Myrtle Beach Fall Rally '01

 

The time had come. The bike was all packed and it was running good. Armed with the knowledge that it had sat for awhile and there could be a multitude of bugs to be worked out, I set out. The journey began in fits and starts. 20 miles from my house, on the Northway, I ran into a traffic jam. We were down to one lane and it was hot out. The bike overheated and cut out. I pushed it to the side of the road and
waited out the traffic. Another hour later, I was back under way. Exactly 100 miles later, I ran out of gas. That tank will get you no more than 129 miles, with a side car. At this point my resolve was being threatened. But, with the aid of a Sheriff, I was soon underway again! The weather was beautiful, the views and smells were spectacular. I finally reached I81 and stopped for the night somewhere in South PA.

The next morning, I was up before the sun, as is my habit. The bike wasn't running well. I was going through a lot of oil and the plugs were looking bad. After a call to my mechanic, I stopped in Winchester, VA. I changed the plugs and set off in search of some straight 50 weight oil. I fouled 2 sets of plugs in one town, finally found my oil and the bike wouldn't stay running! I called the local HD dealership and we got a roll back and took it over. We got there as they were closing. The tow truck guy gave me a ride to the hotel and carried my bags in for me. Bright and early the next morning, they got to my bike. A good nights sleep had improved my spirits and we set to work on the bike. They supplied me with some new parts for my directional switch and I repaired that. It turned out that my S&S super "B" carb was the biggest part of the problem. My local dealership (not my mechanic) had also given me the wrong plugs and the wrong info to gap them. But Winchester HD fixed all that for the tidy sum of $13. I met some great people while there. Not only the folks that work there, but some locals as well. They showed me a short cut to get to I95. So shortly after noon I set out on 17 and the bike ran fabulous! My kudos to those fine people!
The ride along 17 was real pretty, with lots of gently rolling hills. The slower speed limit gave me more time to enjoy the views, also.

I spoke with my Bro, that I was meeting in SC, and told him I was gonna try to come through that night. Alas, that was not to happen. I95 is a hellish road, that looks like cement and left me unable to travel faster than 55 or 60. The bumps were strategically placed so that I would just get the sidecar to stop hopping all over the road, and it would start again! I managed to endure until around 10:00 PM, then the tractor trailer traffic got too heavy, and I felt like a sitting, no, bouncing duck. The speed limit is 70 down there and I was still only able to travel at 55. I made it to 701 and stopped for the night.
I arrived in Myrtle Beach on the 4th day and had the pleasure of meeting Bo's family. I was especially pleased to meet Chandler, Bo's astounding nephew, who is recovering from being hit by a car himself! We did a little riding, some people watching, got some food and a cold beer. Then my tired ass was ready for bed!
The next morning I slept in late. By 7:30 I was ready for breakfast and waited for Bo and his Mom to get up. He kindly offered to let me clean his bike while I waited for them to get ready. HA! Not likely, but thanks for the offer, Bro! After breakfast we went to the beach and walked out on the pier. It was a beautiful day with just enough wind to ruffle your hair and make some great white caps! We took Bo's Mom back to their room and then did the biker tourist thing. Since Bo had been there all week, he played tour guide. We had a great time, it was nice to meet him, and he got me into the shopping mode! One of my favorite purchases was the Official HD Factory Manual!

Bo gave me a silver bell for my bike and some t-shirts, and I bought a bunch of patches for my vest and some stuff for Tori. We headed for SBB and got to see a bike do a burn out in the bar. OK you really couldn't see a thing but it was fun! It was time to head back to the rooms. Bo had decided that he and his Mom were gonna head back that night and drive through so he could be rested for work on Tues. We said our goodbyes and he got ready to leave. His Mother is truly a funny lady, and I'm glad I got the pleasure of meeting her, too! I did some riding around town and then headed for bed.

Stay tuned for the even more exciting "trip home"! LOL

(PS...I NEVER write the return "trip home" up! ;)

Myrtle Beach Pics