Sep 2006 - BMWMCON Home Page

THE BEEMER
BMW Hotline 595-6203
President Buddy Burnett 356-7842
Vice President: Terry Elliott – 776-2626
Secretary: Dave Sparkman 799-6249
SEPTEMBER 2006
Treasurer: Mark King -790-8038
Newsletter Editor: Polly Wright – 794--4280
Activities Dir: Ron Brant: 223-1311
PRESIDENT’S CORNER
Buddy Burnett
Ride To Eat, Eat To Ride
Ride to eat, eat to ride has long been a
motorcyclist motto. Alton Brown just takes it to
another level. Alton Brown is one of the hosts on the
Food Network Channel and involved in the series
called the Iron Chef. I am an avid fan and love to
cook. Rachel Ray and Nigella on the food channel
captivate me, and Emeril is one of my favorites. It
goes back to Graham Kerr, Julia Child and Justin
Wilson. I own some of Kerr’s and Wilson’s cook
books. So how do you make a food show better? You
add motorcycles, of course.
Alton Brown started a short series called “Feasting
on Asphalt” that premiered in July. I’m afraid the last
show in the series was on August 19, but like most of
the cable shows, it will pop up again in repeats.
Brown has been riding motorcycles for a while and is
not a new comer. The show started out in Atlanta with
Brown on a BMW R1200RT, with several of his
crewmembers on various BMW GS1150’s and one
man on what looked to be a Triumph or some sort. I
think there was one camera chase vehicle.
The premise of the story is to cruise across
America’s back roads and sample the local restaurants
and recipes peculiar to a region. And some of the
recipes are really peculiar, such as the fried brain
sandwich. Mr. Brown held his composure fairly well
and managed to keep the meal down, but viewers
could tell it took a little effort. Some of the other
meals were more palatable. There was an oldfashioned tearoom with chicken salad and teacakes.
Of course there was barbecue and meat and threes, and
then there was Ted’s Custard house in St. Louis.
Brown looks like the typical Beemer rider on his
way to a rally. He transitioned from a BMW
Savannah jacket to a Vanson perf coat as the
temperatures changed, and one show had him sporting
a one-piece Aerostich suit. I missed the last show, but
trailers show him taking a tumble on what looked like
a desert or gravel road, so that may have been the end
of his motorcycling for a while.
Here is the link if you want to check out Feasting
on Asphalt on the web:
www.foodnetwork.com/food/show_ab
Submitted by Buddy Burnett
Charlie Derrington was on his motorcycle
when he was hit head-on by a drunk driver and killed
on the evening August 1. The drunk was traveling the
wrong way on Briley Parkway. You may have already
read the notices in the newspaper and seen the
television news coverage. Charlie worked for the
Gibson Guitar Company and was known as the guy
who reassembled Bill Monroe’s mandolin after it was
smashed by vandals about 20 years ago. Charlie was
also a noted mandolin player in his own right.
I met Charlie last spring when he took a Basic
Rider Class at Nashville State Tech Community
College. Charlie was not new to motorcycling but was
returning to the sport after a long absence. Charlie had
no problem passing the rider class. He had already
purchased a large Yamaha Cruiser and was preparing
to mount a Velorex sidecar to it, which always gives
me some concern. Most people overdo the motorcycle
not realizing the Velorex sidecar is really designed to
be mounted on a small displacement bike. I had to
pass Charlie’s house on the way back and forth to
work, so I stopped by and offered some pointers on the
sidecar and some contacts on people that might be able
to help him with modifications to make the rig work.
In later weeks I saw Charlie on the sidecar rig in the
neighborhood and up and down Charlotte Pike. I
intended to stop in again and check up on Charlie and
the sidecar, but you know how that goes.
The news media made more of the fact that a
Mexican that was here illegally and driving drunk hit
Charlie. The most important thing is that Charlie left
behind his Wife, Susan, and a teenage daughter. We
lost a musician, a skilled craftsman and a friend to
motorcycling.
Letter from the Editor
FOR SALE
Polly Wright
Well, the kids have started back to school and your riding
days are slowing down. I hope all of you have had a great
summer and are ready to start the fall and winter months.
We will still be having our rides on the Saturday after the
meeting so hope you will pick one of the Saturdays to go
with Ron or maybe all of them. He puts a lot of effort into
these rides, so get out, enjoy the scenery and get to know
some of the guys in the Club better. I have heard nothing
but good from these rides
1.2001 Honda Shadow - garage kept, back,
luggage rack engine guard. great condition.
