NC Transportation Museum, Spencer, North Carolina

One of my favorite area rides is to the NC Transportation Museum which is in Spencer, North Carolina, right next to Salisbury (in fact they run together with nothing but a city sign between them. You can get there via I-85 (there is an museum sign at I believe Exit 79), but I enjoy a better route.

Off of NC-3 in Concord I ride to Old Concord-Salisbury Road. Its a scenic and nicely curved two lane back road past some fine fields, and with little traffic. I stay on that road which curves (but follow it around). It will cross over a major road (believe that is Jake Alexander) with a resturant called "The Farmhouse" (great place for breakfast, and you will probably see a few motorcycles out there). Going a little further you will see the National Cemetary on your right. That was at the site of a Confederate Prison which was near there. It is worth a stop, they have the trenches were the Union soldiers were buried who died in the prison; estimates vary from some 8000-11,000. There are also soldiers buried there from various wars. Some state memorials are also there as well. Nothing of the prison remains to be seen; I believe it was burned to the ground when the Union Army came to Salisbury near the end of the Civil War. At the cemetary, or going just past it, turn left up one of the side streets to Salisbury Avenue, and there you turn right. Going on that road you will be in the old downtown. The buildings are very interesting, and just past downtown are some beautiful old houses. You should within a mile or two cross into Spencer; the NC Transportation Museum will be on your right and you can not miss it. You will find the gate to turn in just past the big buildings on your right.

The NC Transportation Museum was a train repair depot for many years, and was turned over to the state. There is no admission charge (free is always good), and they have a large round house, a nice display of trains there (steam engines, and electric diesels), an interesting car display, a few planes, and (of course) a few motorcycles. Some of those can be seen in the photo above. Its not a big collection, but worth a look.They also often have special events there, which are posted on the web site (which you can find via Googling "NC Transportation Museum"). One of the bike show's that I mentioned in my previous post was held there earlier this year.

Other points of interest in Salisbury include Tilley Harley-Davidson, and it is also a great return ride toward Concord via Bringle Ferry Road which takes you past High Rock Lake. A stop at Tamerac Marina for a quick snack and a beverage is always a nice pause. Bringle Ferry Road is another curvy two-lane road. Taking it all the way to its end will take you to Highway 8, turn right a short distance and then you will at the intersection with NC-49. At that intersection take a right and follow that back to Concord, NC. The museum, and the cities of Salisbury and Spencer are worth spending some time in, and is a popular ride which I take often solo or ride with my friends.

Classic Bike Shows

You know, this photo makes a good point. Its a Honda VT500 Ascot, around the 1980's, and is in beautiful condition. Classic design with a V twin engine, though was not made very long by Honda. I looked at this bike at a Classic Motorcycle Show in Salisbury, NC on May 17, 2008. Right behind it is a 1970's era Suzuki Titan 500; one of the great two-cycle motorcycles of that era.
Classic bike shows are a great way to see the past, and even to a degree the future of motorcycles. You can not really know where you are going, if you don't know where you began. Many motorcycle companies have an amazing history. Many brands from the past are no longer made; and some of the old manufacturers have been made a long time. This year Harley-Davidson is 105 years old, but Triumph is celebrating 106 years, and a manufacturer called Royal Enfield has been making motorcycles since 1901!
Classic shows can celebrate all brands, or a specific brand. For instance the Salisbury show had NO Harley's on hand, but it was mostly Japanese and European motorcycles. Many of them looked just as I remembered, right off the assembly line in many cases, while others showed they had been ridden (and many were ridden in).
On June 28th, I rode out to Gold Hill, NC for the 2nd Classic Motorcycle Show. There the bikes were mostly Harley-Davidson and Indian motorcycles. Many of them were in remarkable shape, and most were in running condition. It was fun to hang out with the owners of the bikes, riders of other motorcycles (most of us who came, came on two wheels), and to see what has led to the bikes of today. Some of the motorcycles were amazing for the time, and a few of them would hold up well against the bikes of today. Some have concepts and designs that are being re-explored in today's motorcycles.
Not only can you see classic motorcycles at bike shows, but many locations have motorcycle museums. We are blessed with two good ones in North Carolina, one which sadly will be closing, and another which has been updated since my last visit. I will be rolling there in the next few weeks, and will cover that in an upcoming post to the blog.

