Great Day to Ride the Parkway

Today was a great day. The temperature this morning was about 70 degrees when Slick and I headed out to ride to the Blue Ridge Parkway and met Cindy and Scott. Slick and I headed out around 10:30 and headed toward Fancy Gap on highway 52. It was a great day to ride. Since it was Sunday morning traffic was pretty Lite. But there were plenty of other bikers out on the roads on the way up to the BRP, thru it and on the way home.

Slick and I were all decked out in our “Old Biker” clothes (including our cool vest). Actually the vest got pretty hot for me on the way home when the temperature got up to 83. Anyway, we headed up to Fancy Gap and we had planned to met Scott and Cindy Stevenson just right off the parkway just south of highway 21. We were not exactly sure which site to stop at and of course, we drove right by it. We were early so we didn’t really miss them because they had not reached the park. We just ended up riding about an extra 20 miles and ending up heading toward Wilkesboro

Once we realized we needed to turn around we headed back to an area that we thought they were talking about. And sure enough, 20 miles back, we found Scott and Cindy waiting on us. They had been there 30 minutes. Oh well, at least they got to enjoy the scenery, right?

After a little chat about the mix up, we got on our bikes and headed out to get something to eat. Slick and I were pretty hungry. We had been on the road for about 3 hours and ate little for breakfast. So our plan was to grab a bite to eat and get some fuel. I was getting low due to running all over the park looking for our riding partners. We were pretty lucky since Scott grew up near the parkway and go us up and running and looking for food and fuel. We went to a couple of eating joints near the parkway but the wait was too long. So we ended up eating at one really nasty Wendy’s. The food was okay, but the place was a dump. After the nasty food we headed onward on highway 16, toward 421 and home.

On the route Scott took us on some great two lane roads once we got off the parkway. It was all country roads. The parkway was great and Slick and I really enjoyed it. Even though the speed limit was 45 it was really nice. The scenery was great and so was the weather (Did I mention it was in the mid 70’s). We could have not asked for a nicer day to ride.

All-in-all we ended up riding 400+ miles and were gone 8 hours. Once home, I washed Big Red and got it ready for the week of riding. Next weekend is going to be even better because Slick and I plan to head to Skyline Drive in VA and ride the BRP some more this Memorial Day weekend. We are really looking forward to that.

Until next time and enjoy the ride!

Pappy

Chapter's Open House

Last Saturday was our chapter’s annual open house event. It all started with Slick and I getting up at 5 am to be at the Cycle Center in Asheboro by 7 am. We were a little late due to having to stop by and getting 5 dozen Krispy Kreme donuts. Of course, I had to do a little taste test and take one for the team. Actually, I took 2 for the team.

After arriving at the Cycle Center our chapter began setting up for the event. The weather was a little soggy but it was bearable. Most of our chapter members were there. After the set up, I decided to do a little shopping so I could beat the rush and get my 20% discount. I ended up buying about $200.00 worth of stuff for Big Red. Slick decided to buy us some matching “Old Biker” vest and shirts. We really like the Old Biker gear. The prices are good and the items are great. Actually we are starting a nice little collection of Old Biker gear.

We were able to make a pretty good profit from the open house. As for door prices I was able to win a nice sleeping back that I plan to use for my trip with my old Harley buddy Pablo in July. I also won a can of Honda polish too. It seems that everyone wants that stuff since Honda is discontinuing that product. My old buddy Craig really racked up and won 6 cans (lucky old fart).

Slick and I did our part by working the awesome duck game. It was really hard to do that job. We also did our part to participate in the “Pin the Trailer on the Goldwing”. All in all it was a lot of fun. Our chapter was able to make about $1400.00. That was about $300.00 off of last year’s total. We know we would have had a better showing if the rain would have held off. Oh well, we will just plan for next year. Below are a few pictures from the open house.

Until next time and enjoy the ride!

Pappy

Great Time at Spring Fling

I am a little late on this post but here it is. Last Thursday Slick and I headed to Spring Fling in Pigon Forge TN. We met up with some members of our group in Lexington before headed west. Big Red was packed to the max. Actually, having Big Red packed with all the extra weight was a real pain for me. Slick and I talked about it and decided that our next big purchase will be a trailer. But that will have to wait a few months. Luckily, we only have 1 more trip where we will be gone for more than 1 day and that is to Marysville Ohio to the Honda Homecoming in July.

Once we met our gang in Lexington we headed to TN. It was an interesting trip. We were trying to beat a storm that was coming from the west. We didn't make it. We rain into the rain about an hour outside of our destination. All of us had to put on our rain suits once we hit the mountains. It just worked out that there was a lot of traffic backed up and we decided to put on the suits at that time. Once the rain gear was on we were ready to roll.

It took us about 4.5 hours to get to "The Grand" in Pigion Forge. There was a lot of bikes already there. There were all types. There was even some Harleys there. Man, did they look out of place. Once we got settled in we met up with the remaining members of our group. There was a total of 17 of us that showed up for the rally. We met up and headed for our first group meeting. Of course, that involved food. We took a trolley to a local school where we were served hot dogs and hamburgers. Those tasted really good since we had to wait in line for about 45 minutes. I felt like I was in death camp waiting in the line that long. All I could keep telling myself is those hot dogs better be good. They were. Or I was just so hungry that a brick would have been tasty with a little salt.

After the meal we headed back the the hotel for the night. I stopped by the vendors to see what they had. All of the vendors were not there on Thursday so I decided to wait until Friday to give them all my money.

Friday came and we started out the day with breakfast. Did I mention that Goldwingers love to eat? We had a nice expensive and fattening breakfast and hit the vendors hard. Slick racked up on body chrome for her (jewerly) and I started out slow. I first bought a back rest, Slicks passengers floorboard and her arm rest. I was going to stop there but Bubba bought a lot of his chrome and I was a little jealous because his bike was looking really good. My bike was really naked. So I bought more stuff and my motorcyle mentor Craig put all my stuff on. He is a really talented guy and I don't know what I do without him.

After spending all my money and helping Craig fix up Big Red it was time to get cleaned up and go to a local show called the Dixie Stampede. It was a really good show and I highly recommend it. At the show we had a group photo and individual photos made. After the show we headed back to our hotel and the guys play a little poker and then the gang wanted to head over to Shoney's for a nightly snack. I shouldn't went there, but man that hot fudge cake and coffee was good.

On Saturday, we did a little more shopping. Of course I was broke but I was able to buy a few "Old Biker" products. Slick bought more body chrome and then we all got ready to go to the "Apple Barn" for dinner. That is one really nice place to eat. They just give you way too much food. And of course, I ate too much. After we returned to the hotel, it was time to do the next best thing after a heavy meal. That's right, crash!

Sunday morning came and it was time to pack up and hit the open road. Four couples left around 8 am. and hit some of the back road before we hit interstate 40. It was the first time some of us got to ride for the weekend due to rain. We actually took a small part of the Blue Ridge Parkway on the way back. It was a beautiful day to ride, but we couldn't stop to enjoy it because we all had to get home at a decent time. Slick and I plan to return to the parkway in the next few weeks.

On the way back we stopped to have lunch at the Moose Cafe in TN. That was our breakfast for the day. If you like country breakfast and biscuits that is the place to go. After breakfast we mounted our bike and began to hit the road again. I did not get too far because once I started to leave the parking lot I dropped my bike. I wasn't going fast enough and I chalk it up to going too slow and all the extra weight. That was the first time I dropped it. It was a real bummer, but oh well, it will not be my last time. What made me feel better was that the veteran riders that I was with told me it happens to all riders. Craig's wife Melinda told me she had been dropped 2 times. So I didn't feel too bad after a couple of hours.

After 3 of us picked up the bike we headed east toward home. It took us about 6 hours to get home due to all the stops. All-in-all it was a great trip. I got to spend too much money and my bike no longer looks naked. Of course, I am not done but I did make a huge improvement in the bike thanks to Craig.

