Ten 9 Twelve
3
365 Group (f)
38 degrees this morning. Felt good as I bounced down the drive way.
This morning I had a side trip to make that got me out just as the sun was starting to peak out. I hit the highway and headed East for a quick run over to Harrison.
Traffic at this hour was sparce and that was nice. I wound the old gal up once I got on 412 and managed to keep it at about 75 most of the way down, making for a quick run over.
A friend had found an old Royal Enfield for sale. The price sounded right so I had to go and check it out.
By the time I pulled into Harrison it was starting to warm some making for a better ride. I tooled through town and found a fast food place to kill a few minutes as I was badly in need of coffee and was just a little early.
After many cups of pretty good coffee and a couple of trips to the restroom I was tanked enough to get out and find this diamond in the rough.
After about 45 minutes of side streets with no luck I flagged down a sleepy looking cop and asked him where I needed to be.
Finally I pulled into the driveway of where my next treasure lay just waiting for me.
I cut the engine and sat for a second looking the place over and then went and knocked on the door. I'm here about the motorcycle you have for sale...
The guy, Lenny, looked a little surprised. "I ain't got no motorcycle, just a bunch of parts that was here when we moved in". OK, a basket case, that'll work.
He led me around to the back of the house and opened the doors to the basement.
There it lay, Two boxes of parts. Mostly bicycle parts. Altho there was a tank off a Honda Q 50 in the mess.
Thinking that I had maybe heard wrong I told him the story I had been told and he replied buy rummaging through one of the boxes and coming out with a neck badge from a bicycle that said Royal Flyer on it.
I kind of stood for a minute and thought that I maybe need to get a hearing aid.
Finally Lenny just couldn't take it any more and started laughing. He told me that David had set me up. He in fact had an Enfield but had seriously found out what shape it was in and what it was worth. He'd sent it to a place in Eureka Springs for an estimate to get it back on the road.
Now that I knew I didn't need hearing help we discussed what would possess such a nice feller like him to throw in with the seedy likes of my (use the term loosely) friend David to pull something like this on an obviously nice feller such as me. It seems that my buddy David thought this would be funny and would remind me of when we were younger. After a few minutes, it did. Lenny also said that David told him that I would need that tank. Well, OK, yeah, I can use the tank.
It was a good start to my day. 196 miles. If the tank doesn't leak too bad it'll look good on my kz at bike night or somewhere equally important. Lenny took my name and number in case the Enfield went higher than he could afford. So, there's still a chance...
Now the really fun part...figuring out how long to wait before leaving a message on my buddies machine about a barn fresh something or other that he just cant live with out.
catch ya on the road
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Pizza
Ten 9 Twelve 3
Polarbear
365 Group (f)
Today I got a call from the boy. He was wanting to get together for lunch at a new Pizza place he'd found. Sounded good to me.
It had been a whole 8 to 10 hours since I had a ride and the weather was just about perfect. So I jumped on the kicker and headed out to gas up. Once I got out and moving I noticed how windy it was. Really if there hadn't been all that cross wind it would have been perfect.
I killed a little time at the gas station and when I finally pulled out I managed to fall in behind a bunch of bikes. We tooled along at about 40 for a couple of miles. It finally dawned on me that they were operating at the max end of their comfort zone. As much as I enjoyed poking along, I had lunch waiting on me a few miles down the road. As I leaned out and went around I noticed that the whole bunch seemed to be one family. Grandparents down to the youngins. That was just too cool.
I would have liked to visit with them some if I'd had the time.
The ride on down to the Pizza joint was smooth even with the wind. Just about like early summer.
I finally located the place on Dickson Street and realized that I'd passed it several times and never gave it much thought. It sets back off the street and is kind of easy to pass on by.
After finding a parking place I managed to get in ahead of a bunch of very young giggling college girls and located the boy.
We had an excellant meal. (I highly recommend the Cheeseburger Cheeseburger Pizza)Afterward we visited a bunch about his bike and made arrangement to get out to me for repairs. He kind of let it go in a couple of areas while he was in Irac. That out of the way he roared off to homework and I headed back toward the house.
