eventually condescended to riding the Triumph. He made a play of finding the starter, the controls and all, but after a while he kind of liked, or at least respected, the Speedmaster. It’s just something he won’t admit in public.
U-TURN
Using the pedestrian crossing as a U-turn opportunity confused the hell out of the locals – both in their automobiles and on foot (in San Diego they actually walk places, not just to their cars) – but you tell us: did Warren (a) turn on his Saffie charm or (b) just ignore them?
SUNSET 2
Another killer sunset, this time we’ve set one of the beach lifeguards’ lookout posts against it. There’s something a bit robotic in the design, don’t you think – maybe George Lucas had a hand in their design.
AND GOODNIGHT
We’ll choose this as the closing shot of the San Diego cruise. At this moment life was perfect. We’ll not speak of the surprisingly cold, long and borderline uncomfortable ride back to Newport Beach, some of it on a super-busy freeway. No, we’ll not mention that nightmare, just remember that dream day…
