Thursday August 7, I rode up to State College, well it was #1 Cycle Center in Centre Hall, Pa. This is the Harley-Davidson Dealership I bought my bike from. My rear tire was getting balder than Mike Jordan and the front tire had just enough tread to pass inspection. Plus it is time for the Beast's 10,000 mile check up.
The ride up was uneventfull. I took it easy because it was the first time I rode it since I dropped it back on July 19th. I went around turns 10 to 20 mph slower than I normally have. I got up there 2 hours ahead of time and they wouldn't get me in any earlier. So I sat and waited. They didn't have too many bikes in there. 2 V-rods, one Softail 105th ann. model, 1 fatboy, 1 1200 Sportie and a new 2009 Screaming Eagle Ultra Glide. This was an awesome bike! It had the 110 ci motor, the new frame, the new 180mm rear tire, special paint, and heated seat and handle grips all for $35,495.
At 5pm Brian in Service asked me if I wanted to wait while they wash it. I wanted to leave until he told me that there are severe thunderstorms ahead of me. Not again. 4 of the last 5 rides I rode in Thunderstorms!!! So I waited for another hour and headed home. At the dealership a father and son were looking around and taking pictures of eachother on bikes. The boy was 11 years old. I was wearing my leather vest with my SW Florida HOG Patch on. I took it off and gave it to the boy to wear for the photos. He was so happy. The father didn't even realize what it was to have someone take off their vest and let a kid wear it. Sure it wasn't like it was some club cut but still.
Coming home there were a few areas of wet roads. Since I was used to not having as much grip in the turns and first time out riding since I dumped it at 5 mph, I took things easy. I missed my turn off in Boilsburg and wound up in downtown State College, no problem. I turned up the Aerosmith CD I had on the sterio and watched the college kids give me the thumbs up. The ride home was great. I got on top of Pine Grove Mountain and still feeling a little tense going down the other side. I took it nice and easy around the sweeping turns. Then heading back towards Huntingdon I was gaining more confidence. I opened the throttle a little bit more and even more once I got to Cassville Mountain. Riding down Rt 839 was time to open up the throttle a bit more. The next thing I knew I was doing 70 mph in a 45 zone in the vilage of Calvin. Cassville was just 3 miles ahead and no challenging turns. A little faster and I made it into town. The first thing I did was get off the bike and in the house to get my medicine ready to take for the next mornings Colon surgery. YUK, why did I ride so hard to get back for this?
Sunday, August 10, 2008
Veterans Picnic Ride
On Friday July 18 my daughter's house in Shirleysburg caught fire and gutted the house. No one was home at the time. The following day, Saturday July 19th, my oldest son Jordan - 12 - and I went for a ride down to my mother's house in Shade Gap. We did cut the grass and put some things in the dumpster. We are cleaning up to sell the house or rent it out. Jordan and I were very hungry so I called on the cell phone to tell Kandi that we were going to eat at Arnie McClure's farm. He was having a Veterans Picnic. So Jordan and I got a 12 pack soda to take since it was a covered dish event.
Jordan and I rode into Shirleysburg and pass Christie's house. About 1/4 of a mile we made a turn to go to Arnie's. I wasn't sure of which way to go when we got to a y in the road. I went to the right which was correct. Unlucky for me I missed the turn off and went back to the Y and made the left. Jordan said these famous words, "Daddy, this doesn't look safe!" The road got washed out and I stopped the bike for him to get off. I told him I would turn the bike around and head back up the hill. I turned in the field and saw that to the left of the road was the best way because to the right had many rutts in it. I yelled for Jordan to move. He didn't and I had to take the right which had the rutts in it. The next words I spoke was "Jordan! HELP!" Too late. Even though I'm a big person I couldn't keep up a 1000 pound Touring Motorcycle.
