Mark Your Calendar

Invitation

Got an invitation to test ride the new Ducati Diavel. 

Fools.

Getting Jerked Around

So I've been getting more than my fair share of this garbage lately. I can only take so much. If you've ever seen the film "Falling Down," it does a pretty good job of summing up my current state of mind.
I'm not saying I am going to snap, but I totally understand the feeling.

Mini

I took the Viper out for a romp the other morning to grab a couple pics for a BamaRides tag game. Here are the results. Damn this little thing is fun and it really makes me want a proper dual sport.  

New from Dred Co.

Austin and Back, Part 1

So I had big plans to document this run with words like I did the OK is OK trip but there was too much fun being packed in to keep a ride journal going. I even went so far as to compose some drunkenly one night at 4am but when I looked back it was just incoherent and laughable. As a result, two posts of some pics is all you get. Enjoy and if you ever have a chance to visit Austin or camp in Louisiana or Mississippi, I highly recommend all three. 

 Officer Smith

 This place...just wow. Overwhelming.

Blur

Photo courtesy of Kustom Jeff

So the last couple weeks have been a blur. I am going to take a page from my other blog and let a few pictures do the talking. An in depth report is coming once I have a chance to get my thoughts together.

 

In other news, I am now on Instagram here. 

XL1200N

2 G's on Avenue G from dredman on Vimeo.

Maybe if I start using the model number, which sounds more like a dual sport, then my bike will act more like a dual sport? Wishful thinking but didn't stop Don and I from getting a little dirty last week. It was great to get out after the string of cold and snow we've had lately. I'm ready for warmer weather.

Barber's Vintage Festival 2013

Once again it was an excellent year. I spent so much time hanging out with folks I don't get to see ofter enough and meeting new people that I didn't see any of the races, any of the special events or anything but the swap meet area really. Thanks to the shine, rum and cold beers a lot of it was a blur. It was great and I even bought a little over an 8th of a minibike. After a couple weeks it ended up in the garage and I've been riding...a lot.

Special thanks to the Inbreds RC for making me feel at home and giving me a place to crash. Also to the Haints for a great party and Lowbrow for the Coctagon. It was great meeting the men of MHT and kicking it with the BamaRides crew. Seriously, if you don't go to this event you are completly missing out.

 

Q&A, Part 5

11. What is your favorite food? My Mom makes a dish called Noodlebake that has noodles (duh), ground beef, olives, onion, cheese...basically everything awesome in it. It is a real pain in the ass to make so she only cooks it for me once a year. It usually doesn't last more than 24 hours.

12. What scares JBMFT? The thought of not being able to take care of my family or feeling like I failed or disappointed them. That and bears when I camp.

13. How is it that you and your wife both have dark hair and your kids are blonde? What gives with that? I was blond when I was a kid and as I got older my hair got darker. My guess is that this will happen with the girls eventually...that or my wife has some explaining to do.

14. What's your biggest weakness? Indecision. Close second would be my inability to stop worrying about things.

15. What's the story with your necklace tattoo? It is a St. Jude, the Saint of lost causes and desperate situations. Many years back I took a trip to St. Jude's Children's Hospital in Memphis, TN. I was going through a rough spot in my life so I bought a necklace at the gift shop and immediately put it on. After years of never taking it off, I thought it would be a fitting tattoo. I still have the old necklace.

16. What one gig from playing in bands stands out most in your mind as the best and favorite one?
I played in a band called Pure Crap years ago and our shows were always really fun. We always got sloshed before we got on stage. There were only two of us with acoustic guitars and our songs were all goofy to begin with. There was a lot of room for jokes and fooling around. It great to be in a band where the people on stage could heckle the crowd. What about the worst? Being in an experimental/prog rock/jam band and getting booked out of town not knowing you'd be opening up for thrash metal bands. We met the other guys beforehand and everything was cool but we were young and nervous. Before we hit the stage we agreed to play all the songs at double the normal tempo and scream all the lyrics. We didn't nail it but we didn't get booed off the stage either.

17. What's one place worldwide you've never been to, but would like to go? What would you want to do there? That is a big question. Other than places that are ravaged by war or places where they hate Americans, I would like to see and do it all. 

18. What is your favorite music artist/band, other than Representative Slice, of course?  
Matthew Sweet, no contest. He is a great songwriter, producer and performer. My feelings on this one are likely peppered by nostalgia since I have a lot of great memories that tie back to listening to his music. Any time I have answered this question in the past people seem surprised...I should know by now just to say "Motorhead" and move on.

19. Name someone you look up to and admire. / Whom would you consider your hero(es) ?
David Morrell, Lemmy and Panhead Billy.

20. If you could only drink one alcoholic beverage (one kind, not one drink period) what would it be? Beer. There are so many beers to choose from, seems like it would never get old.

