Biker Night, June 10, 2015

Sunshine and motorcycles and bikers - oh my! Biker night, every other Wednesday for now. 

Come on out next on June 24th to Erin's Pub at Truck World in Hubbard! We close our store around 6, but folks start gathering around 5:30 on the patio. Everyone is welcome. 

Paradise On Two Wheels

Today was our first long ride of the season. Our good friend John was able to ride (everyone else was busy, and the outreach to ride was short short notice).

We met at Truck World. 

Here's John and Bryon. 

Then we hit the road around 11:45. Traveled north on Rt. 7.

Stopped at the biker-friendly Paradise Bay Waterfront Grill & Bar for some much needed food. 

Then we went through Geneva-on-the-Lake. (We may have a video from the Go Pro to post here).

The causeway on Rt. 88 is always a nice stopping point.

We stopped back in Hubbard for coffee and a long chat. Man, what a great ride. 

First Ride, FINALLY!

We finally got to ride yesterday!

Wind. Yes to wind. Wind please! 

THE SOUND OF MUSIC!!!

OMG! After running the store all day, we came home and went straight to the garage to get Spring Thing put together: gas tanks and lines back on, check the cables, adjust the handlebars. Check. 

Then it happened: Silver Knight turned the power key, grabbed the throttle grip, and pressed the start button. SHABANG!!! It started! Well, after a couple gurgles of the oil (which leaked out a bit), and a few knocks on the solenoid, Spring Thing breathed and exhausted for the first time since October when the throttle cable broke. 

Whatever! It's running, and that means we'll be riding this weekend! And the forecast is for sunshine! We finally get to ride free like the rest of the bikers! One more exclamation mark - YAY!

1st Informal Outside Bike Night

Yes, an informal bike night. Where? Why, at Erin's Pub located in Truck World Mall in Hubbard! We've been gathering biker friends over the winter (that horribly freezing cold, miserably icy winter). Great people, great bikers. 

With a break in the weather, we moved out of the Globe restaurant into the sun and air. So many people came over on their bikes. And Ed and Billy brought over "Betty Boob", our lovely 1/2 mannequin with a fresh chest tattoo. 

Have you eaten the food at the Globe yet? It's good!!! Take a seat at Erin's Pub and order the Globes food while you sit on the patio. That's what we do. Oh, and don't drink your pitchers of Mt. Dew in the parking lot cuz some asshole might assume ya got a pitcher of beer. 

More bike nights? Yeppers!! Every other Wednesday right now, so the next is June 10th. 6pm to 10pm. Come on put and chill with us. 

Play After Work

We ran the store today. Had some great visitors and people stopped to get patches sewn on vests. Now we're at home playing with motorcycle stuff. 

Take for example this 1976 Kawasaki KZ900 (getting a bath). 

Picked it up last Fall and deciding how to proceed: sell as is; fix it up and ride it; part it out. Like a lot of thibgs, it sat in a family member's barn for years after a whole lot of riding. 

Got a new Condor motorcycle stand for the garage today. It's a great product that freely holds a bike upright (that's why we sell 'em!). Of course it won't be staying on the flatbed that made a good table. And this thing was easy-cheesy to put together. 

We also have this Condor on our bike lift. No straps needed. 

Well, off to get more work, we mean play, accomplished!

Patches 'n Leather

Since we aren't yet riding, let's talk about sewing. On an industrial Juki sewing machine, that is. We purchased a used one back in February. Found it on Craigslist from a drapery manufacturer that was retiring and selling off their equipment. 

The Silver Knight drove down to Pitrsburgh with a friend in the Freedom Machine to check it out. It was what we needed; another person was there who said it was a fine machine, so it was loaded up and brought back to Hubbard. 

May 16th we had another friend help transport the Juki to our store (we finally got the space for it) and the very next day had two customers with vests and Mercer County ABATE patches show up to take advantage of our new service. 

Here's our setup:

There's a chair now too, "sew" we've been rockin' the patch sewing world since then. And we are stocked in a variety of sweet patches. 

Life is more than good!