Vintage Motorcycle Days (VMD) 2011

[WillyD]

Had a great time this weekend...Caravan'ed in with Scotty B, Shane and Wissler who met up with me in Indiana, then we headed out to the west to Mid-Ohio (thanks to my dumba$$)...finally got turned east and we were off....Got to the campround to meet up with everyone then went for a ride to eat..To say it was hot and muggy is an understatement...It was terribly hot...We did get a couple decent rides in even though a couple were in the rain..Always a great time seein old faces and meeting new ones...Met Eastwood, Scotty B, Shane and pyrofitr1368....Scotty and Shane definitely fit right in with us..A few things got worked on despite the heat....

Great time...Would rather be there in the heat and rain with you guys than at home not enjoying the misery right along with you all...Hopefully everyone made it home without incident...I know Terry (Hellion) is probably riding as I type this from Jarney's house to his house...I know he still has a long ride ahead...

Willy

 

[pyrofitr1368]

I had a great time meeting you guys face to face. I'm sorry I wasn't able to stay, but one day was the best I could get.I loved being with a group of guys who loved these fine machines even more than myself.I too felt right at home and was impressed with the open hospitality. Normally there is that long uncomfortable period of "earning a spot", but you guys have the attitude, " if you ride and love Eliminators...that's good enough".
I hit rain three times on the way back to New York. Due to the speed of these babies I kept running into the tail of the storm. I stopped at a Taco Smell an hour after leaving and hung out with a guy who had a '81cb750 and waited for the storm to make some distance...it wasn't far enough away.I made it back by 2a.m.
I will say that I am happy with my new Tourmaster Intake jacket.It kept me dry and warm.Worth the change.
Anyhow, thanks again......VMD2012!

 

[rammy1500]

You can't find a better group of guys to hang out with the the ZL brothers. I can't thank them enough for coming together and showing/helping my son fix his leaking carbs so he could ride his 900 while he was there. Couldn't ride very much with the heat or rain, but he was so stoked when it was fixed.

Can't wait until next year, by then Chris will have the mini-machine shop setup in his trailer and we can build a whole motor for someone on the spot

 

[Illby1]

Well.... Where do I start?? The Convoy to Ohio was LONG and HOT..... It was nice to have WillyD & Wissler to cruise along with!! After some unforeseen delays we finally made it to the campground about 5:30pm Thursday,My buddy Shane (Ralph...) and I had left his house at 3:45AM so it was about a 14 hour journey start to finish...

Got to the campground and met up with everyone else that was there and got the "camp" set up for the weekend,We headed out for some dinner and let me tell you,seeing all of the bikes headed down the road in formation makes a guy smile!! then we headed back to the campground for some after dinner drinks....

Friday was...well, HOT!!!! Got the 10x20 tent I brought along set up and hung the WELCOME banner I had a friend of mine make, I am pretty sure the ONLY reason I was told I was welcome back is because of the tent.... Had a great time talking to everyone at the club space all day!!

Friday night we headed out for some Pizza and a shot of cleavage,and to our surprise they had a nice quite band playing for us to enjoy while eating!! then headed over to Buck's. Most went back to the campground,but I was easily convinced to head back to Mike's for some more of the band and a "couple" more Jack's.

Saturday was a SLOW start, headed to the Club space and hung out for awhile. It was still hot as hell but fun to see all the stuff that was going on.
The group ride was pretty fun!! It was my first time on a race track on the bike and was a little intimidating at first.... It was very cool that we ended up at the FRONT of the line for the Kawasaki ride!!! The first lap was good,then we stopped for pictures before they let us loose for the second lap,that one was a little scary!! A lot of people even had the nerve to PASS the pace bike....Hmmmm. Headed back to the club space and hung out for a bit.

