The Motorcycle Project

YouTube, copyright, and fair use

2012-03-06T10:13:00.000-07:00

Today I got an email from YouTube about a video I created and posted on their site:

Dear edzeppelin91,
Your video, Clear Creek Canyon Pt 2, may have content that is owned or licensed by IODA.
No action is required on your part; however, if you are interested in learning how this affects your video, please visit the Content ID Matches section of your account for more information.
Sincerely,
- The YouTube Team

The content was a Link Wray song called "Green Hornet", copyright of which is allegedly owned by some shadowy group that calls itself 'IODA'. While I despise ham-fisted displays of over-bearing store-bought authority, I took the prudent course of action and re-edited the video, which you see now in the previous post.

Now, I do not sell the videos I make, nor do I broadcast them over the airwaves or charge a fee to the tens of viewers who watch them, so I did not harm the estate of Link Wray. But to be fair, copyright protection is in the original US Constitution (that is to say, it was not added later by amendment or case law) and as such is the 'supreme law of the land'.

There is a concept in copyright law called 'fair use' and, long story short, if I had used only a portion of the song- say, a thirty second clip- I could legitimately make a fair use claim.

Making short videos of my motorcycle rides with a GoPro camera is a lot of fun. And I feel that adding some music makes for a better video- it draws in the viewer and creates emotional impact. Let's be honest- if a video has 5 minutes of motorcycle engine sound and windnoise, the casual viewer may just tune it out. I don't know- you tell me.

But since I don't need any legal hassles, future videos will only include clips of songs, not entire songs, and each video will be appended with a fair use notice. We'll see if this new strategy runs afoul of YouTube's legal sharks.

Clear Creek Canyon Pt 2- Up to Black Hawk

2012-03-05T20:33:00.001-07:00

Black Hawk- the gambling hotspot of Clear Creek County. I'm sure the original old town is around here somewhere, but it's been over-shadowed by these fairly hideous faux 19th century buildings.

Beyond Black Hawk is Central City, and from there you can take Oh My God Road (it's called that because it is unpaved, twisty, has steep drop-offs and no guardrails) to Idaho Springs, which has a restaurant that serves up a pretty good buffalo burger. And Idaho Springs is the jumping off point for the ride up Mt Evans on the highest paved road in the world.

We'll do that one in late June or early July.

Please note: The original version of this video contained what YouTube claims is copyrighted material (the song "Green Hornet" by Link Wray). While YouTube provided no proof of such claim, I decided to re-cut the video to exclude the allegedly copyrighted material. I have enough problems as it is without adding a battalion of flesh-eating lawyers to the mix.

3/4/12 More video from Clear Creek Canyon

2012-03-05T16:37:00.000-07:00

Golden Colorado Drive-thru Video

2012-03-04T21:00:00.003-07:00

But later that day, the winds died down and Road King hit the streets of Fat City, rolling west for Golden. First there was a quick coffee and donut stop (raspberry-filled glazed), then I mounted the GH2 on the bike's fuel tank and took off.

In the video you'll see I skirt the north side of South Table Mountain on W 32nd Avenue, past the Coors Brewery, then down Golden's main drag. From there I head west on CO58 to CO6, and start my way up Clear Creek Canyon. The winds were pretty gusty blowing down the canyon, and there was a lot of traffic- people coming back down the hill from the casinos in Black Hawk and Central City, hikers, and rock climbers. So I cut the ride short. I aim to complete it tomorrow.

Today I used the Micover windscreen on the back of the GH2. It cuts out a lot of wind noise, so I'm happy with that purchase.

Also, this video was made in mid- to late afternoon and the sun is very much in my (and the camera's) eyes. I will try to avoid this unfortunate lighting situation in the future.

There were a lot of bikes out on the road today. Colorado's collective cabin fever is about to break.

3/5 update: I will not be riding up to Black Hawk today- winds up to 40mph are forecast

March is in like a friggin' lion

2012-03-04T11:46:00.001-07:00

The wind will not stop blowing.

It is windy morning noon and night here. Right now I am sitting in my living room, looking out the back door, watching the trees bend over in the wind. It's a beautiful sunny day, 54 degrees, but the wind is steady at 18 gusting to 30. The sunshine mocks me.

It's Sunday. I wanted to ride up Clear Creek Canyon to Black Hawk. But on windy days down here, it's even worse up in the canyons. The steep slopes and narrow canyons funnel and amplify the wind. Getting hit by wind gusts on a straight flat road is one thing; it's quite another when you're leaned over on a twisty canyon road, with a dump truck coming up fast in the opposite lane.

It's very frustrating when I have fuel to burn and roads to drive, time off from work, money in my pocket and a motorcycle in a garage, but I'm grounded by this fiendish devil of a northwest wind.

Damn you Boreas!

Everyone knows it's win-dy

2012-02-28T18:40:00.003-07:00

Well, the weather forecast for today was 'windy', but at 1pm it wasn't windy, so I went to the garage and broke out the Road King. Of course, about 10 minutes into my ride it got really windy. I'm talking dust clouds and bits of paper and grit flying through the air. I returned to the garage. Tomorrow should be much better.

Got this cool Pelican case for my GoPro camera and accessories:

And this Micover windscreen for the GoPro came in the mail today:

So tomorrow is a day off, and the winds should be calm with afternoon temperatures in the 60s. I'm so tired of winter!

Update 2/29/12: So I get over to the garage and J is rolling his bike out, because he and main squeeze M want to go look at motorcycles. It appears she has been bitten by The Bug. So we ride up to Sun H-D in Thornton to ogle SuperGlides and Sportsters and Forty-Eights and Softails. It's almost dark by the time we get back to the garage. And my new Pelican case (for the GH2) does not fit inside the hardcase on my Road King. I was sure it would! My mistake. But it's still awesome.
Good ride.

This summer, on my motorcycle...

2012-02-25T06:16:00.002-07:00

Utah Scenic Byway 12 crosses the Grand Staircase/Escalante National Monument

This section of UT12 in the Escalante is called 'the hogback' because it follows a knife-edge ridge between two deep canyons- no guardrails, of course. Misjudge these curves and you are in a world of s***.

Windy Day in Fat City

2012-02-21T17:41:00.000-07:00

Mmm... donut

Today, as an excuse to ride my Road King, I decided to shoot some video in 720p widescreen format with my GoPro HERO2 (GH2) minicam. When you shoot in 720p you get 60 frames per second, which lends itself to slow motion. I'll experiment with that in the future.

I like the widescreen aspect of 720p but there seem to be occasional glitches in the playback, as if the video resizes itself from time to time. You'll see what I mean. If this is a known bug I may stick with the 960p format. We'll see- I'm still scratching the surface of what can be done with the GH2.

For this clip I rubber-banded a two inch thick piece of open cell foam to the skeleton back of the camera enclosure. There's still some wind noise, but not as much as before, and you can hear more of the motorcycle's sound. I have a made-for-the-GoPro windscreen on order, but there may be a limit to how much wind noise I can realistically eliminate. I want to get all the technical glitches and learning curves behind me before the riding season begins for real, so I can concentrate on making entertaining videos of epic rides.

I was restricted to the neighborhood streets today because it was just too windy to get out on the Foothills Road. And at the required coffee stop, I went with a blueberry donut.

Good ride.

Still looking for good GoPro sound

2012-02-19T13:32:00.001-07:00

Yesterday's ride was all about trying to solve the wind noise problem when the motorcycle is going over 35mph.

The first part of this clip was made with the camera's skeleton back door in place, with a piece of open cell foam inside to act as a windscreen. This setup attenuated the wind noise a little, but it's far from satisfactory. I want to hear big V-Twin sound.

