Eastbound 2016

After leaving Sturgis, I took the scenic route through the Black Hills. I went a little out of my way to check and see if these fellers were still OK.

Crazy Horse seemed to be doing OK too, so I moved on.

I took 385 South all the way to Hot Springs.

Route 385 serpentines through the Black Hills and cuts across the outskirts of Custer State Park where herds of buffalo roam. On this day I saw one lone bison on the horizon above and one more on the side of the road before leaving the park’s grounds.

The town of Hot Springs was quiet and the buildings downtown were made of local limestone.

I saw an old vintage bike shop on the main drag. I stopped and had a look. The guys inside immediately excused themselves for starting Happy Hour a little early. I was coming from Sturgis so it seemed like normal behavior to me.

The owner bragged that any bike in here could be started with one kick. Then he proved it on that old Bonnie to the left by the window in the photo below. Sucker was loud!

The Mammoth Site is exactly what it sounds like. They unearthed a bunch of mammoths and other prehistoric creatures at this one time mud pit.

They have built a large structure directly over the archeological dig where visitors can come and observe.

Entire skeletons have been slowly exposed from meticulous hours of brushing away the old mud.

A short faced bear like this one was dug up here as well.

The guys at the bike shop in Hot Springs recommended I take 71 instead of continuing on 385. They said it’s a nicer ride. I can’t compare, but it was a nice ride.

I took 71 to Crawford where I got a $50 motel room for the night.

I’m always attracted to the forgotten places.

I guess this was an old church. The piano is still on the stage covered in bird poo.

Carhenge

Carhenge is a sculpture just outside of Alliance, Nebraska. I rode through here a few years back but had no idea Carhenge existed. At the time I was preoccupied by a bird that had just committed suicide on my headlight and splattered all over my bubble shield.

It was a cloudy day much as you might expect at the site of which this is an homage.

And on this day, Bonnie turned 80. Normally that speedometer would be needling at 80 for the photo op, but I could not control the fact that I was approaching a small town. Gotta respect the small town speed limits. That’s where they get ya!

I saw a sign for old Route 66 so I took it. This brought me to the home of the upcoming Testicle Festival.

I was going to get off at the next exit anyway. And since none of my journeys is complete without a good, wet, hilly dirt road, here was my last opportunity. But there was something I wanted to see.

The Holy Family Shrine is an architectural masterpiece.

Though enclosed, you almost feel like you are outside.

It is a beautiful, serene space built atop a hill that overlooks miles of Nebraska land.

Then I crossed into Iowa.

I took Route 92 directly across Iowa from West to East.

I stopped for this ’73 Road Runner (above), but stayed on the road for this old classic (below).

These landscapes really do look like Grant Wood paintings.

A pleasant surprise along the way! Route 92 runs right into the birthplace of John Wayne in Winterset, Iowa! Below is the house where he was born.

The courthouse in Winterset oversees Madison County.

Yes, that Madison County. The one with the bridges. You could make a journey of just seeing the covered bridges. Many of them are miles down unpaved roads, so I did not explore too much on this visit.

Across the Mississippi!

As is often the case, once I cross the Mississippi River, I hightail it home.

I woke up knowing it was going to be a rough day. In my mind I was going to ride through a massive storm and still complete the 700 miles still to go. I did ride into the storm. At one point I saw that 80 and 76 split. My original plan was to take 80 all the way. For some reason I thought I could cut through the storm quicker on a Southwestern route. It was not to be. That storm was moving to the east at such a pace that it was riding with me. I rode 5 hours in that beast of storm.

The storm had been so bad that people actually congratulated me once I finally broke through and got to a service area. Really. Numerous people wanted to talk about it and one old guy even patted me on the back. I felt euphoric having blasted through that monster. At the same time I felt beat up, tired and puzzled by my will. It was like going into the day, I had something to prove and suddenly realized there was no need to go into that storm so aggressively. Perhaps a lesson was learned. That lesson was put into effect when the Interstate started winding it’s way directly into another storm. I wasn’t having it. I took the next exit.

Route 75 south led me to Route 30, one of the nations oldest highways. This is an old Tollhouse from the early days before Route 30.

I rode around a storm or two. Eventually I got back on the main road, but I was wiped out.

I shacked up in Carlisle, PA. Once there I realized where I was. When you want to get from 76 to 81 going east, you have to exit here. The town is basically a truck stop.

Tomorrow would be a simple ride home, so I checked out the local truck stop. A guy I met at the motel highly recommended the fries. I had a meal and a beer as I soaked up some of the local color. It was Karaoke Night. There was one fight but no one sang.

Now, back home to the hustle…

And the bustle.

