Welcome to my corner of the World Wide Web where you will find my rants and ravings. I'm an average, every-day guy who has some very strong opinions about life, God and motorcycles. If you agree with me or not, I hope you enjoy my place and come back often.. and if you feel like it, please help support this site by purchasing something from my store HERE.

Rant Archive - April 2006

April 27, 2006 - MY HEAROS HAVE ALWAYS BEEN EAR PLUGS

No, this post is not about a butchered Willie Nelson song... it's about ear plugs! I have a buddy that has worn ear plugs when he rides for as long as I've known him. He's always preached the advantages (duh... like saving your hearing) but to me, ear plugs always seemed like they'd be a pain to deal with. I can barely keep track of my glasses and gloves, much less two tiny little items like ear plugs. At any rate, for some reason I started experimenting with them last Fall. Maybe my buddy finally got through to me or maybe I was just getting worn out by having two bikes in my garage with loud, slash-cut pipes. Whatever the case, I began my quest to find a pair.

The first set I got were the molded kind that have the string connecting the two plugs together. They didn't work worth a crud for me. I never could get them to seal correctly and at times they would literally fall out of my ears. I guess that's why they put a string on them! Next I tried a set of rather expensive ones that musicians use. They have a built in "sonic filter" that supposedly filters out damaging frequencies but again, like the first pair they wouldn't fit in my ears properly. I was about to give up on the whole idea when my Hearos came along. One day while at the local Honda dealership, drooling over an ST1300, I spotted them by the counter. They were so cheap I figured there was no way they were going to work but I got a pair anyway. I was pleasantly surprised. They worked great and I've been using them since.

Hearos are soft little foam-like ear filters that only cost about a buck a pair (fifty cents a pair if you buy the bulk package) but don't let the low price fool you. The chart to the left shows their effectiveness. Even at their worst frequency (125) they still cut an incredible 38.4dB... that's a lot! And the good news is, unlike the others I tried, they fit me well and will fit you well also. Here's why... To insert them you roll them between your thumb and forefinger to form a thin tight cylinder and then place them into your ear canal. As they expand back to normal size they form a perfect, custom fitted, comfortable seal that keeps out the damaging noise levels while still allowing you to hear.

I've gotten so used to them now that I can't stand to ride without them. I didn't realize how loud pipes and wind noise were taking their toll on me but since wearing Hearos I've discovered that my ears no longer ring all evening after long rides. I don't seem to be as fatigued after those rides either. Do yourself a favor and get some plugs. Loud pipes like these beauties below may save lives but they could also be destroying your hearing. A one dollar item can greatly reduce that risk.

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April 22, 2006 - SOMETHING OF USE FROM A LOCAL GARAGE SALE

I'm not much of a garage sale person, that's for sure, but every once in a while my wife drags me to one and I find something of use. Take for example, the Honda Mini-Trail 50 above. This little beauty was at a local garage sale and was owned by the guy who purchased it new in April of 1970. Although it is not currently running, I instantly fell in love with it and at a hundred bucks considered it a "must have" item.

If you're my age you remember when these little bikes ruled the mini-bike world. The one above was the first one I had seen in years and it instantly took me back to a younger time. It is a 1970 Z50AK1. The K1's were built in 1969 and 1970 and were available in CandyRed/Silver, CandyBlue/Silver and like this one, BrightYellow/Silver. According to the Owner's Manual, which by the way is in pristine condition, it has a three-speed transmission and shifting from 1st to 2nd to 3rd is accomplished by depressing the gear shift pedal downward in sequence. The manual also states that the Maximum Speed is 28mph and Fuel Consumption is 165miles per US Gallon at 12mph. Maybe I should start riding it to work! It is street legal you know.

First thing I have to do is get it running, then it will need a rear brake lever and a little cleaning up. I'll keep you posted on my progress. In the mean time you can CLICK HERE to check out some more pictures of my new toy.

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April 19, 2006 - THE HARLEY-DAVIDSON SPORTSTER

To be honest with you, I can't remember ever seeing a motorcycle that I didn't like on some level. Even the ones that are not my cup-o-tea still cause me to slip into a Homer Simpson-like trance and say slowly to myself…."hmmmmmmmmmm moooootorcycle, motorcycle goooooooooooood!" One of my favorites though has to be the tried-and-true Harley Davidson Sportster. For me the Sportster epitomizes what a motorcycle was meant to be. Although it doesn't have all the fancy trim and luggage that a bagger has, it look's cool, can be customized any way you like and is just plain old fun to ride. But people have known this for years… since 1952 to be exact.

