Just a few random thoughts and bits of news on another hot and very humid Richmond Tuesday, a few days from getting back on this bike. Photo at left is a "View from the Handlebars" taken during my last ride on August 8. Still pumped about that ride, was a really fine day on the bike. I got a real kick out of seeing some places not visited for some time. Lots of good and bad to this Carolina/Virginia migrant factory worker thing I am doing. Lots of down things (missing the family and all) but on the bright side places I visit in Carolina due to the forced time away makes many of the old rides seem completely new. For one thing the area changes a great deal in short time periods (which still seems to be a Charlotte hallmark) and for another it is a long time between visits as the visits are fewer. Always did a lot of motorcycling (something like 5,000 miles a year on my bikes) but that has dropped with this job transfer.....Noted in my August 4 post the WERA Cycle Jam at VIR in Alton, VA. Now sad to note a death during the event, one of the racers and from Charlotte, NC Rob Gette, 38 died in an accident on the track. Condolences go out to his family and friends on this tragic event.
....Noted also that Harley-Davidson has sold MV Agusta, the Italian firm they purchased a few years ago in an effort to expand the brand. Harley ended its association with Buell Motorcycles, and now with MV and is re-focusing on building its iconic V-twin cruisers.
....Looking at some local events, as the riding season for many is winding down. I say for many because due to the Carolina weather (harder from what I saw last year in the Richmond area) it is usually possible to get a good amount of riding in during the winter in much of Carolina. At any case some good bike nights to check out. I did get (thanks to a vacation week) a bike night in at Quaker Steak and Lube in Concord, NC. I also have been to (but not to bike night, thanks to night shift work) Quaker Steak in Richmond, Va. Have posted photos this year of both places. There are usually a lot of good ones in an area, and they are a great deal of fun.
....sad over the loss of the "Carolina Motorcycle Events" web site which ended production. Events are hard to find in both the Carolinas and in Virginia (though do have Full Throttle in NC, and Thunder Roads Mid-Atlantic which I explore) which can be ok sites, but sometimes lack details on events. Noted in Full Throttle that the Cabarrus Shrine Club is having its poker run on August 28...but other than its leaving from Kannapolis, not a lot of information there. Have been on that (which once was held with an apparently no longer held bike show) in previous years. Was a fun ride, if I get more details in the next few days will post on that.
....Here is something I can suggest. If you are a Kawasaki Vulcan rider, the Charlotte Vulcan Riders Association chapter in Charlotte has been putting on some great rides in the Charlotte area. They had a recent multi-day ride to the famous "Tail of the Dragon" and have been (as I have with them) on a number of really good rides. If you are looking for some good people to ride with, and some interesting places to ride, check out these guys either on the web or on Facebook.
....Will in future posts have more news and events here as I can find them. In the meantime, ride safe!
No comments:
Post a Comment