Bikes Over Easter

On getting into Concord over the Easter Holiday, made my usual stop to RideNow in Concord, NC. Nice shop (and since I got a tire, brake pads and a helmet there a few weeks ago, I must really think so) and some interesting bikes. Took this photo of the Kawasaki Vulcan Voyager at right. Real fond of the Vulcan line (in fact I own one of that line, though it is now no longer made) and this is a very fine cruiser. I am real fond of water cooled bikes, and though this does not look it, it is! I have found my Kawasaki to be stone cold reliable to this point (and this point is six years and close to 22,000 miles) and a great deal of fun to ride. I have also found them easy to maintain.
I used to have a Honda Shadow VLX 600 which was also a great motorcycle. No problems with that during eight years and some 36,000 miles. This is a Honda Shadow RS. A bit bigger v-twin engine (a 750cc I believe) but like the VLX a chain drive. I like the styling of this bike, and they are certainly well made motorcycles. You can not go wrong on a Honda; they tend to last for a very, very long time with reasonable care. Certainly the Shadow line does not have many "rocketships" though if that is what you are looking for Honda makes a few of those too. Honda is a very respected name in motorcycling and makes a fine line of bikes.
I mentioned in my previous post a ride on Monday April 25 (following the big ride on April 24). On the 25th went by Kannapolis, but on the way back got this photo of this Moped Trike that I saw across from the Carolina Mall on NC-29 in Concord. I have never seen anything like this moped wise, and the salesmen said it was the only one in the area. He also said the top speed was 35 mph, and though not sure what the mpg is, I am sure it is pretty impressive (even if the top speed isn't). Never know what you will come across while out for a pleasant Monday morning motorcycle ride, and this was certainly something to check out.

Easter Ride Uptown (April 24)

Took a motorcycle ride to Charlotte, NC on Easter Sunday, got a few sights here and will have a few more on my Photo Page (there is a link to that on this site). Great ride, enjoyed the day which was very sunny, and frankly very warm; unseasonable upper 80s for most of the weekend. Seen at left is Bank of America Stadium, which is the home of the Carolina Panthers. Nice stadium and I have spent many hours there with my son Robby enjoying the wins and dealing with the losses that come with having a professional football team in your city. Hopefully the Panthers will have a season this year, right now its not real sure.
Opened last year, this is the NASCAR Hall of Fame in Uptown Charlotte. Charlotte is quite a sports town; there is also the Charlotte Checkers Hockey Team and the Charlotte Bobcats (both play at Time Warner Cable Arena which is also Uptown). Plans are to move the AAA baseball team (The Charlotte Knights) which play in South Carolina right now to a new stadium to be built near the Bank of America Stadium. That though will not happen any sooner than 2013. Looking more and more like it will happen though, and will be watching for that. There is a lot to do downtown and not just sports events. Area has a pretty good nightlife too.
This is the Shoppes of University (actually the lake there) which has a lot of places to shop and also some good places to eat. University City is the home to nearby UNCC (University of North Carolina at Charlotte) which is a really nice campus, and is part of the UNC system. Charlotte has a pretty good college basketball team, and will start playing Division I football in (I believe) 2013. For the time being they will play in a stadium (though not Bank of America Stadium) in Uptown Charlotte. The school is really nice, and has been greatly added on in the last few years. It is a first rate educational institution and a nice place to visit.
Speaking of nice places to visit, this is Charlotte (formerly Lowes) Motor Speedway which is actually in Concord, NC. Home of a number of NASCAR races AND the All-Star Race, it also has near by a Dirt Track, and the Z-Max Dragstrip as part of what can only be described as a massive racing complex. A number of other racing, and also many auto related events are held at this track. It will soon be home (this year) to the largest television screen outdoors in use; Bruton Smith who runs the track constantly makes improvements and additions to this facility. Though he has had some issues with the City of Concord, he is a real plus for the city and the area.
Finally, since this is a motorcycle blog, here is the motorcycle that took me to a number of places on April 24. Got the new helmet on the seat (seen in previous post) and I have to say I really liked it. Liked the aviation style, but found the half face shield (for lack of a better term) really functional. Can ride with it up or down, but on a bright sunny day such as this, it was really, really nice. I also liked the way it attached, uses a military type fastener instead of a D-ring for the chin strap. Nice fit and very comfortable. I can say the same about my 2005 Kawasaki Vulcan. Enjoyed some 85 miles of riding this weekend; the long trip seen above and a short ride before heading back to Richmond on April 25 to Kannapolis, NC. Like those morning rides and I miss them during my time in Richmond, but the rides this weekend will keep me smiling until the next time.

