Let The Season Begin! Well, Almost.....

Last time I looked, which was just last night, all my bikes were getting dustier, and though the battery tenders and a space heater keep them ready to ride, I just ain't getting many miles under my belt.

Well, that's not quite true. We had an unusually warm January day a week or so ago, so I took the new Limited out for a 100 mile trip to nowhere, and except for the last few miles, I managed to avoid highways. I got lost on some 2-lane Virginia roads that eventually took me through the Civil War battlefield, Manassas. I got there by seeing a side road that said "Trucks Not Recommended". That was enough for me to turn around and make the turn.

And those last few miles I rode were just after sundown, and don't let anyone fool ya. It's still January, and it got chilly pretty damn quick. I was damn glad to get home. I managed to get the bike up to a whopping 450 total miles on the clock, so it's broken in just a little more. I'm going to finish up that first thousand miles pretty soon!

And where am I going for the rest of the break-in period? DAYTONA BIKE WEEK, that's where! As many times as I've been to Daytona, I've never once been to bike week, and that's in 44 years of riding. Better yet, Charlie and Linda are flying in from the UK and are meeting us there! New Orleans all over again. (Read the older SC articles for more on N'Awlins) And I think my old North Linthicum neighborhood Bro, Mike, will be down there too. 

Now I'm gonna 'fess up. I planned on riding down originally, but decided later on to try the convenience of the Amtrak AutoTrain for the southbound leg of the trip. I load the bike up at 4PM, find my nifty sleeping car and a seat, and then the party starts! About 9:30 the next day, I'm there, fresh as a daisy and ready to party. 

Now before you say I wimped out on the ride, I'm jumpin' in here now to tell you I'm riding back to Virginia the following weekend. I'll start out in a t-shirt, and I'll be in winter gear before I get home. And hopefully not rain gear! I can do wet and I can do cold, but I just hate wet AND cold.

I'm going to rough it in Daytona, staying in a little place known as the Wyndham Ocean Walk. Sure it's going to be tough sleeping on a feather bed next to the oceanfront balcony but someone has to do it, LOL. Linda and Charlie are staying there too and we're going to try to keep each other in line. Yes, I know. Lost cause.

And the Wynhdam just happens to be 2 blocks from Bike Week Ground Zero, Main Street. It's walking distance to the Boot Hill Saloon and crawling distance back. And while we're resting our bones, we've got a front row seat to the parade of bikes and people running up and down A1A. I'm told the scenery is hard on the eyes. Seein's believin', and stay tuned for a report on that.

And that's about it for the pre-trip notes. 

I've been getting some small accessories for the new 110th Anniversary Limited, but hell, it already has most options. I added some organizers for the Tour Pack, and a windshield/fairing organizer, plus one of those little deals that roll up the retaining cord for the Tour Pack lid as you close it. For the lousy 18 bucks that gizmo cost, you'd think Harley would slap one on a Limited for all the damn money they get for one of them. 

Of course, the bike is already sportin' a spiffy Dallas Cowboys tag frame.... Go Dallas.

I'm also looking to add a Zumo 665 GPS for the road trips, but don't know if I'll have that on before Daytona. And yes, I bought a HD collapsible luggage bag...$100 bucks....that sits on top of the tour pack rack. I figure we'll stash the rain gear in that, and use the rest of the room in it to carry back the souvenir t-shirts. All 157 of them!

Beyond that, life is good, and I ain't complaining. Daytona, Here I come!

Cowboy