Last week, our Expedition (the X) check engine light came on. We had a 2 night , 3 day Gulf Shores trip planned for the following weekend so we got it to the Ford Dealership asap. We got it back Thursday , running fine. Then Saturday came and I wanted to go to the Motus open house which was planned to coincide with the Vintage Festival at Barber Motorsports Park. http://www.motusmotorcycles.com/
I am very interested in this machine hand built right here in Alabama. I take great pride in American made and try to be a good patron when possible. A motorcycle being made in my home state takes things to the next level. This is a sport touring oriented motorcycle with a proprietary 1650cc , 165 HP transverse 90 degree pushrod V4 they call the Baby Block. They hand build these at the rate of about 3 a week. I tested one this past summer and it has so much power, fun factor off the charts ! It’s loaded with high end accessories and ready to travel. It’s my someday motorcycle. It’s been described as an heirloom bike. A bike to be proudly passed down from generation to generation. Not cheaply horse traded on ebay. Motus is a small niche bike with a cult following, indeed a small operation , so much so, that I email the president of the company Lee Conn from time to time AND HE EMAILS BACK. He knows me by name when I see him in person. It’s a very personal experience and a real sense of community to be a Motus rider.
Saturday Kade and I went to pick up a leather belt I had commissioned a leather smith to make me. We decided to take the Visions, yes, Visions as in plural , as in both of them. He rode The VisionQuest (the black 08) and I rode Ruby86 (the 10th Anniversary Vision). We got there and picked up my belt. He was doing so well that I mapped out a long way home. What was a 44 mile round trip errand became a 120 mile ride encompassing everything from red light traffic to back road twisties to interstate travel. Thoroughly enjoyable ride. It really got me thinking, his ability to ride the Vision would create some wonderful opportunities in the future to opt for the bikes instead of the X for just about anywhere we went as a family.
By the time we returned, it was time to go to the Motus open house. We took the X in spite of the revelation earlier that Kade could ride the Vision. We had only gotten a few miles down the road when the engine light came on! It is Saturday, the service dept is closed. There is nothing that could be done until at least Monday. It was running fine and all vitals were good but gas mileage on our Ford school bus had dropped from the expected poor reading to unusually poor range. We were stressing out trying to figure out what to do. All I could think about was how much it was going to cost us to drive it to the beach!
During our brainstorming, Kade had gotten quiet. Usually when he does that, it means he has fallen asleep in the back seat. I tried to think of a way that I could suggest (sell) the idea that we put Kade on the VisionQuest and we ride bikes to the beach as a family. I had talked up how well he did earlier in the day. ( I wanted to avoid any conflict that would surely arise if Kade heard me before Kay had a chance to weigh in her opinion. If Kade heard me, he would be pleading the case to ride and I could envision Kay shutting him down with an emphatic NO. Historically that’s how it goes. I felt like she would worry) .
I reached across the console and tapped her shoulder to get her attention and in a whisper (so Kade wouldn’t wake up and hear) said “ why don’t we put Kade on the black bike? He can do it.” Then I braced for the repercussion. Then the craziest thing happened. She said , “ Kade is awake, you don’t have to whisper. If you think he can.” What just happened?!?! Kade said, “ I’m pumped now!” I was pumped now too.
So with this new infusion of excitement, we arrived at the Open House. We found my friend at the door. Shook his hand and I introduced Kade to my friend and the president of Motus , Lee Conn. He had previously met Kay and gave her a hug. We went through the different areas. One area had a Motus employee assembling a Motus, mounting an engine into the frame. Watching that, I began to imagine them building my future fantasy Motus. We went into their warehouse and saw shelves and bins of engine blocks and body parts. It was very interesting to me. They had several Motus parked outside at the block party. They had a cool band, food while it lasted (which we were too late for) and even a Motus “bat signal” projected onto the buildings north exterior wall. There was a collection of different makes of motorcycles outside, including some vintage rides that had likely been at the Barber Vintage Festival earlier in the day. We didn’t stay long but it was worth it to me.
