Harley Davidson in China (from “The Alantic”)
Harley’s are HEAVELY taxed!
Harley’s are categorized with horses, bicycles and electric bikes!
Harley’s cannot be ridden on highways and major avenues!
Harley riders in China are the same as Harley riders around the globe!
Well I have called my bike a steel horse, but really, not riding on highways that has to suck.
Welcome to Gettysburg Bike Rally
This past weekend Debbie and I attended the 2013 Gettysburg Bike Rally. The rally is split into multiple venues, the All Stars Complex and Granite Hill Campground and the American Civil War Wax Museum. While not part of the official rally, Battlefield Harley Davidson also hosted a good number of vendors. We did not make all the venues passing on the Wax Museum, but maybe next year.
Debbie and Karma with Bubba Blackwell
On Saturday we met our friends Tim and Karma at the dealership and after checking out the store and vendors we then rode over to All Stars Complex to watch Bubba Blackwell, American Dare Devil. We got there a little late but did get to watch him drift, wheelie and generally make several Harley Davidson bikes do whatever he wanted them to do. I was impressed with this ability to bring an Ultra Classic bagger to a pipe dragging, all the way up wheelie!
But other than Bubba this venue was a bit….light on vendors and things to do. We spent most of our time waiting to participate in the “Parade of Chrome” ride to the Granite Hill venue. I would have to guess that there were over 500 bikes lined up to ride in the parade through downtown Gettysburg.
It was apparent, as soon as we arrived, that the campground was the main base for the rally. The majority of the vendors were at the campground as well as the biker build off, bikini contest and the main stage for the headlining acts (War was the main band this year).
For diner we rode back into town looking for a nice place to eat, but it was clear that there was going to be a long wait no matter where we went. We were referred to a local spot called “Sharpshooter Bar and Grill”. When we arrived the outside was packed with bikers of all types, but indoors it was open and we got a seat as soon as we walked in. The manager, Ed, was our waiter and he took great care of us. The food was great, the service was great. I would highly recommend Sharpshooter if you are in the Gettysburg area!
Apparently the heat and sun really took a toll on us. Sunday morning no one moved until nearly 10AM. For breakfast we rode into town and ate at the Farnsworth House (a B&B that serves breakfast to the public). The House was there during the battle of Gettysburg and has over 100 bullet holes to prove it.
After our meal we decided to ride through part of the battlefield before heading home. The easiest part of the battlefield for us to get to was the confederate line. We rode along the line stopping at several points to look at the monuments and history. The view from where General Pickett started his march into the Union cannons was eerie, knowing that an entire Infantry division was destroyed.
After the riding the length of the Confederate line we said our good byes to Tim and Karma and we all headed home. All in all it was a great weekend on the bikes and with friends.
Saddlebag Lighting
As noted in a previous post, we had some work done on the Ultra Classic Limited. Today I will cover and review the Air Wing Saddlebag Lid Rail LED Light Kit (Part Number 68388-10) we had installed.
I am a big proponent of lighting up my rear end (the bike that is). This would not have been the first lighting change the rear I would have made but Frederick Harley Davidson had a good deal on for lights.
Air Wing Saddlebag Light (braking)
When we bought the bike the Air Wing Saddlebag Rails were already installed. The rails look good and prevent some of the normal scuffing that occurs when folks mount and dismount the bike. These lights fit under the little “wing” are almost invisible with the smoke lens (red is also available).
The lights function as supplemental running and brake lights only and that is why I am giving the lights a 4 out of 5 review. I can only assume that there is not enough room in the rail tubes to add the turn signal function, but that would have been a great additional feature and earned a 5th star.
We had some work done on the Ultra Classic Limited. Over the next few days I will describe what we had done by Frederick Harley Davidson.
