About Mark McGhee

I was born a century too late, or maybe too early. I like to ride motorcycles and write about that. I may be a little crazy, but never squirrely, You'll just never know what comes of that.
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Biketoberfest 2019 At Karma Cycles

KARMA CYCLES 2019 BIKETOBERFEST!

RT 50 CAMBRIDGE MD

The event was slated for 10 am, the weather was cool and almost chilly and perfect for my hour and a half ride. So of course I arrived fashionably late for the 2019 Biketoberfest and Motorcycle Show at Karma Cycles in Cambridge Md. The truth is, I have so many things going on it’s hard to get to all of them plus there were a couple side roads I wanted to check out. But I really wanted to make it to Biketoberfest right on RT 50 in Cambridge, MD because Karma Cycles has been steadily growing their events. They are making real progress as more and more riders find out about them. Be sure to help spread the word.

It was right around 11 am when I rolled in and I had to wait a few moments as the bikes ahead of me were directed to the parking lot spots. It was already busy and hopping with the DJ jammin some David Allen Coe! Plus it was one of my favorites, “You Never Even Called Me By My Name”…I’ll bet you just sang that as you read it!

There was food on the side, a swap meet out back (shoulda been out front) and they were lining up for the bike show. The place was happening. I parked the SOFA and stepped off to observe.

Karma Cycles Biketowberfest Parking 1
Karma Cycles Biketowberfest Parking 21
Karma Cycles Biketowberfest Parking 3
Karma Cycles Biketowberfest Parking 4
Karma Cycles Biketowberfest Parking 5
Karma Cycles Biketowberfest Parking 6

I made my way through the crowd and noted everyone was talking and laughing and generally having a good time. sometimes it takes a while for an event to warm up, but the 2019 Biketoberfest and Motorcycle Show at Karma Cycles in Cambridge Md was already there and it was just barely opened up! I wanted to get inside and say hi to Phil and Carla (the owners) but once I did get inside there was a lot of shopping going on too! I figured I’d probably just get to nod at them, but Carla spotted me and flashed a smile so I made my way on over. Carla graciously took a few minutes to chat and introduce me to her Mom, Sandie and also let me play Mr Obvious by telling them how good things were going. Duh.
Phil walked by with a dude and he was talking shop so I just figured I’d catch him later; which I did; and then he and I went back inside and he snapped these pics for me. You can see the showroom was busy.

Karma Cycles Showroom 1
Karma Cycles showroom 2
Karma Cycles Showroom 3
Carla And Sandie at Karma Cycles

There was a bike show getting set up outside so I went back out and while I was circulating I found that the parking lot was a bike show in itself. This often happens at the better events as some really cool bikes are ridden in but for some reason not entered in the show. So I wandered around and took some more pictures.

very cool Harley bobber
custom motorcycle front wheel
Indian Dark Horse motorcycle
custom Yamaha Warrior 1
custom Yamaha Warrior 2
beautiful Harley Gas Tank
custom blue Harley bagger

So I’m wandering around admiring the scoots and sleds when I notice they’re doing a door prize. I already gave my ticket away to some random dude, but I was curious and so I found out they had these drawstring backpacks with all sorts of goodies in them. I mean stuff like an Ultra Plush Microfiber Towel, helmet sticker and bumper sticker, lip balm, flydanna, Halloween Goodies, a can coozie, key ring, a 2oz bottle of F-11 or helmet fresh or helmet cleaner or chilly towel…why oh why did I give my ticket away?

The real prizes were the trophy’s for the bike show. Really cool Crystal Plaques for 1st through 3rd. It was an open show and the crowd was the judge.

1st place went to Bernie Hajek Sr.  of Hajek Kustoms and his ’08 Wideglide Springer.

1st place winner 1
1st place winner 2
1st place winner 3
1st place winner 4
1st place winner 5
1st place winner 6

2ND Place went to Chad Edmonson from right there in Cambridge.

