Three Months?! Damn.

Now and then, I'm told, life happens and people get busy. That's damn sure the case with me, and Southern Comfort has collected an inch of dust. If it weren't for the Joker posts, along with the bike lift and Kendon Trailer info, this blog would have faded into the Blog-o-Sphere.

I've been busy in some damn good ways, I'm happy to report. I broke down and bought an enclosed trailer, I got rid of the 4Runner, and there's been some great rides, the most recent of which was the Ride To Nowhere with a terrific group of friends.

I won't even attempt to update y'all about all that stuff in a single post, so hold on for updates if you're interested. For now, I'll just check in and report I'm alive and well and having a great time.

More to come
Cowboy

Boston

Never Forget

Return Engagement

About Daytona: I've made it very clear to anyone who was interested, and to a few who weren't, that I was RIDING my fucking bike back from Daytona, mostly to avoid the boos and hisses from the crew that would rather ride through a hailstorm than trailer a scoot. And I confess, I'm sorta one of those people. I've handed out my share of abuse! "Motorcycles are for riding, you pussy!"

So I've been packing, and then re-packing, to get ready for the ride back from Daytona. Rain gear, chaps, gloves, and heavy leathers that take up a lot of room, just in case I hit bad weather coming home. And I've been thinking....and thinking.......

Time passes.....

See, this trip back is one straight slog, northbound on Interstate 95, the undisputed world's champion of congestion, big- rig traffic, and nut cases driving minivans full of rug-rats coming back from some theme park in central Florida. I've done this run on a bike a time or two, and it's like a 800 mile obstacle course where your stress level is through the roof every mile you ride. White knuckles. There's no joy, not to mention the fact that there's also no "Oh Wow, look at that!" scenery for the entire trip. Unless, of course, "Oh Wow!" means look at the accidents......

I'll re-mention the congestion, particularly from Richmond, Virginia, northward. It's a fucking parking lot at 2AM on a Sunday morning, let alone on a Monday afternoon when I'm be in the home stretch. And when I'm most likely to be freezing my ass off.

Shit. Despite all my "I'm riding!" BS, this wasn't looking like the best idea I ever had.......

So I bit the bullet today, reluctantly plunking down $420 bucks for a return trip on the AutoTrain. The $420 covers the bike and a reserved seat, which is sorta outrageous, since I'm going down for $320, which includes a sleeping compartment! Amtrak jacks up the price for northbound travelers. I guess they figure you'll pay more just to get home, and sit upright in a seat all night doing it. Damn, they're right!

And that's it. The decision was made, and I'll be one of those peeps showing up at Daytona Bike Week all fresh as a daisy, and returning home with only event-miles on the new bike. Though I was sure looking forward to my first good ride of the year, Daytona just ain't gonna be it. I'll just enjoy my time there, and party just a little less. Like $620 less.......

Cowboy

PS....Just 3 more days and I'm gone!

13 Days and Counting – Daytona, We’re on the Way!

Funny how the last few weeks of an event I’m really looking forward to seem to drag by like molasses in Minnesota in January. Of course, the two or three days just before will go like wildfire when I realize all the crap I’ve forgotten to take care of!

But I’m hoping that’s not going to happen. I'm taking the new 2013 Limited to Daytona, so I have new tires and new…well, new EVERYTHING!.....so breakdowns are way, way down in probability. And even if something OD’s, the Harley Ultra Road Warranty (or whatever it’s called) will take care of me. Or so they say in the sales brochure.....

I'm excited that Linda and Charlie are meeting me down there! They’re both like family to me, but the best part is that we have the greatest travel agreement ever. We can all go someplace…the same place…and even have the same lodging arrangements, but past that, it’s a come-and-go-as-you-please agreement. We’ll certainly do some stuff together, but there’s no itinerary or schedule. It worked great for us in New Orleans and Sturgis, and it’ll work fine in Daytona too.

Mike, Eric, Dan, Gina, Ashley, Caroline, DeAnna, and Robert will be down there too, and who knows who else I’ll run into. I hear from my favorite daughter, Marianne, that meeting anyone at a specific time and place during Daytona Bike Week is a fantasy due to traffic, plus all the fun distractions that can lead a person astray, so the best we can hope for is something like “Boot Hill, Main Street, Thursday evening”, or maybe the “Broken Spoke on Rt 1 this Saturday night”. Perfect!

