| Author | Message | ||
     Americanmadexb |
Jim, i would love too, but i will be in Chicago for the weekend. If i would have remembered this ride a month ago i wouldn't have made those plans. I want to get the bike down in there area real bad. Maybe one day! | ||
| Firemanjim |
Leaving tuesday in the AM and headed east.See ya all there! Be on my new-to- me 1050 Tiger. Just installed the sweet lowering links made by the one and only Bob Gussehoven! | ||
| Prior |
Jim- too cool. See you soon! | ||
| Reepicheep |
I don't know how you manage to do that every year! | ||
| Whatever |
This is gonna be Epic !!! :P It was hard to keep mum. Jim, I owe you a mocha or two !!! | ||
| Jb2 |
Careful there Char, EPIC usually turns into repeat when it comes to our May ride.  Just ask those who've been in the past... like FMJ. We're bringing a coffee pot and ground StarBucks so we can get our coffee faces on early in the morning. You'll have to bring your own fixin's. Looking forward! | ||
| Whatever |
Clarify... I owe FMJ a few mochas... I think of Epic as synonymous w thunderstorms tho... | ||
| Prior |
Bill, Year number one for me was a 4 am wakeup call to haul ass back to Atlanta to catch a flight back to Moline. I learned. I moved to NC  | ||
| Reepicheep |
That poor rental car... :0 | ||
| U4euh |
We will be heading north from here Thursday afternoon. Gonna hit Morganton and run 181 a couple of times before heading into Franklin. Anybody know what the weather is like up there? Should I pack my heated liner or not. I've been watching the forecast and it says rain Thursday, but clear from then on. Any thoughts? Char what time you heading out? Were hoping to go through Winston-Salem about 1 or 2 | ||
| Jb2 |
Jim - It's almost always hot and muggy over Memorial Day weekend there. But, it's always a good idea to have some extra layers if ya need them. Heated gear, not so much. We'll be in Thursday afternoon. | ||
| Jb2 |
Reep - Yeah I remember the poor rental car. Damn things just won't do burn outs when they have automatic, full-time traction control. But hey, Alex tried! | ||
| Jb2 |
Char - yeah I knew ya meant FMJ. But the coffee offer still stands. | ||
| Whatever |
Jim, I am hoping to leave Chapel Hill by 9 AM on Thursday morning, so probably come through Winston Salem by 10 or 11... if you can head out earlier than you had planned just let me know. Last ride out that way it got pretty chilly at night, but that was about a month ago. I am probably bringing my heated jacket liner because all it takes is a good rain to make me start feeling cold, and lord knows anything can happen in Wisconsin as far as the weather! Char | ||
| U4euh |
Char- PM'd ya! | ||
| Whatever |
Back at ya...  | ||
| Whatever |
Wont be long now...  | ||
| Whatever |
Bring your rain gear... forecast for Franklin is not looking so great !  | ||
| Jb2 |
It's a yearly ritual. We almost always get caught in one downpour. It's all good though. Somehow we always make the best of it and the rain itself becomes lost in the shuffle of a memorable weekend. Looking forward! Just got off the phone with Lou Mystic Usher. He and Carol are ready to rock! FMJ is leaving from Cali tomorrow morning. Others are leaving Wednesday. Kim and I will be out the door on Thursday morning and will arrive Thursday afternoon. YEEEHAW! | ||
| Reepicheep |
30% chance of rain? That's far below usual. Just don't blow up a KLR-250 on the Cherohola, and come limping in trailing smoke and japanese motor parts, during a torrential downpour and lightning storm... (DAMHIK) | ||
| Jb2 |
I remember it well Reep. You were one of the fine memories we've had in downpours in Franklin. Part of the plan. | ||
| Jb2 |
Back home late last night and finished unloading this morning. It was another gathering for the books. Rain, as always, played a part as well as the bikes which brought us all together to begin with. Buells outnumbered everything. That's VTC since this started long ago as a Buell gathering. However, the people in attendance played the biggest part in such a great weekend. This is the list of BadWeBbers as well as I can remember. Alex Prior Carlos Suarez Charlotte Dawn Jim Rainey Mike Eads Mike Strong Neil & Diane Kemp Ed Manning Brian & Valerie Huffman Fireman Jim Higgins(Long Distance Award) We really missed Ferris & Denise, Reep & Shelly, Doc Henrik & Melissa not being there but we understand why. Milo and Gentleman Jim you were missed as well as others who thought they might make it. Every tin foil and zombie aficionado was looking forward to the