 

Skin and Bones : Curated by Michael Lichter

An often overlooked treat at the Buffalo Chip is a curated bike show and art gallery. This year’s theme would be Tattoo Inspired Motorcycles and Art at the Buffalo Chip’s Russ Brown Events Center.

The bikes were amazing.

It’s great to visit between shows in the evening. In the day it gets pretty hot. But nearly always the place is practically empty.

Indain Larry’s shop had a bike here.

I saw this bike below at the International Motorcycle Show in NYC last December.

Darren McKeag’s artwork can be seen behind this outrageous chopper.

I showed you a shot of Darren and his lady riding downtown in my previous post. His use of One Shot paint on objects are my favorites of his works.

Many of the artists did a design on the Biltwell Gringo helmet. I wear the Biltwell Bonanza which is the open face version. I have a big chin. Sometimes I wonder if I would be better suited to wear a Gringo.

I bought one of McKeag’s screened posters and a T-shirt a few months back, so it was a nice surprise to see his work here.

Darren has painted amazing designs on everything from surfboards to toilet bowls.

McKeag was with good company in this gallery.

This painting by A.D. Cook was cool. It depicts a girl washing a bike in the chrome’s reflective surface.

George “The Painter” Frizzel did this painting of the late Richie “Pan” Panerra. I discovered George “The Painter” a few years ago. He was showing his work on the upper levels of the old Broken Spoke.

Sadly Richie was killed last year. After a life of riding and doing remarkable paintings of motorcycle culture and tattoo art, Richie Pan and his buddy Nap were struck by a car while on foot.

Here is some of Richie Pan’s artwork.

Besides showing a nice collection of Richie Pan’s artwork,  prominently displayed in the center of the gallery was his lonely panhead.

Here is a list of all involved*from the Buffalo Chip website

THE BUILDERS

Motorcycles As Art curator Michael Lichter strives to include new talent and builders in the exhibition each year in order to keep the show relevant. In 2016 more than half of the builders exhibiting their work will be doing so for the first time.

Aki Sakamoto, Hog Killers, Hawaiian Gardens, CA
Andrea Radaelli*, Radikal Chopper, Milano, Italy
Bill Dodge, Blings Cycles, Daytona Beach, FL
Bobby Seeger*, Indian Larry Motorcycles, Brooklyn, NY
Bryan Fuller, Fuller Moto, Atlanta, GA
Chris Callen*, Cycle Source Magazine, Pittsburgh, PA
Chris Eder*, Misfit Industries, Addison, TX
Dalton Walker, Split Image Kustoms, Hanford, CA
Dan “Bacon” Carr, DC Choppers, Spicewood, TX
Eddie Trotta – Thunder Cycle, Fort Lauderdale, FL
Eric Allard*, FNA Custom Cycles, Lakeland, FL
George Stinsman*, Chaos Cycle, Mastic, NY
Jeff Cochran, Speedking Racing, West Harrison, IN
Jeff Holt*, Hot Bike Magazine, Orange County, CA
Kevin Dunworth, Loaded Gun Customs, Selbyville, DE
Nick Beaulieu*, Forever Two Wheels, Windham, ME
Ola Stenegard, Ronny and Benny Norén, Sebastian Gutsch, BMW Motorrad, Munich, Germany
Pat Patterson, Led Sled, Daytona, OH
Paul Yaffe, Paul Yaffe Originals, Phoenix, AZ
Richie Pan*, DST, Jackson, NJ
Rick Fairless, Strokers, Dallas, TX
Roadside Marty Davis,  Flat Broke Chops and Rods, FL
Roland Sands, RSD, Los Alamitos, CA
Shaun and Aaron Gaurdado*, Suicide Machine Company, Long Beach, CA
Steve Peffer*, Steel City Choppers, Butler, PA
Taber Nash*, Nash Motorcycle Company, Long Beach, CA
Teach Kevin Baas, Baas Metal Craft, Lakeville, MN
Trent Schara*, Atomic Forge, WY
Trevelen Rabaual*, Superco, Los Angeles, CA
Uwe Ehinger*, Hamburg, GERMANY
Will Ramsay, Faith Forgotten, New Albany, IN
Yuichi Yoshizawa*, Custom Works Zon, Shiga Prefecture, Japan

* First time in the exhibition

THE ARTISTS

Richie Pan

More than 50 pieces of art by Richie Pan will be displayed in his memory.

Other Artists Include:

AD Cook

Darren McKeag

George the Painter

Latricia “Trish” Horstman

Mario Burkhardt

Michael Lichter

Nik Pew

Tay Herrera

Timothy White

 

 

Sturgis 2016

Sturgis was an easy ride from Valentine. This would be my first time coming to Sturgis before the official rally began. As you see, Main Street is very spacious.

