I rode my VS1400 up to Daytona Bikeweek 2009 3 different trips during the 10 days....of course I only live
100 miles away down in Melbourne Florida....and during one trip I rode up with a young Air Force troop
fixing to ship off to Germany who had bought an old 87 Intruder 700/750 water cooled.

Anyone else know of any other VS1400's that went to Bikeweek this year....

ciao

Burdicda

 

Super long drive....
Left home around 05:30 Wednesday (35-36 degrees) from just north of Jackson, MS... had to stop twice before my 1st gas fill up in Hattiesburg, MS to de-numb-fy my feet, and to stop my hands to stop shaking like a leaf. After topping off, I headed for Mobile, but wussed out again before Mobile when I thought I was going into hypothermic shock. By Mobile it had started to warm up (relatively speaking). I'm gassing up around every 100-120 miles (the Boulevard's 3.4 gal tank is good for 160 miles with a tailwind at highway speed, I think).
Get off I-10 onto I-75 many hours later, and stop in Lake City for a McWhopper. It's 20:30, the place closes at 21:00. They've already mopped the floor & wiped off the tables, so they put me (and another gentleman) back out in the cold (the bass turds). He invited me to eat supper in his minivan, but I declined... so he ate out in the parking lot with me. He asked if I was headed for Daytona, if I was camping, etc. He suggested if I couldn't make it all the way to Daytona, that about 80 miles up the road aways, was the town of Palatka, several camping sites (which he gave me directions to 2-3)... it's getting near 21:00, cold as a witches hooter again, and what seemed like herds of deer are out grazing next to highway 100. I cross the bridge in Palatka, and look for the camping sites he suggested (but that was an hour ago- my brain was now frozen, and the directions & highway intersections got kombobulated). He also mentioned the Cheyenne Saloon if I got lost. So after riding around lost in E. Palatka looking for camp sites, I stumbled upon the shining beacon of the Cheyenne Saloon.

I stumbled in, and a guy from Pittsburg, asked if I was just getting in, he was impressed with the 600+ mile ride and bought me a brew... I asked about nearby camping sites, and he says to one of the bartenders, "where's Karen" (the owner). She said, "you can camp in the back... there's about 9-10 people camping out there now, but it'll probably fill up this weekend". The cold beer's kicks in soon, and I'm shakin' like Michael J. Fox in an earthquake.

I ride the last 60 miles to Daytona on Thursday, and it's pretty much wall to wall cars and bikes. After an afternoon of stop-n-go traffic, (and seeing more bikes in 24 hours than I've seen in my last 50 years) I head back out of town, and stop for several hours at Bruce Rossmeyers Daytona Destination Harley Shop, the White Eagle, and several of the scooter bars I pass on the way in. End up staying out at the Cheyenne all 3 nights. Nice place during Bike Week... 100's of Harley's, choppers, stretched, painted, tweaked and freaked scooters... bands in the afternoon during the weekdays out at the outdoor back stage. Friday & Saturday, bands out back in the afternoon, then rump kickin bands inside the bar later in the evening.

Got topped off Friday afternoon at the bars riding into Daytona for the 200, so's I don't get robbed too severely on the high-dollar primo arena-beer at the track. Took in the sights & sounds of Daytona (though I should have allocated more time to it)

Coming home along I-10, every 20 - 40 miles I'd hook into a herd of bikes going 80-85 heading West for 10-15 miles (runnin with the pack... haulin ***), but them remember, I've got 500 or 400 or 300 miles to go and don't want the scooter to leave me on the highway, so I fall out of the pack and resume 70-75. Thirteen and half hours down... 12 hours back.... boy and were my arms tired (oops- I meant my ****)

Anyhooozel......... had a really good time!


MississippiSteve

 

Sounds like you had the hoot hell of a good time I did
See ya next year maybe....

BTW
I had always said I wouldn't take a Harley if you give it to me
Well hell it happened...
I bought a raffle ticket where the grand prize was a 09 Road King Classic Harley I won it
I sold it in 15 mins....told em "Hell I'm spoiled I already ride a rocket (Intruder 1400)
Hahaha....Hehehe....

Not too often you get to prove a point like that....

burdicda