Windsor Ruins near Alcorn State University in Mississippi - March 2025.
Our day will be full of family, food and fun as we celebrate in Philadelphia, Mississippi with the in-laws. No riding for me this Christmas but as we get closer to our move to Tennessee I look forward to great rides in 2024 and sharing about the roads, sights and fun I’ll have.
Be safe and enjoy the season!
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| Beautiful autumn day near Iuka, MS |
Like most riders I know I tried to keep my motorcycle in the garage when I am not riding it, detailing/washing it, working on it (depends on what I am doing) or cleaning up my garage. When I lead my yearly Beat The Heat Tours (BTH) I try to reserve vacation rental homes with a garage, but that does not always happen.
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| Beat The Heat Tour 2023 at the Ouray, CO Look Out Point |
If I am staying one or two nights on a trip I don't worry a lot about a garage or a cover, but extended days I will use a motorcycle cover. Take my current situation for example. My wife and I are working on our move from Princeton, TX which is north of Dallas and east of McKinney to the southern part of Middle Tennessee.
So what is a fellow to do? I am using the motorcycle cover I bought shortly after I purchased my 2022 Indian Pursuit. After some research I purchased the Dowco Guardian Ultralite Plus Cover for touring motorcycles. I used it during my 2022 and 2023 BTH tours and it worked well.
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| The Memorial Springs Bridge in Iuka, Mississippi |
When I arrived in Iuka in early November the acorns and leaves were falling consistently and cooler weather would be coming soon. We would be in the rental from early November to January 7 and I knew there would be rain, leaves, acorns and cold temperatures. I know a motorcycle can withstand the elements and weather changes, but why not at least cover the motorcycle?
So I cover the Indian Pursuit when not riding and I must say the Dowco cover has been superb and I am very happy with my purchase.
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| No garage at the Airbnb so a cover is needed |
The Dowco Guardian cover comes with a compression bag that allows compact packing of the cover. The bag has 3 straps to cinch down the top of the bag and compress the cover. The bag is made from the same "durable 75D rip-stop polyester" that will resist tearing and abrasion used for the cover. The fabric also has UV and water-repellent coatings to aid in maximizing motorcycle protection and the life of the cover.
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| Photo by Dowco |
The cover has a light soft lining for the windshield thus reducing the chances of scratching the windshield. There are two vent flaps near the mirror area that allow moisture to escape and not sit on the bike. An adjustable polyester webbing strap is provide to secure the cover as well as two sewn-in plastic eyelets towards the back quarter of the cover for optional tightening of the cover.
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| Adjustable strap to secure the cover | |
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| Eyelets and a bungee cord works great for additional cover security |
This cover is made with quality materials and workmanship. Dowco backs this product with a three-year limited warranty. As far as I can find that is one of the best warranties in the motorcycle cover world.
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| Sewn flaps allow moisture to evaporate from under the cover |
Although not mentioned in any of the advertising material the cover is easy to clean. Since I have been using the cover in lieu of garage it has had leaves, dirt, bird droppings, acorns and twigs on it. Each time I have cleaned it with a cloth and water the dirt, grime, droppings... come off without staining or damaging the cover.
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| The cover is large enough to cover the lower parts of the Pursuit |
I am very pleased with the Dowco cover and highly recommend the cover for short-term or long-term motorcycle protection. I hope this helps as you look for a great cover and it will not break the bank.
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| The Pursuit is cover and protected pretty well for being outside |
I would love to hear your stories, comments or questions concerning motorcycle covers or really anything motorcycle related. Just leave a comment here or on my social media sites.
I love finding a one-off restaurant when out traveling. You know, the place that the locals frequent, the "hole-in-the-wall" place where everything isn't prepackage and/or frozen when it arrives in the kitchen. A place where the waitstaff calls people by their name and knows most of the customers. Well, I found such a place in northeast Mississippi.
From gas station to High On The Hog BBQ
High On The Hog BBQ resides on the north side of US 72 approximately 9.4 miles east of the intersection of US 72 & US 45 in Corinth, MS or about 15.8 miles west of the and US 72 intersection in Iuka, MS. The restaurant is a converted gas station. The pumps have been removed but the awning is there and the space is used for parking.
The people are friendly and welcoming. A smile and "hi" will greet you as you enter. The menu is simple and direct. They want to provide great food not an abundance of choices. You can have sandwich, a plate, family pack or buy the meat by the pound.
Some tasty options
As I was meeting a friend I had not seen in 8 or so years I was "eye-balling" the plate options while I waited. I figured I should try the bbq pork and as I thought about it I don't think I have ever tried bbq in Mississippi.
