Chilly Ride to Charlotte (December 23, 2012)

Made a ride to Charlotte, NC on December 23, the day before Christmas Eve. Due to upcoming weather, will probably be the last ride I get in 2012, going to be out of town right after Christmas though will have a few days back after the first of the year. It was in the low 50's, mostly sunny, but chilly nonetheless. Still, it was a good ride. Made a stop at Mac's Speed Shop on South Blvd where I snapped this photo. I took a few more which will be on my "Richmond and Me" page, but it was not a big day for photography. I also saw a few bikes out - but not very many on this cold afternoon. Still, it was a good ride, and I enjoyed it!  

Last day in Richmond/day of Fall (December 19-20, 2012)

Headed out of  Richmond on December 19, but made a stop at Velocity Motorcycles which is located on Marshall Street in Richmond. Very fine motorcycle shop which sells a number of older motorcycles - and also sells Royal Enfield. It is one of my favorite stops in the RVA, and liked seeing this Royal Enfield Cafe Racer which is going to be a new motorcycle for that brand in 2013 (as a 2014 model). The bike is based on the Royal Enfield Bullet but is punched out to 535cc (pretty sure I have the engine size right on that). This is the prototype model, and it was at a motorcycle show (according to the owner) and will make a stop for a few days at Velocity before heading out to another show in Washington, DC. Royal Enfield is an old brand, was once made by the British (and was a noted rifle maker, hence the "Bullet" designation) but sold to India (part of the old British empire). Hard to find dealers for this bike, but Velocity is one of them.  

I went by The Diamond (baseball park for the Richmond Flying Squirrels) and saw that the Richmond Police Department was holding classes or training on their Harley-Davidson's. I see them often in Richmond doing traffic control, if I had to be a cop, riding one of these would not be too bad I would guess. Police in NC seem to be equipped on either Harley-Davidson or BMW motorcycles, I have seen both used there. Not so sure about the Harley models, but I have seen the BMW's flat out flying down the road. I do appreciate what the police do, and wish them a Merry Christmas.

This bike is at Stewart Hass Racing, and was built by Orange County Choppers a few years ago. I got a feeling it would be a handful to ride, and not sure that anyone ever rides it, but it is a neat looking motorcycle nonetheless. OCC was on tv for a lot of years and it was a fun show to watch - one of the more interesting families on tv in my opinion. The show has ended its run with the last episode just a few days ago, I for one will miss it, was a great deal of fun. I have seen a few of their bikes in the Concord area over the years, and they certainly made some interesting motorcycles. 

Rode out to Kannapolis, NC where I got this photo of the NC Research Center. Interesting place, was built on the site of the massive textile mills. Everyone had great hope for the bio-technology center, but the promised slew of jobs pretty much never came to be. They are some impressive buildings, and it seems that they are still building on to it, but employment levels never really matched the hope. Still, perhaps in the future something good will come out of all of it, and I suppose it is better to have somewhat empty new buildings than totally empty factory buildings. Sure is an interesting idea though.    

Finally, a last look at the Vulcan in front of Stewart Haas. Kind of made this ride to see some sights to check out tonight on Christmas lights. While not on the level of Tacky Light Tour in Richmond, we do have some interesting sights to see. On my next post at Richmond and Me (my other blog) will have some photos from inside the shop, and also some of the Christmas Lights I plan to see tonight, for tis the season after all.
Felt good today to be out, as I noted has been a while since my last ride. Sure enjoy that motorcycle, has taken me over the last few years on some great rides and adventures. Many more are to come, I remain well pleased with this bike. For one thing, it has been trouble free since I got it in 2005, for another having no payment is a very fine thing as well. Nothing like a fine ride on a cool fall day, looking forward to many more during winter, which will officially start tomorrow. Hope its a good season for all of us, no matter where you are.  

