Blogger Fatigue

After the wash

I've been doing this for a little over a year and I think fatigue has set in.  I don't think I will continue posting every ride but instead will only post rides or events out of the ordinary.  The daily upkeep has become too much and, frankly, it is not as much fun as it once might have been.

Since I last posted, I took the MG to Gene's and it had to have the rear brakes replaced.  Some spring had broken off on the rear left drum and destroyed the pads.  No wonder the brakes were starting to feel mushy.  We took a handful of rides in the MG since I got it back last Wednesday and everything has been working great.  The repair cost for the brake job and oil change came to a little over $400.

On Friday afternoon I took a ride on the dragon with the Bullet.  Everything went well except that I took a curve to the left a little fast, fixated on the apex, and ran off the road.  Didn't dump or stall the bike but it sure gave me one hell of a scare.  The lesson, keep my eyes on the turn and avoid target fixation.  Simple but easy to forget when fear sets in.  After I got back, I washed off the dirt and everything ended up fine, no damage, and no worries.

Over the weekend we took some rides on the MG and went to the HCCP annual picnic.  We met a lot of nice folks and had a great time.

I refueled the Bullet yesterday, I put 2.36 gallons of Ultra in the tank at the Sunoco on the West Chester Pike and Strasburg.  The odo read 4470.2.  Next refuel should be at around 4620.

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Under a Threatening Sky

On departure

Yesterday morning I took the Bullet out for a spin after almost a week away.  I headed out Bishop Hollow with the intention of doing a loop out to my gun club to see the progress on the storm repairs and then maybe do a longer run from there since I had the day off.

I was surprised by the level of debris and gravel on the road.  We had some rain the day before and throughout the evening but nothing that would bring the level of debris on the road.  The really worrying bit was the amount of large gravel on the road way.  In some places cars had already cleared a path but the large chunks of rocks on the sides and center of the roadway were intimidating.
Keeping all of this in mind plus the messages that the club have been sending about damages to the area the plan had to be changed.  At 352 I took a right and headed all the way out to the West Chester Pike to refuel at the Wawa and to come up with a new plan.  As I headed out that way I noticed the sky getting darker and more ominous to the point that when I finally got to the gas station it looked like rain was coming at any minute.  Not wanting to be out in it I just headed home via Goshen to try to beat the rain.  About half an hour after I got home the sky began to clear with never a drop having come down.  I could have stayed out but that would have been a sure way of having a deluge.

At the gas station

On leaving the house at 09:00 the odo read 4311.6.  At the gas station it read 4329.1 and the tank took 1.814gallons of premium at $3.199 a gallon for a total of $5.80.  Since the last refuel I put in 104.5 miles on the Bullet for a mileage of 57.6 mpg.  On return at 10:00 the odo read 4338.9.

The last time I rode the Bullet was on Tuesday, 30 June, to commute to work.  On the way home from work I saw a black Ferrari convertible turning left from Conestoga onto Ithan and when I was on Sproul headed towards Godfrey some high speed low drag exotic blew by me on the opposite direction.  It was moving too fast and had very little time to figure out what it was, mostly it was a blur of metallic cooper with googly headlights going by.
This tow encounters bring the exotic tally to 19 Ferraris, 17 Teslas, 11 Maseratis, 5 Bentleys, 5 McLarens, 3 Cobras, 2 Austin-Healeys, 2 Lambos, 3 Unknowns, 1 Rolls Royce, and 1 DeLorean.

On return

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Bishop Hollow Run or Polyphemus' Revenge

This evening I took a run a completing the Bishop Hollow run that got shorted by the lost of the headlight a while back.

A very simple flight plan; out 252 to Winding Rd to cross the West Chester Pike onto Bishop Hollow and follow that out to Ridley Creek and Rose Tree to hit 352 for the loop back to 926, Garret Mill, and Goshen for the loop back.

The road has been completely fixed and there was very little storm debris left on the surface.  Knowing the condition of the road I pushed the Bullet a little more than usual and everything worked out perfectly.  The twists and turns are a lot of fun on this road and with good road conditions so much the better.  Once on 352, with traffic very light, I was able to open her up and let her roar.  At one point I got as far as 65 mph before shifting up to fifth gear.  Removing the kickstand safety switch has been a tremendous improvement on performance.  No more hiccups and no more stalling at random intervals.

The weather was really excellent, cloudy and cool but very comfortable and easy for the ride.

