Labor Day Adventures, Part 1 (Saturday)

When my plans to visit the National Motorcycle Museum over Labor Day got put on hold by my bank account, I devised three northeast Ohio rides for that weekend — and they didn’t disappoint.

Three Things I Am Looking Forward To at the 2021 MSTA Mail Pouch Fly-By Rally

Of all the motorcycle events I attend each year, the Motorcycle Sport Touring Association’s Mail Pouch Fly-By rally is perhaps the one I look forward to most.  As best I can recall, the Fly-By was the first MSTA regional rally I attended and — though I now don’t live too far from the rally’s host……

The Most Uplifting Five Miles I’ve Ridden

My first motorcycle ride of 2021 was a scant six miles long, but it was one of the meaningful rides in my 14 years of practicing the motorcycling lifestyle. I didn’t go anywhere exciting, didn’t stop anywhere noteworthy or break some personal mileage record. It was meaningful because it was a symbolic victory for me, and I haven’t had many victories lately.

A Glove for Every [Touring] Occasion

Those who have talked with me about motorcycle touring have more than likely heard me use the phrase, “It’s better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it.” This maxim applies to many aspects of packing for an overnight motorcycle trip, but really hits home when it comes to riding gloves.

Ridin’ in the Cold with Friends

After a few busy weekends, I finally had a free day to get some saddle time in on Oct. 25. The rather chilly few hours on the bike with two friends in tow featured some good times on fun, twisty southeast Ohio roads, as well as some experience riding in the cold for the least-seasoned member of the group.

Cadillac, Kalamazoo and Back: My Michigan Johnny Cash Ride

Of all the tours I had planned for 2020, the Michigan Johnny Cash ride was the one I most wanted to get done this year. On Aug. 22-23, that mission was accomplished. The ride is part of my ongoing riding project for which I am riding to all the places in the United States mentioned in the Johnny Cash song, “I’ve Been Everywhere.”

Tour Report: Down South Ride 2020

Trip Description I will not be able to attend this year’s MotoAmerica round at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta, so I decided to take a two-day ride to Spartanburg, S.C. and back to get a ride on the West Virginia Turnpike this year, as well as photograph my Yamaha FJR1300 at several scenic overviews I discovered……

Looking back on my SaddleSore 1000

Well, it was finally done in the wee hours of the morning on June 7, and I still don’t know how to feel about completing my Iron Butt Association SaddleSore 1000 ride. On the one hand, it’s great to have a membership in the IBA pending. That said, the ride was anything but exciting. For……

Unexpected Fun: My End of May Rides

After a couple successful outings on my Yamaha FJR1300 during Memorial Day weekend, I decided to try out a couple loop routes the next weekend that I had created on Google Maps . The routes included some roads I had ridden before — though that was five or more years ago — but I was……

Ride Report: Memorial Day Weekend 2020

With travel restrictions in Ohio freshly lifted, I was ready to put a few hundred miles on my 2008 Yamaha FJR1300 during this year’s Memorial Day weekend. Though I didn’t achieve the 700 miles I had hoped to ride, I ended up getting a chance to ride with a friend/re-entry rider; got to ride one……