motociclista

It's cold outside, the sun sets early. Lousy evenings for riding, but good for reading about riding. With that in mind, I thought I'd point you guys to a free online magazine I contribute to regularly, especially since one of my short articles in the current issue features a local Ohio eatery in the Diner Destinations series. The one-sentence backstory is that the Riders of Kawasaki organization used to print a magazine for members, but this year they decided to go digital and make it free and available to everyone. I'm biased, of course, but I think there are several good writers who contribute (not just me), and it's free, so what do you have to lose, right? Here's a direct link to one of my most recent articles: http://accelerate.presspublisher.us/issue/issue-7-2010/article/warehouse and here's the home page link if you want to bookmark it: http://accelerate.presspublisher.us

I did this on a smaller scale with an old dual-sport rat bike I used to have. A friend gave me a small ammo can that I bolted to the rear rack as a small top box. Free, waterproof and big enough to carry lunch to work. Looked like crap, because I put no time, money or effort into it, but very functional.

I'm envisioning this and I'm just really glad I have a walk-out basement. +1 on leaving one of the cars outside. They're cars. Gotta keep priorities straight.

Some ride reports are about riding dramatic roads on a warm, perfectly beautiful day in June, the longest days of the year. See photo above, for an example. Of course it's now late November in Ohio, so this isn't one of those ride reports. Still, it definitely wasn't bad. Yesterday, I had to make a quick trip down to West Virginia to attend to some family matters. Though I knew the afternoon would be warm, I was expecting temps in the 40s in the morning, but I was pleasantly surprised to see high 50s instead. I stopped to snap this photo in New Lexington. Something I didn't expect to see on November 22. Not much time for sightseeing, as I wanted to get home before dark, when the deer start swarming this time of year. But fortunately even the direct route offers some nice curvy sections. Between Athens and Darwin, the new straight and boring and needlessly 55 mph and heavily patrolled section of U.S. 33 gets all the trucks and cars. The old 33 is still out there, now CR 33A, with 12 miles of now-empty curves. So I always take the old route. Santa had his sleigh parked by the riverfront in Pomeroy. Even if he did have a full set of reindeer, I wouldn't trade rides. Does this look like the end of the road? It's the end point of my round trip, the family property in W.Va. This is where I'll have to hole up with whatever ammunition I can scrounge together after the world financial system collapses. Just kidding. I hope. On the way home, the old Speed Triple's odometer rolled over again. After years of hard use, it has lots of scuffs and scratches and a few odd quirks, but still runs strong and always puts a smile on my face. I saw ten other bikes on the road during the 254-mile round trip, including what appeared to be an old flathead Harley being ridden by Santa's twin brother. Not a big deal of a ride, but a surprisingly nice one for a November 22. My bikes are not weekend "toys," they're transportation that also happens to be a hell of a lot of fun. I would have ridden under any circumstances except snow, but it's a treat to get temps in the 70s this late in the year. So when cold rain is spitting against the windows on Thursday, in addition to the long list of far more important things I'll be thankful for, I add just a tiny bit of extra gratitude for one more fine ride this year. Happy Thanksgiving, y'all!

As a local resident, I can tell you this has really affected the community here. I worked in the news business for many years, and I've written about murders and horrible crimes and seen the aftermath and talked to the survivors, but I've never seen a small town (actually, a few small towns) so moved and affected as I have in this case. Every day, seeing the cars parked along the roads near my house, with people scouring cornfields and our local hiking trails, people floating down the Kokosing River in kayaks and canoes, searching and hoping. People using vaction time from work to go search the countryside for the missing. The impromptu memorials. I know, it's not like this is the first time something like this has happened. But I've lived in five U.S. states, one U.S. territory, one foreign country, done more than my share of traveling and lived quite a few years on this earth, now, but even in my years in the news business, I've never seen a reaction quite like this one. I know everyone always says you don't think it will happen to you, not here, not to us. But this was just a level of evilness people never could have imagined would spring up in their quiet little Ohio back yards. Sad times indeed here in Knox County.

The location change has doubled my mileage, but I'll make it if I can...

I appreciate those who were concerned about costing me some royalties if the book were passed around. That's considerate of you. At the same time, I didn't think there was any malice involved. No harm, no foul all around. Here's a win-win compromise. If anyone wants to read the book and feels they can't afford it, talk to your local library, convince them they absolutely have to have a copy of this great new book by an Ohio author, and then you can borrow it for free. I get at least one sale, you get a free read. Let's face it, nobody gets rich writing motorcycle books under any circumstances.

Before you start dismantling the bike, confirm your assumption, and everyone else's assumption, that it's the fork lock that is keeping the front end from moving. Seems odd to me that it locked itself. It could be something else. For example, I own a Daytona 675 that is known for having one of the bolts that holds the steering damper back out and block the steering. It FEELS like the steering is locked, but it's really that loose bolt backing out and jamming the fork. I would look closely under the fairing, with a flashlight if needed, and see if you can confirm for sure exactly what's keeping the fork from turning. Nothing to lose...

I hope you like it!

Welcome and thanks for displacing me as the newbiest of the newbies here.

Well I couldn't just show up to the party empty-handed, now, right?

Indeed I am! I thought a copy of my book would be at least a modest contribution of sorts to the OR community. Whoever wins, I hope you enjoy it.

If the tech inspector sees you have a plugged rear tire, he probably will not let you on the track at all. The money wasted getting there and your frustration level will be greater than the money you save by not buying a new tire. You can always save the plugged tire and remount it later for street use.

So you're admitting that you're a piss-poor speller?

That's my theory too. After Rossi retires, he's going to tell everyone that it makes no difference at all and he did it just to see who would be foolish enough to mimic him. Then he'll laugh. (I'm only half joking.) I haven't seen Lorenzo do it, and you certainly can't argue with his results this year. I don't see Ben Spies doing it...

Thanks for the welcome, guys. Jnor, my Versys looks just like yours, except with smaller bags and stock windscreen. I plan to add handguards before it gets too much colder.

I've been in Ohio for several years now but just recently signed up here. I'm in the Mount Vernon/Gambier area.

Excellent! If there's no ice on the roads, I'll be there. I just installed the heated grips...

Autumn riding in West Virginia is the best. This is a shot of Smoke Hole Road. Thought I'd post it up here.

Just a gratuitous photo of fall in the Hocking Hills. Why? Just to celebrate the shortest season of the year, and one of the best for riding.