So ends 2013 (December 31, 2013)

 So ends 2013, not the best year of my life (in fact in some respects the worst hands down) but it also had some high spots. Lost a wife, but gained a really good girlfriend who rides, got though thanks to family and friends, and of course have this very good dog. I am looking very forward to 2014, doubt it could be worse (and sure hope it wont). Went on some good rides, plan to do more of that in 2014. Hope you all have a very good 2014 as well.
As for Dec 31, weather was good, sunny and temperature was in the 50's. I dressed for it, and was quite comfortable as I rode into Richmond.

Made a stop at Buz and Ned's, one of my favorite places to eat in the Richmond area, and some of the best BBQ I have ever had. They have two locations in the city, one in Short Pump and one on the Boulevard (which is where I went to today). Good BBQ and a (as in one, Im riding) Cold beer. It was a good idea, and some good food. Traffic was not too bad getting into Richmond, which was real good.
I like riding in Richmond, lots of old buildings and some interesting stuff to see. Do have to keep your eyes on the road, as traffic can do some interesting stuff, plus the road itself can be filled with potholes.
Still, its a lot of fun riding around here, fun on a cool sort of day. While I dress warm, speed can really up the wind chill factor, so not a day to get out on the highway, but around town and up to day 50mph it was not bad at all.  

 This is the building to the Washington Redskins training camp, Next year they will have a new coach. My two favorite teams are the Chicago Bears and the Carolina Panthers, but I went to the training camp last year and will go again in 2014. 
Football is my favorite sport and the training camp is fun. They did have a huge crowd last year, I think they will be here at least for a total of 8 years (something like that) but will see them there in the summer.
Sure is cool having that in the RVA....Carolina camp was in South Carolina, never got to go there.

This is the Confederate White House, lots of Civil War things in Richmond, and this one is one of the interesting things to be seen Jefferson Davis lived here, and when he left as Richmond fell, Abraham Lincoln took it over during his visit to the recaptured American city. This is part of a museum there, one of many in the Richmond area. There are also a number of nearby battlefields. Sure I will revisit some in 2014, also planning to get out to the mountains in 2014, plus...well sure there will be some fun and interesting rides. Have ridden in Richmond less than a year and for me its all new motorcycle wise. Did all my motorcycling on the Vulcan prior to this in the Charlotte, NC area. At any case, hope all of you have a great 2014, and enjoy many great rides, or adventures of your own if you don't ride. Thanks as always for visiting my page, look forward to hearing from some of you, and wish you all the best in the upcoming year. May 2014 be your best year ever!     

Early Christmas Gift #2 (December 20, 2013)

 Another great day, got in a good ride, though cloudy the temperatures were even warmer than the day before-and it was a very good ride. Went to where the new Ultimate Cycle location is going to be-its up the Midlothian Turnpike some 20 miles from the old location. Kind of a drive though a pretty area, its out in the country and they have a lot of land for things. Will make it more difficult to get the bike serviced there; as it is a bit of a drive and seems you always have to leave the bike. Miss RideNow in Concord, NC for instance where they would do tires or inspections while you wait.  

This is the bike and that is Midlothian Turnpike. Got a good ride out there, for the two days got a total of 95 miles. As with the previous days ride did some sightseeing, and some Christmas shopping, but sure felt good to ride. A nice gift as the temps for the days were record setting. Continued to Dec 23 (with 70s-80s) but also came the rain, and of course the traffic got even worse as it is Christmas season. Still it was great to ride.
I will still get some in this winter, but doubt few will be anywhere as warm. Spring is some 87 days away, will be looking forward to that motorcycle wise, though winter is a lot of fun.

Early Christmas Gift #1 (December 19, 2013)

Just a beautiful thing...December 19, a bright sunny day, first day of my vacation and it was 65 degrees in Richmond, six days before Christmas (normal high around 50). On a bright sunny day, got the bike out of where I store it and took it on a ride around Richmond. Stopped here at left at Hull Street Outlet (which is actually on Jefferson Davis Highway) to get a photo of my bike by this rocket....cause I love both things! Could not get over this, was grinning from ear to ear for the three and a half hours I was out. Did a little Christmas shopping on the bike (another cool thing) getting a gift for my Harley-Davidson riding girlfriend and a little lunch, plus rode out to a Civil War battle site (Navy this time, though I had been there before, but not for quite a while). Wanted to rotate the tires and light the fires and I certainly did that on the motorcycle and on me.  

