Paris, Virginia!
The city of lights!
Posts Tagged ‘Motorcycle Ride’
Motorcycle Ride: I took the wife to Paris
Posted: June 22, 2015 in Motorcycle, Motorcycle Rides, motorcycle touringTags: Harley Davidson, Motorcycle, motorcycle blog, Motorcycle Ride, motorcycle touring, paris, Sportbike, VA, Virginia
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Hancock Visitor Center: C and O Canal Motorcycle Ride
Posted: June 11, 2015 in C&O Canal, motorcycle touringTags: C&O Canal, Hancock, Harley Davidson, Maryland, MD, Motorcycle, motorcycle blog, Motorcycle Ride, motorcycle touring, sport bike
Location – Hancock Visitor Center
Mile Marker –123
Historical Comments – The Hancock Visitors Center is located in the Bowles House. Construction of the home began in the mid 1700s and thus pre-dates construction of the canal. The house sits near Lock 52 and after this part of the canal was opened the residents would sell/trade with the canal boats as they transited through the lock. Passing through several hands over the next century it remained private property until the 1980s.
Hancock is one of the oldest settlements in western Maryland. George Washington stayed here several times while he was surveying the area as a young man. During the Civil War Hancock was held for ransom by the Confederate Army, but no one paid ransom.
Ride to Site – The Hancock Visitors Center is not easy to find and is poorly signed. If you are approaching from the east you are riding on I70, the visitor’s center is almost immediately on the left side of road (Main Street/MD 144) as you reach the bottom of the exit. It is hidden between guardrails and trees as you ride down the interstate exit. I rode past the entrance, the fact it was there never registered.
Coming from the west you might see the sign for the visitor’s center if it is not hidden by tree branches. It is located between the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) building and the ramp to I70.
Amenities – Visitors Center, public restrooms, parking, all normal amenities in the town of Hancock.
Road Conditions (from main road) – rough pavement with loose gravel. The entrance/exit is on a somewhat sharp incline please pay attention to your line of travel for the gravel that has been kicked onto the pavement.
Railway Situation – none
Parking Lot Conditions –Pea gravel and dirt with a bit of pavement.
Main Attraction – The first floor of the Bowles house has been converted in to the visitor’s center. There are several artifacts of the construction period of the canal as well as photographs of the area during the period the canal was open. Lock #52 is also on the grounds of the visitor’s center and is in good shape.
My Thoughts – This visitor center does not have amount of information on the canal as does the nearby Williamsport visitor’s center. It is difficult to find and is only open Memorial Day thorough Labor Day.
Map
Difficult to find!
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- Top of the hill is Main Street.
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- The actual canal with the connection to trail.
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- Lock #52
Out and About on our Motorcycle
Posted: June 9, 2015 in C&O Canal, Motorcycle, Motorcycle RidesTags: Electra Glide Ultra Limited, Harley Davidson, Maryland, Motorcycle, motorcycle blog, Motorcycle Ride, motorcycle touring, Sportbike, Virginia, West Virginia
Last Sunday morning Debbie and I jumped on the Ultra Limited (I think I am going to call it Big Blue) for a day ride. With no real destination in mind we thought about hitting a couple spots on the C&O Canal. If you have been following this blog you know I am slowly documenting those spots along the canal assessable by motorcycle.
Old school McDonalds.
We left the house about 9AM heading west. We stopped for a bit of breakfast at a McDonalds along Route 9 near Charles Town, WV. As you can see in the photo it is one of those restaurants designed to look like an old school McDonalds, pretty cool.
After filling out tanks (including Big Blue’s) we continued west on WV Route 9 then north on Interstate 81 then west on Interstate 70. Normally we like the back roads much more than the Interstate but today we thought it would be better on the highway. Pulling off into Hancock, Md we begin looking for the stops on the Canal but also found some other cool things as well, like the huge anti-aircraft missile in front of a Veterans of Foreign War (VFW) building.
We found both stops along the C&O, the Tonoloway stop and the Hancock Visitors Center. The visitor’s center was very hard to find as it is not well signed and the road into the park was practically invisible unless you are looking for it as we were.
Heading back east we wanted to stop at one additional canal stop (4 Locks) and we did but not the one we were looking for. Again the signage was bad and we happened upon C&O Canal Dam #5 only because I noticed a street called Dam #5 Road (quite imaginative) and the fact that I knew there was a C&O dam in the general area. But the fact we did not find the area we were looking for was no big deal as the area was great riding, rolling hills, great farmland views all made up for not finding the site.
After looking about Dam #5 we mounted up and headed for home. On the way home we started seeing hundreds of motorcycles heading north and west along our route. When we stopped for lunch we asked a couple who were riding if they know what was occurring. Turns out it was the aftermath of “Operation God Bless America” a ride from New Castle, PA to the Veterans Hospital in Martinsburg, WV. We have never heard of this particular ride before but with, according to the couple to which we spoke, over 2000 bikes it is one we will check out in the future.
