enjoying the commute...

[hubcapsc]

Lake Hartwell is a big lake, but not a big round lake... its really
a bunch of dammed up river valleys. Getting from A to B often
involves going to where the bridge is first.

For many years I have gone to work the same way, using the obvious bridge.
The encroachment of condominiums and neighborhoods has changed the
drive (or ride) enough that recently I began using a different route,
an awesome route... Here's one of the first things I noticed on this
new route 



This is Tokeena Crossroads, former hub and happening place...





This was plowed to dirt a few weeks ago...



Soy fields and sorghum and cattle go on and on...





A section of the road goes through this nicely thinned planted pine forest,
I learned today that they're going to cut a bunch of it soon...



Who would have thought they'd have a school just for forks?



I don't quite have this house figured out... it doesn't seem like someone
lives there, but it is not abandoned to dissipation, either... I would love
to live in a house like this...



As you get near the lake, it turns into little lake neighborhoods... the kind
that have been there 40 or 50 years, not the gaudy new kind... here's
Bill's Hideaway...



Here's the bridge I've been aiming for...



And on to my cubicle in the plush well-lit SCRA building  ...



It is fun looking forward to the commute!

-Mike

[R J]

Looks like a great ride.

[Punisher]

Looks like a great route.  I bet "ol' red" doesn't want to pull into that parking spot, just keep on riding.

Hey, I've noticed that you don't ever seem to be on that new Valk.   Don't forget that you're supposed be detaching from "ol' red" so that I can buy some of those rare bits off her!

Sure is some pretty areas around Lake Hartwell, I know you're happy to be a part of the community. 

[Michvalk]

Interesting...several of those pine trees look like they are on fire

[cookiedough]

I, like you, commute to work on Valk as well when I can as long as no rain and not under 45 degrees or so.

Unlike you,  I want to keep on riding well past the work parking lot since I so much dread it there in more ways than one. 

Nice pics by the way, love the rural countryside.  I'd never make it in a big city, no way.

[hubcapsc]

Hey, I've noticed that you don't ever seem to be on that new Valk.   Don't forget that you're supposed be detaching from "ol' red" so that I can buy some of those rare bits off her!

I've been spending a lot of time with the black bike, but not riding it... getting it rideable
is turning out to be a big deal... I'm working on putting some Real(TM) Valkyrie handlebars
on it... Both the brake and clutch lines and the electric wires for each handlebar control
box need to be re-routed to behind the top bridge, or lengthened... If it turns out that
lengthening is required, I've found a place that can make the longer hydraulic lines,
but lengthening the wires seems like it might be hard... When you look at the videos
at the places that sell "Power Commanders", you can see that they have connections
that plug in-line to OEM connections, if I could find something like that it would make
extending the wires to the bars a breeze... a machinist has the black bike's risers right
now, maybe get them back to me today...



It would be easy to replace the brake line, it just goes to the steering head and turns to
hard-line... I showed this connection to the line-fabricator guy, he said "no problem"...
The clutch-line is probably one piece and disappears behind shrouds in front of the motor,
so I don't know yet how hard that will be to change out... I ordered a manual for it,
it will be here in a day or two... I'll be less afraid to take stuff apart (like the head
light shell) with the manual on hand...



-Mike

[hubcapsc]

Interesting...several of those pine trees look like they are on fire

Poison Ivy, most likely... turns great colors in the fall...

-Mike

[KY,Dave (AKA Misunderstood)]

Nice route, Thanks for sharing.  I too love the older architecture and would love to live in an older home like in the pic.

[Radman]

My bike has been having some serious issues during my morning commute.  The brakes start fading, the throttle gets locked on and starts accelerating! 

This usually happens within the last click to work.  Then I shake my head and pull into the driveway. 

[Spirited-6]

Mike, like I said many moons ago, you are a 'smart' fella. Gotta love your input !