Last Ride to Chatterbox

Final Polar Bear ride to Chatterbox. Owners are retiring and the location will be a WaWa.
From Left: Captain, Grumpy, Scott, Mac with Pogy down front.
Not shown: Fonz and Anonymous Ed.

Motorcycle Polar Bear Blog, Polar Bear Grand Tour, ride to Chatterbox, Augusta, NJ, March 25, 2018

Report by Pogy:

Our ride to the Chatterbox started off with overcast and 34F – Pickup for me was at 0950 so I tried calling The Captain 3 times just to confirm pick up, but his phone was SOL – So I called Grumpy who answered – he was getting gas across the street from the DD and could see the Captains bike so I knew it was a go – As a side bar, Fonz called me to advise that he would be running late and he and Ed would see us down at the Chatterbox

When I arrived at the Pickup point I was surprised to find Scott sitting there – I think this is only the second time this season he has joined us ---   At 0950 the boys rolled by  - Grumpy, the Captain and Fat Mac – So we rolled out and joined up – Grumpy was lead and Fat Mac was tail gunner – 

Ride down was uneventful – Had a few light snow flurries but with the temp being about freezing not an issue – About three quarters of the way down, the Fonz and Ed passed us – Figured they wanted to get to the destination to get a table for us all – which they did!

We arrived at the Chatterbox at about 1120 – This will be the last time to this destination – the owner sold out to WaWa – always good service and food – will miss the place

Riding back there were 7 of us – just before the 80 cutoff, Scott went straight – down to six – along the way we had a pickup truck almost taking out the Fonz – Damn fool was hell bent on getting around us so he just moved into our staggered formation without any regard for us – Nice evasive maneuver Fonz

When we got to the Rt 15 exit on 287, Fonz, Ed, Mac and Grumpy peeled off – The Captain and I continued to 95 – 

Got home in time to do an oil change on the bike and ready it for our next ride two weeks from now

As always, thanks for the Comradery

Ride Safe

Pog

Chatterboxing

CT Bears in Augusta, from left, Mac, Token2, Pogy, Fonz and Captain.

Motorcycle Polar Bear Blog, Polar Bear Grand Tour, ride to Augusta, NJ, March 26, 2017.

By: Token2

Chatterboxing

The numbers bulked up from the prior week with five CT bears on the road. 

The ride began and finished wet, dank and generally miserable. The sorry state of the day was, as always, significantly improved by the bonhomie of the diverse group of souls (and soulless) blokes that make up the pool of CT Bears!

Pogy must have made an absolute flyer out of the Darien rest stop as he found himself in the unusual positon of being the lead bike. Everyone refused to pass him and so it was that he led the ride. Quite competently it has to be said. Meanwhile Fonz who was picked up from a ramp in Fairfield and who covets the sweep role must have been head faked by Mac who perhaps switched off his riding lights to avoid Fonz noticing he was there. Anyway,  by the time T2 (your reporter for the ride) was collected on I287 in White Plains a sense of calm had taken hold and he slipped into the cradle. Fiddling with his heating controls while getting in line (naughty lad) resulted in his speed dropping a tad inviting Mac to take a closer (and first) look at the apparition of the green machine (What the hell is that? Mac asked later.). Mac handled the rear with aplomb despite  an occasional  long awaited call from the front and impatient early departures from the middle (yes, guilty as charged your honor).

The ride out and back followed the TZB, I287, rte 23 and 15. After hitting Rt 23 a brief stop was requested by T2 to attend to his wardrobe malfunction. With toasty toes and fingers restored the group still managed to dismount at the Chatterbox right on time. Getting a table was easy; for a second week in a row attendance seemed light. Perhaps the forecast of freezing drizzle in the highlands of Sussex county had the more circumspect riders staying home. 

Lunch was typical Chatterbox fare and tasty it was too. Several matters of interest to note, Pogy and Capt.  cozied up in an effort to help elected officials better understand what unity looks like. The reader can be the judge of how helpful that might actually be. T2 got pummeled for bringing up healthcare. Mac and Fonz remained stoic through it all continuing to dip fries in ketchup, instilling much needed tranquility at the lunch table.

The more important matters to document are that Fonz collected his 30 point rocker and with a change in work patterns he is hoping to pick up enough points in the tail of the season to go Gold. Gold was the milestone that Mac achieved on this ride after a week or two attending to other commitments.  

A detour to Montvale for refreshments was agreed as was a prior stop for gas. Pogy and Capt’s unity over lunch started to fray early when the allegedly agreed upon gas stop was by pulled in favor of a different plan. T2 stepped up to accept the blame even though he was far away from the action and tried to heal the wounds by supplying gaily colored pink frosted donuts *with sprinkles* in addition to the beverages. Peace and friendship was restored. Life needs more donut moments.

Fonz missed out on the donut treat, favoring a quick return to CT.

We shall gather again to keep the CT Bear fires burning next week.

Longest Distance Polar Bear Ride?

Augusta Polar Bears, from left: CT Blogger, Thumper, Princess the Long Distance Diva, Pogy down front, QEd hiding behind Captain and Scott.

Polar Bear Motorcycles Blog, ride to Chatterbox, Augusta, NJ, March 13, 2016.

By: Chris Loynd

This is one of those cool Polar Bear destinations that I keep thinking I should visit in the summer, maybe with wife Cynthia in the MX5 with the top down. It's a scenic delight, including horse farms and quaint towns. On the way is a coal mining museum.

But this week's ride was all about Princess.

She rode to Augusta, NJ directly from Daytona, Fla. Her timing was off only a little, she found a diner up the road that was open early and waited our arrival.

Joanna rode down to Daytona earlier in the week, an Iron Butt ride on the way down, another on the way back. She attended the Iron Butt meet and got to meet some of the world's toughest riders including Michael Kneebone. Joanna has taken to long distance riding like a fish to water. For those who do not know of the Iron Butt Association, it is a long distance motorcycle recognition organization.

We enjoyed lunch, heard perhaps only some of Joanna's adventures and headed for home.

CT Blogger leading the CT Bears.

Enjoying classic 50's fare, but we were too early for St. Patty's corned beef.

Joanna's odometer for the ride down to Daytona.

Princess and Michael Kneebone.

Daytona princess.