Sunday Ride, May 22, Destination TBD

Walked out the door this morning, knowing I was going for a ride, but not exactly sure where, or even which bike to ride. I pulled the Softail out of the garage, figuring I'd had too much fun on the Joker bike yesterday. Maybe a day on something a little more civilized was in order.....

After Jay tipped me that they called for showers in the afternoon, I stopped back by the condo, grabbing a rain jacket to stuff it into the travel bag. I left my leather jacket home, glad I could finally ride in a t-shirt. Mistake!

I had thoughts of heading for Annapolis, but Debby reminded me of another event, so my first stop became the Woodstock Inn in Howard County, Maryland, where a bike show was underway. That's about 60 miles north of Alexandria, VA. At Woodstock, I saw a fair number of nice bikes and some partying people, but cut the stay kinda short. When my eyes weren't on other things, I began noticing that the sunshine had been completely replaced with dark clouds. Time to go!

Woodstock Inn

He got ridden in too....

Lots and lots of miles on this pair of Lucchese boots. This ride finally wore 'em through.

Train (no kidding, right?) at Woodstock Crossing

Rolling south again, I stopped in Ellicott City, MD, putting on a long-sleeved t-shirt that I keep stashed in my bag. I was kicking myself for leaving the jacket home. It had dropped at least 10 degrees, and rain wasn't far away. But you gotta keep going, right? Running the 60 miles back, down US 29, I hit some pockets of rain, with the worst of it just a few miles from home.

And of course, right after getting home, the rain stopped and the sun came out.

Back out after a change of clothes. Too nice a day to stay indoors....Riding season!

I decided to stick close to home, and was pleasantly reminded that, as much as I bitch about it, there's quite a lot to see in my own neighborhood: Mount Vernon (George Washington's home), Old Town Alexandria, and the scenic George Washington Parkway connecting the two. Here's a few shots along the way....Just a pleasant afternoon of riding, with no plans, and no time to be anywhere. My kinda day.

Mount Vernon

GW Parkway

GW Parkway

GW Parkway

GW Parkway

GW Parkway

Fort Washington, GW Parkway

Old Town, Alexandria

 Cowboy

Nightster, Part II - Coil and Parking Light Relocation, etc.

After that first flurry of accessory orders, the tracking numbers quickly turned into boxes with real hardware made by Joker Machine, DK Customs, plus a few other manufacturers. As I said in my blog post about the Pitbull Lift, I'll repeat that I have no connection to any parts or equipment vendors.

That said, I'm a journeyman machinist, became a manufacturing engineer, and for a while I owned a machine shop making aircraft components, so I know well-made parts when I see 'em. Everything (so far, anyway) that I've seen from Joker Machine is high-quality and something I'd have bragged about if it had come from my own shop. So there's the free, but well-earned, plug for Joker. DK also gets a nod for having quality-made stuff.

Hot Tip: I got the Joker parts through Phat Performance Parts at about a 10% discount, and their prices were about the best I could find, on eBay or elsewhere, for Joker components. And for an order of over 99 bucks, shipping was free. And if you don't find the Joker P/N on their website, just call them and they'll get it for you...Anything in the Joker catalog is available, at a discount, from PPP.

After an inventory, I discovered that my black 2" Joker risers had been back-ordered, but the speedometer relocation kit, a nice black-anodized machined aluminum gas cap, and a timing cover had arrived from Joker/PPP. I also received a 2" gas tank riser kit from JP Cycles, a coil relocation kit and Screaming Eagle black plug wires from DK Custom Products (from eBay), and a Motherwell Luggage Rack from Eastern Performance Cycles, also found on eBay. And last in this bunch of deliveries, I got my front turn signal relocation kit from Grand Rapids Harley Davidson. 

A rack? WTF?

It's like this: It just might come in handy to keep a cutie's butt off my pin striping. Or better yet, I could bungee a 12-pack to it! And it's small, flat black, and very low profile. Pretty cool, and doesn't take away from the lines of the back fender. I should add that there really wasn't much to choose from in the Nightster "Rack Dept.", and I was glad to find one that would do the job, and in black no less!

