Random Motorcycle Thoughts (July 30, 2010)

Took this photo of my Vulcan during the motorcycle ride on July 26, 2010 upon my return from Louisville, Ky after the funeral of my father. I greatly enjoy motorcycling, but with that enjoyment comes responsibility both to yourself and to your family. Noted today two deaths in Charlotte (via the Charlotte Observer) in motorcycle/car accidents. Guys (and gals) its important to keep your mind on the ride, and your eyes moving...remember its a very fun, but also dangerous sport. Watch especially for cars turning left..a major cause of accidents are cars turning into your path. Be ready for anything on the road for so many drivers are on cell phones, in discussions, having a meal...anything but paying attention to driving. This advice applies not only on motorcycles, but also in your car or on a bicycle.
Speaking of responsibility; in the last few weeks had the drive shaft serviced, and also did oil and filter changes, checked the bike over, added a bit more anti-freeze, serviced the air filter (its a K+N) checked other fluids, lubed cables, checked brakes and tires (especially tire pressures, always keep an eye on those). Take care of your motorcycle to help it to last, and especially so it takes care of you. Good also before a ride to give it a "pre-flight check": walk around and give it a good look over. Always good to find problems before they find you!
Late Summer riding will soon (though a way off) lead to beautiful (and thankfully cooler) fall riding. That is the best time of year in my book to enjoy motorcycling. This time of year is also the time when new motorcycles hit the road; and there are already some new models coming out from the major manufacturers. Harley-Davidson and Victory have some new models. Number of new bikes seem to be down this year, but there are some interesting models which will be hitting the showrooms very soon and in the near future. Be looking for some of those coming on the page here in the next few weeks. I like to check out the new bikes.
However, thanks to the care of my 2005 Vulcan and the quality built into it I plan to spend a few more years on this very fine motorcycle. In early July I passed 20,000 miles on the bike and have enjoyed every one. Looking forward to the next 20,000...and taking the steps to make that happen. Ride Safe!

Dad's Farewell (July 18-July 27, 2010)

Sad phone call on July 18 from my brother in Southern Indiana...Dad passed away that day. A great man, and a wonderful father he lived a fun and interesting 73 years. Patty drove from Carolina in the Vue, and I drove the Versa from Richmond to Louisville, Kentucky. Was a strange trip being as he is not there (a lot of time spent on visits to Kentucky was with him) but did enjoy seeing family and friends. One such is at the right; Ed worked with me in Concord, but moved back to Louisville. That is the bike he rode there; we had lunch at Bearno's Pizza on the Ohio River. Also saw much of my far flung family at the funeral which was nice, though wish we could get together more for better reasons.
I saw this motorcycle at the hotel. Brought back a lot of memories. Back in my Navy days, I rode a GS400 Suzuki in Hawaii. Actually it was Dad who suggested I get that bike; said an old beat up car would cost a fortune and I would enjoy the motorcycle more (had a few during high school which I did have a blast with). It was a good bike, and liked riding it around Hawaii which was a remarkable place to go riding. The GS-500 uses the same engine (100cc bigger), course its got a fairing but it is a nice looking bike and would be a great beginner motorcycle. Suzuki makes some fantastic motorcycles, and has some interesting models.
Also of interest was this Triumph Bonneville which I saw in downtown Jeffersonville, Indiana. Again, a good basic bike like the GS-500 but a nice looking ride, and was the start of the rebirth of a great motorcycle company back from the past. Saw a lot of motorcycles in the Louisville area during my visit; many of the riders wore helmets in Indiana and Kentucky...many did not (not required in those two states).
Got back in Concord on July 25 and spent Monday there before a Tuesday return to Concord. Did get a ride out on the Vulcan, still hot and humid, but the ride was a nice break from the stress and pain of the previous days. Dad is gone to a better place, will miss him a great deal, but the memories I have with him will live on forever!