08/03/13

     The night prior was hot and I'm pretty sure nobody slept well. It wasn't bad that morning, just enough to feel it. Everyone got packed up. It was bittersweet for me. I was looking forward to seeing my family but sad to leave the road and the company of friends I had been sharing it with.
      Ken left a bit early for coffee and we picked him up at a gas station near our KOA. He had been scanning the weather radar and it didn't look good. Outside of one small downpour, we had stayed dry most of the trip. I guess it was time to pay for our good fortune.
      Hoping to dodge the front, we got on the road. It wasn't long before we saw the black clouds on the horizon and stopped to put on rain gear, face shields, etc. It was good that we did. The water attacked quickly and with fury successfully eliminating any shred of dry fabric in my pack.
      Though this was easily some of the nastiest stuff I had ever ridden in, we soldiered on. Ride in the rain, get gas, wring out gloves, repeat. During one stop Wyatt and Chris opted to sample some local BBQ. With many miles ahead, Ken and I decided to stay moving.
      There is a bond you forge with someone when you share time on the road. The good times, bad times, sights and sounds you share become part of your common fiber. There is a recognizable difference between friendship and brotherhood. This trip easily moved us from the former into the later.
Though we knew each other previously as just words on a page, this was real. Getting along online is easy. It's crazy how well we transitioned from the digital world into the physical one. When you spend nearly every waking moment with someone for a stretch of days, when its over it leaves a hole.
Our goodbyes were brief. Looks were exchanged that filled in the gaps. I would ride with this crew again anytime. I hope life and fate stay good enough to give us all that chance.
      The sun fought through the clouds at times but we stayed under the rain most of the day. Outside Memphis we stopped for gas, a bite to eat and a glance at the map. Despite the heat, when you are soaking wet a/c turns other's comfort into your freezing misery so we ate fast.

     Right outside Birmingham things got so bad that we had to stop several times. Rain is tolerable. Inconvenient, but tolerable. Riding in a lightning storm is not. Several false starts and breaks under overpasses slowed our progress. The frustration of being 30 miles from home but unable to progress safely gnawed at me. Knowing how dumb I would feel being killed so close to home after traveling so far kept me in place.
      Once there was a break, we got moving again. Things started to get more and more familiar. I approached my exit and waved Ken ahead and then waved again as he passed me. I was 15 minutes from my door. Ken still had hours to go, others days yet. Pulling into the driveway, I instantly missed the open road and my brothers. I was comforted in my loss by my wife and children. I unloaded the bike. Still covered in dirt and bugs from 9 nine states, I locked the door behind me and proceeded to unpack.

Stuff

photo courtesy of Wes from Junk With Wheels

On the Oklahoma is OK ride, I kept a running list of laughs along the way. Even though these are inside, I'm sharing despite the fact that only 5 people in this world will get it. Of course, speculation is welcome but I may or may not confirm your accuracy.

Here's the list:
Quiet Wyatt, You don't work here do you, Match.com, Well there was this guy name Jesus, Fake Candids, Gladiator fights in Hilton, Disaster the carnivorous buffalo, Grasshopper genocide, Fahts. 


On a totally different note, my friend Soundwave asked me at my birthday kegger if I would be open to doing a Q&A on the blog since there were things he had always been curious to ask me. He thought it would be cool to open it up to everyone and I drunkenly agreed. He's putting it together so if there is anything you've ever wanted to ask yours truly, e-mail him at yo.iisei@gmail.com and once he gets enough questions, I will answer and post the replies here. 

Saturday continued...

So Brandon is back in town and came to claim one of his trio of bikes from the garage. He isn't wasting any time getting back on the road and the CB he is taking needed a little carb work. It was leaking before he left and stopping that was the goal. It didn't quite happen before leaving here but before the end of the night, it was drip free.

Nick and Nick discussing something Shovel related.

The CB also got a new battery, some electrical work, a new clutch lever and clean gas. My Sportster got a new rear tire but as all four of us had a hand (or foot) on the tire at some point, there are no pictures. All in all is was a good, full day in the garage and Brandon's bike left under its own power before sundown. Safe travels, little CB. Hope you enjoyed your stay. 

Drunken Monkeys vs. Sprocket

     Saturday was a blast. There were three bikes getting attention, numerous beers being drank, slawburgers being consumed and enough wise-assery to go around. It started at eight am with a drum, sprocket and an obscenely large c-clamp. When a punch fails, bust out the drill and when setting rivets, start with the hammer first.

Pretty sure the new sprocket was overdue.

Tools of the trade and the finished product. More to come...

