It's been a long time once again!

Hi All,
I have taken a long absence with the great changes taking place. However I just realised I didn't post any pictures of MY motorcycle. That's right, MY motorcycle. I purchased a used V-Star 1100 classic cruiser with all the extras I wanted.
Enjoy!!

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Colby Butler aka Kingkole02

Well it's been a while

Well it has been a while since I wrote my last entry here.

As some of you may already know I purchased a used motorcycle which required a pretty good amount of work to get it street ready.

I purchased a 2002 V-Star 1100. This machine had been neglected by it's previous owner.
After I got it back home I spent about the next three weeks working it over and getting it fixed up. Previous owner had run this machine without an air cleaner filter so the carb was very gummed up with stuff and the air box was even worse. I had to do an oil change, rear drive fluid exchange, balance the carburetor, and adjust the values. Spent another few days cleaning it up around the outside and the normal TLC to get her shinny again.

As some my know these machines require you to take down the right side floor board, and remove the front exhaust to be able to access the oil filter. So 500 miles after I put fresh oil in the machine I had to do the whole thing again getting that filter out of there. The filter almost looked original it was so black and filled with old oil. Additionally the previous owner probably never changed out the exhaust grommets and those were severally burnt. I had to wait a week to get the parts in to finish my second oil change with filter.

About a week later, I had to replace the carburetor after taking a long trip about 120 miles. I noticed the motorcycle was running a little different coming back and I decided to check into it and sure enough needed to be balanced.
All the secondary maintenance help was provided by my GF who worked over the machine with me.

So all in all I got a great deal on a used machine that seems to run in almost perfect order now after I almost completely re-worked the stock motor.
Some of the photos in the slide show represent small trips around the local area I took after doing much of the maintenance items.

I have since joined ABATE of FLORIDA and really enjoy meeting new motorcyclists.
Hope to write more later.

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Colby Butler aka Kingkole02

The Motorcyclist in all of us

Memorial weekend was a fun filled weekend packed with lots of motorcycle related shows and events such motorcyclist can only truly enjoy. The weather was great for most of the weekend and the atmosphere played a very good role in everything which was going on.

I managed to get myself over the our local Harley Davidson Dealership for a special event the dealer was hosting which involved a live band, some interesting dancing contest and a stunt show using Harley and Buell motorcycles.

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Colby Butler aka Kingkole02

The Pursuit of Happiness

I believe after learning to ride motorcycles that if everyone would go out and buy one, we would be happier both at work and driving on the roads around the cities.
There is absolutely no stress when you ride for pleasure, unless some person in a car in a hurry decides to cut you off.
If everyone rode motorcycle, like many do in Europe, the crash ratings would go down by a huge margin.

So my pursuit starts now, I am trying to find a way to raise the funds I need to be able to get a motorcycle. Thinking about selling my car, however the problem with this is that during rainy season you need a car to drive. Also any trip longer then a few hundred miles is better in a 4 wheeled vehicle.
Giving my options and experience that I now have, I have decided that I may re-think what I was looking to invest in. A touring motorcycle may be best for me as I sometimes have to carry books and go some shopping where the bags would come in handy.

Each person needs to really give a thought to the usage concerns and reason for buying a motorcycle before they invest some cash into something they may find they no longer can use in a few months. The whole idea of investing in a motorcycle is to save on gas and cost associated with motor vehicles. Insurance is nearly half to a third of what a car costs, gas in about a fifth of the cost, and general maintenance is cheaper by a small percentage as well.

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Colby Butler aka Kingkole02

Arcadia Florida, an Old Florida Town

Our first stop along the way was Fort Ogden and little town just south of Arcadia and Nocatee. We made a short stop at this old country store which had been closed down. I was told that this place was a landmark at one time so it made for a perfect photo.

The old train rail system was still usage across from the general store from the looks of the picture however as you can see the rail cars had been sitting there for some time based on the tagging on the side of on of them.

Next we found our way north to Arcadia where my riding mentor lived before he went off to the military back when he was 18. Nestled in a little town called Arcadia we found ourselves on the main downtown street by the "Old Tree of Knowledge" a 100 year old tree which has rumours that old men used to sit around this tree play checkers and often talk to each other. It is a known landmark to many in Arcadia and it sits across from the Arcadia old posting train house (which shows the build date at the top) which was actually younger then the old oak tree.

