Bozo & The Victory Vision

My buddy Steve sent this picture to me.  I think it is too funny!

 

Ended up in New Albany

Kat and I ended our short ride this weekend in New Albany at Honey Cream doughnuts. It was a bad-for-you end to an otherwise ok day. I got about 47mpg riding 2-up on my 2008 Yamaha Majesty. That is not really that bad!

Rural Kentuckiana Toilets

This is the 2nd time I have been to a little podunk town in either Kentucky or Indiana on my scooter, and the public restroom has a sign asking people not to throw (assumedly TOILET) paper into the toilet. Putting human waste in a trash can makes me a little creeped out. I am not generally a "germy" person, but I would not be able to sit on the throne in a place like this!!!

Saturday ride-gasoline clothes iron!

Sometimes you see something in an antique store that you think is cool. Now I would never care to own a gasoline-powered clothes iron, but think about it...it is wireless...

Riding around Kentuckiana has its perks. You can see interesting architecture (and not all old barns and feed stores!), you can find good food (if you keep your mind open), and the land is pretty enough to make it truly beautiful...even on a gray day like Saturday.

Saturday ride-Cool buildings

After lunch we rode around Kentucky a bit more then went across the bridge that goes from Brandenburg over into Mauckport, Indiana.  We rode out toward the Hoosier National Forest and stopped at an old barn converted into an antique store.  That's where I saw this cool gasoline-powered clothes iron.  We saw a couple of tiny rural post offices and a church with painted-looking stained glass windows.  The weather held out all day, but it was cool, and also cloudy until about 5pm when it was time to "head for the barn".  We only encountered just a little rain before noon, but it wasn't bad enough to pull off.

Saturday ride-Custer, KY

On Saturday, Kathy and I took a short ride.  We rode out towards Hardinsburg, KY visiting a couple of those old buildings I like.  We stopped in Custer, Kentucky for lunch at The Feed Barn which is really just a deli-counter inside the Custer General Store.

Rain

I got stuck riding in the rain tonight. It was no big deal. This time I took the time to put on my gear, and I kept about 95% dry. I think between the waterproof liner for my jacket and the Colorado Chaps, I was comfortable and had no difficulty making the two stops I had to make on the way home. Thats my 2¢.

Offroad Majesty

After the 13th, I feel like I need this emblem from a jeep on the side of my YP400...

Dye from Motoboss gloves

This is the 2nd time I have been in the rain with my newish Motoboss gloves ($14.99 at Cycle Gear on sale). Both times the dye has come off badly on my hands...so bad that when I am done, I can wring black water out of them. If I could just keep them dry, they would be good gloves. On the way home from the "ride" which was only about 4 miles long due to weather, I got completely soaked to the bone. I stopped at a bank drive through to stow my GPS from out of the Aquabox, and take my phone out of the semi-waterproof jacket pocket. I also took my mp3 player out of its baggie and put it away while I was under cover. Everything but me was protected from water so it worked out well.

Tuesday night ride

I'm going to be leaving in about an hour for the Louisville Scooter
Group Tuesday night ride. We ride about every Tuesday in good
weather. It calls for some possible rain, so I hope that holds out.

I just found a place that makes a little icon thing of "places I've
been" so I filled in my states! It looks pretty blank to me right
now, but I hope to check one or two more off before good riding
weather is done.

This weekend I might take a day ride just me (and perhaps Kathy as
passenger) on a little run around Kentuckiana scooter ing around to
some of those general stores and old country stores you see around. I
have been to several, like Rabbit Hash General Store, the Ole Country
Store in Sulphur, Laconia General Store, etc. There was even this
little gas station in Bloomfield which is completely modern, but they
have a little bench area to the left of the registers where a farmer
or hunter can sit and drink a cup of coffee. They didn't have a wood
burning stove, a checker game, or an old dog laying on the floor, but
it was still warm and welcome.

More pictures from the Dragon

These are from a company that just sets up in a turn and takes shots.

http://www.photoreflect.com/PR3/AlbumSlideshow.aspx?a=624508

You can see the guy who had the eagle paintjob, and Vince leaning in
hard and waving for the camera.

