Just Saying

Ace ♠

TNR Done For The Season

We've officially pulled the plug on TNR (Tuesday Night Ride). Crap, that means winter is just around the corner.

Where has the summer gone? It seems like only yesterday that the bikes were lined up outside the restaurant and we were chiding each other on our latest escapades before we hit the road for a night of cruisn'.

The trees out front of Le Garage have lost their foliage and we've lost our nights on the open road. That feeling of oneness with your machine, that sense of freedom from the mundane... the, OH GET ON WITH IT!



Right, sorry.

I thought I'd post a big Motörheadster "F&%k'n A" to all the boys who rode with us this year.

In no testicular order, here goes.

Don

Justin

Ace

Scott

Darrin

Dave

Ray

Jason

Dan

Paul

This TNR season was a blast. Met a lot of great people, rode some scenic routes and enjoyed a few great meals at Le Garage. Zoiks Scoob... you know what's next! The white stuff.

You know what those old bikers do now... that's right they take part time jobs as shopping mall Santa's.

Frick, there's always one die hard... give it up already Santa. The riding seasons only about seven months away. 7 LONG, MIND NUMBING, RIDE-LESS, STUCK IN THE HOUSE, MONTHS AWAY!!!

Oh well, that's why they invented booze. Cheers boys!

Ace ♠

Tuesday Night Ride - La Salle

As we approach autumn and the leaves begin to change colour and fall off... apparently so do the number of riders who take part in the annual Tuesday Night Ride out of Le Garage.

Paul arrived moments before me, but because he had to hold down the fort at the restaurant, he was out.

He's been talking about getting new painted tins and a gas tank from Harley. He may need to place the order, sooner rather than later. These marks on his front fender are from a fork bag from the Sturgis trip.

Paul's got a few options when it comes to paint. A person can either send in their own tank & tins to be re-painted (sheet metal exchange program) or buy a complete, second set of custom painted sheet metal for your ride.

That tank is sic! But that's not the only damage inflicted on his Fat Boy from the trip to Sturgis.

The saddle bags he borrowed left this mark on his swing arm and there is also a few bare patches on his rear fender from the bags rubbing against the metal.

He mentioned, that had he used the braces, there wouldn't be any damage (as minor as it really is). Those new skins would look pretty cool though! Justin arrived sporting new, black hand controls on his Night Train.

They look sweeeeet. Until I compared his controls against the other bikes at Le Garage.. I didn't think there would be that much of a difference. But they really do stand out!

A funny story about installing them. Justin may be a little embarrassed, but in his defence, he doesn't own a repair or owners manual, so he tackled the job blind you might say.

He said the brake lever was no probs. Fit like a glove. Installed in minutes. The clutch well, let's just say he and his wife worked in unison to hold and stretch the cable and insert it through the perch and into the new lever. He he.
.


First, he bought the wrong size snap ring pliers ('c' clip pliers) to remove and replace the 'c' clip from the pin and didn't know about the in-line cable adjuster. He said he actually ground down the pliers tips to fit the holes. It worked getting it off, then one tip snapped when he went to replace the 'c' clip (he went back to the store and bought the right size snap ring pliers). Hey, he was laughing just as hard as I was.

He now knows... thanks to a bud at work, that this (pic above) is the in-line cable adjuster used to adjust the tension on the clutch cable. He he. Justin, we're not laughing AT you bud... but WITH you. It's all good.



Anyway, I thought the TNR curse/tradition reared it's ugly head, when a guy on a nice H-D soft tail rode up.

It was not to be, he simply knew bikers hung out here and popped in for a wobbly pop. So it was Justin and I.

We decided to take a quick, but scenic trip out to La Salle. Justin had been there for a bonspiel and I only golf at the local course.

A quaint little bedroom community just south-west of the city. What we didn't count on were the bugs.

I'm sure we looked like this guy...

...when we walk into the La Salle River Inn.

We were just hammered, um... by mosquitoes! It was nuts! Really!

We had a drink and then hit the road home, bandannas a blazin'!

And this is what the Motörheadster looked like the next morning!

Oh need a closer look.

Here.

(click on pic for large view)

.
Everywhere... bugs! And thick!

It's like a layer of fur on the head lamp.

My brake and clutch controls... even the in-line cable adjuster, was covered. Sorry... I just had to take one more shot. Thank god Justin can take a joke, he's way bigger than me!

More fur.

Justin and I now know, exactly how Jim Carrey felt in the movie "Me, Myself and Irene" and bugs!!

Ace ♠

Tuesday Night Ride - Cancelled

I am sorry to report that Tuesday Night's Ride was cancelled.

I was there and so was Paul but sadly, that was it. Apparently the guys either didn't make bail, were on life support or their bikes were disassembled (refer to: TNR - Steinbach)!

Paul mentioned Darren wanted to ride but, he had to bring his gear to Le Garage for their gig that night... yup, he was out. So we decided to call off the ride. And thanks to the aroma of Paul's Backwoods cigar smoke... I thought of something else to do.



As I was riding through the French quarter I realized... I was still in Cuba mode.

My neighbour Mike, his wife, their daughter and son-in-law Alfredo (who is of Cuban decent) just returned from the island nation and brought back some rum and cigars.

And apparently not just any rum.

Santiago rum to be exact. I'm not a rum drinker (the smell turns my stomach) but he invited me over for a drink and I didn't want to be rude, so I accepted. And I'm glad I did. That's the best rum I have ever had the pleasure of sliding over my pallet. Two ounces over ice in a large crystal tumbler. Heaven in a glass!

My Cuban experience didn't end there. As I was leaving Alfredo handed me a Cohiba cigar. Did I mention I really like my neighbours!



I own a humidor (thanks to my brother-in-law's fine wood-working skills) and have enjoyed my share of cigars over the years, Romeo Y Julieta are probably my favourite... Montecristos are OK, (over rated in my books) but Cohibas rank right up there for me.

So I figured I'd sit on my deck and enjoy my Cohiba, all thanks to the TNR ride being...

Oh well, I enjoyed my meal at Le Garage (best fries everrrrr), the ride home through St. Boniface during sunset, and of course my Cuban Cee-gar.

Tell ya what, next week I ain't posting bail for the boys... screw that! I'm going back over to my neighbours for another shot of that rum!

Ace ♠