After leaving this area we went up the street to a small family owned diner called the "Wheeler's Cafe" (believe the names was didn't catch a photo of it), as we talked to several other motorcyclists on many touring Euro motorcycles, American Cruisers and Euro cruisers outside the diner, we decided this was the place to eat. Upon leaving this restaurant we noticed a sign near where we had parked that read "Car show 1-4 PM, Downtown street to be closed" how cool is that we ended up coming up to Arcadia at the right time as we were just finishing lunch at 12:30.

So to stay in the area, James took me to some old area parks which had some military memorabilia located within them (see the jet pictured below). We also walked on the original state road 17 while across the street from this park below. The old single lane bridge had been decommissioned at it was found un-structurally sound for a motor vehicles to cross over it, however people can still walk on it and I believe bicyclist can ride over it as well.


Once we returned back near Wheeler's Cafe, we found that more cars had show up, all 7 to 8 of them. While this may not have been a good turn out to me, I think the city was happy to see some business to the local establishments on a Sunday afternoon.
While we were walking around the cars I found a building which read "Arcadia Opera House Museum" and about 35 stairs going straight up. I couldn't help but wonder what all the stairs lead to so I journeyed up them. To our surprise we found the old 1906 Opera and stage house in Arcadia which was upstairs above all the local businesses ranging the whole 2 blocks, in other words the place was huge!
The Opera house museum was very interesting with the costumes and stage props used back when the plays and operas took place. Many of the items pre-date the 1900's and many of them were still usable! To bad I didn't think to take pictures as I was in owe of everything. The building and the items inside are older then everyone I know in my family and that is impressive to me.

So much walking today my back actually hurt and that is uncommon for me.
Today marked the ending of my learning period with James and I am now considered a riding buddy/partner and no longer a student of his. Although I like that feeling, I know there are many things which I still need to learn which will come with experience. I also know that there will be times when we venture to areas which I do not know so I will have to follow his lead once again. I have come to enjoy Jame's company as a rider and as a friend.

Ultimately this all comes down to wanting to purchase the motorcycle which I am riding of theirs. I have come accustom to riding this motorcycle and I like the way it feels to me. I know in the future I will probably be riding something larger as I have ambitions to make riding a part of my life now and look forward to longer trips and weekends. This is something that I can do on the weekends to enjoy my life again and get to see much of the unappreciated areas of Florida. In my short 7 weeks of riding I have seen so much of Florida already and I have lived here for 21 years.

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Colby Butler aka Kingkole02

Cape Coral Bike Night April 09

These events are great. They bring out people, motorcycles, fun, live music, foods, and lots of excitement. Best of all the bike nights are FREE! This was the second Cape Coral Bike Night of this season with an even better turnout then the first one this year. It had to be the weather outside, it was gorgeous.

Not only some awesome bikes but some pretty nice looking ladies also were on site for photos. The bikini girls from a local bikini store where out in full attire ready to take donations for their charity for exchange of a nice looking lady by your side for a photo.

The whole event lasted up until around 10:30 PM on Saturday.

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Colby Butler aka Kingkole02

Easter Bunny Run

I got a chance this year to participate in a local charity toy run for our local Children's hospital this year. If you have ever participated in a group ride, then this is one of the largest one's in our area. With a turn out of over 700 bikes (according to the HOG chapter registration results) we made our ride memorial for the children.

A 21 mile police escorted event took us to our location. Imagine that, all the cagers must have been pissed we tied up traffic for up to 30 minutes. Get a motorcycle and figure it out for yourself.

For those who have never ridden a motorcycle, they just can not understand the concept of how much we all enjoy riding. Riding is not just about going places and seeing the country or the fresh air and seasonal smells, it is much more then than that. This event made the children at the Children's hospital so happy that I brought many riders feel the joy of happiness.

We filled the toy bucket to the brim and overflowed it onto the floor with gifts for the childern. Next year I plan to ride this trip again with many more gifts. I had no idea what to except from it all during this trip.