My apologies, only a couple of the pictures turned out.

2nd place winner 1
2nd place winner 2

3RD Place went to Eddie Le Compte

So all in all, everyone had a great time. Next year will be even better so be sure to set your reminders and mark it on your calendars.

Phil and Carla wanted me to be sure to thank everyone who helped make this a success. They thank everyone who attended whether they were working or just there for the party. It was a good time and a good way to spend a day with other people who like these events and motorcycles and the camaraderie that comes with it all. Check them out on their Facebook page:  https://www.facebook.com/Karmacycles/

Untitled Trip Blog – Part Three

September 2019 Head Of The Dragon Road Trip – Part Three

Electrical Entropy

So there we were in the parking lot of the McDonald’s in Welch, WV about 450 miles from my home looking at a bike that refuses to start. If Entropy can be described as the “lack of order or predictability; gradual decline into disorder” then this was full on, in your face entropy.

I can tell you, my mental faculties were definitely experiencing a “decline into disorder”! However it was not best described as “gradual”… in fact I’d use the terms “sudden” or “accelerating” to best describe the sensation.

My mind raced with the analytic possibilities. Having been a professional technician in the automotive business for many years and doing repairs at home for friends, moving into the arena’s of shop management, car sales and sales management and pretty much everything in between to include web mastering for large multi line dealerships I was well rounded enough to really blow this whole thing out of proportion and get into some real trouble. Why would I think such a thing? Because that is the design and intent of chaos when it too enters the arena of your personal near disaster. So I stopped reacting for a few milliseconds, reset all my mental breakers and began to think this thing through. Some basic checks were obviously in order.

The problem did not appear to be the battery itself, because all the lights worked, the radio worked, everything I could check without the engine running worked. However, everything stopped working the very instant I would push the starter button. Generally, this indicates a loose or bad connection somewhere in the main power supply. What may be happening is the added load of the starter causes the loose or bad or corroded connection to fail thus interrupting the power supply and shutting everything down. This was confirmed by several attempts with the same results. So at least we had the symptoms clearly defined and a distinct possibility; one I had actually seen several times in my career and repaired easily and successfully.

There was also the very real and distinct possibility of a failed wire bundle connection on the back of the electrical portion of the ignition switch. These bikes are known to have this problem although it is by no means a common complaint. So, with these two thoughts in mind I removed the faux gas tank cover to gain access to the battery and related cabling and the fuse panel. All the fuses were good. The fuse slots were clean and tight and none were discolored. Discoloration would likely indicate an overheated circuit which could point me at the problem or even some other one that is developing. But all was good in fuseville. The battery cables were tightly mounted to the terminals and they were still clean with no signs of corrosion. I cycled the ignition and starter switch combination several times looking for sparks or smoke or really any sort of clue but visually everything was fine.

I began to think more about the ignition switch and the starter relay and even the starter itself. I decided to trace the ignition switch wire bundle to it’s cannon plug, disconnect it, jumper it and see if the bike would crank over. This would require removing portions of the full fairing to expose the wiring. And so began the gradual slide into disorder.

In order to gain the access I needed I had to remove the windshield which requires removal of both mirrors and some trim work plus the headlight window. I also had to remove the left fairing lower portion in order to get to the rest of the screws holding the left main body work on. In about 10 minutes my motorcycle looked like it had been severely wrecked and there were parts of it all over the McDonald’s parking lot approximately 450 miles from my home.

Even worse, once I had gained access all the connections were tight, not corroded and in fine working order. I have some ongoing health issues that cause me some amount of variable discomfort and or struggle nearly every day and working on my bike out there in the hot sun was definitely aggravating them. By the time I had the bike apart I felt kind of sick and so I went over and sat in the small shady spot made by the sign for a few minutes until that passed. I drank some cold water and noted I was not sweating very much at all. Therefore I resolved to proceed very easily and take as many breaks as I felt I needed since I should have been sweating pretty good a local had commented it was nearly 100 degrees out here in the full sun. Chaos wanted to add heat stroke to my list of problems but I wasn’t going to allow that to happen!