I arrived at the Buffalo Chip, pitched my tent, introduced myself to some of my neighbors, then went for some refreshments and ice.

On my way back to the campsite I stopped to document my arrival with a photo of my bike in front of the big Chip sign. I took a few pictures. But I was looking at the small screen on the camera, not paying attention to details. So imagine my surprise when I see this!

Welcome to Sturgis!

There were plenty of people who had been camping at the Chip all week! A good thing about arriving early was being able to find a prime location. When at the Chip that means shade! I was fortunate to find a small tree to attach to.

I had never seen the Buffalo Chip like this. This was the Thursday before the rally and it was empty.

The following night Willie Nelson would be playing on the big stage. But on this night it was quiet. Everything was in place. All that was missing was the crowd.

The Living Dead played at Bikini Beach, but the amphitheatre would have a silent night. Actually it was fairly silent around the Living Dead too. But it was a good night hanging out at the campsite and getting to know everybody. Lots of laughs!

Willie was playing Friday night, (still before the official start date). This pissed off a lot of the folks who bought the weekly pass. Willie was not included, and they had to pay extra. Considering it wasn’t a knock out line up this year, Willie should have been included for those who planned before the line up was even announced. But despite that, Willie did not disappoint.

There was new aerial acrobatic entertainment this year between acts.

The next day I went to town with one of my fellow campers. His name is Frank. I have ridden in 48 states. Frank has ridden in 49. If someone were to throw a dart at a map of the US one of us would have a story to tell about where it landed.

We had just been talking about cops using imported Triumphs or bikes built with right side clutches back in the day. And BANG! Here was a prime example promoting Twisted Tea.

We had planned on just making a grocery run. But while taking the shortcut through the alley, we found out David Allen Coe was playing at the Iron Horse. So we stuck around.

Besides being funny as hell, Frank is a mechanic and knows bikes. He shared a tip with me and I will share it here. If you have a chain drive, use a lube that contains molybdenum. Molybdenum is an element on the periodic table. Atomic #42. It is commonly called Moly. I ordered a can today. I’ll let you know how it goes.

Many take pride in promoting the fact that they rode their bike to Sturgis. Some wear patches that say I Rode Mine to promote this feat.

Others wear the evidence on their headlight.

On this night Kid Rock was playing. Though it was a lot less crowded than the previous year, Sturgis was now in full force!

Leon Russell was supposed to open for Kid Rock. Unfortunately Leon had a heart attack a couple weeks before the event. Instead Lita Ford took his place in the line up. I was looking forward to seeing Leon Russell, but Lita rocked it. I don’t know a lot of her solo work but Cherry Bomb has always been a favorite from her Runaways days.

Tonight the place was rockin’. Bikes were packed on the hill outside the venue. There was lightning on the horizon.

I had been keeping an eye on the weather. We were in for some rain. I went back to get my poncho and a couple beverages.

Sure enough, the rain came down. Storms can come quick and powerful in these parts as they build strength over the Black Hills to the West.

No one was leaving. It seemed this storm would pass and Kid Rock would still go on at a later hour.

I was waiting by a smaller stage when a band got up and started jamming out on percussion instruments. Then the lead guy asked if anyone wanted to play cowbell? Need I say more…

Soon thereafter the rain lifted and Kid Rock took the main stage!

Kid Rock is a class act entertainer! Always a good time!

Midnight Mob played on my cowbell stage later in the evening. The Chip had new girls playing with fire this year as well.

Midnight Mob is from the NY area. The singer has a powerful voice and the bassist has all the moves of a young Ramone.

The next day I headed over to Deadwood.

While in Deadwood, I wanted to congratulate Danial James on a big sale. The day before, Kid Rock bought one of his prints. Danial didn’t really want to sell it. He wanted it hanging during the whole rally. Let’s just say Kid Rock was financially persistent. Kid said the woman in the painting looked like his girlfriend and he had to have it.

I met Danial the year before, after he left a T-shirt he made on the seat of my bike. He is a super talented painter/illustrator.

When I returned to the Chip I realized the guy sitting in this shade tent was Bryan who I have met in years past.

Bryan always brings his own shade. This was his second try at providing shade this year. The Tuesday before I arrived, a hail storm knocked out his and the shelters of others around the Chip. While talking to Bryan, he looked at the night’s schedule and told me Mothership was opening on the big stage tonight. Shit! I like Mothership and I was late! I ran over there.

When I got there they were on their second to last song. Grrrrr! But they said they would be playing at Bikini Beach after Cheap Trick on Tuesday. Hmmm. I may be staying an extra day!