Mirror with LED Turn Indicators
The first item is the fairing mounted mirrors. We purchased this because I was having issues seeing out of the standard mirrors. I am 5’8″ and sit well in OEM saddle but I needed to lean left or right to get a clear view of what was behind us. Because of that I have not been comfortable with knowing what was going on behind me. I have been associated with the fairing mounted mirrors on the Street Glide and I did not have a problem using that type of mirror. So I had the standard mirrors replaced with the fairing mounted type with illuminated chrome covers (Part Number 92600-10). The illumination provided is amber LED running lights which also function as another turn signal indicator.
So far so good, we had the 115 mile ride this past weekend during which I was continuously doing the minor adjustments one does with mirrors. I have the right mirror just where I want it but the left one still needs tweaked, but I am sure I will get it right soon.
My early review of this product would be 4 out 5. I would have liked the LEDs to be a bit larger in order to be even more visible.
…nowhere in particular. We did not start out that way; we had intentions of riding to Camp David (the presidential retreat in Maryland). I know that we would not get in to Camp David but riding up to the gate would have been cool. But, speaking of cool, it was anything but, by 10AM it was 85 degrees with 95 the high. So we thought better and decided to run around with no particular destination in mind.
115 miles later we had passed through a dozen small towns in Maryland and Virginia including Lovettesville, Point of Rocks, Poolsville, Brunswick, and Frederick. We stopped at the Monocacy Aqueduct (part of the C&O Canal) and dipped our feet into the cool water of the Monocacy River while sitting in the shade of the aqueduct itself. It was a fascinating notion that we were, basically, setting under what use to be a river that flowed over a river to move goods to and from Washington DC in the 1800’s.
While we were in Frederick we stopped by Frederick Harley Davidson. At the dealership we bought a magnetic tank pouch (part number 76000193) to hold my phone to the tank. I wanted this in order to connect the phone, and its music, to the Aux input with more ease vice pulling the cord to my rear pocket.
The pouch held very tightly to the tank and the neoprene like surface between the tank and the magnets gives me faith that the pouch will not mare the paint. The clear face of the pouch allows the user interact with the device. The only draw back is that in the heat of that day the phone got very hot, which killed the battery quite fast. Now I need to get a USB port to push into the cigarette lighter and a cord to charge the phone while it is playing.
After visiting the dealership we had lunch at the Mariachi restaurant. We have eaten there in the past and the food has been good today, maybe because we were so hot, it was only ok.
In the end Debbie and I had a nice day out on the bike going
nowhere in particular.
This past weekend was not one for any serious motorcycle riding for us. Saturday we attended an afternoon wedding and took care of some household chores. Sunday we oversleep and finished our chores.
We did get a short ride into town to pick up a few small items and get some lunch. We decided to eat at Payne’s Biker Bar (aka The Downtown Saloon), one of the few “biker bars” in Northern Virginia. The “décor” is biker themed and the menu has items named for bikes (Softail, Sportster). One of the most amusing items is a neon sign in the window (see pic) that states “Better off here than across the street”…well across the street is the county courthouse!
We have eaten there a few times in the past as well as visited when they have had live music. Debbie and I both had burgers which were served on cedar boards (different). The food was good and service was great.
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
Debbie and I rode to Waugh Harley Davidson in Orange, VA to participate in their 21st Annual “Big Damn Bike Show”! The ride to the dealership was nearly eighty miles and about ninety minutes long, passing through some of Virginia’s best farm and country land. Getting to and from the show we traveled on the James Madison Highway, the 29th Infantry Division Memorial Highway, the Seminole Trail, and the Zachary Tyler Highway.
We entered our bike, along with about 300 or so other bikes, into the show. There were another 600 to 1000 additional bikes lining the streets around the dealership which made this a bike watchers paradise. Waugh Harley Davidson, it turns out, has its own attached park called “Legends Park”, because of the tents erected in front of it I could not get a good picture of the park sign. The HOG (Harley Owners Group) club for this dealership has a sweet setup!
In addition to the bike show there were more than a dozen vendors and displays, including the ever present bikini bike wash! One of the more interesting displays was by a limo company; they had a stretched Harley Davidson Ford F250 Pickup with bubble bath in the truck bed. It was quite amusing each time a bunch of soap bubble would come floating across the park.
