Adventures In Chrome

A Farewell To A King...

2010-05-29T12:36:00.001-07:00

We Just Lost the Grand Daddy of them all...

Rest In Peace, Dennis. Thanks for Everything.

For More Info:
The Story

The Actor

Is there anybody out there???

2010-04-23T09:26:00.001-07:00

Yes, I know, It's been forever. Is there anyone still listening? Is there any reason to return?

I will await your reply. Until then, I'm going for a ride.
I'll catch you on the road.

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

2009-10-18T09:58:00.000-07:00

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?

2009-10-04T07:59:00.001-07:00

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?

2009-09-16T09:46:00.000-07:00

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...?

2009-07-09T20:28:00.001-07:00

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...

2009-03-15T17:05:00.001-07:00

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

2009-02-21T09:56:00.000-08:00

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...

2009-02-01T07:52:00.000-08:00

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

2009-01-03T12:01:00.000-08:00

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! ! !

2009-01-01T09:53:00.000-08:00

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

Happy Holidays.

2008-12-25T07:16:00.000-08:00

First, I want to send a very big thank you to everyone who is spending this Christmas away from loved ones due to military deployment. Your sacrifice is greatly appreciated!
I hope Biker Clause has been kind to all of you. Whether your wish was for family time or your choice of weather or even if you only dreamed of Chrome, I hope your holiday wishes come true. Here's wishing all of you a Happy Merry ChristmaHannaKwanzaDahn!!
And If you're lucky enough to ride today, well, Just take a twisty for me, because it's raining here And I just don't see Kate getting out today...
Catch you on the Road... Just not today

Day Two: Remedial Road Lessons... (Finally!)

2008-11-30T09:01:00.000-08:00

Day Two of My Summer Trip...

I woke up around 7 The next morning feeling ratHer hung-over from the prevIous dayS dehydration on the road. I took my time, getting a shoWer & pAcking up to leave before making my way into the diner portion of the Store/office of the hotel. I fixed myself A cup of coffee and a plate of french toast and sat down to eat as the owner of the hotel was wanderinG aRound clEAning up The store. We exchanged pleasantries and began to chat while I ate & he cleaned. He asked where I was From and where I was headed. I coUld see a spark of memory in his eye when I told him and he started to regale me with his own tales of a younger life on the road. It seems he was an old sChool biKer from ArIzoNa who used to ride up into Utah every chance he Got. When the time came foR hIm to retire & plant himself in one spot, this was the only suitable location. They bought the lanD & startEd the hotel & store and were workIng on a full serviCe restAuraNt to go with iT.
As I finished my breakfast I asked him about the fastest Way back to I-15. He just kindA smIled and Told me thaT if I left the 89 I'd be dOing my trip a Great disservice. As he Outlined my pAth I would only be losinG about 30 minutes And the rIde would be much more eNjoyable to stay on the State Highway all the way to I-70. Well, who am I to argue with a great ride?
My God, was he ever right! The first thing I saw was , as he had told me, the Sevier river that runs backwards! He had told me that it was the only river in North America that runs South to North. I have found, though, that there are a handful of others, but regardless of exclusivity, this was both gorgeous and weird! I was riding leisurely along just south of Panguich, Ut, enjoying the beautiful landscape (and glad to be out of the desert!) when I noticed a couple of hot-air balloons rising up above the trees.

I pulled over to take a couple of photos and get a drink before continuing up the road. A little farther up the road I saw a couple more balloons, so I pulled back over for some more photos.

Now convinced I had seen a beautiful sight and had the pictures to prove it I started off again, sure that I wouldn't need to stop again. Boy, was I wrong. As I topped the hill & rounded a curve this is the sight that greeted me.

I couldn't wait to pull over to get the photos. I swear there must have been a thousand balloons in the area! A banner stretched across the road announced it as the "Panguich Valley Balloon Rally". I was passing through on it's last day.
Beside the road was a Utah Highway Patrol car with the Lights flashing. Apparently he was trying to keep people from pulling over to take pictures and causing what would pass for a traffic tie-up in Panguich. I got my photos and offered my apologies & headed on my way.
Pulling out the other side of town, I learned another valuable lesson. Never follow a pick up with a barking dog through a small town's residential district. After fueling up I fell in behind a farm truck with a farm dog that was very excited by all the balloons. He was bouncing around the truck bed from side to side barking his head off. He was a beautiful dog (I'm a dog person) and I was getting a kick out of watching him... Until we pulled in front of another dog's house. It seems the resident dog didn't like the truck dog barking in front of his house and he came out to let him know, chasing the truck barking his head off. I damn near ran him over. I was seriously afraid he was going to get caught up in my front wheel. The dog was all over the road, so maneuvering was not really an option, so I got yet another test of how fast I can shut Kate down when something goes awry.
After getting out of town, I had only open road & time to reflect through out the rest of Utah. I did stop at a view point off of I-70 to get some pictures of Devil's Canyon, but I must tell you that the best View of it was from the highway right after the view-point. Sadly, I was not willing to push my luck and as I was being followed by another of Utah's finest, I didn't pull over for those photos.
My next lesson of the day came when I pulled over for lunch & gas and decided to call the Harley dealership that I was planning to visit to see when they closed. The Atlas I got from Harley listed them as open on Sunday, but that seems to mean little to the dealers... They were closed.
So I satarted calling other dealerships along the way. I reached the folks at Aspen Valley Harley Davidson in Glenwood Springs and found that they were indeed open on Sunday, but in order to make it I was gonna have to push. So, I spent the remainder of the afternoon well focused on getting there on time. In the end I made it with a few minutes to spare.

I'm not sure how well you can see it on the blog, but in the photo of the gas station, you can just make out the snow capped mountain under the corner of the canopy. I had never thought that I would be riding in places that still had snow on the ground, but I did!
I had been having wonderful luck with the weather so far, And just a couple of miles East of Glenwood Springs, that luck ran out. I started feeling water drops that I thought were splashes from the river beside the highway, as the sun was still shining bright and there were only a few clouds visible. The drops however got bigger and more frequent as the clouds started to show themselves, Culminating in a full-blown rainstorm. At this point I didn't have any rain gear except for my Leather, which I pulled over to don, thinking to myself that my next opportunity I was going to purchase a full set of rain gear. I pulled into Limon, Co. just after sunset and found a hotel. I was told by the clerk to park my bike right outside the door as there would be someone in the lobby all night & they would keep a close eye on her for me. Thanking her I lugged all of my gear (Is that why they call it "luggage?) to my room and spread my leather out to dry before taking a quick shower & heading across the road for food. After a great plate of grilled liver, ,a couple of Sam Adams and a quick game of pool, I could not wait to get back to the room to go to sleep. As much as I was enjoying the ride, I was definitely ready to arrive the next day...
Day three will follow soon, I hope you're enjoying the ride!
I'll catch you on the road!

Holy Hell, I Want One!!!

2008-11-24T17:04:00.000-08:00

I want to start off this post by offering an apology to all who have posted comments recently. I don't get on Blogger to check my comments, I do that on My email. I get on Blogger to write my posts, and then go to your blogs to read yours. I don't spend my time reading what I wrote, You know? Anyway, For some reason my Email provider has been dropping all incoming mail into spam which I rarely check because... well I hate spam (The Email kind, I actually really like the meat kind)
Anyway. I am now aware of the problem and will be more precise in checking. I hope you are all well and I am glad you didn't forget me!

Now...
You have to understand... My first Harley was a sportster...I love the bikes. I realize they're not practical for someone like myself who wants to take off on long rides with a passenger in some semblance of comfort, but they're fast, light, maneuverable and an all out blast to play on. I sold that bike so that I could afford to move my family to Southern California in a kind of "Gift of the Magi" scenario... I sold my Harley so I could move somewhere that has a 12 month riding season. It turned out to be the best move I ever made. I got to work in a dealership for a year, then found a job that would allow me to afford a New Bike, and with my kids getting bigger I needed a bigger bike. But in my heart of hearts there will always be a soft spot for sporties! I've found several models that I like over the years, but I don't have the available cash or the space for another bike... But If I did...