Flying at Low Level!

Two big passions in my life are motorcycling and aviation so a couple of weeks ago when I got a new tire for the Vulcan and front brake pads (will be putting them on soon myself, a future post in the making) saw this helmet. Not only does it link my two interests, but it also was a design I like. The eye protection seemed very good, not a big fan of full face shields, and this I thought will be pretty cool. Rained when I got back to Carolina on Good Friday but sure the helmet will get a "test flight" this weekend. My son took this photo of me in the helmet. On the rides this weekend, will be showing some of the sights in the Carolina area, though will also have a couple of bike photos in a later post. Did make a stop at RideNow on my way into town...do miss those motorcycles in Richmond. Hope to check out some shops in the Richmond area next weekend when I am back there.
Speaking of bikes, news was announced that Victory Motorcycles (who is under the parent company of Polaris Industries) will be taking over Indian Motorcycles. They will also be relocating production from Kings Mountain, NC to a new factory location in Iowa. Indian has been back in production since around 2006-2007 (company dates to 1901, but ended production in the 1950's) but has been restarted a few times. They have in the latest attempt made (as I remember) only one model, and have a few dealerships around the US. Will be interesting to see what happens with this motorcycle company, but wish them the best of luck.
Interesting story about a woman, 62 years old and the registered owner of a Suzuki Katana who was arrested back in 2009 for evading police. The cops arrested her, though they knew she could not have done it, and that it was her son who outran the cops, but Mom would not come clean. She is suing over the arrest, and I wish her the best of luck. Thought it was a interesting, and even somewhat funny story.
Riding season is in full swing, and a number of big motorcycle events are coming up in the next few weeks and months here in NC. I will be giving details on some of the best ones in upcoming posts; but in the meantime ....Let's Ride!

Random Thoughts and VA News

Enjoying a rainy but restful Saturday in Richmond. Read this week about a new program in Virginia called "Rider Alert". Its based on a British/European program used by 250,000 on the other side of the ocean. A card, which contains contact information and medical information (such as blood type I would assume) is put in the helmet, and then on the helmet is a sticker with news that the card is in there. There is also a note that in the event of an accident, for only trained personal to remove the helmet from the riders head. There are plans to expand the program nationally; to me this is a very good idea. No one wants something to happen, but its a good idea to take efforts before it does. I know a lot of people put their contact number under "ICE" (In Case of Emergency") in their cell phones, many emergency providers look for that. I think that could be a good idea either on a motorcycle, or just in case.
Still looking for new model motorcycles out at dealers. I have seen (and have posted here) some interesting bikes over the last few weeks, but the two I have most wanted to see, (both from Honda) the CB1000R and the new Honda 250 I have yet to see. There is also an interesting model from Victory (which has ape hanger bars) and of course new models from Triumph and Ducati that I would be interested in seeing.
When in Richmond, I do not get to ride (I keep and ride my bike in North Carolina; just have an apartment here in Richmond, and it has to be one place or the other) but like to go to bike shows and events here in the area. Can be difficult to find either, but occasionally I come across something locally. When I do in the upcoming months I will be posting photos and news of it here.

Steve's Trike (April 11)

