I am working on a section called “Tanks Most Excellent Roads” where I am going to list my favorite roads complete with maps. I have got a little start going, but it is going to take me a while to get this section complete because I am basically a lazy guy. So many of you who read this page do it at work. I sure wish I could screw off like that at work. If I could, I would to a lot more updating.
Monthly Archives: November 2006
I am currently working on a major update to the web site. For a while there will be a lot of material that is missing from the site, but I will be replacing what is missing over the next couple of weeks. I hope to have everything caught back up by Christmas.
Oh yes, one other thing. Nothing much, just that I AM ON THE FRONT PAGE OF KILLBOY.COM!!!!! That’s right. Killboy.com. Tank on the FRONT page. The rumor that I wired a large amount of money into a Swiss bank account to make this happen is completely untrue. The rumor that I did a little begging and groveling is one that I do not wish to speak about. Click here to see me!
First things first – Interstate National Star Sport is going to repair Marks motorcycle under warranty. I really am glad. Mark is a good guy and he does love to ride. I am somewhat disappointed that another boycott has ended so soon. I was kind of starting to look forward to throwing rocks through windows and burning some buildings down, but I guess I have to put away the matches again.
The trip to Deals Gap was awesome. The weather Friday was perfect. The traffic on Friday was perfect. It was a perfect day and probably the best day I have ever had down there. I made it down in just 10 hours, 9 hours of riding with an hour of stops. I really did not take any pictures that are any different than any of the other 1,000 pictures I have taken, so I won’t be posting any pictures from the trip. Mostly I was just too busy riding to take pictures anyway.
The weather Saturday was a little bit less than perfect. The day sure started out good, and I thought I would have another excellent day, but rain soon blew in and the temperature dropped. Most of the people who were there were smart enough to trailer their bikes in and most of them went home on Saturday. I spent the day waiting for it to stop raining. It never did.
Sunday was the trip home. This was an awful ride. I would have rather been at work than riding my motorcycle. The temperature never got above 40 degrees. At one point it was 35 degrees and raining. I have ridden in temperatures much colder than 40 degrees before, but I have never tried to ride 580 miles in this kind of cold. I suspect the reason I have never tried this is because it is a really stupid thing to do. I did everything I could to stay warm. I bought chemical heat pads and stuck them in my gloves and shoes. I bought a 12 volt electric blanket and cut a hole in the center of it to make an electric poncho for under the sweatshirt and three coats that I wore. I had three pairs of pants on. I suppose all these things probably helped a lot, but I was still colder than I have ever been in my life. The trip home took me 13 1/2 hours to complete. Even still, if I could do it all over again this weekend I would. The time I had down there on Friday was worth all of the suffering I did on the way home.
Check out tailofthedragon.com. Look down toward the bottom of the page. That’s right, a nice little picture of the Tanksters backside.
Once again I have to give thanks to the entire staff at the Deals Gap Motorcycle Resort. Everyone there is just the greatest. Brad is very lucky to have such a great group of people working there.
The trip to Deals Gap was awesome. The weather Friday was perfect. The traffic on Friday was perfect. It was a perfect day and probably the best day I have ever had down there. I made it down in just 10 hours, 9 hours of riding with an hour of stops.
The weather Saturday was a little bit less than perfect. The day sure started out good, and I thought I would have another excellent day, but rain soon blew in and the temperature dropped. Most of the people who were there were smart enough to trailer their bikes in and most of them went home on Saturday. I spent the day waiting for it to stop raining. It never did.
I can not believe I am doing it, but I am leaving for the gap tomorrow. I’ll be knocking off work early tomorrow and hopefully should be on the road by noon. I am going to spend the night near Lexington, Kentucky and then finish the ride off on Friday morning. The weather looks really good the whole way through except for Sunday, the day I return home. Sunday they are calling for a high of 44 degrees here, and I am supposed to wake up to a 32 degree morning at the gap. That is pretty cold for a 600 mile ride, but I have nearly every single piece of warm clothing I own packed on the bike, so I will make it home somehow. I sure hope it does not snow.
In other news there is big controversy brewing over Marks ZZR1200. He took it in for a routine valve adjustment and it turns out his camshafts are badly pitted. He bought an extended warranty through Interstate National Star Sport and they really have not decided if they are going to honor the warranty or not. The way I read the engine part on their web site it should be a no brainer, but the bike has been at Harding Park Cycles for over a month now and still no decision on their part. They have given him a price of $5,000.00 if it is not covered. Is that a crazy figure or what? I can not figure out how they justify that one.
The whole IBA boycott from last week was a little tongue in cheek. I did feel he should have got one but the boycott was more for fun than anything else, but I make you this promise: If Mark is not treated right on this camshaft issue it is going to get ugly. Even though at the current time I am riding a Suzuki, Kawasaki has always been my brand of preference. We will drop a boycott on Kawasaki, Interstate National Star Sport, and Harding Park Cycles that is going to make their heads spin. It kind of makes me sad because I really love the looks of the new Concours1400, but I can not deal with a $5,000.00 repair on a bike that is only 14 months old.
Still, I am trying not to get too upset yet because they just might do the right thing, but I am loosing hope because this has been going on for over a month already with no answers.
Last weekend Rick, or man in Texas, took a ride to The Lone Star Rally in Galveston. Below is the first picture he sent me:
This guy really has it going on, doesn’t he? Someday when I get to Texas I am definitely going to hang with those guys! Here are some more pictures he sent of the rally:
