HEADS-UP The Bald Guys
Newsletter 
Volume
10, Issue 2
Summer 2008
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Inside
This Issue |
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1 |
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2 |
Noggin News |
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3 |
Sickles & Such |
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4 |
The Beer Essentials |
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5 |
Bald Worthy |
HD and
I headed out on our annual Baldies adventure from our separate locations in the
bright sunshine to meet up in New Hampster
Or New
Hampshire to those who are not familiar with the ways of the Northeast, to
begin the 2008 Baldies run. I rolled into the Whittier House Restaurant and Pub
around noon on Saturday the 14th. I was just taking off my helmet
and wiping my sweaty baldie noggin when HD made his landing. He had a
perplexing look in his eyes like that of Norm from Cheers crossed with a guy
who’d just won the lottery. Removing his helmet I heard him exclaim, I’m
parched and I just got nailed for speeding. Well that explained the Norm look.
He then continued, “My radar detector went off so I hit the brakes. The cop
said I was doing 84 in a 65”.
I said,
”Why the I just won the lottery look?”.
HD
exclaimed he’d been pegging triple digits when his detector went off. Figured
he was going to be cuffed and stuffed and the vacation would be off to a bad
start; lottery winner indeed. Fueled with a hearty meal from the pub and a
single beer each we preceded on to the “camp” for the week.
We
arrived an hour or so later after a raucous ride across the Kanc, one of many
we would do that week one day averaging a sweet 82.5 MPH across the entire 21
miles. It was early and no one but us sport touring/sport bike types out. I
won’t mention the a**hole in the Saab turbo who came around the Kanc hairpin
curve as end sliding all the way. Nearly got HD and barely missed me. I’m not
sure if he actually made the corner or not. Luckily the guy in the mini-cooper
racing him slowed down. Oh, and the camp, well the camp being a nice townhouse
condo at Loon Mountain a scant couple miles to Lincoln, NH and the butcher
shop, beer and liquor stores all necessities for a true Baldie adventure. We
unloaded our gear then headed to the shops to bring back sustenance. One of the
many food and beer runs we made for the week. Back at the condo we settled in
for a few brews and cooking the evening meal. It had been about a 300 mile day
for each of us in very hot bright and sunny day. Which was one of the few times
we could use those adjectives for the rest of the week. One night we stayed up
until 3am watching the moon cross the clear night sky. That night we came up
with a plan that solved the energy crisis, world hunger, stopped all wars and
poverty, got college education for every child and managed to come up with a
plan for all humans to live in harmony with one another.
Now if
we could just recall what that plan was…
The
rare sunny view from the deck The deck
The living area
Sunday
was much like this all day as it was every afternoon during the entire week
except the Saturday we left.
Thunderstorms,
rain and hail were what we saw most of, though we did manage to ride every day
but Sunday the 15th.
That
day HD entertained us with some old Black Adder DVD’s and the Reno 911 movie.
They sure seemed hysterical though it could’ve had something to do with
alcohol. After all we weren’t riding that day so we had…well let’s say more
than one.
For the
most part we left each day around 10am and returned by 4 pm and were able to
dodge most of the rain and thunderstorms. It helped having a GPS to find the
roads between the storms. We only got caught in a couple severe downpours with
lightning flashing all around us but that’s a typical Baldie ride anyway.
We
picked out various brewpub destinations each in NH and VT. Flying Goose, Moat
Mountain, The Station to name a few.
Aside
from getting stuck in the occasional cruiser parade it wasn’t too bad riding as
we stayed away from Laconia and the main roads.
ç stuck in another parade to get
to thisè
I have
nothing against cruiser riders I’ve had many myself and many Baldies ride them.
I’m
just not fond of the ones who insist on riding in large groups at 15 to 20
miles less then the posted speed limit.
Usually
doing this after they’ve consumed massive quantities of some type of lite beer
and “the ride” being the trip to the next bar.
All the
while pretending they are the only vehicles on the road and that the public
road has become their own personal highway.
It’s not
conducive to portraying a good motorcycling image to the non-motorcycling
public that also pay for use of the roads.
While
attendance was down at Laconia this year there was still an abundance of this
type of behavior as evidence by the large
number of
fatalities. A single beer with your meal is fine but drinking all day and then
riding is not something the BGMC supports.
In fact
we frown upon it. Those of us who do drink never have more than a single beer
with lunch and we do our “drinking” after the ride.
As
usual many riders without any protective gear and few with “real” helmets are
the norm for these events.
I got
over the “macho” crap long ago and started wearing a helmet, like a seatbelt it
has saved my life on several occasions.
Haven’t
been down, well you will, it’s just a matter of time then you’ll wish you had
the gear on.
Yeah,
I’m talking to you dear on the 1200 Sportster at the tat shop, in the thong
suit and chaps.
Yes you
sure did look fine but don’t you want to stay that way?
When
you go down you’ll be picking rocks out of your ass and boobs for two months.
That is
if they still remain attached to your body; good gear can literally save your
ass.
What’s
this with people wearing no eye protection?
A
wayward bee or errant rock can replace your eye it second, at least wear some
shatter proof sunglasses.
Loud
pipes aren’t saving anyone’s life just making it miserable for others.
I’m not
talking modified pipes for HP gain they are marginally louder than stock.
I’m
talking about the “look at me” modified solely for attention and scaring the
crap out of little old ladies.
If you
like them hooray for you just remember there are more of us who don’t.
In
fact, if the dickhead with straight pipes goes by my house again at 2am it
couldn’t shorten his life…
Ok…I’m
done preaching.
ç We started each day with
this We had many of theseè
ç A bunch of these; but not these
è
After
our rides we had many of these è
We met
some Baldies from over the seas or is it overseas???
Rick the local crazy chefè
ç Becky & Lynnè
Their bossesè
çNaughtie Nightie Barmaids and Barkeepsè
ç HD got a great deal on some
gloves (hahahahaha)
ç HD’s ribs I’m blinded by the flash off his
nogginè
ç Two guys trying to impersonate HD and the
Prez