Following Mothership was one of the many Miss Buffalo Chip events.

This is Jeff and Sharon from the Seattle area. Jeff had his bike parked up front for numerous nights while I was here. They were also camping by me. He was telling me about trail trees that early native people used to mark their way. He said he has one on his property. Cool! I’d like to see it!

On this night Lynyrd Skynyrd would take the stage.

It seems they have done away with their confederate flag motif.

As usual here, people give thanks by twisting the throttle.

I was walking with Frank when we bumped into Randy. I’ve known Randy since my first time at Sturgis. Together the two of them stand nearly 13 feet tall.

Below is Kyle’s bike with some morning drops. Often times a bunch of us around the campsite would congregate in a circle of lawn chairs and share our experiences. Kyle mentioned a guy from Scotland rolling through here a few years ago. Ha! That was Trevor. I had written about him while he was traversing the States and had plans on meeting him at Sturgis myself in 2013. My plans changed. Kyle ended up meeting him at Sturgis and giving Trevor a place to stay later on his journey.

I went up to see the Seattle Cossacks near the Crossroads stage. This was the area of the Buffalo Chip outside of the paid admission gates.

These guys do crazy stunts on mostly old flatheads and knuckleheads.

Also in the area outside the gates are a number of things to see and do.

A tent with prints by popular motorcycle artists are displayed like this one be David Mann.

This bike won the custom Sportster contest. More on that later.

Here is Frank rolling back into the Chip.

Full Throttle Saloon

The full Throttle Saloon was a fun place. It was just down the road from the Buffalo Chip and becoming more popular each year. Soon after last years rally, it burned to the ground.

It once looked like this.

It looks like this today. That’s the same bus you see with the motel sign in the background above. Toast!

Everything was burned.

So the Full Throttle bought the Broken Spoke. The Broken Spoke was a cool venue and campsite with a huge pool. Fortunately Full Throttle kept the pool, but changed pretty much everything else.

The old drive thru bar….

is now a grocery store.

The giant sculpture that used to tower above the Throttle,

now lays on a flatbed in a swamp.

The Full Throttle built a new bar in a hangar like space on the far side of the pool from the new grocery store. I see they are trying to reinvent themselves. There is still a lot of work to do.

They did have nurses on hand in case of dehydration, or something?

It looks as though there are big plans for making the Throttle a monster venue, but they were not ready for this year. I’ll tell you this. If Woody doesn’t focus on getting more ‘A’ list acts into the venue over at the Buffalo Chip, Full Throttle has an opportunity to create a viable alternative here.

One big problem is that this area so prone to abrupt violent storms and this dirt field could turn into a mud bath in a moments notice.

This guy attached a cot to his bike.

My guess is the fire at the original Throttle has had an effect on the business at the Beaver Bar. This place opened up directly across the highway from the old Full Throttle and charged $2 for beer to get folks over. But now that the Throttle has moved, it’s pretty empty here.

I went down to Main Street and walked around around a bit.

I saw Darren McKeag on a side street. He is a great graphic artist and tattoo artist. I first met him at the Indian Larry Block Party. I’ve written about him before. A One Shot master! I bought a poster and a T-shirt from his website. He had some pieces on display at the Buffalo Chip too. More on that show later.

Tonight was my last night at the Chip. These lights were very popular on the bikes here a few years ago. You don’t see as many this year.

On this night Cheap Trick was playing. Cheap Trick was always a little corny, but admit I owned Cheap Trick at Budokan and I enjoyed the show!

Bun E. Carlos is no longer the drummer, but the rest of the band is intact. Below Robin Zander and Rick Neilsen twang it out.

Tom Petersson did a good cover of the Velvet Underground’s Heroin.

After the show I saw Gary, Sonny and Turtle. I asked if they had gotten any of the guitar picks Rick Neilsen had tossed out. They were a bit delayed in responding. Then a lady to my left handed me one. She said she had five. Nice! Got one!

After Cheap Trick 5 people in a pair of underwear lead the way to Mothership.

Mothership is why I wanted to stay an extra night. This band rocks!

Earlier I mentioned there was more to the story about the bike from the Custom Sportster Contest. They announced the winner on the big stage after Cheap Trick. It was the same bike I showed earlier. Then the builder of the bike rode it over to Bikini Beach and gave it to the guys in Mothership! Gave them the bike!

Well that was a show stopper! After the guys in the band were done taking pictures and revving that baby up, they got back to jamming with the bike on stage.

