2020

Well, I knew it had been awhile, but I can't believe it's been a year since I blogged for real!  Once Flickr started limiting photos, it became more difficult to move photos from my phone to the computer so facebook is just an easier avenue to blog rides.

I'm going to save all the personal drama for my other blog.  I made this one specifically for saving and logging RIDES.  Used to be, for my horse ... now, for the steel horse.  Rides are getting more tricky now with this COVID-19 virus causing mass panic across the globe.  Mental health is every bit as important as physical health, as the spike in suicide death has shown.  Riding motorcycles ... NOT going to contribute to spreading this thing unless you ride in mass groups and hang all over each other after getting off your bike.  Most of us ride 2-6 people at the most, we wear full protective gear, and when we get off to take a break, we're well further than the recommended 6 feet apart.  Most restaurants have their dining rooms closed, so we're doing carry out on the sidewalk, or pack a lunch in the saddlebags.  I understand the concern of accidents taking away hospital resources; but we STILL have to drive to buy groceries and essentials and just to get OUT.  I think we're all going stir crazy already, and the time recommendations just keep increasing.  So I will ride, and I will continue to ride.  Soon enough, this will all be over and we can get back to epic road trips ... for now, they're shorter and more local rides which is all I need!

Planning for a few miles with my buddy Lenore on Thursday; it's all because of her I passed my class, I believe!  I'm bad about getting in my head when I'm in a stressful situation, and she reminded me BEFORE I attempt that dang corner, or that dang weave line to get in the friction zone.  It helped TREMENDOUSLY, and I have used that advice many times on the tight, curvy roads I've ridden on.  I'm usually the follower, so to lead a ride is always different for me.  I just hope I don't forget where to turn!

So, I thought I'd go over a few things as I approach 3 years of owning Khaleesi.  I've already hit my 3 years having my license, but I never rode on my own until I got my bike.  I've enjoyed every second I've owned my Indian.  I've had ups and downs with my riding, as has everyone I'm sure, but the ups WAY outweigh the downs!!

1.  My biggest challenge is by far my faith in myself.  I have had several minor accidents because of "bucking up" and believing in my abilities, from jumping horses to riding ATVs.  That negative reinforcement has served to teach me that I don't always have it covered.  I don't have brute strength, and I don't have height on my side.

2.  It was a long time before I FINALLY got my bike 100% dialed in.  Don't give up on your bike if it feels mostly great, but still has that something that isn't quite right.  Keep tinkering and trying things until you get it right.  I had to make improvements piece by piece, and sometimes one "improvement" would actually accentuate discomfort somewhere else.

3.  Confidence DOES come.  You may not feel it 100% of the time, but with miles comes experience.  I've learned to not be hard on myself if I feel like I've "wimped out" in ANY situation involving motorcycles.  Sometimes that "wimping out" may save your life.  We all have days that we just aren't feeling something; that may very well be God impressing upon you that today just isn't your day.

4.  Take every ride with an open mind.  Every small situation can teach you something about being a safer rider.  I didn't chronicle it on this blog, but on our big New England vacation, I wrecked my bike.  I wrecked her because I ignored early warning signs from several rides where I slid in a straight line stop due to locking up my brakes.  It took laying her down at 35 mph down an interstate off ramp to figure out how to brake properly.

And finally ...
5.  Don't fight the motorcycle.  There are hundreds of different brands and thousands of different models for every size, desire, and style of rider.  Once you've found your ideal model, trust that the machine is going to take care of you.  As you carve through canyons and zip around corners, sit up tall or tuck in tight, and let the weight of gravity get you through it.  The more relaxed and "loose" you are, the more you're able to just enjoy the ride and chew through those miles!

The one bright side of damaging a motorcycle tank is having it fixed with some custom paint!!

I've ridden a hair over 32,000 miles in 3 years so far.  I've treasured every mile.  This past week was GREAT, riding wise.  Looking forward to Thursday's ride, weather permitting of course!  Thanks for checking in, I'll try to post more here rather than just on facebook! 

First overnight of 2019

Put a few new stickers on my new helmet

There's nothing like blogging out on the front porch with a cup of coffee.  I am so looking forward to the day that we are able to buy a house with a breathtaking view of the mountains, so I am REALLY inspired when I'm writing.  It'll come :)

I decided on the blog today because our trip was almost more of a "business" trip, so we don't have any good pictures to share.  I would say that's the biggest disadvantage to riding my own motorcycle vs. being a "hubby hugger" is that I can't snap pics while we're riding down the road.  David tried to get some GoPro footage, but the wind on Friday was No Joke.  In fact, I'd say it was literally the most windy day we've ridden in at all.  It was crazy!

