Each month I display a few “old school”, or vintage motorcycles pictures based on some theme.
These are the one’s that I like the most, for whatever reason, … or… it’s my blog and I like these pictures or videos.
Ride On, Ride Safe
Vintage Motorcycles: Old School Advertising
Posted: August 14, 2024 in Motorcycle, vintage motorcycleTags: Firestone motorcycle tires, Harley, Harley Davidson, Haverford cycle company, Haverford motorcycle, Indian motorcycle, Motorcycle, motorcycle blog, Motorcycle Ride, motorcycle riding, motorcycle safety, motorcycle touring, norton motorcycle, old school, Royal Enfield, royal enfiled airflow, sport bike, Sportbike, vintage, vintage motorcycle, yale motorcycles
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Motorcycle News: Harley Davidson Boycott and more Lane Filtering
Posted: August 8, 2024 in Motorcycle, Motorcycle advocacyTags: Harley, Harley Davidson, Harley Davidson boycott, Harley Davidson dei, lane filtering in minnesota, Motorcycle, motorcycle blog, motorcycle lane filtering, Motorcycle Ride, motorcycle riding, motorcycle safety, motorcycle touring, sport bike, Sportbike
What you need to know: Lane Filtering passes in another state.
Minnesota becomes the 6th state to pass a form of lane-filtering. The new law allows lane-filtering “at not more than 25 MPH and no more than 15 MPH over the speed of traffic”.
Additionally, the law adds punishments for drivers when “an operator of motor vehicle must not intentionally impede or attempt to prevent the operation of a motorcycle”.
My Take: This action occurred in April 2024; I am not sure how I missed this newsworthy item. I am all for lane filtering but, I think these new laws must come with money to create a multi-year communication plan to inform the public.
What you need to know: Harley Davidson Boycott
Harley Davidson has gone woke. It is not a “might have” or “appears to” situation, the CEO and board are fully engaged and are actively promoting DEI and similar policies in and out of the company.
There are growing calls for the public to boycott Harley Davison in a manner like what happened to Bud Light. There are also calls for replacement of the CEO, German citizen Jochen Zeitz, as well as members of the board.
There has been an immediate impact from this boycott call. Attendance at the Harley Davidson destination at the 84th Sturgis motorcycle rally has looked more like a ghost town than what it has in the past.
Harley has also shut down its social media amid this controversy.
My take: Whether or not you are for or against DEI does not matter. When a business does anything to anger its core customers it takes a major risk.
Beyond the lack of attendance at Sturgis riders are also debagging their motorcycles, removing anything that has the bar and shield. Brand loyaity, a hallmark of Harley customers, is at risk.
Bud Light has never recovered and Harley has a very small window to make a course correction before their customers make theirs.
Harley Davison is sitting on the edge of a cliff and its customers maybe lining up to push them over.
Motorcycle Recall July 2024: Indian, Suzuki, Helmets!
Posted: July 29, 2024 in Motorcycle news, motorcycle recallTags: Harley, Harley Davidson, Harley Davidson helmet recall, Indian challenger recall, Indian chieftain recall, indian motorcycle recall, Indian pursuit recall, Indian roadmaster recall, Indian springfield recall, kido helmet recall, Motorcycle, motorcycle blog, Motorcycle Ride, motorcycle riding, motorcycle safety, motorcycle touring, recall motorcycle helmet, scorpion helmet recall, sport bike, suzuki motorcycle recall
Be aware that this motorcycle recall list is for the United States for the last 30 days, there is no way I could cover the entire world. But in the world of global manufacturing, if a motorcycle is being recalled in one country there is a good chance it is under recall in others. So, safety first.
Also, (DISCLAIMER) this should not be considered a definitive list, check for yourself if you have any questions.
If you are US based, use the NHTSA website http://www.safercar.gov. Enter your VIN number to see if your motorcycle is affected by the recall.
If you are based outside the USA, use the appropriate website to locate recalls that may impact you.
*****
NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V550000
Manufacturer Indian Motorcycle Company
Components SUSPENSION
Summary Indian Motorcycle Company (Indian) is recalling certain 2024 Chieftain, Challenger, Pursuit, Roadmaster, and Springfield motorcycles. Please refer to the recall report for a complete list of model names. The rear suspension pushrod may buckle under load.