The band was psyched! Everyone was! It started getting a little rough in the crowd. It seemed there were a number of local rowdy fans from Texas around me. A little shoving began. Then, suddenly some big dude put me in a head lock! Oh shit! Ahhhh! Ha! It was Randy! He was laughing his 6’5″ ass off! Funny! But after this giant let go, I realized I had a little more elbow room around me. Thanks Randy.

The next morning I got up, packed my gear, said goodbye to my new friends and neighbors, Frank, Kyle, Brian, Travis, Jeff, Sharon, Sonny, Gary, Turtle and Bryan (the shade master). Oh and I met Kelley (the guy being raised in the air above) up at the showers. He was still in disbelief about the gifted bike.

Randy described where he was camping, so I stopped by and woke him up on my way out of the Chip. Randy could nap through a carpet bombing. We talked for a while, then I headed out of town for the Black Hills of South Dakota.

Going to Sturgis

After seeing the collection of cars in Auburn I continued my way out West with plans to stay in Tippecanoe State Park, Indiana. It turns out they wanted $23 bucks for a primitive site plus a $7 dollar day fee. F that! It’s crazy what some states charge for camping. Earlier I was talking to a guy at a nearby gas station. When I mentioned I was camping, he asked me if I was going to stay at the Broken Arrow Campground. Well, I was going to now! It was a private campground with lots of shade and showers, so that’s where I stayed. It’s one of those sites that has permanent residences as well as campers. Two old dudes on a golf cart rolled up and gave me some fire wood for the night. So that was a bonus.

In the morning I rolled in to Illinois and stopped in Pontiac where Route 66 crossed my path. There they have the Route 66 museum.

There is no admission for the museum. Just a jar for donations. At this museum they honor Bob Waldmire, an artist and Route 66 preservationist.

Bob spent decades traveling Route 66 in this VW bus.

He spent more years in this converted school bus.

Adjacent to the Route 66 museum is a large collection dedicated to the military.

Pontiac, Michigan also has many murals they are proud of. They have footprints on the sidewalk that you can follow to see all their murals. They have a car museum in Pontiac as well but I wanted to get to La Claire, Iowa before 6:00 pm.

The reason I wanted to get to La Claire by 6 was to visit the location of American Pickers. I rolled into the Antique Archaeology parking lot at 5:50 pm. The people there were really nice and told me to take my time.

First I had a look around the original building. There are numerous items about the shop that were from the TV show.

In the other newer building are more items from the show like this Indian they dug up from someone’s back yard.

I went north to Maquoketa Caves State Park hoping to camp for the night. When I arrived there was a sign that said Campsite Full. I was undeterred. I went into the campground and found an empty site that wasn’t reserved until the following day. Yay! This little fuzzball hung out with me for the evening.

I knew the park was called Maquoketa Caves State Park. So in the morning I went to see why it was called that. Sure enough there were caves. Quite a few of them.

I pulled over to get a sandwich at Subway. The Subway here in Anamosa sits directly in front of this place in the photo below. I really hadn’t planned on visiting the National Motorcycle Museum again, but it was right there! How could I not.

The guy at the counter told me they often rotate the collection and add to it as well. Below is something new. The bike on the left is the one intentionally crashed by Mayhem in those Allstate commercials.

The Commercial

Here you are looking at a vintage Moto Guzzi.

I’d have been an idiot not to check this place out having been so close. It’s a great museum!

A stock Knuckle! Mmmmmm!

That’s a hardcore BSA!

And my favorite, the Brough (pronounced Bruff) Superior.

The Captain!

There is a nice section dedicated to Evel. Riders must see this museum!

At NYC’s International Motorcycle Show all the vintage and custom bikes have a J&P Cycles rug under them. And I saw a billboard that said they had a vintage collection. When I got there there were no bikes, just clothes and parts.

From there I continued West.

I ended up at Fort Dodge, Iowa.

The next day was hot as hell but I made miles. I rode all the way to Valentine, Nebraska. There I got a hotel knowing I would be in a tent for the next few days.

In the morning I filled up for gas. I have a superstition on the road. If I see a hawk fly over me first thing in the morning, it is going to be a good day. I have always felt that way and hawks do fly over me often. On this morning I started rapping with this dude at the gas pump. He is Hopi, but does work with the Pine Ridge Reservation. He told me about Wounded Knee and some of the modern battles on Pine Ridge. He said when he was 12 he visited Wounded Knee. That is where the lightbulb to the understanding of responsibility went off for him. He then said it took him 4 years to earn the name given by his elders, Kisa. This means Hawk. On this morning my hawk took a human form. It’s going to be a good day!

I passed through the town of Cody. I love the old service stations.

You won’t be sliding your card into these gas pumps.