This would definitely be the Bike. The new Throw-Back to the Old school XR750. Harley's new XR1200. The Official description is ...
"Drawing significant design influences from the successful Harley-Davidson XR750 motorcycles that set new standards for dirt track racing success over the last 30 years, the XR1200 features technical innovation to provide potent street performance and handling. In fact, Harley-Davidson dirt track racing legends Scott Parker and Rich King participated in the XR1200 development, along with European GP racing champion Adrien Morillas. The 1200cc Evolution V-Twin cranks out 90 hp with high torque. Rubber mounted to a new frame with a cast aluminum swingarm, the engine delivers exhilarating performance and responsive handling with less vibration. A unique upswept, high-volume 2-1-2 straight shot exhaust system includes dual mufflers and is finished in satin chrome. A sport-tuned Showa® suspension with inverted 43 mm front forks and twin preload adjustable shocks combines with lightweight black cast three-spoke wheels to make the XR1200 ride and corner with feeling. Specially designed Dunlop® Qualifier D209 tires connect the rider to the road, while Nissin® four-piston calipers and large dual disc front brakes provide stopping power."

I have a feeling you'll need saddlebags just to hold the Balls this thing has!
I hope you all have a happy and safe Thanksgiving (In the U.S.) & I'll catch you on the road!

Happy Veterans Day!

2008-11-11T08:21:00.000-08:00

I just wanted to take a minute to offer my own Heartfelt thanks to all of those who have put so much on the line so that I could be free to write this blog. Our entire country owes you a huge debt of grattitude. Whether your service is in the past or the present, in war or in peace, I thank you all!

Harley's "Build It To Win it" Sweepstakes

2008-11-01T11:48:00.000-07:00

Hey Ya'all !
I'm a little late in posting this one, But in case you haven't heard, Harley has a new promotion going. In the “Build It to and Win It” sweepstakes, contestants can customize a Harley-Davidson 2009 model and enter it to win the bike they designed. Using the Genuine Motor Accessories Customizer, Anyone can choose a Harley-Davidson model and then select from hundreds of custom options, including Color Shop custom paint sets, Screamin’ Eagle performance components, hand and foot controls, custom front end parts and decorative collections, and place them on a virtual motorcycle. As the bike is created, each new component appears on a picture of the virtual motorcycle, so a customizer can see exactly what the finished custom Harley-Davidson will look like. After customizing, the bikes can then be saved in a personal profile “Garage,” along with a convenient, printable list of each component with its part number and price.

A contestant can customize, save and enter up to ten 2009 models between Oct. 15 - Nov. 6 and each will be entered to win. Representatives from the company will randomly select one bike, which will be awarded to the Grand Prize winner after the Nov. 6 deadline.
SO, Now I'm off to the customizer... I'm thinking "Night Glide"!
Hope you're all well & ride ready!
Catch you on the Road

Harley Davidson & Adventures In Chrome

2008-10-07T16:24:00.000-07:00

Hey folks! I know, It's been a while.... I'm sorry, Life gets in the way some times, and if I have to choose between riding & writing about riding, I'm goin' for a ride!
That having been said, I will return with the rest of the details about my ride this summer as well as details on another event from this year, but I still have to clear some hurdles before I can share that.
What I do want to share right now is that I'm working on a relationship with Harley that will benefit all who are truly into the Bikes and the Company, This will include Company released information brought directly to riders. How cool is that? Hmmm Maybe I should ask about some gear, maybe some new upgrades for Kate in exchange for road reviews? I'd be more than happy to try out, say a high back King & Queen seat for the Softail Custom, just saying...
Seriously Folks, I'm not sure yet, myself, exactly what all this new relationship will entail, but I will say that its starting off on the right foot... or feet, or more specifically legs. Yeah, Marisa Miller's Legs to be perfectly clear.
Marisa will evidently be the poster girl for the V-rod Muscle. Now you all know The V-rod is not my favorite ( Water-cooled?) but I don't judge and I have noticed that the line is developing quite the dedicated following. And Now they bring Marisa into the Mix. Hmmm. I think they just got another follower. Here's a little tidbit from behind the scenes, and you can see for yourself...

Now the only thing I can see that's wrong with that girl is that she Told us about her family members who ride, but she never said she did.

Hey, Marisa, I bet we could find some volunteers to teach you.

Hey, Does anyone know the name of that song? I want that for my iPod.

I'll be back soon, Keep the shiny side up & I'll catch you on the road

Lessons from the Road (Or "The Learning Curve)

2008-07-03T12:37:00.000-07:00

I've been trying to post this for a couple of weeks. I actually started writing from the road, but that didn't work out too well. Forgive me the absence, I'll try posting this and subsequent Motorcycling events in smaller issues, more often. I hope everyone had a wonderful Fourth of July... I'll Catch you on the Road! Camron ____________________________________________________________________

I took this picture Friday (June 27) after the bike was done for the night to show you the starting point for the ride. I finished packing afterward and spent the evening with my family, or tried to at least. My sons are apparently too old to want to spend time with me just because I'm leaving town.
I got up early Saturday and went through & made sure I had packed everything I needed. I usually forget at least one thing, but so far this trip I haven't figured out what it could be. After I got everything packed & loaded, we woke the boys up & I took the whole family to Breakfast. As Much as I had been looking forward to the trip, I was finding plenty of reasons to take a couple of more minutes. Just trying to figure out
what I forgot before I got too far away.

After breakfast we went out to the parking lot for a couple of pics and said our farewells, then I started off... well, after a quick circle down by the beach to see the pacific one more time before I left.
I finally hit the highway about 8:00 A.M. & enjoyed cool fair weather until after 11:00. Then it started getting warm. I had a slight fuel issue in the area of Calico Ca. When My light came on I pulled off & asked about fuel at a convenience store. Met an old time/Bike enthusiast who assured me he had a Classic Norton Commando at home. We chatted for a few with him giving me advice on motorcycling, such as never have anything but leather between you & the pavement if you go down (Seems he went down in a down parka once... It was snowing feathers for four blocks down the road!) before he told me the closest gas was 6 miles back, and the closest gas ahead of me was well farther than I can make it with the fuel light on. (It comes on when there is aprox 1 gallon in the tank.) My best MPG ever was 53, and the next gast waS 58 miles ahead. Too close for me to chance, so I went back. The closest station that he was telling me about had all the card readers taped off, so I went inside to pay and was informed that the station was completely out of gas. Back on the bike for 5 more miles of backtracking through the California desert. This time in order to reach the next exit, I had to go through the inspection station where they make sure you don't have any illegal vegetation on your vehicle...
Fun Fun Fun. After I got gassed up I figured out that I better not use the light as my stop guage and I started paying a LOT more attention to my fuel level.
This put me a little behind where I wanted to be, but I still rode into Red Rock Harley-Davidson at about 1:00. I was getting a bit dehydrated, because I was just stupid enough to decide to send the hydration pack home with my wife from Denny's instead of wearing it out. So, I stayed put & had lunch & got plenty to drink before heading back out.
While my next planned stop was supposed to be Zion Harley-Davidson, I decided to stop a bit more often for water breaks, and generally used any excuse to do so. Like taking a couple of pictures of the Nevada desert (Mojave?) scenery...
After a couple of these stops, I rolled into Zion Harley-Davidson in Washington, Utah with about 10 minutes to spare till closing time. However the staff were wonderfully accommodating and helped me find what I was looking for (T-shirt, Water, Directions) With no hurry whatsoever . Great People. They gave me directions and a map showing how to get through Zion National park,

And told me most of the riders usually do Bryce Canyon as part of the same ride, But as it was sunset already as I went through Zion, I decided not to do Bryce Canyon.

Zion, However is a truly magnificent place.

For the first time in my trip, I had a deeply spiritual connection between myself and the land around me that was channeled through Kate.

At this precise moment I realized that Heaven does exist and it's not a far off fantasy place. It's right under your nose if you just open yourself up & look for it.

Mother Nature's pallet has endless colors to be sure.
Shortly after coming out of Zion, with the sun dropping more into the horizon, I began to wonder how much longer I should ride. I had decided to stay on the 89 all the way to I-70. Several miles down the road I saw a Doe grazing beside the road and caught the tingling sensation that maybe I should start looking for a hotel.
After passing several and deciding to push just a little farther, I rounded a curve to find a Buck in the middle of a road crossing, being followed by four more Bucks and three Does. I started down-shifting in a hurry and found myself watching one of the bucks approach me straight on from the side. He was so close I could reach out and touch his nose before he turned to run parallel with me for several yards before I left him behind. With this as my wake-up call I slowed my speed tremendously and started to look in earnest for the next available hotel.
I came upon the "Mountain Harvest Resort", a quaint little lodge of Log-cabin style buildings & pulled into the gravel parking lot.
Pulling off my helmet I walked into the convenience store/ office and proceeded to the counter.
The lady behind the counter asked, "how's it going?"
To which, I replied, "That depends... Do you have any rooms?"
"Yes, They're all double rooms..."
I cut her off. "I don't care. I'll take it"
I'm not usually a rude individual, but in this particular instance the road had won this round and I was not myself.
I paid the woman for the room and asked about food. The only open restaurant in town was another mile down the road, SO I unpacked in a hurry & left for it in the dying light.
I would find out later that the resort is owned by a former biker & his family. He used to live in Arizona and ride up to this part of Utah a lot. So when the time came
I returned to my room well after dark and retired for the night, many lessons learned.

