The classis scene from C.C. and Company where Joe Namath parks his chopper outside a grocery store, makes himself a sandwich, puts everything back and buys a pack of gum, is still my number one YouTube clip. If you have never seen it, here's the link
Enjoy if you can't be out riding!
Sunday, December 10, 2017
Sunday, November 26, 2017
Wings of Eagles CMA Meeting, Chapter Ride, and Connie Updates
Yesterday was our last monthly CMA chapter meeting for the year, as we meet on the fourth Saturday of the month. December meeting is always very close to Christmas Day, if not on Christmas, so we only have 11 meetings each year. We had officer elections besides the normal business, and I will serve as Chapter VP and Road Captain for 2018 again. No problem with that, as our President is returning and he does a great job. Plus I'm getting used to Road Captain even if I'm not the most "let's go riding just for fun" member due to commuting on the bike and also many other interests and projects always going on!
Yesterday's ride was up and around some lakes in northeast San Diego County and I planned to lead us up Palomar Mountain. Borrowing a trick I learned from track day and racing riders, I put tape on the inner fairing and tank with the directions as I hadn't ridden this route in awhile! Sure I could have dug the tank bag out and slid directions in the map pocket. But this was easier as I haven't used the tank bag in probably two years, plus the bottom of the map pocket is too far back to keep my head up while riding!
We had a good ride-traffic was no where as bad as I thought it would be and the few cars in front of us were at least doing close to the speed limit. I don't ride particularly hard especially leading a group, although the three riders with me could easily have kept up 5-10 MPH faster! Two were some of the best riders in our chapter and the third was a guest with 65 years (yes, 65 YEARS!) of riding experience. Due to concern we might have lots of "lookie-loos" on Palomar Mountain and the usual sportbike riders going much faster, we decided not to do that small detour-why you see some lined out directions. Will take the tape off today-I left it on just for the pictures and hopefully it won't pull the CMA Bike Blessing stickers off at the same time.
We stopped in Santa Ysabel at the Julian Pie Company for pie/ice cream as always. Like Rosa's Cafe and Tortilla Factory in Temecula, if our bikes are near there they turn in nearly automatically. Maybe we should sell them to Tesla for autopilot tech! While we were hanging out and enjoying our pie and ice cream, three C14 Concours pulled in, and it was the Concours Owners Group (COG) regional and area reps out riding! I went over and introduced myself, we chatted for a few minutes, and I got their cards. I'll likely rejoin COG and become active on the forum again.
When I got home I moved the 86 Connie, aka Miss Swail, off the lift and rolled the 96 up there. Between watching/pausing the Auburn-Bama game (WAR EAGLE! Beat both #1 teams this year, now to beat Georgia again!) I did an oil change as I know I've ridden the bike 3,000 miles and who knows when it was done before that. Pretty straightforward as always although messy-going to get a SPOOFAK, maybe for my birthday as the internal filter makes a mess. The front drain bolt also is right by a line that will probably always get oil on it too. Still better than where the filter is on most Harleys!
Long update but it was a full day of CMA meeting and ride, meeting some COG officers and bike maintenance. All good, and have a great riding day!
We had a good ride-traffic was no where as bad as I thought it would be and the few cars in front of us were at least doing close to the speed limit. I don't ride particularly hard especially leading a group, although the three riders with me could easily have kept up 5-10 MPH faster! Two were some of the best riders in our chapter and the third was a guest with 65 years (yes, 65 YEARS!) of riding experience. Due to concern we might have lots of "lookie-loos" on Palomar Mountain and the usual sportbike riders going much faster, we decided not to do that small detour-why you see some lined out directions. Will take the tape off today-I left it on just for the pictures and hopefully it won't pull the CMA Bike Blessing stickers off at the same time.
We stopped in Santa Ysabel at the Julian Pie Company for pie/ice cream as always. Like Rosa's Cafe and Tortilla Factory in Temecula, if our bikes are near there they turn in nearly automatically. Maybe we should sell them to Tesla for autopilot tech! While we were hanging out and enjoying our pie and ice cream, three C14 Concours pulled in, and it was the Concours Owners Group (COG) regional and area reps out riding! I went over and introduced myself, we chatted for a few minutes, and I got their cards. I'll likely rejoin COG and become active on the forum again.
