25,000 Miles Ridden -- and a New Chain

.
I passed a milestone today. I have ridden this motorcycle 25,000 miles since I bought it.  You may recall that back in April of 2009, I wrote about another milestone passed, 10,000 miles at that time. 

Remember that this is my first real motorcycle, not counting the old minibike I had when I was a teenager, so I have ridden only this motorcycle 25,000 miles. The milestone was passed on an evening joy ride near the house. 

Right here:

You can see that I have my saddlebags and tail bag mounted, ready for a long weekend trip coming up.

I bought the bike in September of 2007, so I have owned it about forty-four months. That is about 565 miles per month on the average, including two periods of not riding for a couple of months each.  I do ride year around though to keep my skills at their meager level of development, and maybe improve them a bit...and because it is fun to ride, after all! 

The bike has performed well over this part of its life.  It has had a couple of oil changes -- now to a synthetic (Mobil 1, Racing 4T), a coolant change, and I am working on the third set of tires (one rear was retired far too early due to a puncture).  I certainly get a lot of mileage out of the tires, especially, compared with some much more aggressive riders.

I was recently surprised, though, that I began to feel the bike acting as though it was misfiring.  There seemed to be no problem evident with the transmission in neutral, and the exhaust sound was steady under all conditions.  So what could be wrong here? 

A clue to the jerkiness came when I was checking chain tension.  I put the bike on the rear stand and rotated the rear wheel until the chain was tightest.  The tension checked good there.  The tension was, however, very much looser at other sections.  That seemed strange -- after all, the chain was fine when it was new.  What could be wrong? 

I did a little research on line, which revealed that my chain was probably past its expected life.  The tooth profile of the sprockets was still OK, so a new chain should do the trick. 

The chain I settled on as a good mix of quality and price is an EK 520SRX Quadra X-Ring with 114 Links, part number 701-520SRX-114 and a rivet-type master link, part number 520SRX-MLJ.  The prices were $57.10 and $4.80, respectively, plus about $12 shipping, from Amazon seller Powersport Superstore.  The chain arrived in just a few days and I set to work. 

I had bought a Stockton Tool Company Chain Breaker and Rivet Tool Kit (#28165) from Cycle Gear when it was on sale, and a cheap pneumatic grinder (#52847) and a pack of 2" cutoff wheels from Harbor Freight Tools, so I broke them out, deciphered the translated-into-English-from-some-foreign-language instructions for each, and began.

Since this is my first riveted chain replacement, I go slowly, learning the tricks of using the chain tool properly despite the cryptic instructions. 

The grinder neatly removes the heads of one of the chain's link pins.  The chain tool presses out the remains of the link, and I fit the new chain, rivet the master link, check the link according to the Kawasaki service manual instructions (easier to understand than the others recently read, by the way), tension the chain (nice and even, now), and clean up.  

The first ride confirms that the chain was the issue with the "missing" problem. The bike almost feels like new now -- smoooooth -- and ready for the next 25K. 

...I still wonder how far I rode that little minibike.

.

 .

Piedmont South Carolina -- Mill Town

.
December 12, 2009, a little over eight weeks ago.

It was a bit cold -- around 31 degrees, but I wanted to go out for a ride. Despite the below-freezing temperature overnight, there had been no rain so there shouldn't be any ice on the roads. Anyway, it might be some time again before I have a chance to go out, being winter and all. Although we generally have mild winters without much snow or ice, there is still the chance. I remember my bike gazing forlornly out of the garage door the last time we had snow.

I start out and go a little way south of where I live; exploring some roads I had not been on before. I stay out of the mountains -- the southern Blue Ridge Escarpment -- because it is likely that there is ice as well as sand and salt on the roads up there. No need to take a chance.

I meander south to the little mill town of Piedmont South Carolina. Piedmont means “Foot of the Mountains,” although it is sited about fifty miles from the nearest ones up north of Pickens.

As I have written before, the Blue Ridge Escarpment is a steep rise from fairly flat land. (To see more entries about this in my blog, use that search box in the upper left hand corner of your screen to search for the word "escarpment.")

The town of Piedmont, at least right here, doesn't look very prosperous. They are having a Christmas parade today, so there are a few people out on the streets and some fire trucks outside the fire station, waiting to be called into formation. I am sure that Santa Claus is lurking around here somewhere, but I don't see him. Maybe he thinks I have been bad this year and so won't be seeing him at all.

This little town straddles the line between Greenville County on the east and Anderson County on the west. The town once revolved around two cotton mills owned by the same company. The Saluda River was dammed here to provide hydro power to the plants. These mills produced cotton cloth and yarn.

Here is a picture of the dam. Actually about half of it, as there is more to the left of the photograph.


