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Made it to Deal's Gap before trading the ST1300

2008-07-01T15:54:00.000-07:00

That's right, I have traded my '06 ST1300 -- more on that to come -- but before doing so, Keith and I made a weekend trip to Deal's Gap so I could "earn my wings". We stayed at the Two Wheel Inn and dodged rain while we were there. In fact, we came home one day early because of threatening weather. We were able to eat at Fat Buddies Ribs & Barbeque in Asheville, NC -- one that we've never been to. We also spent alot of time on the Blue Ridge Parkway this trip. We took the skyway into TN and found out about a ~90 mile loop through some really nice scenary.

First Mod - First Ride

2007-10-23T17:33:00.000-07:00

I added my first mod to the ST. It's a Pirate's Lair Stealth Backrest. I made my first trip on the ST this past Sunday. I, along with Keith on his '07 ST, rode down to Carolina Motorsports Park in Kershaw, SC to check out our friend, Earle, at the US Desmo TrackDay. Even though the roads were "less than ideal", the bikes performed great and we had a good time.

Finally - the bike I needed, but didn't know it!

2007-10-23T17:25:00.000-07:00

Well, I'm on my third bike in ~5 months. The ZX-14 was an awesome ride, but it looks like i'll be riding with my wife more in the future and the Ninja just wasn't the bike for that. I rode several cruisers (Honda VTXs) thinking I would have to make the change to that style bike. They rode great and would probably have worked out just fine ... enter the ST1300. We got the chance to ride a used bike that was on the floor at Sport Cycles and it was immediately clear that the ST is the perfect bike for us now. They were offering NEW 2006 models for a steal, so I made the trade. You can find additional pix in my Picasa Web Albums.

Deal's Gap Slideshow

2007-08-03T11:11:00.000-07:00

Deal's Gap - Summer 2007

2007-07-29T18:02:00.000-07:00

After four years, I returned to the Deal's Gap area this past weekend. I made the road trip with Keith, from Raleigh. We met up with some other friends from Virginia. I did a total of 1175 miles in four days -- WAY more than ever before. The ZX did great and we had a great time riding. Lots more details and pix to follow.

Mods for the road...

2007-07-08T11:14:00.000-07:00

I've added a few items to my bike for the roadtrips I'll be taking. First, I installed a set of risers from Heli-Bar. Also, I will be changing my grips to a set from BMW and I will be trying a Throttle Rocker. I've ordered a Tank Protector and Bag from Bagster and, hopefully, they will arrive before my trip at the end of the month. Finally, I installed a set of swingarm spools to make it easier to get the bike on my rearstand. Pix of all the mods will be up soon.

I have decided NOT to make any changes to the exhaust or throttle plates until I can see a bike - in person - that's had these mods done. I just don't want to lose any of the smoothness that this bike has.

2007 Kawasaki ZX-14

2007-07-01T05:29:00.000-07:00

Well, my troubles at CMP left me trying to figure out what type of riding I really need to be doing right now. Even though I love the track, my mind and body are telling me that maybe I shouldn't be to doing trackdays right now. I wanted to get a bike that would allow me to enjoy "sport" riding and still be able to strike off on a long ride in relative comfort. I talked to lots of people and I rode a couple of sport-touring bikes. I settled on the big Ninja. This is my first non-Honda motorcycle of any kind so while some things are a little different, I think I made a good choice. This bike is very powerful, very smooth and very comfortable. We will get our first long ride experience later this month with a ride TO and ON the Tail of The Dragon!

I plan to keep the bike stock until the first service. At that time, I will probably add a Power Commander and get the secondary throttle plates removed. This mod is supposed to bring the power curve down from ~6k rpm to ~3k rpm. While I can shave nearly 25 pounds by switching to a full Yoshi or Muzzy exhaust, I really like the look and relative quiet purr of the stock setup.

First TrackDay With The New 'Blade

2007-06-16T13:05:00.000-07:00

I was registered for both NESBA Trackdays at Carolina Motorsports Park (6/9-6/10). Day one was VERY hot ... too hot for me, in fact! I did two sessions in the morning and only one after lunch. The temperature in the shade was 97 degrees early afternoon. I neglected to check my tire pressure at lunchtime. That oversight along with a hot, slick track caused me to lose my front end exiting Turn 5. I felt it sliding and was able to get the bike upright for a short off-track excursion. I completed that lap and pitted-in. My mind was not right after that 'event' and my body was feeling the effects of the heat. I woke up quite sick Sunday morning and once I arrived at the track, I knew it would be best for me to sit out the day's festivities. I loaded up the trailer and came home to rest. A special thanks to ConqSoft for making the long ride on his ST to help me out on Saturday!

My latest mods to the bike for the trackdays were SS Front Brake Lines, a DynoJet QuickShifter & Ignition Module and Pro-Tek Frame Sliders. The quickshifter proved to be my favorite mod yet ... AWESOME!!

2007-05-23T12:07:00.000-07:00

I took some more pix today after adding the goodies listed previously. Also, I had my sag set and did some compression and rebound tweaking. You can find all of the pix in my Galleries.

Latest Additions

2007-05-15T22:57:00.000-07:00

My latest mods to the 'Blade were a set of Pazzo Racing Levers (long clutch & short brake), Vortex Rearsets and a Zero Gravity Dark Smoke Double Bubble Windscreen. Tomorrow, i'm scheduled to have my sag set so I can start dialing in the suspension. More pix to come...

First Set Of Mods

2007-05-15T22:50:00.000-07:00

My first round of mods included the following:
Jardine RT-1 Dual Outlet Ti SlipOn, Jardine Fender Eliminator, Clear Alternatives Tail Light with Integrated Signals, HotBodies Front Signals, Honda Rear Seat Cowl, DynoJet PowerCommander III USB. Also, I picked up a Pit-Bull (spool) Rearstand and a Pit-Bull (pin) Frontstand.

2006 Honda CBR1000RR - Totally Stock, For Now

2007-05-15T19:22:00.000-07:00

I brought my new bike home on May 1st. It was love at first sight. It started as a visit to Sports Cycles in Rockingham just to see if they had a 1000RR in stock. They uncrated and assembled this bike for me to test ride in the afternoon. I was the first to ride it - nobody at the dealership had even taken her out yet.

My last bike was a 2001 CBR929RR and I had a blast riding the backroads, Deal's Gap and an occasional Trackday on the 'Blade ... but THIS is a different animal!

I am so very impressed with this bike. The looks, the handling, the power & the speed! I'm going to like getting to know her. While she IS beautiful and functional, there are inevitable changes to come...