So all this stuff was lying there on the dining room table (Yeah, I live alone), and I was itchin' to get to work. I wouldn't be able to relocate the speedometer until the backordered risers showed up, but I there was plenty of stuff there to get me started.

The fender rack, gas cap, and timing cover were painless additions, and in about an hour, the bike had gone beyond the pin stripe phase, into actual hardware changes...

There is one small footnote. The mounting screw that came with the rack extended well beyond the threaded area under the fender, so I found a shorter chrome button-head screw at Home Depot that was perfect. With the longer screw, I could see a groove getting cut in my tire if I bottomed out on a bump.

Beyond that, things got a little more serious. Bolt-ons are one thing, but when the cutters and hacksaw came out, I took a deep breath. After all, this is a 2008 bike that I just bought and it runs just fine! It ain't an old beater with a million miles, but what the fuck, that's never stopped me before.

 

Before - Note that there's not much space above the front rocker cover

So the idea was to raise the gas tank, create some space to hide the mass of wiring between the front rocker cover and the gas tank, and move the coil to the left side of the engine, between the cylinders. Daylight barely passes through that area above the rocker cover in stock configuration (see pix above), and I was trying for the look of an old-school stretched-frame scoot.

I loosened the front of the tank, supporting it with a foam block, while adding the 2" tank risers. I didn't put the cross bolt in until I rerouted the wiring into the tunnel created when the tank is lifted. And before doing anything else, I disconnected the battery.

That tank lift kit comes in a couple heights, 2" and 3" as I recall, and comes with extra fuel hoses and some other bits you might need for your application. For the 2" lift, I didn't use any of that stuff. Just the two risers and the 2 mounting bolts. Be on the safe side and use Blue Loctite on ALL the fasteners that you replace/remove for this or any mods.

I first removed the two plastic shrouds from either side that hide all those damn wires. Removing them involved getting out the dikes and snipping a lot of black wire ties on both sides of the shrouds. Just start at one end and work your way to the other...Cut 'em all. I also had to pry a couple small round connector plugs from here and there to get the shrouds off. Cutting those bits out of the way caused a little "pucker" moment, but in for a penny, in for a pound, right? Ain't no turning back once the cutting starts. Now everything is exposed and you can get to work.

Then I used the DK Custom kit to move the coil, which was a piece of cake. I bought some 3/8 black corrugated wire loom material to keep the wires nice and neat, and to add a little protection. You have to reroute the coil plug wire, running it down between the cylinders. This new coil setup really looks nice, and there are no issues with heat. And like I said earlier, I'm a machinist by trade, and I know quality when I see it. This mount is made well, so quit shopping around, buy the DK setup, and get it over with.

Coil is moved and new Screaming Eagle wires installed.

For the rest of that bundle of wires, I basically unplugged each connector, routed the wires over the frame rail and under the tank, and reconnected them, just one harness at a time. I'm no electrician, and electrical stuff ain't my strong point. It's a fucking mystery to me.

You'll find that almost all the wiring will fit in the tunnel between the frame rail and the tank. I didn't have to do any cutting or splicing of these harnesses, by the way, though I'm sure someone with a little more savvy with wiring could have cleaned this bundle of wiring up a bit more.

Right about here is where the hacksaw came in. I left the ignition up near the neck, and after the coil is gone, there's a lot of useless bracket hanging under the ignition switch. I chopped it off, just below the switch, and touched up the bare metal with some flat black paint. I'll buy a new replacement part when I can, just in case I ever want to put things back the way it was. I figure if I don't buy one now, I might not be able to get one in a few years. (And for the record, a 2007 or earlier bracket won't work. 2008 or newer I think, and I haven't found a single one on eBay.***)

*** Feb 2012 Update: I found out that the same coil/ignition bracket was used on a 2007 Harley Roadster, so if you need a spare and your dealer can't find the part number for your Nightster (he won't be able to), tell him to check on that Roadster P/N.

Just about everything's tucked away or relocated at this point. 

