DAY #8...255 MILES (2714)

I SPENT SATURDAY NIGHT IN BLUE SPRINGS MISSOURI. EARLY SUNDAY MORNING I WAS WOKE UP BY THUNDER AND FAIRLY HEAVY RAIN. WHEN I GOT UP TO LEAVE THIS MORNING IT HAD STOPPED RAINING AND THE PAVEMENT WAS DRY, BUT AFTER LOOKING AT THE WEATHER RADAR, I DECIDED TO PUT ALL MY RAIN GEAR ON TO BE SAFE. AND I'M GLAD I DID........IT STARTED RAINING SHORTLY AFTER LEAVING THE MOTEL, AND RAINED HARD FOR ABOUT 30-40 MILES. THE TEMPS WERE PLEASANT THOUGH, SO IT WASN'T ALL THAT BAD. I ARRIVED HOME ABOUT 11:15 A.M., AFTER RIDING 255 MILES.
I RODE A TOTAL OF 2714 MILES ON THE TRIP, AND THE KLR PERFORMED FLAWLESSLY. IT HAS ALMOST 54,000 ON THE CLOCK, AND STILL RUNS LIKE NEW.
THE WEATHER FOR THE MOST PART WAS PERFECT FOR THE ENTIRE TIME WE WERE GONE, RIDING IN THE STATES OF KANSAS, MISSOURI, ILLINOIS, INDIANA, AND OHIO.
THANKS TO ALL THOSE THAT ATTENDED THE THUMPERCAFE. WE HAD A TOTAL OF 40 MOTORCYCLES THERE FOR THE EVENT, AND THE FOOD WAS GREAT.
SEE YOU ALL IN LOUISIANA.

MOTOR MIKE

DAY #7...806 MILES (2459)

I LEFT STUBENVILLE, OHIO THIS MORNING AT 8:00 A.M. EDT, UNDER CLOUDY SKIES THAT LOOKED LIKE THEY COULD SOAK ME AT ANY TIME. I PUT ALL MY RAIN GEAR ON, SO THEREFORE IT DIDN'T RAIN A DROP ALL DAY.
THIS TRIP IS QUICKLY COMING TO AN END, AND I'LL BE HOME ON SUNDAY SOMETIME.
I RODE 806 MILES TODAY IN 14 HOURS, AND I'M REALLY NOT THAT TIRED.
I'LL DO ONE MORE POST AFTER I ARRIVE IN THUMPERVILLE ON SUNDAY.

MOTOR MIKE

DAY #6...16 MILES (1653)

WHAT A HUGE RIDING DAY......16 WHOLE MILES. WHEN I WOKE UP THIS MORNING AT 8:00 A.M. (YEP.....I FINALLY SLEPT IN) IT WAS RAINING. IT RAINED OFF AND ON MOST OF THE MORNING, SO WE JUST STAYED AT THE MOTEL. FINALLY ABOUT 12:00 NOON WE DECIDED TO RIDE ON OUT TO THE BSA RALLY, AS IT HAD STOPPED RAINING AND THE PAVEMENT WAS DRY. IT WAS JUST AN 8 MILE RIDE OUT OF TOWN TO THE CAMPGROUNDS WHERE THE RALLY WAS BEING HELD.
PEOPLE WERE HAVING A TOUGH TIME FINDING THE PLACE SO THEY HAD ME SIT BY THE SIGN DIRECTING TRAFFIC WITH MY SMILING FACE.

MY FAVORITE BIKE OUT OF THE BIKES I LOOKED AT WAS THIS BSA. IT WAS IMMACULATE, AND THE RESTORATION WAS DONE WELL.

WE HAD ANOTHER DOWNPOUR THIS AFTERNOON, BUT LUCKILY WE WERE UNDER A TENT, ALONG WITH OUR BIKES, SO WE DIDN'T GET WET. WE RODE BACK THIS EVENING, WITH A LIGHT RAIN JUST STARTING AGAIN, BUT IT DIDN'T LAST LONG.

TOMORROW I START MY TRIP WEST, HEADED FOR THE HOUSE. I ALWAYS HAVE A LOT OF FUN ON THESE TRIPS AND HATE FOR THEM TO END, BUT I ALSO MISS MY WIFE AND AM ALWAYS GLAD TO GET BACK HOME WITH HER.

CHECK BACK TOMORROW EVENING TO SEE HOW FAR I GOT. ANYONE WANT TO VENTURE A GUESS HOW MANY MILES I DO ON SATURDAY? JUST LEAVE A COMMENT ON THIS POST.