Remedy Dealers will replace the rear suspension pushrod, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed August 14, 2024. Owners may contact Indian customer service at 1-877-204-3697. Indian’s number for this recall is I-24-07.
*****
NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V535000
Manufacturer Suzuki Motor USA, LLC
Components TIRES
Summary Suzuki Motor USA, LLC (Suzuki) is recalling certain 2023-2024 DL800DE motorcycles. The rear tire may crack or deform, resulting in tire tread separation.
Remedy Owners are advised not to ride their motorcycles until the remedy has been completed. The remedy is currently under development. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed July 26, 2024. Owners may contact Suzuki customer service at 1-714- 572-1490. Suzuki’s number for this recall is 3A03.
*****
NHTSA Campaign Number: 24E054000
Manufacturer Kido Sports Co., Ltd.
Components EQUIPMENT
Summary Kido Sports Co., Ltd. (Kido Sports) is recalling certain Scorpion EXO Covert X and Harley-Davidson HD-X07 helmets, sizes XS, S, M, L, XL, and 2XL. The helmets may not stay securely fastened. As such, these helmets fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 218, “Motorcycle Helmets.”
Remedy A remedy is currently under development. The manufacturer has not yet supplied a notification schedule. Owners may contact Kido Sports customer service at 1-888-672-6774.
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Day 3 West Virginia Cryptid & Paranormal Motorcycle Ride
Posted: July 26, 2024 in Motorcycle, Motorcycle Rides, motorcycle touring, motorcycle tourismTags: ghost tour, Harley, Harley Davidson, Harley Davidson road glide, history, hot weather motorcycle ride, Indian burial mound, motorbike travel, Motorcycle, motorcycle blog, Motorcycle Ride, motorcycle riding, motorcycle safety, motorcycle touring, national-parks, ohio river scenic byway, ohio tourism, quaker steak and lube, sport bike, Sportbike, travel, West Virginia, west virginia penitentiary, west virginia tourism
It was already a warm day when we pulled the motorcycle out of the garage at 7:30AM. The weather forecast called for a heat advisory and temperatures reaching 98. That is 98 Fahrenheit which would, for us, not include the extra degrees of pavement heat! But we had more of West Virginia paranormal to explore!
Ohio River Scenic Byway
We were soon on the Ohio River Scenic Byway headed north to Moundsville, WV home of the Indian Burial Mound and the WV State Penitentiary. The Ohio River Scenic Byway runs 452 miles alongside the Ohio side of the river.
The road, for the entire distance we traveled, was in great shape. As far as “river scenic” I would have to say NOPE! The trees and brush have grown to the point that you only get a short glimpse of the river and that is mostly around the areas that have a bridge.
However, if you are like me and consider industrial views as scenic you are in for a treat. This part of Ohio and West Virginia are heavily dotted with industry. Electrical plants with cooling towers rising, to what looks like a thousand feet. Miles of stainless-steel pipes and trestles moving “stuff” back and forth between the plants and the river. It is quite spectacular.
West Virginia Penitentiary
Crossing the river back to West Virginia we were soon at our first destination, the WV Penitentiary. From its start and up until it was closed this was always one of the most dangerous prisons in America. Until capital punishment was ended 94 men met their end at the end of a rope or in the electric chair. Many more died at the hands of fellow inmates.
Closed in 1995, it is now not only a tourist destination it is also a training center, and a film location. Because of all the death and violence many people claim that the prison has a large and heavy paranormal presence.
The penitentiary has been on many paranormal TV shows as well as movies. Movies were filmed here as far back as 1955 with stars like Robert Mitchem, Jimmy Stewart, Kurt Russel and others. One of my favorite TV shows, Netflix’s Mindhunter also filmed in this prison.
Well, this day we did not see any ghosts, although I have not checked all the footage, but maybe if we do the overnight tour?
Indian Burial Mound
Directly across the street from the Penitentiary is the Grave Creek Mound Archaeological Complex. It is the site of one of the most famous and the largest of the Adena Burial mounds.