My friend Stan (on the right), we are ready for some bbq and conversation!
My friend Stan arrived and we stepped up to the counter to order. Once again the friendliness of the staff was authentic and appreciated. We both ordered the pork plate. I had white beans and potato salad and an iced tea.
We sat down at a booth. The place is not heavily decorated but the simple decor provides a country feel appropriate for NE Mississippi. What it might lack in decor is overcome with service and flavor. After a short time the server brought our Styrofoam plate full of what we ordered. A good helping of pork whas dished out on both plates as well as a tasty side portions. Stan had coleslaw and onion rings. They must have been good because there were no leftovers.
Tasty looking lunch served with a smile
Two bbq sauces were on the table. One labeled "Heat" and the other "Sweet." I tried both. The "Heat" was not spicy hot in my opinion (a lot of Tex-Mex may have tempered my opinion). It was not thick at all and I could taste the vinegar base more than I prefer. The "Sweet" was thicker but not by a lot. It had a sweeter taste, but I would not classify it as really sweet. It was my favorite of the two and I used it on the pork.
The pork had a light smoked flavor (not as pronounced as Texas bbq) and a good texture. I really enjoyed it and think next time I will try it as a sandwich. The white beans were cooked with pieces of pork and light seasonings. A big bowl of the white beans and cornbread would be great! The potato salad was not like any I had before. It was mayo based with tasty potatoes. Very different but good flavor and complimented the pork very well.
If you are out riding (or driving) around Corinth, Mississippi and it's lunch time or early dinner stop by and have some High On The Hog. If you leave hungry it's your own fault.
Note hours are Wednesday 10:30am - 6:00pm, Thursday - Saturday 10:30am - 7:00pm and closed Sunday - Tuesday.
Cruisers to touring motorcycle to sport tourers and back to a touring motorcycle - here we go!
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| Ready to ride off the lot with my new Indian Challenger Pursuit |
After 12 years on two different sport tourers, the Yamaha FJR 1300 and the Honda VFR 1200, my wife (we married in 2018) and I discussed getting a motorcycle with more comfort for her so that she could enjoy more miles in a day on a ride and/or a multi-day trip. She enjoyed the VFR, but longer mileage days were tough on her.
The Honda served me well with 72,453 miles in 8 years (2014-2022), including the 8,969 mile Alaskan trip in 2018. We both enjoyed the Honda VFR, but as we aged the comfort decreased. However, the opportunity to ride was about to increase with my retirement from 36 years of public educations. My last day was August 31, 2022.
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| Awesome vista from Alaska Highway 1 between Tok and Glennallen - Honda VFR |
In early 2022 I began researching possible new touring motorcycles: Yamaha Venture (which I had owned in the past), Kawasaki Voyager, BMW K1600, Harley Road Glide and the Indian Challenger were on my initial list for consideration. The Yamaha FJR has been my favorite motorcycle, but pillion comfort level wasn't where we wanted it so I did not give it much consideration. We had ridden a friend's Gold Wing while on our annual summer motorcycle tour in 2019 and decided the Gold Wing was not for us for various reasons.
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| Test road my friend's Gold Wing to see what we thought about it |
During my years of riding the FJR and VFR I became a big fan of the fixed-fairing motorcycle, but I was going to look at other models anyway. The process took about 2 months with several test rides and a lot of reading. While researching the Indian Challenger I learned about the newly release Challenger Pursuit - the touring version of the Challenger.
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| Indian's announcement of the Pursuit on February 22 was great timing for me |
I visited several shops, read a lot of reviews, browsed through manufacturers' websites, talked to friends and listened to salesmen as I gathered information. I narrowed my list and set out to test ride some of the bikes that made it to my short list.
*** Side note #1 - Without naming the manufacturer or shop, I had two different salesman at two different shops of the same manufacturer were openly critical of two of the other models I was considering. Their attitudes were arrogant, presumptuous and off-putting. One told me, "You don't want that," and one used an expletive when mentioned my other considerations. Even if I would have chosen that make, I would not have purchased from either one of those salesmen or dealerships. Salesmen need to be ready to talk about the strengths of the bike they represent not degrade, make fun of or disregard a potential customer's choices and/or preferences. OK, enough about that. ***
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| Indian Challenger - photo from Indianmotorcycle.com |
The Indian Challenger Pursuit was not in any dealerships at the time, so I test rode a Challenger realizing the Pursuit would be heavier, have a higher center of gravity and more features. For the test ride the salesman basically said "here is the bike, enjoy." After a fun, informative and grin inducing test ride the Challenger made an impression. A few days later Jennifer and I went back to the Republic of Texas Indian Motorcycles so she could check out the Challenger, sit on it and ask questions. She and I had a good discussion. When I told her the Challenger Pursuit was leading in my mind she confessed she liked the styling and looks a lot more than any of the others motorcycles I was investigating. She also like the comfort of the pillion and was ready for the change. We placed an order with a small deposit. I had never ordered a vehicle so that was quite exciting..