There's actually a rumour circulating that Robert will be celebrating a big birthday down there, but I ain't giving up any numbers! Happy early Birthday, Robert!

I'm taking a little time-out during the festivities for a little house-hunting, figuring there just has to be a way to get year-round riding time on my calendar. Heck, maybe something with a garage that’s suitable for a little motorcycle-oriented machine shop. Who knows what might happen if I find something. Me? I’m fucking sick of the rat race, not to mention the DC traffic which is now rated the worst in the US, so I'm motivated.

I also have a date with Dan Kite, the world's best pin-striper, to get him to apply his magic touch to the Limited, making this the third bike Dan has done for me, with Joker and the Road King being the first two. If you want nice work done, track Dan down at any major bike event. At least say hi to him and his wife Gina. Awesome people!

In related news....

I did a little preparation of the new Limited for the ride back, and for our future road trips. In spite of a big price tag, I sprung for the Harley Road Tech version of the Garmin Zumo 665 GPS unit. Rather than go with a bar-mounted unit, I sucked it up and bought the fairing mount, figuring drilling holes in the brand-fucking-new fairing would only hurt for a little while. I was right about that, thankfully. (Ask me about that again if I ever trade it in….)

I won’t go in depth about the install, a la the Joker series of posts, but I will say that getting into the wiring harness on a bike with less than 400 miles on it took some thought. My buddy Jeff held my hand (well, not literally) and the instruction manual through the whole wiring process, and Jeff probably got sick of hearing me ask about wire colors and pin locations repeatedly. Sorry for driving you nuts, Jeff, but thanks again for your help!

Serious Pucker Factor Right About Here....Just sayin...

The Mount is Mounted

Jeff aka "Gadget"

 After getting it wired, we figured out pretty quick that one of the connections wasn’t right, but  5 minutes of re-reading got us back on track, and after re-plugging in a connector or two, we had it right. The GPS plays through the speakers, and cuts off the audio for new directions. And the XM radio works fine too, though it’s a mystery why, for all that fucking money, it was still necessary to run a wire out to the external aux jack in the face of the radio.

Speaking of speakers, while the fairing was apart, I replaced the factory speakers, front and rear, with Harley Boom Audio speakers which make a LOT of difference. Nice.

After all that fun, I took the bike out for a 70 mile shakedown cruise, figuring if the wiring harness was going to go up in smoke, I'd prefer that to happen nearby instead of trapping us down in Daytona. Wait! I might have to give that a little more thought......

But the ride was uneventful, nothing went up in smoke, and we are ready to rock Daytona! Stay tuned!

Cowboy

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

Time flies....Wow.....

Last ride for Big Blue...on the way to trade him in....

Since my accident in late-September, there have been so many things going on, it's been really hard to keep track of it all, and harder still to find a little time....at least enough to focus....so I could update Southern Comfort. Mind ya, there's sure been more good than bad, so I'll take it!

October...

Well, the month was basically one long series of doctor's visits, mixed in with insurance activity and replacing the Hummer. All of that was one royal pain in the ass. On the tail-end of the month, about all that was left on my plate were the ongoing doctor's visits. By then, a 4Runner had taken up residence in the parking spot outside, and the insurance and legal stuff was turned over to my attorney. Good riddance.

November.....

During my month+ of couch and recovery time, while I was getting my brain unscrambled from the accident, I mulled over the idea of getting a new bike. Why? Well, I received a mailer from Harley showing off the new 110th Anniversary line of bikes, and they just happened to include a note that said I was pre-qualified to go pick one up. This was nothing short of marketing genius, and they had me from page 1!

I didn't need a new bike, mind ya. I'd just bought a 99 Road King earlier in the year, and there wasn't a single thing wrong with it. New tires, almost new Vance and Hines pipes, etc. etc. It ran perfectly and I had the chassis stiffened up to handle well too, riding like a dream to and from Sturgis. Plus it had a TON of interchangeable and detachable accessories.

But on the other side of things, or so I told myself, I bought that bike specifically to ride to Sturgis, and the ride was over.

One Sunday afternoon, I drove over to Patriot HD, with the idea that I should at least look at the 110th Anniversary bikes, just to sniff around one, sorta up close and personal. I strolled through the showroom and in the back....the very last bike in the row.....there was a 110th Anniversary Limited. Top of the line. Loaded with every option. Beautiful paint and emblems. Sound system. Cruise. Great seat, including a comfy passenger seat. Tour Pack. Etc. etc. etc.

