Trapped Inside

With motorcycle riding season hitting its peak here in Florida, I was hoping to use the opportunity to cruise and document my trips. 

Yeah, that's not going to happen.

Last week, someone decided to leave yard tools propped up inside the garage door tracks.  They weren't in the way of the clearance sensor so the door began to close normally.  Once it got about halfway down, it hit the tools and damaged the garage door.  So now, my motorcycle is stuck inside a garage with a broken door.  Needless to say this was an unforeseen and completely unnecessary event.  Common sense would tell you to not leave something in the path of a moving object, especially one as frequently used as a garage door. 

With a new roof currently going on the house and two walls being gutted and repaired for water damage, replacing a garage door system isn't a priority, and the resources have already been allocated for the other repair projects.  I'm not upset that the door can't be replaced/repaired soon, I'm upset because the incident happened.

So now, the cars will be stuck outside and the motorcycle will be stuck inside.  This angers me because we're all disrupted by it. 

In the meantime, I'll attempt to post about different topics in an attempt to kill some time. 

-James

Georgia On My Mind

I apologize for the delay, this post was supposed to be added last week, but life intervened.  You all know how that goes.

On October 11, my wife and I threw on our gear and headed up to Georgia.

Initially, our plan was to ride to St. Augustine and enjoy the Atlantic Coast.  However, due to a late start, we decided to remain inland and travel up to Georgia.  Couldn't ask for better weather on our journey, high of 83 with a nice breeze, few clouds. 

To start out our trip, we had lunch in nearby High Springs at The Diner.  Throughout my childhood, this restaurant changed ownership a couple of times.  When I was in high school it was known as Floyd's Diner - a 1950's classic cafe.  It still maintains that 50's vibe today, with reasonable prices and a decent menu.

After lunch, we proceeded North on US HWY 441.  The plan was to take 441 all the way up to Georgia, passing through Lake City, White Springs, & Jasper.  The traffic was fairly light, especially for a Saturday.  Only ran into trouble as we entered Lake City, there's always that one driver who doesn't understand the concept of cruise control on their vehicle, and they continuously sped up & slowed down. This particular vehicle kept crawling up my back side and then dropping off.  I wasn't in a rush, nor was I going too slow or too fast.  Just kept going 65, but pulled off once I got into town to allow him to pass me.  I wasn't interested in having to deal with that.

The country side really opened up just north of Lake City, limited traffic allowed my wife and I to take in the sights.  I'm lucky enough to live just south of the Suwannee River Valley, and the geography of that region is very enjoyable.  Crossing the Suwannee & Ichetuknee Rivers almost makes you forget you're in Florida, as the topography gives way to hills and curved roads.  There aren't too many places in Florida like this, & discovering them is a real treat.

North of Lake City is the town of White Springs.  Founded at the turn of the 20th Century, White Springs gives visitors a great experience of "small town USA".  Massive Oak Trees line the roads, with the focal point of the town being the White Springs Bed & Breakfast, which was founded in 1905.  White Springs even comes complete with a volunteer fire department!  While we didn't stop, the sight seeing tour was enjoyable.

It seemed that every "wrong turn" I took lead us to better sights and better roads.  Couldn't go wrong with that trip.  It's a short 2-3 hour trip, but it's a nice way to burn a Saturday afternoon.  The road into Georgia was long and empty on this day, and as I stood there on the State Line, I found myself being drawn into Georgia.  While I didn't really venture across, I stood there looking down that lonely highway wanting to know what's down there.  Where would this road take me?  With nothing but swamps & fields as far as the eye could see, I wonder what was at the end of that lonely highway.  Perhaps one day I'll venture further North to see what lies ahead.

 

 

 



On the way back home, we stopped in Live Oak to stretch our legs & to give our butts a rest. A nice cold slushie from the local Burger King did the trick as we rested in the parking lot under some trees.  If you've lived in Florida as long as I have, you pretty much know where the most enjoyable places are.  Florida has an abundance of small towns, but the majority aren't worth the trip.  The Atlantic Coast is preferrable to the Gulf Coast (in my opinion), even though the Gulf does have a few hidden gems.  Just a quick shot north of Lake City opens up an area of Florida that I find most enjoyable. 

 

 

 

Thanks for reading.  Ride safe.

 

-James

Xbox, Football, & Other Oddities: When A Motorcyclist Can't Motorcycle

You read that title correctly. 

Since I haven't been able to ride the motorcycle (primarily because it's been too hot, today it's raining, & now the bike is in the shop for the valve inspection), I've been trying to find other things to occupy my time.

