Stories from the road ?

[Rollin Thunder]

I thought it would be cool to read some stories about your past travels.

A lot of us had 2 wheelers back in the day and traveled all over.

Plus road trips takin with a friends or you wife..

Some could be funny or just good reading.

I've been riding since 1981 by Accident that's what I tell everyone is how I got into motorcycles .lol. True story.

So let see who has a couple of Good stories for us.

THANKS .....................Rick

[BillR]

I thought it would be cool to read some stories about your past travels.

A lot of us had 2 wheelers back in the day and traveled all over.

Plus road trips takin with a friends or you wife..

Some could be funny or just good reading.

I've been riding since 1981 by Accident that's what I tell everyone is how I got into motorcycles .lol. True story.

So let see who has a couple of Good stories for us.

THANKS .....................Rick

You started it. You should go first...........

[Rollin Thunder]

Ok Bill.

4 of us were going to a motorcycle race up in Canada.

We got across the Ambassador Bridge to Windsor, Ont.

Can't remember the little town we had to get to it was 30 some yrs ago.

But we pulled over on the side of a 2 lane rd.

Checking our map.

When who comes up behind us is t OPP ( Police).

What's the problem gentlemen ?

Are you guys lost ?

No sir we just don't know where we are.

We all laugh.

Tell him where were going an he says you pasted it up about 5 miles back and shows us on the map we have.

We thank him and he walks away. As were getting our bikes back together he comes back.

1 MORE thing Gentlemen before you leave.

I notice your friend here has a saddlebag that's dripping wet on the out side !

We all turn around an smile as he does.

Says to us I know where that wet line is and it better stay there till you get to the park.

We all bust out laughing and he follows us to just before the park entrance then pulls ahead an puts his left turn signal on an points to the rd to turn on .

We all waved at him on the way in.

Guess he didn't notice the other guys with us the had beer in their bags also

[Jack Klarich]

On the way back to Mn from Sturgis trip 2010 we were running hard til we got to I 35 North in Albert Lea Mn. Traffic was dead stop that Sunday afternoon.

A car pulled up along side me( I was in the hammer lane ) the driver said Hey you are un fire. Holy crap I was. The positive battery cable had shorted out on the exhaust pipe and started a fire. I put the kick stand down and hopped off and beat the fire down with my vest.

I reached in and moved the cable off the exhaust, wrapped it in electrical tape and tied it up out of the way with zip ties. It is always good to carry tools and some supplies. Also a good thing no real damage was done to the bike. It belonged to a good friend of mine who loans me bikes when I fly to Mn. I replaced the battery cable and routed it the right way before I returned it . What a trip.

[Rollin Thunder]

My 1st trip to Daytona for Bike Week.

Well I worked at G.M. and had a few guys that rode bikes of all kinds.

1 friend of mine had the same type of bike that i did.

So naturally we hit it off and talked motorcycles most of the time.

He comes up to me 1 day an ask me hey want to go to Daytona for Bike week.

Well me a 1st yr rider and never heard of it.

So he sat down and explained to me what goes on there.

WELL From his point of view of what goes on there.

So i mentioned it to my wife and she said go for it.

It we just going to be a short trip there an back and take in a few races at the Speedway.

We got there and all he wanted to do was sit at the race track an watch.

I asked if I could borrow his car to go see what's going on.

Just a plain NO was the answer .

So I sat there with him for the couple of days.

Then on the way out of town he drove past Main Street and OMG.

I never saw so many bike in my life in 1 place like that.

I said let walk down there an check it out.

Again 1 word NO.

Well it was a QUIET ride all the way back home.

The next time I went i went with a few old friend I had from the custom Truck club we belonged to.

Totally different Experience an a lot more fun and too much to do in a long weekend.

SO the next 22 years we did 2 weeks sometimes 3 .

Depending on what was going on at home at the time an the weather.

1 year we all packing up to go home after a 3 week vacation all centered around Motorcycles.

It was just the 4 of us Dennis & Paula and us 2.

Stayed in the same rooms at motels and ate together & rode every where together for years.

But this particular year he was going to stop by his Aunts place for a few hours and say hello.

So we all decided to meet up in Georgia at the same motel.

So off we went headed North.

Bikes were loaded up and we were in our Suburban all nice an warm.

