BJ and JoLynn Ondo and MIDNIGHT our 2014 Harley-Davidson XL883L Sportster Super Low

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Our thoughts on motorcycling: "It's enough to be on your way, it's enough just to be moving on, it's enough just to cover ground"! Ride to LIVE-Live to RIDE! See YOU out on the ROAD!

Tuesday, November 15, 2016

It's been a good Fall!

We've done mostly area rides over the last month or so, sadly none of the "Color Rides" like last year and no real "moto-vacations", 2016 was a hard year financially! Still we've enjoyed the nicer than usual weather in November, last Sunday we went for what we figure is our final year run up to Westcliffe, CO. and our favorite "ChillyCheeseFries" at Ranchers Roost Cafe!! It was a partly cloudy day, here in the Springs and the clouds were "heavier" than they said they'd be! :O

We headed out anyway and it got better as we headed south and west, we did our favorite run thru the Big Horn Sheep Canyon (Hwy. CO. 50 W. out of Canon City, CO.), to pick up CO. 96 N. with views of the Mountains at our west and 60 mph. sweeper two lane highway, with creeks flowing, forest's a beautiful open space for 30+ miles!  Yes, I forgot the camera again, it's hell getting OLD, LOL!! We noticed that the temps were a bit chilly at 9,000 feet but was sunny with puffy white clouds overhead. Got our favorite Root Beer and Chili Cheese Fries, with RED chili, (the Green is too HOT for us!). Ate the fest had nice conversation with the locals, then headed back down the highway and home, 75 miles later. We know winter is coming, it was nice of it to be so kind as to give us "one more" run up there! :)

Thursday, October 13, 2016

That time of year!

Well it's getting to that time of the year that the rides get shorter and colder, LOL. On Oct. 9th. we rode up to the "favorite motorcycle hangout", the café at Deckers, CO.  As usual there was a good crowd of all kinds of bikes, CO. Hwy. 67 from Woodland Park to Deckers is a excellent twisty road and everyone from the Sportbiker's to the Gold Winger's loves to ride and stop of lunch at the Café. The sport bikes, then head up CO. 126 over, Horsepower Hill and thru the 20mph. turns up to Pine Junction, CO. The Tourers, do the same route but at much mellower speeds and enjoy the view, the Dual Purpose/Adventure Tourer riders, take CO. 67 to CO. 105 and back to Colorado Springs as that part of CO. 67 is dirt and bit rough for street bikes! We just rode up, bought their excellent "black cherry", soft serve ice cream and then, headed back to Woodland Park, picked up, Hwy. 24 West to Lake George, CO. and then headed back to Colorado Springs. 127 miles, sunny skies and great company and roads, a very good, although short day! :)


Monday, October 3, 2016

A FUN but also SAD day!

On Sunday we headed to the yearly, High Country Toy Run, it's at a new start point and now run with the help of the City of Fountain, CO. It was a sunny and cloudy day but warm, we decided not to do the actual RUN as it's hard on my arthritic wrist to do, Parade Formation side by side riding!! We dropped off our toys, got our pins and headed to Victor and Cripple Creek for a last of the season Color Ride. We headed up Ute Pass on Hwy. 24 W. towards Woodland Park and we followed a Fire Truck, sadly a motorcycle had gone off the rode in the canyon so we were stuck on the pass for 2 hours, while rescue and a flight for life helicopter landed and took on of the riders away. As we waited the clouds came in kinda dark and heavy looking so we decided not to do a color ride, just have lunch in Woodland Park.

They finally cleared the roadway, we still don't know what caused the couple to get off the road, it was strange as there was NO news of the crash on the nightly local news!! We pray they were able to be helped and are on their way to recovery asap! We decided to get a combo burrito at Taco Bell, bummer, they don't have those in Woodland Park, the wife bought a 7 Layer Burrito, YUCK, it was really gross!! We got just reg. burritos and some hardshell taco's they we fine! :) We just didn't like the "LOOK" of the clouds so we headed back to the Springs, took a ride south on I-25 as the clouds had broken up that way, just to charge the battery, from all the "stop and go" riding up the pass! A strange day! BJ.