Riding in my backyard (November 26, 2012)

Something rare for this page...guy said, "I will take your photo" and I took the photo at left of me in front of Charlotte Motor Speedway. That is the tree (a tree shaped collection of lights) in the background. Charlotte Motor Speedway is the big attraction in the area (along with the massive Concord Mills complex, which is actually the number one tourist attraction in North Carolina- so I have read) but it is one massive race track. It is all decorated for the season, and you can drive inside the track and see all sorts of lights (for a price per carload) for the next few weeks. I had a great ride today; went to Speedway Harley-Davidson, Concord Mills, Concord Regional Airport and Roush-Fenway Racing. I have a few photos from that on my "Richmond and Me" page, but here I have a few photos from Speedway Harley-Davidson which is near Concord Mills Mall. It was a great day to ride with temps around 60, and as you can see it was a bright and sunny day. I love days like this in late November.     

Seen at left is a Harley-Davidson "Muscle" which is part of the V-Rod line for 2013. Nice motorcycle with the 1250 cc (60 cubic inches) v-twin engine, and one of the few Harley's that fit a taller rider such as myself. It is also part of the only line that is water-cooled: most of the Harley-Davidson's still being air cooled. Water cooled engines to me are better, got to figure because how many people still drive air-cooled cars. Makes for better more dependable performance, plus makes for longer maintenance periods, and frankly the engine lasts a lot longer as it does not get so hot.      

Seen below are two Screaming Eagle versions of the Harley-Davidson Line, in the foreground is a CVO Electra Glide, and in the background a CVO Road King. Something like $70,000-80,000 would get you the pair. I talked about air cooled bikes, well these are both air cooled. Beautiful and iconic for sure but you pay a good price to get that nametag on your gas tank (but these are special editions of what are somewhat cheaper bikes in the basic versions). I enjoyed seeing some of the new Harley-Davidson motorcycles, but unless I win the lottery sometime soon will be riding Japanese motorcycles for some time to come!

New Bikes, and the Lake (November 23, 2012)

Good day to ride. Rode with three friends; a former boss at my old job, a hot air balloon pilot, and a retirement adviser..a diverse bunch. We met up at RideNow, a bike shop in Concord, NC and there I saw for the first time a brand new 2013 Kawasaki Ninja 300, which is seen at left. The bike is a punched out version of the Ninja 250; and it is a pretty nice ride. Even though I am 6'2' it is a very roomy bike, and the extra power will come in handy. Seems to be a nice quality bike too, with a lot of nice features. Will be interesting to see how this does, I think the 250 was their top selling bike.  

This is a 2013 Star (aka Yamaha) Stryker, one of the big cruising bikes from that company. Looks like (as did Victory Motorcycles) that they have changed the tank logo on the bike. Have quite a few friends who ride Star Motorcycles (have quite a few who ride about everything) and they are fine motorcycles.
As for our ride, started out today on a sunny day in the 70's and headed out to China Grove. Went to see if a friend was going to have his famous Christmas light display this year (and that will be a no it seems) but fun rolling out that way via some great backroads! 

We headed out to High Rock Lake, which is close to Lexington, NC and I got a photo of that at left. Covered a total of 86 miles in today's ride, and we all had a very good time. It is nice to get out on a fine day, especially when it also is a warm one, and that was a real plus in my book. Have ridden with Phil a few times, but a nice plus to get out with the two other riders. The "Salisbury" area is one of my favorite areas to ride here, lots of real nice country roads. Being as this is "Black Friday" seemed like a good idea to stay as far away from the cities, and especially the malls, as possible!

City/Country Ride (November 11, 2012)

 Go figure, November 11, and its around 70 degrees. As you can see, a beautiful day to take a ride on the Vulcan. I rode via a country route, went to Charlotte via NC 24/27 but took a very small detour to Wilgrove Airport which is a small private airport just off that main road. Nothing much was flying at the time, but they were moving some planes and fueling another up, so sure they enjoyed the day too. As you can see, its pretty dry in the area, has not been any rain for some three weeks, and they are quite a few inches below normal at this time of year. That may change in the next couple of days.  

