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

[budman]

Ride #20, 152 miles.

I hit the road again after I filled up the tank and headed north to London, TX.  I lived in the UK for a while and compared to London England, which I've been to many times, there's not much here.  Just a few old buildings and houses, and a few old rusty trucks.

Sounds like Sean's, aka The Lone Builder, last Belfast, but no sign post at this one.

https://belfast2belfastbybike.com/2024/06/09/rip-off-in-maryland-23-30-may-2024/

I just read the story.  Literally nothing there.  London, TX is a town.  They have a VFD, one gas pump and a small grocery store, but that’s about it.

I couldn’t find a Belfast, TX but we do have a Dublin, TX.  It has the oldest Dr. Pepper bottling plant.  They only used pure cane sugar and never high fructose corn syrup.  They got smoked out by the corporation for keeping it real and they don’t make DP any more.  They have their own brand of soda now.

[willbird]

Ride #20, 152 miles.

I hit the road again after I filled up the tank and headed north to London, TX.  I lived in the UK for a while and compared to London England, which I've been to many times, there's not much here.  Just a few old buildings and houses, and a few old rusty trucks.

Sounds like Sean's, aka The Lone Builder, last Belfast, but no sign post at this one.

https://belfast2belfastbybike.com/2024/06/09/rip-off-in-maryland-23-30-may-2024/

I just read the story.  Literally nothing there.  London, TX is a town.  They have a VFD, one gas pump and a small grocery store, but that’s about it.

I couldn’t find a Belfast, TX but we do have a Dublin, TX.  It has the oldest Dr. Pepper bottling plant.  They only used pure cane sugar and never high fructose corn syrup.  They got smoked out by the corporation for keeping it real and they don’t make DP any more.  They have their own brand of soda now.

I think I read that DP has their product made by both Coke and Pepsi ??

Bill

[willbird]

New Bike day :-). 83 miles, #31



2023 New in stock CB500X.

Bill

[jgger]

Sweet, Bill! How does she ride?

[willbird]

Sweet, Bill! How does she ride?

Pretty good :-). Tons of reviews say “hey there is a bike that costs $3k more that I’d rather ride” Lol. Bottom line is the CB500X has 47hp and is 70lbs lighter than the CB750K2 :-). 60+ mpg. The K2 is never going anywhere but this gives me a turn key push button ride too :-).

[RAFster122s]

Congrats on your new bike Bill! Hope you were able to get a good price on it. They are some of the best value bikes out there...
The cb650 I really like but my VStrom will have to do...

[Kevin D]

Very nice Bill, I even like the green and black.
Tires that will corner!
Double discs on the front.
A windshield, is it adjustable?

[willbird]

Very nice Bill, I even like the green and black.
Tires that will corner!
Double discs on the front.
A windshield, is it adjustable?

It can be moved up or down a total of 25mm, I moved it up right after I got home. Holding my hand out in front of me to feel out the "dead zone" it creates tells me it does a fairly decent job for as small as it is. Not like hiding behind a windjammer for sure tho LOL. Yea the green is fairly neutral, I truly do not care for the Kawa green and that was kind of a turn off about some of their offerings, I get that it is traditional and all of that. There are a lot of aftermarket bolt on windshield offerings....one justification from the wife side, her suggestion actually was to buy it and get out of the nickle and dime, more like $5,$50,$100 aspect of messing with the K2 in the era of slim to none OEM parts avail.

[Kevin D]

Ride #11    76 miles

 Yesterday’s ride, abbreviated/detoured mid-ride to visit family and grandkids. I passed through a very busy shopping area with double circles and also a construction zone where they are installing snaky/confusing ramps that everyone will have to study before they get it right. I have a bad memory of the busy shopping area double traffic circle: I was in the circle and a gal entered from the right and she drove dead in front of me. I can’t say I was prepared for her action, but I was able to halt the CB from t-boning her and also not get rear ended, but no time for horn or middle finger.
 Back in Northville at the project they have removed the last horse barn. The project is 480 housing units on 48 acres and there is no solid plan for moving the kit log cabin, just an offer from the builder to pay half the cost of the move. It’s not a 200 year old cabin, it’s a 1930’s kit build with factory cut logs, no longer produced. Once the residents figure that out, they’re not likely to shell out for the log cabin.
 It was much cooler yesterday even cooler today, but after my family visit I returned home ahead of the afternoon rush.

