Motorcycle Diaries

THIS BLOG HAS MOVED!!

2007-04-06T10:06:00.000-04:00

Please point your bookmarks to:

http://ezrider.wordpress.com/

Thinking of moving the blog

2007-04-01T11:06:00.000-04:00

I've been looking at Wordpress and I like the features and interface a lot better than Blogger. So I might move the blog to : http://ezrider.wordpress.com/
I was able to import the current blog entirely into Wordpress with the exception of a few videos. Once I have everything set up the way I like at the new site, I'll post the "This blog has moved" notice.

Season 3 !

2007-03-20T22:32:00.000-04:00

Spring is here! The weather's been on the cooler side but we did have some sunny days last week. I took the bike out for a short ride on Sunday, my first ride this season. Bike runs great, though I suspect its running slightly rich-might have to put in a smaller main jet or tweak the mixture screw.
In preparation for The Big Out-West trip later this year ( more on that soon!) I purchased some touring gear today. I'd been looking at all-weather touring jackets and finally settled on the Tour Master Transition jacket. It looks great, is waterproof and is loaded with features including vents, armor, multiple pockets and removable inner liner for cold weather. And its very reasonably priced compared to similar jackets by Aerostitch or Firstgear. To go with it, I bought the Tour Master Venture pants. I should be receiving both items next week and I plan to test them out on a 2 day trip riding the back roads in Indiana. Next month, I'll be getting a new helmet- this time I'm going for the modular (flip-up) style full face helmet.

Tour Master Transition

Tour Master Venture

Great Website

2007-02-28T22:13:00.000-05:00

Check out this website: http://www.openroadjourney.com/. They have a growing database of motorcycle roads, route mapping based on Google Maps, motorcycle forums and articles.

Which one should I buy?

2007-01-14T15:44:00.000-05:00

Lately, I've been thinking about adding another steed to my stable, maybe later this year. I love my cruiser but I have been yearning for a bike that has the handling and horsepower of a high performance sports bike and is also comfortable for long distance touring. So I've been looking at these sport-touring bikes as potential candidates for my next bike. The pictures below are of the 07 models but I would probably get a used one. Which one would you buy?!

Honda ST 1300

Yamaha FJR 1300A

Kawasaki Concours 14

BMW R1200 RT

Moto Guzzi Norge 1200

Triumph Sprint ST

Reading the Winter Blues Away!

2007-01-08T21:55:00.000-05:00

While winter has been unusually mild thus far, I haven't been out riding since I put the bike away in early December. I have, however, been reading some interesting books related to motorcycling. Here is my review of two of my favorite books. I'll be posting some more books reviews occasionally.

Subscribers of Cycle World magazine might be familiar with the writings of Peter Egan. I was aware of his popular column Side Glances in Road and Track, and had assumed he was simply a car nut. Then I came across two books, Leanings and Leanings 2, both compilations of his articles in Cycle World over the last 25 years. Peter Egan is, I realized, first and foremost, a motorcycle enthusiast. His writing is essentially about his lifelong love affair with motorcycles. He has owned over 40 bikes, of all types from vintage Nortons and Vincents to modern Ducatis and Harley Davidson Electra Glides. He has ridden on some of the best motorcycling roads in the world, from touring the Alps and the Isle of Man to off-roading in Baja California to riding the length and breadth of North America. His essays, based on his experiences, take the reader along on the journey, with his vivid descriptions, heartfelt emotions and poignant observations. For many of us, his is the life we dream of: days spent riding in exotic locales or tinkering with vintage motorcycles in the garage, evenings spent in the company of like minded friends or, occasionally on the computer hammering out another heartwarming story that millions will read. But Egan beguiles the reader into thinking that, despite his enviable lifestyle, he is one of us. He yearns to spend more time riding, or wishes he had the means to lay his hands on that old Triumph. And in doing so, he echoes the same desires in his writing that his readers have - to do more of what they are passionate about. And for readers who "get it", who share this passion for motorcycles, these two books are literary gems.

Last ride of the season

2006-12-12T10:36:00.000-05:00

I didn't think I'd still be riding in mid-December but I managed to go on a short 40 mile ride last Sunday before winterizing the bike. Compared to last week's (daytime) temperatures in the mid 20s, Sunday's 45° was almost warm! The light dusting of snow we got last week could still be seen in patches out in the countryside and the roads were heavily salted. After nearly losing traction on a couple of corners because of the salt, I changed my riding style to a more leisurely one. I cruised along the Ohio river, took some pictures and then decided that puttering around on salty back roads wasn't my thing, so I returned. Added Stabil to the gas, took the battery out and put it on a float charger, gave the bike a final wipe-down and called it a season.

I have a brand new bike!

2006-11-13T22:36:00.000-05:00

Well, not really.....I should say its almost like having a brand new bike! I finally got around to making all the performance modifications I wanted to on the bike. The rejet kit and air filter had been gathering dust for several weeks. I also wanted to drill and de-baffle the exhaust pipes, not just for a better sound but to open up the exhaust a bit, since I was going to put a K&N filter in. ( The idea is to let more air in by using the K&N filter, mix it with more gas in the carburetor by replacing the jets with bigger jets and then open up the exhaust for gettting all the gases out quickly).
On Saturday, my brother and I finally started working on the bike around noon. We drilled out the pipes using a hole-saw and broke the baffles off to open up the exhaust. Resisting the urge to start up the bike to hear the new sound, we then removed the tank and opened up the carburetor. Changing the jets is not really a difficult job- if you know what you are doing. Fortunately, I had printed instructions and pictures from this site. The rejet went pretty smoothly, except for the panic attack I had when I thought I had lost a tiny 'O' ring in the carburetor. I replaced the stock main jet with the 155 main jet from the Dynojet kit and also replaced the jet needle and spring. Dynojet does not provide a pilot jet, instead they recommend backing out the mixture screw 3.5 turns. By the time we dropped the K&N filter in and put the tank back on, it was almost 6:00pm. I was quite nervous when it was time to fire up the bike. Had we missed something? Did we put the carb back together properly or were we going to hear horrible, grinding noises and see black smoke and sparks?
It took a couple of tries for the gas to get to the engine but once it fired up....man, what a sound. The de-baffled pipes sound a lot better ( and louder!) than stock. I took a ride around the block and right off the bat, I notice that the throttle was more responsive.The real test would be the mid-range and top end response, but it had gotten cold and dark by then. Happy that at least I hadn't screwed it up, I reluctantly parked the bike for the night.
On Sunday, I went to my first NFL game ( The Cincinnati Bengals vs the San Diego Chargers). It was a great game, but the Bengals lost. This morning (Monday) I finally tested the bike for a couple of hours on some local back-roads. I must say I am extremely pleased with the results. It feels like there is more torque in every gear and the throttle response is phenomenal-snap it open and the bike takes off like a scalded cat. Ok, so I still can't pop a wheelie, but gimme a break, its a 600lb cruiser!
After the test ride, I let the bike cool down and then used some Blue-Job to restore the discolored chrome on the front cylinder header pipe. Blue-Job actually works-the chrome is almost back to its original luster. Now that the bike is not running lean ( i.e. high air to fuel ratio), the pipes won't get so hot and discolor again.
Its mid-November but riding season is not yet over for me. As long as there's no snow or black ice out there, I intend to ride!

Fall Colors trip to West Virginia and Virginia

2006-10-23T16:44:00.000-04:00

Trip Summary ( for those who just want to see the pictures!): 3 days, 1015 miles. Rode on some fantastic roads in W. Virginia and did half of the Skyline Drive in Virginia. Camped both nights. Scroll down for some pictures.

Day 1: It was a bleak, wet Friday morning when I set out for W. Virginia. It had rained heavily the previous night but the forecast said there would be no rain Friday. I had packed everything I needed in the Harley-Davidson sissy bar bag (borrowed from John) and my two saddlebags. Clothes, tools, chargers for the camera and phone, rain-gear, fleece, toiletries, some trail-mix, water. The tent and sleeping bag were strapped on to my luggage rack. Despite the gloomy weather, I was feeling pretty good. There was that feeling one gets when embarking on a much anticipated trip-a mix of excitement and nervousness that was more potent than the 3 cups of coffee I'd consumed !
After a quick stop at at New Richmond on route 52 to check the bags, I rode at a steady 75 mph to Portsmouth, OH where I had lunch at Arby's. I was glad I had a windshield to protect my torso from the cold wind, in spite of its bad design which caused some buffeting. Made it to West Virginia around 2:30pm and continued on I-64 toward Charleston. The fall foliage looked more colorful, even along I-64. South of Charleston, I got on to route 60 which runs along the Gauley River. I passed several small, impoverished looking towns located around big, ugly coal mines. Big barges carrying coal floated slowly down the river and several times, I got stuck behind a slow moving dump truck carrying...yup, you guessed it...coal. At the Gauley bridge, I took route 39 toward Summersville. On any other day, I would have enjoyed riding on 39 but by then I was getting tired and wanted to stop and set up camp before dark. I reached Summersville around 6:00pm. A local at a gas station pointed me toward Mountain Lake campground. Now, I've been to a fair number of campgrounds and this one was the best one I've seen so far- based on how clean the restrooms were. Considering that there was not a single other soul camping there, that was to be expected ! It was a little weird being the sole camper in a huge campground. Maybe all the sane folk were at home, warm and cozy. I quickly set up the tent, snapped a few pictures and rode into town to find some dinner. By the time I got back, the groundskeeper had, at my request, dropped off a bundle of firewood. I made a few calls, told everyone I'd made it safely thus far and then got a nice fire going. I sat by the fire for a long time, savoring a cup of chili, thinking about the day. When the fire went out, it was only 8:30pm, but very cold, so I retired to the tent and tried to sleep. Sleep, however, did not come for a long time. Maybe it was the excitement of the trip.

