Nice Short and Expensive Ride Today

Jordan and I took a little trip Saturday morning down to the Cycle Center in Asheboro NC. Originally all I planned for us to do was to ride down there (just to be riding) and check out if they had any new goodies. Well, they did. Actually all I was looking for was to buy a $5.00 pair of motorcycle sunglasses. Well, that didn't happen. I ended up buying about $125.00 worth of goodies, that I planned to buy at the Wing Ding in Greenville SC in July.

I ended up buying the chrome trimming from my side view mirrors, knobs for my console and kill switch and the new chrome arrow decals for my saddle bags. I really like the chrome decals because they really set the bike off and break up the empty solid spaces on the saddle bags.

After getting all my goodies, Jordan and I went across the street to a local Cookout and got lunch. Afterwards we headed back toward home. Once I got home I decided I wasn't done riding around. So, I parked Big Red and jumped on my little VLX600 Honda Shadow and headed to the movies to see Iron Man (good movie). Afterwards, I rode it to a local park and went for about an hour long walk.

It was a nice day to ride. The temperature was in the mid 70's with a slight breeze. It was perfect. However, I do need to watch going down to the Cycle Center too often. I have already scoped out my next purchase. It will be new exhaust pipes for about $170.00.

Until next time and enjoy the ride!

Pappy

New Tatt Coming Soon

One of the trips that I plan to take this summer is to the beach off the coast of NC. It is an annual trip that we take with family and a couple of friends. Last year Jordan got a new tattoo and I told him that if he moved back home from Arkansas to NC I would pay for his motorcycle course, help him get a bike, train him on the bike and get a tattoo too. Of course he moved back and I (like a good father) decided to keep my promise. The problem was to figure out what type of tattoo I wanted. That is not a quick decision since the tattoo will mark me for life. At first I thought about gettng something to express what I really enjoyed and something kind of tribal. I thought, hey the Chick-Fil-A logo looks cool, tribal and I like chicken. Then I thought about the copyright violation. Of course, if you watched Wild Hogs, you would remember that Dudley didn't let that stop him and that would not stop me either.

Anyway, I think I finally found the tattoo I will get in about 2 months and here it is.

The tattoo will have the phrase 'Keep Living' in the white banner. It did say Harley Davidson but I don't care for that. The tattoo represents how I feel about riding, country and life. Besides also skydiving at the beach, it should be a great vacation. Of course, photos will be coming.

Until next time and enjoy the ride!

Pappy

Got the Day Off to Ride!

Friday was a great day! That is the only way to put it. I got the day off from work, my buddy, Craig wasn’t doing anything and my son took the day off to ride. The weather was great. The temperature topped out at about 82. It was just enough to give us all a great burning biker’s tan.

Our first decision was to figure out where we wanted to ride and how long. So since Craig is a human Atlas I thought it would be best to have him decide where we would ride. Craig took us north on highway 68 toward Stokesdale. From there we hit 65 and 89. It was part of the same rode that Jordan almost ran out of gas (NOT!). Going that way gave Craig a chance to see where Jordan almost ran out of gas. As we pasted though Mount Airy I thought it would be a good idea to stop and let Jordan get his photo at the Andy Griffin museum. Below is a photo of Jordan at the bronze statues of Andy Griffin and little Ron Howard (Opie).



After pasting the gas station we stopped a nice old little store for a break before continuing to head west on 89. After hitting 89 we decided to take 601 toward Booneville. Craig told us about an old store that served steak sandwiches. Actually the sandwiches were thick sliced fried bologna sandwiches with a thick slick of cheddar cheese. It was awesome! We all there go the same thing. The store was pretty unique because it had a lot of old antiques and even some old candy’s that I haven’t seen in years. Below is couple of pictures from our top at the old store.

Also along the route were visited Hanging Rock State Park and the top of Pilot Mountain. I have rode by Pilot Mountain on several occasions and never been to the top. It was a treat and it has a great view of the surrounding area. Jordan and I have already planned to do some hiking this year in both parks. Below are some pictures that were taken from the top of the Pilot Mountain.


All-in-all, the day was great. Counting the riding that Jordan and I also did Saturday to Lenoir, we put on about 500 miles. Except for being a little sun burned and tired, the trips were great. Besides, who can complain when you can get the day off and ride all day, right?

Until next time and enjoy the ride!