I was laying on the dirt road and Jordan was crying and asking if I was okay. I said I was. Then Jordan said, "Daddy you're going to hate me forever for making you wreck." I told him that it wasn't his fault and I was the one on the bike not him. We got it up and off we went to the event. I saw scratches on my saddle bag. I thought I could put some touch up paint on it. On the way home Jordan wanted me to stop at a Service Station for him to use the bathroom. I got off the bike and saw that my fairing had the most and worse scratches on it. I was heart broken.
June 2006 I bought my "Beast" a 2006 Harley-Davidson FLHXI Street Glide. I had the dealership take off the orginal seat and put on a more comfortable HD Sundowner seat and a back rest for the boys. For additional safety I had chrome grab rails on it. The other thing I had done was to put a US NAVY Derby Cover, US NAVY Aircleaner cover and a US NAVY Timing cover on. For Christmas 2006 Kandi bought a nice set of LED Lizard Lights from HD of Ft Myers and they put them on. Since the bike is Cobalt Blue the purple lights shows up better than the other colors. I have had many comments on how great the bike looks. Down on Ft Myers Beach I saw people take pictures of their kids by the bike. I walked over a couple of times and sat the kids on the bike, had Mom and Dad behind and took a family picture for them.
With these scratches the cost for repairs is $2,004.35. So with the deductable Dairyland Insurance is sending me a check for $1,800 to cover things. NOT A GOOD SATURDAY!
Jordan and I rode into Shirleysburg and pass Christie's house. About 1/4 of a mile we made a turn to go to Arnie's. I wasn't sure of which way to go when we got to a y in the road. I went to the right which was correct. Unlucky for me I missed the turn off and went back to the Y and made the left. Jordan said these famous words, "Daddy, this doesn't look safe!" The road got washed out and I stopped the bike for him to get off. I told him I would turn the bike around and head back up the hill. I turned in the field and saw that to the left of the road was the best way because to the right had many rutts in it. I yelled for Jordan to move. He didn't and I had to take the right which had the rutts in it. The next words I spoke was "Jordan! HELP!" Too late. Even though I'm a big person I couldn't keep up a 1000 pound Touring Motorcycle.
I was laying on the dirt road and Jordan was crying and asking if I was okay. I said I was. Then Jordan said, "Daddy you're going to hate me forever for making you wreck." I told him that it wasn't his fault and I was the one on the bike not him. We got it up and off we went to the event. I saw scratches on my saddle bag. I thought I could put some touch up paint on it. On the way home Jordan wanted me to stop at a Service Station for him to use the bathroom. I got off the bike and saw that my fairing had the most and worse scratches on it. I was heart broken.
June 2006 I bought my "Beast" a 2006 Harley-Davidson FLHXI Street Glide. I had the dealership take off the orginal seat and put on a more comfortable HD Sundowner seat and a back rest for the boys. For additional safety I had chrome grab rails on it. The other thing I had done was to put a US NAVY Derby Cover, US NAVY Aircleaner cover and a US NAVY Timing cover on. For Christmas 2006 Kandi bought a nice set of LED Lizard Lights from HD of Ft Myers and they put them on. Since the bike is Cobalt Blue the purple lights shows up better than the other colors. I have had many comments on how great the bike looks. Down on Ft Myers Beach I saw people take pictures of their kids by the bike. I walked over a couple of times and sat the kids on the bike, had Mom and Dad behind and took a family picture for them.
With these scratches the cost for repairs is $2,004.35. So with the deductable Dairyland Insurance is sending me a check for $1,800 to cover things. NOT A GOOD SATURDAY!
Million Mile Monday
June 30, 2008 Harley Owners Group had an event called Million Mile Monday. They wanted HOG members from around the world to log their miles traveled on Monday June 30. Harley-Davidson hoped to have at least 1 million miles log on one day. For those who logged in there were over 3 million miles.
I had an appointment at the Sleep Clinic at the VA Hospital in Pittsburgh. I rode my 2006 Harley-Davidson Street Glide (FLHXI) to Altoona VA to inquire directions to the hospital in Pittsburg. Off I went. In Monroeville, Pa I stopped to eat at a McDs and to put on my newly gotten Garmin GPS. It took me right to the front door.
