An Appeal For The Biker's Breast Friend...

Edit 11/08
For all those who commented on the pics, thank you, I appreciate your enthusiasm, however, I have removed them at least for now. I'm sure we will post more like them in the future.

Now that I have your attention (Thanks to My Wife for allowing me to post the pics), I would like to take a few moments to talk to you about a subject very dear to me. For as long as I can remember, biker events have nearly always included some form or another of a chance for bikers to admire or ogle boobies (or for some of you "tits").
As you may recall, I have already professed my own personal love for them in a couple of posts.
Well, in case you didn't know, the boobies are under attack. No, I'm not referring to the attack from the religious right trying to keep them all covered up (although that one bothers me, too) but the attack from inside. CANCER.
October is Breast Cancer Awareness month, hence the drastic increase of those little pink ribbons everywhere. In observance of that, I wanted to drop a few facts about breast cancer for you.
First off, What is Cancer? Cancer is a disease that causes cells to mutate & reproduce at an unusual rate. Often these mutations cause a solid mass or "tumor" to form. Cancers are commonly named for the part of the body that they affect, thus as you might have deduced, Breast Cancer attacks the breast. Specifically, Breast cancer attacks the Lobules (the glands that produce milk) or the Ducts ( the path through which milk flows to the nipple). Occasionally cancer can attack the stromal tissue (including the fatty & connective tissue in the breast). Like all cancer, breast cancer can spread to other systems and can lead to death.
While the exact cause of breast cancer is still being researched, certain risk factors have been identified. Among them are
Age: 95% of new cases in women and 97% of deaths between 2002 & 2006 occurred in women over 40.
Family History: Your risk increases if a member of you family (mother, Sister, Daughter, Father, ) has had breast cancer.
Weight: The chance of getting breast cancer after menopause is higher in women who are overweight or obese.
The use of tobacco and alcohol, have also been identified as risk factors.
And, Guys, before you think you are out of the woods, you might want to read this:

Original KISS drummer celebrates surviving breast cancer

That's right... We are not immune.
It is estimated that over 192,00 Women and almost 2,000 men will be diagnosed with breast cancer this year.
Without a doubt, early detection is the key to successful treatment. Women under 40 should have a clinical breast exam every 3 years, those over 40 should have one every year. A monthly self exam is also recommended, your doctor can show you how.
Please... Take the time, check your breasts....And, for the sake of all bikers...
SHOW THEM OFF! ! !
No, seriously, I'd like to see them... All of them... hell, just send pics of them to me! I know, it's wrong, but They're just the coolest...

Is There A Doctor In The House?

Ok, So this last week has marked a very sad turning point in my Harley Owning life.
Last Sunday I was heading out to help a friend fix the brakes on his car. I got close to where I was going to meet him & his family and when I slowed for a stoplight, Kate lost power & died. It doesn't sound too bad, but it's never happened before. It continued to happen at nearly every stop until I got to his house. I checked my oil first, it was a touch low but not bad enough to trigger that kind of reaction.
I thought briefly that maybe I had gotten too much gas in the tank & blocked the vent (I've had some experience with that in the past) or maybe even got a batch of bad gas, but even after I replaced the gas at the proper level, the same symptoms occurred. When she gets hot and then I pull to a stop, she loses power.
When I pulled into the driveway from work on Wednesday She died again.
That's IT! I called the service dept. I was told my Mechanic was busy on a big job & couldn't work on Kate until next week. I made arrangements to drop her off for a diagnostic.
I dropped her off yesterday and was told he might be able to start on it THURSDAY, Ugh! SO I'm stuck for at least a week with no bike...
Day 1... Withdrawal tremors setting in...
I think maybe I need an intervention. Does it have the same effect if you request it?
I have no idea.
Somebody go on a ride for me, ok? And, by all means, any advice or encouragement to help get through the week is greatly appreciated.
I'll catch you on the road...

What's new?

