| Author | Message | ||
     U4euh |
Some of you know that last week my fathe rhad emergency surgery to remove stage 1 colon cancer. I decided to travel to Ill. on the bike, as I find it a great way to relax and think about life in general. Everything turned out great with Dad's surgery, he was released Saturday morning. I decided to celebrate and take the long way home. I took one picture from his hospital room the night before I left. Do you see what I see?  that made the hair on my neck stand up! Next morning after setting in St. Louis traffic for 2 hours, I said goodbye to Dad and Stepmom and got underway.  Kinda cold out that morning, about 40 degrees If I remember correctly. Made a pit stop into Land Between the Lakes in Kentucky. A place called Patti's 1880 settlement. Outstanding food, and good conversation. Can you guess the 'Buell Only' characteristic of this picture?  Well I guess the chopper crowd would do the same thing! Walked by some of the shops to stretch my legs and ran across this beauty:  Only 2500 original miles & not for sale! Got back on the road and made it to Nasheville by night fall, only to sit on the freeway for another two hours as the cooling fan went crazy! Made it through and decided to call it a night after driving 30 something temps for so many hours. Found a cheap place that had good security and got a room. Unloaded and went to Chili's in Cookesville to get a stiff warm one, Oh my gosh, wrong wording, went to get a strong shot of Maker's to warm me up! That is better. The next morning the TV automatically goes on at 5:00 in the morning, so you won't be late to the discounted breakfast at the motel/resteruant. Well when I got there it wasn't open, so I figured I'd walk into the office as they had antiques for sell, not a big fan, just killin time. The clerk watches me like a hawk, then jumps up and shouts "Can I help you", I said I was waiting for the resteruant to open, he responds by shouting, "Your making me nervous". I got the hell outta there, didn't meen to make him postal, but dang, don't sell stuff if you don't want people to look at it. Then I realised I am in my touring suit. Many on this trip have told me that I look like some unknown Army special forces person. Oh well. | ||
| U4euh |
So after breakfast I head back to the room to let it warm up outside, it was cold:  9:45 start loading down the bike when a fella comes over and starts touching my bike. WTF!? Then he starts talking and I know now that he is mentally challenged. So I walk back into the room around the bed to get my tank bag, turn around and he is about 6 inches away from me. Oh $hit I think. My father dealt with the mentally challenged, so I knew not to say anything to make him snap, as he was about 6' tall and about 270 lbs+, it would have been an butt whipping, mainly mine! He asked for an alcohol swab, oh no a drug user to make it worse! I DIDN'T know & didn't want to find out. Told him they had some at the office and I got the L out of Dodge! So I hit the Dragon at about 12:00 noon. What a B-E-A-Utiful day!  Rode thru 3 times, and this area was my favorite. You can see in both directions for 3-4 curves, and right behind me was a tiny stream!  Very peaceful, until the supermotard guys came wailing by at 2000 miles a second. HOLY CRAP! Those guys are awesome and scary at the same time. Big chrome plated ones. Made me think of something somebody else posted:  Met some folks from ADVRider at the store, Lisa and Don Childress (aka-DLRides). Very beautiful woman and a helluva nice guy.  He offered to take my momento from the gap:  Don offered me some 'homemade' lightning to warm me up, after a few twist of my arm! Peach flavored! MMMMMMMMM GOOOOD! Gotta get me some of that! Some pictures of the other group that day:  This Trumpet rider really like the Dragon, his plate says- DRGN RDR!  From there I took 28 (or 38)south. Very nice road also. Most of the rest of the trip was un-eventful until I got to Winston-Salem and got stuck in another 2 hour traffic jam. Seems an 18 wheeler went around a curve too fast with a load of sheet rock. Flipped the rig, shut down the HWY. Must have forgot he wasn't on his bike. Made it home at 11:00 pm, 29 degrees outside. The touring suit works great, insulated socks did not! Got to get some heated socks and gloves, otherwise I was pretty warm and had a good trip home, specially knowin my father was doing better. JIM Who is up for a trip? Fontana Village? | ||
| Gschuette |
Pretty cool. Did you take pictures of the old Busch Stadium in St. Louis? Last chance you know because thye are tearing it down. So sad. Anyway cool pics and I am glad your dad is doing ok after the surgery. | ||
| Whodom |
Great ride report Jim. I got some Widder heated gloves a couple of years back and they make all the difference. Guess I need to get heated socks too. Glad your Dad is doing OK. Take it from me- go see him every chance you get. | ||
| Oldog |
U4: Great story, good about your dad, What Hugh Said. Ok I have to fess whats in the 1st pix i have looked at it and have missed it and thanks for sharing. | ||
| Gschuette |
A halo? | ||
| Cataract2 |
Woooooow, had to be coooold up there man. Bet you had a hell of a time. | ||
| Gentleman_jon |
Nice story and pictures. Glad to hear your dad is doing better, I am sure he was very glad to see you. I was just wondering what kind of bikini fairing you have on your bike. It looks cool. Does it do much for you in cold weather? | ||
| Smoke |
good to see you back home safe. can't tell what is in the first pic. maybe snow? good news on your father. visit often. see ya in march. tim | ||
| Dbird29 |
Bullet hole? | ||
| Gschuette |
That's a big bullet. | ||
| Glitch |
Not sure of the manufacture of the fairing, but I can say that when I saw it, it looked very nice. Looked like it was from the factory, nicely done mod. Glad to hear the worst part of the the trip was being cold. | ||
| Xring |
Great ride report. Happy your Dad is OK. Loved the Trophy pic. Brings back memories. My first bike was a Trophy 250. Bill PS You DO look like an unknown special forces dude. :-)  | ||
| U4euh |
What I see in the first pix is an eyeball staring back at me, if you roll your cursor over it, well you know. I believe it to be a reflection of the camera lens, but odd how it did not pick up a distinct inner and outer edge, looks like an eye! The fairing-all credit goes to RUBBERDOWN!! Thanks Mike! Yes it works great, when Mike cut it up to fit his 12S, the lines on the clear part fit the curvature(sp?) of my helmet perfectly! Once I get the crossroads installed, my hands will actually be out of the wind also! Don't know who made it, Mike had it lying around his garage for a long time before he decided to use it. He sold the S and now has a R model. Xring- I really liked the bike, spotted it across the street. I also have a few slides of my father's first Norton, 850 Commando if I am not mistaken,someone told me that Walmart can transfer slides to digital format, but I havn't got around to it yet. Would really like to have it blown up and put on the wall. No guesses to the 3rd picture!! The leaves give it away! Here is a picture of my father and stepmom on our Sunday ride before he went in. Yes it was cold, the sun was going down and we still had 2 hr ride home!! Mom gets cold easy so I let her use the raingear!  | ||
| U4euh |
Another picture I liked but forgot to post:   | ||
| M2nc |
Jim, This has great pics, great story and even better, a happy ending. I'm glad it all worked out. | ||
| U4euh |
Killboy: http://www.photoreflect.com/scripts/prsm.dll?MyPhotos?a=249685 Waiting to order some to have in hand! | ||
| Rubberdown |
Look like fun Jim! I use my "killboy" mug every morning; drinking coffee and reliving the ride. | ||
| Spike |
Jim, Looks like it was a great trip, even without the saddlebags. I still don't see the eye in the first picture. I do however see the Buell characteristic in the 3rd pic- the exhaust cleared the leaves on the left side of the bike. I noticed it yesterday but figured someone would post it before I had a chance to. |
