KTMrad

On this day, we would ride with Mike to Atlanta to stay with him a couple days. Here's a pic of (Left to Right) me, Terry and Mike. We left Terry and Karen's place, then rode some great twisties in the area, but that took quite awhile so we had to hop on the interstate to get to Atlanta before dark. At Mike's place in Atlanta, his dog Max and Doc. We went out to a local Mexican Restaurant that had great food...and oh man, the Margaritas ! Doc didn't want any Margaritas...LOL. Doc was quite the Rock Star at the restaurant, lots of people wanted to hear our story and about the sidecar rig. When we left, people on the patio actually cheered as we rode by with Doc wearing his Rex Specs goggles in the sidecar. Back at Mike's place...he's got a nice stable of bikes also.

Woke up the next day at Terry and Karen's place, middle of nowhere in the country of North Carolina....beautiful place ! The farm across the road.... Oh oh....Doc spotted the mule. Saw this on the wall....pretty cool, an old article about our friend in San Diego, who has a glass blowing studio.... Time to check out Terry and Karen's stable (not horses).... They have quite the stable ! I know Terry and Karen from the Airheads BMW Club, they've been members for many years. During the day, Terry got a call from his friend Brandon, who also has a sidecar and was thinking about getting another, so he wanted to come over and check out our sidecar rig. He's got a nice old Airhead also, which he and his wife rode over. More pics from the area.... That mountain off in the distance, visible from Terry and Karen's place, is the highest mountain in the USA east of the Mississippi River, Mount Mitchell. Later that day, our old friend Mike (another Airhead I knew in San Diego 25 years ago), showed up with his dog Max in the saddlebag. Stay tuned for more.....

Early November 2017... Started heading West in Virginia towards the Blue Ridge Parkway....had ridden it twice many years ago, but it's been a long time, had to go ride it again. We rode on backcountry roads for the day, then got to a small town in the rain near the Blue Ridge Parkway. I pulled into a parking lot to find some locals to ask if there was a motel in town. Found some guys who looked like locals and they said "down the road a little ways to the south is a motel but it's pricey...if you want a less expensive, not fancy motel, go back up the road about a mile". That is exactly what we did, wanted the less expensive room. As we pulled up to the room, this happened: Doc is a wild man, and a dork...I got off the bike at a motel and let him out of sidecar...30 seconds later in the dark, I hear him bark, then a yelp, more barking and growling then another yelp. He went thru an electric fence (got shocked, first yelp) into a cow pasture, then a Bull started chasing him (yelp again)...Doc was hauling ass away from the bull and me. I was worried the bull could trample or kick him. I yelled and he came back running and I told him to get thru the electric fence...I touched it, was not a bad shock so I lifted the fencing (while getting slightly shocked) and Doc crawled under it to safety from the bull. Few minutes later he kept sniffing his butt like he got the crap scared out of him. Let's just say I was a bit pissed at him, but it was kinda funny at the same time. He knew he did something wrong. Hope he learned something from it...he's pretty smart that way. Next day, it was time to ride the Blue Ridge Parkway ! The Parkway is a great road that goes through the Blue Ridge mountains of Virginia and North Carolina for a couple of hundred miles, with awesome endless sweeping turns and twists with beautiful scenery, old wooden fences and historic old structures all along the parkway. The ride was overcast and chilly, but still great fun ! Here, we stopped at "The Saddle", scenic overlook. Nirvana ! At another scenic stop, I saw this 2 track going up over a hill so decided to check it out...I couldn't make it up, the grass was too wet and slippery for the big rig. Took me a few minutes to turn the beast around..... The destination for today was my friend's house, Terry and Karen who I met in San Diego 25 years ago, but they left and moved to North Carolina. Hadn't seen them in years, so it would be good to catch up. Got there in the evening in the dark....Doc was a tired boy after all day on the road, and after having fun in the twisties on the Blue Ridge Parkway.

Bought Rosetta Stone 2 years ago...finally started it today (yeah, I'm a slacker). It starts out by associating words/phrases with pictures, with lots of repetition...so far, I like it. Also have an online photography course I have to start...have 9 months left here before leaving again to continue our Round the World journey. Gives me something to do now since I dropped my cable TV service...yep, I killed my Television a few weeks ago ! If you haven't seen our trip report, it's in the 4 Days and Longer Ride Reports Section... Rad 'n Doc Travel the World.

Good on you ! Support the shops that support SDAR....closest to you.... Motoworld Veys GP Motorcycles Also, a smaller, privately owned shop, great guys...National City Motorcycle.

