Aug 29, 2009

August 29: Bikers For Babies

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It was a beautiful day for a fantastic ride. We left Roseburg at 8:30 and met up with about 35 other bikers at Doyle's. From Doyle's we left in groups of 20 and headed up to Hoodoo. The first stop was in Blue River (potty break). Then it was off to Hoodoo. When we pulled in most of the bikes were already there. There were a few groups that pulled in behind us. You'll see from the photos that our illustrious director, Terry, was the star of the day. After dunking the chick twice in a row, he won the raffle with a weekend at the Marriot in Portland. We all got t-shirts, lunch and fabulous entertainment. The band was excellent! After the party, we took 242 back into Eugene. The road was repaved this summer and was in great condition. Except for the patches of gravel, it was a smooth ride.

Aug 28, 2009

Event: Bikers For Babies

On August 29th we will be leaving Albertson's parking lot at 8:30am  sharp and heading for Doyles HD to take part in the March of Dimes, Bikers For Babies event. Registration at Doyles is from 8:30 to 10:30am. At 10:30 everyone will depart for Hoodoo Mountain Resort where there will be a BBQ and Live music. This is a big event and a worthwhile one so please do your best to take part. There is a $30-40 fee that will get you a Bikers for Babies T-Shirt, Entry, Lunch and entertainment. 

If you have any questions I was given the following numbers to call.  541-382-0437 and 800-811-0805. 

Mike

Aug 27, 2009

General Meeting Reminder

Hello Everyone,

A reminder, the general meeting of the Roseburg HOG club is scheduled for Tuesday September 1st.  6:30pm at Round Table pizza.  Please be there. 

Also put in your calendar that on September 5th, the following Saturday there is the BBQ fish ride to Winchester Bay.  Phil Ferrone is leading this ride.  The ride will leave from Albertson's at 10:00am sharp.  This has been a popular ride so don't miss it. 

Mike

Aug 22, 2009

August 21: Tyee Dinner Ride

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A great time was had by all at our dinner ride to Tyee Landing.  Nine bikes, two cars and if I remember correctly 16+ people.  The food was good, service a bit on the slow side especially if you wanted a steak.  They had only 7 steaks left even though I made a reservation for 16 several days ago.   But it all worked out and it was a great night for a ride.  Thanks to all those that made it out, hopefully we will see more of you on the next one.  Play slideshow

Mike

Aug 16, 2009

August 15: Oregon Caves

Photos: Marvin
Photos: Mike

There were 10 motorcycles and 13 riders for our annual Oregon Caves ride.  I thought Marv was heading back to Sturgis when we headed east from the Azela exit, and kept heading east.  It wasn't long before we turned south and went over the mountain, and ended up in Wimer, a the cafe for a quick cup and potty break.  Then on to Rogue River for fuel and on to the caves.  The tours are 90 minutes and after lunch there wasn't enough time to get in the tour, so we all decided to head back home.  A great ride, Thanks Marv. 
Don't forget this Friday, the 21st is a dinner ride to Tyee Landing.  I will be calling them to make sure we are still on and they can accomodate us. I will be in touch again later in the week.

Mike

Aug 8, 2009

Sturgis News/Photos 7

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We are almost home.  Stopped tonight at the Holiday Inn Express in Pasco Washington.  Called many hotels and all had no vacancies.  This is off the main road, but almost new and the rooms are beautiful.  Except for a woman driving a 5th wheel trailer forcing me into the center divide, all has gone well.  When Brad saw me dive into the median he went after the woman to give her a piece of his mind.  She had no clue I was next to her when she started to change lanes.  Running into a lot of folks heading back home, all seemed to have a good time.  Heading out early in the am to make it back to Roseburg.  Looking forward to seeing everyone.  play slideshow