Total miles: 302

First stop to check the bags

The Gauley river in West Virginia

Mountain Lake campground in Summersville

Ready to set up camp!

Campfire

Settling in for the night

Day 2: I awoke with a cold and a sore throat around 7am. There was a heavy fog outside and everything was covered in dew. I was glad the bathroom had hot showers, so I proceeded to take one. By the time I packed up the tent and was ready to go, it was around 9am. A quick stop for breakfast at BK and I set out on that still misty morning, full of excitement. The plan was to ride on the Highland scenic route through the Monongahela National Forest in the Appalachian mountains and make my way to Skyline drive in Virginia. As the sun broke though the fog, it transformed the countryside into a menagerie of colors of the fall foliage. There I was, a lone biker cruising though the winding mountain roads, trying to take it all in. It was a challenge to stay focused on the road, when the scenery was so mesmerizing. At times, I just gave up and had to stop, turn the motor off and let it all sink in. But as spectacular as the scenery was, the roads themselves demanded full attention. The mountain roads are full of surprises-an unexpectedly sharp corner, a wet patch of leaves from the previous day's rain, sweeping turns that never seem to end- It was a motorcyclist's paradise! I rode for hours, stopping only to snap a couple of pictures. Eventually, at 3pm, I stopped for lunch at a mom & pop's restaurant to try some local cusine. The lunch special was baked pork chops with sauerkraut, mashed potatoes and gravy, baked beans, bread and coffee all for a ridiculously low $7! I didn't realize how hungry I was until I saw all that food.
By then, it was a relatively warm 58° outside and there was still plenty of riding left to be done. However, I realized there would be no time to go to Front Royal in Virginia, where the Skyline drive begins, so I decided to catch it at its mid point, near a town called Elkton. I reached the entrance to the Shenandoah national park around 5pm. After riding the scenic roads in West Virginia all day for free, I wasn't pleased that I had to pay to enter the park and ride on Skyline drive. ( $10 for motorcycles, $15 for cars). As a motorcyclist, Skyline drive was mildly disappointing. Sure, the views from the overlooks are spectacular. But the road is full of the so called "leaf peepers" in slow moving cars. The drive is actively policed by park rangers who mercilessly hand out tickets to those driving above the posted 35mph. I was happy to finally exit the Skyline drive near Waynesboro, VA around 7pm. Now all I had to do was find a motel, get some rest for the long ride back home the next day-well, that was not to be. Thanks to a NASCAR race at the Martinsville speedway, it seemed like every motel in Virginia was full. It was getting dark, but I decided to proceed west on I-64 until I found a motel. After several unsuccessful stops in Virginia, I decided to keep going until I reached W. Virginia- surely there would be motel rooms there! No such luck. By then it was 9pm, I had been on the saddle for over 10 hours and my wrist and back were starting to hurt. At a town called White Sulfur Springs, an employee at the local McDonald's told me that an old lady had private campground in her backyard on the outskirts of town. Without too much trouble, I found the place and she was happy to have another camper. She told me she used to ride a bike in her younger days. It was cold and by the time I had set up the tent, my fingers were numb. I slipped into the sleeping bag and tried to sleep. But sleep wouldn't come for many hours. My cold and sore throat had gotten worse, I was sneezing and starting to feel a bit feverish. I hoped that I wouldn't fall severely ill and be unable to ride back home on Sunday. I figure I slept no more than 3 hours that night.

Total miles: 360

Foggy Saturday morning

W. Virginia fall colors

Highland Scenic Highway

View along the Highland scenic highway

West Virginia countryside

Germany Valley

My lunch !

Virginia

Skyline drive scenic overlook

Day 3: I woke up around 7:30am feeling pretty miserable but another hot shower fixed that. The tent was wet from the morning dew, but I packed it up and was ready to go by 8:30. I stopped at the same McDonald's for breakfast and coffee. I was in the restroom there when I overheard a conversation between a couple of guys. They were saying something about a biker from Ohio, who must be insane to be riding in the cold. They were talking about me, I realized, and that made me smile. Come to think of it, I didn't see too many bikers on this trip-maybe ten in all. And I guess we must be a bit insane!

After breakfast, I set out toward Ohio at a steady 80mph along I-64, then cut across via route 60 back to I-64 near Charleston and then onto route 52 in Ohio. This time, the mission was simply to get back home. Easy enough- just a couple of hundred miles of mindless riding on the interstate and route 52. But the aches and pains and lack of sleep from two days of riding and camping made things a bit harder. It was also a lot colder and my fingers were frozen over the handlebars. The last hundred miles were the longest I have ever ridden and to top it all, when I reached Cincinnati, I got stuck in traffic on I-75 from the Bengals game. Still, these were minor inconveniences. The euphoric high I experienced riding those beautiful twisting roads in W. Virginia is something I crave, so I'm already planning my next long distance trip, sometime in spring!

Total miles: 353

The old lady's backyard campground.

Time to pack up and go home!

Trip to W.Virginia and Virginia this weekend

2006-10-15T22:53:00.000-04:00

Looks like I timed it right! The fall colors in W. Virginia and Virginia's Shenandoah national park should be peaking in the next few days. I plan to set out either on thursday or friday morning (depending on how many days I can take off from work) and return by sunday evening. I'll be camping, unless the weather is really bad, in which case I'll seek a motel. In preparation for the trip I changed the engine oil, filter and (shaft) drive oil today. Here's the trip route from Charleston, WV.

AMA ad targeting distracted drivers

2006-10-10T15:10:00.000-04:00

Take a look!

I'm weak......very weak

2006-09-29T12:17:00.000-04:00

I did it again. Bought more stuff for the bike. This time, I decided to go the performance route. I had planned to rejet the carburetor and put in a K&N air filter later this year. Well, I decided to go ahead and do it before the Fall trip to W.Virginia and Virginia, so I ordered a Dynojet rejet kit and a K&N filter. This will the the first time I'll be messing with the bike's innards, hopefully I won't screw it up! While I won't be replacing the exhaust pipes just yet, I plan to open up the stock exhaust by removing the baffles. Combine a high flow air filter, a rejetted carburetor and a free flowing exhaust and I should get a noticeable increase in hp and torque throughout the rpm range.

Dynojet jet kit

K&N Filter

Accessories installed !

2006-09-18T14:40:00.000-04:00

I received the accessories last week and spent saturday morning installing them. The saddlebags and highway pegs were easy to install, but it took a while to get them exactly where I wanted. The windshield was a bit of a pain to get on, it involved removing the turn signals and headlight to reroute the wires behind the windshield mounting bracket. I think the accessories look pretty good. However, in terms of function, the windshield was a big disappointment. I noticed severe buffetting at all speeds, caused by wind rushing from under the shield. After doing some research on Volusiariders, it seems the solution is to get lowers ( deflectors mounted on the front forks ) to reduce buffetting.

Preparing for Fall

2006-09-07T12:40:00.000-04:00

This year, I plan to ride out to West Virginia sometime in October when the fall colors are at their peak, camp and ride some of the scenic routes there, maybe even do some rafting. The perfect excuse to spend some money on accessories for the bike. I decided to go the practical route, instead of the performance route. So instead of getting the Roadhouse 2-into-1 exhaust, K&N filter and rejet kit, I bought a windshield, saddlebags and highway pegs. Net damage: $511.00. Can't wait to receive the accessories and install them on the bike! Meanwhile, here are the pics from the seller's website:

OEM Suzuki adjustable height windshield ( $299)

Saddlemen Midnight Express Jumbo Slant saddlebags ($114)

Kuryakyn Highway pegs with offset mounts ( $98)

July/August rides

2006-08-15T22:24:00.000-04:00

Ok, I'm not going to make any lame excuses for not updating the blog in the past few weeks. It certainly wasn't because I didn't ride....I rode almost every weekend on my favorite routes in Kentucky and Indiana.
A few weeks back Angie and I took the ferry across the Ohio river into Kentucky.