The second part was made with the waterproof back door in place. This cut out a lot of wind noise, which was replaced with other high frequency engine noise. When I take the bike off the kickstand you can hear the fuel sloshing around in the tank, and the engine's valve train is a chattering high-pitched whine at times. More engine sound comes through but there's still room for improvement.

But if you think about it... unless you're wearing earplugs, this is what riding a Harley-Davidson sounds like- the wind screaming in your ears over the distant drone of the exhaust note.

Next time I shoot, I'm going to do it in 720p so the resulting video has a widescreen aspect. And the quest for better sound continues.

On the other hand, it was a pleasant if cold ride- rolling through a picturesque winter landscape in front of the Front Range foothills under beautiful blue skies. And I got a cup of coffee and a cinnamon roll out of the deal. Not too shabby for Cool Money Grip.

On a side note- people are doing amazing things with the GoPro camera, which in itself turns out to be a remarkably resilient piece of tech. Here's a video where a skydiver drops his GoPro from 3000 feet- watch what happens. This kite-surfer's GoPro spent two and half months at the bottom of a coral reef before it was retrieved by a local fisherman. And in this video, GoPro goes to the edge of outer space.

GoPro Video- second attempt is good

2012-02-14T20:15:00.001-07:00

Cut to the chase: the suction cup mount is the way to go.

I started with the handlebar clamp accessory, with the camera mounted on the starboard handlebar riser. Three points of articulation, aimed right out through the windshield. There was less vibration resulting in a video that was less wavy than yesterday's attempt, but still not satisfactory.

For the second video I used the suction cup mount (left), which I placed on the fuel tank right behind the gas cap. Success! Watchable video was obtained. The rubber disk of the suction cup acts as a vibration damper, and the 'jigglies' are all but eliminated. It's still not perfect, but I know now I'm on the right track.

The suction cup mount is impressive. It held fast at 70mph, and when I removed it there was no mark of any kind on my tank's finish. I think I could use the suction cup to mount the camera on top or even on the side of one of the hard cases, for an alternate view.

Now I have to solve the wind noise problem. The tank is a good place for the camera to pick up the sound of the engine and pipes, but over 35mph the wind noise drowns that out. If I can eliminate the wind noise and keep the engine sound, that would be great.

So here is the Road King on a brief spin around Fat City, where we go west on Morrison Road, then up and over Green Mountain (elevation 6800'), ending at the coffee shop.

This was shot at 960p, 30 frames per second. Clipping and conversion in Cineform Studio; final edit in Windows Live Movie Maker.

Some added notes:

the suction cup mount is called a 'PanaVise'
'Cool Money Grip' is one of my many alter-egos for use on the internet
uploading hi-def video to YouTube takes a long time, even over a broadband connection. It took the better part of an hour to upload this 8-minute video. For that reason
future videos will be shorter- I'm thinking 5 minutes or less

GoPro Hero No Go

2012-02-13T18:23:00.000-07:00

I finally got a chance to try out my new GoPro Hero2 high definition minicam today. It arrived in the mail almost two weeks ago, but then it snowed three times. The roads are just now clear enough to take a motorcycle out.

I used the seatpost/handlebar accessory to mount the camera on the crash bar in front of the portside hard case. Then I went for a short ride and got about 30 minutes of video.

Unfortunately the video is unusable because of excessive vibration- the video looks all wavy. The picture is tack sharp- right up to the part where I start the bike and roll out of the driveway.

Just now, looking at the setup I used to mount the camera, I see there are 4 points of articulation. Imagine your arm with an extra wrist and an extra elbow. That's too many- I need to reduce that. Also, I don't think the handlebar mount- the two halves that clamp together- matches up well with the hard case crash bar. The inner radius of the clamp does not match the outer circumference of the bar. I'm going to try the suction cup mount on my next attempt.

By the way, it was cold as a well digger's ass out there today. Good ride.

Screamin' Eagle News

2012-02-08T12:34:00.000-07:00

So I stopped in at Sun Harley-Davidson this morning and got the complete lowdown on the SE upgrades I've been contemplating. Got hard numbers on the cost of parts, labor, and dyno tuning. It's doable.

There are two levels of tuning available. The first is a street tuner that downloads a new engine map to your ECM, and away you go. The second, more expensive option is the "Super Tuner" that gets your bike up on the dynamometer for a custom engine map, performed by a skilled dyno technician. Guaranteed to get the most available hp out of your new performance parts. I would go with the super tuner.

It's an all-day job and calls for fair weather (the dyno is outdoors.) I'd have to drop the bike off in the morning and come back for it the next day.

Winter Biker Blues

2012-02-07T22:32:00.002-07:00

Olivia Gets Her Sporty

2012-02-04T12:31:00.000-07:00

Check out the cool pic

Prepare to be sidelined

2012-02-02T07:10:00.005-07:00

Snowpocalypse is on the way

SNOW ACCUMULATIONS...TOTAL ACCUMULATIONS OF 10 TO 18 INCHES WILL
BE POSSIBLE ALONG THE FRONT RANGE URBAN CORRIDOR. CLOSER TO THE
WYOMING BORDER ACCUMULATIONS WILL RANGE FROM 6 TO 10 INCHES.

Road King's gonna be idle for a while, it looks like.

PS- on a more positive note, I received my GoPro Hero2 Motorsports Edition minicam today, and am charging up the battery and reviewing the instructions as I write this...

PPS- Friday Feb 3 11:55PM. Snowpocalypse is finally winding down. Here in Fat City we got about 13 inches of snow. This stuff is going to be around for awhile, and it will likely be some time before Road King rides again.

PPPS Tue Feb 7 12:40PM. Got 4 more inches of fresh powder overnight. Also, I have picked up a tenth follower. Welcome to the blog, Leeroy!

I'll be back.

The one where I go to the Harley-Davidson Parts and Service Departments with big plans for my motorcycle and get gob-smacked by reality

2012-01-31T14:07:00.005-07:00

SE High flow air intake

Previously I have written about some upgrades I want to do to the Road King this year, including adding a luggage rack and sissy bar, and installing some Screamin' Eagle performance parts. Well I was at the dealer today for a 5K service so I asked a few questions- just to get a feel for how much I would have to spend.

4-point docking hardware, docking hardware covers, detachable sissy bar and detachable two-up luggage rack: $661.79.

Screamin' Eagle high flow air intake, Screamin' Eagle slip-on performance mufflers, Harley-Davidson SuperTuner, computerized ECM recalibration and dynamometer testing: I lost track of the stuff the guy was reeling off. Maybe around $1500 out the door.

I may have to re-think some of this.

PS- all the 2012 bikes are 103 cubic inch engine displacement or better. The 2011s were the last of the stock 96s. 103 is stock now.

PPS- motel rooms in Bonneville during Speed Week are going for $200 a night. I would not pay such a princely sum were it the Plaza Hotel in New York city. Again, gob-smacked by reality.

Biker Build-Off Winners

2012-01-31T13:45:00.000-07:00

I was up at Sun H-D this morning getting a 5K service, and saw these two former winners on display:

"El Borracho"- a springer with a suicide shift

"No Regrets"- a 150hp v-twin cafe racer

This is NOT GOOD

2012-01-27T09:16:00.000-07:00

via Theo Spark

The one where I almost get knocked off the bike

2012-01-25T14:55:00.007-07:00

I have written previously of my encounters with strong winds while riding. These winds that roar down from the Front Range mountains vex me, they task me, and they often blow with a ferocity that seems to escape mention in the local weather report. Such was the case today, when I set out for a brief ride in calm conditions. And of course, the wind didn’t come up until I was at the farthest outbound part of my ride- and I had to fight it all the way back to Fat City.

