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

[Kevin D]

I have mashed a few photos together for the week 7/14 to 7/21.
lash is riding the wheels off his GoldWing.
Terry is doing test runs on his heated gear.
jgger is out and about.
CB 750 R is out on the CB400
newday777 on his 750
Kelly on the Kaw
Bud, breakfast tacos making me hungry
Frank, BIG smile.

What’s this? Just in:
LASH at 72 rides

[Terry in Australia]

Good looking ride x2, Terry! Bike and views.

Really 59F?
That is my wait for spring ride temp, +15C. Sunshine will improve.
If most of October here will enter that level, fine

Well done Terry. On the rain gear, you may be getting up to the age where you need to carry cue cards. I could use a little of that 59° stuff here, that's just slightly over half of our temps. I took a load of yard clean up trash to the dump yesterday and it was 101° f  and very humid. You know it is bad when you look up the weather prediction and the summary says the temp is 101° f and the real feel says " feels like HELL "

Glad that the heated gear is working out for you. The back probably doesn't hurt as much either, does it?

Thanks guys, we had a pretty mild summer so only a few days over 100 deg F here and there. My favourite temperature for riding is in the mid to high 70’s, where I can still ride with jacket, gloves and helmet, stinking hot weather is better for working on bikes and cars in the shade, and drinking lots of cold drinks. On ideal days, riding warm (but not sweating like a pig) is great for my joints and the potholes don’t feel so deep.


You’re right Jim, the vest is fantastic for my back, and the gloves are excellent for my chronic arthritis in my hands. Deep potholes are still my worst enemy on any of my bikes, that sharp snap in the rear end jars the hell out of my spine, but as I try to stay away from smooth but boring freeways, the secondary roads receive a lot less maintenance so more potholes for me to enjoy. Not.

[PeWe]

Humidity another variable making the temperature not nice.
Dry air makes hot weather easier to enjoy.

Same in our winter. Dry air keep the cold on right side of the clothing.

Last days were very humid so 24-27C was suddenly not that nice. Coming thunderstorm feeling.
OK while riding, though.
I rode 2 rides more not documented. 215 km yesterday + 225km the day before. No photos, just riding and refueling.

[RAFster122s]

Well, time to order a battery for the Rocket and maybe a set of over pants for cold days or rainy days...the evaporative cooling even in the cold of down under  it might cut the chill enough to be comfortable. Worst thing about the cold is the slowed reaction times.
Would a thick gel pad you could transfer between bikes help at all with the shock of potholes?

Lash, saw an article where some folks were complaining about Amish buggy stalls being close to entrances at Costco stores and how the butt hurt Karen's had to walk farther than the Amish Buggy passengers and whinging about how hard it was to find parking. The Amish buy at Costco and spend a good amount in their membership...they don't buy as much finished goods or food like that but buy the ingredients to make meals.
The entitled Karens I have no use for...

[lash]

Maybe Karen should get a buggy!

[lash]

Today started out with a trip to the clinic for blood tests. After waiting for almost an hour outside the 10 of us there were told that the lab tech phoned in sick so no tests. Off to another town and finally got it done. Then I rode into Listowel to pick up overbored cylinders and a head for my next 750 engine project.
More running around to have a battery load tested for my contractor/ friends ATV. Bad battery and a starter with a dead spot but I will have it running tomorrow.
All added up to 159 km. for #73.

[jgger]

You are da man, lash. At the rate you are knocking off rides, I wouldn't be surprised if your blood work came back 20w-50w!

[jgger]

# 28 is run and done! 245 miles/ 394kms of fun!

The weather dorks predicted 100°f/38°c and humid, I hate humid, so I made a plan.i had been itching for a longer ride and decided to beat the heat. After checking several places to go, I decided on Julian. A mountian tourist town in San Diego county, around 97 miles/ 156 km away and supposed to be cooler than the triple digit stuff at home. I beckoned Eeyore and after gas and air check hit the road about 10:45 and it was already 91°f/33°c........but that didn't last long! As I was passing through Elsinore on the freewy (only 20 mi/32kms) from home it hit 100° f/38°c and stayes that way, so much for beating the heat! When I crossed the San Diego county line by Warner Springs  Airport, my dash said 103°f/39.3°c and stayed that way for at least 40 miles or so. I had survived the trip through the Temecula wine country without incident, always have to be on the look out for the wine "tasters", but only saw a butt load of travel trailers, lucky me! I stopped by the Warner Springs Airport because there was a shade tree to rest undr and clicked a couple of pics. There is so much dry grass and the fire danger was super high, a bed wetter's dream. Thank God we haven't had very many fires this year.

Anyhoo back on the road to Julian and the temps started to get better. By the time I arrived it was a chilly 90°f/32°c, it was like heaven! I stopped and got a nice cold  peach iced tea, for only $6.00, slurpped down 2 of them and took a couple of pics, then hit the road again. Julian is pretty far inland and I had the wild idea to go to the coast in Oceanside for a new experience. This took me past Lake Henshaw and some neet new to me riding.
All in all I think I passed at least 2 Indian Casinos AND 3 California Missions, I didn't stop at any of them though.

