Back in the Saddle After a Too-Long Break

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I went for a ride on my Ninja earlier this week.  

I had not been out for more than five weeks.   

What was I doing?, you might ask.  

Well, there was Christmas, putting up and taking down decorations, and having family in.  Also, having fun with the presents I gave and received (no coal in my stocking this year).  Then there was the cold and wet weather.  That usually doesn't bother me, but I must be getting old or something, 'cause I felt more like staying in than bundling up for the cold.  ...and I don't ride when it is wet, unless I am caught in it.  I also went for several hikes, with friends and without, into the mountains and foothills of the Blue Ridge Escarpment not far north of where I live.  Along this escarpment, the high Blue Ridge Mountains drop dramatically to the piedmont (foot of the mountains) areas. In some places, the drop is more than 3,000 feet and is quite a sight to see. The Escarpment is why there are so many twisty mountain roads near here. 

This past Monday, the weather was about 40 degrees in the morning, and the sky was almost devoid of clouds.  So, I ventured forth.  I dressed for the weather as I usually do.  I have this pretty much down pat these days, so I wasn't cold, for the most part. 

My bike fires right up after its hiatus, and it warms up and runs without flaw.  I like that.  It having covered almost 75,000 miles, it runs as it did when I bought it with a thousand miles on the clock.   There have only been a few mechanical issues, all able to be wrenched on by me in my garage.  Fortunately, I have been able to get home each time something went wring, though the fuel pump failing was a close one, requiring me to limp back to the paddock. 

Today, I go from home in Easley to nearby Pickens South Carolina via a neat little curvy passage called Rice Road.  It parallels SC-8, but is much more fun.  Then I go to the west end of town onto Shady Grove Road, and wind my way to SC-133.  A buddy says there is a place to hike just south of SC-11, and across the road from Keowee-Toxaway State Park, so I mark the spot in my memory as I pass by for a future time out.  

As I motor along, I find that I have lost a little of my skill in curves and in coordinating shifts.  This comes back pretty quickly, though, and feel as confident as I did before the five-week pause in the action.  I have read about and talked to some other riders who have the same problem of deteriorating skills after an interruption of a few weeks.  Those who live where winter prevents riding must surely have the most trouble with this.  Fortunately, the Upstate of South Carolina has a climate where it is possible to ride almost all winter long.  I do note that the cold makes my clutch cable a little stiffer than usual, but nothing else seems much different from the way it is in warmer weather.  

I turn left on South Carolina Route 11, which is the almost-straight road that makes it easy to go from east to west along here.  I stop for a break in the picnic area at Keowee-Toxaway State Park.  I forget to turn off my GoPro, so [almost] the whole thing is documented.  

Back out to SC-11.  You have to pay attention to the speed limit on this road, because they patrol quite frequently, sometimes on motorcycles.  I putter along toward the west to SC-130 and turn right.  This road is mostly sweepers and is one of my favorites -- not too challenging, but enough so that it is fun to ride.  There is little traffic today.  I climb a bit in elevation here, the temperature is slightly cooler, and I see that there is snow in the grass along the road in the shady places.  It was a little below freezing over night, so there could be ice on the road, but I don't see any, though I am careful just in case. 

I cross into North Carolina and almost immediately turn into the Whitewater Falls parking lot.  The falls is one of my favorite places to ride because of the nice curves, the generally good road surface, and the falls that is a nice place to look at he scenery (after a half-mile walk from the parking lot).  The falls parking lot has another place to take a break, and they have very nice motorcycle rider hand warmers in their restrooms. 

There are at least three ways to use these hand warmers: On your gloved hands, on your ungloved hands, and blowing into your gloves before you put them back on.  I use methods two and three. 

I can't resist taking a picture of my ride as I come out again.  

Note that I have installed my fleece-lined Hippo Hands for the winter, over my heated grips so my tender little hands don't get cold.  The combination of these two make it comfortable to ride down to about freezing temperatures. 

I start up and go just a short distance south and turn into the Bad Creek Pumped Storage Facility access road.  Near the end, just before the gate that keeps you from continuing down to the powerhouse (don't be riding too fast -- the gate is around a blind curve), the overlook onto Lake Jocassee provides a nice place to view Lower Whitewater Falls and a good part of the lake  

I linger for a few minutes, take a few pictures, then go.  I feel daring today, so I ride right off the curb from the sidewalk instead of going back to the ramp from the parking lot. 

