74 & Sunny...

Three days of grey, cold, rainy & mostly sucky weather and today the sun came out and warmed everything up for a sweet late November ride.

So I headed out and by the end of the day racked up about 175 miles.

Days like this is the reason you don't pack up the Sporty for the winter.

70 & Sunny...

I still had to work today but it was such a great November day I decided to take the very long way in. Headed east on some backroads and before I made it Back to the 'Burg 75 miles had gone by.

I stopped by Famous Dave's for some BBQ and then headed in to work.

Lee Drive...

It was such a clear & cool day I decided to take a long way to work & ride my favorite road in Fredericksburg.

Lee Drive...

Winter's settin' in...

This years riding season is just about over. Cold, rainy & windy are not my favorite elements to ride in. But, if it's sunny I'll be riding to work.








I figured out a creative way (I think it's creative) to cover the cutout for the rear fender turn signal posts.

I made a cover out of sheet metal and attached my old tank emblems.

Fall Colors Ride

Another great day to hit the mountains and check out the fall colors. It's not the peak of the season yet but it was very nice.

It was just cool enough to make it another perfect ride

Fall = Perfect Riding

Sporty's runnin' great so it was time to hit Skyline and enjoy a perfect day...

I am complete again...

My Baby came back from the shop today and the universe makes sense again.

Just in time for the perfect Fall weather.

The trees are just starting to turn and the mountains should be a blast of colors for the next few weeks.

New Front Wheel

Before I finally broke down and took my baby to the shop to get the primary fixed I got a great deal on a 21" American Wire 80 spoke chrome front wheel.

Hopefully she will be home before the fall colors break out in the mountains.

The Culprit...

Here it is. This is what a burned out throw out bearing looks like.

Now comes the majority of the work. Taking the clutch completely apart to clean all the particles of metal that used to be the bearing case.

Trudging along...

I started on the tear down & removed the primary cover. So far the only damage is the burned out bearing.

Next step is the clutch basket removal.

Replacement parts won't be in til next week so I have plenty of time to get it ready.

Ready for Sugery

The new parts will be arriving next week. So I have her up on the lift ready.

I will be taking the primary cover off soon and start breaking down the clutch.

Down for the count...

The clutch decided to stop working yesterday. I thought it was a broken clutch cable.

Further inspection turns up that it is the clutch throwout bearing.

Rain, Rain, Rain...

Sunny & mild all week long and planned a sweet 350 mile ride. But rain and heavy overcast clouds ruined that plan.

I could go in the rain but it just makes it miserable. Besides I don't want to have to clean & polish for 8 hours after the ride is over.

Sunny day in the Mountains

With all the rain and thunderstorms when the skies cleared a ride in the Shenandoah Mountains along Skyline Drive seemed like a great idea.

Even though it was low 90's in the valley by the time you're on the drive it was put on a jacket time.

The day was perfect, lots of sun, cool air up high & a lot of bikes.

Takin' the long way home...

If you are not in a hurry to get home the Blue Ridge Parkway is the road you should travel. Sweeping curves, magnificent vistas and a relaxed pace make it one of the great journeys.

Weekend Dragon Ride

Tail of the Dragon / Cherohala Skyway video

U.S. 129 south / Robbinsville, N.C. video

3 days 'bout 1500 total miles. Caught in a hard downpour on the Asheville mountain overpass, neck, legs & hands aching but it was all worth it.

I rode more mountain twisty roads than ever before. The Dragon, Cherohala Skyway, US 129 south & Blue Ridge Parkway.

(notice the GoPro mounted on my helmet. That's how the video is taken.)

Packed & Ready...

Dragon ride is 3 days and counting. The weather is sketchy at best but I'm ready to go.

Some Gave All

Nicholas Mason & Josh Frazier are 2 of Fredericksburg's soldiers that gave the ultimate sacrifice for our country.

The Frazier-Mason Some Gave All ride is a way to honor their memory and help other soldiers. 

About 1000 motorcycle riders showed up for today's ride to honor our Fredericksburg area soldiers killed in Iraq.

Rolling THunder XXII

It was a great day to visit the Nation's Capitol and pay our respects to out Veterans. 

I placed my tribute to my uncle at the WWII Virginia monument and Ken made his way through the Vietnam memorial.

Rolling Thunder XXII video

Getting ready for the Dragon

It's about a month to the Dragon run & Rolling Thunder XXII is coming up so I needed to put a new set of shoes on my ride.

The Avon Venoms are good tires that stick well but my style of riding flattens them out. So this time I'm trying Continental high mileage.