Bohn Body Armor Test Ride

At the top of the ride

Late Saturday afternoon, after returning from our MG jaunt in Valley Forge, I took a quick ride on the Bullet just to get a preliminary feel of the Bohn Body Armor.   It was not much of a ride, just a quick run up Goshen/Strasburg to where Strasburg meets up with the West Chester Turnpike and a quick turn around there for a return down the same route.  All in all, the ride took no more than 45 minutes including a stop to take a couple of shots of the Bullet.

The body armor was comfortable and did not really give me any issues other than a little rubbing under my left knee.  Not enough of a problem and not a really any discomfort but just enough to notice it was there.  Longer wear times will tell if there are really any issues.  For now, I am very satisfied.

The ride is self was excellent but short.  Road conditions haven't changed but after a handful of runs up Goshen/Strasburg in both the Bullet and the MG I am starting to anticipate the bigger hazards.  No worries, no issues.  On the return, I had 2868.7 miles on the odo.

New muffler

New engine guard

New engine guard

2868.7 at the end of the ride

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Valley Forge Ride

Sans hubcaps

Saturday was a beautiful, clear, blue sky day so we took a ride out to Valley Forge National Park in the early afternoon to take advantage of that great weather.

We headed out Darby Paoli/Church to Waterloo and followed Waterloo all the way out to Valley Forge.  On the way out, I noticed a gun metal gray Maserati a couple of cars ahead of me at the intersection of 30 and Waterloo.  I followed him for a bit but he peeled off and we continued on Waterloo.  We stopped at Mike's Consignment Shop in the Gateway Shopping Center because it's one of our favorite consignment shops in the area and it's on the way.  We weren't there long but when we came back to the car I noticed a big pool of liquid coming out from under the front.  I freaked out a little bit but on closer examination I realized that it was antifreeze.  Montse doesn't use antifreeze, it was probably from the car parked in that spot before us.  A little bit of a scare but nothing to it.

From there we continued on to the Park, it was full of Scouts and people with kids and dogs.  We got lots of thumbs ups and waves.  At one point a group of Scouts held their thumbs up asking for a ride so I pulled over and offered them all a ride if they could fit in the back.  We all had a big laugh over that.

We looped all over the park enjoying the twisty roads and then headed back home on a reverse route.  We had a short deviation, following Church to Conestoga and Wayne Street to check out a big manor house that is now visible because the leaves have not returned.  On Conestoga, we saw a blue Tesla and a blue Maserati in short succession.

A great ride even if not very long we were probably out for about an hour and a half to two hours.

The exotic car tally now stands at 9 Ferraris, 6 Teslas, 2 Lambos, 5 Maseratis, 2 Cobras, 2 Unknowns, 1 Bentley, 1 DeLorean, and 1 Austin-Healey.

Valley Forge Farm House

Abandoned restaurant on the edge of the Park

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Bohn Bodyguard System

Bohn Bodyguard System

Yesterday afternoon UPS delivered a packaged from Bohn Armor containing a pair of Adventure Pants, an Airtex Shirt, and a balaclava which they threw in for good measure.  I've been thinking about getting this stuff for awhile and I finally took the jump.  It all appears to be well made, it fit well, and it was comfortable for the short time I wore it.  Haven't riding on it yet but that is definitely the next step.

Most of the armor is already in place except for the thigh guards for the pants that come separate.  The instructions say that most people chose not to wear them so they leave them out and you can put them in if you want.  I don't see the sense of having it and not wearing it so I put them in.  We'll see what the issue is once I actually use them.  They were a bit of a bear to put in until I figured out that it would be easier to turn the pants inside out, insert the armor, and then turn the back out.  That is actually easier said than done but not a huge problem or impossibility.

I seriously thought about wearing the pants under my suit on the commute to work today but I just did not want to deal with changing when I got there.  I may go that route but I just wasn't up to it today.  The commute was fine, no issue with the malfunction I experienced yesterday but then I did not push the bike either.  I have been thinking about that and I thought that maybe the bike fell into a false neutral but I did try to downshift and got no go there either.  I should have fiddled with the gears once I stopped and before I turned of the engine but I didn't so I have no way of knowing.  Let's hope it doesn't happen again.  The odo this afternoon reads 2847.8 (I think) since I did not come home for lunch.

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Chadds Ford on Easter Monday

Having the option to take Easter Monday off I stayed home and used the time for a nice long ride.  By 13:00 it was clear and the temps were in to low 60s so it was the perfect time to roll out.  I revisited the Bishop Hollow Road ride for the beginning of this jaunt.  This time I got ahead of the pull out by the llama farm and took it to take a picture of the llamas but they must have been taking their post lunch siestas because I could only see three way of at the top of a hill.  I got a shot but it was not too good.  Better luck next time.

