8/14/10

365 Group (f)

This morning the heat was down some and I was able to get out without feeling like I was in a toaster oven.
I loaded up my laptop and headed up to my friends shop. I wanted to do some work and also get the Virago ready for its trip to the “Vet”. After a couple of years I’m hoping it’s close to getting back on the road. Again, I’m hoping that a little carburetor work and a new set of fork seals will get me to the point that I can at least start rolling back and forth to work on it.
At the shop I couldn’t get a connection off the wireless system so that got put on hold. Besides its Saturday and nobody really wants to work on the weekend…do they??
After a little visiting I started tinkering the Virago. The battery was down so Luther suggested that we jump it from his truck. While he was maneuvering the truck in place I noticed gas dripping out of the front pipe. The front cylinder had flooded. We pulled the plug out and Luther turned the engine over to clear the gas out. I was a good six to eight feet away and got soaked with gas. Apparently it was full and I have a pretty fair amount of compression in my front cylinder. Everyone has one and MY opinion is that this 82 920 is the best mid size or single person road bike Yamaha has ever built. I’ve put it through its paces. Long and short trips. Rain sleet and snow. Never a let down.
After cleaning the plug with a torch, it fired up and sounded pretty good for a 28 year old with breathing problems. It had just over forty nine thousand miles when it quit me. Now I’m hoping to put at least that many more on it before something else takes it out of action.
We loaded the old gal in his truck and pretty much called it a day as the heat and humidity had risen noticeably. It even has an award winning Ford Escort Solenoid. A roadside design that in addition to providing tons and tons of class it actually works pretty well. One of those road side fixes that saved a bunch of bucks.
I reloaded Miss Tilley and headed down the hill toward the house to let my vermin out for a while. They always seem to appreciate it when I think of them.
Think that when the evening cool come around I'll ride down to the land of the big Cheese Burger and Wi Fi hotspot and try the work thing again.

“oh yeah, Bobbie, girl…your lips are moving as you read this.”

catch ya on the road

8/7/10 Piled up

365 group (f)
I piled mine up on the road today


Yesterday I was out of the picture most of the day due to health complications. Spending a good riding day in bed just sort of sucks.

I did managed to get out later in the day and headed to the grocery store. It was starting to cool a bit. Just for grins and giggles I hit the electric starter and the old gal fired up. I was amazed since the starter hadn’t worked in years. One of those pesky little things I’ve been meaning to get to. But hey, the kicker works and at the time this was my back up ride, so it really wasn’t pressing. The traffic was light and as I got up to speed I actually started to feel a bit better.
Even under the weather the ten miles to the store was really a quick ride. By the time I got there I was feeling good enough to think about tacking on a few extra miles.
I did my “Chicken Soup” shopping and headed back out. It hit me how bad off I was when I went to jump on the kick starter.
I decided against tacking on a few miles and headed back to the house. It was a good easy ride back to the house. Almost…
Pulling to my drive I managed to do everything wrong as best I can tell. I managed to hit a large bed rock that as far as I can remember had never been unfriendly toward me in the past. Once I hit the rock the front tire bounced and the frame slammed the rock then I slammed the ground. That in itself wasn’t such a bad thing for me or the bike as far as any major damage. Kind of like one of those low speed “parking lot” or turning around “off balance drops”, embarrassing, more than anything else. Really embarrassing since I didn’t have the strength to pick it back up. I was about a hundred feet or so from my normal parking spot. Yep, really embarrassing.
I called a close friend and got the old gal righted. Looking it over and thinking I’d need to let it set for a while before I tried starting it, I walked to the house and called it a day. (if I was lucky someone would drive by and steal it)
This morning I got out late after the meds took hold. (the bike was still there, guess I’m not all that lucky.) I fired up and brought it on to the house to do damage assessment. Not too bad. Cracked signal light lens, bent cruse peg. I headed up to the shop and with a little help hammered it all back together.
Now I’m heading out for another med run and repair shake down. Little luck and it’ll all hold together.
Catch ya on the road

8/6/10 Dogfight Daze

365 Group (f)
up and down the road again


Today was a blast. Work actually went by pretty mooth and was really over quickly. At least it seemed that way and I guess thats all that counts.

