Cam & Lori's Motorbikes

[Cam]

Rode this home today.

3466

It is "used" but it only had 22 miles on it when I left the dealership. The previous owner basically took it home, then decided he wanted something else. :lol: Did not go farther than our insurance provider's office. It sure is comfy, with a good riding position. I feel relaxed on it. I'll write more later once I've spent more time on it. :cool:

[dodint]

Very cool!

If it's not a billion degrees you should ride out to Kershaw and come visit Tyler and I on Memorial Day. :D

[FaultyMario]

Cool!

I see doggie approves of purchase.

[George]

:up:

[Cam]

If it's not a billion degrees you should ride out to Kershaw and come visit Tyler and I on Memorial Day. :D

Hopefully, it will be a more comfortable 90F this time instead of 100+. :eek: :lol:

[Dicknose]

Good allrounder - can commute, can tour, can have fun in the bends.
Enjoy your return to riding!

[Cam]

Lori and I have decided to name it Carbon, for multiple reasons I won't bother trying to explain here.

I rode it around town today. I like it. Riding position is upright and comfortable. It still needs to be broken in, as it only has 50 miles on it now. The manual says don't go over 4K rpm for the first 400 miles, but 4K in 6th gear is a mere 35 mph. :lol: Two-wheel riding puts a smile on my face. :)

There is a rattle, which seems odd considering the bike is practically brand-new. It literally sounds like a nail in a can. I think I may take it back to the dealer for them to have a look. I discovered that it has an aftermarket horn that the previous owner installed. I may eventually just remove it, as SC does not have vehicle inspections.

[Rare White Ape]

Looks cool mang. Here's to many happy, dusty, wet, bogged, uncomfortable, stressful, adventurous miles on it :D

[Ashie]

Congratulations on your new ride.

[Cam]

Watching Lori take her first ride on her motorbike was all kinds of hawt. :cool:

[Cam]

I removed the stupid horn. In the process, I found the rattle. One of the bolts holding on the engine guards was loose, allowing the guard to rattle. We also discovered there are a couple of bolts missing from the plastic body bits. There are other indications that the previous owner disassembled the body panels. I hope he did not mess anything else up. :|

[FaultyMario]

Is that the one with the 300 cc engine?

[Cam]

Yes, 300cc of RIGHTEOUS DOMINATION!

It's a pretty slow bike, actually.

[JoeW]

That statement would totally work if you were talking about a weed eater or a leaf blower :)

[Cam]

The dealer just got another used one the exact same, but green, with a mere 78 miles on it. *scratch chin*

[21Kid]

You'd look good in/on green. ;)

[Cam]

Green brings out my eyes.

[Rare White Ape]

While other colours cause them to recede into your head like the black holes of pain they truly are?

[Cam]

:erm:

[Rare White Ape]

…or is the truth closer to somewhere in the middle?

[Cam]

Me, calling the dealer: Can I make an appointment to have my motorbike serviced?
Service Rep: We've had bad luck with appointments. Just drop off your bike. It will be about a week until we can get to it.
Me: Ooookaaaay. :erm:
/me rides to the motorbike store and buys supplies for first service.
/me performs motorbike service.

I think it is unreasonable to ask customers to leave their vehicle for a week or maybe more. :erm:

[TheBenior]

The motorcycle sales and service business in the United States is geared towards the perspective of motorcycles being inessential toys rather than serious transportation.

For the most part, they're not wrong, which is how they get away with terrible service. The highly seasonal nature of riding in half the country doesn't help either. It's probably impossible for a shop in Chicago to have enough staff during the riding season given the drop-off in sales and service in the Winter.

[Godson]

That's was my experience with my Ducati.

Interesting enough, they knew I rode, a lot. So they made sure I had time on pavement. More time on pavement = more money for them.

[Cam]

I am sure if I asked the owner real nice they would book me a time.

