International Motorcycle Show

Red Riders and Friends at Tobey Keith's on Saturday, 2.9.

We had a very good turn out for the first event of 2013, the IMS.  This group, which included all, but one of the "All But Certain" Red Riders came out to break bread at Tobey Keith's, chat bikes and rides and go to the IMS.  It was great to see everyone so early in the year.  This event always leaves us excited about the upcoming riding season and the Annual Ride.

From left to right are: John Moore, Tim Lavris, Kalyan Krishnapillai, Nick Hernandez, Cole Francis, Matt Luparello, Tom Duex, Kelly Housman, Mark Miller and the Fair Ann.

Colorado - Colored Red

It's official! Colorado is this year's destination! Just saying "Colorado" conjures images of high mountain passes, deep river canyons and spectacular motorcycle riding. As well it should. Every tantalizing description of Colorado that you've heard is true. And we'll see for our selves this June!

For many motorcycle riders, exploring Colorado's roads is the ultimate motorcycle touring dream and perhaps the top most coveted motorcyclist destination in America. Many of America's most breathtaking stretches of the Rocky Mountains are found within this abundantly blessed state. Also, Colorado completely rolls out the red carpet for visitors and so we will find a large array of amenities to take in when it's time to pull over and get off the bikes.

2013 Ride Announcement

 

First, I'm still waffling between Colorado (Denver area) and Texas Hill Country (Somewhere between Austin and San Antonio) for this year's ride.   But the date is pretty well set so you can mark your calendars for Saturday, June 1 through at least Saturday, June 8th. 

Both destinations are 2 full days of riding away and we may want to consider the option to take 2 or 3 days on the return trip.  Lodging and your input will factor into the final decision.

That said, I will start evaluating lodging and present the options to you.

I'm excited that we have 7 "all but certain riders" already.  All of whom are veterans.  If you haven't joined the "all but certain" riders yet, I strongly encourage you to do that ASAP.  With 8 riders already there's not many more spots left.

I'm looking forward to yet another great life experience both on and off the bikes this year.

Summing Up the Old Dominion Ride

The Old Dominion Ride was quite an adventure.  The guys all melded together really well and I know that strong friendships were forged.  Everyone pitched in and around Base Camp.  It was clear that attitudes and extra baggage were left at home where they belong and everyone had a good time.

The weather for the most part was decent.  Although there were a couple of days at base camp where it rained (lightly mostly) or threatened to rain just enough to make us put on our rain gear.  It was usually brisk in the morning and evening, but by mid-day it usually warmed up enough to ride in t-shirts.  Of course, the next week it was forecasted to be in the upper 80's and partly sunny.  The weather for the ride to and from the Base Camp was great.

The roads.  Awesome!  Some of the best we've ridden.  Mountains with 10% grade for miles of twisties and the Sky Line Drive with its pristine asphalt, spectacular views - including a black bear only 30 feet from us!  Even the ride to and from the Base Camp was nice (between Fort Wayne and the Base Camp, that is).

The sights were all great.  The pix form Luray Caverns outnumber the pix from the ride.  The New Market battlefield and Harpers Ferry did not disappoint.  The wild life (I already mentioned the black bear) was abundant.  And I think that we all would have liked to see a few less deer!

The people we met were all great; very friendly and helpful when we needed it.  The old woman who sat on her porch every day said to some of us one evening as we walked by her house, "I've been watching you [as we shared stories about the day's ride and activities in the driveway].  You guys are funny.".  I guess we kinda were.

The Base Camp was nearly perfect.  We just needed a hose to wash the bikes.  The Foosball table took a beating, but a new team was crowned champions.  And the cooking facilities were perfect as Matt "The Grill Master" Luparello did an awesome job Qing for the guys on a couple of nights with the help of several others.  As for the interim lodging - the Days Inn in Columbus was adequate (good for the money) and had several restaurants within walking distance, which was key. 

On the down side, this is a motorcycle trip after all, we had a few mechanical problems.  The one critical one was Young Joe's blown transmission only a few hours away from home.  Unfortunately it ended his trip and he was sorely missed.  Old Joe, not to be outdone, developed a crack in his exhaust while riding at Base Camp, but the dealership got the exact part in that morning and fixed him up right away.  Jamie's bike had a shifter problem that the dealership fixed with a shot of WD40 and Kelly lost a mirror that Tim almost found imbedded in his shin.  Final score: Standards 2 - Metrics 2.

About 2013's ride - Nothing's been decided, but a lot of options were discussed, including moving the ride to later in the Summer, so that we could venture North.  As Summer passes and we talk more I'll have some options to review with you all, but rest assured whatever we decide it will be another great life experience!

Old Dominion Midwest Riders' Meeting 5/12/2012

Clockwise from left - Cole, Kelly, Nick, Mark, Matt, John, Tim, Tom, Ted

2012 Ride Announcement

Old Dominion June 2, 2012 – June 8, 2012   Well, I’ve been pondering the ride for 2012 for some time now, considering what the group has offered over the summer and a couple of my suggestions as well.  The challenge is finding a place that we can get to within a day or two’s ride from Chicago; has base camp lodging options that can accommodate us and; most importantly has enough great black top and sights to still leave us wanting more after we return home. I narrowed it down to a couple areas.  First, Texas Hill Country (Austin/San Antonio area), which was my suggestion.  Although it meets all the criteria I’ve ruled it out because the ride to get there is around 1,200 miles.  While doable, I’m leaning towards more of relaxed ride to get to our base camp.  Here is a link to the map I was playing with for this option - http://g.co/maps/5xug7. So I’ve decided on a suggestion that John Moore made, perhaps as long ago as our Badlands ride in 2010: Virginia Is For Motorcycle Lovers, Too!   This state has become one of the best motorcycle road states in America - rich in beauty, history, and amenities!  Motorcycle rider’s menu of scenery will include the Appalachian Mountains, the Shenandoah Valley, and 112 miles of Atlantic coastline. The historical attractions include the country’s first permanent English settlement at Jamestown, and some of the most important battlefields from both the Revolutionary and Civil wars (ex. Fredericksburg, Yorktown).  Not to mention Washington DC! I’m looking at base camp options in or around the Shenandoah Valley.  Harrisonburg, for example, is fairly central to the day trips that I’ve mapped out.  The Shenandoah Valley area also has a lot of lodging options.  And I’m looking to keep the rate less than $100 a night.  As for the itinerary, my initial thoughts are to get back a week long ride.  Departing Chicago on Saturday June 2nd and staying overnight in the Columbus, Ohio area (~322 Miles) then on to our base camp (~340 miles).  We’d then have 3 full days of riding Old Dominion (Monday – Wednesday), before we depart for Chicago on Thursday, June 7th. Here’s What I Need From You   I know it’s early yet, but the one item I sweat the most when finalizing our plan for the ride is the base camp lodging.  As the veterans know and if you’ve seen the “Best of Pics” on the site, we’ve been very fortunate to have truly great accommodations for our previous rides.  To continue that in 2012 we’ll need to lock down a base camp sooner rather than later. To help me gauge the size of the group for 2012 please drop me a note as soon as possible to let me know one of the following:   1.       Sign me up! 2.       I’m seriously interested! 3.       Sounds good, but it’s too early to tell for sure if I can make it 4.       Sorry, I can’t make it this year As always, I'm open to any and all suggestions (dates, location, duration, etc.). Ultimately, I just want a ride that everyone will enjoy.