Hot Heat

This is a shot from Mike's Ural dealership in Waynesboro. What looks like art is, as a matter fact, a complete and total accident. I pointed my digital axe at the hack and the photo is as it was downloaded, no Photoshop, no nothing.

If you've never been to Mike's, next time you're down Waynesboro way make sure you check 'em out. They're just off the square, and the ride there will definitely be worth it if you go from Howenwald to Waynesboro on Highway 99, one of the best kept secrets in the state.

(click the pic for a larger view)

This week-end past I took part in a great impromptu back-road bang. Maybe the best ever. And it's one thing to find a new dance partner. But it's a truly amazing thing to find two new ones.

New dance partner #1 would be the red NT650 Hawk from Honda pictured above. It belongs to Sam and he made the mistake of leaving it at the Old Post Office. Well, me and it have been talking for about 2 weeks now. It's been a long time since I've enjoyed any motor-bike more than this one. I owe him an oil and filter change, and a wash job. Fork rebuild. New tires. I'll teach him to leave his dang toys laying about......

New dance partner #2 would be the woman. I've always ridden solo, for a couple of reasons. My trusty GS500E is by no means a two-up machine. It's a scalpel, kind of like a 250 GP bike. Reason number 2 is that I've always ridden as though at the Isle of Man, every ride was to just see how quick it could be done, how hard a road could be ridden, point to point. In that respect I was only responsible for one ass, and that ass was mine. Over the past couple of years my pace has slowed somewhat. The woman is an excellent dance partner, she has many miles under her belt from riding with her Dad, and she rides on the pillion as though invisible. The identity of dance partner #2 shall remain nameless for lack of any real incriminating evidence at this point.

More to come.....

(click the pic for a larger view)

Sign Of The Week

I couldn't even make this up!

You know how you're messing about, or maybe riding around and in the back of your mind you're wondering hmmmmm....what can I blog? What can I blog next? (It's a sickness.)

Then, absolutely by chance, you happen up on something like this and your question is answered. And you didn't even have to make anything up.....

(click the pic for a larger view)

IOM TT Centenary

A quick word about the 2007 Isle on Man Tourist Trophy. This year the IOM TT celebrated it's 100th anniversary. It had to have been a special year to be on the island.

John McGuinness made it even more special and was the dominant force this year, winning both the Superbike TT and the Senior TT. In the Senior he raised the bar by setting a new out-right lap record for the 37.73mile Mountain Course by laying down an unbelievable lap of 17mins 21.99secs for a lap average of 130.35mph. More can be read HERE in an article from londonbikers.com .

The pic is of Sam's sweet Honda GB500 TT. This bike was produced by Honda for only a couple of years in the late '80's to celebrate Honda's successes at the IOM TT. Most GB's lingered in showrooms for several seasons before being sold at discounts. Now days it is a bit of a cult bike and probably one of the few Honda models that is worth quite a bit more than the original sticker price.

(click on the pic for a larger view)

The Waco

A couple Sundays ago I got to go on a motorbike sortie led by the Colonel. He kept the mission destination a secret to us grunts I think, just so he could lead. And lead he did, to some of the best back-roads between Clarksville and the southern Lake Barkley area. Many roads along many ridges......oh yes.

We ended up at a small airstrip in McKinnon, TN. to greet some friends of the Colonel (Gary and Donna), who flew in to meet us for breakfast in this beautiful Waco open cockpit, two-seater bi-plane. The engine, pictured here, is a seven cylinder radial Jacobs .
Ah, the noise, the noise.

Our buddy Bruce inquired of Gary shortly before they headed out for take-off after breakfast if leather helmet Snoopy style flying gear was optional. Gary replied that is was in fact standard equipment, supplied with the purchase of your Waco. Too cool!

The Flying Eyeball

The Flying Eyeball may not mean anything to most of you.....

In a blog a few weeks ago there was a pic of a sweet '26 Ford T roadster.

Today's pic is of the rear deck pin-striping on that '26 T, done in true Von Dutch style. It was very subtle and nicely turned out. Art, if you will.

Long live The Flying Eyeball.....

Clover Patch

The Sherminator is now in a spot near here that is a clover patch that butterflies and all manner of honey bees frequent. He used to hang out there and pretend that he owned the joint.......and he did, after all.

Pap's Ride

This past Sunday I had the pleasure of riding with Pap, the Guru, the Trials Rooster and The Colonel.

This is the wide ride of Pap , his own interpretation and vision of the Amurican V-Twin experience. It provided the proper noises, and when we cranked it up (and we did) Pap was there to keep us honest.

My only misgiving is that my pics do not do the subtle blue flame (and I do mean subtle) paint job justice. That may be a whole 'nother blog......if I can even shoot the pictures to show it.

Gorgeous motorbike. Great ride.

More to come from this fang......

The Shermanator, R.I.P.

Classic

Terrorist Am I.....

Last week-end at the New Johnsonville National Wildlife Refuge, Sam and I got busted while bird-watching. Yep, busted by the most paranoid little one-hundred-and-two pound lady park ranger that you cannot even imagine. She was about five foot-nothing and had on a utility belt that would have made Batman cry.

She kept wanting to know if our ATV's (ATV's!) were registered in this state? Must've asked that question four or five times. She also asked us, "what was our purpose for being in the refuge?" I can only guess that she was bored.

At one point in our conversation, being the hard-of-hearing bastard that I am (I'd been on a motorbike for a couple of hours, wind noise, like a cranked Fender Twin Reverb, does take it's toll), I took a step toward her so that I could hear her a little better, she put her hand on the 9 millimeter on her hip and asked me to back away. It visibly pissed her off when I laughed out loud at her and put up my hands.

A friend of mine calls the strutting and posturing that a short person does "The Chihuahua Syndrome". I've always thought the term funny as hell, but I'd never had the opportunity to use it labelled toward a female.

She made us take off our gear so she could better talk with us. Sam threw all his shit (helmet, jacket, gloves) up on the hood of her Surburban. Then he pretty much just lounged up there. He kept Thanking her for stopping to chat with us and for her to be sure and give us all the information that she could. "Oh, yes Ma'am. Thanks again for stopping! We appreciate it!"

Hmmmm....And I'm usually the only A.M.G. smart-ass. But, I do like it when Sam gets in on the act.....

'32 Chevy

Carburetor Porn

Too much can never be enough.....

Shake Rattle and Roll

Sam, with hand on hip, wondering how he can get this mill into one of his motorbikes.....hmmm.

Sam and I rode to Eagleville to the "Park and Shine" car show at the Eagleville High School an Saturday. Over the next few days there'll be more.....

This is an older funny car named "Shake Rattle and Roll", it even had a picture of Elvis painted on the rear quarter panel. They announced over the P.A. that it was about to be fired up and I got a kick out of people flocking around it holding little kids hands or with babies in strollers. Duh! Needless to say, after the first few licks the crowd was thinner by half! I think it must have been an alcohol burner (as opposed to Nitro) because I didn't see anyone cough up a lung or toss an eye-ball.