And the AssHat of the Week goes to!

Photo Credit: AP Photo

U.S. Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass,

For his asinine and insulting troop-bashing off-the-cuff comments about the state of education of the troops serving in Iraq.

"You know, education, if you make the most of it, you study hard, you do your homework and you make an effort to be smart, you can do well. If you don't, you get stuck in Iraq,"

His elitist remarks show his true allegiance; his green blooded aristocracy, by marriage.

 

Technorati Tags: Asshat - John Kerry

 

Poser Prejudice

I made a personal discovery Saturday evening while waiting for my dinner at the IronHorse Lodge

The best way to describe this is "Poser Prejudice".

While standing in line at the food window with several folks, I was talking to Tom G. (tmgs) of the K1200LT site. He and his wife had just arrived from North Georgia on their bikes to join us for dinner before they headed back to TWO (Two Wheels Only) for the 50cc rally Sunday morning.

Tom was standing there in his riding gear (ATGATT) next to me and we were cutting up yakking about this & that waiting on dinner when I noticed a gentleman coming down the stairs from the upper level of the Lodge where the pool table is located.

He had been around the IronHorse all day and wearing the same things all day.
He had on blue jeans and a long sleeve T-shirt with black boots. He also was wearing black chaps, black vest with Harley pins & patches, an orange handkerchief tied around his neck and black leather jacket.

I had seen him countless times throughout the day inside and out wearing all of his "gear", but never on his bike. He had been upstairs shooting pool and came down to get in line for dinner as well.

This gentleman just happened to fit the classic definition of a Poser, at least in my eyes.
According to Wiktionary a Poser is:"Someone who, of acting, dressing, collecting items, making statements, in a way so as to gain social standing (rather than in honest personal preference)."

I don't know why his dress and demeanor drew my attention unless it was the sharp contrast between riders such as Tom G. and this guy that screamed Poser in my head.

I mentioned the fact that I had just realized I'm "Poser Prejudice" to Tom while standing there and we enjoyed a good chuckle about it but I kept on pondering the discovery as it just didn't sit well on all levels with me.

I like to think of myself as an enlightened and open-minded individual but this had me stumped.

Why would or should I care about this gentleman's outward persona? It has no ramifications for me that I know of so why should I care?

I think it's because I do care! I know this may sound strange but it's the truth.
I care that this gentleman rides a motorcycle; and that he should wear protective gear that will actually protect him in a get-off.

If you count yourself among the "Poser Prejudice", what are we to do with this enlightenment? Keep it to ourselves or attempt to share our wisdom we earned through hard experiences with those who are setting themselves up for this hard experience?

I've tried to convey my concern for other's less than adequate protective gear when the opportunity arises but have had little or no effect in swaying the set minds of my under-geared riding brethren.

In the end, being an example of ATGATT will be my way to share this wisdom. 

LATER

Technorati Tags: Poser - Boutique Biker

Return to the IronHorse 2006 - The last leg

I awoke this morning, Sunday, at 07:00 to 33 degrees f. with no frost. The Sun was up but not shining directly in the little valley where the IronHorse is located.

I packed all my gear and loaded the LT for the ride home. After a quick breakfast and a round of fair-wells I headed out for points South.


The ride was outstanding until I found myself in the Race Traffic on the South side of Atlanta. Slow going for 30 minutes or so then back up to speed for the downhill run to Flatland.


Traffic was very heavy all the way to the Tampa Bay area with numerous multi-mile slowdowns due to rubber-necking.

I arrived at the Casa around 17:30.







I really love being in these hills and would like to move here at some point.
















Here is a link to all of the photos for this trip.




































I had a Great time getting together with friends again at the IronHorse Lodge.


Next year the Return to the IronHorse weekend will be one week earlier so we can catch the trees in full color.

Later

Technorati Tags: IronHorse - North Carolina - BMW -

1000000 Links

Return to the IronHorse 2006 - A Thread

Our October gathering at the IronHorse Lodge in Stecoah North Carolina has begun and Riders are arriving from all over the Eastern US.

I road up from Tampa Bay Thursday, 641 miles in 10 hours of riding from 42 to 61 degrees Fahrenheit with one hour of rain along the route in North Florida / South Georgia.

The ride up I75 was as it always peppered with State Troopers and over the road truckers along with a healthy sprinkling of Construction Zones.






