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

[PeWe]

Extra beautiful photos, Stu! The objects and colors.

This fall is extra beautiful this year, right?
I like all colors with green still alive.

I have seen years when turned to yellow/orange really quick all fell off shortly thereafter.

[newday777]

Thanks Per
It is actually a bit less vibrant this year than some years, and yes some of the Maples have turned brown and fallen off early(I have one in my yard) but there are spots of good colors. It was a grand day to get out for a ride as yesterday it rained thus dropping off a lot of leaves.

[willbird]

#73, 10-5-2024, 178 miles, rode up near Jackson, MI, headed East for a bit, North to Ohio about Delta, zipped up to Swanton to buy some donuts at an apple orchard and then on home.

#74, 10-6-2024, 152 miles, rode up to Cabelas in Dundee to grab a game camera and then headed back home, used "avoid highways" to navigate..cost me 10 minutes more ride time than screaming along at 80mph on the turnpike and I75/23N.

[Kevin D]

Ride #30   78 miles

The sun was shining so much I had to go out. It was mid sixties when I departed home about 1230 so I closed all my jacket vents. I just meant to survey for color but there is not too much.
At the Northville construction project there has been some earthmoving, but access to my vantage has been blocked, I’ll have to find another. So it’s on down Seven Mile and there’s a couple of Sandhill cranes that are hanging out nearby. They must be fed, it’s time to be moving south. I’m going west, the horse farms are ahead and the horses are out enjoying the sun, no riders yet. At Whitmore Lake the boats are coming out of the water, they get shrink wrapped and stored until next spring. At the marina, maybe 1/3 boat population remaining. On towards basic lunch up Old23 the 42 tire gravel hauler waits for me to pass before turning out and I give back a wave.
 Approaching M36 there’s a construction zone with a 4way stop, orange vested machine operators on break. I stop and wait my turn and roll out 15? feet and WTF? the black Grand Cherokee hasn’t seen me plain as day at 2pm in the sunshine WTF !?!?! Now I’m stopped 15 feet out and I lay on the horn she’s coming straight at me. I looked at her face made eye contact but she didn’t brake kept coming bumper is getting bigger bigger closer and she veers behind me to complete her left turn.
 The last time something like this happened it was a woman in a red Cherokee.
It hasn’t spoiled my day.
There’s a $7 special for an Arby’s Classic Double Roast Beef so that was lunch.
The ride back was nice as is the photo of the shining Honda at the gas pump.
 

[RAFster122s]

Bike looks great Kevin, glad it was a safe ride

[lash]

Kevin, beautiful bike! Just because they look at you doesn’t mean they see you!

[Kevin D]

Thanks for your concern guys.
Lash here is your updated collage.
And updated group collage.

[lash]

Looks good! Many thanks!

[jgger]

Kevin, glad it was only about stare down and nothing more serious.  You gotta figure every one of them is trying their best to kill you and collect bonus points. Stay alert AND safe my friend!

[RAFster122s]

Had a car and suv decide they needed in front of me last week coming up to a traffic light behind the car ahead of me waiting at the light. I wasn't rushing up to the light and they were in a hurry apparently. The thing that irritated me about it was the SUV decided to crowd the line when he had a generous lane width avail5. I interpreted that movement right in last 10 ft that he wanted to make it difficult to lane filter if I chose to do so. Bike was reading 109 so I definitely lane filtered at 5 mph past to front of the three vehicles waiting in my lane.

These people who don't like Lane filtering need to be forced to wait on traffic lights in the AZ heat and see if they then understand why we do it  it doesn't slow them down as we are away and gone ahead of traffic after the light changes, a semi-dangerous place to be on some roadways...(Due to vehicles being more likely to turn in front of you across your path...)


Just got back from ride into town and waited until 8pm and temps had cooled to 85f. Was 105f today at my house. Forecast finally to drop below Triple digit high temps Sunday. Looking forward to lower temps so I can ride without sweating so much or requiring stops every 20 minutes to dump a quart to 1/2 gallon on riding vest and into helmet to make the ride tolerable. Phoenix has broken high temp and high low temp records for the mornings nearly every day for past two weeks. Tucson area has been in lockstep with them. My place is 20 miles from Downtown Tucson to the NW so it is warmer than Tucson.
Stay safe and keep the shiny side up and you and your gear off the pavement or ground...
David

[Terry in Australia]

Well done Kevin, I think that car drivers are only ever looking for other cars and trucks and don’t pay much attention to bike riders. Two more motorcyclists have been killed so far this year in my state than for the whole of last year, and while some of them were doing stupid sh1t and we also have a lot of awful riders doing food delivery (probably without a motorcycle license) a lot of the collisions happen due to stupid car drivers not checking their mirrors or not even noticing motorcycles until they’ve hit them.

It doesn’t always go well for the driver, back in the 90’s I met a guy who went through the driver’s door on his Kawasaki GPz1100 when the lady failed to give way to him at a T intersection. She was killed outright and he was very badly injured (both physically and psychologically) and it took him a long time to summon the courage to get back on a bike again.