Up to that time NO one listened to any weather reports.

We stopped at a gas station / Truck stop.

I'm getting gas in the truck when this biker pulled up to do the same.

We started talking an he said he was heading south away for the Huge storm up North.

That's when I started to pay attn to the weather.

"STORM OF THE CENTURY"

Man we go to our motel just in time as it was hitting Georgia Hard.

Traffic was a total mess to say the least.

At that time we didn't have cell phones yet.

His called the motel an got a hold of us and want to check if we made it an how was the roads up where we were.

He left 3 hours after we did from Daytona.

It took him for ever to get to our place. I think it was 10 PM when we heard a knock on our door.

I called my boss at G.M. an told him that I'm NOT going to make it back in time.

He said don't worry about just be carful.

COOL DUDE.

Our bikes in a open trailers didn't look good at all.

We stayed there 1 more night.

I 75 N was shut down for 2 to 3 days with the National Guard trying clear the highway.

Believe me the next year and till this day we always check on the weather .

As years go by Dennis bought a bigger trailer where the 2 bikes would fit and still have living quarters .

I bought a Motorhome with an enclosed trailer.

So No matter what happened we were Prepared lol.

THE END

[k-dog]

me and a friend left WV to go spring nationals in tenn. ihad early 70s sportster, he had 70 electra glide,the rivets had came lose that hold the sprocket on the sportster. remember i was young. used roofing tacks to replace them,made it there and back when i took wheel off there were five nails left. good times,

[BillR]

me and a friend left WV to go spring nationals in tenn. ihad early 70s sportster, he had 70 electra glide,the rivets had came lose that hold the sprocket on the sportster. remember i was young. used roofing tacks to replace them,made it there and back when i took wheel off there were five nails left. good times,

The same thing happened to me on my panhead. Three of us were headed home from an overnight trip when I lost my rivets. One friend stayed with me on the side of this two lane country road while the other one went looking for something to fix it with. He came back with a package of 8-32 screws and nuts. We put them on, and I made it home. (no burnouts for sure)They were half way sheared off by the time I got home.

If that had happened on the first day, I would have been fixing it in the rain.

[k-dog]

took this girl for a ride once about thirty miles from her house , it started rain and lightening wind blowing all the way home. but she still smiled when i let off. ended up marrying her 41years ago, she still smiles when go riding.

[Rollin Thunder]

Morning;

At the time this happened we lived in Michigan near Ann Arbor.

We decided to take a Bike ride up to Minnesota to see our daughter.

Spent a few day with them an they were Surprised to see Mom on her Harley.

So after a few days an nights with them we started back for home.

Sunny an warm as toast so it should be a good ride home.

No sooner then we hot the freeway thunderstorms hit us.

We're on 94 E so we pulled off and tried to get our rain gear on.

Well hell I too soaked to ever try it.

Carmen got her rain jacket on and we took off again.

I'm telling you thru driving rain an lighting we finally got into chi town an pulled over it a Nice Hotel.

I sent her in While I watched the Bikes.

She came out a few mins later and waved me inside.

As I sloused thru the lobby with water coming off everything I had on and my boots Squeaking ALL THE WAY ACROSS IT LOL.

After we got into the room the rain really slowed down so I went back out and got our stuff.

Thank God we have fresh dry clothes to put on.

I swear to you I let her lead so I could keep an eye on here while riding thru all of that.

Only thing I could see was her little tail light at times.

I became a Friend of the Weather channel lol right after that happened.

Riding down I 94 in Sunday evening traffic is bad enough but add pouring rain an lighting that blind you for a few seconds to make matters worst.

When we got up the next morning all the rain was dried up and Me Sun was out.

Out bikes were a total mess to say the least.

Off we went after gassing up to Ann Arbor.

Got home about 5 hours later an everything got a bath .

[Rollin Thunder]

Short story;

I was thinking the other day about riding in cold weather.

1 yr while we still live in Michigan I was watching football of a Saturday morning.

Then a Harley commercial came on .

I thought about it for a few mins and then said nope too damn cold.

The temps were in the teens with Snow on the ground from a few days before.

So the streets were cleaned off but ply's of snow was off to the sides.

The more I thought about it the worst it got lol.

So I put on my leather and heavy T shirt and sweatshirt.