It rained from Lake City to the Florida/Georgia line and dry the rest of the trip.


The LT turned over 96000 miles in South Georgia. This bike has been a great friend and been the root cause of thousands of hours of fun and adventure that should continue for years to come.











The ride was uneventful while on the highway, just as I like it.













Highway 28 North in Western North Carolina is a great ride and worth the time to ride it.



















Highway 28 North of 74 is a beautiful climb up and down of four lane sweepers.








The Overlook Pullout on 28.








































Lower Stecoah Road





































The ride from North East Georgia up into Western North Carolina is the gate way to the Smokies and Smokey Mountain National Park.

The IronHorse is located just a few miles South of the Southern border of the Park and is in perfect striking distance for day trips to the park or anywhere in the area really.

The Ladies cooked us a fine meal of "Cowboy BBQ" consisting of Beef Brisket, Beef Sausages, Baked Beans and Cole Slaw, bottomless Iced Tea and CBS for desert; Chocolate Brownie Sundae, shhh don't tell everybody.

The rain was falling last evening as the temp dropped into the 40s f. so John, our Host put The Worlds Fastest Indian on the Giant Projection Screen TV and we all had a fine time.

Here is a link to all the photos, so far that is.

Friday Morning:

Awoke to cold temps and rain out of the South West and several more riders arrived overnight as well as a few more Toy Haulers/Campers.

Breakfast was outstanding as we've become accustomed to and the wood burning stoves were adding a charming warmth to the main gathering room.

The weather channel has been on most of the morning, Charlene will be starting The Long Way Round on the big screen about lunch time.

The atmosphere is a little subdued as several of us have our Laptops in front of us enjoying the Free Wireless Internet while others kick tires under the covered parking area in front of the lodge.

There are several Iron Butt Association Riders here this weekend for the get together as well as those that were working to help an IBA Rider complete a SaddleSore 1000 on Deal's Gap.

Yellow Wolf made 110 passes through Deal's Gap 318 turns in 11 miles; only 106 were required for the 1000 mile distance but we tend to pad on some miles at the end as a Just In Case buffer. You would hate to have your ride disqualified for mileage after the fact.

Yellow Wolf had a team of IBA Witnesses taking turns at each end of the gap, the Crossroads of Time and the Overlook. They pulled-multi hour shifts logging his mileage, gas stops and turn-around's and times.

This was a very dangerous way to get in the record books. Riding the gap once or twice a day is one thing but making 110 passes at those 318 curves around the clock in cold and wet weather is pushing it, a bit!

To each his own I guess; I've had folks call me "Nuts" for doing a BBG and 50CC in 39 Hours 3 Minutes but at the time it all felt perfectly reasonable to me.

Fletcher Clark is here, just passing through as he works through his IBA National Parks Tour. He's somewhere between 150 and 200 National Parks so far this summer and when he rolls out of here it will be in the direction of the next park on his list.

More to follow!

Later

Technorati Tags: IronHorse - Motorcycle Lodge - Riding -

Euro Cycles of Tampa Bay = Customer NON-Service

I'm preparing for my trip to Western North Carolina tomorrow morning and received the new tires I ordered from Southwest Moto Tires last week.

When I received them I called the Service Writer at Euro Cycles of Tampa Bay and he (Todd) told me he couldn't get to them until this week so I waited until yesterday, Tuesday the 24th and called him back to arrange to bring in the wheels and new tires as I have before several times.

Tuesday when I spoke to Todd to confirm that I would be there in 30 minutes he told me Joe (the owner) had "made up a new rule" that they would no-longer install tires purchased elsewhere. Todd didn't mention this "New Rule" when I spoke to him last Friday in an attempt to get in there last weekend.

I purchased my 2002 K1200LT new from this "Dealership" and have attempted to maintain a relationship with them, however at every turn they find a way to refuse Customer Service and therefore ultimately refuse my business.

Joe can run his dealership any way he wants to and if it's his intention to drive away paying customers then he's being successful.

No biggie on the tires, I'll get them mounted today at one of the other forty MC Shops in the area or I'll swing by Miller BMW Motorcycles in Tallahassee on my way North and they will gladly mount the tires for me.