Once I reach SC-130, I turn south again, then after a short distance, turn off to the right onto the Wigington Byway. This is a short road with a nice surprise -- a scenic overlook onto Lake Jocassee. 

After the requisite pictures of the bike and the view, I head back on the Byway to SC-130 again.  I turn right and again enjoy going through the sweet sweepers, again without much traffic to interfere with my ride. 

I turn left on SC-11, and go all the way to US-178.  I turn right and ride back to Pickens, then onto Rice Road again, and home.  There is one other two-wheeled soul out today -- the only one I have seen.  We pass one another on this stretch.  He gives a hearty wave to me as we pass.  

I like that.  I don't know him, and will likely never meet him, but I fancy the idea of being a part of a group who doesn't necessarily wait for perfect riding conditions to enjoy the roads.  By the way, his bike looks strange to me in the photo.  It almost looks like a naked sportbike with a chopper front fork arrangement.  Maybe it is the distortion caused by the GoPro lens.  ...or, maybe he is a motorcycle innovator! 

Before I get home, I take a few minutes to do some low speed turns in a cul-de-sac nearby, and some lane swerves on the road back home.   

I often do this to help keep my balance and maneuvering skills sharper.  The slow speed turns also help with clutch feathering and rear brake control. 

I reach home, look at my trip odometer, and find that I have ridden 111 miles today, and it feels good to have been out after so long a break.  

Here is a map of the ride from home to the furthest points of interest.   

Click on this link for the online map.

Mental note to Bucky: Don't wait so long to ride again.  It has been too long.  

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Immediate Danger and Politicians Keeping Us "Safe"

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I went for a ride yesterday.  I went up to Whitewater Falls, just into North Carolina -- about 45 miles from my home in Easley, SC.  You take South Carolina route 130 (that turns into North Carolina route 281), a fairly smooth road with many sweepers, to get there.  It is one of my favorite roads and favorite sights to see in the area. 

As I reach the entrance, there are cars parked everywhere along both sides of the road, even though there is no real place set up for such parking.  People are walking and standing along the road for a considerable distance.

They are in harm's way.

Why?  Simply because they came there to see what they own: Whitewater Falls is administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, National Forest Service.

Here is a look at what they own, taken on one of my previous visits. 

But the gates are closed and locked. The usual volunteer who stays there in his camper and oversees the area is not there because the park is closed. 

Even though the park is administered under the Forest Service, they say that their "decisions [on closings] will align with local city, county and state actions to provide for human health and safety (ie. quarantine, curfew, and other social restrictions)." 

So I suppose that North Carolina's Democrat governor Roy Cooper is responsible for the closing and endangering visitors who have to park and walk along the road. 

Again I ask, why?  The reason given by leftists like Cooper is that they are protecting our health from a virus.  Remember though, that this virus is not significantly different from past influenzas.  Old people and those already sick with some other troubles should be very careful, but the rest of us should not be punished and treated like disease-carrying vermin, keeping us out of places like this one for no good reason. 

So Cooper is putting people in imminent and immediate danger along that road so they might not get a virus while they are in the wide open outdoors.  Read that again, if you will.  Does that make sense to anyone? 

Being in the indoors has now been determined to be more likely to spread the virus than being outdoors.  So closing facilities like Whitewater Falls makes a lot of sense, doesn't it?  NOT. 

Well, I note that there is a parking lot just a tenth of a mile south of the falls entrance.  This lot is for hikers on the nearby Foothills Trail.  That trail goes many places, but one of them is to Whitewater Falls right next door. 

See the immediate surroundings on this map:

So that parking lot would be a good place to park, right?

Unfortunately, since the main Whitewater Falls parking lot has been closed, and the volunteer made to stay home, people parking in the gravel lot have experienced vandalism to their vehicles.  Just two months ago, one visitor reported that they "had somebody come and knock my car window out while we were hiking. There were probably 10 other cars parked there when we first arrived and 3 of them (including me) got their windows knocked out."

