Santa came to town.

I must have been good, as Santa left me a pair of boots.

More later.

I was at : 1-63 Kiefer Creek Rd, Ellisville, MO 63021,

Merry Christmas.

Until I get a nice motorcycle Christmas Photo you will have to do with the below photo As seen at Is It Art?

To one and all May you have a Holiday season fill with that which brings you happiness.

One of the few times a year that I do portraits is every December. Above is the chosen image for this years Christmas Card.

GAW

Canon Rebel XTi with 50mm 1.8 Mk1 lens
Alienbees B400 with 30" umbella.
1/100 @ f2.8 ISO 100

Ducati Monkey? Cafe Monkey?

Recently I find myself not riding much.  I can give you a long list of excuse's such as my work schedule which causes me to leave home before the sun comes up and leave work long after the sun sets.  Or how about "ponding", never heard of ponding?  Neither had I, it's what a local highway department calls standing water on the road.  My commute seems to have more than it's fair share of ponding.  Ponding alone isn't really a good excuse, but when you add temperatures in the 20's and 30's it all adds up to a very wise decision to take the cage.  I have know doubt I could probably walk away from a get off caused by one of these "ponds", but don't think I could walk away from the caffeine deprived, talking on the cell phone, texting, eating breakfast and playing with the radio SUV driver that pancakes me with their 22's.

Instead of riding I find my self absorbed in the writings of those who live in more motorcycle friendly climates and searching the interwebs for motorcycle minutia.

For today's post I have found some very small motorcycle minutia indeed.  The venerable Monkey has achieved new heights.  I could probably park one of these baby's in my garage and my wife would never find it.  I can see my self zipping down to the local coffee shop for a cup of joe on the Cafe Monkey.  Can't you see it, a Hi-Vis pretzel on a screaming Monkey.  It just makes me smile thinking about it.

The above photos are but only a sample of the screaming Monkey's at Monkey Tuning, check it out, and the next thing you know you'll be searching craig's list for that hidden Monkey in your town, such as this one ready to run in my neck of the woods.

See you on the road.

GAW

Tipped by Twowheelsblog

Bike EXIF

In some intricately spun web of the interwebs I came across this site.  It is well worth checking out, the link below guide you to a beautifully minimulest motorcycle, that I wish was in my garage. 
Yamaha SR500 tracker

My first couple of bikes were Yamaha's and though I don't ride one at the moment I do have deep down compulsion to own one again someday.  A nice SR500, XT500 or a SRX6 would be most satisfying.

See you on the road.

GAW

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Lost Creek Road.

I have been lurking on ADVRider.com for awhile and I've seen Lost Creek Road mentioned a few times on the Missouri Thread. Here is a quote from one of the post's about Lost Creek Road "..you should probably take someone familiar for your first ride down there.." - ThumperDRZ

I found out a couple of days ago I would have Saturday morning to my self, so a plan was hatched...

The Plan: Head west from home to Washington, MO and cross over to the north side of the Missouri River. Then start a series of north then south gravel roads inter-connected with tarmac. Once (if) the gravel roads have been completed I would cross to the south side of the Missouri river at Herman, MO and work my east to home.

The first gravel road was Charette Creek Rd. Lots of thick lose gravel was the theme of the day. Charette Creek Rd. had several low water crossings and if memory serves me a couple of small rocky crossings.

Charette Creek Rd.

Next was Dry Fork Rd, Howards Branch Rd, and Sellen Schutter Rd, all pretty mild.

Lost Creek Rd. the road the above quote referes to was next.

Lost Creek looks pretty tame on the GPS.

Lost Creek looks OK from this view also.

The Creek is no longer Lost. The Road is really over there somewhere.
Should I or shouldn't I?

I did it.

After I conquered Lost Creek it was a breeze down Massas Creek Rd.

Massas Creek Rd.

At the end of the day I made it home unscathed, but very tired. I don't believe I have ever worked so hard riding a motorcycle before. I did learn a few things though.

1. The road on the other side of the creek will never be the same. Hard packed gravel on one side and 12 inch's of sand the other.
2. If it's hunting season there will be hunters on 4-wheelers using both sides of the road.
3. The narrower the road the more likely you will meet someone in the largest possible truck.
4. Knobbie's are in my future.
5. I need a stronger skid plate. I didn't bottom out, but did have plenty of large rocks strike my plastic skid plate.

See You on the road.
GAW

Another weekend...

Another weekend, another sausage festival. Mostly paved, but lightly sprinkled with a couple of gravel roads.

North Klondike Rd in Randolph County, IL.

County Rd 950 in Perry County, MO

See you on the road.
GAW

Slowly getting it dirty.

This morning I went on the Club ride to St John's "Gildehaus" for the 48th Annual Sausage Festival. I was but one of the 3,877 diners served. They will have the 49th Annual Sausage Festival on Sunday October, 24 2010, so plan ahead.

After I was stuffed like a sausage I went my seperate way and explored some road's in the area that I had yet to ride, plus a few that I have.

The first and last photos were taken on Melrose Rd. The other two were taken on Grand Army Rd. Grand Army Rd. started out paved but quickly turned to gravel.



See you on the road.

GAW