Grey Phantom

Finally, everything is transferred from Da'mit over to the Grey Phantom. Dammit will be restored to a two wheel status and sold.

Now let's go play a little...  with a camera and the iPhone camera. Though we live in the suburbs of the fourth largest US city, are only five minutes away from narrow country lanes and pasture land. 

Oops,  lost a load!

To a motorcyclist, loose hay or straw is like ice on the road.  If you hit it you are going down.
For a sidecar rider, it's not so bad.  Sidecar don't fall over easily so one can ignore loose gravel, sand or mud on the road. 

 Note the small horizontal light below on the left front of the sidecar.  That LED light really doesn't enhance the safety factor as I wanted. The biggest danger to motorcyclists is drivers do not see us.  I wanted a second light on the front so as to be seen by other drivers. 

Swapped out that small light for a larger five bulb LED light. If nothing more, it attracts other driver's attention and makes them wonder what the heck is that? LED lights draw so very little amperage, one does not worry about overloading the bike's electrical system.

Okay, which of the these three photos do you like best?  

Number One above... Bright Orange Sunset.

Number Two below... Hazy Sunset.

Or Number Three... Black and White Sunset..

Ode of Life

I refuse to be a puppet

Made to dance and twirl

At the whim of some hidden master

On the stage 

Of Life

I shall pull up my pants

And tighten my belt

For today I will ride

My three wheels

Of life

Choosing my bearings

I accelerate freely

Awakening the senses, seeking

A fresher breath

Of life

Life may be short

Or life may be long 

Freedom of the road bodes well

A natural prolonging,

Of life.

The Sidecarist magazine was generous enough to publish another one of my poems in their March/April 2016 issue along with one of my sidecar photos. 

Really need to take a long road trip, the creative well is running dry. 

The Grey Phantom is ready, summer is upon us. Time to ride and write.

Ride safe, ya'll

CCjon

Times keep a-changing

Goodbye Da'mu!

Da'mu is leaving us for new adventures. He will soon be exploring the historic Civil War battlegrounds with his new owner this summer.

Da'mu was a great rig. Together we visited all 48 states in nine and a half days. A superb highway cruiser. Sad to see him go, but there is only so much room in the ole Man Cave and a new rig is in the works, soon to be heading our way.

Far up north in a small Pennsylvania town, where sidecars ideas are created and brought to life...

is the home of Freedom Sidecars LLC. 

The mad genius behind this operation, Claude Stanley, rules over the creation and birth of beautiful sidecar rigs for round town cruising or round the world riding. Bring your dreams and ideas to Claude. With his team of expert welders and fabricators they will bring it to life.

Other rider dreams are in progress ahead of mine.

  A yellow BMW awaits its new sidecar.

A Triumph has its chassis attached. Once the electrical wiring is complete, 

the tub will be bolted on.

My dream is to wed this blue adventure rig ( a 2007 Suzuki Vstrom 1000) with a Mini Mate pop up camper. Sleeping on the ground is getting old and the cost of motel rooms keeps rising. 

With this rig, plans are to explore the far reaches of Canada and Alaska, stopping when and where great photo opportunities arise. Being out in the wild when the sun comes up or watching sunsets from a deserted ridge are vistas that move man's soul.

Besides attaching the camper to the Vstrom, my wish list includes 15" car tires on all three corners, a ten gallon auxiliary fuel tank, a winch front and back, space for spare tires, parts and tools, driving lights, high ground clearance and rugged enough for hundred of miles of gravel, pitted washboard roads. 

Oh...  try to make the camper more aerodynamic too. 

Claude sent a photo assuring me that fabrication has started. Since this is the first time for them to mount the Mini Mate as a sidecar, it is a cut-fit-weld operation,  piece by piece by piece until complete. 

While Claude and his crew cut, weld and fabricate up north, 

back in the Man Cave progress is slowly being made to move the cargo sidecar 

from the red 2011 Da'mit KLR to the digital Grey Phantom KLR.

Da'mit the red KLR will be returned back in its original condition and sold off as a two wheel motorcycle. The Grey Phantom will acquire a cargo sidecar for exploring mountain passes 

and beyond.

Yes, times are a-changing in the Man Cave. 

Riding season is here so no time to waste.

Later, 

Ride safe

Ride long

CCjon