So, if you can't park in the lot where there is a volunteer who can watch over it, you are subjected to vandals who break out your car windows.

You can always park on the road, remember!  Ah, yes, with cars whizzing by a few feet away from you. 

Note on the map above that the trail from the gravel parking lot has a spur that goes to the restrooms at Whitewater Falls.   Don't be expecting to use them, though, because they have been locked for months now.   You have to use the great outdoors if you need to go!


Think about how much this reaction to a virus is costing us in enjoyment, damage to vehicles, accidents, inconvenience, higher costs, and on and on?  They say that suicides and depression are on the rise, and some of the 40+ million people who have lost their jobs will never recover economically. 


Well, back to the ride today.  I manage to turn around near the entrance to the falls parking lot, but the view of oncoming traffic is poor.   Another danger. 

I go about four tenths of a mile south on 130 and turn onto the Bad Creek Pumped Storage Facility road, and follow it to the overlook on Lake Jocassee.  The view is always nice here, but there is a little rain so I don't tarry.

Instead I go back to 130 and the Wigington Scenic Byway to the overlook onto Lake Jocassee. 

A bit hazy today, unfortunately, but the rain has stopped.

Then I turn back and follow SC-130 and SC-11, then US-178 back nearly to home. 


It was a nice day for riding.  I hope they open the parks again soon.

Email, call, or write Governor Cooper to urge him to do so:

• email  
• 919-814-2000
• North Carolina Office of the Governor
      20301 Mail Service Center
      Raleigh, NC 27699-0301

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Another Milestone -- 70,000 Miles

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On May 8, 2020, 10 days ago, I reached a mileage milestone.

I'll tell you all about how and where it happened, but first a little background to the story. 

I started riding a motorcycle late in life -- in my 5th decade.  I had always wanted to ride, but never took the opportunity or had the life situation to do so.  The spark that started me on the way was a course catalog from a local community college. 

You see, I received the catalog because my wife and I were taking a class in stained glass construction offered by the same school.  We had a good time doing the glass, and we made several decorative items for around the house and for gifts.  The catalog in question later arrived and I paged through it, finding the Motorcycle Safety Foundation Basic Class. 

That got the wheels turning in my head. 

I asked Jeff, a guy at work who used to ride, whether he thought I could learn to ride, and he gave me a thumbs up. 

I started perusing the online selling sites for a bike, after researching what I thought I wanted.  I did not want a Harley.  Those are not my style.  I could not afford some of the higher-priced brands like BMW. 

I settled on the Kawasaki Ninja 650R.  It had good reviews, and was said to be acceptable, though not ideal, as a starter bike.  I found a 2006 with fewer than 1000 miles on it, in silver on a red frame offered by a fellow not too far away, contacted the seller, and asked him to let me know if he had another buyer. 

Meanwhile, I had to take the motorcycle class before buying a motorcycle.  After all, what would have happened if had I bought the motorcycle first and been a total failure at riding?  Fortunately, I did well on the written exam and good enough to pass the riding test. 

I called the seller, enlisted the aid of a friend to test ride the bike, bought it, and another friend Aaron rode it home for me.

Now, all I had to do was learn to ride it.


That began a flurry of riding, mostly to work and back and longer jaunts on Saturdays, with an occasional much longer route thrown in.

I shortly began writing this blog, and, among many other posts, were several about previous milestones:

• 10,000 miles 4/8/2009
• 25,000  miles 5/24/2011  
• 40,000  miles 2/3/2013  
• 50,000  miles 7/13/2015  
• 60,000  miles 9/26/2017  

Between September of 2007 when I bought the bike and now, I have enjoyed riding on many roads and seeing many sights. Below, you will find links to stories about some of them, along with other postings on a variety of subjects.  So, let's get started exploring. 

Now a little geography to get you oriented to the area I live in.  I am in the Upstate of South Carolina -- the northwest part of the state.   It is just a few miles to the Blue Ridge Escarpment.

Click the map to enlarge.

The Piedmont, or foot of the mountains, is flatter, but still has some rolling hills.

I live in the Piedmont not far from Pickens, which is shown in the center of the lower half of the map above.

