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

[BenelliSEI]

Terry, good to see you riding not wrenching, and on a gorgeous red K0. I’m sure Frank would approve, don’t you think so?
There’s 10 riders in the barn with 24 rides or more, some a LOT more, Ofreen is getting close, Kelly too.
My own season is winding down, I hope to get a few bonus rides.
Your season should be taking off, you have a chance to double up.
I’m sending fair skies, open roads, smooth asphalt.

Kevin….. Weather predictions for Wednesday-Friday here are outstanding! We might get a few good days in yet….. Keep it near the garage door for a few more weeks!

[ofreen]

#17.  Ran a tank of gas through the 750F yesterday.  The weatherman said it might be the last day with temps in the 60s for the season.  Might even see snow down to the valley floor later in the week.

[lash]

+11c and clear skies for ride #119 at 163km. Rode the backroads to no where special. You can tell summers over when they put the patio furniture away..

[willbird]

#79, 10-26-2024, 163 miles. Headed west, then North up 69 until I got tired of 80mph LOL then East until I hit 127, then South into Ohio and back home

#80, 10-27-2024, 127 miles. Headed East on the Turnpike and got off near Toledo Express airport, made my way over to Waterville, OH, the  down the south side of the Maumee river until I hit 109, then North to Delta, OH and from there on home.

Getting gear sorted out for cooler weather. Had the dealer install heated grips and the OEM type hand guards.

Bill

[Kevin D]

Terry, good to see you riding not wrenching, and on a gorgeous red K0. I’m sure Frank would approve, don’t you think so?
There’s 10 riders in the barn with 24 rides or more, some a LOT more, Ofreen is getting close, Kelly too.
My own season is winding down, I hope to get a few bonus rides.
Your season should be taking off, you have a chance to double up.
I’m sending fair skies, open roads, smooth asphalt.

Kevin….. Weather predictions for Wednesday-Friday here are outstanding! We might get a few good days in yet….. Keep it near the garage door for a few more weeks!

John, it was nice enough here this afternoon, the mercury went above 60f 15c with sunshine, but I wore myself out this morning on leaf cleanup. It’s supposed to be warmer tomorrow and Wednesday but with showers. The K1 is still in the ready position.
 I have kept a log sheet of my rides each of the 5 years we have been doing this and I’ve had 7 rides after this date in those 5 years, all in November. I’ve topped 30 rides this year, that’s a first for me, but way behind Lash, Willbird, Bud….. I’m happy to be able to do 24.

[BenelliSEI]

Kevin…. +70 degrees F. here,  been out all day and still going! Crazy windy, but gorgeous. Pics later! J.

[Kevin D]

Ride #33  120 miles   77F

Record temps yesterday and today.
I left the leaves be, they’re getting deep in the backyard, more than the mower will handle. We will have to get the rakes/tarp for next cleanup. And yes the wind is blowing a fresh breeze so it carries many leaves away but it also blows just as many inbound. So there is work, and more work, at home.
I chose to ride today.
 The road was covered with leaves, they were flying around from the wind, I dodged a few and then gave up. There were so many coming down. I suppose if they were wet, they would be slippery, but I didn’t have a problem today. We are in a drought. The cornfields have all been cleared. I’m not a farmer, but I think the moisture content of the corn is the determining factor when it’s harvested and being in a drought it’s harvested. I came out of the woods to open fields bare to the ground and the wind was gusting, and the Honda was blown back-and-forth across the road. It’s good that I had the whole lane to myself and actually I had the whole road to myself today, very light traffic. The best color (maples) is past although I found a nice red tree in town to photograph. The oaks are coppering up nicely.
 I stopped at the restored Chelsea train station for a photo. My locator showed the EB Wolverine would be along very soon, but there is a time delay built in and I missed the train by a couple minutes. The Amtrak travels very fast and is pretty quiet too. It’s there and then it’s gone. The red tree was just around the corner from the station photo on Railroad Street.
 In the background behind the station, you can see the silo with the Jiffy sign. Chelsea Michigan is the home of Jiffy bread mixes, and the cornbread is pretty good! The Holmes family has run the mill for a long time, many generations. I just learned today that Howdy Holmes former Indy car racer is the CEO and chairman of Chelsea Milling and Jiffy.
Storm front expected here tomorrow about noon, wind gusts to 30-40 mph after.


