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

Lake Erie Winery Run

What a great run, and an opportunity to meet new friends and swap stories. But it was questionable whether or not it would even happen! At 4:00am, I was awaken by tornado warnings, and a tornado watch remained in effect long after we left. As Henry rode about 1 mile to my house, a cloudburst occurred. It lasted only a few minutes, still soaking him to the skin. Then after we left, about 6 miles down the road, his bike needed to have a part tighten. So we stop and he tightens it in just about 5 mins. But then, as I try to start my bike, I get nothing...nothing at all. So we took the side off my bike to check fuses, then the seats to check the battery. Luckily, after 15-30 mins, we narrowed it down to a loose battery connection. So we headed off and still made it to Bucyrus just a couple mins late.


In the picture below, we all gathered in Bucyrus and posed for this pic. From the left it is Henry (a friend of mine), April and Brad, Theresa and Jeff (friends of DavidRN), DavidRN and Maura. Remember to click on the picture for a larger version!

We headed to the wineries, but made a pit stop in Castalia. 30 years ago or so, there was a Road Side attraction called Blue Hole. It was billed as a bottomless pit fed oxygen-less water that gave an illusion of infinite depth and water clarity. Now, that water is the source for a trout farm run by the state. Dozens, if not hundreds of fish are in the creek and stack to have people feed them bread or popcorn.

After we hit the wineries, Jeff came up with the idea of stopping at Big Boppers for a hardy lunch. Here are all the bikes, lined up in front of the restaurant. You can find the establishment at 7581 E Harbor Rd, Lakeside Marblehead just outside of Port Clinton.

What great food – from breakfasts of sausage gravy & biscuits, to lunch of award winning chili ("Real Chili should never have beans in it") or a fried walleye sandwich. And with a bunch of new friends to share it, what could be better?

But like all good rides, there is a time to start the return route. With DavidRN and team living east, they opted take a more direct route home. But with all the chili and beans that he had to eat, poor Maura was going to have a challenging ride home. Not one to let an opportunity pass by, he also opted to light up a stogie to add a little more aroma for that trip home. And, if things worked out just right, there might be enough heat to spark a methane blast!

So April and Brad, Henry, and I headed down Rt 53. We fought wind gusts all the way home. Had to have been upwards of 35mph or more! Felt like it was going to rip the helmet off my head, and leather jacket off my body. On the way, we ran across these Prop planes that we were told flew in the Pacific theater and the European theater in WWII. You can be the judge of that, I just thought they were cool! And with Kermit (my bike) alongside, you can see the size of these giants.

Day in Findlay

Took the afternoon off today, and went for my first "ride" of the year. Not the longest, but well over 100 miles anyway. Rode up to Findlay, and met a few friends at CoffeeAmici (http://www.coffeeamici.com/). It is a nice coffee house in downtown Findlay. It is very nice place, owners are bike owners. I get up there every chance I get.

I stopped over to a local restaurant. Got the worse beer, but the best quesadilla. It looked like a normal family restaurant. BUT I was the only guy there, and I saw one of the girls pull her top over her head showing just her bra! She was really cute too. Before she left, I ordered a beer for her and talked with her. She swore that it was an accident, but I am not sure - both she and the waitress were giggling about it!

After that, I had some free time, and rode over to a lake. Nice place to spend a few minutes walking around, thinking about things. I decided to lay down for a few minutes, just to close my eyes. Guess I fell asleep! It has been a tough week...

Rode back on a different road for about 1/3 of the way. It is amazing what you can find in rural Ohio. Anyway, got back home, and then took the kids out for some ice cream. Not a bad Saturday, if you ask me!!!

Lake Erie Run

Here is what I am thinking of for a Lake Erie run.

Thinking of meeting up at the Delaware Reservoir Dam on Rte 23 just north of Delaware, then hitting Bucyrus for the Mural. A couple wineries on the near the lake, stop at the beach at Lake Erie, hit an Irish pub for lunch, and then back. Round trip, around 250 miles. Plenty of stops, mixed riding (some highway, some backroads). Plan for a full day.

Here is a map of my current thoughts on the ride (click on image for larger view):

Here is a closeup map of the lake area for the ride (click on image for larger view):

Dang, foiled again

Planning for a great weekend ride....but thunderstorms are coming, cold temps. Just not what I want to ride in for the weekend. Arghhhhhh......

Artsy Ride

I took a couple hours today and got onto Kermit for a ride. Up route 33 to Indian Lake, and took a ride around the park and the lake itself, out onto islands, on peninsulas, and just next to the water. It was a cool ride, but for me it was perfect. Took several pictures of Kermit next to the water. For something different, I am posting some negatives of the shots. Artsy, eh? grin...

Oh. and remember those deep scratches I talked about in my previous post? It was grime of some sort that cleaned right up with a little alcohol!

Who scratched my bike?

Several months ago, I noticed a scratch on the fuel tank. I was upset that somebody scratched my beauty! Did it happen at a parking lot, did the kids do it? It is on the side of the tank where I could not have done it.

Then a couple weeks ago, I saw a huge (to me) gauge on the tank - a deeper scratch that went all the way to the metal. WHAT THE HECK! I started trying to figure out who was scratching my bike. A friend was over, and asked if it was possible that my buckle on my jacket did it? "Naw" I told him, "I don't ride bent over like that."

Then I went for a ride. I reached over for my helmet (I usually put it on the riding peg). I hesitated as I grabbed the helmet, with my belt buckle right where the scratch was. DANG! I have been a bad bad boy...I got some touch-up paint (base, color, clear coat) and will see what I can do to touch it up. Cannot be any worse than it is now!

Early Morning yearnings

I am up early this morning, taking my son to school. The sun is shining, the talking heads on the TV are dwelling on the beautiful today, and I hear motorcycle after motorcycle leave for work. In talking with a friend, he is antsy to start is bike trip out west.

My Kermit sits in the garage, wanting to get out and run...maybe it is time for 1/2 day vacation. We shall see.

Kermit Key

Just finished making my (first?) custom key for Kermit (the Nomad). Its a little frog with a key embedded. These are not the best pictures, but gives an idea. Maybe tomorrow, I will be able to take some better pics.

Ah...bike night...where are ya ? ! ?



So - do you think it goes with the License Plate? :-)