Go West young clown

[Bikerbozo]

Left the gas lines on Long Island yesterday. Was supposed to work in Jeanette, PA for Sat & Sun. Finished work on Sat. Bright and early Sun. I now head to Tucson. Don (Graham), let me know if you want to meet up again at that A&M Pizza in Florence, AZ. Anybody else in Tucson/Phoenix area wants to get a ride, let me know. The more the merrier. As of right now, I believe I will angle down towards Dallas for a Southern route. Always liked I-40 to I-30 to I-20 to I-10. It appeals to the numerologist in me.

[Trent]

Bozo have you ever told us what you do?

Hey Yeah Bozo...What do you do?..I think it has to do with aircraft and flyin.

[Bikerbozo]

To answer the popular question: I am a Field Service Engineer. My company manufactures Balancing machines. Think tire balancer, but for jet engines, electric motors, pumps, dental drills, power generation, etc. We make machines small enough to balance little air motor for dental drill and big enough (350 tons) to balance power turbine for nuclear plant. I travel around for Schenck Trebel commissioning new machines/training/troubleshooting existing machines /yearly certifications. Either flying or riding trike/bike. Usually I don't ride further than about 400 miles. Had a trip to Quebec a couple of weeks ago, while trike was in shop, on my '04 HD 2-wheeler. 950 paid miles. This trip, the first 800 miles will be paid for. Also commissioning new machine in Tucson, just 12 miles from my parents home.
...And the weather has been great. Hopefully I can get far enough South to avoid some rain due Monday. After that, it looks like smooth sailing. Especially that now I don't have to deal with gas lines and rationing back home.

[Bikerbozo]

Well, with that kind of buildup, I hate to say that I decided to stop for night when I realized I wasn't going to make it south of severe line of T-storms going through Memphis. I don't see too well at night in rain anymore. Done that, been there (Did ride through snow/nor'easter last Wed, though). I saw radar 150 miles before I got to it. Figured I would go part way and stop for night before reaching line of storms...Missed by THAT much. I could smell it in the air. Pulled off exit for hotel. Could see line of rain in dark coming for me. Made it under hotel roof....1 minute AFTER it started. Luckily, plenty of rooms. Used my points for a freebie, of course. Only did a wimpy 13 1/2 hrs/737 miles today. I was going to go through night. Foiled again.

[Bikerbozo]

The missus refused to talk about the Giants when I called home. Which was fine since I don't give a fig. She did talk about all the Nascar crashes and fights.
Forgot to mention earlier. On Friday, I passed my first cow porn being filmed. Not sure where they hid the cameras. So that is what they meant my leather porn.
Woke up at 5am to the rain just about past me (as planned).
Yesterday on the Bluegrass Pkwy, a chicken hawk tried to swoop down and get me. I tried to tell him I was a Long Island Red (clown hair), not a Rhode Island Red! That would have been messy. Made me duck.
And two words for W VA drivers..."DEER...WHISTLE"...Never saw so many dead deer on side of road.

[Bikerbozo]

Just a little drizzle in morning. Rain gear off and sun by Arkansas.
Two words for Louisiana....Deer...Whistles...And other words that are unprintable for all the evil clowns that kept pulling out right in front of me on back roads and then going slow after making me slam on brakes.
An hour East of Texarkana, met Bruno from "the South Side of Chicago". He was riding and his wife was driving behind. See pic. Rode together for an hour. Then I had to split South for work emergency in Houston and another one that will be North of San Antonio in San Marcos. Suddenly, most of the week is paid for instead of using vacation days.
After rain, wind switched to from North. Very annoying. Other pic is either invisible man or covering up for wind. No sand.
Stopped in Lufkin for night. So busy on phone today, only did 570 miles in 12 hours.

[Bikerbozo]

Made it to Tucson Thursday at noon. Under my own power. Trike was running great. Friday went to take ride to HD and charging system completely failed. Before I left. Asked my local HD to check Stator. I suspected it might be having issues. They checked and found nothing wrong. Go ahead and guess who was correct.
HD of Tucson (always my favorite dealer in USA), took trike in midday Fri. I should get it back Sat. They said Stator was melted. Also found compensator to be bad. These items should now bring total over what extended warrant cost.
Should have known. Trike was running great day before. Have never been able to push it over 90mph. Got a confirmed (on GPS) 103mph. Kept to speed limit (80mph) after that. Just in time too. All of a sudden , smokies everywhere in Texas.

[Bikerbozo]

Falling behind in updates. Got the trike back from HD of Tucson in less than 24 hrs. Runs great. Note they also adjusted rear emergency brake for me. Not from handle, but from somewhere behind wheels. Brake holds trike on a hill in neutral (still leave it in gear, though). I guess I will see if this wears pads out fast or not.
When I was North of San Antonio last Wed, I talked to Blondie Gal before leaving area. Let that foot heal before running after the grandkids BG.
Pics below are from roadside in TX when stopping to switch glasses for night. Also from a NM rest area warning of all kinds of dangerous things to watch out for (the slithering Biting Clown is particularly lethal).
Also view over cactus in front of parents house in Tucson.
Mrs. Bikerbozo's plane came in Sat., my father dropped me off to pick up trike from HD and he got wife, so she was none the wiser (except for my big mouth).

