Indian Summer Ride (September 16, 2011)

Amazingly warm day, and on a bright and sunny Sunday, I took a ride on the Vulcan-the first real ride in weeks. Photo here was taken on NC-74, also known as Independence Blvd. Even early in the morning (well, around 11am) it was warm. Had on a leather jacket, gloves and of course a helmet (and not the half-helmet either) but was very comfortable in jeans. Like the Sunday morning rides, as traffic is real light. My last ride a few weeks ago was very short, was in the rain, and did little more than get the bike home from the shop and clean it up. This was a much better ride. In this photo at left, I was riding toward Charlotte, NC.
Prior to the previous photo, I rode from Concord, NC to Monroe, NC. Seen here is the Union County Courthouse, which was built in 1886. Monroe was founded in 1843 and was named for James Monroe, the 5th US President. It is a nice town, population somewhere around 32,000 (give or take) and has a nice mall there, also a few good motorcycle shops. Riding around the old downtown is pretty cool, and like the old houses that can be seen there. In a few weeks there will be an air show at the Monroe Airport (November 4-6, 2011 to be exact). Details can be found on the Warriors and Warbirds Air Show at the web site, there is also a facebook page.
Last part of the ride was to Charlotte, NC which runs right down Independence/NC-74 (that road links all three places I featured here, in fact it also runs to the ocean and to the mountains of NC). I love riding to Charlotte, it is a very interesting city. While there, rode to the Uptown (that is what its called) and also into North Davidson, and University City, ending my day's ride after almost 2.5 hours and 80 miles right back where I started. It felt great to be back on the motorcycle, and I enjoyed it a great deal. To have such a warm wonderful day to enjoy it was a real bonus-you don't get warm weather like this often this time of year, even in North Carolina. In fact there were a lot of motorcycles out today; both in North Carolina, and also back on the road in the car when I headed back to Richmond later this night. Saw quite a few motorcycles on the highway tonight.
Important thing. Temperatures have changed quite a bit, and that had quite an impact on my tire pressures. For some reason temperature can change that, and did. Prior to the ride on Saturday I checked my tires. Before every ride I check the bike over-pilots do a preflight on their planes, and its always a good idea to check your ride over before throwing a leg over and turning the key. Remember when riding a motorcycle safety is YOUR PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITY.

Ride to Uptown Charlotte (August 7, 2011)

I took a ride to Uptown Charlotte on Sunday August 7. One of my favorite towns, and until the recession hit, it was one of the fastest growing cities in the US. Nice to explore on a Sunday, I got off the bike and took a walk around the area. Charlotte is a beautiful place, and a place where change happens rapidly and sometimes it seems without warning. During my walk, saw a few places that were brand new under construction, and that is not uncommon to find in that city. I love the big buildings, and enjoy seeing what is new. Charlotte is a city where many people both live and work downtown (or Uptown as the locals call it) and that makes for an interesting vibe.
I took this photo from the bike at Bruton Smith Blvd and NC 29. That is the intersection where Charlotte Motor Speedway is located, and that is the sign to it at the right. Unfortunately while in Charlotte, I started to have some electrical problems with the motorcycle. I talked quite a bit in previous posts about the importance of maintenance, and it is. However, sometimes things just break. Thankfully, the bike did get me home, though once home it did not start again. It could be a battery problem, though not sure at this time. For sure, being an electrical problem, it will be going to the shop for these repairs, and I will be reporting on what they find and (hopefully) fix in a future report. For the time being though, the riding is done for a bit.
Another view of one of the big buildings in Charlotte, NC. The city has had some remarkable changes over the years I have been there. I have more photos both on my Richmond and Me blog, and also on my Photo Page, a link to which can be found on this page. Thanks for visiting my blog, I enjoy sharing it with you!

To High Rock Lake (July 25, 2011)

Much less humid day, cooler temperatures as well when we (Phil on his Star Motorcycle, me on the Kawasaki) rode to High Rock Lake, which is located just outside of Salisbury, NC. We rode via some really great (and favorites of mine) backroads off of Miami Church Road, including Five Points. Lots of farms and also past quite a few horses; many of which were out today. The lake was really nice, and enjoyed riding with Phil who is always great company. After a short visit at the waterside (they have redone the deck there, have a bunch of fans in the ceiling outside which is very cool) we rode up Bringle Ferry Road to Old Concord/Salisbury Road and back to Concord. It was a really good days ride, and always enjoy getting back there. This was actually Phil's suggestion, but it was a great one. Got in a good two days of riding, and enjoyed both of them; putting something over 120 miles on the bike for the two days.