If you get a chance to go the Spring Fling I suggest you do it. It was a great trip and Slick and I do plan to attend the event next year. Oh yeah, below are a few photos of our trip. Enjoy!

Until next time and enjoy the ride!

Pappy

Spring Fling...Here We Come!

Well, Slick and I are preparing for our first trip to Spring Fling in Pigon Forge, TN. We are going with our chapter to the event and from what I was told it sounds like we will be having a great time. There will be lots of vendors and I plan to buy a lot of cool stuff for Big Red. The weather looks great for the trip and the scenery should be awesome. Everyone that knows me knows how much I enjoy the mountains and combine that with Slick and Big Red, and I am set.

Tonight we start packing for our trip. The packaging should be interesting since this will be our first trip on the bike and the trip will last more than 1 day. So packing for the trip will be a little tight. I figure in the next year or so I will have to brake down and buy a trailer for trips that last longer than a few days. The good thing about the Spring Fling trip is that several of our fellow wingers have their own trailers and have been really generous in saying they will bring back anything we can't bring back.

I plan to take a lot of pictures and posts some of the stuff that happens on the trip. It should be a great time and we are really looking forward to the trip.

Until next time and enjoy the ride!
Pappy

VA Trip Today!

Today Slick and I went on one of our regular trips to VA to eat at Wendy's. No, it is not that the Wendy's aross the border in VA is all that great, but it is an excuse to ride. So we took it. After a little snack at Wendy's we headed east on highway 58 east to Danville VA. Once we got to Danville we headed back on highway 29 south toward home.

We did make a couple of stops. One was at a rest stop and information center as we crossed back into NC. There we saw couple of Harley riders. The two riders were from Wilson NC and it looked like they had been camping for a few days. They were going to head to WV but they had heard of a bad motorcycle accidents and they decide to avoid that area. One guy came over to me and looked at Big Red and said that was a really pretty bike. He also thought it was new. I must take good care of it because a lot of people think Big Red is new. Also at the rest stop I had 2 other people stop and said they thought the bike was beautiful. One guy also said that is one really red bike. I like that because it make it unique.

As we left the information center we made 2 more stops. Both of them were at Slick's favorite hangout, Walmart. Of course, I didn't go in. Those that know me know I hate to shop unless it is at a motorcycle shop or on the Internet. Even at Walmart, I had people stopping to look at Big Red and made comments on the bike. Once dude walked from 3 rows over just look at Big Red and said, dude that is once nice bike.

After the 2 stops at Wally World we headed toward home. Slick was in the mood for a shake so we headed to Archdale to have a shake at the Cookout Drive Thru. We hung out there and watched all the Harley's stop in at a place across the street called the "Bandana". It looked pretty cool. Oh yeah, even at the Cookout a couple in a mini-van stopped and asked me about Big Red. He asked me what it was. I told him it was a Goldwing. He said he wanted to get he and his wife one. Of course, I said you should. Hey everyone should have a motorcycle, right?

Finally, we headed home and the ride was done for the day. It was a great 80 degree day, lots of sun and plenty of motorcycles were out and about. I finished up the day with washing and polishing Big Red. All in all, it was a great day and the rest of the week looks great too as we prepare for our trip to Spring Fling in TN on Thursday. Can you say "Road Trip"?

Until next time and enjoy the ride!

Pappy

Great Article from My Motorcycle Mentor

Below is a great article from my motorcycle motor, Craig. He is old but he is wise. Enjoy!

Enthusiasm, Skill and PBS?

About three month’s ago a rider died when he hit some gravel while participating in a charity ride to raise some funds for another rider that died a couple of month’s earlier. Now someone will be remembering him with a Charity Fundraiser. This rider had been motorcycling for many years. But, he hadn’t had an ERC refresher in many years. An ERC skill refresher quite possibly could have saved his life. This rider had too little skill and not enough enthusiasm to take an ERC refresher course.

A year ago a rider ran head on into a dump truck in a curve. This rider only had his motorcycle for about a month. He hadn’t taken a BRC or read any Motorcycle Safety Information before purchasing his motorcycle. This information was available online or at his place of employment. It was reported that this rider was trying to turn his handlebars away from the on coming truck. Instead, unknowingly he performed a Counter Steer, right into the truck. Had he the enthusiasm to participate in a BRC and learned the proper motor skills quite possibly he could have been with us alive and well today. Rider error? Yes! This rider had too much enthusiasm with not enough skill.

Last year a rider on a Sport Bike struck an SUV at an intersection. The 350 pound Sports Bike knocked over the 5000 pound SUV. The result of this rider’s negligence is he and an innocent victim are now dead. Rider error? No! Too much enthusiasm with too little skill? No! This rider had too little brain power. I prefer to call this Pea Brain Syndrome (PBS). Being able to stop a motorcycle is more important than going fast! It seems this rider never learned to stop his motorcycle. And now he won’t have the chance to learn.

PBS we see it all of the time. Riders pulling stunts like wheelies, handstands, sitting on the handlebars and other stunts on the streets, highways and interstates. Now let’s not forget my favorite PBS, racing on the public thoroughfares! Racing on the public thoroughfares is not the place. Take it to the track. On the racetrack if the rider loses control he has hay bales to tumble into if he goes down. Maybe he’ll pay a visit to the ambulance for a strip of gauze and head back to the pits to straighten his handlebars and to think about his mistakes. On the public thoroughfares this type of thinking and practice is a no win for everyone.

Furthermore, it seems that the PBS has migrated from the youth culture to our older and mature culture. It’s been my observations that many matured riders are riding immaturely. Using excessive speed through curves and through unknown highways and back-roads, overriding their headlights at night, failing to slow down while riding in the rain, and just plain riding too fast for the overall road conditions.

We as members of the GWRRA need to remember that we are observed by others the same as the crotch rocket culture. When non-cyclists see a motorcyclist they are just looking for the slightest mistake or error to make a negative comment. Remember this, someone will tell approximately 11 other people of what they saw negatively. Where as that same person will tell approximately 3 other people of something a motorcyclist has done correctly or nice. We must always be the example and lead as the example. Let’s continue to be the organization in the forefront of motorcycle safety. As always, let’s think before we act. Safety is for life!

Until next time and enjoy the ride!

Pappy

Progressive Ride

Saturday our Goldwing chapter had a great progressive ride. If anyone is not sure what that is, that is where we found another excuse to eat. Actually, it is a great event in which we all meet at one of our members homes and do a little fellowship and enjoy each others company.

We started the progressive ride at Lennie's home. There we had a great salad and some really nice fresh fruit. We stayed there for awhile and talked about how nice Lennie's home is. He and his wife are some really unique people. They do a lot for kids in there home. Angie and I really respect them for that and don't see how they do it. They have a lot of love for the kids they help and support.

After the salad bar, about 12 bikes headed toward Donna and Brian's home for chilli. Of course, my old buddy Craig (aka Pops), took us on some country back roads. Slick and I had no idea where we were going, but we both thought we heard banjo's. It was pretty impressive to see all those cool looking Goldwings headed down the highway and through the country roads.

Once we arrived at Donna and Brian's home we all piled in and took a quick tour of their home. They have a really nice home. After the tour, we did what all Goldwingers are noted for; we ate again. This time it was chilli, chips and dip. Donna made several types of chilli. All of them were great. After words she said that it was the first time she had made some of the chilli and we were her test subjects. All I know it was some good stuff and as of the time of this post no one had to go to the hospital. (Donna if you read this, it was great chilli).

After Donna and Brian's stop it was time to head to Andrew and Vickie's homestead for guess what; desert. We all jumped on our bikes and by this time it was dark. Slick and I were not sure where we were for most of the trip to Vickie and Andrews home until we were almost there. Once we arrived, everyone headed for our last meal of deserts, drinks and coffee. All of which were great. A lot of the guys sat around and told stories of how they dropped their bikes and wives. I thought those stories were great. I haven't dropped Slick yet but I have come close. I know my day is coming.