The locations of the mill buildings are a bit unusual as well, being on opposite sides of the Saluda River near the dam. Note the walkway across the dam that continues from the left end away from the camera and toward the parking lot on the opposite side of the river. This was for employees so they could walk from one plant to the other without detouring all the way out to the road bridge.

Here is a bit of history about Piedmont Manufacturing Company, the owner of the mills. This, from the Greenville Textile Heritage Society:

"By the year 1873, a charter had been obtained and work was begun on mill No. 1, but because of the great panic of that year, operations were suspended for a while. They were taken up again in 1874 and the building was finished in 1875. In March 1876, the machinery was started and the first cloth was made (it was good cloth too).

"The mill was not then fully equipped, but in 1878 the machinery was all put in. At that time there were 11,000 spindles and 240 looms. The company capital was $334,000. Mill no. 2 was completed in 1882, the two mills then had 24,020 spindles and 568 looms, of the spindles, 6,000 were on yarns.

"In 1888, mill no. 3 on the Anderson side of the river was built, and still later mill no. 4 was erected on the Greenville side...."

And this more detailed chronological account from The Journal, the Weekly Newspaper of Williamston, Pelzer, West Pelzer, Piedmont and Surrounding Communities in Anderson and Greenville Counties:

"1875 & 1876: The first mill building was constructed on the Greenville County side of the Saluda River.
March 15, 1876: Water turned on for first time. First bale of cotton opened by Mr. W. J. McElreath and his son. First spinning machinery started up. First bale of cotton used in mill bought from Silas F. Trowbridge of Grove Station. He bought the first bale of cloth, a 36” sheeting which was sold in his store.
July 1, 1876: Mill considered in full operation.
1880: Mill Building No. 2 built in Greenville County.
1946: Piedmont Manufacturing Co. sold to J.P. Stevens and Co., Inc.
1964: J.P. Stevens started rug plant in old Piedmont No. 1, renamed as Maples Plant No. 2.
1966: Maple Plant No. 2 closed. Old mill used to store cloth for Estes and Piedmont.
Oct. 26, 1983: Mill Buildings in Greenville County burn. Mr. Hammett’s original building burned in 1983 and the Anderson County plant was completely torn down by 1995.

"Over the years Piedmont had the reputation of turning out quality products, being the first to export cloth to China [compare that with the direction of most trade today] in the late 1880s through the 1930s.

"The Piedmont Plants operated continuously until 1964, when Stevens built the modern Estes Plant about two miles away from the Saluda Shoals. Delta Woodside Industries bought the plants from Stevens in 1983."

A long, interesting history, but now largely just a memory here at this site.

There is a mural painted on the side of the remaining mill building.



And a closer look.


Here is a description of the mural contents from the Trainorders website, written by Tom Daspit of Morgan Hill, CA, who must have been traveling in South Carolina back around April of 2007.

"This mural [is] on the wall of an old textile mill. The mural is a good representation of the Piedmont & Northern depot that still stands about one half mile east of where the mural is in town. CSX still uses the tracks here to deliver coal to Duke Power's Lee Steam Plant in Williamston [SC] and interchange cars with the Greenville and Western at Pelzer [SC]. No steam locomotives ever were used on this line except maybe during its construction. This was an electric line. The artist must have been European, notice the bumpers [on the front of the locomotive]."

This is not the only mural depicting a railroad in these parts. There is one up in Saluda North Carolina on the side of the Salamander gift shop. Here is a picture of that mural.


...and another one in Clayton Georgia on the side of the North Georgia Security building.


After I look over the grounds of the still-standing mill, I mount up again and motor up the hill to the little downtown section. There is a community building, a restaurant, and a few other shops.

I wander around the town, looking at the small mill houses that were built by the mill owner and rented to the mill workers. The boss of the mill often lived in a larger house amongst the others in the mill village, and he ruled that just as he did the mill itself. He had the power to evict people who did not follow the rules.

I continue to follow streets and roads until I see a railroad. I find a crossing and follow a road that roughly parallels the tracks. I find another place to cross the tracks and take it, then another on my way back to town.

There is a railroad overpass at Rehoboth Road. I cross over it and head north for a little bit to Beam Road where there is another overpass. By the way, the word Rehoboth is Biblical.

Here is a photo on the railroad overpass on Beam Road.


Note that my little red-haired friend is still a faithful passenger, having ridden pillion for more than 1100 miles so far. It is a good thing I rescued him down near Duluth Georgia.

Here is the location of the Beam Road overpass.


View Larger Map

As I circle back to town, I see a lonely two-story house that stands empty. There is not a square inch of paint on its siding that I can see. It sits alone and seemingly useless on a rise across from the Anderson county-side mill site. Was this a superintendent's house? The mill president's house? So far, I have not been able to find anyone who knows. It makes for an interesting series of pictures, however.




