Badin Lake/RideNow (December 23, 2011)

 Photo was taken by Phil of me on the Vulcan (that is his bike in the background) at Badin Lake on December 23. After a few days of rain, got out and enjoyed a nice ride-sunny as you can see, temperatures in the 60's which is really, really nice for late December. Enjoyed a fine ride, hit some backroads and that is fun especially considering the "getting off from work and last minute shopping" holiday traffic near the malls. Badin is a very nice old town, and enjoyed that along with a ride though Rockwell, NC. Nice two lanes past farms, fields, and small businesses....covered close to 80 miles.  

 Phil and I met up at RideNow which is located in Concord, NC. Had to keep driving off salesmen- I know you guys are in the business of selling bikes, but I already got one from you a while back, and its fine. Also fine is the Kawasaki Ninja 250. Did you know that is Kawasaki's best selling motorcycle? Well it is, and with good reason. A nice vertical twin engine, easy maintenance, remarkable gas mileage, and a stone cold reliable engine. Great bike for a beginner, or for someone looking for cheap, reliable and fun transportation. Honda has joined the 250 types with its new single, and Suzuki also makes a nice 250 as well.
 

I had a Yamaha 350 a few years ago, this is the FZ-1 (1 as in 1000cc) but liked how it was done in the old Yamaha racing colors (though as I remember my RD-250 was yellow). A nice bike, not a sportbike but what is known as a "naked" or standard. Has a more upright riding position than the sportbikes, and though it uses a sportbike engine, it is de-tuned from those types. It also has less fairing than the sport bikes, which saves on repair if it falls over, and also makes jobs such as changing oil easier. Good compromise between raw naked power and also has a much more comfortable riding position.  

 I am rather fond of the Vulcan line (as I ride one) and these are two nice cruisers. At the left is the Kawasaki Vaquero (which means cowboy in Spanish) and to its right the Kawasaki Voyager. Both have 1700cc engines, V-twin, and water cooled. The Vaquero is a "bagger", while the Voyager is a full out touring bike along the line of many of the HD line, though not as equipped as the Honda Gold Wing. On either of these motorcycles long distance touring would be a piece of cake-they would take you anyplace you would want to go-coast to coast without a problem.   

Finally, this is a Kawasaki ZX-14. I am 99% sure this bike is a modified version, but it looked too sharp to pass up. The 2012 version of this bike is currently the king of horsepower, having been designed to out muscle the famous Suzuki Hayabusa. A detuned version of the ZX-14 is the engine used in the Kawasaki Concours sport touring motorcycle. Kawasaki unlike many of the other Japanese manufacturers has been both upgrading their older bikes as well as coming up with brand new models as well during the current recession. The are currently the best selling Japanese brand of motorcycles in the US.
So, thought I would share some of the bikes that got my attention today, and also a photo from the ride today. Plan tomorrow is to get out again, this time to roll into Charlotte, NC...one of my favorite places to ride, and one of my favorite cities in the region. That will be the subject of my next post! 

Formerly Davis Harley-Davidson, and News of the 2012 Motorcycle Racing Season

 Prior to the ride in the previous post, I made a stop on my journey to Davis Harley-Davidson in Burlington, NC. Harley is the iconic American motorcycle and have a few examples of them seen in this photo sitting outside on that December 10 day. Noted that the classic motorcycles they had on display (and they can still be seen in photos at the Davis Harley-Davidson web site) are gone. I also met the (very nice) new owner, for it has been sold and is going to be "Down Home Harley-Davidson" (again, according to the web site) in the very near future. Has been a lot of changes in motorcycle dealerships in the last few years and this is another example. 

However, this is another example of change this time to Harley-Davidson. For the last 10 years Harley-Davidson has been making motorcycles with water cooled engines. There are a number of reasons for that; water cooled engines make greater and more reliable power, nd burn much cleaner reducing emissions. Formerly the Revolution engine displaced 1130cc, they are now up to 1250cc and around 125 hp. Some of the much higher priced CVO models of Harley-Davidson may come close in horsepower, but pound for pound the V-Rod line is the most powerful stock Harley-Davidson line out there. 10 years ago the V-Rod was part of a push to appeal to a wider world market as well as to appeal to a younger one. This bike as well as other models that have come out in the last few years has hit the mark on those goals in many cases.