Hot Ride in the Summertime (July 24, 2011)

Nice cruise on a unreal hot week; made an early morning ride on a Sunday in NC to Davidson, Cornelius, and Huntersville (where I took the photo at left). Whole area has been dealing with heat indexes of over 100 degrees (and talking of well over) so early morning or late evening rides have been largely the order of the day here. Been a long period of this very hot weather.
Did read today of a cool weekend ride, that would be up in the mountains. Of note, it is sort of a VA, NC thing. Details are at http://www.runtotheridge.com. Includes ($25 per bike/$30 per couple) a 15 stop NC/VA Poker Run, a free Rat Rode and Bike Show on Saturday with vendors, and a live music concert on Saturday night. That would be a much cooler place to ride, nothing like a summertime cruise in the mountains.
As for me, hope to get in another morning ride on Monday, and will have a few more photos following that ride.

Bikes at RideNow (July 9, 2011)

Good time at RideNow in Concord, NC during the Victory Motorcycle demo, though there was a lot of interesting other things going on, and some nice bikes. For instance, liked this all black Kawasaki Vulcan Special Edition (and in fact they had a few of those there). Real fond of my Vulcan, think it was a really good value and the time, and over the years (currently enjoying my sixth year with the bike) its been a great ride. I like this, being a "factory custom" model, which is pretty cool, and this has a really good look to it. Wonder though how the paint on the bike's pipes would hold up over time, but all black is pretty neat way to go.
They had a dyno truck, and one of the motorcycles waiting to make it's run was this Triumph Rocket III. The Rocket III name came from a BSA motorcycle; BSA (and for a time Triumph) went out of business in the 1970's, but Triumph came roaring back. The engine in this bike is the biggest by a major motorcycle manufacturer, something on the order of 2300 cc's. Tons of horsepower and torque, and a fine looking motorcycle. Famous for triples, this bike is also a triple, though its in-line and in a pattern that runs along the fuel tank. Very interesting engine and a most unique motorcycle with a long and proud history.
Speaking of old bikes, here is a trio of Harley-Davidson motorcycles. Ape hangers are not standard on this bike (added by the owner, these are all used, RideNow is not an HD dealer) though Harley does have a standard model called the Cross Bones which does come with ape hanger handlebars. Harley is the oldest US motorcycle manufacturer, Victory also makes its bikes in the US, and Indian (which has just been purchased by Polaris, company which owns Victory also) will be made in the US as well. Indian motorcycles were built at their factory at Kings Mountain, North Carolina until a few weeks ago when the purchase was made.
Nice looking custom here, there was a guy doing some pin striping and this and the Honda behind it I believe was some of the bikes he brought to show off some of his work. Like custom bikes, and there were a few interesting ones. Many of the custom bike makers in this area have fallen on hard times, due to changing trends and also due to the economy. Grumpy's Customs has gone out of business, as well as a number of dealerships and other motorcycle shops in the region. Not only common to North Carolina though, the economy has impacted a great many bike shops and builders around the US. Still, fun to enjoy fine motorcycles such as this one.
Finally, not sure who built it (though it did tell me, "its for sale") but a fine looking Victory custom which I am told has been ridden all over the country. Like people who make bikes like these their own, and this was certainly a fine looking example of what you can do with a motorcycle. Unlike the Vulcan at the top, nice contrast here with black and red.
A quick note on RideNow; does seem to get a lot of grief at on-line forums, but overall I think they are pretty good to deal with in most areas. Few problems I have had with them over the years have been easily resolved. I get parts and tires from them, and overall I am pleased.

