Velocity II-The Return (April 24, 2010)

On Saturday April 24, took an afternoon and did some exploring in my "other" (current) home town of Richmond, Va. Made a return trip to Velocity Motorcycles (which is near the Diamond Baseball stadium) on the Boulevard. On a previous visit, saw some very interesting bikes, this was no exception. At left, is a very, very rare Kawasaki 750 Turbo. For a time, turbocharged bikes got very popular (about the same time they were being added to cars) but fell out of favor. They were impressive bikes to ride, and Kawasaki was real big on them for a while. I rode one back in the day, made a very notable difference.
Bike at left (green and white) was an Excelsior-Henderson. Over the years there have been efforts to bring back some classic brands. Indian is in either its second or third attempt since the company folded in the 1950s (currently make the Indian Chief in Kings Mountain, NC), Triumph (the most successful revival by far), Norton (working on that by fits and starts) and this bike by Excelsior-Henderson. The brand folded in the depression, and if I remember my history right was owned at the time by Schwinn (the bicycle company) when it folded. This was the "Super-X which lasted for a year or two before the company closed the doors.

Velocity sells a lot of classic motorcycles, such as the BSA (another discontinued brand) in the front. They also sell Ural (Russian made) motorcycles (often sold with sidecars), Zero electric motorcycles (no gas needed) and a few other brands. It is a fine bike shop, with friendly people, and it is real close to Buz and Ned's BBQ (which is a fine place to eat in Richmond, Va. If yu are in Richmond sometime, and want to see some interesting motorcycles, be sure to drop by...it is well worth the visit (or in my case...visits) to check out what they have to offer. Be sure also to pet the dogs there...like the staff they are also friendly!

Another Mac attack (April 17, 2010)

Riding buddy Steve in this photo was enjoying some ribs and the Lil Pig at Mac's Speed Shop on April 17. We had not been able to ride for some time, but took off today to Charlotte, NC. Sort of a repeat of my last ride in the Carolinas, but I enjoyed Mac's (have been there a few times) and he has never been. Steve gave it two bbq sauce coated thumbs up today, and I enjoyed it too. The guys (and gal) in the flight suits behind us were a bonus; they were a C-130 flight crew who had dropped in for lunch. Like visiting Mac's and you never know who you will run into there. Only thing that pissed Steve off was the Slaw on the Lil Pig, still not used to that (though I like it that way)
Here he is ready to go, and I am getting the usual photo. Enjoyed the ride into town, was a bit warmer than usual; close to 80 today which is warm for this time of year. Was a good ride though, traffic on the weekends in the Queen City is a lot lighter than week days and there is a lot to see and do in Charlotte. We did not take a long ride (did that last week) but enjoyed running around there. Have to still be careful in Charlotte, as there is a lot to distract you and other drivers, but it was a safe and fun day for us, and a really good ride. I don't get tired of exploring that town which also seems to be constantly changing which is pretty cool.

We got back after some three hours, this is from my bike, looking at the road that goes right into my neighborhood in Concord. With spring, this entire area is green and growing (though if we don't get some rain soon, green will quickly turn to brown and dying) but for now its a remarkable thing to see.
Next ride will be to the Classic Bike Show on May 1, at the NC Transportation Museum and THAT is quite a motorcycle show. Have made it the past few years and have never failed to be amazed at the bikes that show up. See a lot of Japanese classics from the 1970's as well as some great Italian, British, German and even a few American bikes as well.

Richmond Road Riders (April 11, 2010)

Funny thing yesterday: while looking for a Richmond Ducati dealer (thought it would be fun to check out some of the new bikes here, don't think they have a dealer in this area anymore) came across a link for the Richmond Road Riders. Saw in their events they were having a Poker Run, and it was leaving from near (well, around 6 miles) from my apartment. Having to go to the grocery for needed supplies, thought I would drop by. Been on a few Poker Runs in Charlotte; they are fun. You draw a card which is put on a card you carry, and then you draw at the stops along the route. Best hand winds. At left is some of the bikes that went on the ride. Front and center is a Honda 600 Shadow; I rode one of those from 1997-2005 (great small bike).
Saw a couple of motorcycles of interest there. The blue one at left is a Triumph Sprint ST. Triumph like a lot of old manufacturers that had ended production "came back from the dead" under new ownership. Unlike many of them though Triumph has thrived and is making both some designs based on the old classics and some new designs that are in a class all their own. The Sprint ST is a "sport tourer" and uses a 1000-1050cc triple. It will get you across country and will do it at a really good clip too if you so desire. The sound of the Triumph triple engines is something to hear, a really unique and cool sound comes from the three pipes (which run under the seat).
The big bike at left is a Honda Valkyrie. It has been out of production for a few years but is a very good motorcycle. It uses the Honda Gold Wing engine (the famous flat 6) and shaft drive to roll along. Without the body work of the Gold Wing it is a much lighter bike which is said to improve performance. Have a friend that I ride with in NC who has one, raves both about the power and the reliability of the Honda engine. It was a very good motorcycle, but of course the motor lives on (and its now bigger, think the Valkyrie used the 1500cc, but the new Gold Wing's have a 1800cc motor). I have ridden my friends bike, got a good amount of thrust for a big bike. At any case, enjoyed seeing the bikes heading out to their Poker Run, hope all had a good safe ride. Looking forward to some upcoming two wheeled adventures on my Vulcan, and taking advantage of this great Spring weather very soon!