With a little luck I'll have his bike back on the road in a day. The biggest problem is getting it out here. Neither of us have a truck or trailer. But it's all good. It'll come together.
It was a short ride only managed 27 miles. But I had fun.
catch ya on the road
Polarbear
365 Group (f)
Today I got a call from the boy. He was wanting to get together for lunch at a new Pizza place he'd found. Sounded good to me.
It had been a whole 8 to 10 hours since I had a ride and the weather was just about perfect. So I jumped on the kicker and headed out to gas up. Once I got out and moving I noticed how windy it was. Really if there hadn't been all that cross wind it would have been perfect.
I killed a little time at the gas station and when I finally pulled out I managed to fall in behind a bunch of bikes. We tooled along at about 40 for a couple of miles. It finally dawned on me that they were operating at the max end of their comfort zone. As much as I enjoyed poking along, I had lunch waiting on me a few miles down the road. As I leaned out and went around I noticed that the whole bunch seemed to be one family. Grandparents down to the youngins. That was just too cool.
I would have liked to visit with them some if I'd had the time.
The ride on down to the Pizza joint was smooth even with the wind. Just about like early summer.
I finally located the place on Dickson Street and realized that I'd passed it several times and never gave it much thought. It sets back off the street and is kind of easy to pass on by.
After finding a parking place I managed to get in ahead of a bunch of very young giggling college girls and located the boy.
We had an excellant meal. (I highly recommend the Cheeseburger Cheeseburger Pizza)Afterward we visited a bunch about his bike and made arrangement to get out to me for repairs. He kind of let it go in a couple of areas while he was in Irac. That out of the way he roared off to homework and I headed back toward the house.
With a little luck I'll have his bike back on the road in a day. The biggest problem is getting it out here. Neither of us have a truck or trailer. But it's all good. It'll come together.
It was a short ride only managed 27 miles. But I had fun.
catch ya on the road
Rallys and ridin around
ten 9 Twelve
3
365 group (f)
Since the Bikes,Blues and Bar B Que rally I have been doing lots of riding. Several miles and going really nowhere. Usually I would start out to work with a great early morning ride in cool weather. The end of the day was usually a little warmer and made for some of the best riding. A lot of days there were errands to run, parts to pick up and things like that. Then there were little side trips that were only going to be a few miles to be able to say that I had actually had a ride somewhere. These are the evenings that turned into getting home in the middle of the night. Add all of those little trips up and it came to just a little over 1700 miles in a large trip of several days that really did go no where. But it was the end of summer and the weather was about the best for riding that we have here. It really was great. One evening it was a quick seventy miles to show a friend the Natural bridge at Alum Cove National forest recreational area.
Other times it was a breakneck run to the barbecue joint. Ya know how it goes, last one there buys.
All of this is a preparation for the really big event in the riding year in NW Arkansas...
the Polar Bear Ride.
January 1. With only one cancelling factor, ice on the road, for a select few this is the one event that defines the year for a rider. For others it's "just too cold" to get out. (as in the year the temps hit the lower 50's)
It's not much. Not a poker run or anything organised. You just saddle up and head out to a local restaurant to be counted as one who rode. You even get to buy your own lunch. However you do get to stand in any crowd and puff your chest out and say "yep! I'm a polar bear."
catch ya on the road
3
365 group (f)
Since the Bikes,Blues and Bar B Que rally I have been doing lots of riding. Several miles and going really nowhere. Usually I would start out to work with a great early morning ride in cool weather. The end of the day was usually a little warmer and made for some of the best riding. A lot of days there were errands to run, parts to pick up and things like that. Then there were little side trips that were only going to be a few miles to be able to say that I had actually had a ride somewhere. These are the evenings that turned into getting home in the middle of the night. Add all of those little trips up and it came to just a little over 1700 miles in a large trip of several days that really did go no where. But it was the end of summer and the weather was about the best for riding that we have here. It really was great. One evening it was a quick seventy miles to show a friend the Natural bridge at Alum Cove National forest recreational area.