Jiffy mixes:
https://www.jiffymix.com/products/

Howdy Holmes wiki:
 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Howdy_Holmes

[Alan F.]

Ride #9, 96 miles. The other day I received a recall notice from Royal Enfield about corrosion prone brake caliper pistons & managed to get an appointment this morning to have both replaced. After I left the dealer I crossed the border into Maine and rode some wet, leaf covered back roads, stopped under a bridge for some photos and headed west into New Hampshire on random backroads and several dirt roads just following the compass west until I reached a familiar north/south route where I turned south, stopped for a few burritos, gassed up and continued south back home.

[BenelliSEI]

Kevin…. +70 degrees F. here,  been out all day and still going! Crazy windy, but gorgeous. Pics later! J.

#32 what a day! About 200 km.

[lash]

Crazy windy over here too! Took the wife out for lunch on the Wing, 125 km. for #120

[budman]

Ride #54, 109 miles.

After a nice ride this past Saturday, Sunday was spent in front of the computer trying to fix some problems I’ve been having with it.  Monday the hard drive bit the dust.  Ordered a new SSD for it on Tuesday and it’s supposed to be here this afternoon.

A new air filter for the Scout arrived on Monday and I installed it on Tuesday, not without struggles.  The threaded inserts in it were jacked up and I had to drill them out some.  Revzilla messed up.  I had to complain to get them to ship it to me.  They finally sent one out, but I guess it was the first that got delayed that arrived on Tuesday afternoon.  They sent me an email saying I could keep the extra one for the hassle, but it will require some drilling just like the other one.  At least I know what to do next time.

So while I’m waiting on the hard drive I went for a ride this morning.  Rode up to Ink’s Lake and then to the new park in Llano I discovered a couple of weeks ago.  Hung out with some ducks and geese.  The goose on the far left of the photo had a bum leg, but it looked like it could hop around ok.

We got a little rain about 5:30 this morning, but it was hardly anything.  Cloudy and cool morning.  The sun finally came out the last 20 minutes of the ride.

Not looking forward to fixing the computer.

[lash]

Still windy and +20c today! Did 105 mi. for #121 on the gold 750. Would have gone farther but got chased home by the rain.. pretty sure that today will be the last day for a naked bike, going to get cold real quick. Anymore rides this year will have to be on the wing or the Klr.

[Kevin D]

Lash, you have made another milepost, well done.

[BenelliSEI]

Crazy windy over here too! Took the wife out for lunch on the Wing, 125 km. for #120

Even windier today. Squeezed in #33 running a bunch of errands this morning. Looking at the weather reports, this might be it……?

[Alan F.]

#10 for me today. 365 miles.
I rode NH93 north through Franconia Notch then took Rt3 to Colebrook where I turned onto NH26 East through Dixville Notch to Errol, NH where I turned south on NH16 to NH125 South back home.
The weather forecast showed a high of 80F today, I wore a mesh jacket, noticed a few cool spots on the way home once the sun went down. I averaged 55mpg on dual sport tires at 24psi.

[Kevin D]

Crazy windy over here too! Took the wife out for lunch on the Wing, 125 km. for #120

Even windier today. Squeezed in #33 running a bunch of errands this morning. Looking at the weather reports, this might be it……?

The radar is showing some s—w on the north side of this storm, at the Soo. Still 64f outside at 9 pm.
I raked a bunch of leaves this morning, by 6pm you can’t tell that I did.

[newday777]

#10 for me today. 365 miles.
I rode NH93 north through Franconia Notch then took Rt3 to Colebrook where I turned onto NH26 East through Dixville Notch to Errol, NH where I turned south on NH16 to NH125 South back home.
The weather forecast showed a high of 80F today, I wore a mesh jacket, noticed a few cool spots on the way home once the sun went down. I averaged 55mpg on dual sport tires at 24psi.