After about an hour it was time to hit the road and head back home. Slick and I had a great day of riding. We actually rode about 2.5 hours in the morning and then with our chapter Saturday night. We all had a great time and the chapter is already looking forward to planning another progressive ride other members homes. That should be fun.

Next event for our chapter is the Spring Fling in TN in April. That should be fun.

Until next time and enjoy the ride!

Pappy

Mebane Swap Meet

Saturday I attended the Mebane Swap Meet with my old buddy Craig. I picked up my old buddy Craig and we headed off to the meet to hopefully find some good good deals. I did. I was able to grab a trunk organizer for just $10.00. They sell for about $30.00. My biggest buy was a pair for heated gloves that sell for well over $100.00. I got those for only $25.00. Now I am set for next years cold weather. I was also able to sell my footboards. Now I have the money money to buy Slick some footboards and arm rest for this years riding season.

There were a lot of our chapter members there too. The chapter holding the event feed us and it seemed everyone had a good time just getting together and sharing their motorcycle stories and buying some stuff. Even Craig told me some cool stories that I hadn't heard before. Thanks Craig!

Overall, I had a great time and it was a great way to spend a Saturday even though it was too cold and windy to ride our bikes.

Until next time and enjoy the ride!

Pappy

Rode Back Home This Week

Monday I headed off for a road trip to my home town of Lenoir NC. Actually, I had to go there to do some training for the Caldwell County Sheriffs Office and Lenoir Police Department. The weather was great all week and it actually felt more like late spring than late winter. I got the opportunity to put on about 280 miles on my 3 day trip. The cool thing is it only cost me about $14.00 for the gas to go to my training assignment and my company was paying for that. Actually, I made about $100.00 extra off the trip for mileage. If I had taken the truck it would have cost me about $50.00 to fill up the truck. Oh the joy of having a bike and making money too. Life is good.

When I left home on Monday I basically took the back roads. I don’t mind taking I-40. It is faster but to me, it is too boring. I took off and hit B-85 to Mooresville. From there I hit 64 west to I-40. I took I-40 to Statesville and then jumped back on highway 64 west to Lenoir. I like 64 off of I-40 to Lenoir. It is a nice ride even though the speed limit is a max of 55 mph. On the way back I took the same route.

Packing for the trip was different this time too. I had to pack for at least 4 days. That included my work related paperwork, computer, bike cover and extra clothes. So I pulled out the travel bags that I bought for the bike. I had 2 saddlebags and my trunk bag. I actually strapped my computer and trunk bag to my back seat. I was really amazed at how much stuff I could put in the trunk bag. It was the size of a suitcase. Of course, it will not hold squat in the trunk, but it did come in real handy strapped to the back seat. I was able to take all my stuff and still had room to spare. I didn’t even have to take my luggage rack bag.

Throughout the week I was approached by a lot of people asking me about Big Red. A lot of people thought it was new. They were surprised that the bike is a 2004. Some asked about how heavy it was. I can understand that. Goldwing’s are huge bikes and even regular bike riders are amazed at the size of the bike and what it has on it. It was fun talking to people about the bike.

All-in-all the trip was great. I put on some good miles on Big Red. Now I need to clean it up and it needs the oil changed and a tune up before the next big trip to TN next month. That will be fun.

Until next time and enjoy the ride!

Pappy

Rode All Day

Saturday Slick and I decided to take a little ride to Conover to do some errands. The trip was only going to be about 2 or 3 hours. But, of course, the weather turned out to be great and we decided to keep riding. We really didn't care where as long as we got to ride. It had actually been about 4 weeks since Slick has got to ride, due the cold weather.

We started out and left the house around 9:30 and the temp was around 54. We put on our winter jackets and headed down 85 and then toward Lexington. From there we hooked up with 64 east and toward interstate 40 and Mocksville. There was a lot of construction on 64 and is always been confussing for me to get through Lexington and 64. I just haven't figured out why and I always blame it on the signs.

Once we got to Mocksville and I-40 we headed west toward Conover. The weather was great and getting warmer. After our errands were done we decided to take I-77 south off of I-40 and find something to eat. I was trying to avoid the Statesville traffic that is usually bad when you get off the interstate. We though lets just take I-77 and see if we can find a place to eat. Well, we did, but we ran into more traffic than we would have if we had taken the Statesville exit. It turned out okay. We didn't have too much trouble finding our way back. We took highway 152 through Mooresville. It was a big town than I expected and once we got out of town we hit some really nice country rodes and eventually got back on I-85 and headed back home.

Once on I-85 we both decided we were not ready to go back home. The temp was near 70 and so we stopped to take the liners out of our jackets because it was getting a little toasty. We took back off on I-85 and then hit highway 62. From there we headed to Burlington. Slick wanted me to checkout some of motorcycle stuff at J & R's. They had a lot of cool stuff if you are a Harley rider. Also they had some very cheap chaps. The more I thought about it, I could not see myself wearing chaps. Of course, I may change my mind later and I could always go back to buy some.

After J&R's we hit I-40 and headed west toward home. We finally got home around 5:30. We really enjoyed our ride and put on over almost 300 miles. They weather was great and so was my company. We look forward to riding again and of course that will be as soon as we can: probably today.

Until next time and enjoy the ride!

Pappy

Remembering Safety While Riding

Anyone that knows me, knows I enjoy reading about motorcycle trips and how to become a better rider. Well, I read some great information that I thought I would share. Even though it is common sense, it is amazing how much we all don't remember the basics and how not doing that could cost us and our passenger our lives. Here are a few tips to always remember.

Riding in Blind Spots

One of the most dangerous mistakes motorcyclists make is to linger in other driver’s blind spots. Motorcycles easily disappear in the invisible area between typical car and truck mirror coverage. Few drivers seem to practice head checks to determine if a lane change is safe. A motorcyclist is riding along, and all of a sudden a vehicle is com- ing into their lane. A rule of thumb is to ride through blind spots. Also, avoid changing lanes into a driver’s blind spot and position your motorcycle within your lane to ensure optimum visibility in traffic.

Trying to Keep Up

Group rides can be a lot of fun. But too many times, group rides turn sour as inexperienced or less skilled riders crash trying to keep up with the group. This often happens if a rider is afraid of losing touch with the group, or appears less capable than the others. It’s important for group leaders to have a plan that keeps the group together and to assure slower riders that they won’t be left behind. It’s also important for individuals to recognize when they are being influenced by the need to stay with the group.

Accelerating Through An Intersection

It is tempting to twist the throttle through an intersection to try and beat a red light. It’s a reflex many of us have, and even the smartest riders have been known to do it. The problem is that intersections are the number one location where crashes occur. It’s important to remember that motorcycles have small visual impact and can be lost in surrounding traffic. The small frontal profile not only makes us harder to see, it can also make it more difficult for others to judge our distance and approach speed. Keeping this in mind, you can see why drivers often pull out in front of motorcycles, thinking it is safe to proceed. The lesson here is that increasing your speed through intersections is a “bad idea”.

Stopping Too Close To the Vehicle In Front Of You

Too many riders position themselves poorly for escape when stopping behind vehicles at a stoplight or stop sign. in Give yourself plenty of room to maneuver case a driver approaching from the rear can’t stop in time. This means positioning your motorcycle well away from the vehicle in front and to one side (usually the left portion of your lane). This position allows room to move forward, past the car in front and has the added benefit of keeping your tires off the often slippery center part of the lane. Be sure to keep your eyes on your mirrors to monitor vehicles approaching from the rear. Keep your motorcycle in first gear so you can respond quickly if necessary.

Signaling Too Late

Miscommunication is a major cause of traffic related mishaps. One of the most common examples of this is slowing down or maneuvering before signaling your intent, which forces surrounding traffic to guess what you are up to. Well timed communication ensures that traffic around you is not surprised by your actions. Remember, simply rolling off the throttle may slow your motorcycle enough to require the typical car driver behind you to brake, but he doesn’t know what you are going to do. Signal three to five seconds prior to turning and activate your brake light early to alert drivers of a change in direction or speed.

