Not very often you can say you had a "nice" ride in December in these parts, but yesterday, December 2 was a nice ride. Went into Hamilton and dropped off some dvd's for a buddy and had a lunch at Denningers. Donna doesn't like Denningers but I am a big fan, so I usually only go without her. I had the ole standby, a cordon bleu, schnitzel with ham and cheese stuffed in it. The temperature was about 12C when I left but dropped down to 7C by the time I got home so I was glad to get off.
I have just finished my shutdown. Went for a quick (and bloody cold) ride to Crappy Tire and bought my Sta-Bil for the gas, added that in the parking lot so it gets a nice mix by the time I get home. Had the shed all cleaned out and pulled the baby into hibernation. Had to do a little back and forth, but not much. Fits nicely on one side and I still have a little room to get the battery out etc.
Last year I stored it away in a guys insulated (but not heated) barn and this year I was going to use Al's new garage but he stopped by this morning and said we will have to wait a day or so because last nights rain left a big puddle in front of the doors, but my backyard is fine, so I figured I might as well put it away here, I won't be getting it out any sooner being at Al's and here I can go check anytime I want.
Well, its a sad day but at least I'm up $60 in storage rental fees from last year.

Another biking season draws to an end. I've changed the oil and watching the weather everyday for little 60 or 90 minute rides. Storage is just around the corner, alas 'tis a sad time. The picture above was taken along the Niagara Parkway at one of the many picnic areas dotted along the shoreline.

Unfortunately, Donna only got on a few times this year for rides. We did go for a small one out to Port Colborne in the last week, and she went for a handful of other ones, but no where near as often as the 2 years previous.

Mother Nature definitely played havoc with the riding this year, cloudy or rainy a lot of the time. Then you get leery to travel too far in case you get caught in it. One thing everyone must admit, when it rains now, it pours, not many little showers anymore.

Even with the weather I still managed a half decent 13,000 km this season. The odometer is now at 35,500.

Thursday, October 8th and a break in the clouds. Jumped on the bike and tried a new route. I went to Hamilton and followed the Beach Strip through to Burlington. I then went up Guelph Line and was quite surprised at some of the views. Just north of Burlington there were a few million dollar spreads with acred lots, real gems! I then went through a wonderful little town, Lowville, with a fantastic looking golf course. The escarpment was in the background and the course was quite hilly, looked like a big scoring and big dollar place. The road was twisty and hilly making for biking fun! The next town was Campbellville with a nice little roadside rest spot.

I proceeded north and hooked up to Hwy 124 (formerly 24) and then hwy 10 when I went through Erin, the 40kph agony!

I pulled into Orangeville and had some lunch at the A&W, had a Uncle burger which tasted like a Schneiders burger fried in about 3" of fat.... yeech!! My first and last uncle burger.

I went about another 10 km north of Orangeville and turned right towards Mono Cliffs Provincial Park. This is mostly a series of trails with a lookout down a small valley, but the colours where not really in their prime quite yet. I did get the picture above as I walked down one of the trails to the lookout. But the snaps from the lookout were not that great.

I've checked on http://www.theweathernetwork.com/ and there is no such thing as a Monsoon season in southern Ontario. But, lately, you'd be hard pressed to convince people otherwise. I finally had a small break in the clouds today (and I do mean small... its raining again already!) so I went for a ride to Hamilton, but I went in via Ridge Rd. and enjoyed the views off the escarpment along the way. A few trees have started to change around here so the rides are a real pleasure, I love the red trees.

As I have previously mentioned I am a member of http://www.venturerider.org/modules/Jig/index.php This is a great site for Venture or Royal Tour Deluxe riders. Full of info, and one of the hilarious things that has been going on for quite a while now is the Scavenger Hunt. The aim is to post a picture of you, your bike and whatever the previous person decides. For example some of the choices I have missed out on where a lighthouse and a National park sign. I could of got the lighthouse easy as pie down at Port Maitland, a 5 minute ride away, but I had put the bike into hibernation by then. The National park was another breeze, Rock Point Provincial Park is just around the corner too, so off I went, got the bike set up with a good view of the sign and set the camera, but forgot how to do the "timer" thingie (never use it so easy to forget). Came home frustrated looking for the ^#%^# manual only to find someone else had already beat me to it.