Unfortunately, the complex was closed that day. The mound has been here since about 250 BC, so I imagine that I have some time to stop by in the future! It is quite a bit larger than one would imagine so I am looking forward to checking it out.
The Trip Home
Boy was it a hot day! We rode for a bit and then stopped a Quaker Steak and Lube in Wheeling, WV. As always, never had a bad meal at one of these restaurants. Before we got back on the bike, we put our cool vests on. These vests are the water evaporation type, you soak them then put them on. Today they lasted about 150 miles before they were dry!
Normally we would wet them down again but today we were only an hour or so away from home we just packed them away in the tour pak.
This 3-day adventure was well worth the time and was an enjoyable ride!
Click Here for Day 1 Click here for Day 2
Motorcycle News: Synthetic Fuels and Seat Belts
Posted: July 18, 2024 in Motorcycle, Motorcycle advocacy, Motorcycle news, motorcycle safety, motorcycle touringTags: adaptive cruse control, cfmoto, e-fules, E-gules synthetic fuel, eco100pro, forward looking radar on motorcyles, Harley, Harley Davidson, Honda, Motorcycle, motorcycle blog, Motorcycle Ride, motorcycle riding, motorcycle safety, motorcycle seat belts, motorcycle touring, motorcycles, news, patented motorcyle seat belts, reduced co2 emissions, sport bike, Sportbike, technology
What you need to know: E-Fuels – Study: Synthetic fuel can be used without any problems
European scientists have completed a study that shows the new fuel, Eco100Pro, is safe for general use. The fuel was tested on the engine test stand, on a racetrack during the ADAC XC Cup, and on the road. The scientists came to the same conclusion: “No losses in power and torque compared to regular gasoline from the gas station. No higher fuel consumption. No technical risk for the combustion engine. But at least 77 percent fewer CO2 emissions.”
So, the internal combustion engine in cars and motorcycles should continue to operate efficiently without modifications, if filled with Eco100Pro.
My Take: Ok, sounds good. No changes are needed to our motorcycles, and we get reduced emissions. I checked the price, wow, about 85% more than fossil fuel. That can be overcome by increasing production. But I saw nothing that indicated increasing production any time soon.
What you need to know: CFMoto has patented “seat belts” for motorcycles.
CFMoto has patented a unique safety feature for motorcycles, resembling “seat belts” but designed as flexible straps at the rider’s waist to enhance safety during specific circumstances.
While this invention aims to prevent riders from being thrown off during impacts or braking events, it is engineered to release the rider in scenarios like falls or sideways forces. The concept introduces a novel approach to motorcycle safety, potentially reshaping industry standards.
My take: This seems to be a possible solution to the introduction of forward-looking radar and automatic breaking. I do not believe that automatic breaking should ever be integrated into motorcycles. Forward-looking radar and adaptive cruise control I have no problem with.
The true test of CFMoto’s innovation lies in its real-world application, raising questions about practicality and effectiveness that may only be resolved through future testing and potential legal challenges
Day 2 West Virginia Cryptid & Paranormal Motorcycle Ride: Mothman We Are Coming
Posted: July 16, 2024 in Motorcycle, Motorcycle Rides, motorcycle touringTags: books, cryptids, Harley, Harley Davidson, history, mothman, Motorcycle, motorcycle blog, Motorcycle Ride, motorcycle riding, motorcycle safety, motorcycle touring, paranormal, sport bike, Sportbike, the mothman muesum, the mystery hole, the new river gorge, The talon, Touring by motorcycle, west virgina, West Virginia Cryptid & Paranormal, west virginia tourism
After a very busy 1st day on the motorcycle visiting a bunch of West Virginia paranormal sites, we were ready to mount up and head out on day 2. The weather folks said this day was going to be hot a one, but we could take an early start as our first stop, “The Mystery Hole”, was not scheduled to open until 10AM.
Unfortunately, it turns out that the Mystery Hole has an issue with getting good help and was closed. So, we rode on to our next stop, the Mothman Museum.
I have visited the Mystery Hole many times, as it is only a couple miles from my childhood home. However my wife never has and I wanted to share it with her.