[Rare White Ape]

Ah yes, the world of motorcycle service. They're happy to sell one to you, but don't expect anything afterwards, despite having spent thousands of dollars with them.

I've heard many stories about bad experiences. Had a few less-than-positive ones myself.

But if you by a bottom-of-the-barrel hatchback from Kia the dealer will stop just short of giving you a blowjob if you need your hubcaps aligned afterwards.

[Cam]

The dealer I bought my CBR from (almost 20 years ago) had good service. :shrug:

[TheBenior]

Were you in Southern California then?

[Cam]

No. I lived in Halifax, NS. I moved to CA in 2005. My CBR was stolen in 2003.

[Cam]

I went on a road trip into the mountains Sunday on Monday. Camped overnight near Great Smoky Mountains NP. The roads in the area are fun.

Those photographers on US129 take really lame photos.

[Cam]

I did not take many photos, but here is one.

3557

[neanderthal]

I don't have a top box, but I do have a black bike that, if you squint just right, kinda looks like yours, but biggiefied.

[Cam]

The bike has been collecting dust since my ride into the mountains. I took it for one short ride since, just to keep it from sitting for too long. Lori goes back to work next week for the new semester. She will finally be using it for its intended purpose, commuting. She rode it for one week in the spring, then the rest of the semester was online because of COVID-19. A lot of people are nervous about being forced back to school for obvious reasons. I'll leave that business for the pandemic thread.

[FaultyMario]

When she's out in the boonies doing fieldwork, how does she move around, by snowmobile?

[Cam]

In Antarctica and at McGill Arctic Research Station, snow machines were used. In Alaska, well...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_anFvggYWDE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E979wxSrySo

[FaultyMario]

Hey fellas, she got chauffeured, she's so fancy!

[SportWagon]

Hey wow. I missed this. I didn't realized they still made motorcycles under 500cc except for moped-level. I guess that was based on complaints/observations of a brother-in-law who bought a couple of bikes late 90's early 21st century. I've never looked seriously for motorcycles myself.

Reading a bit, I guess yours is a bit of a road-going can-be-sometimes dirt bike.

But now I see yours is not actually new anymore.

Belated :up:

[Cam]

I nearly got blown off the road today by a dust devil. As I approached, it did not look like a big deal. It center seemed to be in the small median on the four-lane road I was on. I was only going about 35 mph in the right lane. Once I got next to it, however, the wind gust was powerful and scary. It blew me about three or four feet to the right, to the edge of the grass. Never experienced anything like that before. I got dust up in my helmet and there was sand on the saddle once I got home.

[Dicknose]

Bikes are particularly susceptible to wind. Ive been stopped waiting for a bridge to close (yes!) and a huge just almost blew me over. When it ended I put the sidestand down just in case another gust came.
Glad you survived - every incident is another learning experience.

[Cam]

Lori installed a USB charger. Unfortunately, many of the plastic fasteners busted removing the fairings for access. She ordered a box of fasteners so she can reassemble the bike. It is sitting in the garage in pieces at the moment.

In other news, we bought a single-person tent for solo motorcycle trips. Our three-person tent took up too much room in the bike boxes.

[retsmah]

My preferred packing on my old bike was tent, sleeping bag and sleeping pad in dry bags on the passenger seat, although it's a little ugly compared to getting everything in the luggage!

https://www.flickr.com/photos/robertstory/21252935303/in/album-72157658905339348/

[Cam]

:up:

Carbon is reassembled, but has not been ridden or tested since. I was expecting Lori to take it for a road trip with the new tent she bought. *Sigh* I guess it is up to me to bear the responsibility of taking it into the mountains for a few days. ;)

[retsmah]

Also, not sure if these were the ones that were giving trouble on the Versys, but on my bike Kawasaki uses a lot of these little plastic rivet things. This guy has a good video (https://youtu.be/L8OU5wkn_mI?t=60) that shows how to remove them, at least for me this was not intuitive and I probably would have broken them without the video!