Leaving Riding Gear At Home

It’s easy to leave your riding jacket, gloves, boots, or helmet on the shelf for a short trip to the local store or restaurant. But many crashes happen close to home, and at relatively low speeds. It doesn’t take much of an accident to render yourself brain dead without some head protection. And road rash is no laughing matter either; a simple low speed fall can do a lot of damage to your epidermis without the benefit of sturdy protection. Wide skin abrasion can easily turn into infection, and the risk of lethal septic shock. Do yourself a favor and make riding gear a habit, no matter how short the trip. Can you see how easy it is to pick up any of these BAD IDEAS? And how little effort it takes to turn them all into GOOD IDEAS!

Until next time and enjoy the ride!

Pappy

"Wild Hogs" Review

Last night Slick and I went a saw the new movie "Wild Hogs". We liked it and apparently everyone in the theater did too. I read a lot of reviews from some critics and they said the movie was childish and not worth the time and money to go see it. I guess I must still have some child left in me because I liked it and so did Slick.

The movie is not going to win any Academy Awards but it is a good movie. The bottom line is it is a good old buddy movie about 4 middle aged guys that start to wonder if there boring life's are over. So they take out on a week long motorycle trip across country. The movie has a lot of male humor that even Slick liked. There was a lot of out loud laughter from the audience in the theater. Which is something that I haven't heard in a movie in a long time.

There were a lot of bikers, couples and middle-aged people (like me) in the audience enjoying the movie. It was funny and I plan to buy the movie on DVD when it is released. I am sure there will be some bloopers on the DVD. I have seen some of the bloopers already and they are pretty funny too.

If you get a chance, checkout the movie. You might find it funny too. If not, you are probably not old enough to get the humor. That is sad! Below is the official Wild Hogs website:

http://wildhogs.movies.go.com/

Until next time and enjoy the ride.

Pappy

Uwharrie National Forest Road Trip

This morning I took off on a solo trip toward Uwharrie National Forest. It was a nice day to ride. The only thing was it was pretty windy. Some of the gust had to be as high as 30 mph. I took off from home on I-85 to highway 62. From 62 I branched off onto 22. 22 was a little longer than I thought and was out in the middle of some very nice farm country. It was mostly country roads, which is what I like to ride on most. I actually started second guesses my route and actually pulled over to check the map to make sure that I had not passed my exit off of 24. Like I said, 22 was further than I thought, but it turned out I was right on track.

After getting off of 22, I took 24 west and then headed toward the little town of Troy. I had been there before, but it was nice to go back through that area again. After leaving Troy I headrd further west on 24. Soon I was turning north onto 109. Troy and 109 takes you in the heart of the forest. The national forest is really nothing to look at, but it is a great place to ride. I saw a lot of bikers either entering or exiting the national forest.

Soon I headed back on I-85 toward home. The entire trip took about 3.5 hours. If the wind wasn't so bad it would have been perfect weather. Tomorrow is another story. The high is expected to be only 47 and very windy. That is why I took advantage of the 65 degree weather today.

Oh yeah, Slick and I plan to hit the theater today to see the movie "Wild Hogs". It hasn't gotten great reviews, but that is okay. We don't listen to critics anyway. The trailer still looks funny to us.

Until next time and enjoy the ride!

Pappy

Chapter Meeting News

Last night at our chapter meeting in Archdale we had a pretty nice time and the turn out was great. We had a lot of visitors from all over the central part of the state trying to get 2 of the awards that we had. One was the couples award and the other was the central travelers award. Our chapter had both and of course everyone was after it. Below is a photo of the couple that got the couples award last night and our "Couple of the Year", Brian and Donna (they are cool ones in the hats) who presented it to them.



Speaking of hats and awards, Slick and I received an award too. Since this months theme was St. Patrick's Day, people were ask to dress up and be a little silly. So we thought, why not? So we put on our stuff and we won the best dressed. Below are 2 of our cool photos. I actually think we won because of the cool glasses and sexy hair. We dressed up like this and believe it or not we weren't even drinking.

Another award that I presented was for the high mileage award for the month of February. Below is the list of the mileages. The winner this month was Greg and Kathy Permar.

1st Place: Greg and Kathy Permar - 725 miles
2nd Place: Roger and Angie Younce - 549 miles
3rd Place: Anthony Bond - 220 miles
4th Place: Joel and Mary Beth Roach - 210 miles
5th Place: Brian and Donna Vertefeuille - 153 miles
6th Place: Andrew and Vickie Butcher - 69 miles
7th Place: Lennie and Joy Maynor - 24 miles
8th Place: Craig and Melinda Virden - 10 miles

Actually I think Craig got all his miles from going back and forth checking his mail at the end of his driveway.

All in all we had a great time. It was a nice crowd and everyone seemed to have enjoyed themselves.

Until next time and enjoy the ride!

Pappy

Old Liberty Road Ride

As most people know, I love to ride on the country roads. Most days, I take an hour or so ride in the country after work if I can. The other day my Goldwing mentor Graig, told me about a nice road called "Old Liberty Road" in Liberty NC. He told me it was a nice road with quite a few nice curves. He wasn't kidding. It was nice and curvy. It was just the type of road to practice riding on. So after work yesterday I took one of my favorite routes on interstate 85 to highway 62. Then I hit highway 421 south to Liberty. From there I hooked up with Old Liberty Road. It was a nice trip and only took about 1.5 hours. It was a nice leisurely trip and the weather was really nice. I recommend if any one gets a chance to ride on Old Liberty Road, they should do it. It is not the Tail of the Dragon, but it is still fun.

Also as a side note, I was able to put on about 549 miles for the month of February. That is not too bad when I have to consider I only got to ride about 2 weeks for the month. I expect March to be a good riding month. I have a couple of 200+ miles trips scheduled for the month. I expect to tack on 1000+ miles in March. I need to atleast beat my largest monthly total of 1090 that I had in January.

Until next time and enjoy the ride!

Pappy

New Rider and Proud of It

As most people know I am a new biker and rider when it comes to motorcycles. With becoming a new biker I have learned a lot of things. One of the most important things I have learned is you can NEVER stop learning and practicing when it comes to riding a motorcycle. You see, when I started riding my GL1800 Goldwing (Big Red) on July 1 2004 I was pretty nervous. No, actually I was very nervous. I had been practicing with a small Honda Shadow 700 for about 2 months before jumping on my Goldwing and that was the best thing I could have ever done. I realized that no matter how much I ride or even how many years I ride, I will never get to the point where I feel completely comfortable riding a motorcycle. To me, that is a good thing. It will keep me sharp and on my toes. It will keep me alert and best of all; it will help me from killing me and my wife. I see some many riders that have been riding for years do some of the dumbest things. Many experienced riders speed, take unnecessary risks and worst of all set a poor example for the new riders that want to learn from them (Believe me motorcycle veterans, new riders are watching you). I just hope that I never get to the point where I set a poor example for other riders, family and friends that want to take up the great sport of motorcycle riding. I actually joined the GWRRA for the camaraderie, fun, but most of all safety. One of the best things I like to do is ride my motorcycle (Just ask my wife). I plan to keep reminding myself that I am a new and inexperienced rider and proud of it.

Until next time and enjoy the ride.

Pappy

Coldest Ride Yet!

This morning I decided that I would ride into work because the high was supposed to get up to 50 degrees by the end of the day. So I got all my gear on and jumped on Big Red for a brisk ride to work. It was 19 degrees and my coldest day of riding to date. My body was fine but boy was my hands cold. I am seriously thinking about getting some heated gloves. I am not sure if I want to tough it out since the winter is almost over. Either way, by next winter, this rider is getting some heated gloves. Once I do, I will be able to handle any cold weather. You know the old saying, "There is no such thing as bad weather, if you have the right gear". I just need gloves!

Until next time and enjoy the ride!

Pappy

Practice, Practice, Practice...

