Morrow Mountain Ride (August 30, 2010)

Phil (a former boss at the factory I transferred from, and a good friend) wanted to go for a ride. We had no destination in mind, but I took the lead and we headed out via some backroads I really like. After winding through those on a pretty close to perfect day (hot, but low humidity and not a cloud in the sky) we came out of the backroads with a choice. High Rock Lake or Morrow Mountain, and we took the right turn. The photo at left is our bikes at the top of Morrow Mountain. Normally a bike mecca and usually packed, it was clear of people on our arrival. One of my favorite places to ride. That is Phil standing by our bikes (mine in the front).
Like Morrow Mountain mainly because its a great ride there, with some beautiful roads. We got there riding through Baden, NC which is really a neat town. Sort of sad there in that the big Alcoa factory which has been closed for many years, is finally getting torn down. Those (I am told) were some great and well loved jobs. The view from the top is really nice and the state park around it has some swimming and picnic areas, camping and trails. It is important to watch for wildlife which can be encountered any time of the day; have come across deer in broad daylight in the past (none this trip though). This is a view from the top of one of the nearby lakes.
On the way back we stopped for some refreshment at Harmanco's which is just down the mountain in Albemarle, NC. I really like Albemarle (in fact posts not too far back document visits, though this was my first time in some time). Harmanco's offers good food and at reasonable prices. Enjoyed visiting with a biker in there, who had some good stories of his many years on the road on various bikes. Leaving there, we enjoyed a nice ride back up NC-73 to Concord where we split up and headed back to our houses. It was a remarkable ride. At the end of the day, I was grinning from ear to ear..a really fine few hours on the bike. With the Saturday ride and the Monday ride, covered a total of 160 very fun miles.
Did want to note, sad to read that a young man, aged 13 died on the track during one of the motorcycle races (not the MotoGP or the Moto2 race..though watched them both on Speed Channel over the weekend). My thoughts go out to his family during this sad time. This also serves as a reminder that if you are racing, or just out for a ride to always be careful and ride safe!

HIgh Speed Riding (Agust 28, 2010)

August 28 drove some 280 miles from Richmond, to Concord, NC. With Patty at a quilt show event, I got in a ride on NC-601. Like that road, fun to ride past houses, farms, small towns, and businesses. Sort of a buggy ride due to all the livestock there (cows, houses, pigs) and some unusual smells, but a beautiful ride nonetheless. Road up NC 74 to the BMW/Triumph/Ducati dealer. I like that one, and found that is is moving; that my visit was the last Saturday it will be there. Going to a new location in Uptown Charlotte. Nice shop with nice bikes, and I am 99% sure (sure don't know why I did not ask) that the red bike seen above is a Triumph Thunderbird.
Going on down NC-74 (aka "Independence Blvd") went to "Red, White and Brews" Charlotte Harley-Davidson. This is one of the bikes in the bike show, also had a nice band and of course "brews". It was a very good time, though all winding down as I got there. I have more photos on the photo pages of both places, as well as of sights along the way.
Came back to my house via Albemarle Road, and Flowes Store Road; on what was a beautiful day to ride. Always some interesting sights; had done much of this route a few rides ago, and still saw things I had not seen. Riding a motorcycle in Carolina is a fantastic experience, and one I hope to do some more of over the next few days. I also will be watching the MotoGP race today at Indy, which will be on the Speed Channel at 3PM. Looks like another good motorcycle weekend for sure!

Between the Handlebars: Upcoming Events!

Adding a fourth photo today from last weekends bike show that I came across in Richmond, VA. Liked the look of this Gold Wing; often they are customized a great deal. I got the pleasure a couple of years ago of taking a somewhat extended ride on a Wing (buddy had gotten injured in a crash, got the bike repaired and I rode it back when it was fixed due to his broken leg). Amazing and interesting motorcycles for sure; one of the new classic bikes, and one of the great touring motorcycles. On a Gold Wing you can haul just about anything you would need on a road trip. On Saturday, August 28 at the NC Transportation Museum in Spencer, NC there will be a free Gold Wing show. I will be making a stop there on Saturday, and am looking forward to it...so if you liked this photo, be sure to look for some more coming up.

....Planning to do some riding this weekend, and one of the places I hope to be riding to is Charlotte Harley-Davidson which is holding its "Red, White and Brew" event from 9-5 on Saturday August 28 (same day as the above). Will be bands, food, and a bike show (and we love bike shows!). Event is from 9-5 and the dealership is at 9205 E. Independence Blvd in Charlotte, NC.