See all that daylight over the front rocker cover!

Right about here, I tried to remember if I'd done any good deeds lately or maybe helped a Damsel in Distress. See, I had to try to start the bike, and as stated, wiring ain't my forte'. After a short prayer to the Motorcycle God, I hit the starter and it fired right up! Now this might not be a big deal to you, but believe me, it was a HUGE deal to me.

I was very happy with the look, and now there's a LOT of daylight between the front rocker cover and bottom of the tank. With the tank sitting higher, it almost makes it look like the frame was stretched. The cables and the few remaining wires have to stay....moving them requires extending the wiring harness and I don't want more daylight that damn bad. I think the modifications make the bike look like an older Harley, with a simpler, cleaner appearance, and it wasn't that hard or expensive to do it.

As for the parts, I liked the JP Cycles tank risers a lot more than some I saw, and though they cost a bit more, I liked that they were one piece stampings with a nice finish as opposed to some cheaper ones that appeared to be round rod welded to a couple ends that bolt up to the tank and frame. The risers are out there for all to see, so why try to save a couple bucks here, right? Save it at the grocery store instead.

The coil relocation bracket from DK was a nice black welded steel component that is substantial and isn't going to fall apart with vibration. No issues with fit either. It just works. There's other versions out there, but nothing wrong with this DK unit, and the price was surprisingly low for what I got. Like about 60 bucks INCLUDING the Screaming Eagle plug wires. PS Be sure to tell them what color wires you want. Black and Red are the choices.

Did you know (I didn't.) there's NOTHING under that timing cover? Just a cavity, and a carry over from the old design!

Next up was moving the turn signal lights off the handlebars. I'm trying to get the flat-tracker look up top on the bars, and everything's gotta go! Harley actually sells a kit for relocating the lights, and I think the signal brackets come in either chrome or black. The part number for the black kit is: 68643-09, and it comes with the mounts, hardware, wire, wire ties, splicers, and mounting hardware. Literally everything you need and more. When I saw all that stuff, I was freaking out! WTF? (Maybe it was the extra wire and splicers that scared me?)

There's a couple set screws that you loosen and the turn signals come loose from their mounts. At first, I took one of the lights apart until I figured out how they really came off. Duh. 

Then I loosened the headlight mounting bracket so I could reroute the existing turn signal wires. Take the two bolts all the way out. I pushed both signal wires into the center of the neck area and tied them off. With a little careful pulling and tugging to get the slack out, the existing wires were just long enough to route to the new location which was a relief. I didn't need to cut and extend them, so the extra wire and splicers went back in the bag. Whew! 

I think the only hiccup was aiming the lights. Once the bracket is on, you can't get at the light mounting bolts, so you gotta get 'em pretty close, torque 'em down, and do the final adjustment with a twist of your hand, hoping like hell you don't accidentally loosen the bolt. Ask me how I know.

 

So now the handlebars are almost cleaned up. Once the speedometer is relocated and the new risers installed, it should be bare bones up top, exactly what I wanted. Clean, lean and mean...and no chrome. Stay tuned for the speedometer relocation....That one has me a little worried, but again, it's involves electrical stuff.

In other news.......

After I finished up that stuff, I wanted to take a crack at re-mapping the engine. This damn thing vibrates like mad at low RPMs, due mostly to the Vance & Hines Staggered ShortShots. Or so I was told. At high RPMs, it smoothes right out. And since it has a Vance & Hines FuelPak, I can change the mapping myself. Pretty cool. 

I called the V&H FuelPak support number and they confirmed the tendency of Sportsters to lug or vibrate more with the ShortShots. They recommended changing mapping parameters 5 and 6 to 18 and 15, respectively, down from 23 and 20. (For all settings refer to V&H Value Reference FP-0861 on this website: http://www.fuelpakfi.com/

To make adjustments, on mine anyway, I needed to take off the seat, getting access to the FuelPak. Remove the 4 screws holding the cover on, turn on the ignition, and cycle through the parameters until hitting those you want to change. Make the changes, shut off the bike, and they're saved.

