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Bike Week approaches
Daytona Bike Week starts February 26 and for those of us who have been stuck in three major snowstorms since Dec. 18 here in the Blue Ridge Mountains, the lure of sun, surf and sex sounds very appealing.
I'm not much for large bike rallies. I don't drink, so hanging out in bars has little appeal. I'm happily married, so leering at bikini-glad beauties doesn't accomplish much and I'm too broke to afford a new rear tire so burnouts are out of the question.
Big motorcycle events like Bike Week and Sturgis have grown into overblown vendor shows and places for wannabes to act tough.
But getting away from the bitter winter that has gripped this area has a lot of appeal.
I've ridden about five times since Dec. 18 -- less time in the saddle than ever and it's driving me crazy.
I need to get on the open road and put some miles on the Super Glide.
So I'm thinking about Daytona -- if I can afford to go and if the weather clears and if I have the time.
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Here's my story for what it’s worth. I just turned 59 so I am one of the geezerish bike riders one see on the road. I’ve been riding a motorcycle since I was 15 and since my dad wisely refused to let me have a street bike I bought a Honda 250 that I chopped into something of a mountain style rider that I rode in the hills of Hawaii where I grew up. When I was 17 I bought a Bultaco Matador trials bike and that was a very fun mountain bike to ride due to it light weight and high torque at low rpms. At 19 I gave up riding and sold the Bultaco.
Since then I would borrow a friend’s bike from time to time and take a spin but in 1988 I broke down and bought my first street bike, a 1988 Harley Low Rider Custom FXLR. That was a very sweet ride and I did a few marathon rides on it (putting on around 35k by the time I sold it) but in 1998 I decided I was geezer enough for a full dresser so I bought a 1998 Electra Glide FLHTCI that I own to this day. I have done many long distance rides (mainly from Eugene Oregon to Colorado Springs and back). My sister lives there and he husband has a bike. I’ve ridden from Eugene to Colorado Springs up to Saskatchewan, back through Alberta and BC, down through Idaho and back home. Been to Southern California and back and BC Canada and back. Done the Colorado Springs ride 5 times since 1989 and will do again this summer and ride back with my brother in law. He's been itching to do a long ride for many years but wants a partner along so I will oblige him while he breaks his virginity.
I love marathon rides but always go it alone. My wife will join me on the back for one hour rides near our house but she is OK with me taking off for marathon trips when I feel like it. She's a good woman. I find riding in groups to be tedious as getting everyone on the same pages as far as when to stop to sight see, eat, piss etc is always a dilemma. I would rather decide to go my own pace and stop when I want. So this summer will be the first time I will have done a multi day ride with another biker. Never been to Sturgis or any big biker event either because looking at a bunch of real and wanna be toughs getting drunk and stupid and leering at the small number of women at those event doesn’t turn my crank.
Twice on a ride out to The Springs I joined in for awhile with a group heading to Sturgis but then broke off and headed south only to run into another group while we rumbled east. But I kept splitting off and heading south so they never could figure out what in the hell I was doing. As the timing of my trip coincided with Sturgis I ran into other groups heading back west on my way home. That was about enough group riding for me.
In all my long trips so far I have been lucky enough to only have one breakdown so far. It was a broken final drive Kevlar belt but it just happened to have happened in Oakland CA when I was very near a bike shop. Luck has been with me so far. Hope it lasts. This post is long enough for now but I have some amusing stories to add later when I feel motivated. Happy and safe riding out there.