This time it got truly dangerous, as the wind blew so hard it got inside my Bell shorty helmet, and the helmet acted like a parasail, pulling me backwards. Were it not for my death grip on the handlebars I surely would have come off the bike- and then I would be in a World of Shit. But I stuck with it until I got to a spot where I could pull over, get off the bike, light a cigarette and gather my senses.

Good ride.

MEANWHILE:

, $9.95 at your friendly neighborhood Harley-Davidson dealer. This item is a godsend for those of us who find getting an air hose onto the tires’ valve stems to be difficult, mostly because we have big hands and fingers and the brake rotors’ placement makes it a tight fit to get the air hose into that space.
After once again skinning my knuckles wrestling an air hose onto hard-to-reach valve stems, I thought I might stop in at the local H-D dealer to see if there was any solution. Well- it seems the Milwaukee brain trust has come up with a new gadget: it is Part Number 42300009, Valve Stem Extension

The drill is: remove the valve stem cap, thread this valve stem extension onto the valve stem, and Bob’s your uncle: a ten inch extension, making attaching the air hose and airing up your tires a breeze.

Let the good times roll.

The West is the Best

2012-01-17T23:13:00.000-07:00

I'm in a deep-freeze here. Was surfing the web and found this YouTube of dreams...

Question for the group

2012-01-15T16:07:00.001-07:00

The other day I did something stupid on the motorcycle and I need to know what to do about it.

You know that riding (or driving) situation where you're cruising along at about 45-50 mph and the traffic light up ahead turns amber, and there's that split second in your brain when you decide whether to hit the brakes or crank the throttle?

Well, I was in that situation and hesitated too long, then hit the brakes hard. I did the last 70-80 feet with the front wheel straight up and down and the rear wheel off to my right, locked up and burning rubber off the tire. I mean, I smoked it. I came to a stop and acted all nonchalant like, 'Yeah, I meant to do that'.

Anyway, the rest of the ride was fine and I put the bike up in the garage and didn't take time to inspect the tire. But I'm wondering if the tire is damaged in any way, since it was sideways when I scuffed it and the rubber came off more to the left side. If any of you has had a similar experience or has some tire wisdom to impart, please comment.

GoPro hi def motorcycle video

2012-01-10T08:41:00.002-07:00

I am definitely getting one of these GoPro high definition minicams very soon*. Everybody's making cool motorcycle videos now!

PS- Darlene D, welcome to the blog!

* Just gotta talk myself into parting with the money!

Question for the group

2012-01-07T09:15:00.003-07:00

Is it unwise to travel by motorcycle alone?

Arches National Park

By ‘travel’ I mean a multiple-day trip covering hundreds of miles. You see, I am by nature a solitary individual. In years past I have thought nothing of loading up my Ford F150 and heading off for the Utah hinterlands south of I-70 to go camping alone. I have the experience and the gear and I plan my trips carefully, always letting someone know where I’m going. And if I were ever to get in trouble, I had a sidearm* and a Gold Visa card at my disposal, depending on the situation.

Now I am thinking about taking similar trips on my motorcycle. I invite your comments. Thanks.

* You saw the movie "Deliverance", right?

2012 Starts Now

2012-01-01T01:59:00.006-07:00

Lots of things on the agenda (read: wish list) for 2012, both for the Road King itself and where I hope to ride it.

PARTS AND STUFF

I plan on adding a few Screamin' Eagle™ performance upgrades, such as hi-flow air intake, new exhaust, and upgraded spark plugs and wires.

I want to implement Harley-Davidson's bolt-on accessory system so I can add a luggage rack and sissy bar, and have those both be removable. These upgrades will enable me to strap on some camping gear for multi-day trips.

Another thing I'm looking at is modifying the wiring to the rear lights, converting them to 'always on' running lamps while retaining complete stop and turn signal function.

And just for the 'cool' factor, some LED accent lighting for the engine/tranny group. We saw a lot of this at Sturgis- very cool. Orange or red- I haven't decided yet. Completely superfluous and totally awesome.

I don't need any more chrome accessories. Last year I added a chrome front fender skirt, visor trim rings to the driving lamps, chrome passenger footboard covers, and a sweet gearshift linkage stamped with the Road King logo. But that's it. Less is more. Chrome is nice and shiny but piling on more chrome stuff won't add to the bike's performance characteristics one bit. The Road King is plenty chromed as is.

LET'S RIDE

I see me on my Road King

Rolling thru the San Rafael Desert on a warm summer night, bad moon rising

To the top of Pike's Peak

To the top of Mt Evans

Over Trail Ridge Road to Grand Lake

and a bunch of other great weekend adventures

and then there's The Big Ride to the Bonneville Salt Flats in August for Speed Week

2012 is going to be a lot of fun. I look forward to sharing my adventures with you, posting some cool photos and videos, and hopefully hearing back from you as well.

Let The Good Times Roll.

Update: pretty fair weather to start the new year!

Shiny update: finally got to wash the dirty Road King. I had to go to the squirt n' scoot cuz it's the only option this time of year. But STILL- shiny bike, shiny bike. I'm happy.

Steve McQueen on his 1940 Indian Chief

2011-12-30T06:21:00.001-07:00

Brief taste of freedom for rider to be named later

2011-12-29T15:11:00.000-07:00

OUR STORY: we had that big snow a week ago. But it's warmed up again- and after 2 days of hacking away at the ice and throwing down rock salt, I finally got clear pavement from the driveway up to the corner. So, I got to ride around Fat City for a bit, dodging big puddles from melting snow and keeping an eye out for all the sand that the county put down on the roadway. Add to that a high wind warning for Denver Metro and foothills, and it made for a dicey ride. But a ride nonetheless. We're supposed to have a few more mild days coming up, too. Also, whovever fixes potholes for the county and city is going to make a fortune next spring.

Keep on chooglin'.

Waitin' for the snow to melt

2011-12-27T20:36:00.000-07:00

Winter Solstice- The Longest Night

2011-12-21T22:30:00.009-07:00

Waiting for the sun

At this moment- Wednesday, December 21 at 10:30 p.m. MST - the sun is at its farthest point south of the equator. From this moment, the days start getting longer for us in the Northern Hemisphere. Which means better days for motorcycle riding are on the way.

But not yet. We're under a winter storm warning tonight. So right now I'm thinking about summer rides and weekend camping trips on my motorcycle and accessories I'm going to need. The Road King has 2 hard saddlebags of course, where I can stash raingear and riding leathers and some other small items. But in order to carry a tent, sleeping bag, air mattress and other gear, I'm going to need some bolt-on hardware from the dealer. Some kind of luggage rack out over the rear fender, and a vertical sissybar to which I can bungee even more stuff.

My ideal trip would be 3 days- 2 nights on the ground- with about a day's ride to the destination. This puts a lot of great locations within easy reach of Denver. Grand Junction, Great Sand Dunes National Park, Moab Utah, Mesa Verde, Black Canyon- these will all be great places to go motorcycle camping next year. There could even be short overnight trips- such as riding over the top of Trail Ridge Road, camping out by Grand Lake, and then riding home the next day.

And of course, there is a plan afoot for an epic ride out to Bonneville for Speed Week.

Great Sand Dunes

Anyway, next year's gonna be great. Just need a little sunshine.

Winter storm update, 12/22: yeah, we won't be riding motorcycles any time soon. The view out my back door at the moment:

It's over. We got 10.1" of snow.