The latest posting was you, your bike and a childrens museum.... hint hint look UP

I finally did it!! That picture was taken in front of the Hamilton Children's Museum and I got home in time to be the first one to post. This means that I got to choose the next option so this was my choice:

Now, in the spirit of "let's have a laugh" I would like to see the following picture:

You, and your bike in front of the local Harley dealership...

oh yeah, AND.... a big Harley dude

a) in the beetch seat

b) or cleaning your bike

c) or paying some sort of homage to the mighty Yammie!

Have fun, and I can't wait for this one!

I was laughing the whole time I posted it, as you can tell I have been waiting for this for a while and I knew exactly what I wanted to see, some HUMOUR!!

Thursday, September 24th, I went with another Stelco retiree on a ride to Port Burwell. Al has a H-D Heritage Softail that he bought last year. We left at 10:30 and stopped first at the Port Dover Timmies for a coffee and small rest. We were 30 km or so short of our destination when the road signs were mentioning something about construction ahead. Next there was a sign showing gravel, yet were we cruising down the road on fresh asphalt, so we continued on. We were just beginning to get into the Wind Farm area with the giant wind turbines, when you could smell the tar in the air, and there was the construction guy stopping traffic. He said we were looking at about 20 km of fresh laid gravel ahead of us, so we detoured north for a while and then came into Port Burwell through Vienna.
It was dead in town, a couple of stores and restaurants open so we had a fish dinner and then went down to the deserted beach. We came home the same way and pulled up the driveway at 6pm. Some of the trees had started to change and the lack of traffic made for a nice ride. Gotta love fall riding!

The nemesis of all bikers, that dreaded winged deliverer of pain, the wasp.

I really thought I might get away with a whole season without a sting. After all, it is September 20th. Then I went through Fort Erie, my personal city of stings. I got a beauty here last year, where the little bugger got me twice before I could gear down, pull over, rip off the helmet and the shirt, and stomp his little ass into the pavement. Always happens right down hwy. 3 where it is four lanes wide, full of businesses and traffic, and of course, gawkers galore!! I must look like quite the sight ripping everything off and standing there gasping and full of adrenaline!

Well, of course, you must of guessed by now that the same thing happened today. Luckily only one sting this time and I crushed the life out of the little ##%&^#% then dumped him out of my shirt ... barely slowing down. He got me right on the ribs, though not so much meat, and the usual tinge and swelling at 10 minutes. But not 10 seconds after I emptied my shirt, I felt the crawling feeling on my neck of another little varmint. Had to do the gear-stop-rip-stomp dance on the side of the highway, yet again!! And this one was a nice fat bumble bee, would of tingled if he got me in the neck! Whew!

I remember when I was young, around the late 70's, I was zipping down hwy 53 in Hamilton, it was more of a country road back then, and something ... bee, wasp, June bug, small bird ??? got me in the windpipe and it was such a whack I had to pull over to get a breath! That was one I will never forget!!

Aaaah, wasps ... gotta love 'em .... love to kill 'em, that is!!

On my way home from golf today (76 best score ever at Cayuga course, 7 pars and a birdie, I was in a dream, thanks for asking) I decided to stop for lunch at Attercliffe Variety. Nice little "ma & pa" run place with decent food.

Outside were two guys from the Southern Cruisers (Welland area chapter) and I noticed one of their bikes as being quite unique. It was a Hyosung Aquilia, the 650 version. The guy said he bought it in Niagara Falls from a dealer. Nice looking bike, like a smaller version of the HD V-Rod. It had a beautiful shape to it, I was surprised to hear it held 16 liters of gas. He told me to throw a leg over, and I was surprised how light it felt, and the front end felt like it was raked a bit. Different, really different. I liked it. Felt like a great starter (650 ergo less insurance) nice and light, and a good feel to it.

Weather Channel said this was the last of the 25C days so I decided to ride over to Port Colborne for the weekly perch lunch at Minors on West St. Beautiful day, not too hot or windy, bright blue skies making for a nice ride.

When I arrived at the canal, there was a yacht moored there that was truly jaw-dropping. This beauty was called the Sycara IV and said it was out of Bikini (Islands?) It was a mass of chrome and highly polished wood. Shone like crazy, and with all that chrome it was a naturally biker magnet.