$3,500. call Kathy @ cell - 202-6767,
home - 969-3689.
2006 "Street Rod" Harley Vrod. The color is
Black Cherry (burgundy), has 1440 miles on it,
and has a one year warranty. He paid
$18,000, and is asking $15,400. Call:
Graham Baker at: (248) 391-4424.
Our next meeting will be Bloodworth Motorsports. We
have invited the Ducati club to join us and we should have a
good crowd. Try to be there and bring a spouse, significant
other or friend. I don’t know what David and Virginia have
planned but they will be feeding us, so come in time for
dinner.
BMW-R100RS '88 Pearl White; excellent condition,
full fairing, saddlebags and trunk. 74K miles.
$3500. obo. 615-822-9595-home 615-319-7489-cell
Debbie Davis
[email protected]
117 Shady Dale Lane
Hendersonville, TN 37075
Larry Dreaden and I went to Burkesville, KY last Thursday
to present the $1500. check to the EM (Emergency
Management) of Burkesville. That’s the Fire Department.
They were grateful for the donation and we hope to make
the check bigger next year, when all of you attend the Rally.
BY THE WAY, mark your calendars for the 3rd weekend of
May and you won’t have any excuses for having something
else to do that weekend. It would be nice to have more of
our club in attendance than the Alabama Club. SEE YOU
THERE!!
I want to say thanks to Ron Brandt for leading the
ride on Saturday. We had approximately 12
riders and rode through some of the most
beautiful back country and hard to find roads
north of Nashville. Rarely did we have to stop for
traffic or lights due to Ron's navigation and
planning. It was a spirited and challenging ride
with two minor mishaps. We left Bloodworth at
9:00 AM and finished around noon in Gallatin. It
was a great day and a great ride!
I went to the Blue Ridge Motorcycle Campgrounds this past
weekend. If you haven’t been, you should try to go. They
feed exceptionally well for breakfast and dinner. Phillip and
Leslie put on a mini rally almost every weekend.
KERMIT CHAIR COMPANY
Call us toll-free at 1-(888)-729-9836
or visit us at www.kermitchair.com
Bob Maier
The Sept. 9th ride will meet at Mill
Creek Foods, at the intersection of
Nolensville Rd and Burkitt, just
south of Concord Rd. Tanks and
stomachs full/bladders
empty/sidestands up at 8:30 AM
sharp
2
BMW MOTORCYCLE CLUB
CALENDER OF EVENTS 2006
WEBSITES
BMW Club email: [email protected]
Aug 29-Sept 1 Curve Cowboy Reunion - Curve
Cowboy Reunion at Chateau Elan in Braselton, GA
(SOLD OUT)
Sept 1-3 – ROK Rally – Newport, TN
BMW Motorrad USA
www.bmemotorcycles.com/home
www.bmwmoa.org
www.bmwmoga.info Georgia Mountain Rally
www.bmwrams.com - Rally
Sept 1 – 3 Superbike Championship Series at Road
Atlanta
Sept 5 – Club Meeting – Bloodworth Motorsports
Sept 9 – Club Ride
Sept 15 - Bloodworth Motorcycles Track Day at
the Nashville Super speedway - tentative
ALABAMA CLUB: www.bmwmoal.org
www.curvecowboyreunion.com
www.barbermuseum.org
www.amadirectlink.com
www.hondahoot.com
speedtv.com/index.php
Sept 16-17 – WERA Reginals Race, Nashville
Superspeedway, Nashville, TN
Oct. – 14 – Nashville Supermoto - Music City
Motorplex
www.bmwra.org
October 3rd Club meeting
CANEY FORK FISH CAMP 6:30 PM
Bloodworth Motorsports: bloodmotor.com
Knoxville
http://tailofthedragon.com
www.bmwrok.org/rok_on_rally.htm
www.bmwclub.org
BMW Motorcycle USA
www.motorcycleevents.com
Oct 7 – Nashville Oktoberfest
Oct 6 - 8 - Return to Shiloh Rally
Oct 14 – Camp out and Ride at Lee Waggoner’s in
Centerville (more details later)
Oct 21 – Club Ride
October 20, 21 & 22, 2006 - Fall Off-road Trail Ride
at Loretta Lynn's Ranch
Here is a new website for you to visit.
