| Author |
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Cjmblast
| | Posted on Monday, September 08, 2003 - 01:18 pm: | 
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What??!!! After all the help I gave during the 20th? Now I am hurt
I meant in general, your an exception and I have some Awesome best friends who all ride Harleys and I wouldn't hesitate to call !!!
CJ |
Sparky
| | Posted on Monday, September 08, 2003 - 02:29 pm: |
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Victor,
That's quite a story! I'm glad you had the determination to complete your quest and not let a little adversity sour the rest of your adventures.
Darn, when you asked me what you should take for this ride, I completely forgot about the Badweb RAN, the Riders Assistance Network, a list of Buellers helping Buellers on the road. That would've come in handy being that your riding friends chickened out.
Hope things turn your way in court with that CS cop.
Sparky |
Mikej
| | Posted on Monday, September 08, 2003 - 02:45 pm: |
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Victor,
First off I'll admit to not reading the whole story, but I did look at almost all of the pics. 
Question: Just how fast were you going to get arrested? And will they allow you to just mail in a fine or do you have to return to the scene of the flight and appear before the local judge? Or do all your maps now have a cutout window where the state of Utah used to be?
Just curious, and if it's none of my business just say so or don't reply.
In any case am glad you got home intact for the most part. |
Jprovo
| | Posted on Monday, September 08, 2003 - 04:02 pm: |
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Victor,
Great story! Sounds like you had a great time despite it all! It's funny, Craig said I just missed you in Waterloo while you were there.
We'll have to chat at the next Golden State Brag meeting.
James |
X1guy00
| | Posted on Monday, September 08, 2003 - 09:11 pm: |
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welcome home Victor, sounds like you had an interesting trip. anytime you rack up that many miles you're going to have good and not so good things happen. the best thing is you made it home safe. i read the whole thing, ive been laid up with a broken ankle thanks to a 97BMW 740i, so i have a lot of time on my hands. soon as i get this cast off ill be heading up the Crest to Newcombs Ranch. great story and nice pix. take it easy |
Chainsaw
| | Posted on Tuesday, September 09, 2003 - 12:14 am: |
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Dig the story Viros! I can relate. I've also done a lot of long distance solo travel. I have to ask: on that lonely dark highway west of Socorro, was a little voice in your head saying to you "This is how all of those alien abduction stories start..."? 
On the Utah Rap: If i were a betting man, and I am, I would say the cop arrested you so he could search you and your bags for drugs or weapons. Only legal way they can do so without a warrant, the judge will know this and shouldn't condone it, unless they found a big bong on you. You should be able to beat it easily. When the assistant DA is talking to you before your appearance before the judge, just be insistant that you will go to any length to prove your innocence, and you wont plead guilty to anything. Keep doing this until they agree to drop the charges or plead you down to something meaningless. They have real criminals to prosecute. They don't want to draw a jury pool for you. (worked for me in the past) Check out ACLU.org for specifics on search and seizure rules, and corresponding Supreme Court decisions.
Good Luck!
P.S. What really sucks is having to post cash for bail and getting a CHECK in return! |
Viros
| | Posted on Tuesday, September 09, 2003 - 02:08 pm: |
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Wow I didnt know so many people would read my long story in only a few days, I feel real special, thanks everyone.
mikej-
I was going 95 mph he told me. He claimed to of been following me for 10 miles but with a cramped neck I wasnt moving my head very often, and with loud winds and lousy mirrors I couldnt see or hear him. They are mailing me a paper to sign so I can plee not guilty. Once I get that notarized and sent back they will give me a court date. They told me I probably wont see a judge till November. I think I'll rent a convertible for that trip.
Chainsaw-
Thats real funny because the whole alien thing did cross my mind. And your right, he didnt search anything till after I was handcuffed. I think the fact that he didnt find anything pissed him off. He also looked like a fool when he got a hot and excited when he confused my leather bota bag full of water in my jacket for a gun holster.