Today I decided to do a little practicing in the parking lot at my favorite parking area, GTCC. It was a bit nippy for taking a ride today. The high only go 40 with a 10 to 20 gusting winds. So I figured the least I could do is bundle up and practice riding Big Red. I worked on stopping, quick stops and countersteering. I practiced for about 2 hours then it was time to head home and let my finger thaw out.

The bad news is the weather is not going to be good tomorrow either. The good news the high next weekend is expected to be in the low 60's. That is almost perfect by my standards. My favorite riding temperature is around 70. I should have some good riding weather in another month or so.

Until next time and enjoy the ride!

Pappy

Fighting the Winter Blues

Well, I have been gone for 3 weeks and I haven't got to ride in over 2 weeks. I hate that. Usually, winter isn't too bad for me. But, since I now have a motorcycle all I want to do is ride it. Of course, old man winter likes to prevent that when he can.

Today was the first time I have ridden in over 2 weeks. The highs got up to about 45. I took off from home around 1 pm. I decided to go do some practicing at the GTCC parking lot. I needed to practice some of the skills that Greg showed me. I could tell I was a little rusty. But in about 30 minutes I was doing okay. I got a little bored with the parking lot practice and decided to do about a hour drive on highway 62 and 421.

I then returned home to pick up Slick to go get a bike to eat. I could tell I haven't ridden Slick around in a while. I was REALLY rusty and it took be a couple stops to get use to riding her again. She could tell I was a little rusty too. After a while I was okay but did realize I am not the type of person where riding a bike is natural for me, yet. Of course, I will get better in time. Heck, I have only been riding for 9 months. I have a lot to learn and I need to practice every opportunity I get.

Tomorrow the high temperature is going to be around 60 when I get off work. Of course, I will be riding in the morning. I need to get in the miles when I can because on Tuesday, the bottom is going to fall out and we are expecting highs of in the low 30's the rest of the week. There is a good chance I will ride the rest of the week if there is no wet weather in the forecast. Hey, I can always dress for the cold, right.

Until next time and enjoy the ride!

Pappy

Ride to VA for Chilli!

Today Slick and I took advantage of the nice 60+ degree sunny weather and rode to VA. The funny thing is that we rode all the way to VA for Wendy's chilli. What an excuse to ride, right?

The weather was great and we haven had the chance to ride in over a week due to me being out of town. I was really looking forward to riding today. I took advantage of the nice weather because I know we don't get too many great riding days in January. There was quite a few bikes out taking advantage of the weather too.

Today was also the last day I could tack on some more miles before the end of the month. I ended up with 1090 miles for the month. That is not bad for a guy that only got to ride about 2 and half weeks in January. Next month I should be able to do more since I am not scheduled to be out of town for few weeks. Of course, I plan to take advantage of that.

Until next time and enjoy the ride!
Pappy

A Ride with My Son

Saturday was a great day for this dad. I got the opportunity to ride Big Red with my son, Jordan. Jordan and his wife Delta came out to visit Slick and I from Arkansas for the weekend. They also got an opportunity to spend some quality time with other family members. It was a great visit, but for me, it was riding Big Red with my son was the best time. Jordan and I took a nice one hour trip on some back roads and a couple of highways throughout Archdale, Greensboro and High Point.

It was the first time that Jordan got to ride on a motorcycle. He said he really enjoyed it. I know I did. Riding with Jordan is only topped by riding with Slick. Of course, both of them are most important people in my life and it is nice to be able to share our enjoyment of riding motorcycles together.

Now my next goal is to try and get my daughter-in-law and mother on the bike for little trip. That may take some time.

Until next time and enjoy the ride!

Pappy

Nice Weekend Trip to Chimney Rock NC

Well Saturday morning Slick and I started planning our Saturday trip (since it was going to be in the upper 60's). I had thought about taking her on the same route that I took Friday (without going all the way to SC), and then she suggested that we take off to an area that we visited a few years ago called "Chimney Rock". Chimney Rock is a popular tourist town about 30 miles southeast of Asheville, NC. It is a really nice place and we thought it would be a great place to ride. Before we left for the 170 mile (one way) trip we thought it would be cool to stay in Asheville for the night. So we packed up some clothes for the night and took off.

The weather at the start fo the trip was a little cool and Slick did pretty well handling it. We did stop about 1.5 hours into the ride for lunch and took a break. We decided to get some chilli from Wendy's. That warmed us up.

At the 103 exit off of I-40 we started heading southwest on 64 toward Lake Lure and Chimney rock. That is a nice country road. We rode it for about 30 miles until we came to highway 74 (Chimney Rock Rd). At that point we were heading into the tourist part of the trip. We expected a lot of shops to me closed and very few people. That was the case. Not having all that traffic made that part of the ride pretty fun and enjoyable.

Like I said, part of the Chimney Rock Rd trip was nice, however Slick may differ. The reason is Chimney Rock Rd is pretty curvy. It was a little more curvy than I remembered (my memory is not that great). However, it was fun. There is about 3 miles of road that is fun if you like to take the curves. I actually felt that I was on part of the Dragon Tail. I really can't imagine any curves being more curvy that those. Of course the Dragon Tail has over 300 curves on a 11 mile route.

After we left the Chimney Rock area we headed toward Lake Lure. It is a nice area and we saw a lot of bikers there. There were various places where other bikers were stopping to eat. We noticed there were a lot of them riding and enjoying the day just like us.

Later we headed northwest to Asheville to find a place to stop for the day. We stayed at a nice Hampton Inn in town. We decided to grab some food at Chilli's, take a little walk and then head back to the room for the evening. Of course, I watched football while Slick read.

On Sunday we got up after a nice relaxing night rest. We ate breakfast and departed the hotel around 9 am. Our plan was to be home by 1 pm. The weather was great for our start of the the ride and the weather got into the lower 70's by the afternoon. We had a great view of the mountains and the traffic was lite on I-40. We rode I-40 east until we got to 64 toward Mocksville. We took 64 to B85 and headed home. Once home, we unpacked, grabbed a bite to eat and relaxed for a few hours. Of course I had to take the time to give Big Red a bath. It looked pretty bad from the trip.

All-in-all, we had a great, relaxing weekend trip. We do plan to do more trips like this one. We plan to do more because that is why we got the bike in the first place. We got it to get away from daily stress life and live life. Motorcycling allows us to do that together. This past weekend we did that.

Until next time and enjoy the ride!

Pappy

My Trip to South Carolina

Today I was off work so I thought I would take a little ride on Big Red. I wasn't too sure where I was going to ride and how long I would be gone. I think most bikers that like to ride are like that. It is not the destination, it is the ride. So around 10 am I suited up with my cold weather gear (it was a little brisk) and grabbed my NC map.

I headed toward Thomasville on highway 85. From there I headed south on 109 toward a national forest in NC called "Uwharrie National Forest". I figured that would be cool place to start because they had some nice back roads I could try. The ride through that area was pretty nice. There was very little traffic and I imagine the scenery would have been pretty nice if I wasn't riding in the middle of winter and all the trees had their leaves. I did see some colorful orange vest that some road construction works were sporting. So there was some color on the trip. One more thing I noticed going down south from Thomasville, there were cops every where. I wasn't sure if they were looking for someone or the cops were filming an episode of cops. Either way, if you decide to take 109 south, watchout!

Anyway, as I stayed on 109, I started thinking (or trying to remember) how far I needed to go before I turned around and headed back home. My map was in the trunk and I was too lazy to stop and get it out and look at it. So about 2 hrs into the ride I started thinking how nice it was just to be riding. So I decided to keep heading south. I continued on 109 and before I knew it I looked up and I had crossed the South Carolina border. That was a little further south than I had planned to go. But I thought, what the heck, keep going, but start heading east so you can find a good road to head back north to North Carolina.

Once I entered SC, I did start heading east even though the road signs said 9 South (did I mention the map was in my truck?). After about 30 minutes I located highway 1, which I knew would get me heading north toward Rockingham NC (all you big NASCAR fans know where that is). Once I got on highway 1/220 I knew I had about 75 miles before I would be home.