EDIT: I have corrected some of the facts on the project and the log home. Here is a link to the project:
https://northvilledowns.info/

[PeWe]

#16   112 km
A plug check ride.
Verified last shock dampening setting too, a little bit softer.

Road to Färna Pizzeria and kebab on good roads for even speed. 100kmh and 140-150kmh.
Plug 1, 4 not rich.
Need more fuel after 150kmh. Bigger mains next.

Bought a kebab with bread I brought home in my mini backpack that I had folded into a small bag under the seat when not used.

Train spotting with flowers.

[BallAquatics]

#28 65 miles, 104 kilometers.

Thought I'd fix a cherry pie to go with dinner tonight so I rode out to Mom's for some cherry picking.  We've had just the right amount of warm weather and rain this year.  The cherries and the black raspberries are looking great!

Took the long way home through a little village called Clifton.  Hadn't been down that way in some time.  Did the last 15 miles or so on the 4 lane.  Hadn't been on the highway in some time either  LOL

[willbird]

Bought a kebab with bread I brought home in my mini backpack that I had folded into a small bag under the seat when not used.

I think I need to look into something like that for my new bike, my wife already asked me "how will you buy K cups without a fairing to stash them in".

Bill

[Kevin D]

Ride #12      92 miles

It was 47f this morning, I wasn’t going out early. I made a noon departure and it was in the 60’s. I topped off the tank and went directly to I96 then M14 westbound 70 mph to Gottfredson, making up some time for the late start. Tuesday is Coney day, there’s a little break on the price. So I got my lunch and got on down the road. Blue skies excellent riding conditions this afternoon. I made a u-turn at Chelsea, there’s a road closure on NTerritorial, the central artery for motorcycling out this way. I went to Mast road, Strawberry Lk, Hamburg rd, Whitmore Lk and Seven Mile: my loop in reverse.
 I took the tree carving photos yesterday, the carving is coming down the homestretch. I’m no art critic, but I think it’s a tall order to turn a cylinder of wood into a horse. What do you think?

[RAFster122s]

Strange carving...at least they have some talent. Starts off around 70-72 and by peak heat today and tomorrow it is 108-109f here feeling like 115f in the sun. Withering hot weather and it heats up fast.it starts gettingight around 4:30 and sunup is around 5:20 this time of year and sundown is around 7:20, all a function of no time change being observed. And most motorcycle gear is black... Makes for dangerous riding conditions in the heat eve wearing a cooling vest.
The water pipes even if main ones are buried 6 or 7 feet underground the ones running from the street are 2 feet deep and your cold water tap is at least 75 f or warmer. You don't have to add much hot water to it from the hot water tank.
If you take a ride often by the time you lock the gate and put the bike away and bring in your gear and anythi g you picked up you are so overheated and exhausted from the heat you either strop down and take a warm shower to cool off or collapse in front of an AC unit to get your core body temp down. You start hydrating again and drink your Fe
I'll and won't be worrying about needing a restroom bathroom as you water levels are depleted and you run the risk of a bad headache or migraine from the dehydration and heat.

The curse of living in the desert. You ride way early or way late and you hide from the sun during the worst of it.
When it was 108f this afternoon, AccuWeather said it felt like 115.
Guess what that does to your tires if you store it in a metal shed...temps go to 130-140 easy...
If you leave the bike out the desert rats, packets abd ground squirrels will sometimes snack on your wiring insulation...

[PeWe]

#17  89km  18 to 16*C, warmer in the sun !

Wednesday bike club meet in a nearby village.
Before that a ride as usual.
This time to verify bigger mains on my K2 748cc (+0.50mm) with 064A carbs.
Welcome acceleration!

I had tested that before with very dark plugs. Might have been together with the rich needle setting last year that I sorted then.

Now no catching up when reducing throttle  in 160-170kmh and WOT.

The weather looked very bad with thunderstorm clouds around.
I had to ride so I took the chance. Only a few drops and some parts of wet roads where the rain had just passed.

Not many riders this Wednesday. Too many that did not take the chance of the good weather.
I forgot the burger photo. A single 150grams burger with cheese and all extra I could add  on by myself

A few more bikes arrived after my early photo.

The number of documented rides is better this year!

