THE BIG BLOG


Actually, I jest .....

The main Big Blog has been subcontracted out  to one of our partners-in-blogging:  www.oldhog49.blogspot.ca , Check it out..............if you haven't already been following...

So, this is "additional reading" to supplement the Main Blog.

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...an eleven day, 4100 plus km, 5 rider, motorcycle tour through Wash., Idaho, Montana, and BC.
An awesome ride with no drama, no breakdowns, no friction, no bad weather, no issues, no situations, and no real destination...........

The best part of the trip was, of course, the company; but, as we're stoical men, and have control over our emo  and sensitivities, , ....enough said !

 I got to ride the Wing, ...very impressive. 
 But Kerry, not an HD fan, prefered something else - like what's in the background !!
 Oh, and check out the riveting above Kerry's head !

 2 of the original geezers. 4 of us spent the rest of the trip looking for a village named after us - to no avail.

                               4 of the 5



The low point was the withdrawal from Timmie Ho's.    The high point was the anticipation of yet another  Starbucks.......

Actually, the real low point and real high point,  was the yellow Norton Commando that buzzed the ferry line up (can't remember where) but then just kept going and disappeared. He missed out on meeting 2 guys that own 4 Nortons !


Here's Tom - he's reflecting all of us - he's happy ! (never mind the rain gear)

bad weather   ?  -   covered parking !

Here's the 5 bikes:

Here's some action(?)  shots................
               Maintenance via the Snap-On bike .......................and it took 6 days to press the RECORD button.............

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WARNING:

The following scenes may be disturbing to some viewers.
Viewer discretion is advised.





















How can one comment ??

A BRACE ( a brace of ...)


I could wax on, but, as they say, a picture is worth a thousand words...............................

 The above is Beauty !! ?  And if this is Beauty, then below is

....................................... the Beast  ! This image as taken just after the arrival of the darn Orange Bike !
That's right, viewers, this is riding attire. Not a pretty sight.....  this needs to be ostracized !


 (and check out : www.oldhog49.blogspot.ca for additonal pics)

MAGICAL MYSTERY MAY

...should be a BIGBLOG happening very soon, but in the meantime, here's a little teaser..........

Since the anonymous owner runs an after-market Harley shop, isn't this kinda like Dieter Zetsche
driving around in a Corvette  ?

But never mind, she's a real beauty................

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A 2015 APRIL (SPRING) BLOG

So far,  2015 seems to be off to a rip-snorting start. A Feb. blog; and now the following.....and we're yet into May/June............................and then, the Summer of '15. Who knows what will unfold ? Naturally, there are several episodes under production, even some under pre-production....all for future publication.    But in the meantime:

... to satisfy the cravings of viewers like you, and to sate the bottled-up enthusiasm, here's some blogging.........

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After a long winter's  absence, the "chair" finally made an appearance. Sort of out of hibernation, as it were. And you know what that means - activities/events/blogging.....

ST1300 - a  V4 - from Big Red (Honda) 2012 @ 14,000 k's (used). (and, really, "you  meet the nicest people on a Honda";  and,  "You're either on one, or behind one".)
 
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Now, I'm at a loss here -

This is a Ducati 1098 - it's a full blown race bike @ 160 hp. - but with after thought lights and mirrors 
added , and thus, street legal. 
Who would buy one of these ??  Only a Gen Y son, who is now a "Ducatista" .
Harley-guy attitude ( I have that) is pretty bad. BMW-guy is worse. But Duck owners - they take the 
prize !! They're known as  "Ducatistas" 

I can already feel, sense, the 'tude , the arrogance, that is about to manifest itself .... 






 

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Not sure which came first.
The Duck, or the motorcycle running shoes.
Say what ??
That's right, motorcycle running shoes, modeled after PF Flyers.

I'm sure you can see the problem here..  Gen Y, borderline Hipster, ultra modern state of the art high performance exotic Italian motorcycle...But running shoes resembling '50's 60's PF Flyers  ???
Retro ? Nostalgia ? Hipster trendy ?  I give..........
 
Ah well,  these youngsters............

  
And I actually rode the "beast"  for ................ a mile, maybe 2  - frightening  !! 


 

 THE  2015  BLOG

   Normally a summer, or maybe a late spring, event, blog followers (are there any ?) will find the start of the 2015 version in the dead of winter a bit of a surprise. 

But sometimes a blog-worthy thing occurs which will not be denied an immediate publication.

Such is the case.....