I wanted to replace my clutch on my bike but didn't know how too,so everyone told me what I needed to bring and we could get it done!! Thanks to Bacchus for bringing the Barrnet Clutch all the way from Arizona!!! So after sitting around a little bit, I pulled my bike in the trailer to start the clutch job. I started the job but it wasn't long before I need a little help... Long story short, the job got done and I learned how to replace my clutch by myself,but I need to thank Jarney for hanging out to watch and make sure I didn't screw it up and Bacchus for the knowledge he was willing to share with me as well. It was a nice "lesson" to learn that you can't be afraid to take on these jobs yourself.... If you don't, you will never learn how..... and THAT I have to thank you ALL for!!!! I have learned a LOT but you can NEVER learn too much!!

All I am going to say about Saturday night is...... WET!!! End of story!!

Sunday was pack up and head back to the club space to take everything down and say our "goodbye's". The trip home seemed to go a little quicker and we made it back in one piece!! Drove home from Shane's (Ralph) house this morning and am trying to find the motivation to get all my stuff put away......

So, Needless to say I think that I will be attending this event every year!! It was great to meet you ALL, and put some face to the names that have helped me out with all my questions on here. I am glad that I "fit in" and was able to have an awesome weekend with you guys!! It was truly a pleasure!! Can't wait....2012 is just around the corner....

Scotty B

 

[Smykes]

Awesome turn-out guys
Nice to see all those Eliminators in one group.
Representation was mentioned before I think.. you got it well covered !!
Nice pics of some of the other bikes as well.
Well Done

 

[CHRIS]

I'm still trying to catch up on the sleep i did'nt get while there this year, (especially sat. night)
i was awake at 4:00am every day while there, waiting for you party animals to get you as-es out of bed, so we could get the day started

i had a truely awesome time this year. if the weather would have allowed, we would have done so much more,but i'm not complaining.

each & everyone of you made this year's event spectacular.

 

[Jarney]

Yep, had a great time, despite the weather. I'll resize some pics and post up more later - like most, still trying to get unpacked and situated, caught up on stuff. Had an "incident" on the way home - broke a tie down strap 15 miles from home and my bike came loose in the back of the truck - I haven't had time to assess the damage - may be none or very little - fingers crossed - you can load 2 bikes in a pick up truck, but I'll never do it again - it is one heck of a pain and not very easy to safely secure things. Hellion left my house this morning at about 10am, he was in Terre Haute Indiana at about 2pm today - haven't heard any more from him so not sure where he's at on his trip or if he's already home. Later.

 

[Eastwood]

After staking out my spot in the campgrounds under the shade trees I had the pleasure or misfortune depending on one's view to meet my first member of the group Paulfun. ok I'm the new guy I'm thinking and this is what they do to all the new guys. I decided to play along with this game and see what would come of it. Well what I found was a group of guys with a passion for the ZL with great personalties. Sorry Paulfun I had to take one last jab at you but it's a long time until VMD 2012.:thefinger:

Furchin thanks for the cold beer from the oldest brewery in the state PA.:rr: I must say you have one hell of a set up with that trailer of yours. Well done my man well done.

Jarney great bike, love the look and thanks for braving the heat with me through the swap meet.

WillyD thanks for working the grill and keeping are pie holes fed.

Markus56 Your from Kentucky what more can one say? Your a hoot!

Ilby1 & Wissler I enjoyed the laughs with you my friends.

Bacchus thanks for making the run for the water and ice. You are the ICE MAN.

Chris thanks for introducing me to the guys and setting up shop so the bikes could be wrenched on.

Hellion if you ever call me and wake me from a deep sleep again it better be to tell me I won a million bucks.

ZLMark thanks for bringing us all together and making this site all possable. I really enjoyed the time with this group of guys and look forward to VMD's 2012 already.

 

[paulfun]

It was great seeing everyone again and meeting the new guys! Its still amazzing to me how everyone who rides a zl seems to be able to so easily get past any differences we have and find that common ground to become friends!

