Category Archives: Uncategorized

Tristan’s First Motorcycle Ride

Posted on by
Reply

November 16, 2025

Today was the day my son, Tristan, had long waited for, hist first “real” ride on a motorcycle.  Tristan’s ride today was really a test ride, confined to our neighborhood with a maximum speed of 30mph but mostly around 20mph.  We also tested mounting and dismounting Bruce with Tristan getting onboard first, then myself seemed to work the best.

So, it was a short ride today. We spent about 20 minutes riding back and forth within our neighborhood, he was thrilled. 

Before I would allow Tristan to ride, I wanted a few getting familiar with Bruce rides myself, and I wanted to configure Bruce to be more passenger friendly by installing the top case with a passenger back rest and the side paniers which I finished installing yesterday, November 15th, 2025.

Tristan’s full motorcycle ride is pending on all his motorcycle riding gear coming in, we are waiting on his riding pants and jacket to be delivered.  We have his helmet, gloves, and boots.

Been a Long Time Coming

Ever since he was old enough to walk or even before he could talk in 2018, he was interested in getting on the motorcycle , Dexter a 2005 Harley-Davidson Ultra Classic, and wanting to ride.

Here is Tristan one years old back in 2019 on Dexter, in our garage in Lake Elsinore, California.

Continue reading →

Veteran’s Day Bruce Break-In Ride 3

Posted on by
Reply

11/11/2025 Veteran’s Day Ride – 103 Miles today 213 miles to go for the 500 Mile Break-In.

Cold Ride today with starting temperature at 25°F a bit past 8am.

 Today’s temperature never exceeded 47°F during the ride (most of day was in the 30’s.  However, I was not cold but layered up like the Michelin man.  I was unable to test my Rev’It Sand H20 pants as they were too long and I returned them to Cycle Gear in Hiram, GA (part of today’s ride).

Read more about the gear I wore and the 3rd Break-In Ride overall.

Continue reading →

Introducing Bruce – 2025 HD Pan America 1250 Special

Posted on by
Reply

As stated in a post yesterday, Dexter was traded in for a new motorcycle on Friday October 17th, 2025 for a new (23 miles at time of purchase) 2025 Harley-Davidson Pan America 1250 Special. Today, October 18th, 2025 DeAndra named the new motorcycle Bruce. She had me fire it up as she walked around the bike and then stated “You can turn Bruce off now”. So, there we we have it, the sacred motorcycle naming ceremony has been completed LOL.
Bruce is the new bike’s name.

Continue reading →

Goodbye To Dexter: 11/25/2017 – 10/17/2025

Posted on by
Reply

Today, October 17, 2025 I traded in Dexter for a new 2025 Harley Davidson Pan America 1250 Special. Originally, I was planning on keeping dexter in addition to the new ’25 Pan AM. But, with limited space available in the garage and the planned shed delayed for several more years, there was no space for 2 motorcycles. Plus, I got a fair offer for Dexter being 20 years old from Atlanta Harley Davidson (and locked in for what feels like forever on the new bike lol).

DeAndra and I took Dexter out last week, October 10th, 2025 for what would be the last ride (not counting today’s ride to the dealer). It is a bit bittersweet as I am excited about the new motorcycle and the great flexibility for riding that it offers (which is why I wanted an adventure centric bike for future trips). But man, there was allot of history, mishaps, unplanned adventures lol, and blissful mayhem with Dexter. Not to mention that I truly believe Dexter is in the best shape it has been in for many many years. It was a hard decision and I was feeling surprisingly emotional about it. Wow, I guess I do still have a feel human feelings lol, I will have to work on that :).

Time To Stop Procrastinating

Posted on by
Reply

I think it has been about two years since I have updated anything on this blog or my YouTube channel. Quick update: I did complete my USA Midwest 2023 trip successfully and it was fantastic. Then I began working two jobs again and did so all the way to June 2025. That is my excuse for neglecting this site and riding only about 200 miles since my 2023 Midwest trip to June 2025.