In 1952 Harely-Davidson introduced the Model K Sport, the most technically advanced bike they had built to date. The Model K featured a revamped 45 Side Valve engine, a four speed transmission, hand operated clutch and an updated, smooth suspension. By 1957 the popular model had evolved into the Sportster XL and the rest is history. Over the years the Sportster has maintained the "cool" factor of the original 1952 Model K while continuing to evolve and in 2007 the Sportster will celebrate its 50th Anniversary. Here are a few of the significant changes that came along the way:

1958: XLH was introduced with higher compression and larger valves.
1959: Introduced dual exhaust with twin mufflers.
1962: First year for the XLR for racing.
1965: 12 volt electrical system was introduced.
1967: Electric start was now an option.
1972: 1000cc engine replaced the 900.
1975: Gear shift moved to left side.
1978: Cast wheels were now an option
1979: First Hugger model was available.
1984: An alternator replaced the generator.
1986: First year for the EVO Sportster.
1988: 39mm forks replace 35mm.
1991: 5 speed transmission replaces 4 speed and belt drive is introduced.
1995: First year for electric speedometer.
2004: Engine is rubber mounted.

It will be interesting to see what Harley does to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the Sportster next year but one thing is for sure, I'll always be a fan.

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April 16, 2006 - HAPPY EASTER!

At the crack of dawn on Sunday, the women came to the tomb carrying the burial spices they had prepared. They found the entrance stone rolled back from the tomb, so they walked in. But once inside, they couldn't find the body of the Master Jesus. They were puzzled, wondering what to make of this. Then, out of nowhere it seemed, two men, light cascading over them, stood there. The women were awestruck and bowed down in worship. The men said, "Why are you looking for the Living One in a cemetery? He is not here, but raised up.

Luke 24:1-6 (The Message)

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April 14, 2006 - TO BAD EVERY DAY ISN'T A HOLIDAY

Every time I hear the word holiday I think of Adam Sandler singing the Madonna classic "Holiday" in the movie "The Wedding Singer". It's a scene where he is in a major state of depression having just been dumped by his long-time girlfriend but still has to entertain at a wedding reception. Only Adam Sandler could portray a depressed character and still be hilarious. If you've not seen the movie, go rent it… but today being Good Friday, Holiday meant I was going riding!

A couple of buddies and I hit the road early and took advantage of the gorgeous weather, clocking in about one-hundred-twenty miles and ending up in Leiper's Fork, Tennessee. This is the second time this month that one of my rides has lead me to Leiper's Fork and if you are riding through Middle Tennessee you must check it out. The town, perhaps most famous as the home of Country Music Hall of Famer Minnie Pearl, has a character all it's own and has some of the best twisties leading to it that you can find. In particular, Leiper's Creek Road from Highway Seven to the south is a thirteen-mile bikers paradise with nice curves and beautiful scenery.

We rolled into town at about 10:30am, had a burger and fries at the country boy diner and started wandering the town. Our first stop was Leiper's Fork Flintlocks. The owner Greg was quite the hospitable one and gave us the grand tour. In the picture above I am holding a Pre Revolutionary Lancaster 54 caliber flintlock that was made around 1750. From there it was on to the rest of the town where we got to check out their vintage patrol car and also made a new friend. Buckshot is sort of a mutt with some border collie in him and loves to be scratched just behind the ears. In case you haven't figured it out yet… I love dogs and Buckshot was a dandy!

What a great day... Three buddies riding the Tennessee backroads together, a great route, and a unique destination. To bad every day isn't a holiday!

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April 12, 2006 - FINDING A NEEDLE IN A HAYSTACK... OR A LIGHT FOR A LIGHTBAR

Earlier this week I was out riding the Intruder and at one point I came to a stop light behind a Ford pickup truck. The beast of a truck was tall enough that I could see my reflection perfectly in the dark blue tailgate. In the midst of checking to see how cool I looked (yeah right) I noticed that there were only two lights reflecting in my eyes. With my lightbar and headlight there should be three so in true backyard mechanic fashion, I smacked the one that wasn't working a couple of times in hopes to rectify the problem. It didn't work so when I got back to the garage I pulled the bulb out and after amusing myself by shaking it so I could hear the little rattle for a while, I threw it in the floorboard of my car so I could pick up a replacement the next day. A simple task, or so I thought.