"Shortest Day" Ride

2011-12-21T18:34:00.001-07:00

Damn it was cold out there today. Just a raw grey day, but I wanted to ride because there's a winter storm rolling in tonight- may be the last chance for a while.

Coffee and donut w/sprinkles: check
Check the Carharrt store in Golden for gear ideas: check
Buy nice new orange bandana at Freedom Harley-Davidson: check
Stare open-mouthed at absolutely gorgeous 2012 Softail Deluxe in birch white/sunburst red: check

Denver Metro is under a winter storm warning tonight. Happy Motoring!

Winter biker hits strong crosswinds

2011-12-18T19:16:00.000-07:00

Got out of work this morning at 8am and proceeded to release the Road King. I feel obligated to take advantage of nice riding weather this time of year, and Denver hit 58 degrees F today. Very pleasant for a week before Christmas. Must ride.

Wind turbines in Jefferson County CO

So I'm on the road and I made my gasoline stop, and then I made my coffee-and-glazed-donut stop, and then I headed west on CO128 toward the Foothills Parkway- CO93 connecting Golden and Boulder. I turned south on the Parkway and put the spurs to it, just diggin' the ride, when BLAM- bigtime crosswinds started rockin' me like a hurricane. The kind of winds where you have to lean the bike over to compensate. The wind was screaming past my ears while I held on like a cowboy on a runaway saddle bronc. I tried to hunker down to reduce my profile to the wind, getting down behind the windscreen as best I could. After a few minutes of this I got to the turnoff for CO72 where I could go east and have the wind push me from behind. Crisis averted.

I like the Foothills Parkway. It's a nice two-lane blacktop with big sweeping curves- the Front Range mountains on one side, the plains sloping away to Denver on the other. But damn if it isn't windy out there most days. It's no accident that the National Wind Technology Center is located near the intersection of CO128 and the Foothills Parkway.

Winter biker has a few random thoughts

2011-12-15T20:10:00.003-07:00

These days I ride just to be riding. I ride way up there and get coffee; then I ride way down over there and get some gas; then I come all the way back up this way and get some cigarettes. I have a weird work schedule that gives me a few hours between noon and 4 pm to ride. It works for now.

After riding in cold weather the last few weeks, I have discovered the assortment of gear that works for me when riding. So far I'm good down to about 35-40 degrees fahrenheit (that's ambient outside temperature, not wind chill at speed.) But colder days-10s and 20s-certainly lie ahead. My greatest concerns are face and hands.

When I got my first motorcycle I thought there would be a lot more hands-on maintenance. But there's no interior or a bunch of windows to keep clean. The engine is air-cooled so there's no hoses or belts or coolant to fuss over. And it's not like I'm going to throw the thing up on jackstands and do a brake job as if it were an '85 Chevy pickup. Basically it's check the oil and tire pressure. Check for loose parts and fasteners. Try to keep the bike clean.

Speaking of which- you know that thing you do in summer where you get out the hose and bucket and some soft towels and you turn on some music and you have your cold drink and you wash your bike end to end and then wipe it down and rub all the chrome parts to a high mirror shine? Hard to do in winter. I miss that.

The last couple of rides I've been on, I did not wear a helmet. It started because I put a quick-release closure on the chinstrap of my Scorpion helmet. When I found myself fumbling with the gadget the first time I was going to ride with it, I gave up- put the helmet back on the shelf, jammed a fleece skull cap on my head and went riding. (My other helmet is a Bell shorty, and fits too close to wear a helmet liner underneath.) The next 2 rides I went on were sans helmet as well. I've given this helmet/no helmet issue a lot of thought. There is no compelling, over-arching reason not to wear a helmet. There are many good reasons to wear a helmet. I have to admit- I rode without a helmet just to feel rebellious, and also because none of the other kids were wearing their helmets. Maybe if I had a cooler helmet- one of those minimalist drifter style lids- it wouldn't be a question. Something to think about.

About that quick release chin strap accessory- I have given it some more thought. It turns out that the gadget is something you have to get the hang of using. You just need to practice securing it and undoing it a few times. The thing works... I suppose I would change my review to: if you're tired of fumbling with a traditional chinstrap, try a quick release.

Let the good times roll.

Baby, it's cold outside

2011-12-13T16:51:00.002-07:00

Winter biker keeps on rolling.

Chin strap quick release

2011-12-12T08:55:00.001-07:00

As mentioned earlier, I bought an Echo Quick Release accessory for the chinstrap on one of my helmets. I thought it would make getting the helmet on and off much easier. So far, it does not. If I have to look in a mirror to make sure I have the two pieces lined up right to fasten it, it doesn't serve my needs. Having big fingers makes it more troublesome. The ad copy claims that the quick release can even be handled with gloves on. I find this hard to believe.

My review: the thing's a pain in the ass.

A Motorcycle Accident

2011-12-11T13:39:00.001-07:00

The snow on J's street has receded enough for me to get the Road King out for a ride. Pretty cold at the start- about 35 degrees- but I had head to toe leathers and UnderArmour to keep me warm. Had a good ride until the last leg, when I came upon a motorcycle accident:

The guy's gonna be okay, but he had a serious cut on his upper left thigh. I was the 2nd person on the scene, after an SUV driver that had pulled over to lend assistance. A few other people quickly pulled over and we administered some simple 1st aid (under that white bandage he's pressing against the wound is my orange bandana) and called for the rescue squad. Professional help was on the scene in minutes. Paramedics were putting the guy on a backboard as a precautionary measure when I rode off.

Biker says his handlebars broke, he lost control, and went over the curb. Everything from the neckpiece up was lying on the ground beside his bike, which looked to be a custom build.

Lesson: make sure everything on your bike is tightened up good before you take off. And let's be careful out there.

These are the times that try men's souls

2011-12-03T06:48:00.000-07:00

It is snowing in Denver. It has been snowing all night long and shows no sign of letting up. This, on the heels of the snowstorm we had 3 days ago.

CO Dept of Transportation image

It's clear now that the Colorado Children's Hospital Toy Run on Sunday is out of the question. The street in front of J's garage, where my Road King waits in cold darkness, was a glacier of rutted, frozen snow before today's snowstorm. (J lives on a dead-end street, and he says the snowplows do not visit because there is no place to turn around.) As it stands right now, there is no way to get the Road King on the street.

For the foreseeable future, I am at the mercy of the weak winter sun.

Tomorrow will be one week since my last motorcycle ride.

Colorado Children's Hospital Toy Run Dec 4

2011-11-30T10:38:00.006-07:00

I have three ridin' co-workers who will be joining me and the Road King on the run (weather permitting): J on his Electra Glide Classic, Dan The Man (aka The Traveling Gnome) rockin' the Super Glide, and Nancy on her brand new Electra Glide Ultra Classic, "Big Bob".

The only thing that can stop us now is road conditions. We're supposed to get some snow between now and Sunday.

this forecast sucks

Update: we're getting hammered right now (5am Dec 1). Snowpocalypse!

Update to the update: not looking good

Update³ : snowing like a mofo right now, 0134hrs MST Sat Dec 3

Sunday ride

2011-11-27T21:42:00.002-07:00

the view over the handlebars

Again, too nice a day to sit inside watching football, so I drove myself over to J's Garage and unleashed the Road King. This time I did something which is uncharacteristic of me- namely, I rode without a helmet. Just a black fleece skully on my head. No good reason to it, really- just wanted to ride unencumbered for once. Late this afternoon the crosswinds got pretty strong west of Denver, and I decided to stay off the Foothills Parkway. At the very end of my ride, after the sun had dropped behind the mountains, I headed west along Morrison Road into the sunset- in the western sky, a waxing crescent moon was chasing Venus into the twilight.

