Brrrr......Late Fall Ride (November 28, 2010)

Got out around 12:30pm on a Sunday, on a cool and crisp day in Carolina for a motorcycle ride. Went to Onemor on Union Street, and waited there for Phil. He and I worked together at the factory in Concord, now he is retired and I am working at the other factory in Richmond, VA. We don't get to ride as much as we would like, but we do get out from time to time. Even though it was cold, as the riding opportunities are not as good as they used to be (with me being there, and the bike being here) you do the best you can with the weather that is handed to you. So bundled up and we got out on the road for a very good ride. Any ride is good when it is a rare treat.
Phil and I rode out to Concord/Salisbury Road and rolled out under the blue skies to NC-152. That took us out toward China Grove, nice place with a house there (though have not seen it yet this year) with a great Christmas display (I have a few Christmas photos on my "Richmond and Me" page taken this weekend in Concord and Kannapolis, with more to come). From China Grove we made some back road rides to Enochville, and though Kannapolis via the Kannapolis Parkway. That last is a fairly new road and is really nice; I can see that being a great development route in the years to come. It is really nice out there.
We came back to Concord and we split on NC-29. I had the fuel light shining brightly, and stopped at the BP for some $3.01 Super Unleaded for the bike. Got back to the house, where I got a cup of coffee (made by my wife Patty), and unthawed after a good ride. It was short, but a nice run down some great roads, with a good friend,and had a very fine time. Can be tough riding this time of year, but with the right equipment (and the occasional stop) riding can be not only possible, but pleasurable as well. I had a really good time and was glad I got out for a while. Better to ride then to think about riding; do enough of that in Richmond anyhow!

Shockoe Bottom Bobbers (November 20, 2010)

Far from my ride, went wandering with Dennis Lowery (a fairly new arrival) from Concord to this area to show him some of the sights. Those can be seen on my other blog (Richmond and Me) for those interested. Noted while in Richmond's Shockoe Bottom this couple checking out the motorcycles parked at Bottoms Up Pizza. Always interested in checking out both new and interesting motorcycles, and these really captured my attention. These were not "new bikes" and certainly not what you would get off the dealer floor, but modified and customized in a number of interesting ways. Always cool when people make bikes their very own!
I believe this is a bobber style bike. It is powered by a Suzuki in-line four engine (which would make lunch of your typical cruiser V-twin). Everything not needed has been removed such as fenders (the rear one has been cut off mostly; or "bobbed", turn signals...this bike is built to be as light as possible; even the seat is lighter. I like the ape hanger handlebars, though don't ride with them on my bike: have noted though that they are seen more and more on the highways and bi-ways of roads both in Virginia and North Carolina. Harley has taken up the "bobber" movement with its Cross-Bones model, but this bike was really fine.
Following a like pattern of sorts to the Suzuki is this Honda in-line four which again is lightened substantially from the bike it is based on. Unlike the Suzuki it has a chain drive (the Suzuki being shaft) and instead of ape hangers, it has more of a drag bar look. It also retained the front fender, but either has totally removed or radially cut back the rear fender. Big horsepower (for the time) aided by light(er) weight, this and the other bike would be a fast pair. What it also shows is that it does not take big money to ride. Take an older bike, make some changes, and you can have a really fun ride for little money. I did that a few years ago with my 77 Honda 550 four. My complements to the owners of these bikes for some very creative and interesting rides!

More from the November 14 Ride!

Previous post had some photos from the Morrow Mountain ride, but prior to getting to the Overlook to see the wonders of fall laid out before me, took a couple of stops in Baden, NC. A very nice town; it is the home to Baden Lake. There was for years an Alcoa Plant there which provided a number of jobs; since closed the town goes on. I took this photo at left of two Gold Wing riders checking out the lake. The lake is a beautiful and popular spot and I enjoy going by there. The ride to Baden is also very nice, I enjoy the backroads that take me there. This trip rode up NC-49, to NC-52 and then up 740 into Baden past a great deal of country scenes.
This is downtown Baden. Founded at the turn of the century many of the buildings are old, and it is a "small town" that John Mellencamp would certainly find song worthy. Quiet on a Sunday, and peaceful, like the old stone wall in the background photo with my trusty motorcycle in the foreground.
Baden is just outside of Morrow Mountain State Park; which I mentioned (and had a number of photographs of) in my previous post. I also have a number of photos published on my photo page which can be seen via the link on this page. It is a very nice place to explore, and has a very nice festival which unfortunately I missed this year.
Riding back from Morrow Mountain, I took this shot of downtown Albemarle, NC. Like with Baden, and typical of many North Carolina towns, they largely take Sunday off so it was very quiet. Albemarle is famous I suppose for being the home town of American Idol contestant (and country music star) Kellie Pickler. Like with many Carolina cities, it has an "old" downtown, and a more active "other downtown" with malls, gas stations, stores, and a number of (usually) chain restaurants. I prefer the old downtowns though for the history and the different stores. Have found some great places to eat in places such as this.
One such great place to eat is Harmanco's which is located in Albemarle, NC. I like to stop here when I am in town, and this is a very popular place with the local community (also a favorite stop of bikers). One summer day a couple of years ago, during a major thunderstorm in the area, we all stopped here (had my riding buddies also a few dozen other bikers) to wait it out and to enjoy the great food and the big screen tv's as the storm raged outside. Rain happens when you ride on two wheels, but lucky to have a good "port in the storm" to ride it out. I have found that the local places, the non-chains are great places to eat. This of course is the "smoking area" as most of the bars and restaurants in NC are now totally non-smoking inside. At any case, a great days ride and a fantastic time on the motorcycle in a fine area of the great State of North Carolina on a remarkable fall day!

