4-22-09

365 Group



Pulling out to go to work this morning was another real battle. Today is forecast to be another perfect day for riding or really anything, besides work.
As I got to the end of my driveway my bike just shut off. I hit the starter and nothing. I had a problem with a blown fuse a couple of days ago and so I started with my fuse box. Sure enough. The main fuse was blown again. Thinking that this is getting to be sort of like work, I hot wired it together and limped down to the Gas station.
Putting in another fuse I had a realization come over me. My bike is 32 years old and that means old, brittle wiring. It also means that I'll be spending a weekend replacing some of the wiring harness. Once I got the new fuse put in the old gal fired up and ran smooth all the way to work.
This mornings ride wasn't as bad as yesterdays. The traffic was considerably lighter and seemed more lazy. I made real good time and even rode a few miles with about eight or nine other bikes that I rode up on. It was fun. Like we were just picking up strays as we went and making a big herd. Running up 412 cars kinda moved over for us and let us have the outside lane.
I peeled off the pack and pulled into work. Hoping that quitting time wouldn't necessarily take eight hours to get there. I parked and ambled in to another day of watching traffic go by.
As hard as I tried, it still took eight hours but quitting time finally made it and I headed out into traffic. Pulling up to a traffic light on 412 I was joined by a rider that I kinda knew from the area. He said he was going to look at some older bikes that were for sale on the edge of town and asked if I knew anything about them. I didn't but was now curious and decided to tag along and look things over. Never know what you'll find tagging along.
Just outside the actual city limits on the east side of town I followed along down a dirt road for about a mile and a half. After some confusion and looking at notes my guide finally announced that we were here. Here was a house with lots of kids bicycles laying around the yard. As we got off the bikes a lady came to the door and after a few moments we were instructed to go around the side of the house to the car port type building.
Inside this garage of sorts we found three bikes. All older, 70's models, Japenese bikes.
Mostly they were rolling parts bikes. It had been several years since anyone had done anything other than take stuff off these bikes. The only one that showed any promise was a 74 RD 350.
The lady that owned them said she was trying to get rid of them and quoted a price that was a little on the high side for me since I wasnt needing parts. Mac said he wasnt interested in them at all. He was looking for a runninng wreck t o work on for someone to learn to ride on.
After talking to the woman about some of the local online auctions and ebay and all that, we headed back out to 412.
At a convenience store over a coke and a heat and eat burrito, Mac told me he was looking for a small bike for his girfriend to learn to ride on. I told him that I would keep and ear out and took his number.
Since I was already on the road to Hindsville I decided to just head on down and make the loop to go home.
It was a fairly quick trip since the highway was all but finished. It was a nice smooth ride like all new roads are. Give it a few months with all the truck traffic and it'll be back to normal.
Pulling into my drive I could hear my pups barking. Letting me know that I was a little late. There always a happy bunch of Vermin. Parking, I gave my bike the end of ride once over and thought that today had been a good riding day. Wish I could have done more of it.
Ah well, my little ankle bitters still love me.
Hope to catch ya on the road.