Sunny & Clear Today

It rained all day yesterday. Today has been sunny & clear so I went out to run a couple of errands and enjoy a day off.

Not surprisingly the Rappahannock was high today.

Operation Shirt Swap...

Another XLF T-shirt swap is underway. This time I'm trading with John Mcgregor of New South Wales, Australia.

This is what makes being a part of the XL Fourm so great. Not only have I gone on rides with members from all over the U.S. I get to meet Sporty riders from all over the world and trade shirts & make friends with other Sporty riders.

I was supposed to meet Ken for the ride down to Waugh's but we got our signals crossed and missed out.

All I have to do is drop it in the mail...

It's Gettin' There...

It's starting to warm up enough to make it out around town. I ended up going about 75 miles yesterday. Today it was about 100 miles along the Spotsy back roads.

Pre-Spring weather break...

This week is the reason you keep your bike ready to ride during the winter months. A warm spell went through the 'Burg this week. All week long I rode to work culminating with temps reaching the upper 70's.

Of course next week is calling for snow flurries one day but for now it's great to get out for a ride without having to bundle up.

Short Day Ride...

The weather warmed up enough today for a short ride up to Quantico to check out the National Marine Corps Museum. This is one of the best museums I have been in. A lot of fascinating displays and artifacts. If you are ever in the area this stop is highly recommended.

Phil comes through...

It's Groundhog Day and Phil didn't see his shadow and that means an early Spring. And he paid that one off today with 62 and sunny skies. So I decided to ride to work today. It will be cool for the ride home but worth it.

Winter rides also highlight any bugs that might cause problems later. Like the fact that my 1 year-old battery was weak on a restart. Which it shouldn't be considering it's been on a trickle charger recently.

Afternoon Ride...

I was bored watching football and it didn't seem that cold out. After walking around all day yesterday at the Bike Expo I really needed to get some riding in.

So I took off for a ride around town. I ended up riding down Lee Dr. and checked out a few battlefields and headed how as the sun went down.

Favorite Bike of the Day

At the Honda display my favorite bike was a Concept bike that was all Black. When I say all black, that means that the only colors on this bike are gloss, satin & flat black.

THis was a sleek and beautiful bike from every angle. A truly stunning motorcycle.

D.C. Bike Show

Ken & I went to the Progressive International Motorcycle Show in D.C. today. It took us over 4 hours to see everything. A lot of great bikes and some good deals to boot. We took a little side stop to Hooter's for lunch because the $7 hot dog seemed a little pricey.

I saw the new Honda Fury. The next bike I buy will be one of them. It was a great combination of custom chopper look & solid Honda performance.

I just can't help it...

It's a sunny day today about 38. What's better than ridin' to work. It was a nice ride in but the fun comes up in about an hour when I ride home and it's about 23 degrees out there. Even though I'm bundled up good, Luckily I hit the driveway about the time the pain starts kickin' in.

2011 First Ride...

Weather sucked all weekend. Rain Saturday & Sunday which wouldn't be that bad. But having to spend 8 hours cleaning off all the road salt left over from the last snow would suck.

So I waited until today when the sun came ut and rode to work. I haven't left for home yet. It's gonna be a cold ride home the temps have dropped to about 27.

I really don't care about that. I had to get on the road and try out how the new seat was going to feel.

Fuckin' Rain...

Yesterday & today it has been unseasonably warm. But rain is coming down harder today than yesterday. (Forecast for today was supposed to be AM rain afternoon sun)

So I might as well get the Sporty all cleaned up.

That's why you keep your bike ready to go all year long. Every now & then a warm day comes along and nothing sucks worse than a warm sunny day & you are not out riding.

Gas Cap Project

Today was supposed to be partly cloudy & about 55. The partly cloudy was rainy & wet all day. S I was stuck in the house with nothing to do.

Then I remembered something I have been thinking about for over a year. Mounting the gas cap from my 1963 Mercury Comet on a stock gas cap that will fit my Sporty.

I didn't know if I could pull this one off but I think I did. I'll know for sure after a few long rides to see if it vibrates apart or not.

