It was a cloudy and cool February Day when I decided I would ride my Moto Morini up to Charleston Triumph for their Winter Open House, demo day. I was particularly excited for this event as I haven’t been involved in any social gatherings involving motorcycles. It might be that I am not interested in biker rallies or that I don’t see myself as someone who rides with a group of riders. I am a lone wolf. Riding the road the way I like to ride without the need to follow anyone else but my own intuition. Yet, Charleston Triumph’s demo day provides a very unique platform. Basically, the owner and staff were allowing anyone with a valid motorcycle license and gear, to show up, sign some paperwork, pick a bike of their liking, and ride it for a few miles. How sweet is that?! So, as my watch struck 10am, on Saturday, I cranked up the Moto Morini and made my way up to Charleston Triumph.
Upon arrival, I was surprised to see the number of other riders present. People were hanging out, bikes were being ridden off the dealership lot, and it was like Charleston Triumph were giving away motorcycles LOL! I parked my motorcycle in a spot a bit away from the front parking lot that was loaded with motorcycles. “Could this be heaven?” I thought. Walking up to the event I was immediately impressed with the large selection of inventory available. Motorcycles of all shapes and sizes, makes and models, were parked waiting to be ridden by someone. The rush of seeing such beautiful machines in one space made my heart sing and I immediately asked a Charleston Triumph employee if they had any bottled water available. “Sir, we have donuts, coffee, soda, and water all inside the shop for everyone,” the young man said to me. Damn! Free coffee and donuts and motorcycles…this is heaven!
With a cup of coffee in hand, I walked the parking lot to see if any motorcycle would be something I would demo myself. My eyes landed on a Harley Davidson! Yes. A Harley. Out of all the bikes in the lot, I became interested in a Harley. Let me provide a bit of context to why this particular Harley caught my eye. A week or so before the event I looked up the website on Charleston Triumph and found a Harley Davidson Street Rod model for sale. As a used bike, the price was peanuts especially for a Harley. Yet the Street Rod is not your typical HD. It is a strange cafe racer of a bike. Unlike the cruisers HD is so know for, this Street Rod is almost a European bike. For one thing, you sit on the bike leaning forward. Knees place high on the gas tank, and the short handlebars really give you an aggressive feel. Once I saw the Harley Davidson Street Rod in the parking lot for demo day, I thought it was time for me to take it out for a spin.
To relax myself I decided to walk back into the shop and checked out the latest 2025 models. Once inside I started chatting with other riders and we all agreed that Triumph motorcycles are beautiful. The level of detail, the style, and the paint schemes will make your jaw drop. After a donut, and grabbing a bottled water, I went back to the Harley. Time to see if I would like to demo this bike. First, I decided just to sit on the bike. Immediately, sharp pains lit up my hips from the riding position. Then, to my surprise, I noticed an outline of a butterfly sticker on the gas tank. What? A butterfly sticker on a Harley? What type of ownership history did this Harley have? Both the hip pain, and butterfly sticker, just killed my desire to demo this bike. Then seeing a particular interesting tape job on the connecters under the headlight was a huge red flag. “I don’t trust this bike! Oh, hell no,” I said to myself.
Finishing my bottled water, I decided it was time to get back on my bike and find a poke bowl for lunch. I wasn’t disappointed, or let down, I just realized that my Moto Morini motorcycle is the ONLY bike I want to ride. The staff and owner of Charleston Triumph did an amazing job of putting this event together. I really appreciate their time and effort with demo day. As for me, maybe if another demo day occurs, I will ignore the butterfly Harley and find something to ride.
Rolf