I did post this in text form on Lori's facebook post back when we were talking about it there, but forgot that the video where this is shown is different from the USB charger video.

[Cam]

Thanks for the tips! Lori thanks you too.

[Rare White Ape]

Ahh the old fairing puzzle. And the reason why simple crashes on the side can often be so expensive; high quality plastic moulds pumping out big pieces in low volumes.

[Cam]

Rode the Blue Ridge Parkway for a couple of days, almost to Roanoke, VA. Alas, the Parkway is closed for a significant portion around Roanoke, so I just came home. It was a nice ride. I camped two nights. I certainly do not have an iron butt. I was fatigued by the time I got home. My butt, back and legs were uncomfortable. I need to start working out again and doing yoga to alleviate that. I have fallen out of shape. :(

The charger worked great!

[dodint]

Nice. Bike camping is fun.

[Cam]

When I made this thread, I did not think we would ever be a two-bike family, but here we are. Can a deity change the name of this thread to, "Cam & Lori's Motorbikes"?

I rode this home today; 2020 Suzuki V-Strom 650. It is used, but it only had 1,000 miles on the odo when I drove it off the lot this morning. First owner traded it in on a 1000cc. :lol: It rides real nice and sounds great. The plan is to add the optional higher seat and luggage compartments.

3818

Happy (6)50th birthday to me! :D

[FaultyMario]

Was Lori a rider before the Versys? Which bike does she feel more comfortable on?

[Cam]

Lori was not a rider before the Versys. She has taken to it quite well. She commutes to work on it at least three times a week now. She has not taken the Suzuki out for a burn yet. It's a hot day and she has meetings this afternoon.

[FaultyMario]

:) Congrats, btw.

[dodint]

Congrats to both of you. :)

[George]

Congratulations and happy birthday, old timer! :P

[Godson]

Great news!

[Rare White Ape]

Nice pick up. 2nd-hand with only 1000 miles! Happy birthday indeed.

[Cam]

I have decided to call the new bike "Atom" after the Mighty Atom, known in English-speaking countries as Astro Boy. :) (Plus, Lori is a chemist.)

[Cam]

Lori is already making plans to trade the Versys for another V-Strom. :lol:

[Cam]

Lori bought Bluetooth coms for our helmets. I was not expecting that.

[dodint]

They're fun. Sena? That's what Ross turned me onto. I have a set for Ash and I.

[Cam]

Cardo Freecom (I call them FreeCam) 4+.

[Cam]

I got the tall seat a couple of weeks ago. I like the extra height. I ordered the aluminum cases. Should get them before the end of next week, I think.

[Cam]

Turns out the cases were not available. :( Still waiting for them.

In the mean time, Lori made plans to trade in the Versys on another V-Strom.

[Cam]

Talked more with the rep at the motorbike dealer about the cases. I originally ordered the "silver" (bare aluminum) cases, because they were significantly cheaper than the "black" (painted) cases. I said we would eat the extra cost if black was available. Black cases would look better on this bike anyway. The rep got back to me and said that the cost was a typo. They are actually the same price. Therefore, black cases are on the way.

[Cam]

I finished installing these. They look hoss.

3832

Edit: Argh. It rotated the image. :mad: Oh well, just turn your head sideways. :lol:

[dodint]

Nice! Screams 'utility', which I love. Makes me year for my K75S.

[Rare White Ape]

They are chonky :shocker:

Do you lane filter? If so, it might be wise to stick a reminder of the extra girth on your dashboard or something.

[dodint]

As far as I know lane filtering (white lining) is only legal in California.

*checks*

https://www.motorcyclelegalfoundation.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/LanesplittingLegalityByStateUpdated2019.jpg.webp

It's expressly illegal in SC.

It's one of the stupidest traffic-related things that we do. It's illegal mostly to keep people from getting butthurt that a motorcyclists is getting ahead of them in a traffic jam. If Billy Bob in the coal rolling bro dozer has to wait, then by god that person on the tiny personal transportation will too!