I am very interested in this machine hand built right here in Alabama. I take great pride in American made and try to be a good patron when possible. A motorcycle being made in my home state takes things to the next level. This is a sport touring oriented motorcycle with a proprietary 1650cc , 165 HP transverse 90 degree pushrod V4 they call the Baby Block. They hand build these at the rate of about 3 a week. I tested one this past summer and it has so much power, fun factor off the charts ! It’s loaded with high end accessories and ready to travel. It’s my someday motorcycle. It’s been described as an heirloom bike. A bike to be proudly passed down from generation to generation. Not cheaply horse traded on ebay. Motus is a small niche bike with a cult following, indeed a small operation , so much so, that I email the president of the company Lee Conn from time to time AND HE EMAILS BACK. He knows me by name when I see him in person. It’s a very personal experience and a real sense of community to be a Motus rider.
Saturday Kade and I went to pick up a leather belt I had commissioned a leather smith to make me. We decided to take the Visions, yes, Visions as in plural , as in both of them. He rode The VisionQuest (the black 08) and I rode Ruby86 (the 10th Anniversary Vision). We got there and picked up my belt. He was doing so well that I mapped out a long way home. What was a 44 mile round trip errand became a 120 mile ride encompassing everything from red light traffic to back road twisties to interstate travel. Thoroughly enjoyable ride. It really got me thinking, his ability to ride the Vision would create some wonderful opportunities in the future to opt for the bikes instead of the X for just about anywhere we went as a family.
By the time we returned, it was time to go to the Motus open house. We took the X in spite of the revelation earlier that Kade could ride the Vision. We had only gotten a few miles down the road when the engine light came on! It is Saturday, the service dept is closed. There is nothing that could be done until at least Monday. It was running fine and all vitals were good but gas mileage on our Ford school bus had dropped from the expected poor reading to unusually poor range. We were stressing out trying to figure out what to do. All I could think about was how much it was going to cost us to drive it to the beach!
During our brainstorming, Kade had gotten quiet. Usually when he does that, it means he has fallen asleep in the back seat. I tried to think of a way that I could suggest (sell) the idea that we put Kade on the VisionQuest and we ride bikes to the beach as a family. I had talked up how well he did earlier in the day. ( I wanted to avoid any conflict that would surely arise if Kade heard me before Kay had a chance to weigh in her opinion. If Kade heard me, he would be pleading the case to ride and I could envision Kay shutting him down with an emphatic NO. Historically that’s how it goes. I felt like she would worry) .
I reached across the console and tapped her shoulder to get her attention and in a whisper (so Kade wouldn’t wake up and hear) said “ why don’t we put Kade on the black bike? He can do it.” Then I braced for the repercussion. Then the craziest thing happened. She said , “ Kade is awake, you don’t have to whisper. If you think he can.” What just happened?!?! Kade said, “ I’m pumped now!” I was pumped now too.
So with this new infusion of excitement, we arrived at the Open House. We found my friend at the door. Shook his hand and I introduced Kade to my friend and the president of Motus , Lee Conn. He had previously met Kay and gave her a hug. We went through the different areas. One area had a Motus employee assembling a Motus, mounting an engine into the frame. Watching that, I began to imagine them building my future fantasy Motus. We went into their warehouse and saw shelves and bins of engine blocks and body parts. It was very interesting to me. They had several Motus parked outside at the block party. They had a cool band, food while it lasted (which we were too late for) and even a Motus “bat signal” projected onto the buildings north exterior wall. There was a collection of different makes of motorcycles outside, including some vintage rides that had likely been at the Barber Vintage Festival earlier in the day. We didn’t stay long but it was worth it to me.
We left to find supper. Kay suggested Red Robin. Excellent choice. We watched some of the Crimson Tide game while enjoying a burger and endless fries.