Rode to Charlotte, down to Central Avenue. I like that part of town, lots of interesting apartments (such as the building behind the restaurant) and of course some fine restaurants as well. This was a great day to eat outside, and a number of people were taking full advantage. Central has a lot of interesting stores, and a lot of foreign owned stores (many of which seem to be Vietnamese) so a good place to get a lot of variety. It is just outside of town, in fact a good view of Charlotte from this street can be seen on my Richmond and Me Page (which is also a lot of Charlotte and area, as this work thing I am doing involves two places, as does this blog).   

Heading back, went from Charlotte to Concord via NC 49, but made a stop at NoDa (or North Davidson) which is a suburb of Charlotte (which you can sort of see, at least some of the tall buildings wayyyy off in the background at the end of the street). Nice place, again a lot of neat stores, bars, music venues...it is a real artists town or at least it was started that way, as the neighborhood went into decline due to the closing of the mills in the area. Now a lot of people are moving there due to a lot of new apartments building in that area. It is a fun place to explore though, and a lot of interesting businesses can be found there.
Ride ended up being around 40 miles or so- did not pay a lot of attention to distance on this one. It was just a great day to be out, though we can ride most of the year in the Carolinas, you don't get a lot of rides quite this nice in November and it was pretty remarkable. I had a great time, and fun to see these sights on a Sunday in NC. The ride was a fine addition to a really great weekend. Before heading home visited a former co-worker and then rolled back after a two hour and thirty minute ride!  

Fall Ride to Morrow Mountain (October 28, 2012)

Got in a fine ride to Morrow Mountain on October 28, as with the previous week ride to the Blue Ridge Parkway (Previous Post), it was not too cold, and the skies were clear. I snapped this photo of these bikers at Morrow Mountain - I have a lot of photos of the views there at my "Richmond and Me" blog as well as my Flickr Photo Page. I hoped it would be near peak color, and I was not disappointed  with what I saw. Really has been a long time since I was able to go to both the Blue Ridge Parkway and Morrow Mountain in the same year and at the best time. Sometimes things do work out. 

I enjoyed some nice riding, took this photo of a pumpkin patch (it is fall after all!)  in Mt. Pleasant, NC, visited Hermanco's (a very good restaurant) in Albemarle, even saw a huge field of Sunflowers in Millingsport, NC. I enjoy riding near and in the cities in North Carolina, but I also really enjoy riding in the country, and both can be found close by in the Charlotte area. Have ridden in a lot of states but for year round weather and variety it is hard to beat North and South Carolina.
Upon my return to Richmond on October 29, Hurricane Sandy also impacted the area, and I have a feeling those winds and rain will pretty much take care of fall color in the Richmond area. The impact of the storm in the Charlotte area will be a whole lot less.

Fall Ride on the Blue Ridge Parkway (October 19, 2012)

On October 19, took a ride to Blowing Rock, NC on a fine Fall day. It was very sunny (though foggy at the start) when I rolled out at 9AM. Rode to the mountains via NC-73, to NC-16, to I-40, and then via NC-321. The last road has been getting reworked for the past few years, and is now done on the uphill section, though they are doing road work in Blowing Rock itself. Visited the town a bit, and then made a stop at the Cone Center on the Blue Ridge Parkway where I took this photo of Fall in full color. It was pretty much peak there during my visit.      

 I am a huge fan of the Blue Ridge Parkway, which is fun on two wheels or four (though in my opinion more fun on two wheels). Wonders can be found along its 469 mile length,and I have been on some pretty good sections of it. Loved coming across this lake, you just seem to see the bluest waters in mountain lakes. It was a very nice day for this ride, the temperature was in the 60s for the ride, last two motorcycle rides it seemed this fall I was either not dressed enough or too much for conditions, for the mountain ride I was right on the money. Being warm is important in cold conditions - chill can be unsafe as it can distract you from the ride. 