Again, for some damn reason I thought to attempt to do business with this local BMW Dealer and once again, and for the last time Euro Cycles of Tampa Bay has failed to treat a paying customer as a paying customer.

Here is a link to a follow up post. Euro Cycles of Tampa Bay - Revisited

LATER

Technorati Tags: Customer Non-Service - BMW of Tampa Bay

And the AssHat of the Week goes to!

Both the Democratic and Republican American Political Parties

For insuring the political debate between candidates of these parties never manages to approach any real issues due to the constant media barrage of negative and misleading campaigning using every outlet possible and insuring the hard earned dollars that were donated to these champagnes are completed wasted.

Later

 

 

Technorati Tags: AssHat -

Is Daytona becoming the Elephant Graveyard for Bikers?

Biketoberfest has again come and gone and left it's mark on the City as well as the Biker Community in attendance.

Some made their first trek to Daytona in anticipation of the sites, sound and smells of Biketoberfest to be experienced among a couple of hundred thousand like minded individuals.

Some returned again to the city and event to re-connect with past experiences and friends while still others make there way to Biketoberfest to sell there wares be it custom motorcycles, riding gear, life style apparel or accessories.

The news broke Sunday of the forth (4th) death related to Biketoberfest activities this year and while less than last years event it's still disturbing that some percentage of guest to our State for this huge event will only make it home in a box.

I bet the the victims of this years event never really contemplated not living through the experience they so eagerly pursued and planned for all year, and while we'll never know the answer to that one I feel the annual loss of life during these hugely popular events is in no uncertain terms, inevitable.

The mixture of Thousands of Visitors on all manner of two & three wheeled vehicles on overly crowded streets and bridges, competing for limited parking and quenching their thirsts on alcoholic beverages while strolling from shop to shop to tent to stage to Bar seems to always lead to the untimely demise of the unsuspecting by the impaired.

Last years Biketoberfest saw five (5) lose their lives so is this years four related deaths an improvement?

This years event witnessed the deaths of Two Motorcyclist on the first day of the event. One killed by a cage driver who turned left in front of an on-coming rider and the other apparently died in the saddle while riding and was found along side the road.

Saturday, a 39 year old Woman crossing the street with her Husband was killed by a Motorcyclist who was racing his friends on the street. The jerk who hit and killed her, Kreso F. Orlic of Carlstadt, N.J., faces vehicular manslaughter charges after dragging the woman's body 162 feet down the road as a result of his "Drag Racing" with friends.

Again, I doubt the victims of this years event thought they would die as a result of the activities surrounding Biketoberfest but every year without fail it happens.

I don't know of any easy fixes to the problems that lead to the deaths every year other than to stay away from these events. This is exactly what I did this year and I feel it may be my way of mitigating this risk for some time to come.

Please share your thoughts on this by commenting below, and keep the shiny side up will ya?

Later

Technorati Tags: Daytona - Elephant Grave Yard - Bikers

"See No, Speak No,Hear No evil among us"

A line from The Wallflowers Three Marlenas that I find disturbingly appropriate when taken in the context of Motorcyclist, as well as other groups.

We as a group generally abide by this mantra and I think we do so at our own peril. This behavior is clannish at best and extends from the position of "Nobody criticizes my family" or "Don't say nothing about my Mama".

Somewhere along the way, a lot of people have taken the position that a criticism is synonymous with an attack. If you say anything that is not complementary or neutral in nature then you are attacking them and they must respond in kind.

If this sounds familiar it's the same culturally childish behavior we hear about from the radical Islamic fundamentalist who riot over damn cartoons or the shape of an Apple Store in New York.

I have always tried to take the position that if someone offers a criticism concerning me that I first consider the source and decide if it's worth listening to and second, the spirit in which it's offered. Works for me but your mileage may vary.

I offer this anecdote as an example of this behavior: I ride to work every day, rain or shine, hot or cold. I park in virtually the same location of the motorcycle parking area in the parking deck. One of the other folks I see infrequently on his bike parks in the same area and I noticed that the tires on his motorcycle where worn damn near smooth, front and rear alike!

I thought about this for a while as I went through my morning procedures in the office. Later in the morning while walking between buildings on the campus I happen across the owner of the bike with bald tires.

