Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Redeemed Rebels / Toy ride and website.
Danny H. sent me the Redeemed Rebels website. It has pics of the Nov. 29 toy run and more. It's the new addition to my Links. http://redeemedrebels.tripod.com/
Monday, December 1, 2008
New Link added
Danny H. sent me this link. Its a good one, so I added it to my links. Thanks Danny.
http://aa-ok.com/HDGalleryMisHD.htm
http://aa-ok.com/HDGalleryMisHD.htm
Sunday, November 23, 2008
The Barber Museum
You have got to check this out!! I'm adding it to my links so I don't lose it. I will be going on vacation to Birmingham, Alabama soon. http://www.barbermuseum.org/index.html
Saturday, November 22, 2008
Then came Bronson
Heres the link http://www.thencamebronson.tv/. Be sure and check out the video of the opening of the show, its a classic. I can remember that line as being one of the catalysts that got me into the motorcycling world. Theres also an old L&M commercial on the page.
I have the pilot movie of Then Came Bronson. I'm currently attempting to get the entire series.
I have the pilot movie of Then Came Bronson. I'm currently attempting to get the entire series.
Interesting Motorcycle Facts
Interesting motorcycle facts - from MCN
The pneumatic tyre was invented by John Boyd Dunlop in 1888 for use on push-bikes.
Boyd also invented the word “pneumatic”.
Slick tyres offer more grip in the wet than treaded tyres up to the point at which they aquaplane. Modern sports bike tyres don’t contain any natural rubber.
Front tyres disperse water at three times the rate of rear tyres.
When cornering, 75 per cent of a bikes grip comes from the front tyre.
The GS in GSX-R denotes four cylinders with overhead valves.
The X means four valves per cylinder and the R is for race replica.
Vespa means wasp.
Cucciolo (the name of the first Ducati) means puppy.
Hayabusa is the name of a Japanese falcon that preys on blackbirds (you gotta larf!).
It was also the name of a WW2 Kamikaze fighter plane.
Steve McQueen didn’t do the famous 65 ft motorcycle jump in The Great Escape.
American Triumph dealer Bud Ekins did it – in one take.
The first Honda motorcycles were pushbikes with generator engines for army field telephones bolted on.
Kawasaki also makes spaceships.
Yamaha makes swimming pools and unmanned helicopters.
Ducati once made radios.
BMW is the only current major manufacturer to reject the use of telescopic forks on its big bikes. Yet BMW was the first to use and patent them, on the R12 in 1935.
Devil, Satan and Lucifer have all been names of motorcycle manufactures.
Suzuki went from GP also-rans to world champions in 1962 after works MZ rider Emst Degner defected to the firm with all the company’s technology.
Yamaha started making bikes in 1954 but didn’t produce a four-stroke motorcycle until 1970, when the firm built the XS2 650 twin.
Harley-Davidson built push-bikes between 1917 and 1923.
The Kawasaki motorcycle division was established in 1962 for no other reason than to publicise Kawasaki ’s heavy industries, which was huge but unknown to the general public.
Evel Knievel holds the world record for breaking the most number of bones and surviving.
His real name is Robert Craig Knievil.
The nickname Evel is said to have been given to him by police when he was jailed alongside William (Awful) Knofel.
Knievel used a double in the film Viva Knievil.
During his stunt career, Knievil spent a total of three years in hospital.
When Knievil came to Britain to jump 13 buses at Wembley in 1975, he refused to drive his Cadillac on the left-hand-side of the road, insisting on driving on the right.
The Fonz (aka Henry Winkler) couldn’t actually ride a motorcycle.
In the 1970s cop show CHiPs, Larry Wilcox and Erik Estrada, who played bike patrolmen Jon and Ponch, were so dissatisfied when their Kawasaki Z1000s were swapped for BMWs that they put the BMW fairings on the Kawasakis and continued to use them.
Contrary to popular opinion, the motorcycles used in Easy Rider have not both been lost or destroyed. One of them, which was wrecked during filming, has been restored by Dan Hagerty, who played Grizzly Adams in the TV show of the same name.
No one knows what became of the Triumph 6T ridden by Marlon Brando in The Wild One. its worth £500,000.
Street Hawk only ran for 13 episodes.
Although BMW claims it has been making Boxer twins continually since 1923, production stopped for a few months in 1986 when the company decided its future lay in triples and fours.
Customer outrage persuaded the Germans to restart the twin-cylinder engine production lines. MZ invented two-stroke expansion chambers.
The current owners of Bimota-Lorenzo-Ducati is a direct descendant of the original founder of Ducati.
Cagiva is a shortening of the words Castiglioni - the founder - and Varese - the town where the company is based.
Triumph also makes golf balls.
Magnesium wheels are porous, and allow tyres to deflate if the protective paint is scraped off. The same process occurs with alloy wheels, only much more slowly.
Dynos only measure torque and engine speed.
Peak power is then calculated using a mathematical equation.
Titanium ore is abundant.
The reason its known as an expensive material is because its strength and hardness makes working with it difficult and costly.
Early bike helmets were lined with cork Before becoming famous for bike helmets, ARAI made helmets for building sites.
The founder of ARAI, Hirotake Arai was a stunt rider.
Princess Anne and George Harrison have both owned custom-painted ARAI helmets.
Barry Sheen’s King helmet was Bell Star helmet with a King sticker on it.
The term ‘motorcycle’ was first coined by British inventor Edward butler when he built a twin-cylinder tricycle prototype in 1885.
Some poly carbonate helmets are made from melted-down bottle crates.
Helmet manufacturer FM also make bottle crates.
British superbike rider Scott Smart is Barry Sheen’s nephew.
Smart’s mum 42, Maggie, was the first ever MCN grid girl in 1971.
Mike Duff, the Canadian rider who won the Belgian 250cc GP in 1964 and the Dutch 125cc in 1965 is now Michelle Dufff, following a sex change.
Castrol Honda makes a special sticky tape that improves airflow over race bikes’ bodywork.
Laid across the nose section, it allows the air to slip up and over the helmet and leathers of the rider more smoothly.
Under WSB rules, acid is used to check if a component that should be aluminium or steel, say it isn’t in fact titanium.
A colour change indicates the presence of exotic lightweight material.
The first motorcycle ever was the SH Roper 1869 steam cycle.
The first production bike to advertise a top speed of over 100mph was the Brough Superior.
The first bike to ever top 200 mph was supercharged 499cc NSU in 1956.
It achieved 211.4 mph The first rider to ever go over 300mph was Don Vesco in 1975, on a 1496cc Yamaha-engined streamliner.
The first production motorcycle was the 1488cc, 2.5hp Hilberand & Wolfmuller Motorrad, made in Germany from 1894-97 Super-fit Troy Bayliss has a resting heart rate of 36 bpm, around half the normal rate.
During a race, Bayliss’ heart rate rises to 186bpm. Nobody in the 2004 GP, WSB or BSB series has the number one plate on his bike.
Honda only started racing to win the TT, in 1959 with the RC142.
Jean-Phillipe Ruggia was the first racer to regularly get his elbow down without crashing.
When Valentino Rossi was five, his dad, Graziano, built him a go-cart to discourage him from getting into bikes.
Jim Moodie and Sean Emmett have both worn sanitary towels inside their helmets to stop sweat dripping in their eyes in hot conditions.
Joey Dunlop was once a passenger on a fishing boat that sank on the way to the Isle of Man TT. Brands Hatch started life as a grass track circuit.
“See God. Then back off” Kevin Schwantz on his late braking technique.
“I did not come here to (make love to) spiders. Rob Phillis , when asked about his ambition of a podium finish.
“You can only piss with the cock you’ve got” Neil Hodgson.
“If anyone can go faster on that Aprillia, [Mod edit]" Colin Edwards.
The con-rod of a sports bike engine at full chat is enduring alternate compression and tensile forces of 10 tons, 500 times a second.
The foot-operated sequential gear change was invented by Velocette’s Harold Willis in 1927. Shoei helmets have been known to withstand bullets.
The most technically complex production motorcycle ever was the Honda NR750 of 1992, with its oval pistons, eight valves per cylinder and two con rods per piston.
