New Motorcycle Slide Show

Since I haven't been able to put on any good miles on Big Red lately, I thought I would put together a new slide show of some of the good times we have had over the last year. Take a look at the slide show. It is a fairly large file so I suggest you download it. Or you can checkout our PappyandSlick YouTube Page . You will find the same slide show there.

files.me.com/rogeryounce/1kb30y.mov

I have started a new business called PS Media Creations . My son Jordan has a business too called 83 Productions . Both of us plan to take a lot of video and photos of our 2010 trips and put them into a nice slide show, video and photo book format. That will be a great project to show case our adventures next year. Of course, when we get any other projects completed I will let everyone know.

Until next time and remember to not be so busy making a living you forget to make a life.

Pappy

Sky Cove Dropped My Bike Tour

This weekend we decided to take a trip with Big Red to the mountains of NC. Slick and I planned this trip with the intent of just taking Big Red and the trailer. Then we started thinking that if we were going to the mountains for the week we need to have an alternate mode of transportation besides the bike. So, Slick drove her car so we could haul more stuff for the weeks stay. We are glad we did, because we did not check out the ride to the top of the mountain and how bad that was going to be for me on Big Red. More on that later.

As we left home on Saturday morning the weather was great. The whole 5 hr trip to the mountains was great. There was little traffic on I-40 and I-74. We found our way to Bryson City. We checked in to the rental office for the cabin. We got our map and directions and off we went to the cabin where the real fun started. (Fun is not the correct word)

I followed Slick because she had the directions to the cabin. As we got to the base of the mountain, we then entered Sky Cove (that should tell you how high the cabin was). I followed Slick for about 2 minutes up the mountain. The road was a one lane road. The road was paved and did have a little gravel and some pot holes. The fun part started when I approached my first hair pen turn to the right (a steep up hill turn). I didn't swing out far enough or give the bike enough gas, so it fell over (drop #1). After picking up Big Red, I ventured on. It was a steep but no problems until I got to my drive way. The drive way was a long a gravel road. I had to make a hard right up hill on gravel. Not a good combination for me. I hate right turns up a steep hill, especially on gravel. So I dropped the bike again (drop #2).

After that drop and having to pick up the bike on a 45% hill. I decide to take the bike up further up the mountain so I could turn it around and enter the driveway in a straight direction. As I continued up the hill to turn it around, you guessed it, I dropped it again (drop #3). After picking up the bike for the 3rd time I was getting a little tuckered out. I finally got the bike to the driveway and parked it at the end of the driveway. Prior to getting the bike settled on the gravel driveway, I put the kickstand down. It sank in the driveway, so of course it fell over again (drop #4).

All-in-all, I dropped the bike 4 times on the trip (so far). I still have to go down the hill on Saturday. It is kind of funny. I have dropped the bike more times on this trip that I have dropped it the whole time I have had it. Oh well, I will drop it again, I'm sure. Many bikers drop their bikes but are too macho to attempt it.

Even though I did drop the bike we have had fun on the trip so far. We have taken a nice train ride through the Smokey Mountains on the Smokey Mountain Railroad, visited Fontana Dam and Fontana Village, and rode on highway 28 toward TN (very nice bike road). We plan to ride back to Fontana Village next year. From the village you have some really nice roads to ride and you are less than an hour from the "Tail of the Dragon". Highway 28 in very curvy and in great condition.

We have 3 more days before I attempt the trip down the mountain on Big Red. It should be a little easier for me to go down the mountain rather than going up the 45% grade hill. I did learn a valuable lesson from this trip. Always personally checkout the location of your lodging if you plan to take your bike on a trip high into the mountains. Also, take a look around at the bikes that are already on the mountain. There was NONE! That should have been my first hint, I was screwing up. Below is a link to some photos of you road at Sky Cove.

Sky Cove Road

I am really glad we did not stick to our original plan of only riding the bike and pulling the trailer. That would have been a real disaster.

Until next time and remember, don't be so busy making a living you forget to make a life.

Pappy

Nice Sunday Morning Ride

This morning I took off at 8 am for a nice Sunday morning ride. There is just something about heading off for an early morning ride and Sunday morning is my favorite time. The weather was in the mid 60's and there was no traffic. That is just what I enjoy. The only thing missing was Slick. She was out of town and I decided to go solo.

I took off at 8 am headed toward Lexington NC from Jamestown. Even though business 85 is a four lane highway there is normally very little traffic. So was the case this morning. I decided to head toward Lexington and I am glad I did. The town was dead. It gave me an opportunity to take the ride through town slow and really enjoy it. I have been through the town on a couple of occasions. I enjoy Lexington. It has the old southern town feel. If you decide to ride through Lexington take the time to stop and snap some photos of all the ceramic pigs on the streets. The town is famous of it's BBQ.