Pappy

Mount Airy Ride

Saturday Slick, Jordan and I decided to take off for a nice ride to Mount Airy NC. Anyone that are not familiar with the town may not know that it was the fictional town of Mayberry on the Andy Griffin Show. Actually Andy Griffin was raised there as a kid. It is a really nice small town with a lot of Andy Griffin and Mayberry appeal. We were not going to actually stop there because Slick and I had been there before. We were heading that way to ride on some really nice country roads off of business 52. Mostly we rode through the country roads on 89.

The day was kind of cloudy and a little cool in the morning. We meet Jordan at his home in High Point and headed up interstate 40 and then highway 52. On the way to Mount Airy we stopped off at a overlook to get a couple of photos of Pilot Mountain. It is part of the fictional town that Andy Griffin mentions in the show. However, he referred to it as Mount Pilot. Pretty cool, huh?


After snapping a few pics, we headed up to Mount Airy and then hit 89 to ride the country roads. If you have not been up that way you might want to know 89 has some really nice roads with a few small towns but also some sections of the roads are pretty curvy. Slick wasn't too crazy about some sections of the roads and there was some major puckering up going on behind me. However, Jordan and I loved each curve.

We did have on little scare. As we were cruising through one of the small towns, Jordan felt he needed gas. He was riding behind us. He said he was trying to let us know he needed gas by hitting his horn. Now if you have ever heard Jordan's horn you would realize it sounds like one of those bell horns on some little girl's bike. It is kind of sad actually. For a guy that rides a mean sounding bike, his horn really has to go.

Anyway, Jordan felt he needed gas, so he turns off without Slick and I realizing he stopped. Slick and I continued to cruise down the road and then I looked back and thought, 'Where's Jordan". Of course we panicked and turned around to find him. We were not sure if he ran off the road or hit one of the many racing bikers cruising through town. As we headed back to find him, there he was at a gas station waiting on us. He said he needed gas. It turned out that he didn't need gas. His tank holds over 5 gallons and he filled it up before we left. It took a little over $7.00 to fill up his tank. That means he had about 3 gallons left. I think he was okay, don't you?

After filling up Jordan's empty tank (NOT!), we headed to highway 220 south and back to the house. The rain was coming and we barely made it before we got wet. It as a great day to ride. It was warm, cloudy but not too bad. We look forward to riding again soon. Our next big trip as a family is to WV and the Blue Ridge Parkway on Memorial Day weekend.

My next trip is with my old buddy Craig on 25 April to go to Colleen VA to order my trailer. That will be cool. Besides, we will need it for the Wind Ding in SC.

Until next time and enjoy the ride!

Pappy

Angela's Ride Fund Raiser

Today Jordan and I attended a fund raiser called Angela's Ride in Asheboro NC. The Harley Museum there was putting onthe fund raiser. There were about 125 bikes of all types there. Jordan and I also toured the musuem and saw a lot of old bikes. Below are some of the photos that we took. Enjoy!

Until next time and enjoy the ride!

Pappy

Great Weekend to Ride

Jordan and I took a little ride this Saturday. We decided to ride back to my home town and visit some family members. Of course, we didn't tell anyone we were coming and actually we just needed an excuse to ride. It was a perfect day to ride. It was sunny and high's in the lower 70's. Except for a little wind, it was perfect. Jordan and I rode to see my mom, Angie's mom and dad, and my uncle which I hadn't seen in about 2 years. It was nice see everyone and the ride was great. Overall, Jordan and I rode about 250 miles. You couldn't have ask for a better day. The only downer was Slick wasn't with us due to a business trip. It would have been nice if she could have came too. She loves to ride.

Until next time and enjoy the ride!

Pappy

Charity Ride Coming Up in Asheboro

One of the best things about riding is not being able to ride, but to be able to ride for a good cause. Here is a great example of that. Not only do you get to ride, you may even save a life.

Until next time and enjoy the ride!

Pappy

2002 VLX Honda Shadow for Sale

Well, it looks little I am going to have to sell the 2002 VLX Honda Shadow. Not because I want to but because I justdon't have enough room in my garage for my new trailer for Big Red that I will be buying in a couple of weeks. Plus, I am not sure how much I would actually ride the bike. The bike is a nice one. It is very clean, runs great, and a great starter bike for someone. It has only 3540 miles on it and looks practically brand new. I am sure someone will realize what a steal the bike is for only $3200.00. Below is a photo of the bike. I am sure going to miss the bike.

Until next time and enjoy the ride!