Vince's Pictures

Here's my friend Vince's pictures of the weekend:

http://www.flickr.com/search/?q=tail%20of%20the%20dragon%20trip&w=33477989%40N05

He got some really great shots...and funny stuff like me feeding
peanuts to the chickens!

Kathy the Christmas tree

It got much worse for her than this, but you get (no pun intended) the picture...

Burgman/Dragon Rally

This past weekend was really good. My friend Vince and I rode to
Vonore, TN to the Burgman/Dragon rally. The ride up was fairly
uneventful though it took us from 7am to 5pm to get there with no long
stops. We got some good country lanes and even a few gravel roads
that were not too bad. The meeting was at 7pm at the Countryside
Restaurant. They had good food reasonably priced. Vince went to his
hotel after that and I stayed with my friend Kathy in Knoxville.

Meetup for the big ride on Saturday was at the Grand Vista Hotel in
Vonore. Kathy came along in her Dodge. We left at 9am and rode all
round the Smoky mountains, especially the big-attraction routes of
SR-165 known as the Cherohala Skyway (a very scenic road with lots of
pull-offs for pictures) and the biggie (for me) US-129 aka "The
Dragon".

On the way home we ran up into Virginia, for no other reason than just
to say we've been there. We took US-421 off and on from Virginia into
Kentucky (then further on in toward Berea) and it is a great ride. At
one point on the way back, we found a great little side road that went
to gravel, then finally into a pay-lake. At the pay lake, the GPS
routed me out onto a dirt path. There was very little gravel, just
mainly brown creek-rock! I hit a good sized rut in the road and got
stuck. Vince helped me get the bike out and it was either this rut or
another like it that tore up my front fender. It is loose, but not
really broken. Some tabs are broken on the inside and should be an
easy fix. I didn't find this out until Midway, KY when we pulled off
to fuel.

Another thing is somewhere along 421, I saw a cool mountain spring
coming out the side of a hill. I stopped and got a drink. I also
filled the two plastic bottles I had with it to take home to the kids.
There were lots of cool sights seen this weekend, and good roads
(except for the dirt motorcross track we ended up on!).

Pictures here:
http://picasaweb.google.com/the1weasel/BurgmanDragonRally09?feat=directlink

The Prize

Too tired to tell all the stories right now. Just wanted to show the reason I did The Dragon...its all about the patches, pins and THE STICKER!!!

Heading thru VA

Virginia

The Dragon has been slain

it was an awesome, exciting, adrenaline rush of a ride.

Deals gap

Getting ready to ride the dragon

Elevation!

Kings of the mountain!

On the Skyway

Cool!

Wolf creek dam, lake cumberland

We are heading toward montecello around lake cumberland.

In Daniel Boone National Forest

Stopped for gas at Roger New Grocery on 92 in DBNF

Mannsville, KY

Quick break...

In Tn

Russell springs, KY

In russel springs ky...break while rain. We came thru a creek that had almost a foot of water. I got Vince on video!!!

Bardstown, KY

I'm freezing. Gas and chaps!

Leaving Louisville

Olympia Gel Gloves Dead

My summer weight gloves...Olympia gels, were getting nappy on the inside, so I decided to wash them. When I looked at them fully dry last night both gloves had developed tears between wrist and palm. They are trashed. I did not see them come out like this. I wonder if drying stressed the leather. I am officially disappointed in the durability, but they were still the most comfortable gloves I have ever ridden in.

Olympia Gel Gloves Dead

My summer weight gloves...Olympia gels, were getting nappy on the inside, so I decided to wash them. When I looked at them fully dry last night both gloves had developed tears between wrist and palm. They are trashed. I did not see them come out like this. I wonder if drying stressed the leather. I am officially disappointed in the durability, but they were still the most comfortable gloves I have ever ridden in.

To slay the dragon

I am mentally packing my bags while here at work today, thinking about
how early I have to get up tomorrow, and the arrangements for kids and
dog I have to make. I have and 8.5 hour ride planned tomorrow through
Kentucky and TN. You can view the basic route here:
http://tinyurl.com/l3j6gm

I hope to make it in by 5pm. That'll give me about an hour before I
have to leave for Friday night dinner/meetup at the Countryside
Restaurant in Vonore.