On the trip I saw some nice small towns like Troy, Denton, and Wadesboro. I have to admit a lot of the towns I went through were pretty poor. I also noticed there was a lot of cotton farms around those towns. Even though towns were small and old they were nice to travel through. I just would not want to live there.

All-in-all, the trip took me 5 hours and I put on 260 miles. The only thing missing was Slick. She had to work.

Until next time and enjoy the ride!

Pappy

Real Riders!

Well I rode to work this morning and it was just so brisky. The temp was around 27 and it was a nice clear morning. On the way to work I was thinking about what I saw on the way home yesterday. I saw a REAL motorcyclist and he seemed to battling the weather just fine. The kicker was he was on a MOPED!

Now, let me get this straight. We have all types of riders in the motorcycle world and I don't see too many riding this time of year. What is up with that? This MOPED warrior had no windshield and none the comforts of a Wing and he was still riding load and proud.

So my questions is, where are all the Harleys, crotch rockets, etc...? Heck, where are all my fellow Goldwingers? The morning rides are not that bad. You just need some nice winter weather gear and a love to ride. Besides, I ask myself everyday, when it comes to the temp, "How low can I go?"

Until next time and enjoy the ride!

Pappy

Never too Old

I forgot the mention that at the Chapter B-2 meeting Slick and I got a chance to see a rare sight. We got to see a 93 year old lady that is a Goldwing motorcycle rider. One of our chapter members (Johnny/Cool Hand Luke) pointed her out to us. I have always been impressed with Johnny since he is in his 70's and still rights just about everyday. But last night the little old lady really impressed me. The funny thing about her was that when she started wanting to ride some other riders said they would get her a helmet. She said, I will pick out my own helmet. You have to love that about her.

To me it was a chance to see someone that is living and wanting to enjoy life. And what a better way to stay young than traveling with friends on a Goldwing. Life is good and of course, you can learn a lot from your elders. Heck, they is way I am still learning from my old buddy, Craig!

Until next time and enjoy the ride!

Pappy

Chapter B-2 Visit

Last night Slick and I visited GWRRA Chapter B-2 in Winston Salem for the first time. They had a pretty good size chapter and we met a couple of really nice people. The meeting was held at a place called "Yacht House Seafood". The food looked pretty good, however Slick and I ate at a fine Mexican joint called "Taco Bell" prior to getting there. Maybe you have heard of Taco Bell.

Speaking of eating, if you ever want to eat great food and blow your diet (if you are on one) join a GWRRA chapter. Goldwing riders love to eat and will find any excuse to eat. I have thought about suggesting a ride to the mountains this spring (which involves no food) to take a 2 or 3 mile hike on the Blue Ridge Parkway. Then I started thinking if I do, I may be banded from the GWRRA organization for life. Oh well, I guess I will continue the rides and grab a salad where ever we stop to eat. That would be better than finding my butt and blad head on the side of the road dead of a heart attack from eating too much great tasting fried foods.

At the meeting, B-2 did the usually Goldwing chapter stuff. They did the 50/50 drawing, talked about upcoming rides/events, and gave away the door prizes. Speaking of door prizes, if you ever want to get rid of stuff you have that you don't like or need to clean our your food pantry, join a Goldwing chapter (guess where the door prizes come from). Just make sure if you do get a prize at a chapter meeting and it turns out it was something you turned in as a door prize, act excited. I

One of the things that was mentioned at B-2's meeting was that they are trying to support the Victory Junction Gang by making checkered teddy bears for the people that go the the VJG programs. It is not cheap. A lady from B-2 who does a lot of sewing said she would make the bears (a gift that all participants receive who go there), but it would cost about $7.50 to make just one bear. For the year, VJG needs about 1600 bears. Several of the people from the gathering last night did pitch in some money to help her get started in buying the materials. We pitched in too. It's good to give!

The meeting was nice. We met a few good people. Heard a few cool motorcycle stories and hooked up with a few members of our own group that were there. All-in-all it was a good time.

Until next time and enjoy the ride!

Pappy

Great Reading!

Man, did I hit the jack pot! A couple from our chapter recently sold their bike and trailor and will no longer be a part of our group. Of course they will be missed and we wish them the best. As part of their departure from the Goldwing family they asked if any one was interested in all the past issues of the Wing World magazines that they had collected. Of course I jumped all over that offer. They were giving away all the issues they had and some of them were as far back as 1998.

So yesterday I picked up the box of Wing World magazines and dropped them in front to Slick. Those of you that know Slick might not be aware that she loves to read. So she grabbed a bunch of the magazines started reading. She was really getting into reading the stories of others trips. I never thought I would see the day when my wife would be reading motorcycle magazines. She won't admit it but she has the motorcycle bug.

Later in the day, Slick and I took a break from our day and started reading the magazines together. We shared the stories that we read and plan to give the magazines to others that may want to read them too (after we read them first, of course).

In closing I just want to say thanks Jay for the great collections of magazines. You have made mine and Slick's day. Actually, you have made our weeks to come. It will take us that long to read all the magazines. But that's okay. We are up for the challenge.

Until next time and enjoy the ride!

Pappy

Practice, Practice, Practice...

Yesterday was a great day. Some of our chapter members (Andrew, Anthony, Brian, Craig, Melinda and Donna) met at a local church parking lot to do a little practicing, courtesy of my old motorcycle mentor Craig. Craig wanted to demonstrate and show the rest of us some helpful motorcycle skills that we could practice on our own. I know I was all for that. Craig give us some tips on how to handle tight turns, braking and my favorite, how to keep my big mellon up when I am riding (I have always had a problem with that). Even the instructor from the riders course I took asked me if I had a neck injury. So what does that tell you?

Anyway, we practiced for about 2 hours and from what I heard from the others, it was very helpful. I know it was for me. After the practice session Anthony and Brian got an opportunity to ride a GL1800 for the first time. Anthony jumped on Andrew's bike and Brian jumped on Craig's. I think they are both hooked now. I see 2 more GL1800's coming into our chapter in the next few months. I will keep everyone posted on that news.

After the session I headed back home to pick up Slick to see if she wanted to go out to her favorite pizza joint, Bill's Pizza. Bill's Pizza is located in Archdale in an old building near Craig's house. The place is pretty old, but the food and service is great there. Our favorite meal there is the small salad's and pizza. Their pizza is one of our favorites.

While we were at Bill's Pizza, a couple of bikers came in and asked who owned the big red bike in the parking lot. Since Slick and I were the only 2 people in the place and wearing Goldwing jackets, one of the bikers guessed it was us. Who said bikers aren't shape? They wanted to tell us that they liked the bike. I thanked the gentlemen and realized that I get that a lot of great comments on Big Red when Slick and I are out and about. I know I will get more comments when I finish decking Big Red out around June. I am looking forward to that and seeing how that turns out myself.

After our great meals, Slick and I headed back down 62, toward 421 and back toward home. On the way home Slick and I were talking about how fast the Goldwing's could actually go. I told her that I would love to take Big Red on a strip of road where I could LEGALLY punch the bike to really see it's capability. I told her that I knew it could do 100 mph when no problem. She said hey dumby, the speedometer goes up to 150. She said that should tell you something. She then told me to punch it. I was going about 35 on a back road and so I find a good safe place to punch it a little. I hit the gas and in a matter of a couple of seconds I was over 80 mph. She said she felt that and wanted to do it again. I told her we will have to hold off on that until next time.

As for today, I hope to pick up some free Wing World magazines from an old chapter couple members that sold their bike and trailor. They are giving away every issue of Wing World magazine since 1998. I told them I would take them off their hands. Slick and I enjoy the stories in the magazine and it would be nice to look at some old issues and see how much the bikes have changed. I also plan to try to get in a little practice in at GTCC today if the rain will hold off. I want to practice some of skills that the old man (Craig) was showing me yesterday. That should be fun.

Until next time and enjoy the ride!