Keith and Scott helped me sort out the makings of a deal, and I put a price on the head of Big Blue.  Next thing I knew, the Limited was mine.

2013 HD 110th Anniversary Limited

Home with the boys

December.....

Yep, it's the holidays. Anyone following Southern Comfort for any length of time knows I disappear on Christmas, heading to Daytona Beach or Texas or New Orleans or wherever. But not this year. Nope, a combination of accident issues and family obligations kept me right here at home

I'm plotting new adventures that will appear here in Southern Comfort, and Daytona Bike Week is #1 on my list. Stay tuned for that. The new 2013 Limited still only has around 350 miles on it, and I'll break it in on the way to Florida!

Happy Holidays!

Cowboy

PS Sometime this month, the Southern Comfort blog will get its 46,000 visit. Again, it's flattering to have people worldwide following the blog. All the best to each of you!

No Motorcycles

Photo courtesy: http://www.myparkingsign.com/" target="_blank"> MyParkingSign.com

Bummer.

With the exception of the ride to Luray, I've haven't as much as turned a fucking wheel on any of my bikes. I carefully broached the subject of riding in a Toy Run last weekend with my doctor, and she looked at me as if I'd lost my mind. (And NO, I wasn't trying to get her to ride, but hey, she's kinda cute and has a great f'n job, so.......)

But I digress, as I'm known to do when I'm bored to death.

To make a long story short, the accident yanked the rug out of a significant chunk of my life, riding my motorcycle, and I'm not taking it well.

I've just been sitting around, doing damn near nothing, and have gained 5 or 6 pounds from becoming a couch potato. The only non-couch activity I've done, unrelated to work and doctors, was getting my Sturgis tattoo redone, plus a run down to Texas to see family and check on my house, and even that little trip put a hurtin' on me.

"The Boys!" Me, with Colton and Nathan in Azle, Texas

Before - the Main Street, Sturgis, version

After - Sean Bajek at Saints & Sinners, Fells Point, did his magic once again

In a weak moment that I'll blame on painkillers, and with lots of time on my hands, I started chewing on the idea of a new bike. Yep, another one. This time, though, I figured if I bought a new one, one of the three I have would have to go in as a trade, keeping the fleet the same size.

So I instantly ruled out the '08 Softail Custom 105th Anniversary. That's my favorite bike, and it's still the best damn motorcycle Harley Davidson ever built, plus it's a ton of fun to ride.

And Joker? Who the hell would want that one??!! Useless except for speed runs to Hooters and the occasional burnout to impress whoever happens to be looking. Or for nobody, since it's just fun to do it. And besides, what else can I ride the Dragon with at crazy speeds!

And #4? As cool as the little guy is, he ain't gonna put a dent in the down payment on a new Harley.

Leaving Big Blue.

That's a tough one too. That Road King is a damn nice bike, and runs just great. Not one hiccup all the way to Sturgis, on to Wyoming, then Denver, and back here. So I don't know whether to let it go.

And the good news is that I don't need to make a decision right this second. I can sit back and watch some more TV and maybe gain a couple more pounds.

Wish the fuck I could ride.

Cowboy

Every Picture Tells A Story

Every picture tells a story, or so they say. This picture, then, explains why I haven't posted anything new about riding, and for fear of saying something unintentionally misleading, I haven't posted anything about the accident either, which I hope to avoid here.

Suffice it to say that on the way back from Pennsylvania, after I picked up #4, I got pushed off the Interstate and into a concrete wall that didn't move a fucking bit. No, not even when a Hummer hits it at about 50. Lots of other stuff moves, but not that damn wall.

The good news, and yes there is some good news, is that I had already dropped off Leesa, so she wasn't injured. Equally good was that I was able to walk out of the hospital early the next morning without looking like a commercial for medical devices and dressings. Hurtin' for certain, but walking, and for that I'm extremely grateful.

It's a testament to the construction of a Hummer H3 to have made it out of that one alive. The Hummer is headed for the scrap yard, but it did its job. And let's hear it for the seat belts and airbag! Saved my ass for sure!

And yes, #4 made it out OK too. Tough little fucker.....

Props go out to my daughter who scoured the contact list for anyone that could get down to Virginia and help me out. She never gave up, and eventually got hold of Fred. And props also go out to my daughter-in-law Debbie who kept in constant contact with the hospital, and kept the Patient Services lady in the hospital constantly running around, LOL.