The only makeup I wear when riding

The weekend dawned almost frosty in the mornings, warming up to a crisp 60ish degrees.  Basically, classic Spring weather.  Our trip was to be an overnight Friday/Saturday one.  It sort of came about on accident; I suggested last weekend that we needed a hotel room w/ a hot tub to come home to, and that planted the seed for an idea.  We discussed a few overnight possibilities, but by mid week I'd already decided to scrap the idea.  We have a HUGE trip planned for July ... and this is already almost April.  So we need to save as much as we can in order to pull off what we have planned.  My creative side, David, came up with an interesting route taking us to just outside Nashville, then up into areas of Kentucky we've never been to.  We were planning to ride to Family Video stores.

You may be scratching your head wondering what is Family Video?  Well, it's basically a smaller Blockbuster Video type chain.  And yes, they're open and thriving ... the video rental business is NOT dead!  And just why would we want to frequent such an establishment?  David makes a little extra money here and there by buying and selling movie codes online.  Family Video buys their movies from places like Wal Mart, so they pull all the codes out of the movies and actually sell them.  David found out they have all kinds of sales on their codes, so he figured we could have the best of both worlds; an overnight trip w/ a hotel room and hot tub AND make a little extra money on the side.  Count me in!

We both managed to swing getting off work on Friday by noon, so we raced home (not on motorcycles; remember those frosty mornings??) jumped on our bikes, and hit the road.  Our plan was to make it to 2 of the stores before checking into our hotel for the night, then go eat, then indulge in the hot tub.  Time was on our side, because we fell back an hour as we headed west.  A lot of the route was Interstate, and it was CRAZY.  The wind was blowing so hard, the majority of our conversation back and forth was "WHOA!  This is CRAZY".  Lol.  I have finally gotten used to how much Khaleesi moves around at high speeds.  When I had only a few thousand miles under my belt, the movement would cause my heart to be in my throat, and my hands would cramp from holding my grips so tight.  Add in high winds, and the bike feels like she's literally dancing around underneath me.  But my mind was in such a serene place, it was weird.  I sat nice and tall, kept my hands relaxed on the grips, and twisted the throttle more than usual as we zoomed up and around the semi trucks.  What was interesting is I can feel the movement in my hips and core, but when I look down at my hands, the handlebars are secure and stable, NO movement in my hands.  That's why I've been able to store up my confidence, is that what I'm feeling isn't necessarily a bad thing.  David was almost feeling it more than me because he said the fairing on the Chieftan was catching more wind than he used to feel on his Vulcan.

Red Robin ... YUM!

We finally got off and rode some state roads.  The wind was marginally better, but definitely still there as these were 55/60 mph roads.  I was thoroughly enjoying myself because much of the central plateau area is not area we're familiar with.  The sheer rock formations and wide open fields gave me plenty to look at and soak in, and before I knew it, we were arriving at the first video store.  I didn't go in to any of them.  I grabbed my book (an oldie, but one I've never read; John Grisham's "The Pelican Brief"), grabbed my drink, and sprawled out on the curb next to the bikes.  I was comfortable in my layers and just took off my leather jacket at the stops.  

After David did his thing, we made our way out to Hendersonville, TN.  We've been to Nashville several times, but always IN the city.  And never on the motorcycles.  Hendersonville is roughly half an hour from downtown, and it was fabulous.  Very beautiful landscape, lots of newer stores and restaurants, and our hotel.  Let me just say, our hotel was SO nice.  It had the fanciest bathroom of any normal "chain" hotels we've ever stayed in.  Nice brown and teal carpeting, a soothing and light scent, and crisp white coverlet on the bed; NOT the big, giant puffy things that normally cover the beds.  We ate at a spot that used to be a favorite treat, Red Robin.  I'm pleased to say it was super good; the one we have out here close to us is TERRIBLE.  Bad service, filthy restaurant, and bad food :(  We stuffed our faces and made our way to the hot tub.  YESSSSSS ... :):)

Fancy shower and fancy Kohler fixtures

The next morning we went to none other than our favorite Cracker Barrel and hit the road up into Bowling Green, KY.  This part of the ride wasn't much to talk about.  We had fun seeing the different landscaping and areas.  I got lots of reading done as David made it to 5 stores.  Finally, around 5:15 central time he was done.  We got serious about riding and found a few roads that were more curvy.  KY has interesting state roads, because sometimes they turn into tiny little country routes with twists and curves and lots of farmland.  Once we hit interstate, that pretty much ended our surface roads.  The wind was better, but as the sun went down the temps were dropping and I was getting straight up cold.  I held on to the bike and we roared through the twists and curves and ups and downs of I-40 E getting back into the Knoxville area.  It is NOT just straight, flat interstate.  It is very challenging to roar through at 80 mph up and down mountains and around curves on Interstate that mostly does not have any lighting.  I kept my eyes always looking for potential problems and wildlife, but our angels rode with us and we made it home safe and sound and 100% problem free.  

