Why Nova Scotia?

Why not Nova Scotia might be the better question. It's one of those exotic sounding places that I've never been to and that's reason enough for me. I plan on leaving around the 8th of May and spending several weeks on the ride. Along the way I'll be camping out, visiting unsuspecting friends , and maybe getting to ride along with them for awhile. Let me know if you're up to either!

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Tuesday, June 23, 2009

Jun 23 – Hanging out in KC & El Nino gets new tires




























Ten thousand miles is a fair amount of mileage for motorcycle tires and that’s what the set on El Nino was approaching. The ride to Nova Scotia had accumulated nearly 8000 so far and that doesn’t include the trip to central Oregon or the miles spent riding around prior to leaving.
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Bottom line is it was time for a new set and Kansas City was as good a place as any. David called the local Kawasaki dealer, Advantage Powersports and they had a set of Michelin Pilots which they could install today. Their price for the tires was competitive but I thought $127.00 for mounting and balancing the two tires was a bit over the top. Of course I crabbed about it and got the expected response of “Yeah, it does seem high but we can’t change it.” OK, so I’m cheap but I still think it was excessive. I guess I’m spoiled by our local Yamaha dealer at home who charges $20 per tire. Anyway, I’m happy they were available and the deed’s done so I’m ready to move on. Arrrggghhhh!
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The past couple of days I've been riding with just the Bohn armored shirt up top which is made of a loose weave material. Sort of like cheese cloth only with larger holes so now I'm sporting a very odd suntan on my arms. Like a tattoo gone bad perhaps...

We left the bike at the shop and since I was missing my McDonald's fix we stopped at the nearest one for an early lunch or extended breakfast, take your pick. Finished with that we headed back to David’s place where we spent awhile laying out tomorrow’s ride towards Robins, IA, home of my friends Mac & Lisa. Some of you will recall Mac and I rode our sidecars to Prudhoe Bay, Alaska last summer and they had invited me to stop by for a visit.

This afternoon we picked up the bike and then bought chain oil at Lowe's; not where I would expect to find it but the http://www.webbikeworld.com/ web site said so and so it was. I guess that’s why they’re one of my favorite sites, eh? Once we were home again we oiled the chain and put El Nino away for the night. The new tires are made with a softer rubber compound and really stick well; I think I’m going to like them a lot.

Dinner this evening was a real treat; we went to Arthur Bryant’s Barbecue, a place I’d seen as part of an NPR show highlighting America’s best barbecue places. The show aired several months ago and after watching it I went on line and ordered a dozen bottles of their sauce. Who would have known I’d be eating dinner in that very restaurant today? I ate way too much and drank a lot of Bud, something I’m not used to so now I’m feeling bloated. Just deserts…

After dinner David drove us around town and gave me a wonderful guided tour of Kansas City. We saw lots of the older turn of the century buildings and more modern sights like a bust of Charlie Bird, one of Kansas City’s most famous sons. It’s a great place to visit especially if you know someone like him who’s well versed in the city’s history.

I’m a lucky guy. Boy is it ever hot today. Phew...

1 comment:

  1. That is a nice suntan, sorta like a mesh.......You'll be looking like a large guage screen door after today's forecast....HOT where you are.

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