Wish the weather had been a bit better for us so we could have done a bit more. Spent a day before everyone got there exploreing and looking for a few good roads to ride and other hot spots to hit at night but the heat had me out long before nightfall so maybe next year we can see a little more of the area and expand our list of hot spots.

THis year was the first I had riden the track out there and it was a blast! We need to get a free-for-all Lap for the zl-oa somehow so we dont have to pass the pace bike he goes way too slow for such a nice piece of pavement!

Hope everyone made it home safely!
And thanks to all for putting up with me for an other year!

 

[Ralph]

Well, took me a while to find the site/forum. Looked under fast bikes, nothing. Looked under cool bikes, still nothing.
Finally found it under fun guys drinking beer when they are not out riding.

Like to thank "ya'al" (<-- for Marcus) for being a very hospitable group and for letting me tag along.
Special thanks to Wissler and Billy for caravanning down/up with us.

 

[Ralph]

Forgot to mention, already rounded up a turn signal ($30) and free stock pegs from some awesome members of the M109 board.
After my experience with your group, I am definitely going to try to get to one of "our" events now.
I might be missing out on another great group of people like yourselves!

 

[CHRIS]

it was nice to meet you, & have you ride around with us. hope to see you again next year if you can make it.

ohh almost forgot ! Welcome to ZL-OA Bro !!!!!

 

[zlMark]

Welcome Ralph!

It was fun to have you with us!:rr:

 

[Illby1]

Yeah, it's a hard site to find if you don't know where to look..... We don't want just any run of the mill Suzuki owner stumbling across the BEST group of guys on the internet!!!
Thanks for getting me there and back without too many issues!!! Yeah,Yeah, I know...... NO WORRIES!!! Welcome aboard and don't be afraid to poke around on the site.... You just might learn something!!!

Scotty B

 

[Bacchus]

I got back to Phoenix yesterday, another great adventure in Mid Ohio... really enjoy getting a chance to meet everybody and in particular have a look at the bikes members are working. its especially enjoyable when I get to see what was done with the parts I ship out ! much more satisfying that just sticking stuff in a box never to be seen again...lol

the trip started out with a screwed up delta flight, and I arrived about 4 hours later than expected but it was definately worth the tirp and the wait. The bikes are awesome, obviously, but what really makes this worth a half way accross the country trip is the ZL-OA guys..... what a group of right on coooool dudes.

for all of those that are reading this thread and did not make it down to Mid Ohio this year......SUCKS TO BE YOU !!!! BETTER LUCK NEXT YEAR !!........ I suggest you mark your calendars and start making plans now..... you wont regret it. hope to see you all next year

 

[Illby1]

Yep, had a great time, despite the weather. I'll resize some pics and post up more later - like most, still trying to get unpacked and situated, caught up on stuff. Had an "incident" on the way home - broke a tie down strap 15 miles from home and my bike came loose in the back of the truck - I haven't had time to assess the damage - may be none or very little - fingers crossed - you can load 2 bikes in a pick up truck, but I'll never do it again - it is one heck of a pain and not very easy to safely secure things. Hellion left my house this morning at about 10am, he was in Terre Haute Indiana at about 2pm today - haven't heard any more from him so not sure where he's at on his trip or if he's already home. Later.

Hey Man, I hope all is well with the bike..... Sorry to hear that you had an "incident". I have had a couple of those in my day!!! But I was told I can't talk about them in public!!
Let us know how it turned out and if you need anything (Not that I could help much...But you never know!!)

Scotty B

 

[Jarney]

Ok, did a quick wipe down of the bike today and I haven't found any real damage as of yet. There was one spot on the muffler but I think that may have already been there. Ugh, what a relief. I think we had the bikes so close to the wheel wells of the truck that it held the bike up off the bed sides and kept any real damage from happening.

Last I heard from Hellion was 8pm Monday - he had made it to St. Louis. Haven't heard from him since so hope he made it the rest of the way home ok.