In the car I asked if he could please just give me a speeding ticket and he replied with a sarcastic utah accent, " you'd like that would'nt you." I doubt a judge will treat me the same way, so I hope all goes well.
Jprovo-
I will sure try and make the next GS Brag meeting, I want to know how the hell you did it on a blast with all those high winds. |
Iamike
| | Posted on Tuesday, September 09, 2003 - 09:52 pm: |
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Victor-
Like I told Jprovo "anyone can do a long trip, but what you went through makes it an epic one, and the epic ones you remember the most".
Good luck on the charge. |
Whatever
| | Posted on Wednesday, September 10, 2003 - 04:22 pm: |
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Vic,
No I did not read the whole thing... but I wanted to keep a journal just like you did. I have three sentences in there after 14 days of riding so I just tossed the thing.
Next trip I am going to keep the journal... but this trip was, like, every day we woke up in Milwuakee we rode around and talked and laughed... then I rode to Kentucky, North Carolina and the old college town... Durham, NC.
It was hotter and more humid than hell (I would imagine) but 13 out of 14 days were sunny... the ride back from Durham to Chicago was a little dicey but I would not have done it any other way... except for the hotel in Chicago... in which I locked up the bike in the lobby.
If I did it over I would have left Durham at 5 am and ridden into Milwaukee by 9 pm in one trip... and oh yeah, get some rain gear that fits so I can lose the duct tape. Riding alone is actually quite fun... now if I could figure out how to take photos when I am moving....
hmmmmm,
Charlotte |
Sportyeric
| | Posted on Thursday, September 11, 2003 - 03:34 pm: |
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That's some heroic mileage, Victor! Enjoy youth!
I've always found that the bad stuff on trips becomes the memorable part, in a good way, afterwards. Once you can look back and laugh it makes for good stories. I like to tell about the time I set my pants, my tent, my helmet, and a picnic table on fire with a cook stove accident in West Virginia. Wasn't very good at the time. Fell into a well in Palanqe,Mexico on the same trip. Didn't know til I got out whether it was a septic tank or a well! (No sense of smell, which is usually a good thing.)
Sounds like you got a cop with a chip on the shoulder. There should be info on the web for fighting tickets. A local riders group, Vroom.com, has a packet of info re: local laws and techniques to fight them: hope the cop doesn't appear, stall til the court date is so old it becomes unreasonable delay (works with our bogged down system)(a result of smartasses like yours truly, I suppose), and a bunch of other good stuff.
Good luck. |
Doitindark
| | Posted on Thursday, September 11, 2003 - 06:52 pm: |
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Great story. To bad I'm in s.carolina I would have loved to ride back with you. I'm from Milwaukee, could of shown you all the fun spots to drink and ride! |
Whatever
| | Posted on Friday, September 12, 2003 - 01:24 pm: |
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Vic,
Now I read the whole story and I have a few comments. I was lucky I did not get pulled over... there were plenty of cops and plenty with radar guns on me... the fastest I would go is 90 mph.
Also, I met up with some NC riders at the 20th and riding with Bear (on his sportster and with a radar detector... except for that one real crappy exit in Indainapolis where I was checking out the truck in front of me and almost flew into the embankment...) and staying with his family was definitely a stroke of good luck.
My trip home from Durham involved some serious fog, sporadic rain, getting lost in Cincinnati downtown and on the Highways... plenty of bees in Indiana... road construction in Gary Indiana in the dark (yikes!) and a very bad neighborhood in Chicago. It was all cool though... I really wanted to get up to Milwaukee by Sunday morning.
My boyfriend and I met up and drove out of there to the northwoods the following day.
People from the badweb are definitely the best !!! A few of them I do not care for, but they are easy to avoid. The Buells do hold up on the hiqhway riding just fine. Just need a more aerodynamic helmet is all... the knot in the center of my back was not too pleasant... but after your butt falls asleep it does not hurt anymore. So go figure !