I've gotta toss in a side note about F'n Fred. Yes, the same F'n Fred who makes an occasional cameo appearance in Southern Comfort, and who, when not riding one of his eleventy-three motorcycles, can typically be found in a Hooters Restaurant in Anywhere, USA.

Fred, after hearing about the accident, drove all the way to the Virginia hospital from way out in the Maryland suburbs, and he did this in the wee hours of the morning. When I was finally released, Fred got me out the door and gave me a lift home, but not before stopping in an all-night pharmacy so I could get the Rx's filled. After dropping me off, he drove all the way back to his Maryland home to go back to sleep. But he wasn't done with me yet.

The next day, that F'n Fred shows back up at my place, and off we went go to the towing yard to retrieve my personal belongings from the Hummer. With no help from me (I was in the fucking ozone with pain killers, and doing some serious hurting), the Hummer was completely unloaded, and everything, INCLUDING #4, was loaded into his truck, and then unloaded again at my garage.

I could not have been more thankful and grateful for a Bro like Fred, and when I expressed my gratitude, he just smiled and said, "That's what we do." He's one hell of a guy, and if you don't have a friend like Fred, it's your loss.

F'n Fred on #4. 

Fred reports that #4 has a decent low end, but there's a terrible flat spot at high RPMs, maybe due to a governor. He recommends a supercharged, hemi-head, chainsaw engine.

Time passes....

In the past month, I've reluctantly had to just take it easy. Just sitting around was driving me (more) insane, so feeling a little better, I rode Big Blue a Saturday or two ago. I met Angel and Jim, and we all rode out to see Charlie and Linda. Fun day, and it was great to see the leaves changing colors, but that night and the next day reminded me that it was too damn soon after the accident to be back on a bike. The last few miles were like riding with a full-body toothache, and traffic was just fucking awful coming out of the mountains. Come to think of it, it was just fucking awful going in too....

I put Big Blue away after that so the temptation wasn't, and isn't, so strong. Out of sight, out of mind. Well, riding is never really out of my mind, but taking a ride now requires a little more thought and effort than just putting the helmet on and roaring down the highway.

And the Hummer has morphed into a 4Runner. I now know that running around town, in DC rush hour traffic, a Hummer actually gets better gas mileage than a 4Runner! That was sure an awakening! Who woulda thought that? I'm sure the 4Runner will make up for the difference on road trips, or at least that's what I'm hoping.

Don't get me wrong, it's a nice SUV, but is sadly soooo mainstream and civilized, I can barely find the damn thing when I come out of a grocery store. It blends right in with all the rest of the vehicles. I use the remote and wait for the flashing lights to make sure I get in the right truck.

One afternoon, I was outside at the condo talking to two ladies in my neighborhood, and they were asking about the accident. And then they asked about the 4Runner in my parking spot. Julie said "Is THAT yours? Well, at least you still have the Harleys." So I guess there's a message in that. It's not the vehicle peeps would expect me to be driving.....

Life goes on, right? I'm following doctor's orders, which is very hard, and doing all the things I'm told to get all the parts and pieces functioning again. Again, I'm grateful that I wasn't in some cheese box.

And that, friends, is what's been going on. Maybe the picture didn't tell the whole story after all, but if you look on the far right hand side of the picture, near the back of the truck, there's that F'n Fred.

Cowboy

PS Thanks to everyone for checking in on me, and for all the well wishes. I even got flowers from my friends at Thomson Reuters! That was a first. Flowers? For me? Really?

#4 - Manco Thunderbird Mini Bike

As Advertised! Manco Thunderbird - Made in USA!

It happened again. About the time I had an extra couple hundred laying around, something new caught my eye. I was clicking through the latest offerings on eBay for bike parts, and like I've done a time or two in the past, I started looking at stuff I had in days gone by...cool stuff.

And often, "cool stuff" is defined as something with an engine. So this time, I was looking at old go-karts, which I raced for a little while as a kid. I had an Acer Racer with a Power Products engine back in the day, and every so often I look to see if one of those things has been offered on eBay. And though I didn't see any, I did notice a couple old mini-bikes, which I didn't have, but I always wanted one.