We then rode to Rabbit Hash and Jane's Saddlebag. Angie really liked the place, so the very next weekend we took John and Amiee there. Jane's Saddlebag is a great place to relax after a ride. The owners Pete and Nancy are very friendly and the food is great. Their Woolly Burger ( named after the Woolly Mammoth fossils discovered at Big Bone Lick State Park next door) is excellent and highly recommended. There are plenty of interesting things to see including a petting zoo with goats, horses and even a Lama named Dali! And there's always some cool bikes parked outside!

In jail at Jane's Saddlebag

Some cool bikes

Dali Lama!

Pete and Nancy

After several hot weekends with temperatures in the 90s, the weather last weekend was perfect. Angie and I rode out to the farm in Versailles via Madison, IN with Aimee and John. There Aimee got a chance to ride a motorbike (a dirtbike) for the first time and she was thrilled!
We ended the day relaxing around a bonfire.

With Aimee and John

At the farm

Aimee's first solo ride on a motorcycle!

Whats a night at the farm without a bonfire?

Cool Website

2006-07-20T14:55:00.000-04:00

I found a cool new website for riders looking to share routes or plan group rides. It is a one-stop site for riders, with standard features like forums, messaging and classifieds but my favorite feature is the mapping software based on Google Maps. You can click on the map to draw a route, add waypoints with descriptions and even export the route data to GPS. Check it out here: http://www.grouprider.com/

400 mile weekend and visit to the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame

2006-07-03T12:07:00.000-04:00

Toward the end of the Smokies trip, my gear-shift lever was acting a little sticky. After browsing through some online forums, I concluded it was a lubrication problem. Last week I took apart the shift lever assembly, cleaned and lubed all the joints with white lithium grease and now it shifts as smooth as butter! On Saturday, I rode for on some familiar twisties in Kentucky. Since last year, I've become a lot faster on corners (for a cruiser anyway), thanks to consistently practicing the techniques in books like Total Control by Lee Parks. What I'd really like to do is sign up for a weekend of performance riding training in one of the schools like The Riders Workshop by Jim Ford or the Advanced Riding Clinic by Lee Parks.

On Sunday, I rode to Columbus, OH and back, a 270 mile round-trip mostly on state routes (US 42, US 62 and US 22). It was a great ride, mostly on straight roads through small towns and big farms. Hardly anyone chooses to ride on these roads anymore, with the interstates running parallel. Wind was the major annoyance on the trip and I found myself wishing for a windshield on some of those straight stretches at 80mph. I also visited the AMA's Motorcycle Hall of Fame museum in Pickerington, OH with a friend. The museum had several vintage BMWs and dirt bikes on display. They also had some other vintage models but I thought the museum had too few exhibits to make it worth the $10 cover charge.

Smokies, Blue Ridge Parkway and Honda Hoot Pics

2006-06-26T10:29:00.000-04:00

To the Smokies!

First ride on Foothills Parkway, toward Deals Gap

Just rode the Tail of the Dragon!

Somewhere in the Smoky Mountains National Park

On the Blue Ridge Parkway, heading for Mt. Pisgah

Mt. Pisgah Inn

Camping at the Mt. Pisgah campground

Returning to Cherokee, NC on the BRP

The Geico Bike

Trying out the GoldWing

Victory Motorcycles

Trials riding demo by a world champ

Riding demo by the Knoxville Police Blue Hawks

Click here for more pics from the trip!

Getting ready for the Smokies/Honda Hoot trip

2006-06-12T10:13:00.000-04:00

I had registered for the Honda Hoot in Knoxville a couple of months ago when I used to ride the VLX. Now I'll be showing up on my Suzuki! We'll be leaving this Saturday for Gatlinburg to ride some of the scenic routes (see map below) in and around the Smoky Mountains before attending the first two days of the Hoot (on the 20th and 21st).

I've been trying to get the bike as comfortable as possible for the many hours of riding. The Volusia 's passenger pegs are notorious for putting the passenger in a cramped and uncomfortable position, so I had to get a peg relocation kit. Angie and I tested them out on Saturday and they didn't seem to help much. We might try to swap the right and left mounting brackets to move the pegs forward a couple of inches. I put a luggage rack on the bike and also ordered a driver's backrest but haven't received it yet.

Scenic routes around Gatlinburg/The Smokies.

Another excellent motorcycle safety ad from the U.K.

2006-06-06T10:33:00.000-04:00

First ride on my new Volusia !!

2006-06-03T19:24:00.000-04:00

I picked up my my 2001 Volusia from Bernie this morning. Perfect day to take the new bike for a 150 mile test ride! After lunch with Bernie, I headed out to Rabbit Hash, KY on some back roads, taking my time getting used to the bigger bike. I met Rob "Dice" Giles there, who I had gotten in touch with last year through the FreeRiders Club. He took me on some great roads to this neat place called Jane's Saddlebag near Big Bone Lick state park-he knows the best routes in this area and rides his Vulcan pretty hard. Rob also had a couple of highway pegs for sale in the store at Janes' Saddlebag- he generously gave them to me for free. I need to get adaptors so I can install the pegs on the engine guards, allowing me to stretch out my legs on long rides. We rode for a couple of hours on KY routes 338, 18, 20 and 8 before I headed back home. Overall, I am extremely happy withe the bike. The exhaust note, however, is very muffled and could be a bit louder. I plan remove the baffles or get a set of Vance and Hines pipes in the near future. The other issue I had with the bike is a high-frequency vibration in the handlebars and footpegs at steady cruising speeds in the 3rd to 5th gears. My right arm and foot were quite fatigued by the end of the ride. Maybe it just takes some getting used to. Hope to do some more riding tomorrow if the weather stays nice.

Notice my new Fieldsheet Titanium armored mesh jacket for summer!

Lunch with Bernie

Rabbit Hash, KY

Rob "Dice" Giles with his Kawasaki Vulcan 1500

Jane's Saddlebag

Born to ride, forced to work!!

My VLX is gone!!!

2006-06-01T10:56:00.000-04:00

I sold my VLX today. I hadn't planned on selling the bike this year, but Bernie, a co-worker ( and the chief of the Imaging Research Center at Cincinnati Children's Hospital ), made me an offer I couldn't refuse on his 01 Suzuki Volusia. I had been thinking about getting a bigger bike anyway. I'm a little sad to see my first bike in the US go but hopefully the new owner will have many great rides and memories on it. I'll have pictures of the new bike and possibly the link to a new blog soon. Meanwhile, here are some pictures from my past rides on my VLX.

2006 Thundering Hearts Ride pics

2006-05-21T10:39:00.000-04:00

With John, Aimee, Angie and Jimmy

Getting ready to roll!

On our way!

Arriving at Camp Joyful Hearts

With Bernie and his bike

John and Aimee

Me and Angie

After the ride !

More pictures from the ride here.

Customization: The addiction

2006-05-05T15:16:00.000-04:00

Most riders will understand when I say I can't seem to stop lusting after add-ons for my motorcycle. Some days, I spend hours poring through catalogs and websites, adding stuff to my "wishlist"- parts, tools, luggage, gear, boots, chrome accessories, add-ons like crash-bars, light bars...it never ends. Being in graduate school with limited financial resources, however, ensures that most of the items never move from my wishlist to the shopping cart and then to checkout ! I still end up spending some money on bike related stuff every month. Sometimes, I try to scrounge stuff I need from people that don't, usually through motorcycle forums like the Honda Shadow Forum. I scored a free Honda toolkit and owners manual for my VLX last year from a kind lady who had extra ones lying around in her garage. Last week I got some small parts I needed for my rear fender side rail mounting for $15 from a guy who was customizing his bike and had no use for them. It would have cost me over $50 had I bought it at the dealers or at an online store. There are times when one just has to spend money, especially when safety is the issue. So my next big purchase will be new tires. My current OEM Dunlops are showing signed of aging, with small cracks appearing on the sidewall. I'll be replacing them with the popular and highly rated Metzeler ME880 Marathon tires before I ride to the Honda Hoot at Knoxville, TN. Costs about $100 for the front and $130 for the rear, with the dealer charging $20 per tire for mounting and balancing. Some other items on my must-have list include the a 41-tooth rear sprocket and a brake bleeding kit. As for the non-essential stuff, those are destined to remain on my wishlist for now!

New rider!

2006-04-29T17:57:00.000-04:00

We picked up Angie's 2000 Honda Shadow VLX VT600 on Wednesday. Here she is riding around the neighborhood. The smile says is all doesn't it?!