I stooped and exchange pleasantries for a couple of minutes and the conversations leads to the bikes so I asked him about his tires and prefaced the question with "I'm confident your aware of this" and then inquired about his tires. He unabashedly told me he's had the same tires on that bike for six years and 57,000 miles, and that he planned to keep them on there to use up the rest of the tread.

I smiled widely and replied jokingly "What Tread" and his response was neither joking nor friendly when he bowed out his chest and wrinkled his brow and fired back with "It's my damn bike and I'll ride it on the rims if I like."

This took me by surprise as we were having a friendly conversation in which I politely asked a question out of curiosity and responded to his seemingly humorous mileage statement with the light hearted "What Tread" retort only to see him take my queries as negative criticism and decided he had to go on the offensive with his emotionally elevated response.

Being in Management in our IT Department just about everyone knows me or knows of me and that I'm a loyal Motorcyclist and always willing to help motorcyclist whenever I can. I help advertise and encourage "Ride To Work Day" every day.

This person and I have spoken on several occasions about riding and he knows me and knows that I'm not bashing him, his bike or his choices. I said "Hold on a second, stop the presses please", and then explained that I had asked only out of curiosity and concern for his safety.

He had relaxed his posture by now and had a look of surprise and confusion when I said that I could never ride a street bike on slicks with my riding style. He said that he "takes it easy" and watches the road to make sure he doesn't hit any debris or oil on the road that might make him wreck.

I really didn't want to re-aggravate him by continuing the queries so I told him I'd catch him later and proceed on my way between buildings.

I can't fathom a legitimate rational for operating a street bike on worm out slick may-pops much less doing it out of choice with virtually no concern for his own safety as he always wears a Greek Sailor's Cap everywhere he goes, on the bike it's no different and no gear.

This was an occasion when someone out of friendly concern asked a question and it was misconstrued as harsh criticism to which he felt he had to aggressively respond. What would of happened if it had actually been a harsh criticism of him, his bike, his judgment or lack there of?

I feel confident he would have taken a violently aggressive posture, even with me being a member of the management team and having sixty pounds on him.

I see this type of behavior on the on-line boards and communities I belong to as well when someone posts a Harley cartoon or ask "Why would anyone buy a__________" and the eager to be offended chime in attacking the poster instead of challenging the statement or question on it's merits.

We seem to be losing the ability to carry on a polite conversation in a civilized manner if there's any disagreeable position taken by either party. It's either you agree with me or your attacking me, there's no middle ground.

I've also seen it here in this blog as a result of my satirical post on the Borg and Islam or the series of posts on Boutique Bikers in which I satirically attack a given lifestyle in a very superficially obvious way, I thought!

I have set the blog up requiring comment moderation so as to prevent spamming the readership and to insure this forum remains civil as my kids read this and who knows, maybe your's will too. In any event I see the good the bad and the ugly comments and have a good laugh and post the ones I don't mind them reading.

It's as if narcissism is replacing our sense of humor and the things we used to laugh at about ourselves and our society are now taken as overt threats to our sense of self, and this is not limited to individual behavior but prevalent in the social dynamics of very dissimilar groups such as American Motorcyclist and radical Islamic fundamentalist to mention two.

So what's to become of polite discourse? Is it "Lets have a conversation about our differences" or is it "See No, Hear No, Speak No evil among us"?

I know I don't now. What do you think?

Later

 

 

Technorati Tags: See - Speak - Hear - No Evil - Motorcycles

I'll ride to North Carolina this week

This coming Thursday morning, Oct 26, I'll leave Tampa Bay heading North to the Mountains of western North Carolina for our Return to the IronHorse weekend at the IronHorse Lodge. We'll be riding in from all over the Eastern US for the last get together of the year.

I say We'll be riding in, the We in this are members of the BMW Luxury Touring Community who make this trek a couple of time a year, Spring and Fall. The Springtime gathering is know as Spring Training Camp for Riders and we hold Tech Sessions on Maintenance jobs, farkle installation and hold Rider Training sessions like the Slow Speed Handling class conducted by Motorman John Pretti of the Tallahassee PD. or the Smooth Riding Techniques taught by Susan Galpin.

Needless to say we have a good time and enjoy great food, riding, tire kicking and fellowship surrounded by dozens of your close friends. This is never a brand specific gathering but BMW's make up the lion share of those in attendance.

