early christmas...

got an early christmas present in the mail the other day from america rides maps... they were thoughtful enough to send me one of their latest maps, best roads north and south of asheville, nc... an excellent way to share the spirit of the christmas season...

what's really nice is they've been making improvements to the maps. they've added road mileage for the roads on the map. that's really nice to have when you're trying to plan out a route or two for the day. they've also improved the detail and resolution of the maps. it makes quite a difference compared to the older maps - gives you a better idea of the area... and finally, a must have for bikers, recommended places to eat. the improvement to the maps is remarkable.

i really like this particular map for two reasons. one, it joins several of the other maps, making a series on the blue ridge parkway. two, it will fit in nicely if i can pull off my plans to ride the blue ridge parkway with my father-in-law next year.

looks like i'm going to have to head over to their web site and order a couple more maps to complete my collection of the blue ridge parkway series...

blue ridge parkway...

29 September 2008

very late on this post...

after visiting appalachian state, we decided to take the long way home - along the blue ridge parkway... since we were leaving a day earlier than originally planned, we figured we could afford the time. if it got late, we'd just pick some where to stop and pick up the next day.

it was interesting riding along the parkway. it was sunny and warm on one side of the mountain and cool, cloudy and threatening rain on the other. depending on which way we were heading, we'd either be in the nice warm sun or contemplating pulling over to gear up in our rain suits. the conditions would change with each turn we took. thankfully we never hit the rain...

our first stop along the blue ridge. the pictures just don't do it justice...

our second stop at the e.b. jeffress park. again, beautiful and the pictures don't do it justice.

at the park, there were some trails leading down to a waterfall. we decided to spend a little time and check it out...

there were so many overlooks and centers to visit. if we would have stopped at each one, it would have taken us a week to get home.

we did decide to stop at the blue ridge music center. not sure what i was expecting, but this wasn't it. although it was interesting and introduced me to the origins and history of the music in the area.

after getting off the parkway, our final scenic stop was lovers leap in stuart, va. this picture doesn't give you a good feeling for the drop off just over the wall...

a quick stop for some food and fuel...

we ended up making it home that evening - a little late and a lot chilly. but definitely worth going out of our way. this trip has bumped up the priority of riding the whole blue ridge parkway... maybe i can swing it next year...

to wrap things up, a map of our path along the blue ridge parkway...

ride to boone...

28 September 2008

son is in his last year of high school and taking a look at colleges... we decided to make an adventure of it and use the bike as our mode of transportation... at the end of september headed to appalachian state university...

 on the way there, we stopped at crossroads harely... not worth the stop in my opinion - just not much to see in there. about the only reason to stop in there is to get s hd shirt, but their selection of shirts wasn't even that good...

 

after about a five hour ride taking mostly two lane roads, we made it to boone. we checked into the hotel room and decided to get something to eat. the hotel manager suggested canyons. turned out to be a great place to eat - good food, great company, and an awesome view. the building has a rich history that adds to the experience...

in the end, it was a great day... the ride to boone was good, mostly two lane roads, through town and places we'd never see on the highway. the weather was absolutely georgeous. and of coures the mountains in boone made for wonderful riding...

you can check out the 2008 ride map to see the route - this one in light blue...

fall...

this past week, i've really be able to get out and ride. not anywhere in particular, just out and about. and i sure do live in a pretty area. the leaves are changing and are in full color - color like i haven't seen in years. rich reds, gorgeous oranges, shades of yellow and brown.

riding the roads, soaking in the scenery... being on the bike makes me part of all the beauty, not just observing it like i would from a cage...

i was sitting outside the dealership and was struck by the brilliant color of this tree. it's just a portion of all the colors that are appearing now. i tried to capture some of the color... i didn't have my camera, so i was stuck with my crappy cell phone camera. it certainly doesn't do it justice...

