Got a Kitchen Pass from my Bride!
This has been on my radar for a couple of years, but it's the same weekend of The Steel Horse Rally in Ft Smith, AR. I've always chosen the Rally ... until now. I was looking at the dates, but wasn't serious about either this year. A few weeks ago was SCOM/SHINDIG in Amarillo and we caged it due to our travel schedule prior to that. And after that weekend, I was nothing short of exhausted. We'd been traveling for something like 19 days ... Hawaii, Phoenix and Amarillo. Steel Horse would have to wait a year I told myself. But I was itching to put some miles on. Still, the weather sucked... really sucked. However, I noticed a bright spot in the forecast. I'd considered rolling up Friday .... but .. wasn't sure. However, nothing but Blue Skies Sat-Mon ... So, I'm scheming. I've realized I've got a few buddies partying it up in Ft Smith. Instead of getting a room in OK, decided to roll up 200 + miles that morning, hit the meeting and quickly head out the door 170 miles or so to AR. My buddies that had dropped in there are set, no rooms avail for me, but Tim had a spare bed ... so ... I've got a plan.
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Up EARLY ... slam a lot of java and finally throw a leg over the bike as the sun is coming up. I should have just grabbed some Interstate but I've got a fetish for two lane roads. So, up Hwy 69, to 75 and then wiggle my way up on 2 lanes NW into Ok City. Problem is... I rely on my bikes GPS this time and damned if it didn't fuck with me a few times. I'm thinking .. "WHY am I on THIS road??" more than once. Finally, pop up Google Maps on the phone and between the two, scooting along no issues. I normally go old skool and print out a map that I've verified prior, but like I said... I've been dragging ass. Lesson learned! Meeting starts at noon, I pull up at 1100 hrs, and head inside. Now.... I'm smiling and glad I made the journey. Inside I find Skrape and his contingent. Crayon is in from AR. See a lot of familiar faces from the OK Chapters. Mason our NPRO is in with his contingent from AZ. Burner is with them and speaking to the crowd as he's running for NPRES; we finally get a real face to face to chat. And our Region V rep is here as well; always good to see Lefty whom is our future NSEC. Whew, lot of Big Dog's in the house! Man ... had to break away for a few Bloody Mary's there at the Legion's bar, chat with the folks in there for an hours or so. Overall enjoyed the Meeting which thank god was short (less than 2 hrs). I'm soon sneaking out the door, on the bike and headed East!
Before I joined the CVMA, I rode with the IIRA and made a lot of lifetime friends. Three of them have been in Ft Smith for a few days and I'm rolling in for a reunion. When I pull up around 1700 they're in the Lobby waiting for me, hand me a few cold ones and we're catching up! Donnie and Stump are always trouble together, but guessing Tim has been babysitting the last few days? LMAO. Well, hour later we're headed out to grab some grub, listen to music, lot of adult beverages and ... well .. a great fucking time! After a great dinner, we hit the bars and finally end up at 906. Great Cigars and .... 7-3 is in the house! Run into my brothers Chief (Mic) their CXO, Lil Joe (previous CC?) and Ozone their CSEC. Great night! The time flies by waaaaay too quickly and it's midnight, I'm exhausted, few others are feeling no pain .. and time to crash. I'm thinking I'm going to be out and up early and head home .. but .. Tim and I find ourselves chatting for the next several hours catching up on old times. In all these years, I don't think we've ever had that productive of a conversation. I could have chatted until the sun came up, but... had some miles to put on Krimson.
Up around 7, we're all moving and loading bikes and ... after twenty minutes or so of BSing, we're all headed out. Damned that went by quick! On a positive note, glad we quit consuming beverages before midnite; actually feel pretty good with 4 or 5 hrs of sleep. Stump and Donnie and rolling SE, Tim is finishing the loading up and I'm headed SW. Its about 60 deg, sunny and warming up. I'll grab a lot of throttle keeping it about 10 over, but as I get closer to Texas, I'm in the triple digits often when I can see the traffic ahead of me .. or .. lack of. I'll pull up before 1pm, and after a quick shower and change, 12 minutes later mama and I are headed out for Sunday Funday! Most can't believe I show up ... hell I can't either. I'm friggn beat! I'll sleep over ten hours that night. Having fun is work!
Next year.... Steel Horse it is. It's on the calendar ;)
How awesome is this? I remember back in '19 he raised a shit load of $$ for the CVMA with the HD Guinness record held in Paris Texas. Then again a few years later. Now, over $20k up in AR? Well done!
$21,600 donated to the #CVMA to help our Veterans and my motorcycle given away as promised 
Huge THANK YOU to every one of you Proud Americans who came together to make this happen & my friends at @pigtrailhd 
None of this is possible without all of you. Together we did some good yesterday 
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| KRAKEN (L) and KRIMSON (R) |
I've been all over the map this month. Got back to Tejas a few days ago. Hell, didn't unpack until literally an hour ago. But two days ago Bear posted to the Chapter asking who wanted to Ride! Well... huh .. nobody but myself replied so off we went yesterday at 1300.