We'll be all over the roads in the area taking in the colors and taming the Tail of the Dragon, not mine, the 129 variety.

Personally I prefer the Cherohala Skyway to Deal's Gap when it's crowded as there are just to many inexperienced riders in the throws of testosterone poising trying to leave their mark on the the stretch of 129 that has claimed so many victories over these riders.

There are so many great riding roads in the mountains there's just no reason to hang out at the crossroads of time once you've refueled the bike and yourself.

I've a few maintenance tasks to complete before rolling out at O-Dark-Thirty Thursday for my anticipated arrival at the IronHorse in the early afternoon. It's only 625 miles, barely enough to stretch your legs but I'll love every minute of it. I need to fit new tires and change the Tranny and rear end lubes on the K1200LT before heading out.

The ride North out of Florida (FlatLand) into South Georgia is less than interesting scenery but when viewed from the motorcycle it somehow is transformed from the uninteresting to visual queues that stimulate my imagination and gets the anticipation of seeing the next little rise in the road as it will lead to the next and the next getting higher and cooler as I roll North toward the Mountains that occupy my thoughts to the point of obsession at times.

I love the Smokey Mountains, hell all mountains for that matter when it comes to riding. Shorting the horizon before me is good for my soul and in the Smokies my spirit communes with other like spirits native to the area. My paternal family came directly out of the Cherokee Reservation of Cherokee North Carolina.

My Father was full blood as his parents were as well as there other 10 children. Very large families are a Cherokee tradition that may be the only reason that any Cherokee are still living today.

My Maternal family are transplants from Highland Scotland and Southern Germany. The Mountains and my love for them are imprinted in my dna and I wouldn't have it any other way.

As I sit here completing this writing having just watched the Tampa Bay Buccaneers dispatch the Eagles, I think I'll go for a ride. Somebody has to do it.

Later

 

 

Technorati Tags: North Carolina - IronHorse - Motorcycle - Lodge

And the AssHat of the Week goes to!

Kim Jong Il

For Attention Whoring Brinkmanship at the expense of the people of North Korea who will continue to suffer under failed communist social programs.

And for then running to China to hide under the skirt of the only folks that can stomach dealing with him.

Later

Technorati Tags: AssHat - Kim Jong Il

Review - Southwest Moto Tires

I have been purchasing my motorcycle tires from Southwest Moto Tires of Tucson, AZ for four years now and so far I've ordered eight (8) sets of Bridgestones from them.

I'm their customer for a couple of reasons; Outstanding Customer Service, the best price I've found, no tax and free shipping on two or more tires that's always delivered the tires in two days to my door.

I get both tires delivered for the price of just the rear tire at a dealership. I pull the wheels off the bikes and take them to a local sport bike shop and have them mounted for $20 each. I balance the wheels myself when I get back to the Casa and reinstall the wheels.

Next time you need new skins for the ride, give them a try, you won't be disappointed.

Later

Technorati Tags: Southwest Moto Tires

The view from the cockpit

I truly enjoy the view from the cockpit of a motorcycle rolling down the road with the world opening up before me.

I make sure to have a camera with me anytime I ride, usually in the tank bag for easy access. I photograph the world from the cockpit and share the shots I like on the web and in this blog. I sometimes video my rides or parts of them anyway and share these videos as well.

There are as many approaches to ride photography and videography as there are riders that partake in this endeavor so I'll just give you my take on the process and leave the rest to their own devices.

Like I've mentioned before, I keep a small digital camera in the tank bag of which ever motorcycle I happen to be riding, if it's not handy to get to when you need it your going to miss the shots you really want.

I take a lot of photos while riding and do so with little distraction from riding during the process. I have practiced taking shots with my gloved left hand many times and I'm pretty confident in my ability to retrieve the camera from the tank bag, switch it on, take the photo(s) I want, switch it off and return the camera to the tank bag; all the while maintaining my situational awareness and actively riding the bike.

My friend James has a large patch of Velcro on his bike where a tank bag would be and a patch of Velcro on his camera so he can just grab it, take a shot and put it back on the patch until again needed. This wouldn't work for me due to the very small form factor of the Casio Exilim camera I use and the fact that it's not the least bit water resistant.

I take a lot of photos while riding, hundreds sometimes while on the road and I go through them at a relaxing pace deleting the culls when I get a chance. Then I move them from the camera to the laptop and run a jpg compression utility on them to reduce the storage requirements and load time for display on the web.

