A Hot Day's Hard Ride

Our customary Saturday gathering commenced in the customary way. Over breakfast we discussed the fact that the customary way has become less appealing and less necessary than once might have been the case, so in the not-to-distant future it seems we will adopt a new custom.  Translated, all that means is that we are tired of having breakfast at Snellgrove's every Saturday and we will return to a schedule where we meet up, ride for a spell, then have breakfast somewhere on the road. That change will, indeed, be a nice change from the now years-old Snellgrove's routine.

After breakfast it was me, Beaker, and Mr. Sarcasm for the ride, with Gunny turning for home to prepare for a round of world traveling in the name of his other passion, shuffle-boarding.

Our first stop was for gas just a couple of blocks up the road. You see, my decision to ride was kinda last minute and I didn't have enough gas in the V-Strom to make it more than about 30 miles down the road. Thank goodness!

When I got off the bike at the gas pump, Beaker pulls up and says that I need to check my back tire. So I did. And this is what I saw:

For those of you who don't ride motorcycles, these tires aren't supposed to look like that. This is a case of having ridden the tire to the point that all the rubber is gone from the center and the steel belts are showing through. This is not a good thing. In fact, it's a very bad thing.

Limping home on the V-Strom, I parked her and jumped on the ST to continue the ride.

Leaving my house, we circumnavigated the Fort King area and Lake Thonotosassa before turning more northerly on US 301. As we rode near the entrance to Hillsborough River State Park I spotted a large deer standing along the roadside munching grass and watching the traffic go by. Mr. Sarcasm saw her, too, so there is a witness. This is the first time in my many decades of living in this area that I have seen a deer around here.

Our travels continued through Zephyrhills, Prospect, San Antonio, and onto favorite roads like Bayhead and Hayman, before a stop at the Hess station in Brooksville.

After our short break, Beaker called it a day and turned for home, while Mr. Sarcasm and I continued to ride north.

Just across SR 50, this was our view as we motored north on Mondon Hill Road:

Along the western leg of Mondon Hill Road, I spotted these flooded homes, no doubt victims of the torrential rains that have been hitting this area for the past several weeks:

Continuing west we motored through the edges of Brooksville before turning north again on US 98 to Lake Lindsey Road, where we turned east and ran over to Istachatta for a scenic jaunt north through the Pineola area. Riding north on Istachatta Road we were treated to many scenic views and a smattering of S-curves to keep things interesting.

This sign needs to be moved down to US 301, I'd say:

Signs like this one are always nice to see when you are motorcycling:

This is what much of Istachatta Road looks like:

Spotted this quaint church along Istachatta Road:

In the Moon Lake area of Istachatta Road, I stopped to get a shot of this old barn:

I'm lucky to have gotten a few clean shots of the barn because this guy kept getting in my camera's line of fire:

From Istachatta Road we dipped a bit further west and north up to Floral City for lunch at the Shamrock Inn, where I had one of the best hamburgers I have experienced in many years. How good? So good that I asked the waitress to complement the cook, who, in turn, seemed genuinely appreciative of the feedback. Next time I'm in the area and hungry, a burger at the Shamrock Inn will definitely be on my to-do list.

This beautiful tunnel of oak trees line the road out of Floral City:

Leaving Floral City we worked our way east over to US 301, where we turned south as far down as SR 50 again.  At SR 50 we turned east and made our way over to Tarrytown and SR 471, where we turned south again.

The ride south on SR 471 is 21 miles of straight, nearly featureless road that runs through the heart of the Green Swamp. As I rode along 471 I couldn't help chuckling to myself as I thought about those t-shirts that read, "Florida: 11 curves in 318 miles". Whoever came up with that (a parody of the famous Dragon's 318 curves in 11 miles) must have surely ridden SR 471.

Near the southern end of 471 I saw something that we native Floridians are quite used to seeing and it begged this question: Why did the alligator cross the road?  Well, we'll never know, because he didn't make it!:

That's an 8-foot alligator laying on the edge of the roadway. Judging from the amount of damage done to his head, I'm guessing he tangled with a large truck and, obviously, lost the fight.  Gators on the roads are one of several reasons I really don't like to ride motorcycles at night. To that list you can add deer, wild hogs, coyotes, assorted furry vermin, drunk drivers, and distracted cell phone users.

Across the highway from the dead alligator I spotted one of his kin swimming about in an exposed pond. Can you spot the alligator in this photo? It's a big one; at least a 10-footer based on the size of his exposed head:

If you guessed that the gator is that area of whitish coloring near the center of the photo, you're wrong, and probably from Michigan.  Look at the upper right corner where the trees bracket the water; that's your 10-foot alligator.

After 471 we continued south on Old Dade City Road before making our way into the Kathleen area where I said adieu to Mr. Sarcasm.

Arriving home I parked the ST with a very satisfying 190 miles on the odometer. Adding in the 19 miles I rode earlier in the day on the V-Strom brought the day's total to 209 miles.  Even though it was excruciatingly hot, it was still an enjoyable day of riding and shared adventure.

