Took Baby Dae (aka Peppercini) to his first biker picnic yesterday. It was hosted by the Urban Empire MC. Daelen was introduced to all the Aces, and of course everyone thought he was adorable :)
Yesterday was also the Royal Aces' Annual Memorial Ride for Fallen Aces.
All the guys who live in South County rode up to North County to meet up with the LA Aces. Then all the Aces rode south to Dennis Allen Park for the Urban Empire picnic. Then everyone rode north to LA for the Deuces dance. According to my husband, it was a great day :)
PS Learned yesterday that a non-Ace (I.E. me) cannot wear an Ace T-shirt that has the Royal Aces patch on it.
Showing posts with label Rides. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Rides. Show all posts
Sunday, May 15, 2011
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Royal Aces Travel to Las Vegas
The end of January, Chris and I traveled to Las Vegas.
The Aces go to Vegas every January for brother club The Deuces' annual dance.
Being 7 months pregnant, I was not interested in staying home alone all weekend, so I called my friend Kim and had her join me in the Frontier for the road trip.
Chris, however, road Betty all the way there.
He did not ride Betty home, though. We put her in the back of the truck. Not because she was broken, but because my bright idea to walk from Circus Circus to the Bellagio meant we didn't actually leave Vegas on Sunday until 3 pm...
The coolest part about the whole trip was when Chris got to ride the Strip in a pack of bikes. Seriously. WAY cool! Unfortunately, I was in truck behind the pack, so I couldn't take a photo. Gerrie (property of "Taz") was able to take a photo on the way back to the hotel. "Pepper" is in the rear :)
The Aces go to Vegas every January for brother club The Deuces' annual dance.
Being 7 months pregnant, I was not interested in staying home alone all weekend, so I called my friend Kim and had her join me in the Frontier for the road trip.
Chris, however, road Betty all the way there.
He did not ride Betty home, though. We put her in the back of the truck. Not because she was broken, but because my bright idea to walk from Circus Circus to the Bellagio meant we didn't actually leave Vegas on Sunday until 3 pm...
The coolest part about the whole trip was when Chris got to ride the Strip in a pack of bikes. Seriously. WAY cool! Unfortunately, I was in truck behind the pack, so I couldn't take a photo. Gerrie (property of "Taz") was able to take a photo on the way back to the hotel. "Pepper" is in the rear :)
Monday, November 30, 2009
Cook's Corner 11/28/09
We finally convinced Martin to join us on a run up to Cook's Corner. Unfortunately, it was raining. Never deterred by weather, Chris, James, Martin and I hopped in the Pony and made our way up there.
Because of the cold and rain, nothing was doing at Cook's on Sunday. We did have a great lunch though.
We checked into an excellent motel, the Irvine Suites, and then headed out to Big Shots for some billiards.
Martin got to go to a bar!
Who has a better butt?!
We woke up Sunday to gorgeous weather, so we took Martin back to Cook's. There were more bikes there than on Saturday, but unfortunately Martin had to work that afternoon, so we had to jam out.
I did get a couple photos of some old bikes.
All-in-all, excellent road trip!
Because of the cold and rain, nothing was doing at Cook's on Sunday. We did have a great lunch though.
We checked into an excellent motel, the Irvine Suites, and then headed out to Big Shots for some billiards.
Martin got to go to a bar!
Who has a better butt?!
We woke up Sunday to gorgeous weather, so we took Martin back to Cook's. There were more bikes there than on Saturday, but unfortunately Martin had to work that afternoon, so we had to jam out.
I did get a couple photos of some old bikes.
All-in-all, excellent road trip!
Monday, November 9, 2009
Our First Overnighter
Happy Birthday to me...Happy Birthday to me...Happy Birthday Dear Bad Ass...Happy Birthday to ME!!
For my birthday weekend, we took our bikes on their first “overnighter.” (No, the bikes sleeping at the clubhouse does not count!)
When we traveled to Cook's Corner the Sunday prior, we were on a very tight schedule, so I was not comfortable riding my motorcycle up there. Chris and James rode their Harleys and I drove the Pony. This plan worked for me for at least three reasons:
1. I got to smoke during the 90-minute car ride to Lake Forest.
2. I got to sing the whole way to Cook’s Corner.
3. I got to turn on the heat on the way home ;)
Though I could see the benefits in not riding my motorcycle to Orange County, I did, however, still want to ride to the most awesome biker bar in Southern California. The guys agreed that if James enjoyed Cook’s then we would all return the following weekend (for what I like to call the “The First Ever Birthday Run”).
Chris suggested we stay in a hotel close to Cook’s on Saturday night so we would not have to ride home in the cold dark night. I definitely liked that idea!
The Birthday Run almost didn’t happen. First, Chris contracted the H1N1 virus. His temperature was almost 104 degrees when Medical sent him home Wednesday! Thankfully, his wife is an excellent nurse and even though he wasn’t feeling 100 percent, he felt good enough to ride his bike. (It probably helped that he had not even seen his motorcycle in three days…he was going through withdrawals!)
