Star Motorcycle Club Ride (September 1, 2012)

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

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

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

Motorcycles of Charlotte (August 31, 2012)

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

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

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

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

Victory and Kawasaki (August 29, 2012)

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

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

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

Short Stops, August 18-19, 2012

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

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

First Ride of August, 2012

 Actually got a couple of rides in, one very short to visit a friend on August 4, and the second a bit longer on August 5. Still, both rides did not cover much more than 40 miles- a short ride (or a pair of them) is better than no ride at all. Glad to get any in during the two day visits of late home. This is a look at Quaker Steak and Lube in Concord, NC. I stopped by there; enjoyed getting on the motorcycle simulator they have, it was a lot of fun. They have a bike night on Wednesday's, and it is (least the last time I was there the biggest (though not the only) bike night in Concord.     

 I made a stop at RideNow to see up close (and to try on) the new Honda NC700X. Like with the competition between the Kawasaki Ninja 250, and the Honda CB250R Honda's new NC700X is matched up with the Kawasaki Versys (which is taken from "versatile system"). Both bikes use vertical twin (though Honda's is much more slanted forward) engines, 4 valves per cylinder. The Versys has been around since 2006 (with many over the years updates, and the Versys was the 2008 Motorcycle of the Year. MSRP for the Honda is $6999 (though other features can increase that) and for the Versys $7899.
 

This is the new Victory tank badge as America's "other" motorcycle company makes some changes for 2012-2013. Already some new 2013 motorcycles have been introduced, such as the new Judge and the Boardwalk. All motorcycles in the line up use the 106 cubic inch (1731cc) Freedom V-twin. They use air/oil cooling, and come with six speed transmissions. Victory builds its bikes at Spirit Lake, Iowa and that includes now Indian Motorcycles which they purchased in 2011. Formerly made at Kings Mountain, NC, the Indian factory production has been moved to Spirit Lake. Victory started production in 1998.
So, a fun day, and saw some interesting new rides (RideNow has the Judge by the way, the Boardwalk is on the way I am told) and got out in the wind for a while at least. For the first ride of the month, the heat and humidity was lessened from the brutal combination of the last few weeks. Morning rain delayed my Sunday ride, but the shorter version I did get in was good. Looking forward to some more rides in the next few weeks as Summer 2012 continues.      

Motorcycle Shops...something old/something new (July 28, 2012)

On a very hot and humid Richmond day, went to Velocity Motorcycles, which if not my most favorite, it is one of my most favorite in Richmond. There is always something interesting to see there. For instance, take this Honda Hawk (believe its a 400cc) bike. Unique in that it is an automatic, and was one of the first of the breed (there have been a few others over the years) and they are starting to get more common in motorcycles (have been the norm for some time in scooters). I am kind of old school, like to shift gears, but if it gets more on two wheels, I am all for it.

 Richmond does not have a Ducati dealer, but always quite a few of the brand at Velocity. The one at the top (in the window) is fully tricked out for racing, and though dated has a price tag just north of $16K. Many of the bikes there, such as the Ducati below it, can be had for a lot less. There were a lot of bikes there during my visit to the shop. Velocity also rents motorcycles, and has a lot of other things to offer. They are located in Richmond, VA on West Marshall Street, check out the Velocity Motorcycles web site for more info. 

I read that this bike would be out in "Summer 2012" and here it is...the 2012 Honda NC700X. Powered by a water cooled twin, chain drive, lots of storage space under the seat, chain drive and a six speed gearbox. It is even available in a semi-automatic version. It starts at $6,999 and Honda claims it can get some 64 MPG. I will be interested to see how this bikes does in the market, and think it could be very worthy competition to other like bikes in the market. Took this photo thru the window, it was at Honda House in Richmond, VA (on West Broad Street which had closed at 3PM ( I was there a little later on in the day. 

Few things go together like bikes and barbeque either in North Carolina, or for that matter in Virginia. One of my favorite places to eat in Richmond is Buz and Ned's. They have a couple of locations, but i like to eat at the one on The Boulevard in Richmond, VA. They are real proud of the fact they were able to beat the legendary Bobby Flay in a cookoff. You see that in the shirts the employees wear, and the film shown on the tv quite often. All I can say is it is really good barbeque here in Richmond.
The bike in front with the tag "BuzHog" is a Harley-Davidson V-Rod. It seems to be in that same location all the time, but I can not say that it does not ever move from that spot. Buz and Ned's has dining inside and out (I like to eat outside even in this heat) and it is outstanding barbeque. By the way, I do not get compensated for putting that on here, I just really like the food. When I have visitors to the area, I like to take them here as one of the stops.
Anyhow, a nice weekend spent looking at some bikes...next weekend I plan to get out and enjoy riding mine in the Carolinas. Ride safe, and will see you in a few days here!    

Birkdale Village/Lake Norman (July 22, 2012)

Got out on the bike on a very nice Sunday early afternoon....much less humid than it has been the past few days, and of course...for the past few days I have been in Richmond, VA. So it was nice to get out and take a short ride on a fine Sunday. This is actually at the second stop, but a nice view of the bike, and also a bit of the lake. Lake Norman can also be seen in the photo at the bottom of this page...its a massive lake, and as I understand it, man made. It's purpose is to provide cooling water for the nearby nuclear reactors, but its also a very popular place for boating and fishing, as well as some impressive houses on the lake as well. 

 This is a photo of Birkdale Village. It is a neat sort of thing; lots of shopping there, apartments (perhaps even condos, I am not sure), many good places to eat and drink, a movie theater....you can find pretty much anything (though I don't think they have a grocery...yet). A number of places such as these have been popping up in the North Carolina area (and I have seen a development like it in Chester, VA) but in the Charlotte area this was the first and the biggest. I stopped in to check out a brand new place called Big Daddy's Burger Bar which I read about this weekend in the Charlotte Observer, it is pretty neat, and I enjoyed the visit there.  

Nothing as peaceful (at least early on) as Lake Norman, took this photo shortly after noon. It is a big lake, and covers a large area (something to see from the air which I have done). Like visiting there, although it has been awhile since I rode out that way. Sure a very nice place, and a nice ride on a Sunday-sometimes though traffic in that area can be really, really bad...its a very popular place to visit, and I am sure it got that way later in the day.
Few things I enjoy more than a Sunday morning ride; and this one covered about 50 miles in total-did not have a great deal of time, as I had to get back to Richmond later in the day.