This is Colonial Harley Davidson in Colonial Heights, VA which is just outside of Petersburg. Not a huge Harley person (that is my Kawasaki Vulcan on the far right) but from what I have seen this is the biggest and best equipped HD dealer in the area. Have been to a few things there (the state HOG rally was there a few years ago, that was a lot of fun with all the bikes) and like dropping in there.
They have some remarkable motorcycles - though have had really good luck with the Japanese bikes. I like the water cooled engines on the big Japanese cruisers, though they do have the V-Rod and a new sort of water cooled engine.

 This is a Super Glide, sort of the classic sort of thing from HD. Has the air-cooled engine, belt drive and hydraulic lifters (as does my Vulcan) which means no valve adjustments.
Pretty bike, and is one of the bikes that actually fits me. Funny to me that the Japanese bikes tend to be big (for taller riders such as me) while the Harley-Davidsons tend to be smaller (I look like a loon on a Sportster). Sure a lot of history there, and I think motorcycling is better thanks to Harley being there. They are though getting some US competition from Victory Motorcycles and now Indian.   

This is the Breakout, I like the paint on this one a lot. Again, the standard air cooled engine, but that paint is something to see. The other type of paint on the Breakout can be seen on the bike behind it. Nice motorcycle!
Liked being there, good place to stop with some very friendly people, and as I have noted there is usually a lot going on there. Harley shops tend to have a lot of things to do, and a lot of events are held there. It was the same at Speedway Harley Davidson in Concord, NC, which is a fine shop as well.  
This photo was taken at Commonwealth Powersports, which sells Honda, Kawasaki, Yamaha (Star), Suzuki and Victory, and is within sight of Colonial Harley-Davidson. Like that shop too, and also very friendly people. A Tilted Kilt bar is right next door, nice place to visit, though I had lunch at Buffalo Wild Wings, just up the road. Love those Wings!  

Finally, made a stop on the way home (got to Colonial Heights via I-95, but back on Jefferson Davis Highway) to Fort Darling. This was a Confederate fort during the Civil War on the James River which repelled a Union fleet (including the Ironclad USS Monitor) which planned to shell Richmond. That battle stopped that threat.
All in all, a remarkable day on the bike, three and a half wonderful hours with the stops at the bike shops, lunch and the battlefield. Got in 55 miles, not a whole lot, but more than I expected in late December. Best thing is that the forecast is for more of the same...tomorrow. I plan to take advantage! 

Ride Now ,Concord, NC (December 14, 2013)

 Made a trip to Concord, NC to visit my son, and see some of the sights there (lived there for some 14 years until this year) and made a stop at RideNow, a motorcycle shop in Concord, NC. They sell Honda, Kawasaki, Suzuki, Victory, and Yamaha/Star Motorcycles. Seen at left is one of the NC700 based Honda's. This one is different from the NC700X in that the gas tank is the gas tank (not underseat as on the 700X. Interesting motor in that the 700cc engine is tuned for fuel mileage, and it can cover some remarkable distance with around 60mpg.

Seen here is a bike that looks like the NC700X but is one of the three versions of the CB500 (they also have a sportbike and a naked version) as well as this adventure bike version. Honda is really doing some amazing things both in bringing out a lot of new motorcycles and bringing them out at some remarkable prices. The goal is to bring riders back to motorcycles, and they have come up with some good and inexpensive ideas.
One thing I like about RideNow is that they have a lot of motorcycles, even used Harley-Davidson if that is what you are interested in (though used).    

 This is the FB6, another version of the Gold Wing, did not see one yet, but Honda is also bringing back the Valkyrie for 2014, which is even more stripped then the FB6. Said to be a really fast motorcycle and a top seller in the world of touring bikes. 

 At left in pink is the Yamaha(Star) Bolt, which is said to be a bobber styled bike, but is also their take on the Harley-Davidson Sportster. Nice motorcycle and though I am not real big on the color, I think this will be popular with a lot of riders.
As I noted a lot of interesting motorcycles out there, with a lot of new ideas out there. Love riding and looking forward to getting out in a few days..though late December the weather here in Richmond is getting very warm. Might actually get to do some Christmas shopping on the motorcycle tomorrow and perhaps the next day. 

Finally the ZX6R by Kawasaki, which marks the return (after a short pause) of the 636 engine, which has been very popular in the sport bike world. Kawasaki makes some great cruisers, baggers, touring bikes...as the rest of the manufacturers tend to do....but they make some of the best sport bikes out there in my opinion.
Anyhow, a good visit to RideNow, and had a great time there. Looking forward to my next visit to this bike shop and others as well located here in Richmond, VA and the surrounding area.    