Other times it was a breakneck run to the barbecue joint. Ya know how it goes, last one there buys.
All of this is a preparation for the really big event in the riding year in NW Arkansas...
the Polar Bear Ride.
January 1. With only one cancelling factor, ice on the road, for a select few this is the one event that defines the year for a rider. For others it's "just too cold" to get out. (as in the year the temps hit the lower 50's)
It's not much. Not a poker run or anything organised. You just saddle up and head out to a local restaurant to be counted as one who rode. You even get to buy your own lunch. However you do get to stand in any crowd and puff your chest out and say "yep! I'm a polar bear."
catch ya on the road
Sunday, October 10, 2010
Another run through the hills
365 Group (f)
Everything had settled down around here for the most part. That meant it was time for another run through the hills.
At about 8 am on Saturday 10/09/10 I sent a message to some friends and relatives that said they wanted to go for an over night trip the next time I went. I put it pretty plainly "the herd is leaving and if your not part of it your still standing at the trough". No one showed.
I pulled out around eight thirty and headed toward Hwy 412. I had another witch doctor appointment at the clinic in Harrison to have my blood boiled at ten and after that I didn't have any real plan. With no one with me I decided to just wander.
After the ceremonial rattling of bones, grunting and all that went with it, they finally told my chaperon that I could go with the warning that I probably shouldn't drive. That's DRIVE....no where at any time did anyone say one word about riding. Seriously I was doing pretty good as I slept through most of the deal.
Now the trip actually began and as everyone knows a trip can be measured by the food you find along the way. This one was going to be a good one.
I left Harrison and headed down hwy 7 South. The day was just perfect for riding. Even the car traffic seemed behaved. I didnt have a plan in mind and no one along to help me make one so I just ambled here and there.
I managed to stop here and there and visit old friends. I even got to take a few pictures of the country side.
At about the 300 mile mark I found myself pulling into my place at Deer. I had been a few months since I had been down and visited with family and friends. I managed to catch us some and had a really good dinner with mom. When I woke up the next morning I felt like I had been on a battery charger all night. After visiting a bit over breakfast I decided to head straight back to the house and work some on my other bike.
I was making great time. The bike was running good...like it was firing on both cylinders. I was doing so good I pulled off at a rest area to drink some water and wave at the tourists that were riding through. Thats when this trip went south as they say.
I looked at a cord spot on a fairly new back tire. This was not a good thing as I was still about 75 miles from the house. I was also about that far from anywhere else. To top everything off I was in a cell phone dead spot for several miles. Finally as I sipped water I decided to make a run toward the house. I fired up and hit the road taking it easy for about 20 miles. Thats when it hit me, The shop is open today. I began to feel better as I thought about all the other things that had broken on trips and I managed to "get on down the road".
I pulled into the shop and checked on when I had bought the tire, Doing a little figuring, all I has on the tire was about six thousand miles. Phil at Majestic Power Sports looked for me another tire and found that he didnt have one in stock. We kicked things around and finally found a front tire for a sport bike that would work. And work it did. It even looked kind of cute on there.
I settled up with Phil and eased out on the highway. I decided to run it down the highway for a while so I could get used to how it rode before I got into any curves. I was surprised. That skinny tire held the road good and did real well in the cures.
I pulled into the house and noted 478 miles. It had been a good trip even with the tire.
catch ya on the road
Everything had settled down around here for the most part. That meant it was time for another run through the hills.
At about 8 am on Saturday 10/09/10 I sent a message to some friends and relatives that said they wanted to go for an over night trip the next time I went. I put it pretty plainly "the herd is leaving and if your not part of it your still standing at the trough". No one showed.
I pulled out around eight thirty and headed toward Hwy 412. I had another witch doctor appointment at the clinic in Harrison to have my blood boiled at ten and after that I didn't have any real plan. With no one with me I decided to just wander.