  

  

27500 service...

hard to believe i'm at the 27500 mile service... i've been able to squeeze in a lot of good riding this year. would like to be able to hit 30k by the end of the year, but don't know if i'll make that.

when i think back on the miles i've put on so far this year, the thought quickly changes from the number of miles to the journeys i've taken. some planned, more unexpected, all good... it really does come down to the quality and not the quantity. although having the quantity opens more opportunity for quality...


when i picked up my bike, randy, the service manager at ray price, helped me out... what impresses me about him is he seems to know and care about his customers. as soon as he came downstairs, he knew who i was and greeted me by name. he always has a positive attitude and will take the time to talk to customers. it'd be nice if more people were like that...

while my bike was in, i got to ride around on an '09 road king. i was looking forward to testing out the new model because of the changes to the frame. let me say, what a nice bike...

the riding position is a little higher. i didn't know if i would like it or not. after riding for a few minutes, i got used to it and it didn't bother me. the bike certainly feels bigger with the larger tank. i think it's more of a perception thing because the bike wasn't any harder to handle. that may be due to the new frame...

the bike seems more balanced. i don't know if that was my imagination or the new frame. but i like it. i liked the power the bike had. nothing outrageous, but pretty peppy.

i've been liking the changes harley's been making to their bikes over the last few years. it gets me closer and closer to wanting a new one. this road king really put me even closer to that feeling. of course there's that part of me that says wait, see what they come up with next...

then reality kicks in and says there are too many other things before a new bike... but it doesn't hurt to look and dream...

here are a couple pics of the road king...

 

  

  

a wise man once told me...

actually, a wise man more than once told me some words of wisdom that have saved me, whether it be a few bucks, a lot of headache or a bit of both...

two recently that i want to share... the first once occurred earlier this summer, but i got to recount last weekend. my bike was parked and some people were looking it over. the discussion turned to the toe/heel shifter. one guy told me he was going to remove the heel shifter on his bike and was asking what i thought. why he cared what i thought i don't know - he's got to ride it and be happy with it. but since he asked...

i told him that i don't use the heel shifter. i too had considered removing it. my concern was how to pretty-up the shaft when i removed the heel shifter. i knew my father-in-law didn't use his. i figured i would see what he did with his bike.

upon inspecting his bike, i saw he still had the heel shifter... he told me he has no plans to remove the heel shifter, even if he didn't use it. his reasoning being you never know when you're going to need spare parts. i chuckled. i decided to leave it on more out of fear of him ribbing me about removing it every time he saw my bike.

not even a week later, i'm traveling home from northern virginia, on a two lane road, my wife caravanning behind me. a goose decides to meander into my lane and stops. at this point i'm having to make decisions on which way the goose might decided to go, which way i'm going to do. i'm quickly slowing down, hitting both brakes, squeezing the clutch and attempting to downshift - pressing my left foot down quickly but only finding air. holy crap!! i look down, no shifter peg!!!

i safely navigate around the goose and find the first pullover. as i'm pulling over, i'm hearing my father-in-law's words - you never know when you're going to need spare parts. thankfully, since i left the heel shifter on, i can move the peg from the heel to the toe and continue my journey home.

chalk another one up for the ol' man...

i noticed last weekend that my right rear turn signal wasn't working properly. after some quick diagnostics, i determined it was the run/brake/turn signal module i installed several years ago. i was all set to buy a replacement module. the only thing holding me up was the debate between the r/b/t module and replacing the brake lights and turn signals with leds - cost being the main factor.

again my father-in-law kicks in his words... they have their web site imprinted on the side of the module. i should call the company and tell them to send me a replacement. i've had the module on the bike for a few years, i don't know if they're going to do that.

i decide to do the next best thing - i'll search the internet to see if there are any reported problems with the unit. quickly finding nothing, i end up at biketronic's web site looking for a forum. nothing.... i stumble on their contact us form and decide to give it a shot.

i explain my situation and fire off the form. not even two hours later, a response... they have a lifetime warranty, send them my address and they'll send out a replacement. how can it get any better than that??

chalk another one up for the ol' man.

i'm gonna have to keep listening to him...

out for a ride...

went out for a ride yesterday. well, more like running some errands, but it was a chance to get out on the bike... two things stood out on my short journey.

