Gold Hill, NC (May 28, 2011)

Got out on a fine day on May 28, fun ride to Gold Hill, NC. Interesting place which is right off of NC-49. I get there turning onto St. Stephens Church Road which is a great ride. Of course, in that area, great roads abound. Interesting place to visit, and they also will be hosting a Classic Motorcycle Show on June 25th from 10am-4pm. Its free and worth the trip, as is the whole area. It was the site of one of the first successful Gold Mines in North Carolina, and also one of the first big gold rushes. Not too far away is the Reed Gold Mine, which is also well worth a visit. Here though you can see some of the mining equipment. There is also one of the original tunnels used in gold mining which you can see at the site.
Many old buildings and equipment can be seen such as this windmill seen at right. There is a restaurant, stores selling various items and the town also hosts a number of events over the year. Gold Hill, NC has a nice web site and its worth a look both for the history of the place, as well as seeing what it has to offer. I have been there a number of times, and always enjoyed the visits, and have ridden there with a number of friends to the town. There are also often people there in period costumes, and also there are a number of music events held in the area. It is a great place to wander around, and a nice place to bring a camera. The riding in that area is really fun as well, some really great roads can be found in that area, and there are a great number of interesting sights to see. Most of the roads are two lane country roads with a lot of twists and turns. It is great to get out on a fine day. Have to watch out for the farm equipment at times, there are a lot of working farms in the area, as well as a number of small towns which are interesting to visit along the way.
Seen here at left is the main street at Gold Hill. For my ride, went some 75 miles and explored some really nice roads. I will not be in town for the bike show, but I have been in the past, and will hate missing it this year. Had to get out that way though, and enjoyed the ride. I have posted a few more photos on my photo page, and hope you have enjoyed these seen here.
Memorial Day weekend was a very good riding weekend, hot but not too humid, and got in a few nice rides, and saw some good sights while I was out. There is nothing like riding in North Carolina, and I will have a few more photos of some other sights in my next post!

Colonial and Commonweath (May 21, 2011)

Previous post was on Honda CBR250R I saw on May 21, but this is some of the other bikes I saw at the two dealerships I visited. Of course of late, Blogger is kind of mixing up the photos but still works ok. Here is at left big and green is one of the Harley-Davidson CVO models. I think that stands for "Custom Vehicle Operations", and what that gives you is more bike of certain HD models. For instance this one comes with a lot more chrome than is standard, and a great deal of performance upgrades thanks to its "Screaming Eagle" package. If you want more of what HD has to offer, this bike (and others in the CVO line are for you. Of course, this bike was a bit over $32K!

Commonwealth Power Sports is practically within walking distance of Colonial Harley-Davidson (where the photo at top was taken). They carry Suzuki, Kawasaki, Yamaha (plus the Star Line) and Honda motorcycles. They also have ATV's and "Jet Ski" type water craft. The dealership is large and has a number of accessories for those vehicles, plus a service department, and also have clothing and other items (but nothing clothing wise on the scale of your average HD dealer). It was my second visit there since coming to Richmond, and I like the shop. Trend in Japanese dealerships seem to be "bigger is better" though you can still find single brand dealerships.
Seen here is one of the motorcycles at Commonwealth Power Sports; in this case the Kawasaki ZX-10. While the Japanese make all sorts of motorcycles, they are probably best known for their sport bikes. Those bikes tend to be technologically advanced to a great degree and provide some very high performance. I ride a Japanese cruiser (a Kawasaki Vulcan 1500 Classic) and even that has many features not found on the typical Harley such as water-cooling, and a shaft drive (though Harley does have the water-cooled V-Rod line which raises the bar for that brand). They also tend to sell for a lot less than your average Harley does.
This is Colonial Harley-Davidson, which like Commonwealth is located in Colonial Heights, Va (which by the way is located between Richmond and Petersburg). I liked this one, has a good line of motorcycles, nice service department from what I saw, and people as at Commonwealth were friendly without being pushy. There was a poker run going on while I was there, and there were a slew of bikes coming and going. Harley dealerships tend to have a lot going on, and usually serve as a starting point for many "Harley Owners Group (aka HOG) events. I like visiting Harley shops as you get to meet a lot of interesting riders, and see some great classic bikes.