Second, we woke up to cloudy skies and 55 degrees. Brrrrr! That did NOT sound like a super happy awesomely fun birthday run. Truthfully, I would have been cool if James had said it was too cold or if Chris had said he did not feel up to the ride. Thankfully, the boys still wanted to go.
Unfortunately, Martin and Ko did not go :( Apparently, they had had a rough week at work…regardless of their personal circumstances, I was a little peeved that they were ditching me on my birthday. (But maybe, that was their payback for me taking forever to post pictures of their new bikes on the blog. Touché!)
Chris led, I rode in the middle and James covered my ass. Unfortunately for him that meant almost getting an eye taken out by the visor that flew off my helmet at 75 MPH. That also meant rarely getting into sixth gear and almost rear-ending me when Chris made a sudden turn and I did not know what to do. I made Chris buy James lunch for his patience.
Not only does Cook’s Corner have live music, an on-site biker accessory store, lots of motorcycles to ogle, and MCs to discover, but they also have really good food!
Some of the Motorcycle Clubs we have seen at Cook’s Corner include:
Eagles of Capistrano
Ruff Riders
Vagos
Hessians
Pasadena MC
HOG Chapters
Flaming Knights
Devil Dolls
(If you want to see Angels, you have to go to Hell's Kitchen.)
We took the 94 West from the Clubhouse and hopped onto the 805 North. The 805, by the way, is a horrible ride on a motorcycle. I recommend avoiding it.
In Solano Beach, we jumped on the PCH to enjoy the ocean views. We enjoyed a leisurely ride all the way to Oceanside where we stopped to put gas in my cute little bike. We hopped back on the 5, but then had to stop at the rest stop just outside of Oceanside because the gas station’s restroom was out of order.
A lady on a Harley pulled up behind us and we had a nice little chat about the joys of riding. She suggested we try the S2 from Ocotillo Wells to Julian. We suggested she check out Cook’s Corner and went on our way.
We took the 5 North all the way to El Toro Road. Originally we had planned to pick up the PCH again in Dana Point, but the coast was much cooler than the 5, so I was not really interested anymore.
One of the coolest moments of my 31st year (so far) was while heading inland on El Toro Road in Lake Forest, California. I have not been to Cook’s Corner enough to have all the landmarks memorized, but there is a point where you go over a little hill and suddenly - BAM! - there are all these bikes lined up in the distance.
Truly, my heart skipped a beat - I fucking made it! Me and my cute little 250 rode 94 miles successfully! If I wasn’t so scared to take my hands off the handlebars, I totally would have pumped my fist in the air!
And then, I almost dumped my bike. LOL. Thankfully, my bike is so small and light; I can always catch it before it actually falls.
We arrived at Cook’s around 1 p.m. and hung out for about 3.5 hours. One of the first things we noticed is that foundation seems to work like Velcro for road grime. My face was almost completely black!
Unfortunately, while we were there, an accident occurred. A line of bikes was waiting to make a left turn into Cook’s. A Jeep Cherokee, going northbound on El Toro at 50 MPH somehow crossed the double yellow and hit the first bike head on…how in the world it happened, I will never know. How it is that the only casualty was the front-end of one bike, is a true miracle.
The coolest part was to see every single biker at Cook’s Corner rush on to the street the minute we heard brakes squeal. One guy was particularly overzealous at making sure whoever was driving the four-wheeled vehicle did not leave the scene. Thankfully, he calmed down a little when a woman stepped out of the driver’s side of the Jeep.
Though my heart was broken for the 60ish man who had to have his bike towed away from Cook’s Corner, I must admit, I also felt bad for the lady who hit him…It must have been a horrible experience for her. A suburban Orange County blonde in a pale blue velvet sweat suit in front of a biker bar…Seriously, if you accidentally hit a motorcycle, do not do it when 150 bikers are standing around.
I bought a Crampbuster contraption to test out and Chris bought me a guardian bell to hang on my bike.
The boys also picked up more spikes, and I bought my first sticker, “Cleverly disguised as a responsible adult.”
We saw a lot of great bikes, including the Captain America from Easy Rider. I would have taken more pictures, but we didn’t feel “cool” being touristy. This guy didn't seem to mind though. We also saw a guy do a wheelie!
Around 4:30 we rolled out to check-in to the nearest hotel. We found a Marriott about two miles away off Glenn Ranch Road. After checking in, we decided to go play pool at Big Shots on El Toro. We played pool for five hours! Bikes, billiards, laughs and Atomic Dog by George Clinton (the extended version even) - seriously, that is the best birthday Saturday a girl could ask for!!
I fell asleep Saturday wondering what cool adventures Sunday would bring, and I was not disappointed.
Chris and I did not pack anything for this trip, because we weren’t sure if the saddlebags we bought for my bike would really work. Waking up in the morning with no toiletries or change of clothes makes it really easy to determine what few items would have made my life easier Sunday morning. On our next overnighter, Chris and I plan to bring:
Deodorant (Travel-Size for each of us)
Toothpaste (I can use my finger to brush, but I need the cleaning agent!)
Q-Tips (I NEED to get the water out of my ears.)
Comb (I also need to get the snarls out of my hair.)
Lotion (For massages after a loooooong ride!)
T-Shirt (I refused to return to Cook’s on Sunday, because I was in the same shirt.)