After the ceremonial rattling of bones, grunting and all that went with it, they finally told my chaperon that I could go with the warning that I probably shouldn't drive. That's DRIVE....no where at any time did anyone say one word about riding. Seriously I was doing pretty good as I slept through most of the deal.
Now the trip actually began and as everyone knows a trip can be measured by the food you find along the way. This one was going to be a good one.
I left Harrison and headed down hwy 7 South. The day was just perfect for riding. Even the car traffic seemed behaved. I didnt have a plan in mind and no one along to help me make one so I just ambled here and there.
I managed to stop here and there and visit old friends. I even got to take a few pictures of the country side.
At about the 300 mile mark I found myself pulling into my place at Deer. I had been a few months since I had been down and visited with family and friends. I managed to catch us some and had a really good dinner with mom. When I woke up the next morning I felt like I had been on a battery charger all night. After visiting a bit over breakfast I decided to head straight back to the house and work some on my other bike.
I was making great time. The bike was running good...like it was firing on both cylinders. I was doing so good I pulled off at a rest area to drink some water and wave at the tourists that were riding through. Thats when this trip went south as they say.
I looked at a cord spot on a fairly new back tire. This was not a good thing as I was still about 75 miles from the house. I was also about that far from anywhere else. To top everything off I was in a cell phone dead spot for several miles. Finally as I sipped water I decided to make a run toward the house. I fired up and hit the road taking it easy for about 20 miles. Thats when it hit me, The shop is open today. I began to feel better as I thought about all the other things that had broken on trips and I managed to "get on down the road".
I pulled into the shop and checked on when I had bought the tire, Doing a little figuring, all I has on the tire was about six thousand miles. Phil at Majestic Power Sports looked for me another tire and found that he didnt have one in stock. We kicked things around and finally found a front tire for a sport bike that would work. And work it did. It even looked kind of cute on there.
I settled up with Phil and eased out on the highway. I decided to run it down the highway for a while so I could get used to how it rode before I got into any curves. I was surprised. That skinny tire held the road good and did real well in the cures.
I pulled into the house and noted 478 miles. It had been a good trip even with the tire.
catch ya on the road
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
Bikes, Blues & Bar B Que 2010
Bikes, Blues & Bar B Que...Arkansas answer to Sturgis. At least that's how one fellow explained it to me outside a pub on Dickson street at the height of this years rally. Take into consideration that he had, by his own admission, had one too many shots of "Makers Mark".
This years rally was for me a lot more fun than years past as it seemd to be less crowded. Dickson Street is about half a mile long where the rally is held and to have several thousand people tramping back and forth is an experience.
I had met a group of folks at last years rally that liked my photographs and my explanation of them so this year they asked if I would shoot the whole thing for them. As many as I could or wanted to. Heck! They were even paying me. So I dusted off my trusty sony and rounded up several spare memory sticks.
All in all I came away with a bunch of new friends from various parts of the country and around 400 shots of the get together.
Along the street were just about every kind of bike you could have ask for. As they say "something for everyone". Mostly it seemed that the baggers were the prefered ride of the masses but there were a few unique and unusual rides sprinkled through out.
to be continued...once I finish getting my duckies in a row.
This years rally was for me a lot more fun than years past as it seemd to be less crowded. Dickson Street is about half a mile long where the rally is held and to have several thousand people tramping back and forth is an experience.
I had met a group of folks at last years rally that liked my photographs and my explanation of them so this year they asked if I would shoot the whole thing for them. As many as I could or wanted to. Heck! They were even paying me. So I dusted off my trusty sony and rounded up several spare memory sticks.
All in all I came away with a bunch of new friends from various parts of the country and around 400 shots of the get together.
Along the street were just about every kind of bike you could have ask for. As they say "something for everyone". Mostly it seemed that the baggers were the prefered ride of the masses but there were a few unique and unusual rides sprinkled through out.
to be continued...once I finish getting my duckies in a row.
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