“Keep The Rubber Side Down”

On Monday, a buddy, Mike, stopped by the dealership to show me his newly acquired toy.  The Toy?  A 2001 BMW R1200C.  I instantly fell in love.
BMW began producing the R1200C in 1974, it was this historic company’s first foray into the ever increasing, cruiser market.  Sadly enough, the bike never really caught on, in fact, the BMW cruiser became a lightening rod of strong opinions.  I call it the “Hillary” bike, because you either love it or loathe it!  There is no middle ground!  It seems the cruiser faithful never accept the R1200C as a true cruiser, and the BMW enthusiasts felt betrayed, so production of the motorcycle ceased in 2004, after manufacturing only 40,000 units.

My personal tastes have always swayed toward the unique and the unusual (No offense Honey!), which is the exact reason I really like the looks of this bike.  In fact, I liked it so much I offered to buy it from Mike on the spot.  He politely declined.

If you would like to learn more about the R1200C here’s a few places to  begin.

BMW R1200C  Wikipedia

Chromeheads.org

While riding around Indian Lake I spotted these bikes parked at the local McDonalds

http://youtube.com/watch?v=qDi13GuaBQ8

 It’s amazing how he maneuvers this bike into such tight places.

I am beginning to research how motorcycling in Europe differs from motorcycle in the States.  If anyone can turn me on to some good resources dealing with this subject, I would greatly appreciate your help!

Largest Ever Annual Motorcycle and Scooter Ride To Work Day Expected Wednesday, July 16, 2008This year’s 17th Annual Ride To Work Day is just a month away. The recent rise in gas prices have caused many commuters to turn to motorcycles and scooters to save money on transportation, and they are finding them to be an economical, efficient and enjoyable way to get to work and around town. Because of high world-wide gasoline prices, this is expected to be the largest RTW day ever, in terms of numbers of participants.

According to the United States Census Bureau and the Department of Transportation, over eighty million cars and light trucks are used for daily commuting on American roads, and about 200,000 motorcycles and scooters are a regular part of this mix. On Ride To Work Day, the practical side of riding becomes more visible as a larger number of America’s 8,000,000 cycles are ridden to work.

Ride to Work Day helps demonstrate how these vehicles make parking easier and help traffic flow better. Studies have shown that across equal distances, commuting motorcyclists reach their destinations in less time than those using automobiles, that motorcycles and scooters consume less resources per mile than automobiles, and that they take up less space on roads. Motorcycle and scooter riders seek improved employer recognition and support for this form of transportation, and more public and government awareness of the positive value of riding.

Changes and improvements to the Ride To Work website this year include new interactive forums on topics ranging from lane sharing to insurance and health care issues. The Ride to Work Day website also now accepts credit cards for all propaganda merchandise orders.

from 2WF.com

The Clark County Sheriff’s Department has pulled the tarp off their 2000 Harley Davidson Road King, and put it back into service. Until recently the motorcycle had been used primarily for parades and other ceremonial tasks, but no longer.  Due to rising fuel costs, and a desire to further public relations, Clark County Sheriff, Gene Kelly, has appointed Brian Buxton, a 22 year veteran of the force, to staff this department.  What a great choice! 

 I recently sat down with Brian to discuss his new position and found him to be very passionate about his new duties and bikes in general.  Brian is a true motorcycle enthusiast, and an avid collector of Indian, and Harley Davidson, memorabilia.  Deputy Buxton also has a deep interest in the rich history of motorcycling in the Springfield area.  I am confident Brian will have a positive influence on the residents of Clark County.

Fathers Day around our house turned out to be a Super day!  After completing a chore, or two, we joined Michelles’ mom and dad for lunch.  Then the boys and I headed out for a ride.

We jumped on St. Rt. 68 heading North, travelling through a couple small towns, Urbana, and Bellefontaine, and a couple even smaller ones called, West Liberty, and Russell’s Point.  We soon arrived at the lake and simply hung out.  We sat at McDonald’s watching the boats pull in and out, caught up on the latest happenings in one another’s lives, and laughed a lot.  Nothing flashy, No ties, but good stuff!  

PS

Although not much was said, thoughts of my father were ever present in my mind!  I miss you so much dad!

Recently I have been thinking about the greatest job a guy could have, and I think I may have found it.  The job?  Hosting the Food Network show, “Feasting on Asphalt”.  Yes, in my humble opinion Alton Brown has the best job in the world universe!

If you have never watched this show I recommend you give it a try.  Here’s, the plot…  Alton, and a few buddies jump on their motorcycles and ride all over the country looking for little diners, donut shops, and other types of eateries.  They then sample the burgers, fries, pies, hot dogs, chicken fried steaks, jump back on their bikes and head to the next town. That’s it!  That’s his job description!

• The guy gets to ride all  day.
• Travels all over the country.
• Hangs out with his buddies.
• Eats free food.
• Gets compensated well to do this.

What could be better than that?  BIKES, FOOD, HANGING OUT!   One question, “How do you get that job”?

On Wednesday I rode three hours to the North to attend Ohio Bike Week 2008.  Only a few weeks earlier I had spent a couple of days at Myrtle Beach Bike Week and was eagerly anticipating the energy, the music, and the crowd.

After a pleasant ride I arrived at the Erie County Fairgrounds around 11:30 a.m. to an empty parking lot!  Well, OK, it wasn’t completely empty, there were 4 other bikes and 1 scooter.  I was stunned!  My first reaction was to think I was at the wrong venue, but upon further investigation I was at the right spot, this was the place in town for it to be happenin’, in fact, another biker had just come from the local Harley dealer, and reported there was nothing going on there.  I didn’t know what to do, so I wondered up and down the desolate Midway, walking by mostly closed, vendors booths trying to get my bearings.  This is Bike Week? 

 Now in fairness to the event promoters this was a Wednesday afternoon, and perhaps the party doesn’t heat up until later in the evening, or maybe the weekends rock!  I just don’t know.  But I was deflated.

As I walked around I spoke with a couple of folks who told me this was was a bigger crowd than the day before.  ”You have got to be kidding me”!  Now I have no axe to grind, and I certainly don’t desire to bash any biker event, it’s simply I couldn’t believe no one was there!

If any of you attended the event I would be anxious to see if your experience was anything like mine, or was I just there on a bad day?

While waiting for the burgers to finish on the grill, I grabbed the camera and took a couple photos of the RT.