Wednesday North Central ROMEO Lunch Ride for 8-20-14

[Richard]

Guys - Boy It's been a busy week. So much so that I didn't even get a chance to start my story about last weeks ride to Clyde. It's OK though because the photos seemed to satisfy most of you judging from the number of hits reported on the site. If you ask me what was so important, just check out my new ride next week. OK it may not be new but it is different. My son and I have a ride down....or up the Natches Trace in the near future and I just wasn't comfortable on the 950's seat for a long haul. It will be 1600 miles round trip so I want some pampering. My honey failed the torture test! A month or so ago my son and I made a bee line from an area SE of Harrison back to Lindsborg and I decided right then and there something was amiss with the 950's seat when called upon for really heavy duty endurance. My son said his C50, sadly, wasn't much better and we both found ibuprofin to be our best buddy throughout that long evening ride home.
But enough of this dribble, what you guys want to know is when and where the next lunch ride will be.....fair enough!
Here it is...........


Here's the time........................................11:30 am

Here's the place..................................Westside Ventures
(completely refurbished and reopened after their fire closed them completely down for nearly 6 months)
113 N. Nelson St.
Bennington, Kansas 67422
785-488-3700

As always.....................ride careful, ride safe and I'll see you in Bennington. Richard

Here is the link to all scheduled Romeo Rides:
http://tinyurl.com/Romeo-Rides-Scheduled
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Guys - Boy do I have a lot to share with you today but my schedule on Wednesdays will only share a little at a time so I'll try to load my photos first and then see how it goes from there. Cross your fingers for me on this.............
OK, I finally got 'em to load. Don't know what I did or didn't do but just glad it took!
Boy, those pics took a while! I may be taking too many. The computer tells me that it can only handle 30 and it shuts down. A lot of times I have more than that and have to go back and pick and choose which ones I think you guys may like better. Of course if they're fuzzy and I can't distinguish who's who, I'll just go ahead and delete it. Such was thye case in point today on a couple shots so If you don't see your mug on the screen maybe you just happenrd to be one of those. What happens here most of the time, I just move and can't seem to hole the camera still enough. I need one of those shooting sticks like they use for holding your rifle still while hunting but don't know where I would put it on the bike. Joyce in her wisdom suggested I just wend it on ahead and it wold be there! Why didn't I think of that?
I actually had anticipated a shower or two early in the morning today according to the long range forecast I saw earlier in the week. It sure would have cooled things off a bit that's for sure.
After our lunch ride last week, Joyce and I headed down to Bennington to tryout the ice cream store on the corner. They don't open until 3:00 pm in case you may want one sometime in the future. They were open when we got there and I went down the street then to see about th place we visited today. They said they had just opened back up Monday. Remember this was last wednesday. So as of today the place has just been reopened 9 days. Boy, I thought it looked great by the way.
I told the lady we would be back nest week but it was just a passing comment and not a firm reservation. Today, at the Sr. Center early this morning I got a strange thought that they might not really know we're coming so I called and sure enough, they didn't have a clue. Boy howdy am I glad I called because we had 41 for lunch today. I'm sure they were tickled though after having such a dry spell after their fire. It took a bit longer sith their limited staff but how big a staff can you acquire in a place like Bennington. Schools back in session after all.
One of our guys got hurt today and I have to tell you about it. We left Lindsborg just shortly after Ten O'clock. It was just Harvey Weis and I. I led and Harv said he would follow at whatever pace I set. I set off up and over the viaduct running thru the gears on my new to me Vstar 1300 listening to new sounds I'm unacustomed to and set a below the speed limit pace. I checked my rear views frequently to make sure Harv was back there and when I came to Bridgeport, I leaned over and throttled onto I-135 and picked up the pace but a bit shy of the 75 mph speed limit. Joyce was on back and it's a new ride and I know how she can give a kidney punch. I checked the mirror again and there was Harv back in the distance. We motored on and his light fell back a litte but I thought nothing of it. Harv's bike is a Honda Magna V-4 and I knew he could catch up in time. We continued on but he seemed to be flling further behind but by then we had hit a turn on 135 and I lost him in the mirror. Not to worry, I had told Harv where I thought the Salina group would be meeting up.
Lights were flashing up ahead on the other side of the Interstate and a HP sailed past as if he was going to a fire. A short time later, same thing. A Sheriff was going lickety spit in the same direction. By the time we hit Magnolia, here came a third. We commented that someone had reported a driver failing to use a seatbelt.
Nothing could have been further from the truth. By the time we got to Bennington, Joyce had called Harv to ask his whereabouts and found that his bike had gone into a tank slapper somewhere on 135 just past Bridgeport and he lost control of the bike and landed up in the center median with a possible broken ankle, bent bike, broken windshield and scratched up helmet. Harv is extremely forunate the road was bare of vehicles at the time.
Harvey is back home and mostly well as can be, considering. He says he didn't have a flat tire and doesn't know what would have caused this to happen. He said the handlebars just started swinging wildly back and forth and he just couldn't get control. I'll be getting a look-see at that bike! Let's all say a little prayer for Harv's safety today even though......it could have been much worse!
You just can't be too careful out there!
After lunch, Denny and I headed of on an adventure that took us west on old 140. We stopped in at Bright Built Custom Autos and spent some time looking at a gorgeous 57 chev that took 2 years to build and untold dollars to support the effort. The new owner was very happy to show us around and welcomed us like old friends. He really likes folks to visit he said and if you don't it's your loss would be my only comment. It,s enlightening and enjoyable. Have you ever seen a Hupmobile? Neither had I but he had one n the floor that he's getting ready to deal with and you can bet it will be better than new!
I've posted a few pics of a few of what we saw today. Evry time I go there there's always something new and facinating.
Leaving there we headed West to go over the Kanopolis Dam and back to Marquette for ice cream. Who would have guessed?
By the time we were passing Brookville, I noticed my fuel reserve count up meter was glowing. Oops, low on gas. It read that I had been on reserve for 12.7 miles already. Oh, my! My old Vstar 950 got 57 mpg regularly. Not this puppy! Crossing the dam I was hoping against hope that the Dam Store had sold and was reopened. It had been and .....was. I flashed my lights at Denny and pulled in. Regular pump was shut down. Premium pump worked but you had to pay inside. In fact they don't turn it on till you do. Premium...$4.14....what! But when you're out of gas what can you do? You gotta be kidding...you want and additional .50 just for using my credit card! That makes 1 gallon of gas $4.64. Nut's! I had the cash so I got my credit card back but I also limited the fuel that I got at that rediculous price. After that example of entrapreneurship, I made a resolution to never set foot at that place again.
It was on to Marquette and ice cream at the Sundry Shop where we met up with a couple more ROMEO's with the same idea.
Buy the time I got back home to Lindsborg, I was on reserve again but gas was a dollar cheaper and filled up!

