Topic: 21 Rides in 2021... SOHC 4 bikes .

[Kevin D]

754, I’m sorry to hear about your woes but glad that things are turning around for you. It’s no fun to be off the road and ill. Here’s to a better 2022. Or go south and get some winter rides in.

[ekpent]

 Been some really great riding weather for us Kevin. I did a 100 miler recently also but it doesn't count here,too many cams. Did lose power for 24 hours though Tuesday at 5'ish and got it back Wednesday sometime between 3 and 6 when I was riding. Big winds that hit hard on the edge of a front but did not last long but long enough 
   I have had a little rash of some crazy drivers lately also, glad your call wasn't closer !

[Kevin D]

Yes, it has been better riding temps lately. Today the sun was behind the clouds for much of the ride and I was wishing I had the chili for lunch and longer gauntlets on my gloves, haha.
 We have been fortunate to have escaped the wrath of the storms, but family and friends not so much, so our home has been a lifeboat as necessary. It took a wayward squirrel on an insulator to knock our neighborhood power out for a day.
 I have found this thread very useful as a logbook, and even though we are not posting odo photos it’s useful to know where you have been and when, especially when an alibi is needed…. and I recall that you reminded me that it was time for a mid season oil change, thank you very much Eric. This is the SOHC4 site, but it’s nice to see and hear what everybody is enjoying.
 Huron River at North Territorial road bridge:

[ofreen]

I like that photo.

[Kevin D]

I like that photo.

Check back in a month.

[RAFster122s]

That is a pretty photo…surprised to see leaves changing so soon or already…

Here in Southern AZ when I lived in Sierra Vista I recall walking to the mall near where I lived to go see a movie the afternoon of Thanksgiving day and the trees outside the mall near one store were finally in peak color then.
Fall comes late to the desert…

[goodtryer]

#16 - September 12 - 154 miles

Almost cool today, mid- to high-70's, cloudy, nice breeze.

My neighbor is really liking his new tires on his 96 750 (first tire change since he got the bike in 2012) so we ended up going for a longer-than-usual ride today. Out to Bandera via Mico and English Crossing for breakfast before the crowd gets there. Then out to Medina and onto the Three Sisters route out to Vanderpool. Stopped for gas in Utopia at the VP station where a local reminisced with us about old bikes. Then onto the last of the Three to Tarpley, turned south to Hondo, rode past the "Woodmen of the World" cemetery, and then the long shot home: Quihi, Rio Medina & Helotes.

No pics today. We didn't stop except to eat & get gas. 

Cheers!

[Kevin D]

No pics today. We didn't stop except to eat & get gas. 

Cheers!

It’s hard to stop when you’re having fun and anticipating what’s up ahead.
I have been across that Huron River bridge  pictured up the page 500 times and I always steal a glance up the river but have never stopped for a photo, until my most recent ride. I happened to be headed eastbound that day, not the usual direction, and on my second crossing of the day.
 It will be much nicer when the colors are out and the river is glassed out.

[Terry in Australia]

No pics today. We didn't stop except to eat & get gas. 

Yeah, you gotta lay off the beans mate, I have that problem, a lot.......

[RAFster122s]

Cumin cooked in your beans can help reduce the gas...

[Kevin D]

No pics today. We didn't stop except to eat & get gas. 

Yeah, you gotta lay off the beans mate, I have that problem, a lot.......

I read the same words and made a different conclusion, oops. I can’t quite make out the anxious expression on the smiley face.

[RAFster122s]

Terry and I are trying to be funny…

[Kevin D]

You guys are a lot better at having fun than I am.

Ride 14 126 miles

We had our storm last night but today was good so I got down the road to Stockbridge. This Sunday is the
All Clubs Day and the village square will be covered with motorcycles. English, German, Japanese, Italian, American. What did I miss?
The church across the street will be serving breakfast and the firemen usually offer lunch.
Today, just one lonesome Honda and the sentry standing guard.

[goodtryer]

Today, just one lonesome Honda and the sentry standing guard.

Nice pic!

And I’m glad that my little joke didn’t get missed. 

Cheers

[Kevin D]

Ride 15 114 miles

I did make it to Stockbridge All Clubs Meet today just in time to see the tents coming down, the traffic cones being removed, trailers being loaded, oh well. My departure was slowed by my granddaughters, who showed up at lunchtime. They are bundles of energy and I noticed half eaten pizza slices while they were playing on the swing set. So I polled them and they were unanimous that they preferred the swing set over the pizza.
 As I made my departure, they all came to see me off to the bike meet. The 3 yr old liked the horn button the best, the 6 yr old asked about the kick start lever. When I said kickstart she began kicking the side of the engine and I stopped her before she kicked the points cover in. So I showed them how the lever folds out and dutifully kickstarted the CB and I was grateful that it started on the first kick.
 At the meet, I was admiring a Commando with nice paint: a fadeaway checkered flag pattern along the lower side of the tank. The owner approached, a gal from Sylvania, OH. She and her hubby rode their Norton’s up for the day. I didn’t get a photo, rats, her bike was parked tightly in a row of 5 Norton’s.
 So I beat it back home just in time to say goodbye to my grandkids. I was at the meet for 1/2 hr.