At first I went to the local auto parts store... or should I say stores. There were three in all, each a different chain and none of them had it. Next I was on to the local metric shop. They couldn't find it in their catalog. Another metric shop referred me to a motorcycle consignment shop... who also didn't have anything like it. Next it was a massive internet search. I did find a place that had it but they also had a minimum order requirement of twenty-dollars, plus shipping. Yikes! My next stop was the local lightbulb specialty store. This place has every kind of bulb you can imagine so I felt pretty confident that they would have my loot. Not so fast... after rummaging around the back room for a few minutes the salesman told me they didn't have it either. As I was about to turn and leave, the manager asked to see the bulb. After a little computer work he found it at a supply house in Texas. It's going to take about seven days to get it but the good news is I have found the needle in the haystack and it's only going to cost eight bucks.

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April 8, 2006 - A DEVASTATING  DAY IN NASHVILLE

I try my best to avoid negative subjects on this website. Every day there are about fifteen news articles available to me that deal with various accidents and people getting killed on motorcycles but you won't find any of them on my NEWS page. I also get a lot of information about motorcycle gang related fights and busts which I also choose not to report here. Instead I strive to provide a positive source of information that focuses on the "good" in the motorcycle community. Something happened yesterday in Nashville however that has had such an impact on me that I feel like I need to tell the story even though it isn't motorcycle related.

On Friday afternoon tornadoes were spotted in ten Tennessee counties. One, just northeast of Nashville chewed up a path that was about two hundred yards wide and ten miles long. Nine people were killed and estimates say that over nine-hundred homes were damaged or destroyed in the wake. You hear about these kinds of things and it really doesn't sink in but when it hits this close to home you realize just how devastating it really is. The fact that people died because of this suddenly becomes very real.

It was so heavy on my heart that when I woke up this morning, the first thing that popped into my head was the question of how are all those people going to re-build their lives and how will loved ones of the victims ever deal with this horrible tragedy. If you are the praying type, please include my neighbors here in Tennessee on your list. Some have a very long road ahead just to get their lives back and some will deal with the pain that comes with losing someone for the rest of their lives.

If you would like to make a storm recovery donation, visit The Nashville Redcross on-line at www.nashvilleredcross.org.

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April 5, 2006 - THE FIVE SENSES: HEAR, SMELL, TOUCH, SEE, TASTE... WELL MAYBE NOT TASTE.

I think part of the reason I love riding motorcycles so much is because all of my senses are involved at some level... well, maybe not all of them. I usually don't taste anything unless I happen to have my mouth open at the wrong time but the others are certainly in use. Tonight I rode for about an hour and although I didn't wander all that far from home, I completely enjoyed a nice evening ride that satisfied my senses. I could HEAR every whine and thump of a 1200cc V-Twin engine through slash cut pipes. I could SMELL wild onions in bloom and someone's barbecue dinner cooking on a backyard grill. I could FEEL every curve and bounce in the road through a set of drag bars and the warm breeze on my face courtesy of my windshield-less Sportster. And I could SEE God's creation all around me in the gift of nature.

When you ride a motorcycle your senses come alive... you notice things that you would normally drive right past. Take the gorgeous sunset above for example. On my way back to the house tonight I glanced in my rear-view mirror and saw it behind me. It happened so fast that I missed the shot I really wanted to get. Two minutes before this you could see the entire sun just setting on the hill but by the time I got stopped and pulled out the camera the moment was nearly gone. No doubt about it, If I had been in a car I would have missed it completely. Another great moment in life captured thanks to my motorcycle.

HAT UPDATE: BTW, I added two more hats to my collection today. Another Buell hat and a funky, grey, fuzzy, Harley-Davidson hat. Got them both for only $7 bucks. The collection is slowly growing!

CLICK HERE to see my hat collection.

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April 3, 2006 - THE ROADS OF EAST TENNESSEE - MIKE JONES

Those of you who visit this site often know that I love riding in Tennessee and consider it to be one of the best motorcycle states in the country. The scenic backroads are plentiful and provide endless excursions for a Certified Bike Nut like myself. One of our local riders here in Middle Tennessee, Mike Jones, is of the same persuasion; so much so that back in 2004 he published a book entitled "The Roads of Middle Tennessee". I have used the book on numerous occasions to plan both personal and group rides and have found it to be a great source of information. The book is broken down into counties and Mike lists his "Highest Recommended", "Highly Recommended" and "Recommended" roads for each, providing information on Road Location, Road Length, Connecting Roads, Road Surface and Width details, Road Difficulty (rated on a scale of I to VI) as well as other useful information regarding places to eat, gas stations, lodging and other points of interest.

