Saturday, April 23, 2016

2 Stroke Day

We all received the email from Chip this week..."2 Stroke Day at Diamonds".  Something I don't have, I'd most likely have taken the old Honda 400 (4 stroke) regardless since it's now based in St. Paul.  Considering the ratio of 2 stroke motorcycles that exist AND can be ridden legally on the public roadways, the turnout today wasn't all that bad.



Mike's Peugeot was the first "one that smokes" though I had arrived a few minutes before him, me on a "isn't supposed to smoke."   My guess is that it took Mike just a wee bit longer to suit up today than it normally does, usually we take turns being the first to show up.








Rod a.k.a. Mr. Majestic arrived only minutes later, the 3 of us now needing absolutely the hot coffee to warm up after our 40 degree, 6:45AM rides in.  Hearing what sounded to me like a chainsaw, we all swiveled our heads up and down Central Avenue, expecting to see another arrival but there wasn't a vehicle in view.  Then Jeff's modified Hodaka Trials bike peeked around the corner of the building (not a street legal machine), he standing on the pegs like Trials pilots are intended to do as he slowly rode up the sidewalk to where we were seated.















The People's Choice vote was taken and the People's voted for BOTH the Hodaka and Arie's H1 Kawasaki Triple.  A coin toss went to Jeff's Hodaka, both 2 strokes conveniently near each other......


Jeff gave a fine speech, direct relatives were thanked for everything he is today, more distant relatives eluded to.....

I left right after the official results were in, spent time at mom's house sorting and stacking.  After 2PM some time, I was home, changed and on Tran Zalp.

Best first gravel was Tushaus Hill Road in the Zumbro Bottoms State Forest.....


 

Are these real flowers or dainty yellow leaves opening up??



Weaver Landing....


I stopped for dinner at the Wabasha Dairy Queen, a place the Coop's once visited fairly often when we were out and about exploring.  Today I was there solo but memories came back to me as I ate, memories with the family, the kids going back for ketchup, using their Tokens for ice cream, etc.

One memory was especially strong however.  Back in the summer when Ben was 14, he accompanied me down to southern Indiana to bring the ST2 home.  We rented a van in early June, drove down to Terre Haute on a Saturday, spent the night and then early Sunday were in rural Vincennes to pick up the bike, making it back home that same evening.  Away from riding and motorcycle ownership for 20 years while the kids were growing up, safety and behaving oneself on a motorcycle somehow was a common point of discussion that summer in the Coop household.  This was going to be a big change from baby lambs and an ornery goat.  After all, there was a very impressionable young man present, soaking up everything.



Later that summer we were in this very Dairy Queen, long tables here just to my right with a very expansive view of Highway 61 which is 150 yards or so in the distance.  While we were enjoying our Chicken Finger Basket meals, Ben and I facing the highway, Ben's mom and sisters with their backs to the highway, a couple of large Sportbikes were headed south (left to right)  At a point on the 4 lane highway, maybe centered in this photo, both bikes lofted their front wheels and kept them high for about as far as we could watch them without us jumping up and spilling our fries.

The highway transitions just a bit to the north from 2 lane to 4 lane but there's another half mile or so to the south before the limit bumps up to 65 (72 the the low end of average actual).  I could literally feel Ben's head turning to keep watching the bikes head south.  My head turned just like his had and when I saw Ben turn back to me with his eyes wide, I knew that there would be something he had to say, most likely more than one something.

With great care and subtle though quick determination, I brought my finger up to my lips and saw a very large and most wonderful smile appear on Ben's face.

We did it.....message sent, message received.

Together we'd just had a very precious father-son moment.

16 comments:

  1. Nothing like a little 2-stroke smoke to wake you up in the morning. It is good to see a Hodaka outside of Oregon. You never know how far they've travelled to find a home.

    The Dairy Queen story made me smile. Funny how little places can bring back such a vivid memory. It is good it was still there for you to stop by and reminisce.

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    1. Brandy, Jeff is a real Hodaka enthusiast, lots of connections to the brand, has owned a few of them over the years.

      The DQ story surprised even me. If I'd have picked another table and faced another direction, I doubt I would have remembered. I watched a few bikes go by that afternoon and that triggered the memory.

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  2. That's quite the collection of 2-strokes that showed up at Diamonds. You have quite the riding community there. I've only tried riding a 2-stroke once and I kept killing the engine when starting out. This was out in the California desert in the mid-70s.

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    1. Richard, reminds me of Gramp when he sold us the Honda 55 and moved WAY up to a Yamaha 125 twin two stroke. It wasn't the bike he figured it be.....RPM required and he wasn't really an RPM kind of guy. The dealer told him, "Allen, you've got to wind it up!!"

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  3. I'm sure Choo choo Jeff was happy for the award. The Kawie is nice but Jeff had a lot of time in the Hodaka with several personal details.
    Note: The Star Buck rejects have two Jeff's...Choo choo Jeff is a retired train mechcanic... Glow at Night Jeff.. work'd at a nuclear plant. :)

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    1. Thankfully only a couple of Jeff's. Almost too many Mike's......to keep track of. :)

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    2. ... yes, several Mike's.. there's "Good Look'n Mike ".. and then there's the... others.. :)

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  4. I have a similar memory with my dad and a Norton, I believe it was yellow. No wheelies though. This weekend I get to chase his new Guzzi over the rivers and through the woods. Can't wait. We're staying in the Dells, maybe I'll catch you out there.

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    1. Jason, for the record....I'm publicly stating right here that wheelies are wrong.
      Which Guzzi? Are you guys doing SCR? The Britten movie Saturday night in Madison? I'm heading down Thursday afternoon, camping just outside of Richland Center. GPS Routes are loaded in the little unit, one of our rides heads up towards Hustler and Camp Douglas. Sunday morning breakfast at Piccadilly Lilly at the Lone Rock Airport, just an FYI. If you make it to Leland, look for 2 (count 'em) TW200's.

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  5. I'll probably miss the Crud Run, I need to get home on Sunday to help out with kid duty and getting ready for the week. I can't wheelie all over creation any more, getting back just in time for work on Monday.

    My dad picked up an 8-valve Norge, it's everything my V-11 wasn't. We'll have a Multistrada and a Road King in our group too. If it's raining all afternoon/ evening on Saturday we may make it down to Madison for the movie, and I'll keep Lone Rock in my back pocket for Sunday morning. I'm sure you'll be there bright and early so it depends on what time I get going in the morning.

    I told Mrs. North that it's like Christmas morning, I can't wait to set off. Hope to see you there.

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    1. Jason, understand about Sunday. I seldom come home as late as I once did. We've never done the film Saturday night and just might do it this time if the weather makes Inside more appealing than sitting around the fire.

      Weather forecast has our crew smaller than it may have been; Lone Rock might not be all that early. Send me an email or text if you think you might be around. Unless the weather is absolutely horrible, we'll be putting miles on.

      I can't wait either, it all starts for me 3:30 Thursday when I leave St. Paul.

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  6. Cool motorcycles, I liked the hula dancer on the fairing.

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    1. Dom, these folks Dress up their bikes in some often unusual and creative ways. It's always fun, next week will typically bring out an entirely different mix.

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  7. What a great meet up.

    Too bad there weren't any vintage scooters in the mix. That Vespa with the fender light is a beefy 250cc or 300 four stroke trying to pass for a vintage two stroke ancestor.

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    1. David, we're very lucky to gather like this almost every Saturday. Themes are conceived only because we can.

      Agree with you about the Italian scooter. I'd love to have one just like this one. My eyes are always shopping for older ones.

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  8. Great looking bike! Love reading your posts, thanks for the share.

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