October Solo Ride

I woke up late and decided to go for a ride. The skies were crystal clear blue, the air was crisp.

I ended up riding about 200 miles. Every mile better than the last.

Another Perfect Day

The summer heat is beginning to break. It was almost cool enough to put on a jacket.

About 250 miles today and going for another ride tomorrow.

Mid-Summer Skyline Ride

Hit Skyline again with Ken and had a great ride. I never get tired of ridin' in the mountains. It was hot in the valley but what a great pay off when you get up in the mountains and that cool air kicks in.

The bright spot of ride was stopping by "The Stable" in Culpeper for the best sub sandwich I've had in years. I highly recommend stopping by.

"I'm on Vacation!"

Despite having to work on Friday and the weather sucked a little on Saturday. I finally hit the road today. Hitting the mountains at Waynesboro I rode south on the BRP for about 50 miles and then turned back north. Rode the southern end of Skyline.

3rd Annual Skyline Drive Cookout

It was supposed to rain in the afternoon, but we headed out to the mountains anyway. Every now and then the clouds would show up then the sky would turn blue and the sun stayed out for a perfect day.

R.D. brought Roma Jr. along for his first ride and it was a good day to join in. Gourmet burgers, BBQ chicken & hot dogs hot off the grill, slaw, tater salad & fresh watermelon made it a great lunch. (I must say I'm a great grill cook)

So much delicious food it was tempting to take a nap in the cooler temps. This one topped the list of one of my favorite rides.

Frazier-Mason

It was a scorcher! Topping 100 today in the 'Burg. But still many hundreds of riders showed to honor the memory of our local fallen soldiers.

Rolling Thunder XXI

It couldn't have been a more perfect day to ride up to D.C. for Rolling Thunder XXI. This year riders from the XLF & BHO met up for a great day.

I only took one wrong turn on the way up and everything went great. If you ever get the chance I highly recommend it. The constant rumble of so many bikes is amazing.

Seeing so many veterans really makes you appreciate what they did to protect our country.

Outer Banks Bike Week

Three days of perfect weather on the Outer Banks for my first visit to the area.

Toured the area to check out the Light Houses, Wright Brothers Memorial and Bike Week events.

The ride home kinda sucked with the cooler temps and rain. But the luck held up. The rain never feel hard mostly mist & scattered drops.

D.C. field trip

The weather didn't exactly cooperate but it was good enough for a quick ride to D.C. and a tour of the National Air & Space Museum...

It was cool but comfortable in the morning. But the temps dropped a little and threatened rain on the way home.

The 5 Guys burgers on the way home was a great way to end the ride.

Freezin' in the Mountians

I took XLF members Dan from PA and Rene visiting from Cali on a tour of the Virginia mountians. It was 70 yesterday but mid 50's today and high-40's on Skyline. But it was still fun. (Except the early morning ride that taught me my low temp long ride breaking point.

Early Spring Ride

Early Spring Ride
Originally uploaded by flskevin

Mid-50's yesterday and rode about 40 miles to set the carb rebuild. It was over 60 today so I ended up riding about 100 miles today to get ready for the up coming season.

Lots of good rides planned early. Rolling Thunder XXI & Outer Banks Bike Week.

Warm weather on the way

It was cold and rainy last week so I decided to rebuild the carb and do some tinkering. Trying to get it ready for the '08 season. This Sunday is supposed to be 60 so I guess that's when I'll set the idle and go for a test ride.

Winter Sucks!

Except for a few day last month the winter riding days have been few and far between. Where's all this global warming?

This spring the plan is to ride down to Kill Devil Hills, NC and ride the outer banks.

Smoothin' out the ride

This winter's project was improving the sporty's ride. So I went with the best and installed new Progresssive 812's.

The improved ride is amazing! If I had known they rode this smooth I would have done this years ago.

Late Fall Ride

Fall Ride
Originally uploaded by flskevin

Ken & I head out for ride north in to the mountians. The very cold morning paid off to be a great day. Except for the 30 minute wait at the Front Royal KFC it couldn't have been a better ride.

Fall Color Ride

Fall Color Ride
Originally uploaded by flskevin

We went on our fall color ride today. THe weather was perfect but drought conditions and warm temps only about 1/2 of the trees have started to turn.

But it was a great day wth a lot of bikes out on the road today.

October Clear Skies

October Clear Skies
Originally uploaded by flskevin

Clear Skies, warm weather & open roads leads me to ride the mountians again. The leaves are just starting to turn. Bright reds, yellows and orange contrasting off the green made this a sweet ride.

Clear Skies, Cool Air

Clear Skies, Cool Air
Originally uploaded by flskevin

Fall is on the way. The air is getting a little crisp & cool which makes the riding perfect. A beatiful clear blue sky made it a great day to explore local back roads.