I just realized that I haven't posted on here for two-months. It's funny how caught up I can get in the day to day grind and I lose track of what makes me tick... So, I'll try to fill ya'all in on what has happened & then I'll start working on some of the posts I've been promising...
I got a lot of work done on Kate this summer... & I have a lot to go.
As I told you, I had the intake & exhaust done at the 15k service Holy Hell did that ever help. She Sounds like a Harley is supposed to, finally! And As you can tell, She looks just a little darker, too... This is just the tip of the iceberg. I really can't wait. I have a bit more planned for the 20k service time. So keep watch, you'll be seeing all the changes as they come about.
In the near future, you will be seeing some changes happening to the blog, as well. I'm going to post a new link section for you to use when looking for Biker related products & services. The new section will be called "Rider Resources" In this section I will post links to businesses that offer everything from Accessories to gear to parts and some just for fun. Some of the businesses will be advertising on my site, others will be some that I personally believe in. One thing will stand true to all of them. If you ever have a negative experience with a business you find on Adventures in Chrome, I want to hear about it. I go out of my way to offer a top notch blog to my readers & I will not host any business that won't go out of it's way to make sure their customers are fully satisfied.
With that having been said, I'm starting the new section today with a link to RiderDiscount.com
My contact with the company so far has been limited, but their representative Had this to say about the company...
Riders Discount is one of the nations largest distributors of motorcycle parts, apparel, and accessories as well as an international company, shipping to all but a few countries. We carry many brands and products to accommodate the majority of the riders out there. As we speak we are adding an additional 200 brands to the website including tires, exhausts, and all the way to small parts like spark plugs. In addition, our staff comes from a wide background ranging from Harley riders to Ducati racers allowing the best service available in both fields and any riding in between. We also offer expert sizing experience, Lowest price guaranteed, and risk free exchanges.
In addition to that, They're offering you up to 35% off on purchases when you tell them you found them through Adventures In Chrome. You'll have to Call the toll free number and ask them for the pricing, though, They can't post it because of deals with their suppliers.
Stop by, Have a look, and please let me know how your experience goes.
That's all for now, Ya'all have a good one & I'll be posting again, soon.
Ride Safe and I'll Catch you on the road...

Is there anybody still listening...?

Hey Ya'all! I'm sorry for the prolonged absence, but it was kind of unavoidable. Sunday, July 5 was my first day off since Memorial day... The vast majority of the time I've been working has been overtime...(12-13 hours a day) and the job was over an hour away from my house without considering Southern California Traffic. As I've said, Sunday was my first day off... On Monday I returned to work to be laid off. See what ya get for doing a good job?
Anyway. I'm taking a small vacation to catch up with my family...
Including some much needed attention to Kate. I hadn't ridden her in over a month. However... she didn't hold a grudge. Started right up & away we went for a few errands I needed to do and a comfortable jaunt down the Coast highway...
Fast Forward to now...
I am anxiously awaiting word from my dealer to confirm the delivery of a crate of parts that have been ordered to make the lost time up to her... I'm (FINALLY! ! !) doing the Stage I upgrade. To conserve money I'm going with the Screaming Eagle intake, but I decided not to short-change myself. I'm getting the Vance & Hines Power Commander & to keep with the idea behind her I'm getting The Vance & Hines Big Radius Black pipes. I can't wait to take her out when the work gets done... Anyone up for a ride? I'm hoping to make it this Sunday... I'll let you know. If there's anyone there... Hello? Is this thing on?

The Luck -o- The Irish...

