Toy Run ! (November 23,2008)

A really neat day today, went on the 6th Annual Speedway Harley-Davidson Toy Run. As you can see from the photos, nice clear sky, though the temperature was only 55 today. However, that did not stop a crowd estimated at 400 motorcycles from going on the ride. I was there with my Kawasaki Vulcan 1500 Classic, and people were friendly which is always nice. Actually, have never had any real problems with any of the Harley crowd (although a few comments from time to time do come out) but overall a good bunch. The ride was really neat, kicked off at 1pm on the dot. The sound of 400 motorcycles firing up is really a beautiful noise. We headed out under police escort, and they did a fantastic job. In fact they had a really good ride; they got to shoot past us from time to time to block intersections. We never had to stop the entire ride. Most of the ride was on backroads and there were motorcycles as far as you could see. I was somewhere around the middle, with a long line in front of me, and a long line of headlights behind me. As far as I know there were few problems during the ride. I did hear of a bike going down, and a possible broken wrist, and also word of a flat tire. Of the latter, did hear a chase vehicle picked him up. We also rode through Mt. Pleasant, Concord, and Harrisburg. We ended up at Speedway Harley-Davidson. We piled up all the presents, and had barbecue from R+R Barbecue .

This was the largest (in terms of numbers of motorcycles) ride I have ever been on. I think everyone involved from the police, to the people who put on the ride did an outstanding job. The route was fun and interesting, and enjoyed it a great deal. It is also great to be able to do something for the kids out there, and I am sure there will be a lot of smiles this holiday season from the gifts the local motorcycle community left for them. Getting to do this ride was a real treat!

Fire in the Sky

In my last post I wrote some about fall rides, have been on couple over the last few days. For sure the fall colors in the trees are fading as the leaves are falling to the ground now. We had a few days of rain this week, and cold is more of a factor. However, today after some Saturday work, got out on the bike. As I noted (also in the last post) early in the ride had a truck with trailer turn in front of me, but I was watching for him and was not even a close call (shocked him though) thanks to that. This time of year, its especially important to watch out for the other guy. At any case, through the leaves have changed, I did see this sunset and finally found a place to pull over and catch it. Even though the 70s today were quickly falling as the sun went down, was sure worth a little cool riding to get this photo. A few bikes were out today, and one was pulled over. I pulled over to make sure he was ok; found he was just changing goggles from smoke to clear. He did thank me for stopping though, and I felt good that I did. You never know when someone could need help, and of course, you never know when it could be you in that position.
A co-worker this week ordered the V-Max he is wanting. A fine motorcycle, and sure to be a lot of fun. My only concern is that it is his first motorcycle, and might be a real handful to learn the art of survival on the road. I wrote some comments in an earlier three part section called "So you want to ride a motorcycle?" in some earlier posts. I don't think many people who do not ride really understand that sport bikes (as well as many other types) give a whole new meaning to the terms "quick and fast". Too often, new riders get more motorcycle then they really understand. Just this year, a friend of my wife's son got a brand new Kawasaki ZX-12 Ninja which he enjoyed for an entire day before having the crash that killed him. Apparently he went off the road. Lots of benefits to taking a riding class, and is my strongest suggestion to both the new rider, as well as the returning rider. The idea of having a motorcycle is to have a history of great rides, not to make an early exit from the planet. Before you get the bike, get the training. Odds are stacked against you on a motorcycle in an accident, there are tools out there to help you to even the odds.
All that said, have really enjoyed some great riding these past few weeks. There are few seasons I enjoy as much as fall, and this one was really great for colors. The ride to the mountains, and the rides around here have all been remarkable experiences. A great thing about riding in the Carolinas is that though we have some cool (if not down right cold days) we also have some serious bouts of warmer weather (relatively speaking). It is not only possible, but generally pretty easy with the right clothing, to ride the Carolinas all year long. I know...I have done it ever since I have been down here (and that is over a 10 year period).
Where ever you ride, ride safely.

Collings Foundation Aircraft Ride (November 1, 2008)

A good day on the motorcycle, up early this morning on what was a warmer day, and rode out to Concord Regional Airport. Of late, it seems that it has been warbird and classic aircraft central with visits this year by another B-17 and also a Ford Tri-Motor. I am a huge fan of aircraft of virtually all types, and enjoy seeing them up close when I can. The Collings Foundation flew in three WWII classics, and I got to see them today. At Left is a TP-51C Mustang. Interesting and rare version of this fighter, as it is a duel control version (can be flown from the front or rear seat) and also is a C version (most flown today are D's).

The second plane seen here is a Consolidated B-24J Liberator. It has four engines, and the type was flown during WWII over many of the cities of Europe, and also saw action against Japan. The plane was actually in many cases a better aircraft than the more famous B-17 but is the lesser known of the two. It was said to be a difficult plane to fly. Like the B-17 it has a lot of machine guns for protection and also depended on escort aircraft like the P-51 to protect it from German and Japanese fighters. However, many were shot down by enemy aircraft, as well as from ground gunners who shot at the aircraft.

The plane at left is the famous Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress. It is one of the most famous aircraft of WWII. The B-17 was famous for the bombing of Germany, but also was used against Japan. In fact the raid on Pearl Harbor was picked up on radar but was thought to be a flight of B-17's which were expected that morning. The B-17 was known as a rugged aircraft and could take a lot of punishment. However, like the B-24 and other planes, it was relatively light weight with little or no armor, and could be easily shot down if hit in the right places. Like the B-24 it was unpressurized and unheated; crews had to breathe bottled oxygen in the cold of the upper air, being careful not to touch metal with bare hands (if they did they would stick to the metal). Thousands gave their lives in these aircraft, in actions that can only really be imagined today. I did enjoy seeing these aircraft today, and gave a bit of thanks for what those who served in planes like these gave in our defense.

After the aircraft tours, I wandered for a bit around Concord and Kannapolis. It had been cool this week (below freezing in the AM, warmer in the afternoon to around 60) but today it got up to 70. I was riding in the cool (feeling only slightly like a bomber pilot in a leather jacket and gloves, but well above freezing and sub freezing of that periods flying) but it rose fairly quickly. Starting to see the full colors of fall locally, including some vivid reds. As always enjoyed the ride on the bike, traffic in the early mornings (North Carolina I have noted tends to sleep in on Saturday, a habit I have taken advantage of on a few rides) was light, and it was a very good ride. I did not cover a lot of distance today, but it was a very enjoyable cruise nonetheless.

Not a great deal of motorcycle news of late. I did enjoy some viewing(s) of Wild Hogs on the tv (Starz has been showing it again), and also got in a new issue of Motorcyclist. I am not renewing that magazine though, but will be keeping my AMA membership and that magazine which comes with the membership.

I will be getting in some riding this week after work (and perhaps to work tomorow as I am working Sunday) this week. Next week will be driving to Richmond, VA with my wife Patty to explore that area. Going to be an interesting weekend coming up.