Just look at how happy this child is to have gifts and visitors to come see them. Something like this is pricelist to them and to us to have shared some of our day with them.

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Colby Butler aka Kingkole02

Sebring and Avon Park Ride

It is Sunday 4/12/09 and we have a trip planned to Lake Placid Florida.
I was debuting my summer gear for this trip to see just how I would feel traveling at 55 mph to 60 mph in what I decided to by.

My summer gear consists of:
Kevlar mesh (dragginjeans.com) shirt
Cordura Mesh w/ CE approved padded vest
Half Helmet
Face bandanna to protect from bugs
Baggy Red Route (cyclegear.com) riding jeans w/ Kevlar and armour
Gloves and Boots

As we head out on the open highways we cross many beautiful open fields and cow pastures. There is nothing like the smell of spring on a motorcycle as the flowers are blooming. The air was rather cool in the mourning and I actually found myself cold as some points when the breeze kicked up. That Kevlar shirt is very cool and comfortable what a difference over my heavier jacket.

As we get to Lake Placid we find the restaurant which we would like to have lunch at is not open on Sundays. So we decided to make our way north to find something along the way. We come across the Sebring Diner.

This little place was nice. What resembled a Mels Classic Diner was the Sebring Diner. Very good choice of food and menu items and great prices for our lunch.

After heading out of there we decide to head on north into Avon Park, a place I have heard about but never been. It is a small city compared to the area I come from. I know a few people who live there but I don't know exact locations.


On the ride back we ended up stopping at the Sebring mall and played some games at the arcade to kill some time and have some fun.


To our surprise after we left there a piano, yes a piano was in the back of a truck and the top rip off as we were going 55 mph about 3 cars in front of us. Luckly we saw what was coming and avoided a problem. (see piano below for the top piece)


Total our trip took us about 190 miles to and from. It was a great ride!


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Colby Butler aka Kingkole02

Port Charlotte and Englewood Beach

My Aunt and Uncle were in town this weekend so I wanted to ride with James to

my house to show them what I have been learning and doing on the weekends. My Uncles birthday was that following Monday so he got to ride on the back of Jame's motorcycle as a passenger, whether he really enjoyed it or not.

This would be my last ride before my weekend vacation up north to see some relatives so James had planned a longer trip then our previous few trips. We totalled about 150 miles on this trip and covered some familiar and some new areas along the way.

Through just past the Port Charlotte airport we got buzzed by a Blue Angels Jet as it made it's way back to the air field for the air show taking place that weekend. Riding past the airport we saw one of the stunt planes doing its tricks.

We ended up eating at a local biker bar for lunch, it was crowded with riders from all over the area. It was a great meal and interesting to see all the riders out today. From there we headed out towards Englewood beach our final destination of the day. The Englewood beach is actually a pretty nice place to ride to for a day trip or picnic, I will definitely have to remember that place in the future.

It all turned out to be a very good day to ride. We saw some stunt planes and Blue Angels jets, spring breakers enjoy their picnics down by the beach, part of a baseball game as we got stuck in the traffic trying to park in the stadium, and some fantastic weather all day.

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Colby Butler aka Kingkole02

Ride to Fisherman's Village part 2

Today we have planned another ride to Fisherman's Village except this time my riding partner and mentor brought his wife along for the ride. She had mentioned how she loves to ride, but never get time off of work to ride. She obviously likes to be passenger more as I am riding her bike to learn.

After saturday's downtown Fort Myers bike night we were looking for a nice ride together again. It is always fun to have company for the ride. You get to meet more people and talk about more things.

It was a much better day then our last trip out this way and the weather was far better. Still a bit windy but for the most it was calm and nice.

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Colby Butler aka Kingkole02

Downtown Fort Myers Bike Night 2009

James had mentioned that there was a bike night this saturday and that he said I was qualified to ride into the event. This was my first time going to an event on a motorcycle. Linda came with us as well to enjoy the ride. It is nice to see Linda enjoying herself as much as James and I do. I also had some friends meet us with us who happen to live in the area.

Qualified means that I can participate based on my skill level and hours/miles of riding experience.

