Winter is here and the riding is slim. Well, maybe not slim, but it isn’t like it is in the summer. Anyway, now may be a good time to perform some common sense maintenance. Probably the best way to do this is to detail your bike. So you take a Saturday (or maybe a Saturday and Sunday) and scrub, polish, wax every inch or your motorcycle. By doing this you can identify things like loose items (those slip-ons that are getting ready to slip-off), and maybe leaking or seeping that you may not find otherwise. This would also be a good time to do a T-CLOCS inspection. If you have never heard of T-CLOCS it is the acronym used by the Motorcycle Safety Foundation to guide you through a quick (pre-ride) inspection of your bike. There is a ton of information on this on the web. Just Google T-CLOCS to get more information. Basically it stands for:
T - Inspect your Tires and wheels. Check the tread depth, wear and tear, look for anything that may be a warning of an impending blow-out. Also, check your wheels, look for loose spokes cracks or any other damage.
C - Controls, inspect your pedals, cables, hoses, and any other controls you may find on your bike.
L - Lights, ok here is where I call the wife. Check your brake lights, turn signals and head light both high and low beam.
O - Oil and other fluids, check your levels and look for any leaks or seeping that might indicate a bad seal or gasket.
C - Chassis, Check for any weakness (cracks) in the frame. Check the suspension for firmness and fluid level in the forks. Check your belt, look for any debris trapped in the belt and check for wear and tear.
S - Stand, check for cracks or bends and check the spring tension.
So where does the common sense come in? If you find a problem fix it, if you don't feel comfortable doing it yourself take it to the dealer - common sense.
Now you not only have a clean machine, but you have a reliable motorcycle that you can enjoy with piece of mind. Oh, and don’t forget, all of that polish and wax will not only make your bike look like a million bucks but it will help protect the finish of your pride and joy from the elements.
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Saturday, October 9, 2010
Poker run for Alzheimers Research
This ride was sponsored by the Fraternal Order of Eagles, Virginia Beach Aerie 3204
On Saturday October 2nd I met the guys at the Hardees on Virginia Beach Blvd accross from Sam's Club at 7:30. It was pretty chilly but it promised to be a nice day. After the usual crap talk we headed to the Eagles club at 1061 Newtown Road. When we finally found the place we registered for the ride and had breakfast
Well, It was a beautiful day and the company was great (guys from work that I actually like). However, the ride was less than spectacular. We found out later that there was a total of only 19 riders who participated in this event.
Anyway, we left the Eagles and headed to the first stop which was Biker Depot at 612 Nevan Road off laskin Road past First Colonial. I didn’t even know this place existed. They sell biker apparel and some shop/cleaning products. The folks were very friendly. I’m sure I’ll be back there in the future.
Off to the second stop. This was at Beach Bully’s at 601 19th St at the beach. I’m not sure this place was even open. Everything was handled in the parking lot.
Stop 3 A. J. Gators at 2947 Shore Drive. The ride through the beach and up shore drive was pretty nice, but again, I’m not sure this place was open either. Draw a card and move on.
Stop 4 Chix Cycles 3745 Shore Drive. Ok, now we are getting a little better. Chix was open and there were a lot of custom bikes to check out plus they were cleaning out there surplus stock so they had a lot of free stuff they were giving away.
Stop 5 was Poppa’s Pub 2105 Diamond Springs road right across from Little Creek Amphib base. Well, at least this place was open. We were able to go inside for a comfort break and we could get a drink or something to eat if we wanted to.
Stop 6 was the Moose Lodge #39 at 923 Glenrock Rd. & Military Circle. We found the place and went inside to draw our card. They were open, but there wasn’t much going on.
Stop 7 Ok, final stop back at the Fraternal Order of Eagles 1061 Newtown Rd. Let’s eat!! They had bar-b-Que, macaroni salad, potato salad, baked beans. The food was the best part of this day. It was awesome.
As you can see we never left the city and on a Saturday morning the last place you want to be on a motorcycle is Military Circle. Anyway, the food was good, the company was good and the weather was perfect. I guess I really can’t complain too much.