Lincolnton Hog Happenin (June 7, 2008)

Nope the spelling is right, it was the "Hog Happenin" which was held in Lincolnton, NC on June 7, 2008. I have been to a number of them over the last few years. It is one of my favorite events in the region, since I found out about it a few years ago. I go every year, and have been blessed with very good weather (though a few really overcast ones did not look real good at the time, but turned out ok). Started going with the Honda VLX 600 Shadow, and have been riding the Vulcan there the last few years. In fact, it was one of the first things I did with the bike which I got on June 1, 2005.

The Hog Happenin is a fun event. Lincolnton closes the town square to all cars, and only motorcycles are allowed in. This year I rode up with Ed and Steve from Concord, NC. Its a pretty good ride up NC-73. Steve thought Huntersville would be packed with traffic, but I told him NC does not get up that early (and I was right) so we rolled through there. Got to Lincolnton around 10:30 and they had a really good crowd. That was suprising cause this year the temperature was in the upper 90's! Had to be the warmest one I have been too, but a good crowd was on hand.

In addition to the motorcycles, it is also a barbeque cookoff. There are a number of places selling some of the best barbeque you will find this side of Lexington, NC. To be sure barbeque is a different thing than it was in my hometown of Louisville, Kentucky. For one thing it is cooked without sauce on it (you add that either a tomato based or vinegar sauce), and is often topped with slaw. To me, slaw used to be a side dish, but its a popular topping for hamburgers, hot dogs and barbeque. It does grow on you though. They also had a beer tent, bands playing (under some blazing sun, no cover for them which was a bad oversight), and some remarkable bikes. In fact they have bike games, a poker run, and all sorts of vendors on hand. The crowd (due to the heat) was down a little, but still quite a few hundred bikes on hand.

We took the long way back, went a round about route (cause by afternoon Huntersville probably was bumper to bumper traffic) which took us through some interesting towns and out by the US Whitewater Center in Charlotte. If you have never been, and are in the area in early June, its a worthwhile stop to make with some fun people, good food, and nice music (hopefully a bit cooler in 2009!). You can be sure though that I will be there! To find more info Google "Hog Happenin" to check out the web site that Lincolnton has put up. Currently much of the info is about last years event, but they will have 2009 info up in a few months.

So you want to ride a motorcycle? (Part 2)

Some sad news today; my wife has a friend who lost her son to a motorcycle crash on Sunday. Apparently he got the bike on Saturday, and Sunday morning lost control of the bike on a curve, and hit a telephone pole, killing him instantly.
This goes back to what I was talking about in an earlier post. The very first thing one should get is training on operating a motorcycle safely. As I noted the classes can well save your life, they also can save on your insurance costs.
I have been talking to a new "want to be" rider at work who is planning to buy his first bike: the new 2009 Star V-Max. As I have told him, that is probably not the best selection for a beginning (or long away from riding) motorcyclist. For that matter, it may be a bad choice for the somewhat experienced rider. Not because its a bad bike, but rather because it has performance that will come faster than you might believe.
The trick with riding a motorcycle is not to blast down roads at triple digit speeds; the trick to me is a to enjoy the ride, visit new places, and most importantly come home to tell about them. Evading cops, getting tickets (and higher insurance), or even worse....medical bills from crashes tends to suck all the fun out of riding.
Plus, there are so many good motorcycles that give (1) great fuel mileage (2) lower maintenance costs and (3) react with a lot less quickness that make riding a lot more fun. Getting way over your head is a great way to lose it.
So, get the training first. Get the best protective gear you can afford, and use it. Slow down and enjoy the sensation and the scenery instead of blasting though it. If you want to go fast, get to a race track. Many of them have "track days" for motorcycles, and even there you can get training on how to ride at higher speeds if that is your wish.
Getting hurt sure tends to suck the fun out of a good day riding!

Riding North Carolina (An Overview)