After leaving Lexington I headed south on NC 8. That took me toward High Rock Lake. There wasn't much to see of the lake from the main road. I did pass over bridge at the lake. It looked like a great place. I did notice that there were some camping grounds there. Jordan, Kevin and I have been talking about camping one weekend before it got too cold. That camp grounds is an option.

After leaving High Rock Lake I headed further south until I got to NC 49. There I took a left and then headed toward highway 109. The southern part of NC 8 and north on 1o9 is my type of road. There a many long stretches of road and not much traffic. You will see a lot of bikers on 109. I have actually traveled a lot of 109. One day I took the road all the way to South Carolina. Of course, I didn't plan to go that far, but I ended up there because I wanted to see where it went. Slick wasn't too thrilled about me going that far. Luckily my phone worked so I could call her and let her know I was okay.

After traveling north on 109, I headed into Thomasville NC. Again, it was a great time to go through the town; no traffic. Once I was through Thomasville, I hit business 85 and headed home.

There route was a little over 100 miles and only took about 2.5 hrs. It was a great morning to ride and seeing the small towns and country roads made my day. The only thing missing was Slick. She wasn't physically with me, but she was still there.

Until next time and remember to not be so busy making a living you forget to make a life.

Pappy

Weekend Ride to Lake Lure

This weekend as a great 2 days of riding. Slick had made arrangements for us to meet her brother and and his wife (Kevin and Carolyn) to go for a little bike ride. The weather was great and we needed to get out of town and do something relaxing. So, we do what we like to do the most to relax; ride.

Slick and I took off from Jamestown around 11 am and heading west on I-40. We meet Kevin and Carolyn off of exit 113 near Hickory NC. We fueled up and started talking about where we wanted to ride. Kevin suggested Lake Lure. Slick and I that was a great idea. We both really enjoy that lake and have been there a couple of times.

After fueling up, we headed west on I-40 and to the Black Mountain exit. Kevin was in the lead and he took us on some really nice back roads. The roads were filled with a lot of nice tight curves. The traffic was really lite since we were traveling on a Friday. Basically we had the roads to ourselves; nice!

Once we arrive at Lake Lure we started looking for a nice place to eat. I suggested a little place right across from the Lake Lure Hotel and beach area. The food was really good. I had eaten there before but only on the side where all the bikers and beer drinkers ate. This time we ate in the main area and the food was really good. All of us enjoyed our meals. If you decide to visit there, you will enjoy it.

After lunch we decided we all wanted to take the boat tour ride on Lake Lure. Slick and I tried taking the tour last year but the weather didn't cooperate. This time the weather was awesome. So we all boarded the boat and got to hear a lot of great history about the lake. The tour guide as entertaining and told everyone of how the lake was formed and about the some of the residents there. We got to see homes on the lake that were worth over 1.5 million dollars. He even showed us the place were "Dirty Dancing" was filmed and how Patrick Swayze was kicked out of the hotel for partying too much during the filming of the movie. He also told us that the movie was filmed in November and the cast froze their butts off filming the scenes in the water. I was able to get a very photos during the boat tour. The photos were taken with my cell phone. Since the Lake Lure trip as a last minute thing, I didn't bring my good camera.

After leaving Lake Lure we headed back the same route. I wanted to enjoy the curvy roads again. I think even Slick liked them. She only squealed twice. Once back on I-40 we headed to Kevin and Carolyn's home. They invited us to spend the night with them, so we took them up on it.

On Saturday, Slick and I prepared to head home. Carolyn had suggested that we take a ride to a winery about an hours ride from their home. So we took off on the ride following Kevin and Carolyn. I am glad they were in the lead because they took on some very nice back roads to the winery. It was some of the best and most relaxing back roads Slick and I had every been on. Even though, we failed to check the time the winery opened (they were closed), we really enjoyed that ride. The roads consisted of a lot of open farm lands, curves and everything a biker would enjoy on that hour long trip. The roads were so nice, it would have been a great place to get lost and try to find our way out.

Once we left the winery were headed back toward I-40. We all said good-bye and headed back home. The 2 day trip put on about 250 miles on Big Red and it was great. We are looking forward to our next ride.

Until next time remember, don't be so busy making a living you forget to make a life.

Pappy

Mt Airy and Blue Ridge Parkway Ride

Yesterday was a great day for a ride. Slick and I got up in the morning and we were not too sure if the weather was going to hold out. It was cloudy in the morning but after checking the weather forecast it seemed we were going to be okay.

We got on the road around 11:30. By that time it was getting a little toasty and the temperature was suppose to get near 90. It wasn't too bad if we were moving on the bike and it turned out to be nice. We headed toward Winston Salem to highway 52 north and the VA state line. By the time we got there the weather as improving. Not long after we entered VA we headed west on highway 58 west toward Fairy Stone State Park. The bad thing was the park was not on highway 58 west. It turned out it was on some off road and of course we rode right by it. We just said, "Oh well, we have gas, keep riding".

