Happy Birthday TTP

Guess who's birthday it is today! IT IS OUR WRITER'S birthday even though she is a sometimes rider (BMW R 1150 RT). Happy Birthday! Many, many more! Now get out and ride your bike! Love, Jp

First Ride with ST This Year

Had an opportunity to ride with DeJuan and Q today. I was on the ST 1300 and I must say that I really love my Hondas. The ST rides the same each and every time. The three of us rode into Southern Wisconsin and it was a great day. Did about 175 miles today. Q rides a Honda CBR 600. For those who have not met Q, he rode his bike from McHenry, IL down to Knoxville, TN. I met him at the Dragon. Think about riding a CBR 600 that far and one has to be impressed.

DeJuan has a Honda Shadow 1100. He rode that bike from Columbus, OH all the way to Seattle, WA. I am not, never have been nor do I plan to ride a cruiser out of town, much less across country. These brothers know how to ride long distances. Anyway, just wanted to wish everyone a safe riding season. This means no accidents nor tickets. Ride safe.

RM trip Continued, DAY 3!

thanks,

Day 2.5

BBW. (Black Bike Week), Bethune Cookman Blvd. Man it was off the chain. The music was blasting loud Old School. The barbeque grills were going full bore, there were folks dancing on the sidewalks and the bikes were kill'in. Custom Harley type cruisers, metric cruisers, Harleys, Wings, Drag bikes, Trikes and one BMW. No I did see a LT or two. The really cool thing was that most of the brothers and sister's bikes were customized. There were bikes with LCD's showing music videos as the music played from six speakers and a subwoofer. Every bike you could imagine was there. And there were so many lady riders, both young girls and grandmothers alike. Some of them doing burn-outs!

Day 3

I rode to the regular Daytona Bike Week Location at Daytona Beach. Not to talk negative, but it was a totally different vibe. Stop and STOP traffic! No place to park, Beer and Liquor stands everywhere, Too crowded to walk, nasty looking women in bathing suits, and rock and roll music blasting everywhere. Don't get me wrong, someone was having fun, but the vibe was wrong for me. At BBW it was a friendly, almost family like, block party atmosphere centered around motorcycles and custom cars and trucks. At the Daytona Bike Week on the beach it was a cold commercial and overcrowded type atmosphere. If Sturgis is anything like Daytona Bike week I probably won't ride 2500 miles each way to stand in line to buy a beer from a 60 year old lady in a bikini.

Now as for BBW on Bethune Cookman Blvd., I will probably go back to Daytona to hang out again. I'll be checking to see if a similar party happens at Myrtle Beach, or during the Biketoberfest. It's was a fantastic experience.

Motorcycle Classic

NOBers,

There is a relatively new publication called Motorcycle Classics! It is a very well written publication of retro motorcycles. You know that you have been riding too long when the bikes featured on Motorcycle Classics are the bikes you dreamt about and learned how to ride back in the day. From my vantage point you can take the "retro" out of the bike. I still remember quite vividly the KZ 900s, CB 750s and the Goldwing when it only had 4 cylinders. It is kinda like watching TV late at night, those Time Life commericals that feature oldies but goodies like Earth, Wind and Fire, P-Funk and The Emotions. These classics are the song and groups you listened to and danced to in the "day"! That is Motorcycle Classics. I am seeing bikes that I loved as a teenager in the late '70s! Check it out. Ride safe.

Welcome Home

R M, great travel tips! I am glad you had a great and safe ride. YOU ARE THE MAN! To take off from Motor City in March, without regards to the snow and weather makes you the MAN! Welcome home......

RM MI to Florida & Return

Hey Nobs,

I Just finished an unplanned ride Detroit MI, to the Florida Keys and back. I was off work for a while and found out I had to be back to work in two weeks. So I figured a long motorcycle ride would do the trick.

1st day, Thursday, Motown to the ATL 748 miles about 12 hours with stops. Talked to Erskine the night before but decided not to stop until the return trip back north. The temp in MI was 29 degrees so the 1st couple of hours were a little unpleasant. After Cincinnati the temps increased to about 50 so it got nicer real quick. I really needed that heated vest. I stayed in ATL with the guy that started my interest in bikes about 12 years ago. A Bro named Doug H. He still rides a real nice orange Wing. But I busted him! He has a Kendon trailer in his garage. Man, all these years I thought he was riding the Wing to all of those bike rallies. It's OK, he has 60,000 miles on the Wing.

2nd day. Breakfast at the Pancake House in ATL, and Doug rode his Wing about 60 miles down the road with me. I was headed to "J"ville to Sargent Seats. I have a Sargent seat on my K1200GSA and thought I wanted to check out the factory and test ride the GT seat. I also found out in ATL that this was the last weekend for Bike week in Daytona. So the plan was to stop by Sargent, then on to Daytona. The seat was nice so I ordered one. I met a Bro at Sargent seats who recommended that I stay in Palm Coast in order to find a room anywhere around Daytona. He said I should get a room on the 1st floor and roll the bike into the room at night. Man, do I really need to go there? I got the last room at the Courtyard in Palm Coast, Two night minimum, DAR_! Oh well, I guess I'll be check'in out Bike week for the next two days. At about 9:30 pm I rode down to Bethune Cookman, otherwise known as "Black Bike Week".......... Yeah, Yeah, Yeah! You really don't need to see any other bike rallies.... More to follow. . . . .

Ryde It!

I was honored to store Joe's new bike. Congratulations to Joe after five long years I like to welcome him back to ownership of a motorcycle. Joe just purchased a BMW R 1200 RT. Joe told me to ride it, since I want to be a good friend, I did just what he requested. I rode that bike to Wisconsin, Michigan and Indiana today. It was great, only 500 miles on it today and no problems! Just kidding, I rode it to Wisconsin and taking as many back roads that I could find. It handles really nice. I think he will be quite happy with his new purchase. I look forward to riding with Joe this riding season. By the way, the plates on the bike are RYDE IT......

RYDE IT

So, just another exciting day at TT Patton!

The weather is nice, sunny and 51 degrees. That's good for March in Chicago. Many people are out and about, so the traffic at TT Patton is decent. I'm always curious when the weather gets nice if people shop or do outside activities. Well, they do both.

Where was I?....
Oh, so out of nowhere JP walks into TT Patton wearing his Aerostich (one peice) and his Nolan helmet (his fav). So when I look outside, he's on a bike that doesn't look familiar. You know what I'm thinking...I don't know where he's gonna park it??? BUT, not to worry....it's not his... yippie!! But it belongs to somebody....any confessions? ;-) It's real cute, an RT of course. But I guess I probably should not call it cute. It is Gunmetal Gray! Appropriate, given the previous owner...

Oh well, back to TT Patton. Come visit me!

Erskine's Birthday Today

Happy Birthday Erskine! I wish you many, many more birthdays and safe miles on the road! You are probably out at Thursday Night Riders tonight......Ride safe, Jp