On Saturday October 2nd I met the guys at the Hardees on Virginia Beach Blvd accross from Sam's Club at 7:30. It was pretty chilly but it promised to be a nice day. After the usual crap talk we headed to the Eagles club at 1061 Newtown Road. When we finally found the place we registered for the ride and had breakfast
Well, It was a beautiful day and the company was great (guys from work that I actually like). However, the ride was less than spectacular. We found out later that there was a total of only 19 riders who participated in this event.
Anyway, we left the Eagles and headed to the first stop which was Biker Depot at 612 Nevan Road off laskin Road past First Colonial. I didn’t even know this place existed. They sell biker apparel and some shop/cleaning products. The folks were very friendly. I’m sure I’ll be back there in the future.
Off to the second stop. This was at Beach Bully’s at 601 19th St at the beach. I’m not sure this place was even open. Everything was handled in the parking lot.
Stop 3 A. J. Gators at 2947 Shore Drive. The ride through the beach and up shore drive was pretty nice, but again, I’m not sure this place was open either. Draw a card and move on.
Stop 4 Chix Cycles 3745 Shore Drive. Ok, now we are getting a little better. Chix was open and there were a lot of custom bikes to check out plus they were cleaning out there surplus stock so they had a lot of free stuff they were giving away.
Stop 5 was Poppa’s Pub 2105 Diamond Springs road right across from Little Creek Amphib base. Well, at least this place was open. We were able to go inside for a comfort break and we could get a drink or something to eat if we wanted to.
Stop 6 was the Moose Lodge #39 at 923 Glenrock Rd. & Military Circle. We found the place and went inside to draw our card. They were open, but there wasn’t much going on.
Stop 7 Ok, final stop back at the Fraternal Order of Eagles 1061 Newtown Rd. Let’s eat!! They had bar-b-Que, macaroni salad, potato salad, baked beans. The food was the best part of this day. It was awesome.
As you can see we never left the city and on a Saturday morning the last place you want to be on a motorcycle is Military Circle. Anyway, the food was good, the company was good and the weather was perfect. I guess I really can’t complain too much.
Monday, September 20, 2010
Broke Bike Ride
Debbie and I left the house at 10:00 on Sunday. Went out route 58 to 10. Took 10 North to Surry House where we had Lunch.
We were supposed to continue up 10 to 40 take 40 west to 35 and 35 south to parts unknown, however, when I started the bike it was making a hell of a noise, even Debbie heard it and she never hears anything. It sounded like something was falling off the bike. After a careful and proffesional examination of the motorcycle (me jumping up and down on the bike trying to make something fall off). We canceled the ride and headed back down 10. If all went well we were going to Bayside HD and see if could find out what was going on.
When we got to the intersection of 10 and 258 we caught the red light. So were sitting there idling and I realized the bike wasn't making the noise. It was too nice of a day to head home if we didn't need too, so...
We continued the ride by turning west on 258. We followed 258 past the Boykins Tavern and I saw a sign that said Zuni so we turned onto 644 and followed it to Zuni and 460. 644 is a Virginia senic byway, there was no traffic and even less to see, just a nice ride on a nice road. When we hit 460 I found myself wanting the road to continue.
Anyway, we turned East on 460 to 58 business and followed that to 58 and home.
180 miles round trip
We were supposed to continue up 10 to 40 take 40 west to 35 and 35 south to parts unknown, however, when I started the bike it was making a hell of a noise, even Debbie heard it and she never hears anything. It sounded like something was falling off the bike. After a careful and proffesional examination of the motorcycle (me jumping up and down on the bike trying to make something fall off). We canceled the ride and headed back down 10. If all went well we were going to Bayside HD and see if could find out what was going on.
When we got to the intersection of 10 and 258 we caught the red light. So were sitting there idling and I realized the bike wasn't making the noise. It was too nice of a day to head home if we didn't need too, so...
We continued the ride by turning west on 258. We followed 258 past the Boykins Tavern and I saw a sign that said Zuni so we turned onto 644 and followed it to Zuni and 460. 644 is a Virginia senic byway, there was no traffic and even less to see, just a nice ride on a nice road. When we hit 460 I found myself wanting the road to continue.