Doing a little Internet research I found out the following:

Burger Boat Company has announced the delivery of Sycara IV, a 46m Fantail Motor Yacht, to her owners. Imagine going back to a time when people actually knew how to relax and enjoy the simple pleasures of yachting. Owners of Sycara IV, Ray and Elsie Catena, were committed to exactly that – recapturing the splendor, grace and charm of an era gone by – when Sycara IV was designed. This was their inspiration for Sycara IV, a beautiful traditionally styled, early 1920's era, Fantail Cruiser.

An impressive collaboration of high profile experts were involved in the design and execution of this yacht, including: first and foremost, Mr. and Mrs. Catena with their extensive yachting experience and yacht building knowledge; Steve Narkawicz, their highly experienced and talented project manager; Bruce King with his classic schooner bow and fantail hull; Ken Freivokh, chosen to define her interior and exterior styling true to the early 1920's and Burger's team of designers, engineers and craftspeople.
While the Catenas have cruised distant ports of the world with their previous vessels, the vision for this family yacht is to see America and its surrounding waters such as the Great Lakes, the Erie Barge Canal system, its mighty rivers and the Intracoastal Waterways.
Sycara IV will make her world debut at the 2009 Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show.

So, it would seem they were on their maiden voyage, breakin' the ole tug in .... so to speak!

Like me, you are no doubt wondering, what does Mr. Catena do for a living?

http://www.raycatena.com/

This is the website for his Porsche, Mercedes, Lexus dealerships in NY and Manhattan.

Aaaaah, how the other side lives.... I can only dream.

Another interesting little adventure on the bike.

It was Wednesday morning and anticipating our run to Sauble Beach, I inhaled my Rice Krispies and was yanking on the choke by 7:30 am. It was a cool morning, about 12 deg. C, and I was layered for the run. There was a blue sky with a scattering of clouds and the bike savoured the cool air as I tore down River Rd. to Scott's place, no use trying to sneak up on him.... he could hear my bike and knew the sound from miles away.



We were both looking forward to the day in the saddle, and were soon on hwy 6 south heading north towards the 403. I didn't realize how many cars there are in an early morning commute down the 403 escarpment. It was stop and go for most of the way but we were soon blasting back up the mountain towards Clappison Corners and we stayed on hwy 6 all the way into Guelph were we had our first stopover at the Speed River park. The picture below was taken of Scott as he stands proudly beside his tourer, an '85 Yamaha Venture Royale at the Speed River park.
















Guelph is a very nice city, lots of old buildings in the city core that are in wonderful shape. It has a clean appearance, but unfortunately, stoplights every 50 feet. Makes it easy to get split up, which did happen .... but nothing too bad.


We were soon back on 6 north scooting through Arthur and Mount Forest, but then we ran into the dreaded road repairs. Too bad because we were making good time! These road repairs were the worse kind, first we got the "grooved pavement" crap were that big machine has come along and chewed off the first inch or so of asphalt, creating the road that steers for you.... a special treat on a motorcycle!! Then we came into gravel, dirt or "groovy road" again on each of our little construction adventures, but first we would come upon streetlights set up on the roadway, where we would sit and wait while the people coming from the other direction passed on by. Had time for a banana at one stop and chance to change some clothes at another.











The above picture was taken as we approached Owen Sound, it was at a roadside picnic area. Just a small little area but quite scenic with a small lake and dam. I thought it was on the Saugeen River, but we passed that picnic area about 20 minutes later, and I must admit it looked even better. Maybe next time.... ;)


Owen Sound has really expanded since I last went through there, Power Centers, fast food places etc., but I remembered the hill you come down as you roll into town giving you a nice view of Georgian Bay.


Shortly we were turning left at Hepworth and heading into Sauble Beach. The same as Grand Bend, it is a small tourist drag with beach stores, restaurants and bars. And of course, the famous Sauble Beach sign below.



















We had lunch at Bob's Bar B Que, a burger and I had a chicken pot pie that was quite good. I noticed that most of the places had $8 or $9 burgers. Seems to be the new norm, over-priced burgers with a scattering of warmed up fries. I realize it isnt a 12 month season in these tourist places, but like everyone else, if I feel gouged I won't be back. Whatever happened to the mom and pop places with the great count of home made food? I actually overheard Bob (the dam owner of the place) joking about "Carving off the salmonella" back in the kitchen, leaves you with a nice warm feeling ;)

I had Scott take the customary "under the sign" photo, and an hour after arriving in Sauble, we were back in the saddle and heading south down Reg Rd 13. Nice ride down here, twisty turns, pine forests on one side and cottages on Lake Huron on the other side.

