Topic: 24 Rides in 2024, Frank's New Years resolution that we can all enjoy.

[willbird]

Friday 7-26-2024 had the K2 out for a 30 mile spin to keep it's juices flowing, does not count towards any totals.

[willbird]

Saturday 7-27-2024, 215 miles #50
Took a ride to a Powersports dealer I had never visited near Lima, OH, picked out North Baltimore, OH as a place to head to next, guy I went to High School with was/is from there, had never rolled through it. Happened across this on the ride.



Worthy of note is the short period of time between conviction and the execution of the miscreant. Friends said that the "reformatory" was used as a set in parts of the movie Shawshank Redemption.



Stopped into another place where interesting things were happening



Right after I stopped a guy was flying a pretty fast jet figter looking RC plane, the engine quit and he landed it dead stick...the crowd thought it was a nice save.


Sunday 7-28-2024, 191 miles #51
Headed to Dundee, MI using apple maps with "avoid highways" checked..


Set Jackson, MI as a waypoint on the way back just to be out and riding a bit further, it was kind of hot really

Bill

[jgger]

Bill, interesting story and nice rides.

Bud those " cows" only look weird because someone took the long horns off of them.

Kelly your multi day trip should count each day as a ride. I'm pretty sure you won't have any trouble making 50 miles a day.

And while all you guys are busy racking up rides and having fun................our heatwave and ridiculous  humidity has started to settle down!  So after a month without any Speedway races, I had to go on Saturday night.

The theme was Ledgends and Heroes Night,  with a bunch of the old timers there. I had the pleasure of meeting Sonny Nutter, Danny Becker, Billy Gray, and Bobby Schwartz,  Bobby is still out there at I think 67 years old!

I suited up and started off at 5:30 and it was a nippy 91°f/33°c, but cooled down to about 85°f/20°c at trackside.  The racing was fantastic, whatever they did for track prep made for some super fast laps in all classes. The sidecars put on a great show, even the the division 2 and 3 looked good. i tried to get pics of the division1 guys, but they were so fast all I got was a blurrrrrrrr as they went past. The Jr division is for I think 16 year old and younger and on 150cc machines that look like shrunk down full size Speedway bikes. The kid that won that event 
 was maybe 14 or 15 years old and had no fear. I did get a pic of him looking like a pro, he will be a contender in a few years.

Halfway through my standard Meatball sammich I remembered to take the food pic, I'll try harder next time. I had a great time and can't wait until next Saturday,  too bad the season is almost over.

Stats and pics

   Start temp.                 91°f/33°c at 5:30 pm
   Trackside temp.        85°f/29°c
   Leaving racetrack.    71°f/22°c
   Home.                         81°f/27°c at 10:45 pm

   Total distance.           67mi/ 108km

[PeWe]

Interesting story telling rides with good  photos, guys!

[lash]

Seems like all I’m doing these days is riding somewhere to buy parts to fix things before we leave for Newfoundland. Today was off to the lighting store to get bulbs for the kitchen. Totally shocked that the one that burned out was under warranty so I had it replaced for free! Anyway, 144 km for ride #77. We leave for Newfoundland one week today!

[Kevin D]

lash, here’s something that you can take on your trip. It won’t take up any space.
It’s an early effort for me, because you’re First In. I hope you like it.
I can put a Stage 1 kit in later on.

[BenelliSEI]

Seems like all I’m doing these days is riding somewhere to buy parts to fix things before we leave for Newfoundland. Today was off to the lighting store to get bulbs for the kitchen. Totally shocked that the one that burned out was under warranty so I had it replaced for free! Anyway, 144 km for ride #77. We leave for Newfoundland one week today!

Hey you! Hope you’re feeling +100% and have a great vacation! J.

[lash]

lash, here’s something that you can take on your trip. It won’t take up any space.
It’s an early effort for me, because you’re First In. I hope you like it.
I can put a Stage 1 kit in later on.

Thanks for that! Hopefully we will have good weather in Newfoundland and I can get some interesting pictures. Planning on riding the north coast from the Baie Verte peninsula to St. John’s. Lots of great scenery!

[lash]

Seems like all I’m doing these days is riding somewhere to buy parts to fix things before we leave for Newfoundland. Today was off to the lighting store to get bulbs for the kitchen. Totally shocked that the one that burned out was under warranty so I had it replaced for free! Anyway, 144 km for ride #77. We leave for Newfoundland one week today!

Hey you! Hope you’re feeling +100% and have a great vacation! J.

Thanks John! Can’t wait to get going!

[RAFster122s]

Safe travels and good weather wishes...although some clouds do tend to have better sunsets

[Kelly E]

Yesterday was the first day of our 5 day trip. We had to take the direct route because the North Cascades Hwy 20 was closed due to wildfire. We rode over Hwy 2 to Wenatchee for 176 miles total.
It rained hard almost all the way over the mountains so I don't have any pictures. There was nothing to see during ride #10.

[jgger]

Prayin' for better weather the rest of the trip for you!

[PeWe]

#31. 99 km ride.
Finally good weather, Wednesday especially. There has been too much rain lately.

Met up with a biker friend at a biker club's place not far away, 15km from home.

Started with a burger 150 grams meat.
 An extension ride afterwards.