We met up with James around 10 am, and headed out to find breakfast. The nearest Denny’s was in the perfect location - on El Toro right before the 5! I tried a new dish they have - a Grand Slamwich. It was SO delicious. I don’t normally try new food, but this sandwich was definitely awesome!
During breakfast, we realized we hadn’t taken any pictures yesterday (except for the Captain America bike at Cook’s). I suggested stopping at the View Point on the 5 just north of the rest stop. The guys agreed, so off we went in search of an excellent ocean view to showcase our motorcycles.
Unfortunately, when we got to the view point, the asphalt was actually much farther from the ocean than I remembered and the sky was hazy. And then, a big dumb AT&T semi pulled up in front of us blocking our entire ocean view. Doubly unfortunate were the two cups of coffee and large orange juice I had drunk at breakfast. There was not a restroom at the view point, so I had to get back on my bike and ride 3 miles before relieving myself.
I figured out on that first long ride of the day that my uber-tight full-fingered gloves help with the circulation in my fingers. Who knew?!
From the rest stop, we decided to take the 5 South to the 76 where we would try to find Renegade Classics, a biker store advertised in the Quick Throttle magazine. From the time we got to the 76, it took us approximately 45 minutes to find that store. Thankfully, the weather was beautiful so all the back and forth and U-turns and stops for map checks weren’t too much hassle. Next time, I’ll make sure James actually puts the address in his GPS rather than just the street name…
During this leg of the trip, I finally got my Crampbuster in the correct position on my throttle and was able to use it. Love it! Highly recommend it.
We found Renegade Classics, and it turned out pretty cool. Not surprisingly, my husband bought ANOTHER helmet. That brings the total to seven! (One of the helmets we did have was offloaded to Mr. John Martin.)
We left Renegade and decided to take the PCH from Oceanside. The sun was starting to go down, so we got some awesome views while traveling along the ocean. We stopped around Encinitas and took a couple pictures. It was a little difficult with the sun and the traffic, but we managed.
Why are we laughing? Because a sweaty jogger in an A-Shirt and tiny running shorts offered to take a picture!
After the pictures, we got on the 5 and headed home. The ride from Encinitas to Lemon Grove was MUCH colder than I expected. It was actually the first time on the whole trip that I got cold.
Somehow I ended up in the lead on the way home and barreled down the 5 to the 94 East as fast as my little bike would carry me. When we got to the exit for the clubhouse, I was so relieved; I traveled about 30 MPH the rest of the way to James’ house.
Interesting side note: it took me eight months to get 200 miles on my odometer. I doubled that this weekend :D
Chris decided he wanted to barbecue, so while he went and picked up Brytin, James and I went to Albertson’s and bought steaks. We also rented a couple movies from Blockbuster - Gran Torino being the one I demanded James watch. He didn’t like it so much, but he did enjoy Stepbrothers.
We finally got home from our first overnighter late Sunday/early Monday and fell asleep. What a great trip!! I can’t wait until the next Motorcycle Adventure!
P.S.
My bike finally has a name. Ladies and Gentleman, meet Sarah
Chris’ bike is named Betty
James’ is named Charlene
Martin’s bike is named Cherry.
Ko is still working on his. I think it should be Chelsea (because Cherry and Chelsea are fraternal twins).
For my birthday weekend, we took our bikes on their first “overnighter.” (No, the bikes sleeping at the clubhouse does not count!)
When we traveled to Cook's Corner the Sunday prior, we were on a very tight schedule, so I was not comfortable riding my motorcycle up there. Chris and James rode their Harleys and I drove the Pony. This plan worked for me for at least three reasons:
1. I got to smoke during the 90-minute car ride to Lake Forest.
2. I got to sing the whole way to Cook’s Corner.
3. I got to turn on the heat on the way home ;)
Though I could see the benefits in not riding my motorcycle to Orange County, I did, however, still want to ride to the most awesome biker bar in Southern California. The guys agreed that if James enjoyed Cook’s then we would all return the following weekend (for what I like to call the “The First Ever Birthday Run”).
Chris suggested we stay in a hotel close to Cook’s on Saturday night so we would not have to ride home in the cold dark night. I definitely liked that idea!
The Birthday Run almost didn’t happen. First, Chris contracted the H1N1 virus. His temperature was almost 104 degrees when Medical sent him home Wednesday! Thankfully, his wife is an excellent nurse and even though he wasn’t feeling 100 percent, he felt good enough to ride his bike. (It probably helped that he had not even seen his motorcycle in three days…he was going through withdrawals!)
Second, we woke up to cloudy skies and 55 degrees. Brrrrr! That did NOT sound like a super happy awesomely fun birthday run. Truthfully, I would have been cool if James had said it was too cold or if Chris had said he did not feel up to the ride. Thankfully, the boys still wanted to go.
Unfortunately, Martin and Ko did not go :( Apparently, they had had a rough week at work…regardless of their personal circumstances, I was a little peeved that they were ditching me on my birthday. (But maybe, that was their payback for me taking forever to post pictures of their new bikes on the blog. Touché!)