Then the winds hit me head on. I mean they smacked my bike right in the windscreen. It got worse when I turned north and had to ride over Green Mountain (6856' or 2090m) to get back to the garage. The crosswind on top was very strong, really pushing the bike around, and I remember yelling a multi-syllable obscenity at the top of my lungs. But I kept it centered, crested the hill, and came down the other side. Good ride.

El Camino

2011-11-26T20:10:00.003-07:00

The weather gods continue to smile... for the moment

2011-11-23T17:56:00.003-07:00

Oh man, today was one of those days when I did not want to go back to the garage and park the Road King. Temps in the 60s, sunny skies, money in my pocket, fuel to burn and roads to drive. Also, that stretch of Hwy 285 between Kipling and Denver that has been under re-construction since forever is finished, and it is one nice slab. What a lovely lot of asphalt we've got to ride into The City. I went to Performance Cycle on Broadway and got a quick release type deal for the chinstrap on my helmet (I'm going to try it on the EXO 100 first.) I'm tired of fumbling with the chinstrap so much, so I'll let y'all know how well it works.*

Happy Thanksgiving!

* The gadget installed on my chinstrap in about 3 minutes. Conforms to DOT and Snell standards for chinstrap breakaway strength. I'll roadtest it Friday. Also, when I was at Performance Cycle I noticed they now carry the Bell Custom 500 helmet. So I tried one on. Too small. Bell's XXL is smaller than SHOEI's XXL. Disappointing, because the Custom 500 is a good-looking helmet.

Still good weather for riding...

2011-11-22T14:40:00.000-07:00

Today's haul: garage key, donut with sprinkles

2011-11-21T16:41:00.000-07:00

Well it seems the automatic garage door opener at J's house is temporarily out of order. The last few times I took the Road King out, the door would go up halfway and stop. I would then have to lower it all the way, then open it again. Now it's totally out of whack. That's why I have a key to the side door.

Donut with sprinkles, multicolored, one each

Except my key (which I've never had to use before) did not work when I tried to use it today. I could not get to my precious! So- had to go to work, get J's key, then go to hardware store and make new key. New drill is, I let myself in the side door, open garage door manually, release the Road King, close garage door from inside, then close and lock garage side door. Then, jump on my bad motor scooter and ride.

Then I went to that place out on 44th and had coffee and the aforementioned donut with sprinkles. Any day that includes a donut with sprinkles can't be all bad.

Blog gets re-branded

2011-11-19T16:28:00.003-07:00

You'll notice up there ↑ that the words 'the motorcycle project' are gone, replaced by 'I Am Road King'. This is not to imply that I am king of anything, including 'the road', but merely a reference to the fact that I ride a Harley-Davidson Road King motorcycle. The phrase 'the motorcycle project' referred at one time to the process I was going through in learning to ride a motorcycle: taking a riders' course, getting my license, finding a bike, and becoming proficient at riding. Well, the project is complete. When I rode my own Harley-Davidson motorcycle down Bike Row at Sturgis last August, it was my "Mission Accomplished" moment.

Going forward, I want to get more involved in the motorcycle lifestyle- chiefly, meeting other riders and going on organized runs (and of course there's my mad scheme of riding out to Bonneville next summer for Speed Week). To this end I have registered for the 26th Annual Colorado Children's Hospital Toy Run on December 4th, and even managed to talk a few of my riding co-workers into participating as well. So, weather permitting, we'll have a good ride, make some kids happy, and get some photos for the blog.

Other than that, my main focus is getting the Road King thru the season in good shape, and riding it when conditions permit. This will not be the winter of my discontent.

Y'all be safe. Happy Holidays, and as always, Let The Good Times Roll.

If you live in Montpellier, that's "Laissez les bon temps rouler."

Things are gonna be different...

2011-11-16T21:51:00.004-07:00

...in December, when I start going to work at midnight and getting out at 8am. This schedule runs thru January 2012. That means my time to ride will be winter mornings, when it'll be cold as a you-know-what; or, winter evenings, after sleeping thru the day, when it'll be cold as a you-know-what.

Hey I'm thinking of this as my winter let's-go-for-a-ride hat:

Oh hey you betcha

...but I got this one instead

I love the smell of motorcycle in the morning

2011-11-15T12:21:00.000-07:00

Had a good ride this morning up to Sun Harley-Davidson in Thornton and back. Got that brake light switch recall thing taken care of, had a cup of coffee, caught up on my reading (Thunder Road, Scooter News), got some gear,

and registered for the 26th annual Children's Hospital Colorado Toy Run on Dec 4th. Weather permitting.

Coffee rider

2011-11-14T16:02:00.001-07:00

Mmm.... donuts

This is mostly what I've been doing lately- going on short rides around the county and stopping for coffee. It's the best I can get with the weather and my work schedule. And the last few days have been tough because the damned wind won't stop blowing. Todays it's gusting to 30+ mph. Makes riding problematic.

Anyway I gotta strap it on early tomorrow morning and ride up to Sun Harley-Davidson in Thornton to get that brake light switch recall repair taken care of. The temps will be in the 30s so that means wearing all the stuff: chaps, etc. But it's gotta be done. And maybe pick up some new gear at the dealer:

My first YouTube video

2011-11-13T21:38:00.000-07:00

Just a bunch of vintage motorcycle photos set to the song "Let's Go For A Ride" by Cracker. It's probably a copyright infringement nightmare, but what the hell. Check it out:

Harley-Davidson Goes To War

2011-11-10T12:02:00.002-07:00

Happy Veterans Day!

A big 'thank you' to all who served, both past and present. America owes you a debt of gratitude that can never be overstated.

American fighting men served from the saddles of Harley-Davidson motorcycles in both world wars.

Among other motorcycles made for the Army, H-D produces the unique XA 750, a motorcycle with horizontally opposed cylinders and shaft drive, designed for desert use. The contract is cancelled early due to war combat moving out of North Africa. Only 1,011 XA's are built.

This looks like shore leave in Hawaii

The WLA was Harley-Davidson's warhorse during the Second World War. Harley-Davidson produces almost 60,000 WLA models during the war for military use.

G I Joe

Heavily-armed motorcycle gang, ready to kick Jerry's butt all the way across Europe

One day after the signing of the armistice that ends World War I, Corporal Roy Holtz of Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin is the first American to enter Germany. He is riding a Harley-Davidson.

Fraulein mit sehr schnell motorrad

2011-11-08T03:51:00.001-07:00

That's 'girl on a very fast motorcycle'.

This is such a cool photo. She's wearing earrings and her sleeves are pushed up and she's just jamming that BMW into a fast curve. I like how she's back on the seat like a cafe racer.

Gearing up for knees in the breeze

2011-11-06T19:33:00.001-07:00

Today was about getting another ride in before the next round of snow, and finding out how much gear I have to wear when temps are in the 40s.

Turns out at these temps I don't need chaps as long as I wear my Under Armour ColdGear bottoms. They stop the wind and retain body heat very well. I was very comfortable with these on under my jeans, and I was hitting speeds of 60-70mph in temperatures around 45 degrees.

To give you a wind chill example, at 40 degrees in a 60mph wind (that is, riding at 60mph), it feels like 25 degrees. So when you dress for a motorcycle ride in cold weather, don't think of the ambient temperature- think of the windchill factor you'll experience at speed.

Up top I wore my (awesome) heavyweight cowhide motorcycle jacket with the liner removed. Under that, a lightweight Eddie Bauer insulated vest (not goose down) that zips up to a high collar that protects my neck. Under that, a flannel shirt; under that, a Carhartt long sleeve undershirt; under that, a polyester performance tee. My gloves are Geier elkskins, unlined, and I wear polypropylene liners inside them.

