Loosenut Ride 2023
What is the loosenut ride ???? A 3 day motorcycle dualsport ride organised by Steve Fritchely of Indiana.
His nickname and ADVrider name is Loosenut------I don't remember why ????
He's been doing this for years and his ride is free and is always done in a different area--you never know where.
As usual the riders filled up this beautiful state park in Indiana.
How many riders came ?? Nobody has a clue---we guessed 150 ?????

 

Friday 9-3-23

 

 

All manner of bikes show up.......from 125cc to 1,250 cc
Some said it got cold ????

 

 

 

Me and steve on Friday waited for the masses to clear out and headed out on our 125's.
Steve on a Honda Monkey---me on a Honda CT125.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I used to race moto cross for years-----but we never had jumps in those days.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And I had a flat that day----I had all my tools and a new tube------so I thought-----I had no tools.

 

 

 

 

I had no tool kit---I had left it in my trailer. A quick call and I had 2 buddies come help me.......Steve and Roy.
I watched and they did all the work and didn't seem to mind at all that they had to sit in a half dried up pee
puddle where I had releived myself. Thanks guys.
Need a flat fixed---24/7........call 1-800-Fix-Flat.

 

 

 

Back at camp my wife had found our mutual friend Sam Correro--creator of the Trans America Trail.

 

 

 

And Sam had gotten a ride in this buggy.

 

 

 

And Steve had to pull start this broken down BMW with his 125cc Monkey.

 

 

 

And my wife found the perfect bike for her. She thought it was brand new and wanted me to buy one
for her-------it was some 35 years old.

 

 

Part One Video

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Steve had furnished us with many gps tracks to choose from---some harder than others-----so pick your poison.
If it had been muddy------at least half of these tracks I couldn't have ridden.
It hasdrained alot a couple days before the ride---just settled most of the dust and made perfect
riding conditions.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Same bridge from the side

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This crossing took you out to an island and is not crossable a lot of the times.
Famers use this island for their crops. It looked hard but wasn't.

 

 

The couple on the sidecar were so nice and my wife had the best time talking to them.
Meet Sarah and Ben Valach--the Ural was set up so nice.
The guy in the car is Brisco--------I think ????? I've been on many rides with him---really
nice guy.

 

 

 

 

One bike Honda quit making is the 250 Rukus. One showed up-------Honda has missed out on millions and millions of sales.

 

Part 2 Video

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So Sunday Me Loosenut and Ralf on his BMW rode together again.
I call him Billy Gibbons AKA ZZ top lead singer and lead guitar player.

I've tried to pass him off on 2 people on this ride----one a 15 year old girl who never heard of
ZZ Top---go figure. Another lady my age or older who was manning the toll bridge at the
Cannonball bridge we rode over. She had heard of ZZ Top alright but figured out I was full of shit.

 

 

 

 

We were very compatible riding companions and they were amazed at how well my CT125 did.
I despise being in a hurry--------and wished I could turn back time and re-ride all the stuff
I've done in my life slowly---and see all the things I zoomed by.
I think the other guys were OK with that too.
That's why we avoided riding with the masses---and falling into that trap of riding nose to tail,
eating each others dust while seemingly trying to read the license plate of the rider in front of you.
I use too love that.

 

 

 

 

Loosenut knew all about this building which he tells in detail in the video to follow.
That platform hanging out there was supported by 2 harbor freight ratchet straps.
You can barely see them in the picture-----but they are there.
We seen the same thing hanging off the side of a bridge we crossed.

 

 

 

 

 

This is a natural gas pipeline that is going to replace the coal fired power plant near by.

 

 

 

 

 

See that reddish pipe-----that was a line that was bored under the river.
We got to see both sides of the river that it went under.

 

 

 

Steve gave us a full history of the significance of this structure which you'll here in the video below.
Making submarine parts here now.

 

 

 

 

Look close at this picture--------those are spider webs----------I shit you not.
I was getting ready for a godzilla sized spider to come out of the river to the right.

 

 

And the sun was setting---and I called my wife and told her I was safe with friends but would be coming in after dark
and not to worry.

 

 

 

Coming into the campground.
We had another good day riding and I asked myself laying down in bed that night.
"Had I done everything I could have today ???"
Yes I did.

 

Part 3 Video

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