Who remembers this movie quote?

“The new phone book’s here! The new phone book’s here! Millions of people look at this book every day. This is the kind of spontaneous publicity that MAKES people!”

I’m a big fan of Navin Johnson and The Jerk. I don’t know why that line pops up in my head now. It used to be every time I came home to find the new phone book on the driveway I would repeat it. But I’m not sure they even make phone books any more. Now the line comes to mind when my bike finally shows up at the local dealer.

I had a running joke at work for the last few years… I knew the 700 Tenere was coming, eventually, and I had joked that when it finally showed up I would be off on the next round-the-world ride. So about once every couple of months I would pop my head into somebody’s office and ask “Is my 700 here yet?”

It got to be such a routine that people started responding “Soon!” or “I heard yours was backordered”. Except for my boss, who would just say “No. It is not here. And it is not coming”, in jest of course, as a way of subtly suggesting I reconsider leaving again.

But, now, after being home for four and a half years, it’s here.

I’ve been waiting on this day for a long time.

Yep, it’s all there. Time to get to work.

So it’s time to get to work. Since the bike has been available in Europe for going on two years, I had already ordered and received most of the accessories I plan to install long before my bike arrived.

A small amount of the accessories I’ve had in my shop for months, waiting for the bike to arrive. Includes: panniers, pannier racks, rear rack, footpegs, rear shock spring, top handlebar clamp (for GPS mount), heated grips, skid plate, center stand, engine guard.

Let the fun begin!