A tale of two bikes

Early morning, well 0840 anyway, took the CTX1300 to Thunderroad for it's annual service. Doesn't seem like a year since I bought it, 15 August. I've got a service plan so for two years servicing was paid for up front. works out cheaper and it's very nice to have the keys handed back and have nothing to pay at the time.

Our niece, Lizzie from Tasmania, asked if she could have a ride on my bike so they all came to our house in the afternoon and when I got the text to say it was ready to be picked up we went off on the courtesy bike. It's a 500cc (Honda Rebel CMX500) but it felt tiny after riding the CTX1300.
Got to Thunderroad and picked up the CTX and off we both went.
Lizzie was a fantastic pillion passenger, on both bikes I wasn't aware of having anyone being on the rear pillion seat. At least with the CTX I've a back rest so I know she hadn't fallen off!

We went out of Gloucester on the A417, turned right for Birdlip village and then right into the scenic viewing point. From there you can see the mountains in Wales 41 miles away beyond the Forest of Dean hills.
From there we went back to the Air Balloon roundabout and headed for Severn Springs (towards Oxford). Turned left at Severn Springs and down Leckhampton Hill into Cheltenham. Traffic was getting heavy but we managed a little bit of filtering to jump ahead.
In all we were riding for about 1hr 20min, dual carriageway's, 'A' roads, bit of Cotswold roads, steep up and down hills, and town work. We both thoroughly enjoyed it.