ABC's of Touring July

Sunday July 23, after Church and lunch I left Cassville and road down to Shade Gap on my new Harley-Davidson Street Glide. It was warm out, in the mid 80's. I got there and said hello to my mother and her friends. I did take a distant cousin for a ride around town. She said she liked the bike very much.

I then decided to go on a ride to fill in some photo requirements for HOG's ABC's of Touring. (A to Z in Towns, A to Z in Counties. A point for each. Then points for States, Countries, HOG Rallies and plant tours. 26 points a pin, 36 points a pin and patch, 46 points pin, patch, CD case, 56 points, pin, patch, CD case, leather Valet, 66 points all of that plus a silver coin)

I rode out 522 south to Burnt Cabins and then over to Fannettsburg for my "F". Then I went through Ft Loudon and across Rt 30 to take the back road to Upton. From there I went for my "G" at Greencastle. From there I rode down I-81 to take the photo of the bike, magizine and signs of the Maryland border sign with Washington Co County. Hay, thats 4 more points. So I rode another 11 miles to West Virgina and got that photo along with Berkey Co, WVA sign for 6 points total. Then on the way back I got the Welcome to Pa sign. I made it home late, around 10pm that night.

Monday morning I went to a VA Doctor's appointment. The counselor had me so worked up that I recorded the highest blood pressure ever for me! 188 over 110. Normally it is 118 over 72! They wouldn't let me leave for 2 hours until the BP came down. So I decided to take the trip to find my V and Z. So in Northern Centre County I went. So one more point for the Centre County sign. Then off to the town of Valley View. I took Rt 550. What a great riding road this is! Many hill and thrills of switchbacks and twisties. It was a challenge for me to ride on my new bike. I found the sign to take me to Valley View but no other signs or Post Office to be found! I rode around for about 40 minutes trying to find something. I finally took a photo of the Valley View United Methodist Church and a sign pointing to the town of Valley View. I finally got my "V". Now it was time to head for my "Z", which is the town of Zion. No probablems there. I filled up the tank and got a soda and off to home I went. I always wanted to get my "M" in Mount Union but I haven't made it there yet. So I stopped over the mountain and got the Mill Creek Post Office instead. Those 2 days is what I needed. I started to question my ability on handling the Street Glide. The Yamaha V-Star was that much easier because of less weight. After these two days of riding I have rebuilt my confidence in my riding skills. I really needed this.

For my towns I need "I" "Q" and "X". If I ride to York, Pa for the HOG Rally, I get get a point for that, a point for York County, a point for the factory tour. On the way there I can get Perry County, Daulphin County, Lancaster County and just maybe take a futher trip to Quarryville for my Q and onto the town of Innercourse for my "I". I won't get my "X" The only town that begins with the letter X in the whole US of A is Xiena, Ohio. Northwest of Cinncy. Map Quest says it is 498 miles on way from Cassville. I don't need that far of a trip. I would rather get some more counties and states instead. I could leave Cassville and make it to South Carolina in less than 400 miles! That would even give me more points.

By the way, my total points for the contest is 32 points so far!!! Just 4 more until I qualify for the pin and patch!!! If I can make it to the HOG Rally I might beable to reach the 46 points and get the CD Case also! Maybe next year I can shoot for the 66 points for the Silver Coin! Some year I will do that and maybe write a book on my travels for the ABC's of Touring. Sounds like fun. For 2005 there were 3 winner tied for first place. All of them had 165 points and travels overseas to get them. They hauled their bikes or flew there bikes everywhere just to win the contest. 2 of the winners were retired couples. The other was a female solo rider. She just bought her first bike a 2005 1200 Sportster. Not a bike to go cruising around in. She became the first female solo rider in the history of HOG's ABC Touring to win it! My hats off to her. She put on 58,000 miles last year and went to 20 countries. The other couple that tied with her put on 32,000. So they drove alot of places and haul their bike, not unlike the girl.

I hope everyone is enjoying my post. Some year I would like to travel with my sons and daughters on Harley's and see if we all can win this thing.

Broke down and down.