Dec 1 Ride (December 1, 2013)

December 1, and about 50 degrees but wanted to get out for a bit...kind of rotate the tires and light the fires. Good day to get a ride in..sunny anyhow. Nice to be out and to see some sights and feel some (very cool) breeze.  
Took this self portrait on Cary Street, like the pavement behind me (some of which can be fairly common in Richmond, its an old city) and here you can see me dressed for the conditions. Had all sorts of things including heavy socks, boots, and some thick gloves. That said, it was not bad at all, and a very nice ride on a Sunday.  

 One of the best things around early Sunday rides, is that the traffic tends to be really, really light. This is Cary Street heading to what is known as Carytown, and a nice place to get a ride in. Got a lot of really big and very old houses, and some cool sights. Usually there are a lot of Christmas lights (not so much as of yet) along this road. This goes into Carytown which is where I stopped to walk around a bit, and got a bit of lunch (at a local McDonald's). Got to get another McRib while there are still there, and oh yeah..a cup of coffee. That seemed like a lot better idea than a cold Coke would have been. Coffee is the winter rider's friend!
 

Saw these bikes the one on the left is a very old BMW, and the one on the right is..well, dont know what that one is either.
While I was out in the cold, did get to wave at quite a few riders, was not the only one out there by far.
I rode back to where I store the bike after a stop at Legends Brewing, nice ride on a Sunday. Again as of late did not cover a lot of miles, and kept the speed down (speed is a factor of wind chill) but enjoyed the ride a great deal.
Looking forward to the next one, supposed to get even warmer this week, will wait to see what the weather brings my way.   

"Trade your ride day" (November 22, 2013)

 Very good riding day for November, sunny and 70's....had to get out. Was funny, at a stop light guy said "Hey do you know what today is? It is trade your ride day" (he was in a car). Gave me a nice complement on the bike, asked me how it has been (told him great). Then he told me about his old Harley (which was not so great).
Anyhow, using the timer on the camera took this photo of me on the bike in front of the Virginia War Memorial. Nice place and a good ride beginning, though did not go through it this time, but I have in the past. 

 Went downtown which is still firing up for Christmas. Nice to visit this place, its the outdoor ice rink which opens this weekend, and will be open till early January. Nice, and with the forecast this weekend, timing is good, going to get very cold very soon.
Sure enjoy riding downtown, a lot of things to see and enjoyed this place and some others which I put on my Flickr Photo Page, and there is a link here. Nice downtown, and today traffic was not bad, and even found some parking to take a few other photos there.  

Went by Velocity Motorcycles on Marshall Street, was told they have got in some unique bikes. Was told right.
This is a Kawasaki 900, but has been heavily modified. Punched out to 1300, longer swingarm, and some other bells and whistles. That is a Honda 750 Custom behind it. Some nice rides to be found there, and the prices are not bad. If you want to have a fun motorcycle, you could do worse I think.
One of my favorite places to visit, and it is real close to Buz and Neds Real BBQ, which I often stop in for a meal (but not today). 

 This really brought back some memories. Its  Honda 550/4 had  72 model some years ago. This one looks very, very nice. If it is anything like mine, could be a very trouble tree ride.
I had a lot of fun on the bike, though of course had to do some work on it...was my first used bike (all the rest have been new) but turned out to be a trouble free ride. I had a lot of fun with it, and sold it in one day (put a sign on it in a K-Mart parking lot) then got the 600 Shadow. Got the Vulcan now, sure have been lucky some great bikes in my past, and even before those three.  

Finally got a photo of this Ducati, and a Honda Pacific Coast. Love these things, and you don't see either of them very often. Prices on them are not bad either. If you want more information, check the Velocity Motorcycles web site or Facebook page.
As for my ride, went on from there, down to Cary Street, around Byrd Park past the lake (very pretty) and back to the where I store the bike. Not a long ride (some 23 miles in all) but a great time. Was just a really, really, really wonderful day to get out, and sure put a big damn smile on my face. 

Veterans Day Ride (November 11, 2013)

Just a short ride on a very nice Monday, as a former "Employee" of the USN, and having taken a day off (my last vacation day) thought it was a good day for a ride. Photo here was taken at a red light on Midlothian Turnpike, which I rolled up. Did find during the ride that Ultimate Cycle (where I got the oil leak fixed a few weeks ago...finally that is) is moving to a new location a few miles up the same road. I am looking forward to seeing that, course now it is not in walking distance, but will be fine with me....they have great bus service here, or my girlfriend can get me there.

