As mentioned in my previous post, Mother Nature was doing her very best to keep me and the Nightowl housebound in Michigan instead of riding down to Daytona Bike Week.
She failed. Continue reading A Cold Escape
Daytona 2016 Preview
The annual Daytona Bike Week has historically been held the first full week of March. This may be a nice time of the year for Floridians and those who live along the Gulf Coast, but in the northern states, it’s still winter. Continue reading Daytona 2016 Preview
Introducing: the Nightowl
I recently added the Nightowl, a 2015 BMW K1600GTL, to my collection of two-wheeled conveyances. Naturally, there are a few good stories to tell about the selection and purchase process. The full-on gory details are in the following posts:
- Head vs Heart: Selecting Your Next Motorcycle
- BMW K1600GTL vs BMW R1200RT
- Anatomy of a Bike Purchase
- Bike-Buy Journey: Bringing the Nightowl Home
Bike Buy Journey: Bringing the Nightowl Home
Since I ended up buying the Nightowl, my new 2015 BMW K1600GTL, from a dealer in another state, there were a few additional challenges when it came time to close the deal and bring the Bike home: Continue reading Bike Buy Journey: Bringing the Nightowl Home
Anatomy of a Bike Purchase
So, about the actual purchase of the Nightowl (my new 2015 BMW K1600GTL). Well, this is a long story of research and negotiations that went on for several weeks. Continue reading Anatomy of a Bike Purchase
BMW K1600GTL vs BMW R1200RT
Just one man’s set of observations after comparing these two fine pieces of Teutonic engineering. Continue reading BMW K1600GTL vs BMW R1200RT
Head vs Heart: Selecting Your Next Motorcycle
While there are many factors that can drive the process of selecting your first motorcycle, the ultimate selection is often driven by your heart rather than your head. It doesn’t matter if you’ve been pining away for years over a specific Bike or you find yourself gobsmacked with lust over some newly-announced model.
The heart has its reasons which reason knows nothing of… –Blaise Pascal
For most people, the heart vs head battle gets inverted by the time it’s time to buy a second (or third, or fourteenth) motorcycle. The more your ride, the more you learn about how you like to ride and what you like, love, and loathe about one bike versus another. Continue reading Head vs Heart: Selecting Your Next Motorcycle
First Test of WP Google Map Plugin
I recently installed a new plugin to fix the problem where all my old route maps in previous blog posts no longer work. The problem is that Google changed the Google Maps API with regard to displaying KML layers.
In previous posts, I converted the GPS track of my trip (one track for each day) recorded by the Trails app on my iPhone to the KML format and then linked to it in the embed of the map in my blog post. None of those work anymore with Google changing over to their JavaScript API.
So, I plunked down $30 for the Pro version of the sexy WP Google Map Plugin and now I need to see if it works. This post will be my test bed for this new plugin. Continue reading First Test of WP Google Map Plugin
Gallery for the 2015 Par-Tay Trip
I rode out west to attend the Dutchman’s Par-Tay on the island. I used the opportunity to visit with a few friends and revisit a few familiar haunts in the Canadian Rockies. Continue reading Gallery for the 2015 Par-Tay Trip
Road Blogging Before the Internet was Ubiquitous
I was recently musing over how evolving technology has changed the way I publicize stories about my two-wheeled travels.
With this post, I get to channel my inner curmudgeon, the old man down the street that is forever telling the neighborhood kids to get off his damn lawn. So here goes…
When it comes to telling your friends about your latest motorcycle tour, you kids have it way to easy. Continue reading Road Blogging Before the Internet was Ubiquitous