picked up my bike today... was nice to ride the new '08, although i didn't get to ride it as much as i wanted. i would have really liked to play around with the 'lectronic throttle a bit more. maybe next time...
i did get to confirm the worthiness of the 'lectric gloves and the elephant ears. ride to the dealership was without and ride home was with. well worth the time running the wires through the coat and hooking up the gloves. i could have made it home without using the electric gloves, but why?? it's also nice to know i can ride in colder weather since i didn't have them cranked up all the way...
was a little disappointed in the service this time. i had asked for the clutch to be adjusted to bring the friction zone back a little as well as have the front brakes bled. didn't seem like either of those happened. thinking about taking it back earlier to have those done. will be needing new tires soon too.
on the bright side, i finally got my fender fixed from my little fiasco... well, it was fixed before, the finish on it just needed to be, well, finished. looks so much better now - although, for the most part, i had forgotten about it...
nice to have my own bike back in the garage. now i just need to make some time away from work to ride!!
peace...
Jan 16, 2008
Jan 14, 2008
20k service
took the bike in for service today... 20k!!! finally hit 20k. a mark i was hoping to hit last year, but fell a couple miles short.
temps outside were a little chilly. so i bundled up for the ride in - throwing on the 'lectric gloves and elephant ears. i was actually quite warm on the ride, thinking i may have overdone the bundling up part... i always say it's better to be warm and strip a few layers off than to get cold and have to try to warm up...
i get to the dealership, drop the bike off and pick up the rental. managed to pick up an electra glide classic. oh-eight model. with the anti-lock brakes and fly-by-wire throttle. i've been hearing a lot about these and finally have a chance to see what they're all about. well, maybe not the anti-lock brakes - i'll just trust they work.
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on the ride home, i discovered how well the 'lectric gloves and elephant ears worked. i didn't get cold to the point of being uncomfortable, but the ride home was certainly colder.
as far as the bike - i really like the throttle. maybe, just maybe a fraction of delay between twisting the throttle and feeling the response. it seems some people are leery of it - thinking it's new technology and prone to failure. yeah, it's probably new to harley - at least the implementation - but the technology has been around for years.
the fly-by-wire is the first technology harley's come out with since i bought my bike that makes me consider getting a new one sooner. i know there's no chance of that right now - but, it did get my attention...
temps outside were a little chilly. so i bundled up for the ride in - throwing on the 'lectric gloves and elephant ears. i was actually quite warm on the ride, thinking i may have overdone the bundling up part... i always say it's better to be warm and strip a few layers off than to get cold and have to try to warm up...
i get to the dealership, drop the bike off and pick up the rental. managed to pick up an electra glide classic. oh-eight model. with the anti-lock brakes and fly-by-wire throttle. i've been hearing a lot about these and finally have a chance to see what they're all about. well, maybe not the anti-lock brakes - i'll just trust they work.
.JPG)
on the ride home, i discovered how well the 'lectric gloves and elephant ears worked. i didn't get cold to the point of being uncomfortable, but the ride home was certainly colder.
as far as the bike - i really like the throttle. maybe, just maybe a fraction of delay between twisting the throttle and feeling the response. it seems some people are leery of it - thinking it's new technology and prone to failure. yeah, it's probably new to harley - at least the implementation - but the technology has been around for years.
the fly-by-wire is the first technology harley's come out with since i bought my bike that makes me consider getting a new one sooner. i know there's no chance of that right now - but, it did get my attention...
Jan 6, 2008
'round the lake...
do i have the best wife or what??
here it is, sunday, late morning, sunny skies, temps projected to be in the high forties/low fifties. i've just finished cleaning up the kitchen from my usual sunday routine - morning paper and breakfast in bed for the wife - when she says, why don't you go for a ride? i'm thinking, huh?? i'm heading out of town tomorrow for a trip, i had planned to do a couple things around the house and spend time with her. now she's tempting me with a ride. on such a beautiful day...
after a little back-n-forth with the, 'are you sure?' i decide to accept her offer before she changes her mind. i run upstairs and ask my son if he wants to go - knowing he won't turn down the chance to go for a ride. i figure once i enlist him, we'll have to go!!
we decided a ride around the lake, with a stop for lunch, would be a nice ride. we geared up and headed out...
i considered seeing if our neighbors wanted to go, but decided to spend time with my son on this ride. as we're cruising away from our subdivision, we we see our neighbors at a stop sign. we wave as we go by. it's a good feeling you get inside when you know you're out for a ride and they're stuck in their cage. i can imagine they were wishing they were with us. thoughts of them fade as quickly as we do from their view. we're off for a wonderful day.
in short order and one stop for gas, we make it to gatrells in virgilina, va. we've been here once before. i like the place. it's got that small town, this-is-where-it-all-happens feeling. i'm sure many politics have been discussed and decided over a couple of beers here.
right now, it's kind of dead. in fact, it doesn't even look like it's open. we were here on a sunday before and they were open. maybe they have new hours with the new year. checking the sign, i realize we're a little early - they open in thirty minutes. we decide to wait.
my son decides to call his grandpa to rub in the fact we're out riding today. while he's doing that, i start snapping a few pictures... pretty soon a guy comes out of the building and asks if he can help us - in that don't-think-of-causing-any-trouble tone. i explain we're out riding and decided to stop here for some lunch. we talk for a couple minutes and he introduces himself. i think he said his name was rusty. even though they're not open yet, he invites us in and says he'll start serving food as soon as the grills are heated. i'm really liking this place...
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we head in and grab some food - after waiting for the grills to heat up. but that's not a bad thing. this place has character. every time you look around the room, you pick up a little more. with all the vents going on, this is certainly the meeting place for the town. car shows, parties, bands, drinking games with no alcohol. they certainly keep it family oriented.