Angie's Shadow VLX 600

Thundering Hearts practice run

2006-04-23T23:10:00.000-04:00

Sunday turned out to be another gorgeous 70° day - blue skies with puffy white clouds, an occasional breeze. I was getting ready to head out to Milford for the first practice run of the Thundering Hearts Ride when a co-worker from Children's Hospital, Mike Jansen called to go riding. Mike rides a VTX 1800, Honda's biggest V-twin. I headed over to Mike's place and we rode on some nice back roads to Milford. Most of the riders, about 50 in all, were there because they will be road captains on the day of the Thundering Hearts ride and need to be familiar with the route.

Riding in a large group is very different from riding solo or in smaller groups. There's the "rubber-band effect" when the group tends to get stretched out or broken up due to traffic or stop-lights. Then there are the hand signals that need to be passed to the back. But mostly, the group moves as a single unit, a sea of bikes moving in sync. Its an awesome sight to see and even better to be a part of. While a group of 50 is impressive enought, the organizers are expecting close to 1000 bikes for the actual ride on May 20th! There will be a police escort and they will be blocking traffic at the intersections with the help of the road captains, so that the group can move together for the entire ride.

At the ride, we met a wonderful couple, Jimmy, an ex-Marine and Vietnam veteran, and his wife Pat, who took some great pictures and was kind enough to email me some.

At the meeting point

Ready to roll

At a stop

On the move

Mike's on the right and I'm on the left

Chatting with a couple of veterans

Jimmy, Mike and me

Jimmy and Pat

A Perfect Day

2006-04-23T08:45:00.000-04:00

I try to live with the attitude that every day is a perfect one. But some days are more perfect than others! Yesterday was one of those, when everything just came together so well that it couldn't have been any better.

To start off, Angie and I went to check out a bike for her. Yes, she is finally getting one! I'd found a silver 2000 Shadow VLX with 5900 miles on cycletrader.com and she was excited!

The owner, Tony Eich, is an air-force veteran, world traveler and photographer (check out his site). The bike is in excellent condition. He let us test ride the bike and even knocked a couple of hundred bucks off the price for us. We put down a deposit on the bike and headed back to Angie's place, where we met up with John, Aimee and Dave, her neighbor who rides a Harley Davidson as well.

We then set out to Versailles, Indiana, where Angie's folks Jerry and Phyllis have a farm. It was 70° and simply the best day to be out riding. From US 50W, we took route 56 from Aurora, IN and then route 262 from Rising Sun. We then took route 62 at Dillsboro, a winding, scenic road though the town of Friendship, IN.

We were starving by the time we arrived at the farm. Mama Bling had just what a bunch of hungry riders needed! Brauts and hot dogs, an excellent potato salad, baked beans and chocolate brownies! After devouring most of the food, we took a tour of the farm.

The riders and Jerry

I tried fishing for the first time and after overcoming some initial hesitation about threading a live worm through a hook, I even caught a fish!

It was a little cooler as we headed back to Cincinnati, and we reached home just before dark, having ridden about 150 miles. Lets see how we can top yesterday!

The Second Annual Thundering Hearts Motorcycle Ride

2006-04-20T20:23:00.000-04:00

I plan to ride in the Thundering Hearts Motorcycle Ride organized by the Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center on May 20th. Here are the details from the website:

The Second Annual Thundering Hearts Motorcycle Ride
Date: Saturday, May 20, 2006
Type: Fund raiser
Location: The bikers will depart from the American Legion Hall, Post 450 in Milford, Ohio
Contact: Paul Martinez (paul.martinez@cchmc.org), 513-636-7260
Sponsor: The Heart Center and the Division of Cardiology

On May 20, 2006, bikers from the Greater Cincinnati area will rev their engines for the Second Annual Thundering Hearts Motorcycle Ride benefiting Camp Joyful Hearts and The Heart Center Family Retreat Weekend of Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center. Bikers will gather at The American Legion Hall, Post 450, in Milford, Ohio, and head off on a scenic route to Camp Joyful Hearts located in Clarksville, Ohio. Participants will have the chance to meet the patients and families that attend the retreat weekend while relaxing at the camp. The fun does not stop there - there bikers will hit the road back to the American Legion Hall where the food will be hot and a band will be ready to rock!

Registration is from 10 am to 11:30 am. The bikers will depart at noon and will arrive back at the American Legion Post about 3 pm. Cost is $15 per rider plus and additional $5 if there is a passenger. Route maps are available upon request.

For more information about the Second Annual Thundering Hearts Motorcycle Ride, contact Paul Martinez (paul.martinez@cchmc.org), 513-636-7260.

Inclement weather......trip to the gorge cancelled!!

2006-04-14T05:28:00.000-04:00

It looks like this isn't going to be the best weekend for a motorcycle camping trip. I wasn't going to change my plans over a minor sprinkle but lots of rain and thunderstorms are in the forecast for this region.

Link to Accuweather radar

The rain suit that I ordered will arrive today, so I might test it out this weekend on a ride around the neighborhood.

Check out this neat site I found that lets you build your own checklist for a motorcycle camping trip: Motorcycle Trip Checklist

Postscript: We did end up going to the gorge, but by car. And there wasn't a drop of rain the entire trip! So much for the weather forecast. I saw plenty of day-riders there but no one who was on a motorcycle camping trip.

Great Ride on Sunday

2006-04-10T18:45:00.000-04:00

After returning from Columbus on Sunday afternoon, I immediately replaced the frayed clutch cable and set out for a ride. I met up with John, Aimee, Greg and Melissa at Angie's place and we proceeded to Bier Haus in Cleves, OH. After an early dinner, we were eager to get out in the sun and ride. A quick jaunt through E. Miami river rd. and Buffalo Ridge Rd.brought us back to Harrison Ave. Greg and Melissa headed home from there, the rest of us decided to ride some more. We headed north on E. Miami river road and continued on route 126 toward Brookville. Some back roads brought us to the town of Harrison and John and Aimee took I-74 back while Angie and I decided to take Harrison Ave back. At the intersection of Harrison and route 128, we had a close call- the dreaded cager turning left in front of you, totally ignoring your right of way. I had to pull off a pretty hard rear-tire locked, front brakes squealing stop but fortunately didn't drop the bike. I don't think the cager even realized what happened. Angie was a bit shaken after that but other than that it was a great ride. John and Aimee were waiting for us when we pulled in at Angie's place. The pictures below were taken just after we arrived. Postscript: Just added the last picture, taken before the ride. Greg and Melissa are in the middle.

Great weather this week, I hope the weekend will be nice too. The plan is to ride to Red River Gorge in Kentucky and camp there Friday night, do some hiking and return on Saturday. I have to see how much equipment I can load onto the bike safely, the big ones being the tent and the sleeping bag. More on that soon.

The Honda Riders! |

The HD riders!

All

Saturday ride to Columbus cancelled

2006-04-08T15:56:00.000-04:00

I had planned to ride to Columbus to meet some friends today. I was inspecting the bike before starting out and I noticed that the clutch cable looked frayed. On closer inspection, I realized that it was almost ready to come apart! Whew...close call! Imagine the cable breaking while I was cruising at 75mph on the highway. Anyway, I'm replacing the cable tomorrow and will hopefully get to do some riding this weekend.

Shopping Spree!!

2006-04-07T12:01:00.001-04:00

I've been on a shopping spree of sorts, trying to prepare for a lot of miles on the bike this season. To start off, I ordered some some small parts yesterday-mainly replacement nuts/bolts- and a torque wrench for some basic maintainance work. Today, I bought leather chaps and a rain suit on ebay. I dislike riding in the rain but need to be prepared in case I get stuck in a rainstorm on a long road trip. I have a few more things I need get but will have to pace myself and spread it out over the next few months. First on my list is a 41-tooth rear-sprocket to replace the current 44-tooth one. This is mainly to increase cruising performance at higher speeds, although it will be at the cost of reduced low-end torque. I also plan to replace my current DOT approved helmet with one that is DOT and Snell rated. And once I get all the "essentials", I can start on all the totally unnecessary chrome accessories! Or maybe I'll just get a new, bigger, badder bike!!

First weekend of riding this year!

2006-04-07T12:01:00.000-04:00

I got the bike out of storage on Thursday and spent the afternoon fixing the sissy-bar. A bolt had broken off and it took me about 2 hours to get the broken part out of the fender. On Saturday, I went for a ride on my favorite local route, Buffalo ridge rd and E. Miami river rd. It was quite cold, in spite of wearing full riding gear including thermals. Still, I enjoyed being back on the bike. I took it easy on the corners and just took my time enjoying a medium-paced ride. Sunday, Angie and I met up with a couple of HD riders, John and his brother Greg, for a group ride. John is the owner of a beautiful 2003 anniversary edition silver Road King. We started out in Newport, KY and rode for a bit on KY route 10 before heading back. We ran into a spot of rain while riding back toward Alexandria, KY so we stopped for lunch at Longhorn Steakhouse. After lunch, we rode for an hour on KY route 8 along the river before heading back home. It was my first time riding in a group and I did feel that my bike lacked the horsepower and torque that those big HDs have, especially while cruising on the highway at 75mph with a passenger. But I thoroughly enjoyed the ride and the company, hopefully I'll be riding with them again.