When torque in ft/lb. and power in bhp are plotted on the same scale, the curves always cross at 5252rpm.
In 10,000 miles, the average four-cylinder bike engine will have done 100,000,000 revs.
****’s angels’ founder Sonny Barger says in his autobiography that he prefers Japanese bikes to Harley Davidson!
Gatso speed cameras were invented by dutch rally driver Maurice Gatsonides.
The front page picture of the first ever MCN shows six tweed-suited gents drinking coffee together.
After he saw Honda NR750, Massimo Tamburini tore up his design for the Ducati 916 and copied all the Honda’s main styling cues.
Lawrence of Arabia was killed while riding his Brough Superior.
Under its own power, Triumph’s rocket III can accelerate 0-60mph at almost exactly the same rate as it would when dropped out of a plane.
Honda Super Blackbird riders crash, on average, once every 10 years.
One in five ungaraged bikes in inner cities gets stolen.
Insurance companies estimate that up to 25 per cent of bike theft claims are fraudulent.
An average of £50 from every bike insurance premium is spent on settling a relatively small number of very expensive personal injury claims.
On average, engineers are the most likely people to crash.
Lecturers are the least likely.
The first monkey-style bike, the excelsior welbike, was designed to be dropped from planes with paratroopers during world war 2.
The highest altitude reached by a land motor vehicle under its own power is 20,065ft by two Chinese Jinlong motorcycles on Mount Everest in May 2002.
The world’s smallest motorcyclist, Hungarian circus performer Pityu Toth, is only 2ft 4in tall.
__________________
The pneumatic tyre was invented by John Boyd Dunlop in 1888 for use on push-bikes.
Boyd also invented the word “pneumatic”.
Slick tyres offer more grip in the wet than treaded tyres up to the point at which they aquaplane. Modern sports bike tyres don’t contain any natural rubber.
Front tyres disperse water at three times the rate of rear tyres.
When cornering, 75 per cent of a bikes grip comes from the front tyre.
The GS in GSX-R denotes four cylinders with overhead valves.
The X means four valves per cylinder and the R is for race replica.
Vespa means wasp.
Cucciolo (the name of the first Ducati) means puppy.
Hayabusa is the name of a Japanese falcon that preys on blackbirds (you gotta larf!).
It was also the name of a WW2 Kamikaze fighter plane.
Steve McQueen didn’t do the famous 65 ft motorcycle jump in The Great Escape.
American Triumph dealer Bud Ekins did it – in one take.
The first Honda motorcycles were pushbikes with generator engines for army field telephones bolted on.
Kawasaki also makes spaceships.
Yamaha makes swimming pools and unmanned helicopters.
Ducati once made radios.
BMW is the only current major manufacturer to reject the use of telescopic forks on its big bikes. Yet BMW was the first to use and patent them, on the R12 in 1935.
Devil, Satan and Lucifer have all been names of motorcycle manufactures.
Suzuki went from GP also-rans to world champions in 1962 after works MZ rider Emst Degner defected to the firm with all the company’s technology.
Yamaha started making bikes in 1954 but didn’t produce a four-stroke motorcycle until 1970, when the firm built the XS2 650 twin.
Harley-Davidson built push-bikes between 1917 and 1923.
The Kawasaki motorcycle division was established in 1962 for no other reason than to publicise Kawasaki ’s heavy industries, which was huge but unknown to the general public.
Evel Knievel holds the world record for breaking the most number of bones and surviving.
His real name is Robert Craig Knievil.
The nickname Evel is said to have been given to him by police when he was jailed alongside William (Awful) Knofel.
Knievel used a double in the film Viva Knievil.
During his stunt career, Knievil spent a total of three years in hospital.
When Knievil came to Britain to jump 13 buses at Wembley in 1975, he refused to drive his Cadillac on the left-hand-side of the road, insisting on driving on the right.
The Fonz (aka Henry Winkler) couldn’t actually ride a motorcycle.
In the 1970s cop show CHiPs, Larry Wilcox and Erik Estrada, who played bike patrolmen Jon and Ponch, were so dissatisfied when their Kawasaki Z1000s were swapped for BMWs that they put the BMW fairings on the Kawasakis and continued to use them.
Contrary to popular opinion, the motorcycles used in Easy Rider have not both been lost or destroyed. One of them, which was wrecked during filming, has been restored by Dan Hagerty, who played Grizzly Adams in the TV show of the same name.
No one knows what became of the Triumph 6T ridden by Marlon Brando in The Wild One. its worth £500,000.
Street Hawk only ran for 13 episodes.
Although BMW claims it has been making Boxer twins continually since 1923, production stopped for a few months in 1986 when the company decided its future lay in triples and fours.
Customer outrage persuaded the Germans to restart the twin-cylinder engine production lines. MZ invented two-stroke expansion chambers.
The current owners of Bimota-Lorenzo-Ducati is a direct descendant of the original founder of Ducati.
Cagiva is a shortening of the words Castiglioni - the founder - and Varese - the town where the company is based.
Triumph also makes golf balls.
Magnesium wheels are porous, and allow tyres to deflate if the protective paint is scraped off. The same process occurs with alloy wheels, only much more slowly.
Dynos only measure torque and engine speed.
Peak power is then calculated using a mathematical equation.
Titanium ore is abundant.
The reason its known as an expensive material is because its strength and hardness makes working with it difficult and costly.
Early bike helmets were lined with cork Before becoming famous for bike helmets, ARAI made helmets for building sites.
The founder of ARAI, Hirotake Arai was a stunt rider.
Princess Anne and George Harrison have both owned custom-painted ARAI helmets.
Barry Sheen’s King helmet was Bell Star helmet with a King sticker on it.
The term ‘motorcycle’ was first coined by British inventor Edward butler when he built a twin-cylinder tricycle prototype in 1885.
Some poly carbonate helmets are made from melted-down bottle crates.
Helmet manufacturer FM also make bottle crates.
British superbike rider Scott Smart is Barry Sheen’s nephew.
Smart’s mum 42, Maggie, was the first ever MCN grid girl in 1971.
Mike Duff, the Canadian rider who won the Belgian 250cc GP in 1964 and the Dutch 125cc in 1965 is now Michelle Dufff, following a sex change.
Castrol Honda makes a special sticky tape that improves airflow over race bikes’ bodywork.
Laid across the nose section, it allows the air to slip up and over the helmet and leathers of the rider more smoothly.
Under WSB rules, acid is used to check if a component that should be aluminium or steel, say it isn’t in fact titanium.
A colour change indicates the presence of exotic lightweight material.
The first motorcycle ever was the SH Roper 1869 steam cycle.
The first production bike to advertise a top speed of over 100mph was the Brough Superior.
The first bike to ever top 200 mph was supercharged 499cc NSU in 1956.
It achieved 211.4 mph The first rider to ever go over 300mph was Don Vesco in 1975, on a 1496cc Yamaha-engined streamliner.
The first production motorcycle was the 1488cc, 2.5hp Hilberand & Wolfmuller Motorrad, made in Germany from 1894-97 Super-fit Troy Bayliss has a resting heart rate of 36 bpm, around half the normal rate.
During a race, Bayliss’ heart rate rises to 186bpm. Nobody in the 2004 GP, WSB or BSB series has the number one plate on his bike.
Honda only started racing to win the TT, in 1959 with the RC142.
Jean-Phillipe Ruggia was the first racer to regularly get his elbow down without crashing.
When Valentino Rossi was five, his dad, Graziano, built him a go-cart to discourage him from getting into bikes.
Jim Moodie and Sean Emmett have both worn sanitary towels inside their helmets to stop sweat dripping in their eyes in hot conditions.
Joey Dunlop was once a passenger on a fishing boat that sank on the way to the Isle of Man TT. Brands Hatch started life as a grass track circuit.
“See God. Then back off” Kevin Schwantz on his late braking technique.
“I did not come here to (make love to) spiders. Rob Phillis , when asked about his ambition of a podium finish.
“You can only piss with the cock you’ve got” Neil Hodgson.