Took this photo during the ride, called it "X Marks the Spot". Was a good ride on this day, not a huge number of miles, but had a good time. Got out to Westerchester Village for a time and had a frosty cold beverage (one) while I was out.
Bike is running well, and nice to get a November ride in. As I write this, temperatures for the past few days have been in the 30's with lows in the 20's...but warmer temperatures are said to be on the way soon. Looking forward to that, sure be nice to get some more riding in. This time of year it can be an iffy thing.
This ride though was very nice and it was good to get out in the breeze.    

Motorcycling in Asheville Part II (November 9, 2013)

As I mentioned in previous post, the BMW dealer in Asheville, NC has also added KTM motorcycles, and one can be seen here, an RC8. They make some very interesting motorcycles and of various types. Like BMW they are a technology driven company and have a number of very fine designs.
The RC8 seen here is in front of a bunch of BMW's -to be honest while I don't see a lot of BMW's as a rule, KTM's are even more rare, but sure are a beautiful bunch of motorcycles. Seem to have a lot of attention to fit and finish and some very interesting designs. 

 This is a KTM 690 Duke, a water cooled single cylinder motorcycle. Said to be a ton of fun to ride, and certainly a very cool looking bike like the simplicity that would be found in this motorcycle.
I like different designs that are coming out not just from KTM but also from other brands. It has been a long dry spell with new motorcycles, but good to see that a lot of new designs are coming out as the economy seems to be improving.
There are a lot of interesting bikes out there, but often it is not easy to actually see them.  

Finally as our trip ended, went to Chimney Rock and Lake Lure, NC on the way home, once again some of my favorite places to ride my motorcycles (took both the Honda 600 and the Vulcan there over the years) and there I did get to meet someone who rode a BMW touring bike with the in-line six engine. They are seen in this photo at the Visitor Center at Lake Lure. They were real happy with the bike, though they did not have it very long, but with all bikers showed me some of the features and I got to hear the sound of the six running (which was not at all loud, and that I think is a nice thing). Was a great weekend to be in Asheville for all of us.  

Motorcycling in Asheville, NC (November 9, 2013)

 No, this time I did not get to ride, went via car, but riding is never far from my mind, especially on these roads. Some of the best roads you can ever ride are found on the Blue Ridge Parkway. I have only ridden (and driven) on the North Carolina sections, but yes...I have been here and many times. This biker was one of many I saw taking the ride. He got to see some amazing views and got in some fantastic riding. I loved riding and am looking forward to doing some in the Virginia sections of this amazing road. I have more photos of the views and the Asheville area on my Flickr photo page. 

My girlfriend and I (she also rides, her ride is a Harley-Davidson, I though ride a Kawasaki) but I am very impressed with the motorcycles from BMW and they have a very nice dealership in Asheville not far from The Biltmore Mansion (which I also saw while visiting there, and there will be some photos of that on my Richmond and Me page). They just started selling KTM motorcycles and they are pretty cool. This is one of the best sportbikes out there, the BMW S1000RR and it is said to be one remarkable ride. Gets really good reviews by the motorcycle press but best review was from a guy who had one who described it with one word....wow!

 Red bike is a K1600GT, one of the big touring bikes from BMW. It has the fairly new (couple of years I think) in-line six engines. Fully water cooled, and also said to be a great motorcycle and one of the best touring bikes out there. Honda Gold Wing owners and Harley-Davidson Ultra Classic riders may debate that though. It is a sharp looking motorcycle and comes with all sorts of bells and whistles to make your ride from Point A to Point B an epic event. Told it is a remarkable bike, though as of yet don't know anyone who rides one.

Like this: the R1200R, a pretty sporty ride and a nice looking motorcycle for those of us who like their bikes with a bit less wind protection. This one has the famous Boxer engine, which was both air and oil cooled, but they are now coming out with factory versions that have air and water cooling (though it is not common to all Boxer engines as of yet).
BMW was a former aviation company (the famous emblem is a propeller) and have also been making motorcycles for a long, long time. Though a bit on the expensive side, they tend to be technological marvels. Those who own them...love them.