My boots are Redwing motorcycle boots, no steel toe or insulation, and I wore Army issue cold weather socks inside them. I think I could use some poly or silk sock liners inside the cold weather socks for more warmth. My feet were okay but warmer would've been better.

I wore a Bell Shorty helmet with the cold weather collar in place, and an Under Armour helmet liner. If this doesn't prove to be enough when it gets colder, I can always go to my Shoei RJ-Platinum 3/4 helmet for more coverage.

So that's the outfit that keeps me warm enough to ride when temps are in the 40s. When it gets colder (30s) I'll lose the ColdGear bottoms and wear chaps. Then replace the Carhartt long sleeve with an Under Armour ColdGear top. When it gets even colder than that, I'll probably stay inside and watch a movie.

People compliment my motorcycle. This happens more often than you'd think for a bike that is mostly stock with a few after-market H-D accessories added. Today I got a 'nice Harley, brother,' while standing outside a 7-11 sipping coffee. I've had old guys and young guys shout 'nice bike' at me while stopped at a traffic light. To be fair, the bike is well-maintained and garage-kept (thanks, J!) and I keep it as clean as I can. The rest is all on Harley-Davidson, with that glossy black paint and a ton of chrome. The Road King is an awesome machine- my silver and black beast- and a pure joy to ride.

Let The Good Times Roll.

Train kep' a' rollin', all night long

2011-11-04T22:38:00.003-06:00

Lately the posts here have featured more old motorcycle photos than new riding stories. Well, I want my legions of followers to know- all 6 of them- that the Road King still rolls, just not as much as I'd like. You see, it's winter in Colorado now. I know the official first day of winter is some 6 weeks away, but for all intents and purposes, winter has arrived.

There will be fair days, but mostly cold days, and once a week or so it will snow. Sometimes the snow melts away before the next storm, sometimes not. In between all these weather changes, one must find fair conditions to ride. Today was nice, warming up to about 50F, but I still couldn't bring the bike to the house because of slushy road conditions in the neighborhood. Had to stick to the main roads where the sun gets a chance to do its work. And of course, any riding plans have to fit around work and other concerns. But I will not warehouse my bike for the winter. I will just put on more layers of clothes!

Let The Good Times Roll.

Special for Olivia: Laissez les bons temps rouler!

Vintage motorcycling

2011-11-04T11:51:00.002-06:00

I like scouring the web for old motorcycle photos. Here are some recent finds:

US military police with B-29 Superfortress

NYPD motor officers

"Hey y'all- watch this..."

South Carolina Highway Patrol, 1937

2011-11-02T18:17:00.000-06:00

Sheepskin

2011-11-01T14:57:00.002-06:00

alternate view
----------
Sent from my Verizon Wireless mobile phone

New Sheepskin

2011-10-31T14:10:00.003-06:00

Got this natural sheepskin seat cover the other day from the fine folks at Bitchn Stitchn in Lakewood Colorado (see link in sidebar.)

The sheepskin is secured to the bike with a quick-release strap that runs under the seat, so I can remove it easily when I wash the bike (which it needs bad!)
----------
Sent from my Verizon Wireless mobile phone

Bonneville 2012

2011-10-28T16:40:00.002-06:00

Both J-Bird and Dan The Man want to go. That's three guys and that's a fire team, dammit. We goin'.

Photograph by Ross McDermott, American Festivals Project

Vintage Harley-Davidson

2011-10-26T13:05:00.001-06:00

Can't ride today. There's about 6" of snow on the ground and it's still coming down. But it looks warm enough in this photo:

And Triumph is coming out with a special Steve McQueen "Great Escape" edition of its Bonneville T100

Harley-Davidson Recalling 308,000 Motorcycles for Possible Brake Failure

2011-10-24T21:11:00.001-06:00

DETROIT – Harley-Davidson is recalling about 308,000 motorcycles to fix a switch problem that can cause failure of the brake lights and possibly even the rear brakes themselves.
The company says in government documents that brake light switches can be exposed to too much heat from the exhaust system. The brake lights can fail, and the problem also can cause fluid leaks and the loss of rear brakes.
The problem affects Touring, CVO Touring and Trike vehicles from the 2009 through 2012 model years.

In other words, my bike.

After reading further on the internet, H-D says that there haven't been any failures since 2010, and only one accident they can link to the supposed brake light switch problem. For me, I am of the opinion that if the thing was going to fail, it would have failed by now. I've put over 3700 miles on the bike since June 16th, including the trip to Sturgis and back. On that trip we rode hard- hours at a time at speeds of 70-90 mph, and my brakes worked fine. No problems. No runs, no leaks, no errors. So- I'll wait for the dealer to contact me, and then I'll go in and get the remedy. But I am confident my bike is in good shape.

Ever get a song stuck in your head while riding?

2011-10-20T12:57:00.001-06:00

What a beautiful day along the Front Range: the fall color is peaking, blue skies, snow-capped mountains in the distance, and I could not get this song out of my head!

Well if you ever plan to motor west
Just take my way that's the highway that's the best
Get your kicks on Route 66
Well it winds from Chicago to L.A.
More than 2000 miles all the way
Get your kicks on Route 66
Well it goes to St. Louie Joplin Missouri
Oklahoma City looks oh so pretty
You'll see Amarillo and Gallup, New Mexico
Flagstaff, Arizona don't forget Winona
Kingman, Barstow, San Bernadino
Would you get hip to this kindly tip
And go take that California trip
Get your kicks on Route 66

Next Summer

2011-10-11T12:39:00.007-06:00

I've got it in my mind, I want to go to Speed Week at Bonneville

I've mentioned it to two guys that were with us in Sturgis. One offhand comment and one single sentence email. I am planting the idea, like a hacker plants a computer worm. It will lie dormant thru the winter; then, early next year at a pre-determined date and time, it will emerge and take control of people's minds.

10/22 update: I have one guy from the Sturgis run who wants to go to Bonneville next year. But he's a key guy. He's the kind of guy who can bring in other riders.

Old School, baby

2011-10-07T11:59:00.003-06:00

In Sturgis we saw all kinds of bikes: mostly stock, but certainly the entire spectrum from home-built beaters to $100,000 customs.

This is one of the bikes we saw. A true garage-built one-of-a-kind, this is one ball-busting hardtail. No shocks. No seat springs. In fact, the 'saddle' was an old metal seat from a farm tractor, with no padding or upholstery of any kind.

We talked to this fellow for a few minutes and he told us about riding his rig non-stop from Indiana to the rally. That's him on the left, below.

Well, it turns out this guy won 1st place with his bike, though I couldn't tell you in what category of which contest. I am going to assume it was "Most Original Use Of Spare Parts Found Behind The Barn" or something like that. But the trophy he received sports the legendary "Rat Fink", which in hotrod and biker circles means straight-up, hardcore, old school.

This guy is the real deal.

The summer in review

2011-10-03T22:14:00.000-06:00

· Bought the Road King

· Rode to Sturgis; saw some stuff I ain’t never seen before

· Rode to Devil’s Tower

· Rode the Peak To Peak Highway

· Rode over Kenosha Pass

· Rode the Pike’s Peak Highway (the bottom part)

Not bad for my rookie season. And I had more fun on any one of those days than I did all summer long last year. The difference has been the freedom and adventure that comes with riding a motorcycle. There’s an old saying from the cowboy days that goes “…there’s nothing better for the inside of a man than the outside of a horse.” I have discovered that riding a motorcycle is just like that.

But faster, with chrome.