Perfect Day, Perfect Ride...

Perfect Day, Perfect Ride...
Originally uploaded by flskevin

Perfect September weather was just the beginning. After a month long down time replacing his tank R.D. was eager to join me on a easy going ride through the mountians.

Everything was perfect, the weather, the pace, even lunch was good.

R.D.'s #1

RD's
Originally uploaded by flskevin

The plan was to hit Skyline for our cookout. Things just didn't click. R.D.'s tank sprung a leak so he couldn't make it and the weather looked like rain.
So we decided to get lost on a few back roads and ended up at Vereran's park in Woodbridge and fired up the grill fo some burgers & dogs.
It turned out to be a good decision, heavy storms and lightning hit the are around the time we usually are heading home.

Skyline 777

Skyline 777
Originally uploaded by flskevin

90+ degrees today so we head up to our favorite ride. Once we get in to the mountians the AC kicks in and it gets even better.

Next ride will be our 2nd annual Skyline cookout.

Blue Ridge Parkway

Blue Ridge Parkway
Originally uploaded by flskevin

I get on the BRP north of Asheville N.C. and it is a great road to ride. Light traffic and easy going scenery. After a while we end up in the mountians and before long you are actually ridiing through the clouds. 90+ degrees for the forcast but along the parkway a comfortable cool that my light jacket is perfect for.

About 200 miles of riding ended up past the Virginia state line and the connection to the interstate for the ride to get home before dark. (and beat the rain)

I highy recommend to anyone to ride the BRP if you get the chance.

Day two on the Dragon

Day two on the Dragon
Originally uploaded by flskevin

Since I had at least 550 miles ahead of me for the ride home it was going to be a short day.

So we rode the Dragon north and stopped and took a break then rode the Dragon back the other way. Riding the Dragon south is very different from riding 129 north.

We ended up riding for about 4 hours which was perfect for a long relaxing evening.

Day one on the Dragon

Day one on the Dragon
Originally uploaded by flskevin

Hit Robbinsville early with plenty of time to relax and rest up for the riding ahead. Fourteen riders joined in on the ride. THe Dragon is as challenging as ever a road I have been on. I'm sure I only got to 3rd gear a few times.

We rode the "loop" today. Starting out on 129 north and ending up on the Cherohala Skyway back to Robbinsville. It was about 150 miles of some of the twistiest road I could ever imagine.

Road trip to Robbinsville

Road trip to Robbinsville
Originally uploaded by flskevin

The ride down to Robbinsville went smooth. It took us about 12 hours stopping for a lot of breaks and a long lunch. We even stopped by Ghost Town HD in North Carolina.

We arrived just in time. The riders we were meeting had just got back from a beer run. We were staying in a dry county and it's 30 miles to the closest beer.

Frazier-Mason Memorial ride

Frazier-Mason Memorial ride
Originally uploaded by flskevin

One of my co-workers lost her son in Iraq earlier this year. I have had a few friends wounded and one killed. So when I heard that a Memorial Ride was planned I was all over it.

The event honored Army Sgt. Nicholas Mason and Marine Sgt. Joshua Frazier, both of whom died serving in Iraq. It benefited scholarship funds in each of the soldiers' names. Over 500 bikers showed up.

If you get the chance to help a local vet, please do. It doesn't matter if you agree with the war or not. These soldiers have volunteered to serve and every little bit can help.

One way to help is to visit www.AnySoldier.com

Getting ready for the Dragon

A big ride is coming up. In 2 weeks I will be riding to Robbinsville, NC to ride the Tail of the Dragon. US 129 has 318 curves in just 11 miles. The #1 motorcycle in the country. The best part is there are about 15 XL Forum riders coming in from all over for this one.

Basically I'm checking everything on the bike & getting all the stuff I need to pack and psyching myself up for a great ride.

Rolling Thunder XX

Rolling Thunder XX
Originally uploaded by flskevin

We had a great ride with a couple of thousand fellow riders out of Dumfries and made our way up to D.C. for Rolling Thunder XX. I can't imagine a better way to celebrate our fighting men & women and remember all those who have not come home yet.

Skyline Drive May 2007

Skyline Drive May 2007
Originally uploaded by flskevin

It took us a while to get back on the road. But perfect weather and Skyline was callin'. So 6 of us took off for our first ride of the season.

Lots of bikes were on the road. Rolling Thunder is tomorrow and tens of thousands of bikers will be descending on the area.

USMC Museum

USMC Museum
Originally uploaded by flskevin.

On a perfect day we began the 2007 riding season with a trip to the USMC Museum. It was just the right ride to get back on to the road. The museum is a must see if you are in the area.

New life for my Sundowner

New life for my Sundowner
Originally uploaded by flskevin.