We had originally planned to leave the next morning but my son in law Dylan is a soldier in the army and he is scheduled to be deployed at the end of the month so we had a last minute change of plans for an early thanksgiving dinner he could be a part of before deployment. So we went to church and then to the dinner. We had a great time with family.
We ended up departing for the beach at 5pm. This would put us riding mostly at night on the interstate, something Kade hadn’t experienced up to this point. We stopped at a Cracker Barrel below Montgomery. Kade was doing great! He was excited and I was excited for him. We talked about the different facets of riding. It’s fun talking to a new rider and reliving their experiences with them. We saddled up for the remainder of our thankfully uneventful ride stopping only for gas and restroom breaks.
We had originally planned to leave the next morning but my son in law Dylan is a soldier in the army and he is scheduled to be deployed at the end of the month so we had a last minute change of plans for an early thanksgiving dinner he could be a part of before deployment. So we went to church and then to the dinner. We had a great time with family.
We ended up departing for the beach at 5pm. This would put us riding mostly at night on the interstate, something Kade hadn’t experienced up to this point. We stopped at a Cracker Barrel below Montgomery. Kade was doing great! He was excited and I was excited for him. We talked about the different facets of riding. It’s fun talking to a new rider and reliving their experiences with them. We saddled up for the remainder of our thankfully uneventful ride stopping only for gas and restroom breaks.
We arrived at our condo at midnight. Tucked the bikes in and settled in ourselves.
The next day we took our time getting up. It was so nice to sleep in. We had been so exhausted from our daily grind. I needed to run to the store for a few sundries for breakfast and snacks, oh and sunscreen which I foolishly paid $12 for! I didn’t even look at the price, I just grabbed it because we needed it, typical male behavior. On the bright side, a bottle of sunscreen typically last us at least a year so we are good for a while.
We had breakfast and headed for the beach. It was sunny but there was an unrelenting east wind making the beach very hard to enjoy. We tried to lay on towels on the beach. The wind was picking up sand and actually stinging at ground level so we moved to the rental chairs which was only slightly better. Hurricane Matthew had just gone up the east coast of Florida, I wondered if these conditions in the gulf were affected. The water temp was uncomfortably cold in October. We did get in but it was shocking initially and the undercurrent was violently trying to pull us down the beach. There is no way I would let small children in under these conditions which I also attribute as a byproduct of Matthew. I was exhausted from fighting to just stay in one place with waves hitting me in the head and current pulling at my legs.
The next day we took our time getting up. It was so nice to sleep in. We had been so exhausted from our daily grind. I needed to run to the store for a few sundries for breakfast and snacks, oh and sunscreen which I foolishly paid $12 for! I didn’t even look at the price, I just grabbed it because we needed it, typical male behavior. On the bright side, a bottle of sunscreen typically last us at least a year so we are good for a while.
We had breakfast and headed for the beach. It was sunny but there was an unrelenting east wind making the beach very hard to enjoy. We tried to lay on towels on the beach. The wind was picking up sand and actually stinging at ground level so we moved to the rental chairs which was only slightly better. Hurricane Matthew had just gone up the east coast of Florida, I wondered if these conditions in the gulf were affected. The water temp was uncomfortably cold in October. We did get in but it was shocking initially and the undercurrent was violently trying to pull us down the beach. There is no way I would let small children in under these conditions which I also attribute as a byproduct of Matthew. I was exhausted from fighting to just stay in one place with waves hitting me in the head and current pulling at my legs.
Finally, we went back to the condo pool. The horseshoe shape of our complex had created a pleasant calm atmosphere around the pool. We hung out there until Kade was “starving “ which he always was.
So, we head out to The Original Oyster House, my favorite eatery at Gulf Shores. We had a wonderful meal and shopped in the adjacent stores. Then Kade, having been bitten by the riding fever, wanted to go for a ride. We rode east into Florida and then back up to Foley, AL. He had some money burning a hole in his pocket and wanted to buy some Birkenstocks at the local outlets.