So, I'm sure I've said something recently about being deprived of riding time. For some reason, for the last few months, If I have time to ride, the weather is uncooperative. If the weather is nice, I'm booked solid. It just feels like I can't catch a break to save my life...
So a couple of days ago, I got this announcement in an email. A Local chopper shop was hosting an "Irish Poker Run". I had no idea what could make a poker run "Irish", But I needed a ride and if there were other people going, too, well then... Weather be damned. I was gonna ride.
I still had some work to do to get prepared, I had to avoid scheduling anything for that day, for one thing. That actually was easier than I thought. My wife & son made arrangements to go to church with my MIL to see a friend of the family preach, and the day laborer, who has been helping us reclaim the jungle that our back yard has become, informed us he would be unavailable until Monday. So far, so good!
I went to bed early last night... well by 11:00 anyway, and woke up several times throughout the night. I felt like a kid on Christmas Eve.
I wanted to make sure I got there in time to get a t-shirt. I know, I know... and it's really not about the t-shirt, but I haven't been on a lot of rides (I'm sure I've mentioned that riding with people I don't know scares me, there's just too many idiots with enough money to buy a bike, but not enough sense to learn to ride it) and of the few I have been on, I've never gotten the shirt.
Oops... A.D.D. moment....
So I was up by 6:30 , in the shower, dressed & out the door by 7:30. I was even fueled up & on site by 8:00. and at the time, I was the only person there except for Josh Soto, the owner of Boars Nest Choppers. For a minute I wasn't sure the ride was starting there, but when I asked he assured me I was in the right place. I said something about being early and Josh informed me I was just in time to help set up, so I followed him around & helped him set up a couple of tables.
Within a few minutes, other people started showing up and I was surprised to find that one of the first was my next-door neighbor.I started chatting with him & received a phone call from my wife telling me that our friend was not going to be preaching so she wasn't going to church. I told her she should get her gear & meet me to go on the ride. She said she'd let me know by 10. After I got off the phone with her, an old friend and customer from my time at the Harley shop showed
up. I chatted with him for a while & continued to mingle while waiting for the run to get going.
For the sake of saving my sanity, I'll tell you that my wife's name is Rebecca, My Neighbor is Ron and My friend from the Harley shop we'll just call The Master Guns. (Yep, He's U.S.M.C. retired) Anyway...
Rebecca called to tell me she was on her way. Ron was going to ride out to man one of the stops to stamp cards when people drew their cards. I made arrangements for Rebecca & I to ride along with the Master Guns & a friend of his, Scott. Shortly after that, Scott left to pick up his wife, M.
While we were waiting for him to return, Rebecca & I decided that she needed a few things to get ready for the ride. So we went inside & bought her a pair of riding glasses, and returned inside a few minutes later to purchase a Pink bandanna. Yes, such is our life that we can't figure out everything we need unless we make several trips. ANYWAY...
When we at last got started I became acutely aware that we were both slightly under dressed for the cold. I have a great jacket, but I need some better gloves, and Rebecca is still wearing an old light leather bomber of mine when we ride. I really need to get her a good riding Jacket.... ok, Focus...
I also got a sudden reminder of why I don't like to ride with people I don't know. There were about 12 bikes or so that left out when we did and the three of us were in the rear of the group.
The leader of our group experienced some engine trouble, rumor was that it was due to bad gas from allowing the bike to sit too long. Anyway, his engine trouble prompted several unruly and disorganized lane changes while trying to find a suitable place to pull over & check out his bike.
When at last we got back on the road & started travelling more smoothly, I fell even farther to the back of the pack. I have a kind of a policy about not going more than 20 mph over the posted limit, at least while Rebecca is on the bike with me. Sure enough, a changing light soon cut me off from the rest of the group. When I got the green, I started trying to catch up with the rest. While I started to become concerned about losing them, I shouldn't have worried. The Master Guns & Scott dropped back & spaced out enough to keep both me and the main group in sight.
When we reached the first stop, I figured out what made the run "Irish". All the stops except for the starting point and the finishing point were at Irish pubs.
We went inside & drew our cards & got stamped , then walked outside & talked for a few minutes. When the subject of my cold hands came up, The Master Guns tossed me a pair of Gauntlets he had in his saddlebags. I have to get me a pair! They are very comfortable, fit great & the gauntlet even goes over my jacket( the ones I tried on in The Boar's Nest wouldn't fit over it until I got to some that were too big for my hands). I got the name & a couple of places where I can find them from him, and I expect to own my own soon.
Shortly after that, we were back on the Road to the second stop. This was my favorite leg of the ride because I was comfortable, dry (mostly) and the roads we were riding were scenic. I got to enjoy one of my favorite parts of riding in southern California, which is passing by citrus groves when they are are in or nearly in bloom. I love the smell and the way it permeates the air all around it...
When we got to the second stop, it was like an old routine... Draw cards, get them stamped, go to the 'loo" & go outisde , talk for a few & get back on the road. The most notable part of that stop was an older couple dropped a custom painted V-rod in a freak accident as they were trying to leave. Thankfully, neither seemed to suffer anything worse than a bruised up knee..
From then on the roads were mostly highway, But the sun had come out & we warmed up so, no complaints. When we got to the third stop, the card guys weren't there, yet, so we took a few minutes to relax. The ladies had some coffee, Scott & Master Guns enjoyed a brewed adult beverage while yours truly indulged in about 5 glasses of H2O (they were small).
After the cards arrived, we drew & hit the road for the final leg. We arrived at the end stop, parked & drew our final cards. I thought I was sitting pretty for the worst hand until one of the guys stamping cards said something about a small straight. I quickly forgot the poker game & found some food.
After we ate, I found out the drawings were still over an hour away, so I offered to take Rebecca back to her truck (She was a little out of her element with the crowd). When I got back I fond my friends and as we stood talking, another rider asked if we were staying for the drawings. I told him yes, and he handed me ten tickets to the 50/50. He was leaving & didn't want them to go to waste.
When the drawing finally took place, they drew the 50/50 first. Even with 15 tickets, I was over 150 away from the winning number. With the rumors having circulated that the winning hand of the poker game was four sixes that I knew I didn't have I was ready to say my good-byes and head out. However, most of the people around were still waiting to see who had the worst hand, and I didn't want to be rude and interrupt them so I stayed. I cannot tell you how surprised I was to hear my name be called. It was a massive shock, but I did it... I won for losing.
After I collected my prize (which turned out to be $100), I said my good byes to the Master Guns, Scott & M, and my neighbor ( I had always thought his name was "Bill" which I called him all day... as I was leaving he corrected me. Yep,. that's me... I'm an A$$!). The Master Guns was leaving at the same time so we walked to the bikes together. I'm pretty sure the conversation we had is the same at every run where someone wins money & his wife isn't there to know it...

