Ridin on Race Day (May 27, 2012)

On May 27, did some vehicle cleaning, both the car and my favorite one by far, seen here at left. Like to clean it though often its a while between cleanings as that cuts away from the all too rare riding I do since I now am a "migrant factory worker". The 1500cc Vulcan Classic 1500 has been a great motorcycle and have had no problems with it since I purchased it new in 2005. Got a few new sets of tires and I put new brake pads on the front last year. Been to a lot of places on it and have enjoyed some great adventures. Nothing puts me in a happy mood like a good ride on the motorcycle.   

Sunday, being race day in the Concord area (as the Coca-Cola 600 happens which was won by Kasey Kahne which was run in the late afternoon and into the night) is a big traffic day and so there are some streets you avoid. There are some good backroads ways to go to areas though. Being race day thought it was a good day to see the Dale Earnhardt statue in Kannapolis, NC. Nice tribute to the cities favorite son. Either it was people being at the race, or just that it was a Sunday, but it was a really quiet out in the local cities. I did roll to see a couple of friends (Steve was working, Bill was home) and had a really nice ride.  

At the end of the ride, as I pulled up to the driveway, hit this mileage. Important part of motorcycling is good maintenance. Before I ride again going to: change oil and filter, change the spark plugs, clean the air filter (can do that as its a K+N filter), change the rear gear oil (its a shaft drive motorcycle)  and lube the cables. I also like to check the tightness of the bolts. I have found over the years and through the course of many motorcycles that if you take care of your bike, it will take care of you. Regular service will give you a lot more years than just getting on it and riding without it. It is also good to do, as pilots do, a good preride check before hearing out. Looking forward to getting that done, and looking forward to my next rides very soon.

Fifi and Speed Street (May 26,2012)

On a very nice Saturday, with a temperature of about 90 degrees outside (mine was normal) took a motorcycle ride to see this plane which is "Fifi" and is the last flying B-29 in the world. It was in Charlotte for a visit at the Carolinas Aviation Museum which is at the Charlotte-Douglas International Airport. Nice aircraft, and amazing to see this in flight. I had seen it before a few years ago, but it had been grounded for a few years and has just in the last few months taken back to the skies. Talk about history, this is one remarkable aircraft, out of all the planes built, this one still flies.  

 Went to Speed Street in Charlotte, which is a big event around the Coca-Cola 600, There was a lot to see there, and have some more photos on my "Richmond and Me" page. I try to go to that every year if I am in town. Lots of things to see, lots of free stuff to get, and later there are a number of concerts and other events downtown (or being Charlotte should say "Uptown"). I also got to ride a bit around Charlotte, fun city to explore with a lot to see and do, and some really interesting riding can be found there. It is a big city in area, and covers a big area with a lot of different feels to the various neighborhoods in the area. 

 This was also at Speed Street, the famous Oscar Meyer Weinermobile. It was very popular, and drew a lot of kids (and many adults to it). For Speed Street Charlotte closes off quite a few blocks. They had a lot of booths there, some selling frosty cold beverages, though not with the variety you would find in a like event in Richmond. Still, it was a great time, and I liked wandering and seeing all they had to offer.
Of course, there is a lot to see in Charlotte as I noted, for instance the photo below is one such example, and was a first for me.

Went to the Wells Fargo Museum, which was at Speed Street (and will remain long after its gone). Love transportation, and did enjoy seeing this Stagecoach which was actually used, and was built in New Hampshire around 1850. I like seeing the real deal rather than a reproduction, and this was remarkable!
The previous day I got out for a bit on the bike when I got into town-had to get the state motorcycle inspection on the bike, and went to see the Budweiser Clydesdales (and their wagon) at the local Wal-Mart in Concord. Race week is a great time to be in town.    

Two Bike Shops in the RVA

 On a sunny day in the RVA, and my motorcycle some 280 miles away (but a long weekend coming up very shortly) I went to Colonial Harley-Davidson. Yeah, that is a Triumph Rocket III cause sometimes the most interesting motorcycles are seen in the parking lot. That is a remarkable bike, and has the largest of the major motorcycle manufacturers engines on it (2294cc, or 140 cubic inches) for the bigger is better crowd, this is the mack daddy (though you can get some things bigger if you look). A fine motorcycle though from Triumph, which has come back from the dead a few years ago and is going gangbusters. 

 This...is Colonial Harley-Davidson. The iconic American motorcycle manufacturer, and they make some amazing motorcycles. Colonial is a very nice dealership and I enjoy going by there (though it has been a bit since my last visit). They have a nice selection of bikes, and some really fine people work there, plus you see (as noted above) some really good motorcycles that come to visit (and not all HD bikes). I like Harley's though to be honest I have never owned one Rather pricy, and frankly (other than the V-Rod line) not as modern as I would like in a bike, but they do have the most rabid of riders in all of motorcycling.