After a couple of years not riding, my buddy went out and bought an '85 Venture Royale. Scott had been working on a Harley, got a new frame and rear tire for it, was strettttchin' that sled. But the waiting was too much so this is his tourer.


This picture was taken at the rest area just prior to Rd 69 through St. Annes, still one of my fav rides around here. Lots of swooping hills and curves, a real blast! I then like to run from there to Effingham or Decew Rds., both nice, but a gear slower for sure!





This particular day we went for a ride up to the new Clares, H-D dealership in Niagara on the Lake, had a heart attack at $48 for cut off gloves, left there and went for a ride south of the Niagara Parkway. We then ended up at Port Colborne and visited my favourite fish restaurant, Minor Fisheries on West St. beside the lock and canal. A great view and an even better meal, 5 piece perch dinner for ..... wait for it..... $8:50!! Done to perfection everytime!! I go every week.




























Some extra pictures courtesy of Bryson Moto-Photo Inc. Well done Scott!

Tuesday, August 25th, went for the longest one day ride so far, from Dunnville to Grand Bend. After a search on Google maps I was surprised to find it listed as a 3 hour and 5 minute ride. With siestas I figured 4 hours door to door. I don't know who figures out the time vs distance at Google, but averaging 20 kms an hour over the limit I just made it in the allotted time.
When the kids were young we used to go to the Pinery, a provinical park in Grand Bend. I always found a low number of mosquitoes and other bugs there and the park is huge with 8 different beaches strung out along Lake Huron. Wonderful walking trails and a great morning kids program to keep them amused. I had always travelled along Hwy. 3 to get there and we averaged about 4 1/2 hours, so I was surprised to see the time difference by sticking to the 400 highways.
Took off at about 8:45 am and I was filling up the bike and draining me at the Woodstock service center by 10:30 am. This service centers (one on both sides of the highway) are quite nice with picnic areas for a rest, but beware of the prices, they WILL shock you. Best to have a picnic lunch packed. When I first got on the 403 bypassing Ancaster there was some grey clouds from an industrial fire around 52 & 2. The stench was unreal, chemical plastic smell that had me covering up my mouth as I rode passed. I found out later that it was a furniture factory that burned and the MOE had some problems with air monitoring equipment, so no readings for the first few hours. Believe me, that was some nasty smelling stuff and I would not of wanted to be anywhere near that fire without breathing protection.
The ride up and back was quite pleasant, with no problems or unforeseen events. On the way up there was quite a traffic jam in the eastbound lanes around Woodstock due to construction, but lucky for me it was cleared up on the way home and it was clear sailing. I stopped in Parkhill on the way home at the Parkhill Dam, I had the whole place to myself.
Grand Bend has changed a little in the last few years, with a Shoppers Drug Mart and Sobey's plaza being built on RR 81 just as you get into town. The "main drag" is the same, full of beach stores, fast food, head shops and t shirt stores. A very popular place for the college and university crowds. I made a stop into Archie's for a t-shirt, but the wrap at Cheryl Lynns had to wait, the lines were too big! I strolled around for a few hours, jumped back on and rode home.
I think that this is going to be the new way to cruise, longer and bigger destinations, stretching the distances to see how far is cool for a day trip. Being retired now, all I have is time, so lets start travelling, enough with the Niagara Falls route already!

I went for a ride along the Lake Erie shoreline on Friday and when I came through Long Beach the place was packed with teenagers. I guess it was their Beach Day, when they all take the afternoon off school and party at their local beach.

There was a ton of cops there, even a few on horseback given out parking tickets and generally living up to their name, OPP - Official Party Poopers. I guess they've got nothing to do in Caledonia?! But don't get me going on that subject...... grrr!

On the way home I decided I would take a little siesta at a free access area of the shoreline, so I wheeled the bike into this small parking area I have visited many times before. It is part of the trail system that Horseplay Niagara takes you on when you do their Sunset Ride. Which by the way, is a great deal. My wife and I went for our anniversary in May and we both enjoyed the ride and tour, we would do it again.

