Saturday, August 4, 2012

Lovelock


I stopped by Lovelock, Nevada on my way to Sturgis. Given Nevada’s reputation for the bawdy and tawdry, I always assumed that the town of Lovelock was named for a carnal embrace.  What I found surprised me.  There are hundreds of padlocks, many engraved with names and dates, locked onto chains around the court house.  The legend is that if two people put a lock on the chain, they will be in love for the rest of their lives.

Instead of bawdy and tawdry I found the Lovelock legend to be charming.
   


Then there is Wedlock, which is something entirely different.

Monday, July 30, 2012

The Good Samaritan


     The starter clutch had failed during the Stampede in Louisiana and finding a 1983 Kawasaki starter clutch could have been a problem.  But, I located a one at United Cycle, the Kawasaki shop in Beckley, West Virginia and they were open on Mondays which was also a minor miracle.  I left Pinebluff, North Carolina on Sunday and headed northwest into the mountains of West Virginia.  It is beautiful country, but having to push start the bike every time I turned the engine off put a damper on my enjoyment of the ride.

     It's about 265 miles from Pinebluff to Beckley.  When I arrived it was hot.  I located the Kawasaki dealer and then started searching for someplace to stay.  I was behind a guy on a really nice chopper when my bike quit running.  I pushed the bike into a parking lot and the guy on the chopper made a u-turn and came back.  He said, "I saw you behind me, then you weren't there, is there anything I can do."

     While he stood by I pulled off the seat and found a fuse holder that was loose.  I was able to push start the bike. The sun was blazing hot but the good Samaritan stood by in case I needed help.  I told him about my blog, he knew about the Stampede, and he was a big fan of The Horse magazine.

     So I repaid him for his help by forgetting his name, my bad.  So please, do me another favor, get my email address at the "view my complete profile" and send me your name.

     By the way, your bike is really nice!