Finally, got this photo of my bike in front of Grandfather Mountain. A very cool sight, the mountain is also home to the "Mile High Bridge" (with one of the most remarkable views in the Blue Ridge) and a zoo which is really something to see. There are also a lot of trails to check out, and there is also an admission charge to see it. However it is well worth the price (and I have paid that a few times over the years).
It had been a long time since I have made the motorcycle ride to the mountains. I really enjoyed this one, as it was a chance to see the fall color (last time some three years ago at best guess, I missed it by a couple of weeks - was more the bare trees/pile of leaves tour).
Ride back was a lot of fun, though did come into a great deal of heavy rush hour traffic in Huntersville and Concord, NC. Had kind of forgotten about that. Still, it was an impressive ride and visit which covered 264 miles over a nine hour period (with a lot of walking and sightseeing during that visit). I am looking forward to a return visit to the mountains as soon as possible. As far as favorite places, the mountains of North Carolina are tough to beat, and make for some outstanding motorcycling!

Riding to Charlotte, NC

Good day to take a ride on the Vulcan, it is mid-October, and getting cool, but was rising close to 70 degrees when I headed out. Nice day though a bit overcast but been a while since I had been out on the bike, and I really enjoyed it. Had the leather coat on and gloves, but was really overdressed, but better to be warm I think than cold, and that will be coming soon enough (the cold anyhow). Took this at a red light, heading toward Charlotte, NC. The ride for the day covered 52 miles and love riding on Sunday when the traffic is lighter and things move at a slower pace. 

 Took this photo in Uptown Charlotte, one of my favorite places to ride and a very interesting city. This was near where they are building the new baseball stadium for the AAA Charlotte Knights (which has been playing just across the border in nearby South Carolina) and close to the Bank of America Stadium which is the home to the NFL Carolina Panthers. Time Warner Cable Arena is more Uptown and is the home to both the NFL Charlotte Bobcats and the ECHL Charlotte Checkers hockey team. If you like sports Charlotte is a fine place to be. If you don't, lots of museums and places to eat can be found Uptown.  

This is something new. They have a bike sharing thing, a period of time is free, after that they charge you, but its a very cool idea (and a number of bikes were seen out and about in the area as I rode around. Thought this was pretty cool, and a neat idea as well.
I always have a good time in Charlotte, and enjoy my visits there. I have a few more photos on my Richmond and Me blog, as well as a number of photos to my Flickr page, and both of them can be found via links on this page. Looking forward to some great times in the Carolinas over the next few days - more to come here!

Bikes! In the RVA! (October 6, 2012)

 An open house at Colonial Harley Davidson brought me to Prince George, VA to see some of the new 2013 Harley line. For this year no real engine upgrades, just a few new colors and paint jobs, but some fine motorcycles nonetheless. Harley is all about history, and for 2013 they are celebrating 110 years in the motorcycle business, which is pretty damn impressive in my book. While in most cases they have really changed very little, they do have a big line of air cooled bikes, and of course the water cooled V-Rod line of motorcycles. They are certainly iconic motorcycles.

 I really like the CVO (Custom Vehicle Operations) which has made special versions of their bikes (with a "special" price tag to match) using the 110 cubic inch Screaming Eagle Twin Cam Engine. They are certainly beautiful motorcycles, and if it can be said that motorcycles are a work of art, nothing says that more in my opinion than a Harley. I was hoping that they would have a few more from the line, but they did have this Road Glide which is the new version for 2013. I do like that when the new bikes come out, they come out first at Harley-Davidson; and it is cool to see what The Motor Company has to present. 