Playing in the Desert

2008-06-23T22:17:00.000-07:00

Hey, Ya'all... Remember me?
I thought you might get a kick out of my trip last weekend (June 13-15).
My wife's family has a time-share in Palm springs that they all like to go to every year (in the summer for some reason). Well, the family Matriarch decided she's done with it & intends to let go of the time-share. This being the last year, My wife decided to take the kids along with her & her Mother, her mother's friend and My Brother-in-law & his family. Being the glutton for punishment that I am, I agreed to ride out for the weekend. Since I have to work and I already have my vacation scheduled, I had to come home Sunday night. And since my trip was kind of a quick one, I got to take the bike!
My wife decided to wait until after I got off of work on Friday to leave so she could follow me out.
I should preface this by telling you that I had JUST gotten my new Leather T-bag and chaps from Fox Creek Leather... A truly fantastic outfitter if ever there was one. Everything I've bought from them so far has been the highest quality. I cannot extol their service enough. Scarlett, If you read this, You're a doll. The chaps were a perfect fit, no trimming required.
OK, where was I... Palm Springs... How was it? Hot!, Duh!. Rode up the 15N to the 215N, Then to the 60 east... We stopped here at a Wendy's for a quick drink then got back on the highway, Followed the 60 to the 10 East, then to the 111. That takes you right into Palm Springs. We stay right on the outskirts of the city.
After we got checked in, we went to dinner & then back to the hotel to swim for a little bit.
Ya know, that's really all there is to do in Palm Springs... Swim. Too hot for anything else.
I did get up Saturday morning and take Kate for a ride to Palm Springs Harley. I didn't even get a shirt. The only special thing I saw there was a Beautifully painted leather patch. Even that didn't fit me, personally, but it was nice. After that I couldn't WAIT to get back to the pool.
Saturday we had a cook out, with the whole family coming over... Can you guess who got stuck with grill-duty? Alone? While everyone else was chatting in the room, I got to cook for them all on a hot grill in the desert heat. Frankly, I got the better end of the deal. Shhhh.
After the food it was back in the pool. Sunday we went to a local restaurant for breakfast for Father's Day... For sake of interest I'll just skip to the part where I get to ride home...

I Geared up & prepared to leave at about 5 PM Sunday. It only took another half hour to get everything taken care of & leave. I filled up with Gas at Palm Springs Shell at 5:38, Then Hit the road... Thinking ahead, I grabbed the camera.

I HAD to show you...
First off, for those who are Eco conscious, on the highway leading into Palm Springs, there is a HUGE wind farm, where they use modern wind mill turbines to harvest energy from mother nature in a way that is nearly completely nature-friendly. I just think they look cool as hell! So, I stopped & took several pics of Kate with these as a background. This is my favorite...

SHortly after remounting & getting back on the road, I caught the 10W. About two exits down the road there is a place to stop where the (ancient) past comes alive. If you've ever seen Pee Wee's Big adventure, these should look familiar...

Yes, I know, I have to have Kate in all of my Pictures... It's a quirk I have... I don't mind.

After several minutes of taking photos we again got back on the highway. I thought I'd just bee-line home from there, but just a little ways down the 60W I found myself traveling through a pass that gave way to a beautiful view. I had to stop one more time to share this with you...
After several attempts to get this pic without passing cars in the background, I realized how much daylight I was losing and I wanted to get home & get something to eat., SO I got serious & went home.

I pulled into the gas station down the street at 7:34. 1 hour & 56 minutes to ride back when it took us 2 1/2 hours to get out there... & I stopped more!
Not bad, 300 miles in the desert for the weekend.
Now, I'm ready for my next trip. I leave Saturday morning for the 2,000 mile trip from San Diego to Kansas City. Yes, I'm taking my camera... Yes, I'm taking my laptop, and Yes, I'll be posting from the road...
Till then, Keep the shiny side up. I'll catch you on the Road...

Hollywood Nights...

2008-06-08T20:51:00.000-07:00

You may remember me telling you a while back about a band caalled "Junkyard" and how much I love their music, well a few weeks ago I got to see them perform live in Hollywood. This was the first time I had seen them since 1991, when they opened up for Lynyrd Skynyrd. I spent the ride up there wondering how the show would go and hoping I would get a chance to meet the band.
My wife & youngest son went with me. My oldest had to skip because I forgot to list the date on a conflict sheet when he signed up to crew his High School's musical.
We talked a lot on the way about the memories I have of the band and their music... Funny how music & memories seem to accentuate one another, huh? I played some of their song's for my wife the night I met her... I also played a lot of their music when I was dealing with my divorce...
I cannot tell you how exciting it was for me when we pulled into the parking lot of the club. When we got out of the car, I looked at the building to see David Roach (Lead Vocalist) and Chris Gates (Lead Guitarist) standing on the sidewalk. As we walked up, I struggled to remember that they were "ordinary" people and tried to keep from staring or interrupting their conversations. I waited and finally got the opportunity to say hello and introduce them to my son. The Guys were great. I easily could have expected them to be a little put off by people getting too excited about meeting them, but they were very gracious people. I asked about taking pictures and was welcomed by both of the guys. So here are some shots of me & Junkyard. David Roach & Me

Big Chris Gates & Me

Me, Pat Muzingo, & David Roach

As you can tell, We also got to meet Pat Muzingo (Drummer) inside the show. Granted, My wife admonished me at least once about embarrassing her by being star-struck by these guys, but you gotta understand. To me, they are like the Beatles, or Led Zeppelin.
I bought 4 of their C.D.s (Two of them I already had downloaded from the band's website, but I wanted to buy Hard copies so the band would get the profit from it. ) and a DVD. I also loaded up with 4 T-shirts.
When the show started, I was a little unsure. I had never heard of the opening acts and had no idea what to expect. The First was a local band, I don't remember their name, and I didn't care for their music. I didn't particularly like the frontman, as I thought he was a little arrogant, but onward...
The second act was a Band called "Little Caesar" Surprisingly I really liked them. Their music was exceptional and the stage presence was wonderful. They were perfect for the venue and a great opener for Junkyard.
The third act was "Rhino Bucket". Musically, they were actually pretty good, however, I don't think their singer should be allowed to do shows where children are allowed in the audience. My 12 year old son did not need any lessons on the etiquette of one-night-stands. That's all I'm saying.
From the moment Junkyard took the stage I was instantly twenty years younger. I watched wide-eyed and sang along every word of their set. We did move from our table to the stairs beside the stage to finally the floor in front of the stage. Trying to get the best possible pictures. Mildly put, the three of us had an absolute blast. They could have played all night and I would have rocked with them to the final note.
A couple of days ago I learned that they will be back at the same location in August. This one is on a Thursday, but I'm pretty sure I'll be there... I owe my oldest son a show, and I can't think of anyone else that would be as perfect for his first concert.
Maybe this time I'll get to meet Todd Muscat & Tim Mosher... Oh, and maybe they'll play "Death Kiss Morning"...
One can Hope