Chris led, I rode in the middle and James covered my ass. Unfortunately for him that meant almost getting an eye taken out by the visor that flew off my helmet at 75 MPH. That also meant rarely getting into sixth gear and almost rear-ending me when Chris made a sudden turn and I did not know what to do. I made Chris buy James lunch for his patience.
Not only does Cook’s Corner have live music, an on-site biker accessory store, lots of motorcycles to ogle, and MCs to discover, but they also have really good food!
Some of the Motorcycle Clubs we have seen at Cook’s Corner include:
Eagles of Capistrano
Ruff Riders
Vagos
Hessians
Pasadena MC
HOG Chapters
Flaming Knights
Devil Dolls
(If you want to see Angels, you have to go to Hell's Kitchen.)
We took the 94 West from the Clubhouse and hopped onto the 805 North. The 805, by the way, is a horrible ride on a motorcycle. I recommend avoiding it.
In Solano Beach, we jumped on the PCH to enjoy the ocean views. We enjoyed a leisurely ride all the way to Oceanside where we stopped to put gas in my cute little bike. We hopped back on the 5, but then had to stop at the rest stop just outside of Oceanside because the gas station’s restroom was out of order.
A lady on a Harley pulled up behind us and we had a nice little chat about the joys of riding. She suggested we try the S2 from Ocotillo Wells to Julian. We suggested she check out Cook’s Corner and went on our way.
We took the 5 North all the way to El Toro Road. Originally we had planned to pick up the PCH again in Dana Point, but the coast was much cooler than the 5, so I was not really interested anymore.
One of the coolest moments of my 31st year (so far) was while heading inland on El Toro Road in Lake Forest, California. I have not been to Cook’s Corner enough to have all the landmarks memorized, but there is a point where you go over a little hill and suddenly - BAM! - there are all these bikes lined up in the distance.
Truly, my heart skipped a beat - I fucking made it! Me and my cute little 250 rode 94 miles successfully! If I wasn’t so scared to take my hands off the handlebars, I totally would have pumped my fist in the air!
And then, I almost dumped my bike. LOL. Thankfully, my bike is so small and light; I can always catch it before it actually falls.
We arrived at Cook’s around 1 p.m. and hung out for about 3.5 hours. One of the first things we noticed is that foundation seems to work like Velcro for road grime. My face was almost completely black!
Unfortunately, while we were there, an accident occurred. A line of bikes was waiting to make a left turn into Cook’s. A Jeep Cherokee, going northbound on El Toro at 50 MPH somehow crossed the double yellow and hit the first bike head on…how in the world it happened, I will never know. How it is that the only casualty was the front-end of one bike, is a true miracle.
The coolest part was to see every single biker at Cook’s Corner rush on to the street the minute we heard brakes squeal. One guy was particularly overzealous at making sure whoever was driving the four-wheeled vehicle did not leave the scene. Thankfully, he calmed down a little when a woman stepped out of the driver’s side of the Jeep.
Though my heart was broken for the 60ish man who had to have his bike towed away from Cook’s Corner, I must admit, I also felt bad for the lady who hit him…It must have been a horrible experience for her. A suburban Orange County blonde in a pale blue velvet sweat suit in front of a biker bar…Seriously, if you accidentally hit a motorcycle, do not do it when 150 bikers are standing around.
I bought a Crampbuster contraption to test out and Chris bought me a guardian bell to hang on my bike.
The boys also picked up more spikes, and I bought my first sticker, “Cleverly disguised as a responsible adult.”
We saw a lot of great bikes, including the Captain America from Easy Rider. I would have taken more pictures, but we didn’t feel “cool” being touristy. This guy didn't seem to mind though. We also saw a guy do a wheelie!Around 4:30 we rolled out to check-in to the nearest hotel. We found a Marriott about two miles away off Glenn Ranch Road. After checking in, we decided to go play pool at Big Shots on El Toro. We played pool for five hours! Bikes, billiards, laughs and Atomic Dog by George Clinton (the extended version even) - seriously, that is the best birthday Saturday a girl could ask for!!
I fell asleep Saturday wondering what cool adventures Sunday would bring, and I was not disappointed.
Chris and I did not pack anything for this trip, because we weren’t sure if the saddlebags we bought for my bike would really work. Waking up in the morning with no toiletries or change of clothes makes it really easy to determine what few items would have made my life easier Sunday morning. On our next overnighter, Chris and I plan to bring:
Deodorant (Travel-Size for each of us)
Toothpaste (I can use my finger to brush, but I need the cleaning agent!)
Q-Tips (I NEED to get the water out of my ears.)
Comb (I also need to get the snarls out of my hair.)
Lotion (For massages after a loooooong ride!)
T-Shirt (I refused to return to Cook’s on Sunday, because I was in the same shirt.)
We met up with James around 10 am, and headed out to find breakfast. The nearest Denny’s was in the perfect location - on El Toro right before the 5! I tried a new dish they have - a Grand Slamwich. It was SO delicious. I don’t normally try new food, but this sandwich was definitely awesome!
During breakfast, we realized we hadn’t taken any pictures yesterday (except for the Captain America bike at Cook’s). I suggested stopping at the View Point on the 5 just north of the rest stop. The guys agreed, so off we went in search of an excellent ocean view to showcase our motorcycles.