I rode up to South Dakota where I visited the site of the Wounded Knee Massacre.

Our government likes to refer to it as the Battle of Wounded Knee. Massacre is a more appropriate description.

Below is the Longhorn Saloon, an old bar in the small town of Scenic, SD. A few years ago you could have bought the whole town for $300,000. I heard a church group bought it.

Scenic is located in the Badlands. To the West are the Black Hills. And to the North (and in the next post) Sturgis!

 

Westward 2016

After traveling to Ohio for the AMA Vintage Days I headed back to New York for a bit. I had a real nice time just relaxing and chilling with my girl. But the itch to ride needed a good scratching. The big question…where to go?

I debated on many routes. I was swaying toward a southbound journey. I think having had two blow outs and being hit by a truck in March, I was yearning for an easy ride. The Blue Ridge would certainly provide that. The weather however was not cooperating with my time frame. So I decided it was Westward I would go.

Here you see his and hers bikes. Unfortunately Jillian’s bike was not equipped for the journey ahead, so we said farewell again.

I crossed the George Washington Bridge and headed north. There were big storms due west, so I figured I could go up and around them.

I love Love’s

I rode north until I was above Pennsylvania, then headed west across New York State. In Jasper is this old diner called the Wigwam. It has also been a service station and now hosts the local historical society.

In the parking lot of the Corning Glass museum was this jacked up 53 Studebaker. I wasn’t going to the museum. I was lost and had to turn around and there was this beautiful ride.

Two interesting historical markers depict a French settlement and some typical native american abuses of the time.

I got to Allegany State Park later than expected. It was dark already. I reserved this site as it was the weekend. Being dark, I did not notice I was setting up just below a ravine. It was the only level area. Nor did I know the morning would bring rain. Plenty of rain. It poured like a small river right toward my tent. When I touched the floor of my tent it felt just like it does when you smack a waterbed. But everything stayed dry inside.

I napped out for the few hours while the rain poured and packed up when it passed.The Red House Area in this park is named after this house used as the park’s Administrative Building.

There was old music piping out of a flea market next to the gas station in Frewsburg. I went in to have a look. It was one of those hodgepodge buildings where various people had sections to sell their goods. The music came from an old jukebox collector.

I road along the Allegheny River on and off for many miles.

I flew through Ohio. Got wet a couple times but no biggie. I have photographed this house before on Route 244. 244 is one of the few nice two lane highways headed west in these parts, so I’ve taken it a few times.

I came across this stack of bugs in Indiana.

Then I went to Auburn, Indiana. Home of the original Auburn factory. Now it is home to the Auburn, Cord and Dussenburg Museum.

The showroom is as I imagine it would have been back in the days of splendor.

Upstairs they have immaculate vehicles other than the museum’s namesake.

Besides giving credit to the folks for driving these amazing Indy cars, I now know the credit they deserve just for climbing in and out of them.

And the one bike in the museum was this vintage BSA.

Behind the Auburn museum in the old showroom and offices is another museum located in the old Auburn factory. This is the National Automobile and Truck Museum. There is a fine collection inside presenting all sorts of vehicles.

Including Auburns and Cords.

This is how that 53 Studebaker I saw in NY State looks stock. And pink.

Many shows and museums may have a car that looks like the General Lee, but this one was actually used in the TV show.

After leaving the museum I was riding by City Hall in Auburn when I had to stop for this 4 wheeled Triumph. What a beauty!

I highly recommend visiting the museum in Auburn. The collection was more vast and pristine than I could have imagined. From Auburn I continued Westward. More to come…

Call 777-7777

If you are a New Yorker you know these numbers represented on my odometer.

New Yorkers know this number because of an annoying commercial we are subjected to on our local networks. And now I share it with you.

AMA Vintage Days 2016

It’s been a rough couple months as a rider. I have to admit I was a little frazzled after the accident in March. It took a long time to get the bike repaired and then took a bit to get my head ready for a journey. I was determined however to go out to the AMA Vintage Days at the Mid-Ohio Racetrack in Lexington, Ohio. So I (over) packed the bike and was on my way.

I had planned on leaving Thursday and would have camped out in PA on the way, but I just wasn’t prepared. So I got up early on Friday, said farewell to Jillian and would try to make it all the way to the Mid Ohio Speedway in one shot.

I hadn’t ridden outside the city in a while. I was psyched to get on an open road and away from the mayhem.

I rode through two heavy storms and was still going strong. I checked the radar and saw it was smooth sailing from here on. Then as I was flying doing near 90….BOOM! Another rear blow out! This happened last summer on my way to Chicago! WTF? The bike started shaking but I got her to the right lane and then off to the side of the turnpike.