www.29Dreams.com
Oct 20-22 AHRMA Historic Racing &
Barber Vintage Festival
Helen Two Wheels Packing Systems
http://www.helen2wheels.com/
th
November 4 – Bloodworth Rider Training
in conjunction with the Minnie Pearl at the Nashville
Speedway
November 7 th Regular Meeting - The Italian
Market at 51 st and Charlotte. 6:30 PM
Nov 11 – Club Ride
Nov 24 – After Turkey Day Ride – meet at
Bloodworth’s
www.blueridgemotorcyclecamp.com
Carolina Beemers website change
www.carolinasbmwmoa.org
WWW.MUSICCITYPOWERSPORTS.COM
www.tdot.state.tn.us/tdotsmartway
th
http://www.kymotorcycle.com
December 5 , Christmas Party–
PIG & PIE
BELLEVUE MALL – 6:30 PM.
CLUB WILL TREAT YOU TO THE MEAL.
http://www.amadirectlink.com/amrace/2006/mx/
06inde
http://www.southernwoodsrider.com/x.asp
http://www.mxsports.com/
3
ROK'On Rally
The Suzuki Superbike Showdown presented
by Makita returns on Labor Day weekend (but
no racing on Labor Day Monday), with AMA
Superbike Championship points races both
Saturday and Sunday at Road Atlanta.
Plan now to join the BMW Riders of Knoxville for our
ROK' On Rally 2006! Once again it will be held in
Newport, Tennessee, September 1-3, 2006, at the
Newport KOA. Come enjoy some of the East's great
motorcycling roads. Newport is within easy riding
distance of Deal's Gap and the world famous Highway
129 - The Dragon, the Great Smokey Mountains, the
flowing Cherohala Skyway, and hundreds of miles of
great roads you have never even heard about. If you
just want to relax for a couple of days then come sit
around a campfire and share stories of the road, enjoy
a cold beverage, eat some of Dave's famous White
Chicken Chili, or hang around the Club House and
watch a great motorcycle related DVD or video with
friends old and new.
A Gathering of European
Motorcycles”
Special September Meeting
September 5th at Bloodworth
Motorcycles
Tuesday, September 5th, the Music City
Desmo Owners Club will be having a joint
meeting with other Nashville European
Motorcycle
Clubs
at
Bloodworth
Motorcycles. This event can be described
as “a dinner and a movie”. Bloodworth
Motorcycles is inviting you to come enjoy
food and beverages and enjoy watching the
movie “The World’s Fastest Indian” starring
Anthony Hopkins as Burt Munro. We will
start gathering in the parking lot of
Bloodworth Motorcycles at 6pm to kick tires
and eat. The movie will start at 7pm.
Popcorn and soft drinks will be served.
BMW ROK always has a pot of Dave's Chili on the
stove, nacho's with hot cheese or salsa, fresh popped
corn, and plenty of cold water, lemonade, or tea. On
Saturday evenings BMW ROK whoops up a big pot of
Jambalaya and the night is toped off by the
presentation of door prizes. Last year BMW ROK gave
away some great prizes just for being our guests,
including riding gear, a motorcycle camping sleeping
bag, and a power washer to keep that road grim off
your favorite ride.
Along with great food the Club House is also your
source for information of all sorts. Beginning in 2005
BMW ROK members set up a laptop computer with
mapping software to customize your own personal ride
route, whether it was for one of a kind day ride, or a
maybe just a new route home. Club members also lay
out a pretty impressive array of motorcycle related
books and magazines for your reading pleasure. Top
that off with a fabulous assortment of hard to find or
out of print Motorcycle DVD's and videos. Who can
resist seeing On Any Sunday just one more time? So,
if the day is too hot or too wet for a ride, come on into
the clubhouse and enjoy a good book or a great movie
while in the company of great friends.
The true story of a man who never gave up
on his dreams of doing something big -- and
doing it very, very fast -- provides the basis
for this engaging comedy drama. Burt
Munro (Anthony Hopkins) was born in 1899
in Invercargill, New Zealand. From
childhood, Munro had a passion for
machines that moved fast, and when he
was 21 he bought his first motorcycle, an
Indian model with a 600 cc engine.