Unfortunately we had to head home to some yard work. But, as you can tell by the pictures, we had a good time on our 200+ mile day trip.
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- I would rather ride the bike!
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- Just outside Hancock MD
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- Me in front of Dam #5
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- Crossing the Shenandoah River
Motorcycle Ride: Skyline Drive 2015
Posted: April 26, 2015 in Motorcycle Rides, motorcycle touringTags: Café Racer, custom motorcycle, Harley Davidson, motorcycle blog, Motorcycle Ride, motorcycle touring, national park, Skyline Drive, Thornton Gap, Virginia
A bit ago my wife, Debbie, and I along with our friends Tim and Karma rode the length of Skyline Drive on our motorcycles. We made the ride
Pit stop in Front Royal, VA
before the leaves appear from their winter hibernation and the views from the drive were nothing but spectacular!
As we left Tim and Karma’s home the morning was crisp, cool, bright and sunny, it appeared that we had a great day form riding ahead of us. Mostly taking the small roads, it took a little over an hour to ride to Front Royal, VA, which is the northern terminus of the national park. When we arrived at Front Royal we stopped to top of the bikes (there is only three gas stations on Skyline Drive) and goofed off for a few minutes.
Getting back on the road, we immediately made a wrong turn and missed the Front Royal park entrance. That wrong turn became a disguised blessing as we got to ride up Thornton Gap to the next Skyline Drive entry point. Thornton Gap (US Route 211) is a twisty bit of motorcycle heaven, enough so that it warrants a special sign at the bottom to warn bikers that this is a high crash area. I HIGHLY recommend that if you are riding Skyline Drive that you jump off to ride this bit of highway!
Once on the parkway it turns out this ride was better than most of our trips to the park. Very little traffic, no park police, awesome views everywhere you looked and great friends made this a special day to ride. We stopped often to admire the panoramic views, but with 75 overlooks into the valleys below trying to stop at them all it would make for a very long day. With the stunning country view and nary a metropolitan area in sight, is hard to believe that we are less than 100 miles from the Washington DC rat race.
I have come to the conclusion that early spring, before the leaves exploded into life, has to be the best time to ride Skyline drive. As note before we did not encounter a lot of cars but we did see a lot of other motorcyclist riding everything from sport bikes, café racers to other touring bikes.
The ride from Thornton Gap entrance to the southern end of the park took us about 3 ½ hours. Charlottesville and the University of Virginia are a short trip to the east and we decided to ride into to town and have a late lunch. The last time Debbie and I were in Charlottesville we were picking up our black Ultra Limited, which we traded a year later for our new blue Ultra Limited.
During our lunch we debated our route back finally settling on Route 15. The ride north to our respective homes was uneventful. All in all we sent about 8 hours and a bit over 350 miles in the saddle that day. Good friends, good rides make for a good day!
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- Reflecting on Skyline Drive
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- Tim’s new friend?
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- Photo bombed
BMW Recalls 300,000 R and K Series Motorcycles 2003-2011
Posted: March 12, 2015 in Motorcycle advocacy, Motorcycle news, motorcycle safetyTags: BMW motorcycle, BMW recall, Harley, Motorcycle, motorcycle blog, motorcycle recall, Motorcycle Ride, motorcycle safety, motorcycle touring, motorrad
BMW recalls 300,000 R and K motorcycles
That is a bunch of bikes and is a worldwide recall.
The issue for this recall is over “The rear wheel flange that may crack as result of brake disc bolts or wheel nuts being over-tightened”. The recall begins with R and K series motorcycles built between November 2003 and April 2011. BMW Motorrad will replace the rear wheel flange as a precaution.
BMW states: “Based on ongoing quality analyses, it was found that in the case of incorrectly carried-out maintenance work excessive torque may be applied to the brake disk bolts or to the nuts when changing wheels, contrary to the values specified in the BMW Motorrad repair instructions or operating instructions.”
“Cracks and damage can occur in the wheel flange as a result of excessive torques. BMW Motorrad has therefore decided to exchange the wheel flange with a more robust part as a precaution.”
If you want to check for your particular motorcycle check out www.safercar.gov . You will need to enter your VIN number to get results for your bike.
Year round motorcycle riding…not so much for 2015
Posted: February 15, 2015 in MotorcycleTags: dirt bike, electric mini bike, Harley Davidson, motorcycle blog, Motorcycle Ride, razon, year roundders
The Grandsons out on the motorcycles
Well I wrote to soon on my year round motorcycle riding accomplishment. In 2014 I was able to ride in every month of the year. Wellllllll 2015 is already finished for this effort.
While there were a few days that were “reasonable” as far a riding here in Northern Virginia I had other priorities on those days and did not get out on two wheels. For example on January the first I could have rode in a “Polar Bear” ride with the NOVA MC but elected to spend it with my grandsons watching them learn to ride their new mini-bikes. It’s all about the priorities.