Well, it's been more than a month since my last ride. In the interim I decided to reshape & recover my sundowner seat.

Today was sunny & about 50 so it was time to go for a ride and test out that seat. More than 75 miles and the seat felt great!

It's a good thing I was able to ride today.

It started snowing tonight.

That Gopher better be right!

If Puxatawney Phil is correct and winter is going to be short it can't be soon enough for me. After the slush & snow finally melted this week the weekend is looking promising for a ride. Hopefully a ride to Waugh's Saturday will shake the withdrawls.

Christmas came early

Christmas Eve the temps reached mid-60's so I gave myself a gift of a 50 mile ride through the Spotsy backroads.

Appomattox Courthouse Ride

I don't know if it's global warming but the unusually warm day was perfect for riding. Gary & Jeff joined up for a ride through Louisa to Appomattox Courthouse. The all day ride took us on a 275 mile circuit back home.

I would be willing to sacrifice the planet's future for more winter days like this. It's not like I have any kids to worry about it!

Turkey Weekend Ride

Turkey Weekend Ride
Originally uploaded by flskevin.

Almost 70 and sunny late fall? Sounds like a day to ride. The morning was pretty cool but bundle up until the temps rise and it was fine. We wandered through Northern Virginia until we ended up in Point of Rock, MD. Took some twisty back roads over to Hampton Roads and worked our way through some mountian roads the Charles Town, WV. Then we made our way back home. A three state tour was just what I needed. Since winter is setting in and this may be the last one til spring.

Veteran's Day '06

Veteran's Day '06
Originally uploaded by flskevin.

Robert & I rode up to D.C for Veteran's Day. 75 & sunny mid-November and a great day honoring the veterans.

November 5th Skyline Ride

November 11th Skyline Ride
Originally uploaded by flskevin.

The November weather has been good for riding. A little cool but not too bad. Gary & I decided to head north on Skyline to Front Royal. The sun broke early and it turned in to a great day.

Skyline Drive Fall Colors

Skyline Drive Fall Colors
Originally uploaded by flskevin.

The fall turn was in full swing and it was a great day for a ride in the mountians. I never get tired of Skyline. It's such a relaxing day long ride. I might have to do this again before it gets too cold.

Skyline Drive Grillout

Skyline Drive Grillout
Originally uploaded by flskevin.

It was a great ride, good food and another successful Battlefield Sportsters outing. Gary and Trish joined in for the first time. Just when you think you can't top the last ride, the next ride exceeds all expectations for a fun day.

Pennsylvania Ride

Pennsylvania Ride
Originally uploaded by flskevin.

The Battlefield gang join me on a return day trip to York, PA. The weather and roads couldn't have been better. It was a great ride.

XLF @ Gettysburg

(left to right) MoJowill-Will, flsKevin-Kevin. Thornious -Rich, Klinesamuel-Sam, Olderthandirt - Mac, Pres41 Pete, and kneeling Danny3nose-Dan

July 1, Skyline Drive

It took us a while to organize another ride down Skyline Drive but it was worth it. 90+ degrees until we hit the mountains and the AC was turned on and made the ride perfect.

RollingThunderXIX

RollingThunderXXIX
Originally uploaded by flskevin.

Clear skies, warm weather & thousands of bike made Rolling Thunder XXIX a geat ride.

Marine1

Marine1
Originally uploaded by flskevin.

Taking in the events of Rolling Thunder and Marine 1 carrying President Bush flies past us and lands on the White House lawn. Secret service sniper team suddenly popped up aon every rooftop when the helicopter arrived.

Spring in the Mountians

Spring in the Mountians
Originally uploaded by flskevin.

Been itchin' for a long ride, so we took off for Skyline Drive. The weather and ride couldn't have been better.

It was a good tune-up ride for Rolling Thunder coming up next week.

Heritage Bike Rally

It's the last day here in Charleston. The event could have been better. The rally just didn't rise to my expectations, the Kid Rock show sucked, I just expected more.

I guess bike events are not my style.

WilliG protests the White House

WilliG protests the White House
Originally uploaded by flskevin.

Another great day for a ride so I took off for D.C. again with WilliG. He decided to exercise his first amendment rights and protest W at his house!

Patriot Guard Riders

Mac & I started out at 4:30 this morning heading to North Stafford to meet R.D. 40 degree weather will not stop us from making it to an important objective.

We make it to Dale City and meet up with Don, Andy, & Benny with about 45 other members to escort the funeral procession of Gunnery Sgt. Justine R. Martone.

We join the procession to Quantico USMC base and the Memorial Chapel.

PGR mission #1

A local marine was killed in Iraq and I am going on my first ride mission with the Patriot Guard Riders.