2011 Honda CBR 250R (May 21, 2011)

Two bikes that I have been waiting for in 2011 are both from Honda; the CB1000R (which I am still waiting for) and the Honda CBR250R. This is the Honda CBR250R which I first saw today at Commonwealth Power Sports in Colonial Heights, Va. I had been at that dealership once before (I believe it was last year) but made a trip back there today to check out some bikes while I am here in Richmond for the weekend. They carry Yamaha, Kawasaki, and Suzuki motorcycles. A very nice dealership with a very friendly staff. They let you look though without hassling you which is what I like when I go to a bike shop. At left is the CBR250R, which has a very basic cockpit. Nice roomy bike even for a tall person such as myself, I read that the bike comes in two colors; the red as seen here, and also in an all-black model. To compete with the Kawasaki Ninja 250, the CBR250R comes at the same price (suggested retail) of $3,999. For some $500 more you can also get the ABS braking system which is said to be a really good feature especially for a motorcycle at this price.
The Honda CBR250R certainly takes some styling cues from its bigger brother the VFR1200. Like that bike it has a layered fairing. Seat height is 30.5 inches, and the bike fully fueled weighs a claimed 359 pounds. It is fuel injected, has front and rear disk brakes, and sits on 17 inch rims. It has a 3.4 gallon gas tank and due to the fuel injection and the size of the motor it should get some really good fuel mileage. The engine is a 249cc DOHC four valve single, with a compression ratio of 10.7:1. That info above comes from the Honda web site. From other research, found the bike is built (assembled?) in Thailand.
The bike is also watercooled, as you can see from the radiator in the front view here. I saw in a magazine comparison with the Kawasaki Ninja 250 that it is heavier than the Kawasaki twin, and also has a lower RPM limit. The Kawasaki hp at the dyno was 26.24, while the Honda came in at 22.66 hp. The Honda though has higher torque numbers over the Ninja. The Kawasaki had a higher top speed (by some 20 mph) over the Honda with the Ninja able to run close to 110, while the Honda was able to get to a hair over 90.
I had a Yamaha RD250 some years ago, one of the old two-strokes and it was an outstanding motorcycle. I think that either of these bikes would be great for beginners, or for a rider who was interested in getting a fun motorcycle with outstanding fuel mileage. These bikes would be the best of both worlds, offering both good performance for their size, as well as reliability and some advanced features. With the rising price of gasoline, the 250 CBR250R and the Kawasaki Ninja offer a great value.

Stuff and Events from the World of Motorcycles

Did want to mention that on June 3 (from 6pm-10pm and (especially) June 4 (10am-6pm) "Hog Happenin" will be held in Lincolnton, NC. This is a GREAT event; features a BBQ competition, live music, and a host of other events. For instance there is a bike show, and also this year will feature a stunt rider. It is a lot of fun, and its free (except for food/beverages). The area of the event is closed off to cars, but you can ride in your bike, and park along with the hundreds of motorcycles lining the street. I hope to hell to be there (the town is very motorcycle friendly, seems my boss in Richmond is less so). For more information check out the event web site at http://www.hoghappenin.org
I enjoy motorcyclist magazine a great deal, have been a subscriber for a number of years (they also have a good web site). Read some fun articles this month, a review of the Victory High-Ball (photo of the just arrived bike at RideNow is on my previous post) and an interesting article on possible future plans of Harley-Davidson to make a replacement bike for the Buell Blast and perhaps a smaller 750-800 cc bike for the US and India in India..will be interesting to see what the HD faithful think of that idea! Good article on a find of old motorcycles in a storage unit in Texas. I always find it interesting.
There was also in Motorcyclist a funny article on encounters with bees (and other bugs) on the road. Funny anyhow afterward, never at the time. As it said, ride long enough and you will get stung. I had a moment a few years ago, took a sting on my leg, thought I had been shot from the pain. Always good to be aware, and to dress to prevent that, though there is no guarantee that even that will prevent it. Motorcycling does have quite a few risks, this is just one of them.
Been on some nice rides this year. plus have been taking care of some maintenance. Going to be doing the yearly major maintenance this July during the vacation plant shutdown; always good to keep that up to date. Not only is it important for safety, it also protects you from breakdowns on down the road. A few dollars, a little of your time, and it can pay off in big ways.

Carolina Motorcycling (May 14-15)

Took this photo at RideNow Powersports during a short motorcycle ride on May 15. Bike in the foreground is a 2012 Victory High-Ball. It gets the name from the handlebars; currently there seems to be an "ape hanger" craze and this is the latest version from the factory. Harley-Davidson also has a ape hanger bike; the Harley-Davidson Cross Bones. The High-Ball is a version of the 8-Ball, which is the lowest cost Victory motorcycle. Nice bikes, they tend to be priced above Japanese motorcycles, and slightly below Harley-Davidson. I like how they do many things different though, have some really nice custom models done by Arlan Ness and his son Cory, and the Victory Vision touring bike is like something for the next century design wise. People either love it or they hate it. They also are only one of two made in the US motorcycle companies; though three if you count Indian Motorcycles. Noted in a previous post that Victory purchased Indian, which was formerly made in North Carolina, and will be building them at the factory in Iowa. Will be interesting to see what happens with that.
On May 14, made a stop at Morton Custom Cycles on my way home from Richmond, Va. I like local motorcycle shops, sure often beat the service at the bigger places, as well as the prices found there. Morton's does a lot of custom paint and some interesting custom work, they have built some really great looking motorcycles. As for the bike, motor said "Johnny Reb" and they are offering it for sale, not sure about it much. Lots of bikes out there beyond the major motorcycle manufacturers; but did give this bike a look.
During the Sunday ride on May 15, made a quick stop at Suck Bang Blow. New bar/restaurant in Concord, NC (near Pat Rogers Harley-Davidson) got some friendly people, and some good food as well. Good meeting place to get riders together (as they often have a problem getting in one place at the time set it seems) Course anyplace with a motorcycle theme is pretty cool. I posted a number of photos from the ride, as well as some other sights from it (got a photo of the World's Largest Video screen at Charlotte Motor Speedway I took during the ride) at my photo site. Good ride on an unsettled weather weekend, lots of rain and sun during this visit home.