Mike

Sturgis News 6

The time hadcome to say goodbye to our host in Rapid City and begin the trek home.  As we left at the crack of dawn we began to ride  into a storm that was billed as SEVERE with damaging hail.  We made it through Sturgis without getting wet and stopped for breakfast about 60 miles into our trip.  So far we had been extremely lucky with the weather.  We had always managed to stay dry.  That luck held out on Friday as we headed to Butte Montana where we would stay for the night.  We could see thunderclouds  all around us as we headed west.  What we did encounter though the last 150 miles was extreme winds.  It was like riding a bucking bronco to keep the bikes in the lane.  I did notice that Montana is very considerate of visitors because every 25miles or so they had signs telling us of severe crosswinds.  As if I didn't know that by now. 

I am glad to report that Brad is still in love with his new bike.  He is really having fun with the cruise control.  I woke up today to rain, so I don't know if our luck will hold out.  We will see.  I had some photos but left the usb cord in the bike and was too lazy to go get it from under the cover.   At this point we are all  tired and looking forward to getting home.  Not sure how far we will get today, it depends on the weather.  See you all soon. 

Mike

Aug 7, 2009

Sturgis News/Photos 5

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All good things must come to an end and so it is for the Sturgis 4.  We will be leaving for home in about an hour.  Yesterday we went to Wyoming to Devil's Tower.  Once we got off the Interstate the ride was spectacular.  The area here is still green due to all the rain they have been having.  The last couple of days there have been afternoon thunderstorms that have really dumped on the area.  We have made sure to get back into the garage before the storms hit. 

Devil's Tower was quite a site, I initially thought it would be just a big formation sticking out of the ground, and it is but I was sure glad we went.  There is a KOA campground just outside the gate to the park.  We stopped there for lunch and Brad had another buffalo burger, I think he is getting adicted to Buffalo meat. 

The parking area at the monument is limited, but the Christian Motorcyle Association had volunteers doing parking and they did a fantastic job of getting as many bikes in as possible.  The day before we were there they parked 3000 bikes.  It was probably a couple of hundred mile trip for us so we headed home to beat the storm.  Brad stopped in Sturgis to get his oil changed for our ride back to Oregon.  We hope to make it to Bozeman today and then to Ritzville Washington and on into Roseburg.  We are all looking forward to getting home and being able to sleep in our own beds.  These airbeds just don't cut it.  At our age just getting off the floor is a challenge.  Play sldeshow

See you soon.

Mike

Aug 5, 2009

Sturgis News/Photos 4

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It is another day in motorcycle paradise.  Tuesday started out with a tour of the Harley Davidson display at the Civic Center complex.  They had all models of their motorcycles available for test rides.  Sonny and I sat around while Marv and Brad took a couple of bikes for a demo ride.  Brad opted for a Street Glide and Marv took out a Dyna.  Brad came back with a grin from ear to ear.  We thought the first stop after we left would be a dealer so he could buy a new one.   Marv came back grumbling about how much he hated the Dyna.  He realized after a block that there was no windshield on it. 

We were then off to Mt. Rushmore with a few thousand of our best motorcycling buddies.  As we passed through the town of Keystone bikes were lined up along the entire length of the main street.  People were up on the balconies of the old buildings and everyone seemed to be having a grand time.  When we arrived at Rushmore the staff had separate motorcycle lines to get into the parking structure.  I have to say the folks who run the various venues around here know how to handle crowds, they do as well as could possibly be expected.  It wasn't long before Brad wanted to get going so he could try to win enough money to buy the new Street Glide.  So off to Deadwood we went.  It was about 40 miles away down a scenic highway.  The traffic in the opposite direction was a constant flow of bikes.  I would say we never went more than 30 seconds without seeing dozens of motorcycles heading to Mt. Rushmore. 