This would be a very short trip compared to what I was used to, average of 60 miles each trip and tonight was only about 10 miles total. However it was a good trip, we got to park in a good location and enjoyed the show a lot. Meeting new people is always a fun thing to do with a common interest.

Here are some photos of the event.

We all had a lot of fun.

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Colby Butler aka Kingkole02

New Riders

I have noticed a lot more people have started riding recently in my area, I being one of them.
(Don't be like these two dorks in the photo, atleast one rider is wearing bright colors)

One thing I remember well from my training is that you must always wear protective gear.
Yet I see a lot of untrained or unskilled riders who don't wear protective gear. I know of many horror stories about a simple 10-15 mph incident that left a rider in the hospital for many weeks.
Don't be one of them!
Wear your gear!

Gear typically consists of:
Heavy boots
Long pants, prefrably jeans or leather chaps over jeans
Gloves, protect the hands
Long sleeve shirt
Jacket
Leather vest
Helmet whether full face, half, or 3/4 helmet

Some options for hot weather are available such as a Kevlar shirt by Draggin Jeans (dragginjeans.com)
Or a Cordura mesh Vest with padding. There are also some Cordura mesh jackets available on the market as well and are much better then a regular tee shirt.
While Kevlar is the best material to wear period, it may be too much money for most people and this is where people opt for leather.
Leather holds an abrasion strength much higher then any of the standard fabrics on the market in it's natural form, much more so if the leather is backed with padding or Kevlar.

While a helmet may not be required in your area, a helmet is a good idea just in case something was to happen. For instance you fall at 7 mph turning a corner and your head hits the ground first, what normally would be a concussion or worse is avoided because of the helmet. Believe me it could happen at the blink of an eye dirt or debris not seen could cause some problems.

The best safety gear above all is taking a safety course offer by the Motorcycle Safety Foundation (http://www.msf-usa.org/). The knowledge which you can learn from one of these courses can be life saving.
Knowlege is power.

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Colby Butler aka Kingkole02

Trip to Bonita and Fort Myers Beach

So this Sunday we have prepared a nice ride to Bonita and Fort Myers Beach. This is the opposite direction then we typically ride as we normally go north where there are more open roads. Today we where getting into more traffic to give me some traffic experience.
On our trip to Bonita we have a guy on a sports bike fly by us at 70 mph while we were at 50. On his back he have what looked like a duffel bag which was blowing in the wind, shorts and a T-Shirt on. I couldn't help but to think if that duffel bag would catch something he would have fallen and gotten really messed up from the road.

It was at the point of sitting in the traffic on the Beach that we each remember that it was spring break for tourist to come to our area. While I like to see pretty women in bikini's, every straight guy should, I could do without the traffic because I roasted in my full face helmet and black Cordura jacket as we sat. These motorcycles are air cooled and require movement to cool down.

Anyhow we have a fun trip and got some riding time in. It was an eye opener for me to start thinking about summer gear and what I want to get. As I will not ride in shorts or a T-shirt I need to find some gear which is a good fit for myself.

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Colby Butler aka Kingkole02

Ride to Fisherman's Village

So after last Sunday's spill I gathered my head together and spent about 15 minutes in the driveway giving myself some friction zone lessons.


Friction Zone: Where the clutch is released just enough to the get the motorcycle to move forward while giving the throttle just enough turn to keep from stalling.

This Sundays was a horrible day. Its was cold lower 50's and overcast/drizzly during some parts of the days. Lucky for me I have a padded jacket and full face helmet which keeps me pretty darn warm.

I also did myself a favor after last weeks spill and got some Kevlar lined and CE approved padded jeans for my riding which helped keep my legs quite warm during our 55 mph trip. At 55 mph the wind temperature can be a minus 10 or more degrees then the ambient temperature, so it was like riding in lower 40's weather.

If you don't know what Kevlar is, Kevlar is a textile material which is a strong para-aramid synthetic fiber, that is five (5) times the strength of steel on equal weight basis.

So from now on in the event that something might happen while I'm riding and I have to lay the bike down again, my legs and rear will be protected much more so then in a standard pair of jeans.

