Top_Speed1
Panama Canal Crosser
Labor Day Weekend (8/27-9/1/14) was my local club Rally (campout) along with riding the legendary Watkins Glen Race Track.
I invited a few friends from VT, NJ and Canada.... All showed up to my amazement, Rick from NJ however chose the Motel method vs. our so called camping....
Not sure if most of you here would call my kinda kamping "camping"? ...like having A/C, Satellite and an LED TV Count?
Dennis (Semius), Stan (Steamer) on phone w his g/f at home, Debbie's trying to listen in.
Steamer (guess he's smarter than he looks!) found a weekend long dry parking spot for his ride...
My childhood buddy 'Robert' (rides a Yamaha btw) adding advice I guess.
The real campers...
I met Rick (an ex VT. State Trooper) and from Vermont when I was in Minneapolis last Month at the MOA Nationals. Told him about my clubs local Rally on Labor Day. We kinda left it at nothing to be honest.... surprised the crap outta me, ...he shows! Holycrap!
Steamer is basically saying "WTF dude are you doing here!"
He looks around and says he just can't do the camping life, and, with no room left in my camper, he heads off to town to land a room....
Saturday.... Track Day!
Debbie says she's not riding and will be our photographer. OK, good with me. I get to ride the Glen 1-up
Stan-lee is saying... "honey, you would be much more happy with me!" Steamer is a lady's man, just ask him! lol.
Group hug
Rick, KJ, Stan, Deb, Robert (Yeah, Steamers put on a few el-bees this summer)
I get a good luck hug from honey, I'm just excited and I wanna get rolling, Stan-lee is fiddling with his phone, and like you need that on the track?. Whats new!
The pits man! (Pretty fugly squinting insert, I already know and I have no shame!)
A few warm-up laps here... I must of been bored, I see I still haven't flipped up my highway pegs yet! And yes, I'm too cheap to pay $25 for a .jpg of me....
Meanwhile back on the ranch... Debbie (remember, she was supposed to be our track photographer?)... gets asked by the pace car driver to ride along with him. (of course he asked her). He already had a front passenger but said he was dropping her off at some spot loca and that he wanted Debbie up front with her. (of course he does).
Track notes.
Besides a 'Busa ahead of me, nothing came close to the thrust the 6 cylinder. I actually climbed up on the Blue-busa many of times, but he "knee pucked" me in the banked turns and quite easily. Impressive, but I'm not going to buy a 'Busa (as rumors had it there at the track that day). I like comfort, end of story.
A couple of Ducati's scored well in the another group. The few Harley's? well, they were all set in the back of either group and by the 1st lap at that. I think they had fun too however!... as I spoke with a lot of peeps afterwards... all with HUGE smiles. So it didn't really matter what you drove or how fast you took the track in. Smiles baby, smiles.
Note to self. The elevation changes (can) get you. Coming off the frnt straightaway at 130+mph you have to work in a sharp DOWNHILL 90-deg right hand turn ...which comes up really FAST!. The esses next up were so exciting, like a banked twisty road with no deer to worry about. Loved it!!! LOved It!!! Doing it again? well, I'll let you make that call
Sunday
...we awake to friggen rain!
So we start happy hour early! Steamer... looking dapper as always
I had a 250 mi loop planned on some very familiar turf. Well, we (some of us anyway) were in a holding pattern so to say...
Rick and Stan decide to forgo the Bloody Mary's and head out in the rain...
Passing the rainy time, we were playing Jenga out in front of my camper when two young and future riders came up to introduce themselves.
The kids (so cute!) talk Debbie into trying out their kinda ride.... No ATGATT eitha!
It wasn't all fun and games for us... being club members (I'm #506 so there's a few of us!), we had jobs appointed daily. Me being 6-4, I seem to get put on gate security a lot. Debbie being 5-4 goes along with me, hey, she's a pittbull in disguise, so don't let her looks fewl yas!
All in all w 1 rainy day, still a great camping weekend. We had 2 catered dinners (Sat & Sun nites) that were fabulous (culinary group from Cornell University catered the event). Mega cudos to those hard workers and all the fine cuisine (no burgers or hots!). Top shelf, and, for only $60 p/p incl camping Ahh, Yeah!. 724 (registered guests, but not us club members who donated time/shifts and were excluded in the fees and head count) all enjoyed it immensely. Plus all agreed to do it again next Labor Day Weekend.
Many trophies and awards were given out. California couple got the farthest away award with Texas runner up. Being this was held in NY State you would think that we had the most tally of bikes at the Rally. Nope. 4th place@! WTF New Yawkers?! 3rd place went to Ohio, then PA for 2nd and Ontario (Kanada) was No.1 with 121 riders from there. Dang, those Kanadians sure love to ride and then drink heavily. Guess it's a good match at this event.
All bikes/makes were welcomed. We had a few Harley's, more so on the Triumphs and Ducati's. Saw 2 FJR's and a few Connies as well. One thing in common, nobody really cared what anyone was driving or riding. No ego's, no bashing, just a lot of FUN!
Being that I had 2 cops staying with me, I thought it was a real riot when a (hippie type) couple came up to my camper and asked if we wanted to do a joint with them. The 2 ex-cops said "smoke 'em if ya got 'em!... hey! we are off duty and don't even do that job anymore" The couple rolled on as they sensed a kinda strange response. We all had huge smiles knowing what they didn't know.
