It has been a long cold winter even in Charlotte NC. Ten inches of snow and ice at one time is unheard of. Cabin fever hit hard and Daytona Bike week was fast approaching. Just the needed fix for those winter time blues!
Vicki and I decided we had to peel to Daytona for Bike Week. This year we were going to ride down, no trailers, no truck, just us and the bike. We left Charlotte Tuesday afternoon; it was a beautiful day to ride, sunny and 75! I twisted the throttle and the speedo read between 75 and 85. Vicki kept looking over my shoulder and every time the needle danced around 85, I got punched in the ribs. We didn’t stop until we were 3 miles north of the Florida state line. We finally pulled over in St. Mary’s, Georgia for the night.
Wednesday morning came and we were ready to roll for the last 125—130 miles of the trip. About 20 miles from our exit we ran into some rain, nothing major, just enough to get wet. We made our way to our motel, The Ocean Front Inn and Suites. A nice place, nice people and priced just right.
After settling in I was ready immediately to head out and check the action. Vicki was did the woman things, you know hair, make up and everything that goes along with that. Finally I forced her out of the room and we headed down to Main Street. I love Main Street, the sights, the sounds, the smells. We decided to hang out and relax for awhile since we had just ridden for 467 miles total trip one way.
The next day we rolled over to Destination Daytona Harley-Davidson (Rossmeyers). This was my first time paying a visit to this establishment. If you have never been, you need to go. I would estimate at least 300 Harleys packed onto the show room floor! The surrounding lots were filled with every major vendor in the industry, Performance Machine, Vance & Hines, Kuryakn, Drag Specialities, Arlen Ness and the list goes on and on. J&P was also located here and their place is amazing to say the least. No ordering parts or accessories here. You just walk along the isles like you do at a super market and pick out what you want. I could have spent the whole day there, but Vicki led me out by my ear.
I picked up a Bell ¾ helmet for $50 on clearance, these usually go for $120! I really liked the helmet on the trip home, perfect fit, nice interior although the snaps on the shield I purchased were defective and blew off on I-26. I called J&P Cycles on the Monday and told them what happened to the shield, 3 days later I had a new one. A great establishment with great people!
J&P Cycles
When we left Destination Daytona we headed for Tropical Willies Chopper Show. If you dig choppers and bobbers, this is the show for you. The Horse Back Street Choppers crew was there along with the Cycle Source crew. I ran into Dave Perewitz while I was roaming the lot. Dave is a stand-up guy who took time for Vicki to snap a few pics, Thanks Dave! We also ran into George the Painter and of course he gave us the bird as we snapped a pic!
That night (Wed) we were back on Main Street. It seems at night Main Street is where all the really cool bikes come out along with all the crazies. The BIG WHEEL bikes were out in full force, these are not my favorite bikes but a lot of hard work goes into creating them.
My favorite bikes were the choppers and bobbers, the old Panheads and Knuckleheads along with numerous Shovelheads. Nothing like the night on Main Street! The bikes I liked the least? The ones that look like Christmas trees! There was a Honda Gold Wing and I swear this bike, and I use that term loosely, must have had over a 1000 lights on it of every color you can think of! Oh well, each to his own.
Friday morning we hit the board walk bike show, which was right on the beach. There were a lot of nice bikes, with all the different brands represented. Later in the day we headed out for a nice ride towards St. Augustine along the coast. Just a nice relaxing ride with places to stop along the way where you could just watch the waves come and go. A romantic stroll on the beach, hey you gotta keep the wife happy!
As far as our bike goes we had two small mishaps. I had just filled up with gas on Atlantic Ave. and when I pulled back onto the street, I could smell gas. I looked down and gas was leaking from the petcock and I was starting to see smoke. I turned the petcock into the off position and found my way into a parking lot. It was a stock petcock and the metal plate behind the lever had worked itself loose. The two tiny screws had backed off, I have never seen this happen before. I did not have a screw driver small enough so I walked down to TWO WHEELERS on Main Street and they let me borrow one.
Problem solved! Turned out Vicki was scared when she saw the smoke and to tell the truth I was a little concerned. Vicki tightened the screws since my eyesight without my glasses is not good. The second problem really was not a problem. The latch on my saddlebag lock had worked itself loose. I could not find it but Eagle eyed Vicki spotted it in the parking lot and it was taken care of. My ’03 Electra Glide ran flawlessly as I was pushing the speed limit just a little.
If you are making the trip on the east coast down 95 beware of the police in Georgia. They are out in force, no warnings, and no second chances. When we hit Florida we never saw a trooper.
I heard the numbers were down this year. It seems this was attributed to the harsh winter weather and everyone who made it to Bike week welcomed a break from the cold. The brothers from up north talked about all the snow and ice, while we were basking in the sunshine. Nothing like a Daytona sunrise over the beach to thaw your soul!
By the way I never heard a complaint about law enforcement. My two previous trips to Bike Week, I returned with those little yellow pieces of paper that cost you money. It seemed to be a laid back atmosphere this year compared to previous years.
I have been to Daytona a number of times. This was the first time I have ridden the bike the entire trip. If I go next year I am riding again, it adds another dimension to Daytona Bike Week. It adds adventure and when you arrive you have that feeling of accomplishment.
Vicki did GREAT, she is always up for a ride no matter the distance. My side is still a little sore from being punched a few times, as she kept checking the speedo. Next year I will put some black tape over anything that reads above 60! Oh yeah, and my ear is also a little tender from being told it was time to leave. Daytona marks the start of the riding season, get out and RIDE!
Until next time, RIDE!
–STEALTH
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