Then walked out to the garage to start up the Bike.

It started right up and I let it warm up for a few mins.

Backed it out of the garage and just sat there for a few mins.

Let the driveway and headed down the street into small town USA.

Rode thru and got a few are you crazy looks at me lol.

Did about 10 miles then headed to the little store in town.

As I came back near home I saw a cop pulled over on the side of the rd just sitting there.

I got off the bike an walked in the store.

I know the guy behind the counter and as I wallked in he said I thought it was you lol.

He asked is it a little chilly out there ?

I said Chilly Hell No its cold lol.

Picked up a paper and a talked a bit an got on the Bike.

I was still running and sounding GREAT.

No sooner I saddled up an took off I see blue lights behind me.

You got to be kidding me .

So I pull over a block from the store and he comes walking up.

He asks me Cabin fever or is it stolen.

I laughed and said cabin fever.

I handed him my papers and he walked back.

When he came back he was laughing and said just had to get out for a few mins I take it ?

I said yeah can't stand being cooped up all winter and had to get out of a few miles.

I only had about a 1/2 mile to go .

I asked are we done so I can get back home an warm up.

He said yup hope it was worth it.

Ya know what if you don't ride you'll never understand .

His reply was NO I completely understand mines in storage till spring.

I took off for home and got a HOT cup of coffee and sat in front of the TV the rest of the day.

Then End......................Rick

[ol' school]

Good story Rick!

[FuzzyWuzHe]

I had a 65 sporty, paco hard tail frame, 16 over springer front end, king queen seat, forward controls, 2 gallon peanut tank ... kewl looking, great T to T bike. but not great on a long trip. Anyway, I was stationed in San Diego and decided ton take two weeks leave and "ride the scoot home to see the folks, in Grand Junction, Co". Two to Three hundred miles a day was the most I could do. Even with a kidney belt, at three hundred miles, you might find blood in your urine.

Any way, mapped the route out for three days each way. All was going well until I hit Salina, Ut. It's 105 miles from there to Green River, just lots of wide open spaces, no fuel. The scoot got about 45-50 mpg, 2 gallon tank, do the math. I got the bright idea to get a 2L soda bottle, fill it with gas, and duct tape it to the sissy bar. About 20 miles out, I pulled over to check the tape. The tape was fine, but, the bottle was starting to melt. Cut the tape, poured it into the tank and taped the empty back to the sissy bar. I was within sight of Green River when I switched to reserve. Made it home and had no desire to ride the scoot the rest of the visit ... .

I did the same thing going back, good times ... actually did that several times through that area before I upgraded to an Ultra.

Now, if I don't have heated gear, radio with audio books, and GPS, I just don't ride ... LOL.

[cScjhb]

I was heading home from a week solo trip on my GL1500. Just east of Leavenworth, Wa. traveling west on the 2 lane at 50-55 MPH. The car behind me was hanging back and then coming closer and then backing off. A little odd I thought. Next thing I know I heard the chatter of his anti-lock brakes. His front bumper kissed the right rear trim of my bike. I did not go down. Pulled off the road with him behind me. He asked it he had hit me..... Told me he had been driving more that 24 hours and was falling asleep at the wheel. As evidence he showed me the right side of his car where he had scraped the guard rail some time previously. I was close to decking the little weenie. Suggested he take a break and nap before he kills somebody. He said he would. But he didn't. I went to town and doubled back and he was gone. I had a blemish on the trim of my bike that I kept until it was sold. Looked at it often to remind me about defensive riding..... Jim

[k-dog]

riding in one night in southern wv, when bike just died no lights or anyhthing. It was 67 honda dream , i was 16 teen had no idea what was wrong. pitch dark about 15 minutes a truck stops.. I tell driver I have no idea whats wrong.he starts to look under seat finds fuse blowed.Neither he nor i have a fuse ,he takes a piece chewing gum wrapper wraps around old fuse. Says try it, starts up, I thank him ,go home he says. you can't learn this in books.

[rhino 2]

riding in one night in southern wv, when bike just died no lights or anyhthing. It was 67 honda dream , i was 16 teen had no idea what was wrong. pitch dark about 15 minutes a truck stops.. I tell driver I have no idea whats wrong.he starts to look under seat finds fuse blowed.Neither he nor i have a fuse ,he takes a piece chewing gum wrapper wraps around old fuse. Says try it, starts up, I thank him ,go home he says. you can't learn this in books.

