9/24--27/2014


 The annual Bikes, Blues and BBQ Motorcycle rally was this week. I spent the week seeing it from all sides since it is in my back yard, so to speak and I finally had the time off to go and spend some time.
 The bikes began building up on Wednesday on the main drag, Dickson Street, around the local bars and night clubs. Not too much through the day as the town doesn't really gear up till the end of the week. From all that I heard the local campgrounds and motels were filled by the first day.
  It was really hard to gauge the amount of people that were showing up this year, there wasn't a lot of bike traffic on area roads compared to previous years.   This years rally was spread over a large area to relieve congestion and I"m sure the attendance numbers that are reported will be bigger than years past.
  I had the new "boss" wandering around with me after she was done with work each day.

That was a lot of fun. This was the first rally she has been to and says she had a blast.
 (maybe I can talk her in to going again?)

  The rally sponsors a beer garden with live music and it stayed packed to standing room only after the sun went down.

The vendors were out in force and you could find barbeque just about everywhere. Some of it was actually pretty good.
 As the week progressed the bikes piled in and it took on the air of an actual bike rally.

This years rally was a lot of fun and it had a little something for everyone that showed up. (even us old guys.)

         

  Some of the sights were easy on the eyes  while others, not so much... lol.

Better than all that, the best part of Bikes, Blues & BBQ is the area roads. Lots of twisty mountain roads with some really great scenery, all in a real laid back part of the world.

 Looking forward to next year.

  catch ya on the road

9/15/14

 Today was a good day for bikin...not necessarily for ridin as it started out raining.

  The new old girlfriend had some last minute work to catch up for her business so I spent the morning taking stock of what I needed to repair/replace on my two main rides. My seat cover repair from back at the start of spring had finally let go. A longer throttle cable was needed for the Schwinn high rise handle bars. Finding a seat wasn't a problem as Ebay is littered with them. All I had to do was wade through nine thousand pages of seats... I use the Bates solo style and it only took a few minutes to see that they had gone up in price.
  The gal friend came back to the office about the same time I found the seat and agreed that they were high. I put my seat search on hold and we headed out to the tourist town of Eureka Springs. Not a bad little place, loaded with junk and gift shops. Plus a bunch of good places to eat,
  Last trip we hit the down town part of things so this time we decided to look around along the highway. Surprisingly I found a couple of small mom -n- pop type motorcycle shops. The first one catered to the bikers that were passing through and really didn't have anything for older bikes. The second however was a dream. They had most of the old bikes I had had and lusted after in my youth. Bridgestone's, Honda's, AMF Harleys....They were all there. All appeared to be 100 percent. I spent several minutes drinking it in and showing the different ones to the gal friend and explaining a misguided youth on two wheels.
  Once I finally made it inside I found all kinds of parts that I could use. One of those places your always looking for. As I ambled around looking at everything the gal friend found me a seat. Just like I had set up to order from Ebay. All told it actually came in cheaper. Yep! Miss Tilley is sporting a new seat.

  Have plans to run back over later in the week as they also make cables to length.
  We found a decent restaurant and had an early dinner. On the way home we discussed something....I'm sure we did. Anyway, she said she had a good time looking through junk shops and chasing bike parts. (Think I may have a keeper here?)
  Like I said today was a good 'bikin' day.