In the upcoming year I hope to bring more news of motorcycle events both in the Carolinas and Virginia but also of national interest. Be looking for those each month. Unfortunately, this being wintertime, such events are few and far between. Rides tend to be shorter and certainly slower (I made some comments on winter riding in my previous post). Of course when its too cold to ride its not too cold to enjoy some motorcycle racing. Speed Channel covers a number of motorcycle races, and they can also be seen on a number of national tv channels from time to time. Of course the first big event which goes along with Daytona Bike Week is the Daytona 200 in Florida. This year the races will run from March 15-17. The AMA road racing series used to have a stop in Virginia, but that was cancelled last year, and they will not return for 2012 either apparently. Flat track racing and motocross will also be held during Daytona's "Speed Week." Other series events of note include MotoGP which starts April 8 in Qatar but also has two American races- July 29 at Laguna Seca, and August 19 at Indianapolis.  If you like Supercross (you will believe a motorcycle can fly!) that season gets underway in Anaheim, Ca on January 7. AMA Pro Motocross starts May 19. As noted, AMA Flat Track racing starts at Daytona during Speed Week. I have been to quite a few events in that series-went to a few races at Louisville Downs in Louisville, Kentucky when younger, and also went to the two events held at The Dirt Track at Charlotte Motor  Speedway. Unfortunately, neither track holds those events any longer, and there are no NC or Virginia stops for what is some great racing.

Finally, a final note. He is an NBA Hall of Famer, perhaps the greatest player to play the game. Now the owner of the NBA Charlotte Bobcats Michael Jordan is also the owner of Michael Jordan Motorsports and fields a two bike team in Superbike. The team has won a number of races, and will be heading back to the racetrack in 2012.

Be looking for some more upcoming events in future posts, and as always-ride safe!

Brrr.......Cold Riding in Carolina

 Winter does have a bite to it, as does late fall. Took a ride on December 11 around the Concord, NC area. Amazingly I was not the only motorcyclist out on that day-there were a few people out riding (counting two other motorcycles; one Harley and one Honda VTX) along with a few hardy scooter types. I wanted to go by Charlotte Motor Speedway, like this spot. The tree is near the main entrance (the pole in the center with lines running down) which is neat when lit up. Drivers handprints and shoe impressions are in that walkway-aka "The Walk of Fame:"  

 The track has a great Christmas display, I hope to share some photos of that in a later visit this Christmas on my "Richmond and Me" blog. As for my ride, here I am dressed for the conditions. It was sunny, but it was barely above 30. Bare skin can quickly freeze, light layers, help keep you warm, I have my face covered, and cold weather gloves and boots. I also wore lined insulated jeans. Late fall/early winter riding is possible, but you have to fully dress for conditions. Though not a factor on this ride, also important to keep an eye on changing conditions. Rain when temperatures can quickly turn to ice and snow.

It was a bright sunny day though on my December 11 ride. I like Sunday mornings, traffic tends to be really light, and it is a good time to cruise down some quiet streets. It also is very important in late fall/winter to be especially careful-motorcycles can be a rare thing on the roads, and "out of sight" is often "out of mind". Always a good idea to be careful around other vehicles-even more so in the "off season". Riding this time of year is fun, as long as you consider such things as wind chill. For the ride I took I took it slower than usual and did not cover a great distance. This time of year a short ride is often better than no ride at all.
While on my way to Carolina this weekend, made a stop at Davis Harley-Davidson and enjoyed my visit there. That will be the subject of my next post very soon! Thanks for visiting, and ride safe!

Three Rides Around Thanksgiving

Blessed over the Thanksgiving holiday with some remarkable weather-sunny (for the most part) and very warm. Did a quick ride on Black Friday to do a quick bit of shopping via motorcycle (first time to do that on the bike, and first Black Friday in a long time) during the morning of the 25th, and later took a ride just for fun. One of the first stops in the afternoon ride was to Stewart Hass Racing in Kannapolis, NC which is seen at left. Unfortunately, the shop was closed for the holiday weekend, but it is a very impressive operation. I made a previous visit some time ago, and will do so again.   