Richmond Verson; Quaker Steak and Lube (July 18, 2010)

A few days ago, in Concord, NC I went to Bike Night at Quaker Steak and Lube. A chain restaurant, has good wings and a large variety of them, also a rather interesting bike night...which you can see the posts of a few photos below. Draws motorcyclists like flies; great bike nights (the one in Concord has something around 900 on a given Wednesday night depending on the weather) due to great specials, bands, a nice outdoor bar, a variety of hot wings, booths with a biker attraction, and the chance to check out the various rides that roll in. A chance to see friends, interesting sights (such as this V-Rod and Grand National) and just to hang out with men and women who ride.
Course, it was not bike ride at Quaker Steak and Lube in Richmond, Va which brought me there. I found out about actually while at the one in Concord, NC a few days ago. Buddy of mine from Richmond, told me it was here so I drove out (unfortunately..for the motorcycle is in Concord waiting for my next return) but I wanted to see it. It is located out at West Broad Street in Richmond, Va, which I found to be a very interesting road with a lot of strip malls, big malls, and other sites of interest. The quest for Quaker Steak and Lube led me to some interesting places while out today in that area; there is a lot of places to see there. This is the main bar with a motorcycle theme at the Lube, and enjoyed it. Much the same, but different than the one in Concord, NC.
This is the main building and found it to be very interesting both on the inside and the outside. I am told their bike night is rapidly growing on Wednesday nights, and if it is anything like the one in Concord, before long it will be a total monster crowd wise. Believe me when I tell you, that few places in my experience do bike night as good at Quaker Steak and Lube does. Usually they have some good specials, and the food while nothing to rave about (for I am certainly no food critic) is not bad. Over the years I have had a lot of good nights and good visits to the restaurant and think this will be no exception. Not sure when I will be able to make one of the bike nights here, but sure would enjoy doing so.

Riding Carolina on a Sunday in July (July 11, 2010)

Actually the morning photo seen here was taken at Punchy's Diner in Concord, NC. Patty and I drove there in her car for breakfast. Great place to eat and has a real 50's theme; even has cars and motorcycles in the restaurant. Prices are also very good and the food is also. We go there often for breakfast when I am in town. Did like this Harley Davidson with the ape hangers outside this morning...no its not mine, and it does belong to one of the customers who was also eating there. Nice looking bike, I do like the classic look of a Harley though not real fond of the price tags (and not real big on the air cooled engine). I prefer a water cooled V-Twin such as my Vulcan.
Speaking of the Vulcan; took it on the last "vacation ride"on a nice Sunday morning. Was not too hot and nice to get out for a last time before heading back to Richmond in the morning to get "back to the grind". I stopped at Wilgrove Airport after a pleasant country ride up Flowes Store Road and up 24/27. Nice cruising on a Sunday, traffic is light and its nice to enjoy the scenery. This photo was taken at South 21, which has been featured on "Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives". It was closed for vacation (and I was not hungry...see previous paragraph) but liked to check out the restaurant. I will be back in the weeks to come...always up for new places.

Rode around Uptown Charlotte for a while; made a few stops here and there and took a few photos. Feel sometimes like a tourist in my area, but that happens when you live in two places. I did wander a bit for the first time at the Epicenter which is a sort of entertainment district near the Time Warner Arena. Whiskey River is a bar there, and is notable in that it is owned by none other than Dale Earnhardt, Jr. Thought it was worth a photo, though like with South 21, was not open yet. Still, enjoyed a great ride around Charlotte, and on the way home went through North Davidson, in a sense going full circle from the first ride during my vacation a few days ago.
Got in some great times with my family, got a lot of projects done around the house (all of them in fact for a change) and some really nice rides. I keep the bike here for a reason, for though Richmond is an interesting city, if I have to have the motorcycle in one place, this is the place to have it for sure. I love riding in the Carolinas, and never get bored with the things that I see and do here. However, shortly (in the morning) it is back to Virginia, and back to exploring motorcycling there from "off the saddle."

Ride to Lake Norman (July 10, 2010)

Photo is of Phil on his motorcycle, was one of my bosses at Concord when I worked here (Phil had the time to retire). We met up this morning, got out for a few hours after a pre-ride fuel up at Bojangles (my fuel of choice, their famous ice tea) and a nice ride out toward Lake Norman. Quite a ride out there; down some beautiful roads and past some "houses, farms, and fields". I like that area and those roads are remarkable two lanes though some interesting areas. Lake Norman was built to provide cooling water for the McGuire Nuclear Plant, we stopped near there to check out the lake and to relax a bit during a ride which covered a little over 80 miles.