Remember & Honor

2008-05-26T06:55:00.000-07:00

Today is the day that we've set aside to honor those who have given their lives in service of our country, protecting our Freedom.
Wow. The true depth of that sacrifice is staggering. They gave up their lives, for what? An idea? A hope? Did they even know?
What does Freedom mean to you? To me, it's an understanding. We won't always see eye to eye. I promise that I will, at some point, say or do something that will offend you. I won't always like what you say or do. We can have debates, discussions and arguments where you will try to get me to see things your way and I will try to get you to see them mine. You will NEVER hear me tell you that you have no right to say something. I may tell you you're an idiot for saying something and, depending on the circumstances, I may even tell you you're an idiot for thinking a particular way, and in the case of the "reverand" Fred Phelps, Well, He can just go fuck himself to death.... I don't like being that judgmental, but at times, I am. However, you have the right to say whatever you feel. one of many rights that you will only get here in the United States of America.
I saw an article on the internet recently about Bridget Bardot, A famed actress of the 1960's now 73, who is being prosecuted in France for a charge of "Inciting Racial Hatred" for saying that "the Muslim community was destroying [France} and imposing its acts" (Never mind that "Muslim" is a CHOSEN religion, not a race). Prosecutors are asking for a sentence of two months in jail and 15,000 Euros. I don't know about you, but I've heard a hell of a lot worse here and never even batted an eye (I'm with you, Bridget). I could break the entire scenario down & point out exactly how asinine France is about this particular case, but what's new about that? My point here was supposed to be that even though we hear about the "Free World" there is no such thing. There Is America, and then there is everywhere else.
Keep this in mind.
With the United States now in it's sixth year since the start of military action in Iraq everywhere you look are bumper stickers, ribbon magnets, posters and signs telling you to support our troops. I agree. Whole heartedly. But it looks entirely too commercial. Like the newest fad that everyone does and no one really knows why. Like those "Baby on Board" signs & stuffed Garfield dolls. Mostly, I am disappointed that people use support for the troops to silence opposition to the war.
Can you respect and love and honor the warriors without supporting the war?
To truly get the depth of that question, ask the family of a service member killed in Iraq.
I believe the answer is yes, you can. In fact, I do. I am told to remain silent, but I see that as a disservice to the men & women who have fought and continue to fight to preserve the right for me to speak. I see the only way to honor their sacrifice is to exercise the freedom they fight for. I will not spend this day reciting my reasoning for feeling this way, but I did want to tell you how I feel.
I have two quotes that I believe apply.
The first, I have no idea who said it first. I actually found it as a signature on another person's profile on another website.
"I may not agree with what your bumper sticker says, but I will defend with my life your right to stick it"
The second is from Thomas Jefferson, a Man who within his lifetime, forgot more about Freedom than most of us will ever learn...
"The right to hold one's own views, and to think and to decide for oneself on any question, is an essential right for a free people. A person is free to believe anything he wishes, even if in error, and may not be persecuted nor denied the right to hold public office for those beliefs. The First Amendment protections for freedom of religion, of speech, of the press and of assembly, all together protect the Freedom of Conscience."
From here, I welcome your viewpoint. In agreement or not, Because I value your Freedom to speak as much as your opinion.
Have a wonderful Memorial day, however you choose to spend it.
I'm going for a ride.
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To End with a smile...

Just a Quickie

2008-05-24T14:18:00.000-07:00

Holy Cow! Has it really been almost 3 weeks since I've posted? I am very sorry. All I can offer by way of explanation is that life got in the way. I do have several posts lingering in draftland, but some aren't finished and some others I've promised not to post until after a certain time.
With all this in mind, How is everyone?
I have been riding every chance I get, but that pretty much just means I've been riding to work & back. I graduated yesterday from my Community college with an associates degree in Law (pre). I now get to stress over which step to make next. I'm still planning my trip home this summer, but there may be some hurdles to clear. I'll let you know if I have to cancel.
I hope you all have a great weekend, I'll be writing more soon & stopping by to see you all as I find the time.
Until then, Keep the shiny side up, & I'll catch you on the road!

Nothing In Particular

2008-05-04T09:40:00.000-07:00

Well, as you've noticed it's been a busy couple of weeks since I last posted. Truth be told, I really should be doing something else right now, but...
Let's see... I've been doing quite a bit of riding, lately. Mostly to work & back, but that can be quite a ride in itself. Working in construction means I'm moving from one location to another all the time. Friday I was working right down the street from my house, Thursday I was a lot farther away. So I roll with it. That's why Kate has the saddlebags, so I can carry my tools from one place to another.
As I was preparing to leave work on Thursday, I started receiving a lot of static from co-workers because they thought I should have another guy who was going to the same job Friday carry my tools on his truck. I wanted to bring them home so I could take out some that I knew I wouldn't need at the new site. Apparently , they don't understand the ingenuity that bikers posses. I do take a few of the heavier tools out & put them in the opposite bag, to keep the weight balanced better. I know the bags are only rated for a certain weight and I'm rather sure I exceed that on a regular basis. I also understand product liability and the process by which those weight ratings are established, so I take the responsibility on myself. I don't heavily overload the bags, I just use sense. I mean, come on seven pounds?
I had a couple of things that I special ordered from San Diego Harley last weekend that I hadn't heard about, so I gave them a call yesterday. My parts were in. I just hadn't gotten a call. So, I went down to pick them up. I took the truck and the whole family went. As usual, there was a party going on. They have some kind of event every Saturday. So after I got my parts ( A new cover and a hardware rack) we looked around, did some shopping and had lunch. I don't know who the band was but they did a great cover of Johnny Cash's Hey Porter and some other great songs. I wonder if Junkyard would be willing to play one of these?
The new cover fits great. It's a Nelson Riggs. I picked it because it's UV rated and Lifetime Guaranteed. While those are fine selling points, I'm not impressed with the customer service I've received from their website. I sent a very professional looking business style email, complete with greeting, opening and closing, asking what size to get and explaining that it was for a 2007 FXSTCI with saddlebags and windshield. Their response was simply "An XL would fit well".
Ok, I realize I'm a bit anal, but I would hope that anyone in sales would try a little harder to be polite and professional. I decided to look past it & order the cover anyway, figuring it was maybe a less than educated person on the computer, but when I got the cover, an XL just like they recommended, I practically needed a shoe horn to get it on the bike and no way were the straps going to reach to tie it on. I took it off, folded it up & shoved it back into the box. I called the Dealership & told them the problem. To their credit, there was no hassle, no problem. They told me to take it back & order the right size, now that I was sure what that was. A lot of dealerships would have made me send it back through the manufacturer. I highly commend San Diego Harley for their assistance in clearing this up.
As For the cover, the XXL fits great, and I'll let you know if it fails to stand up to the UV, or if they fail to honor their Lifetime Warranty.
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I can be such an Idiot sometimes. I bought tickets for my whole family to see Junkyard Several months ago. Now the show is next Saturday & we've just realized that my oldest son is working on crew for his high school musical and their final performance is the same night. I forgot to put the concert on his conflict sheet and now he's stuck. I can't let him walk away from his commitment, and I can't blame him for being disappointed in missing the show.
I asked his teacher if she could spare him for that one night, but she said no and now I'm wondering if I even should have asked. It's not her fault I spaced it. To top it off, my wife isn't sure she wants to go, so I may be eating two tickets.
Have I mentioned that I'm ADD? In my case that may stand for "A Damn Dumbass".
Take care, all. I'll Catch you on the road...

55 Degrees of Seperation

2008-04-19T07:43:00.001-07:00

As you're probably realizing by now, I lead a very busy life. I have a full time job (that I'm actually working at again), I am going to college (perpetually chasing a better life. Hey, you're never too old to learn, right?), and I'm trying like hell to raise two boys in a positive lifestyle. Add to that, my wife wants to spend time with me for some reason (What's She thinking?). Just for the record, I bitch & whine about her a lot but it really says something that she's put up with all of my antics & shit for as long as she has. I should give her more credit for that.
ANYWAY, (sorry, I got off topic). The fact is, I usually only get time to myself for things like, oh, I don't know, Say, riding a Harley or writing a blog, for instance, Late at night or early in the morning, when everyone else is asleep. Sometimes my schedule gets even worse and it will take me some time to get back. Don't think I've forgotten ya'all, ok?
For these same reasons I try to combine things I have to do with things I want to do. It may be the only way to do what I want. For instance, I HAVE to go to work... at least until my career as a lottery winner takes off. I WANT to ride...(almost) anytime, anywhere., so when I got Kate, I bought saddlebags so I can haul my tools & stuff for work. Now I ride to work. This actually works out very well. Except this last week.
I was working at a Casino on a Native American reservation about 50 miles from my house. Every morning before work I get up & get online to check the weather at the job site. Monday through Wednesday, It looked very cold at that time of the morning, so I drove the car. When I got to work it felt much warmer than the temperature said it was and I ended up regretting not riding. Finally, on Thursday I looked at the temps. It said that at that zip code the temp was 54 degrees. NO PROBLEM!
Yeah, right.
The casino I work at is at the bottom of a canyon. That 54 degrees... yeah, that was at the top of the mountain. Had I looked at a few of the surrounding localities I would have found that the actual temperature at work was 37 bone chilling, finger frosting degrees. Holy Hell, I thought my fingers were going to fall off. It was about an hour after I got there before I could pick up my tools with any dexterity.
Granted, the temperature raised significantly before the day was done, to a high of about 92 degrees. Which provided a new problem.
Working in the desert, I filled the free space in my saddlebag with a small lunch (A protein bar & a banana), and bottled water. I did not save room for my vest, and if I had, I wouldn't have had room for my leather jacket for the ride home. So, for the ride home I went to the opposite extreme and wore my leather jacket, with the vents open (I'm not STUPID) and the sleeves sticking to my arms from the mixture of sweat & sunscreen (I think I've discovered the formula for superglue!).
But, you know what? I loved every second of the ride, both ways. There are very few things that can take a person's mind off of southern California traffic, But the ride, combined with the pinpoint focus brought on by extreme temperatures managed to make the traffic disappear. Although on the ride home, I saw something that set my mind to wandering, So, I had to share.
Vacation Anyone?
Please forgive the picture quality, I took this with my cell phone & I couldn't really see the screen due to the glare of the sunlight.
This place is just about a mile down the road from th Casino.
And, For the record, No, I did not climb the wall to look inside. (I've already been asked). I would be afraid to. I know the thoughts that come to mind feature beautiful young naked women playing volleyball (or tennis according to the sign... Hmmm. Don't trip...) but the fantasy is probably better than the actuality, so, I'll just hang on to the mental images & not take the risk.
What do you think?

