100 miles and a chunky dunk!

[01YZF6]

So after spending an entire weekend wrenching on both my son's bikes, slapping new and old rubber around, and waiting a few days for a new master link to come in, it was time to ride !












Just after lunch, I told my boys to "gear up!", and both their faces lit up !


I had no real destination in mind, but knew I wanted to ride for at least a couple of hours. so off we went. Cam is 17 now and been riding for 3.5 years, Brenden is 14 and been riding for 4 months!


Now, a little backstory:  a few weeks ago the Lil Lee (NH250) developed an oil puking issue out of the breather chamber, in fact, there was almost 8oz of oil removed from the box and hose.  turns out there was a crack in the crank case vent hose and the chamber, causing air flow issues for it to vent properly.
Fortunately, I found an entire new(ish) assembly on ebay, with a brand new air filter to boot, for real cheeeep! had it here in 2 days, and installed.  After consulting with quite a few people, the possibility of there being more than just that problem to cause such a dramatic issue was increasing rapidly!
I was being told anything from blown crank case internals to busted seals and rings in the motor.  needless to say, it has worked out so far with just the replacement parts, an oil change, and praising to a false idol! ( lucky rabbits foot) however a compression test is definitely in order still...











Back to the ride! 

So we gassed up, and I picked a direction.  Now there are still a LOT of roads I have not traveled on, nor had any clue which town or even State they might lead too. I do however have a good sense of direction and a decent internal compass... plus a map in the tank bag...lol




This would be my youngest Son's first LONG ride and also would be the first FAMILY group ride too. I was so pumped up!


We pulled out onto a stretch of 2 lane asphalt, slow and easy at first to help break in the new skins on the Lil Lee. after the first 10 miles or so, and a couple of quick adjustments to benefit him, we headed east...


a left turn here, and right turn there, add in a mental coin flip at a few 4 way stops as to which direction to go and it was smooth sailing...


Let me say this, and I hope that everyone someday has a chance to feel what I felt, but everytime I looked back in the mirrors and saw both of my Sons riding WITH ME, it filled me up with so much joy. I cant believe how much it means to see them enjoy the passion that I have.  I got dang near teary eyed a few times too!


Ok, moving on... we eventually end up about 50 miles from home, and some how we are parked at the entrance to Chattahoochee State Park. It was hot, and this was our first riding break, so we decided to ride into the park....
FYI: The people who manage this Park have done a LOT of upgrades, clearing, and added amenities. One of the upgrades was to grade and fill the roads with gravel, pea stone and limestone!  ugh... I was so nervous for my boys, who had never traversed such ground before. A thick gravel base loves to grab tires and will sway/fishtail bikes easily! But we creeped along slow and steady and finally arrived at the lake.





We parked in the shade, took of our jackets, had some cold water, and relaxed.  I talked with Brenden for a minute or two, getting a feel for how he thought it was going, offered some tips, etc. 


Next thing I know, I said to heck with it, we are going swimming!  We stripped out of the riding gear ( we had shorts and shirts on underneath you pervs) and I watched both of them jump off the dock into the water.  after I finished taking a pic, I joined them.





Boy did that water feel nice!  I got out and let them swim around and cool down for a bit more. One of the visitors offered me a dry towel, and we talked bikes for a minute. Nice feller, used to ride a 48' Harley he and his dad rebuilt from his younger days. He agreed that there is nothing like the bond that wrenching and riding can bring to a father/son.





After they dried off, we geared up and headed back towards home.  Along the way we passed a set of some nice SLOOOOWWW sweepers.  I always wanted top capture a video moment from low in the corner, so I pulled over, told the boys to wait 1 minute then come riding back the other way.  It was just something neat, and it came out good I think.






https://www.facebook.com/01YZF6/videos/1350019011681317/


We turned around and just cruised all the way back home. All in all it was a 100 mile, 3 hour tour, and I loved every moment of it.


Screen grab  of video



Thanks for reading !

[Chitza]

So cool, Rob. Made me tear up, too :)

[Nice Goat]

That's awesome, Rob!

[Guidedawg]

This day was a memory your boys will treasure forever.  Great job, Dad!

[01YZF6]

This day was a memory your boys will treasure forever.  Great job, Dad!

More so me than them I think, but I will take it!

[KrisCook]

That's an excellent report!  And hooray to the boys for owning the gravel!   

[VWCarlos]

Awesome ride report and awesome memories for all... I am sure this will be just the first of many miles you all will share together.