Hello I hope you are all safe and well. We are doing fine and I am working from home which has it’s stresses. I had hoped to add some pictures and stories from the past by now but have not had time.

In 2008 we purchased our first HD. A 2008 FLHX Street Glide in Crimson Red Sunglow. We had friends in the local Statesville HOG Chapter and became involved. From 2008 through 2014 I served as Activities Director, Safety Officer, Road Captain, Assistant Director and Director. We met a lot of nice folks, many we call friends today. We learned group riding techniques and discovered many new destinations with the group much sooner than we could have on our own. And Don Tilley the Dealership owner introduced me to Florida riding in December which we have kept going and now 11 years later we have logged several miles.

Once we started trying to take longer rides the FLHX was not the right bike. We kept it and did some custom work and added a new 2010 Ultra to the stable for trips.

I was always heavy into offshore performance boating and had many factory friends with several manufacturers that gave us access to boats other than our own. I was invited to join Donzi for an event. They show up with a new 38 ZR which was a low profile sit down boat capable of 115 MPH with APBA approved 575 engines. Well I fell in love with this paint. It was PPG “Oh So Orange”. Lots of metallic and changed colors a little in the sunlight at various angles.

So a very good friend of mine in Ohio that painted high end custom boats agreed to lay a sweet paint job on a bike for me. I found a new complete take off set of tins in Pearl White. We created a design and the rest was history. I one several bikes shows with this one. She was beautiful!

This is where the story gets interesting. I ride it to HD York Open House with two of my HOG chapter buddies and friends. We walk back to our bikes and three HD employees are standing there. They were admiring the paint and asked if ai could tell them what it is. Well I’ll be dang if the very next model year the CVO Street Glide was introduced with almost the exact same orange! Pretty cool I thought since I knew where that idea came from!

Just a few pictures below. I’ll load more as soon as possible.

Thanks for reading.


Our First Harley Davidson. 2008 FLHX That is my best friend Angus checking out the tour pak. He passed away a year ago at age 17. I sure miss him.



This is the same bike with a factory pearl white paint set and custom work by one of the best boat painters of the day. This picture was taken on an evening dinner chapter ride with our HOG group.



This was a taken on the BRP. A chapter ride that I organized and led. Good times back then!



This was the factory boat that inspired by color change. I had the good fortune to run this boat with Craig who owned Cigarette Racing at one time and was serving as President of Donzi Marine. Fast little stock boat at 115 mph.

 

This was actually a real working gas station back in the day. If any of you visit the Twin Cities that Tobacco built you can find this between the two I-40’s on Sprague Street. Not the best neighborhood but okay in the daylight.

 

The Open Road Ride Report

Thursday April 2, 2020

This ride was as much for you guys who cannot ride now as it was for me. I’ve been working from home for over two weeks now and starting to go crazy. My company is suggesting that we use some PTO time. Well I took PTO since the wife was off and the sun was going to be shining. The original plan was to work in the yard today. But before 9am three customers had contacted me, and it was a little cooler out with the slight breeze. My wife needed to take our cat to the vet, so I decided I was going to take a solo Covid 19 safe ride. I rolled out of our undisclosed bunker just west of the twin cities that tobacco built at 10:30am with the temp-o-meter reading 55 degrees. There was a slight 5 mph breeze and lots of sunshine.

I put my Freeze Outs under a pair of jeans, had an undershirt, medium weight button up HD shirt, leather vest (with 9mm, two extra mags and knife) with a lightweight HD jacket. The heated seat on low, and heated grips on 3 made for total comfort.

I headed North on Highway 601 and was in Yadkinville in no time. Stopped at the Sheetz for some $2.37 per gallon 93 Octane and two nice compliments on the bike! Traffic was light of course which added to the enjoyment.

I was wearing my new Schubreth C3 Pro and had the Cardo linked to the cell phone with tunes rolling into the 45mm JBL speakers. I started on my Gospel play list and then moved over to classic 70’s Rock & Roll.

