Alec & Cindy Sharp

Sharing the Journey

Alec & Cindy Sharp

My name is Alec and I am from Eastover, SC. I am the father of six and along with my wife and kids we raise fainting goats on our little farm.

My first motorcycle was a 1974 Honda CB250T that I bought for $200 in 1981. That was the first of many bikes. This blog will allow you to share in my passion for motorcycles and the places they can take you.

When I started this travel blog I had just purchased a 2007 Honda Shadow Spirit VT750DC. I purchased this bike new in May of 2008, after years of being without a bike, to be a simple run around bike to save gas and have a little fun on. I had forgotten how exciting traveling on a motorcycle can be. But on a trip to the North Carolina country side I was hit by a truck and left in the road. As you can see I an fine. You can find that blog entry along with the photos under "Hit and Run".

My new bike is a 2007 Suzuki V-Strom. It is the DL650 which most people have nicked named the Wee Strom because its bigger brother is a 1000 cc bike.

I enjoy riding in Iron Butt ( www.ironbutt.com ) events and am a member of the Blue Knights ( www.blueknights.org ). To date I have completed 2 IBA SS1000 and a BB1500.

If you wish to subscribe to this blog and have trouble using the subscribe button just send me a message and I can add you manually.

Enjoy!

Bikes I have owned (in order):

1974 Honda CB250T (Totaled)
1980 Suzuki GS250T (Sold)
1976 Honda CB360T (Stolen)
1989 Yamaha Virago 750 (Sold)
2007 Honda Shadow Spirit VT750DC (Totaled)
2007 Suzuki V-Strom DL650 (Sold) - To start planning and saving for our full-time RV lifestyle.



North America » United States » South Carolina » Columbia September 14th 2012

About a years and a half ago, while enjoying a nice BBQ sandwich at a Ride to Eat with a group of riders from the Motorcycle Tours Forum the subject of tires came up. Of course I was all ears, because my tires were looking very very bald. I was sitting between a rider that rode in on a KLR and another that rode a Suzuki Bandit and they both were raving about their tires, Shinko 705s. They said that the tires had great grip, were very affordable (cheap) and gave them a good 6,000 to 7,000 miles of safe riding. I also talked to other riders, mostly with bigger heaver bikes, that said the millage stinks and the tires were junk. When I got home I decided to try a pair. One of the riders ... read more
Arriving at Big Boy Motorcycles
Old Rear Tire
New Rear Tire

North America » United States » South Carolina » Lexington August 18th 2012

It has been a while since I have had a chance to roam around on my motorcycle. A quick check of my records shows that the last time I actually filled up the gas tank was almost six months ago. It is amazing how life gets in the way of fun. Since my last trip my live in mother in law broke her hip, I have had a change in my work assignment and my grandson has been in the hospital for 40 days. Hopefully we are getting close to being able to bring him home soon. This morning I left out to meet two other riders up at Lake Murray (South Carolina) to do a little riding and grab some BBQ. When I left the house the skies were dark and there was a lite ... read more
Hudson's BBQ
The Food
Corn Field

North America » United States » South Carolina » Greenwood October 28th 2011

For the past five weeks I have been planning on spending a Saturday off to finish my . But between my mother-in-law breaking her hip, the kids’ activities and emergencies at work I never made it. To solve this problem I decided to take a much needed vacation day. In addition to getting my last two needed bonus locations I researched were the Adventure Rider –South Carolina Up-State Tag was located so I could move it along. I left out after breakfast and headed to Lexington County and easily found my first bonus location in Springdale, SC. I got my needed photo and headed off for Callison, SC which is where the Up-State Tag was located. It took a little work but I finally found the tag sitting just beyond a small pond off Hwy. 67. ... read more
Chapel in the Pines
Greenwood, SC
Bell Tower


I woke up to puddles on the ground and dark clouds in the sky, so I rolled over and went back to sleep. A few hours later, after a good cup of coffee and time to watch the sky I decided the rain was leaving and so was I. I pulled the bike out, suited up and headed east to the South Carolina Coast. There were two bonus names (City and Beach) that I needed to get to insure that I received the 35 extra bonus points from the Tour Master. To find all the names and rules of this tour please check out "" . Lake City, SC was my first of many scheduled stops I had planned for the day and was only an hour and twenty minutes east from me right off Hwy. ... read more
Travel Map
Lake City, SC
Lunch