So mixed in with all the rusty Rupps, a guy in Pennsylvania had a Manco Thunderbird for sale with no reserve price, labeled as "vintage", and the last bid was pretty low. So with no further motivation than "I always wanted one", I bid on the thing, and low and behold, I won the auction.

So off to Pennsylvania to claim my prize!

I was pleasantly surprised to see the condition of the bike, especially for something with a vintage label, but it turns out that label was a bit of a stretch. The bike was probably made around 2000, and you can still actually buy a Manco Thunderbird B-Model, though the new ones are a little different. So I guess mine is vintage since it's an older model, and also assuming you're 15 years old like the seller!

Before loading this beast into the Hummer, I wanted a test ride, so off I went, tearing down the residential side street at the blinding pace of about 35MPH. Now that might seem slow, but when you don't yet know where the brake is, and not really sure the damn thing even has one, 35 starts looking pretty damn quick.

Safe Return After a Blast Down the Road

But I found the brake, got it turned around, and headed back to load it up. There really isn't much else to check out on a mini-bike. It either runs or it doesn't. Moves and stops or it doesn't. And the tires have air in them or not. Wait, there was one switch...the on/off. And that seemed to work just fine, and as I found out later, that bike damn sure won't start until you turn the switch on. Even after pulling on the recoil starter about 10 times!

It Fits, and Standing Up Too!

On the way back, I stopped at the Harley factory in York, PA, where #4 was promptly unloaded and driven 'round the parking lot amongst all the Harley peeps. Smiles all around as we made a few laps through the people attending the York HD plant's Open House.

Chip-Man in the HD Parking Lot

After getting it home...Wait! that's an entirely separate story that I won't get into right now, but suffice it to say that the mini-bike made it to the garage but the Hummer didn't.

Anyway, when I finally got the mini-bike to the garage and inspected it closely, I noticed that several of the nuts and bolts looked like some kid did the maintenance with vise grips and a crescent wrench, and you know what? I'll bet that's right! I know because I did the same damn thing as a kid. It also needs a new fuel line with a cut-off valve. But that's about it. Tires are new, no breaks in the frame, and it runs just fine.

Fine, for now, anyway. I've got my eye on a 10HP racing go-kart engine that should make this little sucker fly!

So now I have a mini-bike, with no use for it whatever, but it's still pretty cool. The bike was christened with the name "#4". #4, of course, is because that's my 4th bike. It's now tucked away in the garage with my Harleys. Maybe one day it'll grow up?

The Fleet, without Big Blue

Had to Get a Number Plate with a "4"! Not as easy as it sounded!

If not, I'll always have a little toy to toss in the truck when I go up to the mountains, or maybe to some event where little bikes are allowed. Then I can be one of those annoying people running all around, stirring up dust, and making lawn-mower sounds early in the morning or late at night.....

Cowboy

Delmarva Bike Week 2012 - No, I'm Not Going......

(Pssst. Stop clicking on those arrows in that image. It's a screenshot and they don't work.)

I wasn't going to Delmarva Bike Week, 2012. I told several people that I wouldn't go back there, and I had some pretty good reasons. Too many cops, too many cages, and too many tourist families mixed in with the motorcycle crowd. I can just imagine all the stories they tell their friends when getting back home after spending an expensive week in a seaside hotel, otherwise filled with bikers.

I have, however, seen several of these wives/girlfriends stealing a long look the biker guys, so maybe they aren't really so upset. And the men ain't bashful about checking out our girlies, so maybe this works out OK. But in any case, they sure don't let the little teenage daughters out of their sight, even for a second. LOL

Where was I....Damn, just the thought of those teeny-boppers got me off track........ Kidding, of course.

Well, not really.

Anyway, after turning down a couple good offers to go, I began reading Facebook posts of some peeps who were going, or who were already there, and it looked like I was missing out on some fun! At the very last second, when I just couldn't take it anymore, I said "Fuck it!" and booked a room. I decided to roll out Saturday morning to catch the last couple days.

Delmarva Bike Week isn't really a week, by the way. It runs for only 5 days, wrapping up on a Saturday and Sunday, usually 2 weeks after Labor Day weekend.

I rode my 105th Anniversary Softail Custom down there. It's a great bike for a road trip, and fun to ride. I can play around a little on the Softail, unlike the Road King. I also only had the small Roll Bag tied down to the luggage rack. I decided that if it...whatever IT was....didn't fit in that bag, along with the spare peanut helmet, then I wasn't taking it. I don't like the looks of the detachable saddlebags on that bike, so I left 'em hanging on the garage wall.

The ride down was easily one of the best riding days ever. Mid-70's...just cool enough to wear a leather jacket. The bike ran well in the 70-degree temps, and there were blue skies and just a light breeze all 170 miles of the run.

The Eastern Shore of Maryland is mainly flat, but the road twists and turns through miles of farmland and wooded areas, and through several Eastern Shore towns, offering a nice mix of scenery and places to take a break now and then. And gas stations! Unlike my Sturgis ride, it was nice to see plenty of gas stations!

As I got closer, there was an increasing number of bikes on the road, all headed down Rt 50 toward (if you're from Baltimore) "the Ocean", and (if you're from the DC area), "the Beach"! I got in with a few groups along the way, and we bunched up, enjoying the ride together.

And unlike previous trips to Delmarva, police were conspicuously absent until I hit Berlin, MD, about 5 miles west of Ocean City. The last few times I went, the cops were thick from the Chesapeake Bay Bridge all the way to OC, but this time that wasn't the case. Hooray! In Berlin, they had radar set up, but there's a State Police station there, so you gotta expect that.

When I got to Ocean City, which is the focal point of the event, I was pleasantly surprised to find out my hotel, The Atlantic, was literally at Ground Zero, right next to the center of the action at Wicomico Street and the Boardwalk. I was far happier to find out my room was on the opposite side of the hotel from the stage, so I was even going to get a little sleep!

My friends were spread out from one end of Ocean City to the other....miles and miles....and there was simply no way I was going to hurry from place to place, checking off the boxes. Instead, I hit The Cork Bar, hung out with my daughter, Marianne, and Tammy, and began slowly making my way north from there, figuring at some point I'd run into a few friends.

After a stop for a lunch of steamed crabs.....Yummy!....I hit a couple hot spots, mostly checking out what the vendors offered.

Rob's Used Harley Parts had a great display of goods at the OC Convention Center, and in the pile of goodies was a 1957 Panhead frame, unmolested. Every tab and mount was still there, and no signs of a tweak or weld repair anywhere. But I just didn't have $5,000 on me. And they had an engine and title for a similar amount! Damn, I wanted....I still want...that rig.

There were vendors stretched out all up and down Coastal Highway, and if you wanted it, it was there someplace. If not right in OC, then it was probably at one of the satellite venues just over the Inlet bridge or in Salisbury. The Harley dealer in OC closed up, so that was a switch from earlier years. Nothing going on there this time.

Anyway, from the the Convention Center, I rode a few blocks up to Seacrets, a joint not unlike Jamaica, only it's in Ocean City. There's a band, a DJ, loads of bars, and even tables in the water to sit at. I guess they make it easier if you fall off your stool, except I guess the splash would attract a lot of attention...

And there was also the Swede, Cathy, Bob, Dave, Carolyn, Lisa, Sierra, Carrie, and......damn, I know I'm missing someone..... Anyway, it was great to run into this crew and a good time was had by all. After a few beverages, we split up, agreeing to hook up again later that night.

From there, I went back to the hotel, and got in touch with Charlie, Linda, Ashley and Caroline, and the fun started again. And later the Seacrets crew met up with us. And more fun began. And so on...You get the idea, right? Fun! And you ain't lived 'til you hang out with a cute 5'11" girl wearing stilettos......

I did make an honest effort to lure Leesa into the mix of people, but Leesa managed to resist even my strongest advances. I even offered to......Well, I ain't going into that.

And so it turned out to be a really great, albeit far too short weekend, and well worth the trip. Absolutely nothing planned, and I didn't see half the peeps I knew that were down there, but it's a no-hard-feelings-thing with my crew, and as long as everyone's having fun, that's all that counts. If we miss each other, there's always next time.

And there will be a next time for me. Now I can't wait for Delmarva Bike Week, 2013. Only 358 more days to go. And I'll be staying at the Atlantic Hotel. And partying at Seacrets. And somewhere eating steamed crabs. And.........

I'm posting one last photo, taken just as I was on my way outa town. I was lured into the trap, and almost before I knew it, this photo was front and center on Facebook. My only salvation was that the damn thing wasn't pink. Linda refers to this loathsome mechanical device as a Chick Magnet. I'm not so sure, and I think she has "curiosity" and "pity" confused with "interest".

Cowboy
9/19/2012

40,000 Visits

Once again, I took a look at statistics for Southern Comfort, and I noticed that sometime over the weekend, as I was kicking back down at Ocean City Bike Week (or was it Delmarva Bike Week?), Southern Comfort had it's 40,000th visit. That's frickin' amazing to me.

I won't go into how this blog started as I have in the past when recognizing milestones, but suffice it to say that Southern Comfort wasn't destined for fame and fortune. I figured it would quickly fade into Internet obscurity, and much to my surprise it actually has a following.

Fortune awaits, I reckon. In almost 3 years, the blog has generated a whopping total revenue of $13.96, but Google won't pay up until I make at least $100 bucks, so I think it'll be a long, long time before I get a check to cash.

Still popular: the pages on East Coast Sturgis, all the Joker how-to articles, the Kendon trailer posts, Sturgis 2012, and the posts that talk about motorcycle lifts. Another real hit-maker is one post that has a picture of a girl in a ripped up pair of jean shorts! That post gets tons of hits from Europe and the Middle East! The bike articles are mostly read by peeps in the US and Canada, but there are hits worldwide on those too.

Referring sites are primarily Google, Facebook, HD Forums, and DK Customs. And that's about it for the statistics. there's a million more that are interesting, but probably only to me.

Thanks for reading and keeping me motivated. Southern Comfort lives on!

Cowboy

 

Posted with Blogsy

Sturgis Ride - What Worked....What Didn't

It's fair to say I over-prepared for my ride from Virginia to Sturgis this year. Heck, I even went to the extreme of buying another motorcycle just for the ride, but I'll use any excuse to get another Harley, so I'll rule that out. This is about things that worked well, things that were a bust, and things that fell into the "It seemed like a good idea at the time." department.

What worked well:

Reda Gas Container - Though I never once needed it, that Reda 1-gallon gas container provided peace of mind on two occasions, and I was damn glad I had it. Gladder still that I remembered to put gas in it! (thanks to Chuck for the reminders!)

A bike with a fairing - This falls under the bike purchase, sorta, but I did long ride on a Softail Custom with a detachable windshield and wind deflectors mounted, so I had an idea of a baseline for daily mileage. Having a fairing made the longer ride far less fatiguing, and gave me a longer daily range.

The Softail Custom, as set up for the road in 2010. (Yep, ugly as sin)

The Road King with Memphis Shades Fairing

True Track stabilizer - Made a world of difference in Big Blue. Stable for the entire ride, and took out almost all the Bagger Wobble. It paid for itself on every sweeping 80mph curve on I79 in West Virginia. I enjoyed every mile of it.

Kruzer Kaddy cup holder - Get one.

Saddlebag/Tour-Pack liners - I bought these liners a while back, just in case, and wow did they make my overnight stops easier. I just opened up the tour pack or saddlebag and hauled the liner, with contents, into the hotel room. No running back to the parking lot in my boxers to dig in the saddlebag for the toothbrush!

Powerlet 12V accessory plug, bar mounted - Kept the iPhone charged all the way up and back.

Harley rain gear - This Harley stuff may be pricey, but it works. Don't buy the cheap stuff. You'll just toss it and buy the good stuff anyway. (That's easy for me to say. My son and daughter-in-law gave me mine for a gift. Thanks Kenny and Debbie!)

PIAA High Intensity Headlamp - Nice....Far better than stock, and illuminated the critters that were all over the freakin' road out west. Two Gold Stars for Mark at Patriot HD for suggesting the upgrade.

New Metzler M880 Marathon tires. Great ride characteristics. I liked the way the bike felt with this tire design and tread pattern, and no worries on wet roads. And after the 4,920 miles, they still looked almost new, so these don't wear as fast as the Harley Dunlops.

Cruise Mate - This was an addition I made at Sturgis. I needed something to relieve the right-hand cramps and numbness on long stretches, and using the stock Harley star wheel just wasn't easy. The Cruise-Mate Throttle Control was a nice looking piece of machine work, and Kuryakn only charged me $50 for it, plus another $15 bucks to install it at the J&P Cycles lot at Sturgis. This little gizmo did the trick, working as I hoped. A quick flick with the thumb, and I was able to relax that right hand.

Installation, while pretty simple, requires rethreading a hole in the control, by the way. Minor mod to the stock hardware. Hence my request to get the Kuryakn guys to slap it on. Hell for 15 bucks, how could I say no?

There was just one thing that took some getting used to: there's no serious sense of pressure or resistance when it locks. It just didn't feel like it was "tightening up" against anything, but it worked just fine. I could also easily operate the throttle when it was on, so the rotational resistance applied by the CruiseMate's 1/4 turn doesn't cause safety issues. And a quick flick of your thumb disengages it completely.

Remember that a Cruise Mate is a throttle lock, and not a cruise control. When using it, uphill sections mean you'll slow down, and going downhill causes you to speed up (like a fucking rocket), but this little deal is an outstanding, low-cost solution for giving your right hand a rest on long trips, and is a lifesaver on the long flat stretches. Like anywhere between Denver and the eastern border of Kansas....

I tried to get one of these Cruise Mates installed before I left Virginia, but I ran out of time and opted instead for a quickly-available and slightly-easier-to-install solution from eBay. See below.


What didn't:

Manual Cruise / Throttle Lock, which is the exact name to search for on eBay - This throttle lock solution also worked, and saved me from a little numbness on the ride to Sturgis, but the damn thing was loaded with sharp edges, and it takes up some room at the top end of the grip. The lost room on the grip, half an inch or more, moved my hand down just a little too far to reach my turn signal button easily (doesn't take much), and that lever sticking up always seemed to catch on something.

And there were all those damn sharp edges. I thought I was going to need stitches before I got to Sturgis.

Bottom Line: I took it off at Sturgis and had the CruiseMate installed. But it does work, and doesn't require any mods to existing hardware. $33 bucks or so on eBay. Or stop by my place and I'll give you one, plus a couple bandaids.

ScalaRider Pro 2 headset - I spent a lot of time trying to make sure I found a helmet headset that enabled me to stream music from my phone via bluetooth. While I'm sure I wasn't doing things just right, I only got it to work once during the entire trip. Even then, the volume was low and I couldn't hear it well.

Yes, I know I'm partially deaf, but even cranked up, I didn't hear much, while the GPS voice was SCREAMING AT ME. TURN, TURN, TURN!!!! That fucking woman drove me nuts.....

Scala Headset Pt 2 - I wasn't using the microphone, but the damn thing must stay attached in order to use the rest of the unit. It was always in the way. After a while, I just gave up on this thing.

Note that in this pic, the receiver unit wasn't even attached. By this point, I'd given up on hearing any tunes, and that lady in the GPS was getting on my nerves.....

Scala Headset Conclusion - For the trip, it was a waste of money, but maybe it'll be OK for riding 2-up, so I won't list it on eBay. Yet.

GPS SunShade - High expectations, but could barely see the GPS in sunlight, before or after installation. Left it on cause it was better than nothing, but don't get your hopes up. And as you can see, despite the pretty pictures on the internet, it's sorta ugly.

Neutral:

TomTom Rider 2 GPS - On this ride, I really didn't need the GPS, but it was a convenience, and saved me from a few wrong turns. That said, trying to look at it in the bright sun, while simultaneously trying to keep from being run over, also caused me to miss a few turns so......

I also found out that this particular GPS wouldn't let me store a campsite location since it wasn't actually on a road. I thought that was a little fucked up.

On one occasion, I did get turned around in the Black Hills and wasn't sure which way was home, but in the Black Hills, with all the scenery and riding a motorcycle, who cares? Anyway, the TomTom Rider 2 GPS helped get me home.

iPhone handlebar mount - Damn, who cares where your iPhone is while you're riding?!? I thought having it up there would be convenient and cool, but in reality, not much value at all. The mount was close to the 12V power source so I guess that helped, but the phone could just as easily been in the windshield bag. I sure wasn't checking Facebook or reading texts while riding,,,,

One of the reasons for getting that mount was having the phone in a decent location for the bluetooth connection/reception, but since that was a bust, it almost wasn't worth the trouble of using the mount. I will say that the phone never got wet while in there, so that's a plus, but sometimes I wanted to use the phone, and had to unsnap the case, unplug the phone, etc, etc. etc.


Saddlebag lid organizer - They were there but I didn't use 'em. Just something extra to dig through.....

So that's just a few thoughts on equipment for a road trip. There was definitely more good than bad, and maybe I could have saved a couple hundred, but all in all, no regrets except I can still hear all those pings, voices, and nagging reminders that were received loud and clear through the headset, yet I couldn't hear the fucking music.

Cowboy