After taking the Duc over to my sons for storage in early November I decided to see if I could squeeze a little more time out of the Road King. With good cold weather gear I was able to ride a few more times. But after a first snowfall in late November I finally gave in and rode it over there a couple of days later.
And then winter came. Close to 40cm of fresh snow this week and that is it....it is over!!!
And now starts the winter of my discontent. I will not see the ground again until April and so bikes and golf clubs are tucked away and gone for about 4-5 months. I hate it this typical eastern Canadian winter. I don't ski or snowboard or ice skate out of doors so here I sit my days only lightened and brightened momentarily when a motorcycle magazine arrives or I cruise the web looking at cool parts.
I may be quiet over the next little while or may come and use this space to rant and rave a little about stuff.
Speaking of rants I can't resist.
Happy End of Year Celebrations to you all. At least that is what we have been told to call the upcoming holiday lest we offend someone at work who doesn't share it. Well you know what. To all the PCers and Senior Management who foster and nurture this stupidity.....a POX on you all and in closing just let me say
MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL......yes let me repeat it......MERRY CHRISTMAS
They may come and haul me away and send me off for reprogramming but it is worth it.
Tuesday, December 4, 2007
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
Last Ride for the Year?
Haven't posted anything here for awhile.
Decided on the 12th of October to head down to Gilbertsville NY to visit a firend. Just a little over 500km from home. It was a cold damp day with temps in the 5-6C degree range and got mistier as I passed through Adirondack Park. Rain threatened continuously but nary a drop fell. Clemintine ran like a champ and I enjoyed the quiet. At this time of year there is very little traffic on the road and I like it that way.
Anyway got to NY and spent that evening drinking a little scotch and helping load wood into the cellar of my buddy's farmhouse. Spent Saturday loading a little more wood and touring around the area looking for used furniture and other bargains. Closed the evening with a fine pork roast and a little more scotch.
I had to be back at work on Monday so I left first thing Sunday. A beautiful cool autumn day and let me tell you I could have turned Clemintine in any direction and just kept going for a month or two.
Next Spring I will be adding a new seat and some other accoutremonts to help my wife be comfortable on the back. I really think it would be cool if she caught the bug and got herself a motorcycle. Francesca could easily be sacrificed in exchange for whatever struck her fancy. Then the two of us could head out together looking for those endless 2 lane highways and the small little podunk towns along the way.
Well that is it for now as I seem to have been a bit verbose today. Still riding to work and will do so until it starts to get icy. Dang I hate living in a place where I have to store the bike for 5 months of the year and oh yeah besides that work is starting to become somewhat of an inconvenience as well......I mean when am I supposed to find time to ride.
Decided on the 12th of October to head down to Gilbertsville NY to visit a firend. Just a little over 500km from home. It was a cold damp day with temps in the 5-6C degree range and got mistier as I passed through Adirondack Park. Rain threatened continuously but nary a drop fell. Clemintine ran like a champ and I enjoyed the quiet. At this time of year there is very little traffic on the road and I like it that way.
Anyway got to NY and spent that evening drinking a little scotch and helping load wood into the cellar of my buddy's farmhouse. Spent Saturday loading a little more wood and touring around the area looking for used furniture and other bargains. Closed the evening with a fine pork roast and a little more scotch.
I had to be back at work on Monday so I left first thing Sunday. A beautiful cool autumn day and let me tell you I could have turned Clemintine in any direction and just kept going for a month or two.
Next Spring I will be adding a new seat and some other accoutremonts to help my wife be comfortable on the back. I really think it would be cool if she caught the bug and got herself a motorcycle. Francesca could easily be sacrificed in exchange for whatever struck her fancy. Then the two of us could head out together looking for those endless 2 lane highways and the small little podunk towns along the way.
Well that is it for now as I seem to have been a bit verbose today. Still riding to work and will do so until it starts to get icy. Dang I hate living in a place where I have to store the bike for 5 months of the year and oh yeah besides that work is starting to become somewhat of an inconvenience as well......I mean when am I supposed to find time to ride.
Wednesday, October 3, 2007
Francesca and the defibrillator
Went out this weekend to start Francesca in preparation for a ride to work on Monday. Her battery gave one slow spin and then clickety clickety. DEAD!!!
Figured this would be a good time to try the mini-charger I bought this year. Of course unlike Clementine who exposes things like that with just a lift of the seat Fracesca's heart is not so easy to get at. In the interests of sleekness and Italian beauty Ducati saw fit to place her battery under the right fairing centre section. Of course the side fairing is in three pieces and the bottom and top come off in order to get at the centre section. So about 45 minutes later the battery is exposed and the charger goes on. I must say these little chargers work great! Twelve hours later and she is ready to again. Fairing is back on it's off to work tomorrow. This is good as the weather is calling for a bit of rain and she provides much better weather protection than the Harley does.
Off again next weekend for New York to visit a friend from Kosovo. Nothin too far just a little burg about 30 miles from Cooperstown and about a 7 hour ride through Adirondack State Park. Colours should still be good and I will take rain gear and cool weather gear just in case.
