Month: July 2007

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Vintage Motorcycle Days 2007

This year was quite different compared to last year Linky

This year neither Gar nor Cooter were racing, so it was time to just kick back and enjoy. Dad went up on Friday but I chickened out. The weather didn’t look good and I had a few things to do around the house anyway.

I just couldn’t get excited about potentially riding 150+ miles to Lexington, OH in the rain, then spending a day at a race track watching them dry the track with jet dryers, the potentially ride home another 150 miles in the rain.

Nope, wasn’t for me, so I bailed on Friday, and based upon the torrential down pours we experienced at home I was glad. Dad however had a great time, he didn’t get rained on until he was riding home.

Fast forward to Saturday…

I met up with Dad, Kyle, and Kyle Sr. at Washington Court House at 8am. If you wondered where the worlds slowest McDonalds is, it’s there in Washington Court House, it has overtaken the McDonalds near Trenton Ohio. Holy smokes their services was absolutely ridiculous.

After what seemed like an eternity, I got my breakfast, we ate and headed to Lexington, OH to Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course.

The road in was crazy, bumper to bumper, stop and go traffic. A lot of air cooled bikes weren’t real happy to be putt-putting along to get in. It was much better last year. Once inside we parked it over by the Esses and watched some good racing.

We took a break from the races in the middle of the day to watch a ‘Trials’ exhibition. That was the only place I busted out the camera this year.

While it wasn’t as exciting as I had hoped it was still pretty impressive. If money were no object, I’d have one of these bikes.

More photos here: Click

We left just before 5pm and exiting the track was uneventful. We took the long and lazy way home down US Route 42. It was a good weekend.

Next year I plan to go Friday and Saturday and camp at the track. Hopefully partake in some demo rides and do a little bit more than watch the races. Maybe Gar or Cooter will be racing? Who knows.

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Connersville, Indiana to Metamora and back by Train.

Today the entire family took a trip out to Connersville, Indiana to ride the Whitewater Valley Railroad, from Connersville to Metamora, Indiana. Metamora is a frequent destination of mine when I’m out on the bike. There are great roads out there and I stop in for some of the best Italian sausage ever at the Trader’s place and today wasn’t any different.

The train leaves from Connersville promptly at noon. It takes about an hour and a half to get to Metamora, where they leave you there for two hours. This is just about the perfect amount of time if it’s not too busy.

Enough time to find a bathroom, get something to eat, walk across Metamora for ice cream, shop a little, buy some Amish cheese, check out the mill, and shop some more. Not too much though because, well, you don’t want to carry anything or bring it back on the train. At least that was my excuse.

It was a perfect day. It may have hit 85 degrees but there wasn’t any humidity. I feel for anyone who rides that train on a 95+ degree day with humidity.

The railroad station and trains are pretty cool. Maybe when I become an old fart I’ll volunteer my time there and learn more about the railroad.

 
From Connersville …

I would highly recommend this as a great way to blow a Saturday afternoon with the family. Especially if you can hit good weather. Bring a book to read because between both trips you’ll be on the train for 3 hours. There’s a lot to watch and look at out the window but not 3 hours worth. It’s not cheap. $20 for adults, $10 for kids, plus meals at Metamora and what ever else you spend there. You can bring food with you though, the train permits that.

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A Day at Kil-Kare

A buddy of mine that I’ve known for 30+ years is a die hard motorcycle drag racer. A privateer on a budget, runs what he’s got and gets the job done.

I hadn’t seen him race but one time before and something broke or it rained, I can’t remember but I didn’t get to see him make more than one pass. I talked to him earlier in the week and found out that he no longer races at Edgewater. In fact very few bikes do anymore because the owner is an asshat and doesn’t much care for his customers so they’ve moved to Kil-Kare in Xenia Ohio.

I rode up, on the FJR and planned to take some pics. I got there in time for his second practice run, around 2pm. I was able to snap pics of that run, and his dial-in run before the camera battery died. It would have lasted all day had I charged it the night before but I wasn’t sure I was going to go.

In any event, it was a long, blistering hot day and stupid me wore jeans so I was mostly uncomfortable all day. (I wouldn’t ride in shorts but was too dumb to wear shorts and toss some riding pants on over them just to get there. Man I wasn’t thinking straight today.)

If you haven’t been to Kil-Kare, it’s a good time. There is absolutely no way to get out of the sun though unless you bring an awning or something. Did I mention it was hot?

After his second test run he had to replace his clutch. 2 of the plates shattered into about 2 dozen pieces each. That took about 40 minutes.

Butch was on today, hitting his dial in numbers, making good lights and slaying folks left and right.

He took down quite a few high dollar bikes and made the finals before his clutch came apart again in the final run of the day.

He was hitting 9.69, 9.68, 967 all day long like clockwork. His luck or rather his clutch didn’t hold together in the final run, or I think he would have taken that too. He was spot-on all night.

Photos in the Gallery here.

 

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