When you thought there couldn't be anymore bikes we arrived in Deadwood and couldn't find a spot larger than a toothpick in which to park.  I guess most of the bikers were cheap because we found a parking garage for $5.00 and we were in like Flint.   Deadwood is an old mining town lined with hotel casinos and various places you can unload some  or all of your money.  Speaking of money, I got a call from Nancy telling me to call Visa fraud because there was some suspect activity on my card.  I called and found out there were purchases that morning in Australia, Connecticut and somewhere in the Midwest.  So that account was closed.  Fortunately i carry more than one card.  Good lesson for those who travel to carry more than one card.  Anyway Brad ended up breaking even and we were on our way back to our home base for the evening.  It wasn't but an hour or two before we got a weather alert on the tv that severe weather was coming in.  Before long thunder and lightening started and the heavy rain began.  I am not looking forward to seeing the news  to see what happened to all those who were tenting in and around Sturgis.   Well that is all for now we will be leaving soon for Wall drug and the Badlands.  Stay tuned.  Click play slideshow

Mike

Aug 4, 2009

Sturgis News/Photos 3

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Good  Morning all,

My  first day at Sturgis was exciting and exhausting.  I don't think anything, photos included can prepare you for the large scale of this event.  We arrived  downtown at 7AM and parked on the main street directly in front of the Rally Headquarters, and in front of a Harley Davidson Photo shoot.  You will see the models in one of the photos.  Marv took us to a saloon that served breakfast, and after a hearty meal we were off and walking and walking and walking.  The displays, vendors etc. go on forever.  Fortunately my boots are very light and comfortable.  If it has anything to do with motorcycles it is here.  Even on the billboards along interstate 90 there are ads for motorcycle equipment that you wouldn't see anywhere else.  The heat was present as was the constant sound of thunder.  Not the storm type but the roar of motorcycles. 

We must have seen millions of T Shirts and of course we all had to try to make sure they were purchased so none were left over for next year.  By noon we were ready to sit down and get something to eat.  We walked into the Jack Daniels bar and turned right around due to the sheer numbers of people in the building.  Speaking of buildings, every store in this town that was once some sort of everyday business has been turned over ( I am sure for a hefty price) to a motorcycle vendor of some sort or another.  The J&P Cycles store was a used car dealership and now it is completely stocked with m/c parts, just like it had been that all along.  The large vendor companies must spend a fortune transporting, stocking and staffing these enterprises.  But the sheer number of customers makes it worthwhile.  I watched as people spent money hand over fist for everything from luggage, seat cushions to whatever you can imagine.  There are also enterprising young women will will pose for photos with you for a fee.  Of course they are not wearing much  but a skimpy bikini.  I am able to honestly report none of the Sturgis 4 got their photos taken.

Around 2pm we decided to leave town and head back to Rapid City to the Harley Dealer.  You would think that with the number of motorcycles in the downtown Sturgis area there wouldn't be many left to see.  How wrong you would be.  All along the city streets out of town there were lines of bikes waiting to get downtown.  Along this route are residences that rent out there yards to tenters.  The lawns covered with canvas and nylon.  Many had lawn chairs with residents lined up watching the greatest show on earth.  Once we hit the freeway it was more motorycles.  Wherever you go you can't escape them.  When we got to the Harley Dealer we found thousands more motorcycles parked and their owners looking for something they could most likely do without.  The staff alone numbered in the hundreds.  By the end of the day we were ready for a shower and a cocktail.  Tomorrow it is off to the Civic Center and Deadwood.  I will keep you posted. 

Mike

Aug 2, 2009

Sturgis News/Photos 2

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Completed another 500 miles today after meeting up with the wayward Sturgis 3.  Stopped at Little Big Horn.  A very interesting place that would have been fun to spend more time.  We got to Sturgis about 7PM.  all i can say is for a person who hasn't been here before it was quite an experience.  Things haven't even started yet and the freeway was 85 % motorcyles.  If I were a person who didn't know about this, and just happend to be driving through I would have had quite an experience.  Arrived at Marv's sons house in Rapid City and set up house.  Tomorrow will be up at 6am to wash the bikes so we can go park on Sturgis main street.  Wouldn't want them to be dirty would we.  Getting late so there will be more tomorrow.  Mike, CLick on play slideshow. 