So into Oceanside and north on the superslab past Camp Pendleton Marine base, then into Dana Point. From there I picked up Hwy 74 (Ortega Hwy) and headed for home. So far it was a perfectly awesome ride, then going down into Elsinore from my " happy place" it got ugly. There was a fire in the hills behind where I live that started the day before and there was SO much smoke I could not see the hills across Lake Elsinore from the look out! It was actually burning my eyes as I rode towards home!

So the wife had texted me to go to my daughters house for dinner, pigged out on burgers, then off to home.

Except for the fire it was a GREAT day on the bike.

Pics and stats.

Start.            91°f/33°c
Hottest.        103°f/39,4°c
Julian.           90°f/32°c
Coldest.        74°f/23°c on the coast
Home.           81°f/27°c

Total distance.    245 miles/394kms

[PeWe]

A little bit too hot ride, right?
Hot chicks another thing

[willbird]

Saturday 7-27-2024, 129 miles #47. Took 127 south to Van Wert then headed West, turned North to Butler, IN and then home.


Sunday 7-28-2024, 111 miles #48. headed out to where I grew up to buy some local favorite sweet corn, then made a big rectangle out of the ride and ended up home :-).

[Kevin D]

Here you go willbird. You have earned it.
Print for your garage.

[jgger]

A little bit too hot ride, right?
Hot chicks another thing

I could deal with the heat, it was the smoke from the fire that got me. But you are 100% on the pretty girls in Julian, they were everywhere.

Wilbird, congrats on #48, you're really getting some use out of that new bike.

[willbird]

Here you go willbird. You have earned it.
Print for your garage.

Oh wow I did not know such a thing existed ?? Shows I have not been paying proper attention :-).

[jgger]

Kevin, do we need to have over achiever star stickers at the end of the year? If we did you could send lash about 6 of them right now, he will surely grow into them. Thanks to all who have completed your 24 rides and keep posting, it can inspire others and that's what this is all about.

[lash]

#74 is 277 km. Went to Princess Auto to return the ball mount for my truck that didn’t fit. Good excuse for a ride anyway.
Funny thing is I’m not riding any more than I ever did, I’m just keeping track of it here. Before I retired my rides were longer as I rode to work as much as possible. Now I just get in more, if shorter ones.

[Kevin D]

Here you go willbird. You have earned it.
Print for your garage.

Oh wow I did not know such a thing existed ?? Shows I have not been paying proper attention :-).

Last year we had Bud earning the Triple Crown.
The 48 and 72 badges are bonus awards, for high achievers!

[Kevin D]

Kevin, do we need to have over achiever star stickers at the end of the year? If we did you could send lash about 6 of them right now, he will surely grow into them. Thanks to all who have completed your 24 rides and keep posting, it can inspire others and that's what this is all about.

That’s a good idea Jim, I looked at custom stickers before. I’m trying, but I’m no whizbang on computer designs.
In the future, I’m going to try and put a photo of your bike in with the 24/48/72 highway badge….. we will see how that goes.
We are so fortunate to have Bud here with all the skills, the equipment, and the time to make the dogtag awards.
Terry carries the ball to start the thread finance the awards and keep things in order.
You all do the rides and reports and share photos.

[jgger]

This is a fun endeavor and I think it would make Frank proud. Don't leave yourself out of the back pats Kevin, thanks to all of you.

[BenelliSEI]

#17 to deliver the Sandcast carbs for vapour blasting. Took back roads to Whitby and wandered around for +75 miles. Lovely going out and then got soaked on the way home. A true downpour! Stayed off any highways and thoroughly enjoyed myself. The Varadero is a true Honda. Seamless power and reliability.

[PeWe]

The Varadero must be fun with its torque, just twist the throttle in high gears, less need of shifting down!

[PeWe]

#29  94km
A ride on my brown K2. Saw the chance after work before the rain.
It had clutch squeek I solved.
 "Squeeeeek" when let go of the clutch at take offs and shifting in lower speeds.

This despite clutch fix with extra oiling holes a la Hondaman fix.

I remembered my clutch tests last year ending up in replacing the metal discs. It got most glass beaded discs I had thought to replace anyway. Bigger bore engine has better need.

It got a set of not glass beaded stock discs. Now it runs smooth without any squeeeeek.
I guess the K2 clutch is different with all square cut fibers.

Ride today on my favourite roads to Västerfärnebo and back.
No burger due to the distant thunder I heard when taking the last church photo.

Bad clouds in the background too.

Bike runs fine with nice sound from engine and pipes.

[BenelliSEI]

The Varadero must be fun with its torque, just twist the throttle in high gears, less need of shifting down!

PeWe….. it has lots of torque, but also revs to whatever I want! I got caught in really heavy rain and only my shoulders and knees got a little damp (+120kph).

Your K2 looks GREAT!

[BenelliSEI]

#18 today. Went to a friends shop to bead blast the seat pan and a few other bits for the ‘69. No rain but huge winds! +50 miles (just).

[newday777]

Much better than you started with

[PeWe]

That seat plate is a transformation from junk to new!

It will be part of looking like new or even better as John usually makes to happen.

I think I need to polish my bikes more. The camera is nice to them