I've used a paper clip once....

[Rollin Thunder]

Part 3.

this is going to be a shorter story then I planned.

On my 1st trip across country I was on my way back from taking a 2 week trip to Arizona.

I was headed East on 60 towards Globe, Az.

Things were going great nice scenery with tall trees an mountains.

After getting gas I looked at my map an I wanted to hit I 40 and now I'm in a little town just before Show low, AZ.

Something doesn't feel right with my front end.

SO in the middle of nothing I pull over and I hear pssss.. What the hell is that !!

Front tire has a leak in the side wall NOW WHAT !!.

I have the bike up on its center stand and the front tire is off the ground a little.

I sit of a huge rock and thinking to myself now what an I going to do.

I get my tools out and start to see if i can get the tire off the bike.

Incase someone stops and asks if I need help.

Its still early in the day cause I left at 6 am.

I'm sitting on the ground and working on the bike when a Motorhome pulls up just past me.

2 older guys with white beards come down to me and asks what going on ?

I tell them what happened and the driver says to me.

Do you think we could help you any ?

I said I hope you can I'll need a front tire this one has a leak in the sidewall.

Guy says to me their a cycle shop down the rd a piece if that will help you.

I say to him it sure would But I don't want to leave my bike out here by its self.

He says No problem an he points at his friend and says he'll sit here with it till we get back.

All hell breaks loose as they argue this I'm sitting there an crackin up.

They argue like old friend do and its funny.

So he get a folding chair out and sits behind my bike and we take off for town.

About 40 mins away he says.

WE get there and the shop has just opened and the guy behind the counter say sure we can give you a New tire where's it at.

I left it by the front door as we walked in.

Mean while the driver an I start talking about hunting & motorcycles.

Seems these 2 guys have rode all over in their younger days and now they just hunt.

So shortly my tire is ready and we take off after Thanking the guys for the tire.

WE pull up and I don't see his buddy moving any.

I say i think your friend fell to sleep. He says oh hell he might have died on me .

He was reading his book is all they cracked me up when they started all up again.

I can't remember their names but they were so funny .

I get the tire on an take it for a short ride doing figure 8's an everything looks and sound s good.

So I say to them Let my treat you to lunch up the rd.

NOPE you don't have to do anything they say.

I then ask if i can buy them a cup of coffee in town.

That they agree on an we head out.

During coffee and I find out they met years ago on the rode and have been friends since.

WE shake hands and say our good byes.

I head out towards I 40 and home back in Michigan. 2 days later.

The end.

[FuzzyWuzHe]

I was headed to Sturgess in 2007. I had a 2007 Ultra and a Time Out trailer. There is a very isolated road from Craig Colorado to I80 just west of Rawlings Wy. I can't remember the name of the Junction there, like Crescent Junction or something like that.

Anyway. When I leave Craig, I check the GPS unit (zumo 550 HD branded, might have been the earlier one, I have both), looking to see if there is gas. Pulling the timeout, the Ultra was not the most fuel efficient. According to the GPS, there was a small town, Baggs, Wy. I think and there is gas at the junction. I filled up in Craig and headed out.

When I get to Baggs, there is a little Mexican joint that smells out of this world. I don't do much spicy, but, I like the mild stuff. I have a great lunch and get ready to head out. The one gas station in town has 5 RV's waiting to fill up. I had just over half a tank and it was just like 50 miles to the Junction. I figure what the heck, no problem.

I head out and at about 30 miles from Bags I hit pretty good head winds coming from the west hitting my left side and front. Still not concerned, the fuel light comes on. I was only 5 miles out, so again, not worried.

I pull into the Junction and yep, there is a gas station, but, it doesn't look like it's been in business in years. There was a pickup truck with a low rider in the back pulling a travel trailer pulled to the side. I pulled up next to it and this old grizzly looking dude comes out of the trailer and says "Nice Ride". I replied, "Thanks, Where's the gas station?" He says, "Been shut down for years, hang on."

He climbs into the back of the pickup, roots around in the trash in the bed and pulls out a one gallon gas can that used to be red, but, is now black with grease. He says, here, this will get ya to Rawlings, it's like 40 miles."