Shortly after getting on Bishop Hollow there was a gun metal gray Ferrari headed in the opposite direction.  I also saw several riders and a couple of packs enjoying the end of what has been a beautiful day for riding.  It is unfortunate that I had to work today and did not get a chance to enjoy more of it.  I did commute to and from work, including lunch, so at least all was not lost.

The ride this evening lasted a little under an hour and we covered a little over 26 miles on this loop.

The exotic tally now stands at 18 Ferraris, 17 Teslas, 11 Maseratis, 5 Bentleys, 5 McLarens, 3 Cobras, 2 Austin-Healeys, 2 Lambos, 2 Unknowns, 1 Rolls Royce, and 1 DeLorean.

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Sunday Morning at the Office

It has been quite a while since I've taken a decent ride on the Bullet.  Unfortunately, this weekend did not afford me much of an opportunity to remedy that situation.  Saturday it rained all day, sometimes hard, sometimes barely at all, but it rained all day.  This morning broke blue and clear with very nice temps and very little humidity.  The Bullet was almost dry and I needed to go to the office for a little while so I left the house shortly before 10;00 and headed to my favorite refueling spot at the Wawa on the end of the Goshen loop.

The ride there and back was smooth and enjoyable and, since I had to go to the office, I continued on Goshen all to way to its end on the Darby Paoli Rd.  There, just after crossing the bridge on Darby Creek, I took the right to Roberts Lane where I made a left to Sproul.  I took Sproul to a right at Cove and that to a left on Ithan all the way to County Line Rd and my office.  This is the first time I've done this run on this direction since I mostly use this route to come home from work but I've never used it to go to work.  There was still quite a bit of debris on the road from the last two storms we have had and the twists and turns on Ithan are a little more challenging in this direction since they are mostly uphill.  I am pretty sure this will not become my regular commute to work but it will be another nice loop to try on weekends.

When I left the office blue had turned to cloudy so I just took the Spring Mill/Sproul/Godfrey route to get back home.

When I left the house I had 4214 miles on the odo, with just enough gas to get the Wawa.  At the gas station the odo read 4224.6 and the tank took 2.419 gallons of premium at $3.159 a gallon for a total of $7.64.  Since the last refuel I put in 149 miles on the Bullet, running almost to my safety line, for a mileage of 61.59 mpg.

At refuel

Sunday morning at the office I can park wherever I like

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Royal Enfield Café Racer for Sale in Wayne

From Craigslist in Wayne, PA, just down the street.  I might have to go take a look at this thing this weekend.  Asking price is $7,500.  I've emailed the guy to set up a look see.

A grammar Nazi aside: one of my pet peeves when someone uses "pretty unique" or "very unique."  A thing is either unique, one of a kind, or it is not.  If it's "pretty unique" then there are others like it and it's not one of a kind or unique at all.

The wording from the ad on Craigslist:


"This is an almost new Enfield Bullet with only 575 miles on the clock. My buddy saw the episode on Café Racer TV and had to have one built, but then lost interest. This is a really nice bike. It has the Hitchcock's of England Alloy Body Kit which in itself was an over $2500 option. Enfield is now making a factory version which is cheaper, but this bike is pretty unique. Electric Start and Fuel Injection are nice touches, as are the clip-on bars and the rearsets."

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Two Half Dragons

Friday morning I commuted to work on the Bullet as usual and stopped at the Most Expensive Gas Station in the Galaxy,  the Shell on the corner of Spring Mill and 30.  The reason for the stop was so that I could leave straight from the parking lot at noon and head out towards the Dragon without having to go home or stop somewhere for gas.  I wasn't sure that I could make it all the way out to Chadds Ford  before refueling and that is the most convenient station on this route.

At the station the Bullet had 4075.1 miles on the odo.  The tank took 2.182 gallons of premium at $3.999 a gallon for a total of $8.73.  Since the last refuel the Bullet had racked up 128.7 miles for a mileage of  58.98 mpg.

A little after noon I headed out Ithan with just a little oover 4075.1 miles on the odo.  I followed the Ithan loop to Sproul and took a left there to Roberts for the Right at Darby Paoli to Goshen.

From there I followed my regular loop out to the Dragon and stayed on that all the way until I entered Kennett Square.  I used the parking lot of the Gran Sasso, on the corner of 82 and Walnut as a turn around point and took the same route back.  The run in reverse was just as much fun but I did get lost on Mt. Cuba again.  This time I took the wrong fork and realized as soon as I had done so I did a quick turn around and got back on 82.

I think I have reached the limit of the envelope on this ride.  There are some curves the really scare the bejesus out of me but I am taking most of them as fast as I am going to do it.  The two way ride was really very enjoyable because it drops out the boring part of 926 but it is a little tiring.  Despite all that I think I will keep at it for most Friday afternoons from now on.

I got home at 14:38, figuring getting on the road about 12:15 that makes for a little under two and a half hours on the ride.  The odo read 4152.6 making this loop a little over 77 miles.  A good ride all in all, not mechanical problems, and no traffic problems.

On return

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Bishop Hollow Redoux

Ellis Preserve

After the debacle with the repair pits on Bishop Hollow/Ridley Creek Road last month a recon of the area had to be conducted.  Not having anyone to do that for me, I had to do it myself so Tuesday evening I took the Bullet out to check the road conditions.  The best plan of attack was to come at the route from the opposite direction, i.e. from 352 and Rose Tree, since that side of the road was in good repair and it did not appear like the work crews would be tearing it up.

With that in mind I headed out Goshen with the intention of catching Garrett Mill to 926 and 352.  However, traffic conditions on Goshen where great with virtually no one else on the road but me to I stayed on Goshen/Strasburg all the way out to 352.  From there I took Rose Tree Road and followed that out to Ridley Creek/Bishop Hollow.

Road conditions have improved dramatically since the last ride here.  The road crews have completed all their work and large stretches of the road are now completely resurfaced.  There are a couple of small holes here and there but nothing to create any problems.  It looks like they have been at both sides of the road and the resurfacing work has definitely improved the quality of this ride.  Time to comeback to it.

After finishing the run at the West Chester Pike I took a left there and went to the Ellis Preserve to do some figure eights and goof off in the parking lot.  By this time of the day, almost 20:00, the lot was mostly deserted so I had a chance to goof around to my heart's content.

I left the house at 18:59 with 4020.9 miles on the odo and returned at 19:59 with 4050.4 miles clocked.  Great ride all in all with the portion on Ridley Creek/Bishop Hollow yielding as much fun as the Dragon beyond Route 1, not as long but just as many twists and hills per yard.

Two Teslas today on the commute to work a black on this morning on Godfrey going in the opposite direction and a red one this afternoon on the way back from lunch turning left onto Spring Mill from 30 in front of me.  The exotic tally stands at 16 Teslas, 15 Ferraris, 11 Maseratis, 5 Bentleys, 3 Cobras, 3 McLarens,  2 Austin-Healeys, 2 Lambos, 2 Unknowns,1 Rolls Royce, and 1 DeLorean.

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4K Miles

 

Four thousand miles this morning on the way to work.

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Second Dragon Ride

Chadds Ford

Saturday morning I left the house at 09:05 with 3926.6 miles on the odo and the intention of tackling the Dragon in both directions.

I took the standard route out with the plan of getting to State Street in Kennett Square, finding a place to turn around, and doing a reverse route back home.  This would give me the opportunity to stay on the twistiest part of the loop and ride it in both directions in quick succession.

As has been happening lately, the exact point of refuel for the Bullet had escaped my recollection so, in the mode of better safe than sorry, I planned a stop at the Sunoco in Chadds Ford.  On the way there, I noticed the lot at the Histerical Society empty so I pulled in for a couple of shots of the Bullet in that setting.  Shortly after that, I pulled into the gas station with 3946.4 miles on the odo.  The tank took 2.099 gallons of Ultra to fill.  Ultra at this station was selling at $3.099 a gallon for $6.50 total.  Since the last refuel we ranged 119.2 miles for a mileage of 56.78 mpg.  Next refuel is at 4096 miles.

From there I continued on the Dragon.  The ride on this portion was outstanding.  I am gaining a lot more confidence on the technical handling of the twists and hills and I feel that I am taking them a little more aggressively without endangering life and limb.  Once I got to the edge of Kennett Square and out from under the canopy covering, I noticed that the sky had begun to turn grey and ominous.  The forecast did not call for rain but the look of the sky was not good so I decided to pull into the taqueria on Union Street to try it out and give the weather a little time to sort itself out.

Taqueria Guadalajara Express is a typical real Mexican taqueria, almost like the taco stands on Avenida Revolución in Tijuana.  This is authentic Mexican, unlike the places that bill themselves as "Authentic" that is a code work for "stay away and don't eat here."  I had some carne asada tacos and horchata that were amazing.  I put salsa and pico from the condiment bar on the tacos and they were so spicy they made me cry.  Loved it!  I should have taken some pics of the food but it looked so good I was three quarters of the way done before I had the idea to pull out the camera.  Maybe next time.

When I left the taqueria, the sky did not look any better.  It had not gotten worse but I couldn't tell if rain was coming or not.  Rather than risk rain on the twisty portion I made the executive decision to continue on through Kennett Square back to 926 and do the complete loop rather than reverse it.  Will save that for next Friday.

The ride back was good but uneventful.  Again, no sputtering, no backfires, no stalling so the removal of the kickstand switch seems to really have made a difference.  I pulled into the strip mall on 233/202 and 926 because the "English Car" sign was still there but I could not find what that was all about.  At the end of the trip the odo read 3989 for 62.4 miles on this run.

Chadds Ford Historical Society

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Post Kickstand Switch Removal Shakedown

At the Gun Club

On Thursday evening, after work, the Bullet got a shakedown tour to check out the differences on the pre and post removal of the kickstand switch.

I left the house shortly before 19:00 with 3876.3 miles on the odo.  There was no concrete flight plan on file, just probably a run out Goshen/Strasburg to open the throttle a little.  Soon after crossing 252 on Goshen the plan changed slightly.  The new plan was for a run to Garrett Mill out to 352 and that out to the gun club since it being Thursday night and the league starting time having been changed to 18:00 some of my friends might still be there.  This new plan provided a little comic relief, as I approached the red barn on Garrett Mill a white goose came running at me trying to scare me off its property.  I was able to avoid it without any problems but I almost fell of the bike laughing.

I made good time out on the run and was out at the club by 19:30.  However, by this time everything was shut down tight and everyone had gone home.  So I just turned around and headed back home on the same route I had taken on the way in.  Once I turned back onto Goshen from Garrett Mill I revised the plan again to take Sugartown out to the Paoli Pike and then follow that loop of Darby/Devon/Sugartown and the other Waterloo to the Easttown Library.  This was a good change because there is that bit of road on Sugartown between Goshen and Providence where the straightaway is good to really open the throttle.

I stopped at the Easttown Library for a bit and then headed home from there via Church.  I was back home at 20:31 with 3926.6 miles on the odo for 50.3 miles on this run.

The Bullet appears to be running much more smoothly since the removal of the kickstand switch.  There are not as many backfires and sputterings as I had noticed since the installation of the Power Commander.  There were no disengages or power loses and overall the riding experience appeared much smoother.  My theory is that the increased thump and vibration from the new silencer caused the switch to disconnect, however slightly, several times during the ride.  Most times these momentary disconnects just caused sputtering and backfires but sometimes they were big enough to cause a complete stoppage.  On the straightaway run on Sugartown the Bullet was able to take full throttle and reach and maintain 75 mph without out any problems.  Maybe the disconnect issues are finally resolved.

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3K+ Maintenance

Royal Enfield line up at Kiss Honda

This morning I had a maintenance appointment at 10:30 in Pottstown at Kiss Honda.  I left the house shortly after 09:15 with 3800.1 miles on the odo and headed out to Pottstown.  The plan was to take Church out to Waterloo and follow that out to Valley Forge.  However, after I short run on Church, I realized that it probably would be best to stay on Church to Sugartown and take 252 all the way out to the park because road conditions on Waterloo above 30 were not very good last time I was there.

That plan worked fairly well because by this time of the morning the morning rush hour had died down and volume on the road was not bad.  Once on 23 I quickly turned off at Valley Park Rd because of the closure of 23 at the Pickering Creek.  I followed Valley Park to White Horse and took the right there.  Traffic here was seriously backed up so instead of staying on Whiter Horse, I made the left at Pothouse Rd.  I got a little turned around after making that left so that when I came out on 29 I took another left instead of the right and started heading the wrong way.  I realized my mistake soon enough and just did a quick turn around at a wide spot on the road and headed back towards Phoenixville.  Once there, I got back on 23 and headed out to Pottstown.

3827.8 at refuel

At the Sunoco on the corner of 724 and Bridge Street I pulled over to refuel.  The tank took 1.505 gallons of Ultra at $3.249 per gallon for a total of $4.89.  Since last refuel we've ranged 98.9 miles for a mileage of 65.71 mpg.  I had to be very careful filling up because the pump had no medium speed, it was all or nothing, and I was afraid to overfill or spill over.

The gas station is only about seven miles from Pottstown so I was able to make my scheduled appointment time without any problems.  I had the 3K miles check and inspection done and I asked to have the kickstand switch removed.  The mechanic told me that they couldn't do that because of liability issues but that I should be able to do it fairly easily.  It took them less than an hour to have the Bullet ready.  In the mean time I played with the pug and took a couple of pics of the yellow Continental they have in the show room.  Not sure if I like the yellow better than the red but it's still a very nice looking bike.  The price on the sticker is $5999.  Let's see if it's still around at the end of the summer.

The ride back involved a different route to avoid the congestion problems on White Horse.  I got to 29 and took that to 30.  It didn't help to change the route, there was an Oregonian bound and determined to ride her brakes all the way from 23 to 30 and a huge Home Depot truck maneuvering in the middle of 29 to make a delivery.  At 30 I took my new preferred route to Old Lincoln and Warren but at the Paoli Pike I took that to Darby, Devon and 252 for the shorter route home.

When I got home, at 12:15, I looked a the kickstand switch, followed the wire to were I found a connector behind the battery box and unplugged it.  The switch is no longer an issue.  At home, the odo read 3865.7 for 65.6 miles on this ride.

It was overcast and chilly all the way there and all the way back.  I layered up but I should have worn leather instead of the mesh jacket.  It wasn't miserable but it was not enjoyable.  I guess the temps were in the mid 60s but the wet in the air and the overcast did not help.

Didn't see any exotics or classics on this ride but yesterday on the commute home from work there was a blue Bentley making a turn on Ithan from Conestoga by the Agnes Irwin School.

The exotic tally stands at 15 Ferraris, 14 Teslas, 11 Maseratis, 5 Bentleys, 3 Cobras, 3 McLarens,  2 Austin-Healeys, 2 Lambos, 2 Unknowns,1 Rolls Royce, and 1 DeLorean.

Continental

3800.1 at departure

3865.7 on return

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Easttown Library Concert

Triumph TR4

Sunday afternoon the Easttown Library was hosting a concert given by a string an brass ensemble from the Main Line Symphony.  So with good weather forecast until the evening I took the Bullet out to go the concert.  Charlene was already there because she had organized the event so I had a solo ride.

I took Darby-Paoli and followed that out to Church and Sugartown.  At Sugartown I made the left to Waterloo (the other Waterloo) and took that to the library.  When I pulled up in the parking lot there was a red Triumph TR4 next to the spot where I parked.  So I took the opportunity to take a couple of shots of it.  The owner and his wife came up and we chatted a little about the car, it was a California car that someone else had brought to Pennsylvania and the present owner bought it from that person.  He offered to sell it to me because he is looking to buy a Porsche.  I declined the offer, there are way too many other things that I want before a TR4 despite the fact that it was a very nice car.

The concert was excellent.  I took a bunch of shots for Charlene so she can use them on the library's website to promote their programs.

Brass and strings

After the show, I headed back home the long way.  I took a right at Sugartown from Waterloo and a left at Newtown Road.  That took me to the St Davids roundabout which I took to St Davids Rd.  When I got to Harrison I made the left there and followed that loop to Church.  At Church I cut across to S. Valley Forge Rd and followed that past where it turns into Dorset to Devon for the left.  There I continued to Waterloo (the right Waterloo this time) and took that to Church.  I followed Church all the way out to Goshen and took the hill for the run to Earles Lane.

The whole run, including the trip to the library, was probably around 18 miles through mostly shaded country lanes.  One of the things that I love about living here is that I can have some great easy country rides without having to go very far from the house.

The classic car tally is now three Nash Metropolitans, three 1950s Jags, three 1960's 'Vettes, one MGA, one Hot Rod, one 1950s Chrysler, one 1950s Oldsmobile, one 1950's Plymouth, one Karmann Ghia, one 1950s grocery-getter, one Triumph TR4, and one Ford Model A.

Triumph and Bullet

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The Dragon on the Bullet

3708.9 on departure

Friday being the second Father Peter's Friday of the season and not wanting to repeat the beating of riding out to Dixie I headed out to ride the Dragon as soon as I got home and got changed to get on the road.

I took the regular run up Goshen to Garrett Mills and across the West Chester Pike to 926.  On the way out, because it was Friday after lunch time, the traffic was fairly light and I had big stretches of the road to myself.  I hit the red at 926 and 322/202, there I noticed a sign on my side of the road that said "The English Car" with an Union Jack for a background but no other information.  I scanned the area as best I could but could not find any other clue as to what that was about.