Unfortunately, when we got to the view point, the asphalt was actually much farther from the ocean than I remembered and the sky was hazy. And then, a big dumb AT&T semi pulled up in front of us blocking our entire ocean view. Doubly unfortunate were the two cups of coffee and large orange juice I had drunk at breakfast. There was not a restroom at the view point, so I had to get back on my bike and ride 3 miles before relieving myself.
I figured out on that first long ride of the day that my uber-tight full-fingered gloves help with the circulation in my fingers. Who knew?!
From the rest stop, we decided to take the 5 South to the 76 where we would try to find Renegade Classics, a biker store advertised in the Quick Throttle magazine. From the time we got to the 76, it took us approximately 45 minutes to find that store. Thankfully, the weather was beautiful so all the back and forth and U-turns and stops for map checks weren’t too much hassle. Next time, I’ll make sure James actually puts the address in his GPS rather than just the street name…
During this leg of the trip, I finally got my Crampbuster in the correct position on my throttle and was able to use it. Love it! Highly recommend it. We found Renegade Classics, and it turned out pretty cool. Not surprisingly, my husband bought ANOTHER helmet. That brings the total to seven! (One of the helmets we did have was offloaded to Mr. John Martin.)
We left Renegade and decided to take the PCH from Oceanside. The sun was starting to go down, so we got some awesome views while traveling along the ocean. We stopped around Encinitas and took a couple pictures. It was a little difficult with the sun and the traffic, but we managed.
Why are we laughing? Because a sweaty jogger in an A-Shirt and tiny running shorts offered to take a picture!
After the pictures, we got on the 5 and headed home. The ride from Encinitas to Lemon Grove was MUCH colder than I expected. It was actually the first time on the whole trip that I got cold.
Somehow I ended up in the lead on the way home and barreled down the 5 to the 94 East as fast as my little bike would carry me. When we got to the exit for the clubhouse, I was so relieved; I traveled about 30 MPH the rest of the way to James’ house.
Interesting side note: it took me eight months to get 200 miles on my odometer. I doubled that this weekend :DChris decided he wanted to barbecue, so while he went and picked up Brytin, James and I went to Albertson’s and bought steaks. We also rented a couple movies from Blockbuster - Gran Torino being the one I demanded James watch. He didn’t like it so much, but he did enjoy Stepbrothers.
We finally got home from our first overnighter late Sunday/early Monday and fell asleep. What a great trip!! I can’t wait until the next Motorcycle Adventure!
P.S.
My bike finally has a name. Ladies and Gentleman, meet Sarah
Chris’ bike is named Betty
James’ is named Charlene
Martin’s bike is named Cherry.
Ko is still working on his. I think it should be Chelsea (because Cherry and Chelsea are fraternal twins).
Sunday, November 1, 2009
Cook's Corner
Chris and I took James up to Cook's Corner in Trabuco Canyon. Since I was in the Mustang, I decided to take a few pictures on the way...
Monday, October 26, 2009
Have I Introduced Ko?
The Not-Yet Operational Club has a new prospect - Ko. He also works with Chris, James and Martin.
When he joined the group, he did not have a motorcycle. He had never ridden a motorcycle. He had no idea what kind of motorcycle he wanted. The guys all took him to a Harley dealership to have him sit on those. He liked them, but was not yet convinced.
The day that San Diego House of Motorcycles had their Fall Expo, Chris, James and I rode our bikes over there. It was the first time our bikes had been back to the place we bought them. Ray, our salesman, was there with some unfortunate news - it was his last day. Though I am excited for him to start his new adventure in asphalt, I was sad to see him go.
Ko was too busy watching television to hurry up and get to SDHM to sit on some metric bikes. While waiting, Mr. John Martin managed to find a VStar 1100 that he totally adored. After calling his mom for financial advice, he decided to go for it. James and Martin went to Jason's and picked up Martin's Sportster so that Ray could give him a trade-in offer.
As it turns out, the problem Martin was having with second gear on his Sportster would cost about $2500 to fix, so his trade-in value was a little less than he paid for it, but he still got a sweet deal on an awesome bike.
Ko finally showed up and found another VStar 1100 that he liked. His was a different color than Martin's and had none of the customization. It was a great deal for a first-timer. Ko checked out every other bike in the store, but settled on the VStar.
After about six hours of financing haggling for the two bikes, we finally loaded them on the truck and headed back to the clubhouse.
Unfortunately, on the way there, Martin's bike tipped over :( However, the dent in his tank honestly looks like it belongs there. If only we could figure out how to make an identical one on the other side...
Chris bought another helmet and another jacket. I bought saddle bags.
The boys did some customizing to their new bikes. Martin removed the pad from his sissy bar, and Ko removed his passenger seat. Martin, James and Chris took a victory lap around the block, and then called it a night.
We then met up on Sunday so the boys could ride their new motorcycles.
As always, Martin can be found washing his motorcycle.
The guy who didn't get a new bike this weekend.
Teaching Ko the basics.
Stabling the horse.
Oh! Remember Mr. Happy?
