I did make it down there. Bert called a couple minutes after I left the house.......and wimped out!
For me it was about 160 miles give or take round trip.
So....took the back roads. down 48 out of Leesburg to Webster and South to Hwy 50. 50 to 19 at Weeki and Hardees is right there. Was a rather spirited ride down in perfectly cool weather.
Not many bikes there but Honda was well represented by our crew and other GW riders as well. Think we (Honda) actually outnumbered the HD riders there.
While riding back I started thinking. Haven't had a good night ride on the Valk since I bought it and rode it back from South of Austin, Texas to the house. Made it all the way through New Orleans and to the Miss./Ala. line that day and night. Left before the sun came up the next morning as well. Anyway....
Took 19 North on the way home with the Northbound crew. Drove through miles of black 4 lane on the way up to Homosassa then 490? across and up to 44. One by one the boys dropped off with the last one leaving me in Inverness.
The ride back on 44 from Inverness was amazing. Full moon across a hazy sky, highway lit up by the light of the moon and the cool air feeding all six cylinders with get up and go. Every piece of chrome had a reflection of the moon in it. The LED fogs I put on were doing their magic and the roadway and roadsides were lit up perfectly. Not a set of forest rat silver blue eyes in sight the whole way home. The only thing that kept me from dialing it up was the uniqueness of the ride and the amazing weather for it. I looked up in the sky and said hello and Merry Christmas to Mom, Dad, Grandma, and Uncle dusty and thanked God for an amazing night.
If you haven't done a night ride lately......... you are definitely missing out.
