Well, after the post about the man killed trying to break 300 mph mark…. The 52 Express team is aiming to break the land speed record at either Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah and South Africa’s Hakskeen Pan. You can read more in a Fox New article about the attempt.
This photo is from their Facebook page.
This is report from the Associated Press about a tragic accident that occurred in the State of Maine. Bill Warner was attempting to break the 300 MPH mark when he crashed.
Interesting article! A man, out for a ride in Canada was chased by a gray wolf….even has pictures!
June 23rd and 24th are the dates for this year’s HOG World Wide Ride (formally Million Mile Monday). Beginning a few years ago, the HOG recorded the number of miles its member ride during a set time period. In 2012 HOG members racked up 7.8 million miles!
While you need to be a HOG member to register your miles, there is no reason you can’t get out and ride too!
HOG 2013 World Wide Ride
As a retired soldier I am always interested anytime the Army does something with motorcycles. During my time served the closest I came to bikes in the Army was when the MP’s pulled me over!
This electric “Stealth Bike” is an interesting concept, and very cool looking, but I am not sure how practical it would be in combat situations. A two hour run time does not give me a high degree of comfort, but maybe the manufacturer’s congressmen think otherwise!
P.S. LOL..note the police bike version!
I was looking at another WordPress Motorcycle Blog (Helmet or Heels: I’m comfortable in either!) and saw this info-graphic from MotorcycleRoads.com. I think this is a good portrayal of a something that is not only hard to quantify, but to display as well. By the way the Helmet or Heels blog is very nice and I am following it now.
If you go the MotorcycleRoads.com site, check out its Top 100 Roads list. There are several within riding distance of our home and I think we will check them out eventually.
The Ride To Work organization has designated, with the support of several local governments, the third Monday of every June as “Ride To Work Day. This year that day is the 17th of June. From their website:
Ride your motorcycle or scooter on this day to demonstrate:
If you have time visit their website for more information and access to supporting material.
If you are riding in and around the Mid-Atlantic States make sure your wind screen is on! The 17 year cicadas swarm is here! New reports indicate they are popping up near Manassas
, VA and will soon be everywhere. At the peak some areas will have 1,500,000 bugs per acre. At up to two inches in size I do not want to take one to the face or chest at 50 miles per hour or faster.
Here are few interesting facts about these guys from CicadaMania.com:
They’ll attack land on you if you’re using a power tool or lawn mower. Cicadas think the sounds made by power tools and lawn maintenance equipment are made by cicadas. They get confused and will land on the people using the equipment! Tip: cut your lawn in the early morning or near dusk when the cicadas are less active.
People eat them: People eat them. You can barbecue it, boil it, broil it, bake it, sauté it. There, uh, cicada kabobs, cicada creole, cicada gumbo, pan-fried, deep fried, stir fried. There’s pineapple cicada, lemon cicada, coconut cicada, pepper cicada, cicada soup, cicada stew, cicada salad, cicada and potatoes, cicada burger, cicada sandwich… that’s, that’s about it.
Cicadas pee: Yes cicadas pee, so wear a hat when walking under trees if that sort of thing bothers you. Cicadas drink tree fluids, and then expel the excess fluid they do now need. People call it “honey dew” or “cicada rain”.
And to help you plan your rides… here is map showing the areas affected by the 17 year swarm. Also, a special thanks to Chas with the Northern Virginia Motorcycle Club for inspiring this post. If you are going on a motorcycle ride…make sure you have the Windex on hand.
Using the template from the Traffic Safety Marketing (.gov) website I just submitted the following letter to the editor for our local newspaper the Loudoun Times.
Dear editor,
In recognition of May as Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month, I’d like to encourage Loudoun County motorists and motorcyclists alike to commit to “sharing the road” during the month, and all year long, in a collective effort to reduce motorcycle deaths and injuries across our region.
Motorcycles are among the smallest and most vulnerable vehicles on the road and riders are at greater risk of death and serious injury than other vehicle operators if they are involved in a crash. In fact, according to the Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) latest statistics bear out this unfortunate fact. In 2011, 4,612 motorcyclists died on America’s roads, accounting for 14 percent of total highway deaths despite motorcycle registrations representing only about 3 percent of all vehicles in the country.
Despite declines in automobile fatalities, motorcycle deaths have increased every year for 13 of the past 14 years, except 2009 which saw a decline.
Motorists and motorcyclists have a common responsibility to share the road together in a safe, courteous and conscientious manner. Drivers need to be on the lookout for motorcyclists at all times, signal all lane changes and turns, and constantly be checking mirrors and blind spots before proceeding. Drivers must be fully focused and alert to the road, and in control of their vehicles at all times by never driving impaired by alcohol, drugs or distraction.
Riders should obey all traffic laws, be properly licensed, use reflective material and ensure lights are working properly to increase conspicuity, and always wear a Department of Transportation-compliant helmet and other proper protective equipment. Like their motorist counterparts, motorcyclists should never ride while impaired or distracted.
Together, motorists and motorcyclists can work together to keep each other and our roads safe for everyone, not only in May, but all year long.
Sincerely,
Warren Massey
This past weekend my wife and I rode from our home in Leesburg to the New Market Civil War Battlefield. We rode west on US Route 7 then took Route 340 south to Luray, VA. On the way we passed the interesting roadside attraction of Dinosaur Land. The place was not open when we stopped for a photo op but it looked very cool for small kids! 
After posing a few minutes with T-Rex we contained south on 340 passing through rolling farm county and small towns of the Shenandoah Valley. The largest town we passed through was Front Royal, which is also the northern entrance to Skyline Drive. We have done the Skyline Drive before but I am sure we will do it again this summer, it is just a too nice a ride not to do it as often as possible. (Route 340 south of Front Royal is also known as the Stonewall Jackson Memorial Highway to honor the Civil War General.)
Rolling past Front Royal we soon arrived in Luray, VA and our next intersection. Taking Route 211 west we passed the entrance to Luray Caverns, a US National Landmark. We did not stop at the caverns on this trip but I am sure we will sometime in the future.
Crossing under I-81 on 211 we were immediately at the entrance to the Virginia Museum of the Civil War and New Market Battlefield. From the website “The Virginia Museum of the Civil War (VMCW) interprets the 1864 Battle of New Market with emphasis on the role of Virginia Military Institute Cadets and the Civil War in Virginia.” The museum was quite nice with small displays on most of the major engagements of the war which occurred in Virginia. They also have a
A couple of hours later we hopped back on the bike and traced our route back north. We deviated a bit by riding to Grove’s Harley Davidson in Winchester, VA. We arrived at the dealership about 15 minutes from closing and did not stay too long. I was hoping to look at their helmets as I am in the market for a new one. 30 minute video “The Field of Lost Shoes” that focused mainly on the boy soldiers of the Virginia Military Institute role in the battle.
Turing right out of the dealership we took US 50 east to State route 601 also called the “Secret Blue Ridge Mountain Northern Stretch”. This is a twisty section of road that connects US 50 and US 7. This is a great short ride and well worth the side trip. The views from the mountain are limited by the forest but you should be concentrating on the road anyway, right!
Our trip was 166 miles round trip and lasted a bit more than 7 hours. Debbie and I had a nice motorcycle ride together but we still need to figure out the intercom system!
I JUST WANT 2 RIDE!! 