So it took about 10 minutes to get it apart but I took about 20 or 30 putting it back together and I was still no closer to a repair. I had found nothing wrong except everything still quit working when I pushed the starter button. This left the starter circuit and the battery as possible culprits. One rule of troubleshooting is to always check the basics (done) and then recheck the simple stuff. I decided to try a jump start on the off chance the battery has suddenly internally developed not a “short” but an “open” circuit. In such a case the symptoms could be the very same. One of the workers was kind enough to pull his truck over and I had my cables ready. The bike fired right up with the added juice and I tried it several times. It was the battery after all! I was relived at the prospect of a simple battery purchase and swap out and we’d be on our way. Altogether we had lost almost two precious hours of riding time from the moment we had stopped there by the new hospital until then.

There was an auto parts store about a hundred yards away in a little shopping center and so we rode over there, I popped the false tank off again went inside. Entropy and chaos followed me in. I asked for a battery for a 2000 Kawasaki Voyager XII, they looked it up, said “sure”! And promptly returned with a battery that maybe would fit a Honda mini bike. It was about the size of three juice boxes. I asked him to come outside and look at the battery and he said “Yup. That’s bigger.” So we went back inside and looked it up again, and he brought out the correct one. I paid for it, went outside and removed mine and installed the brand new one…and it was dead. He yells over to the manager “I TOLD YOU THAT WAS A BAD BATTERY CORE EXCHANGE!” The manager says “Well now we know huh?” I said ‘YOU SOLD ME A DEFECTIVE BATTERY CORE AS A NEW BATTERY?” They apologized and refunded my money as I removed the battery. It was the only one that was an exact fit so we began looking at other batteries with the proper terminal orientation and capacity ratings. Eventually we found one and it was “New In The Box” and I paid for it and put it in my motorcycle. And it too was D E A D ! the lights just barely came on when I turned the ignition switch on. So they tested the battery and it had about 6 volts and a few amps in it so they offered to quick charge it for me. “Take about 20 minutes” So I said ok and asked them to also charge my old one since I had nothing else to do and for just in case.

We went next door to the Pizza Hut for some air conditioning and food since it was now nearly 100 degrees outside and we had missed lunch. It was about 3:15 when we sat down inside Pizza Hut. After about 40 minutes (almost 4 o’clock) I went back over and they said the “New In Box” battery did not test good so I got a refund again and asked about my old battery. They said it charged up and tested good. I was skeptical to say the least but I had no choice so I installed it and gave it a try. NOPE. Now it’s going on 4:30 pm and we know The Ride is not happening. I asked these guys where else I might get a battery right now? They looked right at me and said our other store is just 15 miles away right on the same road – and he’s pointing in the direction of our motel!

So I had him call the store and ask if they had the correct battery in stock – and they did. I asked him to ask them if they would test one for me and he did and said it was good. They put it on hold, I got another jump start and some directions and took off for that store like my ass was on fire and my head was catchin! I rode that portion of 52 with a vengeance and only slowed for the little towns we rode through. I was trying to leave entropy and chaos as far behind me as I could.

When we arrived at the sister store they were ready and waiting for me. I swapped out the batteries and the bike fired right up! I had them test the charging system and it was fine. I paid them, thanked them and noted it was right at 5 o’clock. I led a spirited ride back up the remainder of 52 and some other roads back to the motel and it was 6:10 pm when I walked into my room and collapsed in a heap on the chair. I sat for a few minutes as my mind raced through the day’s shenanigans and I was just thankful to the cosmic universe that the situation was resolved and that even though we did not achieve our objective I’d be riding my bike back home in the morning. And I did, all 450+/- miles with only one gas and food stop besides breakfast and topping off before we left.