After seeing the doctor I took off through Downtown Pittsburgh to get to Rt 322 which lead to Rt 22 and home. Dodging rush hour traffic I made it through Squiral Hill Tunnel. I can never understand why people has to brake while inside a tunnel. Go figure. On the other side of the tunnel I saw dark gray skies and stopped to put on my Frogg Toggs rain suit. Back on the road and heading to Rt 22 I turned on the Street Glide's sterio system. I call my Street Glide "The Beast". She has AM/FM/Weatherband Radio and a Cd Player. I turned on the weatherband radio to hear that a bad thunderstorm with high winds, heavy downpours and damaging hail. I pulled off into a fuel station to get some much needed gas. I was parked underneath the canopy when the storm hit. I stayed there for over 1 1/2 hours! Once the high winds stopped I took off, but still riding in rain until I got to Ebensburg which is outside of Johnstown. I stopped and answered cell phone calls and was told to head to Altoona to pick up something at Staples. I got out of my rain suit because the skies were nice and sunny! Only 15 minutes later Kandi, my wife, called me to tell me that Cassville is having a very bad storm! So I put on my rain jacket but not pants.
I got outside of Huntingdon when the rain started. I stopped at a Sheetz for gas, I didn't need it but it seemed like a good spot to wait out the storm. I went inside and ate a MTO only to be told that the storm is getting worse!
One hour later I was back on the road only to see bolts of lightning ahead. I ran the tail end of the storm the whole way to Cassville.
The trip out was about 3 hours but the trip home was 6 1/2 hours. In Altoona I had a Staples Employee take a photograph of me and my bike in the parking lot, which is the photo in the blog. At the end of the ride I turned in my 358 miles and my picture. HOG put it on their web site. I didn't ride the fatherest but I think my ride was most adventurest.
I had an appointment at the Sleep Clinic at the VA Hospital in Pittsburgh. I rode my 2006 Harley-Davidson Street Glide (FLHXI) to Altoona VA to inquire directions to the hospital in Pittsburg. Off I went. In Monroeville, Pa I stopped to eat at a McDs and to put on my newly gotten Garmin GPS. It took me right to the front door.
After seeing the doctor I took off through Downtown Pittsburgh to get to Rt 322 which lead to Rt 22 and home. Dodging rush hour traffic I made it through Squiral Hill Tunnel. I can never understand why people has to brake while inside a tunnel. Go figure. On the other side of the tunnel I saw dark gray skies and stopped to put on my Frogg Toggs rain suit. Back on the road and heading to Rt 22 I turned on the Street Glide's sterio system. I call my Street Glide "The Beast". She has AM/FM/Weatherband Radio and a Cd Player. I turned on the weatherband radio to hear that a bad thunderstorm with high winds, heavy downpours and damaging hail. I pulled off into a fuel station to get some much needed gas. I was parked underneath the canopy when the storm hit. I stayed there for over 1 1/2 hours! Once the high winds stopped I took off, but still riding in rain until I got to Ebensburg which is outside of Johnstown. I stopped and answered cell phone calls and was told to head to Altoona to pick up something at Staples. I got out of my rain suit because the skies were nice and sunny! Only 15 minutes later Kandi, my wife, called me to tell me that Cassville is having a very bad storm! So I put on my rain jacket but not pants.
I got outside of Huntingdon when the rain started. I stopped at a Sheetz for gas, I didn't need it but it seemed like a good spot to wait out the storm. I went inside and ate a MTO only to be told that the storm is getting worse!
One hour later I was back on the road only to see bolts of lightning ahead. I ran the tail end of the storm the whole way to Cassville.
The trip out was about 3 hours but the trip home was 6 1/2 hours. In Altoona I had a Staples Employee take a photograph of me and my bike in the parking lot, which is the photo in the blog. At the end of the ride I turned in my 358 miles and my picture. HOG put it on their web site. I didn't ride the fatherest but I think my ride was most adventurest.
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