Him: "So, are you gonna tell her you won"
Me: "No!"
Him: "Yeah, you will"
Me: "Yeah, I probably better. Too may people here she knows. She'll hear it eventually"
Him:"Yep, you will... but will you tell her how much?"

I'll let you ponder on that as I tell you it was a fantastic ride made even better by good friends and free money. I guess for once the Luck of my Irish heritage finally paid me a visit...
I'll be posting more soon. Until then.
Ride safe, and I'll catch you on the Road!

Biker's Hamlet

To write or to ride, That is the question. Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to share accounts of adventures past, or to partake of agreeable weather and free time to pursue an adventurous present...
While I realize it's been far too long since I have posted anything worth reading here, (And Boy do I have things to post, even though none of them involve recent rides) I have today, for the first time in weeks, the perfect weather and opportunity to get out & ride. I Hope Kate has the energy to go...
Have a wonderful day & I'll try to post something later.
Ride Safe & I'll catch you on the road...

Harley's Newest Offspring...

I got an email from my contact person at Harley, filling me in on another wonderful motorcycle being released by the company and I can't help but feel a little giddy, Like a little kid finding out about a new toy. I can't wait to put one in my toy box, or at least go to the store & play with theirs, ya know? But...
I have mixed emotions about this one...
The New model is the Iron 883N... Another dark custom edition for the sportster family. Don't get me wrong I love sporties... Always...But I can't help but notice what seems to me to be a rather obvious oversight in the Dark customs...
They now consist of The Iron 883N, The Nightster, The Night Train, The Cross-Bones, and to be technical about it, I believe the Night Rod qualifies, even though it's not in the list on the Dark Custom Website...
Does anyone catch what's missing?
Go through it again...
Iron 883N ( Sportster), Nightster (Sportster), Night Train (Softail), Cross-Bones (Softail), And Night Rod (VRSC)... Did anyone See a Touring bike? I didn't and I just don't understand how the most overhauled & updated family of the year has been completely left out of the hippest, coolest special project that the company has...
Now I understand that as a nation we are in financial straits, and I get that the company has to lure customers in by offering them a great deal. (Believe me, the Iron 883N is definitely that!) I just hope that when the smoke clears, Harley comes out with a Dark Custom for the Touring family. Preferably a blacked out & stripped down Road Glide (That's my next bike, I swear) I would be happy to consult on the project!
Now then, Without the immediate reaction, my unbiased thoughts on the Iron 883 are simple... We are in a recession, Harley's stocks have been sliding. Presumably because Gas prices have gone down considerably & people are once again looking at bikes as a luxury instead of a necessary way to cut fuel costs. While there are undoubtedly people left who can afford bikes a lot of them will hesitate to buy until they get a better look at how the new presidential administration will handle the economy. Surveys show that most people have an optimistic view of this administration, however self-defense is the order of the day. So with that in mind, Harley brought out an extremely appealing Dark custom bike. (The aesthetics of this bike are astounding to anyone who has ever liked sportsters). The only complaint I have is that I don't really care for the side mount license plate... Easily overlooked with this bike.
Not only does this bike come with a price tag that's almost as beautiful as the bike,(starts at just $7899) but according to the website, It is included in the "We Ride Free" promotion, so you're guaranteed to receive your full MSRP in trade towards any Big Twin for a year after your purchase.
I wish I could give you a rider's review, just like I wanted to of the XR1200, but, Alas, my relationship with Harley hasn't grown that far, yet.
Here is Harley's official blurb on the Bike... and a few pics to go along with it...
You know my take on it... What's yours?

