FJRfarrier
Well-known member
For some odd reason… I didn’t get out for a ride on New Year’s Day.
So my riding for the year began on January 21. And the temps were in the upper 50’s!?!?!?! Met up with Wayne and Phil in Toledo. Rode around lower, lower Michigan, went to Brandon’s, and Don’s, picked up ½ used tires. Wet, filthy, foggy, and happy!!!
A whole weekend of riding in January- 500 miles!! Say what?!?!
Oh, and somewhere on that ride I proceeded to roll over 70k miles on the bike. Doing good for a 2012.
January 28- Progressive IMShow in Cleveland. Dad and daughter bonding time again…
And, surprisingly, dreaming of 3 wheels.
First week of February has me with a slight case of cabin fever and PMS. And when a trip to a craft store takes place… I walk out of there with an arm full of material and a mind full of ideas. So I decided to make a slinky seat cover. It’s AWESOME!!! It then got test ridden the next day. In 23* temps.
Valentine's Day... spending time with the ones you love. Am I doing this right? I think I am...
Mid-February, and able to take a whole weekend to spend time on the motorcycle with friends? That’s unheard of in Ohio!!! But we did it! Wayne rode down, and we met up with Joe, and David, and Justin at Iron Pony. Then onto lunch- Smokey Bones Bar & Fire Grill, just east of Columbus.
Then onto the AMA Museum and Hall of Fame.
And then shopping. Lots of shopping can take place in the Columbus area, FYI.
The next day, I was able to intercept my parents on their leisurely ride and we headed to the ski slope. Checked out the hill and the new lodge that was built the past summer.
First week of March- I got the bike out for a jaunt. Decided to ride topless. That was a different feeling!! Okay, okay, calm down. I meant the bike was topless. Goodness, boys.
Didn’t have any plans other than to ride. Found my sweet-spot, and rode it for the next 260 miles.
I worked a bit more in March. The “season” is beginning- therefore getting busier. April comes around and I find a day or two to enjoy the cool weather.
Somewhere in there, I decided to upgrade my brain bucket. Had been wearing a Scorpion modular for the past 3 years… and I was starting to notice pain and an annoying uncomfortableness. Well, I went with the Shoei Neotec. Hot diggity dog that is nice!!
End of April- Wayne decides to head north for some dual sporting and lunch. I decide to head north for lunch. But I stayed on the pavement.
Riding 400 miles of interstate alone… gotta make it interesting!!
Next up is the SEOhio Ramble at the beginning of May.
Thanks to riding with Wayne, and other riders… I have gotten more comfortable at finding unique places to dine. I used to be a person who would stop at chain fast food joints. Now we search for local dining options. And in Chesterhill, OH… we found The Triple Nickel Diner. Delicious food sourced from the locals. Bison and beef from the farms in the area. Veggies and produce from the locals. And pies made from the ladies in the town. If you are in the area- stop in and give them a try. Beautiful local place. Next time I’ll try to remember to get a picture of the food. Lol.
I feel this pic does a good job of summarizing the weekend. Rain over there, blue skies over here, curvy road, green grass and trees, and the FJR. What this pic doesn’t show is my smile.
Oh, and there was plenty of socializing.
The ride home consisted of slabbing it northwest.
And then I detoured to the ice cream joint…
Work, work, work. Where did the month of May go?!?!?!
For those who might not know what a farrier is… this is what I do.
I also work on a farm… a horse “baby making” farm…
And with all of that, I still manage to find time to ride! I often ride to the farrier supply store, and I stop for food on the way there or back. Famous bologna in Waldo, OH!
End of May, riding north- again. This time to drop off a pillion seat to a friend. With some modifications that I am doing to the bike… I won’t be needing the Russell pillion seat. And on the ride home that night, I rolled over 75,000 miles on the FJR.
June. Oh June. What a lovely month. Lol. Finally had the motivation to tear the bike apart, and get an auxiliary tank installed. Joe2lmaker is a fabulous designer!!! Thank you for making another run on these tanks that are a work of art! Luckily, I had a busy week of clients, so I wasn’t going to have time to ride. So, my father and I took the bike apart one weekend. Took the stock tank to the shop during the week to get a port welded in, and by the next weekend- we had the bike back together and running!
And then came the project of getting a “tank bag” for the auxiliary tank. Ended up finding some Oxford “fanny packs” on sale at Iron Pony, and 2 of those buckled together fits the tank wonderfully! A little bit of stitching to ensure it won’t fly off, and a little bit of custom decorations… and the unit was complete!!