The first pictures of the old house were taken from about here. The one below was taken from the parking lot of the Anderson county mill site.

View Larger Map



This is a view from the Greenville County side of the river where the remaining mill building stands. The nearer chimney once served the mill on this side of the river, the further served the mill on the opposite shore. Just to the left of the nearer chimney, you can see the old house.


After I shoot some pictures of the house, I head east on SC-86 to pushpin "H" on the map of my local Piedmont meanderings here. The Piedmont depot of the Piedmont and Northern Railway is located here. This is the same depot depicted in the mural on the mill building downtown, but it has seen much better days, and appears to be mostly empty now.


The track-side of the building is overgrown with brush.


According to this history, the Piedmont and Northern Railway was

"...a heavy electric interurban company operating over two disconnected divisions in North and South Carolina. The trackage ran 128 miles (206 km) all told, with the northern division running 24 miles (39 km) from Charlotte to Gastonia, North Carolina, with a three-mile spur to Belmont. The southern division was the larger of the two, with the main line running 89 miles (143 km) from Greenwood to Spartanburg, South Carolina, with a 31 mi (50 km) spur to Anderson. The line was electrified at 1500 volts DC, but much of the electrification was abandoned when dieselisation was completed in 1954. Passenger service ended in 1951. The system was absorbed into the Seaboard Coast Line Railroad in 1969."

Go back and note again that the mural depicts a steam locomotive, but no such locomotive ever ran on the tracks of the Piedmont and Northern. Artistic license, perhaps?

As I depart from the depot, I spot a wooden overpass above East Main Street. Now Main Street, way out here in the sticks, apparently doesn't get much traffic, as it is only one lane wide. It makes an interesting place to take a snapshot of the Ninja.


The underside of the deck.




I finish out my ride by taking SC-86 east to US-25 and SC-291 to the north side of Greenville. I have to stop at the Cycle Gear store as long as I am in the area, right? (It is only about seventeen miles from the Piedmont depot. That's in the area, don't you think?) I look around, but keep my pocketbook tightly closed, though the staff at this store is always helpful without being pushy.

I motor to the southwest, past Bob Jones University, and through downtown Greenville's picturesque, tree-lined Main Street. I stop for a few minutes at Falls Park.

This is at the falls on the Reedy River in downtown Greenville. You can see the curved footbridge that spans the river above the falls.


A man is throwing sticks to his dog down at the river. And here is the windup...


There he goes. I'll bet that water is cold today.


He happily brings it back to his master and begs for more.


Here is a much better picture of the Reedy River falls taken during the summer.

[View of Falls Park from skyscrapercity.com]

I linger for a time in this pleasant place, then head on, taking US-123 back to Easley. By the time I get home it has warmed up to a balmy 38 degrees. I have been reasonably warm bundled up for the cold as I described back in November. I do need to fit those Hippo Hands, to see how they protect my hands from the cold, since cold hands are most likely to limit my cold weather riding. They will probably make a big difference. I think I will start on that tonight.

I check my odometer and find that I have clocked about seventy-two miles today on this route.


Since this trip, the weather has been cold, rainy, occasionally snowy, and icy. I am glad I got to go out when I did. ...but I am really ready to get back out there, very soon.
.

Old Esso Filling Station Near Landrum, SC

.
September 19, 2009, about a month and a half ago.

It was a rainy Saturday, so I did not go out riding as I usually do. Instead, I went to work, then stayed around home and did some chores. After church and lunch out on Sunday, the afternoon rolled around, and I had a hankering to ride out to find a location that had been posted on the Carolina Riders Forum Tag Game under "SC Mountains/Greenville-Spartanburg."

If you are not familiar with a Tag Game, the rules of this one are as follows:

• Who ever is "it" takes a picture with his bike in the shot.
• The first person to find the location where the picture was taken, and take a picture with his bike in the same place becomes it and may now post a picture of his bike in a new location.
• All photos must be "fresh"... no using old files from previous trips.
  
• All photos must be taken in a publicly-accessible place.
• Your bike must be in the picture, but you don't have to be.
• You must take the picture yourself.
  
• If your tag has not been figured out in 1 week, you need to leave some more clues.
  
• If your tag has not been figured out in 2 weeks, replace it with a new tag.
  
• All tags must be within a 125-mile radius of the Holly Springs Country Store at the intersection of US-178 and SC-11.
  
• When you are claiming a tag, you need to post your picture and a description of the location.
  
• The first to post a picture of his bike at the correct location with a description becomes "it" and wins that tag.
• The prize for winning a tag is bragging rights and the ability to post the next tag location.