Well, give him some throaty exhaust and he turns into Mr. BadAss!
When he joined the group, he did not have a motorcycle. He had never ridden a motorcycle. He had no idea what kind of motorcycle he wanted. The guys all took him to a Harley dealership to have him sit on those. He liked them, but was not yet convinced.
The day that San Diego House of Motorcycles had their Fall Expo, Chris, James and I rode our bikes over there. It was the first time our bikes had been back to the place we bought them. Ray, our salesman, was there with some unfortunate news - it was his last day. Though I am excited for him to start his new adventure in asphalt, I was sad to see him go.
Ko was too busy watching television to hurry up and get to SDHM to sit on some metric bikes. While waiting, Mr. John Martin managed to find a VStar 1100 that he totally adored. After calling his mom for financial advice, he decided to go for it. James and Martin went to Jason's and picked up Martin's Sportster so that Ray could give him a trade-in offer.
As it turns out, the problem Martin was having with second gear on his Sportster would cost about $2500 to fix, so his trade-in value was a little less than he paid for it, but he still got a sweet deal on an awesome bike.
Ko finally showed up and found another VStar 1100 that he liked. His was a different color than Martin's and had none of the customization. It was a great deal for a first-timer. Ko checked out every other bike in the store, but settled on the VStar. After about six hours of financing haggling for the two bikes, we finally loaded them on the truck and headed back to the clubhouse.
Unfortunately, on the way there, Martin's bike tipped over :( However, the dent in his tank honestly looks like it belongs there. If only we could figure out how to make an identical one on the other side...
Chris bought another helmet and another jacket. I bought saddle bags.
The boys did some customizing to their new bikes. Martin removed the pad from his sissy bar, and Ko removed his passenger seat. Martin, James and Chris took a victory lap around the block, and then called it a night.
We then met up on Sunday so the boys could ride their new motorcycles.
As always, Martin can be found washing his motorcycle.
The guy who didn't get a new bike this weekend.
Teaching Ko the basics.
Stabling the horse.
Oh! Remember Mr. Happy?
Well, give him some throaty exhaust and he turns into Mr. BadAss!
Thursday, September 10, 2009
The Prospect: A Day in the Life of the Not-Yet-Operational MC
The bikers Chris rides with – James and Jason – are friends he met at work. They are good guys. They have been riding motorcycles for a long time and have helped Chris become an excellent motorcycle rider.
The guys have talked about starting a Motorcycle Club (MC) for months, but have not yet got anything up and running. (I will talk about their stint with the VFW MC in another post.) Even though the Unseen Scorned Hawks Riding their Forsaken Iron Spades Together (USHRFIST) is not yet operational, the guys did manage to obtain a prospect – Mr. Martin.
He bought his 1200 Sportster a couple weeks ago. Ever since, we have had a lot of fun helping him learn how to ride it. First he rode around in the small parking lot at Jason’s apartment. Then this past Saturday we took him to a (mostly) empty large parking lot.
Chris had the (un)pleasure of being the one to ride Martin’s Sportster from Jason’s house to the Mervyn’s parking lot (approximately five miles). Apparently, a Sportster is a lot different than Chris’s Street Bob…he stalled it, he got passed by Jason, and he could not stop complaining about how it controls. BUT! He did get the opportunity to wear his new helmet. That’s right! We now have 7 helmets!
We had Martin weave around the barriers in the lot and make some turns (previously he had only ridden in straight lines and then walked the bike through a U-Turn). He got pretty comfortable with those tasks (and only almost got hit by a car once or twice). Two-year-old Hagen was on cue with his “Uh oh” every time Martin drove past us.
We wrapped it up for the night and agreed to meet at James’ house the next morning.
SIDE NOTE: Somehow, James the Hermit avoided the 45-minute conversation we got trapped in with his neighbor – a black woman named Sheniqua (or something ghetto-fabulous like that), who was a born-again Christian with a psychology degree. Literally, she spent 45 minutes psycho-analyzing my husband while telling us all about the miracles God has performed in her life and making sure we all KNOW she wears the pants in her marriage.
Eventually we all arrived at the “club house” Sunday morning. The guys chatted for a while and then adjusted the gear shifters on both my bike and Martin’s bike. Chris, James and Jason wanted Martin to work on his emergency stop. A little rough at first, but after the third of fourth attempt, he got the hang of it.
Apparently bored out of his mind, James suddenly decided to come blazing out of his garage with his Harley Rocker. Loud as all get-out with his after-market Vance and Hines Big Radius 2-in-2 exhaust, I was worried that he would piss off his neighbors. Even more worried that they would call the cops, I ran out in the street flailing his helmet and sunglasses.
And suddenly, they all mounted their horses and decided to take Martin around the block. I am pretty sure it was a cool moment for all of them. (Finally adding Dudley to their group makes them official, right?)
Jason left to go work on his 13-window VW bus, and the rest of us returned to the vacant parking lot. I worked on my right turns – who knew right turns were more difficult than left ones? I did not, until James said something, and I realized I was making all left turns. So, I forced myself to go round and round and round a barrier clockwise until I was dizzy. I did improve my right turns, but I am sure I looked like an idiot.