As we headed west we did see a nice lookout called "Lovers Leap". So he had to stop and get a photo or two. I had been there before. I had rode highway 58 west as my first solo ride about 3 years ago. The overlook view was nice and a popular stopping point for those heading toward the Blue Ridge Parkway.

After leaving Lovers Leap, we headed west to the Blue Ridge Parkway. We noticed a small park off the road and decided to check it out. It turned out to have a nice view of the mountains and some picnic spots. We stopped to take a view photos there. While there, we notice a grave site. It was kind of strange to have a grave site at the park. We noticed that a USAF veteran was buried there. He must have loved the mountains to have asked to have been buried there. You could tell from the site that he was not forget by the flag at his grave site that someone placed there.

After a few photos and quick break we headed to the Blue Ridge Parkway. As usual, the parkway was a nice relaxing ride. Slick and I had been on that part of the parkway before, but it never gets old riding that parkway. We look the rolling hills, farm lands and very lite traffic on the parkway.

After exiting the parkway, we headed to highway 52 south and headed toward Mt Airy. We decided to look for some lunch. We decided to eat a place that wasn't a chain and so we decided to pick the Wagon Wheel Restaurant. It was old restaurant that had been there for many years. Actually the waiters had been working there 27 years. It was an old place but the popcorn shrimp, hush puppies and tea was awesome! After lunch Slick wanted to take a tour of downtown Mt Airy. That took about 3 minutes. It would have been shorted but we had to stop at a couple of stop lights.

Once our bellies were full we headed south toward home. By this time was had been gone about 5 hours. We finally made it home in about 6 hours. Overall, the ride was great. Slick stated it was one of the most relaxing and fun rides she had had in a long time. I had to agree.

If you would like to see photos of our trip just click on the link below and remember, don't be so busy making a living you forget to make a life.

Mt Airy and Blue Ridge Parkway Ride

Pappy

Now on Facebook

Well, I finally switched from MySpace to Facebook. It looks like no one else is using MySpace anymore. I am liking the Facebook stuff. It seems easier to use and seems cleaner.

Pappy

Some Nice Vacation Photos

Here are some of our photos from out west. I took about 300+ photos. We did not take the bike, but enjoy them just the same.

West Photos

Pappy

USAF Tribute

Here is a nice tribute for those that have served or are serving in the USAF. It bought back a lot of good memories. I hope you enjoy the video.

I know it is not motorcycle related, but hey, it's my blog, right?

USAF Tribute Video

Pappy

Harley for Sale (Police Bike)

If anyone is looking for Harley Davidson King Police bike, I know of someone selling one. It is in excellent shape and has tons of extras. Her husband's father bought the bike before he retired from a police department. It was never used as a police bike and was converted to a regular bike. Below is the details on the bike on Craigslist:

Bike Details

Until next time and remember to not be so busy making a living you forget to make a life.

Pappy

VA State BBQ Championship in Galax Ride

Saturday was a great day to ride. The weather was awesome and the roads were filled with all types of bikes. Our band of awesome riders consisted of Kevin (Harley) and Carolyn (Nanna), Jordan (AKA Dudley) and of course Slick and I. We had 1 Harley, VTX and Big Red taking out for the ride. We decided to head to Galax VA to the VA BBQ State Championship. Slick actually suggested the ride. It was the first time she has suggested a ride and she picked a good one.

We headed out on highway 52 north toward Mt Airy. We were not too thrilled about riding on highway 52. The ride did get a little better once we got off 52 and on to 74. Highway 74 was nice. There was very little traffic and there were a lot of bikes heading in the same direction as we were.

The ride did get even better once we got on 89 west. 89 took us right into Galax VA. It was Harley and Nanna's first time riding their bikes in VA. So of course we had to stop and get a photo of the two at the state line.

Once we rode into Galax, we could noticed the town was pretty packed with people. The smell of BBQ was in the air, banjos were playing, two guys who thought they were ZZ Top were in the house and people were really enjoying themselves. I had to take in some BBQ. The BBQ was great. Below are a few photos of our trip in Galax:

The girls did what they like to do best; shopping. They stopped at several booths and stores to checkout the stuff for sell. Of course, they had to buy something (it must be a woman thing). I am glad I didn't take my trailer. The girls would have filled it up with all types of stuff. As for the guys, we were concerned with what we do best; eating. Of course, we did that well.

After touring the sites and sounds of Galax, we headed south and back toward home. The trip took us about 5 hours and we put about 200 miles on the bikes. We did notice on the way up on 89, we saw an exit for the Blue Ridge Parkway. Slick and I have ridden a lot of the parkway, but we haven't ridden that part of it. So of course, we will have to take another trip back up that way in the near future to take care of that little issue.

All-in-all, the ride was great. We had great weather and we all enjoyed being together. We are all looking forward to riding again soon.

Until next time and remember, don't be so busy making a living you forget to make a life.