[spotty]

back in the 80's i met a guy in hospital who had been out on the highway behaving himself when the trailer being towed by the car in front let go  of its hitch and stood straight up on its rear end, the driver hadn't attached the chains to the hitch. he rode straight into it at over 60mph.
the rider survived , obviously, but was a badly damaged unit

[Kevin D]

As much as I like my Joe Rocket jacket, it’s black with red trim, not red with black trim.
My helmet is dark red. Even my CB is a darker color.
I was surrounded by bright yellow construction equipment.
Workers in safety orange.
Flagmen to close the road as needed.
One young gal in a black Jeep Cherokee in a BFH.
She didn’t signal her left turn.
She blew through the flashing red.
Probably she just got off the e-way.

I might have talked to the road workers, to hear what they saw.
The girl didn’t want to talk, she sped away. At least she responded to the horn, and the half second face to face.
I had left my “safe” route to visit family, across town.

Frost warning tonight.
Full colors soon!

[RAFster122s]

Saw a couple photos of a small car with a crotch rocket buried inside the car striking the door and planting itself fully in the car. The second one had the motorcycle penetrating from behind and bike buried inside car with over half the rear wheel inside the car.
The bikes both clearly were traveling well over 100mph and probably 130-150 mph to do that.
Stupidity exists in both car and bike riders.
The arrogance and disregard for others is reaching an insane level and with that entitlement road rage steps with it in lockstep.
It is amazing and shocking the number of roadrage incidents that people are getting killed in Tucson, either shot or knifed or beaten to death.

Saw someone ask on FB MC group about whether it was legal to open carry in AZ as someone had recently road raged them and cut them off nearly causing an accident. Almost unanimously the response was, while you can open carry your attitude it totally wrong and  die that reason just don't do it  A gun is the last resort and having it openly carried is likely to not have a de-escalating affect, in some cases it will increase the escalation and in those.armed attackers road raging you might precipitating them to shoot you.


It is an ugly evil world, do you part to make it a kind place and show respect for others, even when they don't deserve it.

Stay safe and don't let others rob you of your enjoyment riding. Park the bike and cool off if you need to, anger clouds your judgement and impairs your judgement. Riding requires good judgement and focus...

Peace,

David

[budman]

Ride #49, 76 miles.

A couple of days while zooming in and out on Google maps I discovered another river park in Llano and two river crossings I didn't know about.  I caught up on some work and it was a nice day so I took off.  One of the crossings was nice and new.  The other one was rough and pretty sketchy, with a couple of wet slime spots.  I was going to stop and take some photos while on it, but a truck appeared coming from the other direction, waiting for me to cross.

The park was cool.  I like it better than the other park I've been going to.  I think I'll be checking this new one out more often.

[Kevin D]

Hi Bud, those are not wet tire crossings, yes? I have seen submarine bridges in WV and on a backroads trip in Smoky Mountain NP. I didn’t try either on the CB.

I put a stage 1 kit in your picture collection to reflect your efforts.
Hope you like it.
I think Shutterfly might be the place to print it inexpensively.

[budman]

Thank you, Kevin!

Yeah, the second crossing was wet.  Fortunately it wasn’t too bad.  I put my feet down and duck walked it through the slime zones.

[Kevin D]

Ride #30    78 miles

Here is the best color in Washtenaw county. It’s not in the leaves, it’s in the harvest.
At departure 64f at 1130am
At return a warm 79f at 330pm
A nice day for a ride, not a single Grand Cherokee in sight.

[lash]

Yesterday quick ride to meet an old friend in Fergus and buy some parts to put up a flag. 94 km. For #108
Today went to Anna Mae’s in Millbank for fresh pumpkin pie, and happened to catch an interesting milestone on my Goldwing. 113 km. For #109

[budman]

Ride #50, 136 miles.

Went on a memorial ride today.  I was invited by my barber a few weeks back.  Both he and his business partner and fellow barber are members of an MC, and the ride is an annual event to commemorate one of their deceased members.  I think there were about 40 bikes.  I was one of the few non-Harley riders.  We headed out of Bankersmith, TX, which is a ghost town turned restaurant/bar/event center.  We took a familiar route passed the Old Bat Tunnel to a biker themed restaurant/bar called Hilbillyz.  This place had burned down a few months after I moved to the Hill Country and has been rebuilt.  I think it re-opened about six months ago.  It was a pretty cool place.  Definitely a consideration for a future stop and meal, though I didn't order anything today.  They had a bunch of old rusty cars out front and a vintage Indian Chief that was burned to a crisp in the fire.  It was inside the former building on display.  The cases were completely melted.  With the girder front end, it appears to be from around 1945-49.

The group was mainly your typical biker type, but they were cool.  Met a non-club member with the group on a Triumph Thunderbird.  He's also a Hill Country transplant from Houston.  We've both been here for 3 years.  We exchanged info and perhaps will meet up for some rides in the future.  There was a new Triumph Rocket parked out front (sorry Terry, I didn't get a photo).  I saw a guy with a Triumph shirt who wasn't with the group and asked him how he liked it.  Turns out he wasn't the owner.  He was on the Royal Enfield 350.  He was a new rider and it's his first bike.  He said it would only do about 70 mph.  The Shovel Head Chopper belongs to the owner of the local bike shop in Fredericksburg.  He mounted my new back tire a few weeks ago.  The chopper was neat but looks like a danger ride.

