Finally a 10k season!

Finally a 10,000 mile riding season was reached! If it wasn't for 72 sunny degrees and a boss who never asks "why do you need the day off", the quickly fading 10k may have just been a dream! Monday, November 3 promised by meteorologists as a day of near record breaking temperatures. I don't know if we broke the record, but it was a wonderful end to an enjoyable year.

Cathy told me on Sunday during the Packer Titan's football game that I should take Monday off and ride! Wow, not only do I have a boss who let's me take time off, but a wife who encourages me to take more! So it was set; well first I needed about 2 seconds to think about whether or not I should take off, yeah right! The plan was to leave the house at 10 AM and ride to the Harley-Davidson Museum, 400 Canal Street in Milwaukee. As an added bonus, full paying customers ($16) were given a hardcover Harley-Davidson 300 page book written by Willie G himself! Books are available as long as supplies last or until November 15, a $65 value.

An e-mail was sent out to those I thought might be interested in taking the day off and visiting the museum. I had one taker in this offer, you guessed it, CDogg was excited about the opportunity to ride once again, even if it meant with me. I programed a route in the GPS that would take us from my house to the museum and then back to my house. I figured out my mistake after we got about one mile from home, the GPS kept wanting to take me back home and we hadn't even left Watertown! Just when I thought I had figured out this electrical device, it throws me a curve. I sh#t canned the route and we took the Interstate all the way into downtown. It was easy finding the museum; there are signs posted everywhere.

The museum was awesome! We arrived prior to 11 AM and the 2nd floor took us over 90 minutes to see most everything on this floor. We easily could have spent another 90 minutes reading all the signs displayed for every motorcycle and exhibit. Each cycle on display not only had a tag, but also indicated if it was an unrestored original or a restored bike. Many of the unrestored bikes had less than 200 miles! Imagine, having the foresight to build a bike and then either store it for the distant future or buy back these untouched originals from the owners of yesteryear. The engine room kept us busy for quite a while as we listened to various motors produced by the Motor Company over the course of a hundred plus years.

On the 3rd floor there were the Harley-Davidson Archives. This was also the area of the restoration of bikes. Over 450 bikes have been kept, repurchased or donated since 1915 back to Harley-Davidson. In 1981 the Motor Company took back its' roots by telling AMF, "We soar alone"! Many of us can remember the AMF days and how HD became diversified. By AMF getting involved in production of snowmobiles, boats, golf carts and much more, it probably saved a company from disappearing altogether; it was also the downfall of quality-built motorcycles, until HD said goodbye forever to AMF!.

In 2003, the Motor Company known as Harley-Davidson celebrated 100 years of existence. To celebrate this feat, a 2003 Ultra Classic with sidecar was dismantled and shipped to company facilities around the world for employees to sign. Over 6,000 signatures cover this motorcycle on display (1st floor). Imagine what the four founding fathers would have thought! Elvis Presley's 1956 KH Side-Valve V-twin is also on display, along with the original sale receipt and insurance documentation.

I could go on and on about the many bikes, displays, painted tanks, clothes and so much more found at the museum. We were told that other than Thanksgiving and Christmas, the public is invited to walk the floors and discover or relive memories of the past. The cost is a mere $16 and you can take photos of anything, just don't get too close as you might set off the alarms (as I was told by one employee). There is an area that you can sit on bikes and have pictures taken.

Before setting off on our Harley's, it was time for lunch. We ate at the Cafe Racer Diner, same building as the Motor Company Store. For $8.50 we each got a pulled barbecue pork sandwich, with fries, pickle and soda. You can eat breakfast, lunch and dinner at either of the two restaurants on the museum property. Harley-Davidson did it again. Plan on taking the journey to the museum and relive the past. I'm glad to have taken the time, thanks to Cathy and my boss!

MOR No More!

Well the 1st Annual Men Only Ride (MOR) is in the books! Only two decided to make the journey to Illinois and ride in what many Meteorologists said would be a cold, cloudy, blustery weekend. I think many thought with the forecast that had been released, conditions would not be favorable to ride. My feeling, any ride is a good ride! Marc and I left Watertown at 9:30 AM Saturday morning on our way to Woodstock, Illinois to the Harley-Davidson Dealership and their Chiliween Celebration. The ride was wonderful, great roads, no tolls and get this.......No Wrong Turns!

We arrived at Woodstock HD just around 11:30 and immediately went inside for hot coffee and popcorn. We shopped and got the token "dip dot" from the dealership. I really think I should start displaying all the ones I've collected thus far (around 50). Believe it or not, neither one of us found anything to buy!

We talked to a few other bikers and looked at the options they got on their bikes and vis versa. You see, Harley Riders are always comparing their bikes to others. It's kind of like a male dog, marking it's territory! Marc even had a salesman push a 2008 Ultra outside that had true Dual Rineharts along with the 103 Cubic Inch upgrade, just so we could hear the sound. Well, it was fairly loud and I don't think my partner would appreciate all the noise when sitting behind me.

We got our taste of chili from Woodstock Fire Department; by-the-way, they won and rightly so! Marc even had to have hot sauce added to his! Afterwards a brat and hamburger finished off our lunch and we were on our way to St Charles Harley-Davidson about 30 miles to the south.

Overnight was at Country Inn & Suites in St Charles and dinner across the parking lot at Olive Garden. In the morning we headed southwest to Marc's sister's house about 15 minutes away. Thanks Dana and Ellen for opening your house and making coffee. The Garmin pointed us in the right direction from there and within an hour or so we found ourselves in Harvard, Illinois by the Enchanted Castle! We actually turned around after Marc spotted it and had to take pictures. In all we had a great ride and put another 260+ miles on the new 2008 Ultra. I still find myself about 80 miles shy of 10,000 for the season. I need to reach 8,000 on the 2008 since I sold my 2000 Ultra after riding 2,000 miles back in May.

MOR is No More, the name will be changed to the Bi-Week MOR. You football fans will be pleased to hear that, except next year the Packers might have a Bi in late October again or early November. Better get the long john's and heated gear added to your Christmas List! No excuses next year fellas!

The $33 Lite Bar

Introducing the $33.71 Harley-Davidson Light Bar for Touring Motorcycles! Well, actually it isn’t a lit light bar, it is however a reflective red and chrome add-on for the sole purpose of being seen. By-the-way, isn’t been seen what it’s all about?

I wish I could take credit for this idea, however like many; I will give credit where credit is due. While taking a break from teaching a Rider’s Edge Class at Capital City Harley-Davidson I saw a pearl white Ultra Classic with what I thought at the time was a light bar mounted just below the King Tour Pak lid cover. Upon closer inspection, I saw that it was 5 individually placed reflectors having chrome trim. The owner of the Ultra said he used to work at the Juneau Harley-Davidson Plant and got these reflectors there.

During my break I checked in the 2009 parts catalog and was not able to locate any such item. After talking to Jeff the parts manager at Capital City, he informed me that he had a few in the back. After a few seconds Jeff reappeared with three different reflectors and one happened to be the exact same one I was looking for. The part number is #59255-91 and costs $6.39 each. I had Jeff order five reflectors for me. The total cost $33.71.

If it is all about being seen then spend the $33.71 and let others know, you are out there! These reflectors will work for any full size King Tour Pak, I don’t know about the Chopped Tour Paks. I had to sand the top and bottom of each reflector to get it to lie flat against the Tour Pak. So if you ride a Road Glide, Ultra Classic, Classic or anything else with a King Tour Pak, these will work!

Let me know what you think after looking at the photos. Ride safe, straight, sober and BE SEEN!