Concord Race Shop Tour (April 5, 2010)

Another remarkable day in Concord, went riding and hit the local race shops in Concord, NC. Photo at left is the Roush-Fenway Racing Shop in Concord. Near the Concord Regional Airport I also visited Hendrick Motorsports and Earnhardt-Ganassi Racing; all three within a stones throw of each other. Roush and Hendrick all have really good museums where you can see many of their classic cars, Earnhardt-Ganassi has the best of the shop views of all the major shops; but it was a fine day for a wonderful ride, and enjoyed the views from the shops. You can see and learn a lot about NASCAR visiting these places, and best of all....its all free to enter.
Like this bike, which is a bike that was built for Jimmy Johnson. By the look of it has not been ridden, but I do know that Jimmy rides (have seen a show on tv where he did so some time back). Like this bike, with the custom work, plus really neat that its NOT a Harley (believe it is a Yamaha cruiser). The seat as I remember is made from snakeskin, but at any case a nice piece of work. "Drivers of the Year" for NASCAR used to be awarded custom bikes, know Jeff Gordon got a Indian a few years ago, and Dale Earnhardt, Sr got a Buell..know that cause I have seen them at their shops in the past.

Took this photo also at Hendrick Motorsports; among the racing community motorcycles seem to be very popular in the parking lots. I know I sure enjoyed the tour and have a number of photos from todays visit on my Flickr photo page. Rode this week on Saturday and today, some 120+ miles in remarkable weather in a very remarkable place. More like early summer than spring, it has been a fun and welcome change from the crappy winter weather of a few weeks ago. Could not knock the smile off my face these past few days with a 2X4 ! Ride Safe everyone, and enjoy the ride!

Easter Weekend (Part 1)

Liked this photo; saw this motorcycle while making a stop on my way to North Carolina on April 2, 2010 in Petersburg, Va. Never have ridden a bike with Ape Hanger handlebars, but have seen quite a few of them of late (in fact saw a rider going down I-85 with a set of them on his bike) but liked this motorcycle. Bikers are certainly a fun and different sort (and I am proud to be a part of them) and got a feeling the owner of this bike is one. The basic bike is a Harley-Davidson with a bit of special customization and a lot of thought. Ride safe my brother, and enjoyed seeing your motorcycle.

As for my motorcycle, rode to "Uptown" Charlotte on a remarkable April 3 Spring day. That is my Vulcan in the foreground, sitting near the Time Warner Cable Arena but in front of a new building under construction. Had a good time exploring Charlotte; saw the (outsides at least) of the new Bechtler Museum of Modern Art, the NASCAR Hall of Fame Museum, and quite a few familiar sites. I will be putting many of those photos on my photo page, which there is a link to on this page. Charlotte is a fun town to explore, and I enjoyed the ride today a great deal. The weather was more like early summer...sunny, warm and fantastic.
I made a stop of Mac's Speed Shop in Charlotte, NC (on South Blvd). There I saw this Indian, which I believe (but am not 100% sure) is one of the brand new ones being built at the new Indian factory at Kings Mountain, NC. Very pricy motorcycles, and a limited line, but a very nice looking bike with a lot of fine features. Not sure how they are doing with the recession, but last I heard they were still in business and still in production. This attempt is either the third or fourth attempt to bring back the classic brand which ended production in the late 50's as I remember, and was the next to last US made motorcycle brand (Harley survived).

As for Mac's Speed Shop, it is a popular motorcycle mecca, but also serves a very good bbq which is made NC style. That is without sauce (which you add from a number available) and topped with slaw. That is a Carolina thing the slaw, but it is actually pretty good that way. They also have a fine and extensive "beverage" selection and have always found it to be a friendly place. The music in there (tends to be blues, though also feature country and rock) is also a plus. Has a very good bike night and often features live music. Not much of a food critic, but I like going there, and have missed it.
Enjoyed exploring Charlotte today and a truly great ride, and have plans for another one coming up soon.