[Cam]

I am not sure I would do it if I was allowed. I think it is not safe.

Although, when traffic is just not moving at all, I probably would.

One of the many times I was stuck in a traffic jam in California, I noticed a motorcycle splitting. I moved over a little to give them room. They noticed and waved. :)

[Rare White Ape]

My initial version of that post said lane splitting, but I changed it to filtering before I posted. There is a big difference. Filtering happens when the traffic is slow (below 30 km/h) and not much else is going on. Splitting is the balls-to-the-wall nonsense that goes on when you've got a death wish.

I know Cam is a sensible and kind soul, so he'd probably accept lane filtering rules similar to what we have in Queensland.

Kinda strange that the land of the free disallows it in many states!

[Cam]

Dang rotating. :(

3839

It was a chilly ride today (around 50F all day,) but worth it to bring home this baby; 2021 Suzuki V-Strom 650 with ~1,100 miles. We traded the Versys. Lori named her Butter. :D

[Rare White Ape]

Hell yeah :up:

[FaultyMario]

Yours looks better, my man.

Actually, I like the yellow paint scheme better, but the black boxes are much cooler.

[Dicknose]

Yeah Im a big fan of filtering...
Has been legal here for about 5 years, but I was doing it before that. You get the occasional driver who gets annoyed and maybe tries to move to block you. Typically all they do is open a bigger gap on the other side and you give them a huge wave as if to say "thanks for moving over to let me thru"
Slow moving traffic can be a pain as it does open up people to lane change without looking - and hard to blame them. I make it my responsibility to avoid people, dont go that much faster that you can't stop if someone does something stupid.

[21Kid]

Nice CG sticker! :cool:

I read a bit about lane splitting/filtering when I moved to California (didn't even know it was a thing before) and apparently it's actually safer for the cyclist. In case of a sudden stop, they don't get sandwiched between two vehicles.

[Cam]

Lori wants to do something like this:
Trans-Labrador Highway (https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Columbia,+South+Carolina/Goose+Bay,+NL,+Canada/Port+aux+Basques,+NL,+Canada/Halifax,+Nova+Scotia,+Canada/Yarmouth,+NS,+Canada/Columbia,+South+Carolina/@43.482847,-77.415692,5z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m38!4m37!1m5!1m1!1s0x88f8a5697931d1 e3:0xf32808f4b379fa96!2m2!1d-81.0348144!2d34.0007104!1m5!1m1!1s0x4c7b7a8694669d e5:0xe0310cf21c3faf20!2m2!1d-60.3260842!2d53.3016826!1m5!1m1!1s0x4b65a56bbe03fa 8f:0x5ae5f2d081c9b5a5!2m2!1d-59.136429!2d47.5721149!1m5!1m1!1s0x4b5a211407dbfac 1:0x666be3a6438b2ddc!2m2!1d-63.5727683!2d44.6475811!1m5!1m1!1s0x4b561107161eff 55:0x502581ef9005160!2m2!1d-66.117382!2d43.8374576!1m5!1m1!1s0x88f8a5697931d1e 3:0xf32808f4b379fa96!2m2!1d-81.0348144!2d34.0007104!3e0)

Our future is so up in the air right now, it's difficult to say if we can make the time.

Also, I installed a top case this week.

3894

[Cam]

Got a moto suit today.

[FaultyMario]

Got a moto suit today.

https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/simpsons/images/3/30/Stupid_Sexy_Flanders_Tapped_Out.png

[Cam]

Lori and I have been talking more about the Trans-Labrador. I reminded her that she likes riding curves and the Trans-Lab is pretty straight, flat and open. I think I convinced her to just do Nova Scotia and Newfoundland instead. :D

[dodint]

ALCAN Highway or bust.