My friend Steve and I have ridden on quite a few rides over the years. First he had a Honda 1100 (the old model of the Sabre, that bike has been redone based on the Honda 1300 engine and the Fury design by the way), and then a pair of Harley's. He had a Wide Glide and then an Ultra Classic. We have ridden over a whole lot of the Carolinas (both North and South) as well as some amazing rides in the North Carolina mountains. Those are specificially special, cause that is some of the most amazing riding in the USA. Steve has for the past couple of years been fighting a terrible disease, and that has taken a lot of his strength and energy.
Rather than not riding anymore, Steve got this Trike which he brought by my house on April 11. It is built on a Harley-Davidson Ultra Classic and he got it from Tilley Harley-Davidson. It was a demo, with only 200 miles on it. Though Harley now makes a trike, this is a kit bike. Many Honda Gold Wings are converted like that; and you can not tell that they were not "factory kits". Everything on Steve's Harley looked to be a perfect match. As with most Ultra Classic's, the trike comes with a slew of features, including a very fine sound system (nothing like jamming to "Born to be Wild" as you roll down the road). The bike also comes with a 6 gallon gas tank.
One of the great features about a bike like this, is that it has reverse. Kit is said to have a 1,000,000 mile warrenty, and I hope that Steve gets to use all of that up. We did a bit of riding together; its going to be different with motorcycle and trike, but it will be a way to keep him riding, and looking forward to some great rides with the man who feels that barbeque, and the quest for the best, is not just a reason to ride, but a calling! Trikes are getting to be a big part of motorcycling, and there are some interesting designs out there (such as the Can-Am Spyder) that are interesting variations on the theme. I am looking forward to some great adventures in 2011 with Steve on this machine. Two wheels or three, nothing beats being in the breeze with the wind on your knees!

Riding Carolina: April 10

As mentioned in the previous post, Phil (seen at right with his Star motorcycle) and I headed out on a very nice Sunday afternoon ride. We met up at RideNow and rolled out down some of the great backroads along the way. It was a beautiful day with sunny skies and some fairly warm temperatures. Do have to note though, it was summerlike the following day with temperatures in the 80's. Still, it was very nice and traffic was really lite at 2pm. We rolled up into the little community of Faith, NC past a very cool old church, and wandered down some roads that I (even though I have been in NC for over 12 years now) have never been on. That was pretty cool!
This is me on my motorcycle (photo by Phil) again taken at the start of the ride. I have had the bike since 2005 and it has been an outstanding motorcycle (in a long line of outstanding motorcycles). During the course of the ride we covered some 70 miles, and enjoyed a post ride tea at Bojangles before calling it a day near 5pm and heading back home. Last photo is of Pete's Barbeque in China Grove, NC. Carolina is famous for its barbeque and Pete's is a great place to eat (though like many places in North Carolina it is closed on Sunday). When it is open though, it is packed! We had a great time, but there was more to come the following day!

Signts at Ride Now (April 9-10)

Spent a couple of days at Ride Now in Concord, NC. Big dealership there; sells Honda, Kawasaki, Yamaha, Suzuki, and Victory motorcycles. It was both a place to meet up for a motorcycle ride (which I did with Phil on April 10), a place to get some needed work done, and a place to check out some new rides. For instance, check out these Yamaha cruisers. I like what Yamaha is doing with its Star line of cruisers, and seen here is a nice pair. There is a real active Star chapter which operates out of RideNow, a group of Star riders who ride together. There are groups like that for most brands of motorcycles, it is just not a Harley thing!
I really liked this R-1 which is by Yamaha. Great sport bike and the graphics were really neat looking, this bike would be great going down the road. Yamaha makes some fine bikes, I had an RD-350 many years ago. That bike was a real giant killer (the type, not my bike) in AMA Motorcycle racing, winning championships against must larger motorcycles in the day. In fact to this day Yamaha has a very impressive racing history. The R-1 makes a good street bike, and is also used in Yamaha's current racing program. Sport bikes are a whole different way to get from Point A to Point B; very fast and quick. This is not a bike for an in-experienced rider!
I ordered this helmet, on April 9. I have always been a big fan of aviation, and this helicopter type helmet caught my eye. Think it not only is neat to look at, but very practical. I like that shield which covers the eyes (and there is also a clear shield with it. Not everyone wears helmets (required in North Carolina, but not in South Carolina) but I like to wear them. Think this will be a fine helmet and should protect my rather fragile head should it impact the pavement in some future ride. Looking forward to many great miles with this companion; one of the best you can have on a motorcycle in my opinion. I don't mind that people choose; but I choose to wear a helmet.
I got a new tire; tires again are really important. While you only have one head, you only have two tires on a motorcycle. Having good ones on the bike makes good common sense; plus there is no spare on a motorcycle, and tires with good tread tend to be more resistant to punctures. Went with Dunlap for the rear, though I have also used Bridgestone. One of the good things about cruisers is that you tend to get a lot better mileage on the tires (distance wise) then with sport bike tires. Sport bikes tend to have stickier tires (to grip the track or road better) and of course that means faster wear. Be safe, keep an eye on your tires, and watch tire pressures.
Finally, one of the "newer" Honda motorcycles, the VFR1200. This bike is really a great bike, and the new 250 that is due to come out (and I am looking forward to seeing that and the new CB1000 which are due to hit dealers soon for 2011, but have not yet) will be along the styling of this bike (the 250 I am speaking of here). A very fine sort of "sport-touring bike" (with added bags) the VFR1200 has been getting a lot of good press. I had a VLX600 Honda for my previous bike and it was a really fine motorcycle. I enjoyed riding it a great deal, and sure had no problems with it. Other Hondas I have owned over the years were also trouble free. Of course (knock on wood) I have had great luck with my motorcycles. That is because they are very well made, and I also keep up with maintenance on them. In fact I also got brake pads for the Vulcan and will be putting them on soon. A lot of luck with motorcycle lifetimes is quality construction, but also you make your own luck with good maintenance and attention to detail when it comes to riding. Be careful out there, it is a dangerous but fun thing to ride a motorcycle, but you have to keep alert at all times on the roads.