.....Another event of note is the Motorcycle Cannonball Endurance Run. This event will be from September 10-26; will be a group of very classic (around 1915) motorcycles racing from Kitty Hawk, NC to California. They will be making a stop "around 4:30-6:30 (remember these are VERY old bikes) at Pat Rogers Speedway Harley-Davidson in Concord, NC...and my plan is to be there for that! You can find out more about the "race" at Pat Rogers Speedway Harley-Davidson web site; the event is featured on the main page!

.....Not a motorcycle event, but do want to put in a plug for the Winston-Salem Air Show on September 11-12. Air shows are fantastic events, and there is a lot to see there. Many planes will be flying, including a Russian Mig-21. They have a great line up this year, and yes...there will be motorcycles there. The following weekend at NAS Oceana in Virginia Beach, VA there will be another air show; the Virginia show will feature "The Blue Angels"...and they are well worth a ride!

.....Finally as fall cranks up, there will be a great many events of note coming to the local area(s) and some great rides. Not just the last blast(s) before winter, but also the best riding of the year and to follow fall is the "blast" of winter. Things tend to ramp up then motorcycle wise, and I will give you a heads up on some great events. Until then, ride safe!

Hooters Bike Show (August 22, 2010)

Went out today on a drive in Richmond; made a U-turn when I found this Bike Show going on at the Hooters on West Broad Street in Richmond, VA. A fine Sunday August 22, 2010 got a whole lot better. While not the best show (by far I have seen) it was a good little show; so far from my ride (which is waiting for me in Charlotte, NC) it is always nice to be around some fine motorcycles. This is just a few of them; others can be seen on my photo page. Liked this custom at left, was a good looking bike. Check out the spokes on those rims; sure to be a good tightening job from time to time. A good looking custom bike though and enjoyed checking it out.
I am big on history, and that includes historic motorcycles. The yellow/white bike seen here is a 1959 Harley-Davidson Sportster. Not sure of the engine size, I guess around 883 or perhaps a 1200 (not sure of the model of this bike, they put two different engines on those bikes. At one time, the Sportster (believe it or not) was a "superbike" and was one of the bigger engines back in the day (500's and 600's were much more common). In fact a really good old show from (quite a ) few years back was "Then Came Bronson" which had Michael Parks riding across country on a Sportster. This was a really nice version of that type bike seen here.

Finally, unique for sure (though you do see them from time to time) is a Boss Hoss. I believe they are made in Georgia, the frame is a special motorcycle frame, and the engine is a Chevy (as in automobile engine Chevy). Huge motorcycle for sure, and with just unbelievable power. I have personally seen a Boss Hoss smoke the tire for blocks (and I mean...blocks). Certainly not a bike you would want to drop, it would take a small crew to lift it. Had an automobile sized radiator in the front; its just a massive machine. In the world of big motorcycles; this is the king mack daddy. For sure a hell of a thing to check out, someday be fun to take one of these for a short ride.
One other thing. No Outlaw bikers were at this show (unlike the last one I went to in Richmond) but later today I read a book on getting a motorcycle at Barnes and Noble written by the maximum Hell's Angel Sonny Barger. Was actually not a bad book, but still kind of amazed me. You never know what you will find in Richmond for sure. As always ride safe!

Albemarle Cruise (Sunday, August 15, 2010)

Actually this post starts with a Saturday night/Sunday morning thing involving motorcycles. Watched on Saturday racing from Virginia International Raceway on delay via Speed Channel. First look at the track a few miles south of me in Richmond, or a few miles north of me in Carolina (depending on where I am at the time). Watched Daytona and Superbike races; enjoyed them both. On Sunday morning I watched MotoGP (also on the Speed Channel) though those races were in Europe. Speed Channel is good at covering motorcycle races in general, some of the commentary is sort of strange at times, but its fun to watch. Photo above was taken on Saturday at RideNow, those being more of race replica bikes than the ones I saw on the track(s).

Did get out on a nice Sunday motorcycle ride. I rode out toward Albemarle by way of some of my favorite backroads. Still was a bit under the weather, but much better than the day before and felt like a longer ride than on Saturday. It was a very nice day out, like Saturday less humid and not as hot as it has been for the last few weeks during the heat wave. Sunday is usually a pretty light day traffic wise and this one was no exception. Enjoyed a short stop at J.D. Shuckers in Albemarle, a sports bar/restaurant. A group of Harley riders came in after me, so got this photo of the bikes (mine is off in the distance in front of JD's). It was a very nice ride , though not a long one.