After about an hour at Hillbillyz they decided to move on to Blanco, TX.  They stopped at another bar there called the Old Ironhorse Saloon.  I wonder how many Ironhorse Saloons there are in the US?  I bet more than a dozen.  This place was kind of a dive/dump.  The drinks were flowing and finished with a toast for ride's namesake.  I stuck to the water I had in my saddlebag.  Getting out of there was a bit of a nightmare.  One guy was having trouble with his bike and we waited in the sun all geared up and ready to go for about 15 minutes.  He got it started and then on the way out another guy's bike died, and it caused a big mix up trying to get out the parking lot.  About half the group split off and went ahead to Johnston City.  The group was going to a biker rally in Johnston City called the Pig Roast.  It was $30 to get in.  I didn't feel like paying that much to hang out watching folks get drunk for a couple of hours.  Me and the guy on the Thunderbird peeled off from the group and headed back towards Fredericksburg.  Made a gas stop in Stonewall.  I went my way and the Thunderbird rider went his.

All in all it was fun.  Not my usual type of thing though.

Next weekend there is a bike show in Fredericksburg and they're also having flat track races at the fairgrounds.  I might go check out the races.

[lash]

Temp of 14c and clear skies, wonderful day. rode 239 km. with no planned route for #110
Rain tomorrow and single digit temps all next week so maybe no rides til the weekend.

[ofreen]

#14 and #15.  I always do some fall time camping with the motorcycles and I realized I hadn't tented with the 750 since the Delores River gathering 7 years ago.  So left on a over-nighter Friday evening up SH21 to Lowman and beyond. 

I got started a little late so the sun was setting as I found a spot to set up camp above Lowman.




This stump made a convenient camp table.  That is not a bag of vomit, but rather spaghetti and meat sauce from an MRE.



Woke up the next morning to 38 degrees, so no frost.  The area between Idaho City and Lowman has been hit with fires many times.  When I first rode on this road over 30 years ago, it was all trees except for a few spots.  Now there are more burned trees than not.  All part of natures plan, burn, then start again.  It would be all burned off if it wasn't for people meddling with things.  There are still active fires going, so it was hazy.  A big smoke plume can be seen in the distance in the first photo.



An area recovering from an old fire.


I took some dirt side roads to see if there was some color to be found.  Fall colors around here lean to yellow side of the spectrum.


I rode up to Sourdough Lodge for breakfast.  It tuned out I was a few minutes late for breakfast because I dawdled too much stopping for photos, so I settled for a cheeseburger and fries.  Got some OJ though.



Feeling too full after the meal, I rode back to Lowman and turned onto the Banks-Lowman highway.  This road is quite the road, both for its scenery and for being very twisty on the eastern half.  Very fun but rockfalls make things interesting in the blind curves.  The pavement is pocked with dents from boulders.  Plenty of burn scars along here, too.




This modest building is the old Danskin Station restaurant that specialized in fancy food.  The restaurant that nationally known through word of mouth at one time.  The chef was a gal that was somewhat famous, and the restaurant was frequented by hollywood types and assorted rich people.  Eric Clapton ate there.  Long closed now.



Big change in the weather coming by mid-week, but I'll try to get another camping trip done, probably in the desert next.

[andy750]

Beautiful photos Greg and love the history as well. I looked up Sourdough Lodge on Google maps to orient myself and Google maps has a bunch of fires marked in that area!

Looking forward the next ride report!
cheers
Andy

[Kevin D]

  so the sun was setting as I found a spot to set up camp above Lowman.
   

Greg, when you say you found a spot, is it like… you just pick a nice spot? pull over? set up camp?!?

[ofreen]

Beautiful photos Greg and love the history as well. I looked up Sourdough Lodge on Google maps to orient myself and Google maps has a bunch of fires marked in that area!
Looking forward the next ride report!
cheers
Andy

Thanks Andy.  The owner of the old restaurant happened to come along while I was stopping for the photo.  Jim ran the restaurant with his wife, and she did the cooking.  It all came to an end sadly due to marital discord.  Too bad, it was a unique place.  Googling Danskin Station will bring up some old reviews of the food available.  Pretty fancy, not something you would expect to find out in the sticks.

  so the sun was setting as I found a spot to set up camp above Lowman.
   

Greg, when you say you found a spot, is it like… you just pick a nice spot? pull over? set up camp?!?

Kevin, there are several forest service campgrounds along highway 21, but there  are also many dirt roads that branch off.  It is usually easy to find good camping spots if you don't need vault toilets and running water.  However, many of them were occupied with trailers and RVs Friday night, probably by hunters.  It was busy up there, usually you hardly see anybody.  I forgot that there would likely be a lot of people up there.  But even so, I found a good spot and it was quiet.