SEASON II is here!!!

2006-03-30T21:44:00.000-05:00

Bike's finally out of storage!!! Watch this space for new pictures and posts.

2006-03-13T19:49:00.000-05:00

On a recent trip to Nashville, TN, I visited the Lane Motor Museum, which features a unique collection of mostly European automobiles. They also have a small collection of classic and modern bikes.

1952 NSU 501 KONSUL II

1952 BMW R 51/3

Motorcycle Safety Ad

2006-02-13T15:51:00.000-05:00

I found a well made British television ad promoting motorcycle awareness among "cagers" (i.e. drivers of cages on wheels!). Drivers, please make an extra effort to look out for bikers and remember, right of way laws are applicable for all motorists, not just big SUVs and trucks !!

2006-02-06T19:38:00.000-05:00

Dug this one from my fall pictures archive!

Motorcycle Bloggers and Dream Bikes

2005-12-21T10:53:00.000-05:00

There is a surprisingly large number of motorcycle blogs and I have been browsing through several in the past few weeks. I have included links to a few in a new section titled Motorcycle Blogs. My favorite is the first link, called A Long Ride by Dusty Davis. He completed a trip of approximately 10,000 miles around the US in 30 days( check out his route here) and has documented the trip on his website, with pictures and brief write-ups. The pictures are simply amazing.

Most motorcycle fanatics, I'm sure, have a list of dream bikes that they would like to ride at least once, if not own. One bike on my list is the Triumph Rocket III, the largest production cruiser in the market.

Here are the specs:
Engine: 2294 cc ( 140 cu.in.) Inline-3
Power: 103.6kW (142 hp) @ 5750rpm
Torque: 200Nm (147.5 ft.lbs) @2500 rpm
Drive: 5 speed shaft
Dry Weight: 320 kg (705 lbs)

2005-11-21T22:55:00.000-05:00

So this is it. Riding season is over for me. Yesterday, I washed and polished the bike, lubed the chain, added Stabil to the gas and put it away for the winter. My dissertation advisor Scott is letting me park it in his garage. It was a nice day, temperature in the mid 50s. A few bikers were out riding and I wondered if I was putting the bike away too soon. Maybe there would be a couple more weekends before it got really cold. But who was I kidding! I had gone for a 90 mile ride Saturday on KY10 and though I enjoyed the ride, I knew it was getting too cold. I was frozen to the core by the end of the ride, in spite of wearing thermals, 2 long sleeve t-shirts, 2 socks, double gloves and leather jacket.

Looking back, I had a great 7 & 1/2 months and approximately 4500 miles of riding. I think I started off as an average motorcyclist and have become much more proficient, thanks to the MSF course, the Proficient Motorcycling books and....well the 4500 miles of riding! I enjoyed each and every ride, but my favorite one is the Indiana Fall colors trip with Angie. Everything was perfect....the roads that we rode on, the weather, the scenery, the stay at the farm, the food.....it couldn't have been a better trip.

And looking ahead, I can't wait for spring! I plan to get a bigger bike next year, maybe a 1100cc Honda Spirit or Sabre or even the 1300cc VTX, but I'll probably hold on to my VLX until summer. I also plan to do some long distance bike trips out west with Ashok(check out his bike). Meanwhile, I will continue to post pictures, routes for future rides, reviews of motorcycling magazines and books etc.

2005-11-13T19:37:00.000-05:00

I recently read an article in Road and Track magazine by the famous automotive journalist Peter Egan. Subscribers to the magazine will be familiar with his regular and extremely popular feature, Side Glances. In the latest issue, he makes some observations about the American driver after returning from a 4000-mile motorcyle trip in Canada and the United States. After driving in Canada (or England or Germany or France), he says, driving in the US feels like you have been demoted from adulthood and sent back to first grade, complete with hall monitors, lunch-lines and slow-to-mature classmates who are still struggling with coat zippers and shoelace technology. He attributes bad driving habits (cruising on the left lane of the freeway, for example) to the three deadly traffic sins: obliviousness, sloth and self-righteousness.

While I have not driven in any of the other countries mentioned above, I do agree with Egan that there are a lot of bad drivers here and riding a motorcycle makes one especially aware of them. But an interesting incident when I was out riding last Friday gave me reason to hope that there are some good drivers out there. I was riding in Kentucky, somewhere along route 18, when I came up behind a construction truck slowly making its way up the hill. I was annoyed, because I was on my favorite part of the route and now I would have to putter along behind the truck. I knew there was no passing zone for a while, so I sighed and settled for a steady 20mph behind the truck. Imagine my surprise when, a little later, the driver switched on his turn-indicator, pulled over to the right side of the road, waved me by and then got back on the road. I guess he was constantly checking his mirrors and understood the frustration of drivers stuck behind slow moving vehicles.

We were lucky to have some glorious weather on Friday and Saturday in these parts, considering that its almost mid-November. Every weekend, I convince myself to wait another week, hoping for one more warm, sunny day to head out to the countryside and carve up some corners, but I think it may finally be time to put my bike away until spring. Riding season, however, has just begun for my good friend Ashok, who lives in Dallas. Yesterday, he bought a 2002 Honda Shadow Spirit (750cc) with barely a 1000 miles on it and got a great deal on it too. I'd be lying if I said I am not a bit envious, not just because he got bigger bike with fewer miles for cheaper, with a lot of accessories thrown in, but also because he gets to ride all year round. We plan to do some iron-butt rides out west next summer.

Recent rides in Kentucky

2005-11-09T18:24:00.000-05:00

I have been quite irregular in posting updates as of late but that has nothing to do with lack of opportunities to ride. On the contrary, I have been riding more than usual in the past few days, clocking about 100 miles per ride. Last Thursday was uncharacteristically warm for November, a clear day with bright fall colors all around, which prompted me take off from work early to go riding. I discovered that the KY 338 -KY18-KY20 loop offers some very challenging twisties for motorcyclists. On Saturday, I convinced my friend Wei, who rides a Kawasaki Ninja, to join me on the same route. Being a reletively new rider, Wei was extra careful and didn't try to keep up with me. I rode pretty hard that day, testing my cornering skills by pushing the bike to its limits. Somewhere on route 18, a couple of guys on big H-Ds appeared in my rear view mirror. I speeded up a bit and tried to set the pace, cornering much more aggressively than I usually do, but they kept up with me effortlessly. I soon realized that not only were they on more powerful bikes, they were more experienced and skilled as well. I moved over to the right side of my lane on a straight stretch to let them by. As they blasted past me, I wondered if they were thinking "you have a lot to learn, grasshopper" !

Some excellent bike routes in Kentucky

October 30 ride

2005-10-30T14:53:00.000-05:00

Somewhere on KY Route 20

Buffalo Ridge Rd.

Fall Colors ride October 15-16

2005-10-23T14:36:00.000-04:00

Brown Country State Park

At the farm

Clifty Falls State Park

Somewhere on route 62 toward Madison, IN

Rising Sun, Indiana

Random pictures

Teaser Video Preview of Weekend Rides !!

2005-10-16T23:10:00.000-04:00

Riding in cold weather

2005-10-09T21:47:00.000-04:00

A dull, grey weekend, overcast skies, temperature in the 50s...perfect for testing my cold weather riding gear in preparation for the Fall Colors trip next weekend! On Saturday, I attached the inner lining to my leather jacket and went for a ride on E. Miami River Rd. I immediately realized that my jeans offered very little protection from the cold, and the thin socks I was wearing didn't help much either. The jacket fared better, keeping out most of the wind. I also had 2 layers on underneath the jacket, which probably helped. However, my full-finger gloves are too short to cover the jacket sleeve and I could feel a cold draft sneaking up my arms. At 55mph on a motorcycle, 50°F feels like 40°F after factoring in wind-chill, so I was definitely under-equipped. After about 2 hours of riding, I decided to head back home, take a hot shower and go shopping for some thermals.

At Wal-Mart, I found heavy-duty men's thermals in Sporting Goods, with all the hunting and camping equipment. I also bought a pair of heavy woolen socks. I wanted to get thin neoprene or silk glove liners but couldn't find any there. Sunday was more of the same weather but I felt much better equipped, with the woolen socks, a layer of thermals underneath my usual riding clothes and an extra t-shirt. I went for a short ride on KY route 8 along the river and it wasn't bad at all. No, I wasn't warm and toasty (for that I'd have to get a heated vest and grips!) but I wasn't uncomfortably cold either. I'm hoping to find glove liners this week to take care of the problem with air going up the jacket sleeve.