Oh, and it rained steadily on us. the. whole. way. home.
I swear that cloud followed us.

Untitled Trip Blog Part Two

September 2019 Head Of The Dragon Road Trip – Part Two

Liver Sandwiches and Entropy

Liver sandwiches are self explanatory. The only variables are bread type, condiments and method of preparation.
Entropy however can be defined several ways so for our purpose we will use the common understanding, that of “lack of order or predictability; gradual decline into disorder” because that is what perfectly describes day two of this trip.
Day two began just fine with the promise of a wonderful breakfast at the Shoney’s just across the highway from the motel. I had discovered it the night before when I searched for “breakfast near me” and soon discovered the usual plethora of typical fast food joints, a couple Mom n Pop sit down’s and the shining breakfast beacon on the hill – A SHONEY’S! I just love those places for breakfast and I immediately set in my plan for the beginning of Day Two.

  Breakfast at Shoney’s was just as good as I had remembered it had ever been every time I have had it. Even the grits were perfectly cooked and had the skin on top that keeps the moisture in so they don’t dry out and they were not soupy at all. The scrambled and buttered eggs were tender, soft and moist. The bacon was thin and crispy and the fried bologna was heavenly. The french toast was made of thick yellow slices of bread cooked to nearly being fried after slapped on a hot griddle! I could tell because the outside had that fried egg toasty crunch but the inside was simply cooked not toasted! MMMhmmm! I ate too much.

So we waddled out to the bikes and rode a few hundred yards back to the room (we rode over because we knew wouldn’t want to waddle all the way back) and let breakfast sit a few minutes while I fiddled with my new Action Camera. I had ordered one to mount on the bike to record The Ride. Alas, in no way was I able to arrange the various fittings – and there were many – in such a manner the camera would be able to see over the instruments due to the configuration of the handlebars and fairing. I investigated mounting it to my helmet, but the adhesive patch instantly failed when I tested it out. There was a jacket clip mount but I figured that would be too susceptible to wind and road jouncing to be of much use. So after about a half hour the idea was shelved, I resolved to figure this out back home and be better prepared for next time. The entropy was slipping into the scene so gradually I suspected nothing.

We packed up and just before we left the motel I had what would turn out to be the brightest idea of the whole day. I said “according to my GPS we are 1 hour and 2 minutes from Welch and The Dragon’s Head. We should reserve rooms, or this room for tonight and just return here after the riding is done for the day. That way we also have a little head start on the return trip tomorrow.” The idea was readily accepted and we lucked out and were able to get separate rooms too. At this point I also discovered the rooms came with a free hot breakfast, which would save us time as well! I thought things were shaping up pretty nicely.

As we pulled out of the parking lot to gas up right across the street the sky was perfectly clear and it was that certain shade of blue that is just mesmerizing and feels so good to look at. The temps were just cool enough that jackets with vents open would be perfect. I just knew that soon I would be in that spot again where the SOFA (my bike) would be seamlessly gliding toward The Ride and I would be in the wind on the road and be the wind on the road and just be there being that. And soon I was. And it was what I had I had ridden so far to find and I had found it. And all the little aches in my soul were rooted out by the wind and drifted away behind me as all my pieces fell back into place deep inside whatever it is that is me.

I felt renewed, revitalized and ready as we pulled off the main roads onto the secondary road that would snake it’s way toward Welch where we would find the beginning of The Ride. We had left Princeton on 460 and then took 52 over to Bluewell and the GPS said stay on 52 so we did. I remember thinking Rt 52 could easily be part of The Dragon’s Head because it was so curvy, and indeed I found out later it is. At least part of it is anyway. We were enjoying the ride immensely going as fast as we dared on the nearly deserted road at times and slowing to take in the majestic scenery at other times. I remember thinking how cool WV is because the speed limits weren’t all 40 mph on the whole damn road like they would be back east! “These people get it” I remember thinking. Of course there were reasonable speed limits as you approached little towns and drove through them. Sure that was just fine. We were enjoying the old Main Streets USA too.