Anyway, we turned East on 460 to 58 business and followed that to 58 and home.
180 miles round trip
Monday, September 6, 2010
Labor Day Ride
My wife and I left Virginia Beach at 9:00 am on Labor day. What a great day!!! We headed up Indian River Road to 64 and pointed the bike towards Yorktown. As soon as we could we left the Interstate and got on route 17 north. This took us all way to Yorktown and the Colonial Parkway. We traveled the parkway at a leisurely pace stopping often to take pictures and just enjoy the day. We rode the entire parkway to Jamestown. We made a quick stop at the visitor center and then headed over to the ferry, 78 miles at this point. We timed it perfect, we got in line at 11:15 and the ferry leaves at 11:30.
When we left the ferry we rode up route 31 to route 10 and went to the Carriage house restaurant in Surry. Unfortunately it is closed on Mondays. So we traveled down route 10 to Smithfield. On the historic main street of Smithfield we ate at the Smithfield Confectionery & Ice Cream Parlor. Hot ham and cheese sub with chips and sweet tea. Great service, Great food, and a great price. Highly recommended.
After Lunch we continued down route 10 to route 32 and then turned right onto route 17 into Portsmouth. We made a quick stop at Bayside HD to stretch , and then continued down Fredrick blvd thru Deep Creek and down Cedar road and out Mount Pleasant back to Virginia Beach and home.
All in all a perfect day. 152 miles total trip
Saturday, August 21, 2010
Chimney Rock North Carolina
Question, What do the movies "Dirty Dancing" and "The Last of the Mohicans" have in common? Answer, They were both filmed in the Chimney Rock area. Parts of "The Last of the Mohicans" were filmed on the mountain itself, and "Dirty Dancing" was filmed at nearby Lake Lure.
Ok, so we cheated on this one. We didn’t do this on the bike, we took the truck. It was still an awesome trip and worth writing about.
My wife and I left Virginia Beach on Tuesday August 17th and got home on the 20th. We chose Chimney Rock NC as our destination. Chimney Rock is near Ashville NC. It was a seven hour trip including rest stops and lunch. We headed west on VA route 58 through Emporia to Interstate 85. South on 85 to Winston-Salem Where we picked up 40 west towards Ashville. About 20 miles east of Ashville we turned onto Gerton Hwy (Hwy 74a). After an approximately 20 mile drive including a winding mountain climb, we arrived at the Mountain Meadows Motel, recently renamed Peaceful Quest Retreats. Peaceful is the key word here. This place was pretty awesome.
I counted only 9 rooms, all overlooking the pond. The rooms were small, but they had everything you would ever need . TV with Dish Network, refrigerator, microwave, and coffee pot. There is a hot tub for guest use, a soda machine with .60 cent sodas (I can’t remember the last time I paid .60 cents for a soda), and don‘t forget the pond. There were fishing poles available and a paddle boat. I almost forgot, they even have a basketball court if you are so inclined. All of this is available to you at a very reasonable $69.00 per night. Ok, I can’t say enough about this place, check the links page for the web address and check this place out.
That evening we went down to the motorcycle friendly village of Chimney Rock for dinner. This is a quaint village loaded with tourist happenings. There are two Harley stores in the small village (although I found out later they are both owned by the same folks). We ate dinner in the Laure House Bakery restaurant. Fried chicken, corn, coleslaw and biscuits all washed down with sweet tea. A very good meal at a very reasonable price.
On Wednesday morning we skipped breakfast and headed to Chimney Rock for a day of hiking (BTW, we bought our Chimney Rock tickets at the motel - just another service they provided). We spent most of the day at Chimney Rock. We hiked every trail they have except one and that went to a kiddie adventure park that we were not interested in. We hiked to the top of Chimney Rock, then we continued heading up the three observation points they have that are higher than the rock itself. Don’t miss Devils Point, it’s pretty cool. We then hiked to the Hickory Nut falls. It was a pretty easy hike and the falls were something to see, however, they were just a taste of things to come.