I think I'm all set for the trip next weekend. I installed the sissy-bar and luggage rack on the bike (pictures soon!) and the motorcycle luggage looks good, though I haven't tried strapping it onto the bike yet. Hopefully the leaves will turn this week. And I'm prepared for some cold weather riding but I won't be complaining if the temperature gets back up in the 60s or 70s!

Fall Colors Trip Route

2005-10-02T20:14:00.000-04:00

The big Fall trip to Indiana is scheduled for the weekend of October 14-16. The planned route is shown on the map.

I also decided to invest in a sissy-bar/backrest, a luggage rack and some motorcycle luggage. Just ordered everything online today. Total cost: $310. Not a bad deal, I think.

MSF's Experienced Rider Course

2005-09-28T18:05:00.000-04:00

I completed the Motorcycle Safety Foundation's Experienced Rider Course last Sunday. I'd been looking forward to doing this course and wasn't disappointed ! It is a 5 hour course for people who already have some riding experience and want to sharpen their skills. When I showed up at the location around 8:30, some of the riders had already arrived and were chatting with the instructors. Most of the people registered for this course were older riders who were returning to riding after a 10 to 15 year break. There were a few Harleys, a Goldwing, couple of sports bikes, a BMW touring bike and a couple of Hondas like mine.

After introductions and some basic safety instructions, we started up the bikes to practice. The instructor would first explain the maneuver, while the other instructor demonstrated it. Then we would follow suit, repeating each exercise several times. The exercises included weaving through cones, making tight U-turns, emergency braking, quick stops in a curve, swerving and cornering techniques. Apart from being a lot of fun, the course helped a lot in revealing to me where I needed to improve. The swerving excercise was especially useful. I was getting better after each attempt, swerving at higher speeds each time until the instructor had to ask me to slow down! The instructors were great and the maneuvers that we practiced were well designed. The one thing I would have liked the course to cover is good cornering lines for different types of curves but thats probably a whole course by itself. I definitely recommend the course for people with some riding experience.

September 17th ride

2005-09-17T19:04:00.000-04:00

Ah yes...Fall is in the air. For the first time I was glad I was wearing my heavy leather jacket for something other than protection from road rash! It will soon be time to start using the inner lining of the jacket and full-finger gloves. I rode alone today and didn't carry a camera, so no pictures - just another boring write-up! Today was all about enjoying the ride, carving the corners and practicing some emergency maneuvers. I headed out on Wesselman Ave and onto E. Miami River road via Buffalo Ridge road. I'm quite fond of riding in this area - nice twisty roads bordered by lush green foliage and I don't have to take the freeway to get there.

On straight stretches of E. Miami River road, after making sure there was no traffic in either direction, I practiced making panic stops from about 60mph. I did it about 4 times and although I didn't measure the stopping distances, I felt each attempt was better than the earlier one. Near Ross, OH, I pulled into the Proctor and Gamble parking lot and practiced swerving at around 30-40mph. Next Sunday I will be attending the Motorcycle Safety Foundation's course for experienced riders where I hope to further hone my skills.

From Ross, OH I continued on route 126 for several miles. The morning haze had lifted and the sun was now shining brightly. I tried to take it all in - the black tarmac whizzing by underneath, the green farms on either side, the blue sky, the cool breeze - "euphoric" would best describe how I was feeling.

I am planning several trips to Indiana in October to see the Fall colors, particularly to CliftyFalls state park near Madison, IN and Brown County state park near Nashville, IN. Do check back to read about those trips. And yes, there will be plenty of pictures!

Check this video out...it'll crack you up !!!

2005-09-16T11:23:00.000-04:00

Remember when you were a kid and used to pretend you were riding a motorcycle, making those vroom vroom sounds while running around the house ?

September 10th ride

2005-09-11T17:26:00.000-04:00

I'd been doing some research online and had read about some good roads not too far from Cincinnati, in the north-east counties. So, on Saturday morning, Angie and I set out on US 50 east all the way to Hillsboro. US 50 is quite unexciting to ride on, with too much traffic, long straight stretches and a dull landscape, although we occasionally passed some pretty bean fields in full bloom with yellow flowers.

After a stop in Hillsboro at a DQ for some ice-cream, we headed south on SR73 toward Locust Grove in Adams county. The ride on SR73 was much more enjoyable. The main attraction in Locust Grove is something called the Serpent Mound, an ancient Indian effigy mound representing a snake.

By the time we finished walking around and taking pictures at the Serpent Mound, it was time for lunch. We looked for a restaurant in Locust Grove and didn't find any. We were riding on SR41 and soon ended up in Peebles, where we found the Village Inn restaurant. I never fail to be amazed by how inexpensive these restaurants in small towns can be. I got a Sirloin steak, mashed potatoes and gravy, corn, cornbread, butterscotch pudding and coffee, all for under $5 !!

After lunch, we took SR32 toward Cincinnati. It immediately became evident to us that SR32, a 4 lane highway was not going to be very exciting either. So when I saw a sign for SR62 south toward Ripley, I decided to take it. And it was certainly a much better ride than Sr32. Ripley is a quaint little town on the banks of the Ohio river, about 50 miles from Cincinnati. We rode around town looking for a place to have a drink and happened upon Snappers Saloon, a bar frequented by bikers. We hung around in the outdoor beer garden for some time, appreciating the weather and taking in the the view of the river. I thought the signs on the restroom doors was interesting- Peckers and Snappers !!

The last leg of the trip was on US52 along the river, back to Cincinnati. Total trip distance was approximately 200 miles.

September 10th ride

September 3rd ride

2005-09-03T23:10:00.000-04:00

The plan was to ride to Brookville, IN with my co-rider Angie. When I went to pick her up, I saw her neighbor Dave pull into his garage on his Harley. We went over so say hi, and ended up chatting bikes and routes for several minutes. Dave has two Harley Davidson bikes, one of them a brand new 2005 Road King. His bikes are in immaculate condition-not a spot of dust anywhere. He's been riding for several years and knows all the nice roads around the tristate area. He recommended that we head west into Indiana via US. 50 and follow SR56 along the Ohio river and even lent us a map.

September 03 ride

It was was excellent day to be out riding, with the temperature in the upper 70s. Following Dave's suggestion, we rode to Cleves,OH and got on US50 into Indiana. At Aurora, IN, we turned onto SR56 west. There was a little bit of traffic all the way to Rising Sun, where we stopped to take some pictures by the river.

Biker chick Angie

At Rising Sun, IN

Angie by the Ohio River

Riverboad Casino at Rising Sun, IN

A few miles past Rising Sun, we took SR156 toward Patriot and Warsaw. Traffic was light, though we saw several bikers. Apart from being very scenic, with the river on the left and farms on the right, the road is also ideal for opening the throttle on a some of the straight stretches. We stopped in Vevay for lunch at Al's Diner.

Angie's folks have a farm up by Versailles, IN. Since SR129 was closed for construction, we took the detour via SR56 east to SR260 west to SR129 north. We showed up at the farm around 4pm. Angie's parents Jerry and Phyllis are among the nicest and friendliest people I've ever met. The rest of the pictures were taken around their farm.

Books for the serious motorcyclist

2005-09-02T21:40:00.000-04:00

I'm back! For my first post back from vacation, I decided to review some books that might be of interest to the motorcyclist who is looking to take his/her riding skills to the next level. A couple of months ago, while riding on one of my routes I'd stopped to take some pictures and stretch my legs, when another biker went by on his BMW motorcycle. The twisty country road had a speed limit of 55mph, but the recommended speed for the sharp right turn up ahead was 25mph. I saw the guy make the smoothest turn I had ever seen at a speed that would have definitely taken me onto the oncoming lane had I been the one riding the bike. He placed the bike near the centerline, braked gently till the turn-in point, leaned the bike into the turn and accelerated through the apex of the curve in one fluid motion that left me asking myself why I wasn't cornering nearly as fast or smoothly on my bike. That was before I fully understood countersteering, the 'delayed apex line' for cornering and the importance of rolling on the throttle in a curve to conserve traction. Later that day, I went online, looked up a few popular motorcycling books on Amazon.com and put in a request for them at the university library. I received the books a few days later and read them over the past month.

Two of the books, A Twist of the Wrist I & II are geared toward people with who intend to race bikes. I glossed over them but found them to be very technical, without much information for the street rider. However, I have come to consider Proficient Motorcycling and More Proficient Motorcycling by David L. Hough a must read for both current and aspiring motorcyclists.