“If anyone can go faster on that Aprillia, [Mod edit]" Colin Edwards.
The con-rod of a sports bike engine at full chat is enduring alternate compression and tensile forces of 10 tons, 500 times a second.
The foot-operated sequential gear change was invented by Velocette’s Harold Willis in 1927. Shoei helmets have been known to withstand bullets.
The most technically complex production motorcycle ever was the Honda NR750 of 1992, with its oval pistons, eight valves per cylinder and two con rods per piston.
When torque in ft/lb. and power in bhp are plotted on the same scale, the curves always cross at 5252rpm.
In 10,000 miles, the average four-cylinder bike engine will have done 100,000,000 revs.
****’s angels’ founder Sonny Barger says in his autobiography that he prefers Japanese bikes to Harley Davidson!
Gatso speed cameras were invented by dutch rally driver Maurice Gatsonides.
The front page picture of the first ever MCN shows six tweed-suited gents drinking coffee together.
After he saw Honda NR750, Massimo Tamburini tore up his design for the Ducati 916 and copied all the Honda’s main styling cues.
Lawrence of Arabia was killed while riding his Brough Superior.
Under its own power, Triumph’s rocket III can accelerate 0-60mph at almost exactly the same rate as it would when dropped out of a plane.
Honda Super Blackbird riders crash, on average, once every 10 years.
One in five ungaraged bikes in inner cities gets stolen.
Insurance companies estimate that up to 25 per cent of bike theft claims are fraudulent.
An average of £50 from every bike insurance premium is spent on settling a relatively small number of very expensive personal injury claims.
On average, engineers are the most likely people to crash.
Lecturers are the least likely.
The first monkey-style bike, the excelsior welbike, was designed to be dropped from planes with paratroopers during world war 2.
The highest altitude reached by a land motor vehicle under its own power is 20,065ft by two Chinese Jinlong motorcycles on Mount Everest in May 2002.
The world’s smallest motorcyclist, Hungarian circus performer Pityu Toth, is only 2ft 4in tall.
__________________
Nothing is more precious than time unspent.
I just now coined that phrase :). I guess everyone has noticed that I haven't posted in a while. I have excuses and here are two. I have been working many hours of overtime and I haven't had anything to post since I have been working so much overtime. I have been working overtime because its here. I know I'll regret it later but for now it's extra money. The bad thing is I missed going on those Fall rides I was looking forward to. Which gets me to the main theme of this post, time. I have fallen from grace I suppose. Years ago while working another job, I wasn't an OT hog like I am now. One of my favorite sayings then, one which I coined was, "you can always make more money, but you can never make more time".
You see, time/life is a collection of memories. The more good memories you have the better your life will be. We've all had times when we were feeling a little down. Sometimes when that happens to me, I'll think of the good times I've had in my life and things seem to get better. Because of all this overtime I've worked my good times have been few and far between.
Next year I'm going to rekindle that belief I once had, the part about money and time. There is nothing more important than time spent in a good place, doing something you love to do or just being with people you care for.
Next year I'm going to ride more and spend more time doing what I enjoy with whom I enjoy doing it with.
I'm looking forward to the ride I have planned for 2009. I'm going to circumvent Arkansas and I'm sure its going to be a blast. For now though, its back to work.
You see, time/life is a collection of memories. The more good memories you have the better your life will be. We've all had times when we were feeling a little down. Sometimes when that happens to me, I'll think of the good times I've had in my life and things seem to get better. Because of all this overtime I've worked my good times have been few and far between.
Next year I'm going to rekindle that belief I once had, the part about money and time. There is nothing more important than time spent in a good place, doing something you love to do or just being with people you care for.
Next year I'm going to ride more and spend more time doing what I enjoy with whom I enjoy doing it with.
I'm looking forward to the ride I have planned for 2009. I'm going to circumvent Arkansas and I'm sure its going to be a blast. For now though, its back to work.
Thursday, October 23, 2008
A letter from CP
CP sent me a letter the other day about what he did after BBBQ 2008. Melanie and CP went home for a day then decided to go for a ride through the Smoky Mountains. Heres what he had to say about it.
"After getting back from the Fayetteville motorcycle rally on Sunday, I needed to work on my bike. The shops are closed on Monday so Tuesday I picked up the parts. Tuesday night and Wednesday morning I changed out the intake manifold gaskets. Melanie's vacation was coming to an end, so we had to make every hour count. After a test ride, I felt good about the way the bike was running and the weather forecast in Tenn. and NC looked excellent. So, on Wednesday at 2 PM we left home on another trip "looking for adventure".
Melanie with the Ultra Classic in the Smokies a few years ago. On that trip they took the camper.
CP with the two Yorkies they take with them on their trips.
"Melanie and I have put alot of miles on my Ultra Classic so we often go 200 miles at a time, stopping only for gas. We rode 450 miles Wednesday and found a motel in Cookeville, TN around 11:30.
The next day we got up at 7 AM and rode 350 miles. Taking a back country road to Tellico Plains, NC, we rode the"CheroholaSkyway" http://www.westernncattractions.com/cherohal.htm and the "Tail of the Dragon" http://www.tailofthedragon.com/ a few times. The Tail of the Dragon has 318 curves in 11 miles. Afterwards we rode to Bryce City for the night.
The next day we rode to Maggie Valley, NC to see the "Wheels Through Time" museum http://www.wheelsthroughtime.com/. This is a museum that every motorcycle enthusiast should see. They started up some bikes for us, including one built in 1920 which was one of only three known to exist, it started on first kick. They claim to be the museum that runs, because they take exhibit bikes out and ride them. Great museum, as you can see by the website. "
CP at the Wheels Through Time Museum a few years ago. When this pic and the two below were taken, the museum was at Mt. Vernon, IL. It has moved to Maggie Valley, NC.
"We originally planned on heading back home that Friday after visiting the museum. We intended to ride Friday evening and stop at a motel by nightfall, then get up Saturday and ride the rest of the way home. By doing so we would have Sunday to recover and rest before the end of Melanie's vacation.
It didn't happen the way we planned. Our bike wouldn't start at the museum. Some kind people from Conn. and Fla. pushed it and it started. As soon as the engine was running, I noticed there was no voltage charging. I knew what the problem was, it had happened once before. The stator was out and this was something that had to be fixed before attempting a return home.
I removed the headlight fuse since it would otherwise have drained the battery quickly, then rode out following some hand written directions to the nearest Harley-Davidson dealership. The directions didn't specify whether to turn right or left at the various intersections. At every turn, I kept thinking I was going the wrong direction. This just added to the stress as my engine continued to progressively run poorly. Soon into the ride, my trusted old ride was wanting to cease running as the bike battery was rapidly being depleted. We could only reach about 30 mph and it was becoming difficult to keep the bike running. With it coughing, spitting and only hitting occasionally we pulled into Ghost Town Harley-Davidson in Waynesville, NC. and the engine died. About 40 minutes later I turned on the ignition and the battery hadn't recovered enough to make the LED on my radio visible. I had totally drained the battery limping to the dealership.
Ghost Town Harley-Davidson gave us the best service and consideration you could imagine. They put us ahead of their work schedule and had the stator replaced by closing time. Our mechanic, Jason, test rode the bike after closing time. He didn’t feel comfortable with us leaving. The battery wasn't fully charged, and he felt there would be too much strain on the charging system. He suggested we spend the night in the Lodge Motel, so we took his advice.
Jason took us to the Lodge Motel in his private car and the motel was even kind enough to give us a discount because of our dilemma. Another GTHD employee (can't remember his name) picked us up late the next morning in his car.
During the morning they load tested my battery twice, recharged it and decided the battery was still good. How could you possibly get better service than all this. It was like we were family. This dealership was so helpful, and went out of their way to take care of us. This is one of the best experiences that I have had with a Harley-Davidson dealership. I just can't make enough great comments about GTHD and all of the employees. It made us feel good to know there are still dealerships like this in America and being a HD dealership made it even better. It seemed like everyone from the shop to the showroom knew about our situation and different employees would continually keep up updated on the repair progress. Everyone was super nice to us and helped us feel at ease.
