Rovin’ ’Rauder Report

2/29/01

On the road to Daytona

Bike Week YES!!!!

Hello Again Everyone! Long time no speak. Lucky Bastard here, back from the netherworld. JimG is here too, but I’ve taken over for a while.

I gotta say I’m impressed. JimG got a new(er) bike, and she is a honey! Serious thrust from her 1500 twin. The damn thing had no personality (or soul for that matter), so I had to do some serious hacking. I lifted a cutting from good old Bessy’s soul, and grafted it onto this new piece or iron. Grew like a weed in cow manure (which is a synonym for JimG’s mind, if you follow the string). This new 1999 1500 Intruder isn’t Bessy II; it is simply Bessy. Hey, we’ve had two president "George Bushes, we can have two Bessys. On the other hand, one JimG is more than enough!

He got up this morning and we rode at 8am. It was colder than a witch’s bits. The electric gloves and socks were the only thing that made it bearable. 23 degree F is a new riding record! I wish I had a buck for every weird look we got on the highway! It was windy too, about 15 mph, but the sky was clear. Somewhere between New Jersey and Washington DC, old JimG went into a hypnotic trance and I took over.

JimG isn’t needed at this time, so he’s happily riding out the experience. I’M BAAAACK!

(In case you want to know, the first sign that I’m back is a big $hit eating grin. The next is the weaving back and forth across the lane and yelling of "YEHOW!")

After DC, the road finally opened up and we left NorthEast civilization behind. That bothers you? Tough! The word civilization comes from the Latin word for city. You learn the damndest things from the history channel. I did not see a single bike until we passed DC, and then only on trailers. Wimps. No I’m not sayin "sorry"!

The ride was pretty uneventful until we hit the 500-mile mark at Benson, North Carolina. Then the traffic backed up like nobodies’ business! I’m talkin about 10 miles of crawling cars and trucks, with the only bike not on a trailer riding past it all on the shoulder. Heck, Bessy doesn’t have a radiator; she HAS to keep movin! Finally we got off the highway and got a room at a fleabag Day’s Inn. $32.99, no bugs and a good mattress. Who cares about the fact that it is an old run-down Holiday Inn cast-off.

Bud Ice 6 pack, Double Whopper, some peppered beef jerky and Jalopenia (SP!) Poppers. I gotta have something hot! It’s like my trademark, ya know.

Well, it’s now 8:30 and time to post this drivel. Ya know if you like this stuff, Tommy hates you! I don’t really give a flyin fart.

What’s that? Oh Bessy says to tell you that we’ll arrive tomorrow late in Daytona, and JimG screwed up the schedule he posted. The kids good with figures, nuts and bolts, etc, but he couldn’t schedule a fart accurately within a week after he ate a bowl of beans. How the hell does he run a company? Well, who gives a damn, he can afford bike and travel, without which I’d have nuttin!

Hey Somebody let me know when and where the Saturday meet is? Heck if you leave late enough, I ride down to Deltona and ride in with you.

We’re gonna be at the Day’s Inn Speedway Fri, Sat, Sun. Mon, Tues and maybe Wed, and anybody who wants a bed or floor to flop on until Wednesday is welcome. Craig, George and Tommy, go ahead and drink too much, I’ve got you covered! Anybody campin who'd like a hot shower? (Robbie, ya gotta know I know you'll love it).

Lucky Bastard and Bessy beer, bikes and lovin it! (Where's the cole slaw wrestling?)