[Bikerbozo]

Catch up time. Who would have thought that at 103 mph I would only get 20mpg and around Tucson area I get 35 mpg?
Went for a ride out to the Sonora Desert Museum (West of Tucson). Nice trike ride out there. My brother and his family drove.Walked a little there. Just so much Dianne can do with walker. Couple pics below. I'll let others decide which one is of old fossils and cactus and which is me & missus.
Also video as we were going back over Tucson Mountain Park.
Dianne also informed me she wasn't feeling well and needed to stop at emergency room on way back to my parents. Turns out she has a kidney infection. Antibiotics for next week and various treatments before leaving hospital. They asked if she came there in ambulance or car. I answered "Harley".
Triking through Tucson Mountain Park - YouTube

[Bikerbozo]

Turkey day is here. Dianne didn't get much sleep (steroids, etc. didn't help). Eating at clubhouse where my parents live. A couple of pics for you foodies out there. Also panarama pic of table and pic of 2 year old nephew Dash with his biker style helmet on trike I just got him (pedal variety). Did I mention that my brother has taught him to call me Uncle Bozo?

[Bikerbozo]

Have you ridden the road from Clifton Az to Alpine? I am sure you probably have, it is a great ride. I prefer to ride from Alpine to Clifton but either way is good. We saw this Ram in the middle of the road 4 or 5 years ago as we came into Clifton. He didn't move off the road.

Missed by that much. Last year I took Rt. 117 from NM to Rt. 36 to Rt. 60 to Rt. 77. Missed your road by 25 miles north of it. I will probably think of it (I am assuming you mean Rt. 191) for a future trip. Since I will be leaving in middle of night next week, darkness doesn't seem to be good for a road like that. I did have 7 deer trot across my path Thankgiving morning. I was going down a hill, directly into the sun.

[Bikerbozo]

The weather has been perfect. Warm and sunny since the missus showed up (cloudy from when I arrived). Here's some youtube links of me triking out of Saddlebrook community. Triking Out Of Saddlebrook, AZ pt1 - YouTube for part 1 and
Triking Out Of Saddlebrook, AZ pt2 - YouTube for part 2. Dang camera stopped filming on it's own. that's what happens when not looking through viewfinder and ignoring wifes noise to stop filming and pay attention to road. Ouch! I should have multitasked when she was just sneaking up behind me and reading over my shoulder.

[Bikerbozo]

Went on a Toy Run organized by Renegade Classics in Tucson. I'm told about 600 bikes. 1000 toys collected. Half go to kids inTucson, half go to local tribe who's casino was also sponsor of event (Desert Diamond Casino & Resort).
Smaller seperate groups rode to casino. I'm more used to the mass rides in NY.
Tried to make a photo gallery, kept getting problem warnings to try again later. So here's a couple pics from the day and a couple of video's.
Roadside scenery in Tucson area. - YouTube
More roadside scenery in Tucson area - YouTube
Renegade Classics Toy run-Tucson 2012 - YouTube

[Bikerbozo]

How warm was it? It was so warm that Dianne was riding in a t-shirt also. Couple more pics below from toy run and ride back. Back to work today on local Tucson job. Things were NOT going well. I'm am paying for enjoying my vacation too much.
Dianne wants everyone to know she is feeling better now. Pays to have the right drugs!

[Bikerbozo]

Left yesterday morning at 3:30am. Also didn't get much sleep. Did a measly 800 miles and stopped in Abaline, TX for night. On the road, stopped in AZ rest area. This old cowpoke gets out of a pickup, asks how far Wilcox is. I say within an hour and I hope they have gas there. He says "yes they have gas....and a judge. I have to see the judge". that's all he said.
Stopped at Barnett HD in El Paso. In case anybody is interested, they had 23 trikes for sale there. All different makes/models. Two honda's, a bunch of sporster conversions, TG's and others.
Had a Gas Roulette shootout east, west, north and south of the Pecos (only saw one wascally wabbit this trip). And I won. Pulled off exit for gas. Turned left over overpass. As trike tilted back it sputtered. Barely rode into gas station. 6 gallon tank took 6.13 gallons.
Great sign in Stewart, TX. "Welcome to Stewart. Home of 3000 friendly people, and a few old sore heads".
The weather has been nice. Never lower that 40's at night. Was in high 70's for daytime. Alot warmer than last years ride.

[Bikerbozo]

I do carry an extra gallon strapped to back. Just what kind of clown do you think I am. On another note, I used up so much of my luck on barely getting to gas station, that when I checked my Power Ball numbers, from 10 games. I didn't get even one single number.

[Bikerbozo]

At least no tumbleweeds came after me this year. There was one glearing at me from the roadside, but I gave it the stink eye and it just sat there timidly.
Short day today. Measly 580 miles. Stopped to visit with a friend in Ft. Worth, TX for 1 1/2 hrs. Haven't seen him in years. Good visit then hit the road again. Only stayed out for 11 hrs today. Stopped just after Little Rock, AR.

[Bikerbozo]

Went from Little Rock all the way to 100 miles south of VA/MD border. About 877 miles. Since temp was below freezing and no real rush, I decided to stop for night. Finished up trip Sat with ride right through lower NYC. Heavy car traffic on Canal st. in Chinatown. Heavy people traffic on Mulberry st. in Little Italy and no traffic on Delancey.
Trip total is 6166 miles. One day of rest and back out on road. Emergency waiting for me in Trenton, NJ. Someone just asked if I was taking the truck. You all know the answer to that! Trike it is.