Pappy

Great Time Riding This Weekend

Well, it has been about 2 weeks since I got the opportunity to ride. Work and traveling is keeping me pretty busy. Since it was a 3 day weekend and the weather was great we hit the road. Even though the rides were local, they were great. Here is how my travels went...

Friday, Jordan and I took off for Hanging Rock State Park. We headed up highway 52 North toward Mt Airy. For those of you that are not familiar with Mt. Airy, it is the town that Andy Griffin grew up in and the fictional town of Mayberry was born. Actually, if you are an old timer like me and grew up watching Andy Griffin, you will know the story. If you decide to travel there, you can actually visit a lot of things there in regards to Mayberry. Visit Slappy's grill. Andy Griffin ate there as a kid and they are famous for the pork chop sandwich. Right next to Slappy's is Floyd's Barber Shop. If I had hair, I would have gotten my hair cut there. Another thing about Mt Airy is that they have a Mayberry Days festival every year. If you liked the show you need to visit. Sometimes some of the fictional characters that are still living show up there.

Anyway, back to our ride. Jordan and I took off toward Mt Airy. Once we got to the Hanging Rock State Park sigh off of highway 52, we hit some really nice country roads with a lot of great curves. It seems like you ride forever. We just made sure we followed all the Hanging Rock State Park signs so we wouldn't get lost. The ride to the park was lengthy but fun.

We arrived at the park and there were bikes everywhere. You can't blame the bikers. The roads and the weather was great. Jordan and I decided to do a little hiking while at the park. What we thought would be a simple 1.9 mile hike took us over 2.5 hrs to complete. The trail took us straight up the mountain. It was a great hike, but is kicked out butts. Even though the hike was tough the view was awesome and well worth the mistake of taking a hike. Below are few pictures you might enjoy.


After hiking back from our "death march', we hit the road and took a different route back toward highway 52. We basically made a huge circle back to the highway. Again, the roads were curvy and long (just my types of roads). Jordan and I stopped at a local Chic-Fil-a and had a nice meal and headed home. We were exhausted. But wait there is more...

On Saturday, Slick and I meet Jordan at his place and mounted up to hit the road to Lenoir NC and meet with Kevin and Carolyn (my brother and sister-in-laws). Kevin is a Harley man and he has been riding for a few months now. He and Carolyn are enjoying the fun of riding too. I am pretty proud of Kevin. He hasn't been riding very long but now rides like a pro.

We meet Kevin and Carolyn and their home. Kevin had a nice long trip all ready planned out for us that included going into TN. We didn't have that much time, so we had to cut the trip a little short. He took us on some great long back roads on 181 North and up to Linville Gorge and into the Blue Ridge Parkway. Jordan had not ridden too much of the parkway but stated he wanted to ride there again. The scenery of the mountains was awesome!

We we got close too Linville Gorge we all got alittle hungry and Kevin came across a nice little place to stopped called "Pappy's BBQ". Of course we had to stop there just because of the name. We went in and Slick had to tell everyone that my nickname was Pappy and she even showed the workers there my Pappy tattoo. I felt like a big celebrity and I was thinking I might get my food for free. Of course, that didn't happen. They also had a "Pappy's hat there. Slick had to buy me a Pappy's hat. (For those of you they don't know me, I collect hats for my "man cave"). It actually will make a great addition to my hat collection.

After the meal we hit the Blue Ridge Parkway. We also rode the Viaduct on the parkway. That gives everyone a great view of the Great Smokey Mtns (every time I ride up there I look forward to retiring there). Slick and I plan to buy us a little home up there. We are looking forward to that. Here are a few pictures from our trip.

After traveling through the parkway, everyone decided to say goodbye and head back home. Slick, Jordan and I took 321 South back home. It was a long day, but it was nice. It was a great way to spend the weekend. We had great weather, scenery, food, family and fun. Even though I am completely exhausted, I can't wait to ride again.

Until next time and remember to not be so busy making a living you forget to make a life.

Pappy

New Tatto...Slick

Slick, Japper and I t0ok a trip down to Sunset Beach this weekend and I got a new tattoo. It was a tattoo of the word "Slick" in the old English font on my left arm. It looks pretty cool. As I was sitting there getting carved up I realized I needed to get one more tattoo. I need to get the word "Japper" on my arm underneath "Slick". That way I will have all of my families nick names. I am just glad there are only 3 of us. Below is a shot of me getting branded with my wife's nick name "Slick". I love the little lady.


Until next time and remember to not be so busy making a living your forget to make a life.

Pappy

New Photos...Younce Family 2009

Here are some nice photos that were taken recently. The photos were taken by Erin Arsenault in High Point NC. She does great work! I highly recommend her if you are looking to get some great photos.