David L. Hough is a rider with more that a million miles of motorcycle experience, so he obviously knows a thing or two about riding. I recommend reading the books in sequence, beginning with the first book, Proficient Motorcycling: The Ultimate Guide to Riding Well. The chapters begin with an example of an accident or an incident involving a fictitious rider (with names like Panicky Pete, Motorhead Mike and Knee-dragger Nellie!) and then he proceeds to analyze the mistakes the rider made. Hough talks about motorcycle dynamics, making panic stops, conserving traction during cornering, urban traffic survival, effective steering and group riding practices, all peppered with interesting anecdotes and examples drawn from his personal experience or that of his friends.

In More Proficient Motorcycling: Mastering the Ride, he focuses on the mental aspect of motorcycling, with practical steps that could increase the riders focus and reduce reaction time. He explains countersteering and cornering in more detail, discusses road hazards to motorcyclists and explains how to deal with them. Both books have plenty of photographs and diagrams. The writing style keeps the reader engrossed, with a dash of dry wit making some of the more serious content very readable. Bottom-line: If you are serious about your motorcycling, consider buying or at least borrowing these two books. They are priceless and could quite possibly save your life when you are confronted with an emergency while riding. One other book by David L. Hough worth checking out is Street Strategies: A Survival Guide for Motorcyclists. This is more like a quick reference book, with material condensed from the Proficient Motorcycling series. While none of these books can replace the hands-on training provided at a motorcycle safety course, they go a long way in increasing the rider's understanding of motorcycle dynamics, thus making it easier to practice the right technique while riding or choose the right course of action in an emergency.

Do check back soon for my next post. Happy reading and happy riding!!

ON VACATION!

2005-08-15T11:19:00.000-04:00

Please check back in September for new posts.

August 7th Ride

2005-08-07T23:16:00.000-04:00

I'll begin by apologizing to my faithful readers, who have come to expect photographs of my weekend rides in the picturesque countryside. I neglected to take a camera with me this time and mentally kicked myself all day because I lost the opportunity to take pictures of an animal I didn't know was still around.

The incessant rain on Saturday kept me from riding, so I was very happy to wake up Sunday morning and find that there was no rain in the forecast. I was taking a co-rider who was riding with me for the first time, so I decided to "initiate" her with the Big Bone Lick /Rabbit Hash Run. Its not too far from Cincinnati, with plenty of curvy roads and is scenic enough. She enjoyed the ride very much. The highlight of the excursion, however, was not the ride itself but my first sighting of the great North American Bison at Big Bone Lick state park.

The North American bison is the largest land animal in North America. Bison once roamed freely on the plains, prairies and river valleys in western Canada and the United States, but were hunted to near extinction in the late 19th century. In 1800, it was estimated there were forty million bison, by 1883 there were no wild bison in the United States. By 1900, there were less than six hundred left in North America. The majority of the forty million animals were killed in a fifty-five year period, beginning in 1830. With the passing of the bison protection law in 1894, game preserves were established that have ensured the survival of the bison. Today, only about 150,000 bison remain, confined to a few scattered reserves.

Up close, the male bison is an impressive beast, the larger ones up to six feet tall hoof-to-shoulder, weighing about 2000 pounds and sporting a shaggy beard. At the park we saw one such bull, several smaller females and some calves. Although the bull looked slow and clumsy as he labored his way to the water trough for a drink, bison are known to be quick on their feet (hooves!) when pursued. Do check back in a few weeks for original pictures of the American bison. Meanwhile, here is a picture I found using Google Images.

North American Bison

July 31st ride- KY10/22 with pictures

2005-07-31T13:39:00.000-04:00

There was a nip in the air as I set out at approximately 8:00am toward Kentucky. My plan was to ride on KY10 for about 20 miles, take some pictures and turn around before it got too hot. Instead, I ended up riding the entire July 3rd route.

(Click on the thumbnails for a high resolution version of the pictures)

This first picture is very similar to pictures in previous posts, a meandering road under a canopy of green leaves. The temperature was several degrees cooler when passing through this spot.

A few minutes later, I stopped again clicked these pictures. The scenery all along KY10 is pretty much like this- gentle hills, valleys and farms.

I had stopped here to take a picture of the "twisties" sign board when I spotted a barn in the distance. I was hoping to see some horses there.

At the barn, I didn't find horses, but I saw a very disinterested cow and a grumpy old bull. When I pulled over to take a picture, he quickly stood up, expressed his displeasure with a loud snort, and turned away. And the cow, she didn't even glance my way once. (I've expressed this very sentiment several times in my life, usually when I'm in a bar! )

A couple of miles down the road I spotted more cows grazing and took some more pictures. By then the sun was high up in the sky and the pictures came out highly overexposed. I've tried to fix them with some post processing but this is as good as I can get them to look.

As I continued riding on KY10, I had an interesting adventure: an encounter with a dog! I had taken a narrow by-road hoping to find some horses when I passed a trailer-home. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a very annoyed dog running full tilt toward me, barking at the top of his lungs. I was quite far away from him, so I didn't worry about it. A couple of hundred yards down, the road dead ended and I realized I'd have to turn around and go back the same way. And this time the dog would be waiting for me! I desperately searched my mind for the protocol to be followed when on a motorcycle and approached by a rabid dog: "Downshift, approach the animal slowly. As it nears the motorcycle, open the throttle and accelerate away. This will startle it and throw its timing off." And it worked! As I sped away, I glanced at the rear view mirror and though I saw a bewildered expression on his face. "......and stay away..." he barked.

As I neared Falmouth, KY I saw three horses trotting about in a farm. I stopped to take some pictures. When they saw me, the horses came over to the fence to investigate. I guess they were hoping for a handful of sugar or some carrots. As I was getting my camera out, I kept talking to them, so that they wouldn't lose interest and gallop away.

I didn't stop again for pictures and just focused on enjoying the rest of the ride on KY22. Overall, I'm quite pleased with the pictures, although all of them were severely overexposed. I need to get an SLR.

Old routes, revisited with a friend.

2005-07-26T10:41:00.000-04:00

This past weekend, I took a passenger with me on my rides. A good friend from high-school was in town and she had indicated to me that the primary reason for her visit was not to see me but to go riding with me. I was more than happy to share the thrill of motorcycling, so we set off to do the Big Bone Lick/ Rabbit Hash run on Sunday morning. I will reserve my comments on her thoughts about the ride because I have asked her to write an article for this blog about her experience. Suffice it to say that she was so enthralled and excited by the whole experience, she now wants to learn to ride motorcycles and get her own bike.

On Monday morning we explored some of the roads near Cleves and Ross, OH and also rode all the way to Brookville, IN. One dilemma we both faced while riding was whether or not to interrupt the zen-like state of mind one is in when riding on a stretch of road in the countryside, to stop and take pictures. We ended up not stopping too often. I realize that some of the pictures I've posted will make anyone who knows anything about photography cringe, but I intend to improve the quality of pictures I take. I am even getting some help from another friend, an excellent photographer in my opinion. (Check out his photoblog)

Click on the thumbnails below for a high resolution picture.

Somewhere near Big Bone Lick State park, KY

Interesting name, isn't it?

A farm in Indiana

Biker Chick!

Yours truly!

Gort or Darth Vader?

2005-07-23T01:52:00.000-04:00

A colleague of mine thinks that instead of going with the rather trite comparison to Darth Vader( see previous post) I should opt for a more romanticized image, like Gort the robot from a 1951 sci-fi classic, The Day the Earth Stood Still. You decide!

The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951)

Rain rain go away.... !!!

2005-07-15T18:04:00.000-04:00

I was hoping to go riding with a good friend of mine this weekend on some of the routes I'd already explored. Being a new rider, he is understandably reluctant to ride on the freeways. And he rides a Kawasaki Ninja 250, so I guess he's not very comfortable doing 3-4 hour rides in a slouched position on his sports bike, as opposed to the upright riding posture of a cruiser. But I had persuaded him to check out last Saturday's route and ride with me this weekend. Too bad its going to be a rainy one. Oh well...there's always next weekend ! Anyway, check out this picture of me in my riding gear. Looks like Darth Vader reincarnated as a biker eh?

Darth Biker?!

July 9th ride pictures

2005-07-09T12:46:00.000-04:00

Buffalo Ridge Rd1

Buffalo Ridge Rd 2

Buffalo Ridge Rd 3

Ferry to Kentucky (from S.R. 50)

Click on the thumbnails for high-resolution versions of the pictures.

Upcoming Saturday morning ride

2005-07-07T20:23:00.000-04:00

This Saturday, I will be unable to go on a long, all-day ride. That is because I will be heading to Kettering, OH to see Mark Knopfler (of Dire Straits fame) in concert, something I have been looking forward to for quite some time. I do plan to squeeze in a 2 to 3 hour ride in the morning. A friend recommended some roads near Cleves, OH so I pulled up the satellite map on Google's amazing new (and free!) software Google Earth and plotted a course. I also plan to take a digital camera and click some pictures along the route, so remember to check back in a couple of days!

Saturday morning ride.