However, as we drove on entropy became more obvious as we encountered more and more small towns that were literally nearly deserted and many buildings were literally collapsing under the weight of years of neglect. Many places were decades into deteriorating and were far beyond saving. I felt sorry for these buildings. Some had obviously been centers of activity, some had been fancier than most, but all were succumbing to what we humans have come to know as progress.

There were the few clusters of die hard homeowners here and there and their homes stood out like color photographs on a table full of black and white. Somehow I interpreted this as more sad than hopeful, like a last gasp as the entropy of progress slowly enveloped them. It was in such a place I spied the Liver Sandwich sign and I just had to get a picture of it so I pulled over. The alleyway it indicated showed no signs of any sort of eatery and in fact led to the bottom of a small mountain with some houses perched upon it. I investigated no further. I turned the bike around and that is when I saw the few houses that stood out across the way and they made me think about what it might be like to have lived here through the good times and having careers and children and living your life through the slow decline as the coal business – your lifeblood –  was nearly strangled to death by your own gubbmint (a word I invented to indicate a perverse government) and your home town literally died around you.

I also thought of the possibility that the nicely kept homes and the few open businesses may represent young blood and renovation as it has in the old manufacturing sector of Roanoak where the huge old brick buildings are being re-purposed into trendy condo’s and independent shops. I sincerely hoped that was it, and perhaps it is! The place is ripe for ATV and motorcycle tourism. There are numerous ATV camps and many towns are ATV friendly!
Still, entropy was king around these here parts and I was only beginning to realize it.

We rode on, enjoying the sights and the road with it’s twists and turns and spectacular views until we finally did arrive at Welch about 11:30 in the morning. It had been a very fulfilling couple of hours (we had taken our time sightseeing) and we pulled over at the new Hospital on the edge of town after driving all the way through. There was a nice heavily shaded spot next to a brook and I figured to use my phone to plot The Ride from there, deep in the shade because it was getting hot. It felt like at least in the high 80’s and with full sun the shade was quite a bonus. but alas I had no signal at all in that location so I said to my friend “lets double back a couple miles, I saw a really tall McDonald’s sign and they have free internet and air conditioning.” It was agreed and so we did that.

When we arrived at the McDonald’s it was being remodeled. The drive through was open but that was it. There were a couple parking spots out in the open and full sun but the entire place was behind chain link fencing and the place was off limits except for the construction workers. We talked to them a couple minutes and they told us of a couple other restaurants nearby with free WIFI so we decided to go there. We put on jackets, helmets and gloves. He started his bike. I turned on my key and hit the starter.

It was then entropy made itself known and drastically altered the trajectory of The Ride.

Nothing happened again when I hit the starter the second time. The lights were on, the neutral light was on, the radio was working, everything seemed normal except nothing happened when I hit the starter button.

Tune in tomorrow for the third and final part of this adventure.

Untitled trip blog

September 2019 Head Of The Dragon Road Trip

As you can see on the map, the plan was fairly straight forward and simple. We’d meet at the Easton Diner in Easton, MD and have a nice breakfast then be underway. We’d have a nice scenic ride once we cleared the bridge and Annapolis and Washington D.C. and head down  RT 66 to RT 15 which will become RT 29 and we’d ride on down this side of the Shenandoah National Park.  Then we’d pick up RT 64 and ride that through the gap between Skyline Drive and The Blue Ridge Parkway with a possible stop in Waynesboro, VA until we picked up RT 81/Rt 64 outside of Staunton, Va.
Then we’d ride fast on 81 for about an hour or so until good old RT 64 split off and we’d take that for a few hours until we found RD 121 and then we’d just stay on it the rest of the way and enjoy the twisty turning secondary road.
Like I said, after D.C. increasingly nice and scenic as we went until we arrived at The Head Of The Dragon.