Younce Family Photos 2009

Pappy

Big Red and VTX Upgrades

This weekend was a nice relaxing one. I did a little riding but best of all my son Jordan and I had some upgrades made to our bikes. My upgrade included having my new Garmin GPS mounted and hooked up on Big Red. I have always wanted to have a GPS system for the bike, since I enjoy getting lost so much. My Garmin was purchased about a month ago but I had to have an electrical plug installed in the left pocket of the bike. So, as always I went to my trusted biker buddy Craig for the upgrade. Craig can do just about anything on a motorcycle. He installed the electrical plug for the bike in about 20 minutes and my GPS was ready. Actually had don't most of my upgrades to Big Red. Below are a couple of photos of the new GPS.

Afterwards, Craig started working on Jordan's VTX. His upgrades included have a new ignition switch put on the bike. Craig had no problem with that. The fun part was when the VTX was going to get a new backrest. There was more to putting on backrest on a cruiser and it was the first time Craig ever installed backrest on a cruiser. Craig had to basically take the whole seat apart to install the backrest (now I see why not a lot of cruisers have backrest). Once the backrest was install, Jordan tested it and loved it. It looked pretty nice too. Jordan wanted to get a new backrest because he heads to the beach in 2 weeks. Now he is set. Below are couple of photos of Craig and Jordan installing the switch. You can see the backrest too.

Craig did a great job on both bikes. I tell everyone I know if you have a bike that needs anything installed or repaired, Craig is the man and I trust him more than anyone with my Goldwing. He is good with VTX's too. He can fix just about anything.

Until next time and remember, don't be too busy making a living you forget to make a life.

Pappy

The Honda Fury in Asheboro NC

Well, I finally got to see the new Honda Fury. I emailed the Cycle Center in Asheboro NC to find out if they had it on the floor. They said a red one just came in. They did have 1 about a week ago and within 2 days it was gone.

When I arrived at the shop there were already people looking at it. I had talked to one of the store managers and he stated that dealers in NC are only allowed to order 2. They were lucky enough to get 3. Of course all of the Fury's are gone within days. So I was lucky enough to get to see it before someone bought it. I was also told that after each stores sell the Fury's they order, they will not get anymore until early next year.

I liked the look of Fury. It sit like I thought a chopper should sit. It was long and sleek. I like the tank and the feel of the bike. It was light weight too and seemed like it would be a nice ride. However, I can't see going on any long trips on it. It would be great to take some local trips and around town.

If you get a chance to see a Honda Fury and like Honda's I think you will like the bike. It is a pretty bike and if I were a Honda cruiser fan without a bike, I would buy it. But of course, I have a Goldwing and to me, you can't get a better bike than that.

Until next time and remember, don't be so busy making a living you forget to make a life.

Pappy

Harley For Sale...2002 Wide Glide

I have a fellow biker that is wanting to sell a Harley. Check it out. I looks like a nice ride. Below are the details and some pics.

• 2002 WIDE GLIDE
• 13,199 MILES
• SCREAMIN EAGLE HIGH COMPRESSION PISTONS
• 1550 KIT
• 251 CAM,
• HEADS PORT AND POLISHED
• VALVES LAPPED AND POLISHED
• VANCE AND HINES BIG SHOT PIPES
• OIL COOLER
• HARLEY SPEEDO/TACH COMBO
• ARLEN NESS OIL PRESSURE GAUGE
• NESS BARS
• NESS BIG SUCKER AIR KIT
• SCREAMIN EAGLE 42MM CARB
• TWISTED SPOKE FRONT WHEEL
• FAT BOY DISC REAR WHEEL
• COMPRESSION RELEASE VALVES
• FOWARD CONTROLS WITH STIRRUP PEGS
• ALARM SYSTEM
• MANY CHROME ADDS
• BIKE DYNOS AT 95HP AND 103 FT LBS TORQUE
• FRONT TIRE IS APPRX 50%, REAR 90%

BIKE IS IN EXCELLENT CONDITION. THE BIKE IS CURRENTLY ON THE FLOOR AT WOLF CREEK HARLEY IN REIDSVILLE NC.

PRICE IS 13,900.00.

Call 469-1179 for more details.

Pappy

Flip Video Camcorder for Sale

Have you ever wanted to record your rides on your bike or just have a nice camcorder that you could use on a trip that wasn't too bulky to carry around? Then you might want to consider a Flip Video Camcorder. I have one for sell.

The camcorder records 1 hr of video and uses 2 AA batteries. There are no cords to carry around and attach to anything. All you do is record your video, and plug in the carry to your USB port on your computer. You don't even need a disk to install any software because the software is built into the recorder. That means you can transfer your video to any computer.

The picture and sound quality of the camera is great. I actually bought the camera to mount to Big Red to record my trips and have used it on many other occasions. I have actually recorded many videos and put them on YouTube. It is a neat and very convenient camcorder.

So if you know of anyone wanting one, I have mine for sell. A new Flip video camcorder will run you about $150.00. I am selling mine for $100.00. Below is photo of the camera.