Friday, July 14, 2006 I went up to Centre Hall to #1 Cycle Center H.D. of State College to have my 1,000 mile check up done. I first had to ride to Lewistown because my mother was in the Hospital with breathing problems. After visiting my mother I headed up Rt 322 towards State College. It was very hot, over 90 degrees. I looked at the black top road and it looked like water was laying on it. The worse part was the feeling I got when going around a turn. I was sure that I wasn't getting enough grip with the tires. With all the worrying I got off 322 and went on Rt 144. I should have stayed on 322 to the dealership but I had a brain freeze. I went down the road for about 8 or so miles until I finaly realized that I made a mistake. So I back tracked to the dealership.

The service techs got my bike finished and I was on my way back home. Kandi called me and had me meet them in Huntingdon for supper at Pizza Hut. After that I tried to see Jamie but she wasn't home. So I dropped off Employment Apps for #1 Cycle Center.

Saturday I was going down to my mother's to cut her grass. Normally Jordan goes with me but he wasn't feeling up to par. After working for about 4 or more hours I decided to head home. But however I went south instead of north. The reason was for me to head out to Burnt Cabins to take a photo of the Fulton County and Huntingdon County Road signs for Harley's ABC's of Touring contest. I am up to 20 points now. I need 26 points to get a "pin" and 36 points to get a pin and a patch. I think I'll get the pin, I'm not sure about the pin and patch. I think I can win both though.

About half way between Burnt Cabins and Shade Gap I felt something hitting my leg. I looked down and saw that my Air Cleaner Cover came off and was just hanging there. I pulled off to the side of the road to see if I could fix it. I got out the tool pouch and saw that none of the tools could fit the "Navy Cover" Lance and I put on. I called H.D. and no one is there during non working hours! I called my Uncle Max and he said he didn't have the tools to fix it, but it should be okay to ride to Shade Gap or even Cassville. I called Kandi and told her what happen. Kandi called up to #1 Cycle to inform them of the problem. No one was there but however she left a nasty message on their answering machine. I put the cover in the Saddle Bag and headed to Shade Gap.

I tried to find someone in town that had an Allen Wrench that could fit it but no one had one. I parked my bike and headed down to the Gap Store for something to drink. I came up and Kandi, Cora and the boys just pulled in. We left the bike there and went into Orbisonia to see the fireworks and head home.

After Church Sunday we headed down to Shade Gap for the Baer Reunion. After the reunion I went across the street to see Matt Varner to see if he had something that would fit the screws. He gave me a T-25 torc screw driver to used. So I got everything tore down so I could screw in the 3 bolts to hold the air cleaner on. Then I screwed the air cleaner cover on and finally the Navy Cover. I did notice that the Air Cleaner Cover's Gasket was torn a bit but I had to make do with what I had. I went home to Cassville and everything in fine as of now.

Monday I called the dealership and they couldn't explain why the cleaner fell off. I paid for them to do the service but I doubt they did do the full 1,000 mile check up, because if they did they would have seen that the bolts came loose. If they did they didn't tighten the bolts up. There is no way the air cleaner cover could go on with out tighting the bolts fully. So It is my belief that they didn't do the service in the first place. I really don't think that the bolts were tighten up from the moment I picked up the bike when I bought it. I recall that the air cleaner shook from day one! After I tighten everything Sunday it doesn't shake. So that is why I think that it wasn't tighten from the moment of sale and then never even checked on when I had it in for the 1,000 mile check up. I am very upset with everything.

Weston told me that all the check ups was covered by the Extended Service Plan. I found out that it wasn't. I wanted the upgraded seat on the bike. Which I found out later the seat I wanted was called the Pillow Seat. Weston had the Sundowner seat put on. I like it but it isn't as soft as the Sundowner. THen I wanted chrome fender tips put on the front fender and they were never ordered. A lot of the things wasn't ordered. I could have gotten them if I put them on my credit card, so I didn't get them.

I really like the motorcycle and I'm in awe with the gas milage I am getting. 45 to 50 mpg. How ever I do have to have much more time on the bike because of my low speed turns aren't that good. I have dropped the bike twice but no scratches were put on it. There has been other times that the bike has almost fell over due to the extra weight. All of this will have to be settled by more time in the seat and riding.

30 Years Ago.

July 9, 1976 was my mother's Fifty First Birthday!!! But however it was the day that I signed up for the Navy. I swore in the morning of the 9th at New Cumberland Army Depot outside of Harrisburg. I took a train to Boot Camp that evening to Great Lakes, Ill. I arove there the afternoon of the 10th. So the first full day of Boot Camp was July 11th, my 18th Birthday!