 Liked these, called the "72" liked the metal flake, and the high handlebars of these bikes, so much like the choppers of the 1970's (without long raked out front ends, but some degree of ape hangers for sure). The small peanut tank would not give you a great deal of range mileage wise, but certainly the styling is pretty cool. Not a lot of Harley-Davidson's really fit me, they seem to be made for smaller people (I am for the record 6'2") and this bike is no exception to that. Still, it is a neat motorcycle, and really brought back some memories. If you are looking at a classic, Harley is your bike for sure.  

Near Colonial Harley Davidson  is Commonwealth Power Sports which is a Suzuki, Yamaha (Star), Kawasaki, Honda and now Victory dealer. There was a Victory dealer in Richmond (just outside of Hopewell) but it went out of business, well now they have the line. Big dealership, and very friendly people there, I often have visited to the shop. Victory Motorcycles are also made in the US, and have a more modern feel to them than the Harley-Davidson line does. They are pretty aggressive as far as marketing, with a very good test ride program, and in fact I have ridden quite a few.

I have a few more photos from the day at my Flickr Photo Page, and it was a good time. I also did a few more events in Richmond which I have on my Richmond and me blog page, it was a very good day for some fun events in the RVA. More riding in Carolina is coming up in a few day and that will be the subject of my next blogs!   

LAst Ride of September 2012 (September 30, 2012)

I had one hell of a week! Work was a ordeal to be endured; especially Friday September 28 with a workday that extended into 1:45AM September 29 (and that previous day started at 11AM). Got a few hours sleep and drove to Carolina. The 29th was a rainy day, and a good day to rest and recover with my two border collies and my wonderful wife Patty.

Sunday was clear and bright, and a bit cool (I love Fall!) and a good day for a ride. Got out on the Vulcan early Sunday morning; when the traffic is light and the air is crisp (at least this time of year). As for mileage did not get but around 40 miles; wanted to spend a lot of time at home before I headed back to Richmond the same day. I did take this photo near Speedway Harley-Davidson (which did not open till noon, and I was further down the road. Went and visited a riding buddy during the course of my ride, and just enjoyed the peace and quiet. Not a big long ride, but a beautiful day to ride - and a short ride is better than no ride at all!
Had a great time, nothing quite takes the edge off like a great ride on a motorcycle, and I am ready to get back to work and give it another go. Looking forward to this weekend, there are a number of events in Virginia this weekend in the Richmond area, but will be heading (weather permitting of course), via car (the bike is in North Carolina) to the Open House this Saturday at Colonial Harley-Davidson in Prince George, VA. That will be my first stop in what should be a very eventful day. Have been to that before and had a very good time last time; course they have a lot going on, and being around bikers is always a good thing. I will be bringing that event to this site with my next post (again, weather permitting) to this site and some other Saturday October 6 Richmond events to my  "Richmond and Me" blog with my next posts. 

Last Ride Summer 2012 (September 15, 2012)

 Took a ride on Saturday, September 15, first stop was in University City, NC which is the home to the University of North Carolina at Charlotte (aka UNCC). Seen here very near completion is McColl-Richardson Field, the home to UNCC football. It cost some $47 million to build and will seat 15,000 (can be expanded to 40,000 seats). UNCC will have its first ever football game there on August 31, 2013. The campus is pretty impressive, over the last few years they have been on a massive (think I read over $500 million) building program, and the stadium is just one of the many additions of late.   

Took this photo from the seat of the Vulcan, sitting on NC-29 that is a look at Charlotte Motor Speedway in Concord, NC in the background. The track will be the site of one of the races in the Chase (as well as a Nationwide race) coming up in October. During the year three races (the October 500 mile race, the Coca-Cola 600 race earlier in the year as well as the NASCAR All-Star Race), and the area is home to most of the race teams. I have quite a few photos from the shops in earlier posts. There are quite a few events held at the track, and at the other tracks nearby...in fact a drag race event was held at nearby Z-Max Dragway over the weekend.    

