The winter that wasn't (so far)

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lonerider

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Weather around these parts has been really strange this year. A few cold spells, two snowfalls that were light enough (1-2" max) to sweep with a broom, and unusually warm temperatures. Since I'll be incapacitated after next Tuesday, I though I'd better take advantage of this gift and get a few last rides in. Fired up the little Soozuk for some back roads. I've passed this old traction engine many times, looks like it's been a while since it last ran

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I'll bet this old stone house was a lot of work to build. No one has lived here as long as I remember, but someone took the trouble to put a fairly new metal roof on it. Maybe attempting to preserve it as much as possible till they have the money to restore it? I hope so.

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Up through Catoctin Mnt. Park. Most everything is closed up this time of the year but, if this barricade is up in the busy season, it usually means somebody important is at Camp David.

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Ready to drop down back to civilization just west of Emmitsburg. Really strange to see everything looking like the middle of winter and 69 degrees on the bike's thermometer.

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And, of course, a quick trip through Gettysburg battlefield park. The unusually warm temps haven't started anything blooming here yet, but in a month and a half, there will be redbud starting all over the place. This is one of the most visited spots - the grove of trees (on the left) and the angle in the stone wall (by the lone tree on the far right) that was the objective of the famous charge on the third day of the battle. One of my most vivid memories of long ago was standing on this road watching a long line of Union reenactors crouching behind the stone wall between the grove and the angle firing on Confederate reenactors reenacting the Pickett, Longstreet, Pedigrew charge. That was July, 1963, the last reenactment that the Park Service allowed on Park property.

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Great day for a ride. Don't know what's going on with this weather - been some big snows to the north of us and some torrential rains to the south, but this is in line to be one of the driest, warmest winters in these parts in my memory. 'Course, we could still get hit hard in March, but I'll enjoy this while I can.

 
Nice ride! Enjoy the weather while you can...for the PNW it's been one cold wet winter, and it's not over yet.
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--G

 
The old Intruder looks very nice with the hard bags. Thanks for sharing your ride.

 
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I believe that's one of the Suzuki Madura models. V-4 if I remember correctly? Coworker at an old job gad one for a while.

Great pics and thanks for taking us along!

 
The old Intruder looks very nice with the hard bags. Thanks for sharing your ride.
Thanks, I paid $1800 for it in 2000 with 8700 miles on it. Aside from being my back road bike, it's been a good test bed for any accessories I might want to add to the other bikes.

 
I believe that's one of the Suzuki Madura models. V-4 if I remember correctly? Coworker at an old job gad one for a while.
Correct, it's the 700 model. Pretty rare bike; Suzuki only made them in 1985. In 16 years of owning it, I've never seen another, except at the Madura rallies. Very low maintenance and it's been quite reliable. With a set of E 360 bags and a waterproof bag, I've used it as a light touring bike. Thanks for your interest in a rare old timer.

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Nice report.

Last summer when I dropped my bike off to get a new tire put on the owner of the shop asked if I could do him a favor, I said sure. He pulled out a Madura then said no one has been on this for a couple years and needs a couple tanks of gas run thru it, I said I can do that. In addition to that I washed the dust off when I got it home. Fun bike to ride, wish it has a bigger tank.

 
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Nice report.
Last summer when I dropped my bike off to get a new tire put on the owner of the shop asked if I could do him a favor, I said sure. He pulled out a Madura then said no one has been on this for a couple years and needs a couple tanks of gas run thru it, I said I can do that. In addition to that I washed the dust off when I got it home. Fun bike to ride, wish it has a bigger tank.
That 3.4 gallon tank is a sore subject among a lot of owners, hence the 3 gallon auxiliary tank on mine. One of the favorite sayings on the Madura board is, "It'll pass everything but a gas station".

 
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Nice report! I want to get back that way soon as I am a civil war freak and can't get enough of the history. We need to visit the Dr Mudd farm sometime soon as well. My paternal Grandmother was a Mudd so I am a distant cousin? When we went to Antitetam we ate in a sports bar in Sharpsburg and the wife looked around at all the Raven's regalia and was glad neither one of us wore any Colts gear that day

 
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