Hit a milestone while out, the Vulcan and I reached the 20,000 mile mark. Purchased the bike new in 2005 (June of that year) and have been on many great adventures. This is my second bike in the Carolinas, brought my Honda Shadow 600 from Indiana when I transferred here some eleven years ago. That 600 I had also had new, sold it to a co-worker with some 38,000 miles (and also as trouble free as the Vulcan) other than the usual motorcycle stuff. The Vulcan is a 1500cc V-twin and is a very good ride. Other than normal maintenance both have been outstanding motorcycles and a great deal of fun. Yeah, I know the Fuel injection lite is on here, but just because I turned the key on to get the mileage photo when we stopped at Lake Norman.
As for Lake Norman, this is a photo of part of it. The lake is huge, and is really something to see from the air (and I have). Rode out through Denver, NC, and through Mooresville, NC as well. Mooresville is growing by leaps and bounds has not been that long since I have been there, but sure is expanding out. Great to enjoy the ride today, the heat of the last few days is largely gone (lower 90's beats 100 any time) and humidity was also much lower. Have enjoyed some remarkable riding over the past few days, and have put some serious miles on the bike; but always fun to enjoy a good ride with a good friend.

The Art of Motorcycle Maintenance (July 9, 2010)

Post work ride on a hot Friday in Concord. Spent the morning doing some important work on the bike. Take care of your motorcycle and it will take care of you. A regular maintenance program is important. Just a few weeks ago I had the shaft drive lubricated; today I changed the oil and filter, spark plugs, checked the rear gear oil, added some antifreeze, lubricated the cables, checked over the bolts, and cleaned the K+N air filter (great thing a K+N...clean it, add some filter oil, and you are good to go). Not only does work like that make the bike safer and add years to its life, but also can prevent costly breakdowns.
Following the work, washed and waxed the bike, and then took it out for a short ride. I took this photo off of Spring Street in Concord, NC while out. Once again, a very hot and humid day, but a good day for a ride, and enjoyed it a great deal.

Bike Night in Concord (July 7, 2010)

A hot night for a ride, with temperatures close to 100 degrees, and after a day in the sun (unfortunately working...though things to be done around this house over the holiday and fun to work on my own place) was feeling kind of toasty when I pulled up to Quaker Steak and Lube on Bruton Smith Blvd (formerly Speedway Blvd) for the July 7 Bike Night at Quaker Steak and Lube. Always fun to go to that, and had a great time as usual. Course, being mostly in Richmond during the week, this is probably the last one I will be able to go to this year. They have them in Richmond also (even told there is a Quaker Steak there) but I work nights.
Bike night is a good chance to see people, and also to check out some of the more interesting rides such as this one at left. Sure there are the run of the mill cruisers (such as mine) and sport bikes, but also often some unique and interesting motorcycles. Top photo was such a line up, and it got even more interesting later in the evening. Certainly it can be a real eye opener...for instance a friend of mine I saw there was surprised to find that "Triumph still makes motorcycles"...but yest they do, and there were some nice ones there. Saw many people that I know and had a good time walking around checking out the people, bikes and music (normally a band there).

Crowd built as the sun went down, and by the time I left after a three hour visit there were a lot of bikes in the lot. This one tends to be one of the larger ones in the area, and brings out a good crowd. Been to a lot of bike nights over the years and in the Carolinas at least this is one of the biggest and best (even gets a few bikes there from nearby South Carolina).
Ride back was much nicer, left as the sun was going down, and that made a huge difference in temperature. Always fun to ride, but when it gets to be near 100 that air is hot! Good news is that the heat may be passing soon!

Kannapolis, China Grove, and Landis, NC (July 5, 2010)

July 5, 2010 was another great day to ride. Still rather cool and low humidity for a while longer.I am hearing that is not going to last for long, but it is summertime after all. Nice day in that it is still a vacation day for many people, and so made for very light traffic and most places (but not all) being closed). I started my ride early in the morning, with a stop at Union Street to get a photo of the bike and the flag. They have the flags lining the street, which is a very nice one in Concord, NC with a lot of very old houses (and some interesting new ones as well. It is one of our favorite places to ride, or for that matter drive to check out the scenery...we have also been known to walk up and down it from time to time. Some of the houses were owned by the movers and shakers of the region in its early days, and today...some of them still are owned by the new generation of the same. Fun to see the houses and the people who live in them from time to time. Also this is a great road to drive up during Christmas, some beautiful sights can be seen there then.