The next day we left Chimney Rock and headed North on the Blue Ridge Parkway. Our destination was Linville falls with a brief stop to hike to Crabtree Falls. Sorry Chimney Rock, Crab tree Falls was awesome and well worth the time. We continued north on the BRP to Linville falls. There are two different trails to hike with several observation points for the falls.
These falls were spectacular from all views.
We spent that night in the Parkview Lodge. Not really a recommended stop. Everything the Peaceful Quest Retreat had, this place did not. I told my wife I expected the Ricardos and the Mertz’s to pull in any minute. This place was straight out of the 50’s and it hasn’t changed much, although it looked like remodeling was in progress.
The next day (Friday) we took route 221 South to Interstate 40 and came home the same way we went.
All in all this was a great trip that I would do again. If you do this on a bike be very careful on 40 around Winston-Salem, very congested. Also, as always, be careful in the mountains, mountain roads are always nasty on a bike no matter what mountains they are.
My wife and I left Virginia Beach on Tuesday August 17th and got home on the 20th. We chose Chimney Rock NC as our destination. Chimney Rock is near Ashville NC. It was a seven hour trip including rest stops and lunch. We headed west on VA route 58 through Emporia to Interstate 85. South on 85 to Winston-Salem Where we picked up 40 west towards Ashville. About 20 miles east of Ashville we turned onto Gerton Hwy (Hwy 74a). After an approximately 20 mile drive including a winding mountain climb, we arrived at the Mountain Meadows Motel, recently renamed Peaceful Quest Retreats. Peaceful is the key word here. This place was pretty awesome.
I counted only 9 rooms, all overlooking the pond. The rooms were small, but they had everything you would ever need . TV with Dish Network, refrigerator, microwave, and coffee pot. There is a hot tub for guest use, a soda machine with .60 cent sodas (I can’t remember the last time I paid .60 cents for a soda), and don‘t forget the pond. There were fishing poles available and a paddle boat. I almost forgot, they even have a basketball court if you are so inclined. All of this is available to you at a very reasonable $69.00 per night. Ok, I can’t say enough about this place, check the links page for the web address and check this place out.
That evening we went down to the motorcycle friendly village of Chimney Rock for dinner. This is a quaint village loaded with tourist happenings. There are two Harley stores in the small village (although I found out later they are both owned by the same folks). We ate dinner in the Laure House Bakery restaurant. Fried chicken, corn, coleslaw and biscuits all washed down with sweet tea. A very good meal at a very reasonable price.
On Wednesday morning we skipped breakfast and headed to Chimney Rock for a day of hiking (BTW, we bought our Chimney Rock tickets at the motel - just another service they provided). We spent most of the day at Chimney Rock. We hiked every trail they have except one and that went to a kiddie adventure park that we were not interested in. We hiked to the top of Chimney Rock, then we continued heading up the three observation points they have that are higher than the rock itself. Don’t miss Devils Point, it’s pretty cool. We then hiked to the Hickory Nut falls. It was a pretty easy hike and the falls were something to see, however, they were just a taste of things to come.
The next day we left Chimney Rock and headed North on the Blue Ridge Parkway. Our destination was Linville falls with a brief stop to hike to Crabtree Falls. Sorry Chimney Rock, Crab tree Falls was awesome and well worth the time. We continued north on the BRP to Linville falls. There are two different trails to hike with several observation points for the falls.
These falls were spectacular from all views.
We spent that night in the Parkview Lodge. Not really a recommended stop. Everything the Peaceful Quest Retreat had, this place did not. I told my wife I expected the Ricardos and the Mertz’s to pull in any minute. This place was straight out of the 50’s and it hasn’t changed much, although it looked like remodeling was in progress.
The next day (Friday) we took route 221 South to Interstate 40 and came home the same way we went.
All in all this was a great trip that I would do again. If you do this on a bike be very careful on 40 around Winston-Salem, very congested. Also, as always, be careful in the mountains, mountain roads are always nasty on a bike no matter what mountains they are.
Sunday, August 8, 2010
Lunch Ride
This ride is 68 miles and takes about two hours to Jimmy's Bar-B-Q. After lunch at Jimmy's there are several ways to get home so I am not counting that milage.