July 3rd ride- KY 10/22

2005-07-03T14:32:00.000-04:00

I had been looking forward to this ride for weeks, and I certainly wasn't disappointed. When I headed out around 9:30am, it was still relatively cool outside at about 65°. I took I-471S out of Cincinnati and I-275W to the AA highway (Route 9 southbound). I stopped to top off my tank before turning right onto route 915, which meets route 10 near Alexandria.

Route 10 is a single lane road with so many twists and turns that it demands a rider's full attention at all times. The road snakes up and down the rolling Kentucky hills, through farms and woods. Speaking of snakes, I spotted one somewhere along route 10. He was curled up on the tarmac, catching some rays, completely unaware of how close he came to becoming snake pudding. I saw several horses, cows and even a couple of vultures feeding on a carcass by the road. Traffic is almost non-existant, except for a few bikers or the occasional pick-up truck. The speed limit is 45-55mph but it pays to follow the posted yellow signs on recommended speeds at the curves. Thanks to the wide ratio gearbox on my Shadow VLX 600, I could stay in 3rd for all but the sharpest of turns and I dragged the pegs on more than one occasion.

At Willow, I turned right onto route 22 and headed west toward Falmouth. I stopped there to grab a bite and continued on 22 to Williamstown. Route 22 is exactly like route 10, with slopes, twist and turns and almost no traffic. At Williamstown I took I-75 to Cincinnati, a 36 mile ride back.The next time I ride this route, I intend to stop more frequently and take a few pictures to post here.

July 2nd ride

2005-07-02T17:05:00.000-04:00

My long weekend began with some basic motorcycle maintainance. I cleaned the bike and lubed the chain for the many miles of riding I had planned. The weather was perfect, the temperature hovering around 80°. I took I-74 to Indiana and took US 52 toward Brookville, the same road I'd taken last week. But this time, instead of continuing on 101 from Brookville, I decided to turn right onto route 252. I was immediately rewarded with a series of zig-zag curves. Route 252 has long straight stretches along cornfields and curvy parts through wooded areas where you would need to slow down if you are not familiar with the road. The speed limit is 55mph but there is always the chance of encountering a slow tractor trailer right around a bend. Route 252 splits into 129 and 126. Choose 126. It is a brand new road, smooth black tarmac, not a single pothole. A biker's dream. Again, this road is very curvy in some parts and the straight parts have undulations, so one moment you're cruising along at 55 and the next you are airborne ! At Ross, OH instead of making a left to continue on 126, I stayed straight on Cincinnati-Brookville road for about a mile and turned right onto East. Miami River Rd. This is a low speed road (35mph) but a lot of fun nonetheless. I made a left on Harrison to take I-74 back into town.

I'm excited about the route I plan to ride on tomorrow, KY routes 10 and 22.

Covered Bridge Scenic Byway

2005-07-01T00:34:00.000-04:00

I hope to do at least one long, overnight road trip on my bike this summer. A good choice, I think, would be the Covered Bridge Scenic Byway, starting at Marietta, OH ( about 200 miles from Cincinnati). Getting to Marietta would in itself, be quite enjoyable, riding on Route 52 along the Ohio River for about 160 miles to Burlington OH and then following Route 7 all the way to Marietta.
The Covered Bridge Scenic Byway begins in Marietta. Take Highway 7 eastbound and after about a mile, turn left onto Route 26 northbound. The scenic byway goes on for about 45 miles on Route 26 along the Little Muskingum River and will take you through open pastures, forested hills and of course, several covered bridges. Some pictures of the sights on this scenic route, obtained from www.byways.org :

Knowlton Covered Bridge (OH)
©2004. Gregory S. Hamilton.

Hills Covered Bridge (OH)
©2004. Gregory S. Hamilton.

Hune Covered Bridge (OH)
©2004. Gregory S. Hamilton

Motorcycle accident on I-75

2005-06-30T09:48:00.000-04:00

I was reminded of the risks of riding a motorcycle yesterday, when I heard about an accident close to home, on the local news. The motorcyclist was riding on I-75, (between Mitchell Avenue and the Norwood Lateral) when he hit a piece of tire on the road, was thrown off the bike and run over by a semi. He was taken to University Hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries. No information is available on whether he was wearing a helmet.

Route for Sunday, July 3

2005-06-29T17:42:00.000-04:00

Taking 471S out of Cincinnati, take 275 W to AA Highway (KY 9).
From KY9, take a left onto KY 915.
After about 10 miles, take a left onto KY10 heading East/South.
Take KY 10 all the way to Willow, and turn Right onto KY22 heading West.
At Falmouth, take 27 North for about 3 miles and turn left back onto 22 West.
At Williamstown, take I-75N back to Cincinnati (or double back!).

Satellite Map

Three sweet cruisers!!

2005-06-27T23:27:00.000-04:00

Honda Valkyrie Rune

Harley Davidson V-Rod

Kawasaki Vulcan 2000

Sunday, June 26- Rabbit Hash/ Big Bone Lick

2005-06-27T17:42:00.000-04:00

I was eager to get back on the bike and ride some more on Sunday. In response to my post in a FreeRiders (a tristate area bikers club) forum, someone had recommended a route called Rabbit Hash Rd. in Kentucky, a few miles south of Florence. I had planned the route on Friday using Google Maps. After checking the air pressure in my tires, I headed south on I-75. At the Mt. Zion Rd. exit (#178), I turned right and proceeded west on KY536. 536 becomes Hathaway Rd and then Rabbit Hash rd. This is one of the best roads I have ridden on yet. It has everything a motorcyclist could ask for...curves, both gentle and sharp, straights, slopes. In some parts, the road was lined with trees spreading their branches over the road, giving the illusion of riding through a green tunnel. I had to force myself to focus on the road.

I turned left on route 338 toward Big Bone Lick state park. Just past the park is a straight stretch of road. There was no traffic, so I gunned the throttle and pushed the bike to about 90mph. A motorcyclist coming from the other side had the same intention, and flew past me at well over a 100mph on his crotch rocket. We didn't bother to wave at each other. Its kind of important to have your hands on the handlebar at those speeds. At the intersection of 338 and Highway 42/127, I turned left, heading north back to 536 to complete the loop and took I-75N back home.

But I wasn't done for the day! After I returned home, I decided to ride for a few miles on US 50 east. I usually ride on US 52 along the river till about New Richmond and turn back. To my pleasant surprise, US 50 gets nice and twisty a little past Milford. I rode till Owensville and doubled back.


Big Bone Lick Loop

Saturday, June 25

2005-06-27T17:04:00.000-04:00

I woke up around 9:00am, a little later than I had intended. It was already quite warm and I was going to go riding in my new leather biker jacket. Fortunately, the jacket has four vents and a removable inner lining, so it wasn't too bad. According to the plan, I headed west on I-74 from Cincinnati into Indiana, where I took the US52 exit. Riding on the interstate, though challenging and fast, can quickly get boring. All that changed as soon as I started out on US52, a nice curvy single lane road with smooth tarmac, lots of trees bordering it and a speed limit of 55mph. I was so elated that I couldn't resist letting out the occasional 'woohooo' after carving up a tight curve! I passed several bikers going the other way.

I stopped at Brookeville, IN to refuel and proceeded north east on SR101 toward Oxford. I had intended to stop at the Mounds State Recreation Area but was having too much fun riding. I had a little scare on SR101 when two cars ahead, someone slammed their brakes to turn left and the car in front of me came to a dead stop. I squeezed the front brake while almost standing on the rear brake pedal. I actually heard a loud wail coming out of the front brake disk and the rear tire started to fishtail. The only thought going through my mind was ....uh oh ! Luckily, I had maintained enough distance from the car in front and disaster was averted! I was quite impressed with my emergency braking skills. But I still intend to take the Motorcycle Safety Foundation's course in safety for experienced riders.
Continuing toward Oxford, OH, I turned onto Bath Road off of SR101. Bath road is a narrow road with no dividing line or shoulder and passes thorough several large farms and small towns. I took SR73 out of Oxford and turned right on SR177 toward Hamilton. After I crossed Hamilton, the state routes had become slower and more congested, so I decided to take I-75 back to Cincinnati.

Saturday, June 25th Bike Route

300 miles this weekend!

2005-06-27T16:52:00.000-04:00

After I got my bike in April, I had been reluctant to ride on the freeways untill I got comfortable with the handling of the bike and the speed of traffic. Last week I finally worked up the nerve to ride a few miles on I-71. A few more short rides on the freeway and I was riding like a pro!

Now that a whole new world of previously inaccessable routes had opened up, I spent friday planning all the riding I was going to do over the weekend. I recommend "Motorcycle Rides in America" as a starting point to locate good routes in your area. Google Maps is the best mapping tool online to plan your routes. Details of my weekend rides will be provided in upcoming posts!

My 2001 Honda Shadow VLX 600