If you have any questions about the camera, feel free to contact via email at ryounce@triad.rr.com

Until next time and remember don't be too busy making a living you forget to make a life.

Pappy

Great Relaxing Weekend Ride

Saturday was the first time I have gotten to ride with Slick in over 2 weeks and we were both ready for a relaxing ride in the country. The weather was perfect and we were ready to get away from the hassle of work and the stress of everyday life. So, what a better way to get away, than on Big Red.

Our plan was to take off and ride for a few hours. The route didn’t matter. We actually set out to take some back roads in the country and see if we could get lost. The back roads were great. There was little traffic and the rolling country side was very relaxing for both of us. We got to see a lot of our plantation type homes and some very nice scenery of all types. There were even a few nice waterfalls along the way.

Our route took us in a big loop and we ended up in Asheboro NC. We stopped for lunch at one of our favorite joint; Cookout. It is becoming a weekend thing for us to go out on Saturday on Big Red to Cookout and try a new shake. Since Cookout has over 40 different flavors it will take a while sample them all, but we will give it a shot.

After the great shakes at Cookout we walked across the parking lot to the Cycle Center. I had to pick up Slick some clear riding glasses for night riding. While I was there I noticed that the Cycle Center had a lot of bikes on the showroom floor. I just had to ask the clerk if they planned to get in one of the Honda Fury’s end soon. He said that they did have a beautiful blue one in last week. The bike was there on Thursday, bought on Friday and taken away on Saturday. I knew there would be a lot of people looking to see the new Fury. The clerk did say that they did plan to get in a new Honda Fury at the end of the month. This one will be red. As most of you know I like red. Hopefully, I can take another trip to the Cycle Center at the end of the month to hopefully get a glimpse of it. After leaving the Cycle Center we headed north on 42 and then north on 109. We then took the fast route back home on interstate 85.

On Sunday, we did the Mother’s Day thing. Jordan and I rode our bikes to meet most of the mom’s in the family. Slick took the car because she didn’t want to have helmet hair when we got to J & S in Hickory NC. Jordan and I didn’t really care how we looked. Besides, we are bikers, right? The weather was great and we ended up riding about 4 hrs. It was nice to see all the mom’s and to ride too.

All-in-all, the weekend was great. We were a little busy, but spending time with the family, the ones you love and enjoying the riding, made the weekend awesome. Best of all, I didn’t think about work, bills or traveling all weekend. I just enjoyed having fun and relaxing with Slick.

Until next time and remember, don’t be so busy making a living you forget to make a life.

Pappy

Honda's Got a Chopper...The Fury

It looks like Honda has created it's first chopper and I like it. It is the 2010 Honda Fury. Here is a nice review of the bike:

2010 Honda Fury Chopper

I am looking forward to seeing the actual bike. I would really like to ride it. Here is a nice photo of it:




What do you think of the new chopper?

Now I really want to ride.

Pappy

Hanging Rock State Park Ride

Sunday was a great day to ride. So Slick and I headed to Hanging Rock State Park. The weather was perfect with temps in the mid 70's and it was mostly sunny. As usual we saw bikes everywhere. One of the main reasons for riding to the park was to do a little hiking around the lake at the park. The park has a very nice lake and every time I have went to the park it is never crowded. There are a lot of nice trails around the park. I plan to hike to the top of the hanging rock this year. I was told it was a challenging hike (I like challenges). I figure when I do the hike I will have to plan on a whole day of hiking and make sure I have everything I need for the trip. I look forward to taking pictures from the top of the mountain. Taking my camera will make me feel like "Survivor Man", except I am taking lots of water and snacks. I not eating any bugs or snakes on the trip unless I get lost.

Slick and I took a few pictures while at the park. There was a nice picnic area there. So we snapped a few pictures there. Below are a couple photos from the trip and the route we took to the park.

If you decide to go on the route we took you will really like it. The route has some nice small town along the route and some country roads to enjoy. Slick really enjoyed the curvy roads on the back roads (not really, curves scare her but she hung in there). So if you like curvy roads you will enjoy that part of the the route too. There are not a lot of roads with the curves, but the ones that do have the curves are awesome.

If you get a chance to go to Hanging Rock State Park, check it out. It is worth the ride. And besides, it gives you a great excuse to ride.

If you want to see the trails at Hanging Rock State Park click on the link below:

Hanging Rock State Parks Trails

Until next time and remember, don't be too busy making a living you forget to make a life.

Pappy

Are You Twittering Yet?

Well, I jumped on the latest fad; Twittering. I thought it would be a waste of time, but I am finding some great uses for Twittering. My favorite feature is the ability to plot where I am at and even send pictures via my phone to my contacts and my blog. My other biker friends and I can stay in touch. If you haven't started Twittering yet, look into it. It is pretty cool and best of all you don't have to be a computer geek to figure it out. Just go to http://twitter.com/ to sign up. You can use your phone or a PC to use Twitter. By the way, my user name is "Pappy60".