Leaving from Bayside Harley Davidson, take 264 west to 460
Take 460 for 3.8 miles and turn left onto 632
Follow 632 for 5.6 miles to 611. Turn right on 611
Travel 611 for 6.1 miles to 615 (Holly Run Rd). Turn left onto 615
Holly run road (615) will cross 58. Be careful especially if you are in a group. When you cross 58, Holly Run Road becomes Jenkins Mill Road
Follow 615 (now Jenkins Mill Road) for another 5.7 miles (watch out for the pigs if they are out they may run out on the road) and turn left onto 616
Now for the tricky road. Follow 616 for 18.2 miles to route 32. This is tricky because 616will come to a T three times. The first two times you will turn left and then take the first right back onto 616. The third time you turn right and then take the first left onto 616.
Take 32 South 11 miles to Jimmy's Bar-B-Q for lunch. After lunch continue on 32 South to 158.
Turn left on 158 and follow it to 17. From there you take 17 north home.
Leaving from Bayside Harley Davidson, take 264 west to 460
Take 460 for 3.8 miles and turn left onto 632
Follow 632 for 5.6 miles to 611. Turn right on 611
Travel 611 for 6.1 miles to 615 (Holly Run Rd). Turn left onto 615
Holly run road (615) will cross 58. Be careful especially if you are in a group. When you cross 58, Holly Run Road becomes Jenkins Mill Road
Follow 615 (now Jenkins Mill Road) for another 5.7 miles (watch out for the pigs if they are out they may run out on the road) and turn left onto 616
Now for the tricky road. Follow 616 for 18.2 miles to route 32. This is tricky because 616will come to a T three times. The first two times you will turn left and then take the first right back onto 616. The third time you turn right and then take the first left onto 616.
Take 32 South 11 miles to Jimmy's Bar-B-Q for lunch. After lunch continue on 32 South to 158.
Turn left on 158 and follow it to 17. From there you take 17 north home.
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Roanoke Rapids
My wife and I Left Virginia Beach at about 8:30 in the morning and headed west on route 58.
First stop was Emporia, we stopped at the Arbys for a drink and a stretch.
We continued west on route 58 looking for route 46 south. It's pretty easy to find, just watch the signs.
46 south was a pretty awesome road, for most of the ride there was no traffic at all. If you are so inclined, a quick check of your map will show you that a side trip to Lake Gaston is just a right turn away off of 46.
Continuing on 46 runs you into 158 which gets you into Roanoke Rapids. Roanoke Rapids in a bustling town with a lot of traffic, so be careful. There is also a Harley dealer there, Collier Harley Davidson has a brand new store that is a great place for a break. From the Harley dealer we headed east on 158 for a very short distance and ate a wonderful lunch at Ralf's barbecue, I highly recommend the buffet. From there we continued east on 158 to River Falls Park just off highway 301 in Weldon. This is a great place to spend some time hiking the trails, or just watching the rapids. There are usually some kayakers around playing in the rapids.
Now on the last leg of our trip we cruised down highway 158 east, making several stops to get a drink, stretch or just take in the sights. We stopped at Merchants Millpond State Park. We didn't go to the park entrance which is off SR 1403, That is probably another trip in our future. Instead we stopped at the ranger station that is on 158 to catch some shade and relax.
We finally ended up on route 17 north to Ballahack road (some of the curves on Ballahack can be deceptive, be careful) and took that to 168. From there it was back to Virginia Beach and home.
All together it was a great day. The round trip was a total of 289 miles.
First stop was Emporia, we stopped at the Arbys for a drink and a stretch.
We continued west on route 58 looking for route 46 south. It's pretty easy to find, just watch the signs.
46 south was a pretty awesome road, for most of the ride there was no traffic at all. If you are so inclined, a quick check of your map will show you that a side trip to Lake Gaston is just a right turn away off of 46.