They usually have their meetings in Lakeside, but this one is at Mike's BBQ in Escondido....for those of you in North County, you might consider going to this to learn about the newest bills that will affect our off-roading and riding areas. PLEASE SUPPORT SDORC ! They do a great job fighting the land use battles ! SDORC will be having a meeting in Escondido on March 27 from 6:00 to 8:00 pm at Mike's BBQ, 1356 W Valley Pkwy, Escondido, CA 92029. We will be talking about new bills affecting off-roading in California as well as events and other topics of interest to off-roaders. Come join us for dinner and meet some fellow off-roaders who care about our sport. On another subject, SDORC will be having a highway cleanup Saturday, March 30. We will meet at the Buckman Springs eastbound off-ramp of Highway 8 at 8:00 am. Please wear closed-toe footwear, long pants (for brush protection), long sleeves, and a hat (for sun protection). We will provide vests, bags, and trash-pickers. PLEASE let Doug McPheeters know if you will be there, so he can plan lunch accordingly. Email: desertdoug@sbcglobal.net, or call or text 619-249-9459. Also, SDORC will have a booth at Off Road Nights at the Del Mar Fairgrounds March 23. Come say "hi"!

Thanks to all for your support !

Windscreens... I used the stock 950 windscreen on mine for years...never had a problem.

Awesome !

Had to get together with my close friends one last time before leaving Long Island....my good friends Joe and Frank. I finally left my sister's house after 2 1/2 weeks, but was invited to another friend's house who I used to work with. They said to stay as long as we wanted. It was crappy weather one day, so I watched TV and lounged on the couch, while Doc raided their dog's toy box. Funny, he pulled out almost all the toys and played with them on the floor. After 2 days at my friend Craig's house, the weather cleared and it was time to get on the road again. We left Long Island and made it to Dewey Beach, Delaware that day. It was one of our longer days on the road, Doc passed out when we got to the motel room. Next morning after breakfast, as we got on the road, I felt a clunking coming from somewhere on the bike, felt like from the sidecar wheel. Rode for a short ways and only felt it when I was on the brakes or making a right turn....then it got worse, so I pulled into a parking lot to check it out. I jacked up the sidecar and rotated the wheel by hand and could tell there was something wrong, so I pulled off the sidecar wheel and found one of the rotor bolts had come loose. Luckily, I had all the tools and spare bolts with me to make on the spot repairs. While we were working on the rig, at least a couple of people stopped to ask if we were OK, and if Doc was OK. I tell you, having a dog along with you really helps in many situations. I put some thread locker "Loc Tite" on the rotor bolts, and in about an hour had it back together and we were on our way south again. We headed down along the coast on Highway 1....beaches along the road for most of the way, so I had to stop to let Doc out on the beach a few times. C'mon Dad, let me out already ! Beautiful east coast beaches ! Doc found a buddy to play with.... Of course, he had to dig a hole so he could lay down next to me.... We continued south, then across the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel. Someone snapped a photo of us and posted it on our Facebook page....look closely, Doc had knocked his Rex Specs partially off so they were sitting on his forehead....LOL. We went through Norfolk, Virginia...this was the coldest we had been so far. Stopped at a Cycle Gear motorcycle shop to warm up and look for some items we needed, but they didn't have them in stock. I called my cousin Genemarie (we had stayed there a few weeks before) to see if they minded if we stopped by. They invited me to spend the night again, so I couldn't pass up their offer. It was good to see them once again, and I'm really glad we did, because I got to see my Aunt Grace one more time, she really enjoyed our company and talking. This was the last time I would see her....she ended up passing away a few months later. In Memory of my Aunt Grace....Godspeed.

Next day, it was off to the other eastern tip of Long Island, Montauk Point on the south fork of Long Island. Going through Easthampton....a very historic area, eastern Long Island settled in the 1600's. The town keeps these old homes in as close to original condition as possible, so that they may stand for years to come.... Montauk Point Lighthouse, commissioned by Congress under President George Washington in 1792, completed in 1796. Doc was getting a lot of attention in his rig.... After enjoying our time on the cliffs by the lighthouse, I stopped in to see an old girlfriend's sister, where she and her husband are caretakers for a house on the cliffs....I've always stayed in touch with them over the years (28 years). Her son, who was just a little baby when I left Long Island years ago... A nice sunset for the ride back and to end the day....