But.

There always seems to be a “but” in such a story, doesn’t there? And of course this time there is. The weather in Delaware when I left for Easton was the same as it had been for a week or so. Clear blue sky and moderate temperatures. At 7 am when I did leave for Easton it was in the low 60’s. The bike clicked to life as it always does…key on and just a quick, momentary stab at the starter button and it’s running. You barely even hear what sounds like 1 revolution of the starter. The bike has never really cranked over – ever. The starter button is like a light switch. You touch it and the bike is on. But I digress. Let us just save this starter nonsense for later.

So, I arrive in Easton and the skies have clouded over with a thick grey blanket and the humidity is on the rise. Nonetheless we enjoy a nice breakfast and go over the loosely laid itinerary. We don’t get too heavy into the details in order to avoid the timetable syndrome. We’d just go and stop when we needed gas or food or bathrooms and hopefully all at the same place to have as few stops as possible and as quickly as possible. By the time we left Easton about 9:30 it looked and felt like rain was on the way.

The ride over the bridge was uneventful and even the D.C loop (I 495) barely had any traffic so we made good time. We were a couple hours into the trip and just into VA when we made our first stop. Gas, water, bathroom and go right? Yeah…BUT…!

There was a nicely paved parking lot and we selected a spot out of the way and dismounted…BUT…I stepped on something the size of a rock as I dismounted and my boot slipped and skidded a moment and almost caused me to fall down. I looked down and it was a Buzz Lightyear toy. As I picked it up I said to myself “Into Infinity And Beyond!” as I tossed him in the storage where I keep my kickstand prop for soft ground. Little did I know he was trying to warn me.
It was 12:05 when we pulled in, the parking lot and gas pumps were very busy and a large local construction crew was getting their lunch and I soon discovered a high school excursion with a couple bus loads of kids had stopped by too. The outside was like Grand Central Station with all the people and bunches of cars and trucks coming and going in the mix.
The inside was actually worse. The kids had divided up into their usual gaggles and stationed themselves strategically at each isle and pathway. Furthermore, each gaggle was liquid in form thus making it impossible to plot a course and navigate over, around, under or through without many, many excuse me’s and gentle taps on the shoulders of certain kids so completely engrossed in whatever they were talking about they had lost nearly all connection with the idea of where they were and why.
For their part, the construction workers basically formed a perimeter around the outside walls, having already placed orders for food and stood where the drink coolers are and just gawked openly at the young peoples in their T Shirts and shorts. They were there for food, but their eyes were hungrier. It was creepy.

The cashiers did their level best to work in unexpected disappearances from the registers whenever the lines began to move faster than a slow shuffle. The only people I could actually see working steadily to meet demand were those poor souls trapped in the deli area. They were making and hustling sandwiches and fried chicken and other alleged edibles just as fast as they could and it was not fast enough.

I had made it through the gaggles, past the gauntlet of construction workers and into the hallway where the bathrooms were. Amazingly, the bathroom was empty, BUT….after I washed my hands the hand dryer blower thingy refused to work no matter how many times or speeds or which motions I passed my hands near the sensor. It looked like I was doing a very poorly choreographed new version of The Macarena. I know because one of the construction guys walked in and said “Hey Macarena!” after stopping and observing my efforts.

So I got my bottle of water and stood in the line until it was my turn to pay and I could get out of there. I downed about half the bottle, put it in the cup holder, suited up and we hit the road and soon everything was fine and back on track.

We were enjoying the ride for a couple hours more …BUT…I noticed my GPS was not directing me toward Waynesboro but to stay on 29 and not get on RT 64! I figured there was a traffic problem and we were being rerouted. This new path took us a couple hours out of the way to Lynchburg, VA where we picked up 460 and began heading west in earnest. So that’s ok. It was nice scenery and and we had made good time so I just figured we’d stop for the night sooner and finish the ride tomorrow morning. Then it began raining on us. Then it was raining harder. Then it was such a downpour the traffic slowed down and many had activated their flashers. So we were soaking wet and soon decided to look for a room and spend the night. Besides it was coming on 5 pm by then. We should have been in Welch by then BUT this detour really changed things up.