Take it easy,
Charlotte |
M2me
| | Posted on Friday, September 12, 2003 - 02:58 pm: |
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Victor,
I read the whole story. Some of it reminded me of Catcher in the Rye. Especially the part when you were in Milwaukee for the 100th. Yeah, sometimes things don't work out the way you expect. It's one of the reasons I went to the Buell 20th and not the HD 100th. I was afraid the 100th would be some big, hyped up event that would end up being disappointing and I think it was for some people.
Anyway, great story and it sounds like it was a great adventure for you.
Oh yeah, I like MGD too!  |
Steveb
| | Posted on Sunday, October 05, 2003 - 11:38 pm: |
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Maverick said:
"hey FMJ...
should this guy hook up with the LaBusa's guys or what!!"
Funny you mention that. I'm on Labs, and have an 00 and 02 Busa, and 01 Falco. I've offered him a ride on my bikes and he isn't interested. Go figure.
I put out an SOS on SACBORG when Victor got stranded in Iowa, and want to thank Dave Stueve and Sparky for coming to the rescue. Dave left his work and home number for Vic to call. Unfortunately, Vic didn't have online, and his cellphone was down for the trip also. Hmmm, another lesson learned.
But thanks, Dave. You're the best! |
Bud_man
| | Posted on Saturday, November 01, 2003 - 05:27 pm: |
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Wow -- loved the story Viros! Read the whole thing ...
Aren't road trips are an awesome thing?!
I got nailed in Utah, as a passenger in a van, for an open container on a speeding ticket stop. The cop got pissed when the radar detector, which didn't go off when he clocked us, shrieked when he asked for my friends license. He then searched the van and wrote me a ticket (riding shotgun) for an 1/8 of a can of beer on the floor! Be very careful in Utah!
My uncle hitch hiked from Mass. to Calif. in the 1950's ... he's 75 now ... no better way to find out about yourself then when you're on the road ... great way to see some of our country and people too ... the good, the bad and the ugly!
These things you'll always remember!
Thanks for sharing! |
Viros
| | Posted on Monday, November 03, 2003 - 10:20 pm: |
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Budman-
Thanks for your compliments and taking the time to read my story.
Ive contacted a lawyer and have a court date January 14th 2004. I'll make sure to post what happens after I see a Utah judge.
-victor |
Ferris
| | Posted on Monday, November 03, 2003 - 10:46 pm: |
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nice words, Viros. you've done something that many want to, and most won't.
Ferris |
Reindog
| | Posted on Monday, November 03, 2003 - 11:56 pm: |
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Great story, Viros. Reminds me of my hitchhiking days except with a motorcycle.
Eddie Hermann. |
Dullorb
| | Posted on Thursday, January 15, 2004 - 01:40 pm: |
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When I went I had to get from LA back to Milwaukee in 2 days, your trip sounds like it was more fun. There wasn't much that I could put in a diary, stopped got gas went pee, stopped got gas got lunch, stopped got gas, etc. |
Bartimus
| | Posted on Tuesday, January 20, 2004 - 11:53 pm: |
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Viros,
I remember meeting you at the tourquefest in Showlow, AZ.
You had quite an adventure, and that's what riding is all about. I have had many in my years of riding, chalk them up to experience. I toasted the rear cylinder on my S2 back in 2000 coming back from New Hampshire along that stretch of highway between OK city and Flagstaff, AZ, but still managed to limp back to Phoenix. Keeping that journal was a great idea, your thoughts are echoed by many I am sure.
You will treasure that journal in the years to come, don't lose it. Thanks for posting it here, along with the pics. I would find it a pleasure to ride with you in the future should you pass through Arizona again.
BuellWhore |
Al_lighton
| | Posted on Wednesday, January 21, 2004 - 10:27 pm: |
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Hey Victor,
What ever happened with the courts on that Utah ticket thing anyway?
