Recently, I picked up a new exhaust system for the motorcycle. Now, I’ve been trying to live on the cheap lately so that I can pay off some bills and get some more life into my savings account. However, I found a great deal on these pipes and picked them up for less than half of their retail price.

I put them on the motorcycle a couple of weeks ago, but hadn’t gotten a chance to rejet the carburetors until this past Friday, which I had off from work. I got the carbs back on the bike on Saturday, but didn’t have a chance to give the bike a shakedown cruise until today.

I headed north out of Statesboro. A little ways out of town I passed a chimney in the middle of some trees.

It must have been part of a house at some point, but as you can see, these trees are pretty tall around it. Whatever structure it was a part of has been gone for decades.

Anyway, as you can see from the route above, I went north until I hit GA-17, followed that until US-1/GA-4, took the US-1 Business route into Swainsboro, then popped onto US-80 to head back to Statesboro.

On my way, I passed a sign for George L. Smith State Park. I decided to check it out.

There’s a pond in the park. Trees are growing out of the pond.

There’s a restored grist/saw/cotton combination mill at the park. Here it is from the outside. It was built sometime around 1880.

Here is the original mill turbine (quite rusted) and the ‘original’ diesel generator (which was installed to supplement the water power in the 1950s).

After checking out the mill, I hiked around a trail for about 2.7 miles, and then headed back towards the mill.

I took a seat in a little gazebo, read a chapter in the book I had with me, and then headed back to the bike.

Here’s the saddest part of the trip. When I got back to my bike, there were two other Shadows parked next to it!

They’re matching Honda Shadow 1100 ACE Tourers. The Ace T is very similar to my bike, but set up from the factory as a touring bike. According to the stem stickers, these pretty bikes were built in May of 1998. A check of their odometers, though, revealed troubling news. They only had just over 15,000 miles on the clock.

Here are two beautiful touring bikes, with lots of aftermarket accessories, even: driver floorboards, highway floor boards, GPS, a bike to bike intercom system… all the accessories were matching, of course. But in their 12 years of life, only 15,000 miles on them.

I don’t understand a couple that will drop the money on two great touring bikes, outfit them with hundreds of dollars of aftermarket parts, and then ride them less than 1300 miles a year. Bikes had GA plates too, a further tragedy, as these people live in a place with 10 month – year round riding weather.

Oh well, to each their own I guess.

As for my bike, it performed beautifully. The new jetting feels great on the bike, the pipes sound good, and I still hit just a tad under 45 miles per gallon.

All in all, a good day!

Instead, I found the Sound of Chrome system, also from Kuryakyn. Almost every review I read about the setup was positive, and I was able to get it for $280, new, including shipping on eBay. After trying to be responsible for a while, I finally pulled the trigger and bought it.

I received the package on Friday, and took the time to install it yesterday. The installation only took about 1.5 – 2 hours, with me going very slowly and double checking every step before I did anything. Here’s the story of the installation process.

Here we have all of the parts of the kit laid out.  Kuryakyn really put togehter a nice set up.  They include everything you need in order to properly install the system.  They even include 8 wire ties and small packets of anti-seize compound for the fasteners and dielectric grease for the connectors.  The left speaker is the “brain” of the system; from it comes the connections for the power, right speaker, and input.  It is also where the on/off/volume knob is located.  The clamps allow the mounting of the speakers in a number of different configurations.  Mounting the speakers is the first order of business, so let’s get on to that.

When mounting the speakers you want them to point towards your head for the best results.  because of the way the Spirit’s speedometer  is mounted, there is plenty of room between the windshield and the handlebars to mount the speakers above the bars.  Additionally, when spaced out like this, I think they complement the speedomoeter pretty well.  Note the tank is covered with a towel.  I highly recommend this as I dropped the clamps and bolts a couple of times, and the towel saved the tank from any knicks it would have otherwise received.  You can see the cords for the speakers hanging off.  I ended up using the wire ties to bind them to the switch wires, and then routed them through the front frame cover.

Now it’s time to start the wiring. The instructions tell you to remove the seat. I also removed the side covers (as you need to in order to access the battery) as well as the tank. Removing the tank isn’t necessary, but it was well worth the effort. It would have been a big pain in the ass to try to route all of the wires with the tank on. This photo shows the power wires entering the battery area. I routed these wires under the frame into the battery area from the air box area under the seat.

There was not really anywhere for the noise filter to fit under the seat. I ended up routing the wire under the seat and put the unit in the storage area under the right side cover. This is where I used to keep my insurance / registration info, but I’ve moved them to the saddlebags instead. The cable on the left comes from the battery. The cable on the right leads to the block connector. I routed it back under the seat and over to the left side of the bike. I found it useful to actually remove the battery while routing this cable. Doing so allowed me to keep it much more out of the way on it’s trip up to the front of the bike.

I routed the power cable to the front of the bike along the same path as the other electrical wires. Had I not removed the tank, this would have been very difficult. I used the wire ties along the way to keep the cable in its place.

Here are all of the block connectors hanging out behind the front frame covers. I don’t think I would have been able to get into this area with the tank in the way. This seemed like the best place for the all of the connectors to have their party. Unfortunately, from here, the audio cable does not have enough length to reach back to the handle bars. I had to use the long extension cable they provide for keeping your music player in a place like your saddlebags. I had to coil the cable up, and use a wire tie to keep the coil out of the way up at the handlebars.

Here’s everything put back together. You can see the speakers up on the bars. I think they actually look pretty nice up there. I have an power point as well as a universal mounting bracket on the way that I will add to the handlebars to power and mount the ipod or iphone.

After I finished everything up, I took the bike out for a test ride. For this, I used my old 3rd generation ipod with the wired remote. The remote wire is long enough to reach from the handlebars to my jacket pocket, with enough room to spare. Additionally, the remote controls end up hanging right on the handlebar for easy control.

How does it sound? Pretty darn good for little 3″ speakers. This does not sound like a nice car system, of course. There’s not much low-end, but still much more than I expected. And at 70 mph on a secondary highway I can still hear the music loud and clear. I imagine that it wouldn’t perform as well with the windshield off. I’ll test that soon.

The big downside, for now, is the stupid weather. A week ago I made a comment about missing Pittsburgh. Since that point, it’s been rainy here every day, and is forecast to continue for the next week, with heavy rainfall and thunderstorms at times. This is not typical. The weather is mocking me.

So, there you go. Motorcycle music.

Got out of bed around 9:00 AM. (On a Saturday, shocking!!)

Walked a beagle.

Cooked an actual breakfast. I used a pan and the stove and everything.

Performed surgery on my laptop (had to take the entire thing apart to replace the touch pad and to clean out dust).

Took all of the accessories off of the Shadow. Because I then..

Washed the bike, and gave it two coats of polish.  I hadn’t washed it last since sometime in the late fall, probably.

Reassembled the bike and admired its shinyness.

Made pizza dough.

And I did all this while rocking out to a shuffle of songs on the iphone that would have made The AntiDJ circa 2002 very happy.

Later tonight there will be pizza baking, possibly a movie.

Tomorrow I may go all folksy and ride to Vidalia for the Vidalia Onion Festival. I’m not sure how great a whole festival planned around the might sweet onion will be, but I live in fucking Georgia—what else am I going to do on a Sunday?

Yesterday afternoon I decided to hop on the bike and ride North up U.S. 301. On my drive to and from Pittsburgh for the AFC Championship game in January, I took US 301 to US 321 before hitting I-77. What I noticed about these roads was that they were both pretty empty as far as traffic goes, and, especially in the case of 301, it was clear they were once major through roads.

Before I-95 became operational in the area sometime in the 60s or 70s, US 301 was one of the major, if not the most important, North-South routes from Florida all the way up to north of D.C. In Georgia and South Carolina, this is clearly seen in the sheer number of motels that line the road. Most of these buildings are shut down, and those that are open mostly seem to cater to more permanent residents these days. There are also a large number of closed up rest stops, service stations, and other business around the route. For the most part the road is in very good repair, and the traffic is very light, which makes it an ideal route for a ride.

I decided to grab my camera, hop on the bike, and ride a little bit over the border into South Carolina. The farthest north I reached was Allendale. From that point, I turned around and stopped along the way back to capture some of the sights of the decay I saw.

If I had been smarter, I would have pinned the locations on Google Maps with my iphone. I did not, however, so you get no precise coordinates for these sights. Let’s begin:

The first photo is taken from right in front of the first location of which I took pictures. We’re a few miles south of Allendale, SC, and this is a view of the road north. In Allendale there is an elementary school, which still appears to be in use, but it is surrounded by a locked fence with barbed wire on top of it. This demanded a picture, however, I was in an area where there actually were lots of people, and I didn’t want to be the creepy guy taking pictures of an apparently active elementary school. As you can see 301 is, at this point, a divided 4 lane highway. It alternates between this mode, an undivided 4 lane highway, and simply a two lane highway throughout it’s span.

This is the first location I photographed. I have no idea what the purpose of this building once was, however, it has been almost completely swallowed by the forest which is creeping back towards the road. I would have taken pictures inside, however I was dissuaded by the very powerful smell of rotting or sewage, as well as a extremely large vulture flying out of the top of the building as I approached. Unfortunately, I wasn’t quick enough with the camera to capture Mr. Vulture.

What ever this place was, it needed outside exiting toilets, apparently. This makes me lean towards thinking it was probably a gas or service station, however there was no place where I could see the remains of a pump, nor any attached garage that still stood. I think I can hold it for now.

It was apparently also extremely well lit (or not). This tin-can light seems to be the only thing that would have provided light in the front, with the exception of any fixtures that may have fallen off of the front of this very low building.

This was apparently once some sort of South Carolina Welcome Center (here). It’s shut down now, with orange barrels blocking the entrances… not a problem for the motorcycle. The sign in front now reads “Lower Savannah River Alliance”, and sure enough, according to a Web search, this is now their headquarters. As you will note, on that site the picture of the building has fake animated flags added. That’s probably necessary as there aren’t any ropes or pulleys still attached to those flag poles. The place really doesn’t seem to be in use at all, currently, though, and the site I linked too claims it was last updated in 2005. It also links to, on it’s front page, a flier for a October 2005 meeting.

Leaning against a fence behind the building is the old “South Carolina Welcomes You” sign. As it turns out, South Carolina no longer welcomes you.

Speaking of this fence, here’s the remainder of a sign posted on the fence. Something about sewage and a pond. A warning to keep out. Keep this in mind for later.

About 5 miles South (actually, mostly West), and on the opposite side of the road, is the Georgia Welcome Center (still operational, thank you very much).

According to that plaque on the front of the building, this ultra-modern looking travel stop was built in 1960. While I’ve tried to pin down a date on the Internet as far as when I-95 opened through Georgia, I can’t find anything definite. The more I look, the more likely it seems to be sometime in the 70s. At any rate, look at this flashy new rest stop.

While the old SC rest stop had some picnic tables in the wooded area, the Georgia stop really pulls out all of the stops. It has dog walking trails as well as nifty swings and picnic tables as seen here. You can also see the metal charcoal grills provided for all of those people who travel with… charcoal… and raw meat… Seriously, has anyone ever seen one of these rest stop grills in use anywhere?

But now check this out… Right behind the picnic area… what’s this? A barbed wire-topped fence and another keep out sign. That’s right, it’s another Water Treatment station. What is it with these Southerners, rest stops, and sewage? Also, what a department… the Georgia Department of Industry, Trade, & Tourism… that’s quite the wide net.

We’re going to head North back into South Carolina for a little bit here. I wanted to put the two rest stops together in this story, and to combine my two adventures “off road”. I actually visited the Georgia side of this stuff first, but that’s not important.

Here we are right here. Currently the 4 lane divided 301 merges back into a 2 lane highway. This may not have always been the case. We’re about to take a trip down an abandoned parallel stretch of road. According to the director of my department, this section has been closed off at least as long as she’s been in Statesboro, which is 30 years. She uses the 301 route to visit her family in North Carolina. She tells me this has been closed down at least as long as she has been making the trip.

This picture is a view to the north from the start of the abandoned spur.

Here you can see the view South, with my bike in front of the barrier. To the left of the barrier were four-wheeler tracks, and I probably could have tried to get my bike around, but it certainly wasn’t level. My bike is also heavy. The way around was also dirt. I’d try it on a dirt bike, but certainly not on the Shadow. Let’s walk.

In the first photo you could see that the asphalt was somewhat intact for some stretches of this old road. As you can see here, there are some points where the dirt and plant life have reclaimed the surface.

Here’s a shot of the active 301 from the abandoned part. This was taken from a span that bridges over swamp land. Note the solid concrete construction of the “modern” 301.

Abandoned bridge shot.

As you can see here, the trees are literally swallowing this old span. This is a common sight all along the old bridge.

This picture is from a little bit further South/West. I’ve hopped back on the bike and had ridden almost to the state line. I’m right about here. On the map, you can see the driveway leading off of 301, it turns into a dirt road and then just a grass road that goes underneath the modern 301 span. Anyway, this picture shows the very solid concrete construction of the “modern” 301 span.

A shot to show scale. Also a shot to show you how nice it might actually be to hang out under a secondary highway. The water to the left is, of course, the Savannah River.

Here’s a shot from underneath the abandoned 301 span. Notice anything? Yep. The damned thing is held up by wood. Wood! Maybe I shouldn’t knock it, though. It’s still standing after over 30 years of disuse, and probably no maintenance.

In this shot looking West, you can see across to the boat ramp (that we’re about to visit) in Georgia. You can also see a pontoon boat moored in the middle of the river to the disused swing bridge over which the abandoned 301 stretch used to cross. The sign on that pontoon boat reads: “No Trespassing United States Department of Energy”. What the hell does the DoE have to do with an abandoned swing bridge?

Here’s a picture of the center portion of the swing bridge, swung open of course, from the South Carolina side. Also, Swing Hut! What a neat little control room. I wonder if they could power that thing up and swing it closed. Probably not, but the idea of old technology being powered up after decades and doing what it is supposed to do really excites me. Is this a problem?

This landmark sign (located approximately here) is dated 1953. 301 has a number of them, and they’re all in places that are really inconvenient if you want to read them. I passed one place where there were 3, right in a row, spaced about 4 feet apart from each other, in the middle of a divided section of the road, with no shoulder to pull over onto if you did want to read them. Anyway, we’re now on the Georgia side of the border, looking North (er East). The road in the background goes to the boat ramp.

A helpful stop sign reminds you not to drive into the river.

Apparently we’re at the Burton’s Ferry Public Boat Ramp.

Apparently this boating dude (you can’t see the trailer attached to his truck) has decided that not only is this a great place to launch his boat, but he’s also parked his truck under the abandoned span and set up camp for an extended stay. That’s a lantern on a pole next to his truck. Along with a small grill, a cooler, and a campfire setup. Free camping?

Anyway, it was time to hit the road again. I headed South and stopped at this site, somewhere in Screven County, GA. We’re apparently at the defunct Roberson’s service station. As you can see in the upper left hand corner, there’s a Mechanic on Duty just in case I’m having bike problems!

Here’s the front room of the station. It has seen better days.

Let’s take a look into the garage from the outside. Apparently this is where the K-9 Posse keeps it’s supply of 80s women’s casual shirts. Good to know. Also, as you can tell, Roberson’s was very solidly constructed. It’s not like that’s the cinder block wall separating in the back or anything.

Well, as it turns out, there’s not much going on at Roberson’s. Luckily, I still had plenty of fuel in the tank.

A bit further south in Screven County is our last stop for the day. Welcome to the Pineview Motel. I think it’s called Pineview because it’s Pine trees that block your view of the sign.

The sign was pretty blocked in the first shot. Here’s it from the Southern exposure. Lets see, why did the Pineview fail? Maybe it’s LOW “COMRCIL” RATES were not low enough? FREE CABLE HBO ESPN TBS seems like a good idea. Maybe it was the LONG TERM RATS? I’m going with the rats.

As you can see the Pineview Motel has been closed for quite some time.

I’m not sure those dishes are likely to still get my HBO ESPN TBS. What do the rats say?

It’s a broken neon sign. It once said Office. What do you want from me?

Yep, it’s the old office. The windows are broken out. Shocker. Maybe I can find someone to get me a room here.

Here’s one of the rooms in the Pineview Motel. Small room, but what a pretty painting of a ship!

Anyway, that’s all there is for today, folks. After the Pineview, I hopped back onto the Shadow and rode back into The ‘Boro. There are literally dozens of sites just along the short stretch of 301 I took that are in various states of decay. Maybe I’ll visit some more soon, or maybe I’ll head out of Statesboro in other directions to find neat stuff.

I hope you enjoyed them.

Tomorrow I’m heading up to CT for an extended weekend. The original plan was to ride my pretty pretty blue friend on up to the homeland, but I decided against it.  The forecast is calling for rain all week long.  Now, I wouldn’t have minded rain on either the ride up or back, as that’s what rain gear is for, but it’s also just going to be rainy for the whole trip.  Given I don’t have any indoor parking for the bike in CT, and it wouldn’t really be great riding weather on any of my days up there, making this a bike trip just really doesn’t make sense.  I’m disappointed.

I should get a chance to see some folks though, and I’m scheduled for a trip to Foxwoods on Friday.  Hopefully I can reverse my horrible trend from Vegas at the tables when I’m back in my own neck of the woods.

Also, I finally saw the Transformers movie, and it was Good.  Like, as in God looking upon his creation and it was Good kind of Good.

Ok, I’m done now.