Pappy

Easy Riding After Work

Yesterday was a nice day. After work I headed out for a small ride and to enjoy the 60 degree weather. I have been pretty lucky to have such great weather in January and I plan on taking advantage of it. I rode for about 60 miles yesterday. I took a round trip from work to route 62 to highway 421 and back home. It was a pretty nice way to clear the head after work. Not that I really work, but that is my excuse and I am sticking to it.

Today is supposed to be another great day. The high will be around 63 and tomorrow almost 70. Now that is great riding weather. I have to say, I believe 70 degrees for riding is just about perfect. Now I just need to figure out where I want to ride today after work.

Until next time and enjoy the ride!

Pappy

Our Last Ride for 2006

Slick and I completed our last ride for 2006. We headed off to VA for about a 4 hour trip. The weather was pretty nice. It was about 60 degrees and cloudy. Being cloudy was pretty nice since we didn’t have to battle with the sun in our eyes the whole day. We started off the trip heading on highway 68 which runs into highway 220 toward Martinsville VA. Once we got to Martinsville we had lunch at local Wendy’s. That was a good thing because Slick was a little chilly and we decided to stop so she could thaw out.

After the meal we headed north and further up 220. We started looking for highway 57. After taking a left on highway 57 we soon realized that we were heading off into the past. The short stretch of town looked so old and dead. We felt like we were taken back in town 25 years. After heading west on highway 57 we hit the old town of Bassett VA. That is place where they produce Bassett furniture. That town was also very old. Soon we hit the country scenery of highway 57. It was nice and had some nice curvy roads I could enjoy. Slick and I both felt that part of the ride would be nice in the fall because of the open landscapes, hills and trees.

Not too long into the highway 57 trip, we realized that we were getting a little low of fuel and gas stations were few and far between. We did finalize run into a small and old gas station on “Jeb” Stewart Highway. As you can imagine with a highway named “Jeb” we had to be in the sticks. So we stopped for gas and get this, the gas station was full service station. Some old dude came out to turn on the pumps so I could get gas. I think the only reason he came out was to see the bike. He talked about how he thought the bike was really nice.

Next we headed south on highway 8. We finally hit highway 58 east and rode it for about 25 miles until we were back on highway 220. After hitting highway 220 we headed back home. We finally arrived home just before dark. The total trip took about 5.5 hours.

That trip ended our adventures for 2006. In the end, we looked back on what we had accomplished for the year. We bought Big Red and took our bike course in May and bought the Honda Shadow and sold it after I practiced with it for 2 months. I took some mini trips alone and Slick tagged along starting in later July. Slick and I traveled in many parts of NC and VA. We joined the GWRRA and Chapter-G. We went to Wings over the Smokies. All of these things and more in just 6 months of motorcycle riding! Heck, in this month alone we put on over 1000 miles in the month of December.

All-in-all, we had had a great time in 2006 and are looking forward to 2007. I plan to ride Big Red to the beach in June and to Marysville, Ohio for the Honda Homecoming in July.

It has been a fun year and 2007 looks like a great one too.

Until next and enjoy the ride!

Pappy

How Slick and I Got Started

Here is an article that I wrote for our Goldwing chapter newsletter. It will be placed in the spotlight section of the January issue. I thought you might find it interesting. Enjoy!

Our motorcycle adventures started with something called “middle age”. You see, Angie and I were talking one day about her sister and her husband who just happened to be motorcycle riders (not Goldwing riders, but we forgave them for that). They would occasionally take what sounded like some fun motorcycle rides on the weekends. Angie I started thinking how much fun that would be if we could do that too. There was a small problem, neither one of us had ever ridden a motorcycle before.

Now let me clarify that first, we have both been on a motorcycle before (many moons ago), but we had never driven one. So, one day my brother-in-law stopped over and asked if Angie wanted to take a ride with him on his bike. Of course, she wasn’t too thrilled about it at first and after some minor begging by everyone there that day, she got on the bike and they took a short ride down the road. Once she got a taste of a motorcycle ride, she was hooked. So we thought, let’s go look at some bikes. Not really thinking we would ever get one. Of course, we were wrong!

First, I started looking on the Internet at all types of bikes. The problem was I had no idea what I wanted or what was the best bike for us. All Angie said was if we got one I had to get something comfortable and she was looking really hard at the back seats of the Goldwings. So she had a good idea of what she wanted from the start. After looking at all types of bikes we started looking at the prices of bikes and we were shocked. Many of the touring bikes were the prices of a good car and that is without the chrome goodies.

Next, came the day to go out and look at some bikes at the local bike shops. We wanted to get up close and personal with the bikes rather than sit at the computer all day dream about the bikes. We really enjoyed looking at all types of bikes. We just didn’t know what was right for us. Then one day I actually sat on a Goldwing at a Honda shop in Greensboro and I was hooked. I loved the way it felt. Angie did too. So the next step was to find a good one for the right price.

After looking for a couple of weeks, we decided to visit the Honda shop in Statesville NC. There we saw Big Red. At first we didn’t care for the color but after our first visit we decided to go back and look at the bikes again. One our second visit, Big Red was still there. That day, we decided to go for it and buy Big Red. But like many parts of this story, there was a problem. I didn’t know how to ride a motorcycle and of course I had no license. So I had to ask the Honda dealer to tow the bike to my home and park it. There the bike sat for 2 months until I had a chance to take the motorcycle course, get my license and practice. That was kind of embarrassing, but hey, what could I do, right?

Soon May 2006 came and Angie and I signed up for our first steps of riding a motorcycle. We signed up for the motorcycle course for dummies at GTCC. As you can imagine, we were a little nervous. We took the course and we did fairly well. At least we didn’t die or kill anyone. After the course, I got the bright idea to have my brother-in-law come over the house so I could take Big Red out for a test ride. He rode the bike to a local parking lot so I could practice on Big Red. I didn’t have my license then, so I wanted to practice after I completed the motorcycle course. Trying to practice on Big Red with 2 days on a motorcycle was not a really a good idea. I almost dropped the bike 3 times and almost wrecked on one occasion. After displaying my amazing lack of motorcycle skills for my brother-in-law, sister-in-law and Angie, I needed a plan “B”.

Plan “B” came from Angie. She noticed how much trouble I was having with controlling Big Red, so she suggested we buy a smaller bike for me to practice with. It was a great suggestion since I definitely did not have the skills or courage to ride Big Red after the motorcycle course. What we decided to do was buy a small Honda Shadow 700. It was the best thing I could have done. It gave me a great chance to practice for 2 months in the GTCC parking lots and venture out on the local roads in town and on the highways.

Soon the day came when I decided to take Big Red out for the second time in almost 2 months. The day was July 1st. After taking Big Red out and with a little practice with the Honda Shadow, I felt much more comfortable handling the bigger bike. I practiced riding alone with Big Red for about 6 weeks in parking lots and gradually took it on some smaller trips. Not too long after that Angie wanted to try to ride with me. She rode with me for a couple of weeks in the parking lots. The great thing was I really couldn’t tell she was on the bike except on stops. She was great co-rider, and still is.

Since May, it has been an interesting time for us on our motorcycles. We have taken some small trips alone and with our great friends from our GWRRA Chapter-G group. We have covered a lot of miles in the central part of the state, some parts of western NC and been on several visits to VA. We have really enjoyed our motorcycle adventures and look forward to sharing the rest of our middle age years (and old age years) together on our Goldwing. It should be a great time and fun ride.

Until next time and enjoy the ride!

Roger and Angie (AKA Pappy and Slick)

Searcy Arkansas Bike Shop Visit

Well, we had a good Christmas visit with Jordan and Delta. We went to Arkansas to visit them (not on the bike). While I was there I bought some nice chrome shark gills for Big Red. It really made a nice change to the plain appearance of the bike. My next few purchases over the next couple of months will be the chrome lower front crowl, chrome rotor cover for the front tire and some fog lights. After that, I should be almost done with the bike except for the lights lights for the luggage and trunk. That will come in time because those assessories aren't cheap.