Decked in black from fender-to-fender, the new Harley-Davidson Iron 883 brings the beat of an 883 Evolution engine backed up by a combo of gritty, old-school garage features like front fork gaiters, drag style handlebar and side-mount license plate holder.

The black powder-coated 883 cc Evolution powertrain with black covers takes the Iron 883 deep into the heart of darkness. With Electronic Sequential Port Fuel Injection (ESPFI) and performance tuning with a flat torque curve, the Iron 883 delivers plenty of power for the city scene. The pipes on the straight cut shorty dual exhaust flow the distinctive American V-Twin sound.

The black chopped rear fender with its combination stop/turn/tail lights shows more of the 150 mm rear tire and black, 13-spoke cast aluminum wheel, while the front tire also rides on a black wheel. The rest of the Iron 883 gets a darker-suited presence with black front forks and fender supports, fuel tank, oil tank cover, belt guard, drag style handlebar and mid mount foot controls.

A classic Sportster solo seat with a height of 25.3 inches fits the lone rider, while a passenger seat and a backrest in complementing black finishes can be added as accessories.

Check out more on the Iron 883 and Harley-Davidson Dark Custom motorcycles at www.harley-davidson.com/darkcustom.

Random Reflections and Ramblings

OK, I want to try to catch up a little on things I should have posted already.

First off. I made a comment in This Post about attending a casting session for Harley's 2009 motorcycle Catalog. I was eventually chosen and went on the shoot. I have been waiting to write a post in part on getting permission from Harley to post Photos from the shoot and to post some straight out of the catalog.
I've gotten that taken care of and I'm now working on writing it up. It's taking a while because it's been a while & I want to make sure I remember correctly and write it up fairly thoroughly.

Second, although I live in an area that has a perpetual riding season, depending on the rider, and I like to think I'm more than an average rider, I also don't feel a need to prove myself. My job & work schedule has me starting well before the sun begins to warm us up, and I usually work outdoors. So If it's below 60 when I leave my house I'm probably going to drive my truck.

Third, I received an invitation from Harley-Davidson to attend the premiere of the Bikes, Camera, Action winning film on Dec. 11. I did go & had an absolute blast, however, I live 100 miles south of Hollywood and had to work the day of the premiere. By the time I left my house traffic had already began on the 5 and it took me well more than the hour & 45 minutes that Mapquest told me to expect. We left the house almost 3 hours before the premiere began & were still over an hour late getting there. When we finally did arrive, We were in such a hurry to get in that we forgot the camera in the car.
I'll be writing that up more completely at another time. I'm still waiting to see if I get pics that were taken by a friend I ran into there.
And finally...
Is your first ride of the year EVER long enough? My wife & I went out on the bike on New Years Day (It's becoming a tradition) but due to the weather we only went to the mall & a couple of stores. It was all together about 30 minutes on the road & my wife was already ready to go home. I suppose I could have dropped her & went alone, but I've been in the doghouse enough lately, so...
All I can think about is going out & riding. I don't usually ride with other people, I like to go where I want and I have a tendency to change destinations in the middle of a ride, but I'm starting to wish I had someone to ride with. I have a couple of friends back East that would be more than game if they were around, but the commute is just not reasonable. I think it may be time to start looking for sponsored rides again.
A friend of mine, Bill Davis, Is working with/leading a charity called, "Ride for the Heart". I posted their schedule last year and will again this year. I just received it by email, but their website isn't current yet. I'll post it when the link will get you to a current page... Anyway... I'd love to go on their rides, but they're almost always longer than I can get away for and they usually go farther than my wife will even consider. However if you have the time, and the will and can make the trip, check them out. Every thing they do is with the greatest intentions and for a wonderful cause.
well, I guess that's enough random rambling for one day. I hope you're all having a good weekend I'm gonna go watch the rain.
Ride safe & I'll catch you on the road...

Happy New Year! ! !

I just wanted to pop in & wish you all a Happy 2009!
I hope you all find Happiness in everything you do.
Ride Safe, I'll catch you on the road.
Camron