It was a grand day indeed. Wish I could have got out for a ride but had to do that 4 letter word to get ready for an inspection this afternoon...... 😕
At least we got the inspection passed with flying colors.

[Alan F.]

That's a good day as well Stu, congrats on that.

[BenelliSEI]

Crazy windy over here too! Took the wife out for lunch on the Wing, 125 km. for #120

Even windier today. Squeezed in #33 running a bunch of errands this morning. Looking at the weather reports, this might be it……?

The radar is showing some s—w on the north side of this storm, at the Soo. Still 64f outside at 9 pm.
I raked a bunch of leaves this morning, by 6pm you can’t tell that I did.

S—w?……. S—t! I’m getting ready.

[newday777]

Crazy windy over here too! Took the wife out for lunch on the Wing, 125 km. for #120

Even windier today. Squeezed in #33 running a bunch of errands this morning. Looking at the weather reports, this might be it……?

The radar is showing some s—w on the north side of this storm, at the Soo. Still 64f outside at 9 pm.
I raked a bunch of leaves this morning, by 6pm you can’t tell that I did.

S—w?……. S—t! I’m getting ready.

[PeWe]

Strong winds here too.

[newday777]

#29 today for 55 miles.
Rode the wing down to Fitchburg MA for a Celebration of Life for a friend from our bike nights here in Milford, Doc was 57 years old and had a heart attack with a wrench in his hand working on his Harley. He was a happy guy, always kidding around. His niece said he was the party.
The last picture is a selfie he wanted of us a couple weeks ago, the last time I saw Doc.

It was a hot day here for November 1st, 77°F for a high when I hit the road at 3pm, 63° when a cool northwest stiff breeze at 6:30 when I got back home just as it was getting dark. Tomorrow is forecast high of 54° thanks to the Canadian breeze from John and Lash! Wednesday is supposed to be be back up to 70°F so I should get another ride on the K5 before pickling it.

[grcamna2]

#29 today for 55 miles.
Rode the wing down to Fitchburg MA for a Celebration of Life for a friend from our bike nights here in Milford, Doc was 57 years old and had a heart attack with a wrench in his hand working on his Harley. He was a happy guy, always kidding around. His niece said he was the party.
The last picture is a selfie he wanted of us a couple weeks ago, the last time I saw Doc.

It was a hot day here for November 1st, 77°F for a high when I hit the road at 3pm, 63° when a cool northwest stiff breeze at 6:30 when I got back home just as it was getting dark. Tomorrow is forecast high of 54° thanks to the Canadian breeze from John and Lash! Wednesday is supposed to be be back up to 70°F so I should get another ride on the K5 before pickling it.

Stu,did you and Doc used to ride up around the N.E. a bit ?
I hope you can remember rides you both took and then take those rides on your own in 2025' as good reminder of memories.
Glad it was warm on Nov. 1 

[newday777]

#29 today for 55 miles.
Rode the wing down to Fitchburg MA for a Celebration of Life for a friend from our bike nights here in Milford, Doc was 57 years old and had a heart attack with a wrench in his hand working on his Harley. He was a happy guy, always kidding around. His niece said he was the party.
The last picture is a selfie he wanted of us a couple weeks ago, the last time I saw Doc.

It was a hot day here for November 1st, 77°F for a high when I hit the road at 3pm, 63° when a cool northwest stiff breeze at 6:30 when I got back home just as it was getting dark. Tomorrow is forecast high of 54° thanks to the Canadian breeze from John and Lash! Wednesday is supposed to be be back up to 70°F so I should get another ride on the K5 before pickling it.

Stu,did you and Doc used to ride up around the N.E. a bit ?
I hope you can remember rides you both took and then take those rides on your own in 2025' as good reminder of memories.
Glad it was warm on Nov. 1 

We didn't ride together. I knew him from at the bike nights.