Motorcycles became an obsession that
4
K1200S, or reach far away vistas in supreme
comfort and luxury aboard a brand new
K1200LT or R1200RT, a BMW Navigator III
can make every ride light years more fun and
enjoyable.
stayed with Munro for the rest of his life, as
he constantly tinkered with his beloved
Indian machine, modifying the engine and
frame, determined to see just how fast he
could make it run. In 1967, Munro decided it
was high time he proved to himself and the
world just what he and his machine could
do, and he booked passage for the United
States, with the goal of breaking the world's
land speed record at Utah's Bonneville Salt
Flats. As Munro made his way across
America to Utah, he discovered not
everyone took his dream seriously, but
some did, and he made a handful of friends
along the way, including Ada (Diane Ladd),
a widow who fell for Munro's rough charm,
and Fernando (Paul Rodriguez), a car
dealer who offered to help him. However,
when he finally arrived at Bonneville, Munro
was told his machine was unsafe to
participate in the time trials, and -- far worse
-- he was too old to ride. It took some
intervention from a ranking American driver,
Jim Moffett (Chris Lawford), before Munro
was given his chance to ride the famous
Salt Flats. The World's Fastest Indian was
written and directed by Roger Donaldson,
who early in his career made a
documentary about the real Burt Munro,
Offerings to the Gods of Speed. ~ Mark
Deming, All Movie Guide
Imagine knowing where every fuel stop is. Or
better yet, knowing where the traffic jams are,
and skirting them. Got a taste for Mexican?
Program it into the Navigator III and presto every taco stand this side of Ensenada
instantly pops up. Now finding everything you
need - hotels, banks, even BMW Motorcycle
dealerships - is right at your fingertips. This
offer is for a limited time so come by
Bloodworth Motorcycles to get your new bike
and copilot.
Return to Shiloh Rally
"Best Rally By A Dam Site"
Celebrating our 32nd Anniversary Rally
October 6-8, 2006
Pickwick Dam, Tennessee
Your New BMW Now Comes
With A Free Copilot
No, we're not dizzy from the heat. If you buy
a new 2006 K1200S, K1200LT or R1200RT
this
August 2nd - September 16th, you'll receive a
free BMW Navigator III GPS system with
mounting hardware, a whopping $1,399
value!
Located at the base of Pickwick Dam
(east bank of the Tennessee River)
Highway 128,
14 miles south of Savannah, Tennessee
Whether you want to blaze across the
country at supersonic speeds on a new
Registration includes:
5
Regretfully, I know this from first hand experience.
This is information to put in the “good to know” section
of your little Black Book of Knowledge.
Rally Pins (first 250 registrants)
§ Door Prizes
Stephens Auto Paint & Body
Stephen Port
715 Main Street
Nashville, TN 37206
615-256-5223
615-242-9522 fax
§ Rider Awards
§ Two nights primitive "Camping in the Pines" with
heated showers and flush toilets on site! (TVA
Campground)
§ Hot Coffee, Cocoa and Lemonade
AMA Supermoto Comes to
Music City
§ Friday Night BBQ Supper (until gone)
§ Field Events
§ Self-guided Tours
Registration Fee: $15.00 per person
Please contact Charlie Parsons for more
information.
Wet Paint
An all-star international field of riders, including some
of the top riders of the AMA Supermoto Championship
are slated to compete in Nashville at the Music City
th
Motorplex on Saturday October 14 .
By Mike Gillespie
Inevitably it happens. We drop our bike in the garage,
we scrape a fairing, the zipper on our jacket scratches
the tank, or even worse we have an accident. Or it
could just be that you have just acquired your dream
collectable bike but it needs a little work in the paint
department.
Regardless of the situation, it is nice to know where to
have this type of work done. Since 1981, there has
only been one person that I have entrusted my paint
work to, Stephen Port at Stephens Auto Paint and
Body at 715 Main Street in Nashville. Stephen has
done work on my cars and motorcycles, providing
quality repairs with excellent results. He is currently
repainting both side fairing panels for my 1992 Ducati
851 that I bought 3 years ago and is in the process of
being brought back to new condition.
Travis Pastrana, who is competing in supermoto, rally
car and freestyle, will be battling multi-time AMA
Supercross and Motocross Champion and current
AMA Supermoto Championship points leader Jeff
Ward, along with Doug Henry and Mark Burkhart, who
are second and third place in the standings,
respectively. In an extremely competitive AMA season,
Ward and Henry each have four wins and are
separated
by
only
11
points.
