Ride With Tank

0913081308.jpg, originally uploaded by Tank Mobile.

125 qualifying is underway right now, but the crowd is building for MotoGP qualifying in about an hour.

Yesterday was Anthony Wests day. He obviously had the rain figured out. Nicky Hayden had a pretty ho hum day. His first practice session was not terrible, but the second was just sad.

Today is a brand new day and Nicky is on his game.

Rossi and Stoner did pretty well both days.

It looks like we could have a wet race tomorrow. If that is the case I think West, Stoner. and Rossi will be the riders to watch.

If it is dry I see another epic battle between Stoner and Rossi with a third place for Hayden.

We will see how my predictions hold out tomorrow!

Nicky is doing better today! Right now he has the fastest lap ever on the track, on rain tires!

This is the ver first lap Rossi has done at Indy!

more 125 practice

Soggy ass morning, originally uploaded by Tank Mobile.

Looks like a lot of rain in our future

We are on our way to Indy!, originally uploaded by Tank Mobile.

We are having lunch at Rudys Smokehouse BBQ! Only about 130 miles left and we will be at the hotel!

Casa Tank, originally uploaded by Tank Mobile.

Well, morning has risen on another exciting camping trip!

This weekend we ended up at Parker Dam State Park in PA. We had plans to camp at the Benzette Store campground. but it turns out that not only does the campground itself suck, but their camping policies suck as well.

We were prepared to overlook the fact that the campground sucks. We figured the fact that there may be elk in the campground would make up for that. What ended it was when we tried to check in. Johnny and Janice brought Timmy and we brought Thomas, so we have 6 people and 4 tents. They wanted to charge by tent, so one night of camping would have cost us $104.00! Good God! I told him it does not make sense that the family with the giant motorhome is paying $26 and we were paying $104.00, but they were more or less uninterested in talking. He even tried to find something in their flier about this but could not find it.

Parker Dam is a fantastic place so it all worked out in the end!

Skidplates revenge, originally uploaded by Tank Mobile.

Well, it looks like it is payback time for making Skidplate sleep in the forest last night. Now we are swimming in luxury in St. Marys, PA.

I suggested that we try to spot some elk and this is the only place we could get to stay. Skid is delighted.

Morning at the campsite., originally uploaded by Tank Mobile.

It was a very cold night. The thermometer on the motorcycle is showing 44 degrees right now. I still managed to get a pretty good nights sleep even with the cold. I got a solid 9 hours of sleep and it is looking like today is going to be a perfect day. There is not a cloud in the sky and I am sure once the sun gets above the mountains it is going to warm up fast!

Labor Day Ride, originally uploaded by Tank Mobile.

I am spending this weekend riding PA Rt. 6.

I am writing this from inside my tent at Twin Lakes Recreation Area near Kane, PA. It is a very nice campground in a very nice area of Pennsylvania. It is getting a little brisk right now and Slidplate is whining about being cold. I am not even in the sleeping bag but I am comfortable.

Tomorrow we will continue east on 6 until we get bored with it. We have no specific plans so it is impossible to know where we may spend the night tomorrow.

We have a new nomination for a helmet sticker!

The following email was sent to me:

The whole helmet sticker concept is to reward acts of stupidity and/or acts of greatness.  As I look over an application for a helmet sticker I am looking for an accomplishment that is worthy of the very high praise that a helmet sticker conveys.  I have to tell you that I really don’t see much in the way of stupidity here.

Here is what is working against you:

• You nominated yourself.  That never looks good.  If you want to nominate yourself you are better off to pretend to be somebody else when you nominate yourself.  It just looks better that way.
• You speak of riding in comfort for 3 years.  Riding in comfort?  What is that all about?
• Why would anybody wash a motorcycle?
• I am not even going to touch on the fact that your girlfriend has been with you a long time and has never been wet.

You do seem like a good guy, and I would love to see you get a helmet sticker, so lets see what we can put down in favor of getting a helmet sticker:

• 33,000 miles is a long way for a Harley.  How many rebuilds on the engine did that take?
• You live in Tennesse, and you live near the Gap.
• With a name like TNbikerbitch it sounds like your girlfriend could probably kick my sissy ass so I would not want to upset her.

I am sorry my man, but I just cannot award a helmet sticker at this time, but I know how you can earn one.

Next time I am down there we will get together and do some riding.  If I am there it will rain.  We will then ride in the rain and I will give you a helmet sticker!

The fire is burning!, originally uploaded by Tank Mobile.

The campfire is burning and we are preparing to enter part two of the “drinking phase” of the weekend. Last nights drinking went very well, and I can say with confidence that I did the best. I did real well. I did so well I do not know if I am going to be able to retain the title tonight. It is looking like I am going to have some pretty serious competition.

Velvet ice cream, originally uploaded by Tank Mobile.

We stopped at Velvet Ice Cream. It is more than a ice cream place, it is like an entire destination that also has delicious ice cream. I think we had around 30 motorcycles on the ride and it was just amazing to see the line of motorcycles winding through the countryside.

Heinis, originally uploaded by Tank Mobile.

Bob gave us a great tour of Heinis. I ate so many cheese samples they are probably going to have to lay someone off!

Their cheese is so good I can’t believe it.

After the tour Bob led us on a great ride to a delicious buffet. While at the buffet I was presented with a beautifull plaque thanking me for my contribution to motorcycling and eating! I will post a picture of it when I return home.

I was also given a stuffed sheep. You don’t want to know the story behind that one…….

I can’t believe what a great group of folks we have here at Tanked 08. We have a huge variety of motorcycles and personalities and that is what keeps things interesting!