Roundhouse and Where the Road Ends

      Surprises are nice. You call to make an exchange with a friend, a cancellation later and a hand-off becomes a ride and a ride becomes a time machine and a history lesson. Birmingham is having a big resurgence but the good fortune doesn't blanket the entire city. There are still parts that are destined to burn. This abandoned roundhouse is one of them.
     Don is full of bright ideas and cool places to go. People like him are what makes Bamarides so great. No matter how many miles you have under your belt, there is always someone who can show you something you've never seen or teach you something you didn't know. He said the word Roundhouse and I was in. A fan and tourist of urban exploration, I had seen tell of this structure and was stoked to check it out it in person.

      As we landed in the general area, we were unsure of the exact location of our destination. I soaked in some sun on the side of a gas station cooling with a Pepsi while my navigator searched his GPS, unsuccessfully, and then his head for the path. We asked some colorful characters at a detailing business for directions and even followed one red herring but it was luck and attention that got us there.
     A little internet sleuthing revealed that this structure was built in 1915. The house and turntable were used for servicing up to 25 steam engines or locomotives. The railroad left town in 1952 presumably taking the turntable with it. It was later expanded and used as a warehouse and hub for shipping and receiving. It is dusty, creepy and full of debris and sketchy to ride through. At one point we heard noises and realized we were not alone. We saw our company and kept out eyes trained on the passerby's sharing minimal sentiment.
     As is the norm it seems when Don and I get together, stupidity is sure to follow so we shot a bunch of silly pictures and some video which may or may not see the light of day. I took a good bit myself and we left. Later I would blow black goo out of my nose and said a quick prayer to ward of histoplasmosis.   

     Bouncing around the roads, my biceps and forearms were burning from the sun. Sunday was brighter and hotter than I estimated and fool that I am, I skipped sunscreen. We hit Corridor X right up until it stopped. I was expecting to exit but Don kept right on so I gave chase. His bike it built for this kind of thing. Mine...not so much. I dodged dips, holes and ruts getting a good jarring now and again on the unfinished gravel road. At one point I took to the the grass to avoid Jersey barriers and materials. It was exciting if nothing else.

     The end was a GIANT construction site where they are finishing the road. This is stuff Google Earth (currently at least) can't show you. I counted at least five cranes and tons of other heavy equipment. There are also new train tracks in and out. It was very, very cool. At this point, I had no idea where Don was. I got off and wondered around to take some pictures until he found me.
     At some point, he ditched out again. In the midst of my picture taking, I started to hear a whistling and once I found it, I saw Don across the site on another bridge. I got back on the bike and relocated to his position. This was no small feat as I encountered mud and did a bigger hill climb that my Sportster should ever be asked to do. Don got it on video. I watched it and immediately realized it was about half as impressive as I thought it was when I was doing it...but it was still impressive.

(this is not said hill, FYI)

 

     The rain drops started and we hit the road. A few twists and turns later and we were on 65. Don made the international sign for "I'm hungry, need cheeseburger" but I declined. I had enough leftover burgers and dogs at home and a keg of beer that needed some attention. I capped off the night with a good meal, a good movie and warm beer. Like a certain musician turned actor once crooned, two out of three ain't bad. 

 

 

 

 

 

Health Food. But no, seriously...

The Krispy Kreme burger cheese-dip dog heard round the world...

On a serious note, thanks to everyone who came out to my birthday (observed) party. 

My friends are awesome and came bearing gifts and food and liquor and even combinations of those things. You know its good when you look at the camera the next morning and there are pictures confirming things you thought you might have just imagined...like someone hanging upside down from your children's swing set or photos of the long-winded speech you made before blowing your candles out. 

I have the best family and friends. Thanks for all the well wishes and to everyone who has made the 35 year mark celebration marathon the glory that it was. 

Much love.

Big Fish 2

In case you've ever wondered, this is what happens when you ride to an abandoned movie set with Don from BamaRides on a Friday afternoon. You'll get the full report later. For now, just enjoy this.

Death Cart

     Nick got his hands on an old, beat up, inoperable Chinese scooter and stripped it down to nothing and brought it over to the garage so we could get it running again. It took a little more disassembly but we got it to run. It's a bit janky though...like turn the ignition with a screwdriver, bridge the solenoid, try not to kick the battery off the frame and no front or rear brakes janky. It also wanted to take right off without even the slightest touch of the throttle. It's actually a small miracle it didn't hit and domino the 6 bikes in the garage.
    Since it left Nick says he got a brake on it and got it to stay running for a bit and even rode it. I saw a video but I am pretty sure it was doctored with a little CGI. I'll believe it when that SOB is back here and I can wreck it in to something. Which needs to happen...soon.

Lost Photo

from the weekend Nick was over to work on the Shovels. Mixed Sixes, Sailor Jerry and bad biker movies.

Finished Distractions

   

 I made a couple sheaths. Thinking I might make a wallet (for real) next.