Musical entertainment was provided by the Zen Daddy band. They covered most of the hits from the 80’s, 90’s, and the 00’s (is 00 the right way to do that?). Debbie and I thought the band did a fine job. Mr. Waugh himself came out and played a couple tunes on the harmonica, for “older” gentlemen I was quite impressed with this talent and lung capacity. If you have time take a look at Waugh’s Facebook page for more pics and videos of the event.
Our bike finished second in our class and after looking at the winner I have some clear directions on what do for next time. Of course that means more chrome!
This past weekend the wife and I took a short ride. We have several “reoccurring” circuits that we enjoy some go north into Maryland, others west into West Virginia but this ride features the George Washington Parkway.
We left the house and traveled east on Route 7 until we reached the Fairfax County Parkway (for this road “Parkway” is derived from the fact there are over 50 stoplights between where we got on and the end of the road). Luckily, we hit very few lights and reached US Route 1 quickly.
From the Fairfax County Parkway to the turn for the GW Parkway Route 1 runs though Fort Belvoir. Ft. Belvoir was the last posting (4 years) my wife and I had before I retired from the Army after 25 years. The Fort holds a lot of special memories for us.
Mount Vernon Visitor’s Center
View from the GW
The GW actually starts at the Washington’s home Mount Vernon and heads north along the Potomac River. There are many overlooks and scenic stops along way all of which have great views or historic importance. On this trip we did not stop but I would highly recommend (beside Mount Vernon) a quick look at Fort Hunt.
Shortly past Fort Hunt you will enter the city of Alexandria and the first thing you will notice is the very old cemetery on the right. The cemetery (St. Paul’s) holds the “Grave of the Female Stranger” which is one of the more interesting stories of old Alexandria. If you are riding the GW you need to make time to visit “Old Town” Alexandria. There are lots of small shops, taverns,
Torpedo Factory
restaurants and art galleries. The largest gallery is the “Torpedo Factory”, named that way because during WWII it was a Torpedo Factory!
The next major landmark on the GW is Regan National Airport, while not a tourist destination for bikers, it does make for interesting views as large jetliners fly just a couple hundred feet
View from the GW
overhead! Almost as soon as you see the airport you will catch a glimpse of the Washington Monument over the trees. A few moments and a left hand curve later you will see not only the Washington Monument but the Jefferson and Lincoln monuments across the Potomac. But, because your eyes will be drawn to those major attractions, you will miss the Navy and Marine Memorial,
Another GW Pic
LBJ Memorial Grove, and Lady Bird Johnson Park!
Now is the time to decide if you want to go downtown DC or not, if you get in the left lane you will be directed towards the Arlington Memorial Bridge and the back of the Lincoln Memorial. Stay in the right lane and you will pass under the bridge and continue upriver along the parkway. As I mentioned
Arlington Memorial Bridge
earlier we were out for a scoot and did not stop very often nor did we go into the city on this trip.
One of the most invisible but one of the most powerful presidential monuments is the Theodore Roosevelt Memorial on Roosevelt Island. This is my favorite monument in the National Capitol Region but it is a bit of a hike from the parking lot (which is right off the GW), to the park at the center of the island. If you have the time I think this is well worth the stop.
While there are several minor attractions and overlooks the remainder of the GW is just a smooth tree lined ride…..until it ends on I495 exit 14! The GW basically throws you out on 5 lanes of beltway traffic that is normally bumper to bumper at any time of day.
Luckily our route leaves us in the right hand lane and exits within a ½ mile onto the Clara Barton Parkway. We normally turn left and continue to follow the river upstream but there is good reason to head down river and visit the home of Clara Barton (founder of the Red Cross) and take in parts of the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal.
Debbie at the Old Angler’s Inn
Rolling past the US Nave Surface Warfare the parkway soon ends and we decided to have a light lunch at the Old Anglers Inn. The Inn is Zaggat rated and the service was spectacular!
