Saturday

[munkyfistfight]

Ok, forgive this story. I've had a couple of beers at home. I've since switched to tea before bedtime, but I wanted to share a ride took on Saturday. I've since been in a really good mood and listening to some good music. So, it's story time.

Anyway, on Saturday I slept in and when I woke up I decided it was time to go ride the Vision.

To start this off, I want to make note that I live about a couple of miles north of Downtown Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. I live in an apartment complex that doesn't leave much to the imagination. A few years ago, my Dad junked the Vision I was working on, and earlier this year I made a deal with a dealership in Colorado for AKvision's Blue V.
It had a few gremlins to work out...Still does, but it's at least rideable. I garaged it at my grandma's house and got to it when I had free time. It took a few months, but it's in rideable condition now.
Last weekend I took it out for a short ride with my friend Roger on his '96 Katana. I had a fuel issue (apparently I didn't know how the petcock actually functioned) but had a good ride regardless.

Saturday, I decided on a nice long solo ride. The previous night, the girl I'm seeing took me to a place called Hell's Hollow about an hour North of Pittsburgh, and the whole drive up there I thought "what a great motorcycle ride this would be". So the next day I hopped on the Vision and took a nice afternoon ride.

I initially started out driving down toward North Park, rode around the lake, and took a back road back onto Route 8 up toward Butler (for you history buffs, where the Jeep was invented) and took another backroad to Route 422. The road was amazing. The twisties weren't too crazy. The potholes were nothing I couldn't handle. Then, I got onto 422 and opened it up a bit. Up near Moraine State Park 422 gets into some nice, open flat road where you can get it up around 70. The Vision loved it.
After that, I turned left onto some more back roads that took me to McConnell's Mill. If you've never been here, you're going to navigate down some slower, twistier roads, that take you down some amazingly beautiful boulders that moved here millenia ago when glaciers came through here.
After I took the road that takes you past the old mill and through a covered bridge, I entered more twistier farm country. Eventually I ended up at Hell's Hollow.

Hell's Hollow is cool. There's a cool creek that runs up to a waterfall that carves extremely interesting features in the landscape. Below the waterfall is this extremely cool canyon that you can walk down into. The geological features are baffling.

After a few minutes, I had a panic attack. The Vision wouldn't start. It cranked and cranked and wouldn't start. I tried everything. I think it overheated, so I gave it a few minutes and tried again. Reluctantly, it fired back up. I think I need to change the coolant out and possibly the thermostat. It's run hot a couple of times now. When I got it started, I did everything I could to get it back out onto the open roads and cool it off. After that, it ran perfectly.

I love how this bike handles.

When I was 14, I bought a 1978 Suzuki RM125. I paid $600 for it and rode it hard until I was 21. I love working on motorcycles, so I was naturally turned onto the Vision when I found it in a junk yard 8 years ago.

This has truly been a homecoming for me. I spent all day Saturday cruising the backroads on bike (that I'm certain I'm the only person in Pennsylvania riding a working one (unless someone comes forward)). I only drove it 100 miles, but  I saw all kinds of country and was on a rare motorcycle.

I know I'm probably one of the younger of this group, but I feel blessed to have been introduced to such a cool machine and the incredible people that have immortalized it.

[Re-Vision]

Nice story, I enjoyed it along with you.      BDC

[Rikugun]

Sounds like a nice ride through scenic parts of PA. I'm jealous of all your covered bridges over there too! There's only one left here in NJ but there are several in Bucks county I get to enjoy though  :)

I'd agree it's a good idea to change the coolant. Since doing mine, overheating and a myriad of associated problems have disappeared.

[akvision]

yeah, a very cool picture too.

I experienced the same problem when hot... a couple of times while waiting for a long light.. it was about 90.
It gets "vapor lock",, just have to shut down and wait a while..
You can try full enrichener, gas on prime, and lots of throttle pumping and get riding to cool down.

One time in Denver we had to pull off the road and just wait for 30 minutes..Rhpaw and I solve some world problems in that 30 minutes..
Rhpaw put "Wetter water" in it and change out the antifreeze in 2009.

Glad to hear it is going for you.

Have not been off island for a while.. been catching Salmon...for the winter larder.


AKVision

[munkyfistfight]

Thanks! I took it around for about 250 miles over that weekend. There are still some bugs to tweek out, but that little blue bugger loves the road. I love the work you guys put into this bike. It's such a clean machine. I've gotten many compliments on it so far. I went to a Bike Night last week, and for all of the Harley's there were a few cooler, older, rarer bikes in there, but it was certainly a thing to have a Vision in the mix.

I'm getting it fired up tomorrow and taking the girlfriend for her first bike ride.