The dealership has a large selection of clothes and riding apparel that I'd never seen, which is another good reason to stop in at Ghost Town Harley-Davidson http://www.ghosttownharley.com/ in Waynesville, NC. If you are near that part of the country and need anything, stop by and give them some business.
Also tell them that I am especially thankful of how they treated us and repaired our 1998, 95th Anniversary Ultra Classic Electra Glide during Oct 3rd and 4th of 2008.
When the mechanics decided our bike was back to pristine condition, they wished us a safe and enjoyable ride. We set out again on the return trip in the early afternoon. Since we were much farther East than originally planned, we decided to ride "The Blue Ridge Parkway" http://www.blueridgeparkway.org/ into and through "The Great Smoky Mountains National Park" http://www.great.smoky.mountains.national-park.com/info.htm.
We also took advantage of the clear weather and and climbed "ClingmansDome," http://www.clingmansdome.com/ the highest point in TN. During my previous visits there, thick clouds usually covered the mountain top so this was a great opportunity. After riding the remainder of Smoky Mountain National Park, we took the back roads to I-40.
We again rode in 200 mile increments on I-40 to make up for lost time. After many hours we reached Jackson, TN, We didn't feel safe riding any longer since it was near midnight, so we stopped for the night. We were confident we could have ridden all the way through, but what would that prove. We would have arrived home around 4 am and then we would have felt worn out all day, so we opted for the nights rest.
Early this summer we visited our kids in Florida on the Harley. Returning home, we stayed on the bike for 18 hours and arrived home at 3:30 am. We had no desire to repeat that experience. After sleeping at the motel in Jackson, Tenn., we got up late Sunday morning, ate breakfast, then rode I-40 for the remainder of the trip. We stopped at a great Oriental restaurant called HO HO’s in Forest City. Very reasonably priced and many selections on the buffet. We arrived home near 4 pm.
Within ten days we rode 2300 miles. We rode 850 miles during four days at the Fayetteville BBQ motorcycle rally http://www.bikesbluesandbbq.org/ . After BBBQ we went home for a couple of days in order to work on the bike. Then off we went again and rode an additional 1430 miles in 4 1/2 days. We picked a great time to go, no rain, the leaves were turning at higher elevations and other than the stator going out, the bike ran great. We really enjoyed our trip and look forward to returning to the Smokies. When I do, I will definitely stop and visit Ghost Town Harley-Davidson in Waynesville, NC and thank them again. And if I spend the night, I'll stay at the Lodge motel.
Motorcycle trips just don't get any better than that. Sometimes it may take a little stress and worry like a mechanical failure for one to be reminded that there are still alot of good people in this world and a lot of them live near Waynesville, NC."
"After getting back from the Fayetteville motorcycle rally on Sunday, I needed to work on my bike. The shops are closed on Monday so Tuesday I picked up the parts. Tuesday night and Wednesday morning I changed out the intake manifold gaskets. Melanie's vacation was coming to an end, so we had to make every hour count. After a test ride, I felt good about the way the bike was running and the weather forecast in Tenn. and NC looked excellent. So, on Wednesday at 2 PM we left home on another trip "looking for adventure".
Melanie with the Ultra Classic in the Smokies a few years ago. On that trip they took the camper.
CP with the two Yorkies they take with them on their trips."Melanie and I have put alot of miles on my Ultra Classic so we often go 200 miles at a time, stopping only for gas. We rode 450 miles Wednesday and found a motel in Cookeville, TN around 11:30.
The next day we got up at 7 AM and rode 350 miles. Taking a back country road to Tellico Plains, NC, we rode the"CheroholaSkyway" http://www.westernncattractions.com/cherohal.htm and the "Tail of the Dragon" http://www.tailofthedragon.com/ a few times. The Tail of the Dragon has 318 curves in 11 miles. Afterwards we rode to Bryce City for the night.
The next day we rode to Maggie Valley, NC to see the "Wheels Through Time" museum http://www.wheelsthroughtime.com/. This is a museum that every motorcycle enthusiast should see. They started up some bikes for us, including one built in 1920 which was one of only three known to exist, it started on first kick. They claim to be the museum that runs, because they take exhibit bikes out and ride them. Great museum, as you can see by the website. "
CP at the Wheels Through Time Museum a few years ago. When this pic and the two below were taken, the museum was at Mt. Vernon, IL. It has moved to Maggie Valley, NC.
"We originally planned on heading back home that Friday after visiting the museum. We intended to ride Friday evening and stop at a motel by nightfall, then get up Saturday and ride the rest of the way home. By doing so we would have Sunday to recover and rest before the end of Melanie's vacation.
It didn't happen the way we planned. Our bike wouldn't start at the museum. Some kind people from Conn. and Fla. pushed it and it started. As soon as the engine was running, I noticed there was no voltage charging. I knew what the problem was, it had happened once before. The stator was out and this was something that had to be fixed before attempting a return home.
I removed the headlight fuse since it would otherwise have drained the battery quickly, then rode out following some hand written directions to the nearest Harley-Davidson dealership. The directions didn't specify whether to turn right or left at the various intersections. At every turn, I kept thinking I was going the wrong direction. This just added to the stress as my engine continued to progressively run poorly. Soon into the ride, my trusted old ride was wanting to cease running as the bike battery was rapidly being depleted. We could only reach about 30 mph and it was becoming difficult to keep the bike running. With it coughing, spitting and only hitting occasionally we pulled into Ghost Town Harley-Davidson in Waynesville, NC. and the engine died. About 40 minutes later I turned on the ignition and the battery hadn't recovered enough to make the LED on my radio visible. I had totally drained the battery limping to the dealership.
Ghost Town Harley-Davidson gave us the best service and consideration you could imagine. They put us ahead of their work schedule and had the stator replaced by closing time. Our mechanic, Jason, test rode the bike after closing time. He didn’t feel comfortable with us leaving. The battery wasn't fully charged, and he felt there would be too much strain on the charging system. He suggested we spend the night in the Lodge Motel, so we took his advice.
Jason took us to the Lodge Motel in his private car and the motel was even kind enough to give us a discount because of our dilemma. Another GTHD employee (can't remember his name) picked us up late the next morning in his car.
During the morning they load tested my battery twice, recharged it and decided the battery was still good. How could you possibly get better service than all this. It was like we were family. This dealership was so helpful, and went out of their way to take care of us. This is one of the best experiences that I have had with a Harley-Davidson dealership. I just can't make enough great comments about GTHD and all of the employees. It made us feel good to know there are still dealerships like this in America and being a HD dealership made it even better. It seemed like everyone from the shop to the showroom knew about our situation and different employees would continually keep up updated on the repair progress. Everyone was super nice to us and helped us feel at ease.
The dealership has a large selection of clothes and riding apparel that I'd never seen, which is another good reason to stop in at Ghost Town Harley-Davidson http://www.ghosttownharley.com/ in Waynesville, NC. If you are near that part of the country and need anything, stop by and give them some business.
Also tell them that I am especially thankful of how they treated us and repaired our 1998, 95th Anniversary Ultra Classic Electra Glide during Oct 3rd and 4th of 2008.
When the mechanics decided our bike was back to pristine condition, they wished us a safe and enjoyable ride. We set out again on the return trip in the early afternoon. Since we were much farther East than originally planned, we decided to ride "The Blue Ridge Parkway" http://www.blueridgeparkway.org/ into and through "The Great Smoky Mountains National Park" http://www.great.smoky.mountains.national-park.com/info.htm.
We also took advantage of the clear weather and and climbed "ClingmansDome," http://www.clingmansdome.com/ the highest point in TN. During my previous visits there, thick clouds usually covered the mountain top so this was a great opportunity. After riding the remainder of Smoky Mountain National Park, we took the back roads to I-40.
We again rode in 200 mile increments on I-40 to make up for lost time. After many hours we reached Jackson, TN, We didn't feel safe riding any longer since it was near midnight, so we stopped for the night. We were confident we could have ridden all the way through, but what would that prove. We would have arrived home around 4 am and then we would have felt worn out all day, so we opted for the nights rest.