Until next time, ride safe, and Ride With Pride!

Club Ride - Significant Growth in Ridership!

This week's regularly scheduled club ride came with a bit of a surprise: a 50% growth in ridership! Shockingly, we grew from two riders to three this week thanks to Eddie kindly loaning Glenn the use of his Vulcan cruiser. Another breakfast surprise was having our good friend and fellow Blue Knight Kent join us.

After breakfast and banter it was Mr. Sarcasm, Gunny, and myself for the road and off we went with Gunny back in his customary place at the lead. And lead he did, taking us northward into Pasco County for a sampling of fine back roads that eventually led us into Hernando County for more of the same. And, before we knew it, those roads delivered us into Sumter County for a tasty bite at their back roads.

Scenes like this are representative of what we enjoyed on this ride:

I was piloting my V-Strom for the day and those country roads looked even sweeter through her windscreen:

Having made it so far north as to arrive at the exact mid-point between Tampa and Ocala, we decided to turn south and make our way down to Tampa to visit the Cycle Gear store. Doing so meant we gave up the graceful, peaceful, and enjoyable two-lane country roads in exchange for the hustle and hurry of the Interstate:

Not very far down Interstate-75 I made the decision to pull into a rest area for a short break. Here's a shot of our bikes parked at the rest area, with Mr. Sarcasm and Gunny doing the whole "relaxing" thing:

Cycle Gear was a disappointment for me because I couldn't find any suitable riding boots. This is made all the more disappointing because I really need to find some boots as I have worn holes in the soles of my trusty Oxtar boots. Oh, well, the hunt continues!

It was another hot day of riding, but still very enjoyable. The hours and the miles drifted by with a calming smoothness that left me wanting more and wishing there was yet another worthy destination, but, alas, it was not to be. With storms clouds gathering we made for home after Cycle Gear. I arrived back at the barn and parked the V-Strom with 172 miles on her odometer for the day's riding.

Until next time, Ride With Pride!

Club Ride - The Heat Was Not Beaten!

Our typical Saturday gathering started in the typical way; with breakfast and good conversation.  Once that phase of our weekly ritual was completed and things shook out to accommodate all the various schedules and situations, it was down to just me and Mr. Sarcasm to do the day's riding.  And ride we did!

Setting off to the east we made our way via crooked roads over to the Green Swamp area and took Dean Still Road over to SR 33, just north of Polk City.  I was in need of both fuel and a place to download some rented coffee, so I turned us south toward Polk City.

Arriving at the Polk City Shell station, I found conditions too crowded and uninviting for my taste so I moved the party even farther east and brought us to the Love's at SR 559 and I-4.  Here's Mr. Sarcasm and our bikes chilling in the shade of the building at our first stop of the day:

Leaving Love's we headed a bit more to the east and took in the sights and curves of Old Lake Alfred and Cass Roads before turning back to the west to return to SR 33 and continue our northerly track.

SR 33 took us north to Laws Road which we took east over to CR 561 to continue our progress to the north and our destination of Champion Powersports in Eustis, FL, where I hoped to pickup a new pair of riding boots.  Here's my ST 1300 parked in front of Champions:

Sadly, Champions had exactly zero pairs of street riding boots, so I left empty-handed. We did get to peruse a large number of interesting new motorcycles, though, so the trip still held rewards.

Leaving Champions we doubled back to the west a few blocks to have lunch at the local Applebee's. While getting off the bike I noticed the message board on the sign at the restaurant next door:

Did I mention that it was hot today? I mean REALLY hot?!?

After lunch we headed south in the general direction of home and made it down to SR 50 in Groveland, where we turned west toward SR 471. At 471, Mr. Sarcasm kindly and generously offered to let me ride his nice, new Kawasaki Ninja ZX 14R.  Here I am suiting up to throw a leg over that beautiful green rocket on wheels:

All suited up and ready to ride that beast; can you see the big smile on my face? Well, it was only bigger by the time we got to the south end of SR 471 at US 98:

Let's just say that the Ninja is an awesome ride. Smooth, powerful, responsive, and rock steady as she rolls down the highway. Did I mention that this bike is an awesome ride???  Thank you, Mr. Sarcasm, this little jaunt on your Ninja was a sweet treat and a nice cap to a good day of riding.

Speaking of the day's riding, we had a good time rolling up mile after mile, despite the heat. I parked the ST with 217.4 miles on the clock for today's outing. I was hot, thoroughly cooked through, but with a smile on my face. And that, my dear readers, is what this motorcycling madness is all about.

The Front Office of my ST1300

Here's something for the non-riders amongst my readers. This is a shot of the cockpit of my ST1300 with all the essential operational bits labeled for your edification. Although this photo is somewhat busy, things aren't as complicated as they may seem as one only makes quick reference to some of this stuff while riding, some of the controls are manipulated by feel and muscle-memory, and still others are only referenced or accessed in specific situations or conditions. Anyway, enjoy this little glimpse into the operation of a Honda ST1300; other sport-touring bikes are very similar in their cockpit configurations:

The Solo Test Ride that Ended in Failure!