A road/motorcycle trip favorite

Our Indians are so ideal for what we do.  My bike is finally perfectly set up for my preferences.  My back doesn't get tired, my helmet doesn't get buffeted by the wind, and my knees don't hurt from only having pegs to rest my feet on.  David's bike has GIANT saddlebags with lots of room for all my extras, and he is so comfortable on his, too.  He did change out the seat that came stock on his bike for one that came stock on a Chieftan Elite, and he is much more comfortable.  His stock seat was just too soft and didn't give him enough support.  His new one is also soft, but it's supportive too.  The only thing he needs now for 100% comfort is a heel shifter.  That's what he's used to, and it's what he prefers.  My bike is so beautifully neutral in all conditions.  I can cruise at 85 mph up and down hills, and I can weave and twist through tight, no center line roads.  She never hesitates, never gives me trouble, and the 120 mile limit on the gas tank is a PERFECT stopping point for getting off and stretching/getting a drink.  Our bikes also spark up conversation everywhere we go, every ride, no exceptions.  We're always thrilled to promote the brand, and to meet enthusiasts where ever we go.  Looking forward to our next "business" trip ;)

How we secured our bikes at the hotel.  Just keeps honest people honest

All the things ...

Well.  Life has taken an interesting turn for us.  You know how I've said, several times, how I sure would love to get David's Chieftan before the end of the year?  Yeah, in reality, we had NO idea how that was actually going to happen.  And trade in vs. selling outright ... well, our dilemma was solved by  Mufasa getting totaled.

The prior Monday, we were given the opportunity to do fun, touristy things in Pigeon Forge!  Tuesday, we were in the ER.  And by "we", I mean David.  It was a beautiful day, and he'd decided to take his bike out and about a bit.  I'd driven b/c the morning was just a hair too cold for me, which turned out to be a good thing.  We'd JUST had lunch together.  I was back at work, working, and he called me and said, "So, it seems I've had a little motorcycle accident".  I jumped out of my chair and ran out the door.  He still doesn't know what happened.  He was on a road we've traveled on many times, it was not in a terribly curvy part, and he was in traffic.  His rear end broke loose and threatened his control, so he moved it over to the side.  When he hit the grass, the bike did a 180 and flung him off in a ditch.  He was knocked unconscious for roughly 30 minutes; the cops woke him up.

By the time I got to him, he had been given a provisional "clear" from the ambulance EMT's.  He was most definitely concussed, but not much else was going on.  That day, he was fully dressed in all his gear, gloves included.  We swung by the house so he could change, and made our way out to the ER.  Thankful for a great staff that didn't keep us there all night.  Once the CT scan pronounced his head and spine clear, we went back home.  In the ensuing days, it was determined that Mufasa would be put down.  I think I was more sad than David!  It hurt my heart to see him there in the "boneyard".  Unfortunately, Kawasaki Vulcans are a dime a dozen, and the cost to repair them with the overpriced OEM parts quickly overwhelm the value of the bike.  

He hit on the right side

RIP

We'd come to grips that our riding season was over.  Figures, because I'd JUST put the last piece of the puzzle on Khaleesi; pipes.  My friend that sold me her floorboards still had her pipes, and I bought them off her.  David gave me his blessing to ride by myself some, but I was sensing a trend; his dad was riding alone BOTH times he went down.  David was riding alone when HE went down.  So, my thoughts of riding alone weren't so favorable.  But I did go on a short ride, and had a blast.  A week later, we were frantically getting off work and running into Knoxville so we could bring home a new family member; Viserion.

RC Components exhaust!  Soooo loud!

Everything just fell perfectly into place for it to happen.  It wasn't something we were planning, to be sure, but it all worked out.  Viserion turned out to be David's birthday gift; he brought her home the day after his birthday.  Well, almost, lol!  We'd JUST pulled out of the IMOK parking lot, and the check engine light came on followed by a very obvious engine cutting in and out.  We hooked a quick U turn and booked it back to a closed dealership (6:05), but thankfully, we were able to grab our sales guy as he was leaving.  Will unlocked the doors, wheeled Viserion back inside, and said he'd give us a call the next day once they figured out what was going on.