Al |
Viros
| | Posted on Thursday, January 22, 2004 - 03:36 pm: |
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From the looks of things the lawyer I hired bailed me out... I paid him $300 dollars and he got me a deal with the DA where he brought the charge down to speeding & unsafe pass about a $200 dollar fine for both, the best part was as long as I keep a clean record for the next 6 months no points hit my record. In all Im getting back 300 dollars of my bail money, so in the end the whole thing cost me just 500 bucks. I got a spending plan im sticking too, and it looks like my credit cards will be all paid up in April, things are going good for me now so again thanks everyone for your kind thoughts
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Bartimus
| | Posted on Friday, January 23, 2004 - 02:21 am: |
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Great!
Glad to hear that Viros! |
Al_lighton
| | Posted on Friday, January 23, 2004 - 03:31 am: |
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Very Cool, Victor!!! |
Ferris
| | Posted on Friday, January 23, 2004 - 05:33 am: |
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two words, Viros:
awe some
FBaD |
Nevco1
| | Posted on Friday, January 23, 2004 - 09:10 am: |
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Viros...Congradulations!!! That is great news. |
Sparky
| | Posted on Saturday, January 24, 2004 - 02:15 am: |
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Hey Victor, that's good news. I'm glad it worked out well for you. And congrats on your track day last Monday. Steve B. tells me your Firebolt told you how far you can lean that thing. Exciting isn't it? I gotta try that some day.
Sparky |
Reindog
| | Posted on Tuesday, January 27, 2004 - 05:52 pm: |
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Viros,
So when's the next Utah run for you?
Forger. |
Viros
| | Posted on Tuesday, January 27, 2004 - 07:40 pm: |
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Forg-
Nope, don’t think I'll ever pass through Southern Utah again, let this be a lesson to us all, you don’t want to ever run into Rod Elmer of the UHP, I’ve never met anyone so stone cold & soulless in my life....
and Sparky you got to take your Bolt to the track, the only bad thing is you'll get addicted, I've gone 3 times in 9 months of owning the bike, and Im now selling my car so I can buy a truck.. you too Ferris it would be real interesting to see you and Sparky out at the track. Im sure many Buells would be there if that were to happen |
Ferris
| | Posted on Tuesday, January 27, 2004 - 08:53 pm: |
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Viros, sounds like fun, and i've done several track days before atlho it's been awhile.
tell ya what, lemme get the BLURR back on the road first, so if the Thong goes down hard i've still got a bike to ride...
FB |
Sparky
| | Posted on Thursday, January 29, 2004 - 03:43 am: |
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In Sept '98 I wrote a ride report for LA #1 HOG's newsletter about my road trip adventure to Milwaukee for Harley's 95th Anniversary Party. This story was on LA #1's website back then and may have been on the Badweb before it evaporated, so, for the benefit of those with cabin fever, let's ride:
Milwaukee Or Bust On A Buell
by Darryl Salmon
The scene was set for me to ride the 95th and 15th road trip to Milwaukee five years ago on the 90th. On that trip Steve Romero, Wally Pearson, his friend Mike, Lou DeMaria and I were trying to meet Rocket Ray somewhere in Arizona. One delay led to another and before we knew it, that plan was scrapped and we would be hard pressed to make it to Milwaukee within the allotted four days. So we improvised and rode nonstop 1440 miles from Pueblo, CO to Milwaukee. Incidentally one of those delays is where I earned my Sparky handle, but that's another story - just ask me.
This is the stuff that memorable road trips are made of. The challenge then was to press on and offset sleep deprivation with regular stops every 80 to 100 miles for gas, potty, food, drink and rest. It worked then. I knew I could do it again if my plans fell apart on this trip.
My trip was constrained (again) to four days because I wanted to see my youngest son, Phillip, graduate 8th grade on Saturday, June 6. So my schedule seemed fairly attainable - four 500 mile days. That's a piece of cake on my Harley which has lots of room and can carry tent, bedroll, ground cloth, bike cover, clothes and road gear. You see, I was going to camp out at the Riders Ranch. It sounded like fun, was certainly in my price range, and LA#1 members Dennis Ullman and Ken Kronick were going to be there.
