Survival Riding

I have ridden all my life and the only time that I have not ridden Harleys was back in the 70’s and 80’s when I couldn’t afford one. Despite the AMF days, before the big buyout (which of course, like most good investments, I did not get in on), Harleys have always been cool, even…

Sturgis – What a Great County This Is (4 of 4)

The 4th phase of my trip to Sturgis consisted of a tour of several state parks and national landmarks crammed into 1 day.  The following is my recollection of day 4 of the great and epic trip west.  Of the 58 National Parks in the United States I suspect I’ve been to less than half…

Sturgis – The Badlands (3 of 4)

 The third phase of my trip to Sturgis consisted of a plan to ride out to the “Badlands National Park” in south west South Dakota.  To me, the Badlands have always evoked a sense of rustic survival indicative of the American west.  Teddy Roosevelt territory.  What a perfect backdrop to an old school sidecar day…

Sturgis – The Cardinal (2 of 4)

The second phase of my trip to Sturgis consisted of a rather unorthodox endeavor.  I have often heard that in the 1 week of the Sturgis bike rally, with its three quarters of a million bikers, you can be anyone you want to be.  If you could transport yourself to another biker dimension who would…

Sturgis – UP (1 of 4)

I have never “done” Sturgis.   I’ll be 50 in a few months and it seemed to me the next step.  Daytona, Laconia, Americade, Myrtle Beach, Love Rally, been there done that.  Sturgis is my elusive one.  You blink, and you’re too old to do anything.  So without blinking, I decide not only should the trip…

Stolen Bike Dead Neighbor!!

So last night Yvonne is out with our daughter who has freshly become a teenager to so some ‘girl stuff’, whatever that is.  I don’t ask.  I’m home with my boy sitting on the couch in our underwear watching the Braves beat the Cubs, eating popcorn.  ‘Boy stuff’. The drama and stress of the day…

Sleeping with the Witch

You meet the damndest people on the open road out on your bike.  I would venture a guess that you’ve never met a witch.  Well, the same cannot be said of me and 3 of my pals two summers ago.  We had ventured to a bike show in New York City, and not had the…

Six Encounters on a Weekend Bike Trip

If you log onto YouTube and punch in my name with “Fall Foliage Iron Butt” you will find a short video of a trip made this fall on my Harley bagger 2,500 miles in the course of a very long weekend.  The true purpose was to get in one last breathtaking view of the changing…

SECRET TESTING

Several years ago, some pals and I were at the Talladega Speedway Grand Prix Track , ripping around the track on sport bikes with the relative proficiency of 40ish wannabe racers. Our bikes hailed from all over the world. A collection of Ducatis (from Italy), a few speed triple Triumphs (from England), a gaggle of…

Rippin on the Banks – Atlanta Motor Speedway

I have had a great life of motorcycling. If it were to all end today, I can’t say that I have had many regrets. The Baja Peninsula on a 500 single, Steve McQueen style perhaps. The Pan American Highway on a dual sport, right through to Mexico. Yea, I would have liked to have gotten…