First ride!  Heading down to GA

I can not tell you how much my heart flutters to see 2 Indians in the garage!

Riding the Trail of Tears

Turns out it was just a fouled spark plug, so they replaced both and we were good to go!  My heart was racing as I followed David home; IMOK is off a very busy highway, and the traffic around town right now is so bad with lots of tourists in for the leaf season.  My heart was in my throat until he finally pulled her into the garage.

That gray paint is gorgeous; it's so sparkly, like mine!  NOT a matte finish.

The next day, we left out to ride the beasts down to GA.  It was a lovely ride; very windy and blustery, but we were properly layered up, so no big deal.  David did great; his back was HUGELY bruised up and very sore from his fall, and he did skin his knee.  His jeans were flapping around and irritated his wound on the knee, but other than that, he did great on the ride.  We did 347 miles.  Already, it's time for the 500 mile break in service!  Time flies when you're having a blast!

Yesterday was FREEZING, but today it actually got up to low 50.  We hit the road to ride the NEW section of Foothills Parkway.  They have been working on that 16 mile stretch of road between Walland and Wears Valley since the 1960's.  They FINALLY finished the connecting bridge; yesterday was opening day.  Today, it was sooooo crowded!  We knew it would be, though.  I wanted to do it 1.  Because the weather was ok enough to ride for an hour or so.  And 2.  Because the Fall color is still beautiful!

Foothills Parkway

The missing link series of bridges

Viewing Townsend

We were on the uphill side ... in traffic.  FUN, lol!  Very unique challenge to keep it in 1st, moving along about 2 or 3 mph up a mountain, on an off camber road.  My clutch hand got pretty tired, but I wasn't dying or anything.  We got to the end and came home through Wears Valley instead of turning around and coming back over the Parkway, like our original intention. 

This costume garnered more attention than any other!

We'll have to capture the bikes with the views NEXT time

My thespian acting again!  A Midsummer's Night Dream

The day she came home ... a mini tribe!

The "usual" side of Foothills

We've reached full on "off season".  This week is going to be rainy with highs in the 40's.  We will keep the girls gassed and ready for a ride at a moment's notice.  HOPING Thanksgiving day will be decent; we're going to Harrah's Casino in Cherokee for dinner; it would be awesome to ride the bikes since the in-laws will be available to drive the babies!  We'll just have to see.

The ride up to Hartford ... oh, what an adventure!

The weekend began after work on Friday.  I rode all the way out to Knoxville from Seymour so Mufasa could get a front tire and an oil change.  We then headed right back out from where I'd come from because there was a new back road to ride ... and a mountain to climb.  As we dipped and leaned through the tight Sevier County back roads, David pointed out a mountain and said he wanted to go to the top.  So we did!  The path got more and more narrow and soon the yellow line disappeared.  I always feel fortunate to tackle these roads on a bike vs. a vehicle so that we can stay a safe distance from oncoming traffic.  The road had a few corkscrews but was pretty level and the camber wasn't too bad.  It was a typical tourist/vacation cabin type road; I couldn't imagine actually living on it, as I can imagine it would get quite iced in during the winter!

See that view?  Breathtaking!  And tall!

We actually received a last minute invitation Friday night to ride down south with a friend from up north, but David had already planned and mapped out a ride up north.  We were PLANNING to head up to KY and maybe hit the Aces and Eights ride.  Upon further investigation, the ride was just going to be too far to tackle in a day, so we picked our 2nd favorite, the Rattler.

Tired of our "helmet hair, don't care" yet?

As Saturday morning dawned, plans morphed yet again as David wanted to head up towards Hartford and some of the roads we'd driven for the Foothills Wine Trail.  We headed around towards Douglas Lake and enjoyed the views at the dam.  The GPS directed us along the general route we'd used in the truck, and we ended up stopping for gas IN Hartford, which is a little rafting town close to the NC state line; State Route 32 is close to there which is the road we hit on our way home from our epic Diamondback/Sidewinder/Devil's Whip ride and I almost cried, lol.  We opted NOT to partake of that particular adventure, and I spotted a sign for the Martha Sundquist State Forest and thought it would be a GREAT idea to go check that out.  Hah!  Friends, if you EVER ride with us, be prepared for ANYTHING, haha.

Yeah, do yourself a favor and visit this place in a TRUCK.