The only problem was that I couldn't take the Harley. The FXRT just cleared 500 miles on a completely rebuilt engine and I didn't want to subject it to 6000 plus high speed miles so far from home. My only recourse was to transform my '96 Buell Lightning from a sport/race bike into a sport/touring bike that could accommodate not only all the afore mentioned gear, but carry my wife, Jenny, when I picked her up from the airport with all her gear. That's asking a lot for a bike without a real back seat!
The key here was preparation. I wanted to carry saddlebags and my wife at the same time. But I couldn't just strap on the bags because the rear turn signals interfered with the proper positioning of the bags. The best solution was to replace the stock rear turn signals with a set of tiny trick-looking units from Joker Machine. These actually fit flush with the fender bodywork at the tail light allowing the bags to fit as far back as I wanted. Perfect!
Then I selected Chase Harper "Stealth" saddlebags because they look right on this bike, hold their shape when empty and complement the shape of the Buell's breadbox air cleaner. A lifesaver happened in the nick of time when my order for a Buell Nomad tank bag, the large expandable kind, came in the day before I was going to leave. While picking up a pair of waterproof Gore-Tex type socks at the House of Handlebars, I was lucky to spot a strap-on Saddleman gel pillion pad. This would make a great back seat for Jenny so she wouldn't have to sit on the bare fender (even though she says it's comfortable as is - she's so kind).
Knowing I would encounter wet weather, I sprayed "Camp Dry" silicone waterproofing on the boots, gloves, tank bag, and touring suit. Since there was no extra room to carry stuff, I didn't bring rain gear. I was counting on the silicone treatment, the Gore-Tex lined Aerostich touring suit and the special socks to keep me dry.
Did all this preparation work? Yes and no. The touring suit kept me warm and dry on the coldest, wettest days while it kept me cool through the hottest desert areas by opening all the zips. The Porsche helmet was self clearing while riding in drizzle on the interstate. Turning the helmet left or right allowed wind to blow the accumulating drops on the face shield away without having to wipe it. My boots eventually got soaked, but the special socks kept my feet dry! The plus side is I didn't have to stop to put on rubber Totes if it might start raining. The down side is I didn't take the waterproofing far enough on my gloves. I was supposed to rub some beeswax type of treatment on their backsides, but I forgot and suffered for it. When leather gloves get wet, your hands get cold.
What was the trip like? Why would a Harley rider attempt a 6,000 mile trip on a sport bike? Well it's sort of, dare I say, "If I have to explain, you probably wouldn't understand?" It's comparable to surfing "Big Waves". Imagine you are an avid surfer and you see a big wave coming. You can feel the magnitude of energy rise as the wave swells. Once you push off and start down, you are riding this mountain of kinetic energy. The amount of thrills you get are measured by the height of the crest and the speed you attain as you cut back and forth across the face of the wave. Now imagine you are on a Buell and the trip to Milwaukee is a 2,000 mile Angeles Crest Highway. The thrills you get are proportional to the speed you can attain on every turn, dip or rise in the road. In other words, I went out of my way to seek scenic byways and the roads lesser travelled. I wasn't disappointed.
The scenery was magnificient. My most memorable roads were Utah Hwy 14 from Cedar City to Utah 89. There I found a 10,000 foot pass with snowy meadows, icy peaks, lots of twists and turns, uphills and downhills. Then crossing the Utah desert, I encountered a stunning geologic monolith called the San Rafael Reef with its own scenic viewing area. I-70 bisects this structure at Spotted Wolf Canyon. I took pictures but they don't convey the impressiveness of the area as you would need a 180 degree panoramic lens to view the whole thing.