*** Side note #2 - For the test ride at a different manufacturer's dealership, a shop employee had to lead me on the test ride and it was only 2 miles with 3 right turns! When I returned the salesman asked me what I thought of the bike. I replied "I have no idea, there wasn't enough time to get a feel for it." There was no effort made to extend my test ride or even discuss it. It was then he asked what other bikes I was considering. ***
At the time of the order, March 12th, the expected delivery date was mid to late April. On Wednesday March 23rd the bike was delivered to the Republic of Texas Indian Motorcycles in McKinney Texas! I stopped by the shop and started talking to the GM, Jay. Jay took me to the shop's warehouse area and there was my bike - still covered and in the "crate!" I was pumped! The bike had arrived early. Jay let me uncover the "crate" and see the Pursuit! He also let me take home the tarp covering so I could cut out and keep the Indian logo.
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| My Pursuit! My first time seeing a motorcycle in the crate |
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| Excited for the early arrival |
I was so excited the Pursuit arrived so much earlier than scheduled. The shop professionally and diligently prepped the bike and I was able to pick it up two days later and ride off the lot before noon on that Friday.
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| Ready to head to East Texas on the first ride after getting the Pursuit home |
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| The Arai Nicky Hayden helmet hides a big grin |
My first ride was home to show Jennifer and then I headed to east to Longview, Texas for a Christian Motorcyclists Association (CMA) event. It took me a few miles to get used to some of the differences between sport tourers and cruiser tourers. Here are a few of the most notable differences:
1) A more relaxed riding position
2) Lower revs before shifting
3) Throttle response lighter than the VFR
4) Weight, especially at lower speeds
The Challenger Pursuit has three ride modes, Standard, Rain and Sport. Once I switched to Sport mode the throttle response was great. The other differences began to fade away as I rode more miles.
Five months later, two weeks of riding in Colorado and 5,000 miles on the bike I am loving the Pursuit!
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| The Pursuit powered up Rocky Mountain passes without a pause |
The bike performed flawlessly in the Colorado Rocky Mountains. Powering up passes while riding solo and/or 2-up without the slightest concern. The handling was great on the curvy mountain roads. I rode in the rain, some sleet and even some hail. Jennifer and I were comfortable and enjoyed ourselves as the miles racked up.
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| Independence Pass is a great ride |
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| Cottonwood Pass elevation-12,126. The Pursuit handled the rain, sleet and hail that came down on us |
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| Happy owners |
The 7 inch touchscreen infotainment RideCommand system is easy to see, has numerous functions and is very helpful. Screen displays are customizable with numerous options, which is a nice feature. It took some time to learn it all, but it works great. The tour pack and saddlebags are roomy and look good.
I have not monitored fuel usage or tire wear enough to give quality information, but I will provide a more comprehensive review after a lot more miles. I will also update any mods I may make.
For now I am happy with my purchase and I am looking forward to many more miles of smiles. If you are in the market for a touring motorcycle I recommend you test ride the Pursuit.
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| Oz with new Indian Pursuit |
Yes, I am a listener to podcasts and now I can say I have been a guest on a motorcycle related podcast! I know you wonder, "who on earth would have Ordinary Biker Oz on a podcast?" :) Well, in all honesty, I reached out to Eric Swahn of Eric Swahn Racing about his podcast after reading a Facebook post on a dedicated page for volunteer track workers at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas.
Eric was a flagger at the April 2022 MotoGP races and I was a track marshal for the 4th time at COTA. I read a post from Eric about his Eric Swahn Racing podcast/YouTube channel and decided to listen. After listening to a couple of episodes I sent Eric my "motorcycle resume." I let him know I was available IF he felt I would make an appropriate guest.
He must of been short of guests :) so we scheduled a time for the interview/conversation. I enjoyed the conversation and opportunity to get to know Eric. He is a fellow motorcyclists and race fan. We had several topics to talk about as we recorded his 101st episode.
Take some time and listen to our podcast episode and then let me know what you think. You can find Erica and me on Youtube and HERE. Hope you enjoy it!