Roads nearby that lead into the escarpment include, from west to east, SC-28, SC-107, SC-130, US-178, US-276, and old US-25, and the Greenville Watershed Road to Saluda North Carolina.  There are many places to go using these roads to get there.

• Many of my trips have included Whitewater Falls.  The road to get there, SC-130, north of SC-11, known as the Cherokee Foothills Scenic Highway, is pleasantly smooth and has lots of sweepers.  The falls is a short hike from the parking lot, and is well worth the visit.  The falls is one of the first landmarks I visited after starting to ride.  It is located just into North Carolina.
  
   
  

  By the way, Route 11 is a quick way to get from east to west at the foothills of the mountains, but don't be tempted to speed -- they run radar frequently.    

• Table Rock State Park is just off SC-11.  It has just a quick loop through the park, but you can get a good view of Table Rock, and there are several picnic areas and a ranger's office with a large topographical map of the park.   

• Caesars Head State Park is on US-276.  It has a nice overlook from the top of the Blue Ridge Escarpment, and has a few trails.  North Carolina is just north of the park. 
  
  
• Poinsett Bridge, the oldest bridge in South Carolina, and Boy Scout Camp Old Indian, are both not far off the route to Saluda North Carolina from otoursaswellld US-25. 

• The twistiest road I know of, Green River Cove Road, is just north of Saluda North Carolina.  

Campbell's Covered Bridge (also here) is a pleasant place to see a very old bridge, and maybe have lunch.  It is also a good place to see the remarkable effects of goats eliminating kudzu overgrowth. The area was covered in the fast-growing vine until a few years ago when they hired the goats.

• There were some trips on gravel here and here and a trip on Winding Stairs and to the top of Curahee Mountain Georgia.  Some of these trips were a little hairy. 
• Sassafras Mountain, the highest point in South Carolina is easy to get to, the roads being paved almost all the way to the top.  There was a photographer who snapped pictures of bikers at some S-curves on US-178 on the way north to Rocky Bottom where you turn to go to Sassafras Mountain. I posed for him a few years ago. 
  
  
• Another photographer, Blind Kenny, took photos on a twisty section of NC-80.  I posed for him, too.  

• The highest point in North Carolina is Mount Mitchell.  It is also easy to get very close to the top on paved roads just off the Blue Ridge Parkway. 
• I have viewed model railroads (also, here) and radio-controlled model airplanes in several places.  I had an afternoon of enjoyment at the Hendersonville North Carolina airport watching real airplanes and talking to airplane people.  

• I have visited railroad right of ways that are engineering marvels.  The Saluda Grade is the steepest standard-gage railroad in the United States.  It crests at Saluda North Carolina. 
  There is a 13-mile series of loops near Old Fort North Carolina that allows the railroad to gain elevation.  There is also a geyser there among the loops! 
  The Wells Viaduct, a tall and long bridge near Tocooa Georgia is a great place to watch trains. 
• Many of my trips have included the Blue Ridge Parkway, the closest entrance being about 50 miles from home.  That road is very beautiful and the riding is enjoyable. It is my favorite road in the area.  

 

• Destinations have also included three weekend retreats at the Rally to Ridgecrest in Black Mountain North Carolina.  (See also the additional links at the bottom of that posting.)  The rallies included worship, inspirational speakers, motorcycle classes, a patriotic trip to the nearby Black Mountain military cemetery, great food, and many rides in the mountains. 
• There were three trips to the Wheels Through Time motorcycle museum in Maggie Valley North Carolina. 
  
  
  

• The BMW Zentrum shows off BMW motorcycles and automobiles through the years in a building in front of their assembly plant in Greer South Carolina.  

• There is a satellite tracking station that was once top secret.  It is now called the Pisgah Astronomical Research Institute (PARI).  It is a very interesting place to visit to see the radio telescopes, and many exhibits.  They offer tours as well. 
  
  
  
• I have viewed the huge Ten Commandments on a hillside at Fields of the Wood near Murphy North Carolina.  I think they are the largest anywhere.  It happened on the day I rode the furthest in one day -- 302 miles -- and on that same day I rode into Tennessee just to say I had been there.  Nearby is the Road of Never-Ending Curves, a term coined by Stretch on one of the online forums.  It is a fun road, but it was dampened a bit by rain on the day I went there. 