https://us-mg4.mail.yahoo.com/neo/b/mes ... 8w&fromId=

[WindsongRider]

Hey, guys - we were in there 2 weeks ago, and they really fixed the place up nice! Let's go support them 'cuz they worked hard to get back up and running. By the way, Jason at Bennington Bike right across the street is a great mechanic and nice to work with if you need him!

[sport2003]

That bike of the week is my 2000 Fat Boy----lol Harold Chace

[sport2003]

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[sport2003]

I have 5 pictures of Bennington ride that I absolutely cannot input into this site---heck with it. hc

[JerryM100]

"sport2003",

Adding pictures is not difficult but it is a two-step process that many people miss the when they first start. Down at the bottom of the post editing window you first need click on the "Upload Attachment" window. Then click on the "Choose File" button and it will open a popup window for you to navigate to whereever your pictures are that you took (step 1). In that window, once you select your picture, then you click on "ok". The next step is to click on the button to the right "Add the file" (step 2). That is the step that most people miss. THEN it will upload and THEN you can click on submit to send your entire post with pictures and all.

So in total I guess it is four steps but it is the 'step 2' above that most people miss and get frustrated. It is worth the time to figure it out because pictures add so much to everyone's enjoyment. If it wasn't for pictures all this would just be a lot of talk!

Hope that helps!

Jerry M
Web Site Admin

[sport2003]

[sport2003]

[sport2003]

[sport2003]

[sport2003]

[sport2003]