handshake and greetings of Dave Hare and Lou Mystic Usher. I predict that when that day comes it will known as the "Mystic Glitch". Better bring your tin foil! Next year's the 10th and some of you won't get away with not being there. Kristi, we missed you too but you were there in spirit as always played a part behind the scenes to keep the separate rides connected. Thanks! Other friends outside of BadWeB played a huge part; the Breedloves, the Sellers, the Ushers, Butcher & Beth, the good people of Franklin including the Mayor and several riding friends from Indiana. It's too big a list to remember them all but hopefully you'll get to know them here from our stories. Lots to do to get ready for w*rk tomorrow. We'll try to get some pictures and stories downloaded before too long. In the meantime safe riding to all of those still on the road home! Thanks to everyone who was a part of it for the memories and friendships. We love y'all! See ya next year! Ride Safe, JB2 & KB1 (Message edited by jb2 on May 31, 2011) | ||
| U4euh |
Wow, what an epic adventure! I'm still recovering from all the miles the stiff suspension pounded into me, (or out of), but I got to meet some really cool people, hear some very touching recounts, and laugh and carry on with old and new friends alike. Already looking forward to getting back. | ||
| Reepicheep |
Looking forward to the pictures! I wish I had been there! | ||
| M2nc |
This year I had more motivation than usual to go to Franklin. Just my second time in the nine years this event has been going on. What is always impressive is the quality of people you meet in Franklin. It is truly special how the local community and JB2 get together to celebrate life. Had a great ride to Franklin with Prior. Sorry for making you the Canary on that muddy gravel road. Serious thank you to you and wife soon to be, for the place to crash and the plant tour. On Saturday had a great ride with new and old friends. Fireman Jim it was great to finally meet you in the flesh. The ride was great. Mike, I already have my "Remove Before Flight" red tag in use, thanks for that, the bell and patch. Char and Hillbilly Ed, it was great to get a chance to hang out and ride with you. Rainey, buddy, Sunday was just perfect till the heat and saddle sores took hold. Heat and distance riding do not mix well on that Uly, but at 55,000 miles she purred like a kitten all the way home. The Z was fun to ride. That thing has a lot more giddy-up than I would dare use on the street. At one point I wanted to see how fast it would go from 60 to 70mph in top gear. The GPS registered 60mph one second then jumped directly to 70mph without ever ready anything in between. So I still don't know because the GPS couldn't keep up. Thanks again to all. | ||
| Prior |
Great adventure as always, even if mine did end up upside down and muddy on the way there. I've got a few hundred shots, will get some up here after they're loaded to Smugmug and I have a chance to play with them a bit... Jim, Thanks as always for the friendship and brotherhood, and introducing me to this side of the family! | ||
| Court |
>>>What is always impressive is the quality of people you meet in Franklin. That's an accurate statement. Big Jim left a lot of very special folks the responsibility for serving as joint custodians and watching over something precious . . . the value of great friendships that exist between folks that, even when years pass between encounters, always greet each other like they were never apart. Perhaps . . and I've only attended, physically, once . . one of the most powerful gathering of friends I've ever witnessed. Thanks to Big Jim and all who have carried this tradition on . . . you touch more lives than you can possibly know. Court | ||
| Jb2 |
Court, Thanks, thanks more than ya know.  Two brothers I wouldn't trade the world for. (Photo by Carol Usher) (Message edited by jb2 on June 01, 2011) | ||
| Jb2 |
 As always our celebrations of life include those who can't be with us, not just those who've gone before us. (Photo by Bob McCollum) (Message edited by jb2 on June 01, 2011) | ||
| Ulywife |
Carlos came home totally relaxed and had a great trip. His plant tour and adventure with Alex, riding with everyone in Franklin, realizing that he was about to deliver Fireman Jim late to the Bridge and then his trip home with Rainey brought many tales. Glad he had fun, but glad he's home safe and sound and refreshed. I'm hoping to make it back to Franklin next year. Thanks to everyone for sharing pictures! |