Oh, and for the record, I drove the car on Friday... I'll make it up to Kate by giving her a bath & taking her for a ride to buy a new cover... Does anyone else ever feel guilty for not riding or taking care of their bike as often as they should?

In The Rain... In The Dark...

2008-04-12T06:59:00.001-07:00

This week has been a blur. I went to work every day (not complaining) in fact this is the first week since Feb 11 That that has been the case. Monday & Tuesday, I was working right down the street from my house. On Wednesday, I was switched to a job site 50 miles away. I had already arranged to leave work early that day for an appointment in West LA (more about that when it is approved for release), So I decided that the only way I was going to make it from that far away was to ride Kate to work. Great, like I need an excuse, right?
Well, overnight Tuesday, it was raining...or at least what passes for raining in southern California. And work started at 6:30 am so I was leaving my house at about 4:30 to make sure I got there on time, grumbling the whole time about riding in the rain, in the dark.
I got pretty lucky and didn't run into any real rain... in fact , in the whole 51.5 mile trip, I only hit a couple of small patches of sprinkling... but for my glasses that's worse. The drops were very small, like a mist and there was a lot of sediment in the rain so that even small drops did a horrible number on getting Kate and my glasses dirty. Ever tried to ride with water spots on your glasses?
Then later in the morning it started raining again, while I was at work. All I could do was work & watch as Kate stood helpless against the water in the parking lot. You should see her now. I swear, she looks polka-dotted. Unfortunately, I don't have time to clean her... or to ride her, today.
The ride home was cool, I tried a different route that some coworkers were swearing was shorter. It was different, and it was very windy, lots of open valleys for the wind to pick up some speed in, but distance actually turned out to be about the same or maybe a little longer.
My wife & kids come home, tomorrow & I'm trying to earn a few points by getting some rather undesirable work done around the house before they get back (Joker, I may be calling on you for some technical advice). I'm hoping I can wrap it up early & break out for a scoot, it really looks to be a beautiful day & the forecast is calling for major heat.
Well, I better get started ... Wish me luck.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Thanks to all of you for your encouragement on my content warning post. Granted I don't have anything very revealing to post, right now, but at some point I may. That actually came about because someone who read it asked if my readers knew how much of a pro-vert I am, so I figured I'd better tell you for purposes of disclosure.
I was, however, reminded that when I wrote that I really like boobies, I may have used a term that some might take an exception to. So in the interest of making sure everyone understands what I meant, I give you this...

I hope this clears up any misunderstanding on this issue.

I'll catch you on the road...

House Keeping And Other Mindless Jabber.

2008-04-06T10:46:00.000-07:00

First off, My New template. A friend of mine found the template on Finalsense.com, And then changed the code so that the background color of the boxes would be black, then she edited the photo & put it in the code. A massive thanks goes out to her. I hope you all like it, as I think it fits the theme of the site better.
Second. I wanted to make clear that there may come a time when this site will have some range of adult content. I like Women, I really like boobies, I say "Fuck", occasionally I even say "cunt" but only in the good way. This is just who I am, take it or leave it.
It won't happen a lot, but from time to time I will probably post photos of women in various states of undress. I'm telling you now, so it doesn't come as a shock when it happens. I know I have a fair amount of Good Christian readers and I don't want to offend any. God knows, I have a great respect for those who find their faith, but I don't want anyone to think I'm something I'm not.
I'm not saying this will ever be an adult site, quite the opposite, it will forever be a Biker Blog. That's why there is no adult content warning. But most of the bikers I know like women (even the female bikers) and I hope when they run across someone special they'll share with us, so they may show up here.

That having been said...

I'm on my own for the next week. My wife and children are out of town for spring break. I dropped them off at the airport before work on Friday, and I'll pick them up next Sunday. In the mean time, I"M FREE! ! ! !
After work on Friday, I went for a short ride. I had some errands to run and I needed food. Dropped by a couple of old hang-outs to see if anyone I know was still there. Nope.
That's ok, I went for a little night ride... Just putted around for a bit before coming home for sleep.
Saturday, I got up & had some coffee, then went to San Diego H-D's Parking lot sale/ Party. Just like Ebay, it was hit and miss. I'm looking for a new set of sheet metal for Kate, So I can get a custom paint job without losing her too long. No luck. I did sit on an Ultra Classic. I can see why the Old guys like them so much lol. I think I'll get one when I grow up. It can be Kate's playmate.
The food was decent, the music was good. But alas, no parts I couldn't live without, so I got back on the road.
Again, I didn't really go anywhere special, But knowing I didn't have a curfew or anything pressing to come home to made it a very relaxing ride. Even when splitting lanes in SoCal traffic (Makes my ass pucker every time!)
Now, I'm just sitting here, slowly waking up... Looking at the house that I should probably be cleaning up, But I'll probably wait until next Saturday. It's not that bad, and I'm the only one here, so it won't get much worse... Especially if I'm not here much... Maybe I should go for a ride so I don't make any messes... Yeah, That's a plan!
Ride safe Folks, I'll catch you on the road...

New Old Friends & Road Names

2008-03-30T19:40:00.000-07:00

I got to ride just a little bit, yesterday. I needed a few things from Sears, so I took Kate to get them.
As soon as I had parked and got off of the bike, an older gentleman complimented me on Kate, telling me I had a nice softail. AS is usually the case, it doesn't take much to start up a conversation when there's a Harley involved.
In the next ten minutes or so I found out that his name is Chuck and that he rode a '48 Pan to high school 50 or so years ago and that he now rides a 100th anniversary FLHTCI.
I won't pretend to remember the conversation word for word, but I was relishing it. I love to listen to older people tell me about past generations. It's just like when my Grandma starts telling me about life on the farm. I become mesmerized.
There is so much we can learn about life from those who lived before us. Even in terms of Harleys. Granted, I already knew a lot of the info he was giving me, but I didn't mind. I could have listened for hours. I hope to get a chance to run into Chuck again, somewhere down the road.

Onward...

I have always been fascinated with "Road Names" and how people get them. I don't really have any personal experience with it, as I have yet to earn one of my own. I've had several nicknames through the years, and some have stuck better than others, but none have ever been associated with riding. The ones that stuck most were a couple of "handles" I answered to when using the C.B. (for you young pups, that's Citizen's Band radio, the predecessor to cell phones) I started out as Mista Bone, a name I gave myself inspired by the song by Great White, and then when I got with my Ex-wife, she didn't like that much,, so I changed it to Wade. Granted, I still answer to both to this day, but I don't consider them "Road Names" because I chose them for myself.
I guess I'll earn one soon enough. Until then I guess I'll Keep answering to Camron. It fits me pretty well (thanks Mom!).
I'd love to hear your stories of what your Road Names are and how you got them. If you'd rather not have them in Comments, feel free to email them.
In hope you've all had a safe riding weekend.
I'll see you down the road.

Road Songs... Hell, Yeah!