Pappy

Just Had to Ride

Yesterday after work was good day to ride. The temperature was in the low 60’s and it was sunny. I am pretty lucky. I can get off work at 3 pm on most days and I get the chance to ride before it gets dark. So yesterday I rode around town for about 45 minutes then headed home. As I pulled up to the house I hit the garage door and noticed Slick hadn’t gotten home yet. So I closed the garage door and did the next best thing. You got it; I hit the road again. I rode the roads for about another hour. It was a nice relaxing ride after work. It also made me realize that it is not really where you ride that makes riding fun, it that I get to ride. Only other bikers understand that.

I can’t wait until summer. It will be time to ride to the beach, Skyline Drive in WV, the mountains of NC and Wing Ding in SC. I can’t wait!

Until next time and enjoy the ride!

PappyJKL

Pappy and Slick on Smokey

Below is a picture of Slick and I on Jordan's new bike (aka Smokey).

Until next time and enjoy the ride!

Pappy

Ride to Chesterfield South Carolina

Yesterday was a great ride with my son. Jordan and I took a trip to Chesterfield SC. Don’t get me wrong, there is nothing in Chesterfield but it was a good excuse to ride. Plus, it gives Jordan bragging rights that he visited another state. That is 3 now that he has ridden in since he started riding if anyone is keeping count (NC, SC and VA).

Jordan and I headed down highway 85 to highway 109 at Thomasville. We rode most of the way on 109 until we got to Wadesboro NC where we jumped on 145 South to the SC border. There it gave Jordan an opportunity to snap a photo proving he really did visit SC.

When hit the southern part of NC and into SC you could tell those areas were pretty poor and basically there isn’t crap there, except for good places to ride motorcycles. Once we got into Chesterfield we found a Sub place to get. The food was okay but the place was a little nasty. It even had flies in the winter time in the place. Now that is pretty bad.


Once we ate we cruised around Chesterfield for about 5 minutes. I did mention there was nothing there, right? Next we jumped back on 145 north and back in to NC. Of course, Jordan needed a photo of that state sign too.

After the photo, we headed north to highway 74. Once on 74 we headed east to jump on highway 220 and then 73 west to Troy NC and highway 109 north. There Jordan wanted to stop and get his photo at a sign that he thought was kind of cool, so we did that. It also gave us a break and a chance to snap some other photos.

Next we headed north through the Uwharrie National Forest. There is not much there except it is a pretty big area and has some great 2 lane roads to ride. We also snapped a picture there too.

All-in-all the entire trip was great. I got to spend quality time with my son and he got to enjoy riding Smokey. Actually, he didn’t complain too much. He did say it was ticking him off that I was cruising down the road listening to the radio and CD’s and using my cruise control. Actually, I told him he needed to not ride beside me so much because his loud bike was making it hard for me to hear my music. He also whined about not having cruise control on Smokey and his hand was cramping (what a whiner). I think his next purchase will be cruise. He will need it before we head to the beach and to Wing Ding in South Carolina in July.

Overall we rode 250 miles. I enjoyed the ride and I hope we get to have many more in the future. Good times!

Until next time and enjoy the ride!

Pappy

Heading to SC with Dudley

Tomorrow, Jordan and I plan to hit the road to Chesterfield SC. There is nothing there but it does give us a chance to ride somewhere. I was looking at the route and a lot of the route is rural and back roads. It should be a good ride. The high is going to be around the mid 60’s and sunny. It will be a great day for riding and snapping a few pictures of the trip. Jordan mainly wants to get a picture showing he has been to South Carolina on Smokey. I had been there once last year on Big Red. Of course, Slick would have freaked out if she had known I had been that far without letting her know. So course, I don’t say anything until I got back home. This time she knows.

Until next time and enjoy the ride!

Pappy

Gerbing Gloves

This morning I tried the Gerbing heated gloves for the first time. Man, were they great. My hands were nice and toasty for the 35 degree morning. Now I am set for the cold weather even though spring is almost here. Thanks to my good buddy Craig I am ready for next year and the cold weather. Who knows, I may even break my record for riding in 17 degrees weather. With the new gloves I will have no problem doing that.

I also would like to thank Craig for adding a group of stuff on Big Red last Friday. He put on my trailer hitch and the wiring, the wiring for my new Gerbing gloves and the grills that go behind the shark fins. He really likes installing those grills….NOT! Craig is amazing. There is nothing that old goat can’t fix (except a computer).

Until next time and enjoy the ride!

Pappy

Dudley Gets a New Toy…Smokey

Well, Jordan (AKA Dudley) got a new ride this weekend. He and I headed to the Cycle Center in Asheboro to look at bikes. When we arrived we happen to see the same bike that we both thought was a great deal about 5 weeks ago. The bike was still there and I thought I would try to grab it before someone else did. It is a nice gray Honda VTX 1300. The bike was such a great buy because it had a lot of the accessories that Jordan wanted already on the bike. So last Saturday I bought it and this past Saturday Jordan and I went to pick it up.