I know about where the tag photo had been taken, so I ask my wife if I might go out riding for a while. She takes pity on me since I had not been able to go out yesterday, so I get ready and off I go, at about 2:00. The weather still looks iffy, so, just in case, I take my rainsuit along.

By the way, the particular tag I am going to try to find had been posted by the originator of the tag game on this forum, a fellow who goes by the name of Stretch. Now Stretch probably got his name because he is a long drink of water, being about six foot, six inches tall, and pretty skinny.

This is Stretch's tag, with his bike in the picture:



Stretch gave the following clues:

• It is at a state line.
• Between a lake and a railroad track, although I don't think you can see them from here.
• If you can't tell, I really like these vintage gas stations.

I am afraid that someone else might get the tag before me since it had been posted about four days already.

I take this route over through Cleveland South Carolina and take the Greenville Watershed Road to Saluda North Carolina, about 46 miles from home. I have written about Saluda previously, including my first ride through there and the steeply-graded railroad whose crest is there.

I motor toward Tryon from Saluda, going down the Saluda Grade on US-176. It is quite curvy on the way down. I recall that the tag is along here, but I reach downtown Tryon and have not yet found it. Well, I either missed it or it is further along toward Landrum South Carolina. I decide to press onward, being the stubborn male that I am, not wanting to ask somebody. I keep looking, but reach the edge of Landrum without finding it.

By this time the weather is turning grayer. What do I do? Give up and go home or keep looking? I turn around and ride for a few minutes, then stop at an antique store to ask. I figure that someone in the antique business would likely know where a vintage gas station is located.

I stop, park, remove my helmet and gloves and walk into the store. I wait while they finish up with another customer, then swallow my pride and ask. The woman says she knows it is around here, but can't remember which way it is from here. She strides out the front door of her store and goes out to the street. She surveys the road in both directions, and pronounces the service station to be back a little ways toward Tryon, on the left side. I thank her, gear up, and head off that way.

It is no more than a mile up the road. How could I have missed it before? When I spot it, I see why: It is on the inside of a curve, so it wasn't as obvious when I went past before. I turn in, but there isn't much pavement in front of the station to park my bike on, and there is mud from the earlier rain. I plunge though it, sliding a little, but find a piece of ancient concrete to park on in about the same place where Stretch's bike was.

In order to get a good picture, I cross the road and capture this image.


The tag is mine as soon as I get home and post it, but I resist the urge to jump back on the bike and race home. As long as I am here, I might as well take a few more shots.

I peer through the front door and see this view. There are a few antiques inside.


I walk around the outside. It looks as though there is no gas today. Gasoline rationing, maybe?


The prices certainly look attractive at first, though compared with the income level then and today, the prices were quite high back then. Technology has brought down the price of fuel, despite heavy taxation nowadays.


...and they have a place to relieve yourself while you are getting your gas. It is just a short walk behind the station.


The seat looks a little rough. I don't think I'll use it.


Rear view.


Who is that in the window?


A close up of the front above the pump.


And the pump itself.


This type of gasoline dispensing pump worked by hand pumping fuel into the glass reservoir until it is full, then it was then allowed to drain through the hose into the vehicle's fuel tank. The graduations inside the reservoir show how much fuel has been dispensed into the vehicle. They had not yet invented reliable and accurate mechanical dispensing meters in the teen years of the twentieth century, about the time this pump likely was new.

An overall view.


This building across the street from the filling station has a 1964 Chevrolet four-door hard top inside along with quite a collection of sports trophies.


The old station is located on US-176 just north of Landrum, about at the NC line (at pushpin "D" on the map). Note that Lake Lanier is to the west, and the closest point of the railroad is to the northeast.

Here is a Google Street View of the station. 

I ran across a blog entry by Garland Goodwin of Tryon that describes the filling station and its ownership. It reads, in part:

"...I learned that my friend Mack Henson was responsible [for restoring the Silver Springs filling station], I asked him to meet me there so I could learn more about it directly from him. As always, I learned more than I expected to.

"The 'Filling Station' was built c.1914 and operated for many years by Mack’s grandfather, Sherman S. McClure. He was known as 'S.S.' and probably named the station 'Silver Springs' because of his initials.

"The enclosed part of the building is original, but Mack replaced the canopy that extends to the original brick pillars because he thought it posed a danger to anyone walking under it.

"The [Esso] sign is oval because that was the shape of the gasoline tank on the semi-trailers that delivered gasoline to all the little Esso 'filling stations.' The trailers had the blue border and red 'Esso' lettering on the back end of the tank."

There is a picture of the station in its heyday on his web posting. This is a low-resolution version of the one in his blog.