Indiana Motorcycling

Made a trip to my old home town around Louisville, Kentucky. Got a lot of photos on my "Richmond and Me" blog of Louisville, Kentucky and Southern Indiana. I also have a number of photos on my photo page which has a link on this page. Interesting area and a fun place to be. Saw a few interesting bikes there, and have a few photos here. Took the photo above of the Honda CB-160 at S+S PowerSports in Clarksville, Indiana. They have a few good old classic motorcycles there as do most really good bike shops. I love the old motorcycles, it was a really different era then, but many of those old Japanese motorcycles are still on the road.
Few bikes went through as many changes as Honda's Gold Wing. It started out as a stripped down bigger version of the Honda CB-750, but people started adding wind protection and bags to them. This one has a Windjammer fairing and bags by the legendary Craig Vetter. That was a very popular addition to the bike which now is one of the premier touring motorcycles in the world today. Over the years the bike and the engine has grown in side, and many features have been added to the Honda Gold Wing of today. I got to ride one of the new ones (for a short time) a few years ago, think that for going from coast to coast it would be one of the great rides to do that on.
Bike below is a Honda 600 VLX Shadow. I had the pleasure to ride one prior to my Kawasaki Vulcan for some 8 years and 36,000 trouble free miles. The bike never let me down. A bit small for me size wise (but still more comfortable then a Harley Sportster) the 600 had good power and simply great fuel mileage. This 600 has a custom paint job so not sure what year it was, but liked the look of it and nice to see one again. Honda makes some fine motorcycles, I have owned a few over the years, as well as a few Yamaha, Kawasaki, and Suzuki motorcycles. I have to say all of them have been great rides, problems over the years were few and far between.
Got a last photo here which is of S+S Powersports. Took this early; its a very old dealership. I had a good relationship with them over the years, and liked dealing with them, and it was good to wander around the store again for a short time during my visit.
While I was able to check out some sights in Kentuckiana, I also got in some nice motorcycle rides (and got some very important maintenance done) in Carolina during my vacation. It was a wonderful time riding with good friends, and enjoying some wonderful weather in North Carolina. I will be featuring some photos from those rides in my next post here!