For the last 10 years, I have been riding my motorcycle(s) in North Carolina. For the first seven years, the Honda VLX 600 Shadow, for the last three the Kawasaki Vulcan 1500 Classic. I can honestly say I have enjoyed each mile, for this is one of the most beautiful and interesting states I have had the joy of riding in. With fall, which is one of the best seasons to ride due to the beauty to be found here, coming up there are sure to be some specific posts of some interesting rides.
Fall is the time for great mountain rides. Riding in the cool air, under the multi-colored trees is filled with a number of "oh wow" moments. I can not say enough about riding on the Blue Ridge Parkway, which is nothing short of a national treasure. With a number of places to pull off to see the remarkable scenery, it is nothing short of remarkable. There are also a number of towns to be found among its length such as Blowing Rock, Asheville, and many more which are interesting places to explore in and of themselves.
There are sometimes direct (aka highways) to various destinations, but sometimes not. That is often a good thing. To be honest, drivers in North Carolina tend to drive pretty fast. It is not uncommon to be passed by a car going much faster than you. The driver is more times than not glued to his or her cell phone, lost in conversation. Traffic at times can be pretty heavy as well. Times happen when the shortest distance between two points is via the highway, but even though fast, its not often the best way to get to a place. In fact, often its not even a possible way. For instance, to get to the Outer Banks, or to Myrtle Beach for instance, there is NO direct highway route.
To get to those places, as well as many others there are a number of backroads. North Carolina Routes such as NC-73, NC-29, NC-49, NC-52 (among many others) are usually two or four lane roads that pass through some beautiful scenery, interesting towns, and past amazing sights. If you ride in North Carolina, I would suggest you seek those routes out; you will be glad you did.
Some of the larger cities can be very interesting. I enjoy riding around Charlotte which is going through some amazing changes, interesting growth and has a lot to offer. I have also enjoyed Asheville, Winston-Salem and Greensboro. There are some remarkable things to find in those areas.
Also of special note are the mountain town of Chimney Rock (with the beautiful sight of Lake Lure which you find after riding on a twisty road; a remarkable thing to discover), the ride up NC-29 to Mt. Airy (which is the town which Mayberry was based on), NC-49 or NC-73 to Albemarle where Morrow Mountain is located.
Of course riding in North Carolina, NC-74 will take you to many places; its part of the route in one direction into the mountains, it also was the route I took with friends to Wilmington, NC.
One of the great things about this state is taking a ride "thataway"...to explore new places and things. It is big enough that even after 10 years there is still a lot to see, and many new places to explore. I intend to share many of those places on this blog over the next few months and years.
I hope in the next few months to get to Raleigh (I have yet to be there), explore some new sights in the mountains, to get back to the sea again, and to return to some old favorite places.
Also nearby and a very interesting place to ride, is South Carolina, but I will save that overview for another post. I hope you will enjoy my travels on the roads of the Carolinas, and will find something in them that will interest you.

Bike Nights in America

Actually, this has been one of the most popular photos I have ever taken (according to my statistics at Flickr) where my photos live (under Carolinabiker btw). I took this in 2007 at Bike Night at Quaker Steak and Lube in Concord, NC. Bike Nights are a great time; usually places have specials on food and beverages, often there is a band, and usually a good crowd on hand. Some bike nights are "brand specific", others as is Quaker Steak cover a wide range of motorcycles. Not uncommon to see cruisers, sport bikes, customs (of all types), even dirt bikes, and dirt/street models. Its even not unknown to see some old models of motorcycles that you have not seen for years. Bike Nights can be a good way to find out about different models, types, and brands of motorcycles. There is a lot of different ways to check out motorcycles, asking those who ride them is one of the best I feel. At Bike Nights you can skip the sales pitch, and get down to the basics of riding and ownership with those who know them best; the riders.

Usually finding a bike night is easy. Check with local bike shops, area gathering places, heck....its not uncommon to come across them when you are out. Stop in and see what they have to offer, at the very least it should be a really good time.

So you want to ride? (Part 1)

I am writing this article to give new riders some idea of what it is to ride and own motorcycles. One of the first things the new rider should keep always in mind, is that motorcycling is dangerous. It is a great deal of fun, it is the closest you can get to flying without leaving the ground, and it does give you a feeling of oneness with your surroundings. If it was not a great deal of fun, millions would not do it...but it is also a very quick way to be seriously hurt or killed. So the first order of business in getting a bike, is to get some safety training. You can usually find that training via your local dealer, or at a local community college. The training could well save your life in your riding career, it also can shorten the time it takes to get your motorcycle license, can save you money on your insurance, and raise your confidence on the road. Cars have a steel shell, airbags, and crumple zones; on a motorcycle you have whatever protective equipment you have on, and training.
Second; you need to take a look at the various types of motorcycles. While they have two wheels, they are different in many ways, and do different things. If you are looking to ride to commute to work, understand that bigger engines use more fuel. Some motorcycles do not get as good of mileage as some cars. Some motorcycles also require you to use super premium fuel. Chains and sprockets can be expensive, many motorcycles require valve adjustments (some with hydraulic lifters do not), and all of them use tires that you will find expensive. Further those tires tend to wear out much faster than car tires. Do some research on what the bike you want will cost you. You also need to check into insurance costs; again rates can vary widely depending on the type of bike you ride.
Other costs to consider are accessories for the bike (such as windshields or saddlebags) which you might want, as well as the previously mentioned protective equipment. For the new rider (in fact I have never ridden without one even when its not required) a good helmet is a wise investment.
A good way to save money on a motorcycle is to keep it maintained. A good way to maintain it, is to do it yourself. Especially during riding season, motorcycle shops can be very busy, and even basic service can take a long time. Getting a good service guide (either a factory guide, or some of the one's published for your bike which you can find at local or on-line booksellers) can get you on the road to being able to do that. If you take the bike to a dealer or repair shop, make sure to keep the work up to date, for your life can depend on that bike being in good condition.
Be looking for the next post in this series, coming soon!