After I have taken my pictures, I hightail it to Landrum, turn right on SC-14 and head toward Greenville. About the time I reach the CycleGear Store on Wade Hampton Boulevard (at pushpin "F" on the map), the heavens open up. I quickly turn into their parking lot and duck under the front canopy.

Someone in an SUV follows me in, rolls down his window, and says something that my earplugs and helmet prevent me from hearing. Once I take off my helmet and pry the earplugs out, he asks me if I am Bucky who wrote the leather cleaning article for Motorcycle Lifestyle Magazine. About that time, I recognize the fellow as the publisher of that magazine, Norm Blore. He has recognized the leathers I am wearing today as the ones that I wrote the article about. (They are getting a second washing today, like it or not.)

Here is a picture I took from across the street at the filling station with me in the picture, using my tripod and the camera's self timer.


We chat for a few minutes about motorcycling and his magazine. Because motorcycle sales are down so far, he is having some trouble getting advertisers to support his publication. He does a very professional job on the magazine: It is glossy in presentation, and he includes articles of interest to many types of riders. I try to pick up every issue that comes out.

In a little while he takes his leave, and I go into the store to browse and wait out the rain. I don't see anything I need (or want that badly to part with some moola) right now. Their sales personnel are always helpful but not pushy. I like that.

The rain stops except for a little drizzle, so I shrug on my rainsuit and mount up again. The ride home from there is wet from spray, but not too bad. I take it easy in case there is oil on the road.

It is about 6:30 when I finally reach home. I shed my suits, hang them to dry, then rush to upload my photo to the forum. I have some trouble resizing it small enough to be accepted. I want to hurry, lest someone else beats me to it. At last, it goes in.

I am the winner of bragging rights!

Here is a map of the entire trip today, about 114 miles:

View Larger Map

Later in the evening, I post a new tag:



This is at a place I rode to earlier in September. The clues I posted:

• This is a green location for all you tree huggers. There are lots of them to hug through here. And there is an environmental camp nearby to learn about what you are hugging.
• You don't need an off-road bike to get there, but it might help a little if there has been some rain.
• This is a way you could travel if you like going up to the head of Julius, but not back down.

You can see my trip report here to figure out where the photo was taken.

Well, my day has been pretty enjoyable. Church, dinner, a ride, a suit wash, and a tag won.



If you go:

Here is a page about Southeastern gasoline stations on Roadside Peek, a website that tells about roadside attractions..

Caesars Head, a Bank Safe on the Move, and Scooters on a Beautiful Day.

.
Today is expected to be clear and warm later, so I started out on my bike in the morning. On Saturdays, I usually go in to work for a few hours, then take off for a ride.

I am having the waist zipper of my usual Fieldsheer two-piece leather suit repaired, so I wore my AGV Sport Forza one-piece suit.



This suit is not as well made as the Fieldsheer it doesn't seem to me: The edges are not as well tailored, and the fit, especially in the thighs, is not as good. The suit is red and black with silver logos, so it looks good with the Ninja (an extremely important attribute, I am sure you will agree! <--tongue firmly planted in cheek).
.
The fit of the suit allows a little insulation under it, and the fit is much better that way. Today is expected to be cool -- about forty degrees to start -- and since this suit is perforated, I put on a layer or two of fleece insulation and thin Nylon windbreaker jacket and pants under it. As usual, I wear my Juggernaut armored shirt over the fleece and under the Nylon. The armor has been removed from the upper part of the suit to make room for the armored shirt. With that setup, I am just slightly too cool at forty degrees, but am not too hot until about 65 degrees. Should be ideal today.
.
There is only one problem: I cannot get myself into or out of the one-piece leather suit. Try as I might, my arms can't be in the sleeves and helping to pull them on at the same time, so I resort to asking my wife or son for help. They struggle to get everything pulled up where it needs to be and I zip myself in. Once in, the suit is quite comfortable with little or no restriction of movement.
.
Oh. The suit has knee pucks too. Makes me look like I might know what I'm doing anyway, though they have never touched the tarmac. Maybe I should take them to the sander so they look like they have -- not!
.
I put in my earplugs, pull on my thin balaclava, neck warmer, and helmet and start up the bike. I let it idle while I close the garage door and put my glove liners and gloves on. I also turn on the grip heaters to help keep the chill away. By the time I have my gloves on, the ECU has come off fast idle, and I'm ready to go. I mount up and start out.
.
One other problem is that I have not thought of where to ride today. Oh well, once I leave work, something will occur to me. The ride to work is only about fifteen minutes, but it is an enjoyable ride with little traffic through our small town. I pass familiar sights on the way. One is a rock house whose builder visited England several times so he could pattern his house after an authentic English cottage. It is a restaurant now.



