Travelin' Man Day 5

So finally they made it to their destination. All the riding, rain and breakdowns were for this moment.  How do you make sure you get the most out of it? You make sure you are part of the first 20 bikes there and get front row parking. 

Here's a pic later in the day to give you perspective. 

You name it in the motorcycle world and it was probably there. They got to see stunt riders and TV stars. There was free food and free installation of parts bought.  They both won door prizes for riding over 1000 miles to get there.  Rodney took advantage of the free installation to get a fairing on his bike.  I guess I know who will be riding lead now! 

Now first stop tomorrow will be the National Motorcycle Museum in Anamosa. After that, with a new stator and new fairing, who knows? These guys could show up anywhere, so keep a look out. 

Travelin' Man Day 4

Well, even though this day started out with Iron Man in the shop, it ended much better. Rodney got the part right away and the guys were able to get started on their work in no time. No here is a sight you don't see often. Somebody else working on something Steve owns, but most especially his bike. 

They were done with the bike by 12:30. Big shout out to  Chipp's Harley Davidson in Osceola, IA. They really went the extra mile to help Steve get back on the road. Even fed the guys lunch. They treated them as well as our local dealer Chunky River in Meridian, MS treats us. 

Now on to Anamosa! This day was not a long day. Only 173 miles. Of course about 70 of those were into a 35 mph head wind and another 25 in pouring rain. Trust me it doesn't matter how much rain gear you have on. Riding in the rain is miserable. They made it to their room by 5. Iron Man ran great all day. Now all they needed was a hot shower and to dry out. 

That room isn't a mess because two guys are staying in it. It's because every surface is draped with something that needs to dry out. The whole place smelled like wet leather. That's not nearly as pleasant a smell as dry leather.  I imagine they both slept like babies this night because they knew they finally made it. And the next day they would be at J&P Cycles 34th annual rally. Albeit a day late. 

Travelin' Man Day 3

Well, we'll put this day down as the shortest day of riding so far. About 80 miles into this day Iron Man (Steve's bike) began rebelling against the heat. It started with speedometer quitting, then there were a couple of hiccups and nothing. The charging system was kaput. Thank goodness for HOG roadside assistance. It still took over an hour for the tow truck though. So what's a guy to do?

Enjoy God's beautiful creation and man made technology of course. At least it wasn't raining. After the tow truck arrived, Steve got a nice smooth ride to the nearest Harley dealer in Osceola, IA.

The owner of the dealer and the head tech guy stayed a bit overtime on a Friday night to check out the bike and determine that the stator had went bad. (Love these guys already and I've never even met them. Can't imagine the dealer in Jackson, MS would even consider that.) The game plan was for Rodney to go to Des Moines first thing in the morning for the part.  Hopefully they'd be on the road by lunch.  Until then all they could do was find a hotel.  So why not find one in sight of the dealer? If you know Steve, you know he's not going to let even the building his bike's in very far out of his sight.

So on day 3 they only made it as far as Osceola, IA rather than the destination of Anamosa, IA.  But you know what they say? It's not the destination, it's the journey. 

Travelin' Man Day 2

So day 2 went much smoother than the first. After 534 miles in one day it was time for an easier day. Of course the first order of business was a new battery. That took two trips to get the right one. (How silly you are to think they'd give him the right one first on this trip!)  Weather was a concern on this day. They were ready with their rain gear, but it was barely a problem. They just hit enough to get the bikes a little dirty. That alone is enough to make Steve's eye twitch but somehow they managed to thread their way through the dry patches of the thunderstorms all day.  They arrived safely in Maryville to a steak dinner and a cold beer. 263 miles down today and even got 45 mpg from one tank. Maybe things are looking up.  I'll leave you with pics of one of the ones they visited in Eldon. This is Cocoa aka Sidewinder because of the cast. (Yes, my uncle Dan has a sick sense of humor. I come by it rightly.) No worries though. Cocoa was born with a bum leg and the vet thinks the cast will straighten it.  As you can see the dog just loves her too.  Remember when you're traveling, don't forget to stop and smell the donkeys! 

Travelin' Man

So he's off again!  Now he didn't leave in a tropical storm like his last big trip, but the trip has been fraught with problems.  He left last night and went to his biker buddy's house which is north of us and the direction they are going.  That part of the trip was smooth.  Then this morning when they left for the biggest part of their trip, it started with a dead bike.  No, it wasn't the Harley!  It was the Honda! It had to be jumped off at the house before they left and then again at McDonalds after breakfast.  Well, OK now maybe it'll be fine.  The battery will charge up from driving.  Sure until the bike runs out of gas.  Apparently the battery problems messed with the fuel light.  A friend brought them gas and they're off again.  Should be smooth sailing from here on out.  What else could possibly happen?  Oh yeah!  A bee can fly in the back of your shirt while you're driving.  That's what happened to Steve and stung him three times before he got pulled over to get it out.  At that point the flagman for road construction stopped them and they got a unexpected 30 minute break.  Nice!  Thanks ADOT!  Things seem to go uphill from here.  Lunch break, water stops and rest stops.  Life is good.  Just the bike and the road...and a dead battery 30 miles from the daily destination. What the what! (And yes it was the Harley this time)  Push starting 600 pounds when you've been riding all day is not a good thing.  A cold beer would have been much more appropriate.  They did finally make it though.  They are alive and well enough in Eldon, MO tonight.  A trip that should have taken 9 hours by car and maybe 10 by motorcycle turned into around 12 1/2.  That's part of the adventure though.  Next stop  Maryville, MO.  Let's see what tomorrow will bring.  

Revival?

Is it crazy to try to revive a blog in the middle of your busiest time of year?  Maybe. It's amazing what a little coffee along with a requirement to blog for your job can do.  As I typed in the info from yesterday's program onto our system's blog, I asked myself why I haven't done this for myself in about four years.  Anyone who knows me knows I have a lot to say.  Let's see if I actually start saying some of it.  I wonder if there's an app for this....