Unbelievable! Fortunately AMA road service sent me a tow. It’s an invaluable service.

The problem was, the road service guy looked up a place that did not service bikes. It was just a small showroom in the middle of nowhere! It was dark by the time we got there. The tow guy was sympathetic to my dilemma and we called AMA again. They said they would hook the tow guy up for the extra service and sent us to a real nice motorcycle shop.

It was dark behind the shop and a little sketchy. There were people cruising around the parking lot and the driver got me paranoid about leaving the bike. So I rolled her over by the trailer above, then we grabbed that Aprilla box and put her on top of Bonnie for the night.

The tow guy was super cool and took me and my gear to a nearby motel about a mile down the road where I stayed the night. In the morning I hiked over to get the bike fixed. The guys in the service department were amused as they hadn’t even noticed the box or bike outside.

Mosites is a big shop with a large inventory plus parts and service.

These guys had me fixed up in time to make it back to the motel before check out. They were shocked at how thoroughly my tube had exploded. I don’t get it. I got it only 3 months ago. Whatever, I was back on the road. I had missed a good chunk of the Vintage Days, but I would still make it well before dark and Sunday was supposed have nice weather.

Often times on the weekends you will see some classic cars on the road.

Finally I arrived at the Mid Ohio Speedway!

When I saw these radical rides, I knew a crew I met in 2014 from upstate New York was here.

This chopper is the work of Brad AKA Mr. Roboto.

This is one of Paul’s many machines.

I pitched my tent and found the Rochester NY crew gathering around. They were waiting for some folks to get back from the emergency room. This 11 year old kid, Justin had a wipe out in the barrel races. He was a good sport and after 8 stitches traded the dirt bike for a job driving us around in a golf cart. That’s him and Paul below.

Here’s Roger AKA Angry Nuts and Evan (Brad’s son).

Angry Nuts getting some air!

Evan goes for the kill switch!

On the speedway bikes are ripping by all day.

Now back at the campsite the barrel races are going strong. In the past cops would have broken up such unsanctioned events. This year however, there was no interference and all age and bike types were tearing it up as they zipped around 4 barrels.

I had three people in one day think that my Triumph shirt said Trump. This guy really did have the shirt everyone was mistakenly seeing.

It takes balls to take this full size vintage Bonnie in the dirt like this guy.

He wasn’t taking it light either. Helmets off to you sir!

There were 3 and 4 wheel machines testing their rider’s skills in the dirt as well.

And there were spills!

I remember this kid from 2 years ago. He was jumping into the drag races in the campsite. This year he proudly displays his wounds.

When we were back at camp I thought I heard someone say, “Hey Jigsy! You should strap a chair to Roboto’s ride and do the barrel race.” Well damn if they didn’t!

Brad (Roboto) pulled this beauty from a collapsing barn and fixed her up.

The chair worked well! And there was much rejoicing!

Another dude showed up on this vintage Harley.

Brad later returned with his chopper that he built from scratch.

What it lacks in speed it makes up with character!

That Harley was a super nice ride!

After the barrel races the party went well into the night.

Burn outs and fireworks made for a nice effect.

The next day the folks from Rochester headed back upstate and I stayed to see all I had missed the previous day.

There were some vintage bikes displayed about.

Then at 12:30 I went to see Danell Lynn give a talk. This young lady had recently broken a Guinness Book World Record for her travels around the States. And she did it on a Bonneville! I already knew her story from the recent edition of American Motorcyclist.

Here she told her story and showed a bunch of photos from her journey. She rode through all 50 states on her own.

An amazing journey, especially that ride to Alaska! Soon she will be traveling from Prudhoe Bay, Alaska, to Tierra del Fuego, Argentina on an electric motorcycle!

Below the seminar in the tower bikes were still roaring past.

I had to check out the Wall of Death before I left.

The Wall of Death is always a cool show. This year however Charlie Ransom wasn’t there. He does some amazing stunts on the wall.

This blur of a man riding the wall is Wahl E Walker. He is well into his 60’s and riding hard!.

After the Wall of Death I strolled around the swap meet a bit.

If you have a truck and a few bucks you could leave here with some fun toys.

I was tired from the late night before and the traumatic ride the day before, but I decided to pack things up and hit the road. As I was getting ready to leave the speedway, unfortunately so was someone else via medivac. There must have been a bad wreck on the dirt track. I never had the time to get over there and see the dirt races.

On my way south and west I crossed paths with the geographical center of Ohio.

I decided to shack up outside of Columbus. On so many of my journeys I pass the AMA Hall of Fame. I am usually burnt from the road and on my home stretch so I never stop. One time I came out here with my brother not realizing it was Easter Sunday and the place was closed. This time I would see it.