Wednesday, September 14, 2016

Changes

Well Jo and I have been riding here and there over the last month, not much distance as we have a very expensive ($500.00+) 25,000 mile service in 400 miles. We have decided to go back to being "Independent Riders" as we've found that "group riding" just doesn't work for us. Due to physical, financial problems we just don't fit in well. It's just so easy to ride alone, stop when we want, eat where we want, etc. so we bailed on the Zebulon Cruisers Meet Up Group and now we are just Lone Wolf'ing it, LOL!  Going to the Open House at Pikes Peak H-D on Sat. the 24th., look at all the machines we can't afford and get a free burger, so it's not all bad, LOL! ;) Sorry for no photo's lately, just didn't want to mess with the camera! Hope your getting in some good "Color" rides it's that time of year! BJ :)

Wednesday, August 31, 2016

Just rid'in around!

Well not much to add, we've been just riding around the area lately. We did do a area Poker Run for the EL Paso County Rescue last weekend, a good ride for a great cause. This run started out over 25 years ago as the Colorado Springs Touring Club Poker Run and the proceeds have gone to El Paso County Search and Rescue for many of those years. A beautiful day to ride, a good turn out and at the end a totally ROCK'IN band by the name of the Inman Brothers was playing the rock and roll! As usual we won NONE of the door prizes and nothing in the 50/50 drawing, LOL! We did get a bit of rain but not much so that made us happy.  Tonight we will be going to the monthly meeting for the group (Zebulon Cruisers) we belong to. Got a very expensive 25,000 mile service due in the next 800 miles so we haven't been able to do any "touring"! Oh well, that's life as they say. Hope you all got to put on some "MILES"! :)

Monday, July 25, 2016

CO. Hwy. 69 Ride

Put on close to 300 miles, leading a Zebulon Cruisers Ride to run CO. Hwy. 69 down to Walsenburg, CO. A great "back road" way instead of just hauling bunn's on the Interstate! We had 10 riders on different brands and types of machines and even though it was HOT, (95F+), the ride up to Westcliffe and down 69 to Walsenburg has excellent mountain vistas views with almost no traffic. We stopped in the town for a good Mexican meal at Cortina's Mex Restaurant and the company was excellent. We rode back via CO. Hwy. 165, by San Isable Lake and Bishop's Castle, more nice cooler "mountain" temps! LOL, was too busy enjoying the RIDE to take route photo's but here's some of the group both riders and machines! :)






A Just US Ride!

Jo and I took a break from being "ride leaders" and just took a great run up to Victor, CO. via Hwy. 24/67 and Teller Co. Rd. 81. This road goes in the "backway" to Victor, instead of having to go through Cripple Creek and then take CO. Hwy. 67S. into Victor. Where Cripple Creek is now a Gambling Town, Victor has stayed true to it's Gold Mining roots. We had a excellent double burger at the Victor Hotel and Restaurant, then walked around the very few streets of this tiny town. The ride on Teller Co. Rd 81 is sweet, twisty roads with great views and lot's of fluttering Aspen trees aligning the road! Some times there's nothing better than a ride that's "Just US"! :)






Friday, July 15, 2016

Stars and Strips Bike Night at American Motorcycles, in Co. Springs, CO.

In early July we rode out to a local, Non-Factory H-D Service Shop, called: American Motorcycles here in Co. Springs, CO. for a "Stars and Stripes Bike Night" and to see upclose and personal, the new "Indian Motorcycles" for the first time! They had a great band called the Klash and sloppy joes with the fix'ins for food! We checked out the Indians and really liked what we saw, if I was a RICH guy, I'd be getting a "Chieftain" model and putting on a "Trike Kit". Still we did like the new "Scout 60 models" too.