first, i love where i live. where else can you get stuck behind farm equipment chugging down the road at twenty and not really care?? i had considered passing on a double yellow. but then i thought why?? all that would accomplish is i'd get where i was going sooner. and since i was running errands "in town," why would i want to get there sooner. i just followed behind, thinking about how farming seems to be a dieing lifestyle.

second, i'm glad i don't live "in town"... the traffic and the people all up in themselves while they're driving, thinking they're the only ones on the road. or maybe just that they're privileged on the road and everyone else should bend to their wishes.

specifically, almost getting run off the road. or into oncoming traffic. as the road merges left from two lanes to one, some bozo in a lexus, nc plate sva-1091, just pulls into my space. any chance of them using a signal?? no. any change of them checking for other traffic before they change lanes?? no.

luckily i was expecting that behavior from the driver. maybe it it was being able to observe them for a mile or two and noticing they didn't have any regard for traffic around them. maybe it was the cell phone crammed in their ear.

i followed them, not by choice, for a couple more miles. all i can say it that my stereotyping was confirmed, at least in my mind, as they turned into wakefield.

once i got out from behind them, my ride improved. maybe because i was getting out of traffic and getting closer to home.

25k...

hit the 25k mark yesterday...

seems like a big milestone when you're a new rider and have a new bike - something to shoot for. now that i'm there, it doesn't seem like much. the longer i ride, the more i want to ride. i realize it's not about the miles, it's about where you've been, who you've met during those miles.

i look at future miles not so much in numbers, but journies... adventures i can share with my wife. the trips we'll take to get fish sammiches, to the beach or mountains, to see the world's largest whatever, or just to cruise around the back roads, spending time together and building more memories...

check out the ride map to see where i was when i hit the mark....

captial city bike fest...

next 'big' event on the calendar is the captial city bike fest... it's usually a good time... i take friday off and make a day of it. there's a charity ride friday during the day with festivities beginning in the evening. i've volunteered in the past and will probably again this year.

saturday's are fun to take the family - see the sites and sounds. normally we plan on heading down there for a short period of time and end up spending most of the day.

the event is getting bigger and bigger each year. i believe the rally has been a win-win between ray price and the city of raleigh. with the revitalization of the city, raleigh has been open to more events to help bring people in, the rally being one of those events. and the rally has certainly brought people into raleigh that normally might not have shown up.

looking forward to it...

who says harleys don't leak??

well, i'm starting to lose confidence in the service department at ray price...

after my last service and having the clutch replaced, while getting ready for the york trip, i noticed a couple things wrong with the bike. the clutch wasn't adjusted properly, one of muffler clamps bolts was loose and the rotors on the front wheel are on backwards... these are things i think the dealership should have fixed - maybe with the exception of the muffler clamp bolt...

when i got back from the smoke out, i was unpacking my bike and noticed a leak...

closer inspection found the primary drain plug was loose, almost to the point of being completely out. good thing i got home before that fell off!! so i tightened the drain plug and the other bolts around the primary...

a couple weeks later, i'm riding around and notice it leaking again... this time i take it back in to have them check it out and replace the gaskets - there's something more serious going on here than loose bolts.

while it was in, i had them do the 25000k service as well, a few hundred miles short, but close enough... while it was in, i got to tool around on a buell lightning... fun on the twisty country roads but wouldn't want it as my full-time bike...

york trip...

day one - june 8

packed up the bike in the morning and made our way up to manassas. as instructed we called father-in-law to let him know we were leaving. he would be leaving soon as well and call us when he was in position - where ever and when ever that might be...



i had daughter on the back of the bike with wife and left over kids in the chase vehicle... it was a hot day which made for a longer ride. still, i would prefer to be on the bike in the heat than in a cage...



trying to catch up to father-in-law was interesting to say the least. between crappy/non-existent cell phone reception, father-in-law moving locations and no communication between the bike and chase vehicle, it was an adventure. he was in at least two different locations, trying to find the perfect location.



it ended up being at a burger king in orange. luckily before we passed it. after grabbing some grub, we headed the rest of the way up to maanssas.

day two - june 9

the final leg up to york... we decided to leave mid-morning, between the morning rush hour and the heat of the day. if all goes well, we could miss traffic in the larger cities and get to york around noon, before the heat of the day hits.