Do yourself a favor and call V&H before experimenting and know your values BEFORE you call. These folks are totally cool, and really worked with me to improve lower RPM performance. It's much, much better now, but as the man said, if you don't want a vibrating motorcycle, what the hell did you buy a Sportster for, and THEN put those fucking pipes on it? You CREATED the problem. 

And that's about it. More as it happens, maybe this weekend.

Cowboy

PS The bike has taken on far more of a Joker theme, so I guess that's its name....Joker. My GF, Deb, even came through with a Hellanbach Joker t-shirt for me! And yeah, I also got a vanity tag for it that says JOKRR!

PPS Here are the links to all 6 Nightster/Joker posts in order, 1-6:

http://cowboyken.blogspot.com/2011/05/nightster-projectbeginnings.html

http://cowboyken.blogspot.com/2011/05/nightster-part-ii-coil-and-parking.html

http://cowboyken.blogspot.com/2011/06/nightster-part-iii-speedometer.html

http://cowboyken.blogspot.com/2011/08/joker-machine-air-cleaner-installation.html

http://cowboyken.blogspot.com/2011/10/canyon-carvers-real-story-aka-joker.html

http://cowboyken.blogspot.com/2013/12/good-times-and-good-memories.html

Nightster Pt I, Project Beginnings

Eight or nine months ago, I started toying with the idea of getting another bike. I got bit bad by the "Bobber Bug" while at MountainFest in July, 2010, but also was thinking that an UltraGlide would be cool and more comfortable for those long distance rides. I went back and forth, from one idea to the other for a long time. And of course, the practical side of me asked why the hell I needed two motorcycles! But I've never really listened to my practical side, and I'm getting older, so I figured it was far too late to start that sort of thinking! I had to get another bike!

After wobbling back and forth about the Ultra, I kinda got away from that idea. Just too much bike for me, and I wanted a toy. The Softail Custom did a terrific job on the Southern Comfort ride last year, and it'll do it again when I decide to take off for a long one. I settled on the idea of a smaller, fun bike that I could modify/chop to make it even more fun.

So I began looking at older Ironheads and Shovelheads....even old Panheads to base a bobber on. There are lots and lots of Sportsters out there and more than a few Shovels. Panheads are less plentiful, and it's a shame to take a survivor apart. I kept coming back to a Sportster.....fun, lighter, lots of available goodies, and less expensive.

Court House Customs

Sportys, from what I've seen, have gone from general dismissal as a girl's bike to becoming the ride of choice for some, and are the basis for a lot of kick-ass bobbers. In fact, at last year's East Coast Sturgis, Damien's 77 Ironhead, hastily thrown together in a week after being rescued from under a porch, got more attention wherever we stopped than all the damn new bikes. Peeps LOVED that green monster, though it might have been Charlie's lightning bolt paint job that caught their eye!

And I'd be remiss if I didn't mention my friend Angel's Panster! How's this for a kick-ass scoot! Yep, it's a Sporty with a Panhead top end. Featured in EasyRiders magazine!

Angel's Bike!

And finally, after bidding on countless eBay bikes located on another planet, calculating in costs of pickup, I started thinking about a newer bike for a starting point, maybe not going back to a rigid frame setup, but definitely shooting for Old School. I zeroed in on Harley's Nightster, looked at a couple, and found one I liked. It already had the Vance & Hines pipes I liked, the FuelPak, and was just the right color. My buds at Patriot Harley Davidson made me a deal I couldn't refuse, and the rest, as they say, is history.

The day I brought it home....

This scoot is now in my garage, and will be the starting point. I had it pin-striped and a cool "Joker" added to the tank down at OBX Bike Week. Dan Kite Pinstriping did the artwork, and it you take a look at my OBX "Home" post, you'll see more in-process pix of Dan's work on the Nightster. 

Tank artwork, by the way, was approved by my now-ex, who promised to vandalize the bike and cut me off if I got some skanky pinup babe painted on it.....Just sayin. 

