2008 Angola Rally

Lugnut and Barbara - what great hosts they are! Food, ice, booze, coffee, chairs, campfire, grassy area for tents...what more could you want?!? I spent about 500 miles on the bike, and had a great time getting there. I was a day late, but made it. People flowed in and out all day Friday and Saturday, and then all left Sunday morning. Met some new people, and hooked up with some old friends. This is what riding and rallies are all about for me!

I spoke with some of the local residence of Walden Woods who wanted to know what happened Friday night. They came over to the our gathering at around 10:30, but we had all gone to bed! :-)

Click on the pictures if you want to see a larger version!



The beer does amazing things to your vision...Ahhh...the colors...


And there were multiple kinds of animals there!



It was really hot riding back. I stopped in New Haven, outside of Fort Wayne. It was a nice park just across from a golf course, and I had it all to myself. I sat in the pavilion for 20 mins, drinking a bottle of water and had a cigar that I had been saving for just such an occasion.

I refuse to ride without my protective gear. It was so hot and humid that I pulled my t-shirt off and road with just my textile jacket. And for those who cringed, it is machine washable!

About an hour later, I made one more stop at a local dairy queen type place, and grabbed a large diet pepsi. Took my jacket off and put shirt back on and sat outside while I drank the soda and rehydrated. Met a truck driver on his way to South Dakota.

Back on the road with just the jacket on again, and about 17 miles from home I hit storms and even a bit of hail. If nothing else, it cooled things down!

All in all, it was a good ride and a rally.

IT's HERE!!!

After packing, repacking, doing maintenance on the bike, adding new footpegs....yada yada yada... It is FINALLY TIME to hit the road. Sure, I had some last minute things to do this morning; some for work, some for family. And also the bike-needed to add air to tires, put on the electronics, check the air in the shocks, tighten the battery connection, add a couple tools to the saddlebag. Eventually got on the road...YEAH!!!

The highway opened up in front of my like embracing arms. The wind sung background to the country music in my helmet. The freedom swelled in my heart as the miles started ticking by. But then, about 1/3 of the way to the Fort, it occurred to me. I forgot my meds. I briefly entertained the idea of going without them...but it was a long time. So what would I be missing if I skipped them? - oh...blood pressure, diabetes...hmmmm, nope, not so good.

With a frustrating huff echoing in my helmet, I exited route 33, turned around and headed home. I put on nearly 100 miles in this little jaunt, but ended up where I started. Tomorrow, I start off early and don't stop except of a Gyro at King Gyro's in Fort Wayne, then on to the rally.

Second time's the charm, right?

The time is near

The Kuryakyn footpegs came today. A pair that looks just like this. Got a fairly good deal on ebay store for $101 and free shipping. MSRP is $150 plus shipping. These pegs provide for a lot of adjustments and should make the longer rides even more comfortable.

So I took off the EMGO's that I bought back in early 2006 for something like $17. They have done a great job for me, and highly recommend them for anyone looking for starter pegs, or a cost effective solution. Anyway, put the new pegs on, adjusting them so I can stretch out in a couple different ways. Tomorrow, I will take Kermit on a short run to try them out and make some fine tuning. I will probably making changes all summer to get them "just right."

I will finish my packing for the rally tonight, getting all the last minute things together into a single bag or two, traveling as light as possible. Tomorrow night after making final adjustments on the highway pegs I will load the bike with gear and clothes.

Weather looks good for Thursday and Friday as I take some time to explore Ohio and Indiana, and then make my way to the rally. There is some chance of rain over the weekend. So I will need to pack a little more than normal in case of the uninvited thunderstorm breaks in.

I so need this break. I have a lot going on at work and in my personal life. It is going to be great to get away from the day-to-day grind and visit some friends I have not seen in a long time.

After the rally, I am going to have to figure out how to schedule a few long weekends and take my tent, a few clothes, and hit the road by myself to contemplate my navel and place in the universe.

Getting ready for Angola Rally

I am getting more and more excited about the Angola rally in just over a week. I am taking a long weekend to take off Thursday, do some random riding around Indiana and Ohio, and end up at Rally Central on Friday. The extended forecast (which changes daily) looks pretty good going into the weekend.

I have nearly 10K miles on Kermit already. Hard to believe that I have spent that much time riding the highway. So there is some regular maintenance that I needed to do. But I think the bike is ready. I have changed the air filter to a K&N, cleaned the throttlebody of the little bit of carbon buildup from the high-octane fuel, adjusted the throttle speed, changed oil and filter and cleaned the oil screen. I have the backrest on the bike as well as the GPS. Things look good!

I am looking to add a couple of footpegs (upgrades from the existing), and adjust the handlebars, but those are optional things before I leave, and will likely have to wait.

Lake Erie Winery Run - Update

Brad and April added a few more pics. Easy to tell who the cute one is in the family! ;0