Early this summer we visited our kids in Florida on the Harley. Returning home, we stayed on the bike for 18 hours and arrived home at 3:30 am. We had no desire to repeat that experience. After sleeping at the motel in Jackson, Tenn., we got up late Sunday morning, ate breakfast, then rode I-40 for the remainder of the trip. We stopped at a great Oriental restaurant called HO HO’s in Forest City. Very reasonably priced and many selections on the buffet. We arrived home near 4 pm.
Within ten days we rode 2300 miles. We rode 850 miles during four days at the Fayetteville BBQ motorcycle rally http://www.bikesbluesandbbq.org/ . After BBBQ we went home for a couple of days in order to work on the bike. Then off we went again and rode an additional 1430 miles in 4 1/2 days. We picked a great time to go, no rain, the leaves were turning at higher elevations and other than the stator going out, the bike ran great. We really enjoyed our trip and look forward to returning to the Smokies. When I do, I will definitely stop and visit Ghost Town Harley-Davidson in Waynesville, NC and thank them again. And if I spend the night, I'll stay at the Lodge motel.
Motorcycle trips just don't get any better than that. Sometimes it may take a little stress and worry like a mechanical failure for one to be reminded that there are still alot of good people in this world and a lot of them live near Waynesville, NC."
Congratulations CP and Melanie on another memorable ride.
Monday, October 13, 2008
Interesting Auction
I found this in the news today, oh boy. It amazes me sometimes how just thinking of a sentence reminds me of a song.
http://money.cnn.com/galleries/2008/smallbusiness/0810/gallery.Bidding_on_Legends.smb/index.html
http://money.cnn.com/galleries/2008/smallbusiness/0810/gallery.Bidding_on_Legends.smb/index.html
Friday, October 10, 2008
Thursday, October 9, 2008
I took time. BBBQ 2008
I just thought that was a good title. I took time, absolutely ridiculous isn't it, how can I take time? We've all heard that used before. I took time, I finally found time, I used up a lot of time, I don't have the time but I'll see if I can find someone that doe's, great time, it's about time, they say that in time...I could go on, but I wouldn't want to make myself sound anymore off center than I already have. Of course, when you really think about it... off center, I mean...what is off center...what is around the center. You know what, I feel like I'm leading myself to the place that many have been led to in the past. I think it's that ying yang thing. A conversation about time, space and oh man, that sounds like the Twilight Zone. I better stop right here.
In all seriousness though, I took the time through much trial and error to become slightly acquainted with Windows Media Movie Maker. I started out by just pasting some videos together and now I have finally succeeded in making my first with videos, pictures and music. Hopefully I won't get into trouble with some type of copyright law. If I'm not mistaken though, I can definitely use parts of copyrighted songs and then some songs are not copyrighted. Then of course I have found information that says I can attach copyrighted songs to any home video I want. I honestly don't know for sure, but a lot of people do it.
I'm probably wrong and I'll probably become one of the one out of 100 Americans stuffed into prison with all the people killers, dog fighters, tax evaders, smokers of Gods plants, Mother and Father rapers, video and music down loaders, sports memorabilia thiefs and of course the most dreaded of all...the trash dumpers. For some reason I don't think anyone like me would ever get the chance to spend time in prison with one of those people that got the 700 Billion Dollar bailout.
I really did make a video though, its my first like this and I didn't have much time :), so here is what I did.
In all seriousness though, I took the time through much trial and error to become slightly acquainted with Windows Media Movie Maker. I started out by just pasting some videos together and now I have finally succeeded in making my first with videos, pictures and music. Hopefully I won't get into trouble with some type of copyright law. If I'm not mistaken though, I can definitely use parts of copyrighted songs and then some songs are not copyrighted. Then of course I have found information that says I can attach copyrighted songs to any home video I want. I honestly don't know for sure, but a lot of people do it.
I'm probably wrong and I'll probably become one of the one out of 100 Americans stuffed into prison with all the people killers, dog fighters, tax evaders, smokers of Gods plants, Mother and Father rapers, video and music down loaders, sports memorabilia thiefs and of course the most dreaded of all...the trash dumpers. For some reason I don't think anyone like me would ever get the chance to spend time in prison with one of those people that got the 700 Billion Dollar bailout.
I really did make a video though, its my first like this and I didn't have much time :), so here is what I did.
Monday, October 6, 2008
BBBQ 2008 Sunday
Saturday night went on into the morning. We all went to sleep around 3 am and were up at around 630am, roughly 3 hours sleep. We had the continental breakfast and then loaded up. This is a video of what it looked like at the motel later in the morning.
Ozark Cafe, Jasper, Ar.
We had some good home style cooking here and as usual it was superb. Menu or Buffet , its all good.
A great end to another great BBBQ.
Rubber burning scars on the pavement.
As in years past, all good things must come to an end. We loaded up for the ride home. Cathy showed up to ride back with us. I think she had a good time at her first BBBQ.
For the ride back, we took Hwy 45 out of town to Hwy 412 then made a right on Hwy 21 to Kingston, Ar. From there we went on up the mountain to Hwy 43 and made a left towards Ponca, Ar where we turned right onto Hwy 74 crossing the Buffalo River. Hwy 74 took us into Jasper where we had lunch.
Ozark Cafe, Jasper, Ar.
We had some good home style cooking here and as usual it was superb. Menu or Buffet , its all good.A great end to another great BBBQ.
BBBQ 2008 Saturday Evening
After my ride out West on Saturday, I arrived at the motel just a few minutes before the rest of the group. We sat around awhile and decided on a plan for the evening. I had run into Burnie (I'm not sure if I'm spelling your name right Burnie)in the motel lobby and talked with him for a few minutes. Burnie said he would like to go out and eat dinner with us.
We ended up at East Buffet on College Ave. Its a good Chinese Buffet. I've eaten there most of the times I've went to BBBQ. After dinner Burnie, Zach and I decided to go to Dickson Street. Coondog and Hammer went exploring elsewhere while Major visited with his girlfriend who lives in Fayetteville.
Burnie got separated from Zach and I and we ended up sitting on the rock wall on the uphill Eastern section of Dickson St. in front of the building where the Christian groups give out free water. We watched people and motorcycles while getting probably irreparable hearing damage. Its a good spot to sit, I only wish I could remember to bring my ear plugs, it doe's get very loud. As you can see by the video below.
We got a call from Burnie and went to meet him in a bar area overlooking the strip.
What are the chances of meeting someone on Dickson St. that you know, especially on a Saturday night? Not good I know but as we were looking for Burnie, I saw CP again, I guess CP just kind of stands out in a crowd.
There were police everywhere. Back in 2002 the police presence was negligible, now it seems their on every corner. CP later told me he stayed on Dickson St. until about 3am and the police were picking up drunks and stopping gang trouble (not motorcycle gangs, just regular street thugs).
Zach took these pics to show how crowded it was on Dickson Street Saturday night.
After shooting the bull for awhile we split up again and headed back to the motel. This was supposed to be the big night of burnouts but the motel owner had put the fear of eviction into everyone and there wasn't as many as in years past. There were enough to make it interesting though. Here's a video of some of the action.
I like the look on Coondog's face, he's like, "what was that?".
We ended up at East Buffet on College Ave. Its a good Chinese Buffet. I've eaten there most of the times I've went to BBBQ. After dinner Burnie, Zach and I decided to go to Dickson Street. Coondog and Hammer went exploring elsewhere while Major visited with his girlfriend who lives in Fayetteville.
Burnie got separated from Zach and I and we ended up sitting on the rock wall on the uphill Eastern section of Dickson St. in front of the building where the Christian groups give out free water. We watched people and motorcycles while getting probably irreparable hearing damage. Its a good spot to sit, I only wish I could remember to bring my ear plugs, it doe's get very loud. As you can see by the video below.
We got a call from Burnie and went to meet him in a bar area overlooking the strip.
What are the chances of meeting someone on Dickson St. that you know, especially on a Saturday night? Not good I know but as we were looking for Burnie, I saw CP again, I guess CP just kind of stands out in a crowd.
