ROMEOS

Guys - Listen up now because I may not be around for a spell to say it again. If you haven't heard my wife speak of it you just haven't been around her long enough because the BAK is all that she talks about and has for the past 6 months. The BAK is the Bike Across Kansas and it starts a week from today.
Joyce's twin sister and her husband Gary will be driving in from Lewiston, Idaho to participate with her as well as our 14 year old grandaughter from right here in town. My life has been literally consumed by this event and I can't wait until it begins because in the eight days following, maybe she will get enough of it to let it die down. I don't want to sound like I don't want her to enjoy herself, I'm just tired of hearing about it. Of course she counters with...all I ever hear about is the ROMEO's so I guess it evens out.
Anyhow, I may or may not be at this lunch ride. It depends upon too many peoples schedule to know. If I can finigle a way, that would be my choice. If not, just think of me!
The choice for this little place regularly pops up on my radar but the hours are few and they are hard to get hold of. I finally got a returned call so It's all arranged. It's a go and it's one of the absolute smallest places we go to so by all means be patient. Wednesday is fried chicken day and if I recall it's finger lick'in good! It's been over two years since we've been there so the cook should be even more skilled at her job than before!
If you recall, Agenda is just up the road a piece and they have ice cream so it may be a place you may want to consider going to after the meal.

Here's the time...............................................11:30 am

Here's the place............................................St. Joe Store
St. Joe Kansas where else would it be
(it's just down from Clyde or is it Clifton?)

As always..................ride careful, ride safe and I'll see you in St. Joe if things work out! Richard
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Oops! I've gone and done it now! I think I've made Evan mad. It's entirely my fault so I have no one to blame but myself!
What....you may ask are you talking about? Well, it's a long story as the saying goes but we lost a rider on todays lunch.
By the way, before I get into my explaination I need to say that we had a good turnout of 21 riders that showed up in St. Joe for a delicious fried chicken dinner. I heard one of the guys ask if he could have a burger and was politely told that today was fried chicken.....take it or leave it! They have no menu! They serve up what they kill. It was original...pan fried...and delicious. Our old ROMEO sticker was still on their bulletin board from our last visit way back when. We're their favorite group no doubt because the owner was wearing the ROMEO shirt from our past visit as a welcome token.
But I get ahead of myself.....right before I left I received several calls informing me that they would not be riding with me today for one reason or another and I had forgotten that I had told Evan I would be leaving at ten. Tuesday at coffee the guys had indicated they would be leaving from Salina at ten and I realized Ihad under estimated the distance to St. Joe. So with that on my mind and the others not going I topped up at Kaps, got my coffee and a donut for Joyce and we headed North to meet the Salina guys. It was after nine thirty when we left and I had completely forgot I had told Evan I would leave at TEN! Oops, my bad! Evan never made it to lunch! He's still at Kaps waiting for me!
The ride up was a hoot! Big Jim led the charge and I rode mid pack behind a new guy, Dennis from Salina on an '04' 1200 Sportster with a gorgeous set of pipes. I always like following someone new and on a different kind of bike just to hear the sounds it makes and this one was a keeper. I especially liked it when he lagged behind a tad and accelerated to catch up with his riding buddy Dave Beggs. He would whack the throttle open and the front forks would lift and that sound would hit me! Absoulutely an aural delight. It was one of the most enjoyable trips I have taken to lunch in ages. Thanks Dennis for making my day!

chrono adjustment

The St. Joe Store was a blast. Great ride, food, fellowship, and fun. But that was Wednesday. Tuesday was a little different. Did you ever have a simple task that morphed into an all day project? Kind of like sleeping and dreaming of a lap dance by Pamela Anderson that morphs into a tour of Lapland with Anderson Cooper. But I digress. I enthusiastically charged out to the garage fully intending to spend the next half hour installing a larger windshield on my Moto Guzzi Quota. The old windshield did an excellent job of protecting my sternum, but did little to dissuade the pebble that was kicked up by the bike I was following from taking the perfect trajectory to nail me squarely in the tip of my nose. A sniper couldn't have had better aim. Upon removing the windshield I found that the speedo gear box that provides a 90 degree bend in the drive line between the cable and the speedo decided to disembowel itself and take the end of the cable with it. Frustration meter ticks up a notch. I removed the gearbox to assess the damage. At which time my carpal tunnel syndrome kicks into high gear and the gear box slips from my grasp and hits the floor, and small parts do their best to launch themselves into orbit. Gravity ALWAYS works. Two more notches on the frustration meter. I managed to find all the pieces before they were spirited away by the devil and began to weigh my options. I found that if I used a small hose clamp I could reassemble the gearbox and use the clamp to close up the offending crack and it should hold together. Next I could order a new speedo cable and wait 3 or 4 days, which would mean I couldn't take my new toy on tomorrows ride. After all I do have another bike. This was an option only slightly better than not going as the rear tire on that bike almost affords you the capability of seeing the air on the inside. Option 3. Go to an auto parts store and have them make me a new inner speedo cable. So after setting off to several auto parts stores and shops and receiving responses ranging from "You need a what?" to "We ain't got nuthin for motor sikels", to "Motor Boozi? What the hell is that?", I came to the realization that cars don't have speedo cables any more. Speed is measured by sensors and wires and other such voodoo and black magic. Frustration meter rocketing toward the red! Finally someone directs me to the Carb Shop. Much to my surprise and delight he had some old scraps and ends of cable from when he used to make cables. He cut one to length and put the appropriate end on it and I was back on the road for $6. Safety valve opened and frustration meter dropped to zero. I'm beginning to believe I need a "Guardian Bell" on this bike. One about the size of the Liberty Bell. BTW The windshield is yet to be installed.

Marty Hauk

Wondered if you happened to notice the picture on the wall... they have a second store in St. Joe Arkansas. Business must be good...It was taken by yours truly on a past Arkansas trip. One thing to note...the noon meals at the Arkansas store on not up top par with the one in Kansas. Something to be said for on site management. Hours are about the same for both stores but Arkansas manager is not as friendly either....at least on the day i visited.