Modern Day Easy Riders : reBloged from The many thoughts of a Harley Girl
Posted: February 9, 2015 in Motorcycle, Motorcycle Rides, Motorcycle TVTags: chopper, Harley, Joe Suta, Marching to the sea, motorcycle blog, Motorcycle Ride, motorcycle touring, motorcycle TV
Not sure how I came across her blog…just the wonders of the web, I guess. But she had this wonderful video on her site so check out the video above and her blog:
The many thoughts of a Harley Girl
Some 2015 Motorcycle Riding Goals
Posted: January 11, 2015 in C&O Canal, Motorcycle, Motorcycle Rides, motorcycle touringTags: Appalachian Waters Scenic Byway, C&O Canal, Harley, Iron butt, motorcycle blog, Motorcycle Ride, motorcycle riding, motorcycle touring, route 39, sport bike, Sportbike
What the likelihood of completing these goals…. quite high I hope! None of these are to terribly difficult, if I chose to make some time. But, time is always an issue, I either make time to do this or let life get in the way. Hopefully I will choose right this year.
Ride the Appalachian Waters Scenic Byway – This is one of the roads on my motorcycle bucket list. It would be a weekend trip for us if we left early on both Saturday and Sunday and we would have an overnight stay with my Mother.
Take at least 1 long trip with wife – A few years ago we planned a trip that would take us to Niagara Falls, across Canada to the Harley Davidson Museum, south to Kansas to visit our daughter and then home. Life conspired to prevent that trip, but something like that should be on order for this year.
Iron butt 1000 – I-81 to south of Knoxville ,TN and back in 24 hours or less.
Practice more – work on my slow speed skills, tighten up my left and right circles.
Ride more miles then 2014 – between all the bikes last year we had a bit over 7500 miles. That should not be too hard to overcome just if I commute on the bikes a little more often. Oh, and take the long way home in the evenings. The way I keep track of my season mileage is through the “B” trip meter. Early each year I reset the “B” meter to 0 so I know the total for the year while using the “A” meter for anything else.
Attend a HOG Rally for at least 1 day – Depending on where the rallies for VA/WV/MD/DE/PA are I should be able to make that happen.
C and O Canal – knock out a bunch of those stops this year. If you have read this blog for a while you noticed I have attempted to document those stops that are accessible via motorcycle. I did not do that many last year.
I am sure there are other things that I should add to the list but the more I add the more I might regret not completing. 🙂
5 Motorcycle “Things” I found interesting this week.
Posted: December 23, 2014 in Motorcycle newsTags: Café Racer, Harley Davidson, Motorcycle, motorcycle blog, Motorcycle Ride, motorcycle riding, motorcycle safety, motorcycle touring, sons of anarchy, south carolinia motorcycle, volcano tour
Just some things that peaked by interest this week.
Washington State make a great safety video please share!
WWII Harley Davidson Prototypes
Child Seats for motorcycles in South Carolina?
Sons of Anarchy Prop Auction
The Pacific Northwest Coast Volcano Tour
Year Round Motorcycle Riding: The Rounders
Posted: December 21, 2014 in Motorcycle, Motorcycle news, Motorcycle Rides, motorcycle touringTags: Electra Glide Ultra Limited, Harley Davidson, Motorcycle, motorcycle blog, Motorcycle Ride, motorcycle riding, motorcycle touring, sport bike, Sportbike
I officially declare that I have ridden a motorcycle at least once during each month of 2014. This makes me a “Rounder” according to the site yearrounders.com. While I have ridden like this in the past I did not know there was a name or a group for this type of accomplishment.
I use the world accomplishment very much tongue-in-cheek as I enjoy riding as often as possible and have the gear to ride when I want. But, if you review their website (yearrounders.com), you will see that the rounders enjoy the same tongue-in-cheek approach.
Riding our Harley Davidson Ultra Limited Debbie and I have put down just over 7000 miles in all kinds of weather. According to their temperature guide, we have checked off all but three of their categories, and I have no plans to knock the those three off this year. 🙂
- 100’s+ Red Hot Rounder (check)
- 90’s Sweating Rounder (check)
- 80’s Half Baked Rounder (check)
- 70’s – R&R (Rounder Relaxing) (check)
- 60’s -Jr. Rounder (Just Riding) (check)
- 50’s – LOTF Rounder (Looking Over The Fence) (check)
- 40’s – FOTF Rounder (Fringe of the Fringe) (check)
- 30’s – Half Rounder (check)
- 20’s – TQ Rounder (Three Quarts)
- 0-20 – Rounder
- KHOF Rounder (Kook Hall of Fame)
Whether or not you are or even want to be a year rounder you should check out their website for the fun of it!
I JUST WANT 2 RIDE!! 