My Gear so far consists of:
Full Face Helmet
Cordura w/ CE approved elbows, shoulders, and back protection jacket
Baggy Red Route (cyclegear.com) jeans
Boots and Gloves

What a crappy day. We got to Fisherman's village and it was windy and cold at the wharf restaurant. However we stayed to play some pool on the dollar tables and when we left the sun was finally starting to show a bit.
All in all it was a successful 100 mile round trip.

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Colby Butler aka Kingkole02

First Road Ride

So I have successfully completed my motorcycle training and safety course to get my endorsement to get my motorcycle license.

It has been a grueling 3 weeks to get back on a motorcycle again. Through a unique opportunity I have a chance to train with a veteran rider and use the other motorcycle the family owns. It is a win win situation where the motorcycle gets used and won't go to waste and I get to learn the road on a motorcycle.

I have been well prepared and ordered all my gear for the opportunity to ride. I bought a full face helmet because that is what I wanted to wear when I started and a full padded Cordura jacket with my gloves and heavy boots (later I found I need protective pants too).

These are the bike as we got ready to go.

I will tell you three weeks doesn't seem like a long time however it was almost like re-learning what I already learned. One thing I did not take the time to practice was the friction zone of this "new to me" motorcycle. Ever motorcycle is different and I had learned the motorcycle in my training course so well it was hard to re-learn a new machine.

Not even 2 minutes on the motorcycle and I turned the throttle too much and laid the bike down in the neighbors yard across the street.

*Note to self, play with the clutch and throttle to figure friction zone, OK got it*

Once back up we hit the road.

I had never been on an incline before on a motorcycle when we have come to an state highway intersection. The result was that I dumped the clutch and smashed the throttle. Well what happens when you fall back from the handle bars? You grasp the throttle to hang on because the right handle bar controls the throttle. Needless to say I laid the bike down in the middle of the intersection pinning my leg up against the rear fender. As I laid there waiting for James to return and help me up I again thought to myself...

*Note to self, play with the clutch and throttle to figure friction zone, OK got it*

Here is what happen to my boot, pants and leg.

My boot was missing part of the front tip leather and my pants have abrasions on them. The fender had taken a deep cut out of my leg which I had to shave around to get the band aids to stick to. My knee which took the impact of the weight as I went to the right side was very swollen and hurt to walk on for awhile. However no major damage to me or the motorcycle thanks to the engine guards which were in place on the frame for protection.

After all that we continue to ride on our way to eat dinner at a local Diner. Total trip was around 60 miles that day.

I made it back to the house and continue to ride for another day.

Moral here is to practice your friction zone, learn your bike, and keep your mind free of panic to ride safe.

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Colby Butler aka Kingkole02

The Start of my further Interest: Motorcycle Lessons

So in reflection of the gas prices getting higher I started to find interest in motorcycles to curb the economy strain from the pump. So I decide to look around at options for learning how to ride a motorcycle because I have never done so previously. I found that my local Harley Davidson Dealership offers a course put on by the MSF (Motorcycle Safety Foundation) offering this course every week and weekend. Nice thing about this class it that is can be offered after typical work hours for most people.
Through out this course students learn the mechanics of riding a motorcycle, the road rule, and general concepts of safe riding techniques. Well the course will not teach a student everything it is much more in depth then learning on your own, also as of June 2009 the course is required by law to get your motorcycle lessons.

The course offers you a chance to ride on a real motorcycle. If any who have never ridden before starts this course the 500cc Buell Blast (picture below) looks like a monster when you first start. By the end of the class the same motorcycle looks like a little puppy dog.

Each motorcycle has the students name placed on them to identify both the rider and the motorcycle when you enter the driving range for you two days of learning.

Many people find that two days are not enough, I believe the same.

I feel the class should be a full week of riding and learning the concepts, however I understand cost and maintenance of the program would be expensive if that were the case. A ride must ride about every week to keep skills up and once out of the class a student must be able to ride a motorcycle.

The class offers a limited rental of a motorcycle from the dealer for 50% off which can be used to rent any particular motorcycle within 30 days, which is a pretty sweet deal.

All in all the course was a ton of fun and I highly recommend every rider takes the course.

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Colby Butler aka Kingkole02