Mike

Aug 1, 2009

Sturgis News/Photos 1

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Hello Everyone,

Well my Sturgis trip didn't start out like I planned.  I had a bit of a glitch, however it worked out so well I should have purchased a lottery ticket.  Four travellers, Marv, Brad, Sonny and myself accompanied by Phil Ferrone and Gary Hobson took off at 6:30am on Friday to begin our journey.  We stopped in Cottage Grove for breakfast after which Phil and Gary headed home.  The Sturgis four then continued on up through Portland and out the Columbia Gorge.  When we turned onto Interstate 84 I thought my steering felt stange, but attributed it to the poor roadway surface.  An hour later we stopped in Hood River for gas and a quick inspection seemed to indicate it was my  imagination.  Was I wrong.  On we went and the temperatures started to climb.  By the time we got to Biggs Junction where we stopped for lunch I knew something was not right. (beside the 100 degree heat) I checked again and saw the dust cover on my front wheel bearing had moved out from where it was supposed to be.  I pushed it back into place and we headed off to Kenniwick where there was  a Harley dealer.  I didn't get 10 miles in the hundred degree heat when I pulled over and asked Marv to ride the bike.  He also concluded something was big time wrong.    A closer inspection showed the bearings were definitely bad.  We limped back into Biggs Junction.  After an hour of phone calls I learned that the three closest dealers didn't have the parts to repair my bike.  Latus HD in Gladstone, outside Portland said they would overnight the parts but since it was Friday afternoon it was too late to get them until Tuesday.  I resigned myself that Sturgis was not to be this year. 

I told the guys to get going that I would call my HOG Roadside Assistance from Road America.  I got ahold of them and told them the nearest dealer that would fix the bike was in Portland.  The representative checked my account and authorized the 110 mile tow.  At no cost to me.  (Was I ever thankful I purchased the upgraded coverage for $19.95 per year.) 

In the time promised the driver was on scene and loading me up.  On the way to Latus HD I asked the driver what this tow would have cost me if I didn't have the extended coverage or HOG insurance.  He said $475.00.  Ouch. 

Anyway, we arrived at the dealer a little after 6pm and they close at 7Pm.  The service writer got the paper work together and since it was a warranty item it wasn't going to cost anything.   A couple of the mechanics came over and checked out the bearing and sure enough about half of the ball bearings were missing.  They had one bearing but not the ABS bearing.  They called another Portland dealer, Paradise HD and found that they had the bearing.  They decided that since I was travelling and on my way to Sturgis they would stay as late as it took to get me on the road.  One of the guys drove over to Paradise in commute traffic almost an hour and returned with the part.  A short time later I was ready to roll at 8PM an hour after closing.  if that isn't going above and beyond I don't know what is.  I got the guys some six packs and off I went to a hotel that is right next door.  When I told them I was just at Latus they took $30.00 off the cost of the room.  WOW. 

Phil had also gone above and beyond and drove up to Portland to get me as I thought I would have to leave the bike until Wednesday.  So I apoligized profusely to Phil and bought him dinner.  I can't thank him enough.  If he actually reads this email and replys with what size T shirt he wears I will make sure he is taken care of with Sturgis regalia. 

Of course the story isn't over now.  I couldn't sleep well and woke up at 2:30am on Saturday and decided to head out and try to catch up with the boys.  I went from Portland to Bozeman Montana today in about 14 1/2 hours. (755 miles, got to love that ultra classic seat)  Got a room in the Holiday Inn and called Marv.  He said they got tired and stopped in Belgrade Montana which is about 10 miles behind me.  How do you like that.  So in the morning we will hook up for breakfast and head to Sturgis.  Stay Tuned.  Click on slideshow.

Mike