Had so much fun thought I'd go camping on a REAL bike tonight.
Another nice ridgeline site at Wildcat Mountain State Park.
Another nice ridgeline site at Wildcat Mountain State Park.
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Just Ride.
- Thread starter Jim
- Start date
Well done, very nice.
Those are some great photos!
Parece que todos han tenido un gran día!!
As noted in another thread I just got back from a four day trip with my two brothers and a friend to NC, TN and North GA. We got a little (actually a lot) wet but overall a pretty fun trip except for an ill-advised side trip to Gatlinberg. Never again... Anyway, did the Dragon a few times because there was hardly anybody else there. We also visited the Wheels Through Time museum while in Maggie Valley. After that I called an audible and we beat it back down the 23 to avoid the coming storms and because my brothers had a 20 hour drive back to Denver.
I was on my '16 FJR, one brother was on his '14 FJR and my littlest brother was on his new Harley with a 128cu in Stage IV. My friend Dan, rode his KTM 900 adventure bike. I'm the one with the Hell No You're not taking my AR15 shirt. The river is the Cheoah and you can see how swollen it is from the rain we had rode thru all day.
Good times.
Oh, and after listening to days worth of "My Harley is bad ass and your Yamaha is _____" We settled it with a rolling start and I shut it down at 103 mph in 3rd because the Harley wasn't gaining.
I was on my '16 FJR, one brother was on his '14 FJR and my littlest brother was on his new Harley with a 128cu in Stage IV. My friend Dan, rode his KTM 900 adventure bike. I'm the one with the Hell No You're not taking my AR15 shirt. The river is the Cheoah and you can see how swollen it is from the rain we had rode thru all day.
Good times.
Oh, and after listening to days worth of "My Harley is bad ass and your Yamaha is _____" We settled it with a rolling start and I shut it down at 103 mph in 3rd because the Harley wasn't gaining.
Oh, and after listening to days worth of "My Harley is bad ass and your Yamaha is _____" We settled it with a rolling start and I shut it down at 103 mph in 3rd because the Harley wasn't gaining.
Allison said come ride with ME.
It'll be FUN she said.
But Gary, home is THAT way....
It'll be FUN she said.
But Gary, home is THAT way....
Actually it went pretty well.
Allison said come ride with ME.
View attachment 197047
It'll be FUN she said.
But Gary, home is THAT way....
Looks like Madness
I've been aboard a horse twice in my 70+ years.
The experience resulted in an absolutely inviolable rule: I do NOT throw a leg over anything that doesn't have handlebars and brakes.
The experience resulted in an absolutely inviolable rule: I do NOT throw a leg over anything that doesn't have handlebars and brakes.
Fully agree when it comes to horses, but, inviolable rule, uhm no . . .
Point taken, but after 46 years of marriage...
Riding an ahem "more spirited" horse often involves a period of establishing who's the boss. After that things tend to go more smoothly. (if you won that first disagreement) But yeah way back when I met Allison the first rides had me screaming "where's the damned brakes?" Oh Allison sez you have to "convince the horse you know what's best for it". Some of yesterday's trail was challenging; muddy water crossings and going over and 'round downed trees in thick woods on steep hillsides.
Riding an ahem "more spirited" horse often involves a period of establishing who's the boss. After that things tend to go more smoothly. (if you won that first disagreement) But yeah way back when I met Allison the first rides had me screaming "where's the damned brakes?" Oh Allison sez you have to "convince the horse you know what's best for it". Some of yesterday's trail was challenging; muddy water crossings and going over and 'round downed trees in thick woods on steep hillsides.
Which was exactly my problem. I had NO idea what I was doing and the horse(s) knew it.
That’s the issue. The horse has its own brain and knows how to use it.
Riding an ahem "more spirited" horse often involves a period of establishing who's the boss. After that things tend to go more smoothly. (if you won that first disagreement) But yeah way back when I met Allison the first rides had me screaming "where's the damned brakes?" Oh Allison sez you have to "convince the horse you know what's best for it". Some of yesterday's trail was challenging; muddy water crossings and going over and 'round downed trees in thick woods on steep hillsides.
Horse: This guy thinks he’s the boss huh? Time for his first lesson.
Been on a horse exactly once. Skeered and the horse knew it...
If it don't have a brake lever.... I ain't kickin' the starter...
If it don't have a brake lever.... I ain't kickin' the starter...
Inspection Station:
There's a lot of bikes people won't give two glances, but they'll holler out across Catfish king, "Who belongs to that XS out there?" I'm with the brother-in-law on his Shadow and the neighbor on his Road King. It just kills em'.