Until next time and remember, don't be so busy making a living you forget to make a life.

Pappy

Visiting Mom on Her 68th Birthday

Well, Friday was my mom's birthday. She turned 68 and I decided to take the day off and ride to see her in Lenoir NC. I wanted to surprise her and deliver her birthday card to her personally. I thought it would be a good thing for a son to do. And I thought, why don't I ride to see her. It seemed like a nice thing to do and besides, it is a good excuse to ride, right?

The plan was for me to leave home around 10 am. That way it would have time to warm up a little. I knew it was going to be a little chilly. I found out that mom was not going to be home around noon. so I had to get up and be on the road by 8 am. Now normally, riding when it is around 34 degrees is not an issue. I usually dress for a ride like that. The ride would take me about 2 hrs one way. Besides, it was going to be around 60 later in the day(at least that is what the weather man said).

So I left home and it was a little nippy. I actually got about a mile from home and thought, I might need to go back and get my jacket liner. I kept hearing that little voice inside of me telling me, "You are going to need that liner". Apparently, I am deaf and failed to listen to that little feller. The bottom line is I froze my butt off all the way to my mom's house. I even stopped about half way to her house to thaw out. That didn't even help. Oh well, I learned a listen. Listen to that little voice. It will keep me warm next time.

The ride itself was great. It was sunny and I decided to take 64 west off of I40. I love going that way because of the nice country roads and there is very little traffic. There is a lot of rolling hills and small towns along the way. It is a very relaxing ride.

Anyway, once I got to mom's house, I surprised her with her card and gift. She could not believe I rode all that way just to see her. What can I say, she is my mom and I love the little lady. Below is my mom with her new birthday card and of course, cash. For some reason, mom's love cash and Walmart gift cards.

After the visit I decided to grab some lunch and I headed to the old Lenoir Mall in Lenoir. It was really sad to see the town and the old mall. It was basically dead. I remember putting on martial arts demonstrations at that mall. Now it is barely surviving.

I decided to visit the mall to visit my uncle Jerry and his wife Janice. They are two of the nicest people one could ever meet. They both own a Christian book store and deli. My uncle asked me want I was doing in Lenoir. I told him I was visiting my mom and looking for a nice place to have lunch. I told him I do what I all bikers do; they look for the closest bible book store to grab a bite. Jerry whipped me up a nice burger and we talked for about an hour. I was really nice to see him and Janice.

If you are ever in Lenoir, stop by his store and say hi. Tell him, Pappy sent you. Below is a picture of my uncle Jerry and Janice. They are good people and Jerry does make a nice burger.

After my visit with Jerry and Janice I jumped on Big Red and headed for home. By this time the temperature was around 58. It was still a little chilly from the morning ride, but it was a lot nicer going back.

All-in-all, it was a great visit to see mom, Jerry and Janice and enjoy the brisk morning air. Let's face it I froze my butt off. But hey, I learned a valuable lesson. Listen to that little voice because he is usually right.

Until next time and remember, never be too busy making a living that you forget to make a life.

Pappy

New Biker is Born

Well, it took over 2 years but an old buddy of mine finally took the plunge and is becoming a real biker (thanks to his girl friend, Barbara). You see, I have been trying to get my buddy, Kurwin to start enjoying life and not to work so hard. He will admit, he lives behind a computer.

So what is the best remedy for that? Of course, it is to become a biker. Getting Kurwin to take plunge was hard. He was a little too thrifty with his cash. He would never buy and nice starter bike for $4000.00. But, his girl friend would. So she bought him a really nice starter bike. It a nice 600cc Honda Shadow. Below is the picture of my buddy Kurwin on his new ride. Of course, I will need to put the photo is Pappy's Place.

So, in the near future, if you see one bad looking biker heading through Winston Salem, give him that really cool biker wave and say hi to the newest biker on the road. I am sure he would enjoy that.

Until next time and remember, never be too busy making a living that you forget to make a life.

Pappy

Biker Wisdom

If you are a biker or just want to be, here are some great motorcycle cool sayings I thought you might like. Some of them you may have heard before.