Tail of the Dragon

The weekend of 9/12/2025 – 9/14/2025 I did ride a fantastic weekend trip up in the North Carolina / Tennessee mountains and rode the Tail of the Dragon (and many other roads I think are more fun) with Dexter. A bit sketchy and rusty in the mountains as this was my first real riding of any kind in two years! I did put in about 600 miles on that Saturday alone though and the mojo was returning strong 🙂

Drop on Bell Mountain …Oooops lol

On the way back home in Georgia (I live a bit west of Atlanta) I went up to Bell Mountain and ended up dropping dexter on a stupid steep incline while conducting numerous dumb rider mistakes. It was not very dramatic as I was going slow, too slow and almost stalled on the very very steep climb up the mountain. The bike stopped and there I was perched on the steepest road I have ever been on (to include all of the mountains I been through out west and Colorado). With my rear brake engaged I attempted to throttle up and get moving but, the bike started rolling backward and I basically just bailed (fall over to the right.) Sounds and looked more dramatic than it actually was. I still ended up with a 130 mile tow back home as the drop snapped off my brake lever and there was no way I was going to be able to ride Dexter (just under 1000 pounds) down that ridiculous mountain road. I ordered a new lever and installed it less than a week afterward and have done some light local riding since.

Riding with DeAndra and a slow goodbye to Dexter

Today, 10/10/2025 DeAndra (my wife) and I did a short ride down to Newnan, GA for some lunch at Culvers. This has been the first time we have been able to 2-up ride since we moved from California in 2020. Today will also probably be the last time we can do so on Dexter. On 10/04/2025, I put a deposit down for a 2025 Harley Davidson Pan America and will be trading in Dexter as part of the deal. I am waiting for the motorcycle to be delivered to Atlanta Harley Davidson. If the deal works out as prescribed on 10/04/2025, I should be riding home on the ’25 Pan America (have to wait for DeAndra to name this bike lol) by Saturday 10/18/2025.

There will a be 2.5 year additional pause of any significant motorcycle trips other than to the Georgia, North Carolina, and Tennessee mountains and some riding local and into eastern Alabama (semi-local). First, I have to learn how to ride the new bike and get comfortable with it. Second, I need to configure, outfit and test the planned add-ons and upgrades. Three, I will be practicing off-pavement riding (nothing crazy, not looking at off road, just off pavement Think gravel roads, forest roads, etc and just being comfortable off road with an adventure bike.

And then……currently planned……Alaska 2028 Motorcycle Trip. OOOOH AAAAAH

Alaska 2028 Motorcycle Trip

As currently planned, would be starting the trip from Georgia on June 23, 2028 and wrap up back in Georgia on August 01, 2028. Will be riding with some camping and some hoteling, to Fairbanks, then Deadhorse via the Dalton Highway, then to Anchorage. My wife and son will be flying up to Anchorage from Atlanta for a week family vacation, then, I resume my motorcycle trip to include a tentative mini sidetrack to Telegraph Creek, BC (weather permitting) and then back to Georgia.

Total planned miles for Alaska 2028 Motorcycle Trip = 11,304

In the Meantime….

I believe I still have a few videos to upload from some of my riding in 2018, All days for the USA Midwest 2023 trip and the more recently the Tail of the Dragon trip. I plan to start posting again soon and once I get rolling again doing that, I will start posting videos. Of course, there will be some goodbye to Dexter and Hello to the yet to be named bike too. And of course, I actually need to start riding some more again lol…

Be back on here soonish……..Peace!!

California Loop 2018 – Day 1 Part 1

Posted on by
Reply

Click Picture Above for Video

Part 1 of Day 1

This video covers a portion of Day 1 from Buttonwillow, CA to Santa Margarita, CA riding on California Highway 58. The scenery was very nice including the California golden rolling hills and a very nice (very freshly paved) winding CA-58 Highway.