Speaking of looking like an idiot, Chris got on my Honda Rebel to try out a course he had set up of figure 8s. I do not know if the pictures accurately portray the reality, but he truly looked like a circus act running figure 8s on my 250cc motorcycle. (Did anyone see the episode of Sons of Anarchy where Half-Sack rode a mini-bike to tail the deputy?)
We spent a couple hours running drills in the parking lot. Martin actually got much much better at making turns than that first night in Jason’s driveway when he almost drove through a garage door.
When we were all tired of running circles around cones and trees, we took all the bikes back to James’ house. Martin really wanted to wash his bike, but James did not have a hose. After contemplating the repercussions of stealing Sheniqua’s hose, Chris hopped on the Bob and disappeared. He returned about 20 minutes later with a hose wrapped around his handlebars.
I voted that the Prospect should have to clean my bike, but Chris (aka The Prez, Eddie Zero or DJ Easydick) said that Martin is a full-patch member now, so we have to go back to picking on Squidward. So, I made The Prez wash my bike. Just kidding. He volunteered – Thank you, Baby!
Martin bought us pizza and then spent three hours washing and polishing his bike. I am not exaggerating. Three hours.
Meanwhile, I took a nap (which I was so very cruelly awakened from), and Chris did a bunch of random customization on his bike. He removed the reflectors from his forks; he removed the reflectors from his rear fender and then removed the front fender. Call me crazy, but don’t fenders and reflectors serve a purpose?!
Jason ditched us to work on the Iceman Charger bus. The rest of us watched the final five episodes of Season One of Sons of Anarchy. Season Two started Sept 8! Woo hoo!
Not as exciting as a cross-country trip, but yet a totally awesome day in the life!
The guys have talked about starting a Motorcycle Club (MC) for months, but have not yet got anything up and running. (I will talk about their stint with the VFW MC in another post.) Even though the Unseen Scorned Hawks Riding their Forsaken Iron Spades Together (USHRFIST) is not yet operational, the guys did manage to obtain a prospect – Mr. Martin. 
He bought his 1200 Sportster a couple weeks ago. Ever since, we have had a lot of fun helping him learn how to ride it. First he rode around in the small parking lot at Jason’s apartment. Then this past Saturday we took him to a (mostly) empty large parking lot.Chris had the (un)pleasure of being the one to ride Martin’s Sportster from Jason’s house to the Mervyn’s parking lot (approximately five miles). Apparently, a Sportster is a lot different than Chris’s Street Bob…he stalled it, he got passed by Jason, and he could not stop complaining about how it controls. BUT! He did get the opportunity to wear his new helmet. That’s right! We now have 7 helmets!
We had Martin weave around the barriers in the lot and make some turns (previously he had only ridden in straight lines and then walked the bike through a U-Turn). He got pretty comfortable with those tasks (and only almost got hit by a car once or twice). Two-year-old Hagen was on cue with his “Uh oh” every time Martin drove past us.
We wrapped it up for the night and agreed to meet at James’ house the next morning. SIDE NOTE: Somehow, James the Hermit avoided the 45-minute conversation we got trapped in with his neighbor – a black woman named Sheniqua (or something ghetto-fabulous like that), who was a born-again Christian with a psychology degree. Literally, she spent 45 minutes psycho-analyzing my husband while telling us all about the miracles God has performed in her life and making sure we all KNOW she wears the pants in her marriage.
Eventually we all arrived at the “club house” Sunday morning. The guys chatted for a while and then adjusted the gear shifters on both my bike and Martin’s bike. Chris, James and Jason wanted Martin to work on his emergency stop. A little rough at first, but after the third of fourth attempt, he got the hang of it.
Apparently bored out of his mind, James suddenly decided to come blazing out of his garage with his Harley Rocker. Loud as all get-out with his after-market Vance and Hines Big Radius 2-in-2 exhaust, I was worried that he would piss off his neighbors. Even more worried that they would call the cops, I ran out in the street flailing his helmet and sunglasses.
And suddenly, they all mounted their horses and decided to take Martin around the block. I am pretty sure it was a cool moment for all of them. (Finally adding Dudley to their group makes them official, right?)Jason left to go work on his 13-window VW bus, and the rest of us returned to the vacant parking lot. I worked on my right turns – who knew right turns were more difficult than left ones? I did not, until James said something, and I realized I was making all left turns. So, I forced myself to go round and round and round a barrier clockwise until I was dizzy. I did improve my right turns, but I am sure I looked like an idiot.
Speaking of looking like an idiot, Chris got on my Honda Rebel to try out a course he had set up of figure 8s. I do not know if the pictures accurately portray the reality, but he truly looked like a circus act running figure 8s on my 250cc motorcycle. (Did anyone see the episode of Sons of Anarchy where Half-Sack rode a mini-bike to tail the deputy?) We spent a couple hours running drills in the parking lot. Martin actually got much much better at making turns than that first night in Jason’s driveway when he almost drove through a garage door.
When we were all tired of running circles around cones and trees, we took all the bikes back to James’ house. Martin really wanted to wash his bike, but James did not have a hose. After contemplating the repercussions of stealing Sheniqua’s hose, Chris hopped on the Bob and disappeared. He returned about 20 minutes later with a hose wrapped around his handlebars.