I hit the turn at Creek Road and decided to stop at the Sunoco on Route 1 because, once again, I could not remember when I had fueled up last.  I was pretty sure that I could make the run all the way without a refuel and I was really enjoying the twists on Creek before Rt 1 but there's no profit in the risk of running out of gas, specially on a loop like this where there is no other fuel until you reach Kennett Square.

3728.9 at refuel

At the Sunoco, the odo read 3728.9 and the tank took 1.886 gallons at $3.099 per gallon for $5.84.  Since the last refuel I've put 115.4 miles on the odo for 61.18 mpg on this tank.

From there I continued the loop.  The twists are still as much fun as I remember and with the added boost from the Power Commander the Bullet handled them even better than I remember.  I don't push them or go kamikaze crazy like the youngsters on the sports bikes but I still enjoying pushing then envelop a little.

The run out to Kennett Square was mostly solitary with very light traffic, if any, on most of the road.  I don't believe I saw another bike going in the opposite direction on this portion of the run.  Once in Kennett Square I accomplished the impossible, I was able to get across State Street without having to stop for the light.

The traffic from there began to pick up and got to the heaviest in 926 right before 322/202 and out to 352.  From there it lightened up again all the way home.

A fantabulous (you can tell I'm listening to Van Morrison radio on Pandora) way to spend a Friday afternoon when one doesn't have to go work.  When my friend Phillip comes to visit in July, we are doing this run.

I got back home almost two and a half hours after departure with 3771.1 miles on the odo for 62.2 miles on this run.  That's a smidgen over a gallon of gas but well worth it at $3.09 for Ultra.  Much more enjoyable than the Century I pulled the Friday before.  Next Friday, if the Parcae allow, I plan on running out to Kennett Square and turning around there to reverse the route and catch both sides of the twists.  May it be their will.

Refueling at the Sunoco on Route 1

3771 at return for 62.2 miles on the run

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Polyphemus

On departure 3676.5

On Thursday evening I headed out for a ride on Bishop Hollow Rd.  My intention was to head out on Bishop Hollow to 352, make the left there and go the my gun club to check and see if the pistol league had started already.  Then the plan was to come back on 352 to Bishop Hollow again and take that back home.

But plans are just that.  As I headed out on Bishop Hollow I remarked to myself how much improvement had been done on the roads since our last trip there.  A lot of the preliminary work had been completed and big portions of the road had been completely resurfaced.  However, soon after passing Chapel Hill Rd, the road was mostly in a state of preparation with no repairs completed.  Large portions of the road had been torn up leaving large rectangular open pits with at least a four inch drop from the primary road surface.  I hit the first one pretty fast, to the point that I worried I might blow a tire.  From there I slowed down to me the transitions in and out of the pits but by pit number five or six the rattling must have been too much for the Bullet.

After negotiating the jump out of that pit, somewhere past Featherling Lane but not quite to Steeplechase, the headlight jump out of the bucket.  Luckily the wires held and the headlight remained attached to the bike and light but dangling like a large cyclopean eye from its optic nerve stalk.

Polyphemus after meeting Odysseus

I pulled over on the side of the road and assessed the situation to see what could be done.  Nothing had fallen out and been lost although one of the clips holding in main bulb was lose in the housing.  I reattached that and determined that it was all a matter of resitting the bulb and tightening the top screw on the light housing.  Since I was here, however, I took advantage to make a mod that I've been wanting to do for quite a time: the removal of the jumper cable disabling the light on/off switch.

The jumper cable is the short group of wires between the two read connectors on the lower starboard side of the headlight nacelle.

Here's the jumper cable after I pulled it away from the nacelle.  From here it's just a matter of disconnecting the two white couplers from each other, removing the cable and connecting the red couplers together.

Red couplers with the jumper removed before being attached to each other.

Jumper cable

All back together with the top screw nice and tight now.

Once this simple operation was done I was out on the road but by this time I did not want to continue on down Ridley Creek Rd because I could see several more pits from my vantage point.  So I just turned around just past Steeplechase and headed back on Ridley Creek/Bishop Hollow.  The return lanes had all been fixed to this point so there were no hazards to negotiate on the way back.

At Providence I took a left and headed towards the Pike.  I crossed the Pike with the intention on staying on Providence to its end at Sugartown.  At the intersection with Goshen I saw a dark blue Maserati making a left in front of me onto Goshen.  This was not the same Maserati we saw on Sunday afternoon on Goshen because although they both appeared to be the same model this one was a much darker blue than the one on Sunday.