A great bonus to trying to visit the Mystery Hole is it resides alongside one of the most fun roads in West Virginia, US 60 also called “The Talon”. If you are ever in this area, you must ride this road. While a couple miles shorter, it does rival the Tail of the Dragon for fun.
The Talon is a wonderful package of twisty roads and switchbacks all through forest and cliffside landscapes. Low traffic levels allow you to ride at your pace and comfort but will challenge you if you want to step it up.
The downside of The Talon is that you can no longer see the New River Gorge and all its natural beauty. The state has allowed the undergrowth to get to a level where there are only a few small “blink and you will miss it spots” where the gorge is visible. Sad very sad, a great opportunity for increasing tourism missed again.
Stay Tuned for a video of the Talon/US 60.
Once we got to the bottom of the mountain, we rode alongside the Kanawha River to and through the state capital Charleston. This day the morning sun was glistening off the gold gilded dome of the Capital Building making it pop like a gold jewel in a cityscape setting. Unfortunately, I forgot to turn the camera on.
Not that much later we were getting off the motorcycle across the street from Mothman HQ. There was a large crowd at the museum. By large I mean there were at least 20 people in the gift shop and about that many in the museum proper. There were another 10-12 more hovering, in the afternoon heat, around the Mothman statue waiting their turn for photos.
By now it was early afternoon, and the weather folks were right it was HOT. We made the decision to make a direct ride to our new, unfinished but finished enough, Ohio home. We were off the road early and with a shower and air conditioning.
Click here for Day One of the West Virginia Cryptid and Paranormal Ride!
Getting Twisty on US 50! (a short video)
Posted: July 11, 2024 in Motorcycle, Motorcycle Rides, motorcycle touringTags: curvey road video, getting twisty on us 50, Harley, Harley Davidson, harley davidson roadglide, insta360, motorbike, Motorcycle, motorcycle blog, motorcycle on curvey road video, Motorcycle Ride, motorcycle riding, motorcycle safety, motorcycle touring, sport bike, Sportbike, travel, us routre 50, west virgina
Ok why did I get a bug splat just as I hit record??!?!! This is my first attempt in using the Insta360 camera. I save it at 720p for size reasons but I think it came out al right for the 1st attempt.
I did not use the “on phone” editing tool with this clip. I down loaded the Insta360 Studio to my tablet. The Insta360 Studio worked ok, but I had to go to another tool to add the audio and logo. I am sure I can do it in the Insta app, just could not find the right menus.
West Virginia Cryptid & Paranormal Motorcycle Ride Day 1
Posted: July 9, 2024 in Motorcycle, Motorcycle Rides, motorcycle touringTags: BIG FOOT MUSEUM, bigfoot, cryptid, cryptids, FLATWOODS MONSTER, Harley, Harley Davidson, horror, mothman, Motorcycle, motorcycle blog, Motorcycle Ride, motorcycle riding, motorcycle safety, motorcycle touring, motorcycle tourism, motorcycle travel, sport bike, Sportbike, THE GRAFTON MONSTER, THE PHILLIPI MUMMIES:, TRANS-ALLEGHENY LUNATIC ASYLUM:, West Virginia Cryptid & Paranormal, west virginia tourism, west virginia travel
Over the holiday weekend Debbie and I decided to create a motorcycle ride out of something that is a bit unique to West Virginia, Cryptid and Paranormal activity.
Cryptid – Noun – An animal whose existence or survival is disputed or unsubstantiated, such as the Yeti.
On Day 1 we pull out of the house at 7AM only to return a few minutes later to grab something we forgot! LOL, I hope we are not the only ones that do this as often as not. After that we were soon on US Route 50 climbing up the mountains into West Virginia.
Stay tuned for some short videos on the “Twisties of Route 50”.
THE GRAFTON MONSTER: By mid-morning we are riding into the town of Grafton, WV. We planned to visit the Grafton Monster Museum, but it is closed for renovations. We also missed, by two days, the Grafton Monster Festival. Disappointed we remount and headed out to the next stop Phillipi, WV.