Please, no howlers about that gas cap. It was OK by itself, 

but with the artwork, it's gotta go. Black one is on order from Joker Machine.

Stay tuned for more on the Nightster.....I can't wait to get started. Parts are arriving and the lift is waiting!!

Cowboy

PS: 4/7/2012 There are now 6 articles, Pt I-VI, here on Southern Comfort that show how the Nightster has changed. Changes are subtle, and consist mostly of bolt-ons/take offs, but the bike has come a long way and it's usually one of the eye-catchers in a parking lot full of bikes.

http://cowboyken.blogspot.com/2011/05/nightster-projectbeginnings.html

http://cowboyken.blogspot.com/2011/05/nightster-part-ii-coil-and-parking.html

http://cowboyken.blogspot.com/2011/06/nightster-part-iii-speedometer.html

http://cowboyken.blogspot.com/2011/08/joker-machine-air-cleaner-installation.html

http://cowboyken.blogspot.com/2011/10/canyon-carvers-real-story-aka-joker.html

http://cowboyken.blogspot.com/2013/12/good-times-and-good-memories.html

OBX Bike Week, Part II, Cops

In sharp contrast to September's Delmarva Bike Rally, OBX Bike Week had another unique quality...The lack of a heavy-handed police "presence".

Anyone who's gone to the Delmarva event can tell you about Ocean City, Maryland's view of public safety. They throw as many cops as possible on duty, bringing in reinforcements from other locations, including SWAT teams and mounted police.

The Maryland State Police even get in on the act, patrolling Rt 50 (the main artery to/from OC) aggressively, pulling folks over for the slightest infraction. There are speed traps behind every tree and billboard, starting at the Chesapeake Bay Bridge all the way to OC. Each town you pass through gets in on the action too, feeding off the bikers.

Anywhere along the strip on Coastal Highway in OC, there's always someone pulled over for something, and at any given venue where bikers congregate, there seems to be a cop for every 10 people. They're everywhere and you can't miss 'em. At the Burnout Pit across from the Bearded Clam last year, I noted cops on foot, cops on bicycles, horse-mounted cops, and a few in SWAT gear milling around. All in just one place. Really, were they expecting a war? Gunfight? Riot? Was all that really necessary?

Anyone wearing colors in OC was guaranteed a stop or two, and the 1%-ers that flew colors spent most of their Delmarva time with a police car behind them monitoring every move.

And I won't even mention the Mini-Van Slalom which is also a bitch in OC, but since that isn't (I don't think) police sponsored, I'll leave the details and bitching out of this post, but Mom, really? Can't that phone call or text wait 'til later, and can't Junior sit the fuck down and quit distracting you?

Bottom Line: I know people who just won't go to Delmarva Bike Rally* because of the cops and their open hostility toward bikers.

OBX? Well that was far different! In 4 days, I might have seen 9 or 10 cops on the road, with just a few folks pulled over and I don't recall seeing ANY bikes stopped. While I'm sure there were a few plainclothes/undercover cops circulating, most venues were cop-free, and if there were some around, it was usually just one at the entrance/exit making sure no one rolled out that had partied a little too much.

It was very comfortable, and I'll say it again, OBX is VERY biker-friendly. They know how to host an event and how to make guests want to come back. I damn sure will.

Ocean City, take note.

Cowboy

* This post originally, and erroneously, stated that it was OBX that people wouldn't go back to. I meant to say Delmarva. Guess I was having flashbacks or something, but that sure isn't true. We can't WAIT to get back to OBX. Thanks to Fred for noticing that error. (Yes, THAT Fred. F'n Fred.)

OBX, A Home Away From Home. Almost Like Hooters!

Outer Banks Bike week was the crew's first event of the year, substituted for the Blue Ridge BikeFest we did last year in Roanoke, VA. Personally, I thought Blue Ridge was fun, but overrated, and not something I wanted to do again, and I think I speak for everyone that went down with me last year.

So I'm guessing it was Fred.....yeah, THAT Fred......who suggested we join him this year for OBX Bike Week. When I first made plans to go, little did I know how much fun it was going to be, in spite of a little cold weather, rain, and a nagging cold I couldn't seem to shake. And I also didn't realize I'd have me a nifty new motorcycle to take along!

