Gophers and Cheese

The weather was still quite nice in mid-September and I decided, rather last-minute, to take a couple of days off and ride to the Black Hills.  I left on Friday the 13th.  I opted to avoid I-90 and take a slightly northern route through Pierre, SD.  This is Apol's Harley-Davidson in Raymond, which is along the way.  My Road King was loaded with supplies and camping gear to make the trip comfortable as I knew I'd be in for a lot of miles in a short amount of time.  I even dusted off the ol' windshield and threw it on to reduce fatigue and act as a bug shield.

I've been neglecting the blog but I've still been busy riding, wrenching, and taking tons of photos this year.  I couldn't let October go by without acknowledging a very significant milestone.  I bought my first motorcycle almost exactly 10 years ago today and, yes, it is the same exact same bike that has the black and red lace rattlecan paintjob that I still ride today. I took this photo yesterday while riding through Wisconsin.  Yes, I swear it's the same bike.  I've just changed a few things and put a lot more miles on it. I thought it might be fun to take a look back and post some photos from the last 10 years, one year at a time.  While you may have seen some, I'll try to post a bunch you haven't seen before.  Some will be a little embarrassing, but that's half the fun of old photos. This is my 2004 XL1200C when it was brand new to me in October 2006. I considered starting with a smaller bike but am so glad I didn't as I never grew...

Here's a quick rundown of a few events in August that you might be interested in checking out. 8/4-8/10: 74th Annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally (Sturgis, SD) Obviously, this is huge and a lot of people will make the 600 mile trip from the Twin Cities.  I went to the rally in 2007-2009 and had a blast each time.  I was just out in the Black Hills on a moto-fishing-camping adventure at the end of May and will post pics soon.  It's a phenomenal place to ride and can't recommend it enough. 8/7: First Thursday at Dulono's Pizza / Moto Mania at the Uptown VFW (Mpls.) According to Dulono's Facebook page, they are planning a big party for August so we'll see what that entails.  Moto Mania is growing fast and the buildings are practically across the street from each other so swing by both.  The blog is filled with photos from these events so if you've never been, go! 8/9: Ride For Larry Pierce (St. Paul / Monticello) Around the country, memorial rides ...

Another close-up of stickers on my Sporty... this time on the oil tank cover.  These are souvenirs from the two years when I rode the Sportster to Sturgis (600 miles each way).  In 2008 I took the Road King.  I'll get around to posting pics from those trips eventually.