I rolled up to the VFW in Tawakoni at EXACTLY 1300... whew! I hate being late; perfect. I decided to ride KRAKEN this time out... I've had that bike just over a year and had ... 350 miles on the odometer. Whoops! I need to start riding all of them in the mix a lil more vs just KRIMSON that I got about a year ago.
Well, we roll south to the Ball Joint in Wills Point for a couple of colds ones. Bear knows the new bartender (the infamous Anna), swap some stories, chat with the other patrons and decide to roll towards Emory to Sidekicks. Few years ago they had a "NO COLORS" sign up which is a no no off limits for CVMA so wanted to see if they'd really pulled it down. Yep... so we're in there for a few cold ones.
Finally, back on the bikes and back to Tawakoni with the temp right around 70 deg and Sunny ... perfecto!
Got them both out front for a bike wash and oil change (500 mi and 10k miles) .... damned this weather is finally awesome again. Ready to do some riding in March!
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| Lets Roll! |
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| Ball Joint (Ultra: Official Beer of Riding Days) |
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| Sidekicks |
Written about this subject a few times. Found this where I'd covered it the most : GroupsIO .. Tricks!
At the core, our Meetings are our official communication tool/process. Minutes are produced from there for historical purposes and distribution to members. But what about between meetings? GIO has become our defacto Communication tool in the Chapter. I got drug in screaming 4 years ago when it was instituted, but .. I'm probably the biggest proponent of it today. Proof? As I type this there are 4180 messages in the general area for all members, of which I've authored over 1,000 of them. I about shit when I saw that yesterday. In that mix of over 4,000 messages are 469 Topics. That's what .. about 10 messages/replies for every topic on average? Sounds about right.
Kicker is, it's an awesome tool to get info out and more importantly, to keep it all archived and visible for searching past data out. Problem is.. most don't know how to use it. Every week or two I hear something along that line. I honestly don't get it. I know guys that were computer studs back in the day and they can barely operate a smart phone nowadays. I know guys that are gurus with some of this stuff and use nothing but a smart phone, but no desktop or laptop at home. I'm not that guy. I use my Samsung Smartphone religiously. But, I'm typing this and most of my communication from a wireless keyboard attached to my laptop, connected to a large monitor. Fuck that tiny phone keyboard crap. JS. Hell, my cell phone is wirelessly connected to my laptop and I can text from this keyboard on my phone. I can take my calls on my laptop.
Hopefully, if you're reading this you went to the first link I posted above to review GIO basics. It's so simple and efficient it's scary. But, too many people don't get it. But, those same people don't necessarily understand FB or X/Twitter or god knows what else they use. Tik Tok? LMAO. No thank you .. js. I used billboards and forums religiously for decades, maybe that's why I find GIO simple to use? Hell, the CVMA has a National Forum that by my calculations, less than 10% of the Association utilizes. There is a HUGE amount of data in there that most .. all .. should be aware of. But, like I said.... maybe 10%. SMH. I've said for years 20% do 80% of the work in all aspects of life. Ten percent .. twenty percent..... close enough.
Sadly, I don't have an answer for a 'best' option for communication. Email? Some never reply. Cell phone? Some never reply/answer. FB? Some don't use it. Those that do, sometimes don't check it. So, what to do? GIO. Get with the Program or .. left in the dark. I don't have the answers. You can only spoon feed this stuff to a certain degree.......
Aaaaahhhhhhhhhhh..... Snow is gone and mostly melted. Woke up to 31 deg temp this morning, sipping a hot cup of Java and thinking ... "it's a Ride Day!"
Announce it on GIO for the chapter to be aware, pull the bike out, start it up for the first time in a month (on a tender) and ... throwing codes. Have no idea what's going on but after several restarts and 10 miles, they finally clear. Only error left is one saying I've got a problem with my FOB; guessing it needs a new battery in it. Oh well. Four of us are meeting up in Lone Oak to drop off a Patch/Vest with one of our members whom ... well... had to 'repatch' in, due to missing annual dues. Great excuse to ride?
We head out on 2 laners to Longhorns' place, then find some BBQ for lunch and work our way home the long way. We decide to blow post our homes and head to SWG for a cold one. Well, for the others besides me; I'm still in "Dry January" mode but have to admit I was tempted. If I'd realized there were some Zero Alcohol Heinekens in the cooler I'd have had one or two. Oh well; water it is.
When we roll up home 140 miles later, over 4 hours has gone by. Temps are into the low 60s. Sun is out. I've got a smile on my face. It's 2025 Riding Season and I'm ready. GOD BLESS TEJAS!
I'm a mess ... I know ;) Sitting here planning 2 years out and still have GA for 2025 to complete.
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| Iron Butt Association |
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| Serious Miles! |
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| Nebraska or Bust |
Headed to Hawaii in 2025 with some friends, so got to checking and found a place to rent bikes. I read up on one company a few years ago, and started looking for it (Twisted Road), but stumbled across what looks to be a much better site. Did some searching and thinking "damned.. great prices and lots of options!" So I do what I always do and research it. Looks to be legit, so ... I'm in! Create a Profile, update all my pertinent info for renting and start the process.
