The bike is laid up in dry dock for some major repairs, so I'll do some writing about history rather than current events or theories. We took a trip to Sturgis in 2006, rode the bike with good friends of our on their bike, we had 10 days total for the trip.
Day 1 started out with crisp and cool air about the bikes as they sat fully loaded and waiting the start your engines command. We double checked our route and destination for the first day, just over the Iowa border some 600 miles away. We checked the weather, not a sprinkle in site for this day's travels. We all mounted the bikes and gave the command (ok, a little hokey there) we pressed the starter buttons and the engines came to life.
We used all Interstate during this day as our main goal was to get to Iowa (remember 600 miles away) that day, I know for some of you iron butt riders that isn't a great feat, but for some of us it is a feat. Stopping at rest areas along the Interstate/Turnpikes to get fuel and take breaks, a few people are interested in our bikes being so very loaded with luggage. They ask where we are heading, but no one asked why, mad me wonder if they knew what Sturgis is all about or didn't care about what Sturgis is all about. I would like to think the former is the case but as those of us who enjoy the lifestyle realize the general public likes to keep clear of bikers. We don't fit the main stream image, although look around people, tattoos are huge these days where in the biker circles (and our great military) they have been popular all along. We enjoy the rests and the interest of people, ask a biker about their trip or bike and they'll talk to you as long as they can before they have to get back on the road.
Outside of Chicago we encountered construction, oh what a joy, wall to wall traffic with a pace slower than a snails pace. We use the shoulder when possible as temps outside were in the upper 80s causing the bikes engines to run extremely hot. Construction these days may cause a bigger headache because they love to use those cement barriers and leave no shoulder available on either side of the road. The bikes took us as far as they could before mine overheated, we stopped under and over pass for a break, low and behold there were two other bikes and their riders doing the same thing. We sat and chatted for about 20 mins, by then the bikes were cooled off enough we continued on. We came out of the construction just half a mile down the road and was able to get back to speed, we did pick up another bike in that time. It used to be if you came upon a bike or bikes on the road you could join in and ride with them for whatever length of time needed or wanted. Now a days some people just don't like that, with us we didn't mind at all, the more the safer.
Nothing else happened that day that was out of the ordinary, however if you get the chance there is a really cool bridge on I-80 going over the Mississippi river between Illinois and Iowa. Coming from the east you crest the ridge and look down the hill, the bridge is there spanning the river however it is a few hundred feet below you and the river is many hundred feet below the bridge.
We pulled into the motel for the night, a little sore but not in real bad shape. A small snack, a drink or two and some relaxing conversation then off to get some rest for day 2, which was about 350 miles to the middle of South Dakota.
Day 2 will be another entry, until that time, which will be soon with the bike in dry dock.
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