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after eating and before heading out for the rest of our journey, we take a couple more pictures.
the grocery store across the street...
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the fire station - again, across the street...
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the rest of the ride was great - stomachs full, heading down the road. a mix of two lanes and four lanes. i need to replace some of those four lane roads with two lanes.
the ride around the lake is beautiful. coming out of boydton, winding through the two lanes. mostly tree lined roads, with some openings around farms - gorgeous scenery. the roads twist and turn, finally opening up and bringing you across the dam. i wish i could just look over the lake as we're crossing the dam - it's an amazing site. but i decide it's better to keep my eyes on the road and only take the occasional glance. especially considering the ninety degree turn at the end of the dam!!
we finally make our way home - content with another day's riding. what a refreshing and relaxing feeling getting home after a ride like this...
.JPG)
you can check out the 2008 ride map to see the route - this one in blue...
(and in case you're wondering, i didn't make it in home to take my wife to lunch. although she did manage to make us a wonderful dinner!!!)
here it is, sunday, late morning, sunny skies, temps projected to be in the high forties/low fifties. i've just finished cleaning up the kitchen from my usual sunday routine - morning paper and breakfast in bed for the wife - when she says, why don't you go for a ride? i'm thinking, huh?? i'm heading out of town tomorrow for a trip, i had planned to do a couple things around the house and spend time with her. now she's tempting me with a ride. on such a beautiful day...
after a little back-n-forth with the, 'are you sure?' i decide to accept her offer before she changes her mind. i run upstairs and ask my son if he wants to go - knowing he won't turn down the chance to go for a ride. i figure once i enlist him, we'll have to go!!
we decided a ride around the lake, with a stop for lunch, would be a nice ride. we geared up and headed out...
i considered seeing if our neighbors wanted to go, but decided to spend time with my son on this ride. as we're cruising away from our subdivision, we we see our neighbors at a stop sign. we wave as we go by. it's a good feeling you get inside when you know you're out for a ride and they're stuck in their cage. i can imagine they were wishing they were with us. thoughts of them fade as quickly as we do from their view. we're off for a wonderful day.
in short order and one stop for gas, we make it to gatrells in virgilina, va. we've been here once before. i like the place. it's got that small town, this-is-where-it-all-happens feeling. i'm sure many politics have been discussed and decided over a couple of beers here.
right now, it's kind of dead. in fact, it doesn't even look like it's open. we were here on a sunday before and they were open. maybe they have new hours with the new year. checking the sign, i realize we're a little early - they open in thirty minutes. we decide to wait.
my son decides to call his grandpa to rub in the fact we're out riding today. while he's doing that, i start snapping a few pictures... pretty soon a guy comes out of the building and asks if he can help us - in that don't-think-of-causing-any-trouble tone. i explain we're out riding and decided to stop here for some lunch. we talk for a couple minutes and he introduces himself. i think he said his name was rusty. even though they're not open yet, he invites us in and says he'll start serving food as soon as the grills are heated. i'm really liking this place...
.JPG)
.JPG)
we head in and grab some food - after waiting for the grills to heat up. but that's not a bad thing. this place has character. every time you look around the room, you pick up a little more. with all the vents going on, this is certainly the meeting place for the town. car shows, parties, bands, drinking games with no alcohol. they certainly keep it family oriented.
.JPG)
.JPG)
after eating and before heading out for the rest of our journey, we take a couple more pictures.
the grocery store across the street...
.JPG)
the fire station - again, across the street...
.JPG)
the rest of the ride was great - stomachs full, heading down the road. a mix of two lanes and four lanes. i need to replace some of those four lane roads with two lanes.
the ride around the lake is beautiful. coming out of boydton, winding through the two lanes. mostly tree lined roads, with some openings around farms - gorgeous scenery. the roads twist and turn, finally opening up and bringing you across the dam. i wish i could just look over the lake as we're crossing the dam - it's an amazing site. but i decide it's better to keep my eyes on the road and only take the occasional glance. especially considering the ninety degree turn at the end of the dam!!
we finally make our way home - content with another day's riding. what a refreshing and relaxing feeling getting home after a ride like this...
.JPG)
you can check out the 2008 ride map to see the route - this one in blue...
(and in case you're wondering, i didn't make it in home to take my wife to lunch. although she did manage to make us a wonderful dinner!!!)
Jan 1, 2008
19974
well, i didn't quite make it to 20,000 miles last year. just twenty six miles short. i could have stretched my last ride of the year out another twenty six lousy miles, but i wanted to get home in time to take my wife out to lunch. ;-)
i did manage to put 6480 miles on this year. as it always seems, not as many as i wanted. my bike was out of commission for a little while, but i don't really think that made much of a difference.
we'll just sit back and see what the year brings...
peace
i did manage to put 6480 miles on this year. as it always seems, not as many as i wanted. my bike was out of commission for a little while, but i don't really think that made much of a difference.
we'll just sit back and see what the year brings...
peace
2008 rides
once again, various rides...
routes:
------ 01/06/2008 - first ride of the year - the lake loop
------ 02/09/2008 - saturday ride - smithfield, nc
------ 04/03/2008 - gettin' fish sammiches - wilmington, nc
------ 04/09-10/2008 - myrlte beach pre-party - rocky mount, nc
------ 04/12-14/2008 - bike week - myrlte beach, sc
------ 05/26/2008 - world's largest frying pan - rose hill, nc
------ 06/09-12/2008 - harley davidson factory tour - york, pa
------ 06/21-22/2008 - smoke out 9 - mocksville, nc
08/17/2008 - 25k - spring hope, nc
------ 09/28-29/2008 - visit appalachian state university - boone, nc
routes:
08/17/2008 - 25k - spring hope, nc
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