BUT….we soon discovered there was the Three Day Music festival in Lewisburg and everything was booked for like a hundred miles radius! So we decided to just ride on into the night and continue on the path before us and stop at every exit with a lodging sign until we found a roon. And we did so and got repeatedly turned down until we made it to Princeton, about 70 some miles and several stops later.
There we found a place with room, BUT…it was a single room and we had to share. at least it had separate beds. We were dog tired and hungry. It was a little after 9 pm by now and there was a Hardee’s across the way. We put our stuff in the room and walked over to the Hardee’s in Princeton where we had – by far – the absolute worst hamburgers ever. I ate mine but my friend could not eat his.

We walked back and went to the room and collapsed.

Tune in tomorrow for part two of this adventure!

Paul Jackson Is Jammin’ On…R.I.P.

Paul’s viewing is
Friday 10/4/19 2pm-4pm & 6-8
Kalas Funeral Home
6160 Oxon Hill Rd
Oxon Hill, MD 20745

Funeral Mass
Sat 10/5/19 10am
St. Ignatius Catholic Church
2315 Brinkley Rd
Fort Washington, MD 20744
Internment at Resurrection Cemetery

We would like to honor Paul’s memory with as many motorcycles to ride from the church to the cemetery.

Paul Jackson of Jam On Productions.

March 19, 1955 – Sept 28th 2019

Paul did so much to advance the motorcycle lifestyle, antique motorcycle hobby, along with promoting and staging motorcycle events of all kinds.

He will certainly be missed by anyone who knew him.

If there is any blessing here, it is the fact that Paul passed doing what he loved, attending the White Rose Motorcycle Club grounds during their Fall National Meet, surrounded by many people that loved him.

Many people have reached out offering assistance and asking about the future of Jam-On Productions, Paul made sure to prepare for the event of his passing by ensuring that all events would live on to continue to support and nurture the motorcycle community that he cared about so deeply.

The support that has been shown these last couple days has been amazing and we thank you all very much.

A Fantastic Lunch

So we’re on our way to the Dragons Head and it’s about 1:30 in the afternoon and we’re about to roll past Madison, VA when I spy a sign for food.

So we detour into Madison and stop at the pizza shop. Walking up it made a good if modest impression, which is fine with me.

I’ve enjoyed some of the best food and deserts and camaraderie in such locals. Little did we know today we found another, and it’s the one that my taste buds still remember.

It’s just past midnight as I write this and I can recall the wonderful blend of flavors upon my tastebuds as if I have just savored the last bite!

If you’re running down through Virginia you must take a moment and consider a stop at Jenny Lynd’s Pizza. Crystal, the uncrowned chef who lists being a Disney chef among her credentials will make you a delicious repast.

https://jennylyndspizza.com/

Viking Cycle Jacket Update 2

Today my friend Clint and I met at the Easton Diner for breakfast before we headed west across the bay bridge for the Dragons Head.

It is the figurative and geographic opposite of the Dragons Tail of course and it is located in the southeastern corner of West Virginia.

Almost all the way down through Virginia it began sprinkling on us. A few minutes more and there was lightening and then it rained hard enough some cars put on the flashers and slowed down. Eventually we did too. The speed limit is 70 and everyone was doing 80. Except in the rain they slowed down to about 60!

Anyway the jacket got a good soaking – twice actually and I got wet yes. But not as bad as expected and it dried out thoroughly and quickly!

I like this garment so far.

Here is a picture of it protecting me from a bear.

Viking Cycle Update

So Of course I checked out Viking Cycle USA before I decided to road test any of their products.
I was pretty surprised by what I discovered….