Can't thank guys enough this weekend. Met some of the "newbies" as Austin wrote on Chris's mobile workshop, and you guys all fit in great with the other zl-nuts. Glad I had the opportunity to meet you all and hope to meet up again.

Special thanks to ZLMark for the site, and all his work with the meet up.
Markus56 for a place to stay at the campground.
Chris for the mobile workshop.
WillyD (aka The Grillmaster) for the grub - Chef Ramsey has nothing on this guy!
Bacchus for the parts and store.
Whoever brought the canopies and signs.
Etc, etc, etc, the list goes on and on, what a great bunch of guys to hang out with.

It was a very "interesting" weekend, the trip home was quite "eventfull" as well. Like most I wish the weather had been better. The trip around the track was pretty cool until it became a "free for all" - anybody found the pics yet? Lots to see and do at this event, didn't even put a dent in it. Hellion and I started home, got near the Ohio/Indiana line and started hitting HEAVY rains and tons of lightening- traffic slowed to 40mph sometimes. We crossed the Ohio/Indiana line and the lightening was going crazy, we saw what looked like a cell phone tower not too far in the distant get hit - seemed like the lightening zapped it and lit up the sky for 5 minutes. Almost immediately after that, just as we were going by one of those big double sided billboards, lightening hit it, right beside the road - would never have believed it if I hadn't seen it. It was just at the side of the road, made one heck of a kaboom. Then 15 miles from home and the tie down strap broke on my bike. Felt like we hit a bump but I think it was just the fork uncompressing and sending the weight of the bike to the outside of the truck. Pulled over on the fire lane and it took forever to get a break in traffic to get out of the truck just to take a look at things and get it strapped back down so we could limp the rest of the way home - all in the rain of course. Over all a great weekend though, can't wait for next year. As Bacchus stated - for those of you who keep missing this event - sucks to be you - and you are really missing out. Below are a few pics. Later.


Truck loaded up with Hellion and my bike - I will never load 2 street bikes in a pick up truck bed again.....hahaha.


The campground - these spots are big and roomy and well shaded - it's a nice place.


ZL-OA Club space.







The mobile workshop and it's crew.


Hellion, ready to head for home.

 

[Eastwood]

Club ZL at the campgrounds & Track

 

[Hellion]

Ok finally made it home @ 9pm tonight!!
Stopped in St Louis for some much needed R&R from the roads!!
Got suprised with a concert Wed night, we missed Night Ranger ( Who I really wanted to see!!) and got there in time to see the last 35 mins of Foreigner ( Also who I really wanted to see!!) and then watched Journey ( who I didnt nessicarily want to see.) I guess they were the headliner as they are promoting a new album.

Now on to the important stuff!
1st. Thank you Jared for sparing me more torment from the the terrible road conditions I was wore flat out!
And sorry about the mishap with the strap on the way home! ( I blame the lightning! ) Also thank you Eastwood for saving me from the Chinese water torture & letting me crash the last night in your pop up! ( Just sorry I woke you from a dead sleep !)
2nd. I am never doing a run like that again ever!!!!! Next time I am trailering!
( Unless I have a throttle lock, gel pad seat, foward foot pegs and an adjustable backrest! No Harley nessicary!! )
3rd. Thank you all for a great experience's despite the weather!!! Was awesome to meet all of those I hadnt yet and to visit with the ones I had met before, you are all great guys!!!
4th ZLMark Thank you thank you thank you for making it all possible in the first place!!!! And your right its the people that make the website & get togethers great! But we wouldnt of even had the opportunity without your vision and scope for this site! So thanks!

And with that I bid you all good night!!

P.S. It is 515 miles from my house to Jarney's house one way! So it was 1030 Miles for me round trip!

 

[CHRIS]

glad you made it home safe.

i like your comment about chinese water torture. i had to deal with all that in my tent, the heat also took it's toll on me ! i got home & had been in bed with a fever from monday through wednesday. i'm feeling better now, but next year i will be better prepared against rain.