Kickstand's Motorycling Blog

Well, I've been too busy with all these things I have going on. We went on a run on Sunday that was quite a day. The Sonoma County Hell's Angels put on a run they call the "End of Summer Run". It was a great day for everyone. No accidents,harrassment from the cops, Attitude, or general stupidity. All went smoothly, and the weather was perfect. We did have a chopper circle around overhead at the starting point, but we didn't see them again all day. We met some great people, and saw a killer little "stunt show" from a guy who was a member of the club. I was in awe of the fact that a guy his size could handle a bagger like that...or anyone else, for that matter. It was a nice addition to what was already a great day. We had to go on Barbara's Honda because my Harley was waiting on a part that BikeBandit.com took a couple of weeks to get to me. I didn't want to ride the Ninja with that group. so we doubled up on hers. Get this!...I never pulled my digital camera out of my bags during the day. When we got home, I couldn't find my camera. I had the case, but no camera. So, I told Barbara that it was missing, and she said the Hell's Angels had been announcing all day that they'd found a camera outside their clubhouse. I thought I'd check to see if it was my camera they had, but I had no phone number for their clubhouse, so I emailed them. I described my camera, and the next day I got a reply from their webmaster confirming it was my camera, and he said they'd hold it for me to come pickup anytime. I will be picking it up when I go to their next event early next month. It cracks me up how shocked people are when I tell them this. They usually say,"Wow!...Hell's Angels?" There's such a common misconception about them, and I have to laugh at the ignorance. They are, on average, very upstanding people, and usually the most fun to hang out with. We always have the most fun on their runs. So, don't believe everything you see on TV, and watch out for the PO~PO!!!...and Thanks Sonoma Co HA!

Kickstand's Motorycling BlogI went to the Dr. He took X-Ray's on Monday. No new breaks or fractures, but there's a possibility that the original break cracked again. I was told to put physical therapy on hold for a week. The Dr. also instructed me not to ride my bike for as long as 3 months...OUCH!!!
That's right! I won't be riding for a while. As a result, I won't be attending Street Vibrations this year. Sorry guys. I was planning on doing an extensive photo gallery out of it. This really changes my plan. Even if I were to drive there, my foot is not in good enough condition to be able to cover the ground I'd need to cover to make it worthwhile. Maybe in a wheelchair!....Naaaaa. I also had to miss another Old Coots meeting yesterday, due to my foot being so swollen. I learned through the beginning of this foot thing, you elevate and ice immediately. It will speed overall recovery. Listen to the doctor.
SO, the way I was hit on Saturday was as follows:
We were at Konocti for the Train concert, and while there I met a guy on a "Repsol" Honda. We got to talkin' cuz I was on my Ninja that day, due to my broken oil pump cover on my Sporty. When the concert was over, most of us were going to go to Richmond Park, so I told him about it, and he followed along. When we got there, I was second to last in line, and he was behind me. I stopped to look behind me to swirve right and left to park with the rest of the bikes, and the guy on the Honda hit me at a 45 degree angle on my right side. If you remember, my left foot is the one that's broken, and upon impact I was shot off the bike to my left. While in motion I was making large hops on my left foot. When it was over I hadn't fallen, but my bike had, and my foot hurt like hell. The guy who hit me was still upright, and his wife was on the back saying,"Car door, Dude!...Car door!...Car dooOOoor! Well there were two females in a car that was illegally parked, and the driver opened her car door after I'd passed, and this startled the rider of the Honda. That is apparently what distracted him enough to look away and hit me when I'd stopped. When this happened, their security guard was watching whole thing, along with several friends of mine who'd just parked before the incident. Several witness saw and heard him telling the two females that had opened to the door to leave immediately. They took off before anyone could stop them. After that, the security guard disappeared too, and people that were seen talking to him at the time of the incident were now claiming he was never there. Others in my party identified him, and I know I saw him with my own eyes as I was flying through the air. He wasn't 10 feet from where it all happened. I really didn't care about my bike, or anything other than my foot. I didn't want to extend my recovery time another day, and it was hurting pretty badly after all of this. Anyway, it was an interesting evening, as later there was more excitement. My buddy got in a fight with a friend's friend over some drunken words of stupidity. Even my buddy's wife jumped in to help her man. Everyone seemed to be letting them go at it for a bit. They broke a table and there were some cuts and bruises on one of 'em. I must go now...I'll add more to the story later.