[Terry in Australia]

Well done Kev, jeez I hope it snows soon or you're gonna whoop my arse again! I have it on fairly good authority that we'll stay locked down until the 26th of October, so once I'm allowed out again, I'll be riding the wheels off my bikes, I want to do at least 30 rides on CB750's, but I have Triumphs, Harley's, Suzuki's and maybe even Kawasaki's and BMW's to ride before the end of the year.

[Kevin D]

I found this photo of the Norton and there’s the owner alongside with matching colors! Wow!
I’ve never seen such nice paintwork on a Norton, never ridden one either.
It might be fun for a winding road rip, but I have read stories about broken cranks.
Nice motor music.

[Kevin D]

Terry, don’t fret, there’s no whupazz coming your way from here.
I’m just enjoying the season, the weather has moderated and after too long away, I have had 5 outings so far in September with 10 days left, and even managed to bake a cake with my 10 yr old granddaughter.
Our “first snow” date averages 11/16 - 11/30 so maybe I have two months left to ride.
The “first frost” is about a month away and that will hasten the fall colors.
Tropical storm rain coming the next few days, the weatherman said 3 to 4”, so I will be on the sidelines for a few days, and others will be flooded.

[ekpent]

Yes Kevin I noticed on the news this AM they are already putting out flood warnings over your way and were still a day away.

[goodtryer]

#17 - September 26 - 102 miles

Beautiful day - mid 70's, clear skies, no breeze.

Got home early Sunday afternoon from an out-of-town event and couldn't wait to hit the trail. The weather is perfect!

Went out to Medina Lake and just cruised the lake-front route as far as we could. Took a break at the county park/boat-ramp. Water level is very low. The lake is man-made and used as irrigation supply for farms to the south.

The park is at the end of Park Road 37 so we rode to the other end; one of the best twisty roads in this area. It's just not all that long; about a 20-mile run end to end. Turned northwest on Bandera Highway and just rode in a big counter-clockwise loop through the hills until we ended up back at the house.

Bike continues to run like a top. Best I've ever owned.

Cheers!

[BomberMann650]

Haven't ridden with my cb for over 18 months.

Did manage to pull off a pair of saddlesore 1000 mile runs over the summer.  20 hours in the seat of the FJR gave me time to think.

Listening to the fjr drone along with the delkevic exhaust sounded comforting and familiar to the old 550.  Weird to admit I know.  But somehow, cruising along with the fjr in the 4000 rpm range reminded me of floggin the little old honda to get moving on the interstate.  But only for a moment.  The FJR is an entirely different animal.

I am glad i put my first 15k as a motorcyclist on a vintage bike.  The process of reconditioning (and having to rebuild) so much of the cb laid a firm foundation for riding a bigger, more modern bike.

Being on smaller tires, with the most basic of suspensions, and merely average braking does give a rider cause to think about what they're doing, before they do it.  With the fjr, i still do all of that - only faster.  Somehow with all of the enhancements the fj has over the little old cb.  The bike still has a way of informing me that i'm making a mistake.

[Kevin D]

Ride #16 124 miles 50 mpg

We got our rain last week, 6+” over four days, and yes there was flooding, power outages, fallen trees,
and no motorcycling. There was 0% chance of rain today and it will be nice all week. I had one uhoh! moment this morning when entering the first sweeper on Hamburg rd a mile after the traffic circles. It’s marked 35mph and that is the Grandma speed, so I was going a bit faster. It’s a well paved and nicely banked right hander and while the puddled rain water was gone from the curve, what was left behind was not fit for motorcycling. It covered the inside half of the lane, the apex of the curve, and cars had spread the stuff on down the road.
 I’m here to tell I was fortunate on count #1 that there was no opposing traffic so a low side slide across the curve would be the worst case. And I’m also fortunate on count #2 that the muck puddle was only on the inside of the right lane so I was able to adjust my line, slow, and use the left side of my lane without incident, phew.
 All of the rest of the day was pleasant, the ride was terrific, the CB performed flawlessly.
I grabbed this colorful photo of pumpkins and mums at the Dexter mill.
No fall color yet at the North Territorial Huron River bridge.

[Kevin D]

Bomberman, I have ridden an FJR before, and even though it was just a demo ride, the deep, smooth voice was very impressive. Props to you for getting the best out of it.

[BomberMann650]

Bomberman, I have ridden an FJR before, and even though it was just a demo ride, the deep, smooth voice was very impressive. Props to you for getting the best out of it.

Thanks Kevin.

The stock pipes were virtually silent compared to a full system.  How two bikes so entirely different could even sing the same song is something serendipitous - i suppose.

One of these days i'll have to attempt a 1000 mile ride on my cb.  15 hours of listening to that little motor yowl could be stress inducing lol

[70CB750]

Trip #5, Red free of that dumb box.

Overlooking South Fork Shenandoah river/Luray.   140 miles.