The railroad tracks that run through the center of town parallel with the main street are usually busy, but with the economic downturn there is less freight to carry and so fewer trains. It still excites me to be only thirty feet or so from a train, pacing it along on the street.

Here are some shots taken on a rainy early spring morning.





I spend a couple of hours at work getting some things done that I did not have time for during the week. I collaborate on some of it with the fellow who encouraged me when I asked if he thought I could learn to ride a motorcycle. He would like to own one again some day, but not now. I am sure it would be a pleasure riding with him.

After I finish at work, I go out and get ready to ride again, but I have yet to decide where. Once out of the parking lot, I head to the north on SC-135. This is the road that leads to Pumpkintown, and I follow SC-8 from there to SC-11. I have noticed that the pavement is dry and there are no signs of sand or salt from the snows we had a couple of weeks ago.

I decide to go up to Caesars Head. It is only eight or nine miles up the Blue Ridge escarpment from SC-11. This is a twisty road, but the lanes are fairly wide and the vegetation is well back from the berm in most places. The views ahead on the curves are generally good, especially with the tress and brush not yet leafed out. The pavement is generally good, but with a few rough spots that seem to be just at the wrong places in the turns for me.

The skies are still overcast, but there is some sun peeking through in places. I pass about a dozen bicycle riders at various points laboring up the hill. Most of these guys are well-experienced, but are still challenged by the grade. Many local bicycle riders like this road for the challenge and enjoyment of conquering it. I must sheepishly admit that one of the previous times I came here, I started out at the top and headed down just after a bicyclist had left. He was vary fast on the downgrade, and my downhill curve inexperience and caution in passing him caused me to be slower than he was most of the way. Only when we came upon a straight section near the bottom did I feel up to passing him. His confidence in the tiny tires of his bike was certainly more than my confidence in mine.

That brings to mind a point that is very much the case with many riders including myself: The bike is capable of much more performance than the rider can extract from it. I am certain that my Ninja 650R can take the curves at a much faster pace and at much greater lean angles than I think it can. Yet, I don't want to routinely ride at my or my bike's limit: I want to leave some of the bike's capability to help get out of unexpected situations. That means that I must make sure my riding ability is up to it. A good short article about this is one by Reg Pridemore. He says about coming into a turn too hot, in essence:

• DECIDE TO MAKE IT
• LEAD WITH YOUR EYES
• BRAKE DEEP, LEAN HARD
• LEARN FROM THIS EXPERIENCE

Additional training such as Lee Parks' Total Control Advanced Riding Clinic or a track school might be in order. I may take the Motorcycle Safety Foundation [MSF] Advanced class this summer, though it does not address higher speed cornering.

Well, I have rambled quite a bit here, so let me get back to telling you about the ride.

Caesars Head is an easy-to-get-to spot that overlooks the lower elevations of the upstate of South Carolina. The Blue Ridge escarpment rises some 2000 feet in a short distance giving us some of the best motorcycle roads in the country, great views, challenging hikes, and a large number of interesting features such as waterfalls. I enjoy researching then visiting these places on the scooter and writing about them here.

The view from Caesars Head can be quite far, though today it is a bit overcast and hazy. The name Blue Ridge was selected because of the bluish haze that frequently blankets the area. In fact the Blue Ridge Mountains' name originated because of the bluish haze caused by hydrocarbons released by trees into the atmosphere. Aha. I knew that man wasn't the only polluter on the planet. Those darn trees are part of it. Now what will the tree huggers have to say about that? Cut them all down? I doubt it!

The Caesars Head overlook is a very short walk from the parking lot, and it is a favorite stopping point for tourists of all kinds -- bicycles, motorcycles, and cages.



The elevation back in Easley is 1079 feet above sea level, so we are 2187 feet higher here than there. This point is about thirty miles from home, so the average elevation change has been about seventy three feet per mile, though mostly concentrated in the last nine miles or so.

There is a narrow section called Devil's Kitchen in a fracture in some huge rocks. There are steps down into the fracture and a path back out the other end. Today I have left my gloves and helmet on because it is cold, and I find that I must be careful that my fat helmeted head doesn't hit the rocks as I siddle through the gap. The rocks fractured at an angle making it a bit more difficult to stand up straight and get through.









I make it fine, and go to the fenced overlooks to gaze for a few minutes.



The view takes in a lake, the Table Rock Reservoir, that serves the Greenville metropolitan area. It is near Table Rock State Park that I have visited many times.





This sign nearby details the mountains and other geological features visible from here.



This is what the profile of Caesars Head looks like in profile, taken from a Department of Geosciences at the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee webpage.

To orient you, the picture below is taken from below and to the right of the observation platform pictured previously.