Morrow Mountain Ride (November 14,2010)

Unlike the previous weekend (which was abnormally cold) November 14 was seasonal; which meant temperatures in the mid-60 range. Like the previous week ride though to the air show, was a day of clear blue skies, and time to ride. Took the Vulcan out on a ride to Morrow Mountain. I did not make it to the NC Mountains this year to see the wonder of the Blue Ridge Parkway (one of the most amazing roads in America, and also by the way runs into Virginia) but I did make it to Morrow Mountain. There the colors were popping, and it was really close to peak. Looking at the view at left I was just dazzled at the wonder of it all.
Morrow Mountain is a popular motorcycle destination, and people in cars, trucks and especially motorcycles like to ride out there and see that there is to check out. The park is a great area to explore, and has a lot of really nice features such as a lake to swim in, cabins to camp in, trails to wander, and of course the remarkable overlook at the top. Here a group of bikers are riding in to check out the leaves. All of us wandered among the trees and the comments were generally the same, being of the "Oh Wow!" variety. It was just pure luck being at the right place at the right time, with my work, and living as I do in two places, things just worked out!
Last photo is of three bikers parked at the overlook. Not only is the riding to Morrow Mountain fun for the views, but is a great chance to talk with fellow riders and at times to check out some very interesting motorcycles. I have seen every sort of bike you can imagine at the top of the mountain; trikes, sport bikes, cruisers of all types (Harley and metric), duel purpose, trail bikes, even quite a few customs as well as a few homemade motorcycles! Always a great bunch of people riding a great variety of machines.
Fall is hands down my favorite time of year, and I enjoyed the ride to Morrow Mountain a great deal. Lucky to be in both Virginia and North Carolina for a number of reasons, but rides such as this one make it all worthwhile indeed.
Sure at times it can be a real pain; getting to one place or the other for this or that event can be close to impossible at times thanks to work (but am very thankful for work believe me in times such as these) but days like this will really get me through the hard days of winter that are coming up in a few short weeks.

Fall at Ultimate Cycle (November 12, 2010)

Went for a walk on a fine fall day, to check out the colors in Richmond; which I am told is now at "Peak". Not quite like a fall motorcycle ride in the mountains, which I was not able to do this year, but still was a beautiful day. While out, stopped by my favorite motorcycle shop (although might be a tie with Velocity Motorcycles in Richmond) which is Ultimate Cycle. Always been impressed with how friendly the place is, the owner I met on a Sunday a couple of years ago. Had not even moved to Richmond (was on an exploration trip with Patty) and he had come in to work on a customers bike. Shop is closed on Sunday, but he invited me in and gave me a tour!
I like that kind of attitude in a bike shop. Not in the market for a bike right now, but will be needing a few maintenance items soon; think I will pick them up there this year. As for bikes they have a good selection of Suzuki, Kawasaki, and Aprilia motorcycles. This is one of the Suzuki cruisers, its an M-50 (which is a 800cc bike, or 50 cubic inches). I had a Suzuki back in the mid-70's; which I rode in Hawaii, was a great motorcycle (course to be honest, don't ever remember having a bad one). Suzuki makes an interesting line of cruisers including the M-109 (2000 cc). That engine is also in the Vulcan 2000, for a time they worked together in a cost saving move.
Bikes below are used also. In the foreground is an Aprilia (wish I knew the model, but don't). Italian made motorcycles, very strong engines I am told and some interesting designs come out of their factories.
Next to the Aprilia, in the background is a KTM. They are highly regarded (at least by the leading motorcycle magazines) and are made in Austria. Said to be very powerful motorcycles though both of the brands seen here are on the pricey side in my opinion. Still, as the old saying goes, performance costs. Like to give one or both of these a spin one of these days. Cruisers are fun, but raw power is a fun thing to enjoy as well.