There were police everywhere. Back in 2002 the police presence was negligible, now it seems their on every corner. CP later told me he stayed on Dickson St. until about 3am and the police were picking up drunks and stopping gang trouble (not motorcycle gangs, just regular street thugs).
Zach took these pics to show how crowded it was on Dickson Street Saturday night.
After shooting the bull for awhile we split up again and headed back to the motel. This was supposed to be the big night of burnouts but the motel owner had put the fear of eviction into everyone and there wasn't as many as in years past. There were enough to make it interesting though. Here's a video of some of the action.
I like the look on Coondog's face, he's like, "what was that?".
BBBQ 2008 Saturday Afternoon Part 2
After I split up with the group at PTHD, they went on to the Tyson Track Center in Fayetteville. Zach said there were a lot of vendors there, including some big names. Here's some bike pics that he took while there.
Do I see a V-8 on that? Or is it just for looks?
Do I see a V-8 on that? Or is it just for looks?
Friday, October 3, 2008
BBBQ 2008 Saturday Afternoon
As I said yesterday, I split up with the group Saturday afternoon and went for a ride out West. It was a good ride. I can't say much for the scenery, some was good and some so so and some just plain flat riding. One thing about riding I've discovered though is that it doesn't really matter if the scenery isn't that great or not. Its the ride that matters, just getting out in the fresh air, enjoying the sunshine and the sound of the motor in the open air. There isn't much I'd rather be doing.
I took some pictures to give an idea of what I mean about he lay of the land. Also, what was worth taking pictures of. I'm sure there's more out there but on the route I took I just didn't find much worth a stop for a picture.
I have heard that South of 102 and North of 62 are some nice riding roads. I guess what people are referring to is Hwy 16 which runs through a small section of the Ozark National Forest. Hwy 12 to the North of 16 looks interesting too, I'll return later on and see what they have tooffer. Here's a link.
View Larger Map
Cindy in front of the visitor center, Prairie Grove Battlefield State Park.
Rhea's Mill Tower.
Base of the tower with some mill stones.
The plaque above describes the cabin in the three pictures below.
I followed the driving trail for a little ways. It eventually went from pavement to that white limestone gravel which is a little more dusty than I wanted that day.
I took some pictures to give an idea of what I mean about he lay of the land. Also, what was worth taking pictures of. I'm sure there's more out there but on the route I took I just didn't find much worth a stop for a picture.
I have heard that South of 102 and North of 62 are some nice riding roads. I guess what people are referring to is Hwy 16 which runs through a small section of the Ozark National Forest. Hwy 12 to the North of 16 looks interesting too, I'll return later on and see what they have tooffer. Here's a link.
View Larger Map
This and the picture below was the hilly part of Hwy 102.
Above is the way 102 was more often than not.
I had always wanted to go to Cherokee City, Ar., now I can say I have. This was the highlight of my visit. This was on Hwy 43 North of Siloam Springs.
I don't think I have ever been to Cininnati. Now I can say I have been to Cininnati, Ar. on Hwy 59 South of Siloam Springs. What you see is what there is. A hill with a curve, made it more interesting.
After turning onto Hwy 62 East, on my last leg towards Fayetteville, I found this Self Propelled Howitzer at a National Guard Armory in Lincoln, Ar.
A litte further down the road is Prairie Grove where a major battle was fought during the Civil War. It is memorialized with the Prairie Grove Battlefield State Park. Here's a couple of links.
http://www.arkansasstateparks.com/prairiegrovebattlefield/
http://travel.webshots.com/album/558930214wUsmDV
Cindy in front of the visitor center, Prairie Grove Battlefield State Park.
Rhea's Mill Tower.
Base of the tower with some mill stones.
The plaque above describes the cabin in the three pictures below.
I followed the driving trail for a little ways. It eventually went from pavement to that white limestone gravel which is a little more dusty than I wanted that day. I road on into Fayetteville after my stop at the Battlefield. The traffic was horrendous. My original plans were to visit the Track Center. When I arrived at the turnoff and looked at the traffic in that direction, I just kept going East, to Hwy 265, made a left to Township and ended up at the motel, missing a lot of the heavy traffic.
A few minutes after I got back to the motel the rest of the group arrived. We took a break then prepared for Saturday Evening.
Thursday, October 2, 2008
BBBQ 2008 Saturday Morning
Time to wake up and have a continental breakfast. Waffles, Bagels, Cereal, Bananas, Orange Juice and Coffee (much coffee) and I'm ready to go. Today is the day we ride North to Pig Trail Harley Davidson for a free meal, drinks, and stunt riding exhibition. Below is a video of us rolling into PTHD.
There's plenty of shopping to do at PTHD and they have probably every model Harley there that's made. The place was jam packed shoulder to shoulder people with long lines at the check out desks. I took some pictures at PTHD but most of them came out really bad. I think I must of had the setting wrong or something.
There's plenty of shopping to do at PTHD and they have probably every model Harley there that's made. The place was jam packed shoulder to shoulder people with long lines at the check out desks. I took some pictures at PTHD but most of them came out really bad. I think I must of had the setting wrong or something.
All my inside pictures looked this bad.
A few people in the back parking lot getting ready to leave.
I just don't know about this. CP and I both thought it was a little distasteful, but then I guess if a biker wanted to have a funeral with a Harley Hearst, here it is.
I watched the stunt show which was good, but I'll have to admit it's much better at night. I've got videos of the night stunts posted on the 2007 blog entry and I have them at my Youtube site "bikingarkansas". I like the burning tires at night.
When in the dealership I looked up on the balcony and there stood CP. He had ridden up with Melanie and got together with some neighbors of his. They had plans on riding to Eureka Springs. He was a little concerned since his bike had heated up Friday and he blew a primary gasket. Anyhow thats what I remember him saying it was. CP, let me know if I'm wrong on that. From what he said later, everything worked out and it turned out to be another great BBBQ for him as well.
When I got all of PTHD I wanted, I split up with everyone else and went for a ride to the West on Hwy 102. I followed 102 and ended up in Ok. and Mo. then I came back into Ar. and followed Hwy 43, 59 and 62 back to Fayetteville.
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
BBBQ 2008 Friday, another great time.
Once again, the Bikes, Blues and BBQ was a lot of fun. There seemed to be even more of a crowd this year along with more vendors. The traffic was terrible as usual and was expected. I've been enough times now to know how to skirt the traffic if I want to and that helps.
The food, well, I didn't eat from any of the vendors. I ate at restaurants and they were all good.
We didn't see as much drag racing or tire burning in the parking lot of the Motel. I was told that anyone doing it would be kicked from the motel. There was some anyway and I saw only one cop in the parking lot for both nights. We actually wondered why everyone was actually being so quiet. I did manage to get some videos.
Here's how the trip went. We missed a couple of extra riders who said they might be going. They missed a good ride.
When we reached Hwy 265 we turned right and were supposed to turn left onto Township Rd. but due to a computer glitch which said I should turn onto a road called TPI or something like that, we passed Township. Eventually we did arrive at the Motel via Township and unloaded our gear.
We were all hungry by then and decided to eat at Hugo's. Hugo's is at the Square in town. If your going South on 71/College, make a right at the Castle on the left (it looks like one). After turning right, go to the NW corner of the square and make a right. Hugo's will be on the left beneath the sidewalk. You've got to really watch for it, you'll miss it. It's down some stairs but inside is some good food. I had a guacamole Burger, awesome!! I got a huge order of fries. They also serve alcohol if that's what you like.
So next it's back onto Hwy 71 to Dickson St. Here's a video of the ride down Dickson, the time was about 1pm.
Zach and I got separated from the rest of the group at this point. We had to use the cellphone to find them. Obviously before cellphones, people must have made prior plans for places to meet in case they got separated.
There were a lot of people downtown even though it was early in the day. We checked out the vendors,the bikes and the people. One thing about rallies like this, it brings out some interesting people.
After staying on the strip for a few hours we headed back to the motel for some rest and refreshments and to decide what to do next.
We took a short break, sitting around, then went for Dinner at a sport bar about a block from the motel. I forget what it was called but I got a big cheeseburger and fries for $5.11 and played all the pool I wanted for free.