Kickstand's Motorycling Blog

I had an eventful weekend. Saturday night I was hit by another rider, and the same night there were lots of fights among friends. Pretty exciting. I may have re-broken my foot. I'll find out today when I get another X-Ray. It feels broken again. I'll explain how it all happened as soon as I have time to write more. I am looking for a motorcycle lawyer. If you know one in Northern California who's good, please post it to the comments link below this blog entry. Talk to ya'll soon.

Kickstand's Motorycling BlogWell, I tried on a Vagos vest the other day. Felt good. I have lots of friends around here, and people keep asking me if I'm going to join a club. Should I?... I got a new sprocket from Lake County Choppers today. It's nice. 48 tooth, chrome, and beautiful. I will get a pic of it. We have a couple of runs up here this weekend, and I don't know if i'll make both, but I will be going to Konocti to see "Train", and whoever is opening for them. This is a nice time of year up here for riding. I flushed my oil tank with kerosene the other day, and then rode it with cheap oil to flush it out. When I rode it after the flush, I was amazed at the increase in power. It's like when it ran at it's best, a year ago. I rode the Ninja to work today. It started to rain on my way home. Now it's hot and clear again. I will check back in later.

Kickstand's Motorycling Blog

GEEZ!...I haven't had time to blog! I have had a lot to do, and not enough time to do it. The Old Coots On Scoots are doing a fund raiser to save our local base from peril. We are trying to put together any kind of event we can in a short enough amount of time to really help. If anyone has any suggestions for us, please post in comments belows this blog. The club is called The Classic Saloon, in Clearlake Oaks, CA. Please offer any information on resources that may be helpful to us in our mission to save a landmark establishment from closing its doors. You can email me directly at kickstand@walshtek.com. I have several new things to write about from this last weekend, and I will have many more over the next few weeks. This time of year is packed with motorcycle events in these parts due to the ideal weather conditions. Along with the regular runs, we're going to have to squeeze one in for The Classic, and we have Street Vibrations in Reno this month too. WHOA!...It'll be a big one. I am going to start tracking my rides with GPS and video so that more of you can appreciate what we have to ride on around here. We went to Dublin this weekend, and we went to Arlen Ness while we were there. What a great place that is, every time we go there. I test drove a Victory, and got a free T-Shirt. My girlfriend said they told her they were disappointed that I didn't "ride it like I stole it" right out of the gate. They must not've heard me when I got down the road some. PhewwwwwWWW. I was Victorious! The torque is incredible, and since there was hardly any traffic, I was able to actually get it up to some high speeds very quickly in a short distance. I loved how it handled while riding at higher speeds than mine for 2 reasons: I have a 4 Speed on a 1000cc Sportster, and it had a 6 Speed with a 1650cc. BLAP! The fat tire was a different ride for me too. I have an ironhead sporty with a slightly oversized tire, and this thing had a 200 or 250 on it. I found myself having to throw my weight around to handle it in the parking lot. My sporty is quite the opposite. All things considered, I would buy one, for sure. We had a great weekend. I must go now. I hope to blog more soon.

Kickstand's Motorycling Blog

This has been a very long, and very fun, weekend. We had the Poker Run around the lake from Konocti. They had vendors this year, which was cool, and other entertainment like stunt-jumpers and a bike show. Steve Miller Band was insane, followed up by a nice fireworks show, and we met everyone at Richmond Park. It was very relaxing. I will ad more tomorrow. It's bedtime.

Kickstand's Motorycling Blog


Well, today wasn't so bad. I ended up buying a new battery for the Ninja, and now it seems to be running really well. I hope I will have a long period of trouble-free operation before the next issue comes up. I will need something to ride while the Harley is getting repairs. The new noise coming from the rocker covers is alarming, and I would be majorly pissed if that bike goes down for a long period. Anyway, my girl and I went for a ride from Kelseyville to Finley, then to Lakeport, and then over Cobb Mt. to Middletown. We came back home on Hwy 29 through Lower Lake. It was a beautiful day for a ride. We have very little traffic up here, and perfect roads, for the most part. Actually, the worst roads are in town. The cities of Clearlake, Lakeport and Middletown have roads that would be considered bad in Afghanistan. It's too bad, because there's definitely tax money to fix the roads. I ride with some local road workers, and they say they're too busy fixing potholes, instead of just repaving and not having to deal with it for years. Anyway, we look forward to next weekend. I hope I have a bike to ride. By the way, if you're a person who has decided they want to give their bike away, I accept. I am also willing to accept donations toward the purchase of a new bike. :) Oh, and please check out some recent pics from Summer 2006 at my website HERE