He found the shoes he wanted and we spotted a Chik-Fil-A next door and we had to have our favorite frozen coffee drink then next door to it was a Krispy Kreme. They were swamped! I ordered a mixed dozen including plain glazed which apparently was the most coveted. He told us there would be a long wait for plain doughnuts so we decided to round out the dozen with filled doughnuts. These would be an extra option for breakfast the next day.
Tuesday was another beautiful day. We had raspberry filled doughnuts for breakfast, by the way, my new favorite doughnut is powdered strawberry filled.
With bikes loaded, we started for home. We stopped in Loxely at the Victory dealer as we sometimes do when we visit Gulf Shores. Consistently the worst dealer I have ever visited. I’m so starved to be around Victory motorcycles that I visit their store regardless. They actually spoke to me this time. They had 3 motorcycles for sale. It’s basically an atv store full of Polaris side by sides. In fact they had them bumper to bumper making it impossible to even look at the wall displaying Victory apparel behind the barricade of atv’s. I’ll never spend a dime with them and probably will not be back.
So, we head out to The Original Oyster House, my favorite eatery at Gulf Shores. We had a wonderful meal and shopped in the adjacent stores. Then Kade, having been bitten by the riding fever, wanted to go for a ride. We rode east into Florida and then back up to Foley, AL. He had some money burning a hole in his pocket and wanted to buy some Birkenstocks at the local outlets.
He found the shoes he wanted and we spotted a Chik-Fil-A next door and we had to have our favorite frozen coffee drink then next door to it was a Krispy Kreme. They were swamped! I ordered a mixed dozen including plain glazed which apparently was the most coveted. He told us there would be a long wait for plain doughnuts so we decided to round out the dozen with filled doughnuts. These would be an extra option for breakfast the next day.
Tuesday was another beautiful day. We had raspberry filled doughnuts for breakfast, by the way, my new favorite doughnut is powdered strawberry filled.
With bikes loaded, we started for home. We stopped in Loxely at the Victory dealer as we sometimes do when we visit Gulf Shores. Consistently the worst dealer I have ever visited. I’m so starved to be around Victory motorcycles that I visit their store regardless. They actually spoke to me this time. They had 3 motorcycles for sale. It’s basically an atv store full of Polaris side by sides. In fact they had them bumper to bumper making it impossible to even look at the wall displaying Victory apparel behind the barricade of atv’s. I’ll never spend a dime with them and probably will not be back.
We get back on the road and ride just south of Montgomery where we get off in Greenville at a Ruby Tuesdays for a burger. It was very good.
From there, I had planned to take hwy 231, 21,77,411 home. We had agenda going down, to get there as soon as possible. I wanted us to have a more relaxed two lane experience coming home. Most of the route was fine but I dare say we would have done better to stay on I-65 until we were north of Montgomery. That was the only annoying section.
Again, we had a pretty uneventful ride home. We all got to enjoy riding the bikes. We got home around 6:30. I thank the Lord for safe travel and a good time with family. Kade’s first motorcycle trip in the books. This was only Kade’s 3rd time in the saddle of the Vision. He had done a 2 mile out and back pilot run, and the 120 mile loop we did one day before the beach trip which was a 794 mile round trip!
From there, I had planned to take hwy 231, 21,77,411 home. We had agenda going down, to get there as soon as possible. I wanted us to have a more relaxed two lane experience coming home. Most of the route was fine but I dare say we would have done better to stay on I-65 until we were north of Montgomery. That was the only annoying section.
Again, we had a pretty uneventful ride home. We all got to enjoy riding the bikes. We got home around 6:30. I thank the Lord for safe travel and a good time with family. Kade’s first motorcycle trip in the books. This was only Kade’s 3rd time in the saddle of the Vision. He had done a 2 mile out and back pilot run, and the 120 mile loop we did one day before the beach trip which was a 794 mile round trip!