I can't imagine that it has been 30 years since I joined the Navy. Time has flown by. In Boot Camp and also my Class A technical school in Pensacola, FL I wanted to get a Harley-Davidson Motorcycle or a chopper. I never did get my Harley or a motorcycle until 28 years later and I bought a Yamaha 1100 V-Star Silverado and a Honda Silverwing scooter for Kandi. June 9, 2006 I traded in both bikes and got me a Harley-Davidson Street Glide (FLHXI) a touring bike. I really like the bike. I liked my V-Star as well so I will never say anything bad about Yamaha or even Honda scooters too. I liked riding the scooter as well.

Yesterday, July 11th I turned 48 years old. I couldn't believe that 30 years ago I was in Navy Boot Camp! Jordan and I went for a motorcycle ride and wound up at Shade Gap seeing my mother. I did get a little ride on my birthday. We came home 30 minutes late for supper and Kandi was angry with me.

The State College HOG Chapter was having their meeting and BBQ also but I stayed home instead.

After we ate I took Morgan (9) for a little ride out the road. He enjoyed it and it was his first ride since I put the passenger grab rails for them to hold onto. He held on to them at first and then put his arms around me and held tight as I went out the valley. I really enjoy sharing my love of motorcycling with my sons.

2 weeks after I joined the Navy Greg Ott from my High School Graduation Class showed up at Boot Camp. Then 2 weeks after that Andy Rutter showed up. We all joined delayed entry in High School. Greg and Andy both said it was better on them seeing me every so often out there because they weren't as home sick. I spent those first couple of weeks not knowing anyone, not knowing what was going on, not knowing anything. Yes, I did get homesick, yes I was stressed out about things. By the middle to the end of Boot Camp it was second nature to me. When we were leaving Boot Camp I didn't want to go because I knew I would never see any of the friends I made there again.

I look back on things and see that I have had a few different lives. First was a Grade and High School Student. Then 10 years in the Navy. During that 10 years I was married and divorced and married again. I got out of the Navy and started to work. I couldn't get any well paying jobs around Huntingdon County. Then I went in for Brain Surgery. My second wife left me. So I started a 4th part of my life as a College student. I first went to and graduated from Harrisburg Area Community College with an AA Degree in Business Studies. Then I went to Lebanon Valley College and got 2 degrees. A BS in Management and a BS in Labor Relations. So I started a 5th different life. I got married for the third time and got a job selling boats for a few years and then selling multi-media equipment (LCD Projectors) then back selling boats. Then my 6th phase of life happen. I was awarded total 100% disability from the VA and Social Security. So I bought a double wide down in Ft Myers, SW Florida. We stay there from Oct to May and up here in Cassville, Pa from May to Oct.

I have a 28 year old daughter, Christie who has 2 sons Joey and Mickey, a 22 year old daughter Jamie, then two sons to Kandi Jordan 10 and Morgan 9. I say I have a full life. Not too many people have so many different stages of life than I have.

What a wild and adventurest 30 years it has been.

First Place

July 1, 2006 was Iron Thunder Car & Bike Show at #1 Cycle Center State College Harley Davidson in Centre Hall. I took my 10 year old son Jordan with me. He was so excited about going on a long bike ride. It is about 1 to 1 1/2 hours ride up there. Coming in to the dealership Jordan first saw the Bat Mobile. He couldn't believe it was there. He said Morgan (9) his brother would have loved seeing it. We went up to the parking lot and there were many bikes up there. I went up and asked if it was too late to enter in the bike show. I was told it wasn't. So I went and entered the bike show under the HD Touring Class.

As I was cleaning the bike quite a few people came over and commented on my bike. They all liked the Navy Derby Covers and Navy Air Cleaner Cover. A few entered their Ultra Glide Harleys in the Touring division. They paid and all of that but after they saw my bike and that I was a veteran the pulled their bikes out of the show and voted for my bike. I told them to still enter and they said they wanted a first time Harley buyer but mostly a veteran to win. I thought it was nice, so I took home the first place trophy.

Jordan loved it there. They had a motorcycle stunt demo team on Buel Motorcycles. They did wheelies, stoppies and burn outs. Then they had a few cars doing burn outs and drifting on the little course that they had there. The owner of #1 Cycle Center also had free Pizza for everyone. Steak and Lube offered a plate of chicken wings for a dollar.

It was a good time for all and Jordan really was excited about getting a trophy. He carried it all around showing it to everyone. So I gave it to him to have.