Demo Rides; Victory Motorcycle(s) July 9, 2011

Certainly not a professional motorcycle reviewer, and in fact this was my first test ride event at RideNow Powersports in Concord, NC. Victory Motorcycles brought their demo truck. Road a pair of bikes, photo at left is the second I rode, which was the Cross Country. All the Victory line has the 106 cubic inch engine which is rated at 97 hp, with 113 foot pounds of torque. Hydraulic lifters are also standard in this engine. The Cross County was the second Victory I rode, and I found that engine to move it along quite well. Noted the Speedometer had a gear indicator built into it, and liked that (do not have that feature on my Kawasaki Vulcan) though its not a big deal.
Photo here is from my first ride, the Victory Jackpot. Bike had a big wide rear tire, and a real skinny front tire. As the woman leading the ride (one of Victory's reps noted) handling with that combination was a bit wild. I also noted on this, and on the Cross Country, that the transmission is really noisy. Big meaty clunks were a part of riding it, and it was rather strange. If loud pipes save lives, then nothing will save lives like a Victory Transmission. The Jackpot had a nice seating position though, with footpegs and the brakes were really good. It was a smooth bike, and as I noted it had a lot of good grunt; really moved along well and quickly.
The Jackpot is seen here. Love the styling of the Victory line, with a sort of factory custom look. Bike also had a very good sound to it, clutch pull was fine. Mentioned the gear indicator on the speedo, liked the placement of that between the handlebars, and the amount of information that you could get from that. Did not get up to highway speeds on the tour, but did get a few bursts up near 60; vibration was never bad, and the bike was not very buzzy. I would like to have tried this bike with a better tire combination, this one was not the best for handling. Also wonder of the cost of replacing that big rear tire on the bike's back wheel.
Looking here though the windshield of the Cross Country. Again, the same mount position of the speedo. This one though had a tachometer built into it. I think the windshield was an accessory, the web site shows a different set up. Being 6'2" got a lot of buffeting from it, coming off the top, which I did not like. Of course, I don't ride with a windshield, so it was a different thing anyhow for me to do.
Like the Jackpot, the Vibration was fine on this bike, again the transmission was very clunky noise wise. On this model, getting it into neutral was not as easy as the first one; took some doing at times.
Overall, it was a neat experience checking out these motorcycles. They are beautiful bikes, and well built, a different sort of thing. Not sure I am a big fan of air and (in the case of these) oil cooled motorcycles, but many people are. I like the connection they have with custom bike builders, and great to bring the bikes on tour and let people ride them. I enjoyed riding both of these motorcycles.

Bikes and Planes at the Carolinas Aviation Museum (July 8, 2011)

Took this photo at the Carolinas Aviation Museum on Charlotte, NC ride, though this is at the airport viewing area which we rode to after visiting the museum. It is a great area at Charlotte Douglas International Airport to watch planes takeoff (and sometimes land). The airport is one of the busiest in the US, and the busiest in North Carolina, and is the hub airport for US Airways. On the day we rode it was a very hot and humid day with a lot of haze, but a great ride and a good time as it always is whenever I ride with a good friend, on fine motorcycles, and get to check out some amazing aircraft. That to me is a combination that can't be beat!
The museum has a fine collection of aircraft such as this F-4S Phantom. The Phantom was a Vietnam era fighter bomber. There is quite a collection of aircraft, though many of them have been moved to an outside area due to the arrival of US Airways Flight 1549. That plane seen below was the famous "Miracle on the Hudson" plane which was flown into the Hudson River on January 15, 2009 when both engines failed after striking a number of Canadian geese. All 155 on the plane were rescued from the river. The plane arrived at the museum by truck on June 10, 2011, and will be on display at the museum. Restoration is being done by US Airways and Airbus mechanics.














On the way back from the museum, we took a ride though Charlotte, NC where I snapped this photo. A great city to explore, it is a fun town, and always enjoy rides though the area. Though we did not have a lot of time to ride around following our adventures at the airport, we had a nice ride and look very forward to the next one. For the record, the museum is open 10-4 pm Monday-Friday, 10-5PM on Saturday, and from 1-5pm on Sunday, though it is closed some holidays. You can get more information from the web site, as well as information on ticket prices. You can also get directions there. It is well worth the price, and is a very interesting place to visit.

Cornelius/Huntersville, NC (July 5, 2011)

Ok, a bit out of order photo wise, but a good ride to Huntersville, and Cornelius, NC. Both are really neat areas of the "Charlotte area" with a lot of things to see. For instance, finally came across this place at left, and amazingly it was Michael Waltrip Racing in Cornelius, NC. It is easy to find there, though I just came across it. Address is at 20310 Chartwell Center Drive in Cornelius, NC. Unlike many of the race shops they charge admission, though told you get amazing access for that price. I did not tour it this time, more due to time available than cost (will do so at a future date). It is open weekdays only from 9-5, and seemed to have a good crowd there.
Seen at left is Mac's Speed Shop, one of the many bbq places to be found in North Carolina. I like the location in Charlotte, got to this one before it was open, again, as was the case with Waltrip Racing, I just stumbled across it. It is right across the street from the race shop. Also nearby is Gators, was a favorite restaurant of my family in University City, but it closed a few years ago, this is a new store. I rode out along Lake Norman, where I took the photo of the boats. Lake Norman is really cool; a huge lake, and there is a lot of development around it. I like the places there, and always nice to ride around the water.