And the trip to OBX had a few interesting sub-plots. There were peeps who had become Facebook friends, but who had actually never met, and anything can happen when mixing peeps! It's like mixing up chemicals...sometimes the reaction is good, and sometimes it goes bang. Heck, sometimes it just stinks. And we had one rider who had actually never been to a biker rally, and that's always interesting too.

Heck, I can start with that line......the new rider.....

Now, as the saying goes, $15,000 and 15 miles doesn't make you a biker. True Dat. Maybe more important, the rules of conduct around bikers are far different that those in downtown Washington, DC, or at least Northwest DC. So I took it on myself to coach the new rider on things to do, and more important, things not to do.

• Rule One: NEVER sit on someone else's motorcycle. And don't scratch it or smudge the paint or chrome. In short, don't do anything to someone's bike or you'll regret it.
• Rule Two: If you see a hot girl appearing to be alone, the odds are 99-to-1 that she's actually not alone, didn't come alone, and the biggest, meanest motherfucker you ever saw is just out of eyesight. Masturbation is a far better option than an evening spent in the ER. Or put another way, be on the safe side and take your own. Fucking with someone's Old Lady is damn near as bad as sitting on their bike.
• Rule Three: Don't fuck with people. Bikers tend to settle differences in far more physical ways than a quiet discussion over coffee in a downtown cafe.
• Rule Four: Get the first three rules memorized and follow them.

The OBX trip wasn't a 100% success, with all rules followed, but at least no one's getting a bill from the OBX ER! LOL

Hey! I'd be interested to know if there are any "New Biker" Do's and Don'ts others might wanna share. Add em via a comment to this post!

Moving right along.....

My initial plans for OBX revolved around the decision to ride or trailer, but a last-second purchase of a second bike made that decision for me. I hauled the new (to me) '08 Nightster, along with my Softail Custom, to OBX on the Kendon trailer I got last year.

This was the first time I hauled two bikes on the Kendon, and if anything, it pulled even better. No problems whatever going or coming. It's also worth mentioning that I loaded the Nightster by pushing it up on the trailer. Didn't even have to start it, which was kinda neat. I definitely have to ride the Softail up onto the trailer. That son-of-a-bitch is heavy.

So off I went, getting down to Kitty Hawk a day early, taking Linda and Charlie up on an offer of a room for the night. We hung out, laughing and telling stories til the wee hours. The next morning, I made a run down to Nags Head to unload a bike at the hotel (it was still too early to check in) and begin riding, but not before showing off the new bike and offering a few test rides!

A rare shot of Charlie taking a leak on Cowboy's tie-down straps

Sol, checking out the height of Cowboy's new ride

  The plan for Day Two was to visit all the vendors strung up and down about 14 miles of beach road between Kitty Hawk, Kill Devil Hills, and Nags Head. The weather, however, had other plans, and after our first visit to Outer Banks Harley Davidson, it was apparent that we were going to get drowned so we decided to make a run for shelter. Dry is good. Dry and warm is better.

Here's a few shots from the Outer Banks HD parking lot.....

I got back to the hotel, but not before riding the last 5 miles or so in a torrential downpour. I was soaked through to the skin, and showed up in the hotel lobby to check in.....looking like I walked right out of the ocean!

To their credit, the staff at the Surf Side Hotel didn't bat an eye, politely checking me in and explaining the amenities as I dripped a large puddle of rainwater all over their floor! Cool people, and VERY biker-friendly. If you're heading for OBX, give them a shout. Awesome rooms and they even let us keep our bikes in a small private garage!

About the same time I was heading south in the rain, Fred, Mark and Beth were heading north, returning from a long ride through the National Seashore area where there was no shelter to be found. They did 25 miles in a downpour, and Beth, bless her heart, toughed it out in a t-shirt, staying glued to Fred's back for the entire ride. (There's a rumour that Beth was not any fun to be around when they first got back!)

