Ride With Tank

Here we are in the deepest, darkest bowels of winter.

This is the worst time of year for folks like us.   Nothing really to do but watch the calendar and wait for summer to come back.

There is one point of light on the horizon: the Cleveland Cycle World International Motorcycle Show. This gives us a chance to at least go out and see some motorcycles. 

This year there will be 19 manufacturers at the show:  Aprilia, BMW, Buell, Ducati, Harley Davidson, Honda, Hyosung, Kawasaki, KTM, Kymco, Moto Guzzi, MV Agusta, Piaggio, Star, Suzuki, URAL, Vespa, Victory and Yamaha.  If you ask me that list cheats a little bit.  I don’t see Star and Yamaha as being different manufacturers, but why get picky about it?

There is a little something for everyone at the show no matter what you ride or what type of riding you do.  I’ll be there so if you miss it you will feel bad when you see what a great time I had!

I got an email a few days ago from a guy who had crashed his V-Strom.  He saw the story of my bike on the V-Strom forum, and contacted me because he wanted to buy my old bike.

I called Geico and found out that my old bike was sold at auction on January 3.  In a way it makes me kind of sad that some unknown person has my old bike, but I just have to remind myself that it is just a motorcycle.  It is crazy that you can get attached to something like a motorcycle.  I hope whoever the new owner is can put it to good use.  My worst nightmare is for the Orange County Chopper guys to get it and turn it into some kind of a stupid chopper.

I sure hope everyone got out and enjoyed it, because today was a spectacular day!

This is the kind of weather I would like to have every January!  Warm and even toward the end of the day the sun was out!

This gave me a chance to get the new bike out and get the odometer to 600 miles!  I took a ride up north and checked out the helmets at Shadetree, then I stopped at a Suzuki dealer in Mantua, then I rode around Berlin Lake, Lake Milton, and Meander.  It was so nice to get out I feel like a new person!

Since I made it to 600 miles I was able to get my first service out of the way!  I was feeling so good I even washed the bike!  Now I am officially ready to go for spring.  I could hop on the bike right now and head for the mountians!

Not much chance that is going to happen.  Tomorrow will still be warm but it is going to rain, and then Wednesday winter returns.