Riding on a Midweek RVA Day (November 6)

 Short ride on a beautiful November 6 day, sunny and warmer than it has been (around 70) made for a great ride. Was a lot of road work going on, and some good backups, but did make it to Carytown where my bike sits next to an old bicycle and Galaxy Diner (I have eaten there and its good...but not today). While on Cary Street my motorcycle passed 28,000 miles, and still going strong. Sure enjoyed riding it, and got a "nice bike" comment today. Who says you need a Harley to be a biker. It has been a fine motorcycle, other than an oil leak (this year) which got fixed, its a great ride.   

This is the bridge to Brown's Isle in Richmond, and the Canal Walk. Rode around downtown and ended up there, nice area to explore (and plus had restrooms cause I had to pee) but good during the week....it gets a lot more crowded during the weekends. They hold a lot of special events there, and always seems to be something going on.
Place has a lot of history as does nearby Belle Isle which has over the centuries had a lot of changes including once being a Confederate Civil War Prison. Said to be haunted too, but never have seen any ghosts though would not mind it.

This was on display at the Tredegar Iron Works.+ Gold sort of plate at the left is from the CSS Virginia, and the black from the right is from the USS Monitor. Those two ironclad warships met in battle (neither could sink the other) and ended the era of wooden war ships (the CSS Virginia sank a number of wooden war ships before the Monitor got there). That is a fun place to explore and Tredegar was the armory of the Confederacy during the Civil War.
Did not get a lot of miles in on this ride, but it was a great day to be out, and sure make me smile for quite a long time. More to come this wonderful fall.

Bikes of the Urbanna Oyster Festival (November 2, 2013)

Went to Urbanna Oyster Festival on November 2, where I got these photos. Often its about my ride, but like checking out motorcycles in other places (and will be doing that again in a few days) .
This is a Boss Hoss, and I have seen a few of these over the years. I think though this is my first trike model. Interesting in that they have automobile engines and tend to be big heavy massive things. It is the kind of motorcycle that can really spin the tires-saw one once do a almost two block long burnout. I think (but not sure, will have to check on this) they are made in Georgia. Interesting rides! 
Also seen during the parade were these Virginia State Police Motorcyclists-both male and female. They did a bit of stunt riding-mostly very, very tight turns on those big Harley's. It was neat to see that many, especially as they were not behind me with the lights on. Seemed to be a happy bunch-and if my job involved riding motorcycles all day, I think I would be pretty damn happy too!    

Finally got this photo of some Shriners during the parade, and they also were doing a bit of stunt riding (though like with the cops, precision riding would be a better description)They were a fun bunch and seeing the bikes was a great deal of fun. I always try to take note of the motorcycles, and was fun to see these and others. A lot of people also rode in, it was beautiful weather for this event at Urbanna, Va, and had a blast there. 

Halloween Day Ride (October 31, 2013)

 Good day, not a very sunny one, but it was warm and a good time to get the motorcycle and me out on the streets of Richmond. Made a stop at Hollywood Cemetery to check out some of the sights including this grave of General George Pickett. Known for Pickett's Charge at Gettysburg, he is buried there. I am sure that he would have liked having a few Kawasaki Vulcan's during his charge, but it was made mostly on foot, thru heavy cannon fire, and facing rifles from entrenched troops. I think hindsight being 20/20 that it was a very, very bad idea (not that the Civil War was a better one).

Made a stop at the Virginia History Museum...its a fun (and free) place to visit. This is a Richmond built Kline Car, one of the many cars from back in the day. Like motorcycles there used to be many, many brands, but over time they were replaced by the few found today. According to the sign, Ford's mass production technique put a lot of them out of business (and the Great Depression later on got a bunch of the rest. I also liked the old gas pump seen here as well. Nice museum, and has clean restrooms (not that I needed to stop you understand)   

Took this photo on Broad Street, heading to Church Hill where I had a quick lunch at Alamo BBQ. Ride had a lot of challenges, for one thing this must be "repave the roads of Richmond" month...lots of detours, but then again, glad to see that getting done. I rode to a few places, but with stops only ended up with some 25 miles. Do not have a lot of time, but a short ride is better than no ride, and I enjoyed it a great deal.
Skies were overcast, and gray, but as I noted it was warm, and stayed dry during the ride. It was a lot of fun to get out and put a smile on my face.  

Bikes of the Ville, and a Ride to Malvern Hill (October 13-17, and October 22)

 Took a vacation to Louisville to visit my brother who is very sick and also to see my grandkids. We took a walk while there and saw this very fine classic Kawasaki. Also known as the "Eddie Lawson" (named for a great rider who rode Kawasaki's with this color scheme) they are still often seen...and this is a very good example. In fact production just ended on these a few years ago. Fun to see some of these old bikes, and they really bring back a lot of memories. This is a good version of it, and enjoyed checking this one out during a fine day for a walk in Southern Indiana.

