Low 70s and no sun all day,

[Jess from VA]

the first time in quite a while, and I want to ride.  But light off and on rain making me wait a while.

Every 3-4 years, it rains hard and fast enough to float a canoe in my backyard.

So a few years ago, I cut a drainage ditch across the bottom of the yard with a 4" drain under the fence (to the side street on my corner lot).

Yesterday was one of those days, and I look out and see a yard full of water, so I go out there in the monsoon in my 18" rubber mud boots and reach down into the drain and discover it's clogged with crud and mud and clear it, and the whole yard drains down in about 20 minutes (big mess outside the fence).  At least we didn't lose power again, so I didn't have to hand drain the sump hole again. 

If it isn't murder heat it's torrential rain. 

Please let it snow for a nice change.    

[Serk]

If you want mostly nice weather, move to California...

Of course, that comes with other costs that most folks aren't willing to pay.

Please let it snow for a nice change.    

Will try to remember to bring this up and quote it again at the appropriate time in a few months... 

[0leman]

trade you some afternoon thunder storms, which start fires, for some of your wet.   We have been lucky so far this summer in that we have only had three days of bad smoke conditions.   We are currently having afternoon thunder storms, with out much moisture falling.  Which means in several days we'll be having fire starts. 

Thankfully the temps are a bit below normal, high of 88.   So its not bad in that way, can go for a 3-4 hour ride in the mornings. 

[Jess from VA]

If you want mostly nice weather, move to California...

Of course, that comes with other costs that most folks aren't willing to pay.

Please let it snow for a nice change.    

Will try to remember to bring this up and quote it again at the appropriate time in a few months...  

I spent my last 5 years of active duty in Riverside (March AFB) in SoCal (1980s).  Not much rain and lots of heat but dry as a bone.  And wonderful riding in the low desert and two giant mountains.  (San Jacinto and San Gorgonio)





I was on a full dress Harley in those years, and probably the best riding I'll ever do in my life.

CA was beginning to hate and bann guns in those days, and it was good to live on an exclusive Federal enclave of a military installation.

1986 FXRD (1 of only 1000 made) (not mine, like mine)




March AFB 


It only actually snows here once in a blue moon, and not much.  We got 4 feet once in 35 years.  I have a snow blower (from that year) and happily almost never use it.  

[f6john]

No pretty pictures but I did ride a little 40 +/- miles circle to my church and back. I keep the grass cut and usually go on Friday or Saturday. No visible sun here either but it was cool enough that I put on the lightest jacket I own over a T shirt and it was darn near perfect. I 75 is still clogged for a few miles around the Richmond exits but I have become pretty good at working around those areas.

[Jess from VA]

Well, I thought I waited long enough but didn't and got drizzled on for half my ride.  Wet, then dry, then wet for a nice 3.5 hour ride.  Wore my lightest bike jacket with all the vents open.  My dang half-helmet drop down half-shield got screwed up so I had to leave it up.  I don't mind a little rain/drizzle, but I hate getting my eyeglasses all fouled up (the prescription ones VA says I have to wear on my dr's license).  It's not the wet, it's the blind that is bothersome.

Next 2 days will be nice and cool too and I should have waited but I wanted a ride today.  

My bike out in Middleburg VA, in front of a big horse museum.  The statue of a cavalry horse is dedicated to the millions of horses wounded or killed in the Civil War.


Diddling with old pictures, here's one back when I had hair and a wife in the late 1980's at March AFB.  


  

[HayHauler]

Jess, your second picture didn't make the trip. OR, at least I cannot see it.

Hay 
Jimmyt

[Jess from VA]

Sorry Jimmy, it's copy-pasted from an old Delphi Forum (just like the first picture) and I can see it.

I'm no more than a hack with computers.


EDIT:  Can no one but me see it?

[scooperhsd]

If you want mostly nice weather, move to California...

Of course, that comes with other costs that most folks aren't willing to pay.

Please let it snow for a nice change.    

Will try to remember to bring this up and quote it again at the appropriate time in a few months... 

If you don't, I will 

[Jess from VA]

Best riding day all Summer.  Left in 68* and returned 4.5hr later in 78*.

Lots of bikes out, everyone smiling and waving.  Just a fantastic day to ride.   

Turning up the street leading back to my neighborhood, a sport bike has crashed out, but the rider is sitting up talking to a paramedic.  But there were 4 full sized fire trucks, an ambulance and a police car on scene.  There was no fire.  My county tax dollars at work.   

[3fan4life]

The statue of a cavalry horse is dedicated to the millions of horses wounded or killed in the Civil War.

I'm surprised that they didn't try to "Cancel" the ones that served in the Confederate Army. 

[Jess from VA]

Mark, the people out there are crazy about their horses.

Thoroughbreds, pacers, trotters, big harness Clydesdales, and just regular ones.

I suppose there are families out there (with big money) that date back to the Civil War era with ancestors who served the Confederacy and take pride in that history.

But I think mostly it's about horses.  Not history or politics. 

That statue is very nice quality, and I couldn't tell you if the sabre or saddle or anything else on it can be traced to a Confederate or Union mount. 

[shape]

Hay Jess from VA, I had 85 HD fxrt with the matching tourpac & lowers, making it as you probably know the same as your fxrd. Bought it new and was replaced in 2000 by my, still have, Valkyrie. I thought it was a really well rounded bike. Decent power, comfortable, handled really good, it even had good ground clearance. After my shovelhead, the Evo was a huge step up. Really loved the bike BUT, the damn thing, out of the blue, would just die. Let it sit for half a day give or take, and it would start up and run like nothing ever happened. Had buffalo hd look at it under warranty, Harvs hd in rochester picked it up off the expressway and looked at it, I was in the mid-west (I forget the state), it died and the local hd dealer picked it up, looked at it, said they found a short, but the problem continued. Last straw was when it died in the Adirondacks after visiting a friend in the north east of NY. A group of gold wing riders stopped to help, and consequently gave me a ride to my house. After riding on the back of that gold wing for a couple hours, I thought, I’m getting myself one of these 6 cyl Honda’s. Note I had been admiring the Valkyrie for awhile. But I remember really being blown away with the acceleration it had with two grown men on it, and of course it was comfortable as could be. Back to the fxrt, I have a mix of fond memories and hate. 25 years later (incredible), never let down with the Valkyrie. I wouldn’t mind hearing your experience with your fxrd.  Take Care, Shape

[Jess from VA]

Hay Jess from VA, I had 85 HD fxrt with the matching tourpac & lowers, making it as you probably know the same as your fxrd.

Hi Shape,

I had my FXRD for 18 years and about 85K miles.  It was always reliable and I did a lot of 2-up with the 120lb wife on the back.  The RD/RT was Harley's only ever attempt at making a sport tourer, and the FXR being the best handling EVO ever made, it was a very good motorcycle (for a Harley).

I bought a new Kawasaki 1500 Mean Streak and that was my transition to metric cruisers (smooth, not shakey-thumpy Hog).  Once I had the Valk, the Hog rarely got ridden, and it got pushed out of my bike shed under a cover.  I kept it for a number of years out of nostalgia, but it finally went in a trailer to a Hog collector in California.

Valk, Hog, Kawi, and wife's Yami 1100



FXRD