The ride down Bishop Hollow is really becoming one of my favorites.  If the roads get fixed before winter, it will figure prominently in my rotation.  I thought about doing a turn around at Granite Run Mall but two things interfered with that.  The first was that it was too nice to have only a short ride and the second was that close to the end of Rose Tree, by 352, there was a huge road crew trimming trees and it was creating a huge back-up both ways.

Once on 352 I made the decision to run out all the way to Chadds Ford and turn around on the other side of Route 1.  I thought I would pull into the Chadds Ford Histerical Society and use their building as a back drop for some shots of the Bullet but when I got there the parking lot was full so I abandoned that plan.  I kept on 352 to 926 and took that to Creek Road for the turn around at the other side of 1.  The portion of 926 between 352 and Creek Rd. was just brimming with slow moving traffic.  It was a little disappointing but it's not like I could have moved very much faster with all the potholes on the road.  Shortly after crossing Westtown Road I noticed a huge Red Tailed Hawk flying in circles over a field on my right.  A great omen from the shades, I thanked them, and was happy to see her in the sky.

After turning on Creek Rd I fell in behind a guy in a red Jeep, with the top down, who was bound and determine to drive 10 miles under the limit.  Nothing to it, just kept going until after crossing 1 and returning to Creek Rd by the Sunoco Station across from Hank's.  The bit between 1 and 926 on the way back was awesome.  I had no one in front of me and was able to run the twists like the gods intend.  However, 926 back was no better than on the way so on reaching 352 I took the left towards West Chester Pike to come back on Strasburg-Goshen.

This is where things went bad.  Not too bad, but bad enough.  Good thing I had that good omen or who knows what could have happened.  As soon as I turned on Strasburg I began to give it the throttle to see how fast I could get it.  I got to 70 mph and then something happened.  The Bullet did not loose power but the drive became disengaged from the engine and, while the engine was still running and responding to throttle, their was no motioned transfer to the drive.  I pulled over and at the first place I could safely find.  After turning of the engine, she refused to kick over and went completely dead.  I know it wasn't the kick stand switch because that is a complete loss of power and this is not what happened.  I got out and fiddle with what ever wire I saw.  I'm sure that did not accomplished anything.  This took no more than 2 minutes then I went back to the ignition switch and this time the engine kicked over and caught.  I got back on and rode her out.  The rest of the ride down Goshen home was uneventful.  This should teach me not to push this thing when I don't have to.  In the future I will keep it to 60/65 mph and stop trying to be Speed Racer.

When I left the house the odo read 2790.8 and on the return 2838.  The route is good, just traffic conditions today were not optimal.  The issue with losing drive could have been a disaster but I am not going to fret over it.  I will not push it again and wait to see if it returns under different circumstances.

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Replacement Tank

Replacement tank

The replacement tank I ordered from JBugs got here on Friday.  My plan is to call Angelo and Son tomorrow to see if they will do the welding needed to modify the spot and then take it to get it installed.  Let's see how that turns out.

Out of the box

Fill spout

3/4 view

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Easter Sunday MG 1/3 Dragon

Chadds Ford Histerical Society Building

After I got home from my short Bullet ride and Gizmo Test the weather was too good to waste so my wife and I went out for a spin on the MG.

Our plan was to head out towards Hank's Place on the corner of Creek Road (100) and Route 1, in Chadds Ford, and have a little Easter Brunch there.  we got rolling at about 13:30 and headed up Goshen towards Garret Mill Road.  At about the same place I saw the Nash Metropolitan earlier, I saw a Fiat Spyder with the top down barreling the other way.  It was nondescript grey/baby blue.

Just before we got to the intersection of Goshen and Grubbs Mill Road, we hit a pothole that sent the front passenger hub cab flying.  I pulled over to the side just past Grubbs Mill by the llama farm and went back to retrieve it.  The guy that lives in the old school house on the other side of the road got to it before I did and he brought it over.  I tried to put it back but the some of the metal ring that forms the attachment points had separated from the hubcap and I couldn't get it back in place.  A guy in a convertible actually slowed down to ask if we needed help but I told them no and were on our way with the broken hubcap sitting in the back.

The next mishap occurred shortly before getting to Garrett Mill Rd when a guy going hell for leather in a Bimmer crossed over the double yellows and came straight at us to avoid a pothole.  We managed to miss each other, for which I'm glad because if we hadn't I would have been dead now.  That blew my "wa" a little so I continued past Garret Mill Rd for the turn at Dutton Mill Rd and a change of plan.  Instead of going on to Hank's we decided to go to the West Chester Diner which was a good decision because it turned out that Hank's was closed for Easter Sunday.