Continuing on 46 runs you into 158 which gets you into Roanoke Rapids. Roanoke Rapids in a bustling town with a lot of traffic, so be careful. There is also a Harley dealer there, Collier Harley Davidson has a brand new store that is a great place for a break. From the Harley dealer we headed east on 158 for a very short distance and ate a wonderful lunch at Ralf's barbecue, I highly recommend the buffet. From there we continued east on 158 to River Falls Park just off highway 301 in Weldon. This is a great place to spend some time hiking the trails, or just watching the rapids. There are usually some kayakers around playing in the rapids.
Now on the last leg of our trip we cruised down highway 158 east, making several stops to get a drink, stretch or just take in the sights. We stopped at Merchants Millpond State Park. We didn't go to the park entrance which is off SR 1403, That is probably another trip in our future. Instead we stopped at the ranger station that is on 158 to catch some shade and relax.
We finally ended up on route 17 north to Ballahack road (some of the curves on Ballahack can be deceptive, be careful) and took that to 168. From there it was back to Virginia Beach and home.
All together it was a great day. The round trip was a total of 289 miles.
Edenton
Ok, so it is way too hot for a long ride. How about a Lunch ride. If you leave no later than 10:00am you should be home around 2:30 or 3:00. Just when it is the hottest.
Leaving from the Virginia Beach Municipal Center, head out North Landing road towards Chesapeake. North Landing Road becomes Mount Pleasant road. Follow this to BattleField Blvd. Turn Right and ride to the first stop light. Turn left onto Cedar Road. Take Cedar road to Dominion Blvd. Turn Left on to dominion Blvd.
Now the fun begins. Dominion Becomes Route 17 and it is wide open. It's a good steady run for you and your bike.Stay on 17 until you get to route 158 in North Carolina. You will pass the 17 rest stop which is also a welcome center and pretty good place to take a break.
Turn Right onto 158 and follow it to Route 32. Turn left on 32 and stay on that road until you get to Edonton (approx 70 miles). 32 is a nice senic road and if you are early enough there is very little traffic. 32 takes you into Edenton, follow the signs to the visitor center. They offer guided tours of the historical area, but more importantly, they have information about local attractions (including restaurants) so you can do your own thing. My wife and I ate at Chicken Kitchen 809 N. Broad St. Highly recommended for a good, fast, cheap lunch.
When you leave Edenton, head back the same way you came, but instead or turning back on to 32, stay on route 17 all the way to Elizabeth City. From Elizabeth City there are several ways you can go, the choice is up to you. You can take 158 East to 168 and take 168 North back to Chesapeake. You can stay on 17 to Sunbury and follow those back roads to come out on Ballahack and then back to 168 and home, or you can just stay on 17 all the way.
In all, depending on your return trip this is approx 180 mile round trip.
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Leaving from the Virginia Beach Municipal Center, head out North Landing road towards Chesapeake. North Landing Road becomes Mount Pleasant road. Follow this to BattleField Blvd. Turn Right and ride to the first stop light. Turn left onto Cedar Road. Take Cedar road to Dominion Blvd. Turn Left on to dominion Blvd.
Now the fun begins. Dominion Becomes Route 17 and it is wide open. It's a good steady run for you and your bike.Stay on 17 until you get to route 158 in North Carolina. You will pass the 17 rest stop which is also a welcome center and pretty good place to take a break.
Turn Right onto 158 and follow it to Route 32. Turn left on 32 and stay on that road until you get to Edonton (approx 70 miles). 32 is a nice senic road and if you are early enough there is very little traffic. 32 takes you into Edenton, follow the signs to the visitor center. They offer guided tours of the historical area, but more importantly, they have information about local attractions (including restaurants) so you can do your own thing. My wife and I ate at Chicken Kitchen 809 N. Broad St. Highly recommended for a good, fast, cheap lunch.
When you leave Edenton, head back the same way you came, but instead or turning back on to 32, stay on route 17 all the way to Elizabeth City. From Elizabeth City there are several ways you can go, the choice is up to you. You can take 158 East to 168 and take 168 North back to Chesapeake. You can stay on 17 to Sunbury and follow those back roads to come out on Ballahack and then back to 168 and home, or you can just stay on 17 all the way.
In all, depending on your return trip this is approx 180 mile round trip.
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