2008-03-25T22:37:00.000-07:00

Music is a very unique artistic medium. This one art form is equally expressive of both the artist and the audience. It says as much about the listener as it says about the musician, and in this it also completely connects the two.
While I fully acknowledge being very Diverse in what I listen to, there's a certain sound that just makes me relax, you, know? Like, "This is what Home sounds like".
For me, the most expressive music is, usually, something with a deep southern sound, a Blues quality that speaks of working hard and playing harder. But mostly It has to be real. I don't want to waste my time listening to some idiotic suburbanite rich kid singing about the "hood". I can't relate. I also don't want to listen to some punk-ass gang banger singing about being a "business man". Although I do find it funny, how they both try so hard to be the opposite of what they are.
Biker music is not that way.There's something about it that screams "What you see is what you get!" You know what I mean... There's no reason to pretend to be something your not. This is me, This is who I am and what I do. No one I've ever heard has captured this sentiment so well in music as "Junkyard".
I've been listening to these guys ever since they released their first video on MTV (remember videos on MTV?) The Song was "Hollywood" it was loud, raw and real. Everything I needed to connect with at the time. They followed that up with "Simple Man" and I thought they wrote that for me. I still listen to it whenever I'm faced with a person or a situation where I'm expected to be something that I'm not.
I was lucky enough to receive permission from the band to post that video, right here for you all to enjoy. So when the ride is over and the beer is cold, Kick back and crank it up.

simple man

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Easter Hop

2008-03-23T23:13:00.000-07:00

Ok, I'll start off with the bad news. Well it's bad for me, not so much for you. I've been trying desperately to get a stock triple tree for Kate that I can have powder coated. I found three of them last week on Ebay. Unfortunately, all ended up going to other people or not at all. The first is all my fault. When I was trying to raise my bid at the last minute, my number lock was on & I couldn't use my ten key. That way sucked! The second was bought by someone "Buy it Now" three days early. (I NEVER do that, unless the price is very fair). The last went up way high on the bidding, but still never met the sellers reserve. Apparently, Seller thinks it's made of gold. Ok, I'm healed... back to the drawing board. Anyone know where I can get a triple tree?
I woke up today and could not wait to get on the road. Unfortunately, my wife is a little ill & today was Easter, so I had a few things to do before I could go. Yeah, Well at 11:30 when I finally got out, it was GREAT! ! ! !
My Youngest son went with me. He's the perfect passenger. He sits still, doesn't fidget, he doesn't lean, and he has a low center of gravity. It was almost like riding solo, only when I saw something awesome and pointed exclaiming "Check that out!" I didn't look crazy.
We started off on the 76E. This road is great, lots of curves and plenty to see. East of the 15 it got even better. The traffic died down & we were free to enjoy. We followed the 76 out past the Pala Indian reservation and my son LOVED seeing the Buffalo by the casino. Even in captivity, these are truly majestic creatures. I can only imagine the beauty and force of a wild herd of these beasts.
We stayed on the 76 past Palomar mountain to the 79. Took the 79 into Santa Ysabel and then took the 78 up into Julian. This town is a treasure in the mountains! Well known for the apples that are grown locally, there is no shortage of places to get a slice of pie. well, we skipped the pie, but we did walk through several of the shops before getting back on the road.
We took the 78 back down to Santa Ysabel & stopped at Dudley's and Don's Market. My son loves to look at the rocks and trinkets at Dudley's, and I needed a bottle of water. I walked across the lot to get the water from Don's because Dudley's didn't have much of a selection of drinks that were bike friendly.
We kicked around for about 20 minutes before heading out on the 78 into Ramona. We stopped in Ramona long enough for me to call my wife & let her know we were still riding. Then we followed the 78 to Escondido. All along the way we kept passing wonderful sights, and smells. The Mountain views are absolutely breath taking! And the smells! I love the smell of lemon groves. The trees put out the sweetest smell ever. (I didn't particularly care to smell several road kills we passed... Ewww) This is truly the best way to experience this trip.
I tried to avoid getting on the 78 from Escondido to Carlsbad by taking Valley Parkway, it didn't work. I did, however, find a surprise (to me), Lake Hodges. It's a beautiful lake. We took a quick ride past the lake before heading back to the 78, as we were running out of time before a planed family dinner.
We got home around 4:15 with 135 miles on the odometer & dinner at 5.
The only thing that went wrong, other than the triple trees... I didn't make it back to the beach for my Sunset Pics.
Oh, Well, there's always tomorrow..Ride safe, Ya'all... Happy Easter!

A Wonderful Day

2008-03-22T22:47:00.000-07:00

Ah yes, a grand and beautiful day, indeed. I got up early, today, to go for a ride up north to see some old friends from my days on the Dealership parts counter. I had wanted to visit the shops where they work (Capistrano & O. C.) but hadn't had a chance. I decided today was the day. Great decision!
I decided to go to Orange County Harley first, because it's farther away. When I got on the 5N I saw something I've never seen before. The Mountains on Camp Pendleton, they were green. Not Brown, not Red, Not even burnt black... Green, With some spots of yellow for decoration. Wow. Spring is here, and life is in bloom. Add that to the beautiful sunshine, sapphire waters, and perfect temps. This was a perfect riding day!
When I got to O.C. Harley, I found out they were casting for the catalog Photo Shoot, so, Why not... I signed up. I'll find out about that sometime next week. 5 minutes and 4 photos later & I was just shopping & browsing like everyone else. I asked about my friend, but he was working out of the store, today. Damn... I'll have to go back another time... (Pity me yet?)
I had an interesting encounter while I was there, though. There was a bike on the showroom floor that confused me. It had the tank from a Softail custom, but a silver engine & very little chrome like a Softail Standard. I asked one of the salesmen about it & he insisted it was a bone stock Softail standard. I pointed out to him that it had a Softail Custom Gas tank, & He informed me, "No, no, That's factory standard". OK, I resigned myself... he must be new. I tried one more time, explaining to him the difference. He decided that it must be a factory mistake... On a Harley? Okay, if you say so... He did, he swears it happens all the time.
On the way home I stopped at Capistrano & My other friend was there. Hey, If you're in the area & Looking to buy a Hog, Go to Capistrano & ask for Jerry. He's a helluva guy. He's straight forward and he knows Harleys. You can tell him I sent you, but don't expect a discount...
So After a few minutes of BS ing with him, I headed home for lunch before going out to shoot some pool with the wife & kids. This is our favorite family outing these days, but I still wanted to ride some more today.
Well, life kept getting in the way, until close to sunset. I told my wife I wanted to take Kate to the beach & get some pics of her as the sun went down into the horizon. So, she went with me. We got there just as the sun was about to touch the water and, sure as hell, not ONE PARKING PLACE! I had no where to get good shots from. So we sat on the bike in the middle of the parking lot and watched the sunset. Oh, Fuck it, let's go rent a movie to watch with the boys.
I guess we'll try again tomorrow. My youngest son & I are going for a ride anyway... Maybe Ramona?
Ride Safe!

A Helping Hand

2008-03-12T14:38:00.000-07:00

*** This post was originally written on 3/11. It has been sitting in my Draft box because I wanted to add a feature to the post that I don't know how to create. I apologize for the delay.************
Hello again. I finally finished shining Kate and wanted to share a picture... My favorite part of cleaning her is that I have to take her for a ride afterward to blow all of the wax dust off. Oh, Darn!
In other news, I went out for a little ride yesterday and ran into an old aquaintance of mine, Bill Davis. I knew Bill years ago when I worked in the Harley dealership. Well, I ran into him in another local Dealership & started talking. For those of you who are unfamiliar, Bill is the Executive director of the Ride For The Heart Foundation, A charity foundation that brings a cause to serious biking. Now we've all been on the little charity rides, where you maybe do a poker run with a couple of miles of riding thrown in just to make it a biker thing, but that's not what the Ride For The Heart Foundation is into. These are serious rides for serious bikers. How serious? How about this, their entry level ride, Yeah, it's the 500 mile Iron Socks ride. Other rides they have include The Ride For The Heart 1000/1500 (May 3&4, 2008) and the "Big Trees Ride and Tour"(June 17-21, 2008). And the best part? All of the money raised goes to such charities as the American Heart Association – San Diego, American Heart Association – Las Vegas, American Heart Association – Northern California, Loma Linda International Heart Institute
Children’s Hospital of Orange County Arizona Heart Institute. (and that's just last years list.) All total these guys (and ladies) have managed to raise over $162,000.00 for Heart related charities.
The Official Blurbs for Ride for the Heart Foundation Rides are:
May 3, 2008 – IronSocks 500

IronSocks 500 – Saturday, May 3, 2008, a Ride for the Heart Foundation charity ride, with multiple start and end locations. The ride format is based on our highly successful long distance Iron Butt charity rides, but half as long. Start and end locations are through out Southern California and Henderson, NV, check out the website for a specific location near you. Donations are garnered through rider's pledges similar to the American Heart Association's Heart Walk. Your $75.00 registration fee includes RHF Certification, tee shirt, pin and refreshments along the route. The Ride for the Heart Foundation is a non-profit organization dedicated to raising funds for both national and local heart-related charities. One hundred percent of all rider-generated donations will go to a national or local heart-related charity. If you have ever thought about riding an Iron Butt ride, but aren’t quite ready for a full ride this ride is about the best one to cut your teeth on. If you would like to have a good full day of riding you’ll appreciate the organization of the ride. For more information contact Bill at 760-644-2118 or go to www.ridefortheheart.com to register.