I continued on to Sugartown took the left there and another left at Goshen for the trip back home.  Despite the hassle with the headlight and the fact that I cut the ride short after that it was a good ride with not too much traffic and with good roads in the portions that have been repaired.  I will wait at least a week before I venture out on Bishop Hollow again.

On the way out the odo had 3676.5 miles and on return 3698.2 miles for about 22 miles on this run.

The exotic tally stands at 15 Ferraris, 13 Teslas, 11 Maseratis, 4 Bentleys, 3 Cobras, 2 McLarens,  2 Austin-Healeys, 2 Lambos, 2 Unknowns,1 Rolls Royce, and 1 DeLorean.

3698.2 on return

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Short Sunday Morning Ride

3599.2 on departure

Sunday morning we had planned to go the Chester County Antique Car Club Show in Kimberton so I got up early to take a short ride in the Bullet and fuel up for the week.

I just intended to go straight up Goshen to the Wawa and I figured since I left the house fairly early I would have the road mostly to myself.  Well it turns out that Sunday morning must have been National Drive Your Pick-up Slow Day.  Soon after crossing 252 I fell in behind a pick-up truck that was hell bent on driving 10 miles under the limit and ride the brakes on every curb.  I couldn't pass him on the left because of the twists and when I had a clear shot there was always someone on the on-coming lane.  So this continued until I got to Grubbs Mill where I made the right to get away.  At that point a Power Ranger in a sports bike blew by me probably as full of impatience as I was.  He should have come my way.

The loop on Grubbs Mill to Warren and the to Providence and Sugartown was mostly deserted.  A great time to enjoy the twists and turns without virtually any traffic to worry about.  Probably the best part of the ride.  Once back on Goshen things had cleared out a little so I was able to enjoy that part out to 352 and then to the Wawa without any more delays.

3613.5 at refuel

When I got to the Wawa the odo read 3613.5 and the tank took 1.875 gallons at $3.319 a gallon for a total of $6.22.  Since the refuel on Friday before the Dixie Run the Bullet had 118 miles on the odo.  That makes for 62.93 mpg on this tank.  The next refuel needs to happen before 3790 miles on the odo.

I took the reverse route back home without the loop out of Goshen only to fall in behind another pick-up truck driving below the speed limit.  When I was making the right onto Goshen, I noticed a red 1960s convertible 'Vette proceeding on 352 past me.  I was just after I made that turn that I got behind the yellow pick-up with the tree trimmings.  I followed this miserable guy all the way out to Old Covered Bridge Rd and then I had that little bit of Goshen free.

Not the greatest ride, except for the loop on Grubbs Mill, but it was just a fuel-up expedition in any case because we wanted to be on the road to the car show by 10:00.  When I got home, the odo read 3623.4 for about 22 miles on this run.

It did add another 'Vette to the count in what is turning out to be the Weekend of the 1960s 'Vette.  The classic car tally is now three Nash Metropolitans, three 1950s Jags, three 1960's 'Vettes, one MGA, one Hot Rod, one 1950s Chrysler, one 1950s Oldsmobile, one 1950's Plymouth, one Karmann Ghia, one 1950s grocery-getter, and one Ford Model A.

3623.4 on return

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Dixie

"I wish I was in Dixie..."

To celebrate the beginning of Father Peter Fridays I planned a ride out to Dixie.  This morning on my way in to work I stopped at the gas station on the corner of 30 and Spring Mill to fuel up.  I usually avoid that station because it is the most expensive in the tri-state area, for example today I bought gas at $3.99 a gallon for premium, but I wanted to have a full tank on the way out of work to do this ride.  When I stopped at the station, the odo read 3495.5 and the tank took 1.557 gallons for which I paid $6.23.

I left work at noon with 3496.0 miles on the odo.  My plan was to head out Ithan to Sproul and out to Goshen to follow that to 926.  However, I ended up making a detour by home to drink a shake before heading out because I was getting hungry.  On my way home I saw a silver convertible Ferrari by the Agnes Irwin School.  The first of many sightings on this ride.  I did not stay home long, just grabbed a shake and was out on the road by 12:15.

I followed Goshen out to 926 and the ride was pretty easy on they way out.  Most of the holes on 926 have been fixed and in some areas there has been complete repaving so the road surface is miles ahead of were it was a couple of weeks back.  The temps were in the low to mid 60s with blue skies and some wind so almost perfect riding weather.  Somewhere pass 202/322 I saw a red Ferrari 308 GTS headed in the opposite direction on 926.  I don't recognize very many Ferraris by model but the 308 GTS is hard to miss.