When the smoke clears I've 'rented' an '18 CVO Road Glide. Clean, low miles and after selecting Insurance, etc. ... about $350 for 48 hours. A LOT less than I thought it'd be. For what I'm wanting to do, looks like a great deal. Look around for our friends and come across two trikes, similar cost, same owner. Damned. This will truly simplify things. We can pick them both up at the same place. No brainer I'm thinking! Interestingly this guy with the account has TEN diff' HDs listed, all newer nice shape. I'm thinking he's got a helluva business going there, writing off his toys. Hell, I even messaged him asking if they were his personal bikes or a business renting them. Led me to believe they were mostly his. Huh... maybe I'm missing a business opportunity here in Tejas?
Yes, indeed, I understand where you're coming from and I'm happy to help clarify things. The bikes listed on the platform are a mix of my personal bikes and additional ones that I've added specifically for rental purposes. I've been riding for quite some time myself and I've always had a passion for various models, hence the diversified portfolio. My Ride Share activities are more of a side project compared to my main occupation. However, rest assured that I take it very seriously.
As for the reviews, I appreciate that you've noticed. We haven’t had a million rentals yet, but the ones we’ve had liked us a lot and that's why we only have a few. Also, it's natural that not everyone leaves a review after their rental experience, but I can assure you that all our bikes are well-maintained and ready to offer you a great ride.
The FLTRX and Tri Glide are both excellent choices. I'm confident that you and your buddy will have a fantastic time riding these bikes.
Well, I get my bike locked down, paid for , and pass the info to my friends. Now, the fun begins. First part is weird because they had trouble creating their profile on Riders-Share. It's not 100% obvious the first time and I got my butt kicked. Well, after a crazy amount of time and with my help having to use my own phone, we've got it setup. Last night they attempted to lock it down and then ... the fun begins. Ride-Share won't authorize the credit card, so they are considering the PayPal option. However, the guy renting them is giving his own PayPal address saying they are having issues and don't worry. Well now, EVERY FLAG is going off. We chat back and forth and I tell him I'll look into tomorrow (i.e.. today). Well, my reservation is now CANX by Ride-Share. I'm guessing he initiated it. So, I go to look at it all and his listing for the '18 CVO is gone. ALL the bikes he listed are gone. Check my CC and Ride-Share has been refunded by $350.00 so no problem there (though I'll keep my eyes open). Supposedly this guy had been on Ride-Share for over five years. Supposedly had 10 bikes. But, only five reviews. Huh.
Well, now I'm in full blown investigative mode as I type this. In fact, I'm going to pause and check on his phone number and email address. Hell not sure his profile is still active.
Profile on Riders-Share: GONE Was under "THYAGO"
Phone number he's texting me from: Out of SC with an 803 area code. 803.368.3634
PayPal he's using ties back to Frank Lem*****. Search of that name shows a lot in TX but not SC
Gmail he's using: ffaban***@gmail.com
The part that bugs me is ... his profile showed active for many years. Showed rentals that went back a few years, but only a handful. That's the only I thing that made me question if it was legit. After I post this I'll reach out to that site with more questions...
When I was getting texts from him last night, again .. my flags were going on. The English was pretty good, but not the way most of us 'talk?'
Cell Texts:
Thyago: Hi William, You are renting my HARLEY-DAVIDSON ROAD GLIDE CVO in April. Please confirm if this is the best way to reach you.
Me: Shot him a screen shot from my friends convo' with him
Thyago: Yes, Definitely. I am unable to take your buddy's booking on riders-share.com
Me: Weird .. why not?
Thyago: Not weird. It is due to an ongoing issue that I am currently facing. The site seems to have some technical difficulties in releasing payments from previous rentals. Emphasizing that my previous rental experiences have garnered excellent reviews, which is a testament to my credibility as a responsible renter
Me: I'll chat with my friends tomorrow . My charge went clean via Ride Share yesterday. They're concerned as you can imagine.
Thyago: Yes, I can understand your friends’ concerns. But please reassure them there’s absolutely no need to worry. To further alleviate their concerns, could you let them know that the tri glide is directly from me? Moreover, I’ll be personally delivering it to them as they request for delivery.
Was going to research more to day .. but then ... reservation was canx.
Looking at the texts my friend had ... now REEKS of BS which is why I left some of their info there. Wanted the payment via FRIENDs and FAMILY. No refunds when you do that. I'm feeling back I brought them into this but mine went smooth and appeared legit. I believe they are good to go now as well not sending it to the 'correct' email
Lesson Learned here? Not sure there is one, except do NOT send funds outside the system. Rings true with Airbnb's as well. Spoke to the site and they are supposed to be crediting me someway, somehow. The guys account was hacked and the account suspended I'm told. We just happened to stumble into the mix.
On a positive note .... no money lost, but wasted hours over the previous 24 hrs. with this scammer
This one has been on my radar for a few weeks. Was in Mexico for two trips pushing it via Social Media, headed out the morning after I got ...
