In late December I wrote about my friend Greg, and a his newly acquired 1978 Kawasaki KZ 750 (read here).

Here’s an update…

Greg brought the motorcycle back to the shop to evaluate it more closely.  Would this bike be a candidate for a full restoration or a dependable everyday commuter?  After giving the “old girl” a thorough inspection, the decision was made to go the daily commuter route.  Once that issue had been settled Greg laid out his plan of attack.

• Order a manual.
• Break the bike down, clean and inspect.
• Rebuild the carbs.
• Rebuild the brakes.
• Upgrade the electrical system.
• Decided on paint scheme.
• and on and on…

Greg is making good progress as the Kawasaki has now been disassembled and is awaiting paint.  Not long ago Greg’s wife, Teresa, stopped by the shop and asked where his bike was,  Greg replied, while pointing in all directions; “Here, there, and everywhere!” They both had a good laugh about that.  If you have ever tackled a job like this, you know exactly what he means.

Its exciting to see the progress this project is making and I for one, am looking forward to seeing the end result!

to be continued…

With an afternoon void of pressing issues and a short supply of pipe tobacco, I decided to visit “Kings Rook 4″,  a mom and pop tobacco shop located in Tipp City, a small community 35 minutes northwest of Springfield.

Kings Rook 4, has been around for years and has garnered quite a loyal following.  Leah, the white haired proprietor, is up in years and opens the store if she has nothing more immediate on her agenda, I recommend you call ahead!  I first heard of the quaint tobacco shop some 8 or 9 years ago from a good client of mine, but simply had never taken the time to visit.  Today was the day!

Tipp City, was established in 1840 along the Miami and Erie Canal, and boast a population of just under 10,000 residents.  Commerce has blossomed on a section of Main St. now deemed the “Historic District,” and the business owners are working hard to recapture the glory days of this canal towns past.

Tipp, as it is called by the locals, is a short motorcycle ride from Springfield and is easily accessible by a variety of routes.  From Springfield I chose to ride Interstate 70 west to I-75 north, then eastward on 571 which takes you straight into the heart of the Historic District.  This is not the most direct way, but I wanted to open the RT up a bit and my doctor says a little highway speed is good for the  soul.

After an exhilarating ride, I arrived downtown and upon securing my gear, leisurely strolled past the shops.   On my right was the Grounds for Pleasure Coffeehouse, across the street, Sam and Ethel’s restaurant, next door, Browse Awhile Books, and nearby, Kings Rook 4.

Apparently my friend Scott, had called Leah earlier that morning to warn her of my impending arrival, because the moment I entered the shop she exclaimed, “You must be that Springfield fellow.  “Indeed I am” I replied, and with that simple introduction we became friends.

Leah, gave me a quick tour of the store then left me to browse uninterrupted.  With an adequate supply of cigars safely tucked away in my humidor this day’s focus was on securing a few new blends of pipe tobacco.  One by one I removed the old tobacco canisters from the shelf and slowly sampled tobacco blends like, “Peaches and Cream,” “Nougat,” “Blue Note,” and my favorite; “Harvest Moon.”  Nothing calms ones nerves better than a perfectly blended mixture of pipe tobacco.  After a long while, I made my final selections and bid Leah “good day.”  It was time to head home.

My brief visit to Tipp City was pleasurable and one I will definitely do again, it’s the kind of place my wife would enjoy.  I can see us browsing the boutiques, sipping coffee at the outdoor cafe, and thumbing through some old books now out of print.  If you should find yourself sashaying down Main St. in this little community, be certain to drop in on Leah and pick up a few ounces of “Harvest Moon” tobacco. On second thought, you probably should call ahead.

I met Greg several years ago and he has always wanted a motorcycle of his own. In fact he has wanted a bike so much that early this summer he ordered a helmet in preparation for the big day. Well Sunday was the day!