A little further up I-70 in Colorado is the Glenwood Springs part of the interstate. This is where the canyon narrows with the Colorado River at the bottom and the northbound and southbound lanes of I-70 on one side. They are constructed similar to continuous lanes of an elevated bridge for miles and miles, often one on top of another, then into tunnels, the longest one, a mile and an half. This is where I became enraptured by the music emanating from the Supertrapp. There is nothing quite like the sound of a Buell exhaust revving out to about 90 in fourth gear, reverberating in a four lane mile and a half echo chamber, rapping down to about 50 and up again just for fun.
And then it happened -- the bike just shut off and the tach went to zero! What's happening? It wouldn't fire! I almost coasted to a stop in the tunnel with traffic catching up to me when I pulled in the clutch... and the engine started running! I put it in gear, let out the clutch and the engine stalled again. Desperate now and almost stopped, I put it in neutral, and the engine resumed running. Recalling a report about early '96 Buell S1's with faulty side stand switches which would cut out the ignition, I gave the side stand a healthy kick, put it in gear and the engine finally ran normally. Back up to speed now, I figured I either had a bad side stand switch or maybe the side stand partially deployed, cutting the ignition off. When I kicked the side stand, the switch closed allowing the ignition to go on again. What a relief! I could breathe again.
That was the worst of my worries, and now it seemed, all was OK. At this time, the evening air was crisp, the moon full and bright, and I just bagged Vail Pass where it was 40 degrees with a clear sky as I headed to Golden and my cousin's place for the night. Things were looking up.
The next day I made a beeline to the Harley/Buell dealer in Fort Collins to check out the switch although the bike was running fine now. I just wanted to eliminate the uncertainty that it might quit again at the worst possible time. The service manager, a young extremely proficient Buell expert, knew about this problem and checked out the switch in a matter of minutes. I was impressed with the dealership because they went out of their way to get this traveler going again. Of course, they didn't have a replacement switch, so he advised that if the symptom happens again, I should temporarily bypass the switch by cutting, stripping and wrapping the wires together. This is certainly something that a guy with the nickname Sparky can handle.
So far the ride has been hot and dry but as I got closer to Nebraska, it was getting cloudier. Weather reports indicated that the rest of the day was going to be on and off drizzle with a thunderstorm or two just to make it exciting. Now was the time to test my only dedicated rain gear, the waterproof socks, and hope for the best.
All was holding out fine until I got into Omaha for the third overnight when the sky dumped rain so hard that the drops were actually splashing back up into my helmet rendering the faceshield useless. It was so bad that big rigs were parking on the interstate. Because I couldn't see well, I was starting to get scared and pissed. I couldn't read road signs and inadvertently took a wrong turn into the downtown area, narrowly missing a large box on the freeway. There was no cover where I could clean the faceshield and look at the map so I headed for the next off ramp and found a motel with a large canopy. As I took off the helmet, the intense rain suddenly stopped. By the time I got the shield cleaned and my directions sorted out, the clouds rolled away and stars twinkled in the moonlit sky. It was amazing!
The fourth day on the road was fun because I was anticipating the ride into Wisconsin, finding the Buell plant and setting up camp at Riders Ranch. But first I had to take the Buell to a dealer for an oil change. That would be Zook's HD/Buell in Des Moines, Iowa. I explained what I needed and the service manager said all their mechanics were busy but I could change it myself if I wanted. I told him that would be perfect. He handed me a pan and thirty minutes later I was done and on my way to the Big Party.
That was the story about my solo ride to Milwaukee. The ride back was completely different. I hooked up with the rest of the LA #1 riders, Gene M, Steve R, Vinay C, Dennis L, Dennis U, Ken K, with Sandie R and Nancy J in the chase truck. On the trip up, I was captain of my destiny, setting my own pace. On the trip back, I was a face in the pack, conforming to the group's plans. As such, the trip home for me was wet, cold, loud, zoomy, boring, uncomfortable, soothing, frustrating, nearly disastrous mechanically, entertaining, colorful, embarrassing, hot, thoroughly satisfying, fulfilling and fun.
