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Featured Member -
July 2005
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Name
– Doug Middleton
Nickname – None as
of yet, but am
sure that will change soon enough
Location –
Leesburg, VA
Hometown
– Leesburg now; used to be the eastern
shore of Maryland
Marital status –
Married to a wonderful girl, Melissa
Children – Two boys
of my own. Also, a stepdaughter and a stepson
Age
– 43
Occupation
– Diesel Mechanic
Current motorcycle
– 2003 Yamaha V-Star 650 Classic Silverado
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How did you
hear about the SCRC and when did you join?
Found it on the Internet. Joined some time
last year…can’t hardly remember yesterday, let
alone last year!!
How long have you been riding?
Including dirt bikes, about 30 years off and on.
Street bikes, ‘bout 10 years
Have you ever taken a motorcycle safety course?
No, but I want to eventually to help get better
with the bike
What was your first bike?
Very first bike was a mini bike with a 5 HP Briggs
and Stratton engine. Ran pretty good until I
decided to use paint thinner instead of gas. Ran
real good that day for about an hour. First street
bike was a 1980 Honda CX 500C
How many bikes have you owned?
4 street bikes
Why do you ride?
Same reason I sail…I love the feel of the wind and
the way it relaxes me and the way it makes the
stress of every day life go away. Besides, it’s
just plain fun!
Have you ridden with an organized group before?
No, not until the SCRC
What modifications have you done to your bike?
If you ask Melissa, too many! Actually, I have
modified the intake, rejetted the carbs, gutted the
exhaust, floor board extensions, bikini beach
bars, hard bags, tear drop tail lights, and of
course, a custom paint job. I am sure I forgot
some though…
What accessories do you want to add to your bike?
Hmmm, that’s a hard question. Want to get some
handlebar speakers, change the air intake system,
maybe some different pipes, trailer hitch w/
trailer...and the list goes on!
What is your dream bike?
A Gold Wing set up for touring with a matching
trailer
What kind of riding do you like to do –
straight-aways or twisties?
I like the twisties, but am not as fast as some
people. I tend to be more of a flower sniffer type
rider.
If you have a nickname, how did you get it? Tell
the truth!
Been very, very careful not to give you guys a
reason to give me one yet…LOL!
What is your favorite riding route?
As of right now, would have to be the route we
took on the NOVA loop… but I am sure that will
change.
Do you ride your bike to work?
I ride year round to work, regardless of the
weather unless there is ice on the road
What is the fastest you’ve ridden?
Took my CX up to 120 one time…that was plenty fast
enough for me!
What is your favorite time of year to ride?
Spring when all the new fresh smells are in the
air and also Fall with the leaves changing colors
Have you ever been down? If so, how were you hurt
and what did you learn from the incident?
Yes, I was rear ended back in January on Rt. 28.
Wasn’t hurt, very lucky in that respect. Learned
several things from it. I now watch my mirrors
much more closely. Learned that cagers just don’t
see anything, and when it comes to a motorcycle
accident with a cage in certain areas, cops just
don’t care about bikers. Sorry to all you members
who are police officers, but you all know my
dealings with this one…
Have you ever done an “Iron Butt” ride?
No, but does sound interesting.
If not, what is the furthest you’ve ridden?
1400 miles in 3 days
What was the worst weather in which you’ve ridden?
Got caught in two snow storms back when I had my
CX 500
Do you know how to work on your bike?
I do all my own work on my bike
What is your favorite road song?
Don’t have a favorite one but now that Melissa
bought me a Sirius Satellite radio, I sure do like
listening to my country music when cruising!
What was your most adventurous ride?
When a couple of buddies and we went to Cass, West
Virginia. Took a really twisty road, and one of
the bikes went down. Some pretty serious twisties
on that road.
What rallies or events do you like to attend?
Haven’t attended too many, but prefer to go places
that aren’t too wild, more of a family type
atmosphere.
Is there someone who rides “two-up” with you?
My wife Melissa rides with me as much as possible.
She loves to ride as much as I do!
Off the cuff from…Doug
"Off the cuff from me huh…I moved up here almost 2
years ago from the Eastern shore of Maryland. Had
been dating Melissa for a little over a year
prior. Finally got married to her back in May. We
picked out this bike together and have been
enjoying riding together since the first day. A
lot of people have said we will want to move up to
a bigger bike, but got to admit we are loving our
little ole 650. Back in January the bike was
totaled when I got rear ended on my way to work.
We bought it back from the insurance company and
you see now what we ended up with! When we first
got the bike we thought it would be nice to meet
and ride with others that shared our same
interest. Since neither one of use drinks, we
wanted to find a group that wasn’t all about
partying. We found the SCRC group, and haven’t
regretted it at all! From the first meeting we
went to, this group has made us feel very welcome.
We even had a few of them to the wedding!
Definitely looking forward to meeting more members
and doing a lot more rides with this group!
And don’t let Ricochet fool you…she doesn’t have
that great of a memory, she just has one of those
fancy thingies she keeps notes in all the time.
Had me fooled for a long time! LOL"
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