 Also in Southern Indiana, we took a drive to Joe Huber's Family Farm, where we got to pick some pumpkins and got some wine and food (also had a very fine dinner at the restaurant there with the family) and we also saw these motorcycles. There is no helmet law in Indiana so you see some (as was this couple) without a helmet though you also see many who do ride with them. When I lived there, and rode I wore a helmet.
Huber's is a very nice place, and spent a lot of time back in my younger days riding motorcycles down those twisty and very scenic roads. 

 Once again in Southern Indiana, while getting some candy at Schempff's Candy (a very old candy store in Southern Indiana, Kaye and I saw this Spyder. We also got to talk to the riders later (a husband and wife) and they showed us some of the storage compartments on the bike. Powered by a Rotax engine (they also made engines for other motorcycles and are also well known for their aircraft engines)  it is a very impressive machine. I liked checking this out, think if I was ever to get a trike this type would be the one that I would take a serious look at.  

 This is the new Ultra Classic with the High Output Engine, and it is partially water-cooled (the heads are water cooled) unlike the fully water cooled engine on the V-Rod line (the Revolution engine). The Radiators for the bike are surrounded by the crash bars, and also of note is that the headlight is a different design. There are a lot of changes this year, but this was the first of the new engine design that Kaye and I had seen. Think its a very cool idea and simular to the work BMW is doing with the Boxer engines (which are also adding water cooling though they were formerly oil cooled).
Saw this bike at Bluegrass Harley-Davidson in Louisville, Kentucky, which was very near the hotel we were staying at.Nice place and enjoyed the visit both to see the bike, the stay at the hotel, and a good lunch at the nearby Mellow Mushroom pizza place (some damn good food). The Louisville stay was a lot of fun and enjoyed a very good visit with my brother and family.   

 On October 22, for the first time in a long time took the Vulcan out for a ride. Took this photo at Church Hil, love this painting which looks even better with my bike in front of it. Church Hill is a very interesting neighborhood, and in fact stopped by Tony's new house which they just purchased there...they are working to get it all ready to move in.
Train is an interesting story...there were some tunnels in the Civil War era, after the war near here while attempting to open the tunnel a work crew and a train were buried in a tunnel cave in. They are all still in there to this day.   

Finally near the farthest point of the ride, a stop at Malvern Hill Battlefield just off of Highway 5 outside of Richmond. You can see some of the cannon's in the background. Was said to be one of the best uses of artillery during the Civil War.
Had worked on the bike not long ago, sure nice to have the new spark plugs in there as it was very smooth, and oil change sure makes it shift better. Like working on the bike, and try to keep maintenance up on it. That is so important, take care of your bike and it will take care of you. Was a nice ride on an overcast RVA day, covered a total of some 45 miles. 

Vulcan Maintenance (October 6, 2013)

 Got to be that time, and on a hot Sunday, under a tree, did a bit of routing maintenance on my motorcycle, checked out a few things, and did an oil filter change on the bike, and changed the spark plugs as part of the 4,000 mile service.
If you want your bike to take care of you, and to last, you have to take care of it. That means having the work done, or doing it yourself. I sort of go both directions-depending on the job I either do it, or have it done. My 2005 Vulcan 1500 Classic takes care of me, cause I take care of it. I hope to have a lot more rides on this very good motorcycle.  

 This is after the work and a good wash and wax job. Did not take all that much time, and frankly did not cost all that much money. Last year I had a garage (and or that matter a wife) but still remember how to do the work outside, and it all went well. Glad to have it all shiny and ready to ride again, and looking forward to some fine rides.
After putting all the things away from the work (and have some oil to recycle tomorrow) I decided to get out on it. So got my girlfriend her helmet and off we went to put a few miles on the bike. 

This is the bike at red light. Looks like new and I am glad to say ran real well too. Nothing like a set of new plugs (my V-twin needs four of them, go figure) and oil to put new life into the old girl.
It is a joy to ride this motorcycle, and hope that the work I have done gives me a few more years with her. Has been a good motorcycle over the past 8 years with only one problem (a leak out of a seal I did have repaired at the local Kawasaki dealer a few weeks ago) but other than that it has been a wonderful motorcycle over the last 28,000 miles (though this was done a bit early). Looking forward to the next ride(s) on the Vulcan.