Virus Ride (August 14, 2010)

Been in a battle with some kind of bug, not sure what it is, but it has been kicking my ass the last dew days. Today I kicked back. Got out and got on the motorcycle for a nice ride around Concord. Drove in yesterday from Richmond. Photo at left is on NC-29, enjoyed the ride today. Was not a big one, went to RideNow (which is where I took the photo below), to Memorial Gardens (a beautiful place in Concord),then down past the fine houses on Union Street before a short stop at Onemor, and home. Not a lot of miles, but nice to get out. Considering that rain chances today were 60%, lucky to get out too. Feels a lot cooler though, and that is nice.
Think the races at VIR are tonight, going to watch them later (I think) as Speed Channel has AMA races on around midnight ( would suppose those are them). There was a report on the news that "motorcycle accidents" are way up in the Carolinas, but many of those are due to Mopeds (which are classed as motorcycles for accident data).
Hopefully will get out some more tomorrow, weather is pretty iffy this weekend, but will have to see. Was a good day to get out though, the blazing heat and the humidity have both abated, and that is a wonderful thing. Will be nice for a few days, but I only have the bike for today and tomorrow. Ride safe!

View from the Handlebars.....August 10,2010

Just a few random thoughts and bits of news on another hot and very humid Richmond Tuesday, a few days from getting back on this bike. Photo at left is a "View from the Handlebars" taken during my last ride on August 8. Still pumped about that ride, was a really fine day on the bike. I got a real kick out of seeing some places not visited for some time. Lots of good and bad to this Carolina/Virginia migrant factory worker thing I am doing. Lots of down things (missing the family and all) but on the bright side places I visit in Carolina due to the forced time away makes many of the old rides seem completely new. For one thing the area changes a great deal in short time periods (which still seems to be a Charlotte hallmark) and for another it is a long time between visits as the visits are fewer. Always did a lot of motorcycling (something like 5,000 miles a year on my bikes) but that has dropped with this job transfer.

....Noted in my August 4 post the WERA Cycle Jam at VIR in Alton, VA. Now sad to note a death during the event, one of the racers and from Charlotte, NC Rob Gette, 38 died in an accident on the track. Condolences go out to his family and friends on this tragic event.
....Noted also that Harley-Davidson has sold MV Agusta, the Italian firm they purchased a few years ago in an effort to expand the brand. Harley ended its association with Buell Motorcycles, and now with MV and is re-focusing on building its iconic V-twin cruisers.
....Looking at some local events, as the riding season for many is winding down. I say for many because due to the Carolina weather (harder from what I saw last year in the Richmond area) it is usually possible to get a good amount of riding in during the winter in much of Carolina. At any case some good bike nights to check out. I did get (thanks to a vacation week) a bike night in at Quaker Steak and Lube in Concord, NC. I also have been to (but not to bike night, thanks to night shift work) Quaker Steak in Richmond, Va. Have posted photos this year of both places. There are usually a lot of good ones in an area, and they are a great deal of fun.
....sad over the loss of the "Carolina Motorcycle Events" web site which ended production. Events are hard to find in both the Carolinas and in Virginia (though do have Full Throttle in NC, and Thunder Roads Mid-Atlantic which I explore) which can be ok sites, but sometimes lack details on events. Noted in Full Throttle that the Cabarrus Shrine Club is having its poker run on August 28...but other than its leaving from Kannapolis, not a lot of information there. Have been on that (which once was held with an apparently no longer held bike show) in previous years. Was a fun ride, if I get more details in the next few days will post on that.
....Here is something I can suggest. If you are a Kawasaki Vulcan rider, the Charlotte Vulcan Riders Association chapter in Charlotte has been putting on some great rides in the Charlotte area. They had a recent multi-day ride to the famous "Tail of the Dragon" and have been (as I have with them) on a number of really good rides. If you are looking for some good people to ride with, and some interesting places to ride, check out these guys either on the web or on Facebook.
....Will in future posts have more news and events here as I can find them. In the meantime, ride safe!