When I got home I moved the 86 Connie, aka Miss Swail, off the lift and rolled the 96 up there. Between watching/pausing the Auburn-Bama game (WAR EAGLE! Beat both #1 teams this year, now to beat Georgia again!) I did an oil change as I know I've ridden the bike 3,000 miles and who knows when it was done before that. Pretty straightforward as always although messy-going to get a SPOOFAK, maybe for my birthday as the internal filter makes a mess. The front drain bolt also is right by a line that will probably always get oil on it too. Still better than where the filter is on most Harleys!
Long update but it was a full day of CMA meeting and ride, meeting some COG officers and bike maintenance. All good, and have a great riding day!
Tuesday, November 21, 2017
Great Weekend Riding and Upcoming Projects
Quick report on my busy weekend, about 350 miles of riding, and some projects I have coming up on the bikes.
Saturday I was at the Long Beach International Motorcycle Show (IMS) almost all day. After meeting my CMA chapter for breakfast, four of us rode up there on our bikes while a few others "caged" there. Only one wrong turn as the "trying to get fired Road Captain" and we made it in plenty of time to get the Helmet and Gear check going. Only problem was we had less space than last year and no where near enough. We had to shut the check down for about half an hour in the mid-afternoon, re-organize the helmets and consolidate a rack or three of jackets and then re-open. Bummer, but the other option would have been to have gear tags out of order-a true recipe for disaster!
Sunday I participated in the El Cajon Harley Owners Group (HOG) Toys for Tots run. Great event, great guys running it with lots of volunteers and a great cause. Fun part for me was it was a "controlled ride" meaning we stayed as a group and had police escort. However there were more intersections than Road Captains from HOG, so I started helping out. Fun to do that every now and then as we "quickly" rode from intersection to intersection alongside the nearly 200 bike group. Ride ended at Del Mar Racetrack where we rode in (quietly to not spook the non-iron horses) and had our own area. Best part? Nearly 2300 toys for Toys for Tots, and over $8000 that will also go for toys and gifts!
After my annual pre-Thanksgiving Dinner ride before joining family at the in-laws, I have a number of projects on the two Connies. The restoration bike (94, aka Belle) needs an oil change and general check-up, plus I may test fit the sanded and repaired bodywork. Belle's tank was going to go on the old 86 (Miss Swail) but the petcock leaks and trying to get it off one of the mounting nuts came loose from inside the tank. UGH. So I'm going to see what can be done with the old parts bike tank I've had sitting around. It's nasty but if it holds gas it may have to do to get the bike sold and I'll let the new owner decide to use some gas tank sealant on it or buy a replacement on eBay.
Could you help me out and click this link for some metric T-handle wrenches? Testing out the Amazon Affiliate program and would like to see how a sale or two works. Thank you!
Saturday I was at the Long Beach International Motorcycle Show (IMS) almost all day. After meeting my CMA chapter for breakfast, four of us rode up there on our bikes while a few others "caged" there. Only one wrong turn as the "trying to get fired Road Captain" and we made it in plenty of time to get the Helmet and Gear check going. Only problem was we had less space than last year and no where near enough. We had to shut the check down for about half an hour in the mid-afternoon, re-organize the helmets and consolidate a rack or three of jackets and then re-open. Bummer, but the other option would have been to have gear tags out of order-a true recipe for disaster!
Sunday I participated in the El Cajon Harley Owners Group (HOG) Toys for Tots run. Great event, great guys running it with lots of volunteers and a great cause. Fun part for me was it was a "controlled ride" meaning we stayed as a group and had police escort. However there were more intersections than Road Captains from HOG, so I started helping out. Fun to do that every now and then as we "quickly" rode from intersection to intersection alongside the nearly 200 bike group. Ride ended at Del Mar Racetrack where we rode in (quietly to not spook the non-iron horses) and had our own area. Best part? Nearly 2300 toys for Toys for Tots, and over $8000 that will also go for toys and gifts!
After my annual pre-Thanksgiving Dinner ride before joining family at the in-laws, I have a number of projects on the two Connies. The restoration bike (94, aka Belle) needs an oil change and general check-up, plus I may test fit the sanded and repaired bodywork. Belle's tank was going to go on the old 86 (Miss Swail) but the petcock leaks and trying to get it off one of the mounting nuts came loose from inside the tank. UGH. So I'm going to see what can be done with the old parts bike tank I've had sitting around. It's nasty but if it holds gas it may have to do to get the bike sold and I'll let the new owner decide to use some gas tank sealant on it or buy a replacement on eBay.
Could you help me out and click this link for some metric T-handle wrenches? Testing out the Amazon Affiliate program and would like to see how a sale or two works. Thank you!
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