Here is a better picture with some of the lower elevations included.



After I walk back to the parking area, I begin to mount up again.



Two riders on Goldwings pull in to park and we talk for a few minutes. It turns out that one of the guys is an MSF instructor in Greenwood South Carolina. He asked me if I had taken the Advanced Class. I told him that I had not, but wished to do so soon. He said that he thinks the class helps riders of about my level of experience and beyond. Greenwood is about sixty-three miles from here, so it is a possibility, though Spartanburg is closer. That is where I took the Beginner class.

I looked over the edge of the parking lot at the road leading north from Caesars head. It looked free of the sand that is used in the mountains here and abouts when there is danger of ice, so I turned left out of the parking lot and headed north. The road is slightly curvy for a short distance, then becomes mostly sweepers until the North Carolina town of Brevard.



The annual Brevard Music Festival is held here. The highbrows flock to it, and I expect that the politics is fairly liberal here. I say this because there is usually a group of 1970s-looking long-haired men and their womenfolk wielding anti-war signs on one of the downtown street corners. I wonder if they realize that their freedom to demonstrate was won by soldiers' blood shed on the battlefields of the world. Today, the protesters must have something else to do, since there is no sign of them.

I stop at the Chamber of Commerce for some local area info, and spot a scooter parked in front of the coffee shop next door. It is a Keeway Matrix 50 Racing Sport two-stroke scooter, but the thing that attracts my eye is the wooden box on the footboards. It appears to be nicely made of pine, and you will note that it shows signs of having been dragged on the street in a tight corner perhaps, though the box was likely turned end for end on the scooter floorboards when it dragged, judging form the marks on it.

It also has a nice-looking tail box with a well-worn soft knapsack slung under it. The hard box sports several SCUBA diving stickers, and a couple of stickers with a fish on it. The wooden box has mitered corners and no apparent lid. Does it stay there for helping support groceries? That doesn't seem right. It would be better to make the box with an open top so the grocery bags could snuggle down inside. Does it contain something vital and the entire box comes off when needed? Is it for someone's feet to rest on who is extremely short? That doesn't seem right either, since there are no dirty footprints on the box. Did the rider just happen to find or purchase the box and needed to get it home? I waited for some time, for the owner, but he never materialized. By the way, did you notice that he has a full-face helmet in a matching color? I wonder if he wears any other protective gear. If you see this, Brevard scooter rider, please let us know what the box is for.





I motor through the rest of the downtown area. There are many specialty shops that cater to the elite, but there are also several thrift shops. I enjoy shopping at the latter, as you never know what you might find -- maybe even some accessory for the motorcycle. I have found a nice specimen of an ICON TyMax jacket at such a store in the past. Alas, I don't take the time to stop today. I must be on my way, but where to? I could turn back the way I came, but I'd rather go somewhere I have not been recently.

I decide and head out of town toward Hendersonville North Carolina on route US-64. This road is rather plain and almost straight, and there is considerable traffic today. It is about twenty miles to Hendersonville. I feel refreshed a bit when I finally enter the downtown section after the boring road and a stretch of rather run down houses and businesses close to town. Next time, I'll try to find some more interesting roads between here and Brevard.

I cruse down the main street and see the old Henderson County courthouse. There is a nice little museum located inside. It contains displays of local heritage. They won't allow photography inside, but there are interesting displays relating to the history, culture, heritage, the story of the founding settlement, and development of Henderson County. The courthouse, built in 1905, was designed by Richard Sharp Smith, the supervising architect of Biltmore House in Asheville North Carolina. It is built of brick in a neoclassical revival style featuring six Corinthian columns on the front and four columns for each of the two side porticos. The focal point of the Courthouse is atop the copper dome -- a six-foot statue of “Lady Justice.” The statue is the Greek goddess Themis, standing for Divine Justice and Law, who is without a blindfold, holding a sword in her right hand, and scales in her left. It is believed to be only one of only three in the United States without a blindfold. Statues of Themis/Justice are blindfolded to symbolize that Justice should be impartial.




My tank bag and helmet are seen in this view.



After I leave the museum, I ride down the main street of the downtown area. It is one of those city streets where they have put in angled parking along the curbs, which causes the driving lanes to swerve from one side of the street to the other so the parking is evenly distributed on both sides of the street. That, coupled with frequent pedestrian crosswalks and stop signs at every cross street make for a maze that makes me feel a bit like a mouse searching for a hunk cheese. It is a bit artsy, like Brevard.