Old Angler’s Inn
After our meal we followed several different roads ending up at White’s Ferry. White’s Ferry is the only ferry currently operating on the Potomac River, having started in the early 1800’s. One of the interesting parts to note about the ferry is how deep the flood waters have been over the years. With different flood stages marked on the building, it is remarkable sight to realize you are a dozen or more feet below the surface!
Taking the Ferry across the Potomac to VA puts us about four miles from home and is a fun way to cap this ride. As we were nearing home I got an idea for another ride…tracing the route of the C&O Canal, maybe we will be able to slip this one in sometime in the near future.
Over the Memorial Day weekend we put a bunch of miles down on a long motorcycle ride. This year we made a decision to forgo Rolling Thunder and decided to ride in a poker run supporting the 1st Battalion 201st Field Artillery.
We left Leesburg, VA Thursday afternoon and traveled across I-70 (which was, interestingly, the first interstate project) and I-68 to Morgantown, WV. The 187 mile trip to Morgantown was uneventful except for the rain storm we hit about 30 minutes from our destination, we don’t have the nickname of “storm chasers” for nothing! Once we reached Morgantown, home of WVU, we stayed with our close friends Tim and Karma (Tim is the Battalion Commander of the 1/201st FA).
Friday was quite cool so we chose to just hang out. We visited Triple S Harley Davidson (I bought highway pegs) and then went to the movies. We watched the Hangover 3, it was the weakest of the three but I laughed so hard at the end I cried. Make sure you stay through the credits or you will miss the best part of the movie!
Saturday morning at 6:30 AM and 33 degrees we pulled out for the poker run. The poker run began and ended at the National Guard Armory, Belington, WV. 137 miles long, the run passed through Buckhannon, Fairmont, Elkins. I did not draw my cards well, ending up with a pair of aces and Debbie ended up with less than that, so obviously neither of us won any prizes.
Debbie at start of poker run
The ride for the poker run itself was nice, even if it was very cool, rolling through the back country roads of WV. One of many interesting spots was the covered bridge of Philippi built in 1852 and still used as a main road (US Route 250). We threw in some side trips during the event going to B&B Harley Davidson and Buffalo Wild Wings for lunch. By the time we made it back to Morgantown we had put exactly 300.0 miles on the bikes, and it was 46 degrees.
Debbie and Karma at Mount Summit Overlook
The next day, about noon, we set out again this time we linked up with Karma’s sister Kelly, her boyfriend Buba and their friends Jim and Joe. Riding though Fayette County, PA we had our first stop half way up Mount Summit at the lookout on Route 40. From the lookout you have a great view of the valley below and Uniontown, PA in particular. From the lookout we rode to lunch at Dogwood Acres Bar and Grill the atmosphere was biker friendly
Dogwood Acres Bar and Grill
(about 40 bikes in the lot), the food was good and the stories, while not repeatable on line, told by Joe were priceless.
Fried Goodness!
From the bar we rode on to Ohiopyle and took a look at the water falls. The area is a local meca for whitewater enthusiast and the roads were lined with cars carrying kayaks, rafts and canoes. One of our funnier moments happened at the Ohiopyle General Store, Tim wanted to try a fried Oreo and order three of the batter dipped cookies. Well, apparently Tim and the cook misunderstood each other and he got three orders of four cookies each! Everyone had a good laugh and then tried to help him out!
Kelly and Buba next took us to another local landmark, one I still have no real idea how to pronounce, the Youghiogheny Dam. The dam is an earthen structure built in 1944 with the intent to allow folks to drive across the top to the public access areas. At over 180 feet in height the view from the road on top of the dam was spectacular. From the dam we rolled to the National Pike Bar and Grill for some refreshments and then back to Tim and Karma’s house.
The next morning it was time to head back to VA. Tim and Karma rode with us from their home to Cumberland, PA where we had lunch and said our good byes. The traffic back to the DC Metro area was HEAVY with lots of stop, and go fast and stop again moments on I70. Eventually we made it back with 804 total miles for the holiday weekend, all in all a great time with friends!
I JUST WANT 2 RIDE!! 