When I parked at this spot on Friday I was not situated as I am in the above photo, I was facing the other way and although you cant really see it on the picture, the ground slopes away at this point. As I have mentioned previously, I had to get the bike lowered because of my little short ass legs. So when I kicked out the kickstand it looked like the ground was a little lower than usual. But, the bike was sitting nice, no rocking or excessive leaning, so off I went to the beach. When I returned I mounted the pig, gave the handlebars a tug and ..... NOTHING! I had the 850lb pig too far over and I couldn't raise the dam thing! I pulled and pulled, nothing..... I tried to turn the handlebars while pulling, again nothing..... dam gravel wouldn't let me turn the bars wither. Oh great, now what! I'm sitting there straddling the stupid thing looking like Wally Weakling. Finally, I got off the bike, using two hands on the same side I managed to push the handlebars so the wheel wasn't pointing downhill anymore. Then I got back on and started to make racking motions until I finally got the dam thing up! EEEE ha

And here it is Monday, my arm has finally stopped aching and if the grey clouds run away maybe I'll take her out for a spin this afternoon.

Lesson learned: You cannot lift 850 lb of dead weight, and watch were you park the pig!

After 32 years of layin' the dog,
Now its time to ride my hawg.
See ya guys, its been a gas.
Oh yeah, Stelco KMA!!

I retired April 3rd 2009 from Stelco after receiving an option of lay-off with no definite recall date or take a reduced pension and run. I would guess that approximately 80% of the guys did the same thing. Way too many signs on the wall: PCB transformers not being changed out, changerooms being dismantled, no maintenance or repairs for years now. We should of seen the signs when USSteel bought the place and the first thing they did was a little "cleanup" with any old metal or steel being separated and shipped out, looking back now it seems obvious they just wanted Nanticoke and they took Hilton Works as a free throw in to run into the ground with no maintenance and then crying "old equipment too expensive to repair" later on. Just part of the Grand Corporate Plan, and we were the unlucky pawns on the wrong game board. Could be worse, I have lots of buddies with less than 30 years, so no retiring for them.

Don't get me wrong, I found out within by first few months that we all more or less get paid the same amount in the operating side, so why do anything extra. I quickly gravitated towards to "dogger" jobs and spent a career there. I did as little as I possible could during my shift, and looking back now to see how things turned out during our constant battles with different management groups, I am damn proud of it! I took them for as much as I could, and they tried to get the same from me.

To this day I still bunch my pillow into a ball to resemble a pile of rags. Then ZZZZZZ time! And I haven't worked a night shift in 10 years or more. Just goes to show: old habits do die hard.

One of my favourite places is Princess Auto. I love looking through their flyers/catalogues and while reading one I came across an ad for a motorcycle dolly. The unit was a wheeled track to ride up on and then dismount the bike, then turn the bike around and ride off again. This would of been ideal for me in the summer time when I am riding a lot. I could of kept the bike in the driveway, under its rain cover and then I wouldn't of had to do the old "back and forth" dance each time I come home, tucking it away under the back porch. As usual, being a Princess Auto product it was only $99, not the $200 - $300 I had seen in J&P catalogue or at the bike shows, but unfortunately, since I have had the bike lowered it did not work for me. I couldn't pop the unit back up on it wheels once the bike was aboard, because the dam exhaust was in the way of the lever, AND since it is lowered the kickstand tends to stick out a little further than normal (I am always having to make sure I am parking on level land or even better, sloping away on the left side, so the bike sits right and I don't have to worry about returning to find it on its side...YIKES) so the kickstand wouldn't even fit in the dish that was built to hold the bike. It was dirty from trying to get the bike in and out, so I put it up for sale on Kijiji and sold it for $80. Small loss for a good lesson learned .... remember the dam bike is lowered and it WILL influence how it sits or stands.

Steve giving one of the garden sculptures at Winter Wheat a little lovin'!

In 2008 we didn't go on any long trips, but we did try a nice day run with a friend from work, Dave Ferrier and his wife Marg. They brought along their friends Bill and Kat and we all rode out from Dave's place in Caledonia to Sparta. With Donna and me on our Venture, Bill and Kat on their Royal Star Deluxe ( a beautiful red and black number), Dave on his Road Star and Marg on her VStar 1100 we looked like a freaking Yamaha commercial rolling down the road.