I had had a pretty fair ride in. Temps. were in I guess the mid 70's and apparently too cold for everyone else to ride as I didnt see any one else on a bike. I live in an area where most of the riders I know look for those perfect conditions to ride. I guess it's so their ride will be most memorable?
I had such a good time at work that I planned an evening ride to burn up a few miles and make the trip to the house a wee bit more fun.
Pulling out from work I hit an open spot in traffic and started the stop light shuffle. Coming up to the third light as it turned green I was attacked and found myself in a rather serious dog fight with a onry female on a GSXR. It was intense! Traffic light to traffic light as fast as I could. I knew that once we got out of the lights I was toast but hey, still had three left to go so I was doing what I could to make the best showing my 33 year old ride could. I was also having a great time and wondering why I wasnt being pulled over by the local "big hats." Never one to dwell on such I powered on.
Finally we rolled up to the last light and gearing down it changed to green. Luck was with me and I was in second which gave me the take off I needed. She was still running in a higher gear and didnt see the light until I was gone. "yippie ki yea"
She caught me as I hit 80 and insultingly rode along with me till it was over. Just as I hit the "ton" she, like all the firery ladies in my life, waved bye bye and was gone.
The rest of my ride home was just about perfect. Kind of really relaxing.
After pulling in at the house I inspected my machine for damage from this "dog fight" seems she shot off the driverside nose cone on my glass pack. Ah well. Something for tomorrows tinkering.

catch ya on the road

7/31/10 A lazy day

365 Group (f)
Herding up and down the road...again

Today was a great day for riding so I did. Not too far mind you but it was a good one.
I fired up the bike and headed out to the Cline Motor Works World Headquarters.
It was a quick ride and as I started getting into it it was time to pull in.
I made my way to the R&D section to get a look at what was new on the block. This trip it was a Dual Sport Goldwing. I for one was impressed! It looked like the best of both worlds. After all the work is done I should be able to get a few pictures of it. Right now, since it's still in the development stages, it's best that I don't.
After chatting up their lead designer, Luther, for a while I tinkered my old Virago a bit and finally gave up as the humidity was in a killer mode. I am hoping to finish it off soon and get to herding it around some.
Before I knew it it was time to get back on the road again. I got the dates for the annual polishing of the chrome for this year. (The polishing of the chrome is an annual event that to the hale and hearty among us rates up there with Daytona and that bagger fest in South Dakota.) Thinking to myself it should be a good one this year, I headed out.
Leaving Clines I headed east and logged a few miles looking over some minor bone yards and check with a few of the local riders in my quest for parts to finish off the Virago. Parts are coming slowly but they are coming together.
Now as I pursue a cup of coffee at a White Oak Station I'm using the other hand to type this and, hey, it's all good.
I got a 10 mile pud run ahead of me so......
catch ya on the road

7-11-10 Ridin around

365 Group (f)
Still herding mine around



I started out in a big wait this morning. An acquaintance said that she had bought a tasty older triumph and all that. I was planning to end this weekends festivities at Eureka Springs and invited her to ride over. She didn't make it and it was getting hotter so I pulled out.

The traffic was unusually heavy for this hour of a Sunday morning so I had more of an intense ride over than normal. Seems like the heat has brought out the "idjits." Most of them seemed to be pulling a boat, texting and in my lane. I finally made it over to Eureka ant the traffic was worse than the ride over. I made my way down through town and figured that I'd have to fight my way around, decided to give it up and go find a quick burger. The burger place wasn't too crowded and I got in and out pretty quick. I got it to go so I could get out of town and back toward the house as it was now really hot. With all the recent rains, humidity is killer today.

On my way out of town I found some riders beside the road looking over a map. I pulled in and found out that they werent lost, "just looking over their options". They were looking to run over toward Harrison and then up to Branson for Silver Dollar City and all that. I ate my burger and put them on the Hwy 62 fast track. No sense trying to "un lost" them any more than they were.

Running back toward the house I met several bikes and everything looked like they were trying to get back to a shady spot. I ambled along stopping here and there for a couple of pictures.