[Cam]

Possible. :D

[dodint]

In a past life I wanted to join the Coast Guard. We were purposely going to ask for Alaska as my first duty station. The plan was to drive the ALCAN to get there. But I went to Afghanistan instead. Sad. ;)

[Cam]

I just ordered a GPS unit.

[TheBenior]

Better than wrecking phone cameras with motorcycle engine vibrations.

[Cam]

I’m going to jump on the bike and get lost for a couple of weeks.

[Rare White Ape]

Hell yeah Cam, enjoy it mate :up:

[Cam]

Update from the road.

I spent a couple of days tooling around near Great Smokey Mountains NP, then turned west. I basically went to Nashville, then started on the Natchez Trace Parkway. I found it nice, but uninteresting, so I left it. Tonight, I am staying with friends in Hot Springs, Arkansas. Tomorrow, I’m headed into the Ozarks.

[dodint]

Sounds like fun. :)

[Cam]

I am safely back home after almost 3400 miles. I'm a little saddle sore. It was a pretty cool trip. I'll write more later.

[Cam]

Not everyone here is on Facebook, so I will post this recap here too.

I packed the motorbike on Sunday, May 8, with the intent on leaving Monday morning. The next day came around and I felt really lousy. I have recurrent pericarditis, which flares up every 6-12 months. It can feel like a heart attack. Instead of jumping on the bike and going to the mountains, I jumped in the car and drove myself to the hospital. I spent overnight there and had a barrage of needles and tests confirming what I already suspected. I don't have heart disease. Take five pills a day for the next week or two. I guess it is better to be safe than sorry.

Wednesday morning, I jumped on the bike and headed for the mountains of North Carolina and Tennessee. Now that is some medicine to make me feel better! I rode around there for a few days, passing through Great Smoky Mountains National Park, US 129 "Tail of the Dragon," and Cherohala Skyway. I was camping along the way. Some campsites required riding down several miles down dirt roads to find.

When I was passing through the National Park, I aimed for a little-used dirt road that is one-way out of the park. I knew it was there from a previous car-camping trip a few weeks before. The paved roads inside the park are bumper-to-bumper in some places, especially when there is wildlife within sight of the road. On this occasion, there was a bear maybe 100 metres away from the road. All the tourists were stopping trying to get a photo of this bear that was off in the bushes, quite a way from the road. I just wanted to get away from the gawkers and turned up the gravel, one-way Rich Mountain Road.

Less than five minutes up Rich Mountain, I rode up on a momma bear and her cub right in the road! I smirked, thinking of the tourists that were clamoring to get a photo of one bear that was far off the road. I did not want to bother this family, so I just kept moving, slowly passing the bears as they watched me ride by. I kind of wish I had taken a photo, but it is a hassle to bring out my phone or camera while riding and I am supposed to not bother wildlife in the National Parks. Less than five minutes later, I rode up on another family of bears, a momma and two cubs! I laughed aloud this time. They seemed indifferent that I slowly passed by and just went about their beary business.

I turned west, headed for Nashville and the northern end of the Natchez Trace Parkway. I stopped at a local hot-spot, the Loveless Café, for a hearty meal before getting on the Trace. The Trace is a really nice road, slowly meandering through the lowlands as it gets closer to the Mississippi River. It is a very pleasant drive, but I found it kind of boring. There was not really any scenery, as the road is lined with trees for the most part. There are many Civil War era historic sites along the way, but I am not really interested in that kind of stuff. The one night I camped along the Trace, I chatted with a couple of fellow motorcyclists from Louisiana. When they heard I was from Nova Scotia, one of them mentioned that his French ancestors were deported from Nova Scotia during the Great Expulsion of the Acadians.

I went as far as Tupelo, MS, before heading west again, toward Hot Springs, AR. I arranged to meet up with friends there and they generously offered me their guest bedroom. The plains on either side of the Mississippi are very flat, with not much more than farmland as far as the eye can see. I was incredibly bored during this section of the ride as it was several hundred miles of flat, straight roads. Also, it was hot, really hot. At one point my bike's thermometer read as high as 98F (38C.) I had a very warm welcome from my friends in Hot Springs, as well as good food and conversation. It was also very nice to have a shower and do some laundry.