Sparta was quite interesting, we stopped at the tearoom for a great lunch and then crossed the street to a "dust collector" store with some fantastic prices and very unique items. We have bought a couple of hippos that fit over the drain pipes. Then a few miles down the road there is a very different store called Winter Wheat. Garden sculptures, ornaments and all sorts of different stuff and they have the whole property set up displaying their wares. Once there was even a lady playing a harp in the garden gazebo with music floating through the pine forest.

Here is Donna at Furnace Falls on out Rd 507 run.

In the fall of 2007, Donna and I went on a trip up to Orillia. Donna has good luck at the casinos, and it gave us a good excuse to try some different and new roads. There used to be a site with all the latest rallies and poker runs listed on them. I went on and it listed a poker run around the Orillia area, with special mention of Rd 507. This runs from Gooderham to Buckhorn and I can honestly say it was UNREAL, you twist through wonderful country of rock outcrops, pine trees, rivers and ponds with barely a straight line for the whole run. Tons of other bikes and it wasn't until I had returned home that I found out this is a very popular well known road. It was bike utopia!


Of course, we had to have a couple of Weber's burgers while up there. That is almost a landmark in the area. On weekends the line ups are quite long, it is so popular that the owner built a pedestrian bridge across the 4 lanes of Hwy. 11, that couldn't of been cheap! In the back they have a picnic area with old Pullman cars for seating and picnic tables etc. I noticed that lately some grocery stores have started to sell frozen Weber burgers. They have a special steaming method in the preparation of the meat... I will admit that they do taste quite good, but they ain't no Licks!

Here is Donna on our first overnight trip to Collingwood. This was taken on the shore of Georgian Bay in the summer of 2007. We stayed at the Mountain Springs Lodge on a free pass from complaining about our accommodations during our annual winter ski trip. This complain and get a free pass routine has almost become an annual event now, since also having done it twice at Blue Mountain. But at over $150 a night you expect a certain level of accommodations and when it is not delivered, you would have to be make your point. It pays off, believe me!

We had a nice ride all the way up, with stops in Guelph for the Quiznos picnic on the Speed River, and then a really weird experience around Shelbourne at a picnic area we were having a snack and slowly came to the realization that the area was a gay pick up spot .... yeeech! Thank God Donna was with me, studly looking dude like me could of been scary :)

Collingwood has a great set of trails for biking and hiking around the waterfront that are hard to beat, very scenic. And for the real daredevils they now have mountain biking down Blue Mountain, too fast for this old man!

Since the purchase of my Venture I have added a few things myself, not a real lot of money (especially compared to the previous owner) but I think it has made the bike complete. I finished off the "eyebrows" over the rear turn signals and front light bar. I also purchased a set of rails that run around the outside of the saddlebags. When these were mounted on the bike, using the OEM supplied holes, and this is an OEM supplied part from Yamaha, the rails did not sit right. I went on to my trusty information website http://www.venturerider.com/ and found that everybody had the same problem. Some people just bent the rails, one guy stood on his...YIKES! but eventually I found the correct way to fix the problem, drill new holes an inch lower on the bike. What a feeling sitting in front of the baby with the saddlebags off, power drill in hand, location dot punched and here I go.... it was actually a breeze. Fit and look great.

One morning riding in to work, the windshield fogged up so bad I knew it was time to either get a new lower one or cut the old one down. The price dictated that decision, $300 for a small windshield or off to P&A plastics in Hamilton for $50. Makes the bike look kind of like a "Road Glide" and fits me short ass just perfect. Please see the pic above after the cut down.

And during the summer of 2008 I bought new rubber for the bike. REALLY nice Avon Venoms, that made a huge difference in the ride, made the bike feel lighter and way easier to handle. Like I said to the wife, it now feels like I'm riding on round tires, whereas before they felt flat bottomed with curved edges. The guys at Venturerider had recommended these and they were SO right, I would replace them again in a minute, if required.

I am still looking for a GPS unit for the bike on Ebay, but I am having a hard time getting one at a decent price. I am not paying $150 for years old technology when I can go out and buy a new one for the same price. Stay tuned.