Later on, some of the guys went to another bar nearby while some stayed at the motel and watched the tires burn. Here's a video of smoking tires with background noise of crazy drunks at the Days Inn.
Stay tuned for tomorrows post of Saturday at BBBQ and more pictures from Dickson Street.
The food, well, I didn't eat from any of the vendors. I ate at restaurants and they were all good.
We didn't see as much drag racing or tire burning in the parking lot of the Motel. I was told that anyone doing it would be kicked from the motel. There was some anyway and I saw only one cop in the parking lot for both nights. We actually wondered why everyone was actually being so quiet. I did manage to get some videos.
Here's how the trip went. We missed a couple of extra riders who said they might be going. They missed a good ride.
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We started out at the PDQ Hwy 7/I-40. This picture really sucks, I was kind of in a hurry to leave and didn't think about the sun being in the background. There were six of us that rode up together.
We went I-40 West to Clarksville and took the Walmart exit. Went on into downtown Clarksville and made a right on Hwy 103 N. This is one awesome road for those of you who have never taken it. It takes you to Oark, Ar. a nice little small town with a gas pump and an old store. They make some really good chicken tenders there if you feel like eating after a long ride on a curvy Ozark road. Hwy. 103 is paved until Catalpa, Ar. then it turns to dirt for longer than most cruisers would want to ride on it.
We didn't go all the way to Oark though, we made a left on Hwy 215 just shortly before reaching town. This Hwy skirts along the Mulberry River on one side and the forest and mountains on the other side, sometimes the ride is through a canopy of forest. A beautiful ride.
Before going on this ride I new the road had a short section of dirt to ride on and a single lane bridge. To our good luck, the bridge has been rebuilt, widened and the road paved. That was good news to Zach, I think he had spit shined his bike before leaving.
.JPG)
At a pull over on 215 along the Mulberry River..JPG)
In the foreground is Cindy and "Coondog". In the back from the left is "Hammer", "Major", "Zach" and Cathy. Of course I took the picture.
After reaching Hwy 23 at Cass, Ar. we went North on the Pigtrail. Not too far up the road was the Pig Trail Rally http://www.pigtrailrally.com/rally-info.asp. It looks like a good rally which would be a good camping spot or just a side trip from BBBQ. Bikes were thick on 23 and I heard that Saturday it was fender to fender bikes.
After arriving at Hwy 16, we turned West towards Fayetteville. There were now as many or more bikes on the Hwy as automobiles. The video below is of Hwy 16.
FAIR WARNING ABOUT VIDEOS - TURN DOWN THE SPEAKERS. I've done everything but put JB Weld in the mic holes and its still loud.When we reached Hwy 265 we turned right and were supposed to turn left onto Township Rd. but due to a computer glitch which said I should turn onto a road called TPI or something like that, we passed Township. Eventually we did arrive at the Motel via Township and unloaded our gear.
We were all hungry by then and decided to eat at Hugo's. Hugo's is at the Square in town. If your going South on 71/College, make a right at the Castle on the left (it looks like one). After turning right, go to the NW corner of the square and make a right. Hugo's will be on the left beneath the sidewalk. You've got to really watch for it, you'll miss it. It's down some stairs but inside is some good food. I had a guacamole Burger, awesome!! I got a huge order of fries. They also serve alcohol if that's what you like.
So next it's back onto Hwy 71 to Dickson St. Here's a video of the ride down Dickson, the time was about 1pm.
Zach and I got separated from the rest of the group at this point. We had to use the cellphone to find them. Obviously before cellphones, people must have made prior plans for places to meet in case they got separated.
There were a lot of people downtown even though it was early in the day. We checked out the vendors,the bikes and the people. One thing about rallies like this, it brings out some interesting people.
After staying on the strip for a few hours we headed back to the motel for some rest and refreshments and to decide what to do next.
We took a short break, sitting around, then went for Dinner at a sport bar about a block from the motel. I forget what it was called but I got a big cheeseburger and fries for $5.11 and played all the pool I wanted for free.
Later on, some of the guys went to another bar nearby while some stayed at the motel and watched the tires burn. Here's a video of smoking tires with background noise of crazy drunks at the Days Inn.
Stay tuned for tomorrows post of Saturday at BBBQ and more pictures from Dickson Street.
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Day 2 BBBQ, Bikes, Blues and BBQ
I can hardly wait till tomorrow morning when we leave for BBBQ. We leave at 0900 from the PDQ Highway 7/I-40 Russellville, Arkansas. Everyone is welcome to ride along with us. We will take a vote on a route when we arrive. A quick one or a scenic one. I have a good scenic ride planned if thats what we choose.
The scenic route will include a short ride of maybe a mile on dirt/gravel. Thats a hint for those familiar with roads going Northwest. Either way the time difference will be no more than an hour, probably not even that much. It will be a slower ride, no fighting the interstate traffic.
See you in the morning. You'll know me when you see me, I'll be riding Cindy, thats her on the front page of my blog.
The scenic route will include a short ride of maybe a mile on dirt/gravel. Thats a hint for those familiar with roads going Northwest. Either way the time difference will be no more than an hour, probably not even that much. It will be a slower ride, no fighting the interstate traffic.
See you in the morning. You'll know me when you see me, I'll be riding Cindy, thats her on the front page of my blog.
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
BBBQ website updated.
The most important new I read on the site is that now for $10.00 you can get an armband that can be used to take the train back and forth from Dickson St. to the Tyson Track center. It leaves every 30 minutes and the band is good for all for days.
Before I buy one, I'll look and see how long the lines are :).
Before I buy one, I'll look and see how long the lines are :).
BBBQ Today!!!
Todays the big day and the beginning of four big days. As mentioned before, we'll be leaving PDQ Hwy 7/I-40 at 0900 Friday. Anyone is welcome to ride along with us. We don't have anymore room in the suite but riding company is always welcome.
For those unfamiliar, here's some fun facts about BB&BBQ:
BBB is considered the largest family-friendly, non-profitmotorcycle rally in the world.
Many motorcycle publications rank rallies in following orderaccording to size and popularity:
1) Daytona Bike Week
2) Sturgis
3) Laconia Bike Rally
4) Bikes, Blues & BBQ
5) Myrtle Beach Bike Week
BBB is the fastest-growing motorcycle rally in the worldBBB’s Parade of Power is approximately 10 miles long withbikers 2 abreast
50,000 beers sold in the main beer garden alone in 2006
Only 41 arrests (36 local) for 350,000+ attendees in 2006
BBB is the largest single event in ArkansasTypically, every hotel, motel, and Bed and Breakfast is full from Siloam Springs to Eureka Springs and from Bella Vista to far south of Fayetteville.
In 2006, BBB had visitors from all 50 states and 7 countries
I'll put some links in here as I get them. New from the area or whatever. Heres the first.
http://www.nwanews.com/adg/News/238242/ Today.
http://www.nwaonline.net/ Big Brother is watching.
http://downdickson.nwablogs.com/bikes_blues_and_bbq_2006/ Diaries
http://www.4029tv.com/news/14263487/detail.html Last year.
For those unfamiliar, here's some fun facts about BB&BBQ:
BBB is considered the largest family-friendly, non-profitmotorcycle rally in the world.
Many motorcycle publications rank rallies in following orderaccording to size and popularity:
1) Daytona Bike Week
2) Sturgis
3) Laconia Bike Rally
4) Bikes, Blues & BBQ
5) Myrtle Beach Bike Week
BBB is the fastest-growing motorcycle rally in the worldBBB’s Parade of Power is approximately 10 miles long withbikers 2 abreast
50,000 beers sold in the main beer garden alone in 2006
Only 41 arrests (36 local) for 350,000+ attendees in 2006
BBB is the largest single event in ArkansasTypically, every hotel, motel, and Bed and Breakfast is full from Siloam Springs to Eureka Springs and from Bella Vista to far south of Fayetteville.