Couple days ago I headed the 7 miles and two stop lights into town to get my bike inspected. Coming into the edge of the city, the first light had caught a tractor trailer driver on the right. I needed to make a left into the station after the second light so I pulled up along side the tractor. What the? The driver has his window rolled down and is hollering, grinning and taking pix. I can't hear over the tractor and my peashooters but, "Yeah, Ok, Thanks So much!" Light turns green and I'm up the road, a quick left and pulls up to the station.
I was directed to park just left of the inspection bay door. I put her up on the center stand and started fishing for my insurance papers. A guy taps me on the shoulder. It's the tractor driver! He's got his rig parked in the turn lane! It looks a football field long! He's locking up the entrance of Micky-D's and Super Walmart! The little XS has a commanding presents and I'm starting to get a big head. This is a dangerous time because something always happens when everybodys looking. As the guy is talking and preparing to take his leave, a big black and blacked-out Dodge Ram truck pulls up in front of the bay along side me. I'm shaking my head, mesmerized, as I watch the driver trot back out across the ramp and two lanes of traffic to mount his rig. This action is not lost on the driver of the black truck. His head is craned around. Does he know I can see him behind his dark windows? Now he has his eyes hooked on the XS.
I take my insurance papers inside and the guy with his clipboard follows me back out. Horn, yep, Lights, yep, Blinkers, yep. We go back inside and a couple minutes later, I'm good to go. Outside, I get snagged by a guy on a bench, grinning and pointing . I said, "thanks" while zipping up me jacket and pulling on me nose pickers. A dangerous time, I tell you. Everybody is looking! The guy in the truck behind his blacked out windows, still with his eyes hooked on the bike. Baby, don't let me down now! I throw my leg over and rock her off the center stand. Fuel on, key on, got a green light and flick out the kicker. I lean her a bit to the left and push down gently till I feel compression. I'm excited and I rolls on a bit more throttle than intended as I complete the kick. The pea shooters roar to life and I can see the guy in the truck jump! That-a-girl! I'm gona make my exit to the left but I start pushing back to see what's coming behind the truck.
Oh, my God! The planets are all in the right place to-day! I see two inch, raised chrome letters on the side of that black truck bed, the only chrome on the whole truck... H-A-R-L-E-Y D-A-V-I-D-S-O-N. There's only one Harley dealer in town and this guy was a big Kahuna. She was just ticking over. A couple of small blips on the throttle and we rolled out gentle like, just like we knew what we were doing. We bad to da' bone! I strained a few nerve synapses trying to figure out what he was going to say when he got back to the dealership. Maybe like seeing a UFO, being a smart man, he said nothing?
I hate inspections and I hate going into town. But for a 14 mile round robin and a 35 minute trip, the fun factor doesn't get any better than this. If she had been one of my horses, I would have given her extra oats!
Keep on riding!
There's a lot of bikes people won't give two glances, but they'll holler out across Catfish king, "Who belongs to that XS out there?" I'm with the brother-in-law on his Shadow and the neighbor on his Road King. It just kills em'.
Couple days ago I headed the 7 miles and two stop lights into town to get my bike inspected. Coming into the edge of the city, the first light had caught a tractor trailer driver on the right. I needed to make a left into the station after the second light so I pulled up along side the tractor. What the? The driver has his window rolled down and is hollering, grinning and taking pix. I can't hear over the tractor and my peashooters but, "Yeah, Ok, Thanks So much!" Light turns green and I'm up the road, a quick left and pulls up to the station.
I was directed to park just left of the inspection bay door. I put her up on the center stand and started fishing for my insurance papers. A guy taps me on the shoulder. It's the tractor driver! He's got his rig parked in the turn lane! It looks a football field long! He's locking up the entrance of Micky-D's and Super Walmart! The little XS has a commanding presents and I'm starting to get a big head. This is a dangerous time because something always happens when everybodys looking. As the guy is talking and preparing to take his leave, a big black and blacked-out Dodge Ram truck pulls up in front of the bay along side me. I'm shaking my head, mesmerized, as I watch the driver trot back out across the ramp and two lanes of traffic to mount his rig. This action is not lost on the driver of the black truck. His head is craned around. Does he know I can see him behind his dark windows? Now he has his eyes hooked on the XS.