Thankfully, I work full time and I've been putting in overtime at the office to catch up on work, and to burn a few hours each week.  I use the term "catch up" lightly, because in HR, you're never really caught up.  I applied for a recently opened position in my department and if I can get it, the door for more growth will be opened.  I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

If the weather decides to cooperate, I should hopefully be able to use the bike as a daily driver in the next few weeks.  I look forward to being back on two wheels again, and if this Fall is anything like last year, it will truly be fantastic. 

So along with work, I've been playing on my new Xbox One.  My VA Disabled Veteran compensation kicked in, and I picked up the Xbox One as a fun way to kill some time on the weekend.  I've been messing around with the console, personalizing it and such.  It's really quite impressive. I'm an avid gamer and I've spent countless hours with a controller in my hand.  I didn't get the Kinect addition, so I can't give it voice commands, but I'm okay with that.  I'm looking forward to Forza Horizon 2, it truly has the ability to be one of the greatest games I've ever played.  Right now, Red Dead Redemption still holds that title.

Every weekend, I also look forward to football.  I cannot express my satisfaction that football season is finally back.  For college, the Florida Gators are hanging by a thread in terms of being a dangerous team.  Unforunately, that thread is about to break.  The Gators are truly struggling, and since that 2008 BCS Championship team graduated, Florida has truly been disappointing.  We have a history with douche bag, yet legendary coaches.  Steve Spurrier & Urban Meyer have won championships, then lost the support of Gator Nation when they both skipped town under awful circumstances. 

Since I was younger, as my home town Gators struggled, I've always turned to my favorite NFL team, the Pittsburgh Steelers, for solace.  That has backfired in my face for the past 4 seasons, and it looks like that disappointing trend will continue.  Losing Super Bowl 45 to the Packers, losing to my home town hero Tim Tebow & the Denver Broncos in the 2011 Playoffs, then going 8-8 the past two seasons.  It's still too early to tell what will happen this year, but taking into consideration the awful and completely unnecessary loss to Tampa Bay yesterday, it doesn't look good.  Only 1/4 of the way through the season, Pittsburgh can definitely turn things around, but it HAS to happen now.  The defense has way too many holes, Dick LeBeau's 3-4 Zone Blitz scheme doesn't intimidate opponents anymore because it's a one-trick pony that teams have learned to overcome.  For once, the Steelers offense is starting to take a stand, if you don't look into Todd Haley's head scratching play calling, that is.  The Steelers need help.  If they don't make the playoffs this year, the team needs to make some front office changes.  Ben Roethlisberger isn't getting younger, and his window for success is starting to close. 

We're getting a new roof, new tile flooring in the living room, & the fireplace wall is going to be gutted and rebuilt in the next few weeks and it's going to be really nice.  In the mean time, we've begun our decorations for Fall.  Pumpkins and scarecrows are finding themselves scattered around the house and yard.  We're staging the Halloween gear and deciding where to put things.  Just need to decide what I'm wearing for Halloween.  My dogs have already picked their costumes.

 

  -James

...In Love & Wheels

I want to take a few minutes to reflect on what having a good woman and a good motorcycle means to me.

Happiness and comfort are two words that can't even describe how great it feels to have the best of both worlds.  I'm not incredibly religious, but even I can recognize that I've been blessed.  I've been married to my wife for 5 years, married to Caprica for 1.  Before Caprica, I had my DRZ.  I've had 2 great motorcycles, and it's only fair to assume the Triumph is going to be a great bike as well. 

I have a wife that loves to ride with me, and honestly, you can't beat that. To know that you can hit the open road on a reliable motorcycle any time you want, and know that your woman wants to ride with you, it is a wonderful feeling.  I treasure the moments we spend together on a bike.  It's something I've always wanted, and I'm glad I can have it.  Every rider needs a partner, someone to share experiences with, and who can just enjoy the road.  When I feel her give me a squeeze as we're riding, it makes me so happy.  I love my wife more than words can say.  I hope she rides with me for as long as possible.

-J

That's One Classy Lady

My dad owned a 1976 Triumph Tiger 750 that he had been fixing up for me.  Mechanically the bike is sound (only 11,735 miles!), but it needs new brakes, tires, cables, and new wiring couldn't hurt.  The previous owner added a secondary headlight and a tail light extension....just a bunch of crap.  But my plan is to remove all of the excess and get back to classic, vintage Triumph.  A few places need to be re-chromed, but the paint is in beautiful shape.
 