On another day, we went to see my cousin Jerry and his family, who I hadn't seen in a few years. Funny, they were so worried that my big boy Doc would tear up their little Yorkies, or that they'd be afraid of Doc. After 10 minutes, they were all buddies. Just more family photos.... Doc on patrol at my sister's house. After a few days of rain, it was a nice day so we rode out to the Hamptons again. I stopped to see my friends where I used to work back in 1992, designing and running projects for Heating and Air Conditioning custom systems for multi-million dollar homes. I wanted to see some of their current projects...this was a huge one.... Geothermal system for HVAC for a summer cottage (multi-million dollar mansion).... Catching the sunset in Easthampton... Hangin' out with my best bud.... As we were walking back to the rig, I saw a company truck (from where I used to work) pull up at the beach and thought to myself, "wouldn't that be funny if it was one of my friends who I hadn't seen yet"....I walked up to the van just as he was about to leave...I said "hey, I used to work there". He rolled down his window and said, "what's your name"...I told him, and he reached out his hand and said, "it's Peter". Funny, we didn't recognize each other because it had been 28 years since we saw and worked together. What a trip ! That night, I had arranged to see my friends Dan and Karen, the caretakers at the estate where i stayed a few nights ago. This time, they said we could stay in the guest suite of the main house of the estate...pretty cool, Doc and I had the run of the house ! They said the owner was really cool and loved dogs, so he wouldn't mind at all. Next morning, woke up to another great morning....Dan and Karen made me breakfast and the dogs got to play and hang out... More to come....

Enjoying the beaches of eastern Long Island.... One night while out in the Hamptons, I saw my friend Patrick and his son for dinner in Southampton. Patrick is another best friend, my first riding buddy from 1986 on Long Island. We did many rides together over the years. Since I was out there for the night and didn't want to go all the way back "up the island", Patrick said his brother Dan's place was open for me to stay the night, they were out of town. They stay on an estate as caretakers and have their own cottage....so Doc and I got to stay at their place and checked out this estate property....really nice ! The next day we got up and headed to Sag Harbor and across the ferry to Shelter Island, and then across another ferry to Greenport. On the ferry.... Doc checkin' out the "danger zone". Approaching Greenport.... The other Shelter Island Ferry passing by.... Fishing is a big business on Long Island, where there's 100's of miles of coastline.... And.....again, Doc on a dock. Greenport, Long Island. From Greenport, we rode out to the very eastern tip of Long Island on the North Fork, Orient Point. Orient Point Ferry, which goes to New London, Connecticut across the Long Island Sound. The 2 ferries passing each other with the Orient Point Lighthouse in the foreground....great timing for this photo ! Doc posing with the ferry behind him. Had to have a Torpedo to celebrate, with the Lighthouse in the background ! Plum Island Animal Disease Research Center....a lot of controversy and horror stories surround this secretive island. Back on Shelter Island....Doc wanted to git the Wild Toikeys ! Just sittin' on the Doc of the Bay.....(you know the song).... My boy all tuckered out after a long day....

Went to mountains of Northern New Jersey to see my friend from college, and my first riding buddy ever. We were both in college in Houston, in the same design courses, and I ended up getting my first motorcycle there in 1986. Tim had a Harley, and we became best friends. We both ended up leaving Houston at the same time, I moved back to Long Island and he and his wife moved to New Jersey. He ended up getting a Ducati 907 Paso and we did many, many road trips all over the northeast and out to Wyoming and Colorado on our bikes. Pulled up to their nice house perched above a lake in the mountains.It was time to celebrate ! Doc was in heaven with all the wildlife around in the woods. And the local lake to swim in.... Time to hit a local place for a microbrew. Good northeastern microbrew ! Deer all over the neighborhood.... And even right outside the dining room window....that drove Doc nuts !! Next day, we drove up to some other mountains to do some hiking.... On alert for animals.... Stayed with Tim and Diana for a couple days, then headed to our next destination....my home town where I grew up on Long Island. With my sister at Sunken Meadow beach. Stick boy was at it again.... Stayed with my sister for a couple weeks, my brother in law is a good cook ! While on Long Island, it was great to take our rig out to my old stomping grounds....eastern Long Island. Ponquogue Bridge in Hampton Bays. Airborne on the beach in the Hamptons.... Shinnecock Inlet

Just a few hours after leaving Virginia, we arrived at my friend's house in Baltimore, Maryland. My friend Peter is an old family friend, we used to see them every summer as kids as we travelled around the country with my parents and we'd always stop at their place in Wisconsin. Was great seeing my friend Peter and spending time with his family, talking about old times and crazy stuff we did on their farm years ago in Wisconsin. After a couple days there, it was time to continue north. Next stop, Freedom Sidecars in Middleburg, Pennsylvania...to visit another top notch sidecar builder Claude Stanley and his crew, who I'd never met, but consulted with him on the phone a few times during my initial sidecar build. Until now, I had only seen their work in photos on the internet, but seeing the rigs they build and the work in person, I was impressed to say the least. Claude Stanley's personal KLR sidehack....he takes that thing places one wouldn't believe a sidecar can go ! The man himself, Claude Stanley. Claude let me take this rig for a spin, I was really impressed with how it handled. Some words of advice.... Doc hangin' out in the shop. A sidecar rig for a wheelchair. Claude's talented crew at work.... Love this old poster ! Spent the night in Claude's shop, we talked til the wee hours of the morning.....next day, it was time to head to New Jersey to see yet another old friend.