Jordan was a little nervous about riding the bike from the Cycle Center so he asks me to ride it first. It was a nice ride but man is that bike loud. Everyone can hear you roaring down the road. It ran great and had a lot more power than the Honda Shadow Jordan was riding before. By the way, guess who will be riding the little Shadow now. That’s right, good old dad.

Anyway, after leaving the Cycle Center I rode the bike back to the house. Jordan was getting a little ticked at dad because the thought I was having too much fun riding the bike and taking my sweet little time getting back home. Of course, he was right.

Once home, Jordan and I took the bike over to a local parking lot for Jordan to get the feel of his new toy. He adjusted to the new bike just fine and now is enjoying his need freedom on ‘Smokey’ (he hasn’t given it a name yet, so I thought I would for now).

So next time you hear a loud roaring steal horse riding though you neighborhood, take a look, it may be Dudley cruising through. Don’t forget to wave, he most likely will not be able to hear you.

Below are a couple of photos of Jordan's new ride:

Until next time and enjoy the ride.

Pappy

Coldest Ride to Date…17 Degrees

Well this morning I rode Big Red and it was a brisk 17 degrees. My original record for cruising in the morning to work was 19 degrees. Of course it got down to 17 and I felt the need to break my own record. I guess I figured 19 degrees wasn’t cold enough for a real biker like me. Now don’t get me wrong it was cold but not quite cold enough to prevent me from riding. Most people think I’m nuts. I just had to ride! Of course, I didn’t see anyone else feeling the same need.

Until next time and enjoy the ride!

Pappy

2007 Total Mileage on Big Red…11,786!

Well, I just calculated my mileage for Big Red for this year. I was a little shocked that put on 11,786 miles on the bike in one year. That is pretty amazing. It was due to our trip to Ohio at the Honda Homing, a nice 3 day trip to the NC mountains with my old Harley buddy Paul, local rallies, a lot of mini trips with Slick on the weekend and of course me riding the bike whenever I could. The miles really did add up.

This year we plan to put even more miles on Big Red since we will be getting a trailer to haul stuff from our trips. Slick has already made me commit to some flee markets and other shopping trips. Oh well, that is why we got the bike to start with. To travel and put our extra junk in the trailer when we travel. Slick said she would not get too much stuff, but I know how that goes.

We also plan to take a few trips to the beach this year. One trip will be to the out banks. Other trips include traveling more rallies and to other states. Of course Jordan will go with us. That will be cool too. We just need to work in getting him a larger bike. His little Honda has to refuel ever hour and a half. That is good for him though. His butt needs a break too.

Until next time and enjoy the ride!

Pappy

New Stuff Coming Soon!

Well, it will not be long before I get all my remaining parts for fixing up Big Red. I am waiting on my mud flap and Gerbing heating accessories. So far I have my mounting parts for the mud flap and my trailer hitch. Hopefully, I can get with my old motorcycle buddy Craig to hook all the stuff up. He is an amazing guy when it comes to Goldwing’s and anything mechanical. He is not a computer geek like me but he is getting there. I am really looking forward to getting the Gerbing accessories to keep my hands warm this winter. Once I get all that stuff hooked up and wired in I will be set for old man winter. It will be nice to have some warm hands for those mornings when I ride to work and it is below 20 degrees.

Another thing I am looking forward to is our new trailer in late spring. Slick and I plan to get a trailer and use it for our mini-trips that will last over 2 days. Plus it gives her an opportunity to load the trailer down with stuff she finds when she shops while we are on the road. She says she will not fill up the trailer but those of us that have wives no better than that.

Until next time and enjoy the ride!

Pappy

Jordan's Longest Ride Yet!

This weekend was a good weekend for riding. Jordan and I rode on Saturday for about 2 hours. It was a little nippy but not too bad for a little ride in the country. The biggest ride for Jordan as on Sunday. Slick, Jordan and I rode from Greensboro to Lenoir NC for Slick's dad's 70th birthday party. It was a good day to ride and a Jordan got to get some experience on the trip. He got the chance to ride on interstate 40 which is always a treat (by the way, Jordan now understands why most bikers don't like interstates). He got to experience a little ride in some lite rain. He got the chance to ride in the dark on the interstate and some back rodes and why having cruise is so cool. The ride was a little long for Jordan. He realized that when you ride any bike it is a good idea to take a break about every hour or so. Jordan noticed that his back and his butt needed a break too.

