Post Storm Day in the RVA (August 28, 2011)

Signs of life after "the big storm" which took out power for like two thirds (no kidding) of Richmond from Hurricane Irene. After checking out some of the damage, hard to figure that frankly. I have seen more after a good thunderstorm. At any case, the next day was real nice, and saw the owner of this bike get in a nice ride. My ride is still sitting in North Carolina, in the shop, but I am hopeful that the problem (electrical) will be found soon, and repairs will be made in the near future. Miss riding but glad that so many are enjoying getting out, and fun to see people riding in Virginia. Not all power to be had is electrical.
Having been out of electricity for some 24 hours though (it went out Saturday at 4:15pm, came back Sunday around 4pm) while out saw this Suzuki sport bike (1000cc) in the truck. Liked the "Hemidog" decal on the truck too. A lot of motorcycle news of late. Good news on the legal front. In Virginia HB 1981 was passed and signed which now makes it legal for motorcycles, mopeds, and bicyclists to go through a red light under two conditions. Must come to a complete stop and must sit though two complete light cycles. In NC, HB 381 makes "motorcycle only" police check points illegal. Was in one of those, was "checking helmets" but turned into a "What Can we Find" deal (as it turned out for me and three friends...it was nothing).
Read this month that Big Dog Motorcycles went out of business. One of the biggest "clone" motorcycle makers, and used S+S Cycle engines in their bikes.
Saw that motorcycle exhaust maker Yoshimura has made a pipe called the R-77 which meets EPA standards (83 db) as well as being lighter than stock systems, and more power is created than with the stock pipe. While the AMA is raising cain about the laws signed in California on noise, since 1983 EPA regulations has stated "no onroad motorcycle shall produce noise in excess of 83 decibels". Loud pipes may save lives (though I doubt that) but they certainly do a lot to piss of many non-riders, and lead to bans on motorcycles, as well as increased enforcement of noise laws.
Read quite a bit (and good to see back) Erik Buell who has for sale his 1190RS, which uses a punched out version of the Rotax built 1125 Helicon engine. The 1190cc version puts out 160hp and thanks to a generous use of carbon fiber weighs in at 384 pounds. A limited production bike, it is expensive, but on a par with some of the leading bikes out there.
Speaking of new bikes, the 2012's are hitting the show room floors. Will be checking some of those out in the next few weeks as they reach the dealerships.
One of my favorite shows, "Sons of Anarchy" starts its new season on FX on September 6 at 10 PM.
That is all I have for now, will keep you posted on this and other news. Ride Safe!

Home again in NC (August 20-23, 2011)

Had a good time in North Carolina. Took this photo of a pair of Harley-Davidson motorcycles (and one rider on the phone) at a rest stop on I-85 on the way to my house. There, finally got my bike in the shop. Problems have been rare, and I do the vast majority of work on my bike, but an electrical problem cropped up, and that will require an expert look. For the time being, I will be looking at motorcycling outside of riding. Hopefully it will not be a huge financial hit, and won't prove to be a major problem. Unfortunately, it does not seem to be the battery. Hope to be back on the road soon with the bike though, looking forward to some great fall rides.
On the way back, passing though Salisbury, NC saw this trio riding down I-85 on a quiet August 23 morning. Did read some interesting articles in Motorcyclist this month ( they have a great web site, I also subscribe to the magazine) that Harley is considering adding watercooling to its air cooled bikes. The bikes will retain the look, and the water cooling will be largely hidden. Air cooled bikes take a hit in both performance (heat takes a toll), reliability (ditto), and also in air quality. Most motorcycles (and even HD with its V-Rod line) have embraced the benefits of water cooled engines. It will be interesting to see what comes out of that. Hope that this weekend I can get into some motorcycle items of note here in the Richmond area, where I will be spending the weekend. I also have a trip planned to the mountains and am looking forward to that, and will be sharing photos of that trip. A motorcycle mecca of sorts, sure to be some great motorcycle photos there, plus some of one of the best riding areas in the US. Thanks for visiting my page!

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!

Upcoming Motorcycle Events in Carolina (July 29, 2011))

Came across some interesting motorcycle events coming up as summer starts to wind down. Something always seems to be going on in North and South Carolina- these are just a few of what I consider the "best of the best". I have links to motorcycle event sites on this page if you are interested in looking at some more; including some in Virginia. However, the Carolinas really like to have a lot of motorcycle events and activities.
The North Carolina HOG Rally will be held August 18-20 in Hickory, NC. I did get to attend the Virginia State HOG Rally (Hog is Harley Owners Group by the way) in Richmond, Va and had a great time. Though I don't ride a Harley (Kawasaki is my motorcycle of choice) still a friendly group to hang with. This event in Hickory will feature all the cool things at a HOG rally, but this event will also have an aviation theme. Motorcycles and aircraft....now that is a great combination in my book. I in fact combine the two quite often.
Looking real forward to this next event, and will be attending it. "Biker Blues and BBQ" is a first time event for Tilley Harley-Davidson in Salisbury, NC. Free admission to the event which runs from 9am-11pm September 23-24. There will be a judged BBQ cookoff, plus food and beverages for purchase, vendors, a bike show, various rides, tethered balloon rides ($12), bands...it sounds like a great event, and I am looking forward to this one. You can find more info at the Tilley Harley-Davidson (Salisbury, NC) web page or on their facebook page.
Just came across this; a rather interesting event. Orange County Choppers Live will be at Bojangles Coliseum in Charlotte, NC on October 22. General Admission is $25, for a price of $130 you get photo opps with Paul Teutul Sr and other members of the OCC team. They will be building a bike on stage, the OCC Band will play, and a number of OCC's motorcycles will be on display.
Of course while there is still a lot of summer to enjoy, fall is not far away either. There are some great riding days with the remarkable fall colors and amazing roads of the Blue Ridge Parkway not too far off. From time to time will publish more events of note. Be sure to check event web sites (and also facebook sites also have more information) on these and other Carolina Motorcycle Events. Thanks for stopping by here by the way!

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.

VA Harley and a Hoosier Harley-Dog (July 17)

A friend of mine in Southern Indiana sent me the photo he took of this Motorcycle Riding German Shepherd there. John was told the dog is nine years old, and goes about everywhere the riders of the Harley do, he was also told the dog loves to ride a jet ski. I thought this was remarkable, and was worth sharing and keeping on my blog. I do get a kick out of unique things that I come across, or that come across my way in the wonderful world of motorcycling. Like that the dog even has goggles on which is pretty cool. Dogs to me are a special friend, and a great gift for people, and it is amazing what they can like to do, as well as the many ways they enrich our lives!
Harley-Davidson at right was seen in Richmond, VA where I spent the weekend. Not a lot of motorcycle events here this weekend (at least that I know of) but liked the look of this bike. Weather wise is was a much better weekend; the blazing heat and humidity made a temporary pause-though getting word that it will be coming back in time for my return visit to Carolina very soon. Hope to get a bit of riding then, though will not be doing a whole lot of riding if it gets close to 100 as is expected. In great heat, riding under those conditions can be really dangerous. Be sure to drink a lot of water if you are out in the heat. I will be checking on upcoming events in the near future here in the Richmond area.