British cars have a certain mystique. After many years of storage they begin to exhibit a familiar smell of old leather and musty wool carpets.
For the last two years because of the COVID-19 pandemic, we British car afficionados have been denied our little pleasures of the annual British Car Day.
But this year it was back and marked the 37th anniversary and was held again at Bronte Creek Park on September 18th, 2022.
I cajoled my wife Angela to accompany me and we got up at 6 AM to drive there and drive our Aston Martin DB9 into the competition field. The day was busy visiting vendors and choosing our favourite cars from umpteen categories.
There was also a motorcycle section Angela and I spent time at, as we unexpectedly stumbled across a Triumph Rocket III. The importance of this is that my protagonist William Fox; in my new novel outfoxed, has this model of bike as his daily driver. William rides the rocket in a few chapters on the roads of Quebec.
As I took a few photos with my iPhone, Jack the owner introduced himself. Curious, since I’m more of a British car guy, Jack explained his experiences owning a motorcycle of such significant power and balance and that it was a dream to drive
He said, “It rides like a Cadillac,” as he showed me the storage tanks and then he filled me in on the power and torque numbers.
My research for the use of the motorcycle in the novel was reinforced by some of his comments, “Driving is an incredible experience. Compared to a Harley Davidson, it’s a steal.”
Motor City News said of the Triumph Rocket III “It is the biggest, most badass motorcycle money can buy.”
I can imagine that William Fox feels the same way about it. Other features mentioned is that the bike braked better, was faster and that it was British. Incidentally the pistons on the three cylinder engine are of the same size found in the Viper supercar and the specification allows 225 km/h and 150 pounds foot of torque. With this low centre of gravity, the motorcycle can be thrown around corners with a firm hand.
Often when writing about a character the choice of transportation is also a reflection of the personality of the individual. This, I feel, is as much a significant link to the character as what they eat or how they dress themselves and most important how they interact with people around them. All these factors besides an intriguing plot and some good dialogue play part in a good story.
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