In addition to my personal projects, Stephen is the
exclusive restorer and custom painter for Bloodworth
Motorcycles. Stephen is currently working on a custom
paint job for a customer’s 2007 BMW R1200S. I will
post pictures of the end result upon completion.
More details on this year’s event will be in the next
newsletter.
Stephens Auto Paint and Body is a full service facility
that works with all insurance companies and does the
same quality work on cars as he does on motorcycles.
6
Bloodworth Motorcycles &
the Minnie Pearl Cancer
Foundation at Nashville
Superspeedway
Bloodworth BMW Motorcycles is working with
the Minnie Pearl Cancer Foundation to put on
another track day. The event will be held on
Saturday November 4th at the Nashville
Superspeedway. This is all part of a big day
to raise money for the Minnie Pearl Cancer
Foundation and will include a Driving
Academy, Safe Driving Academy, Motorcycle
Clinic, Celebrity Ride-alongs, and a concert.
It is possible that even more activities will be
added to the roster.
Vintage Road Racing, Moto Cross, Trials
and Cross Country by (AHRMA) American
Historic Racing Motorcycle Association
Concours/Vintage Displays by Confederate
Chapter, Antique Motorcycle Club of
America, Vintage Japanese Motorcycle
Club and The Penton Group
Museum Benefit Auction by J Wood and Co
See and Hear Exotic Motorcycles from the
Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum
Park Admission Includes All Events
Excluding Museum (Museum Admission
Extra, Special 3-Day Weekend Museum
Pass available)
Gates Open to the Public at 7am each day
Events start at 8am. Special Museum hours
start at 8am daily
General Information Contact:
Deana Whitfield
205-702-8736
[email protected]
This event will be held in conjunction with the
Phil Wicks Driving Academy. The track day
will include both classroom sessions and on
track sessions. Cost for the track day is only
$100. Pre-registration is required and can be
done by calling David Bloodworth at 3213311,
emailing
David
at
[email protected] or going by
Bloodworth Motorcycles or going to
www.bloodmotor.com and click on Track
Day.
To attend a Track Day you will need proper
riding attire, which includes a Snell 95
helmet, leather or textile pants and jacket,
gloves, and boots. Before going on the track,
you will need to remove your tank bag,
saddle bags, and any electronic accessories,
i.e. GPS, radar detector, iPod, etc. You will
also need to tape over any breakable lenses.
Then go out and have some fun and learn.
7
Bloodworth Motorcycles Pre-owned
Motorcycles
Great Collection of
Motorcycle Sayings
Bloodworth Motorcycles is actively seeking used
BMW motorcycles to buy. If you or someone you
know would like to sell outright or even trade their
bike, please get in touch with the sales staff at the
dealership. If you know of something you would
like to inquire about, please call or come by and
see Glenn Hawkins or Steve Catania for further
details.
Provided by Jim Lattimore
Four wheels move the body. Two wheels move the
soul.
If the person in the next lane at the stoplight rolls up
the window and locks the door, support their view of
life by snarling at them. (One of my favorites!)
"200 mph, no hands. Dang, that’d be cool! Right
before the part where you die." – A. Duthie
Pre-owned BMWs:
2004 R1150R Silver 6,100mi
$ 9,900
2003 R1150RT Silver 10,500mi
$ 9,900
2004 R1150GS Red 9,000mi
SOLD
2004 K1200GT Green 1,600mi
$12,490
2004 K1200GT Blue 7,900mi absolute gem
$12,790
2005 K1200S Blue 2500mi
$14,300
1998 R1200C Ivory 24,800
$ 4,990
2000 K1200LTC Blue
$ 5,990
"There are only three sports: mountain climbing, bull
fighting, and motor racing. All the rest are merely
games." -Ernest Hemingway
"Calling upon my years of experience, I froze at the
controls."– Stirling Moss
"Most motorcycle problems are caused by the nut that
connects the handlebars to the saddle." (I'm real
familiar with this one...)
Seen on a motorcycle’s rear views: "Warning: objects
seen in mirror are disappearing rapidly"
Pre-owned Ducati:
2005 749 Red 11,000mi, 1st service done
$11,290
2002 ST4 Yellow low miles extra clean
Sold
Got a $5 head? Get a $5 helmet.
"Life may begin at 30, but it doesn’t get real interesting
until about 150."
Lead, follow, or get out of the way!