Now Mike has published a second book, "The Roads Of East Tennessee" and like his first book, the 159 page soft cover book is filled with information about the best routes, this time in beautiful east Tennessee. If you live here or are planning a trip to or through Tennessee, I'd highly recommend these books. Basically Mike has taken all the leg work out of trip planning for us! For more information on how to get your copies visit Mike's website at www.tennesseebackroads.com.

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April 2, 2006 - DST: LIFE IS NOW A LOT MORE BIKER FRIENDLY

Finally! As of 2:00am Sunday we are back on Daylight Saving Time. I've never been a big fan of night riding so the added extra hour combined with the gradually lengthening days this time of year makes life a lot more biker friendly for me. Weeknight rides that were few and far between all winter will now occur with much more frequency and my grumblings about the days being so short can be put on hold until October. It's a beautiful thing! Here are a few DST fun facts for you:

- The official spelling of Daylight Saving Time is not Daylight SavingS Time. There's no "s" at the end of "Saving" so stop saying it that way. (One of my pet peeves!)

- DST, for most of the US begins at 2:00am on the first Sunday in April (yeeee-haaa!) and reverts to Standard Time at 2:00am on the last Sunday in October (boooo-hissss!).

- Beginning in 2007, DST will begin the second Sunday in March and end the First Sunday in November extending the DST period for about 3 weeks. (Thank you George W. Bush!)

- Studies done by the US Department of Transportation showed that DST saves about 1% per day because less electricity is used for lights and appliances. 1% may not sound like a lot but combine nation wide usage and it is a staggering amount of money. (So why the crap don't we just observe DST year round?)

- DST does wonders for Swag's attitude, providing more opportunity for daylight riding. (Now I'm only half as grumpy as usual!)

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April 1, 2006 - NO FOOLIN' - A RIDE FOR CAMP COURAGEOUS

Today was one of those "picture-perfect" days in Middle Tennessee with clear blue skies, sunshine and temperatures nearing the seventy degree mark. You couldn't ask for a better day to ride and if you were looking for a group ride, you had three options in the Nashville area. One dealer was sponsoring a Poker Run, another was taking a group on a touring ride and the third option was a ride being billed as "A Ride For Camp Courageous". Although I had friends ask me to ride the Poker Run with them, the prospect of enjoying a ride while helping some kids that really need it was too good to pass up... so off I went on my own.

The starting point for the benefit ride was the Loveless Cafe in Nashville. Famous for being a 1960's country music star hangout, the Loveless is still one of the hippest places in Nashville and yes, you just might see a star or two there today. Actually, my ride to the starting point would have been a great ride in and of itself. I passed through historic Franklin, Tennessee and walked around the square for a bit... then it was on West on highway 96, passing under the Natchez Trace, on to highway 100 and then eventually to the Loveless. If I had more space I'd tell you the historical significance of all of these locations but you'll have to do that research on your own if you're interested!

When I arrived at the Loveless, I was immediately greeted by a very nice guy who introduced himself as Kenny. As it turns out Kenny was there alone also and asked if he could join me on the route. I said sure and by the time we finished wandering around looking at the bikes, we had added four other solo riders to our group. Remember when I talked about the brotherhood of bikers a few days back? Well, today it was evident again with six guys that didn't know each other from Adam now riding as a group and acting like we'd know each other for years. It was a total blast!

We ended up covering about 70 miles, with a final destination of yet another historic town, Leipers Fork, Tennessee where we partook of some good ole' southern homestyle cooking and were entertained by Nashville Star winner and Universal South recording artist Erika Jo. It was a great day, a great ride and a great cause.

CLICK HERE to see pictures from this ride.

About Camp Courageous: Currently under construction in Scottsville, Kentucky and scheduled to open in the Spring of 2008, the mission of the camp is to uplift the children of Kentucky, Tennessee, and the surrounding areas who have life-threatening illnesses by creating experiences year round that are memorable, exciting, fun, build self-esteem, are physically safe, and medically sound. Camp Courageous will be a world class medical camping facility, providing a cost-free, safe, and fun camping experience for seriously ill and disabled children and their families. For more information visit www.courageouskids.org.

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