May 3/4, 2008 – Ride for the Heart 1000/1500

Ride for the Heart 1000/1500 – Saturday/Sunday, May 3/4, 2008, a Ride for the Heart Foundation charity ride, with multiple start and end locations. The ride format is based on our highly successful Iron Butt charity rides. Start and end locations are located in San Diego, Ontario/Riverside area, Fresno, and Stockton, CA along with Henderson, NV. Check out the website for a specific location near you. Donations are garnered through rider's pledges similar to the American Heart Association's Heart Walk. Your $125.00 registration fee includes IBA Certification, tee shirt, pin, patch and refreshments along the route. The Ride for the Heart Foundation is a non-profit organization dedicated to raising funds for both national and local heart-related charities. One hundred percent of all rider-generated donations will go to a national or local heart-related charity. If you have ever thought about riding an Iron Butt ride, our ride is about the best one to cut your teeth on. If you have ridden them before you will appreciate the organization of the ride. For more information contact Bill at 760-644-2118 or go to www.ridefortheheart.com to register.

June 17-21, 2008 – Big Tree Ride and Tour

This Summer, the Ride for the Heart Foundation will host its annual touring ride through the big trees of California. The Big Tree Ride and Tour will take in some of the best parts of both the Sequoia and Redwood National Parks and their big trees along with a lot of great riding in between.

The ride begins Wednesday morning, June 18th, after a kick-off party hosted the night before by Bakersfield Harley-Davidson and their H.O.G. chapter. The first day route will travel Northeast through the Sequoia National Park and will end near Fresno, CA. On Thursday, June 19th, the route will take riders over Tioga Pass in Yosemite, up Route 395 and back over Monitor Pass to Route 4 down to Calaveras Big Trees State Park back to Jamestown where Jamestown H-D will host a BBQ and get together. After a Ride for the Heart hosted breakfast in Sonora Thursday morning riders will travel up Route 49 and the Gold Country of California where we will end our third day of riding in city of Red Bluff, CA. On Saturday the 21st riders will be treated to a great ride over the Coast Range mountains through the Redwoods, up beautiful Route 101 ending in Eureka where both Redwood H-D and the Ride for the Heart Foundation will host a farewell party and an end to a great week of riding.

For more information go to: www.ridefortheheart.com or call Bill Davis at 760-644-2118. Your pre-registration is $225.00 and includes:

Three hosted BBQ's (Bakersfield, Fresno & Jamestown)
One hosted Breakfast (Jamestown)
One hosted dinner and party (Eureka)

Pre-registration includes:
T-Shirt, pin and patch.
Prizes awarded at each party.
After May 10th, registration is $300.00.
Hotel reservations responsibility of rider, list of hotels available on the website after March 15th.

For more information check out the website .

Labor Of Love

2008-03-10T11:04:00.000-07:00

Hey, Sorry it's been so long since I last posted, however, I do have a day job and occasionally they want me to go to it. Can you believe that?
Today, they have nothing for me to do so I'm at home trying to catch up a little farther on my "to do" list. Today's task is the only part of owning a Harley that I'm not ecstatic about. I have to give Kate a bath. She's nasty dirty, or at least she was until a little bit ago when I finished washing her. Now I'm waiting for her to dry so I can get to the daunting task of waxing & polishing her. This, by the way, is why I'm removing a LOT of the chrome and going, instead, with powder coating. Powder coated parts are very durable, but show less dirt than Chrome. And you can wash and go without looking completely horrid. (I HATE water spots on Chrome!) After I wash her, I wiped down a lot of the shiny parts with a micro fiber cloth to help stop the water spots. I need to get one of These So there is a fantastic Christmas Idea for the biker on your list...
Over the weekend I received my latest purchase to powder coat. I bought some new fork legs off of Ebay. It actually took me two purchases to get the right ones. The first set I bought were advertised as fitting the FXSTC, however AFTER (read "I was a DUMBASS!) I bought them, (For only $5 PLUS SHIPPING!) I did a little research & found out the the Custom has a different fork aesthetic than the other FX Softails. The part would have worked, but it would have altered the look of my bike, which I did NOT want.

I wrote the seller, not to ask for a refund, or anything, but just to let them know. I know I would want to know little tidbits like that. Apparently the seller was NOT a like minded individual, the response I got from them was at first argumentative and ended with a reminder that they did not offer a refund. I decided to let it go. Why not? I don't have a need to be acknowledged when I'm right, hell, sometimes I get a laugh from those who fail to see it. Besides, I re listed the parts myself and sold them quite quickly. I even made a few bucks from the sale.
By the way, would anyone be interested in using this page as a forum for buying/selling Bike parts? Just let me know & I'll figure out how to set it up.
The lesson from this is from now on, I do the research & find out exactly what I need before I shop for it. At least I can avoid the hassle of having to do it twice.
With that in mind, I think Kate may be dry enough to start the polishing... Wish me luck.

Freedom Rant

2008-02-27T23:20:00.000-08:00

You know, one of the reasons I've always enjoyed the biker lifestyle is the freedom... Never allowing someone else to tell me how to do it. I was going to be a biker, and I was going to do it my way. But more and more I find everyone has their own ideas of what a biker is and what they should or shouldn't do. This really pisses me off. OK, I can understand the Helmet law, I don't necessarily like it, but I understand people not wanting their tax dollars to be spent taking care of someone who could have avoided a debilitating injury by wearing a helmet. I also understand that a helmet will not solve all problems, and I really wish proponents of the law would start being factually accurate when they spout off their reasons for wearing a helmet. They provide some measure of protection against long term brain damage resulting in fewer dollars spent on state care. Other than that they provide a handy carrying case for whatever parts the HIghway dept. scrapes off of the highway. Don't act like they're the end all be all protecting my ass 24/7. A helmet is only needed in case of a motorcycle collision. And even then they are only marginally effective.
Ok, So I understand that one, but lay the fuck off of loud pipes. You don't like them, fine, don't buy them for your bike. No where in the constitution does it say you have a right to not hear loud pipes. My pipes don't cause you physical pain on any lasting level, they don't cost you anything, they don't cause any more lasting effects to the ecology or environment than the average car. Leave them alone. You don't like them, I don't care. If they keep you alert to my being beside you get as pissed as you want, just don't forget I'm there and run over me, after all my government required helmet only helps so much.
When I bought my bike it came with a couple of give-away magazine subscriptions, one to H.O.G. Tales, and one to Harley Enthusiast. Every issue of both mags has had some kind of bullshit argument going in the letter section about loud pipes, but no one acknowledges the freedom of choice aspect. They all seem to feel like if they don't like them they should be outlawed... SO much for living in a "Free" country.
And recently the letters have taken aim at another biker anomaly, Waving. For some reason people are getting mad because fellow bikers (gulp!) wave... Ummm, So when you go into Wal-Mart and the little retired greeter person says "Hello, Welcome to Wal-Mart" do you respond with "FUCK YOU!"? Exactly what is your reason for being hostile towards another person who shares a common interest and is openly offering you pleasantry? Unless they're waving at you with only one finger... Or maybe if they're putting them self or someone else in danger, but I rarely see anyone risk dying to wave at a stranger.
I, for one, Like the acknowledgment of other riders that I'm being seen. It makes me feel a little safer and on some level like I'm part of a bigger world.
Look, I'm not trying to tell people what to believe. Those who know believe, and those who don't won't let you tell them. But at the end of the day, I'm not bitching about how you live your life, leave me to live mine in peace.

Sunny Days and Mondays

2008-02-25T15:06:00.000-08:00

Finally! Today, the rain cleared out and bright sunny skies settled in. I woke up this morning intent on going to do some training for my career, seeing the sunshine before I left had me thinking about leaving early to get some riding in before dark hit, but that soon became a non issue. Right before I walked out the door I was informed that the furnace repairman was coming. (Yes, I know, that is my line of work, but it's under warranty) So I had to be here to meet him.
Something about that completely threw off my calendar, because when he finally left I took off on my ride. I wanted to got o the dealership where I used to work to check on a few things for Kate. Why I didn't remember that they're closed on Monday? I couldn't tell you. But I did get hungry on the ride. So I went home to my sandwich and started a movie.. I took the bike back out for a while to go get my kids from school... one at a time of course. which works because they're in different schools and get out just far enough apart for me to drop the youngest off and go get the oldest without him walking too far.
Maybe I'll see if I can get back out later... If not, maybe tomorrow. Damn it was pretty...Doesn't the world seem clearer after a few days of rain? Or maybe it just looks better after a bit of a ride.

