This was originally a photo blog created with my cell phone while on my various trips and other related activities. After the cell phone photo feature went away, it became a general personal blog about me, my trips and other related activities. I'll try to keep lots of photos on it too.
Photo of Jim and Randy at Branson Towers parking lot after an all-day ride Friday to and from the Rainbow Trout Ranch in Rockbridge, MO. I had hurt my left arm earlier in the week taking care of brush at home and it was hurting a bit, so I left Jim and Randy shortly after lunch and went back to Rally HQ with the rest of the group where I waited for them. I got signed in to the Blitz with Voni Glaves, and spent about three hours in the parking lot talking to interesting riders and had a couple of beers. These people have great stories. It was about 86 degrees and the weather was great. Jim and Randy rolled back in around 7 PM. Randy later told me it was his best day of riding.
When we got to my folk's house in Table Rock, my Mom was out at a all-day club meeting/convention. The local eatery, the Office, had burned down and the only other decent eatery in Eagle Rock had closed. My Dad suggested we go to the Rowdy Beaver, a Motorcycle Restaurant in Eureka Springs. I had a 1/2 lb burger and two nice, ice cold glasses of beer. Both tasted great. Jim took off the the Hotel in Branson, MO shortly after 7 PM. I looked at the restaurant t-shirts briefly, but wasn't crazy about them. I thought about getting a "Rowdy Beaver" thong for Leta, but decided that was a really, really bad idea.
I took Thursday and Friday off to go to the Branson Blitz and visit my folks on Eagle Rock, MO. Randy and I did this last year and we both had a blast. Its really just a reason to do a couple days of serious riding down in curvy Arkansas and Northern Missouri before it gets hot and busy there.
Everything I was doing before our departure Wednesday was running late. Thankfully, Tuesday night Stan and Chuck came over to our place and helped me get my GS1200ADV ready by changing the final drive fluid while I changed out the battery and put some rubber washers on the windshield. I really appreciated the help.
We rode down to KC and stayed at Jim's son Trent's house Wednesday evening after work. Thursday morning we stopped at Engle BMW Triumph in KC. They had a new red K1300GT which I almost thought Jim was going to buy. I bought some small spade fuses for my front axillary jack so I could run my GPS. We spent the rest of the day following Jim down some back roads down to Eagle Rock, including a really curvy section of old Highway 66. We got to Eagle Rock a few minutes before 6 PM.
The Bak BMW Open House was Saturday, March 28th. The weather was cool, but they still did the demo rides. I didn't signup for a ride this year, but everyone said they were a lot of fun. Beemer was there greeting everyone as she does so well. Jim J. lead the rides. The pulled pork sandwhiches were also great.
Beemer, the Bak Shop Cat, and Al seemed to like the new F650GS
The Big Sioux Riders has been meeting Saturday mornings at 8 AM (or so) for breakfast for several years now. We recently tried Kim's Homestyle Cafe at 6th and Pearl St. across from the Federal Building in Sioux City. The food's good, the cost is very good, and portions are too good. Paul B and Kim grew up next door to each other as kids. Kim's entire family seems to work at the Resturant. They treat our group really well and hearing stories about Paul's childhood is simply a bonus. Saturday, March 21st we had our best turn out in some time. Below is a photo of some of bikes that were there when L and I got there. I had to go to Ames later that day, but six of the folks (Jim J, Stan S, Chuck S, Al A, Loyd A and Randy R) went for a ride after wards down in the Loess Hills and Al told me later it was one of those riding days you just dream about - perfect. They road about 280 miles. Too bad I missed it, hope we have another soon.
I spent Saturday working with Chuck and Al to get HID lights in my GSA (“Pig” – You have to say it like Farmer Hogget in “Babe”). The lights are in now (cool) and but it looks like I’m going to need a new windscreen because the old one is shot. I remember when Randy, Pig’s prior owner, flipped her on muddy road during a training class. Kind of wonder if this is the same windshield or did Randy replace it before he went to Alaska and then broke that one too? Inquiring minds want to know, but its not important. Hopefully I can find a cheap, newer looking one on eBay.
I also found the auxiliary plug on the dash was not wired very well and fused the wrong way (ground was fused) so we replaced that with a watertight inline fuse while we were in there. We finished up about 4 PM on Saturday and we were all beat. Hopefully we’ll have time to do Al’s LT in the next week or two. I also have a set to place in Strom.
Spring must be here because Sunday (March 15th) was an even more glorious day then Saturday. After calling Shannon to tell him some of great jokes I heard on Prairie Home Companion that morning, I rolled out the K bike (“Dagmar”), checked her over, filled her tires. and started getting my things together. I wasn’t able to find a couple of things, but by 2 PM I figured I better get rolling and forget about the missing stuff for now. I was off to get a cheese or elk burger in Niobrara at the Two Rivers Saloon.
It was nice to be out on the road again, but able 20 miles into the ride near Ponca, NE I realized the error of my plan - riding Dagmar when I intend to sell her was not very forward thinking! The bike still handles great on the long hauls, and one cannot get that her solid planted feeling on the GSA or Strom. I’m really going to miss this gal and am having second thoughts about selling her again. I refilled in Crofton, NE… all the $4/gallon gas from early last fall was gone and I put in some fresh $1.69/gallon gas… for a total of $8.75, wow.