There are also several compilations of odd sights I've seen.  Here and here and here and here. 

There are postings on politics and patriotism, too. Click on one of these terms on the left side of the page, as they are pretty important topics these days.  Our freedoms and privileges are being steadily taken away, and that someday may include our motorcycles. 

I have grabbed a few tags in the ADVRider Upstate SC Tag-O-Rama and the SC Tag-O-Rama. If you don't know what a tag game is, the first posting of each  link lists the rules.  I have been able to see some unusual places by playing the tag games. 


Safety is important for me as it should be for every motorcycle rider.

• Every mile of those 70,000 has been in full motorcycle gear: leather jacket and pants -- both with armor, boots, gloves, full-face helmet, earplugs, and back protector.  No matter what the temperature, I always dress like this.  I have ridden in 25 degree weather, 100 degree weather, and everything in between. 
  You can learn how I dress for the ride, especially for cold weather, in postings here and here and here.   These postings also detail the handlebar muffs, one brand of which is Hippo Hands, that I use in conjunction with heated grips for winter riding. 
• I also carry a whistle on a lanyard around my neck in case I run off into the woods somewhere and can't crawl back out.  
• I installed a headlight modulator that helps other drivers to see me. 
• Why it is important to carry complete identification, how to do it, and what the person back home MUST do in case of trouble. The latter is extremely important.  
• I installed rear view mirror extenders to help rearward vision that is often poor on a sport bike. They help a lot. 

I have written a few technical articles as well:

• Mapping routes on your GPS.  This is how you can select a route and enter it into your GPS instead of it telling you where it wants you to go. 
• How to fix the Garmin nüvi 765 power loss.  Don't junk it, fix it.  Also applicable to other similar nüvi models. 
• How to use your Garmin GPS.  Here and here and here and here.   Lots of good info. 
• How to unbrick your GoPro HD Hero 2.  Mine was dead as a doornail, but now has been brought back to life. 

There are some tips on riding technique that I have picked up:

• A vital lesson is scanning the scene before you.   Troxler's fading causes some visual objects to disappear from plain sight!  That is very bad for a motorcyclist.  You won't believe it until you see it in this posting. This is a must-read. 
• Riding downhill in the twisties is difficult for most riders. This posting tells how to control downhill speed while maintaining best control. 
• How to take curves smoothly. 
• You must look where you want to go.  This, too, is a vitally important thing to learn.  
• Eyeglasses or contact lenses for riding.  Which is better? 
• Talking to yourself when you ride is a surprisingly good idea. 
• Slow Look Press Roll or Ready Aim Fire?  What do you think?  
• Pavement Surfaces and Other Things to Watch Out For. 
• I took a Collision Avoidance Class that proved beneficial.   

A couple of guest writers weighed in with their stories here and here.

How to clean your leather gear at home makes you look good and saves money.  (Also, here)

There are a few heart-warming stories of human interest here and here and here and here.

The troubles with my motorcycle have been few.  Here are the major things, documented for the do-it-yourselfer.  I replaced the water pump seals twice, replaced the fuel pump, replaced the stator, replaced the battery twice, repaired the loose kickstand, and did the routine stuff like valve clearance adjustments, air filter cleaning, oil changes, spark plug replacement, rear shock/spring replacement, brake pad replacement, chain replacement and alignment, sprocket replacement, and so on. The fuel pump, stator, and water pump seals are common troubles with this bike. 

Tires have been one of the larger expenses, even though I get many, many miles from them because I am so conservative a rider.  I'm riding on my seventh front and my eighth rear tire.  I have used Michelin Pilot Road tires since I replaced the original equipment Bridgestone Battlax BT-20s. 

Through the magic of spreadsheets, I have kept track of a few statistics.  The bike has been out of the garage 834 times since I bought it. The average length of each trip is 84 miles, which includes many very short commutes to work and back.  I have ridden an average of 5538 miles per year. 

You can search for an item of interest on my blog by using one of the following methods:

Now, lets go back to my latest milestone, the 70,000 mile one. 