Finally, went to Concord Regional Airport (which is not far from the track) to see one of 13 remaining (out of 12,732 built during WWII) B-17's, which made a visit. Based on the B-17 Memphis Belle (which still exists, was brought back to the US during the war) this plane was flown in the movie (actual Memphis Belle is in non-flying condition). I am a big fan of flying and things that fly, and getting to see these remarkable historic aircraft is always a thrill for me. Wish I could fly on one of them, but at a cost of $425 a flight, that is a little steep for even me, but quite a few did get rides on the aircraft, and I am sure it was a remarkable thing.
Summer "officially" ends on September 22 this year, and I will not be back in town under after that date, so my next ride will be the first ride of fall 2012, and looking forward to that one. The ride was a short one, but a short ride is better than none at all, and did get to see some neat places and things during the ride, plus it was a great day to be out...not too hot, no humidity, and beautiful skies to ride under (and to gaze up at as well). Got to say that I will not miss summer too much - the heat was pretty close to brutal, and frankly I am looking forward to fall with some better riding conditions. Fall in North Carolina is a great and beautiful time to ride, and I plan to have some fun on motorcycles there, and some fun with motorcycles in the Richmond area this Fall.     

Labor Day Ride (September 3, 2012)

 Nice day once again, and once more I got the motorcycle out on the road, this time for a short ride around the Concord, NC area. Living as I do for much of the time in Richmond, VA, its good to explore around my home. I made a quick stop at the big massive Z-Max Dragway, which apparently is being used as a staging area for police and buses during the Democratic National Convention in nearby Charlotte, NC. In fact, this has been a big weekend there - already a number of things going on. Other than a quick pass through Charlotte I have avoided it due to all the street closings in the city. 

 I like this place off of Copperfield Road for all the flags. It used to be the phone company, what I believe is a call center purchased the building (Concord Telephone is now owned by Windstream by the way, and they do a fine job with the phones and internet, I am pretty pleased).  Always have wanted to stick the Vulcan in front of that, and did so today. Would have been nicer if the breeze was blowing - not just to bring the national flags out, but also to break up some of the humidity from the hurricane. We have had some good evening storms this week, but thankfully the weekdays were all sunny (if not and humid). Great riding though!

Last photo is a Yamaha R1 which I got a photo of in downtown Concord, NC. Though I know longer ride sportbikes, I still have a fond place in my heart for them, and they certainly were a hell of a rush.
As for me, sure had some great days riding. Best as I can figure over the days I was home, thanks to some great weather, and an understanding wife I got in something around 310 miles (give or take a very few). It was a remarkable four rides - saw some very good bikes, rode with some fun people, and just got out in the breeze which is always a fantastic thing. Weather has not been my friend last few visits home, but no complaints this extended visit.  

Sunday NC Ride (September 2, 2012)

Another ride on a sunny (so far) Sunday morning, September 2 - rode out to Davidson, NC. Very neat college town (school is very old, Woodrow Wilson, President of the US during WW I went to school there), and a fun place to ride. Just outside of the Lake Norman area, the school is a private (and very expensive) school, and it has a number of small businesses. It is attempting to limit development from larger stores (though there are a handful) there. Nice place to ride around with some neat places to eat and shop (though eating is more my thing than shopping).  

I just like the Cornelius Town Hall, which is just up NC115 from Davidson. Cornelius is a very nice town, though unlike Davidson it is heavily developed. Lots of really nice houses (and you can see one as well as some more photos from the ride on my "Richmond and Me" blog) but a fun place to explore. I like riding around Lake Norman (and in fact did that yesterday). I wanted to get some photos of the lake, but have a few on this blog, and besides, got to ride by some amazing houses yesterday and wanted to share something different on that page. As for this, love the old town halls around here, and this one is one of my favorites.    

