Daytona Saturday

[James III]

 ??? After swearing off Biketober Fest each year, or simply the mosh pit of biker humanity, I rode over Saturday with one of my best friends; he rides a Fatboy, I can get into that later...anyway
First off I only took maybe 6 photos, most not worth sharing; if you have ever been there you'd understand. A good ride over arriving at the track around 9:30am, yes we left Tampa very early. We checked out the venders, Ultimate, JP Cycles and several others, picked up a few obligatory shirts for family and friends, garnered anything being given out for free, chatted with a few folks I have run with through the years then headed off toward Main street before the crowds fully awakened around 11:30 am. Some people watching, strolling the sidewalks, and grabbing some circus food for lunch, doing all right as the crowd slowly gained it's biker stride for the day. By 2:30 it was time to head back across the bridge to check out other sidewalk hawkers, visit the Indian dealership, check out the "Slingshot", as Jeff mentioned in another post, as well as the new Indians; gotta say, they are looking sharp. Also on display was the original GTO - Monkey mobile. Pretty cool seeing it after building and blowing up a model or two when I was younger of this fine piece of rock and roll manufactured band history. As for the Slingshot on display, ya, I looked at it, not sure what one does with a car like that but, might like to drive one for a few minutes. There was one that was also driving up and down Main street during the day with the dealership having two on location.
Left there and headed up the road to the Iron Horse/Pig Pen emporiums for more people watching. Ran into another of our Valk riders, English Dave, some of you may have met him at the Hurricane lunchen. We chatted a bit, he lives over around Eustis. By now its about 5:30pm and time to start thinking about doing the I-4 Jam again. Well, to do that ride you better be on top of your game; the traffic is heavy, fast, and the road is terrible and as we head west right into the sun visibility is harsh. Through Orlando I-4 continues it's heavy traffic at 70mph/stop go fashion and finally clears enough to settle in for the remaining 75 miles home. Heck, I'll be home in an hour! My friend seemed to get slowed up a little so kept an eye back for him, then didn't see him again so rode on until the rest stop just before Alburndale. Placed a call to him, where you at? Broke down at Hains city. Bike making terrible noise. After a few choice words to myself I rode on up to the next exit and headed back towards him. About 10 miles back to 27. So we discussed, he pulled the inspection plate, I did some quick internet checking and matched a video to the sound; bad compensator. So he chose to ride it anyway...but we took the back way via 600/98 crossed over onto Knights roads to Tampa; 45mph, at night, fog out there like soup among other ankle biters leeping from the local homes (dogs). The air horns kept them at bay as we slithered and roared (that H-D was howling) toward home. Made it to the home base at midnight. Don't remember much more than problems any time I'm over that way. Managed to knock out 375 miles there, and back, a full day indeed.
So in posting this, I'm once again swearing off Daytona Biketober fest. Once again lesson learned!
Actually I did enjoy the day, spent time with a good friend and on "The Time Machine", and it performed as always, flawlessly. "Dam your bike runs good", he said. Ya, it's a Honda I had to reply.
 
James

[F6MoRider]

Yeah, there is something about a Valkyrie that just feels right for me.  I got a high school friend lives in Palm Coast area, just a few miles North from Rossmeyer's place on Rt1 & I95, rides a HD and always picks on my Valk.  He swears it off every year as well, as do I, but I still go over and we head out and ride the loop, hit Caribbean Jacks for a Bloody Mary and ride up A1A and head back West to the loop again.  One of these times I'll make it down to New Smyrna and ride on down to Canaveral and back.

His teen aged son came with us this time, rode on the back of mine and then on his dad's HD.  He would not shut up about the difference in the ride and now he wants a Honda!  I think my old friend may be mad at me....lol.

I went over Friday afternoon and came home Saturday evening, you must have been about 30 minutes behind me.  I pulled in about 5:15p and live just a little northwest of I4 and Rt33.  

Great riding weather all weekend long.  Wife and I went out today and put a few hundred miles on her as well.

[OnaWingandaPrayer]

???....... "Dam your bike runs good", he said. Ya, it's a Honda I had to reply.
 
James

    

[Thunderbolt]

Good report James.  You're a good friend to have, you went back against the grain for your buddy.  We swore off of Daytona a few years ago too.  Just too many folks and a lot of them just got their motorsickle last week and the trip to Daytona is their first ride.

[IamGCW]

Funny how it went for you.  Similar happening Saturday night.  Randy, Jane, Crystal and I headed out for dinner the long way.  Rolling down 52 east to Bellamy Brothers we sped up to 60 and with the sun setting behind us it was hard to see Randy.  Saw he was gone, so U turn.  Raced back and there was a truck on the side with 4 ways flashing.  Heart jumped, they were searching the bushes.  Then further down there is Randy picking up a dropped dew rag.  Thought he wrecked, but nope.  2 minutes later he pulls beside me (not normal for him) and points at the tank.  Low gas, his gauge said 1/2 tank but reserve light was on.  Seems his gas gauge crapped out as well.  He was almost dry. So after gas we went to dinner in Spring hill.  Riding home a damn Black Cat ran out in front of me coming from the cemetery on the right.  Fast and close.  Guess Saturday was weird for both of us. 

Gil

[Jess from VA]

Couple decades ago, I rode with a group of about 7-10 hogs in SoCal, all good experienced riders.

But one guy on a nice (looking, not running) restored/modded '50 something knucklehead/panhead broke down every time we rode, and friends don't leave friends stranded, so I spent several afternoons watching 8-lane traffic wizz by.  Next ride I asked if whatsisname was coming, and he was, so I didn't (ever again).  Friends don't leave friends stranded, but friends don't ride around on a bucket of bolts and expect everyone to spend a half day fixing it for them every time it leaves the house (or more often than not).

A chain is only as strong as it's weakest link. (not necessarily a comment on HDs or your friend's bike)

Then there's the local SCRC crowd of mostly good experienced riders, but newbies are always joining up, and one of them went off the road and down into a creek (narrowly missing getting decapitated on an old barbed wire fence (he still got banged/scraped up, but rode it home after we got a wrecker with winch/cable to yank it back up the hill, and pried the fender off the tire and straightened the bars enough to ride).  We were not hauling azz, just rolling thru the backroads.  

I am getting more particular who I ride with in my old age.  And it has nothing to do with brand.  

[Pappy!]

Actually....Daytona probably isn't as busy as it was in past years. With the advent of "Destination Daytona" a lot of the bike traffic has moved farther North along US-1 during bike week. I heard from a few friends that, North of the Iron Horse, there was a stop and go...steady back up of traffic heading there on US-1.
The Speedway is a destination by itself since the majority of bigger vendors are pretty much centered there.
When Rossmeyer moved his dealership off of Beach street that traffic has also pretty much gone away. A lot of the Beach Street vendors pulled up stakes and moved with him.
There was always a steady stream of bike traffic from NSB up to Daytona but since the old Millers is gone and Pub44 changed hands a few times that too has dwindled away.
The AIMExpo pulls some of the traffic out and away. Deland has its bike fest the same weekend.
Overall attendance is down from the old numbers as well. When you get down to it the sights are all still there to see but traffic is a bit easier to deal with.