Every time I get on my Suzuki VStrom I am reminded what an awesome bike it is. The only thing that would make it better would be if it was shaft driven so I would not have to bother with its chain. Other than that it is the best bike I have ever ridden or owned. Of course on a 101 degree day I waited until 11:30 am to leave for my little jaunt around South Carolina and because my oldest middle child Harper wants to go I cannot take my Camel Pack. Before we leave I make my son drink a big glass of water and I do the same. After a quick glass of water we load up and make the short 35 miles to Shannontown, which is located just east of Sumter, SC. ... read more
Pinewood, SC
Me
Harper and VStrom


I waited to leave the house until 10:30 in the morning so I would be in Blythewood for lunch. A friend told me that there was a new Bar-B-Que place opening and I thought it would be neat to be one of their first customers. I got to Blythewood, SC a little before lunch so I went and found their town sign for my . The sign was easily located and then I back tracked to the new Bar-B-Que joint. As I pulled into the dirt lot I noticed that there were already five cars there. So much for being their first customer. I went inside and was immediately taken back by the heat. Evidently the air conditioner was not working and it was even hotter inside than the 99 degree weather I had been riding ... read more
Blythewood, South Carolina
"Smoked" Sign
Inside


I was driving my family home from a friend’s wedding and commented to my wife how nice the Saturday afternoon weather had turned out. It was a sunny 82 degrees with just a light breeze. The day before had been wet and dreary and it was nice to have some great riding weather. As I was hinting to my lovely wife how much I deserved a little ride this afternoon, my youngest daughter reminded me that she can now reach the foot pegs and would like to go for her first ride. I said yes and mom gave in and relented with an “oh OK “… I grabbed a map when I walked in the door and planned out a short little ride that would get at least three bonus locations for this year’s Grand Tour. ... read more
Reagan
More Reagan
Horrell Hill, SC

North America » United States May 6th 2011

In the "Travel the USA with KOA Grand Tour" you are asked to find Cities, Towns, Counties or KOA campgrounds. The target names are listed in all capitals in the below little explanation that the hosting group put together: “When you travel, you may go down the HILL, over the RIVER, or through the WOODs. You may travel to a CITY, or just a TOWN. Some people like to travel to the LAKE or spend time on the BEACH. Some like to travel in the SPRING, some in the FALL, but all bikers try to not hit ROCKs on the road, and like to stay in KOA’s." The grand tour is an AMA Grand Tour that is hosted by the Midnight Riders. The rules are simple. 1) You must ride your motorcycle... read more
A close up
Rear of bike with Rally Flag
Twisted ...


Cape Fear 1000 Rally The Coastal Carolina Rally Krewe once again hosted the Cape Fear 1000 Rally in Wilmington, North Carolina on the weekend of April 15 – 17, 2011. I was asked by my friend and Rally Master, Jim B., to assist. I was honored and excited about precipitating in the event. The riders started from three different locations on the 15th at 11:00 in the morning and started chasing the bonus locations. The weather was going to be bad and I felt sorry for the riders. In order to feel more like a Rally rider myself I also left my house in South Carolina at the same starting time. The difference was that I only had to ride 220 miles to get to the Econolodge on Market St. and the Rally riders had to ... read more
This way please!
The riders!
NIGHTHAWK

North America » United States » South Carolina December 11th 2010

12 – 11-10 One thing that I always enjoyed about my Honda was the url=http://www.hella.com/produktion/HellaUSA/WebSite/Channels/Drivers/Products/Performance_Lighting/FF_Series/FF50_FF50_Blue/FF50_FF50_Blue.jsp Hella Auxiliary lights that I mounted on the front forks. I remember riding across the pan handle of Florida on Hwy. 10 at two o'clock in the morning and turning them on. It was almost like being in a football stadium at night watching your favorite team. The lights really illuminated all the Forest Rats (deer) that were grazing on the side of the highway. After wrecking the Honda only one of the Hella lights survived. I put out an S.O.S. call to all my friends on the LD Rider news group that I belong to and had several people offer to donate one of their extra lights to my new V-Strom. Now, how to mount the lights. I located a ... read more
Bike on stand
Look Mom No Plastic
Pre-fit




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