MOTOR MIKE

DAY #5...126 MILES (1637)

I'M NOT SURE I'M ADJUSTING REAL WELL TO EASTERN TIME, BECAUSE I WOKE UP THIS MORNING AT 6:30 A.M., WIDE AWAKE. WE LEFT THE MOTEL THIS MORNING FOR CARROLLTON, OHIO, THE SITE OF THE THUMPERCAFE. NEITHER OF US HAD EVER BEEN THERE BEFORE AND I BEGAN TO WONDER IF WE WERE EVER GOING TO ARRIVE, BUT IT FINALLY CAME INTO VIEW. WE HAD A WONDERFUL DAY, WITH A SHORT RAIN SHOWER LATE MORNING. THE RAIN WASN'T AS MUCH OF A CONCERN AS THE CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING, SO WE MOVED INDOORS. WE HAD A TOTAL OF 40 MOTORCYCLES IN THE PARKING LOT AFTER EVERYONE HAD ARRIVED.

 

THE TWO LONGEST DISTANCES RIDDEN TO GET THERE WAS OVER 1400 MILES FROM FLORIDA, ON A 250 CC MOTORCYCLE BY THE FSSNOC MEMBER ON THE LEFT. THE OTHER WAS OVER 1700 MILES FROM COLORADO ON A 650 CC BIKE.

THESE TWO MEMBERS, ONE FROM FLORIDA AND THE OTHER FROM MARYLAND ARE PUTTING ON A COAST TO COAST TRIP NEXT YEAR ON 250 CC OR SMALLER MOTORCYCLES.

AFTER IT WAS ALL OVER, JACK AND I RODE SOME OF THE SCENIC ROADS IN THE AREA, STOPPING AT THE HOMETOWN OF CUSTER, NEW RUMLEY.

THEN WE RODE OVER TO DEERSVILLE GENERAL STORE FOR SOME ICE CREAM. THIS ICE CREAM IS HOMEMADE IN AN ICE CREAM MACHINE OFF OF A OLD NAVAL SHIP, AND IT WAS DELICIOUS.

WE ARRIVED BACK AT THE MOTEL IN STEUBENVILLE, OHIO. WE WALKED NEXT DOOR TO THE RESTAURANT WHERE THEY WERE HAVING $5.00 APPETIZER SPECIALS. I HAD THE NACHOS, AND I COULDN'T EAT ALL OF THEM.

TOMORROW WE'RE SUPPOSED TO GO TO A BSA MOTORCYCLE RALLY, DEPENDING ON THE WEATHER, THEN SATURDAY MORNING I START MY TREK HOME. IT'S ONLY 1025 MILES FROM HERE, SO IT SHOULDN'T BE A PROBLEM BEING HOME BY SUNDAY.

TALK TO YOU TOMORROW NIGHT....

MOTOR MIKE

DAY #4...177 MILES (1511)

I ACTUALLY WAS THE FIRST ONE UP THIS MORNING, ANOTHER BEAUTIFUL DAY IN OHIO. JACK AND I WERE AT THE AMA MUSEUM SHORTLY AFTER 8:30 A.M., AWAITING THE FIRST THUMPER ARRIVALS. WE HAD ABOUT 17 SHOW UP TO TOUR THE MUSEUM, WHICH HAD SOME INTERESTING BIKES.

ONE WAS A REPLICA OF THE FIRST GASOLINE MOTORCYCLE, WITH THE ORIGINAL BUILT IN 1885.

ONE OF EVIL KNIEVEL'S BIKES WAS THERE TOO, ALONG WITH THE "WHEELIE KINGS" HONDA. HE SET A GUINNESS BOOK OF RECORDS ON JUNE 27, 1984 WITH 145 MILES ON THE REAR TIRE AT THE ALABAMA INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY.

ALSO ON DISPLAY WAS THE 1,000,000TH HONDA PRODUCED AT THE MARYSVILLE, OHIO PLANT.

I LEFT THE MUSEUM BY MYSELF TO RIDE UP TO NEWARK, OHIO TO SEE THE LONGABERGER BASKET MAIN OFFICE BUILDING. IT'S SHAPED LIKE A BASKET AND IS VERY UNIQUE. THE HANDLES ARE HEATED TO KEEP THE ICE OFF IN THE WINTER.

 AFTER LEAVING NEWARK I RODE TO STEUBENVILLE, OHIO, WHICH IS WHERE I'LL BE THE NEXT 3 NIGHTS.

CHECK BACK TOMORROW FOR THE THUMPERCAFE REPORT.