Middle of June- birthday time! Had 2 days to ride, and I decided I needed some milk… So off I go to Pennsylvania. 625 miles for milk, for all-you-can-eat wings, and amazing friendship from a past coworker.
End of June. A weekend. 2 days. Decided to meet a guy for lunch in Chattanooga, TN on Saturday. Back story- while at SFO last fall, I met a BMW riding guy from Louisiana. While talking about Iron Butt rides and how crazy we are- we both mention that we want to do a 50cc. So over the winter, we continue chatting about the 50cc. And we pin down a time to do it. September 2017. We then realize that maybe we should meet each other again before the big ride. Which brings us to an RTE in Tennessee- it’s about halfway between us. And it’s close to the hills. So we meet for lunch. 500 miles to get there- all before lunch!
Pulled pork, fried Okra, and delicious sweet tea!!
We then take off and head east. Hit the Cherohala. Then make our way to the Dragon, by way of this really cool overlook!!!
Ohio meets Louisiana in Tennessee and they ride to North Carolina…
Quick run on the Dragon, and then we split with the low sun, and each head our own way homeward.
July 4th. It’s a holiday that I usually am able to get off of work. And it just so lined up nicely with my mid-week weekend! So I take another ride back down to the hills of Tennessee and North Carolina.
Read about that fun trip here Slaying It RR
4 years and 73,000 miles…
Sunday, July 9- slight backstory- when I was overnighting in Robbinsville, NC on July 4th, Tyler had mentioned that Festar was in the same area as I. We happened to be about an hour away from each other, and headed different directions the next morning. I noticed that he would be coming near my home eventually- so I made it a point to try and meet up with him. Even just for a handshake and a howdy. So, this day, he says he is traveling from West Virginia to Michigan. Well heck, I’m right on the way!
Thinking I would be able to intercept Festar somewhere in Michigan, I decide to ride up to MI and visit Wayne.
As I watch his spot tracker… I notice he is going to have a late arrival in Michigan. I make my way back home- still planning on meeting him. Sure enough- we get to Findlay about the same time and meet up for dinner!
I GOT TO MEET FESTAR!!!!!
So my riding for the year began on January 21. And the temps were in the upper 50’s!?!?!?! Met up with Wayne and Phil in Toledo. Rode around lower, lower Michigan, went to Brandon’s, and Don’s, picked up ½ used tires. Wet, filthy, foggy, and happy!!!
A whole weekend of riding in January- 500 miles!! Say what?!?!
Oh, and somewhere on that ride I proceeded to roll over 70k miles on the bike. Doing good for a 2012.
January 28- Progressive IMShow in Cleveland. Dad and daughter bonding time again…
And, surprisingly, dreaming of 3 wheels.
First week of February has me with a slight case of cabin fever and PMS. And when a trip to a craft store takes place… I walk out of there with an arm full of material and a mind full of ideas. So I decided to make a slinky seat cover. It’s AWESOME!!! It then got test ridden the next day. In 23* temps.
Valentine's Day... spending time with the ones you love. Am I doing this right? I think I am...
Mid-February, and able to take a whole weekend to spend time on the motorcycle with friends? That’s unheard of in Ohio!!! But we did it! Wayne rode down, and we met up with Joe, and David, and Justin at Iron Pony. Then onto lunch- Smokey Bones Bar & Fire Grill, just east of Columbus.
Then onto the AMA Museum and Hall of Fame.
And then shopping. Lots of shopping can take place in the Columbus area, FYI.
The next day, I was able to intercept my parents on their leisurely ride and we headed to the ski slope. Checked out the hill and the new lodge that was built the past summer.
First week of March- I got the bike out for a jaunt. Decided to ride topless. That was a different feeling!! Okay, okay, calm down. I meant the bike was topless. Goodness, boys.
Didn’t have any plans other than to ride. Found my sweet-spot, and rode it for the next 260 miles.
I worked a bit more in March. The “season” is beginning- therefore getting busier. April comes around and I find a day or two to enjoy the cool weather.
Somewhere in there, I decided to upgrade my brain bucket. Had been wearing a Scorpion modular for the past 3 years… and I was starting to notice pain and an annoying uncomfortableness. Well, I went with the Shoei Neotec. Hot diggity dog that is nice!!