A correction

2008-02-23T23:17:00.000-08:00

Well, That was fast. I've only been actively posting for a few days and I've already made my first error. You see when I worked the Harley shop, I found out that people in that business lie. I don't think it's meant to be malicious or anything, but if they don't know the answer for sure, they'll tell you whatever they think sounds good. It makes them look like more of an authority on Harleys than they really are(when they're right). Actually that's how I chose my mechanic. In the entire time I worked at the shop there was only one wrench that would look at the books to find the answer to any question they didn't know the answer to. She is the only one (besides me) who gets to touch Kate.
Ooops, got off track again.
The reason I'm posting this is that I asked everyone in town about my levers prior to buying them from Ebay... I should have just looked them up on the KuryAkyn website, I told you all they were discontinued because I was told repeatedly that they were. Alas they are on the KuryAkyn website as a current Item. For this misinformation you have my complete apology, I will try very hard to be accurate in my reporting. and every time I find a discrepancy you will get a notice of it, right here in my own hand. I take full responsibility for what I write here.
Thank you

Rainy Again

2008-02-22T23:02:00.000-08:00

I'm sorry to report that due to additional rains, there is nothing to report, today. This totally bites! I want to ride. this morning, after breakfast, when getting ready to take my youngest son to school, he asked if I'd take him on Kate. I was half way through saying sure when my wife reminded us both that it was raining cats & dogs (well, kittens & pups, anyway, this IS southern California). The boss has spoken, no riding today. I'll let you know if tomorrow is any better.
Hell, if it's not, I may ride anyway, I'm damn sure not sugar, and I doubt I'm salt... I'll keep you posted...

Woo Hoo!!!

2008-02-21T21:51:00.000-08:00

Woo Hoo!!! My new levers finally arrived. I love ebay, but let's face it at the end of the day it's a slow way to shop. But sometimes you have damn little choice. My levers were just such a case.
I used to work the parts counter for a local Harley dealership where I absolutely fell in love with the Silhouette Levers by KuryAkyn. They're in the shape of a nude females silhouette and chromed. I think they're the coolest, but they are also discontinued. So the only way I could get them was either second hand or overstock. Hello Ebay.
Now I did get a great deal on the levers, but as always when buying online, buyer beware. I lucked out. All I lost out on was time waiting for them to arrive. Took a week, but I got them in todays mail. Brand new, still in the package. I can't wait to put them on Kate & see how she looks.
Yes, I named my Harley Kate... After Kate Beckinsale, Kate Hepburn, Katie Heigl, Cate Blanchet, Kate Winslet... get the picture? Most of my crushes throughout my life have been named Kate. In fact, like most couples, my wife and I have agreed to an amicable free pass each. If Steven Tyler ever tries to hit on her she has my permission to take him up on it. In return if Kate Beckinsale ever decides to slum it with a Long Haired Biker and gives me the chance We're on!
Ooops, I got off topic.... Sorry.
Oh, I did get to take a little ride today when the rain took a break. I only went a couple of blocks to pick my son up from school, but we took the long way home to make up for it. All in all I put about five more miles on her, but it did a world of good for my mood. I'm almost human again...
Until tomorrow.

Rainy Day Memories...

2008-02-20T22:00:00.001-08:00

I looked out the window this morning to find another rainy day upon me. Ugh. I really wanted to ride, today, too.

I spent a little time reminiscing of younger days in the mid-west. A friend and I went to see an Iron Maiden concert. It was August, hot as hell, and the concert was about a 45 minute ride away. We decided to Ride our bikes (I had a ’99 Sportster at the time, He had a ’71 Shovelhead Custom). We met up with a couple of his friends & headed out. The ride there was a blast, as it was late afternoon on a hot sunny day. Upon arriving at the venue (Sandstone Amphitheater) we were directed to the motorcycle parking area, right up front by the gate.

The Bands were wonderful, I had seen Iron Maiden before & loved seeing them both times. The other bands, I think were Fight (With Rob Halford from Judas Priest) and Queensryche... I could be wrong, but what the hell, this isn’t sworn testimony, any way, the other bands were awesome, too. But the reason this particular memory was sparked is that within seconds of Maiden ending their final encore, The sky broke open and dumped a torrential downpour on us. Massive rainfall, high winds, lightning, thunder, the whole works... We were soaked before we even reached our bikes. To make matters even worse, it was around midnight and all I had for eyewear was my sunglasses. I learned real quick that I needed clear lenses if I was going to ride at night... too bad that wasn’t an option that night.

Unfortunately when the situation is upon you, you either Man-up or Shut-up, so we jumped on & hit the highway. Being hindered by the tinted lenses, I rode in the middle so I could follow one bike’s lights and have another block for me from behind. The 45 minute ride home took a little over an hour in the rain and when I finally got back to my apartment I decided that my Sporty could spend one night in the rain without being covered. Hell, I already was in for a chore in cleaning her up.

That was a younger careless version of my current self. It wasn’t until I got my current bike last year that I bought a pair of clear riding glasses. And I now profess quite loudly, I don’t mind riding at night, and I don’t mind riding in the rain, but I don’t ride at night in the rain!

Boy I hope this clears up tomorrow...

Welcome, Let's Kick It Off!

2008-02-18T23:40:00.001-08:00

Welcome to my world on wheels. I am building this site to showcase my adventures on my 2007 Harley-Davidson FXSTCI, Softail Custom. While this site was suppose to Kick off with a rundown on the 2007 Heart Ride to benefit the Angela Spence Foundation, Alas, Life gets in the way and I’m a little behind. So, to all those whom I’ve told to expect the site, I apologize. I’m on now and ready to roll.

Eventually this site will grow to include ride stories, interviews, advice (personal, mechanical, and practical) and hopefully feedback from other riders. Hell, I may even include some of my favorite recipes for Biker foods... Along the way if you have any ideas on how I could make it better, feel free to submit them to me by emailing. Click the link on the side.

I’m going to start off by bringing you in to the planning stages of my first major distance ride. I will leave on June 28 From my home in Carlsbad, Ca. on a trip to Kansas City, Mo, where I will putt around with family and friends before making the return trip. I should get home around July12 or 13. I cannot tell you how stoked I am about this trip.

Knowing that this is my first distance ride, and knowing that I’m doing it alone, I want to make sure that it is well planned out and all contingencies are planned for. So my first stop was, of course, the internet. I went to harleydavidson.com’s ride planner site and started typing in my stops. According to the planner, A wonderful tool if there ever was, the ride there should take right about 24 hours 11 minute, so I decided to break that leg into three days on the road.

Well, as I’m well aware, this is a long ass undertaking. So I wanted to make some stops, other than for gas. What better place to stop than Harley dealerships? So I added one dealership stop in each state along the way. Now, these stops take me a little out of my way, and undoubtedly add a little to my ride time, but this is a pleasure trip, so what the hell.

Now I’m looking at 25 hours 49 minutes plus whatever time I spend at gas stations, Harley shops, restaurants and any site-seeing stops along the way. I figured in the summer time, I should be looking at around 15 hours of day light a day, so I’m splitting the trip up to around 10 to 11 hours a day on the road. This should allow me to be settled in to my hotel for the night before dark falls.

I decided not to ride at night for a few reasons. First and foremost: Safety. I will be on unfamiliar roads and in unfamiliar places. I want to have plenty of visibility so that I can deal with any unexpected events. Also, I really don’t want to miss any of the sights along the way. I’m going to be traveling through some beautiful country; I want to see it all.

As for my overnight stops, harleydavidson.com has locations of Best Western hotels built in to the ride planner and even allows you to book rooms through the planner at a special rate for H-D riders. To get my timing close to what I want, I’ll stay in Green River, UT. And Hays, Ks.

My last day will consist of about 5 hours on the road, so I should arrive in town with some time to see family and friends and let them know I’m home.

I won’t bore you with the details of what I plan to do during my stay right now, But after the trip I’ll surely give you the highlights.

For the trip home I’m taking the southern route, and I’m going to expand that trip to include northern Arkansas. Beautiful country if there ever was.

From there, I’ll go through Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and home through California. My overnight stops will be in Shamrock, Tx. and Flagstaff, Az.

Of course along the way I have to see some of the natural wonders, such as Pikes Peak, and the Grand Canyon, but I’d rather tell you about those after the trip when I have pictures to show you.

In the mean time, I’ll keep you informed of any changes that my plan goes through and I look forward to any questions, comments or ideas that you may have about the trip or the site.

Until we meet again, keep the shiny side up,

Camron