  catch ya on the road      

9/4/14

 Retirement finally got here with all the fanfare you'd expect. Friday August 31, was my last official day. I was about as ready to go as a person can get.
  These last few days I have been making an effort to settle in to doing nothing. So far it's working. I am back to doing some riding again and that always feels good.
  Yesterday I took a trip to get out of the house and just ride. I headed east away from the town traffic and got on the new highway. Once there I could open up and let the old bike run a bit. It was good to just sit and listen to the engine hum. About thirty five miles in I got off the highway and started through the mountains. It was a good morning for riding, the Sun was out and the air was cool.  As I got into the mountains I noticed a wobble and quickly wrote it off as the rough, cracked road I was on. It was noticeable though and stayed with me after I got off the rough roads. After about seventy miles I decided I needed to check it further . I made a detour to my bothers place and his shop. At a small crossroad on the way to my brothers a group of seven bikes blew passed me. They were heading my way and really hauling it. I pulled in behind them and followed a pretty fair speed. I wasnt sure with each curve if  "Clemontine" would hold together. I grew up on these roads and the curves. They aren't really for the faint of heart rider. Watching the group ahead of me I was impressed. They were either very accomplished or very lucky. At a small hilltop gas station, a wide spot between two good curves literally on a hilltop I got to get a good look at the riders I had been following. As I rounded the curve they were stopped dead in both lanes. I was moving along pretty go so when I started gearing down and they heard and saw me coming up on them, they all literally jumped off their bikes and pushed them out of the road. I kid and talk a lot about posers, those however were the first actual ones I've ever seen. They were the real deal.
 I made it on to my brothers shop and we looked over the bike from front steering bearing to tail light without finding anything. That left rider error. Satisfied I visited some then headed back to the house. Still thinking about the way the bike was riding I stopped off and rechecked my tire pressure. At about twenty five miles, as I was going down the mountain, it started again and seemed to get worse the farther I went. I limped it along through the valley and finally it got so bad I pulled over to 'FIND' the problem. Sure enough I found it. Back tire was flat. Now here I am about forty miles from home, in a valley with zero cell service. I was pretty much stuck with one option and I sure didnt like that plan. Walking hasnt appealed to me in years. I finally decided that a plan B was needed and figured out I needed to flag some one down and ask them to call my brother. Several cars and even a few bikes passed by but none even slowed down a couple even sped up as they passed. Finally a Forest ranger stopped and agreed to make a call for me when he got back into a service area. Soon after a guy driving a tractor stopped and promised he call for me as well. I could hear the Calvary coming. All would be good. My brother showed up ready to change the tire along side the road. Turns out it was a leaking valve core. All tightened up and aired up and back on the road in only three hours.
 I rolled into the house fed the pups, said howdy to my bird Woodrow and checked on everything then headed out to dinner. I got back in a couple of hours later to find my bird had died. That was kind of a shock. Just two hours before he was singing and dancing like he always did. That hurts! He was my buddy. He was with me through all the cancer crap and everything I got into. He was the perfect partner. I dont know but I think he was 15 years old. I not sure how you translate that to horse-dog years but everone says that was old for him. Guess his heart gave out? I'm really going to miss him.
  So the day wasnt the greatest. Hopefully tomorrow will be better and I can get in some miles without problems or folks dying.

 catch ya on the road   

8/23/20014

 Today begins the count down in earnest. Five working days left. Retirement from a career that has made it thirty seven years.   Doubt it will matter to anyone in a hundred years.

 This last couple of months have been busy with a little bit of everything getting ready for my upcoming becoming a bum.
 I have finally came to terms with the fact that I only ride. Sold my "hoover-round!" A neighborhood kid needed a first car. So I fixed him up. Really miss that little car.  Now all I have left is an worn out old motorcycle or seven. Any way the new employer/business partner seems to think it's OK.

 I have been herding Clemontine up and down the road since her return from Texas. I have about got all the little issues worked out making her as dependable as when I first bought her seventeen years ago. Like the other gal in my life "miss tilley", it's a work in progress. 
 I'm planning to get back into traveling around the country and dabbling in photography. Don't that sound "special?" 
 Now that you have all the news you just cant live without..... don't you just feel better?

 Hope to catch ya on the road

7/19/2014

Today's ride started out to be a good one. The weather was perfect for putting on the miles.  Moderate temperatures always help.

  I have been working out all the little kinks in Clementine since I got her back from Texas. Today was going to be a major test run of about three hundred miles. Things didn't go my way so my test run was only to work. But what a ride it was....  The biggest starter issue seems to be all worked out and it's more or less leaving me with a feeling of "yeah it's going to work when I want to go." 

 The speedo and all the other little gremlins seem to finally be holding together. So a couple of oil weep issues and we'll totally be in business.

  Maybe a ride tomorrow will work out? 

  Catch ya on the road

So far the summer has been really good.

 The weather has been just about perfect for riding.
 Mostly my rides have all been local but fun just the same. As I have said before there is a lot to be said for riding to do your grocery shopping or buying a new weed whacker. The list of errands to run is endless and the roads here are just the right mix of hills and curves.
  Also, I've been spending quite a bit of time working closely with the new boss on new projects and am actually getting a few things done. I'm even considering a new ride. Maybe something large and obnoxious. .. like a Goldwing bobber?
  My kickstart training class is in full swing. Most don't get it but I'm trying to keep an almost lost art alive. It's a simple program. You come by my house in the morning before I go to work and kick on Miss Tilley until she fires up. I come out and pat you on the back and let you know what a wonderful job you've done. This class is especially effective for me in the winter. So if you think you'd like to learn an almost art, we still have openings. .. operator's are standing by to take your call.
 Tomorrow is going be a productive day.  Heading out to get the doctoring process restarted and take a few pictures along the way. It's supposed to be a grand day with the promise of sunny miles.

 Catch ya on the road

7/5/14

After spending a few weeks on rearranging things at the house and getting Clementine back home I'm about ready to get back to riding around as per usual.
 I just got word that my boss crashed her bike. Apparently a car pulled out in front of her. She's OK and now fully understands the term "road rash."
All in all, I think it's going to be a great summer


Catch ya on the road