Ride to the Sea (July 1, 2008)

For sure, one of the coolest rides I have been on this year, was the ride to Wilmington, NC. We had been planning that for some time, had been waiting for good weather. Even though we have been in a drought for most of the year, seemed like what rain fell, fell on the weekends. However, on July 1, I got to ride with some fellow transplants from Louisville (who also came down here with the job transfer.They were Bill on his Honda Gold Wing, Ed on his Honda VTX 1300, and myself on the Vulcan 1500. We left from Concord, NC at 7am after a quick breakfast at McDonalds. We went via NC-200 to Monroe, NC, and then down NC-74. The ride on NC-74 was due east, and straight into the sun for much of the morning. However, the weather was perfect, a little cool early on, and clear skies. We made two stops, one a rest stop, the other a fuel stop along the way. There was not a lot to see, and not a lot of towns actually on NC-74. Usually you had to pull off and ride around a mile or so to get to where the gas station was. Perhaps it was the day of the week, or perhaps the high fuel costs, but there were not a lot of cars on the road, which was very nice.


We got into Wilmington around 11pm. First thing we did was follow the signs to the USS North Carolina. This WWII Battleship was really interesting, and we enjoyed checking out the various decks on the ship. It has an amazing history, and unlike many ships in the Carolinas, it never saw post war action. It is basically as it was in World War II. All sorts of guns all over it, and inside the ship was set up as they lived it. We spent around 2.5 hours there, wandering around the decks, and up and down the ladders. Thats Bill standing by the 16 inch guns.


From the North Carolina, we rode to Carolina Beach. Once again traffic was light, and parking was easy at the beach. We had lunch at a local place, sea food was the order of the day. it was pretty good too! The beach was not very crowded but I was told that it got that way in the afternoon. We hung out on the pier there till around 5:30. The beach was really nice, had never been there before, but liked checking it out.Would be a nice place to bring my wife to, not as commercial as Myrtle Beach, kind of reminded me in a way of Folly Beach in Charleston, SC. Bill wanted to get some crabs to take back home, and having a Gold Wing he could do that thanks to that big trunk on the back! Once we had done that, we rolled back to NC-74 and pointed the motorcycles toward home.
The ride back was much the same as the ride there, though this time we rode into the sun which was sinking in the west. We made an early fuel stop, and a dinner stop later on (Thickburgers at Hardee's; not bad really, but quite a messy meal). We did have one problem, Bill and Ed both had only sunglasses, so we stopped at a Wal-Mart and they got some clear goggles. Night riding really brought the bugs out. I had my helmet with the clear face shield, and sunglasses that I could put in my pocket.
We got back around 11pm; a long day in the saddle, and a total of some 430 miles of riding. I have ridden at the sea, but it was a different sea and another time many years ago. Have been to the mountains many times, but this was a real experience, and really enjoyed the day on the motorcycle. Prior to the ride, checked my bike over and had it ready for a long day on the road. That paid off well, as I had zero problems during the ride, as did we all.

Welcome to my Web Page

Hello! I have been an avid motorcyclist for many years, and have ridden a number of bikes in a number of places. I have owned motorcycles in Indiana, Kentucky, Hawaii (during my days in the US Navy) and currently the bike you see at the left in North Carolina (seen here during a ride last year on the Blue Ridge Parkway. It is a 2005 Vulcan 1500 Classic, which I purchased new in June of 2005.

I have been publishing a riding journal on Yahoo 360 (part of my web page which you can see on this sites "about me" page where the link can be found) which details the adventures we have been on in a number of interesting places.

What I want this site to be is about motorcycling. Motorcycles which catch my eye, the things I have learned over the years about motorcycling, tips and information; all with a Carolina focus. I have lived here for some 10 years now due to a job transfer in 1998, and have found the Carolinas a very interesting place.

I hope that I can give you some items of interest, and that you enjoy this blog as much as I feel I will enjoy creating it.