Daytona Run!!

Was trying to think of how I wanted to start my big adventure story

about last weekend's Daytona run. After much thinking,

I decided to start at the beginning. Well as you may recall from a couple of posts back, the Daytona trip was more just to see how David and I could handle long hauls in one day on our bikes, first I must say we passed with flying colors.

A 600 miles in a day ride turned out to be no big deal at all, even in the rain for the first 4 hours of the trip.

Ok I’m getting ahead of myself, I said I was going to start at the beginning, the Thursday before the trip Dave and I noticed my rear tire was getting a little bald

so I put it in the shop Hattiesburg Cycles

to get a new one put on, with the understanding I could get it out Friday (the day before the trip) when I went to pick up my bike Friday I decided to get a cruise control for my bike, after hearing the shop wanted 65 dollars to install it I decided to install it myself after work Friday night. (Cheap, cheap)

Anyway the funny part was I had not packed, washed the bike, adjusted my batwing fairing and now I had to install a cruise control and be ready to go Saturday by 5:00am. (Pressure, pressure)

As luck would have it, I could not get off work Friday till around 7:00pm.  I went home, had a quick bite, then had to get the wife to drive me to the cycle shop to pick up my bike…and yep you guessed it, it was raining. On with the rain suit and a quick ride home into my shop I went.

First line of business, adjust my batwing fairing down a little so it would fit closer to my headlight (check) then came the cruise control, VISTA CRUISE THROTTLE LOCK

it’s a very simple set up, only took me around 20 minutes to install. (Check) I got to say it was one of the best things I ever put on my bike and for around 30 dollars it’s a steal (more on it later). I bought a cup holder

while in Daytona for 20 dollars so I figured I might as well show it to you now while we were on the subject of bike add-ons. The good news about the cup holder is it has a quick release so I can remove it with ease, I swore I would never have one of them on my bike, but after guzzling water

and Mountain Dews

all the way home from Daytona, I’m sold on this add on too. Then I went inside and did what every good man does, went to bed and put off packing until the morning of the trip. Ha-ha.

Lots more to come

Big Al

Well everyone… I’M BACK!!!

Well everyone… I’M BACK!!! Sorry to have been gone so long, between my job, my health, and lot of other things, my computer included. Just too many things to get into right now, maybe later I’ll get into them in detail.

Missed everyone and am glad to be back at BlogSpot.

Now on to my thoughts…that’s what this blog is all about anyway…RIGHT.

Here is a quick catch up on what's been going on in the last few months…I have been spending a lot of my vacation time in Port Saint Joe, Florida. My mom and dad have been doing work in Florida and have rented a great beach house and yea I use the free room and food as much as I can.

Ha-ha.

The sunsets off the front pouch are amazing.

My son and a co-worker David (you might remember him from my Natchez Trace blog) http://bigalscompound.blogspot.com/2010/03/natchez-trace-parkway.html

took a few days off and made a long motorcycle ride out to the Port (about an 8 hour run),

we had a great time, first long motorcycle ride for my son. SHARK fishing

and long rides on the beach added to our daily adventures…Did I mention the free meals at mom’s house….mmm, mmm good. Many other trips (in cars or trucks) have followed. The wife and I even drug my boat to the port for another long weekend leaving the kids at home ALONE…I’m sure they were well behaved while we were gone.

Pop managed to get off a couple of days while we were there and we did some damage to the fish population in the Bay in front of the house.

Almost forgot my wife, son and his friend Tanner took a trip there too, my Pop rented a pontoon boat so we could go scallop diving,

we only found a few but had a great time trying…next day we had a great meal at Margaretville.

MORE TO COME…
Big Al

Bike week in Daytona or NO bike week in Daytona…that is the question.

This is a tough one; I found out a few days ago that the big bike week will be held on February 27-March 8 at Daytona Beach Florida this year. Ok here is the problem, I want to go BUT (there’s always a but) ONE: I have already made plans to go on a hiking trip March 6-8; I’m just waiting on Chad to confirm the hiking dates.

TWO: I was already planning a motorbike trip all the way to Key West Florida, and would hate to make two motorcycle trips into deep Florida in the same year. THREE: I just received my new vacation days for the work year and I hate to blow more than a week at a time.

Daytona bike week 2008

Oh yea…there are bike’s there too. Ha-ha.

My first thought was to take the whole week off and leave right after work Friday, drive to Daytona camping along the way, this is around 650 miles. Spend a night or two in Daytona then get up and head to Key West another 450 miles, after leaving Key West I would just follow the coast line all the way back home another 1050 miles (give are take) In case you don’t have a calculator handy

that comes up to 2,150 miles. That sounds like a scary number until you divide it by nine days, and then you’re only looking at 238 miles a day. But (see I told you there is always a but) I don’t want to just drive straight through, I’d like to spend a day or two in several places along the way, if so, I would have to put in super long four and five hundred mile days, trust me that a long way on a motorcycle.

What to do, what to do…I keep looking at the states I’ve traveled map

at the bottom of the blog page and keep thinking those northern states sure look lonely. I am really considering a northern state motorcycle road trip for around nine days. Hmmmmm, just not sure, I have been to Daytona several times (…had fun every time) but the idea of seeing new things sounds really good to me and anyone who knows me, knows I have a big traveling spirit.

What about the little wife you ask? Well she does not share the same sense of adventure that I do. No long distance motorcycle rides, week long hiking trips for her, she's more of a home body that loves to sit around and read good books and take care of the kids. (She does a very, very good job with the kids) I think she is a little scared of the unknown and open road, I guess that’s why they say opposites attract. We are going on 21 years of marriage now…

Wow that’s a longggg time. Three cheers for my little wife Signe for putting up with all my great adventures and giving me the freedom to travel the open roads or even the backwoods for weeks at a time. A lot of women just would not understand...But, I’m not crazy, I'm sure she does a little happy song and dance once I'm OUT THE DOOR.

No husband…no husband…yea, yea, yea!!!

Well I have got to make a decision soon; I’ll post it as soon as I know…I’ll be back!!