Rovin' 'Rauder's Daytona Report - 3/5/01 (Afternoon)

Rovin’ ’Rauder Report

March 5, 2001

Daytona Bike Week

The MIGs have arrived! We had a formal MIG ride today. Well, it was as formal as we get, and there were only three MIGs, plus Robbie’s bo, Rick on his HD Fatboy, but it was a MIG ride!

It was pretty clear this morning, but cooler. The high today was like 65 or so, a bit breezy but it was nice! Craig and I met at the convention center, and he told me it didn’t open until 5 pm! Bummer! They still want $5.00 to park a bike, and it’s 4 hours until it opens! Craig did make contact with Robbie, and we rode up the beach to their hotel. Robbie was her usual upbeat self, and Rick is a good dude. He brought TWO Harleys, so he can have a change of pace. Must be nice, huh? We helped them with the trailer and went for a ride.

We made out way down to Main Street and rode it west, then past Daytona Beach Harley. Lots of bikes! We got a good meal and were ready to go. The ride was north up into a park, I don’t recall the name. It is the dense Florida vegetation, the kind with palmettos on the ground in a tangle of other plants, various trees with their thick winding branches frame the road, complete with Spanish moss hanging like ZZ Top beards.

Craig took us to a twisty part he likes. A bit short, but winding. We stop and Craig offers the Hawk to me. No hesitation, I grab the opportunity. I head back down the road and return. It is an amazing change from a hormone laden body-builder 1500LC to a lithe little athletic 650. Yowzers!

We continue on and make a pit stop and as we leave, I almost dump Bess. I am on grass, let out the clutch and stalled her. You know we all play a game with a clutch, a little gas, a little slip, but don’t stall it. But I did. In the middle of a 2 mpg turn when you lose the engine, the balance changes FAST. I held her from falling hard (She is heavy) and the floorboard touched down softly. I got a better position and raised her back up. No damage! Lesson learned, don’t baby the throttle and clutch in such a situation. But old Lucky Bastard did it without a scratch due to the grass.

We head back to Robbie and Rick’s hotel and Craig heads home.

Oh, Robbie brought down Shiner Bock (beer). I had one, so good!

I am worried about one thing. One time when we stopped, Craig watches some heavy duty ALMs (Asian land missiles) go by, and the look was one of envy! He wants to test ride a new Bandit 1200!

I head back to my hotel, Craig went home, but we may go to the Iron Horse tonight, I don’t know for sure.

Pics coming!

JimG MIG #229