I voted that the Prospect should have to clean my bike, but Chris (aka The Prez, Eddie Zero or DJ Easydick) said that Martin is a full-patch member now, so we have to go back to picking on Squidward. So, I made The Prez wash my bike. Just kidding. He volunteered – Thank you, Baby!
Martin bought us pizza and then spent three hours washing and polishing his bike. I am not exaggerating. Three hours.
Meanwhile, I took a nap (which I was so very cruelly awakened from), and Chris did a bunch of random customization on his bike. He removed the reflectors from his forks; he removed the reflectors from his rear fender and then removed the front fender. Call me crazy, but don’t fenders and reflectors serve a purpose?!
Jason ditched us to work on the Iceman Charger bus. The rest of us watched the final five episodes of Season One of Sons of Anarchy. Season Two started Sept 8! Woo hoo!
Not as exciting as a cross-country trip, but yet a totally awesome day in the life!
Friday, August 28, 2009
Our First Ride
I know I'm jumping ahead in the story, but I have to share with you this most awesome moment Chris and I have shared thus far.
Finally, we were alone with the opportunity to ride our motorcycles together. Finally, we had the chance to get on our bikes and R I D E ! ! Just the two of us. Free. Wind in our faces, free.
It was so very much fun!! I'm not much of a descriptive writer, so my words truly cannot describe the fun, excitement, joy I felt riding with my husband on our motorcycles for the first time. I didn't take any photos of us, because we were short on time.
Brytin had his first day of school Aug 17, and so it presented us with some alone time. After dropping off Adrienne, we went back to the house. Chris was planning to wash the bikes - mine was filthy from sitting, his was filty from riding.
Around 11:00, Chris got a call from work saying that he had to go in for a minute. My hopes of our first ride almost vanished. But, ever awesome, my husband was able to go into work and get back in time for us to ride for a short while.
I haven't ridden much since getting my bike, especially not on the freeway, so I was hoping to gain some experience (read: confidence) by following him. After all, if I was following him, I couldn't very well chicken out!
So, we set out on Jamacha Boulevard and then suddenly were on the 125 going North. Oh my gosh - I was driving my little itty bitty motorcylce 60 miles per hour! There was so much wind, so much more to think about! But I did it :)
And then we went East on the 94. At this point, I passed him going 65 ;)
We took Old Campo Road for a spell which is a few miles of relaxed curves. It was so much fun! Sometimes, he would lead and then I'd gather some courage and pass him. Sometimes, we would ride side-by-side and then he would taunt me by reving his big bad ass Harley and zooming way out in front of me. I felt like we were in a relaxed game of cat-and-mouse. Not only exhilarating for the soul, but also for the marriage ;)
After a short while, Chris realized we had to go back because we had to pick up BooBoo from his first day of school (Wow!). With no warning what-so-ever, he took a left turn :( I recovered well and then led the way back home.
I couldn't stop smiling!! We bought our motorcycles in March. Due to logistical reasons, we have been unable to actually ride together. Finally! Aug 17, 2009, we shared our first ride. It is a memory I will never ever ever forget!
Finally, we were alone with the opportunity to ride our motorcycles together. Finally, we had the chance to get on our bikes and R I D E ! ! Just the two of us. Free. Wind in our faces, free.
It was so very much fun!! I'm not much of a descriptive writer, so my words truly cannot describe the fun, excitement, joy I felt riding with my husband on our motorcycles for the first time. I didn't take any photos of us, because we were short on time.
Brytin had his first day of school Aug 17, and so it presented us with some alone time. After dropping off Adrienne, we went back to the house. Chris was planning to wash the bikes - mine was filthy from sitting, his was filty from riding.
Around 11:00, Chris got a call from work saying that he had to go in for a minute. My hopes of our first ride almost vanished. But, ever awesome, my husband was able to go into work and get back in time for us to ride for a short while.
I haven't ridden much since getting my bike, especially not on the freeway, so I was hoping to gain some experience (read: confidence) by following him. After all, if I was following him, I couldn't very well chicken out!
So, we set out on Jamacha Boulevard and then suddenly were on the 125 going North. Oh my gosh - I was driving my little itty bitty motorcylce 60 miles per hour! There was so much wind, so much more to think about! But I did it :)
And then we went East on the 94. At this point, I passed him going 65 ;)
We took Old Campo Road for a spell which is a few miles of relaxed curves. It was so much fun! Sometimes, he would lead and then I'd gather some courage and pass him. Sometimes, we would ride side-by-side and then he would taunt me by reving his big bad ass Harley and zooming way out in front of me. I felt like we were in a relaxed game of cat-and-mouse. Not only exhilarating for the soul, but also for the marriage ;)
After a short while, Chris realized we had to go back because we had to pick up BooBoo from his first day of school (Wow!). With no warning what-so-ever, he took a left turn :( I recovered well and then led the way back home.
I couldn't stop smiling!! We bought our motorcycles in March. Due to logistical reasons, we have been unable to actually ride together. Finally! Aug 17, 2009, we shared our first ride. It is a memory I will never ever ever forget!
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