Even better, it is free to members!

It has it’s share of vintage bikes in it’s collection, but it’s focus is on the hall of famers.

The bike below broke a record for miles per gallon. I saw some of these types of motorcycles leaving the speedway as I got there late on Saturday.

This machine broke a speed record on the salt flats.

This is a replica of Evel Knevel’s bike. I saw the actual bike jump 22 cars at Sturgis last year!

Here’s a 1913 Triumph with it’s old logo.

Here is the motorcycle used in Terminator 2

This 1939 Indian Traffic Car was my favorite in the collection.

After the museum, I decided I was going home. I packed too much to go cross country. I could make it home in a day and reassess my needs. When approaching Wheeling WV, traffic came to a complete stop. Instead of waiting, I rode south to see something I had planned on visiting had I left Thursday as planned. This is Grave Creek Mound in the town of Moundsville, WV. It is about 62 feet high and was created from about 250-150 BC. There are many ancient mounds lining the areas around the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers.

Across the street from the mound is the old West Virginia State Penitentiary.

I would have loved to visit the old prison, but I was determined to make it back home tonight.

I plowed along making one more stop. Again this was a site that I was either too tired to exit for on my way home or too excited to stop on my way west. This time I would pull over in Bedford PA and see the Coffee Pot built in 1927.

After the Coffee Pot I would finish the 500 plus miles home and turn the odometer over the 77,000 mile mark. That, added to the 18,000 miles I put on my first Bonnie (that was stolen) amounts to 95,000 miles so far. What’s next? Not sure. I have to reassess and repack. But 5000 more miles brings me to 100,000 miles. Hmmmm.

Happy Memorial Day!

Memorial Day weekend isn’t the greatest time for riding around the Tri-State area, so I’m not riding in it. But last weekend I did attend the Split’n Lanes Dodgin‘ Gutters Motorcycle Show at Brooklyn Bowl.

This year’s show was a little different from years past. The show only allowed the proven rough and ready bikes. All the motorcycles displayed would be racers.

Unfortunately as you can see below, there didn’t seem to be enough racers to fill Brooklyn Bowl’s floor.

The bikes displayed were beautiful beasts, there just weren’t too many of them.

Fat bikes of the track were intermingled with hill climbers and a couple sidecar racers.

It was mentioned that projected bad weather caused a number of bikes to pull out of the show.

This is a ’61 Triumph TR5 painted by Von Dutch!

As I was shooting this bike, I saw these flares in the photo. I realized I had the wrong settings on my camera nearly the whole time I was there. Oops!

Outside, many vintage and new machines lined Wythe Avenue. I actually saw this couple today (a week later), but they were making a turn and I couldn’t get my camera out fast enough.

This old Tiger was parked next to a Bonnie that looked just like mine.

Inside and out was very Triumph and Indian heavy.

A cool dude let Jillian ham it up a bit inside the Bat Outta Hell. It’s an old RatRod pick up truck with a Yamaha strapped on back. The owner said it was named after a WW II plane.

This Williamsburg apartment number had an interesting configuration, as did the shape of the leaves outside the door.

First time I’ve seen the boot used on a bike, or a scooter for that matter.

I’ve just finished the last of 3 classes I was taking. There hasn’t been much time for fun. I’m looking forward to some good rides ahead.

Over 7 weeks in the shop!

It’s hard to believe that it took so long to get my bike back on the road after being in an accident. I am happy to put the whole incident behind me and blessed to be uninjured physically. The guys at the shop had some difficulties with getting the proper parts from Triumph. The wrong parts were sent on numerous occasions and to tell the truth the work is still not done, but the bike is ridable. There was a time that I thought insurance would declare the bike totaled and I would be on a new T120 by now. But they saved my dear Bonnie and the guys at Cycle Therapy cleaned her to the point where she looks like a new bike. I appreciate that because she was filthy from my oil leak in Minnesota last summer and the many miles of road grime caked on thereafter. Progressive Insurance however, I am not happy with. I haven’t shared the minutiae of my dealings with them, but If anybody has had positive experiences with other insurance companies please leave a comment and let me know.

It wasn’t a great ride home from the shop. Riding in NYC sucks. It took over an hour to get home from the shop and my clutch is so tight that shifting in traffic was a pain in the ass. Because of that I did not ride to the bike show at Brooklyn Bowl this past weekend. But I did go. Pictures to come. I have to knock out some college credits before I have time to tweak the bike to my comfort level and go through my photos. Soon life should be back to normal and I will be happily rolling along.

Bike Show at Brooklyn Bowl

May 22, 2016