IRC tires get 9174 miles

The stock tires on Lois were IRC brand. I enede up with no threads or anything showing, but the center tread was almost completely gone.

Honda Reflex Sport

They had a Reflex. Too bad it was silver...

Passenger seat on V-strom

This does look a lot more comfortable than on all the cruisers I've seen. They had a Goldwing too. That thing is truly a 2-wheeled RV. Friggin huge!

V-strom

They had several V-stroms. These would be nice for 2up touring if you liked the typical forward slant body position.

SYM scooters

They also carry SYM, but I didn't see the full line represented well.

Schwinn 125cc Scoot

They had several of these for under $2K I think.

The service counter associate

I didn't get this guy's name, but he was courteous even suffering from allergies. He talked to me about the Mayans.

Yellow Can-am Spyder

S&S had this in working on it. I think I saw them test driving it last night on the Tuesday Louisville Scooter Group ride...

The cage that almost killed me

Evil!!!!

Lucky

This would be the silly b*tch that almost killed me at 35(me) + 40ish(her)=75mph in a head-on about half an hour ago on Eastern Parkway. No damage to either vehicle, but the rear right side of her car TOUCHED MY FOOT! If she would have seen me and slowed it would have eaten Lois (my Majesty) and I would have been testing my mesh jacket out on the street in front of Dairy Kastle. She was performing the bikeslayer maneuver-turning left and trying to beat the light.

Lonely

Jan had to park the Redflex across the street. Flanagan's STILL has no designated motorscooter parking on Tuesdays like they should have...

Hanging out on the street corner

This is my Majesty and Vince's Mellow Yellow Reflex

Tuesday LSG ride

Jan and Steve were there, as well as Ken, plus Vince showed up on his brand new 2009 Suzuki Burgman 650 Executive! Its A powerhouse of scooters! Also Vicky's scoot is still and Highland Motorsports waiting on parts (for like months now!) so she rode over on Vince's Honda Reflex.

[Tail of] The Dragon & Safety

Aparently, according to Ben Steinberg, who I have never met, but is the general mgr of the Deals Gap Motorcycle Resort, the ride this weekend--US-129 in TN and NC, is only to be referred to as "The Dragon" or "Deal's Gap".  Not "Tail of The Dragon".  I don't know if I would go on the word of someone who is in the tourist business, but it is reported in "Handlebars" magazine that he is an experienced racer.  Ok, well, that doesn't really mean anything to me either. 

 

Aside from correcting the name, he offers two peices of advice for people riding "The Dragon".

 

1. Ride your own ride.

2. Stay in your own lane.

 

I plan to do both especially this weekend.  As a matter of fact, I almost always obey mister Steinberg's first rule.  If I choose to push past my comfort zone, I do it on my own terms and as a method of increasing my abilities in a reasonable progression.  Likewise, I almost always obey the 2nd rule, unless I have a clear view of everything coming--which is not often around a really good curve (i.e. Jefferson Memorial Forest, Floyd's Knobs, etc.)

 

Wish me luck.  I hope I don't need it, but it's always nice to have on your side!

Rear Tire Change...

My original tire, the Dunlop, has to be changed out before my trip this weekend down to TN for the Tail of the Dragon rally-it is getting pretty squared-off.  I have right at 9,200 miles on this stock tire as indicated by the odometer.  My thought is to try all tires made for this bike, then stick with the one that wears the best but still gives decent performance.  The tire makers that have the 150/70-13 are:

 

• Avon (my friend Jeremy runs Avon Viper Strkye tires on his SR50)
• Bridgstone Hoop (this is the tire I'm having put on tomorrow)
• Dunlop (the stock tire for my 2008 Majesty)
• Metzeler (I know nothing about this tire)
• Michelin (I have heard these are ok)
• Pirelli (my friend Ken goes through a 10" Pirelli in less than 3,000 miles on his Vespa!)
• Shinko (I know nothing about this tire other than it appears to be an inexpensive option)

I hope the performance is not too bad on the Bridgestone.  I will need good handling for The Dragon, or so I am told.