I guess I can consider myself lucky. I never enlisted. After Viet Nam it wasn't a smart carrer move to join and by the time I became too old to be of any help America never really had any military challenges.

But in the last 15 years so many of our young nation have died in the middle east. I have known several of them.

I do remember watching the T.V. the day the helicopters lifted off the roof of the U.S. Embassy in Saigon. I wonder if 50,000 will end up dying before the mess out there is under control.

All I can do is show my respect for those brave enough to volunteer to go in to harms way and pay that terrible price.

Patriot Guard Riders

Lunch @ Clifton

The first warm weekend of the year came through for R.D., Andy & myself and we took full advantage of it.

A full day of riding through the back roads of Manassas & Clifton brought us on some great twisites.

By the time I got home 200+ miles for the day.

Some ridin' - some history...

After riding around town yesterday I wanted to actually go somewhere. So I get up this morning and head up Rt. 1. It was a little chilly but after a while I get used to it. My destination is D.C. & seeing the new stuff at the Smithsonian American History Museum.

It was a great easy going pace, I get close to the city and the cool old archetecture and brownstones are nice to look at on the way in to the city. When I get to the Mall & Washington Monument a parking space opened up for me. Right across the way from the building I want to visit.(a family was leaving right as I arrived, perfect timing)

I checked out the new military exhibits in the American History museum. They had a treestump from the Spotsylvania battlefield (near the Spotsy courthouse) that had been chewed up by hundreds of bullets. You never know what your going to see there, that stump was just a few miles from where I live.

The first Mac (about 1984) was there as well as the Genisis rock, the piece of anthrocite found by Scott & Warden on Apollo 15.

The ride home was just as easy going and I had a great day.

Sometimes you can't win....

The weather broke warm this morning so I decided to bring out the Sporty and ride to work. I leave early to take the long way and stop somewhere for lunch. While I'm having lunch the clouds come and starts to rain a little.

So I go back to the house, I get a little ridin' in today. Put the bike back up. I can handle the rain, I just can't handle getting rained on and riding in 20 degree weather on the midnight ride home.

As I head out to work the sun has come back out and it's even warmer than it was before.

At least I got a nice ride in today.

I have decided that my goal for the year is to ride at least one day every month this year.

January & February are done...

Me @ the beach

No races to cover today. I was worried that the hassle of bringing my bike down wouldn't be worth it.

Well, today paid off & then some.

Hooked up with a XLF member in New Smyrna Beach and rode all over Daytona and back.

Daytona HD (world's largest dealer) Hooters (get pics of Willie G. with the girls) & Boot Hill Saloon just a few of the places we stopped by.

Man if the weather got any more perfect I might consider quitting my job and moving back to Florida.

The only thing stopping me is the insane traffic on I-4.

Feelin' Florida

An all day drive to get to Central Florida. The next morning sunny skies and warm temps mean only one thing. Time to ride.

Put in about 100 miles ridin' all over the area. It's weird seeing all of the other riders without helmets. I almost went for a stretch sans helmet, but good sense got the better of me. Besides, the way the people drive around here I might invest in some riding armor.

2006 SpeedWeeks

Leaving for Daytona Beach in the morning to cover SpeedWeek, it sucks that Bike week is just 2 weeks later & I'll miss out. But, I'm bringing the Sporty with me this year and should get a few good riding days in.

I'll be hookin' up with an XLF member in New Smyrna Beach and ridin'.

It's ben a good winter for riding here, but I can't wait to get on some roads where the temps don't drop below freezing after the sun drops.

I'll send some updates during the week......

Ridin' to work...

Another unseasonably warm day. So I decide to ride the long way to work. The temps won't drop too bad tonight when I ride home so it's worth it.

Now I'm sitting at my desk, looking out the window at my sporty.

I see a long lunch break coming my way in the very immediate future.

Jan. 28, Polar Bear Run

It was a great day for a ride. The temps topped out at the mid-60's. But the below freezing wind chill in the morning qualified this as a polar bear run.

After meeting up but not being able to go, Benny finally joined in for the ride.

First ride of '06

After working more than 40 days without a day off I needed something to decompress. I get to take some vacation time and it's been a cold winter, but there was a break in the cold.

I went out for about 150 miles today, the warm day couldn't have come at a better time.

Christmas Comes Early

The cold weather snapped for some mild temperatures and sunny skies. A great day for a ride around town.

I finished the bars

Winter has set in with a vengeance, cold temps and snow have kept the sporty parked.

But I was able complete the z-bars with chrome hand controls & braided stainless cables.

Hopefully Christmas & my birthday will add some new parts to the project.

Fall Color Explosion

What a Day! The weather & scenery couldn't have gotten better. It's amazing how Skyline Drive never gets old.

Riding a great road with friends is what it's all about.