 Went by Commonwealth Power Sports where I saw this Kawasaki Voyager next to a Honda Gold Wing. Like the Voyager...to be honest, many people get "retirement cars" when  they retire, I have a two wheeled frame of mine in that regard. .Real fond of Kawasaki motorcycles, as I currently ride a 1500 Vulcan Classic .Like this Voyager with the 1700cc V-twin, and loads of storage space for those long road trips. This is a bike you could take from coast to coast. Water cooled, and a nice touring bike for sure...I could see me and this motorcycle taking a cruise up the Pacific Coast Highway, or just rolling down the Blue Ridge Parkway. 

Commonweath Power Sports in Richmond, VA seen below. Nice time there, had a great talk with a salesman. Dude was from Winton-Salem, where he has a house, apartment here...as he said "Have to go where the jobs are". Sounded in all that a lot like me, find myself in the same boat. As for the dealership they sell, Honda, Kawsaki, Yamaha and Suzuki motorcycles. Have not been to either Colonial or Commonwealth for a while but enjoyed my visit there today, and great to see some of the new stuff out in the world of two wheels. When you can't ride, nice to be out among the bikes. Course that is not all I did...saw some other interesting things, and those can be found on my "Richmond and Me" page. A very good day today indeed!
 

The Bike Show and a Short Cruise (May 12, 2012)

 Got on the road early, via car to the NC Transportation Museum in Spencer, NC to see the Carolina Classic Bike Show in Spencer, NC. One of my favorite annual events of the year, it features a number of interesting motorcycles-and very few Harley-Davidson's (not that there is anything wrong with them, just something different). The focus is on Japanese, German, British and Italian bikes (though there was also a very fine Indian Scout there). All of them (with just a couple of exceptions) were ridden in. Nice to see so many bikes I remember, this is just a few of them at left which include both a Kawasaki 900, and a 2-cycle Kawasaki 750 triple. It is a place not only to see a number of bikes that you have not seen in a long time, it is often a place to see bikes that you have either never seen or see only in magazines. The museum itself is one of my favorite places and I have some photos from my visit to the museum in my "Richmond and Me" blog. Made for a good start to the day.  

Visited with my family after the bike show visit (it was on the way home, I go through Spencer to get to Concord) but did get the Vulcan out for a short late afternoon ride which included this stop at the Eastern Cabarrus Historical Society. The building was at the turn of the century (that would be the 20th Century) a college. Mt Pleasant, NC is a neat place-a typical North Carolina small town with a long history, and getting to it involves some nice country roads. Nothing quite like that "country smell" from the various animals you come across, and sure enjoy a twisty road. The ride was short-but better a short ride than none at all.
Came off a tough week, work was a real bear, but was good to be home, and to get out for a while, as well as spending some quality time with the family. Looking forward to some great riding in the near future-going to have some more interesting stuff to show you very soon!

Indians and BBQ (May 5, 2012)

 May 5 was a good day to ride. Headed out to Gastonia, NC where the Charlotte Vulcan Riders were having a charity ride/BBQ sale (more on that below), but made a stop at this Indian Motorcycle dealership at Lowell, NC. It was the first dealership of the "new" Indian Motorcycle Company, and I have to say one of the nicest motorcycle dealerships that I have ever been in. This was a first class operation, and enjoyed talking with the salesman at the front desk. He had some interesting information on the company, which has gone though some big changes over the years.    

 As with many dealerships, they have some interesting models on display, such as this 1951 Indian Chief. Indian made motorcycles in Springfield, MA from 1901-1953 (when they went out of business). They were famous for three models; the Scout, the Ace, and the Chief. They were a major competitor of Harley-Davidson, and for a time were the largest motorcycle manufacturer in the world. At one time there were a score of motorcycle manufacturers, which fell by the wayside, but Indian and Harley-Davidson survived for a long time.    

 Reviving the Indian brand had a lot of missteps until 1999 when the Indian Motorcycle Company made Chief's in Gilroy, NC. That company went bankrupt in 2003, but its assets were purchased by a London, England based company in 2006. They made motorcycles in Kings Mountain, NC (which is near Lowell, this dealership seen here was the companies first) until 2011. Indian is now owned by Polaris, which is the parent company of Victory Motorcycles. The bikes (different versions of the Indian Chief) have the Powerplus V-twin engine of 1,720 cc's, or 105 cubic inches.     

After the dealership visit, rode to Gastonia, NC to McKenney-Salinas Powersports where the Charlotte Vulcan Riders were having a charity ride (Diabetes was the cause) and a BBQ sale. I could not make the ride which was pretty early, but I did enjoy some of the BBQ. Hard to find bad BBQ in the Carolinas, where great pride is taken in making it, and this was really damn good! I like riding and hanging with this bunch of guys who (like me) ride Kawasaki Vulcans. Weather got really ugly and so I made a quick ride back home after enjoying the BBQ. Ride was mostly down I-85, hoped to explore Gastonia for a while, but that will have to wait for a sunnier day. Did get in a good 85 mile ride, though the dark and overcast skies did not bring any real badly needed rain to the area (but it sure looked like it would). The BBQ took care of my hunger for the afternoon, but will be feeding my hunger for some more great rides-and have some good ones planned for next weekend! One of my favorite events in on tap at the NC Transportation Museum next weekend-the Carolina Classic Motorcycle Show. I hope to see you there, but will be bringing photos of that event (weather permitting of course) here in my next post!