Pike's Peak/Garden of the Gods

2011-10-02T15:53:00.003-06:00

The weather is far too nice to be inside watching football all day. And being as this is Colorado, where the mountains turn to gold in the fall, I decided to take a ride down to Colorado Springs and have a look at Pike’s Peak. The mountain did not disappoint.

The Road King was in the wind by 7:30 am, and though it was a little chilly at first, as soon as the sun rose things started to warm up. I didn’t need to wear chaps or multiple layers under my leather jacket jamming south on I-25. (But I did wear earplugs for the ride, and it was very nice not to hear windscream all the way.) Got to ‘the Springs’ around nine, topped off my gas, had a cup of coffee, then made my way To Garden of the Gods. This is a great spot if you’re a photographer. One day after a full moon, you can frame a beautiful shot of the moonset over Pikes Peak, with the sandstone formations in the foreground glowing red in the rising sun.

The weather was so nice that the park was crawling with people and bicyclists and dogwalkers and joggers just after nine am. After a slow cruise thru the park, just digging ’ the scene, I went to the Garden of the Gods Trading Post for a cold drink and a smoke break. Then I headed out to CO24 west thru Manitou Springs, to the entrance to the Pike’s Peak Highway.

I paid the $12 toll and started up the mountain. There’s a real steep grade and some pretty good switchbacks at the beginning, all 2^nd and 3^rd gear. The temperature started to cool off, but it was fine. Pretty soon I was in the aspen zone, with beautiful golden woods on either side of the road. Stopped for a few photos and kept going up. There’s a nice place to stop called Crystal Reservoir which is a good spot to photograph Pike’s Peak with aspens in the foreground. But BE CAREFUL when you pull into the parking lot if you’re on a motorcycle- the lot is not paved, it is gravel. I found this out when I turned left into the lot and my rear tire slid sideways a few feet- but I put my left boot down and brought things back to center without incident.

Got some photos of the Peak thru the golden leaves, then decided to come back down the mountain. Although the Highway is now paved all the way to the summit, I think I will leave that ride for next summer. There’s gonna be a lot of rides next summer- Trail Ridge Road, Mt Evans, and Pike’s Peak, to name a few.

When I got back down to CO24 I headed west to Woodland Park, then took CO67 to Deckers, then Jefferson County road 127 to Buffalo Creek, to highway 285 at Pine Junction. On the way I passed thru the Deckers burn area, where a wildfire raged over thousands of acres a few years ago. There are young aspen groves taking hold among the burned out snags, so there will be forest again.

So- great day, great weather, great ride. 208 miles out and back.

Aspen grove along the Pike's Peak Highway

Pike's Peak in the distance; sandstone formations of Garden of the Gods in foreground

North flank of Pike's Peak

Kenosha Pass

2011-09-26T17:10:00.002-06:00

After staying home yesterday to watch football, I was determined to get out on the road today. Rode up to Kenosha Pass (9997ft) to look at the aspens, and generally put the spurs to the Road King.

Aspens at Kenosha Pass

Road King stops to admire the fall colors

On the way back I stopped at this hot dog joint near Bailey, CO. I had no idea this place was up there. I had a hot dog with ketchup and sauerkraut and a Coke. It was a good ride today- nice and cool up there compared to the summer-like temperatures we're experiencing down here this week.

These are great riding days.

Good hot dogs

AWESOME gas mileage

2011-09-24T14:18:00.000-06:00

Before the Peak To Peak run on Thursday, I topped off the tank and zeroed the trip odometer. Today, I topped off the tank at 168.2 miles. 3.222 gallons of fuel for 168.2 miles is 52.17 miles per gallon.

At that rate, I can go a little over 300 miles on a tank of gas. THAT'S why I chose the Road King: cruising range.

Last ride of the summer

2011-09-22T19:44:00.004-06:00

On this last day of summer, I took the Road King out and bagged the Peak To Peak Highway. 173 miles and change, round trip, from Golden to Estes Park and back. I took an alternate route coming back- 36 east to Lyons, then south to Boulder where I picked up the Foothills Parkway (93) to make time. About 6 hours of riding solo, mostly twisty and all very excellent. The weather was fine and there was no need for the new chaps I picked up the other day at Twin Peaks Leather. That will change very soon. I plan to do the ride again in the next few weeks when all the aspen groves along the route turn to autumn gold, and the temperatures will be cooler by then. Summer ends like a slamming door along the Front Range.

It doesn't look like I'm going to get to Utah on the motorcycle this year. The weather is still very fine, in Utah- it's the trip over the Continental Divide on I-70 that will soon be problematic. It can snow up at the Eisenhower Tunnel and Vail Pass any month of the year.

The days when the weather around here will be good for motorcycle riding are going to get few and far between pretty soon too. As of now I have no plans to put my motorcycle in storage for the winter. I'll ride it when I can, and fuss over it in the garage the rest of the time.

Let the good times roll.

Longs Peak, one of the fine sights along the Peak To Peak Highway

Boogey Lights®

2011-09-15T14:00:00.001-06:00

Road King Classic

I've been thinking about lighting up the Road King ever since I saw some of the fantastic LED setups on bikes at Sturgis. I may not get to it this year, because the seasons are changing here in Colorado- there has already been snow up in the high country, and we usually get our first snow down here around Halloween. But definitely for next spring, when all Colorado bikers emerge from their dens and take to the roads once again.

I did some research on the internet and found the website for Boogey Lights® , which looks to be a leader in the motorcycle LED world. You can buy do it yourself kits on Amazon and other sites, but these people look to be the ones to go to. Their website has photo galleries, how-to videos, parts descriptions, and just about anything else you need to know about lighting up your bike.

I think my back-in-black Road King with some orange or red LED lighting effects would just look killer rolling down the boulevard.

V-Rod

Softail

Custom

All photos courtesy Boogey Lights®

For Olivia, Who Likes Rockabilly

2011-09-12T15:54:00.001-06:00

Check out this page

2011-09-10T22:46:00.000-06:00

HOG WILD OVER HARLEY-DAVIDSON | THE “HOG BOYS” OF EARLY H-D HISTORY

Lots of vintage Harley Davidson stuff. Example:

P!nk

2011-09-06T14:06:00.000-06:00

Another day, another near death experience on a motorcycle

2011-08-21T08:28:00.000-06:00

Man, last night was weird.

I watched the Broncos-Bills game until well into the 3rd quarter before deciding it was time to take the Road King back to the garage, and maybe turn it into a short night ride along the way. It was past 8:30 at night, and this being late August, it was dark. Not two blocks from my house, I was tooling along at about 35mph, when I saw a car ready to pull out of a library parking lot ahead on my right. The driver came to a stop (they tell you to watch the tires, and the tires weren't rolling) so I committed to my direction of travel and continued on. Naturally, when I was within 10 yards of passing in front of the car, they decided to pull out in front of me.

I hit both brakes hard and the back tire screeched briefly, then straightened out. I stopped so dramatically that the engine stalled, and I pulled in the clutch to drift to a stop at the curb.

The driver continued on, unaware of their actions. I caught up to the car at the next traffic light and pulled alongside- two teenage girls. It was the ideal moment for me to unleash a string of invective and obscenities so foul that it would make a sailor blush. I was within arm's reach of the passenger side door. The driver did not dare make eye contact, and the passenger offered a weak 'sorry about that' for my inconvenience. I looked at her a long time, realized any lesson or advice I might offer would be lost on their pea-sized adolescent brains, and said 'okay'. I continued on my ride.

About 20 minutes later I was at a stoplight, first in line, when about 40 feet to my front left a car ran the red light and collided with a truck passing across my lane. Idiots.