Kickstand's Motorycling Blog

Well, what a day! We left too late in the day to get all of the things fixed that I'd planned, so we just went to dinner at a place called Angel's. It's very good Mexican Food. Whewww!...When I pulled into the restaurant, my bike lunged forward, stalled, and wouldn't start again. It acted like the batter was dead. I was with my Girlfriend, and she let me leave her at the casino down the road while I took her bike home to get the parts I thought I'd need to fix the Ninja. I got back, tried to replace the fuse box with another one I had, and NOPE!!!....It wasn't the problem. I have to go back again tomorrow to fix it.

Kickstand's Motorycling Blog

Hello,

What a great day for a Friday. I went to work, the chiropractor, the podiatrist, and then the fun began. My Girl and I came straight home from work, got on the bikes, and went to this month's NBMA
meeting. After the meeting, there was still time to hit the Lynyrd Skynyrd concert at Konocti(4 minutes from my house). What a great show! We didn't see the entire show, but when the closed with "Free Bird", we felt right at home. It was a nice crowd, and lots of bikes showed up for this show. It surprised me that there were that many bikes this weekend from the Bay Area, when we have the 'Takin' It To The Streets' weekend at Konocti. The turnout for that weekend is phenominal every year.

Most people are unhappy about the fact that The Doobie Brothers aren't playing there this year. Obviously, the name of the event is based on the Doobies' song "Takin' It To The Street". One thing that makes up for not having the "Doob's" is that "The Steve Miller Band" is playing instead. If I could think of any band that came close to the "Doob's", it would be Steve Miller. They're both Bay Area based bands from the same era, and they are both GREAT! It would be really cool if the "Doob's" were to make a surprise appearance. That would be the show of shows. Actually, the show of shows would include those 2 bands, and it would have to also include "The Eagles","Bob Seger" and, of course,"Pink Floyd". Anyway, I got some pics of Skynyrd, and I will post them to my pic post right away, but I still have to clean it up and put a link to it from here. That will happen soon. Thanks for reading, and Ride Smart.

Kickstand's Motorycling Blog

Well, I haven't been so consistent with my blogs, but whewww have I had a good time! Finally, since my broken foot, I have been out and doing things, since the pain level has allowed more mobility. This weekend was the annual "Boardstock" event at "Konocti Harbor".near my home. They have a plethora of concerts there during the summer in their outdoor amphitheater. During the Boardstock event they have a great lineup of performers. Last Wednesday (Aug 16th, 2006), was "Staind and Crossfade", and one other band whose name I can't remember the name of. What a show!.... Then, they had "Counting Crows and Firehouse" on Thursday, which we didn't have time to get to. On Friday was "Kid Rock", and he had "Pamela Anderson" with him. We got pics of them landing, each in their own helicopters, right where we usually park the bikes. It was unusual for them to block off that area, and it made most of the bikers have to leave their scooters out of sight. I have pics of the event on my website at Walshtek.com.) We ride there and it's great because you can see your bike from where you sit. In fact, you can go back to your bike without losing sight of the stage or the sound of the music. People there are GREAT, overall. Security is usually very easy-going, and you don't have a bunch of "gung-ho" wannabe's harassing you. They tend to cater to bikers. There is also an incredibly delectable buffet across the parking lot, at which you can hear the music if it starts before you're done eating. I feel very fortunate to have this place so close to my home. It's less than a 5 minute drive for me, and whoa, it's a beautiful drive too. It's a lakeside run with "twisties" that are world-class. Also, the cleanest air in California, and vineyards lining countrysides everywhere you look. So, I rode my Harley there, and it ran fine, but I forgot my cane and crutches, so I didn't do a lot of getting around. So, that was friday, and then Saturday we did a charity Poker Run for "Hospice". It was put on by "Old Coots on Scoots" and "NBMA". We ended up hanging out with NBMA members at Konocti Vista Casino playing "Ultimate Texas Hold 'em" until midnight. That's where the run ended up, and we had great tunes and food and genuine hospitality. We usually do better in the raffles than we did that day, but my girl got a big Margarita Glass, and we both had a great time. There's a lot of mutual respect between clubs around here, and it makes for a very relaxed atmosphere. Tonight, Sunday August 20, 2006, "Alice in Chains" is playing at Konocti. We are too tired to go, but I wanted to make it. Having a broken foot makes it hard to get around too much. At any rate, I have to get to emails. Good Night!