The gravel ON the road quickly turned TO a gravel road, and as the weather was nice with no mud, we opted to see where it would take us.  I hit a few ruts and rocks that literally took my breath away, they were so hard.  About 4 miles in, we came upon a V in the road; up or down.  I was beginning to just think we needed to turn around b/c the road was getting more and more narrow, and the weeds were growing up thicker in the center of the road.  The rocks were looser, the ruts were bigger, and the uphill climb was looking somewhat washed out.  And then David exclaimed in my ear, "OH SHI&!"  I thought it was maybe a log across the road or something, but turns out it was a bear.  Yep, a very large bear.  I only saw the butt, David saw the whole thing.  It loped off about 30 feet, then stopped just to the edge of the woods.  Um, yeah, we turned around.  THAT was fun.  I started to park the bike and get off and let David finish turning her around.  He DID get off and stand in front of me b/c I was terrified I was going to drive right off the edge b/c did I mention this road was uphill?  And rutted out loose gravel?  And my motorcycle is a STREET BIKE??  

I'd rather be on pavement

Irritability was beginning to set in, which happens when I act like a puss, lol.  I was also having trouble with my sunglasses b/c I was wearing just my short sleeved shirt b/c it was sooooo hot I didn't even want my jacket.  So, nowhere to put my glasses, and I was having trouble reading the road b/c it was so shadow riddled.  I finally got them situated, and we made it back out the way we came ... and promptly turned down a paved road riddled with loose gravel and MASSIVE potholes.  I'm pretty sure I was complaining, lol.  Fortunately, the bad conditions improved, and we ended up on a short jaunt up Foothills Parkway ... NOT the one I've ridden a hundred times, the other one.  It was super short, but it had the same breathtaking views.

The "other" Foothills Parkway

That dumped us out onto I-40, and we rode a few miles up and down the windy, breathtaking hills and curves.  There's nothing quite like taking a wide, sweeping curve at 75 mph in 5th gear on a smooth riding bike.  This was one of the first times I can remember actually enjoying the ride, as the road was completely dry, AND there wasn't a wall of semi trucks.  There were a few, but they were easily passed.  By sheer accident, we ended up in Hot Springs, NC.  Lol, we honestly did not head towards the Rattler on purpose, but we ended up there anyway.

NEVER ENDING gravel road

We again ate at our favorite Irish bar on the river, then flew across Hwy 209, AKA the Rattler.  I again led the ride, as I do really enjoy that road.  By the time we completed it, we were both pretty dang tired, so we hit the Interstate to go home.  It was a BEAUTIFUL day, full of lots of adventure and amazing views, tight, corkscrew 15 mph turns and high speed, 75 mph curves.  We had bears, birds, and gravel.  I have SUCH an amazing time with my other half, I can't say enough how much I love and appreciate him.  He always watches out for me and takes care of me, but he also doesn't put up with any crap, lol.  He pushes me safely out of my comfort zone just enough that I grow as a rider every time I throw a leg over.  I'm so thankful for my life, and can't wait to reveal what's coming up in a mere 6 days!!!

Douglas Dam

Riding goals

"Mav" made some biker friends!

The first weekend in June dawned HOT.  Dripping hot.  Friday after work, we loaded up the family in the truck and headed out to Foothills Mall to watch the "Hogs vs. Pigs" cone skills course.  It was 5 HOG riders vs. 5 motorcycle cops.  What a fun competition!  Definitely gives me something to aspire to; I would LOVE to learn to do the tight cone work ... just don't know how I can learn to do it without risk of dropping my bike!  There was one lady rider representing the HOGs.  She was amazing!  Turns out she's a member of one of my motorcycle facebook groups, and she's now a facebook friend.  I look forward to following her skills riding and hopefully meeting in person and riding together some day.

Great turnout at the rally

A "pig" showing off his superior steering skills

Saturday morning, we took Khaleesi to Willis Cycle Works to get the rear tire replaced.  We left from there and headed to Tazewell, then all the way up to KY.  We drove through the Cumberland Gap tunnel and up into Pineville.  We found the Pine Mountain State Park and ate lunch at the Lodge there.  Such a beautiful place!  We enjoyed some curvy, challenging roads in the area.

Threatening skies but dry ride!

Nearing Cumberland Gap

Made a big loop through LaFollette and then through Oak Ridge coming home.  It feels so amazing taking those long, sweeping curves in 5th gear.  There's nothing quite like it!  I was feeling much better as I forced myself to look up and through all the curves and stay right in the middle of the bike as it swept along the hot asphalt heading towards home.

255 miles and almost 6 hours out!

We rode again on Sunday ... a tube down a snow hill, and a helicopter!  The boys enjoyed spending some time in Gatlinburg for breakfast, then in Pigeon Forge for the others.  We went home via Sevier County backroads that normally are reserved for the bikes; Loved mixing the weekend with motorcycles and family!