During the course of the day rode around China Grove, NC and also visited Landis, NC. This is Landis in the photo at left, just before sunset. The white building is the original post office, not sure how old it is, but it dates back quite a way. Landis is a very neat old city, and there are some great roads in that area, which makes for some excellent motorcycling. As this was also during Black Friday I tried (with the exception of the morning ride) to avoid the malls, and especially the highways which were packed with shoppers and travelers. I had really nice ride though, and along with the morning ride was very happy.    

 Sunday, November 27, I took a ride around Concord. Visited the Concord Regional Airport which was decorated for Christmas. I like aircraft and it was near some other sights I wanted to check out such as Charlotte Speedway (which is set up for one of the biggest light displays in the region for the next few weeks) and Bruton Smith Boulevard which is also lined with light displays. I love this time of year, and although I will not be able to see the lights for some time, as it will be awhile before my next visit, it all looks fantastic. It is pretty nice being in Carolina over the holidays-they do a good job celebrating the season.

 Hard to believe in some respects, but the #1 tourist attraction (with so much to see in NC, this always amazes me) is Concord Mills Mall. The massive mall is partly seen here, from the seat of my Vulcan, and going off in the distance. Not only is the mall massive, but there are also a number of other smaller malls all around it. Going by there on a Sunday morning (this was taken as was the previous photo) on November 27) it is quite, but will be for the next few weeks especially the site of massive traffic backups, and huge crowds. Of course, that is not all that different on any other weekend.

Finally, a Sunday morning look at downtown Concord, NC, once again before crowds come calling. I like Concord, it has a lot of character in its downtown, and some very interesting stores. They also have some very good places to eat, and even a very impressive craft beer store. Like with Virginia, craft beer is getting to be pretty good, and to think that it is also doing so in Concord is pretty impressive. Not that long ago, Concord was a "dry" town, and you could not even get a beer there. It has changed a great deal in the years that I have been there. I do enjoy the region, and I certainly did enjoy some great rides...covered 130 miles in the three rides I took over the three days. Some clouds kept it overcast on Sunday, but both days temperatures were close to 70 and never saw a drop of rain. Looking forward to the next rides on the Vulcan very soon!

Fall Ride to Salisbury, NC (November 12, 2011)

 The day after Memorial Day, Phil and I got the motorcycles out for a ride to Salisbury, NC. There are some great roads out that way, and we wanted to enjoy the fall colors on what will probably be the last weekend before I get back again to North Carolina to see them. Ride took us up Old Concord/Salisbury Road, and I took us on a stop to the National Cemetery in Salisbury, NC. The cemetery is the final resting place for many of the heroes in NC who served the United States in a number of wars. We owe them all a great debt of gratitude. I also served in the US Navy a few years back, and it was a remarkable experience.    

Monument here was in memory of the 11,700 (though the actual number may be less or more even...records back then were sort of confused, but that is the number on the monument) of Union soldiers who died at the Confederate Prison that was in Salisbury, NC during the Civil War. It was near the site of the current cemetery. The dead (who died mainly of disease) were captured in various battles, and I read (as did Phil who is reading the information next to the monument) that many of the prisoners were transferred to Salisbury from another Confederate Prison which was located in Richmond, Va (there were actually two in Richmond). As I remember the prison was a converted cotton factory, and I believe it was destroyed when Union troops captured the town near the end of the war. Some of the foundation has been located of the building, and a building that housed some of the guards still remains in Salisbury. The prison dead are buried in 18 trenches that lie in front of this monument in unmarked graves.    

Riding on, we headed up Bringle Ferry Road, a nice twisty road which took us to High Rock Lake. A favorite stop along the ride, High Rock Lake is one of the many lakes in the area, and one of the most beautiful. This fall colors were not as striking as they have been in previous years, but both of the NC rides (and for that matter, driving in the car checking out fall colors in Richmond) were blessed with warmer than usual fall weather. I enjoyed the previous ride to Morrow Mountain, and the ride on November 12 was also very nice under fine riding conditions.
On the way back, we hit a nice series of back roads and enjoyed a very fine ride which covered close to 80 miles from beginning to end. Already planning the next ride for the next weekend I am in North Carolina, and can't wait.