Hopefully the weather will cooperate tomorrow & I can go for a ride around town.

Winter Project: Mission Accomplished!

A month and $90 later the custom seat for my AirHawk pad is done. It totally changes the look of the Sporty. The old Sundowner seat beat the hell out of the paint on the rear fender. Repaint this Spring is the next project.

Winter Project: Update

Just about got the seat pan done. Smoothed out the metal & filled out the shape with a little body mud. The mounting base plate is ready all that's needed is the mounting brackets that are on the way.

Now it's time to start practicing on sewing the custom cover.

Winter Project: Update

The shape of the seat is just about done. Today was spent smoothing out the metal and working on the small dings that are left. All I need now are the seat mount brackets that are on order.

Winter Project: Update

The SP Project is coming along. The seat is starting to take shape. I found an interesting way to smooth out the metal, a Craftsman Hammerhead cordless hammer.

Winter Project: Solo Wide Seat

For the longest time I've wanted a Solo Wide Seat but the ones I could find weren't what I wanted & usually cost around $400 - 500. So I figured I have 3 months til next years riding so why not try to make my own.

Researching seat pan shapes I figured I could make a pan to fit my AirHawk seat cushion. I started out making a template for the overall shape and went from there. So far I have cut out the seat from a sheet of 16 gauge steel sheet. I started shaping and hammering out the beginning form.

Season Finale

A week before Thanksgiving and this weekend was sunny & 65. I rode about 100 miles yesterday & today.

Cold wet weather is predicted for the next week. I'll keep the Sporty ready to ride because there will always be a random warm day to head out for a ride.

Short Season is Here...

For the most part I've been riding to work when it's clear. The ride in is nice but the ride home is pretty chilly. Luckily I don't live far from work so by the time the cold starts to sink in I'm home.

Trick or Treat...

It was a perfect Halloween day. Sunny & warm. So I rode around the 'Burg and some local back road twisties.

Last Night's View...

Since I headed out kinda' late I decided I might as well hang out and watch the sunset from a mountain view. Apparently I wasn't the only one. There must have been about 50 folks from all over that stopped at the over look I was at.

It was worth the chilly ride home...

Fall Colors Part 2...

I wasn't planning on riding anywhere today. Yesterday I just rode around the 'Burg for about an hour just to get out of the house.

I did my morning walk, a few chores around the house and by 1 I was bored. So I packed up the Sporty and headed out. It's no big surprise where I ended up. It may be boring to some but I just can't go there enough.

Especially this time of year with the cooler temps and the bright fall colors.

Fall Colors Ride Video

It took a few days to get this one done. Edited the clips with Final Cut Pro & it took some time to get the hang of it. I used 2 GoPro cameras for this ride. A new HD camera for the main video & my old wide angle for the cut away shots.

Ken & I rode from Front Royal to Sperryville on a perfect day. Lots of bikes, international visitors and the fall turn is about 50%.

I definitely got my money's worth from my Shenandoah National Park season pass this year. There's still good riding weather, my pass doesn't expire until October 31 & I have hit Skyline at least 15 time this year.

Enjoy...

Fall Colors Day 2... A Lot Better

Today it was my turn to ride up to meet Ken. Again it was a chilly morning but my noon it was almost 80. Clear blue skies all day long.

This time we hit 55 West to Front Royal for the ride to Sperryville. Another first, the entrance to Skyline had all lanes open with two Park Rangers in each booth to keep traffic from taking too long. More bikes than yesterday and a lot of people from over seas.

Today the colors seemed brighter, I believe it was because the sun was in front of us and Front Royal is a little farther north. What ever the reason it just looked more colorful than yesterday.

Fall Colors Day 1... Almost There

Ken & I hit Skyline after I went to Waugh's to pick up a shirt for the XLF swap with a guy in Kingston, Ontario.

The day started off pretty chilly but warmed up nicely. We rode from the 33 entrance up to Sperryville. Lots of cars & bikes (the busiest I've ever seen) Big Meadows was packed to the rafters.

We had such a great ride we decided to do it again tomorrow.