• Four wheels move the body. Two wheels move the soul.
• Life may begin at 30, but it doesn't get real interesting until about 70 mph.You start the game of life with a full pot of luck and an empty pot of experience.
• The object is to fill the pot of experience before you empty the pot of luck.
• If you wait, all that happens is that you get older.
• Saddlebags can never hold everything you want, but they CAN hold everything you need.
• The only good view of a thunderstorm is in your rear view mirror.
• Don't ride so late into the night that you sleep through the sunrise.
• Sometimes it takes a whole tank of fuel before you can think straight.
• Never hesitate to ride past the last street light at the edge of town.
• Never do less than forty miles before breakfast.
• One bike on the road is worth two in the garage.
• Young riders pick a destination and go; old riders pick a direction and go.
• Whatever it is, it's better to do it in the wind.
• Two-lane blacktop isn't a highway, it's an attitude.
• People are like motorcycles; each is customized a bit differently.
• The best alarm clock is sunshine on chrome.
• A friend is someone who'll get out of bed at 2 am to drive his pickup to the middle of nowhere to get you when you're broken down.
• Catching a yellow jacket in your shirt at 70 mph can double your vocabulary.
• If you want to get somewhere before sundown, you can't stop at every tavern.
• There's something ugly about a NEW bike on a trailer.
• Along ride can clear your mind; restore your faith and use up a lot of fuel.
• If you can't get it going with bungee cords, wire and electrician's tape, it's serious.
• Never try to race an old geezer, he may have one more gear than you.
• Bikes parked out front mean good chicken-fried steak inside.
• You can forget what you do for a living when your knees are in the breeze.
• Only a biker knows why a dog sticks his head out the car window.
• There are two types of people in this world; people who ride motorcycles and people who wish they did.
• Life begins at the end of the off ramp.

If you have any cool motorcyle motos you would like to share, drop me a comment.

Pappy

Cool Trip Recording Tool...TrailGuru

Do you have an iPhone? If so, you can download a free and really cool application so you can track the stats of your motorcycle trips. I have used it a couple of times and it is really cool. So if you travel, go on hikes, cycle and like most of us, ride a bike, take a look at the application. To read more on it go to:

http://www.trailguru.com/ui/tour/iphone.php

Basically, the application allows you to track your travels, post the results to your own TrailGuru web page and even post the results to others if you want to share your stats. You and also have your post emailed directly to you. You can even use the iPhone to take photos of your trip along the way, so they can be posted as well.

Of course, you need an iPhone and if you lose your GPS coverage, it will not record the trip. But hey, it works most of the time and if you are like me (a part-time geek), you will enjoy TrailGuru. So check it out and let me know what you think. Who knows, you may see my motorcycle trips posted one day.

Until next time and remember life starts at the end of the off-ramp.

Pappy

New Features

As you can probably tell I have started adding some new gadgets to the blog. I just found out Blogger had some cool ones that I am exploring and thinking about putting on the blog. For now, check out the "Dragon Tail Ride" slideshow. I will update the slideshows so you won't get bored if you are one of the readers that visit the site on a regular basis.

Anyway, I hope you enjoy the new look and features. Keep checking back. I will probably add some other stuff.

Until then, remember life starts at the end of the off ramp.

Pappy

Pilot Mountain State Park Ride

Sunday was another nice day to ride. The weather held up for most of the trip. Slick and I were accompanied this time by Jordan and his girl friend Sara. Sara is new biker. Actually, it was her second time on a bike. Jordan is slowly trying to break her in into the joys of motorcycle riding.


Jordan and Sara showed up at the house around 11 am and the weather was great. The temps were in the upper 50's and were supposed to reach near 70 by the end of day. The sky was clear and we were ready to ride. Slick was packing the bike like we were going camping and I thought I was going to have to take the trailer.


Once on the road, we all headed on the same route I took on Saturday toward Hanging Rock State Park. On highway 52, we thought we were going to run in to rain (of course the weather man didn't mention that). Lucky for us, it did not rain, but it did get kind of cool as a front was coming in as we approached the base of the state park. Once at the park the clouds moved out it started to warm up a little.


Once we entered the park, we headed up the mountain and it was a pretty curvy road. I think the girls got a little worried about the road, but they did fine. They were very quite, but hung in there. I can always tell when Slick is a little nervous, she gets very quite.


As we reached the top of Pilot Mountain State Park we were greeted with a parking lot full of people taking pictures and hiking. I guess everyone had the same idea we had. We did see a few other bikers there enjoying the park. We decided to take a few photos from the top of the mountain. Check them out:





After taking some photos and doing a mini hike, we headed down the mountain. The girls got quite again because of the curves. For them, they were glad the ride down didn't take too long. Once down from the mountain, we headed south on highway 52 toward home and to get some food. You know, food always taste better when you on a ride and when someone else pays (thanks Japper!).


All-in-all, the ride was great and took about 3.5 hours. Now it is time to plan our next ride which will probably be another state park. I figure Lake James State Park sounds good.


Until next time and remember life begins at the end of the off ramp.


Pappy

Nice Harley for Sale...$15,000

Yes, there is a Harley for sale, and no, I don't have one. But, I do have a buddy that is selling his. It is a 2006 FLCTCI Electra Glide Classic and it is fuel injected. The bike is still under a warranty until September 2009. My buddy is asking $15,000 for it. Believe me, it is in great shape and has very low mileage. The running joke between he and I is he never rides it. If you are interested check out the photo of the bike.




If you are interested contact Eric "Tough Guy" Smith at 704-450-4625.


Until next time and remember life begins at the end of the off ramp.


Pappy