There is a story attached to each one:
...Gene led us on the first leg out of Wisconsin and onto back roads across Minnesota. It was soothing to roll through the Wisconsin Dells and wind around farm areas.
...I was a little uncomfortable going at a slower pace than on the interstate, probably because I was carrying more stuff and I couldn't move back on the seat for more room making it difficult to stretch my legs.
...It got loud the few times when I forgot to put in earplugs.
...I was wet and cold when we stopped in Lander, Wyoming for lunch. The handlebar thermometer read around 40 degrees but with wind chill, it felt closer to freezing.
...On one particular steep nine mile downhill coming out of the Flaming Gorge into Vernal, Utah it was too frustrating to plod along this entertaining road at the boring speed of traffic, so I upped the pace to zoomy. It was thoroughly satisfying to have already gassed up at the bottom while waiting for the group to show up.
...The Buell suffered one incident that was nearly disastrous mechanically. We were on a small two lane road in South Dakota when all of a sudden Steve comes along side pointing down to the engine and shouting, "Shut it down! Shut it down!" I looked down and didn't see anything wrong. Then I noticed my left boot covered with oil and the red oil idiot light brightly lit up on the dash. But I couldn't easily see the idiot lights with the tank bag so overstuffed. What happened was the billet oil cooler gradually loosened up enough to allow the oil seal to rupture, spilling oil out on the engine. Fortunately we were able to reinstall the filter without the cooler, add a quart and a half of reserve oil that Dennis and Vinay were carrying, and we were off with no apparent damage to the engine.
...A side trip Gene, Dennis and I took was through Zion NP from the south end. All of a sudden we were immersed in some of the most colorful, wildly fantastic rock formations that I have ever seen. I had heard of Zion and how wonderful it is, but to see it this way, on a motorcycle, late in the day with no other traffic, was awe inspiring and fulfilling. It looked so clean and artificial that I almost expected to see a street cleanup crew from Disneyland ahead of us. Honestly, the sides of the red rock cliffs met the red road and there was not one loose piece of gravel or dirt for miles. I was impressed.
...Leaving Zion heading to St. George, the temperature must have risen 20 degrees. It was HOT! Fortunately the sun was getting ready to set so relief was in sight.
...After dinner in St. George, we decided to keep going to Las Vegas and spend the night there. This was the end of a 675 mile day that included at least one hour down time at the HD dealer in Vernal, Utah to fix my broken speedometer. We were pretty tired as we pulled into the Super 8 motel. So tired that Dennis stalled his bike and tipped over going up the driveway, followed by me jumping off the bike and forgetting to put the side stand down. It's a good thing I still had my helmet on because I lost my footing and fell over backwards, embarrassed and laughing.
...This is how my ride to Harley's 95th Anniversary went. It was fun. I'd like to do it again for the 100th, only next time, Gene, we'll bag Beartooth Pass.
Sparky |
Impulse_101
| | Posted on Sunday, February 01, 2004 - 01:22 pm: |
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It's amazing to me to read the stories of peoples experiences coming to Milwaukee (and East Troy) for the 95th and 100th. I was at both because I work for the biggest Radio and TV stations in town. I have my media creds as my only mementos of them. It seems like it wasn't the event that made them good or bad for each person but instead it was the people who really mattered.
Victor, I know a lot of "Harley Guys" who are lawyers and such who really bought into the mystique, and I do mean Bought. But I also know some guys who struggled to save for their first Honda or Kawi and rode it into the ground while saving for their dream bike. Most of them buy old Harleys and modify them into beautiful machines. To me these guys are really keeping the spirit of the Harley tradition alive. (and I've nothing against the wealthy guys who like the bikes either)
Another thing I regret is not knowing of this site prior to then because I'm sure that I could have made a difference in a couple of peoples trips. I enjoy playing tour guide and I know a bit about the area because of the time that I spend on the road playing music and doing the media stuff for my job.
JT
edited by Impulse 101 on February 01, 2004 |
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