Shortly after crossing 52 I fell in behind a line trailing a big piece of farm equipment.  This was the first "hazard" I encountered.  It plugged along all the way just before 82 where it turned off to the right and I was able to take the road.  That piece of 926 pass 82 and all the way out to 41 is a really great ride.  Some good twists and turns with hilly terrain that has good wooded cover on both sides of the road.  That probably was the most enjoyable part of the ride.

Maryland State Line

After crossing 41 the road opens up on some farm land and here the wind began to make its presence known.  This portion wasn't as bad a the part after making the left on 10.  On that part of the ride the road is bordered by open farm land on both sides and the wind really threw me around.  I got worse on Route 1 South.  I was able to keep up with traffic and out run an 18 wheeler who was bound and determined to pass me but I was really getting pushed around a lot.  Route 1 runs as a divided highway for about 7 miles out after 10, from there on it is just a two laner and you get to the Maryland line in less than two miles.  As soon as I saw the Maryland signed I pulled over to get some pictures.  The Mason-Dixon Line sign is on the northbound of Route 1 so I took a couple of pics from the southbound side got down to the crossing and then turned north and stopped at the sign to get some more pics.  At this point the odo read 3548.3 miles and it was 13:35.  I was grateful to get a couple of minutes out of the seat in the 52 miles since take off and frankly I was not looking forward to the ride back.  Specially the portion between the line and the cut across 41 on 926 where I would begin to be protected from the wind again.

As always happens, the way back was "shorter" than the way out.  The wind was still a factor and I pushed me pretty badly on 1 but I got on 926 without any problems.  However soon after crossing 41 I fell in behind a gravel truck that I was not going to shake.  I followed it out to 82 and there I pulled in to check out a place to eat that I had seen.  I figure I could get a little rest and let the gravel truck get the hell out of my way.   Somewhere before that I saw a white Tesla going in the opposite direction on 926.

The place I wanted to check out was Savona Bistro.  I pulled up to the parking lot and got off the Bullet but I didn't go in.  It looked a little too snooty for what I was looking for which was a bowl of chili and a sandwich.  I checked their menu on my iPhone and decided to move along.  After getting back on 926 I saw another Tesla, this time dark grey, running in the opposite direction.  The truck was long gone so I had a nice run down to 52 there I got caught at the light and the red New Beetle (with a "Red Bean" sticker on the back) in front of snoozed through the change making me miss that light as well.  When the next light came I fell in right behind a metallic light blue mid 60s 'Vette with historic Maryland plates that had just turn right onto 926 from 52.  I followed him all the way down to 202/322 where he made the left.

I thought for about too seconds about turning in the strip mall there to get some food but it was starting to get really tired with well over 80 miles run and was wanting to get home.  I continued on 926 and at the intersection of 352 saw a blue Bentley (which reminds me of the light gray Bentley I saw on Sproul just past Godfrey on the commute home on the Bullet on Wednesday).

From there I just ran my regular loop down 926 to Garrets Mill and Goshen.  When I got to Goshen and 252 I had 3594.5 miles on the odo and to make sure I would make a century on this ride I took the left to the traffic circle at St Davids and that to Chruch getting me home with 3599.2 miles on the odo at 15:10.  That guaranteed the century which is the longest the Bullet has ever run.  I now has three states on its tires, Pennsylvania, Delaware, and Maryland and we have crossed into Dixie.

It was a tiring ride with some really good parts and some aggravating parts due to traffic on the road.  I did not enjoy the wind, especially on the highway, and I don't know that I will try this ride again.  At one point I had wanted to make a run to the Susquehanna but I don't know that I will now.  I might just stick to my shorter rides, they are more enjoyable.

The exotic tally stands at 13 Ferraris, 13 Teslas, 9 Maseratis, 3 Cobras, 3 Bentleys, 2 McLarens,  2 Austin-Healeys, 2 Lambos, 2 Unknowns,1 Rolls Royce, and 1 DeLorean.

The classic car tally is now three Nash Metropolitans, three 1950s Jags, one MGA, one Hot Rod, one 1960's 'Vette, one 1950s Chrysler, one 1950s Oldsmobile, one 1950's Plymouth, one Karmann Ghia, and one Ford Model A.

At the gas station

On departure from work

Maryland State Line

The Mason-Dixon Line

At the Mason Dixon Line

On return at home

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