 

 

Since his passing, the bike has become mine.  I honestly can't wait to get started.  With vintage Triumph's, I'm not about to start turning wrenches on it.  It doesn't need engine work, but I'll let the professionals handle replacing parts.  My dad never liked taking his bikes in, he was able to fix everything.  My dad was a grease monkey who had the skill to fix anything.  But I do not posess the knowledge this bike deserves yet.  I'd much rather have a technician do it.  I plan on learning, but I do not want this Triumph to be the lab rat. 

The motorcycle is a classic kick-start, and I'm most certainly going to keep that, but unfortunately, my knees cannot handle too much kicking. I'm going to look into an electric ignition, so the bike will more or less be a single kick start.  Go ahead, give me a hard time about it, but it's my knees that are taking the beating, not yours haha.
 

 

Keep your eyes open for more updates coming soon! In the meantime, I'm posting a link to a short YouTube video on my channel for those who want to hear what this Triumph sounds like.  The shifter is a bit sticky, so it needs some TLC, and the video shows me trying to get the bike in neutral.  She sounds sweet. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SIfTtOTSDF0&list=UUGjRWJNn0sbINLx8lM0TKCg

-J

Custom Versys?

Over the past few months, I have been playing around with my Versys' bodywork.  I had removed the windscreen in an attempt to clean up the lines.  I really liked it, but the red cowlings stopped where the windscreen sits, and it was obvious that something was missing from the bike.  I debated going to a fabrication shop to get a piece made that will fill that gap, but nothing really came of it.  I'm still undecided.

Along with the windscreen, I also considered smaller mirrors, I'm still looking for a nice pair, but most of them have really distasteful designs, or are too small to be useful.  I'm still in the market for a rear fender eliminator.  I know which one I need, but it's not a priority purchase right now.  It's a luxury that one day I will indulge myself in. 

The Versys also has mounts for a rear storage box.  Normally, there are small handles that mount to the bike whenever you don't have the box installed.  My dad tried to convince me last year that the rear looks better without the box or handles.  I didn't agree, but I decided to give it a try, and he was right afterall. Dad is always right! haha.

For now, I'll keep the windscreen on the bike.  I didn't notice a difference a difference in milage, but it does help to have the windscreen during the summer months as bugs are ridiculous. Removing the windscreen certainly gives the Versys a more sporty look, and I fee that it also makes the bike seem more "aggressive".  What do you think? 

-J

A Beautiful Weekend

On Saturday, my wife and I spent the day with my mom.  Since my dad passed, it hasn't been easy for her to be alone.  We can't always go out there, but if we can spend a day, we will.  The weather cooperated long enough on Sunday for me to take my wife on a nice little motorcycle ride.  It was terribly hot, but it didn't rain. 

We took a nice ride through Paynes Prarie, Micanopy, and McIntosh, before returning home to Gainesville. There are few really nice County Roads that have nice curves in them.  Really nice farms and farmlands.  Really is a hidden gem.  With the wife on board, I didn't stop to take pictures, but I will return soon and do so.  The bike really needed a good long run.  It has been sitting in the garage for about a month.  It felt good to open the throttle and burn through some gas.

 Also, I apologize for my blog constantly having different layouts.  I can't find one that I like, and it's driving me crazy.  I'll keep working on it!

-J





Out On The Road

I decided to go for a little drive-

The weather was perfect and I really needed to get my mind off of college. I ended up putting about 100 miles on the bike, and during that trek I broke the 8,000 mile mark. I traveled through the local counties and visited the various rivers, creeks, and parks that surround the area.  Traffic was minimal, and I was able to pull off the road and take almost any pictures I wanted.  One of the prettiest places I discovered was a farm on West County Road 18 headings towards Ft. White.  A massive green field with a white and red two-story house, and a large barn.  I pulled off the road, took a picture, and circled back to take another.  The owners were probably thinking I was crazy, but I loved the view.  I spent some time in Ft. White, Worthington Springs, Booker, and High Springs.  I stopped at the Santa Fe River boat launch just outside of High Springs and tried to get some good shots, but there was too much activity.  I also visited my old, old stomping grounds, my middle school, to see what has changed.  It is nice to see the Corsair is still out front, at least the Democrats haven't had it removed yet.

While in High Springs, I found an old service road that shadowed an abandoned train track.  Nature had overgrown the tracks to the point that they couldn't be seen, and the grass was as high as my handlebars!  I could only imagine how frequent those tracks were used at the height of the railroad industry.  The service road was a great "off the beaten path" ride.  I've checked out the Northern areas enough, so the next time I hit the road, I want to head in a different direction.  Maybe towards Newberry/Bronson.  We shall see.

-J