For information on other pre-owned motorcycles,
go to our web site at www.bloodmotor.com
"Faster, faster, faster, until the thrill of speed
overcomes the fear of death..." – Hunter Thompson
Kansas: home of the highway with 318 miles and 11
curves.
12th Beemers in the Bluegrass
Mini Rally and Campout
What does a Harley and hound dog have in common?
They both spend most of their time in the back of a
pickup truck. What differentiates the two? The hound
dog can get in and out of the pickup under his own
power.
The Beemers in the Bluegrass Rally is held at
Strohmeyers Stillwater Campground, 8 miles
north of Frankfort KY on US 127. $20 gate
fee includes 2 nights camping, door prizes,
and breakfast/supper on Saturday. Come
enjoy the curvy roads, horse farms, and
beautiful Kentucky Bluegrass! Contact Roy
Rowlett, 3413 Holwyn Rd., Lexington KY
40503. 859-223-5459.
[email protected]
"98% of all Harleys ever sold are still on the road. The
other 2% made it home."
8
Big Ride 2006
Key West
Re-Visited
By: Mark King
US41 crosses the Everglades east-west and runs parallel to the famous stretch of I-75 known as Alligator Alley. In my
book this is the real Alligator Alley. We had ridden across this stretch in 2000 and had seen hundreds of alligators. The
whole trip we had primed Price for this ride and as we got into the Glades I was concerned at first because I didn’t see
any gators. But as we continued, the sightings soon began. I was in the lead and started pointing them out. Price was
somewhere in the back and after I pointed out what seemed like fifty or so I was worried that he wasn’t seeing them.
So we pulled off the road near where I had seen two gators. Price said that he thought we were pulling his leg until we
stopped and pointed out those two. He was looking at the water all the time trying to spot them swimming. After we
explained to watch for them on the banks sunning themselves he became a pro spotter just like the rest of us. As we
continued I kept pointing them out until my arm got so tired I couldn’t raise it anymore.
9
As you can tell from this picture, Stinky got a little too close to the gators and had to wrestle one off to save his life!!!
Near Naples, we put the bikes on the super slab (I-75) to finish our ride north into the St. Petersburg area where we were
stopping for the night. We arrived at the Trails End Motel on Treasure Island at about 5 pm. We had some time to get a
few pictures of the sunset there before dinner.
NEVER eat at a grill named Gators on
Treasure Island. Our waitress couldn’t find
the menus – this was a bad sign and in
retrospect we should have left then. She had
the kind of eyes that when you look into
them you see the back of her head because
there’s nothing in between. Price said she
looked at us like a Labrador Retriever looks
when they want you to throw the tennis ball. Bruce said she had Marty
Feldmon eyes – a mind is a terrible thing to waste! A band began to
play while we waited an eternity for our food. We asked our little
empty headed waitress the name of the band and when she said it was
New Tropics I repeated back to her, “Did you say Nude Tropics?” This
went totally over her head and those Labrador eyes gave me back an empty stare.
It has become a Big Ride tradition for us to spend the last night of the ride reflecting on the best things about the trip
and sometimes the worst. We gathered around the swimming pool at the Trails End. It was another beautiful evening
with a sky full of bright stars. We talked through all the stories, laughed ‘till we cried, and smoked a few cigars. It just
doesn’t get much better than this!!
Award Nominations:
Best Motel – The Hungry Pelican in Key Largo where we found friendly folks and a great little restaurant close
enough to walk to. A close second was the Southwind Motel in Key West.
Worst Hotel – In Daytona Beach the Skyway Motel had to be the worst. But just credit that to the whole exaggerated
experience of Bike Week where every thing is overcrowded and over the top.
Best Restaurant – Billy’s Restaurant at Mallory Square in Key West with a close second for the place next to the
Hungry Pelican (of which none of us can remember the name – it must be our age!)
Trip Highlight – The snorkeling tour onboard the Spirit of the Caribbean catamaran.
Best Dessert – By a country mile, the Key Lime pie at the Blonde Giraffe in Key West.
Best Road – The ride down A1A and US441 were voted favorites but how can you not mention GA60, Suches, and
Wolf Pen Gap? And what about the sense of adventure you feel in going all the way to the end of US1 in Key West.
As a touring motorcyclist there is just something that gives me a thrill about going as far as you can possibly go.
Worst Experience – The traffic jams in Miami and the several close calls it produced. But while we had some close
encounters – we came out unscathed.
