Bike's Ready!

Stone's Harley Davidson called and said my bike was ready. It turned out to be "a wiring error" on the heated grips not working. My wife took me out there and I rode the bike home. Nice weather for riding (isn't any weather good for riding!:) It was 30 degrees with 19mph winds (gusting to 25mph). Light snow. I didn't notice the wind too much but I could feel the cold air coming in a little around my gloves. I pulled my gloves down over my leather jacket sleeves and that fixed it. Heated grips on 3 out of 6 and still a little too warm.

I road through snow on one cross road where the wind had blown the snow over the road. First time riding in snow. No sudden moves. No problem.

I bought a battery tender when I was at Stone's as I noticed the battery on the bike was a little low when I started it at home the other day. I can use the battery tender on my mower, also, as the mower battery usually goes down during the winter. It's good to have the bike home. Now, can we get some good weather to ride? :)

Second Ride Of The Season.

I rode out to Stone's Harley Davidson (Marion, Indiana) today. Temperature was 35 with little wind. Nice to ride, if even for a little while. I needed my heated grips repaired so I took the bike out to them. Nice to be out and about on the bike.

WWII Victory Museum

Several of our "gang of riders" are history buffs so we like to ride to museums. One museum we rode to last year was the WWII Victory Museum just south-west of Auburn. They have a great display of vehicles, uniforms, and weapons used in WWII. To get to the museum, get off Interstate 69 on County Road 11A west. It's across the Interstate from Kruse Auctions.

WWII Victory Museum

Click to Enlarge Map

Brown County

One "fun ride" we did last May was a ride down to Brown County, Indiana. We left The Outpost Restaurant just west of Fairmount, IN (our meeting place) and proceeded down Indiana 9 to US 31 south of Indiana. Down US 31 to Interstate 65. South on Interstate 65 to Indiana 58. We took IN 58 to IN 446. We took IN446 north over Monroe Lake to Bloomington, IN. From Bloomington we turned back east on IN 46 to Interstate 65. Then back home on IN 9. A total of 201 miles and rode for a little over seven hours. Beautiful scenery in Brown County.

Click on map to make it larger:

Adams Mill

Several times a year the group rides over to Adams Mill west of Kokomo. It's a very pretty place on the Wildcat River:

 
Click here to go to Adams Mill Web page: Adams Mill Website



Just a peaceful place to rest and watch the river. There's a covered bridge there that you can ride through.



Adams Mill Covered Bridge Webpage

40°28'50.13"N 86°30'31.99"W

The Wabash Gardens Restaurant

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Some of the group's bikes parked at The Wabash Gardens Restaurant in Wabash, Indiana. One of the guys checking in with the wife before going in to the Restaurant.
(40°48'31.42"N 85°48'58.98"W)

Celina, Ohio

Several times a year the group rides over to Celina, Ohio to ride around Grand Lake St. Marys. We always stop in at The Pullman Restaurant for coffee and pie. It's very pretty around the lake. From the lake description,"Originally constructed as a feeder reservoir for the Miami-Erie Canal, Grand Lake St. Marys was for many years recognized as the largest man-made reservoir in the world."

(40°32'55.24"N 84°33'49.25"W)

Windmills

One of the places we like to ride to is the windmill farm that is going up around Fowler, Indiana in Benton County. (40°37'2.67"N 87°19'24.35"W)

My bike beside one of the windmill blades:

Click on Picture to Enlarge

Click on Picture to Enlarge

Click on Picture to Enlarge

Kersting's HD Museum

One of the best motorcycle museums in the Midwest (that we've been to) is Kersting's HD Museum just south of North Judson, Indiana. It's about 3.3 miles south and then .2 miles east of North Judson just off hi-way 39. It's not just Harley bikes but all brands. (41° 9'26.91"N 86°46'19.62"W)

Front of store:

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Inside museum:

Mendon, Ohio Harley Davidson Dealer

Three of us rode over to The Mendon, Ohio Harley Davidson dealer. He has a great little Harley museum in a back building of his dealership. If you're ever over that way, it's a great place to stop.

Just north of Mendon, Ohio on hi-way 707. (40°40'11.96"N 84°31'27.67"W)

He has one model of every Harley Davidson Hummer ever produced:

He has the sign that was at Snake River Canyon when Evel Knievel attempted to jump the Snake River on a motorcycle:

And a lot of Harley Davidson memorabilia: 

Click on Pictures to Enlarge

Just a few of the bikes he has in his museum.

Drinking the Kool Aid (riding a Harley)

I started riding motorcycles back in the 1970s. My Dad , brother, and both brothers-in-law all rode Harleys so I didn't stand a chance. Being contrary, I started out with a 1973 Yamaha RD350 in 1973:

and traded up for a 1975 TX500 in 1975:

After dropping the Yamaha on my foot (and breaking a bone in my foot), I decided to sell it. It was very top-heavy, especially with a full tank of gas.

Years pasted and finally the children were grown so in 1998, I took up flying. I flew Challenger ultralights for about six years and then gave it up when Sport Pilot licensing came into effect.

Me flying my first Challenger I built in my garage:

My second Challenger I bought already built:

I decided I wanted to ride something with only two wheels so I bought a used Yamaha Zuma scooter.

The scooter was a lot of fun but even after I increased the horsepower it was still too slow. I could see a motorcycle in my future so I bought a new 2006 Suzuki SV650:

To say that the SV650 was a great bike is an understatement. I really liked it except for one thing; it was the most uncomfortable bike to ride for any distance that's ever been made (for me at least). The seat was so hard I had to stand on the pegs after a couple hours in the saddle.

It was time to get a long-distance bike that was comfortable--a big Harley!

I asked the HD dealer at Wabash, Indiana which model I should buy. He told me to start out with a Dyna Super Glide. So I bought a new 2007 model:



The above photo is me and my grandson after riding out to the open house at Stone's Harley Davidson, Marion, IN.

After riding the Super Glide for awhile I decided I really needed a long riding tourer model. One I could ride comfortably all day. I loved the look of the Street Glides, so I traded up to a 2008 model:


Me and my great-grandson.

So, that's where we are today.

The Street Glide is a really great long distance cruiser. My group, The Over The Hill Gang, ride 200-300 mile rides each Wednesdays and Saturdays. I never get tired of riding my Harley.

Rode My Bike Home

I had my wife take me out to Stone's Harley Davidson in Marion, Indiana to pick up my bike. I rode it home (37 degrees) and didn't get cold at all. It was a great ride. The bike looks like new (it should with over $7,000 parts and labor.) I can't wait until spring and warm weather.