 (more…)

Viking Motorcycle Jacket – M.T. Product Review

(more…)

Gettysburg Bike Week 2019 Press Release

Gettysburg Bike Week 2019
(EXCERPT FROM PRESS RELEASE)

Bands and Bikes Highlight Gettysburg Bike Week 2019 Rally

Record Crowds at Gettysburg Bike Week 2019 18th Anniversary!

Gettysburg Bike Week 2019, Gettysburg, PA (July 19, 2018) – Gettysburg Bike Week kicked off Thursday, July 11, 2019, for its 18th anniversary rally at the All Star Events Family Fun Complex in Gettysburg, PA. With four days of the best bands, events and entertainment. Rally goers turned out in droves to great weather and enjoyed great music, Harley-Davidson demos, bike shows, mini-bike races celebrity appearance from Josh Owens and much much more. Crowd enjoying the music

“We had the best attendance we have ever seen” said event coordinator Kelly Shue. “We work hard throughout the year to make sure we have the best bands, entertainment and vendors for all the riders. This year we seem to have the right combination of them all.”

minibike races

National touring musicians graced the stage every day including Jasmine Cain, and Kashmir to kick the weekend off on Thursday. The Resurrection tour featuring Tantric, Shallow Side, Saving Abel, Saliva and Puddle of Mudd had people showing up early to make sure they got to see as many of the bands as they could.  Saturday, Queensryche closed it out with an amazing show of hard rock musicianship, which was topped off by an awe-inspiring fireworks show. All of these top-flight musicians showed their true colors and played to the crowds energy, providing entertainment for the biggest crowds to date.

Other great music acts playing throughout the weekend included Brickyard Road, Rebel Soul, acoustic wizards Redemption Road, and Sound of Silence featuring teen percussion prodigy Avery the Drummer.

And music was just the beginning when it came to this year’s entertainment.

Legendary emcee Jack Schit presided over it all, performing master of ceremonies duties from the Budweiser Stage with Jen Shade helping to fill in any gaps and help keep a local connection. Mr. Schit added his lightening wit to live events like the world-famous Tattoo Competition, Bike Games and mini-bike racing. The Parade of Chrome, and the Cycle Source Ride-in Bike Show, were all greatly enjoyed by the record breaking crowd.

New this year was the Harley-Davidson demos where riders could select one of seven Harley-Davidsons and take it for a spin and see which one they preferred with no pressure. Gettysburg Bike Week brought in Josh Owens from the hit TV show Moonshiners which, provided lots of opportunities for riders to interact with him in a lot of different settings.

Of course, no rally would be complete without great riding, and Gettysburg features some of the best. Riders enjoyed tours of historic battlegrounds and hundreds of miles of the best riding in the East. And in addition to the fantastic solo riding, GBW patrons had a great time with several charity Poker runs.

This one’s hardly in the books, but you can never start planning too early for next year’s Gettysburg Bike Week which will be July 9-12 2020: New and returning riders can find updates, event scheduling, lodging information and anything they ever needed to know about Gettysburg Bike Week by visiting http://www.gettysburgbikeweek.com.

Gettysburg Bike Week would not have been possible without the generous support of our sponsors Battlefield Harley-Davidson, Budweiser, Gettysburg Trading Post, Hot Leathers, Geico, Stambaugh Law, Dale E Anstine, Color Wheel Flooring America, Tevis Energy, Beckley’s Camping Center, Ride into History and Steinwehr Avenue Business Improvement District.

About Gettysburg Bike Week

Gettysburg Bike Week is Eastern Pennsylvania’s definitive motorcycle rally, featuring great national music acts, historic riding and hospitality that you can only find in a city with this much history. For more information on the Rally, including scheduling, lodging options, and more, visitwww.gettysburgbikeweek.com. Follow them on Instagram and Facebook: @GettysburgBikeWeek or Twitter: @GburgBikeWk.

Note: This press release was edited for content and minor corrections.