On my way through the maze, I see an odd sight. There is a tow truck parked with its warning lights on and a group of men hoisting something large and rectangular with its hook. Upon closer inspection, the "something" is a large two-door safe. Apparently the group is loading it up to take it away. I must say that this is the first time I have seen a tow truck being used to move such a seemingly stationary object. I watch for a few minutes as they secure the straps and drive off to places unknown. The safe was probably in the Old State Trust Co. building, on the corner of 4th and Main Street, now the Henderson County Genealogical & Historical Society.



That building has an unusual clock attached to the outside corner, the McClintock Chime Clock. This unique clock is about 65 years old, and was restored by the Western North Carolina Chapter of the National Association of Clock and Watch Collectors. Public clocks like this one were used to attract customers to businesses and served the utilitarian purpose of keeping time when not everyone carried or could afford a watch.



By the way, did you notice the spring flowers coming out in the pictures above? Here are a few pictures of a pale yellow daffodil and peach blossoms with forsythia in the background.




While I am observing the safe heist...er, hoist, I spot a scooter parked a few spaces in front of me. It is a Yamaha Morphous, with a 249cc DOHC four-stroke engine. It has, I think, a swoopy look to it.



Last year when I was in Hendersonville, I saw a similar but more unusual scooter, a Honda Helix with a sidecar. Now, a Honda Helix is a 244cc four-stroke so it is in the same class as the Morphous, but this one was different: It had a sidecar attached. It must be pretty stout to be able to handle the driver and the loaded sidecar.



After I inspect the Yamaha scooter and snap its picture, I turn and find that there is a storefront made of rather nice looking naturally finished wood. It is the of Goldcrafters of London fine jewelry store. Quite attractive, and probably appealing to the more well-heeled residents. I pass up the opportunity to go inside, since my heels are somewhat less well fixed.



It is getting to be mid-afternoon, and I need to get home to do some chores. I am still about sixty miles from there, so I head toward US-25 and go south. There is a section that is a long, relatively steep four-lane road. I am headed downhill, and it is easy to go faster than the speed limit here. The law enforcement officers of the area know this and it is a favorite place for them to take pictures of travelers with their radar guns. I don't see any today, but I ride at about the speed limit anyway.

I pass by the road that leads to Poinsett Bridge, a stone bridge built in 1820, in the days of stagecoach travel. It is named for Joel Roberts Poinsett. The road over the bridge originally extended from Columbia, South Carolina to Saluda Mountain. It is an interesting place to visit, so I will write about it in a future posting.

I also pass the little town of Travelers Rest, Furman University, and go on into the northern outskirts of Greenville. I want to stop at the Cycle Gear Store to see if they have the latest issue of Motorcycle Lifestyle Magazine.



I wrote an article about do-it-yourself leather cleaning for the magazine and I want to see if it is in the latest issue. I pull into the parking lot, and see three squids there with their bikes, Mowhawked helmets, and little in the way of protective gear. I nod to them and wonder at what would happen if they slipped off their bikes and onto the pavement. They are all quite young -- probably in their twenties -- so they likely still think they are invincible. That is a good feeling, but can get you into trouble on the likes of a motorcycle (and in other places as well).

I go into the store and look around a bit. There are quite a few people inside. I hope this means that their business is better than it has been. The economy has taken its toll on all businesses including motorcycles, since they might be viewed as playthings rather than necessities. I certainly wish our legislators would leave the free market alone and cut taxes so we can use our money the way we please and get this economy rolling again. All of us would be wealthier without their "help."

I don't see anything I want to buy today, so I go over to the wire stand with the magazines on it. Sure enough, there is the newest issue of the magazine. My palms are sweaty as I pick up a copy and peruse the cover. My article is not listed there. Did it not make the cut? I go to the table of contents and find that it is indeed in this issue. With shaking hands, I rapidly flip through the pages to find it, and there it is. The editor and publisher Norm Blore does this magazine on a shoestring, but it is slick and professional looking. My article is there for all to see, complete with before and after pictures of a suit I washed at home. It turned out well, so I wrote the article and submitted it.

I am now published...a first for me! I carefully cradle the magazine in my hands and take it to my bike where I tuck it into my tank bag for the journey home.

I put my helmet and gloves back on for the final leg to the other side of Greenville. The temperature has risen to about sixty-five degrees, so it is pleasantly warm now. The downtown main street is tree-lined and attractive, but there is some sort of a traffic jam so I bypass riding through there. A few more miles on city streets, and I enter the four lane highway toward home. I reach there in just a short time.

Now to get out of this suit....

After receiving some help, I reluctantly stow my gear, clean up the bike a little, and return to daily life.

My spur-of-the moment ride has taken me about a hundred and thirty-six miles today.



Here is a great picture taken from the Caesars Head overlook found on the Sunday Morning Rides website.



Compare this to my hazy pictures from above.

I'm standing in the same place in this one: