Friday, January 28th
I'm always amazed at the number of folks taking a look at the content in the Southern Comfort blog, and even more amazing is that there's international interest, which is really, really flattering. As I've said before, when my buddy Pete said I should "blog" about the 2010 ride, I never thought anyone, outside a few closer friends, would be interested. So to anyone reading, thanks!
So the message is clear: Southern Comfort will live on. There's the smaller events I'll be attending this year if this damn snow ever goes away, plus I'll let y'all know about the options available for motorcycle lifts, etc. and whatever I end up with. And there's now a sequel in the works: Southern Comfort 2011, a trip that's now set for July, destination TBD. The only thing that's definite about SC2011 is that there won't be anything definite. No fixed plan, itinerary, or schedule.
If you're interested, here's an updated snapshot of readers and where they're from:
United States 4,464
Canada 169
Netherlands 101
Germany 98
Russia 51
United Kingdom 50
Thailand 39
India 35
Japan 31
Slovenia 28
Happy Trails
Cowboy
Friday, January 28, 2011
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Daytona - New Home Away From Home (subtitle - 2011 Bike Week Tips)
OK...I've started and stopped this post eleventy-six times, so I'm getting it over with. And in case you, like me, have forgotten, I was going to let folks know about my Daytona trip, trying to focus on something besides my filthy, dirty fucking motorcycle and trailer, two subjects which have been running rampant in my brain.
And Hell, that's not to mention my search for a decent lift so I can get the crud off without breaking my back......
But there I go again. Focus, Cowboy, focus! Daytona, Dammit!
Daytona, Florida, is cool.....for a ton of reasons, none of which are probably appreciated by rank-and-file tourists, and maybe not even folks from other areas of Florida...
Why?
Sure there's the NASCAR track, and that's got a "coolness" factor all of it's own. Hell, NASCAR headquarters is located in Daytona, there's a Bill France Blvd, and Speedway Blvd is about as wide as I-405 in Los Angeles. And there's that H U G E fucking race track. Riding around it the damn thing, on the surface streets, is about 3 or 4 miles!
But that ain't the cool part of Daytona. Not for me, anyway. See, I decided to spend my entire 2010 Christmas week in Daytona, instead of the usual overnight stop on the way to/from someplace else. I'd never really been there long enough to really get a feel for the place. I also wanted to do some scouting before Bike Week, since I'm finally going this year. I took my Harley with me, and headed out on Christmas morning, getting there the next day after an overnight stop in Savannah.
I was looking forward to riding up and down the coast, enjoying semi-warm breezes, and with no helmet law, enjoying the freedom of having the wind in my hair. The weatherman, however, saw fit to serve up a record-low temperature on my second night there, with lows about 26 degrees F, and Brother, that ain't riding weather. Hell!, it took days before it got up into the 60s, but whoa, I'm getting ahead of myself.
I stayed in a little 60s-era beach motel that was tolerant of me, the Hummer, the Harley, and the bike trailer. Well, actually they were OK with everything but me, but after I turned on the charm, I got a room key overlooking the beach. It was also the room that was as far away from the office as possible, but I tried not to take that as a personal slight. Must have been a coincidence.
After unpacking, I headed right to Main Street to "discover" Daytona Beach. By the way, Daytona and Daytona Beach aren't the same place. There's a bridge (several actually) and a big body of water separating the two, so be careful with that if you plan a visit. First stop was Boot Hill Saloon which looked like just the kind of place I like. Two bikes out front on the sidewalk, a couple pickup trucks in the lot, and practically impossible to see through the windows. Alexandria could use a couple "Boot Hills", just for balance.....Give people like me a place to go.
Inside, Boot Hill Saloon is dark, gritty, decorated with a huge collection of old license tags, bras, lights, dusty stuffed critters, and a collection of dusty customers to match. There's no pretense of sophistication, and Lynyrd Skynyrd was cranked up L O U D. And on the men's room walls, there was a terrific collection of airbrushed art, which really was good stuff...Well, you won't find it in the Smithsonian anytime soon, but I liked it.
And just minutes after I sat down at the bar, the barmaid and a big, big-titted blonde customer got into a shouting match, resulting in the blonde being thrown out! WTF! Everyone else just went on like nothing was happening, and Sweet Home Alabama almost drowned out the yelling.
Soon though, the blonde headed for the door, which almost prompted me to appeal for a new ruling. I mean really, isn't there something just wrong about throwing a blonde with big tits out of a bar? A BIKER bar? Against some kind of rule? Still, not knowing the crowd yet, I kept out of it, figuring I'd need a place to hang for a week.....Wise decision.....probably. LOL
And I'm happy to report that the Boot Hill Saloon, while it became my favorite haunt, was just one of several cool bars that cater to the biker crowd. There's also Froggy's just up the street, Main Street Station, and out on Rt 1, the Iron Horse Saloon, which was a very close runner-up for the favorite hangout award.
In fact, Daytona Beach, in general, caters to the biker crowd, with parking in some areas limited to bikes, and very few businesses DIDN'T have a bike or two parked outside. And while this kind of place might not be for everyone, I felt right at home. Everyplace I went, I met cool folks, and didn't run into any problems. Hotels even have special motorcycle parking areas, though I did learn that few allow trailers during events like Bike Week.
Speaking of which, I scouted the place to find the best spot to stay if you wanted to go to Bike Week and "do it all", while limiting the time having to ride in slow traffic. Guess what? There is no single place to stay that is centrally located to everything, but I did manage to narrow it down to two general locations, depending on what you want to see and do:
1) Most of the in-town stuff centers around Main Street in Daytona Beach. Stay within a few blocks of that and you'll be set for the parades, street stuff, smaller bars, etc. And if you stay outside of Daytona, with a plan of riding to Main Street for the fun, you'll have a long, slow, hot ride to get across the bridges into town. I hear that bikes COOK waiting to get back across from the Speedway Blvd venues.
2) The bigger venues, like Broken Spoke Saloon, Iron Horse Saloon, Hog Pen, and Boot Hill (north), just to name a few, are all on the mainland, up Rt 1 north from Daytona, about 7-8 miles in Ormond Beach. These are outdoor party spots with stages, vendors, bands, and CONTESTS! Almost all were closed while I was there, and I can only imagine how crazy these places get during Bike Week. If you stay in Daytona Beach, near Main St, riding to these larger venues is probably easy, but that putt back across the bridge won't be any fun at all.
So, if you want to focus on the Rt. 1 places, which damn sure isn't a bad idea, there are far more (and probably less expensive) lodging options. And I'll also bet you can park your bike trailer in some of them, unlike the beach hotels.
Me? I've decided to stay downtown for my first Bike Week, about 7 blocks up from Main Street. I'll give it hell there, take one trip up to the bigger venues, and call it an event. When I go again, I'll stay up near Ormond Beach.
I'm sure there's a million other places to stay and things to do...No way I could figure out everything, but that's my take on Daytona Beach, Bike Week stuff.
Oh yeah, for New Year's Eve, they block off Main Street and line it up with vendors, bands, and folks just wander here and there. No bars charge a cover, and drinking is allowed indoors or out. Lots of fun, though not a lot of....well.....not a lot of skin showing, to be blunt. I was heartbroken. There's a fair number of families with kids that do that event, so the crowd pretty much keeps things down to a dull roar. Still, it's worth doing if you happen to be down that way.
So that was it. I think Daytona is great, and I got a little riding in after it warmed up. Actually I rode, at least once, every day I was there, from December 26 to January 1, but I sure froze my ass off a couple times.
I'll be going back to Daytona Beach, and the Boot Hill Saloon, for sure, and maybe for a little longer next time. That tough-ass barmaid and I got to be friends (even though I still think she should let blondes with big tits drink in her place). I think I could easily spend a couple weeks there and never miss home....not even once. To tell you the truth, I can see myself retiring to that area....My kind of place. Lots of fun and it ain't the DC Rat Race by a long shot.
PS - The world's most humongous Harley-specific shopping center is in Ormond Beach. It's called Destination Harley Davidson. I think they have something like 1,500 bikes in inventory, plus you can eat, sleep, rent, shop, and even get a tattoo there. They even have condos, if you can imagine that. (I love my bike, and the life style, but I ain't sure I'd want to live at a Harley dealer.) It's amazing place to stop...Don't miss it. Route 1 and I95, just before Daytona if you're heading south, and just a mile or so north of the big party venues.
PPS - Eat at Hooters, across from the NASCAR track. Both have dangerous curves.
Happy New Year, All
Cowboy
January 20th, 2011
And Hell, that's not to mention my search for a decent lift so I can get the crud off without breaking my back......
But there I go again. Focus, Cowboy, focus! Daytona, Dammit!
Why?
Sure there's the NASCAR track, and that's got a "coolness" factor all of it's own. Hell, NASCAR headquarters is located in Daytona, there's a Bill France Blvd, and Speedway Blvd is about as wide as I-405 in Los Angeles. And there's that H U G E fucking race track. Riding around it the damn thing, on the surface streets, is about 3 or 4 miles!
But that ain't the cool part of Daytona. Not for me, anyway. See, I decided to spend my entire 2010 Christmas week in Daytona, instead of the usual overnight stop on the way to/from someplace else. I'd never really been there long enough to really get a feel for the place. I also wanted to do some scouting before Bike Week, since I'm finally going this year. I took my Harley with me, and headed out on Christmas morning, getting there the next day after an overnight stop in Savannah.
I was looking forward to riding up and down the coast, enjoying semi-warm breezes, and with no helmet law, enjoying the freedom of having the wind in my hair. The weatherman, however, saw fit to serve up a record-low temperature on my second night there, with lows about 26 degrees F, and Brother, that ain't riding weather. Hell!, it took days before it got up into the 60s, but whoa, I'm getting ahead of myself.
I stayed in a little 60s-era beach motel that was tolerant of me, the Hummer, the Harley, and the bike trailer. Well, actually they were OK with everything but me, but after I turned on the charm, I got a room key overlooking the beach. It was also the room that was as far away from the office as possible, but I tried not to take that as a personal slight. Must have been a coincidence.
Soon though, the blonde headed for the door, which almost prompted me to appeal for a new ruling. I mean really, isn't there something just wrong about throwing a blonde with big tits out of a bar? A BIKER bar? Against some kind of rule? Still, not knowing the crowd yet, I kept out of it, figuring I'd need a place to hang for a week.....Wise decision.....probably. LOL
In fact, Daytona Beach, in general, caters to the biker crowd, with parking in some areas limited to bikes, and very few businesses DIDN'T have a bike or two parked outside. And while this kind of place might not be for everyone, I felt right at home. Everyplace I went, I met cool folks, and didn't run into any problems. Hotels even have special motorcycle parking areas, though I did learn that few allow trailers during events like Bike Week.
1) Most of the in-town stuff centers around Main Street in Daytona Beach. Stay within a few blocks of that and you'll be set for the parades, street stuff, smaller bars, etc. And if you stay outside of Daytona, with a plan of riding to Main Street for the fun, you'll have a long, slow, hot ride to get across the bridges into town. I hear that bikes COOK waiting to get back across from the Speedway Blvd venues.
2) The bigger venues, like Broken Spoke Saloon, Iron Horse Saloon, Hog Pen, and Boot Hill (north), just to name a few, are all on the mainland, up Rt 1 north from Daytona, about 7-8 miles in Ormond Beach. These are outdoor party spots with stages, vendors, bands, and CONTESTS! Almost all were closed while I was there, and I can only imagine how crazy these places get during Bike Week. If you stay in Daytona Beach, near Main St, riding to these larger venues is probably easy, but that putt back across the bridge won't be any fun at all.
So, if you want to focus on the Rt. 1 places, which damn sure isn't a bad idea, there are far more (and probably less expensive) lodging options. And I'll also bet you can park your bike trailer in some of them, unlike the beach hotels.
Me? I've decided to stay downtown for my first Bike Week, about 7 blocks up from Main Street. I'll give it hell there, take one trip up to the bigger venues, and call it an event. When I go again, I'll stay up near Ormond Beach.
I'm sure there's a million other places to stay and things to do...No way I could figure out everything, but that's my take on Daytona Beach, Bike Week stuff.
Oh yeah, for New Year's Eve, they block off Main Street and line it up with vendors, bands, and folks just wander here and there. No bars charge a cover, and drinking is allowed indoors or out. Lots of fun, though not a lot of....well.....not a lot of skin showing, to be blunt. I was heartbroken. There's a fair number of families with kids that do that event, so the crowd pretty much keeps things down to a dull roar. Still, it's worth doing if you happen to be down that way.
I'll be going back to Daytona Beach, and the Boot Hill Saloon, for sure, and maybe for a little longer next time. That tough-ass barmaid and I got to be friends (even though I still think she should let blondes with big tits drink in her place). I think I could easily spend a couple weeks there and never miss home....not even once. To tell you the truth, I can see myself retiring to that area....My kind of place. Lots of fun and it ain't the DC Rat Race by a long shot.
PS - The world's most humongous Harley-specific shopping center is in Ormond Beach. It's called Destination Harley Davidson. I think they have something like 1,500 bikes in inventory, plus you can eat, sleep, rent, shop, and even get a tattoo there. They even have condos, if you can imagine that. (I love my bike, and the life style, but I ain't sure I'd want to live at a Harley dealer.) It's amazing place to stop...Don't miss it. Route 1 and I95, just before Daytona if you're heading south, and just a mile or so north of the big party venues.
Cowboy
January 20th, 2011
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Open vs Closed, Revisited
After burning up an excessive amount of elbow grease, buying a small heater to keep me warm in the garage, and still having a motorcycle that looked cruddy, I had to reassess my thinking....... Towing a bike in the open ain't good either, so I need to find a solution.
By pure coincidence, the people at Geza Gear, who make that cover I was interested in (see previous post), happened to be exhibitors at the DC Motorcycle show the weekend of 1/15. I went up and talked to Tom from Geza and explained my dilemma about needing an open trailer, and that I had an equal concern about totally fucking up my bike with salt, road dirt, etc. And then I told him about the horror stories I'd heard about covers, bikes, and open trailers being a bad combination.
Tom had heard this one before, knew the kind of trailer I used, and recommended a solution. First he put my mind at ease about Geza covers wearing out the paint, letting me know they had many years of experience making covers designed for towing. He said the material used and the fit of the cover would prevent damage to my bike's finish.
OK, so which design....
When I looked at his sample designs, I realized that with most of their off-the-shelf models, the bottom of the bike would still be exposed, and I don't want that. Tom then suggested they make me a custom, full cover that laced at the bottom like a shoe. He offered me a great price for a custom-cut full cover and I handed over the credit card!
I can't wait. Even if it keeps most of the crud off, I'll be happy. Stay tuned for a road test report.... And yeah, the fabric is machine washable, so if I get someplace and it's filthy, I can stop at a laundromat and wash the damn thing. And I can flirt with the locals and have a couple cold beverages while I wait. Who knows, I might get lucky and find a new riding partner. Or just get lucky.
Cowboy
PS It was also cool to find out Geza is right in in Northern Virginia, near Fairfax.
By pure coincidence, the people at Geza Gear, who make that cover I was interested in (see previous post), happened to be exhibitors at the DC Motorcycle show the weekend of 1/15. I went up and talked to Tom from Geza and explained my dilemma about needing an open trailer, and that I had an equal concern about totally fucking up my bike with salt, road dirt, etc. And then I told him about the horror stories I'd heard about covers, bikes, and open trailers being a bad combination.
Tom had heard this one before, knew the kind of trailer I used, and recommended a solution. First he put my mind at ease about Geza covers wearing out the paint, letting me know they had many years of experience making covers designed for towing. He said the material used and the fit of the cover would prevent damage to my bike's finish.
OK, so which design....
When I looked at his sample designs, I realized that with most of their off-the-shelf models, the bottom of the bike would still be exposed, and I don't want that. Tom then suggested they make me a custom, full cover that laced at the bottom like a shoe. He offered me a great price for a custom-cut full cover and I handed over the credit card!
I can't wait. Even if it keeps most of the crud off, I'll be happy. Stay tuned for a road test report.... And yeah, the fabric is machine washable, so if I get someplace and it's filthy, I can stop at a laundromat and wash the damn thing. And I can flirt with the locals and have a couple cold beverages while I wait. Who knows, I might get lucky and find a new riding partner. Or just get lucky.
Cowboy
PS It was also cool to find out Geza is right in in Northern Virginia, near Fairfax.
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Open vs Closed
Wow, I gotta say this: Hauling the bike on an open trailer through 8 hours of hard rain, on roads previously salted and sanded for ice prevention, sure does a nasty job on a bike. I literally was shocked when I went back over to the garage and saw it after it dried off.
After staring for a few minutes, I realized I needed to get the corrosive stuff off kinda soon, so I decided to get the bike to a car wash for a fresh-water spray. A couple minutes of riding in sub-freezing temps knocked that idea out of my head, so I opted to try a weak solution of dishwashing detergent in warm water, mixed up in a weed-sprayer bottle. There's no hose/water at my rented garage, so my options were limited. I figured if my dishes didn't have streaks and spots (you use Cascade too, right?), the bike wouldn't either.
Soon I had the grit sprayed off, but the grit was quickly replaced by a streaky, chalky-white film left over from the dishwashing soap. Fuck! Double-fuck! It took hours of hand cleaning to get this residue off, and it looked maybe worse than the salt! The bike still looks rough, but it's not nearly as bad as it was.
So now I'm revisiting the decision not to cover it while towing. I found a Geza cover that seems like it might work without doing any damage, and maybe wrapping the tank and other painted stuff with soft material before covering might limit the abrasion resulting from the cover being buffeted by the wind, rubbing on the paint. We'll see.
The decision to buy the open trailer was still a good one, but there's definitely a downside.
Cowboy
PS I still need to polish the back wheel. It's in bad shape....Looks like it's been painted white. Looking at lifts to help ease the task. Will let folks know what I get.
After staring for a few minutes, I realized I needed to get the corrosive stuff off kinda soon, so I decided to get the bike to a car wash for a fresh-water spray. A couple minutes of riding in sub-freezing temps knocked that idea out of my head, so I opted to try a weak solution of dishwashing detergent in warm water, mixed up in a weed-sprayer bottle. There's no hose/water at my rented garage, so my options were limited. I figured if my dishes didn't have streaks and spots (you use Cascade too, right?), the bike wouldn't either.
Soon I had the grit sprayed off, but the grit was quickly replaced by a streaky, chalky-white film left over from the dishwashing soap. Fuck! Double-fuck! It took hours of hand cleaning to get this residue off, and it looked maybe worse than the salt! The bike still looks rough, but it's not nearly as bad as it was.
So now I'm revisiting the decision not to cover it while towing. I found a Geza cover that seems like it might work without doing any damage, and maybe wrapping the tank and other painted stuff with soft material before covering might limit the abrasion resulting from the cover being buffeted by the wind, rubbing on the paint. We'll see.
The decision to buy the open trailer was still a good one, but there's definitely a downside.
Cowboy
PS I still need to polish the back wheel. It's in bad shape....Looks like it's been painted white. Looking at lifts to help ease the task. Will let folks know what I get.
Monday, January 3, 2011
Kendon Trailer - Road Test
I just got home yesterday (Sunday, 1/2), and haven't had time to get the photos of the Daytona trip together, but I did want to let those who are interested know how the Kendon Dual Rail StandUp motorcycle trailer worked out.
Again, very briefly (lots of repeat stuff here folks....Sorry), I was torn between buying a new 6x12 enclosed trailer for about $17-1800, or pick up a used Kendon Dual-Rail Standup for around $1,400. (And yes, if you're willing to drive to Georgia to pick it up, there are new, reasonable-quality, enclosed trailers out there for that price. Most of the eastern manufacturers are located in Georgia, so add trip costs to the sale price.)
My biggest issue was storing the trailer when I wasn't using it, and quite frankly, I wanted more flexibility when I was using it. I didn't want to have to find a large enough place to park the trailer on trips, figuring I'd probably want to keep my Hummer, my trailer and my bike all in the same place. And I already have a rented garage, so something that would fit in there would be perfect, not adding to my monthly bills. I live in a condo, so there's no driveway or yard to park one.
So, with storage as the primary requirement, I bought a Kendon. A 2002 to be exact, for $1,300, and I drove to North Carolina to get it.
I could probably load it OK without, but I added a 36x40" piece of plywood to the ramp for additional stability in solo loading/unloading, and by the way, I ride the bike up. I highly recommend some kind of little "safety net" if you do too, and this cheap hunk of 3/4 plywood, bolted to the ramp with a couple carriage bolts, does the trick. I ride it right up, and roll it right back off. Personally, I can't imagine getting the bike on the trailer any other way except riding it. Any other way seems risky to me, and for 10 bucks, you're set.
Of course, you can get one of those nifty folding aluminum ramps for 200 bucks, and that makes loading easy too, but I can think of a lot of fun stuff to do with that $190 I saved....
By the way, I'm using an 8" drop hitch on my Hummer H3, much lower than the recommendation for a new model Kendon. The folks at Kendon were very helpful answering questions, recommending a ball height of 15"-17" for a 2002 model. I also needed a 7-pin-round to 4-pin-flat wiring adapter. Plug and play.
Test run...
I loaded it up Christmas Day, by myself, with no problems whatever. I rode the bike up onto the trailer, and the self locking chocks held it steady while I got it tied down. It wasn't the least bit wobbly in the chock, so I had plenty time to get my straps on the bike. I've got a skinny 21" front tire and it locked in just great. A fatter tire would only be better.
Tight Fit....A little wider than the H3
So how did it work out?
I pulled it down and back.....1,600 miles....without a hiccup. The trailer towed effortlessly. It took all the bouncing, and the occasional pothole, and the bike didn't loosen up. My gas mileage dropped to 15MPG, about 1 MPG less than the normal 16MPG. (My H3 has the 5-cylinder engine.) And those trailer wheels are up close to the towing vehicle, so a little jerky correction in the steering wheel can make the trailer do funny tricks. Leave the texting to your passenger or just wait. Ask me how I know.
When I got to the hotel, I rolled the bike off, unhooked the trailer, and rolled it over in a corner, far out of the way, with plenty of room to park the bike in the same spot. There was no bitching from the hotel or guests about me taking up extra parking!
That was all the good news. Here's the bad:
On the way back home, a large percentage of the ride was in the rain, and this is the downside of a Kendon, or any open trailer. The bike got soaked, plus all the spray kicked road dirt all over it. I could put mudflaps on the H3 to cut out a lot of the spray, and probably do something with the inner area of the trailer wheels, but there's still the rest of spray from traffic.
Covering it up while towing isn't a good idea since any grit that gets between the cover and my paint job is just going to sand the damn paint down (Read about that on the internet. It's a big problem).
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