MOTOR MIKE

DAY #3...331 MILES (1334)

ONCE AGAIN THE MOUSE WOKE ME UP EARLY THIS MORNING. BUT.......HE DID REDEEM HIMSELF LATER IN THE DAY. EVEN THOUGH WE RODE 331 MILES AND ENDED UP IN THE SAME SPOT WE STARTED IN, IT WAS A GREAT DAY. THE MOUSE FOUND SOME GREAT CROOKED ROADS. BEING AS THOUGH I'M SUCH A NICE CAT, I TWITCHED MY WHISKERS AND TURNED HIM BACK TO A NORMAL #000, OR AS NORMAL AS HE GETS. CATS HAVE THAT KIND OF POWER IN CASE YOU DIDN'T KNOW. THEN, BEING AS THOUGH I HAVE NO MOUSE TO CHASE ANYMORE, I DECIDED TO CHANGE MYSELF BACK TO THE NORMAL MOTOR MIKE.(NO COMMENTS FROM ANYONE, OK?)

WE RODE SOME GREAT TWISTY ROADS TODAY. SOME OF THE HIGHLIGHTS OF THE DAY WAS MARIETTA, OHIO. THIS TOWN WAS THE 1ST PERMANENT SETTLEMENT OF THE U.S.A. IN THE TERRITORY NORTH AND WEST OF THE OHIO RIVER, OCCURING ON JULY 9, 1788. SOME OF THE ARCHITECTURE ON THE OLD BUILDINGS IN THESE TOWNS IS AMAZING.

THEN WE FOUND THE KNOWLTON COVERED BRIDGE THAT WAS BUILT IN 1887. IT IS 192 FEET LONG, WHICH IS 2/3 THE LENGTH OF A FOOTBALL FIELD, AND IS ONE OF TWO OF THE LONGEST COVERED BRIDGES IN THE STATE. AND YES.......I ACTUALLY RODE A DIRT ROAD TO GET BACK TO IT.

ONE THING I NOTICED WHILE RIDING THROUGH THE COUNTRYSIDE ARE ALL THE NUMEROUS OLD CEMETERIES. SOME ARE QUITE LARGE WITH VERY OLD HEADSTONES.

TOMORROW WE WILL TOUR THE AMA MUSEUM, THEN RIDE TO STEUBENVILLE, OHIO, WHICH WILL BE MY HOME FOR THE NEXT TWO NIGHTS.

CHECK BACK TOMORROW FOR DAY #4. I CAN'T BELIEVE I'VE BEEN RIDING 3 DAYS ALREADY.

MOTOR MIKE

DAY #2...368 MILES (1003)

AT 6:30 A.M. THIS MORNING, THE CRAZY MOUSE WAKES ME UP AND ASK ME IF I'M GOING TO SLEEP ALL DAY. WHAT IN THE WORLD IS THIS CRAZY RODENT THINKING ABOUT? I LOOK OVER AND HE HAS THIS BIG SMILE ON HIS FACE LIKE HE'S PROUD OF GETTING THE CAT UP SO EARLY.

THEN HE GETS IN THE BATHROOM AND WON'T LET ME IN.

BEING AS THOUGH I WAS AWAKE, I WENT AHEAD AND STARTED GETTING READY. LEAVING AROUND 8:30 A.M., WE BOTH HEADED EAST, ME CHASING THE MOUSE. WE WENT BY NUMEROUS FIELDS OF CORN AND BEANS, AND THEN LATER WE WENT BY SOME FIELDS OF BEANS AND CORN. WE CROSSED THE INDIANA STATE LINE, AND I LET THE MOUSE USE MY CAMERA TO TAKE MY PICTURE. HE ACTUALLY DID A GOOD JOB, CONSIDERING ALL HE COULD THINK ABOUT WAS FINDING SOME CHEESE TO EAT.

WE FINALLY FOUND A PLACE THAT HAD REALLY GOOD FOOD, AND THE OUTSIDE WALLS OF THE BUILDING WERE COVERED WITH USED CHEWING GUM.

WE ARRIVED IN COLUMBUS, OHIO A DAY AHEAD OF SCHEDULE. I TELL YOU WHAT.......YOU GIVE THIS MOUSE SOME CHEESE, AND YOU CAN'T SLOW HIM DOWN. WHO KNOWS WHERE HE'LL LEAD ME TOMORROW.....

CHECK BACK AND SEE.

THE CAT (MOTOR MIKE)

P.S. IF ANYONE READING THIS NEEDS A MOTEL IN THE PICKERINGTON, OHIO AREA, EXIT 110 OFF OF I-70 HAS A NICE SUPER 8. VERY REASONABLE AND CLOSE TO THE MUSEUM........