End of April- Wayne decides to head north for some dual sporting and lunch. I decide to head north for lunch. But I stayed on the pavement.
Riding 400 miles of interstate alone… gotta make it interesting!!
Next up is the SEOhio Ramble at the beginning of May.
Thanks to riding with Wayne, and other riders… I have gotten more comfortable at finding unique places to dine. I used to be a person who would stop at chain fast food joints. Now we search for local dining options. And in Chesterhill, OH… we found The Triple Nickel Diner. Delicious food sourced from the locals. Bison and beef from the farms in the area. Veggies and produce from the locals. And pies made from the ladies in the town. If you are in the area- stop in and give them a try. Beautiful local place. Next time I’ll try to remember to get a picture of the food. Lol.
I feel this pic does a good job of summarizing the weekend. Rain over there, blue skies over here, curvy road, green grass and trees, and the FJR. What this pic doesn’t show is my smile.
Oh, and there was plenty of socializing.
The ride home consisted of slabbing it northwest.
And then I detoured to the ice cream joint…
Work, work, work. Where did the month of May go?!?!?!
For those who might not know what a farrier is… this is what I do.
I also work on a farm… a horse “baby making” farm…
And with all of that, I still manage to find time to ride! I often ride to the farrier supply store, and I stop for food on the way there or back. Famous bologna in Waldo, OH!
End of May, riding north- again. This time to drop off a pillion seat to a friend. With some modifications that I am doing to the bike… I won’t be needing the Russell pillion seat. And on the ride home that night, I rolled over 75,000 miles on the FJR.
June. Oh June. What a lovely month. Lol. Finally had the motivation to tear the bike apart, and get an auxiliary tank installed. Joe2lmaker is a fabulous designer!!! Thank you for making another run on these tanks that are a work of art! Luckily, I had a busy week of clients, so I wasn’t going to have time to ride. So, my father and I took the bike apart one weekend. Took the stock tank to the shop during the week to get a port welded in, and by the next weekend- we had the bike back together and running!
And then came the project of getting a “tank bag” for the auxiliary tank. Ended up finding some Oxford “fanny packs” on sale at Iron Pony, and 2 of those buckled together fits the tank wonderfully! A little bit of stitching to ensure it won’t fly off, and a little bit of custom decorations… and the unit was complete!!
Middle of June- birthday time! Had 2 days to ride, and I decided I needed some milk… So off I go to Pennsylvania. 625 miles for milk, for all-you-can-eat wings, and amazing friendship from a past coworker.
End of June. A weekend. 2 days. Decided to meet a guy for lunch in Chattanooga, TN on Saturday. Back story- while at SFO last fall, I met a BMW riding guy from Louisiana. While talking about Iron Butt rides and how crazy we are- we both mention that we want to do a 50cc. So over the winter, we continue chatting about the 50cc. And we pin down a time to do it. September 2017. We then realize that maybe we should meet each other again before the big ride. Which brings us to an RTE in Tennessee- it’s about halfway between us. And it’s close to the hills. So we meet for lunch. 500 miles to get there- all before lunch!
Pulled pork, fried Okra, and delicious sweet tea!!
We then take off and head east. Hit the Cherohala. Then make our way to the Dragon, by way of this really cool overlook!!!
Ohio meets Louisiana in Tennessee and they ride to North Carolina…
Quick run on the Dragon, and then we split with the low sun, and each head our own way homeward.
July 4th. It’s a holiday that I usually am able to get off of work. And it just so lined up nicely with my mid-week weekend! So I take another ride back down to the hills of Tennessee and North Carolina.
Read about that fun trip here Slaying It RR
4 years and 73,000 miles…
Sunday, July 9- slight backstory- when I was overnighting in Robbinsville, NC on July 4th, Tyler had mentioned that Festar was in the same area as I. We happened to be about an hour away from each other, and headed different directions the next morning. I noticed that he would be coming near my home eventually- so I made it a point to try and meet up with him. Even just for a handshake and a howdy. So, this day, he says he is traveling from West Virginia to Michigan. Well heck, I’m right on the way!
Thinking I would be able to intercept Festar somewhere in Michigan, I decide to ride up to MI and visit Wayne.
As I watch his spot tracker… I notice he is going to have a late arrival in Michigan. I make my way back home- still planning on meeting him. Sure enough- we get to Findlay about the same time and meet up for dinner!
I GOT TO MEET FESTAR!!!!!