I take my insurance papers inside and the guy with his clipboard follows me back out. Horn, yep, Lights, yep, Blinkers, yep. We go back inside and a couple minutes later, I'm good to go. Outside, I get snagged by a guy on a bench, grinning and pointing . I said, "thanks" while zipping up me jacket and pulling on me nose pickers. A dangerous time, I tell you. Everybody is looking! The guy in the truck behind his blacked out windows, still with his eyes hooked on the bike. Baby, don't let me down now! I throw my leg over and rock her off the center stand. Fuel on, key on, got a green light and flick out the kicker. I lean her a bit to the left and push down gently till I feel compression. I'm excited and I rolls on a bit more throttle than intended as I complete the kick. The pea shooters roar to life and I can see the guy in the truck jump! That-a-girl! I'm gona make my exit to the left but I start pushing back to see what's coming behind the truck.
Oh, my God! The planets are all in the right place to-day! I see two inch, raised chrome letters on the side of that black truck bed, the only chrome on the whole truck... H-A-R-L-E-Y D-A-V-I-D-S-O-N. There's only one Harley dealer in town and this guy was a big Kahuna. She was just ticking over. A couple of small blips on the throttle and we rolled out gentle like, just like we knew what we were doing. We bad to da' bone! I strained a few nerve synapses trying to figure out what he was going to say when he got back to the dealership. Maybe like seeing a UFO, being a smart man, he said nothing?
I hate inspections and I hate going into town. But for a 14 mile round robin and a 35 minute trip, the fun factor doesn't get any better than this. If she had been one of my horses, I would have given her extra oats!
Keep on riding!
Inspection Station:
There's a lot of bikes people won't give two glances, but they'll holler out across Catfish king, "Who belongs to that XS out there?" I'm with the brother-in-law on his Shadow and the neighbor on his Road King. It just kills em'.
Couple days ago I headed the 7 miles and two stop lights into town to get my bike inspected. Coming into the edge of the city, the first light had caught a tractor trailer driver on the right. I needed to make a left into the station after the second light so I pulled up along side the tractor. What the? The driver has his window rolled down and is hollering, grinning and taking pix. I can't hear over the tractor and my peashooters but, "Yeah, Ok, Thanks So much!" Light turns green and I'm up the road, a quick left and pulls up to the station.
I was directed to park just left of the inspection bay door. I put her up on the center stand and started fishing for my insurance papers. A guy taps me on the shoulder. It's the tractor driver! He's got his rig parked in the turn lane! It looks a football field long! He's locking up the entrance of Micky-D's and Super Walmart! The little XS has a commanding presents and I'm starting to get a big head. This is a dangerous time because something always happens when everybodys looking. As the guy is talking and preparing to take his leave, a big black and blacked-out Dodge Ram truck pulls up in front of the bay along side me. I'm shaking my head, mesmerized, as I watch the driver trot back out across the ramp and two lanes of traffic to mount his rig. This action is not lost on the driver of the black truck. His head is craned around. Does he know I can see him behind his dark windows? Now he has his eyes hooked on the XS.
I take my insurance papers inside and the guy with his clipboard follows me back out. Horn, yep, Lights, yep, Blinkers, yep. We go back inside and a couple minutes later, I'm good to go. Outside, I get snagged by a guy on a bench, grinning and pointing . I said, "thanks" while zipping up me jacket and pulling on me nose pickers. A dangerous time, I tell you. Everybody is looking! The guy in the truck behind his blacked out windows, still with his eyes hooked on the bike. Baby, don't let me down now! I throw my leg over and rock her off the center stand. Fuel on, key on, got a green light and flick out the kicker. I lean her a bit to the left and push down gently till I feel compression. I'm excited and I rolls on a bit more throttle than intended as I complete the kick. The pea shooters roar to life and I can see the guy in the truck jump! That-a-girl! I'm gona make my exit to the left but I start pushing back to see what's coming behind the truck.
Oh, my God! The planets are all in the right place to-day! I see two inch, raised chrome letters on the side of that black truck bed, the only chrome on the whole truck... H-A-R-L-E-Y D-A-V-I-D-S-O-N. There's only one Harley dealer in town and this guy was a big Kahuna. She was just ticking over. A couple of small blips on the throttle and we rolled out gentle like, just like we knew what we were doing. We bad to da' bone! I strained a few nerve synapses trying to figure out what he was going to say when he got back to the dealership. Maybe like seeing a UFO, being a smart man, he said nothing?
I hate inspections and I hate going into town. But for a 14 mile round robin and a 35 minute trip, the fun factor doesn't get any better than this. If she had been one of my horses, I would have given her extra oats!
Keep on riding!
Dint you live it when the moon and stars align?
I’m like you though, it always seems like when your bike attracts an admirer waiting to see you start your bike…..that’s when it decides to get cranky!