So I look at the can, undue the lid and pull out the nozzle. I sniff it and it smells like gas ... what the heck. I put it into the bike and put the can back together and tell the old guy, "Thanks, let me give you some cash for the gas."

He says, "No need, next time you see someone in trouble, just help them for me." We shake hands and I get on the bike to head out again.

I pulled into Rawlings and fill up and purchase a 2 gallon can to fill and put it on the Time Out. Did the Sturgess thing and was heading home. When I get to the Junction, I noticed the same pickup and travel trailer with the bike in the back. I pulled over and the old guy was struggling with a lug wrench trying to get the flat trailer wheel off. The two of us were finally able to get the lugs free and get his wheel changed.

When the old guys puts his tools away he says, we gotta toast this with a beer. I don't drink anymore, but, I really didn't want to hurt the guys feelings and it being August, I was pretty warm. He returns with a bucket and like 4 or 5 corona's in ice. I walked over to my trailer, pulled out a couple of ham and cheese sandwiches I had made for lunch and we ate and drank beer (I had one Corona, he had the rest). I have never laughed so hard in all my life. This guy had all kinds of stories. He was totally hung up on the whole "imagine you helping me after I helped you thing".

Spent about an hour laughing and talking with him ... made me late to get home, but, I still got there before it got dark. Good Times.

[k-dog]

some friends left for Daytona in school bus one year, loss oil pressure, started smoking real bad half way there. stopped check engine found a crack in block. this one guy went and bought several boxes of kotexs and case of cheap oil wired the kotexs to block stopped to change rag every so many miles . made there and back. its the trip not the destnation

[Rollin Thunder]

Great stories from the road guys .

I hope to read more on here before I put another one on.

You guys have some similar adventures I'm sure.

Lets hear them make for GOOD reads on here.

Rick

[FuzzyWuzHe]

Great stories from the road guys .

I hope to read more on here before I put another one on.

You guys have some similar adventures I'm sure.

Lets hear them make for GOOD reads on here.

Rick

It's nice to get the old brain pan to reminiscing about the good old riding days ...

I'll post one more. When I was stationed on the USS Enterprise, we went to Bremerton Washington for overhaul. The Navy put us all up in the townhouses that where built for the Trident Sub screws but the sub base wasn't ready yet so they were empty.

Anyway, these where upstairs, downstairs townhouses. My downstairs "neighbor" was an airdale admin wennie that had just made Chief and thought his poop didn't stink.

One day he storms up the stairs to my place and pounds on the door. He was upset because my toilet was leaking down into his bathroom. I explained that I didn't build the joint (these where brand new), and I would call it in for repair (I promise this is a "ride" story).

Anyway, the maintenance crew comes over and they figure out that when the builders hooked up my toilet during the build, they hooked it up to the hot water (too bad it wasn't one of those French toilets that clean your rear). Of course, every time the toilet was flushed, the hot water was eroding the bee's wax seal in the drain.

The fix was to tear out my bathroom wall and fix the plumbing, and then they had to rip his bathroom apart to get rid of all the water damaged dry wall.

My part of the fix was only 2 days, his was like two weeks. Since these where one bedroom, one bathroom town homes, they put porta patties out for us to use while they were working on the bathrooms.

Every day this "Frocked Chief" (for those that don't know, Frocked means your doing the job, but, you aren't getting paid) would yell and scream at me about his inconvenience. I calmly told him I was sorry he was inconvenienced, but, I had no control over the whole situation. But, if it helped, he and his wife could use our porta potty when we weren't.

The day they removed the porta potty's, I assumed this meant his bathroom was fixed, I started opening the garage door in the back while I started and warmed up my 66 sporty chop with the straight fish tails. Of course, this back door was directly aligned with his bedroom. These where kind of a weird design, the garages where out front.

My "fellow chief", called the MP's on me. The MP came over and talked to me about it and I explained that I didn't want to be overcome with fumes while warming up my ride. I started the bike for the MP and he agreed it wasn't that loud. The MP told him that there was nothing he could do.

Of course, when I was getting ready to leave, I would always crank it up and let the exhaust rumble his windows ... ... I only did it a couple times and we did end up friends when I told him that just because he became a Chief, didn't mean he was a god.