About 20 minutes later I was at a convenience store and saw a guy with his face all messed up and bandaged from what looked like a recent ass-whooping.

The night had taken on some bad juju. I decided to cut my ride short and took the bike to the garage by the shortest route possible. We'll try again some other evening.

The Sturgis Experience

2011-08-09T09:38:00.002-06:00

Stuff we did and stuff I learned for next time, in no particular order

· 400 miles in a car is boring; 400 miles on a motorcycle is physically and mentally demanding

· No matter how well-planned your route is, at some point you will pull over to look at the map

· Sunscreen isn’t enough. Next long ride I do, I’m wearing a bandana over my face, Old West outlaw style- right now I look like a raccoon in red and white

· One-Eyed Jack’s is a trip

· Earplugs are essential for a good night’s sleep

· The ride from Devil’s Tower to Sundance is pretty sweet

· Your bike’s gonna get filthy- that’s okay

· At the gas station, pay once and let everyone in your group fill up on the same purchase

· The ice cream at Devil’s Tower Trading Post is excellent

· The double cheeseburger at Freddie’s is a total meatbomb

· Riding down Bike Row on Main Street in Sturgis during the Black Hills Motor Classic is a life-affirming experience

· Doing 70mph in a crosswind on the road from Torrington to Cheyenne, leaned over 20 degrees but still going straight, is also a life-affirming experience

· When you pack for Sturgis, leave room for the stuff you will bring back

· Dress the body you have, not the body you had when you were 25 and kinda hot

· Riding on the grass and dirt roads at Hog Heaven Campground is interesting

· You will lose something- a bandana, your sunglasses, your hat- so be prepared to replace it

· If you smoke cigarettes, bring them from home, unless you’re okay with $7.50 a pack

· Everything at Sturgis is loud, except for a few minutes between 4 and 5 am

· I want to go back next year

Sturgis pics

2011-08-09T07:53:00.001-06:00

Dirty Road King comes clean

A world of bikes

Camp shoes- questionable!

Sewing on patches

Sidewalk cigar roller

We ate like kings

Midday siesta

Gut bombs sold here

Live at Freddie's

Roadside helmet repair

Women of Sturgis

2011-08-09T07:41:00.000-06:00

Bikes of Sturgis

2011-08-09T07:09:00.000-06:00

Rattler

Wolf

MARINES!

Garfield

Skulls

Sturgis Harley-Davidson

2011-08-09T06:40:00.000-06:00

Sturgis 2011

2011-08-08T18:35:00.000-06:00

Easyriders Saloon

the Road King gets the bikini bike wash treatment

The main drag

Devil's Tower

2011-08-07T18:54:00.000-06:00

Nice run to Devils Tower today... great photo op and excellent vanilla ice cream cone... sweet roads and sweet weather... then on to Sundance where I got a t shirt at the HD dealership... then quenched our thirsts at the Longhorn Saloon on Main Street..... quick ride back to I 90 east back to Sturgis.... stopped to fill our near empty tanks... then back on the superslab... did the last 11 miles in the rain... safe back at camp now under clear blue skies... it was a good day.

----------
Sent from my Verizon Wireless mobile phone

Camped out

2011-08-07T06:46:00.001-06:00

2nd morning here at Sturgis... great fun so far ... did One Eyed Jacks last night... many interesting and some bizarre bikes to be seen... also lots of boobage... Devils Tower on the agenda today... wish you were here!

----------
Sent from my Verizon Wireless mobile phone

Tomorrow we ride

2011-08-04T17:18:00.000-06:00

STURGIS CAM

Sturgis this Friday

2011-08-02T13:39:00.000-06:00

The Road King got its 1000 mile service today at Sun H-D in Thornton. Everything is tightened up and lubed up for the long haul Friday. On the way back to Fat City got caught in a little rainstorm, and had to pull over to dig my raingear out of the portside hardcase. I got that orange and black hi-visibility raingear that Harley sells- it worked great. I have the feeling that I must have looked like a giant bumblebee with headlights going down the road.

Saw my pal Bill Souder of the Motorcycle Riders Training Center while at the dealer. He wished us all a good safe trip to Sturgis and back.

My service work was prepaid, and I only spent $98 dollars in the parts department ( I bought this and this), so you can get in and out of an H-D dealer for under a hundred.

Sturgis next week

2011-07-30T08:10:00.000-06:00

Gear goes on the truck today
motorcycle gets scheduled service next Tuesday
Final strategy meeting next Thursday

Checking the tire pressure

2011-07-20T16:13:00.001-06:00

Harley Davidson did not want to make it too easy for me to check my tire pressure. That's why they shipped my bike with the cast 'knuckles' style wheel that makes it difficult for me to remove the valve stem cap. My fingers are too big to fit in that space between two cast ribs where the valve stem is, not to mention trying to get my hand past the brake rotor, which has some sharp edges and gets hot after only a few applications of the brake. For added fun the valve stem is perpendicular to the inner circumference of the wheel, so without a tire pressure guage with a 90 degree bend, and a gas station air hose with same, I'm screwed. I have to reach in from both sides and use two index fingers to remove the valve stem cap. And the one on the rear tire, mostly hidden behind the hard bags? I'm sure you've all played the game of roll it a few inches, see if the valve stem is showing, roll it a few inches, see if the valve stem is showing, roll it a few inches, see if...

Which leads me to part number 75137-98B, Compact Tire Gauge and Tread Depth Indicator with Braided Stainless Steel Lead, $29.95 at your local H-D dealer. I bought one so I could check my tire pressure. My other tire pressure guage is straight, and works fine on my F150, but is useless on the Road King.

Now I just have to compile a mental list of service stations near the garage that have air hoses with angled fittings on the business end, so I can air up properly and without difficulty.

Note to Dunlop: how about motorcycle tires with angled valve stems? Your car and light truck tires have them.

!@&*%! Cagers!!

2011-07-17T22:15:00.000-06:00

So this evening I was jamming up the Foothills Parkway, just diggin' the ride, putting the spurs to the Road King, when this dumbass teenage backwards-baseball-hat wearing motherf***er passes me on the shoulder doing about 60mph. Then he crossed the double yellow and passed some more cars.

Hey genius: if that's how you drive, expect a short ugly life. You're a Darwin Award candidate.

This stuff is magic

2011-07-16T14:20:00.001-06:00

It's called Road Rub, and I found it on the shelf at my local H-D dealer. Sometimes while riding, I touch my right bootheel to the hot exhaust shield and leave some rubber behind. Well, this stuff takes that rubber residue off in seconds, I kid you not. Let your pipes cool, pop the cap off, and rub the stick on the affected area. It's like an eraser. Your chrome will shine in no time.

"Proprietary" equipment

2011-06-29T15:43:00.002-06:00

You shouldn't have to buy a special $50 Touring Suspension Air Pump (PN 54630-03A) from Harley Davidson to adjust/pump up your air suspension. You should be able to do it with a bicycle pump, or the air pump at the gas station.

Actually, they should have offered to do this for me at the dealership when I bought the bike.

UPDATE: found it on Amazon for $5 off. I also had a $15 Amazon gift card. That's $20 off, and that's a 40% discount.

MY NEW ROAD KING June 16th, 2011

2011-06-16T16:30:00.003-06:00

On the lot at Sun Harley-Davidson, Thornton CO

This cellphone pic is the only one I have at the moment- but there will be more in the future.

I just came back from riding it for the first time. I was smiling so much that my mouth caught too much air and I got cottonmouth. Had to stop for Gatorade!

My riding buddy J is jealous of my 96 cubic inches and 6 speeds and fatty boy rear tire.