In 2006, BBB had visitors from all 50 states and 7 countries
I'll put some links in here as I get them. New from the area or whatever. Heres the first.
http://www.nwanews.com/adg/News/238242/ Today.
http://www.nwaonline.net/ Big Brother is watching.
http://downdickson.nwablogs.com/bikes_blues_and_bbq_2006/ Diaries
http://www.4029tv.com/news/14263487/detail.html Last year.
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Art of the Chopper
This is news to me. I'll have to go. It's will be at the Clinton Library in Little Rock from Sept. 20 till February 9, 2009. Admission is $7.00 for adults.
I've been to the Clinton Library, not because I was a big Clinton fan but because it was something to do. I'll have to admit though, I was impressed with the flagrant display of opulence.
This chopper exhibit should be really good. The picture above is my favorite. I like the old plain style.
Heres the link. http://www.clintoncenterevents.com/
I've been to the Clinton Library, not because I was a big Clinton fan but because it was something to do. I'll have to admit though, I was impressed with the flagrant display of opulence.
This chopper exhibit should be really good. The picture above is my favorite. I like the old plain style.
Heres the link. http://www.clintoncenterevents.com/
Be sure to click on the picture of the chopper on the site, you'll get a different bike each time.
Speaking of Motorsickles and how much I like riding them made me think of this old song, sometimes I humm it while riding, sometimes I humm it while riding fast around curves when I'm by myself, since I don't ride fast around curves when I'm with other people. I don't make a habit of riding fast around curves though, because I think of this song and what can happen when people ride fast around curves, especially curves that are on hills, big hills, with cliffs like Arkansas has. Its hard to sing it when riding fast, around curves, the wind causes me to make weird faces and theres always the chance of getting a butterfly in the mouth just as your into the chorus. If you've never had a butterfly enter your mouth at 75 mph, you just haven't lived a real motorsickling life. Those yellow gooshy kind. Anyway, I really do humm this song and it means alot to me because I don't care for pickles, I just never have. I do like to ride motorsickles and thats what I'm talking about, riding and having fun, staying in a good mood, meditation, forget the guru, just give me my motorsickle and an Arlo Guthie song.
The Motorcycle Song
words and music by Arlo Guthrie
CHORUS:
I don't want a pickle
Just want to ride on my motorsickle
And I don't want a tickle
'Cause I'd rather ride on my motorsickle
And I don't want to die
Just want to ride on my motorcy...cle
It was late last night the other day
I thought I'd go up and see Ray
So l went up and I saw Ray
There was only one thing Ray could say, was:
CHORUS
This song is about the time that I was ridin' my motorcycle.
Going down a mountain road, at 150 miles an hour, playin'
my guitar. On one side of the mountain road there was a
mountain, and on the other side there was nothin' - there was
a cliff in the air.
Now, when you're going down a mountain road at I50 miles
an hour you gotta be very careful, especially if you're playin'
a guitar. Especially if that guitar is an acoustic guitar.
Because if it's an acoustic guitar, the wind pressure is greater
on the box side than on the neck side, because there's
more guitar on the box side. I wasn't payin' attention ..
Luckily I didn't go into the mountain - I went over the cliff.
I was goin' at 150 miles an hour sideways and 500 feet down
at the same time.
I knew it was the end. I looked down, I said ''Wow! Some
trip". I thought it...well I knew it was...I knew it was my last
trip, and in my last remaining seconds in world,I decided
to write one last farewell song to the world.
Put a new ink cartridge in my pen. Took out a piece of paper.
I sat back and I thought awhile. Then I started writin':
I don't want a pickle
Just want to ride on my motorsickle
And I don't want a tickle
'Cause I'd rather ride on my motorsickle
And I don't want to die
Just want to ride on my motorcy ...cle."
I knew that, it wasn't the best song l ever wrote, but I didn't
have time to change it. I was comin' down mighty fast.
But as you all know, and as fate would have it, I didn't die. I
landed on the top of a police car. And he died. I drove away
on the road that he was on. I came into town at a screamin'
175 miles an hour, playin' the motorcycle song.
I came into town, I jumped off my bike, the bike went around
the corner by itself, went up on the stand by itself, turned
itself off.
I walked over to my friend. He was standin' there eatin'
pickles. I said "Hi, what's happenin'?" He looked at me in the
eye and said "Nothin'".
You gotta sing it with that kind of enthusiasm. Like you just
squashed a cop...
Monday, September 22, 2008
One More Day until BBBQ
Wednsday morning the fun begins for some. For me it begins Friday morning 0900 at the PDQ Hwy 7/I-40.
Sunday, September 21, 2008
2 Days till BBBQ
I've heard that the bikes are already pouring into Fayetteville. I guess some people want to get started early and do some riding in the area. I know if I had it my way, I would spend the entire week in the area. I would ride every road, eat at the finest restaurants, go to historical landmarks, places of interest and visit all the museums in the area. I've been wanting to visit the BB Gun museum in Bentonville as well as the first Walmart store. I'll make a list of what I can think of right off the top of my head. A few of these I've been to before.
BB Gun Museum
Walmart in Bentonville
Cosmic Cavern
Pea Ridge Battlefield
Prairie Grove Battlefield
Devil's Den State Park
Some of those fine Thai Restaurants
Eureka Springs
The Railroad in Eureka Springs
War Eagle
Theres alot more. Cya there.
BB Gun Museum
Walmart in Bentonville
Cosmic Cavern
Pea Ridge Battlefield
Prairie Grove Battlefield
Devil's Den State Park
Some of those fine Thai Restaurants
Eureka Springs
The Railroad in Eureka Springs
War Eagle
Theres alot more. Cya there.
Saturday, September 20, 2008
My trip to the VA and more
I made it to the VA on time. Left home at 0700, was at the VA from 0900 till 1100. I road to Little Rock on I-40 to Morrilton then took 9 and 10 on into LR.
On the way, I noticed this cool new shopping center with Roman, Arabic, English and French influences. Its called the El Promenade along Chenal Parkway, it has an IMAX theater.
Coming back on 10, I made a detour to the North on 113 then 60 to Conway. Hwy 113 is all good, but I made the video below of my favorite part. Turn down the sound. I still haven't taken the time to fix my loud mic.
If I'm not mistaken, this old building was very near the Little Italy cuttoff.
After turning right on 60 heading into Conway. I found this old church at New Dixie, Ar.
The St. Boniface Catholic Church, Established 1879. http://www.dolr.org/parishes/parish.php?id=88
I thought it was a nice looking old church. Interesting, with some old bells outside and the graveyard on one side. By the way, I don't really care what kind of church it is, it could be a Muslim Masque for all I care. I just like history and taking pictures.
I visited my brother at the new Caldwell Toyota/Scion http://caldwell-toyota.com/Default.aspx. Which by the way is the first "Green" Car Dealership in Arkansas. They don't even have water in the urinals, how they work, I don't know.
After having a free coke and coffee on them, I took 60 W to the road that cuts through the mountain to 64. At 64, I made a West turn and then a left onto 319. At the end of this section of 319 is Cadron Settlement State Park. Below are two links. http://www.encyclopediaofarkansas.net/encyclopedia/entry-detail.aspx?entryID=1107 http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Village/7020/cadronpost.htm
The Cabin. 
Another view of the cabin.
You can probably see a tent shelter in the pic, which had some tables beneath it. They had something going on earlier in the day. The kiln was smoking hot and there was a campfire still smoldering.
Interesting, this was once the site of a court house. 
Am I reading this right? There was a massacre here in 1814. The Rebs last stand this side of the Ark River happened here? Also the Trail of tears, A french outpost, and a steam boat landing? Wow, this place really does have a wealth of history associated with it. Below are the plaque from the house.
This is a park that for some reason I had never been to. To tell you the truth, I never even thought about a highwaybeing there, much less a state park. Its easy to miss. When on Highway 64 going East from Menifee, watch closely as you cross the bridge over Cadron Creek, 319 is to the right. Its a few miles out to the park. Not a very big park, but interesting with a log cabin with an informational walk including plaques about the history of the area, a river boat dock, bike trails, camping spot, pavilions, etc. 
This is a view looking West up the Arkansas River. Is that the Loch Ness monster in the lower left? (no its a bouy)
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