Since this morning really didn't go like I wanted with the heat, I plan to get back out later this afternoon. Maybe get in a few miles and have a good something or other for dinner?

The Richland creek bridge coming into town. The water looked low when I went through. I walked out and, yep! it was low alright. Normally it has a bunch more water in it. It's been so hot around here lately that even this little dab of wet looks sooo good.

Around 760 very quick miles. Maybe more?

Catch ya on the road

7-8-10 Another day in Gods country

365 Group (f)
Yep! I rode mine today



Today was a great day! The ride into work was about as good as a ride into work could be. Cool and light traffic, all too short.



I had a couple of old friends from my Texas days call out of the blue and ask if I wanted to get together. Seems that they had been riding a little and been promising their wives a trip. They wondered if I'd like to ride South and meet up with them? I thought it all over and since they twisted my arm and I cant take the pain, I "reluctantly" agreed to meet them. It sounded like the old days before everyone got all famous and started wearing a big hat when they "crooned" . We would just start and ride until we ran into each other. Should be all kinds of fun. So my weekend should be a good one.



The rain started for real a couple of hours before I left work. Good and slow. The area needed it so I cant complain. I pulled on my rain gear and plowed out into the after work rush. I'm here to tell ya, I had fun. Almost as much fun as that"kid that was shooting my face with a bb gun". Seriously, It was a good ride, even with the rain. I met a couple on a Harley and they were soaked to the bone and beyond. As we sat, waiting on a green light, they did say that "as miserable as it was, they were having a blast. They were from Springfeild, Mo and had been over killing the day at Eureka Springs.
My ride home was pretty uneventful and kind of soggy by the time I got to the house. I did notice that on days like this, I really enjoy the looks I get from people. Ya know. The "that boy ain't got good sense" looks.



(Alright Gary, I'll be heading your way tomorrow evening. See ya about Texarkana.)

So all in all, today was a good riding day I don't care who ya are.



Catch ya on the road

7-3-10 Bikes, Babes& Bling

365 Group (f)

I herded mine up and down the road today

This year is the first year for a new rally in my back yard. "Bikes, Babes and Bling," is geared toward the female rider.

Since it was so close to the house and I actually knew a couple of females that ride I figured that I could safely get away with showing up and taking a few pictures.

The morning started out really good for such a gathering. Warm and sunny. I grabbed up a couple of cameras and headed toward Fayetteville.

My ride over was a good one as I saw several bikes on the road and traffic was light.

Dickson street wasn't too congested when I got down there. There were several bikes parked along the streets. I found a space to park about midway of the block. Looking over the bikes, One kind of jumped out at me. I'm not too sure but this guy might be a spokesman for "John Deere".

The crowd was very small. I figured that it was probably due to the poker runs that were going on. As I made my way around I saw several vendors that covered most everything you could ask for in bike accessories. A bike show was going on and I wandered around taking a few pictures and finally I saw some locals that I knew. They told me that the threat of rain had send most of the local riders home. That plus the Rodeo of the Ozarks and two other organizations holding poker runs explained the very light turn out.

I managed to get some really good food at one of the local Mexican places and visited with a couple of locals and several riders from Kansas and Missouri.

The rain,mostly light, seemed to keep everyone away. It really wasn't that bad. Most of the people I saw were getting around in it with out too much trouble. I think this would have been a lot better if there hadn't been so much going on for it to compete with.

After talking top some of the event organizers I'm looking foreword to next years. I have a feeling that it will be like the "Bikes, Blues & Bar B Que" rally. It'll just keep growing and getting better.

These two young girls rode up from the Dallas area on a very nice looking Road King and a Slick newer Star. They made the Rally and didn't seem to be fazed by the weather or the light turnout. In the rush of the soggy moment they introduced themselves and I sadly say that I cannot remember their names. ("old age...old age" anyway that's the excuse I'm using) They had the Riders spirit more than most that I ran in to and seemed to be one heck of a lot of fun. The were looking for directions and since it was on my way I rode along with them for a few miles and pointed them in the direction they needed to go. I hope they had a safe trip.

This new rally was a fun one even with the light turn out. I hope more people see it as one to attend next year.

catch ya on the road.