The Scout 60 is the cheapest model of Indian and has a more "Modern Style" of motor than the Full Size models. The nearest dealership is 40 miles south of C. Springs in Pueblo West but it's a easy ride down there so that's not a big issue!  Here's a photo of ME on a new Scout 60 and some photo's of the bike night, enjoy! :)
Old Indian Board Track Racer!

The Band!


ME on the Scout 60! :)



The 111ci. Chieftain, would make a killer looking TRIKE! 

Tuesday, June 21, 2016

Father's Day Ride with the Zebulon Cruisers

I lead a ride on Father's Day, for the Zebulon Cruisers, Meetup.com motorcycle group. It was a 200 mile run thru the back roads of Teller Co. Colorado. It was a good group of 6 riders on all types of bikes and trikes and it was "HOT", even in the mountains it was in the high 80's and on the plains, 90 to 100F, YIKES!

Since I was leading it was an easy cruise as being 60+ my "Need For SPEED" days are far behind me, LOL! ;) Up Hwy. 24 W. over Ute Pass, then to Florissant, CO. to pick up Teller Co. Rd. 1 to the Evergreen Station for a break, then Teller Co. Rd. 11 to Bailey, CO., then CO. Hwy. 9N. to Hartsel for a fuel stop and CO. Hwy. 24 E. back to the Springs. 3 of us pulled off at Woodland Park and picked up CO. Hwy. 67 N. to Deckers, CO. for lunch. It's a really sweet twisty little road but even there it was HOT! After a good lunch we headed back to the Springs to get in some AC! :)

The ZC riders on top of Wilkerson Pass, CO.

Deckers Corner Café in the hamlet of Deckers, CO.

Tuesday, June 14, 2016

Ride to Westcliffe, CO. with the Zebulon Cruisers

Last Saturday I lead a ride up to the Rancher's Roost Cafe in Westcliffe, CO. for the Zebulon Cruisers a Meetup.com motorcycle group and we had a beautiful sunny day around 200 miles round trip and a great lunch with good company! Some of the Zeb's were new members so it was great to meet them and get to ride with them. Looking forward to the next ride! :)



Friday, June 3, 2016

BUMMER!!

Well due to financial problems, unexpected family and awaiting a new rear tire for the Sporty, we've been limited to "battery charge runs" over the month of May, arrugh!!!!! Hopefully the tire will be in by next Wednesday and we can get it put on before next weekend!   As stated before our Sporty takes a very specific tire due to it's being "low profile" and for some reason my local dealer won't keep a set in stock so there's always 10 days needed to order the tire, RATS! :(

Missed some great rides with our motorcycle meetup.com group, Zebulon Cruisers so hopefully in June we will be able to hook up and RIDE!  Hope your luck is better than ours and you've been out riding and putting on the SMILES! :)

Tuesday, April 26, 2016

Getting in some riding, between storms!

Yep, it's Spring time in So. Colorado, you have to find the semi-decent days between storms and WIND! Jo's finally able to ride on the Sporty again, YEA! She broke here wrist a while back and it's healed enough she can pull herself on the back seat so we are a "TEAM" again! :) We rode on Sunday, went on what seems to be our favorite short ride, CO. Hwy. 115 S. to CO. Hwy. 50 W. to Texas Creek, then CO. Hwy. 96, a sweet road of sweepers following streams and with a view of the San Juan Mountains, that can't be beat, anywhere in CO., JMHO!

Our destination was the town of Westcliffe, CO. and the Rustler's Cafe at the end of the Main street. It's a combo bowling alley/Cafe/community center, the hub of the little tiny town. They make excellent "Red Chili-Cheese Fries"!  We got a couple of plates and some rootbeers and chowed down! :) Here's a view out the window of the cafe and Jo finally getting to the end of her plate of chili-cheese fries!
The view of the local mountains outside of the Rustler's Cafe in Westcliffe, CO. 