We all rode for about 200 miles on Saturday and Sunday. The weather was great and this week it is supposed to be even better with the highs in the upper 70's. Did I mention it is in the middle of December. I know I plan to take advantage of the great weather because I know it is not going to last. But hey, I don't care. I will be still riding no matter how cold it gets. The question is will Slick and Dudley be crazy enough to ride too.

Until next time and enjoy the ride!

Pappy

Father and Son Cycle Center Trip

Saturday was a fun day of riding. Jordan (aka Dudley) and I took off for a nice Saturday morning ride to the Cycle Centerin Asheboro NC to checkout the new Honda VTX's. Jordan plans on buying his own bike which will be a VTX in the next year or so. After leaving the house Jordan and I headed first on highway 421 toward Liberty. Liberty has a nice small stretch of road with some pretty fun curves that I thought would enjoy. So we headed toward Liberty and took on the road. Jordan enjoyed the road but I think he would have liked it more if he wasn't so worried about running out of gas. The Honda Shadow he rides now is not the best for gas since it has a small tank and can only get about 120 miles before you have to fill up again.

After finishing up the Liberty run, we headed for the gas station and got the gas before I had to go find some for him. After filling up we heading to the Cycle Center. We finally got Jordan some gloves for the winter. He was always complaining about how his hands got cold. I told him my hands don't get cold and I wear my summer thin leather gloves. He said that is because I practically ride a plane on 2 wheels and the cockpit protects me. I told he need to get a Golwing. He said when he is old and turns 50.

After getting Dudleys some gloves we looked around the Cycle Center at the VTX's. I wanted Jordan to sit on a VTX 1800 to see if he liked them. He didn't. They were way too big for him and he said they were too uncomfortable. I sat on one myself and I felt the same way. It made me appreciate Big Red. Jordan sit on a VTX 1300. Those fit him nicely. We actually found a steal of a bike which was a 2004 VTX 1300 for $7500.00. It already had a backrest, large windsheild and new leather saddle bags. That was a great buy. It is too bad the timing is not right for the buy.

After leaving the Cycle Center we headed back home. Of course half of the trip was on the 4 lane highways where the speed limit is 65 to 70 mph. Not a big deal for me, but for Jordan it was not that great. The little Honda Shadow he rides can get pretty cold when the temperature is only 50 degress and on the bike it feels like 30. Of course Jordan complained about being cold. I just don't get it. I felt fine!

Now Dudley has some new winter gloves. We even got him some Frogg Toggs Sunday and he plans to get some thermals this week. Maybe then he will not complain about the cold so much. Besides frostbike is over-rated and not that bad, right?

I really enjoyed my ride with my son. It was a great time and we plan to have many more trips in the future. Some of our future trips will include the beach and Wing Ding in July. That will be fun.

Below is a picture of Jordan and I (aka Shake and Bake). Jordan bought the shirts. Pretty cool, huh?

Until next time and enjoy the ride.

Pappy

Jordan Became a Biker Today

Today Jordan took his first motorcycle ride on his 600cc Honda Shadow Deluxe and officially became a biker. It was a greatday for a proud father to see his son take his first ride and be a part of that experience. The weather was great but a little on the nippy side. We actually didn't get started until we did some checks on bikes. I am glad we did. Big Red's tire pressurewas pretty low due to the cold weather.

After getting the tires ready, we were ready to roll. I figured the first thing to show Jordan was the joy of riding on some of the back roads near our home. It was a great day to hit the back roads and see a lot of the great fall follage. The colors were awesome! We took a ride for about an hour on the back roads and Jordan did great. At one point, I looked back and noticed Jordan was trying to get my attention. It seemed his hands were a little on the frosty side. So we took a little break so his hands could thraw out and he could warm up. After the break we headed back toward the house and I decided to take Jordan on highway 421 and 85 so he could experience the joy of riding on the highway at 65 mph on a little bike. Of course with the cold weather, wrong gloves and windy conditions, he just loved that.

Overall, Jordan did great. He rode the bike like a pro. Heck, he even wanted to take a ride through town and back on his own. He did that great too. I was really proud of Jordan for doing such a great job riding today. I know he is already hooked and he is looking forward to both of us riding to the beach this March.

So next time you see a small Honda Shadow around the Greensboro or High Point area, look close. It might just be Jordan. He will even wave at you if you watch for the wave. He likes the biker wave thing. Like I said, he is hooked.

Until next time and enjoy the ride!

Pappy