Carolina Classic Motorcycle Show (May 7, 2011)

Did some great riding on a beautiful Carolina day from 9am-1pm. Best part of the days ride was going to the Carolina Classic Motorcycle Show in Spencer, NC. Not only is it free, but its a chance to see some remarkable and rare motorcycles. Plus, as a bonus (not that there is anything wrong with them) but the vast majority are NOT Harley-Davidson motorcycles. Many unique and even one of a kind bikes are seen at this show. At left is a BSA (Birmingham Small Arms) which is a British motorcycle no longer in production. They made beautiful (and very fast) motorcycles though, and this is a wonderful example. Many more can be seen on my photo page!
At left is a Honda 450. That bike was beautiful, and in my opinion was the best of the show. I would have sworn that it had just come off the sales floor, though it dates to at least the 1960's-1970's period. I remember that type, but not that specific motorcycle. That is the beauty of this show, because we can not know where we are going, if we do not know where we have been. The Japanese brought some really good competition to the motorcycle industry, as during the 1970s the British and American bikes of the day were (frankly) not very good. New Triumphs are pretty much state of the art, and Harley after the AMF period, has some real fine bikes now!
One of the motorcycles that turned the motorcycle world on its ear, is the Honda 750 Four. After that came out, motorcycles went into a amazing cycle of development. In some cases, that is not all good in my opinion. Engines got bigger and bigger, Kawasaki soon came out with the 900/four, and then came 1000's, 1100's, 1200's , 1300's, 1400's (you get the picture). In fact the biggest standard mass production motorcycle engine is the one in the Triumph Rocket III which is a whopping 2294cc (or 140 cubic inches) . In a nod to the past, the Rocket III is named for a former production BSA motorcycle.
Seen here is the bike show itself. Held at the NC Transportation Museum in Spencer, NC the show was fun, also enjoyed the many trains, cars, and aircraft that can be seen there. The fact that it is all free (except for train rides which can be had for a very small reasonable fee). The museum is being expanded, and will be adding some displays in the near future. It has been over the years one of my favorite places to visit. Spencer and nearby Salisbury, NC have some neat historic sites, and as a bonus to a biker, some really great nearby roads to ride as well. If you are ever in the area, it is well worth a stop, and as I have noted the cost is free, and you can't beat that.
Another great looking bike is this 1954 Triumph Tiger. A great British bike, it was produced for many years, but in the 1970's ended production (think that is the right time frame). It was "brought back from the dead" and greatly improved. Some of the models are actually built in Thailand, though many are also made in England. They have brought back many of the classic bikes such as the Bonneville, but also some really great sport bikes such as the Daytona 675 and as mentioned earlier the massive Rocket III. Triumph has greatly improved the quality of the bikes and their reliability, and is now one of the faster growing motorcycle companies in the world.

The Old and the Interesting (April 30, 2011) in RVA.

Went to Ultimate Cycle which is located on the Midlothian Turnpike just outside of Richmond, Va. Nice bike shop with friendly people. Found out some things about this Aprilia RS125. It is not street legal in the US I believe; it is overseas though. The engine is by Rotax. They make a number of motorcycle engines as well as aircraft engines, and this one is a water-cooled 124.8 cc single. I used to ride two-cycles in my early motorcycle days, and I loved them. Not sure about that not street legal, there is a guy at work who has one, and he got it licensed, though I think that (according to what I was told) that he had to make a few mods to make it so.
Bike in the photos below is a Schwinn Scooter. Apparently in doing the research, Schwinn makes four 50cc scooters, three 150cc scooters, one 200cc scooter, and one 300cc scooter. Doubt it is the original bicycle company, which I believe went out of business. I do know that original company was the owner of the Excelsior-Henderson company. I had seen in a show that the day after what became known as the Great Depression, they shut the company down. Interested in these bikes, and am sure with the rising price of fuel that they and other such vehicles will be a whole lot more popular. Liked the look of this model, and also the neat (for a moped) gauges on the machine.
Finally at the very bottom is the reason I came by Ultimate Cycle. Really liked this Eddie Lawson Replica Kawasaki, also known by its fan as "Z-Rex". Officially they were the ZRX-1200R (earlier versions had engines growing from 1000cc-1100, and finally the 1200). Kawasaki ended production of this bike a few years ago, but good models can still be found. The bike has a big fan following, and was a popular bike in its day. One of what came to be known among the type as "Universal Japanese Motorcycles" with an upright sitting position and really good power, plus with out fairings easy access to the engine and other important parts.