Wednesday morning was clear and sunny and there was a great view of Mt. McKinley, aka Denali, from the Parks Highway monument. The mountain was out for most of the day though afternoon clouds covered parts of the peak later in the day. We were heading down to Anchorage for a couple of days as I am attending the ARIN Road show. ARIN is the American Registry of Internet Numbers, the same group that you would request IP (Internet Protocol) addresses and ASN (autonomous system number) for you business or ISP. I'm not really sure what to expect from this meeting but it was hard to pass up the opportunity. BTW, we are driving the Prius and not on the sidecar. Way better gas mileage…
After checking in the hotel, we had some free time and headed down to see Mickey, the owner of Mickey's Muffler aka Slick Mick Manufacturing aka Classic Motorcycles & Urals of Alaska. He mentioned that he only had two 2014 models left in his annual allocation. This grey Gear-Up is one of them and the other still in the crate is identical. He had just recently returned from his training session on the new model and had a lot of positive comments about the EFI system though he still feels much more comfortable with carbs. He had asked where I had seen the 2014 model Ural before and as soon as I mentioned Colorado, he said "Redlegs?" with a smile. So, Dom, you are warmly remembered.
Bridget was wondering about the ride so she went on a ride with Mickey on his demo reg. She said that mine felt like riding on a jackhammer by comparison. He didn't have the windshield on so she thought that it was a bit breezy.
No deposit down, no purchase but maybe next year.
Posted with Blogsy
Richard, what did you say? Maybe next year? I'd love to see that.
ReplyDeleteAnd nice shot of the Denali. It's one of the most impressive mountains I have ever seen.
IP, IPv6, ASN. I guess I could've come up with more acronyms. Yes, maybe next year on the Ural. The 2WD and reverse is almost too difficult to ignore. Plus, Bridget says that the ride is much better, even comfortable, is another attraction.
DeleteDenali was clear and almost cloud free all morning as we headed south. The shot from Fairbanks shows that visibility is 200+ miles.
no deposit? you know they're throwing in the third year warranty for free right? no time like the present!
ReplyDeleteNeed to see what problems arise on the new 2014 models during the next year from those who like living on the bleeding edge. It was also great to meet Mickey and see his rig in person.
DeleteRichard:
ReplyDeleteSee, it starts with just a look, and now just a touch, and eventually you go for a demo ride.
Think 2WD, and Reverse . . . only 2 units left, don't wait too long
bob
Riding the Wet Coast
One of the reasons for the visit was for Bridget to take a short ride. This wasn't the only reason but one that I was curious about. Especially with the uncomfortable ride to Nenana a couple of weeks ago fresh in her mind.
DeleteThere's still something missing from my fleet.......I inch ever closer.
ReplyDeleteYou can never have too many bikes in your fleet, eh? Or add a sidecar to one that you already have.
DeleteHmm sounds like Bridget would be good with a Ural. A smoother ride for her might mean more rides together and that would be fun for you two.
ReplyDeleteYep, that's what she said. It does ride pretty nice, in fact I was having trouble staying awake in Dom's sidecar it was so smooth and quiet. Well maybe not very quiet...
DeleteI am pretty sure RichardM that while the engine wasn't very quiet, it didn't stop someone from dozing quite well on the ride back from Skyline drive! ;)
DeleteSleeping in side cars. Not something any reasonable person would expect.
ReplyDeleteRichard, it occurs to me for the first time, you're a hacker squared!!
The one that surprises me was hearing about pillion riders falling asleep. The Ural sidecar is surprisingly comfortable. Combine that with the drone of the engine, a warm day and lunch and you have napping in the sidecar...
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