Well, this is the new ride, 2005 Yamaha Venture!


Before I forget about Barrie Harley, let me give a little sidebar about these characters. After they have your money and the deal is done, so are your chances of any help. My bike came wired and mounted for a GPS, and it would be a lot easier to replace the unit (Ebay) if I knew the company or model #, so I called up and asked if this information could be obtained for me from the previous owner. I didn't think it was a big deal, but after 2 weeks of no answer I call back up and get told the salesman is on holiday, so I ask to speak to the Sales Manager and relay my story and also the fact that my 30 day warranty is almost up, so I can imagine the great help I'm going to get when "out of warranty" time rolls around. Dam manager threatened to hang up on me, wait till I win my millions, nothing is spent at Barrie HD.


My arrival home wasnt without a bit of an adventure, anyone who has a Venture can profess to their "top heaviness" so as I pulled up to the top of my driveway I have a covered porch where I store the bike out of the elements. I have to do a little "back & forth" in order to wheel it in place, so as the wife is standing back I proceed to wheel it back and forth and then tilt the handlebars too much and weight takes over....OMG she is going over!! Thank god for highway pegs and floor boards.... they held the sucker up until the wife dashed in to help bring it back upright. Heart attack or what! But she was under the roof and out came the Mr. Clean Car Wash System (highly recommended), Gold Classic Leather Cleaner, Mothers Car Wax and finally Blue Diamond chrome polish. Took a few hours for the initial cleaning but what a difference, the bike looked brand new.

It has been a few years since my last posting and things have certainly changed in the riding area of my life.

Back in June 2007, I decided that the VStar was too small for our touring adventures so I put it in the Bike Trader. It took two weeks before someone finally came out to Dunnville to see the bike and the first one was a lady in her twenties who loved it, came back in 10 minutes with $1000 cash to hold it for her until the next day. I thought it was sold, but she called back that evening complaining of furnace/AC problems, so I met her and gave her back her money. I couldn't resist being a "dad" and after giving her the money I said not to do that, I could of kept her deposit. Why give SO much? I think she understood I was just trying to help her out for the next time so goes bike shopping.
Eventually a guy from Woodstock called and said he was coming out to look at the bike, so when he arrived I could see the spark in his eye, took the chance and threw him the keys (after looking at his license), and when he came back I knew I had a buyer. We did the little "barter dance" and I ended up selling it for $5400, not bad 10% or $600 for 2 years of riding. We made the arrangements to meet in Simcoe the next day and after meeting, doing the sale and walking down the road to the local Arby's in order to met my wife for the ride home, the guy rode on by on the bike. Now he was a tall guy, about 6' + so when I watched him going by I have to admit that he looked a little funny on that size of a bike.
Back to the on-line Bike Trader again, this time I had narrowed my search down to a Yamaha Venture. The wife had seen the "lazyboy" seat and loved the look of that, and it had all the storage you could ever want. I was especially partial to the 2005 version with the "liquid silver" colouring. There was a guy out in Windsor, asking $16,300 for 2005 silver with a few upgrades, but when I called and asked if he was okay with he going for a small test ride he said he would have to see me first. I was leery to drive 5 hours to have him not like my looks, so I said forget it. That Saturday we went up to Barrie for a day trip to look at one in the Barrie Harley Davidson dealership. They were asking $16000 but dropped a grand right of the top so I made arrangements to buy the bike. It was loaded with extras, we eventually did a tally of the all the extras and they came to over $4000 and only 3000km on the dial. It was in the basement, (supposedly HD will not allow other companies product on the floor, so said the salesman) and dusty and dirty. They did the prep on the bike and we had made arrangements to go get it on Saturday July 14 2007, but Friday the 13th had me sitting in the back listening to the iron rolling through town on their way to Port Dover. It was driving me nuts, so I called up to Barrie and asked if the bike would me ready today and then called the bus companies and planned the route. All I saw was iron rolling down the highways all the way up north. Everything was going along great until the last bus from Newmarket to Barrie started to do the "every corner has a stop" routine so I was dashing off the bus at the Barrie station and flying to the nearest cab who got me to the dealership just in time before closing. I did a few circles of the court in front of the dealership and then on Hwy 400 I went riding the Silver bus!