As we were headed to the diner on the West Chester Pike, a group of guys on Harleys pulled up next to us at a light and were asking all about the car.  I could have stayed on Goshen/Stasburg as the diner is past where Starsburg runs onto the Pike.  The food at the diner was good but nothing especial.

After brunch, we headed back down the Pike to 352 and 926 to get to Creek Road and the beginning of the Dragon.  Somewhere on 926, probably near Crebilly Farm, we saw a black 1940s American Sedan.  I think it was a Plymouth but I can swear to that.  What a gorgeous car!

My wife, waving like Brenda.

We stopped at the Chadds Ford Historical Society building for a couple of shots and continued  across Route 1 to the gas station to fill up.   I had put 100 miles on since the last tank and although I felt I did not need the gas it would be safer to have it.  The tank is still leaking from the top of the fill spout so that needs to be addressed.  While filling up, another Model A passed northbound on 1 and honk at us.  I was slow on the uptake and did not honk back.

Continued on 100 until we reached Kirk Road which is about one third on the way on the loop.  We took a left on Kirk to check out Montchanin Village which turnout to be much of nothing.  After that we headed back the way we came.

The twists and turns on this portion of the loop are great and it was much fun to push the MG a little.  However, the gas spillage from the top of the spout was really happening and the smell was making me nauseous.   Despite all that, it was a great run an much fun.

When we reached the Pike on 926 there was a guy on a Harley in front of us with his young daughter or granddaughter on the pillion.  She turn around to look and us and he did as well.  I gave him the thumbs up and he returned it.  We followed them down Garret Mill to Goshen and just past Providence, where they turned around.  We gave each other the wave as we crossed paths.  The really seemed to be enjoying their ride, especially the little girl who get spreading her arms out as if she were flying.  My wife and I enjoyed her delight in her ride almost as much as she seemed to.

We followed Goshen home and got back at around 15:30.  What a great way to spend an Easter Sunday afternoon.

The classic car tally is now two Ford Model As, one MGA, one 1950s Jag, one Nash Metropolitan, and one 1940s American Sedan.

I've ordered a set of replacement hubcaps from MG Magic which I hope will be here soon.  For a second I thought about the real wire wheels but at $800 plus whatever the adapters would cost I think I can pass on them for now.

Chadds Ford Histerical Society

Chadds Ford Histerical Society

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Gizmo Test Ride on Easter Sunday

Bike Grip Gizmo

This morning I installed this Sharper Image Bike Grip gizmo I got to mount my cell so I can have GPS on the Bullet when I ride.  I don't have anyway to power a phone but if I have a fully charged phone at least I can find my way back should I ever need to.

The gizmo was easy enough to install, requiring no tools and going on without any difficulties.  I mounted my old FTC phone on it just in case it didn't work as advertised.  However, the thing held without any problems.

To test it I took a short ride on the Goshen-Sugartown-Paoli Pike- Sugartown- Church Rd loop.  I left the house shortly before noon with really good weather and temp.  No need to layer up today, just a sweatshirt and leather jacket and that was enough.

On the run up Goshen, right before Providence, I saw a turquoise and white Nash Metropolitan going the opposite direction on Goshen.  Right after crossing Providence I also so a Model A going in the same direction as the Metropolitan.  The guy in the Metropolitan returned the wave, the guy in the Model A either did not see it or just blew me off.  He looked as old as his car so he probably didn't see it.

The other goal on this ride was to see what the top is with the Power Commander so on the turn to Sugartown I took advantage of the straightaway and let her rip.  I got a little over 75 mph but did not quite make 80.  The wind was still pretty strong today, not as much as Friday, but strong enough that I was getting buffeted around on that straightaway and it felt like the Bullet was going over.

The other straightaway on Sugartown is on the other side of 252 by Agincourt Farm and I let her rip again there.  This time I got pretty close to 80 mph.  The speedo was probably reading 78 or 79 mph but I was running out of road and I had to back off.   Nice to know it can get that fast.

After that I past the turn off to Church and continued on to Fairfield Rd for the loop on Waterloo to Church.  Fairfield road is showing some new patches so it's good to know that the crews have begun filling in the potholes.

The gizmo held up and did not drop the HTC, so that's a success.  The Bullet almost made 80 mph on the speedo (keeping in mind that the speedo is ambitious) and that's another success.  Great ride on a true spring day, the wind was a little harsh but not uncomfortable.  When I left the odo read 2771.2 and on the return it read 2790.4, a little over 19 miles on an easy ride.

The classic car tally is now one MGA, one 1950s Jag, one Nash Metropolitan, and one Ford Model A.

19 miles with potholes and still hanging on!

Head on view.

Side view.

With the iPhone.

iPhone side view.

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