Seems Greg met a fellow who owned a 1978 Kawasaki KZ750, but due to illness hasn’t ridden the bike for a long while.  In fact, the bike has been sitting outside under a tarp for the past 10 years.  Greg decided to purchase the bike as a project and was undaunted by it’s current condition, to be honest, he seems rather giddy about the whole thing.

I met Greg on a cold and blustery, Sunday afternoon to bring the ole’ girl to her new home.  KTRSD will keep a close eye on this restoration and will keep you abreast of the progress.

The clock read 7:00 p.m. and I was outta of there!  Another long day at the office had just ended as I jumped on the RT and headed home.  Traffic was moderate, and my patience quota was on empty.  I hit the throttle heading east on Rt. 40, weaving safely around the perfectly spaced vehicles.  Three blocks from my home I made a right hand turn on a short, and narrow, one way street like I do every evening, except this time I was greeted by a number of flashing lights in my rear view mirror.  “Must be looking for a criminal”, I thought.  Oh, they were.  Me!  It was then I realized the I must have done something wrong.

I pulled to the right side of the curb, as one police cruiser pulled up behind me and a second closed me off on my left side. A large white van with a shield on the side, abruptly closed off the end off the street, only a few yards ahead of me (just like the movies).  Since this isn’t the first time I have been pulled over this year, I instinctively placed my hands on the handlebars, and waited for the officer to approach.  This is always a tense moment because when the officers run my plates, they realize I have a conceal carry permit, and until they pinpoint the position of my firearm, they are always very intense.

Once the pistol issue was addressed, the primary officer was kind and courtesy.  He said he had been following me from the time I left the dealership, and although impressed with the riding skills, didn’t think they were quite appropriate for the city streets.  I thanked him for the compliment, then halfheartedly concurred with his assessment.  He took my drivers license and returned to the cruiser.

While I sat totally exposed on this narrow street, my neighbors were gawking from their windows; waving, smiling, and quite frankly, enjoying my predicament a little too much.  All I could do is smile and wave back.  Bastards!

15 minutes had passed when the second cruiser, and the paddy wagon, pulled away, leaving me with only the primary officer, “This is a good sign” I muttered to myself.  Soon the cop returned to the bike, returned my license, and said even though I was “weaving in and out of traffic”,  I was on not doing so in a “wreck-less manner”, and as such, would not cite me.  I thanked him for his due diligence and slowly rode home.  Living to ride another day!

I’m a sticker guy!  No stickers on any of my cars, but several on the RT.  Turns out they are great conversation starters and in a recent case, almost a conversation stopper.  About a week ago while I was waiting at a stop light, a rusty old van with a couple of inbreds rolled up next to me.  By their demeanor I knew this wasn’t going to turn out well.

Good Old Boy:  “I don’t like them stickers on your motorsickle!”

Me:  “I am amazed you can speak, let alone read!  By the way, I really enjoyed you in Deliverance, you are one heck of a banjo picker!

Always believing there is a God, I now know how Moses felt when the Red Sea parted.  For at that very moment the light turned green and I was away in a flash.

Congratulations to Shawn Bowshier and all the gang at Competition Accessories for being named one of the top 100 dealers in the country by Dealer News Magazine.  This is an award they have received for two consecutive years.

Competition Accessories is located in Springfield, Ohio and have partnered with KTRSD on a number of occasions including this years Bike Night. 

If you are looking for any of the following brands, parts or service, I recommend you give them a call.

Yamaha, Suzuki, Ducati, Honda, Kawasaki

This afternoon I spent the day at “Hot Rods and Harleys” in downtown Springfield.  The annual bike and hot rod show is sponsored by Mid-Ohio Harley Davidson and was a great way to spend a late summer day.  I enjoyed seeing old friends,  listening to the live bands, eating, and basically just hanging out.  Click here to see a few photos of the day.

Hot Rods and Harley’s

This Saturday downtown Springfield will be filled with Hot Rods and Motorcycles!  This is a great time to check out the custom cars and bikes, meet with friends, and support the downtown.  The party goes on from  2 p.m.-10 p.m.