One of the stops in my ride was Kannapolis, NC. I like Kannapolis, for one it is the home town of Dale Earnhardt and in fact there is a big statue of him in the square here. It used to be called Cannon Village, not sure what they call it now. Many of the stores have closed, but largely due to the fact that they are wanted for the NC Research Center. Those buildings are really something to see, but the center which had such great promise seems to be stuck in neutral. Not many jobs have come from it, though perhaps when the economy gets better things will improve. Right now its just some very cool looking buildings which are mostly empty.
This is the China Grove Roller Mill in China Grove, NC. I like this place, though its a museum now. China Grove and adjoining Landis are both pretty cool little towns. Not a lot there, but some nice roads in that area to ride, and friendly people as well. I like to go out that way from time to time, and beyond to Salisbury, NC. For the 5th though it was fun to wander the deserted (mostly) streets as everyone was largely relaxing after the cookouts and events of the 4th of July the day before. I liked that, made for calm and quiet riding on the Vulcan around the various streets. Other than the occasional car and the occasional cop, it was a quiet ride. On the way back, saw the red motorcycle at Morton's Custom Cycle in Concord, NC. I love their work, not sure if this is one of them, but certainly has the sign. I hope to see more along this line JUly 7 at Bike Night at Quaker Steak and Lube in Concord, NC. That will be a good time on the motorcycle and I am looking forward to that!

Charlotte Museum of History/Mac's Speed Shop (July 4, 2010)

Interesting Fourth of July, actually went out in the car with Patty on this day, and we rode out to The Charlotte Museum of History, which is located at 3500 Shamrock Drive in Charlotte , NC. Free Admission and being curious brought us there, which was a good thing because it was a very interesting place indeed. Lots of great historical items (and which will be posted on my other blog...Richmond and Me, as well as my photo page). The oldest house in Charlotte (built in 1774) is there, plus many other items of interest are there. Among the displays was a police display of very interesting items of many types. I noted this Outlaws MC jacket, as they have been in the news lately both in Richmond, VA and Charlotte, NC. A few blogs ago I mentioned seeing some bike club members at a bike show in Richmond; got to say in Charlotte I have seen very few if any actual outlaw bikers, though learned from the story in the paper that...yes, they are there. The Outlaws were a common sight in Louisville, Kentucky when I lived there some years ago.

Also at the museum was a display of Motorcycle Police gear as seen here. Looked to be right out of the early days of police motorcycling, but was cool to see those items. I read the other day there is now a police version of the Kawasaki ZX-14 superbike. Police in North Carolina seem to favor either Harley-Davidsons or BMW motorcycles (in fact I have a few photos of those bikes in some of the blog posts here.
After the museum visit, went by Mac's Speed Shop with Patty where I saw this "not quite a car, not quite a motorcycle" at the restaurant. It was Patty's first visit there, I have been there a few times with friends on motorcycle rides. Great BBQ and very biker friendly, and in a very interesting area of Charlotte on South Blvd. A very fine day, though spent on four wheels today. I plan to get a good ride in tomorrow!

Charlotte Ride (July 3, 2010)

Real nice day for a motorcycle ride, back in the Carolinas for a few days and could not pick a better one to get out. Low humidity, and actually kind of cool at 9am when I headed out to sightsee "my city" for a change. Early stop was at UNCC (photos of the actual places can be seen on either my "Richmond and Me" page or my Photo Page which there is a link to on this page). This at left is my motorcycle in front of the track and field Center at UNCC in Charlotte. I also rode out to North Davidson, or NoDa as it is known; a collection of restaurants, bars (one called The Dog Bar allows dogs!), and live music places. Enjoyed that.
On the way to North Davidson I passed the 4th of July parade in Harrisburg, which was pretty cool. Lots of floats, bands and police and other motorcycles there. Rode from North Davidson to Charlotte, while there saw a parking garage on fire, that was pretty wild. Went around downtown for a little bit, and then rode back toward University City. There I went by Boardwalk Billy's at the "Shoppes of University" and then to Pat Rogers HD where I saw the custom bike and the XR-1200's there. It was a great ride on a wonderful day, and enjoyed it a bunch. I don't get to ride much, but when I do I try to make it a good one. I hope you have a great time on your motorcycles, and be careful!