[Kelly E]

Yesterday was ride #11 and we rode 170 something miles from Wenatchee to Lewiston. The distance was further than normal because we avoided construction on our two normal routes. The best steakhouse in Lewiston is 2 blocks down the street from the hotel. It's one of the reasons we come here and the view.

[Kelly E]

Today was an easy day, we rode over to Asotin on the Snake River for ride #12. It was only 55 miles total because we hung out at the park in the shade. The water pump on the Concours has started seeping from the weep hole and I got low on coolant. It just hit the red zone on the gauge as I pulled into the hotel. During today we made 3 stops so I could refill the overflow and let the bike cool down and suck the overflow bottle dry.
Kawasaki Concours are battlewagons and it will get me back home. I have a rebuilt water pump ordered. It will be at home when I get back.

[lash]

#78 yesterday was only 65 mi. To Elora and Bellwood lake on the Green 72.
Tonight did my usual after dinner ride around the Conestoga dam for 100 mi.and #79. Perfect riding weather with 26c temp.

[BenelliSEI]

#78 yesterday was only 65 mi. To Elora and Bellwood lake on the Green 72.
Tonight did my usual after dinner ride around the Conestoga dam for 100 mi.and #79. Perfect riding weather with 26c temp.

Nice shot!

[newday777]

Yesterday was ride #11 and we rode 170 something miles from Wenatchee to Lewiston. The distance was further than normal because we avoided construction on our two normal routes. The best steakhouse in Lewiston is 2 blocks down the street from the hotel. It's one of the reasons we come here and the view.

I rode through there in 2013 on my cross country trip on my new to me 2008 Goldwing, NH to San Diego, the long way.

[Terry in Australia]

Today was an easy day, we rode over to Asotin on the Snake River for ride #12. It was only 55 miles total because we hung out at the park in the shade. The water pump on the Concours has started seeping from the weep hole and I got low on coolant. It just hit the red zone on the gauge as I pulled into the hotel. During today we made 3 stops so I could refill the overflow and let the bike cool down and suck the overflow bottle dry.
Kawasaki Concours are battlewagons and it will get me back home. I have a rebuilt water pump ordered. It will be at home when I get back.

Well done Kelly, and good luck with the Kawasaki, is installing a new water pump a big job? I just rebuilt the combined water/oil pump on the silver BMW, the seals were toast and it had been weeping oil for quite awhile, the seals practically fell out and the nut that secures the water impeller broke off when I tried to remove it so I had to order a new shaft and gear (for the oil pump side) Easy job as it just bolts to the front of the engine, and no gaskets, just a smear of sealant.

It overheated one cold morning while idling in the driveway so I first thought it was the thermostat, but it worked when I dropped it in a pan of hot water, so hopefully with the rebuilt pump it’ll work again properly because I want to turbo this one, and that’ll increase the strain on the cooling system, plus I don’t like a thick coating of oily sludge under the engine.

[BenelliSEI]

#20 Today. Rode over to Blackstock to look at a golf cart that’s for sale. My old Yamaha G1 is starting to sound way past it’s best before date and my wife has decided it’s cursed (it works well enough for me but whenever she works it over it has a tantrum). Complete waste of time, despite being 20 years newer than ours, this one was beaten to death. It’s amazing to me that a guy would have the nerve to ask $3000 for something that he can’t even be bothered to wash once a year!

Fortunately my $80 “Alph” mesh jacket (Amazon last week) is fantastic. Lots of air blowing through, fits well and very comfortable. Took a long and winding route home and stopped briefly at the Mosport Go Cart Centre. They have huge programs running there. Must have been +100 trailers and campers set up, kids and go carts everywhere! I don’t carry a phone, sorry no pics.

[Kelly E]

Today on ride #13 we rode 181 miles back to Wenatchee on a little different route. It was 99° for most of day but was 102° when we pulled into Wenatchee. Every time we stopped I filled up the overflow bottle and it behaved all day. And it only went just past the center of the gauge in rush hour traffic getting to the hotel.
 
Tomorrow it's only 35 miles or so until we start up into the mountains and it will be around 75° on the other side. It's about 170 miles to home. I have a rebuilt water pump coming from murphskits.com a Concours specialist. Murph dug around and found a good core to rebuild and it should be at the house by Saturday. The guy helped me immensely when I first got the bike, he loves the fact that I'm out on long distance rides on my 30yo bike.

[jgger]

Good on you Kelly, glad the bike is holding together and you are clicking off some rides.

[RAFster122s]

Glad things are going well enough on your adventure in the group ride Kelly and the bike is behaving with your care. John, sorry the trip to see the golf cart was a waste of effort, the only saving grace was the fact you were on two wheels and weather was good for a ride! Around here few will stop for you, presuming you have a way to call for help...big city issues...

[BenelliSEI]

Good on you Kelly, glad the bike is holding together and you are clicking off some rides.

+1. Have a great time Kelly and enjoy that ride!

[Kelly E]

Thanks guys, the old beast always gets me home. In 17' I rode over 500 miles home with a rounded off #4 exhaust cam lobe. The engine design saved the motor. The cam chain is on the left side and the oil drains from the head down past the ignition pick up magnets. They had captured all of the material ground off the cam lobe. That was 16k miles ago. I installed a set of torque cams and a new rocker on #4 and it performs better than before.