Between the Handlebars: November 2010

Fall riding is some of the best out there; enjoyed a great pair of rides in early November (see previous post). Great to get out during the change of seasons, though warm clothing is a must. Luckily there is a good amount of quality gear out there. Also a good idea to watch out for wet leaves in the road (they can be slick), and especially watch for cagers....distractions such as cell phones are always a danger, but as fewer of us ride in the colder weather, we can be more "out of mind" than normal. So ride defensively! This is also a good time to check maintenance on your bike; give it a good pre and post ride check before every ride, and make sure its in top condition. Tire pressures are important, as they can change with the changing temperatures. As the saying goes; "Ride to Live, but Live to Ride"!
Speaking of rides, this time of year is great for big charity rides. Nothing like the sound of a big group of bikes riding together to do something good. Many groups (such as the Charlotte branch of the VRA) have already done some rides, which is especially appreciated this time of year with so much need out there. One really fun ride is the "8th Annual Arzie Rogers Toy Run" which will be held this year on November 21. It will leave from Cannon Stadium at 1pm, with registration starting at 10am. The cost is just a new unwrapped toy. For that you get to go on a great ride which is police escorted from beginning to end (and the police are a hoot, believe me!). The ride ends at Pat Rogers Harley-Davidson. I went last year, had a meal there, and a lot of giveaways. It is a really great time for a great cause.
At Full Throttle Magazine (I have a link on this page) there are a number of rides listed all over the state. At Thunder Road, the rides are fewer, but you might check with local motorcycle dealers for a ride near you. Bundle up, and have a great time!

Air Show Ride, Monroe, NC (November 7, 2010)

Actually took this photo as part of the previous days ride (see previous post) but liked the last little hint of fall. It was not really a great fall season; some color and some moments of really nice rides, but overall the colors were sort of bland to be honest. Probably due to the lack of rain, and the heat of summer; both of which were hard on trees. This year for the first time in a long time, did not make a ride to the NC Mountains, but there it did look pretty nice from photos that I saw.
At any case, on Sunday November 7, rode once again to Monroe, NC to the "Warbirds and Warriors" Air Show. I did not have a great deal of time, and it was a "brisk" day when I headed out in the morning, but a cold ride is better than no ride at all. With my new (and very warm) motorcycle coat from the Ride Now Open House the day before, I was warm as I hit the quiet open road which was NC-601 to Monroe. It was a day much like the previous day with clear skies, and temperatures slightly south or at 40 degrees! It was a nice day for an air show!
I did not have a great deal of time to stay there. They gave a discount for prior military service (I liked that) and wandered around a bit. Basically went to see this plane; the Curtiss Helldiver. A WWII carrier plane, it was a divebomber late in the war against the Japanese. This is the only one still flying (believe that is true, though information does change from time to time). I like history and cool to see these great old planes. I was disappointed that they roped off the area of the vast majority of the planes; so could not get "up close and personal" to them. Still, it was a neat thing to see history outside of a museum, and ready to fly!
I also took this photo of the T-6, a trainer (the type also saw some combat during Vietnam) and saw a number of other aircraft. The Tora Tora Tora group was going to fly later (they put on a hell of a show, have seen them before) in replica Japanese aircraft, and I did get to see the Black Daggers US Army Parachute Team and "some" flying before heading back out. The smallest of the three (!!!) air shows I have been able to see in the past few weeks, it was a nice event nonetheless. Liked the growth of it, and have a few more photos on my photo page if you are interested in seeing them. There is always some amazing things to see at air shows, and all have something interesting to offer.
As for the ride back, enjoyed rolling down some of my favorite roads on my return. Went back via Rocky River Road which is very scenic, though Lawyers Road with its twists and turns to NC-51 just past Mint Hill, NC and then on to home. Nice ride if short, but a short cold ride is better than no ride at all. Normally it would have been around 65, but the weekend was a cold spell. Due to my situation with Richmond (where I work) have to get rides in when I can. Motorcycles and aircraft for me are a perfect combination, and this was a very nice day out on the bike.

Short Cool Fall Ride (November 6, 2010)

Saturday November 6, 2010 was cool and overcast at first (later the sun came out) when I took off for the first ride in a couple of weeks. Dressed for the ride with helmet with face shield, heavy gloves, leather jacket, lined jeans and boots to deal with the below 50 degree temperature. Knew it was not going to be a great distance ride, nor very fast, as going far and fast adds to the effect of wind chill on the bike. However, even a short ride is better than no ride at all, and this was a very good one indeed. Made a early stop to visit my riding buddy Steve Dixon. Been on many great adventures with him; his latest has been fighting Cancer but he is giving it his all.
Ride Now in Concord was having an Open House. I saw a number of interesting motorcycles there including this Honda Fury with a very neat paint job. They had a lot of very fine motorcycles on display, including a number from Kawasaki, Yamaha and Star, Honda, and of course the Victory Motorcycles. Victory was having its test ride program; people were riding every model they had, as they had every model out there to ride. It was a pretty neat event. They also had a lot of giveaway and good deals. In fact I picked up a motorcycle riding coat (with protection built in for arms, shoulders, and back ) with a zip out liner for $25 (normally an $80 jacket). I will enjoy that.
This was the view of the Victory Motorcycles that everyone could ride (with a valid MC license). They also had a dyno trailer and some other fine things to check out. I
enjoyed the ride a great deal, finished the three hour ride with a quick stop at Onemor and got back to the house at 1pm. A short ride indeed distance wise, but very enjoyable.