In no time I was at Crossroads HD in Wilkesboro and it was still 55 degrees. There were several cars in the parking lot and zero bikes outside. I parked and walked toward the door and started reading the signs. Yes, they are OPEN, but the door is locked. Knock on the door and they will allow you in. You MUST do the hand sanitizer thing as you enter. Well I did not really need to go in. I made the mistake of looking at my cell phone and had to check out a couple of emails. About that time Mike the managing partner came out and said come on in. I told him I was just riding and really did not need to come in. We talked a few minutes at a more than a safe distance before he went back in.

I decided that I wanted to extend the ride and hit the Blue Ridge Parkway. So, I leaned left out of their parking lot and ran a couple of miles to Highway 16 North toward Jefferson. It was so relaxing to just cruise at 45 to 50 mph with the music playing in my ear and the light roar of the exhaust in the background. In no time my ears popped and that means you have arrived at the Parkway. I leaned right, North on the BRP and in about a half a mile I saw a HUGE hornet’s nest about 25 feet above the road right over the center line! Pretty cool if it stays up there. It’s none 12 noon and my hands felt a little cool over my vented Rev-It gloves. I noticed that the temp had dropped to 46 degrees, but I was still very comfortable.

The green grass is growing, the trees are blooming and there are three new houses under construction between Hwy 16 and Hwy 18 (that stinks). When I rolled over Hwy 18, I noticed a few cars at Station’s Inn. I exited and rode by and saw the OPEN sign. I went on over to Freeborne’s and stopped for a few pictures. Yeah, I had packed a few snacks and water, but decided I had to stop at Station’s. Diane came out when she saw me with her BIG smile. She motioned for me to come over to the window. I ordered a hot dog loaded with chips and a water. The ticket was $5.46, and I gave her a $10.00 tip. We talked for several minutes and much to my surprise she saw three hundred people up there on bikes last weekend! WOW that is crazy, but I am not surprised. She said they had to close the kitchen several times to allow the kitchen to catch up.
I enjoyed my lunch outside in the sun, but it was a little cool up there. I decided to roll South on 18 back to the Moonshine capital of NC. Much to my surprise about two miles in I hit major paving construction. They have the north bound uphill lane paved but working on the downhill run. I waited with a few cars and two semi’s for the traffic lane to open. As I rolled South the Temp-O-Meter climbed to a balmy 60 degrees. It was 63 degrees when I returned home at 3pm.

I made one more stop at the old Wilkesboro Motor Speedway. Sad but that place is just crumbling away. I was hoping to get closer for a few pictures, but people are living close and one place had two very large dogs just waiting for me to cross the cone line. I’ve attached pictures and pulled a few from GoPro that it picked up while going by on 421.

Five hours later I safely returned home, the bike ran great, my mind was clear, and life had a moment of normalcy that really felt good.

Thank you, Lord, for this opportunity to ride and my prayer is all that are reading this get to do the same soon.


The service department rode this guys bike out. He was going to put it in the triler. It sounded good!

Crossroads HD - Wilkesboro, NC






Amazing to see this place closed. This time of year the bar and restuarant are normally open and the motel is beginning to fill up. Then there would be a band setup behind where I am parked.




Hot dog, chips and water. $5.46 + $10.00 Tip at Stations Inn

 

 

A few more photo's heading North on Hwy 16 toward the BRP.

 

Making the right turn onto the BRP North bound. YES IT IS OPEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Okay lets have a little fun. In the second and third picture below there is a HUGE Hornet's Nest! Can you see it?

 

This group of pictures is on the BRP between Hwy 16 and Hwy 18 in NC. It was a beautiful day. I had the mountain to myself. There are only three other vehicles in this stretch of road. These are sho right at 12 noon and it was 46 degrees and actually very comfortable.

 

 

 

Okay time to head back South toward home. I'm going back on Hwy 18 to Wilkesboro to Hwy 421. However I did not know they were paving 18. It will be really nice when finished. I would stay off og it the next couple of weeks.