I got to the Two Rivers Saloon in Niobrara about 4 PM and went inside. Strangely Pat, the old owner, was back running the bar. When I asked what happened to Eddie, Pat grumbled something. He said they had a lot of dirty dishes in back and if I really wanted something to eat he was going to have to wash them up and asked if I really wanted a cheese burger. I said the main reason I was there was just to get out for a ride and that a draw of Fat Tire beer would do the trick. Pat kept peering at me from behind the bar, and I have the distinct feeling that he didn’t really want to be there. Wonder what happened to Eddie, the guy Pat sold the bar to last fall? There were about a dozen locals drinking heavly at the bar and the Fat Tire beer was excellent. I rode out of Niobrara about 4:30 and arrived in Sioux City shortly after 6 PM. I rinsed the salt off Dagmar and put her back away.
Saturday, March 7th was the bi-annual Sioux Falls Autobahn Club ride to Bob's Bar in Martinsburg, Nebraska. It was about 32 degrees in Sioux City and the forecast was 100% rain so everyone decide that 4 wheels beat 2 wheels with ice in mind. Shannon drove and Leta went with us. We left Sioux City and got to Martinsburg about 1:30 PM and the Dale and Gary from Sioux Falls/Canton were already there with a pitcher of beer getting an early start. Bob's is a famous dive which serves some rather well know sized portions. No one was hungry when we pushed back the chairs at about 4 PM and left. It was a nice way to spend a crappy weather day, but just maybe not that healthy.
Dale and Shannon getting down to business
Leta and Gary thinking about cholesterol levels.
Shannon, Dale, Gary, and Leta outside the bar afterward.
It was 32 degrees out when I snapped this photo with my new cell phone before I left for work this morning. I don't know if it is visible, but the tree and car are covered in ice. We had our first thunderstorm of 2009 this morning. The cats were unusually absent and hiding in the basement from the storm noise when I left. I had ridden the bike to work a couple days ago, but that wasn't going to happen this morning. One of the old timers at that gym told me to stop riding my bike because every time I do we get a storm within a couple of days.
Though not photogenic as Shannon, here I am sitting on a used Rocket III at Baxter's Open House Saturday morning. This was a '06 I believe with about 25K on it. It was in pretty good shape, but I'm still looking for a different type of 2-up bike. I'm going to be asking 8K now for my K1200RS and L says she would be willing to sell the Shadow for a 2-up bike too, so I am going to have to get to work cleaning it up.
We had a good time at the Open House. The free chili dogs were a bonus.
I'm hoping to head down to Marne, Iowa with Shannon L. and Loyd A. after the club breakfast this Saturday to the Spring Baxter Cycle Open House. Whats this world coming to - Shannon has become a huge Triumph fan since he sold his KLR and traded his R1100S Replica in for a new 1055 Tiger last fall. We are going to have to see how he fares on that thing during a real trip.
I rode the new Tiger model twice at Randy's open house in August at Marne, and then once again in September. I almost fell for it myself, but I figured with my We-Strom I had it covered. The new Tiger is really kind of like my We-Strom except its a little bit better ... in just about every way except price and maintenance. Either bike should be great at curve carving.
Upcoming Rides and Rallies of Interest March 7 - Autobahn Trek to Martinsburg, NE March 17 BSR monthly meeting at Peaches in South Sioux at 6PM. Ask for the back room when you arrive. March 28 Bak BMW Victory Open House, 10 AM to 2 PM, Sioux City, IA April 24-26 IBMWR Blitz to Branson (RSVP) - http://www.ibmwr.org/events/2009/blitz2branson.shtml May 9-10 BSR Damm Mother's Day Campout at Pixtown, SD. Look for us in the campground below the Dam, the north one was just too cold last year. May 25 GLMC Bonzai Road Rally, Winona, MN - http://www.glmc.org/ May 29-31 Hiawatha Rally, Money Creek, MN June 11-14 Iowa Pure Stodge Rally - Its back with a new location - http://purestodge.org/ June 19-21 Team Strange Minnesota 1K - http://www.teamstrange.com/2009/MN1K/ June 26-28 Seventh Annual Bohemian Alps Rally(Triumph Rat Pack), Verdigre, NE July 3-4 BMW Bash at The Hub, Arkansas, N 36.11346 W 93.12447 July 12 Heart of Iowa BMW Club's annual Ride-In, Isaac Walton League at Ahquabi, Second Sunday of July July 16-19 37th BMW MOA International Rally, Johnson City, TN July 23-26 BMWRA Rally, Canaan Valley State Park, West Virginia - http://www.bmwmoa.org/forum/showthread.php?t=31225
Just seeing if my new phone can post a decent photo to my blog using email.
This is a photo of Shannon at last Saturday's breakfast with my new Samsung Omnia cell phone. I posted this photo using the email function. Click on the photo to see the full sized version - It works. Very Cool. I'm back in business again.
It’s been another cold winter here in Sioux City.For the last two winters we have not been able to do as much winter riding as we have in recent winters.We have had a lot of snow this year and my over-sized snow blower (thanks Steve B.) has been out more times than I care to remember.
In ’08 Leta got a new-to-her ’06 VFR Interceptor.Ryan sold us her Givi bags and we bought a Givi wingrack for it.She now has a sport touring bike and really is starting to like it.I’m going to look at finding some Heli bars and a bigger windshield for her over the next few months.
In October, I took possession of Randy R’s R1200GSA and how what a bike.It’s a challenging ride for those of us under 6’.The bike has about everything on it I will need including a new final drive, so I’m just looking at some additional RAM mounts for it and some lighting enhancements.I hope to have 4 HID lights on it by spring.
Plans for summer our summer rides coming along.It looks like the BMW national in Johnson City, TN is probably out.We are finally talking seriously about a trip down the Canadian Rockies (Jasper, Banff, Glacier, Yellowstone etc).Dave W. from Fargo and Shannon are also interested.We may even have a chase car for the very first time on one of our motorcycle vacations.I’m also thinking again about some 12 and 24 hour road rallies, the GLMC.org grand tour again and a lot more local camping.
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