Later
Figured this would be a good time to try the mini-charger I bought this year. Of course unlike Clementine who exposes things like that with just a lift of the seat Fracesca's heart is not so easy to get at. In the interests of sleekness and Italian beauty Ducati saw fit to place her battery under the right fairing centre section. Of course the side fairing is in three pieces and the bottom and top come off in order to get at the centre section. So about 45 minutes later the battery is exposed and the charger goes on. I must say these little chargers work great! Twelve hours later and she is ready to again. Fairing is back on it's off to work tomorrow. This is good as the weather is calling for a bit of rain and she provides much better weather protection than the Harley does.
Off again next weekend for New York to visit a friend from Kosovo. Nothin too far just a little burg about 30 miles from Cooperstown and about a 7 hour ride through Adirondack State Park. Colours should still be good and I will take rain gear and cool weather gear just in case.
Later
Thursday, September 27, 2007
ROAD TRIP
Road Trip
Well this is my first actual post to this Bloggy thing.
Spent the second week in September touring a number of American States by motorcycle with a friend. The bikes ran well with the exception of the sorry excuse of a seat on my Road King. That thing will find a garbage can come Spring. It astounds me that companies can advertise and sell bikes as “touring” motorcycles (this includes most brands) and then put a fifty cent seat on that isn’t comfortable 20 minutes out of your driveway. Oh well it is good for the aftermarket.
Speaking of shopping for things for the bike my trip to the US has convinced me that I will no longer deal with the gouging Canadian retailers in any way shape or form. With the dollar at par I still see a whopping 30-50% price difference. Thanks boys but may your stock rot on the shelves.
Well, back to the trip. The first thing that struck me was the condition of American highways, and no I am not talking about interstates. This trip of 3000km saw us on interstates for less than 100km, the rest was on 2 lane backroads through every little Podunk town and burg out there and guess what. The asphalt was like glass. I can sum up U.S. vs. Canada road maintenance as follows.
Canada….
”Looks like we have a pothole or 30 here Jake what should we do?”
“Well Jim lets take care of that right away”
“Okay Jake I will get a crew out to repair it.”
“Don’t be stupid Jim just put up one of these BUMP AHEAD signs and we are good for the next 5 years.”
U.S…….
”Looks like we have the start of a possible pothole here Bob what should we do?”
“Well Steve lets take care of that right away”
“Okay Bob I will get a crew out to repair it.”
“Don’t be stupid Jake put the order in and we will repave this section and the next 50 miles as well just to be sure there are no more.”
Besides that good food, good beer and low prices. For example 8 oz. (was way closer to 16oz. than 8) Prime Rib, salad bar and two pints of a fine Black and Tan all for less than $20. Another night a great meatball Calzone, 3 pints of the same all for $12.
Also stopped and saw "Falling Water" for those of you who don't know what it is.....look it up. It is amazing
I do love living close to the border.
Well this is my first actual post to this Bloggy thing.
Spent the second week in September touring a number of American States by motorcycle with a friend. The bikes ran well with the exception of the sorry excuse of a seat on my Road King. That thing will find a garbage can come Spring. It astounds me that companies can advertise and sell bikes as “touring” motorcycles (this includes most brands) and then put a fifty cent seat on that isn’t comfortable 20 minutes out of your driveway. Oh well it is good for the aftermarket.
Speaking of shopping for things for the bike my trip to the US has convinced me that I will no longer deal with the gouging Canadian retailers in any way shape or form. With the dollar at par I still see a whopping 30-50% price difference. Thanks boys but may your stock rot on the shelves.
Well, back to the trip. The first thing that struck me was the condition of American highways, and no I am not talking about interstates. This trip of 3000km saw us on interstates for less than 100km, the rest was on 2 lane backroads through every little Podunk town and burg out there and guess what. The asphalt was like glass. I can sum up U.S. vs. Canada road maintenance as follows.
Canada….
”Looks like we have a pothole or 30 here Jake what should we do?”
“Well Jim lets take care of that right away”
“Okay Jake I will get a crew out to repair it.”
“Don’t be stupid Jim just put up one of these BUMP AHEAD signs and we are good for the next 5 years.”
U.S…….
”Looks like we have the start of a possible pothole here Bob what should we do?”
“Well Steve lets take care of that right away”
“Okay Bob I will get a crew out to repair it.”
“Don’t be stupid Jake put the order in and we will repave this section and the next 50 miles as well just to be sure there are no more.”
Besides that good food, good beer and low prices. For example 8 oz. (was way closer to 16oz. than 8) Prime Rib, salad bar and two pints of a fine Black and Tan all for less than $20. Another night a great meatball Calzone, 3 pints of the same all for $12.
Also stopped and saw "Falling Water" for those of you who don't know what it is.....look it up. It is amazing
I do love living close to the border.
Sunday, September 9, 2007
Okay, This is it
My first Blog. Never kept a Diary or anything of that sort. This is mine. A place for talking about my favourite subjects. A place for rambling on about politics, stupid things I have seen and stupid things I have done plus ongoing commentary about the ever increasing degenerative state of the world in general.
I may offend, I may elicit a laugh, I may cause groans but you know what........I don't care cause this is mine and no one needs to stay and read.
I will use my time to speak my mind so check back from time to time if you have nothing better to do than waste a little of yours.
I may offend, I may elicit a laugh, I may cause groans but you know what........I don't care cause this is mine and no one needs to stay and read.
I will use my time to speak my mind so check back from time to time if you have nothing better to do than waste a little of yours.
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