Sunday Morning Piedmont Ride (August 8. 2010)

Got out Sunday morning on the Vulcan with no real destination, but a beautiful day for a ride. For a change the weather was cooler (lower 90's at least) with low humidity...did not bust out into a sweat as soon as you hit the door. Enjoyed the wonderful bright blue skies and taking a ride down some local twisty roads. I saw this old barn and took a photo of it on one of those roads. Nice to ride in the North Carolina backroads past the farms, cows, horses and even the occasional llama! I ended up on NC-601 and enjoyed that rolling out toward Monroe, NC. I like the smell of the country air there, and nice to get out on that very interesting road.
Took the photo at left of the Old Courthouse and my motorcycle out in front of it. Nice building, and there are a few old buildings there. Monroe is a very nice community with some great old houses, and interesting airport (they have an air show there later this fall) and on a Sunday morning it was a really quiet town. Another photo (this of the old City Hall) is directly below. From Monroe I rode down NC-74 which is also known as Independence Blvd. That is also a major Charlotte area road, runs to the mountains, and also to the beach (rode it once with some friends all the way to Wilmington, NC). Rode it to Charlotte, NC. Enjoyed the ride, traffic was a bit heavier there as is usual.
Noted that Harley-Davidson of Charlotte is closed on Sunday, I also noted that the Hooters there is apparently closed for good. It was a strange look at the economy, along 74 many new places and developments had sprung up since my last visit, but many places I had known were closed.. as in closed and gone!
I got on the highway, which here in Charlotte is I-85 just short of the city. Nice ride there, though a great many cars roaring right along. At times felt like I was in the movie "The Road Warrior". Got off near Concord Mills and made a fuel stop and a short ride on NC-49 before getting back to the house at 12:30pm. Nothing quite clears the mind, like a great motorcycle ride on a beautiful Sunday in North Carolina!

August Motorcycle Racing in Virginia

Interesting racing news coming up for you motorcycle racing fans (and you know who you are!) at Virginia International Raceway (aka VIR) in Virginia. On August 7 and 8 The WERA Motorcycle Racing Cycle Jam will be held at the big race track in Alton, Virginia. Prices are very reasonable for this event, and there are a number of classes running.
Meanwhile, also at VIR but from August 13-15 will be the "Suzuki White Lightning AMA Pro Superbike Nationals" featuring some of the top riders and teams in the US of A. Classes will include Superbike, Daytona Sportbike, American Superbike, and Supersport classes. Tickets are a bit higher for this event, but you can save either with package (multi-day) deals or by buying early.
Of note, one of the teams is sponsored by basketball legend (and Charlotte Bobcat team owner as of earlier this year) Michael Jordan. Not only does he sponsor a team, it has also won a number of races over the years.
Also of note. Be sure to check out the American Motorcyclist Association web site for information on racing events of all types in your area! The site gives information on races, and how you can take part in many of the events held nationally. You don't have to be a pro to go race; and there are racing events for no matter what type of motorcycle you ride. In fact, there are a number of benefits to being an AMA member; it is a low cost high benefit membership which offers many discounts on many different items such as insurance, parts, hotel rooms, and other items. Check it out soon!
Be looking here for more upcoming events from time to time of note, and thanks for visiting this page!

Virginia Classic Motorcycles (August 1, 2010)

I can not but notice that in Richmond, there are a number of interesting and classic bikes. I wonder if a lot of that is not due to Velocity Motorcycles here, but have enjoyed seeing so many great older bikes, and best off...they are not in museums, they are still in use! That is the best way to enjoy an older bike (or a newer one for that matter). Pulled over three times today to get photos of the bikes seen here. The BMW was actually the last one I saw. One of the great Boxer twins (still made by the way) but an older version. BMW actually has a long aviation history, and the symbol for the brand actually represents an aircraft propeller.
Also tagged (and ridden I am sure) is this Honda which I believe is a Honda CL-350. I believe the bike was also known as a Scrambler....and was designed (due to the upswept pipes) to be used both on street or trail. The Honda 350, and this is not the first great version I have seen in the Richmond area, was a very common sight back in the 1970's-early 80's. Where I lived in Indiana back then, it was a rare block that did not have at least one in one family's driveway or garage. I rode a few and it was a fun motorcycle to ride. Course my ride of choice back then was the two cycle Yamaha 350, but have had a few great Honda's since then.
A somewhat later version of the 350 twin was the 400 cc twin, and here is a Honda 400 classic. Again a stone reliable motorcycle, known for having a good amount of power, and a solid and well built bike. I like the king and queen seat here, the old round gauges, and the megaphone pipes from the era. Honda made a number of remarkable motorcycles (and still does in fact) and it was great to see this one. Unusual to see so many great old bikes in so short a period of time. Course, when I got back into motorcycling after a short lay off my "first bike back" was a 1977 Honda 550/four which I got back in the early 90's. Though it took a bit of work (and a cash infusion), it was actually surprisingly easy to being the bike back to life, and I had a very pleasant year on the old warrior. In fact my next bike was a Honda as well. Used motorcycles can be a very good way to get into riding, though attention has to be paid to such items as brakes and especially tires. With a bit of money and wrenching though, they can be amazingly fun rides again!