[ofreen]

I'll call this #6.  My plan for the day was to go to the DMV for some title work, then go home to begin prepping the house for painting.  But I made the strategic error of taking the 750F.  Once done at  the DMV, somehow riding seemed like a better idea than scraping loose paint.  So I burned most of a tank of gas and no work got done.  I usually take photos of mountains or other photogenic features, but this ride I was out in the wide open spaces.  It's a big country.

[jgger]

Well there ya go ,Greg, that's usually the kind of "meal" I have on a ride. Red vines are good too.

[newday777]

Ride #9, 6/12/24, for a 200 mile day.
Started off at 9:40 am, 68° F, back home at 8:30pm, 78° F, after a full day of riding and conversations of bikes. Weather was broken clouds, scattered showers though we only got wet while at the Weirs walking around and it poured for about 15 minutes while we hung out talking to others under a huge Maple tree in the park on Lake Winnie https://www.lakesregion.org/our-lakes/lake-winnipesaukee/   We didn't bring rain gear and really didn't even need it riding.
My buddy Pete arrived at my shop and we headed off to the Weirs at 9:40 am, so he could get this year's Laconia Classic pin. He was on his (orange) K4 and I on my K5 (Blue). We didn't take the direct route(of 66 miles) but took the far more scenic indirect roads which was 120 miles to get there from my place through the mountainous central NH roads which were in fairly good condition overall. We probably passed by 20-30 lakes and ponds and 4 rivers, with lots of twisties. We even did a backtrack on the highway at one point for 11 miles just to get some extra twisties in the mountains. I-89 has some nice riding being for a 4 lane highway with some good views.
Coming back from Laconia,we each split off to go back to our places after gassing up in Concord, he wanted to get back to his bride and I headed to the Wednesday night bike night in Milford via Rt 13.
Bike Night had a few less bikes as there were folks still up north and some scattered showers around during the afternoon (fair weather riders!). But there were close to 100 that showed up.
@ 7:30 some of us went for Ice Cream! I got there a few minutes late(I had to put away the cones from the parking lot)so there's an arrow of me coming in with the Hooker Header barking getting to the farmstead. It was a great day of right at 200 miles.
On the way home from the ice cream stop, Wookie's new to him CL360 died at a stop sign. All Electrics died. Loose battery cables and dirty connectors, got it fired up and had him stop by my place to tighten up the battery bolts, clean the multi pin connector, put in a new 15A fuse and replaced his gas cap rubber(he had asked earlier where to get one, which I had a couple of). It's a good little bike but he may sell it soon as he wants to get my latest K6 750 when I get it running and cleaned up. I guess I need some more shop time(been off working carpentry jobs)

[newday777]

Here's a video of last night's bike night a friend posted.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/northeastmotosociety/permalink/2683147341851760/?app=fbl

[Kevin D]

Greg, I put your photo into Google and it told me that the rusty machine in the background is a thresher.
(AI at work) Then Wikipedia told me that a thresher “separates the wheat from the chaff”
(David Crosby-Almost Cut My Hair) and was replaced by the combine, a combination harvester and thresher. On my rides through farmlands, I often see old farm equipment displayed in front of the house: plows, planters, manure spreaders, rakes, some flowers around, all celebrating agriculture. I’m a suburban boy, not a city boy or a farm boy. Is that thresher still used, or is it yard art?

[ofreen]

On my rides through farmlands, I often see old farm equipment displayed in front of the house: plows, planters, manure spreaders, rakes, some flowers around, all celebrating agriculture. I’m a suburban boy, not a city boy or a farm boy. Is that thresher still used, or is it yard art?

It is just an interesting artifact parked alongside a field these days.  There are a lot of them, and other old ag machines scattered around Idaho, it being primarily an agricultural state in the past. Idaho is growing fast, but it is still easy to get away from the big city (for the time being).  Some people are trying to preserve some of this stuff (as in the photo below), but most of it is rotting and rusting away and sinking into the ground.

[Alan F.]

Ride #1, 52.6 miles for me today, I'm getting another late start like last year. I went out to scrub in the new Shinko 244s on my RE Interceptor 650. Just back roads with no destination after getting a State Inspection Sticker.
Temps were in the mid 80's and not too cloudy for a change in southern New Hampshire, perfect for scrubbing in these tires, they produce a hum and vibrate quite a bit, but they were just beginning to settle down as I was getting close to home.

[newday777]

Congrats on getting started Alan.

[Alan F.]

Thank you Stu, we'll have to get out riding sometime.

[newday777]

Thank you Stu, we'll have to get out riding sometime.

👍