Hot Springs National Park is not quite what I expect when I think about the parks. It basically preserves the cultural significance of the town and bath houses. I am accustomed to the parks preserving outstanding natural beauty. Needless to say, I did not have much interest in that kind of stuff. I set off again in pursuit of the twists and turns of some mountain roads in the Ozarks. I basically did a big loop north, then back to Hot Springs for another night at my friend's house. I am very grateful to them and their hospitality.

I went north through the Ozarks again, then turned east across the corner of Missouri; flat, straight, hot Missouri. I ended up in Land Between The Lakes National Recreation Area. I stayed there two nights. The first night, I camped, then the second night I rented a cabin, because there were thunderstorms forecast overnight. They never came. I hit the road toward Mammoth Cave and arrived on Thursday afternoon.

I wanted to take full advantage of the park and got there just in time to book an evening two-hour, lamp-lit tour. That was pretty cool to experience how the cave would have been explored back in the day, using only oil lamps. The next day, Friday, I did a different two-hour tour, covering a different section of cave, dimly lit by electric lights. Saturday, I did the longest tour, a four mile, four hour walk through what they call Grand Avenue. You just can't comprehend the scope of things like this by looking at photos. It really was an incredible and unique experience. I highly recommend checking it out if you are ever in the area. Booking a tour is a necessity, as they don't let people randomly walk through the caves.

I met up with my brother at a hotel in Louisville. We went out for a great meal at a local establishment, then turned in early, as we were both tired from the day's travel. After breakfast at a different establishment, I jumped back on the bike and headed for home. Rain and thunderstorms were in the forecast for the day. I passed through the Tail of the Dragon again and found a motel room to take shelter from the thunderstorms. Luckily, the storms held off for the most part that day and I did not get too wet.

The next day, however, I got rained on all morning as I made the last push for home. When I finally rolled into the driveway, it was a relief. My new "waterproof" jacket leaked through on the front. As my brother said, no riding gear is truly waterproof. It was a pretty cool trip, but it is nice to be home. The bike's trip odometer read 3370 miles (5423 km.) Now the bike deserves some preening and maintenance. If you made it this far, thanks for reading. I look forward to the next adventure!

[FaultyMario]

:cool:

[George]

Excellent story. Thanks for sharing it.

Travel is the best.

[Cam]

Lori and I are riding to Canada to see my family and go to Newfoundland. See you in a month.

[Kchrpm]

Ride safe, have fun, take pictures, etc!

[FaultyMario]

Have some fun Camm¡e!

[Phil_SS]

Agreed. Stay safe.

I've always wanted to drive to Newfoundland. Mostly to do Targa Newfoundland. :D

[Cam]

There we were in rural Nova Scotia. I noticed some unusual wear on my front tire. It was badly cupped on the left side. Got to Sydney and looked for motorcycle shops. Long story short, we found a place with an appropriate tire and they installed it in like 20 minutes! Awesome service for them to help us out in a pinch. The new tire has a more aggressive tread for off-roading, but beggars can’t be choosers.

[Cam]

We are in Stephenville, NL at the moment. We got rained on hard all morning yesterday. My Gore-Tex jacket, pants and mitts held out the water. My boots did not. They were supposedly waterproof, according to the manufacturer. Disappointing, but I am glad the rest of my gear held up. We are waiting out the rain at a motel, hoping it will let up. It has been raining steadily for the past 24 hours. We are headed farther north later today.

[SportWagon]

How well did Lori's clothing hold up?

[FaultyMario]

Dude!!