Best Waitress – Crystal at the Kreme House in Cleveland, TN.
While no vote was taken during the evening meeting and rehash of the trip, I am invoking executive privilege to name
Punky (aka: Price Lechleiter) as the Best Rookie . I think Punky proved to us all that he could give and take with the
best of us. We enjoyed his company and great sense of humor. He knocked out all the miles with no more complaint
than the rest of us – including that long 750 mile last day to get back home. We all hope that we can count on him to
ride with us on every Big Ride.
Note to Punky: before you get the big head or anything just remember you were the only rookie on the ride!
I am also invoking executive privilege to name Bruce as the Toughest Rider on the trip. Even though he was still
recovering from ankle surgery, he made the whole trip with all the riding and walking the rest of us did without as much
as a whimper of complaint. Not even when he had to resort to wearing his boot cast to give him some relief. Even
Dale Earnhardt would have been proud of him!!
10
We were now down to the last day
of the Big Ride.
The last leg was a bun burner of 750
miles from St.
Petersburg all the way home. We hit
the road at 6 am on
Sunday morning, March 12 – at least
we tried to hit the
road. Ron’s Harley had given
several complaints
about wanting a new battery during
the trip. Sunday
morning it refused to crank on its
own. I took a tow
strap out of my tool bag that had
only been used one
other time – to tow Ron’s Harley a
few years ago after
he filled it with diesel fuel and
fouled the plugs.
We tied Stinky up to Bruce’s bike.
Bruce towed him
down the street until they managed
to bump it off. Ron
returned the tow strap to me and I tried to make it a gift to him, but he indignantly refused. That’s OK. I’ll just keep it
in my tool bag until he needs it again!!
We had watched weather reports that warned of rain as we got close to Nashville so we had resolved ourselves to the fact that
sooner or later the rain suits would have to come out.
After I led us through town and onto I-75 for the all super slab run back home, I relinquished the lead spot that I had held up until
this point. With the route clear to all riders and no tight turns ahead, the Harley’s took off like a shot and who do you guess was
leading the pack at 80+ mph?? None other than our rookie: Punky. I think he was just in a hurry to get back home to Kit.
In Murfreesboro we split up to head for our respective areas of town. Bruce and I headed west on TN96 and the others moved
closer to Nashville on the interstate. I heard that group encountered a flasher on their way through town.
The ride home was uneventful and efficient at bringing all of us back to reality. The bad weather never really developed and the
rain suits were never used on this nine day trip – that has to be a record. I guess we can chalk that up to the dream Kurt had before
we left and our fervent prayers along the way. The total trip mileage was only 2,300 miles – a nice slow leisurely trip compared to
last year’s Big Ride of 6,000 miles.
And although we had to return to reality, we can a least claim a brief respite that has provided a balance to our lives that is so very
hard to accomplish. We also have so many stories from the ride that space and time will not allow me to record all of them. Many
of them will undoubtedly get better and better as we embellish them each and every time we tell them. Such is the case with the Big
Ride.
And no, it wasn’t exactly the same as the first ride because “You can never go back.” But we did go again. And we did recapture
some sublime moments, but we also made some new ones. We had some time for introspection and some time to think about the
things we appreciate most in life. We had some quite moments with God. We shared some laughs. We enjoyed the company of
close friends. We celebrated some of the joy that God intended for us to have on this earth – what more could anyone ask for?
The End
POST LOG
Bike Week 2006 was the deadliest in 65 years, with 18 deaths
according to the Associated Press.
Florida Highway Patrol spokeswoman Trooper Kim Miller said this
year's deaths surpassed the 15 deaths recorded in 2000, previously the
most deadly Bike Week on record. That was the year of our first Bike
Week experience.
Authorities attributed the spike in deaths to the sunny weather, which
caused a rise in Bike Week attendance. FHP says the number of alcohol
related deaths dipped this year, and helmet use was up. Eight
motorcycle -related deaths were reported during last year's event.
11
MEETING
BLOODWORTH MOTORSPORTS
WHITE BRIDGE RD
NASHVILLE
6:30 PM
SEPTEMBER 5, 2006
PRESIDENTS CORNER:
Articles by: Buddy Burnett, Mark King,
Mike Gillespie
Calendar of Events
Meeting Dates
Classifieds
Websites
BMW MCON
P O Box 158265
Nashville, TN 37215
12