Beth and Linda

Bike stuff:

One of my ideas for the Nightster, and a goal for this trip, was to get some kind of art work done on the Nightster. I figured on some kind of pinup girl on the tank, and maybe some pin striping here and there. I got a price from one guy at the Harley dealership that was SKY HIGH, even though he didn't seem to have any business, but he assured me the art work would be first class. I would hope so. Like Mona Lisa quality. So it was one of those, "Yeah, Dude, let me think about it." conversations.

No fucking way I was spending crazy money on art for a bar-hopper bike, so I figured I'd scale back my demands, maybe getting away from the pinup girl idea. Besides, Deb threatened to vandalize my bike if I got a skanky looking babe painted on the tank!

So later on Thursday, after the rain stopped, I stopped at Longboard's, finding Dan Kite's Pintriping tent set up in the parking lot. Front and center on the display was the coolest "Joker" I'd seen, and I realized that was what I really wanted to make the Nightster look cool. And the pinstriping samples were awesome too. Unfortunately Dan wasn't around so I made it a point to be there first thing Friday morning.

Friday morning, 10AM, I was first in line to talk to Dan, who gave me an excellent price on the "Joker" art work, and he had some cool ideas for striping. I decided to let him do his thing, and what a terrific job he did.

Dan Kite, eyeballing up the Nightster

Finished product, and yeah, the skull gas cap has gotta go!

A footnote to the pin-striping/artwork story. I never once, throughout the weekend, saw a single bike being striped or painted by that guy who wanted a small fortune to paint on my scoot. Dan Kite, however, had an endless line of bikes lined up, waiting for his special touch. I'm no expert, but not only is Dan an excellent artist, he's also a shrewd businessman. And yea, a heck of a nice guy too, as was his wife Gina. Nice meeting cool peeps, ain't it?!

Generally speaking, I was a little disappointed that there weren't more parts/accessories vendors at OBX. No problem getting t-shirts, patches, or chaps down there, but it you were looking for that special part for your bobber, you were out of of luck. Don't go to OBX for parts or bike shopping.

And so on.....

And finally, we just had damn good time. This was due, in no small part, to the warm welcome we received from the local OBX people and businesses. I had an experience there that I'll never forget. I was shopping for cold medicine in Food Lion, alongside a pretty lady who was also looking at cold meds. Big wedding ring, obviously local, and keeping her eyes straight ahead. So mostly to test her reaction, I said that with all the varieties of meds, it was hard to make a selection.

Now in my past experiences, this could have gone a couple ways. She might have run screaming to the store security guy, complaining about that obnoxious biker making comments to her. It happens, and it's happened to me.

More likely, she could have ignored me.

Instead, she replied with a big smile that it WAS a tough decision. And I was walking away, she stopped me and asked a question I'll never forget. She said, "Has anyone thanked you for coming down to Bike Week? If not, I'd like to." I was stunned.

Just a new minutes later, I found myself next to her in the checkout line, and told her that in 43 years of riding, going places to party, no one had EVER....EVEN ONCE....thanked me for visiting their town. I told her that I, and most of my friends, have had negative experiences, and that I'd even been "asked" to leave town a few times! (a few?) She laughed, and said the locals were glad to have us, even letting me use her discount card for my purchases. Now that, folks, is nice. Go to Bike Week at OBX, patronize the locals, and relax. Terrific place and the people there are even better!!!!

(Footnote to that little story: Some peeps speculated that Ms. OBX Housewife may have had another motive for striking up the conversation with me, but rather than get into details, I'll just follow the rules Mark set for the event: What Happens in OBX Stays in OBX!)

Here's a few more photos from the weekend! Enjoy!

Fred bought me this AWESOME t-shirt!!! Shown here, being pre-worn by Linda. Long story about pre-worn t-shirts...Stay tuned.

Fred!

My bike! Really, it's right there. Look hard and you'll see it.

Look, Ma, no hands! With a Facebook update as a finale!

Cowboy, Fred, Charlie, and Mark

OBX? Do it.

Cowboy