The last time I had the bike out, I was still 59 miles shy of that goal, so I need to go and made up the shortfall.  It is about 56 degrees and overcast, but it looks like a good enough day to take a ride.  Before I start out, I noodle what direction to go.  It seems fitting to use the first route that I ever rode with someone else, a  fellow named Ryan.  In March of 2008, I met him online, rode to his house near Cleveland South Carolina, and he shepherded me to Saluda North Carolina on old US-25 and the Saluda Road.  These are the roads that pass through the Greenville Watershed.  The city of Greenville and surrounding areas get a good part of their water from the lake created by the watershed.

In trying to find Ryan's house that first time, I took a wrong turn and happened to find the lighthouse on Tall Pines Lake described in this posting.

Ryan and I had a soda at Ward's Grill inside Thompson's Store on the main street of Saluda, then headed back the way we came.  He was very patient, and rode quite slowly so I, the novice rider, could keep up. 


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Here are a few pictures on the way into Saluda for the epic 70,000 milestone.  This is the view of town from the road into Saluda. 

The railroad tracks that you cross are no longer in service, since 2001, but they are at the crest of the Saluda Grade, the steepest standard-gage railroad in the United States.

The town is at a higher elevation of 2093 feet above sea level than the Piedmont, which is at 1053 feet where I live, so the temperatures are lower.   There are summer homes and rooming houses here to take advantage of the cooler climate.

Today, I ride around the town roads, and park when the odometer reads 70,640.  That is the mileage that indicates that I have ridden this bike 70,000 miles.  (It had 640 miles on it when I bought it.)  If you have been following this blog for a while, you know that this is the only real motorcycle I have owned, so the 70,000 mark is not only the mileage on the bike, but my mileage on two wheels as well. 

I park in front of the Police Department/City Hall/Mayor's Office building and snap a shot of my odometer and of Bucky in front of the building.

 
I then walk along the main street of town, the one that parallels the railroad tracks.  There are a surprising number of shops, and there are other things to do around town as well, though many businesses are still closed by the North Carolina governor's fiat.   Some may never reopen due to the severe economic effects of his orders.

I spot a vintage Oldsmobile convertible that probably belongs to one of the local residents. 

The town hall includes the mayor's office, and that space is used for the jail as needed.

Actually, the office/jail is really just a tiny closet with a plant growing in a pot.  I'm not sure many people pick up on the joke of the lettering on the glass door. 

Ward's Grill is still here in Thompson's Store, the oldest grocery in North Carolina,  They cut their own meat and have lots of other foods to pick from.  They serve breakfast and lunch, and you can have a Coke here like Ryan and I did well over a decade(!) ago.

The M. A. Pace General Merchandise store is also still here.  I met Mr. Robert Pace, the then proprietor, several years ago.  When we would walk into his store after our ride into town, he would take note of our mode of dress and tell us that we "look like you just stepped off of a spaceship."  The current proprietor is Leon Morton, who is a cousin of the late Mr. Pace, who died in October of 2010.  He is no spring chicken, but he is a spry and talkative man.  That's him hanging up a giant ice cream cone outside his store.  He was teetering on a chair to reach the hook, so I helped him a bit.

This is an enlargement of one of the pictures on the wall in the
photo above it.  It is Mr. Robert Pace, the previous proprietor.
The eyes of the picture supposedly  follow you as you move. 

 

Mr. Morton.

There are inviting displays of produce outside and within.  They still sell all kinds of hardware, food, and ice cream, and the place is filled with antiques that are not for sale. The previous proprietors had a squirt gun to use on patrons who attempted to take something for which they did not pay.  A wet head was their clue to make the situation right. That squirt gun is still behind the counter -- and loaded. 

There are several other buildings on the main street of town.  The depot was moved a few hundred yards from a place adjacent to the tracks.  The depot is now a museum and gift shop.

Other buildings have retail space, and there are several other places to eat.

After I walk around the little town, I come across this pretty girl, waiting for me. 

She has been faithful these many miles.  I get on the bike and head back home the same way I came. 

About 20 miles from home it starts sprinkling.  The rain steadily increases until it is coming down pretty heavily. 

But I didn't melt in the rain and got home safely. 

I have set up my spreadsheet for the 80,000 milestone.  We'll see if I get that far one day.
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