Video is another bowl of frogs all together and requires more preparation if your to get the results you want.

I use two approaches from an equipment point of view to capture video while riding. The first is a Sony HandyCam and the second is a Lip Stick Camera from HelmetCamera.com that feeds video to an A/V Jukebox in the tank bag. Both approaches have applications to which they are uniquely capable.

To get a good video image you must have a stable mount that minimizes vibration while providing stable support for the camera.




This shot shows the HandyCam on a stable camera mount securely attached to the bike.

This is a view showing a camera mount system adapted for a an upcoming shot. The red strap is for safety, to prevent parts falling off if a mount disengages.








The weight of the camera is supported by the large suction cup mount and is stabilized by the two additional suction cups and rods.

With this and other equipment I can mount a camera just about anywhere on or around the bike.

I can also mount the lipstick camera using this type of setup or attach it to my helmet or place it on the shelf next to my GPS, anywhere really as long as it's stable.

Here's a sample video, shot in Spearfish Canyon SD. using the HandyCam. I sucked the raw video over to my laptop and used Movie Maker to edit the video, add titles and effects as well as the sound track.

Other videos are located here and photos of my trips are here.

Later

Technorati Tags: View - Cockpit - BMW - K1200LT - R-1200GS Adventure

Review - 1421: The Year China Discovered The World

1421: The Year China Discovered The World

Could America have been discovered by China almost a century before Columbus staked his claim?

This book explores this possibility with new facts and expert accounts which claim that Chinese Admiral Zheng He circumnavigated the globe and produced maps which included the America's, Australia and Antarctica.

As new evidence comes to light using advanced carbon dating techniques the world's history books are being re-written.

I really enjoyed this book by Gavin Menzies as well as the topic of world discovery in general however not everyone is convinced of the historical accuracy of this effort.

I'll leave the accuracy of the content to the scholars who love to debate it. I just found it to be an enjoyable read.

Later

Technorati Tags: 1421 - Book - Review

Trail of Tears Annual ride of remembrance

The Trail of Tears Annual ride takes place each year during mid September and attracts thousands of riders from all over the country.

The Ride starts in Chattanooga Tennessee and proceeds South West to Madison Alabama then West to Florence and then Waterloo Alabama.

The rides began in the 1990's as a result of research done by Jerry Davis, of Scottsboro, Alabama and continue today as an annual tradition that continues to draw larger crowds each year. The last TOT Ride I made was in 2003 and it reportedly topped 120,000 motorcycles.

Some History of the Trail of Tears:
The Indian Removal Act of 1830 called for the forcible removal (if they wouldn't volunteer to just walk away from their homes) of all Indians from the eastern United States to reservations located in Oklahoma. May of 1838 brought the deadline for voluntary native removal so the military under the leadership of General Winfield Scott ordered the round-up and removal of over 17,000 Cherokees who refused to leave their lands. So began the Cherokee "Trail of Tears," the darkest episodes in the horrendous relations between the United States and Native Americans.

Detachments of soldiers arrived at every Cherokee home and brutally drove men, women, and children out with only the clothes on their backs. They were forced into concentration camps where conditions were hideous. Food was scarce, disease was wide spread and deaths among the Native Americans from disease and starvation were common.

Due to drought conditions throughout the area in June of 1838, the Tennessee River was too low for navigation so the U.S. government hired wagon-master J.C.S. Hood to transport 1,070 Native Americans by foot and wagon from Ross's Landing in Chattanooga to what became Waterloo, Alabama, 230 miles away. U.S. Highway 72 follows much of the original route used by Hood.

Up to 4000 Cherokee deaths occurred because of this forced removal of civilized and productive Native Americans from their rightful homes. By the programs end the Choctaw, Chickasaw, Creek, and Seminole nations suffered the same fate as the Cherokees.

Today's Trail of Tears Annual rides of remembrance are just; a ride of remembrance, although with all the bikes, riders, vendors the Native American Drummers & Dancers take back seat for some in attendance, for me they are the reason I came.

Here are some photos of some of the Native Dancers at the All Nations Pow Wow.


















Cherokee, Choctaw, Chickasaw, Creek and Seminole Native American drum singers at the dance ring.