Cheers w Beers!
-KJ
I invited a few friends from VT, NJ and Canada.... All showed up to my amazement, Rick from NJ however chose the Motel method vs. our so called camping....
Not sure if most of you here would call my kinda kamping "camping"? ...like having A/C, Satellite and an LED TV Count?
Dennis (Semius), Stan (Steamer) on phone w his g/f at home, Debbie's trying to listen in.
Steamer (guess he's smarter than he looks!) found a weekend long dry parking spot for his ride...
My childhood buddy 'Robert' (rides a Yamaha btw) adding advice I guess.
The real campers...
I met Rick (an ex VT. State Trooper) and from Vermont when I was in Minneapolis last Month at the MOA Nationals. Told him about my clubs local Rally on Labor Day. We kinda left it at nothing to be honest.... surprised the crap outta me, ...he shows! Holycrap!
Steamer is basically saying "WTF dude are you doing here!"
He looks around and says he just can't do the camping life, and, with no room left in my camper, he heads off to town to land a room....
Saturday.... Track Day!
Debbie says she's not riding and will be our photographer. OK, good with me. I get to ride the Glen 1-up
Stan-lee is saying... "honey, you would be much more happy with me!" Steamer is a lady's man, just ask him! lol.
Group hug
Rick, KJ, Stan, Deb, Robert (Yeah, Steamers put on a few el-bees this summer)
I get a good luck hug from honey, I'm just excited and I wanna get rolling, Stan-lee is fiddling with his phone, and like you need that on the track?. Whats new!
The pits man! (Pretty fugly squinting insert, I already know and I have no shame!)
A few warm-up laps here... I must of been bored, I see I still haven't flipped up my highway pegs yet! And yes, I'm too cheap to pay $25 for a .jpg of me....
Meanwhile back on the ranch... Debbie (remember, she was supposed to be our track photographer?)... gets asked by the pace car driver to ride along with him. (of course he asked her). He already had a front passenger but said he was dropping her off at some spot loca and that he wanted Debbie up front with her. (of course he does).
Track notes.
Besides a 'Busa ahead of me, nothing came close to the thrust the 6 cylinder. I actually climbed up on the Blue-busa many of times, but he "knee pucked" me in the banked turns and quite easily. Impressive, but I'm not going to buy a 'Busa (as rumors had it there at the track that day). I like comfort, end of story.
A couple of Ducati's scored well in the another group. The few Harley's? well, they were all set in the back of either group and by the 1st lap at that. I think they had fun too however!... as I spoke with a lot of peeps afterwards... all with HUGE smiles. So it didn't really matter what you drove or how fast you took the track in. Smiles baby, smiles.
Note to self. The elevation changes (can) get you. Coming off the frnt straightaway at 130+mph you have to work in a sharp DOWNHILL 90-deg right hand turn ...which comes up really FAST!. The esses next up were so exciting, like a banked twisty road with no deer to worry about. Loved it!!! LOved It!!! Doing it again? well, I'll let you make that call
Sunday
...we awake to friggen rain!
I had a 250 mi loop planned on some very familiar turf. Well, we (some of us anyway) were in a holding pattern so to say...
Rick and Stan decide to forgo the Bloody Mary's and head out in the rain...
Passing the rainy time, we were playing Jenga out in front of my camper when two young and future riders came up to introduce themselves.
The kids (so cute!) talk Debbie into trying out their kinda ride.... No ATGATT eitha!
It wasn't all fun and games for us... being club members (I'm #506 so there's a few of us!), we had jobs appointed daily. Me being 6-4, I seem to get put on gate security a lot. Debbie being 5-4 goes along with me, hey, she's a pittbull in disguise, so don't let her looks fewl yas!
All in all w 1 rainy day, still a great camping weekend. We had 2 catered dinners (Sat & Sun nites) that were fabulous (culinary group from Cornell University catered the event). Mega cudos to those hard workers and all the fine cuisine (no burgers or hots!). Top shelf, and, for only $60 p/p incl camping Ahh, Yeah!. 724 (registered guests, but not us club members who donated time/shifts and were excluded in the fees and head count) all enjoyed it immensely. Plus all agreed to do it again next Labor Day Weekend.
Many trophies and awards were given out. California couple got the farthest away award with Texas runner up. Being this was held in NY State you would think that we had the most tally of bikes at the Rally. Nope. 4th place@! WTF New Yawkers?! 3rd place went to Ohio, then PA for 2nd and Ontario (Kanada) was No.1 with 121 riders from there. Dang, those Kanadians sure love to ride and then drink heavily. Guess it's a good match at this event.
All bikes/makes were welcomed. We had a few Harley's, more so on the Triumphs and Ducati's. Saw 2 FJR's and a few Connies as well. One thing in common, nobody really cared what anyone was driving or riding. No ego's, no bashing, just a lot of FUN!
Being that I had 2 cops staying with me, I thought it was a real riot when a (hippie type) couple came up to my camper and asked if we wanted to do a joint with them. The 2 ex-cops said "smoke 'em if ya got 'em!... hey! we are off duty and don't even do that job anymore" The couple rolled on as they sensed a kinda strange response. We all had huge smiles knowing what they didn't know.
Cheers w Beers!
-KJ
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