This is Interstate Cycle, mentioned it was moving, and will probably do so before I get back to this area again. They sell Yamaha, Star, Suzuki and Victory Motorcycles, and have been at this location ever since I have been in the area. Nice to stop in there and check out the motorcycles, very laid back shop, and I like that. Sometimes I am looking at getting a new bike, sometimes I am just looking at new bikes - though I understand that selling is what they are about, not always wanting to get a new ride (really fond of the current one in fact). This shop is/has been a place to purchase-or to dream.   

Last stop was at Quaker Steak and Lube in Concord. I liked this bike, cause its a Kawasaki Vulcan 900 (little brother to the bike I ride, the Vulcan 1500) and it rotates (is attached to a motor above it) over the bar. Nice place with a motor vehicle theme, this section is dedicated to motorcycles. During the summer months they have a great bike night and when I am in town for it I like to drop by, as it is one of the larger ones in the region. I used to be a regular, but things have changed with the Richmond thing. Richmond though also has one, and they have a bike night too, though have not been out there yet. I hope to before my time in Richmond ends. 

Star Motorcycle Club Ride (September 1, 2012)

 Early (well 10am) at RideNow, got invited to the Star Motorcycle Club (Concord Chapter) ride. Before the ride, visited a bit, and got this photo of a Suzuki V-Strom DL-1000 Adventure bike; with the added bags on the back, brings the price over $10K. Nice bike, that engine is a classic (also the DL-650 which is a really good value). Adventure bikes are really picking up in sales, and there are a lot of good ones on the market. I read that they are one of the fastest growing parts of motorcycling right now, as sales start to pick up from the big decline of the last few years due to the economy.

 Here is the front part of the ride, which I photographed in Cornelius, NC. We were real close to (but did not stop at) Interstate Cycle which is moving to a new location. They sell Star Motorcycles, as well as Yamaha, and a few other brands. They also sell Victory, and that is a Victory (the blue bike) next to the bike ridden by my friend Phil (who is on the silver Star at the left). I do get a kick out of the Victory bikes, they have some remarkable styling (especially fond of the spaceship like Vision) but as I noted during a test ride (and riding near the guy at the right) clunky transmissions.  

This is at a fuel stop, better view of Phil (in the White Shirt). 9 rode on eight bikes, one couple, 6 guys and 2 women. We covered 101 miles in all, riding a long ride around the massive and very beautiful Lake Norman area. The lake is really impressive, but you will have to check some older posts for views of the lake, cause we did not stop other than this one stop. It was a very sunny and warm day, but a great ride with a fine bunch. Thanks to some extra days off work, I was able to make this ride, often I am on  my way to home from Richmond, VA on Saturdays, but have been here for a few days now. Nice to get my knees in the breeze with a great bunch of people.  

Motorcycles of Charlotte (August 31, 2012)

 Rode out to Motorcycles of Charlotte, which is located at Exit 1, off of I-77 near the NC/SC State Line. One of the nicest dealerships I have ever set foot in (and I have set foot in a few), and they sell a number of brands. One of those is Ducati, and this is the Ducati Diavel (which means Devil in Italian) seen at left. It is the Ducati version of a cruiser, though with that 1198cc, 162 hp engine, it will leave about any other cruiser out there in the dust. The dealership had the full line of bikes; including the new 1199, the Multistrada line, and of course a full line of Ducati Monsters.

At left is the Triumph Thunderbird, which is their take on a cruiser. Nice to see something (as with the Ducati) that is not the traditional V-twin (though the Ducati is a v-twin, its hardly traditional). Triumph is one of the oldest manufacturers out there, based in England, and they have a big line of bikes including the famous Speed Triples, the huge Rocket III (with the biggest production motor out there from a major manufacturer), and some old school classic bikes such as the Bonneville and the Triumph America. The company has really been taking off the last few years, and has some remarkable rides.  