[Cam]

The rain did not let up until later today. Lori has the same gear as I do. Hers held up just as well. Her boots are doing better, despite being the same brand as mine. My feet got soaked. I am pretty annoyed about that. We pretty much have been rained on steady for two days straight. It is not very pleasant and we cannot see much scenery because of the low clouds and fog. Tomorrow’s weather is looking more promising.

[Cam]

SO MUCH RAIN. We turned back early.

[Cam]

Three days of hard rain in 12-15C temperatures. It was not pleasant. My indicators stopped working for a short time, it was so wet. The weather turned very pleasant once we got back to NS though. The wind picked up after leaving my brother’s place yesterday. We rode two days in high winds (gusts of 60+ km/h) and it was killer on my neck. I cannot turn my head to the left because my neck hurts so bad. In other news, highway riding sux.

We crossed the border today. I forgot my green card at home. Yikes! Luckily, we got a cool border official. He was lenient, probably because we have crossed the border so many times now with a squeaky clean record. I basically got a rap on the knuckles and was told to bring it next time. Whew! We got a random hotel in the middle of Maine because severe thunderstorms are in the forecast tonight.

Sorry, pl8, no time to say hi this time. We have guests arriving at our place Sunday.

[SportWagon]

Are you accessing the forum via your phone?

[Cam]

Yes.

[dodint]

Sorry you got turned back by the rain, Cam. Sounds really fun otherwise.

[Cam]

We left SC on the 21st of June. We headed for the Blue Ridge Parkway, because the elevation made things cooler. Eventually, we made our way to Bar Harbor, ME and took The Cat ferry to Nova Scotia. We visited my brothers in Halifax and New Glasgow before heading to Cape Breton. I noticed some unusual wear on my front tire, so I got a last-second new front tire in Sydney. The next day we took the ferry to Newfoundland. We got rained on hard for two days. The third day was nice, but the weather forecast was not looking promising. We made it as far as the northern section of Gros Morne National Park before I made the executive decision to turn around. We got rained on hard the next day too, so much that my electrics on my bike were shorting out. We rescheduled our ferry trip back. Once we got back to NS, the weather was nice. We visited my bro for another day, then hit the road for home. I forgot my green card, so the border crossing was nerve-wracking. Luckily, we have crossed the border so many times already with a squeaky-clean record, they did not give us much hassle. The next several days were long, as we put 300+ miles a day to get home in an efficient manner. We are disappointed that the weather was not cooperating in Newfoundland, but it was an epic trip regardless. It is very nice to be home to relax.

[Cam]

Atom had a spa day yesterday at the motorbike shop. Got a new rear tire also. (Front was replaced during our road trip.) Butter is getting the same treatment tomorrow, but with two new tires.

[Cam]

We went on a little ride yesterday.

397439753976

[Phil_SS]

I like how you color coordinated your suits to your bikes. :hard:

[Cam]

Thanks for noticing. :lol:

[Cam]

My gal's a trooper. She daily rides her motorbike to work, even when it is near-freezing. :hard:

[Cam]

Rain sux tho. (I drove her to work yesterday.)

I installed 14 mm handlebar risers on both Atom and Butter today. I also rotated the bar position forward so the grips are higher. The goal is to get a better stand-up riding position for us tall people. :D

[Cam]

I’m getting lost in the mountains for a couple of days.

[Cam]

Just an overnight trip, but got lots of good riding in.

4072 4073 4074

Edit: Argh! Stupid image rotation.

[George]

5000' elevations? I'm guessing mountains in North Carolina.

[Cam]

Close enough. :D

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cherohala_Skyway
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deals_Gap,_North_Carolina

Parson Branch Road is in Great Smokey Mountains NP. It is one-way, starts in Cades Cove and comes out in the middle of The Dragon. Everything says 4WD and high clearance recommended, but you could drive a normal car through there at the moment.

[George]

Cool! :up:


Some of the Dragon's sharpest curves have names like Copperhead Corner, Hog Pen Bend, Wheelie Hell, Shade Tree Corner, Mud Corner, Sunset Corner, Gravity Cavity, Beginner's End, and Brake or Bust Bend.

