April 21, 2014

     My brother-in-law called and said he was riding up from Fort Worth to visit mom.  He has a newer Harley-Bago that he was itching to get out and ride.  Sounded good to me and I arranged to take the coming Friday off to go down and visit.

     My ride over was a good one.  The temps are getting warmer and it went quick.  I pulled in and parked next to Harley's offering to the world of motorcycling and got in a few jabs at my brother-in-law about how his Winnebago was missing most of it's wheels.  We visited for a while and decided to make a run through the hills.  We managed about a hundred miles in really great weather.  The traffic was light and the roads were fun.  I headed back to the house and a really good ride.  It was just a great day for getting out and putting on the miles.

     On Saturday I spent the day working on a couple of project bikes.  I actually made some progress on one of them.  The other not so much.  I'll have to get it to the shop where they have more specialized tools.  I made arrangements for the shop and call Saturday a day.

    Sunday I gave mom a call to check on her and see how she was holding up under a house full of visitors.  I also wanted to find out when my brother-in-law Ray was heading back.  Mom said she was doing pretty good but Ray was going to be staying for a while.  Ray got on the phone and explained that he'd went out riding and managed to roll his Ultra Classic.  Nine broken ribs.  One broken ankle and several staples in his head.  Apparently Ray forgot that the curves here are a tad bit different than what he was used to in Texas.  The next morning I saddled up and headed down to moms to check on everybody in person.  This just seemed a little wild to me for some reason.  I had a good run through the hills and even managed to stop and visit with my Norton riding Doctor. 

     I pulled into moms drive and saw quite a sight.  On one hand a regular sight in this area....Harley on a trailer.  On the other hand I can't remember ever seeing one of Rays bikes on a trailer.  Or all torn up either.  From the looks of things most of the damage was cosmetic.  I looked it all over and there didn't seem to be any damage to the bike itself.  From the looks of everything the crash bars and saddle bags took the most of the wreck.  From what I could find out from a couple of shops in the area and different people, probably around $10,000 in cosmetic damage and shop time.  I didn't get to see Ray as they had taken him back to the hospital for further checking.  I visited with mom and then headed back to the house.

  

     This early spring in the hills makes for some great riding.  People come from all walks of life to vacation and ride through our mountains.  They create memories that last a life time on a motorcycle....Just like my luck as hell brother-in-law Ray.

remember the next ride is just a kick or two away....

A stormy weekend

Proud member of the 365 group
I rode mine today


This weekend, for the most part, has been a great one for riding or just doing nothing at all. The weather was on again off again warm and rainy. Even had a few thunderstorms and a few tornado's reported. We opted out of the charity poker run as my wife had a funeral to attend. So I worked in the shop and had a pretty good time.
My Yamaha is giving me real fits in that I cant get any fire through the system. After checking the entire electrical system I am at a loss. Guess it's back to the books on it. Maybe I got in too much of a hurry to get it back on the road? But in my defence, it is a lot of fun to ride.
As the weather gets better I am planning several trips through the hills. Scenic rides with lunch or dinner at the end of the first part. Then back home on a different route or sleep over at a park or rec site and a different route home the next day. Maybe even a fishing trip? Nothing big. A couple of hundred miles or so. Sort of like the old "Club runs" of the 60's.
I have been talking to a lot of people that are looking for a good way to kill a weekend and just get away. This will do it. Just take off and leave the cooking to someone else. All you'd really need is a sleeping bag. With gas prices soaring it would be a good cheap vacation.
Well it's time to get back to the grind and go tighten the chain on my Kawasaki. I have began to hear it hit the case and since right now it's my main ride and all, that's not good. Another reason I'm in a hurry to get the Yamaha going. It's shaft drive and I'm getting lazier by the day.
Hope to see you on the road.