Pre-Ride Posts (November 9, 2011)

Enjoying some time before work in Richmond, got a weekend coming up in NC and looking forward to a ride over the weekend coming up. Forecast looks very good both with good temperatures, and sunshine for the period. I hope to catch a final look at fall color, its been very nice in North Carolina as well as in my "other home" of Virginia.
A few items have captured my eye in the last few days. For one, according to the Motorcycle Industry Council and for the second year in a row Kawasaki leads the Japanese Manufactures in US motorcycle Market Share with 15.38% of the market. Honda has 13.97%, Yamaha 13.035 and Suzuki 7.17. Harley of course is the biggest in the US as far as market share. Also of note is this is just motorcycles...the shares change when you toss in ATV's and scooters.
Not sure when I will get to see it (as Virginia does not have a Ducati dealership) so I guess it will be when I see someone ride one. Some years ago I rode out to the dealer in Charlotte to see the then brand new Ducati 1198, now that bike is being replaced by the all-new Ducati 1199 "Pinigale". The bike features a new design engine (still a v-twin, called a superquadro) a monocoque chasis, and by all accounts it will be an amazing motorcycle. I look forward to seeing one in the very near future.
There are not to this point a great many new models due to the economy, mostly they are improvements on old versions, but there are a few here and there. One neat improvement is a limited addition "Steve McQueen" version based on the bike he rode in the movie "The Great Escape". Though he did not make the jump, the bike jump over the fence is one of the great moments in "motorcycle movies". McQueen was a avid rider, and was a big part of the classic motorcycle documentary "On Any Sunday.  Just a bit over 1100 of the "McQueen Triumph" will be produced.
So hopefully will get a few fall photos on here. Leaves thanks to weekend photos from my friends who rode to the mountains of NC this weekend are pretty much changed up there, but its pretty colorful in both Richmond and in the Charlotte area. Get out and enjoy..I plan to for sure! 

Seen in Richmond on a Fine Fall Day (November 5, 2011)

Nice day in Richmond, it was a beautiful fall day with a lot of great color here. Temperature was in the 60 range, and there were a lot of motorcyclists out running their bikes on this very fine day. Saw a lot of them, plus some different bikes while out. For instance this lime green Moto Guzzi is a very rare bike to see, and enjoyed checking this out for a while after enjoying a frosty cold beverage at Legend Brewing in Richmond, VA. Moto Guzzi is an old Italian brand, and has a long history having made motorcycles since 1921. This bike is a real beauty and is an interesting take on the popular V-twin engine (a BMW below also has a different sort of V type engine). They sell these at Ultimate Cycle in Richmond (or at least they used to, I assume they still do) but a very fine bike for sure. I enjoyed seeing this one and visiting Legend's was also good. Nice to check out the local beer, and they make some good ones in this city. Had planned to hit some bike shops today, but the bike shops came to me. Good when your ride in waiting for you in NC.

While out by Legends, went by Scoot Richmond. Sure scooters are not motorcycles, but like us they ride on two wheels, and they accept the same sort of adventure and danger, so I consider them brothers and sisters of the road. Liked this bike and for sure on a dark night you would see it coming. They were having some sort of event out in the lot (even a few motorcycles were there) and there was food as well as (gasp) beer there, though I did not have any while I was there. Scooters were popular in England back in the 60's during the "Mods and Rockers" period (The Who sang about those days) and as for today they sure make fuel efficient machines for the road.
Spoke about the BMW V-twin engine, saw this version off of Cary Street. Now they make in-line six and in-line fours as well as some twins (engines of the twins by Rotax who also make ultralight aircraft engines) but it was the Boxer that made the company a legend. They have made bikes since 1923, and have a long history in Germany. Known for technological innovation, BMW motorcycles come with a lot of items which are not found on other motorcycles, and have a reputation for stone reliability. Some of their touring bikes have been the best in the world. Their GS series motorcycles were a big part of the "Long Way Around" show of a few years back.
Finally, saw this Ducati Monster. One of the great designs this bike (think it is a 620, though could be bigger) is a real motorcycle classic. It is a basic air cooled engine on a basic trellis frame-both light and powerful. Ducati uses a different sort of system to make the valves work, which makes Ducati motorcycles some of the most powerful out there. Ducati is is another old brand which started production in 1926. They are heavily involved in racing and have been very successful at it over the years. There is a Ducati dealer in Charlotte, but not one that I know of in the Richmond area. That is a damn shame!