Ken, Sorry we missed hooking up with you today, but Ferris and I made the best of it and put in a 250 or so mile day. Got to ride some great roads and ended up in Rocky Mount, VA, which was a bit further from home than either of us really planned to go...
Weather held for us though, hope you have the same success.
Jerry, Great day for a hall pass as always. Thanks a ton, brother, and look forward to the next trip!!!
Ken, no apology necessary - it can be difficult navigating thru new territory (especially with a caffiene deficit to contend with)...
Hope you have a safe (and dry!) rest of the ride home. It was great getting to know you via e-mail and phone, and you now know pretty much where I live - you're welcome here any time.
Alex, most-awesome-ride today, brother. Thx for being you (and love and hugs to Heather and Denise for letting us be us... )
I had to, er, make up for coming home a bit late this afternoon...
Alex, looks like I didn't get you in TOO much trouble - I must be losing my touch...
Ken, hope you don't mind if I spin a quick yarn on your thread. After I parted company with Alex yesterday afternoon I still had a couple-hour ride to get home. I was headed back on 58 and spied a new-to-me road to the south that called out as I motored by.
It turned out to be a PERFECT Buell road (never mind that I wasn't on a sportbike), all twisty and curvy and up 'n down, and normally I woulda been grinding the floorboards in short order.
EXCEPT..........the VA DOT had recently tarred and graveled some sections. The stuff wasn't particularly fresh, but new enough you couldn't trust the corners to be clean and marble-free.
As a result, I'm having to pick my way along at a sub-typical pace. It was then that I crested a sharp ridge and came face to face with a Virginia Highway Patrol car.
Why he was out here, on a quiet little road in the middle of frikkin' nowhere (to this point I hadn't seen a single car), is beyond me, but my butt puckered-up even tho I knew I wasn't being my normal Ferris-like self. I stole a quick glance at the speedo and lo and behold I was doing EXACTLY 45 mph, which was the posted speed limit.
I gave the trooper a wave on the way past, and he waved in return.
Sometimes ya get lucky, and this prolly woulda been an expensive ticket if it weren't for some pesky road repair work and, perhaps, a dash of good karma.
Looking forward to hearing/seeing the rest of your ride report, Ken.
good things happen to good people and everything happens for a reason, you just have to figure it out. god knows how many times i was greatful that i trusted my first instinct and plenty of time that i didn't.
FB No worries, we're among good folk here; I'm just now getting thing dried off. Getting morning shot of caffeine and got to get some work done at the shop today. How fast it all fleets, more to come. After departing Boone yesterday I went to Tazewell by way of 16. Narrow, twisty and without much choice of a line...it had rained recently and there were gravel and fallen rock to add to the challenge. After the rear and front each stepped out (once with an oncoming Connie), I said my thanks to the good lord and kept a 'scenic pace'.
Prior and his kewl Bluell Ulysses (sporting the obligatory "ADV" and "FYYFF" * stickers on his new aluminum beer chillers...) at Tuggles Gap.
After my close encounter with the VHP I had to stop and check my drawers. This narrow little two-track seemed like as good a place as any (after riding with Prior all day the RK had a raging case of Uly envy...)
The cool thing about taking your Hog places it was never meant to go is discovering stuff like this, which would make me 'n Denise a fine new dream home, doncha think?
After departing Boone yesterday I went to Tazewell by way of 16. Narrow, twisty...
Ken, glad you got to experience 16 - it's a peach. One of our riding neighbors sailed his bike off 16 a couple years ago. He came out of it with just some bumps and bruises, but the same can't be said for his motor...
The upshot is that he needed a new machine, and bought Denise's pristine Yamaha Virago. We took the funds, added some, and D's now got an '07 Ninja in the garage, which is just about the perfect motorcycle for a road like 16 (and for every other road around here...)
boy am I the heel for blowing our meeting...
No, you're not. We took a run of it, it didn't happen, and life goes on. We all got to spend a fine day on the road, and have planted the seeds for a new friendship.
Not sure how "foot loose and fancy free" you are, but there's an upcoming ride taking place down here over Memorial Day weekend, an annual gathering of some truly good folks and some truly fine roads.
I know JB2 is watching this thread - I'll let him extend the invite.
OK, got things a little sorted. Said goodbye to this fella
and even got some work done.....
So, after a little twisty therapy at Hot Springs...I'm off to Memphis. The weather is that weird blend of hot, humid, gusty....even caught some hail. About 60 miles out I even gear up and get the usual looks ranging between 'geez you're nuts' to 'watanidiot' but I had signed up for a Travelocity pick and was determined...