THE PHILIPPI MUMMIES: Turns out there are more than just mummies in Philippi. Located in the towns visitors center we discovered that “Lurch” from the TV show “The Adams Family” is from Philippi. So, a two for one Lurch and the Mummies. They even have had a “Lurch Fest” in 2023, is it an annual event?
As for the mummies, there are really mummies in Philippi. These two mummies have traveled the world and are now resting in the visitor’s center.
When in Philippi make sure you take a ride over the longest covered bridge in WV. It is also the only covered bridge on a US Highway, US Route 250.
Expect a video and short post on the bridge.
TRANS-ALLEGHENY LUNATIC ASYLUM: Located in the town of Westen, WV the asylum is one of the most haunted locations in America. They offer both history tours and ghost tours. If you are of a particular strength, you can even have overnight stays.
While we did not see any ghosts during our visit so many people belive that they have that it has been featured on many paranormal documentaries. If you are traveling on Interstate 79 through WV it should be on your itinerary.
FLATWOODS MONSTER: Located in the town of Sutton, WV the Flatwoods Monster Museum documents the local history of monsters. First spotted in 1952 and dubbed the “Green Monster” this cryptid is fully part of the community. The town has even erected a “Home of the Green Monster” sign.
We met Adam Smith, who runs the museum, and discussed a bit about the monster and how it is part of the video game Fallout 76, along with other West Virginia cryptids.
Let him know you are a Fallout fan you might get a surprise… while supplies last!
BIG FOOT MUSEUM: Located just a couple blocks from the Flatwoods Monster Museum, Big Foot is afoot. The Big Foot Museum holds a lot of background information on the Big Foot phenomenon along with several casts of “actual” big footprints. The museum also holds a large volume of books in its library collection.
At this point we needed to decide where we were going to ride to spend the night. The decision was between my mom’s and our new home in Ohio. It did not take long to decide when we looked at the weather radar, mom’s it was.
BTW we did get wet, again!
Vintage Motorcycles: Group Rides
Posted: July 8, 2024 in Motorcycle, Motorcycle Rides, motorcycle touring, vintage motorcycleTags: Harley, Harley Davidson, Motorcycle, motorcycle blog, Motorcycle Ride, motorcycle riding, motorcycle safety, motorcycle touring, sport bike, Sportbike, vintage american motorcycles, vintage british motorcycle, vintage motorcycle, vintage motorcycle group rides, vintage motorcycle photos
Each month I display a few “old school”, or vintage motorcycles pictures based on some theme.
These are the one’s that I like the most, for whatever reason, … or… it’s my blog and I like these pictures or videos.
If you have any vintage pictures of group rides please share in the comments!!
Ride On, Ride Safe
Motorcycle Recall June 2024: BMW
Posted: July 1, 2024 in Motorcycle, Motorcycle advocacy, Motorcycle news, motorcycle recallTags: bmw motorcycle recall, Harley, Harley Davidson, Motorcycle, motorcycle blog, motorcycle recalls, motorcycle recalls june 2024, Motorcycle Ride, motorcycle riding, motorcycle safety, motorcycle touring, sport bike, Sportbike
Be aware that this motorcycle recall list is for the United States for the last 30 days, there is no way I could cover the entire world. But in the world of global manufacturing, if a motorcycle is being recalled in one country there is a good chance it is under recall in others. So, safety first.
Also, (DISCLAIMER) this should not be considered a definitive list, check for yourself if you have any questions.
If you are US based, use the NHTSA website http://www.safercar.gov. Enter your VIN number to see if your motorcycle is affected by the recall.
If you are based outside the USA, use the appropriate website to locate recalls that may impact you.
*****
NHTSA Campaign Number: 24E045000
Manufacturer BMW of North America, LLC
Components EQUIPMENT
Summary BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain BMW motorcycle dealer accessory side bag holders, designed to fit CE 02 motorcycles, with part number 77 49 5 A6B 236. The mounting kit for the holder contains bolts that are too short and cannot attach securely to the motorcycle, which can result in holder detachment.
Remedy Dealers will replace the mounting kit bolts with bolts of the correct length, free of charge. Owner notification letters will not be mailed since all affected side bag holders are still in dealer inventory. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
I JUST WANT 2 RIDE!! 