Jordan and I did get a chance to visit the bike shop in Searcy Arkansas. They do have a nice bike shop there. There were a wide variety of bikes there. It seemed that there wasn't as many bikes there as the last time I was there. I imagine there will be more there when the weather gets better around spring time. I was a little disappointed in the clothing selection there. It seems that you can't find a nice bike shop that has some Goldwing clothing. I guess I will have to order clothing off the web. I can do that around spring time when the weather gets better.

There were some nice trikes in Searcy. I counted 6 nice trikes. They also had a couple of new 2007 wings there too. Those looked nice. I really liked the new look of the tail lights on the 2007. They actually look like car tail lights.

Speaking of 2007, it should be a pretty busy time for riding. Not counting the mini rides that Slick and I plan to do, we have the upcoming trip to the beach in June. Most of the people going will be driving down there. Boring!! I plan to ride Big Red. Also, in July, our Goldwing chapter is planning on a ride to Ohio, for the Honda Homecoming. I am really looking forward to that. Right now, we are just waiting on the dates for that trip.

Until next time and enjoy the ride.

Pappy

Durham NC Ride

Saturday Slick and I decided to head to Durham NC for a bite to eat. That idea wasn't such a good one. The idea for the ride was to Durham and then get back on I-40 and and hit 86 north to Yancyville NC. Well the Durham part wasn't too great due to all the heavy traffic. The place we were going to eat at was pretty close to the mall in Durham and traffic heading south off of I-40 was pretty heavy. There was a lot of stop and go traffic. Oh yeah, the winter jackets we have worked great too but the they do get pretty hot when you are stuck in traffic and not moving and the temp is around 65.

Anyway, after we headed north the traffic was a lot lighter. We had a great meal (of course, we ate too much) and then we mounted up and started our route back to the house. By this time it was around 3 pm. We hit highway 86 to Yanceyville. Once we got through Yanceyville we headed west on highway 158. The highway 86 and 158 was really nice. It was pretty much all country roads. We could really tell we were in the country by the great smell of county manure. After we got off 158 we hit highway 29 and headed south toward home.

We left home around 11:30 am and got back home around 5:00 pm. The trip was pretty nice except for the traffic in Durham. I recommend you not ride a bike at Christmas time near a mall. That was a dumb idea on my part. The weather was great. We had a great time and look forward to our next trip. Except then next time we will skip the city driving and head toward the country.

Until next time and enjoy the ride!

Pappy

Great Day to Ride

Man, did I have a great chance to ride today. Today is December 15th and the weather was great! It was almost 70 degrees. That is great riding weather. I did see a few other riders out today. I figured there would have been more if it wasn't Friday and most people are working.

I had to go the Cycle Center in Asheboro for an oil change. That only took about 3o minutes of my time. I began my ride from home and heading toward Lexington. No, not in Kentucky! We actually have one of those in NC too. Once I got off of business 85 I headed east on 64 to Asheboro. After my oil change I continued east on 64 until I got to 421. From there I headed north toward home.

The whole ride took about 3 hours, including the short stop for the oil change. Tomorrow, Slick and I are heading toward Concord NC. Slick found out there was a Mayflower diner there. We were going to go to the one in Durham, but I think the Concord ride will be nicer. After we eat, who knows where we might take off too.

Until next time and enjoy the ride!

Pappy

Rubber Gloves Work Wonders

If you are like me and ride your motorcycle in the winter, you may have noticed that you hands can get pretty cold when you are riding in temperatures drop like a rock. So what can you do? Well, you could buy some expensive battery heated gloves, get some heated grips or wear some bulky winter gloves. Or you can do like I did this past weekend. You can wear some rubber gloves under your regular gloves. The rubber gloves work wonders. I actually tested this little trick this past weekend. The tip came from my old motorcycle buddy Craig. Thanks Craig! So the next time you are out riding your bike and your hands start to get numb from the winter frost and wind, put on some rubber gloves. It really helps.

Until next time and enjoy the ride!

Pappy

Chapel Hill NC Trip

Today Slick and I took a short ride to Chapel Hill NC. I decided to take the trip to see the route for next Saturday. There is a nice seafood joint there called "Mayflower Seafood". I have eaten there before and I thought Slick might like it. The route we took was on 421 to 64 east. Once we got to 15/501 we headed north. We actually cruised through a portion of Chapel Hill. It was a nice trip. There was little traffic even though we did decide to head back taking 40. The weather was pretty nice. It was around 55 and not too much wind. The total time on the trip was around 3 hours. Not a bad way to enjoy a Sunday afternoon ride.

Until next time and enjoy the ride!

Pappy

Chapter Meeting for December

Well last night I attended our GWRRA chapter meeting. Slick had to attend her Christmas party. We had a lot to cover and look back on from the past year. Some of the events that we have planned for in 2007 is the open house at the Cycle Center in Asheboro. We will be having it again in May. That should be a great time of the year for the event. We are expecting more people in 2007, so that will be cool.

Last night at the meeting we also picked up 2 new members to our chapter. It will be nice to have some new faces and new ideas. On December 17th we will be gathering at Vickie and Andrews home to discuss a variety of topics like the riding schedule for next quarter. We will also be discussing some other charities that we may participate in. One other topic is selecting our 2007 Couple of the Year for our chapter. Normally, chapters have a hard time filling the position of Couple of the Year. It is a big commitment that Slick and I definately don't have time to do. However, we are lucky this year because we have 3 couples that have thrown their names into the hat. So at the meeting will be voting on our new couple. Whoever it turns out to be I am sure they will do a great job.

I need to work on an article for our newsletter. In January, they asked if I could put something together to let others know about us. I plan to post the article in the blog too. I will probably work on that today.

Until next time and enjoy the ride!

Pappy

Love My Ski Pants!

This morning I rode Big Red to work and it was kind of crisp (actually 27 degrees). There was a slight wind and there was a little bite in the air. Luckily, Angie reminded me that we had some ski pants, so I wore them. It made a big difference on the old legs. Actually, it was a nice warm ride. It is amazing how warm you can be if you have the right riding gear. I know that many people that see me in the mornings think, “What an idiot!”. Maybe so, be I know I am warm and enjoying the ride. I also have to remind myself that those same people probably have never even ridden a motorcycle. They have no idea what they are missing.

Until next time and enjoy the ride!

Pappy

Murdock Center Ride to Butner NC

Yesterday was a fun day for Slick and I. We traveled with our GWRRA chapter group to Butner, NC and visited the Murdock Center. We started the day riding to Burlington NC to meet our group for breakfast. Most of the group met in Archdale and rode in ahead of us. Since Slick and I saw no need to back track we decided to meet them in Burlington. Once we got to Burlington and dismounted Big Red, Slick made the decision we needed to show some holiday spirit and so she slapped a Santa hat on my big bald head. Slick had a hat too and of course she looked cute. Of course, those that know me, know how much I love Christmas. I felt kind of goofy until I saw my OLD buddy Craig looking as goofy as me (actually, I think he looked worse). However, once we arrive at the Murdock center, no one looked goofier than Kenny in this cool elfing magic elf suit. If I was told I had to wear that, I would have put up a fight about that one.

As we head east to Butner NC, were enjoyed the nice crisp morning air. Actually, it was pretty cool. Everyone seemed to have been prepared for the trip and the crisp air (COLD). Once we arrived at Butner, we pulled in to the Murdock community and there we saw dozens of other bikers. Actually, the unofficial count was 61 bikes rode in for the event. Speaking of the event, the GWRRA chapters were all there to drop off presents for the residents of the community and provide a nice Goldwing parade for the residents. Slick and I participated in the parade and the residents seemed to have enjoyed it as much as we did.

After the parade, some of the residents put on a show for us in the school gym. Some sang Christmas songs. It was amazing to see how talented the residents were and how much they enjoyed performing for us. We were also serviced lunch too; which was nice.

After some of the standard ticket drawings were completed, everyone headed out. Slick and I headed back alone. The ride back was pretty nice since the crispness had worn off (it got warmer). All in all we put on a total of 164 miles. We had a great time.

Until next time and enjoy the ride!

Pappy