A Weekend to Ride

Have been enjoying a fine few days. Will be featuring some photos from Louisville, Kentucky and Southern Indiana where my wife and I spent four fine days. There will be some photos of the city on my "Richmond and Me" web site, and of course "Kentuckiana" (as the area is called) motorcycling on this site. Wild to be there, did a lot of years riding in that area (though we took the car on this long trip from North Carolina. There are so helmet laws in Indiana or Kentucky, so strange to see riding without helmets (though that is also common in South Carolina). Many riders though did have helmets; in fact via an un-scientific poll seemed to be more wearing than not. I wear a helmet when I ride, but have no problems with people choosing not to wear them. Went by my favorite Southern Indiana motorcycle shop (S+S Powersports in Clarksville) where I purchased my Honda 600 Shadow a few years ago; still no sign of the new model 2011 Honda motorcycles.
I also did not see them on my return to North Carolina when I dropped into Ride Now in Concord, NC on Saturday. Went there to (finally!!!!) get my rear tire and tube for the bike. I also got a set of front brake pads; got the tire put on (sparing my fingers and knuckles great pain) but will be doing the brake pads myself. With labor costs being what they are, and the job being amazingly simple (have the bike's service manual, its a minimal job) will do that myself. I do a lot of service on the Vulcan, its a very user friendly bike. That is the nice thing about cruisers, easy access and simplicity. Sure it does not have that "jet fighter"like performance (which is very cool though, love the feel of a sport bike at throttle) but sure is easy to do a spark plug and oil change on it. Plus I enjoy the hydraulic lifters on the bike; and shaft drive is pretty easy to maintain too. While I was there got a new helmet, its sort of aviation themed based on a helicopter pilot helmet, will be showing that in some future photos as well. Liked not just the theme but the design as well.
Ride Saturday was short, took a while to get the tire on there, and by early afternoon big storm clouds were rolling in (big storms were soon to follow). On this fine Sunday morning though, planning an afternoon ride with a friend around 2pm, and that will be a great deal of fun. Will have to take it easy for a while, new tires tend to be a little slick the first 100 miles, but a good warm sunny day to just take a short ride around this very interesting area. So will have some good photos coming up in the next couple of posts, I hope you enjoy them, and this wonderful weather. Spring is definitely here, and its time to ride. As always, ride safe!

To the Walll, April 3 Ride

As you can see in the photo at left, taken from the seat of my motorcycle, a very fine Sunday morning in North Carolina. Unlike the weather of the previous visit, this was a very fine day, and got out around 10:30 for a ride. Love to ride on Sunday mornings, traffic is light, and the roads are wide open for a cruise. Enjoyed being out and this was near the beginning; at the light would be turning left onto NC-49. Nice road which I have traveled many times, and have been on many great adventures with friends, and as in this case, while out solo. Sometimes it is nice to be out with thoughts and enjoying the day. Great thing about solo riding is that you can change directions easy.
Had read in the paper about the traveling Vietnam Memorial Wall. It is a replica of the big wall in Washington, DC. Though you can't see it here had a good crowd there, as well as a small museum, and even an Army truck on hand from the period. There are many (way too many) names on that wall, including one name which is the brother of one of my best friends while I was in the US Navy (though my period of service was shortly after the Vietnam War). Still, felt like making a stop was something that I needed to do, and I am glad that I did. I think it is very important to remember those people who died in service to our country.
Now open seven days a week stopped at RideNow in Concord. Saw this very fine Kawasaki ZX-14 Ninja. It, along with the Suzuki Hayabusa are two of the quickest and fastest motorcycles you could own (does not mean you should own them, but that is what you would have if you did). The ZX-14 also comes in a touring version; which I am told can get you from coast to coast in a very short period of time. I am really fond of the Kawasaki line of motorcycles, have had a few over the years, and my Vulcan has been trouble free (knock on wood) since 2005 when I got it from this dealer brand new. I have certainly enjoyed my rides on the bike.
Seen here are a pair of KLR-650 Kawasaki motorcycles. Very popular bikes, they are good street/trail motorcycles and have been in production for a long time and are said to be very reliable. If you are looking for a good economic and easy on gas motorcycle due to the current fuel increases, this would be a good one to consider.
I was pleased that RideNow got some tires in, needing to get a new rear tire and will be doing that (weather permitting) next weekend. I also hope to get in some more riding next Sunday; plus will be doing a little checking on another hotbed of motorcycling over the next week.
This bike was sort of different, saw it at (of all places) Harley-Davidson of Concord (aka Pat Rogers Harley Davidson). Nice little bike, be just the thing for dodging the pot holes of Richmond, Va, and talk about a gas miser! Not sure even what the hell it is, but liked it, and it made me smile. So did the ride today, which I ended with a stop at Suck Bang Blow and Charlotte Motor Speedway. It was a really great day, and had a fantastic time in the wind today. Did not cover a lot of miles due to all the stops, but had a great time on a warm day under Carolina blue skies. More photos can be found on my photo page. Thanks for dropping by my page.