My wife, Jo, finally getting to the end of her Chili-Cheese Fries! :)
We had to be careful on the road, saw more DEER on the road then any other time we've done the ride! It was windy and a bit chilly so maybe that's the reason for the extra deer but still enjoyed the ride in the open spaces! Heading back down CO. Hwy. 96 to CO. Hwy. 50 E, a fun ride thru Big Horn Sheep Canyon into Canon City and up CO. 115 N. to home. 204 miles, all SMILES! :)

Monday, April 4, 2016

First Ride with the Zebulon Cruisers!

LOL, well due to a name being very close, ie: Black Bear Diner and Black Bear Coffee Shop, we didn't start out well with our first ride with a local "MeetUp.com" group, the Zebulon Cruisers. There were three of us waiting for the ride leader at the Black Bear Diner and when 11AM. came and went we headed to the Black Bear Coffee Shop at S. Academy Blvd and Hwy. 115.

 Well rat's we missed the main group but had an idea where they were headed so we took a good ride on a beautiful sunny April saturday heading south to Wetmore, then behind the Pueblo Dam and into Pueblo, CO. itself. Luckly Roger is a "techie" and had a Smart Phone with internet and found out that the main group was in Downtown Pueblo by the Riverwalk at Angelo's Pizza so we headed that way via google map instructions and after a bit of search for a parking spot we joined the rest of the group for a great lunch and excellent conversations!

After eating we headed back to C. Springs via Hwy. 50 W. and Hwy. 115 N., doing a quick "relief" stop in Penrose, CO. It's been a few years since we've done any "group riding" and it was good, kinda fun to "share" moment with like minded others! So we will be doing more group riding in the future!





Thursday, February 11, 2016

20,000 miles in a little less than 2 years!! :)

Just a note, we have gone over 20,000 miles on our 883 Sporty SuperLow as of Feb. 2016!! On Feb. 15th. the Sporty will be officially "2 years old" and it's been a lot of FUN!. Yes, the tires that Harley-Davidson has "stuck" the SuperLow model with, still "SUCK"!!! 7000 front and only 5000 rear and they are "VERY" expensive! I mean WHY put "Z-Rated Radials on a "low to the ground" 883 Sportster just to get maybe an "inch" lower to the ground. 

This alone will be the only reason we upgrade in August 2017, that and at 60+ and bad knees too boot, we will be looking at a H-D Freewheeler Trike. I admit I will MISS the Sporty, it's light and easy to move around and fit's into a "cheaper, (smaller) size storage unit", which keeps the monthly cost's down! Oh well, it still doesn't take away from 20,000 double up miles in less than 2 years, LOL, who needs a BAGGER! ;)
Midnight, ready and raring to GO!! :)

Thursday, February 4, 2016

SNOW!!!!!

On Monday into Tuesday we got "14 inches of SNOW", YIKES, I haven't seen that much snow here in Colorado Springs, CO. for a few years! LOL, of course it has to show up just as our Sporty turned over "20,000" miles and needs a major check up! No way to get the bike to the H-D dealer for service till we get a decent melt. So for now, our bike, Midnight is snug as a bug in a rug in it's "climate controlled" storage unit, dreaming of being out on the ROAD! :)


Friday, January 15, 2016

LOL, the same old thing! ;)

Still stuck doing the Battery Charge Run mostly during the weekdays as the weekends have been COLD or snowy, RATS!! Here's a few photos of a Veterans Park on CO. Hwy. 50 outside of Canon City, CO.






Friday, January 8, 2016

Battery Charging Run Maina!

It's snowing and blowing outside, the best I can do is get in a "COLD" battery charge run, that was last Tuesday! 130 miles on the normal "Southern Loop" but it was barely high 30's F, sure wish I could afford an electric vest but theirs no MONEY in the budget so I'll keep adding layers and riding when it's possible! :)