Kickstand's Motorycling Blog

Hello, I'm just checking in. It's been a hectic week trying to go back to work. I will blog more regularly starting this week.

Kickstand's Motorycling Blog [BLOGGER PREVIEW]

I have begun my venture today. I am passionate about bikes (motorcycles), and that is why I have decided to keep a blog as a 'journal' of my experiences. I love all motorcycles. The way I feel about it is, there are certain motorcycles for certain purposes. Functionality always outweighs cosmetics. Well, I hope to be posting at least once a day. One of the reasons for my having time to do this is I have a broken foot right now from my 1986 Kawasaki Ninja 600 falling on me while I was working on it. My foot was broken on June 11, 2006. It was the day after the Redwood Run we did on Saturday the 10th. I had ridden my 1983 Harley-Davidson XLX-1000 Sportster to the Leggett exit, 12 miles south of the festivities at the Redwood Run (Piercy, CA). I spent the rest of the day taking my primary cover off twice to find a leak that was noticed by some of my fellow "Old Coots on Scoots"(http://www.oldcootsonscoots16.com) upon arrival. After trying several methods to help me get right back on the road, the rest of the Old Coots went ahead while I stayed to do repairs. In fact, I had to borrow 2 wrenches to get things done (thanks guys!). My girlfriend was on her own bike, so she stayed behind with me (thanks Babe!). We were very lucky to have broken down there, because the locals were phenominal. We were at the only little gas station for miles, and there was a privately owned, closed down resort next door. There was also a general store on the other side of that. They were all very helpful. Barbara (my gf) and I actually had a fine day for 2 people who were kind of stranded far from home. As we wrenched in the parking spot, we got to know the people who owned the resort, and who ran the gas station nextdoor. Between the 3 parties, we were able to try several fixes that day without driving anywhere. We finally decided to head straight home just in time to arrive there at dark. We only stopped to refill my primary case twice. The bike made it home just fine. Since I arrived home that night, I put it up on the lift and I haven't touched it since. That is only due to my injury the next day. After a day of wrenching, when I had spend tons of time and cash over the 3 weeks leading up to that weekend, I wanted to ride. Since the Harley would take work to ride comfortably, I decided to take one of my sportbikes. I did a safety inspection and noticed a loose kickstand, so I went to tighten it up. I squatted down on my toes next to the bike, and held it upright with my left hand, while tightening up the bolts with my right hand. When I set the bike back down on the kickstand, as soon as all the weight was applied, it snapped off and landed in my lap. Again, I was squatted on my toes, so they were instantly pushed up to my upper shin. I went the the ER that day, and spend the second half of the day there waiting for an X-Ray, only for them to tell me it's not broken. I took the next week off of work in serious pain, and I rode my bike a few times during that time because I was told that it wasn't broken. A week later I was able to see the only available podiatrist in my area. He was recommended highly. He had his own X-Ray machine in his office. As soon as he saw me and asked a few questions, he seemed to know what was wrong, but he had to confirm his suspicions. After seeing the X-Ray, he found he was right. My foot was broken in several places, and I have what's called a "Lis-Francs" injury. I had surgery 4 weeks ago, and I have pins in my foot now. I will have a second surgery this month to remove the pins, and then a cast for a few more weeks before I start physical therapy to walk on my own two feet again. I am thankful for my job. I work for a great organization that covered all of the benefits so far, and I still have a job to go back to when this is all over. Phewww!....That was a close one, because 2 months earlier, I had not had medical insurance since 1999. I was self-employed all of those years, and couldn't afford it. Okay, enough for today. I hope you've enjoyed reading about my recent triumphs and misfortunes. Keep checking back.