It seems like every time I sit down to write the blog “The Ride,” I’m talking about a new toy.

Last time, it was about a friend’s KTM 690R; that was a blast. This time, it’s the pit bike that I pulled the trigger on. Most neighborhoods allow golf carts so that everyone can roam the neighborhood in a safe and comfortable manner. Not me. My household with with my young son, Van, is pretty destructive, so I opted for an SSR Pit Bike. Extremely reasonably priced — about the cost of a really, really expensive dress.

The bike arrived rather quickly in a box. The assembly time was only a few minutes, and all I had to do was check the oil and put in fuel. The bike fired up on the third kick, and I was off.

Right now, I haven’t had the time to ride it, but I plan to this weekend with a lot of off time. I’ll have pictures to prove it!

Jarrod

Last week, I officially rode my bike to work two days in a row. Not quite a streak, but it was the first and second time this year. Therefore, it is noteworthy information!

There really is nothing cooler than riding your motorcycle into the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, killing the engine and gliding into Gasoline Alley. Not only is there typically a line of motorcycles along the fence, but you instantly line up among some of them most talented people in racing. The racing fraternity is special. Each weekend, drivers, team leaders and mechanics travel the country and compete in intense atmospheres.  Much like the motorcycle fraternity, the IndyCar paddock is filled with friends. To combine those two at the greatest racecourse in the world is outstanding.

So I was thinking.  To combine the two, why not come up with a killer biker gang of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. To be a part of the club, you have to be a member of the racing community! IndyCar, NASCAR and MotoGP personnel can all belong. Think of it as the “Old Timers Club” for two-wheelers in a four-wheeler community. To qualify, you have to prove that you are a part of the event or credentialed as staff, participant or owner!

Through the Red Bull Indianapolis GP MotoGP event, IMS could come up with a great line of specialty items that would cater directly to this hard-working group. Of course, this would not be a large profit center for IMS, but it would be a unique branding experience recognizing those who compete in the industry.

In other news…

My son, Van, now knows how to twist the throttle. My Scrambler is still up for sale, and I may be trading or selling my Tiger for a Supermoto/Enduro.

Not to knock the sportbike crowd, but there really is nothing like riding a super light bike that can do anything. The Tiger is great for the long road trips, but with another offspring on the horizon, I doubt that a long trip will be happening in the near future.  Since I’m nearly grounded to four-hour “2 wheel” vacations, a ligher, fun bike that can do everything is desired.

I’m positive that even if I went down to Brown County with a batch of sports bikes that I’d be able to hang no problem on the windy roads. The only place my buds would ditch me would be on the drag strip. Unlike them, I have no desire to go 100 mph on my motorcycle. It’s entirely too stressful in an “uncontrolled “ environment.

Check them out.  KTM Enduro, KTM Enduro R and the BMW XChallenge … Each of them are 600’s and have both on- and off-road capabilities. Most of my riding on this bike would be on the road, which is fine.  The bikes are built for both.

Enjoy the weekend.  Hopefully it will be rideable.

Jarrod

It’s an off week for the IndyCar Series, and my family and I decided to utilize this time to take a trip to our ranch in Wyoming. Over the past eight years, I haven’t spent much time out here between school and the race season grinds. But since I have a family, it’s great to be able to come out to the middle of nowhere and play in the wilderness.

My Out of Office e-mail reply was supposed to read:

“Thank you for your correspondence. I will be out of the office and in the mountains until Tuesday June 17th. Internet connectivity and reliable cellular service is questionable, so please excuse my inability to respond quickly.”

Well, while I was gone my mailbox was overloaded, and my O of O won’t work. I guess it really hasn’t been a big deal since it’s an off week and a lot of people are taking a day here and there to spend time with their families.

Here are a couple of pictures of our trip. It was snowing here the first two days, and there is still enough to make a snowball or two!

Even while I have been away, we have been trying to figure out what type of dirt bikes we need to get out here. Like I said, with the family it’s really nice to be able to come out to Wyoming and spend time together with ZERO stress.

While we were picking up a Polaris Ranger, my brother Kyle and I test rode an ‘02 KTM 550 dirt bike. We though that it was a little tall for trail riding and was a little too expensive for our uses, so we passed. Kyle is determined to get a couple of bikes out here for the next couple of years.

Maybe next trip we will have a few pictures of the new rides. My mom and baby’s momma keep telling Kyle and I, “The dirt bikes won’t be that much fun out here….” What do they know? They aren’t going to be riding them!

Jarrod