Had to Share this...

This is from the IBR updates....

"[One of the IBR competitors] has had major problems with his side car
rig. Based on [his] call today, the sidecar actually became separated
from the bike. He is back on the road, but unlikely to have enough
points to finish. "

"[Another competitor] hit a small deer in Minnesota, but there was
relatively little damage to either [the rider] or the bike. Some belly
pan plastic is broken on the R1150RT. Both [rider] and the RT are
covered in deer excrement. The scorers are drawing straws tonight to
see who gets to score him tomorrow morning. The honor goes to the
short straw, of course. (However, deer excrement will probably smell
better than some of the riders.)"

"[IBR rider] switched from a rock hard Metzeler ME 880 rear tire to a
stickier Avon Storm to run the last leg. After running the new tire
down to the wear bars in 2 days, he was fortunate to line up a
replacement tire yesterday without losing much time. But now he has
had to spend about four hours dealing with repairs to his shift lever,
which fell off of his K1200GT. [One of the other riders in the IBR]
took four hours out of his riding time to help get [him] back on the
road. (No, he won't get an extra four hours to finish.)"

"[One rider] is stopping frequently to add oil to his third bike in
this rally, a BMW GS. The bike has a serious oil leak that is soaking
[his] left leg."

The mere word perseverance does not begin to describe these guys...

Cheers,

Kelly
IBA #37788
Red 2008 Yamaha Majesty (Lois)
www.kentuckianascooter.com
"Too often. . .I would hear men boast of the miles covered that day,
rarely of what they had seen." - Louis L'Amour

Ron Crouch

Ron Crouch, a guy I met earlier this year at the WKRP rally then again at the Izzy's ride in Florence is also going to the Burgman/Tail of the Dragon rally!!

 

His wife is coming with him, and they are *cringes* trailering their scooters down.  She might have a Vespa or something tho....that trip (he's from Cinci area) is pretty hard-core for even a 250cc Vespa.  Ron's a great guy!!  It'll be nice to see him again!

9K, oil light, mandatory gloves

I broke (bad word) 9,000 miles on my odometer tonight. I would have broken it last night but for Ken's short route. ;o) Anywho, I also observed the bloody oil light came on. i'm doing the Tail of the Dragon next weekend and may try to skaye by on the synthetic blend I used for 800-900 miles then change it asap when I get back. i found S & s powersports in clarksville had a great deal on tire price for a Michelin Hoop tire. Plus mounting for only $34. i gave them the cc number for the tire and they can put it on the morning after it comes in. i also went to Cyclegear and got a mandatory pair of gloves since mine are completely worn out. I needed middle weight gloves which I found the same ones Joan has (Motoboss) for like $29, then looked on another rack and found them for $19.99. When the chick rung them up, they were &14.99!!! Now I am set for the Dragon!

Tuesday LSG Ride

We had a good crowd of old friends tonight. Me, Ken, Vince, Joan, and Ralph showed up. It was nice to just be shootin' the bull, razzing each other and funnin' around. Flanagan's Ale House was not too busy and it was cool and comfortable. Ralph had some new accessories to show us...things he had had for a while plus the new tall windscreen he bought at PJ's parts today! Our cubic centimeters ranged from 150 up to 500 in both Italian and Japanese! had a good time, and Ken led us out to his neck of the weeds to DQ. I had one of the Girlscout Cookie Blizzards and now need a bucket...

Where am I?

I'll be posting from the road soon... Next big trip will be Tail of the Dragon on 9/11. Only 9+ more days!

Discussion anyone?

For anyone who cares to discuss, rather than just read my blog posts...you can now do so at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/kyanascoot/.

 

Ever think "He should visit this place..." or "What kind of oil does he use?" or "Where can I get more information on touring scooters?"  Now you have a place to ask questions, join in discussion, voice opinions, etc.  I will monitor this, and I will reply to anybody who wants to know.

 

Thanks to all of you who read my blog!

 

Kelly

www.kentuckianascooter.com