 Speaking of taking off, BMW started off making aircraft engines, but is another old motorcycle manufacturer. Their bikes have changed a lot over the last few years. Known for Boxer twins (which are according to rumor going from air to water cooling in 2013) they now have a number of in-line fours (including the class leading S1000 sportbike) some of the best adventure bikes out there, and some remarkable touring bike. As touring bikes go, this might be the best of the best -the BMW K1600. Not only is is 1600cc, but it also in an in-line six. If you want to go across country this might be the best way to get there on two wheels (though the Honda Gold Wing is no slouch either). BMW is another old manufacturer, based in Germany, and their engineering is second to none. If you like a bike with "Bells and Whistles" , and on the cutting edge of technology, this is the brand you are looking for. They are also said to be among the most durable of motorcycles, known for very long life and reliability.

Finally, this is an MV Agusta. It is another in the long line of Italian racing bikes, with a long racing history. Harley-Davidson purchased this brand a few years ago, and then sold it back to the original owners. This is an older model (the legendary F4) but they also sell the newer models from the company. You need some big pockets to buy these bikes, but you will have something that will outperform virtually anything on the road on two wheels or four.
Had a great visit there, saw a number of bikes that are rare on the roads, plus the shop has a really nice lounge and was a fun place to visit. I shall return in the future to check it out again.   

Victory and Kawasaki (August 29, 2012)

 A few days back home in North Carolina, which is going to make for an interesting motorcycle period with some great rides and hopefully some interesting bikes. Seen at left, the new for 2013 Victory Boardwalk. It is the replacement for the Kingpin, and the first new cruiser in some time (along with the Judge, seen here a few weeks ago). The bike is powered by the Freedom 106 (1731cc) which is oil and air cooled, and has a claimed 92 hp. Nice looking bike, and think it is a nice addition to what is one of the most interesting group of motorcycles to be found. Victory is certainly raising the bar. 

 Of course, I am a big fan of Kawasaki Vulcan's (and have been an owner of one since 2005) so liked this bike outside. The Vulcan line has some interesting and popular motorcycles, and they have a good range of engine sizes. Most of them (as is this one, which I believe is the 900cc size) are water-cooled; which gives some real advantages over air cooled motorcycles. This bike was photographed, as were all the bikes on this page, at RideNow Powersports in Concord, NC. I made a quick stop there for a few minutes upon coming into town, mainly to see the Boardwalk, but also other bikes.      

Two very interesting Kawasaki's here; the first (at left in Orange) is the Z-1000. A legendary name, the current bike is said to be a fun ride indeed, with loads of power, and some unique styling. The bike has had some changes over the years, gone are the old "tuning fork" mufflers. In the background is a ZX-6R...one of the sportbikes offered by "Team Green".
Later this week, planning an interesting visit to what I am hearing is one of the most interesting motorcycle shops in Charlotte - will be my first visit to them at the new location, and that will be coming up very soon!

Short Stops, August 18-19, 2012

On the way home from Richmond, VA (via car) made a rest stop at Down Home Harley-Davidson in Burlington, NC. I have been there before, when on the road I like to stop and look at things, and nothing is as much fun as a motorcycle shop. This used to be Davis Harley-Davidson, same location, but new owners. Nice place, and some friendly people there. No new 2013's there, but a nice selection of motorcycles and sure the new bikes are coming. I did get a copy of "Full Throttle" Magazine there, and sure to have some good news in there on some upcoming rides in NC and in Virginia as well.   

Weather was not great on August 19, some heavy rain fell in the morning, but I did get out for a short afternoon ride. Here is my Vulcan in front of the JW Cannon House on Union Street in Concord, NC. JW Cannon was the founder of Cannon Mills, the great textile factory complex that was in Kannapolis, NC for decades (closed now and replaced by the NC Research Center). The house had a listing price when I last looked (still for sale) of $998,000, and its quite a place. Some fine houses can be found on Union Street, which is one of the most interesting streets in Concord, NC. I did not get out for long, as I had to hit the road back to Virginia, but a short ride is better than no ride at all. I had a great time, and have some more coming up very soon!