Okay, so yesterday was our usual club meet-up and ride day. However, for various reasons the breakfast eaters were thick while the riders were thin. That was okay, though, because I was a man on a mission and it required some alone time.

You see, my beautiful ST1300 has been ailing for some time now. She developed some kind of quirky electrical problem that resulted in sporadic outages of all things dependent upon electricity; little things like the ability to start the engine. This problem is (as "sporadic" might indicate) rather random and there is no discernible logic or pattern behind the misbehaving electrons.

So, yesterday, I decided to take the ST out for a little spin to see how she would fare after some decent riding over a fair quantity of miles. Not wanting to subject my fellow riders to the possible inconvenience that could result, I set out to conduct this test on my own.  Hmmmm, what was I thinking???

I headed east and made my way over into Polk County and found myself traveling down Green Pond Road, where I stopped to take a break at Pony Creek. No sooner was I off the bike when these guys came riding by as they, also, enjoyed the isolation and scenery of the Green Swamp:

I took advantage of the break to take some new photos of my lovely ST 1300:

And the break also gave me the opportunity to try out my latest photography gizmo that lets me get shots like this:

That same gizmo also makes it easier to get low-angle shots like this one:

BTW, after last week's visit from Tropical Storm Debby, the water levels all around Central Florida are pretty high, as this shot of Pony Creek illustrates:

Okay, break over, I jump on the ST and she starts up just fine. I head south and east to ride some of my favorite roads that all look about like this:

I should have quit while I was ahead. But, instead, I wheeled my way over to Fantasy of Flight for a quick comfort stop (that's code for "I had to pee!"). After only a few minutes off the bike I returned to find that the electrical gremlins had seized control and no matter what I did, what I said, or whose name I invoked, my beautiful ST was not going to restart.  I proceeded to disassemble and diagnose in the parking lot, to no avail:

A phone call to my mechanical genius brother, Robert, had a rescue operation in motion. Within the hour Robert was onsite with a pair of jumper cables and we got the ST running again. While waiting for Robert to arrive I had called ahead to the nearest repair facility and booked a slot for my ailing ST. Once she was running again, Robert and I beat feet to Fun Bike Center where they took my ST into surgery immediately. Here she is upon arrival in the waiting room:

I left the ST in the capable hands of the Fun Bike Center techs and went on home, courtesy of Robert, once again. Yes, he's a full-service rescue operation. Many thanks to him!

A couple of hours later I got a phone call from Fun Bike Center and was advised my ST was fully repaired, serviced, and road-worthy once again. Turns out that a five-year-old motorcycle battery is a bad thing and mine -- being just that old -- was somehow shorted out internally and that is what was causing all the fuss. So, a new battery and a customer-requested oil/filter change put everything right and I was able to get my beautiful bike back in her stable before 7 pm. Thanks Fun Bike Center!!!

My Newest Project

On Monday, June 25th, one of my cats gave birth to a single kitten. In the wee hours of the morning of June 28th, that cat was savagely murdered by two roaming pit bulls while trying to protect her kitten.  I could not save the mother cat from those vicious dogs, but I can try to save her kitten and that is one of my current undertakings. I have brought this little guy into the house and am doing the whole hand-raising thing. I did this a few years back when I hand-raised Fiona (Fifi) from about the same age. Coincidentally, Fifi was recently killed by the coyotes; she was about 12 years old when she was taken by one of those four-legged scoundrels.

Anyway, here's a shot of the little kitten that is getting the hand-raising treatment:

I'm Back!!!

After a bit of a hiatus from blogging, I have decided to pick it up again. I kind of wandered over to the dark side and dabbled with Facebook, but I don't find it a suitable substitute for what I was doing here on this blog. So, I'm back!

And, it's not like I haven't had things to blog about; I've had quite a few outings and adventures in the time that I was away from these pages.

In the interest of catching you up, Dear Reader, I am posting a few highlights from the past several months.

Looking forward to my annual Fall Leaf Ride, I installed a wiring harness on my V-Strom:

Made the Fall Leaf Ride, which included riding through states from Virginia to Maine, and even up into Canada. Along the way I saw Niagara Falls, discovered new sights, got lost, visited Gettysburg, and racked up several thousand miles of great riding. Oh, and I also rode the Auto Train for the first time.

I went to the mountains to visit my mother for Thanksgiving:

Joined some friends to participate in the Florida Coast-to-Coast Charity Ride:

Practiced my limited photography skills during a visit to the Florida Strawberry Festival:

Did some more photography practice at the 2012 Sun 'n Fun Fly-In:

I flew this plane:

Went back to the mountains of North Carolina for my annual Summer Ride:

And, Finally got photographic proof that coyotes are invading my yard:

Okay! That just about does it for catching up on what I've been up to since my last post. Above you'll have probably already seen my new full-fledged posts.  Now let's just see if I can keep this thing up-to-date. Only time will tell.