[Terry in Australia]

That's sad about Doc Stu, although he died doing what he liked I guess. I had a heart attack back in 2011, in my garage, collapsed  on the floor and crawled into the house. I was the only one home, so collapsed into my comfy chair. Had massive chest pain, was thinking about calling for an ambulance when I went unconscious. Woke up a couple of hours later and my chest was still sore for another week or so, but didn't go to the ER. My older brother died of a heart attack 5 years later.

Anyway, apart from my back really giving me some grief at the moment, I really had to go for a ride today. After Spotty and I got the KZ750 going for the first time in 10 years yesterday I would have loved to have taken it for a ride today, but it needs a little more maint, some new tyres and some government red tape before I can take it for a decent ride. The weather here today is magnificent, we had a big storm last night and I was waiting for the big tree behind my house to drop some branches on my roof, but we survived, and nothing looked even out of place this morning.

Anyway, I drove over to the storage facility and rolled the K0 out into the sunlight. I took my test light with me because last ride I stalled it after 20 miles and the electric starter was struggling, so I kick started it. The battery is just a cheap lead acid battery that Spotty gave me a while ago, it had 12.2V today when I checked it before starting the bike, and when I fired it up from cold, the voltage increased to around 13.5V so I called the charging system good. I also installed the OEM throttle lock screw and spring, but to no avail, with the metal "shoe" in place inside the throttle assembly the thread on the knurled screw wasn't long enough to jam the throttle tube. Well that was a waste of 100 bucks, I reinstalled my "wing screw" and it worked fine to lock the throttle while the engine warmed up as I put my jacket and helmet on.

Being mindful of my poor old back (I'm going to see my back surgeon tomorrow) I decided against taking my favourite routes (too many potholes) so instead turned north and then East and rode thru Eden Park and snapped a couple of pics.

K0 Sunday 3 November 2024 by Terry Prendergast, on Flickr

I rode on to Whittlesea, and as my back wasn't too bad, and the weather was just fantastic (only needed my 34 year old Brando jacket over my T shirt) so I rode on up the hill to Kinglake, and stopped again outside the pub to take some pics and have a smoke. There were plenty of bikes around, "Greybeards" like me on either Harley's, Indians or a variety of Adventure bikes, and young guys on Sportsbikes, because both roads going to Kinglake have some magnificent bends, it's just a pity that the speed limit is only 50 MPH, and the cops are very active in the area. Didn't bother me at all, the K0 was just burbling along happily at 3K RPM in 5th gear, and it didn't miss a beat.

K0 Sunday 3 November 2024 3 by Terry Prendergast, on Flickr

The Kinglake pub is very "Biker Friendly" as demonstrated by the "interesting" advertising yard art. I hope they didn't pay the sculptor too much......

K0 Sunday 3 November 2024 4 by Terry Prendergast, on Flickr

K0 Sunday 3 November 2024 5 by Terry Prendergast, on Flickr

Anyway, I was sitting on a rock having a smoke and enjoying the warmth when an old guys strolled up and told me how much he liked my bike, he had owned a CB250 and 450, then bought a Kawasaki Z1 new in 1974, but that was his last bike. He and his wife were driving around Australia from Perth, towing a caravan, and due to Australia's biggest horse race (and public holiday here in Melbourne) the closest caravan park with vacancies was in Kinglake, 50 miles from the city. He eventually wandered off, and I jumped on the old red bike, and had a lovely ride home going thru St Andrews, Hurstbridge and Diamond creek, which are all looking more like new suburbs than the little towns they were when I started riding thru the area 47 years ago.

All in all, ride #30 was great, and the K0 just keeps getting better, the front brakes have sorted themselves out, and were working much better today than last weekend, so I'm glad that I forgot to to sort them out before the ride today. I might get another ride in on Tuesday, if I'm not working on the wife's car, or doing yardwork. The roads should be pretty quiet with everyone watching the horse race.

K0 Sunday 3 November 2024 6 by Terry Prendergast, on Flickr