we loaded up the bikes and headed out...

trip went pretty good, mostly back roads and not too much traffic... until we got to leesburg. unfortunately our timing was off a little and we managed to spend about thirty minutes in stop and go traffic. might not sound like much, but when it's already warm outside and you're sitting on an idling engine, it's not what you might call comfortable.



after getting out of traffic and up the road a little, we decided to make our first stop for refreshments. a welcome break...

second half of the trip was uneventful. we arrived at the best western in york. i think we were all happy to get there, out of the heat and into some air conditioning...

after checking in and unloading, we wandered out for some food. leaving the bikes parked and opting to walk, figuring it might be a tad cooler than riding...



a recommendation from the check-in girls lead us to the westgate restaurant and lounge.

unfortunately the 'free' and 'beer' weren't associated other than being on the same pane of glass...

a nice looking diner that i wanted to try - apparently no one else was interested...

in the evening, daughter and i decided to go for a ride. i think the others were still a bit worn out from the ride up. besides, this would give daughter and i a chance to hang out - it was her trip anyway...



not sure where to go, we decided to head to laugerman's, the nearest hd dealer. i plug the location into my gps and off we go...



while a gps is a great too and very handy to have, it's not perfect. and for some reason, the gps decided to route us around every back alley street between us and the dealership. using a conventional paper map, i could have plotted a direct route to the dealership taking us all of maybe three miles. but the gps chose a route for us that was no less than ten miles.



most of the time, this would have been less than ideal. and i was getting kind of frustrated because i knew there was a shorter route. but sometimes taking the wrong turn can lead to greater benefits. in our case, we stumbled upon prospect hill cemetary and quite a site it was...

we finally made it to laugerman's about thirty minutes before they closed - one of the few dealerships that are actually open late. i imagine it has something to do with the proximity to the factory.

we wandered around the dealership, looking at t-shirts and talking them out of a screw-it bandanna. we discovered the dealership has little collection, museum as they like to call it, of vintage and collector bikes. an impressive collection...

after leaving the dealership, we took a little ride around york, looking for the twisty little roads we didn't find on the ride up. or at least a cooler ride we could enjoy. it was a nice ride and a great way to end the day...

day three - june 10

got up, grabbed some breakfast, packed up the bikes and headed to the factory to take on a tour. reading the literature, it sounded like we needed to get there very early in order to have a chance at taking a tour. i wasn't about to miss my opportunity and planned to be pulling the bike into the parking lot as they opened the doors.

once the doors opened, we got our tickets for the first available tour. we wandered around the visitor center, checking out displays and just had some fun...

all the pieces needed to assemble a 2008 road king classic

part of the manufacturing process - from sheet metal to final product...

a couple other artifacts from the museum/visitor center. this is the bike vaughn l. beals was given when harley was purchased from amf.

waiting for the movie to begin before the tour... no picture taking on the tour...

after the factory tour, a quick stop by laugerman's for father-in-law and son to check out... always making memories...

then the trip home... despite the heat, we decided to take the longer route home, figuring heading through the mountains might make for a cooler ride. as well as the fact we'd hit slightly more twisty roads.



the ride longer ride through the mountains were certainly welcome. but we did pay the price when we had to stop on the hot asphalt for about fifteen minutes for road construction. even shutting the bikes off wasn't much relief.



once we got moving again, twisting through the mountains, the misery of sitting in the heat was quickly forgotten.



we made what we thought was our final stop in berkeley springs for an icy treat.

once we got moving again, the skies got dark and the rain clouds rolled in. one final stop to put on the rain gear. we decided to press on in the rain, as long as we could safely see in front of us.



the rain never did get bad enough to stop us. and as i've been discovering in the last few journeys in the rain, i actually like riding in the rain. not that i would chose it over riding on a sunny day, but i wouldn't not ride simply because it's raining...



we finally pulled back into manassas. another great end to a great ride.



looking back, i really enjoy riding with my father-in-law. i'm glad we can share these adventures and journeys. i hope we are able to put on many more miles together. and having the kids with us made the trip that much more special...



check out the 2008 ride map to see the route - this one in  green ...