Motorcycles on Meridian

Motorcycles on Meridian, a gathering of thousands of motorcycle enthusiasts, will take place from 7 p.m.-3 a.m. Friday, Aug. 28 and Saturday, Aug. 29 on South Meridian Street in downtown Indianapolis. In 2008, a large gathering of motorcycles and riders descended upon downtown Indianapolis during the inaugural Red Bull Indianapolis GP weekend and parked along Meridian, creating a safe, festive environment for motorcycle enthusiasts.

The event is free and open to everyone, riders and non-riders, to experience the motorcycle culture of Indianapolis.

The “Mild Hogs” are now down to 2, and one of them, just lost a clutch.  Moments ago I spoke with John Chambers, the brain trust (scary) behind a five week motorcycle trip through the west.  Three of the original five, have had to turn back for various reasons, and Dan, the lone Triumph rider, has lost a clutch in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. 

John said despite a couple of set backs, the trip has been a good one, and the scenery has been absolutely breathtaking.  John also bragged the posse has yet to be rained on.  Highlight’s of the trip include riding through the Napa Valley, and along the Oregon coast.  They are set to arrive in Sturgis on Sunday.

On Sunday I spent the day at the AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days, in Lexington, Ohio.  Vintage Days, is America’s grandest celebration of motorcycling heritage, with national championship vintage racing, the world’s largest motorcycle swap meet, new bike demo rides, seminars, classic bike shows, and new product vendors.  BSA motorcycles was the Marque of the Year and Hall of Famer Don Emde, was the Grand Marshal. This is the 18th year of the event and the 15 year at the world renown Mid-Ohio Race track.

A gorgeous blue sky was the back drop as the boys and I, made our way  to the Mid-Ohio race track early Sunday morning.  Entering gate 3, we were soon parked next to a Matchless, a Vincent, a Motto Guzzi,  a Laverda, a BSA,  an Aprilia, and a Triumph.  Not bad company.

The trip to Mid-Ohio was especially exciting this year as my sons were making their initial journey to this Mecca of motorcycles.  I was anxious for them to see the motorcycles many guys their age have never heard of, or perhaps only seen in books.  I wanted them to rub shoulders with other men and women who are passionate about these old steeds, and thereby gain a healthy respect for both the new and the old.

We strolled the amazing grounds of Mid-Ohio, and viewed some wonderful old machines.  We spent a couple of hours walking around the world’s largest motorcycle swap meet looking at parts, wires, gears, rusted frames, and whole bunch of other crap.

By mid afternoon, the sun was beating down, so we positioned ourselves on one of the shaded knolls which surrounds the track and watched some outstanding racing, and may have even dozed off a time or two!

Our experience was greatly enhanced by the many wonderful enthusiast we encountered, one of whom, gave me the quote of the day; “A wet and muddy day at the track, is better than the very best day at work.”

And then a very weary racer, who had just come off the track when I asked him how he did in his heat, his reply:  “Not so well, I did pass a couple other bikes… (sheepishly) but they weren’t in my class!”  Good for you my man!

I even met up with fellow blogger and BMW enthusiast, Jacqui Van Ham.  We hope to do a project together in the very near future.

Attendance figures have not yet been published for the event, but estimates are somewhere near 50,000.  I am not certain of the figures, but I am certain there were 3 guys in attendance who had a fabulous day together, and grew more passionate about motorcycles of all types, especially the vintage ones!

Takin’ the Streets Ministries, and Vineyard Church at Springfield, held their annual “Biker Sunday” yesterday.  Although two separate entities, these ministries united to put on this event.  I must say it is refreshing to see some cooperation between the faithful.

Today’s gathering featured a Christian worship service, followed by a Blessing of the bikes, lunch, and a ride.  It was evident that the organizers have a true passion for what they do, and that they invested a great deal of time and effort, to make this Biker Sunday fruitful. (Click on the pics to enlarge)

See more photos here!