I took a ride out to Birkdale Village which is in Huntersville, NC. Nice place with a number of stores/shops, also apartments there. Those type of developments are really springing up in NC. Think a lot of those appeal to what are known as "halfbacks". Northerners who moved to Florida and found the cost and the heat to be more than they figured on. It is a really nice development.
Finally, went by Interstate Cycle in Cornelius, NC. Nice bike shop, which deals mainly with Yamaha (also Star which is a division of Yamaha), and Suzuki motorcycles. Nice bike shop with some very friendly people. They like motorcycles there, and it shows. Told it is a great place to get a bike, not that familiar with it, as I never have purchased from them, but will give them a good look next time "down the road." Speaking of down the road, got some more riding to do, hope you all have good and safe rides. Thanks for visiting!

First Ride of Summer (June 21, 2011)

Took this photo at Iron Thunder, had made a previous day visit, and went for a second visit. Took this at the bar, some nice people working there, and as I noted like the theme of the place. It is located near the Harley-Davidson dealership (Speedway HD) and there is another one in Hickory, NC at Crossroads HD. That is a cool dealership, kind of made up like a hunting lodge. Though not a Harley fan as such (own a Vulcan by Kawasaki) they do have some beautiful motorcycles. Speaking of that, the big Virginia State HOG (Harley Owners Group) Rally is in Richmond this upcoming weekend. I hope to catch some of the sights of that.Will be here this weekend.
Took this photo of myself, got the helmet a few weeks ago. Has a sort of helicopter pilot style to it (and I am a big fan of aviation). Very comfortable though, and like the flip down half visor. Makes talking easy, plus it gives good protection from the sun and also things that can come up from the road. Photo by the lake is my bike, enjoy riding that and had a very good day for it. Ran up many of the roads of the previous day, covered about the same mileage (60 or so) but a nicer day sun wise, not so much heat wise. Got very hot at the end of the ride as the temperature for the day hit a high of 99 degrees. Welcome to the first day of Summer!














At home, odometer is at 22,000 miles. On next visit home will be doing some routine maintenance on the bike. Going to change the oil, antifreeze, lube cables, clean the air filer (its a K+N, love those things, and have them on all my bikes the last few years), and change the rear gear oil. I will also be changing out the front brake pads as they are showing some wear after 22,000 miles. Good maintenance is very important not just for the motorcycle but for the rider, a good running bike is a safer bike. I do most of my own work; I don't for instance put tires on it, but a lot of work can be done with a good set of tools, and a good shop manual. There is also a lot of good information to be found online.A number of good motorcycle shops (both dealerships and private ones) also can do work on your motorcycle.

Last Ride of Spring (June 20, 2011)

Good ride on a warm and overcast Monday, the final day of Spring 2011. Went with Steve, who got the HD trike a few weeks ago (and according to him has already put some 2500 miles on it..always a high mileage guy). Due to the weather we did not go very far. Did ride out behind Concord Mills (the big shopping complex near the Charlotte Motor Speedway.. Concord Mills also happens to be the #1 tourist destination in North Carolina) but not to shop. The roads back there are pretty nice. Big changes though, a LOT of development there; housing has really popped up in that area, and some really impressive houses at that.
Before the ride, went to get the motorcycle inspected. It is an annual requirement. Took the bike to Southern Car Connection. It is where I have work done on the car, love their work. Nice to find a shop that does not rip you off, and always been pleased with both the prices and the work done. They are just outside of Harrisburg and no...I am not getting paid for this plug. Think the world of the people who work here. Bike did fine, as with the previously owned Honda, no problems with the motorcycle. I have had to replace a battery with this bike, and tires (which is to be expected, but at 22,000 miles it has been a great, and reliable ride!
Steve and I stopped for lunch at Iron Thunder. Usually I go to the nearby SBB, but this is his favorite place. Bike here is (I believe) an Indian Scout. Has a nice motorcycle theme, and I enjoy visiting those sort of places. Food and beverages were very reasonable, they had a nice lunch special.
Got in around 60 miles, had planned a bigger day ride, but the skies were really ugly. I have ridden in the rain, but there is a difference in my book between "having to" and being able to avoid doing so. That said, rain ended up holding off till later that night. Ride though was a good one, nice rodes and great riding company with my friend Steve.

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!

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.

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.