The bike is running pretty well, though hot restarts are a little finicky. Mileage is consistent, 38-45 mpg depending on the right hand. The motel, in a rather dodgy part of town turned out quite nice and both bike and gear remained intact. It had rained all night (did you know Wendy's will not serve a motorcyclist at the drive through...even in the rain?) but thankfully dry in the morning. In search of caffeine, found this joint in the Cooper-Young part of town.... where, audio-engineer-moonlighting-as-barista, Wes was figuring out what to do with life until his girlfriend graduated....ahh those were the days so I stepped out to grab duckie for a pic and here's what I found.... see the red duffle bag with duckie and camping gear? (I didn't either)...bleh...my cherry has been popped, first encounter with crime in my 25 years here...Memphis on that Tuesday turned out to be a bit of a bust. I had previously visited Graceland and my fav breakfast spot, Buns on the Run, had been shuttered, so my next stop was to the Gibson factory but no one was answering the phone, so I headed here: but Tuesdays' are their day off too.... but fortunately this joint was OPEN! and I showed up just before the lunch crowd.....
it is still a sweltering heat and I am determined to make a bee line for Nashville with a straight chug on the I40....
Ferris, JB Thanks for the invite and I hope to meet up in person soon. I currently have a local ride committed for Memorial Day...but I'm convinced I need to do more exploring around your neck of the woods..... speaking of which, if you're ever up this way...be sure to look me up. We've a couple of riding roads too; and don't forget Mark's soiree http://www.badweatherbikers.com/buell/messages/37/ 509463.html?1272582689
coming up in August. So Vern, get lost on your way home? I dunno, I seem to be making the most u-turns now that I try to rely on the GPS....
Ken, Sorry to hear about your furchild - as Kristi calls our little friends, looks like he? she? was a sweetheart. Rest in peace little one. Very sorry to hear about your loss there in town - blastards! Sometime remind Ferris to tell you the story of his P-ville California enounter when some banditos tried to make off with his gear, including helmet - envison a very, very, very angry Ferris on the Thong screaming down a busy California city street after a carload of wetbacks - one of those stories best told over a frosty mug and ceegar though, so guess you'll have to head back this way sometime. Denise
Ken, thx for posting more pix. Again, sorry about your cat. Also really bummed to learn that bandidos made off with your gear. That kinda stuff makes me absolutely seethe with anger. Good on ya for soldiering on and not letting it ruin your trip.
oops sorry, I got home this past Sunday, I was trying to duck around the storm but FAILED. I'm gonna have to see you ....at the end of the month? (not sure if I can make it yet)...sorry the posts are delayed, I got home and everything is now 'behind'....
Stomach full of porcine goodness, I step around the Beetle with the cute wrought iron sculpture strapped to its roof …with a color coordinated tie-down no less. I’m gliding down the highway, headed for Nashville and the Music City Hostel. The skies look downright MEAN, so I keep it efficient and I40-it....getting blown around a bit...
There I meet Ron and Tracy, hosts and I get to sign forms….to include initials at “I will not conduct any sexual activity in common areas”. A young lady from Amsterdam, here to study country music, shows me to my bunk. Strip, chill and relax. ATGATT can be painfully hot.
Once things cool off I actually walk to the COCO Café for dinner, beer and people watching at this all-night joint. Here’s the grub:
Why I like the place:
Hostels are a way to meet some intriguing characters. Mike here is from Manchester, got a ‘severance package’ last year and has been traveling the world….someone liberated his backpack from the rental car, so here he is, proudly sporting his brand new Wally-world outfit...
Wednesday morning has a slow, slow start. Having had my share of BBQ …Nashville becomes an ethnic dining mini-trip with lunch here
Spent the afternoon at the Frist Center, with a really neat exhibit by U-RAM Choe in the back. If you’re into mechanical sculptures…might want to check it out….
Well, what’s up with the museum bit? It was extremely hot, muggy and looked like any-minute-thunder (now we know)….the a/c was nice. I’d previously visited the Country Music Hall of Fame and highly recommend it. Economic times has claimed one of favorite dining joints (Alley Cat Lounge), so I scour a little and find Korean for supper.
Jewel plays at the Bluebird Café tonight but $200 a ticket is a little too rich for me. Well, Mike and fellow hostel-ier Sherry and I find an an open mic (free!) at the Holiday Inn. There’s a lot of talent in this town! Cheap, clean fun….that’s alright with me. Thursday I head out to find Bumpus HD…..
And thanks to my total lack of planning…discover Jeremy was off that day…..got me a little T-shirt tho….turns out I’m still in the system from a couple of years ago when changing the rear tire on the Uly. Only two Buell’s left here….good job FB!
Well, I try not to t-bone the motorcycle cop as I leave Bumpus and head out to Asheville … mostly on 70…and more or less lost most of the time…..
Thanks Nashville!....and my sincerest wishes for a quick recovery from the floods...
I hope you did not get lost in a time warp. I have been waiting to hear from you.