California Loop 2018 Motorcycle Trip – Overview

California Loop 2018 is a motorcycle trip I rode from May 26th 2018 to June 4th 2018 (9 months after my motorcycle accident where I broke my leg and six months after I purchased Dexter, my 2005 Harley Davidson Ultra Classic).

This trip was tour of some of the many iconic areas of California (there are so many). Trip started from Lake Elsinore, CA riding Interstate to Buttonwillow, CA where I catch CA Highway 58 to Santa Margarita, CA and jump on US Highway 101 and roll north to Humboldt Redwoods State Park near Weott, CA where I camped for a few days and explored the unpopulated areas of the Lost Coast.

Continue reading →

USA Midwest 2023 – T Minus 31 Days

Posted on by
Reply

One Month to Kickstand up

Today is 1 August 2023, one month until kickstand up on my next long distance motorcycle trip (long distance for my standard, some of you folks rack 6,000 miles in seemingly a weekend lol). USA Midwest 2023 Trip Overview Blog Post

I have been in the process of getting the final bits of preparation in order, having Dexter serviced (still a couple of odds and ends to tend to), going through and inspecting my gear, and acquiring new gear. I really should blog some of my preparation, especially concerning gear, yeah, I should really probably do that…..maybe I will, I am a bit lazy at this whole blogging thing :). My wife wants me to do a video or two discussing my gear….I guess I will have to try now if my wife commands it ….but not today. Today is just another blog post (sorry honey) :).

Continue reading →

USA Midwest 2023 – Kick Stand Up T Minus 62 Days

Posted on by
Reply

Trip was moved from 2022 to 2023

Originally scheduled to take place during the summer of 2022, my USA Midwest motorcycle trip begins on 1 September 2023. This will be the first long distance trip since I completed my USA South 2020 trip in October 2020. I did do two regional trips in 2021, one to Charlotte, NC in September and one to Myrtle Beach, SC in October. Dexter (my 2005 HD Ultra Classic) had a clutch cable issue on the Myrtle Beach trip that was not fixed until much later. The Charlotte trip was 685 miles roundtrip and the Myrtle Beach trip was 793 miles round trip for a combined total milage of 1,478 miles. For myself, even in non long distance trip years, that is very low mileage. 2021 was a planned off year for motorcycle trips to recover from the move from California to Georgia in the fall of 2020.

In 2022, I had ZERO miles on the motorcycle due to picking up a second part time job (Amazon warehouse) to help fund some projects that I was to impatient to wait to get done. After a year of working the 2nd part time gig, I had enough and quit (no time to do anything). So with my projects done (well mostly), The Midwest trip was greenlit for this year and I began securing the lodging, additional repairs for Dexter and other items for the trip in January 2023 (yes, I plan these trips out in advance (ask me where I am going in 2028 LOL)

USA Midwest 2023 – Trip Overview

Trip is planned to last 16 days starting on 1 September 2023 totaling about 4,800 miles round trip. Trip lodging will consist of both camping and motel stays (all pre-booked). States to be traveled through on this trip include Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee, Kentucky, Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska, South Dakota, Wyoming, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. Planned stops / destinations include Galesburg IL, Onawa IA, Sioux City IA, North Platte NE, Badlands SD, Black Hills SD, Powder River Basin WY, Devils Tower WY, Granite Falls MN, Renville MN, Wilmar MN, Twin Cities MN, and then back home near Atlanta GA. Many of the planned stops and destinations are railroad related which is another significant interest and hobby of mine (history and model railroading). Also, I will get to check off some states on my 50 states traveled by motorcycle bucket list. I have already rode in Georgia, Alabama, Minnesota, Iowa (however only along the Mississippi river), and Wisconsin. States receiving a check mark this trip will include Tennessee, Kentucky, Illinois, Nebraska, South Dakota, and Wyoming (after a failed attempt in 2019, but that is a story for another time).

More to come later…..probably, I am a very lazy and unreliable blogger 🙂

USA Midwest 2023 Planned Routes

USA Midwest 2023 – Part Two
USA Midwest 2023 – Part Three