The vendor/concession areas are huge and you can secure just about any type of souvenir you can imagine as well as some mighty fine food & drink.






Waterloo Alabama is a tiny place with a normal population of about 200 souls that swells to over 100,000 thousand every September for this event.





And yes I took a shot of the DragonFly!






This is a fun event to participate in but be prepared for the logistics of such an event if you plan on attending. Getting fuel along the route is not too much of a hassle just be aware that you'll be one out of 100,000 or so folks needing it.

The ride has Police escort from End to End as this is a huge movement of motorcycles from City to City and congestion is the name of the game along the route.



My riding buddies on this day were: James, Bob and Dan (l-r)







My fat lip! or Super Soup Cooler!
I was enjoying a large lemonade and walking through the vendor area when a large yellow jacket decided to partake in the lemonade.

He didn't taste as good as the drink and got a little Pissed at me for sticking my lip to the drink. Since I'm allergic to bee stings, I headed over to the paramedic and got a shot of Benadryl.

Morale of the story:Don't kiss a Yellow Jacket on the Ass unless you’re wearing your Kevlar mouth protector.

Later

Technorati Tags: Trail of Tears - Ride

Review - Muth Signal Mirrors

I ordered a set of Muth Signal Mirrors for the 02 LT a few years back and promptly installed them. As mirrors go they worked fine most of the time, just not all the time.

The mirror mounts on the LT consist of a mounting ring in the mirror enclosure and on the back of the mirror a clip with basically four small tabs with teeth that should grip the ring.

For stock mirrors the mount design works flawlessly, but add the additional weight of the LED package on the back of the Muth Signal Mirrors and the vibration begins to loosen the mounts grip and slowly wears it down to the point where a bump in the road can make the mirrors pop off the mounts.

Muth came up with a hack/stop gap solution to this for those that called their customer non-service number which consisted of a disk or double sided foam tape your supposed to place inside the mount against the back of the mirror that was supposed to stop the vibration and prevent the mirrors from popping off.

The double sided foam tape lasted about three months before a mirror popped off, they both vibrated so bad the mirrors were unusable for their intended purpose.

The squaw that stroked the cames sack was when the left Muth Signal Mirror popped out of the mount while I was riding in Tennessee on my way through the Deal's Gap/Cherrohalla Skyway Triangle; the mirror came out so quickly in the 70mph wind that the disconnect for the wires came unlatched and the mirror hit the ground and shattered.

I went back and found it and brought it home then called Muth's Customer Non-Service line only to be told "tuff luck" by the genius at the other end of the line.

I removed the other useless Muth Signal Mirror and reinstalled factory mirrors that are stable and perfect.

Lesson Learned!

Later

Technorati Tags: Muth - Signal Mirrors - Bad Customer Service

Rider Training - Lets do it again!

I have completed several Rider Training programs over the years and continue to do so annually, not to mention the self training/practice I impose on myself.

I've taken the MSF Experienced Rider Course three times now and a year or so ago I completed a Slow Speed Handling School for experienced riders taught by Motorman John Pretti of the Tallahassee Police Department.

I also practice on my own or with one or two other riders using the MSF ERC and TPD course layouts. I hit the local Sports Authority and purchased several tubes of yellow tennis balls and proceeded to saw all the balls in half to be used as course markers instead of cones.

I have a mesh bag full of tennis ball halves (John Pretti's idea) I can haul to a parking lot and layout the courses I want to practice.

I practice as long as needed and layout another set of courses and continue practicing.

The tennis ball halves work perfectly for markers and you won't damage them when rolling over them.

I come from a place where Practice is the key to Performance; and my goal is to execute emergency procedures over and over until the actions are second nature, so when I need to execute an emergency maneuver it's smooth, timely and effective in mitigating the threat to which I'm responding.

Like I said I practice the course layouts from the MSF ERC and start at the standard dimensions of the layouts and work in from there.

Once I have mastered the skill practiced with a given course layout I tighten up the course by making it more narrow or tighten a curves radius or shortening the emergency stop box.

You may notice from the photos that the parking lot is wet; it was also a cold day when the photos were taken.

I believe that practice should simulate your normal riding conditions. In Florida I ride in the rain all the time so the wet parking lot is a welcomed road condition for the training.

Later

 

 

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