[Cam]

I got a flat on the motorbike last week; rear tire. I was riding home from Greenville after seeing my brother, who was there for work. I was just riding along, approaching the outskirts of Columbia, and BANG! I pulled over in a school parking lot to figure things out. I have AAA and pay extra for motorcycle coverage, but I know it can take a while to get a tow. I was going to call them until I realized there was a motorbike shop only three miles away. I slowly rode my flat to the shop, but it was a Harley place. I checked the tire and there was a significant hole left by something. I do not remember seeing anything in the road before it blew. Luckily, the shop owner was able to plug it and put air in it for me. It was still leaking a bit, but we figured it would hold air long enough for me to get to the local powersports center that deals with Japanese bikes. "Better make hay." he said. :lol: He did not charge me anything, but I gave him $10 anyway and thanked him profusely. I texted Lori to ask her to meet me at the bike shop to pick me up. We met there and I ordered a tire, as they did not have a tire for me in stock. My bike is still there waiting for a new tire.

[Cam]

It took over a week. Short version: this shop has poor service, but they are pretty much the only shop in town that deals with Suzuki/Yamaha/Kawasaki. (There is a separate Honda dealer.)

[Cam]

Left home this morning, on my way to Nova Scotia.

[Cam]

I’m at my bro’s now. We are helping our mom move. I’ll be here for several days, at least. After that, I may tour around for a bit.

[Cam]

Forgot to mention that pl8ster and his family generously put me up in their guest room for a night. It was very nice to see them again.

[Rare White Ape]

Sounds like a cool trip.

Say hi to your bro for me, since we have been part-time team mates in iRacing :)

[George]

Is Pl8ster still in/near Scarborough? I was in there last year at this time and thought about sending him a PM (I don't have any other contact info) but don't know if he ever logs in here anymore. Hope he's doing well.

[Cam]

Yes, he stll lives in the same place. No, he does not come here anymore.

[Cam]

I am going to see them again Monday night.

[pl8ster]

Haha, Cam and I were talking about this place last week and I was just going over my plate inventory spreadsheet and saw the NWT plate I got from you, George :D

Going to be in Denver the week after next for the yearly plate collectors' convention :D :D

[George]

Hey dude. It's a good time to come to Colorado. We've had so much rain in the last month or so that the place is amazingly green and pretty right now. Later in the summer things will turn brown but not before you get here. Safe travels. Congrats on your YT channel, too. Next time I get to go to Higgins Beach, I'll look you up.

[Cam]

I am back home now. I rode 6,000 km this trip. Bike desperately needs some maintenance.

[Kchrpm]

How about the bike rider, how's his maintenance?

Either way, epic and sweet!

[Cam]

I just need rest.

[Cam]

Lori and I are riding our bikes from Columbia to Alexandria this week-end. Weather is looking promising. : cool:

[FaultyMario]

:up:

[George]

That's gotta be fun!

[Cam]

It was a nice ride. Kind of chilly and breezy today though. Now we have to register the bikes in VA.

[Cam]

We did a several-hundred-mile, two-night road trip into western Virginia (no, not West Virginia.) Stayed with a couple of old friends Friday night. Then, we rode two sections of the Mid-Atlantic Backcountry Discovery Route, camping Saturday night. BDRs are a fun challenge, but normally easy enough that us off-road noobs can handle it. We were pretty fatigued when we got home, as we are not used to the effort of riding all day. A dip in the pool, a cold beer and some ice cream fixed us up. :D

[CudaMan]

Rough weekend! :)

[Cam]

Hopped on the motorbike and headed back to the MABDR, north of where Lori and I rode a month ago. I was expecting to be away a couple of days, thinking it would be dirt/gravel like the section we did before. Alas, it was almost entirely paved and it took way less time than anticipated. I basically had a 300+ mile day ride. I'm back home now. :lol: