Blue Ridge Motorcycling Magazine

Honda

“I Used To Have One:” Then and now, Honda CT70 & ST125

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While tooling around town on my 1971 Honda Trail 70, I get a lot of comments. Folks praise the sight of the vintage bike, usually parked at the coffee shop or while filling up at gas stations. In traffic, I get a lot of thumbs-ups. People will often roll their windows down just to let me know they “used to have one of those.” It never gets old. And that’s one of the universal … [Read more...] about “I Used To Have One:” Then and now, Honda CT70 & ST125

The Honda of my dreams

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What’s your dream bike? You know which Honda I’ve always wanted? Guess. Nope, not that one. Want a clue? It’s not even a motorcycle. Still guessing? It doesn’t even have wheels. See, the Honda I’ve been lusting over since the first time I saw it — is the vintage illuminated dealer sign. You know the one. “H O N D A.” Red squares, white letters, each being their own light … [Read more...] about The Honda of my dreams

Exploring southwest Virginia’s rock churches

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Bob Childress was on a mission from God. Robert Walter Childress, born in 1890 in a remote area of Southwest Virginia near Ararat, deplored what he saw in his neighbors while he was growing up, thinking them to be untamed, uneducated and violent country people. After a brief career in law enforcement, he dedicated his life’s work to conveying civility through … [Read more...] about Exploring southwest Virginia’s rock churches

Flying on the ground: A tour to the Helen Balloon Festival

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I have motorcycles. A bunch. New ones, old ones. And I ride a lot, nearly every day. Short, far, sometimes for months at a time. Riding is its own unique sensation and operation, and I think that’s why I enjoy it so much. Sometimes if I ride long enough, it even feels like I’m flying. I wonder what it’s like to fly — don’t you? Maybe you know, maybe you’re a pilot or fly … [Read more...] about Flying on the ground: A tour to the Helen Balloon Festival

A dying art: Vintage bike fans form a wrenching community

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Some things, like fine wine, really do get better with time. That describes many things in life, including long term friendships. It can also describe long term relationships with vintage motorcycles. In a nod to what Robert Pirsig said in “Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance,” the word “better” can take on different meanings depending on one’s vantage point. He used it … [Read more...] about A dying art: Vintage bike fans form a wrenching community