(I have of course previously referred to postponed blogs, and these will follow in due course ...)

While the rest of the country is deep freezing, us Islanders are in a chomping at the bit mode.
The blossoms are out. The flower count is on. The ferns are sprouting..

                       and the bikes have been plated

Al's '88 Springer,#666  (not that darn ORANGE bike);  and Bob's 650 (oh, how diplomatic!!) and my Kawasaki have already racked some k's.
250+ km in one day to be exact. The Circle Route. ON FEBRUARY 22ND  !!

Aka the middle of winter.

I shot 3 vids, but only 1 was successful ( lack of practice ? lost the touch ? )  And I forgot the still camera, forgot the "chair" at the commencement of the ride, and also forgot I had the new iPhone (not that I know to take pics with it ) but the attached:   fya !



Al was plugged in with some kind of fancy H-D electric coat, I was plugged in with a normal electric vest and  heated grips, but Bob had no electrics at all  -  and wore inappropriate footwear. To ride THE ROUTE were the temp. at some points was just 4 degrees in just normal bike ware (wear?) ............very impressive !
In fact, S. Bob has become a TOB(ie)  ( Tough Old Bird (ie))  Might have to refrain from making comments on his plastic bike.  (don't think so..)

At any rate, the trip was exhilarating, but it seemed that the closer we got to Timmy Ho's in L. Cowichan -  the faster we drove.... The road has deteriorated a bit over the winter (logging trucks) and the scenery sure looks different without some of the greenery/foliage .... and that  Ducati  lying in the ditch was a bit upsetting .....(hey, why no pictures of that ??).

  But to drive the Circle Route in February is an awesome way to start the riding season...........and we were the only m/cs on The Route once past Pt Renfew...

More to follow.........................



Here's a little something to annoy everyone east of Hope BC:

A February 22nd bug splat:
Just how awesome is that ? A bug spattered windshield in February....................( & FYI ..this ain't left over from last year..)

A LATE SUMMER BLOG......................
IE an end of season thing.


The riding season is fast coming to a close...plates are expiring, the temp. is dropping, the rains aren't here yet, but they're coming......  And some of us are cramming in as much road time as we can  ...

And yet, there is always someone who jumps the gun, or rather turns over a new page, whilst everyone else is closing the book .....( what a crummy little analogy, eh ? !!) 

Bob C. has delivered a surprise, a shock, caught everyone off guard, stepped up ...... he's added 401 cc's to his ride.................... A 650 Yammie.... Woops - 649 cc

Well done Bob           -        it's still  the littlest bike though  -   considered in 2014 to be a beginner's bike.
(only a Harley rider would say that)  Never mind - Bob's running with the big dogs now....

Whoa.....Gen Y is riding a 400cc . Now that's a move in the wrong direction 750 to 400 . The younger generation, honestly .............................

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Some pics of end of season riding - the Circle Route, Tofino, Canpbell River................

 That's the little bike in the background. The one in the foreground is a pavement scorching monster.

 ..................2  little bikes...........

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 ...there are no words to accompany this  'tog .............(could this be described in less than 1000 words ?)

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 Al's big 110 CVO  (background) still wears its 2013 tags ...............that's picture worthy, but...

 Don't recall where this is, sorry..............

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 I believe that's it for 2014. There's still a potential clankwagon blog, but so far there's been nothing but frustration with that little Harley (74 CI), so it'll have to wait...

 (Reminder: the main blog (delegated!) is located at:   www.oldhog49.blogspot.ca
And, the vids are also viewable for viewers like you @ youtube "olddogonahog"


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OREGON


This old blog has seemingly come to a screeching halt.... writer's cramp ?
No inspiration ?
The blogger's old ?

At any rate, the BIG EVENT # 2 happened July 15-18 in Ashland Oregon.

INOA  -  RALLY IN THE  CASCADES  !     (INOA  ??)


As way of explanation:               THE UNAPPROACHABLE NORTON 


Some stills :

                                           Hey, you can't see it (brilliant photographer) but that's a Harley hat !
                                           Very inappropriate !!

                                           

                                                          .....trailer queens..........

                                            CNW   -   $30,000.00 ??  The photo doesn't do it justice. The cases are
                                            either powder coated or chrome. And that's a chrome logo on the tank.
                                            Breath taking.           ( CNW  ?? )         

                                          Beauties...

                                  
                                          .....these guys went strap crazy....

                                            Not mine............

                                          The boys were roughing it..  Real men...