Most Memorable ride

[Carroll B]

Around 1981 or 82 my late wife and I rode my 750 Honda from Baltimore, MD to Niagria Falls Canada. God provided great weather and it was nice to spend 4 days with the love of my life. First long trip we had ever taken on a bike. We had a small travel box on the luggage rack and two small duffel bags. The backs of my hands got so sun burned that I had to go out an buy a pair of gloves once we got there so I could ride. Couldn't find a bike shop so I ended up buying a pair of white cotton work gloves. I still remeber her face when I told her she could have half the space in the box and one duffel bag for her things. We rode 12 hours the day we stared home. I just cruised at about 75 the whole way home. The Vetter fairing made it a pleasure to ride.

 

[walleye]

Some nice stories here, very cool. Keep em coming, eveybody has a "favorite ride" they have taken. Hopefully the best may be yet to come.....

 

[BUBBIE]

My ride was OUR ride , as my wife and I traveled on my 2000 FXDS. It is a comfortable bike for two-up (mustang seat).

We started out of western Wa. to the east, up over Chinook Pass, next to Mt Rainier@ 14,410', traveling so close you feel you can reach out and touch it... then down to Goldendale up and along the Columbia River into Idaho..Then along the Snake River up a canyon headed to Lolo Pass that ends up close to Missoula Montana where we turned off and head south to Sweet Water / Bitterroot Idaho area, cutting back into the Oregon desert toward the Sisters in Oregon, Beautiful area! stopping over night in Bend Oregon..

Now stopping in Bend was part of the planned trip but NOT on the back of a WRECKER..

I just had put in a new stator and voltage regulator, new battery for an earlier trip I did solo down to the ROT rally in Austin Texas, june of 09 and not a problem...

But once near Bend, the electrical went south and the wrecker took us to Cascade Harley a nice clean well run dealership.
The voltage regulator was the problem, and you know harley, it had to be ordered...
That being late Wed. and new part would be there by Sat. and I needed to be home before Monday!

Well a young salesman was admiring my OLD 2000 ride.. Said he'd sell me a new one and take my old one in trade...

I returned IF you can give me enough $$ for the dyna i'll buy a new bike from you.
I was looking at the Last 09 FLHR in their shop.. August 20
The 2010 models were just out for a couple of weeks.

2 LONG days went by and a give and take between the young sales guy and I got a little serious.. I said no to his latest offer then back and forth for another day.. He came up on my trade in $$$ amount but I said NOPE.

Even My wife at this time was asking IF I was going to buy the new bike? and the sales kid was there asking me the same thing.

I said I would take the 2009 FLHR model, IF it included a 4 place docking system... easy on and off for a big backrest for the wife along with the luggage rack all included in the OTD price.....

Their answer was: YOU know that is about 1000$$ at our cost, I said YES I know.
Time running out, they counter offered Saturday night by saying 350$ and it is a deal... i said DEAL!

Can you have it ready to go by Sunday mid-morning?

My wife Jokes about it yet today, saying:

WE left on an OLD beautiful RED bike and returned on a NEW Beautiful BLUE bike..

Now that was OUR Memorable ride!

signed....BUBBIE

 

[walleye]

That is a cool story Bubbie! Same goes for Carroll B, Porter and the rest. I have to wonder how many scooters are sold as a result of break downs on the road. I know of two other riding buddies that have done the same. I think it is a reason to do what you really wanted to do, just got that push. The dealerships knows the vulnerability as well!! Fellow riders beware......

 

[srf506]

Mine was just last summer, although it seems like years ago now. A buddy and I rode from Orlando, FL to Somerset, PA to take part in "America's 911 Ride." We drove the entire skyline Drive on the way up. Then once on the ride itself we visited the Flight 93 Memorial, The Pentagon Memorial, and of course Ground Zero in Manhattan. That was probably the coolest thing, riding in an escorted ride throught the streets of NYC. I then went northward a bit into Westchester and Duchess Couties to see friends and family, then returned through Greenville, SC to see my daughter and her husband. A total of seven days and 3,000 miles. It was great.

 

[NEWHD74FAN]

Most memorable ride...hmmm could be the most recent ride just going to work...or the first one on the Harley with Coline on the Sporty the day I picked it up in August here in Camarillo...North...the smell of peppers, lemon and strawberry groves was magic to the senses...then looped East around through Simi Valley and Agoura Hills, then South towards the beaches on the PCH, then West towards home, the PCH was stunning with the salt air and hardly any wind, just perfect SoCal riding weather...could not believe how enjoyable and satisfying a nice easy riding Sportster could be without the frenetic nature of a Sportbike.

Hey I have been riding them for years and never realized how much I was into the technological marval of inline fours, spending most of my mental concentration on tactics and getting the most out of the bike and taking most of the enjoyment of riding away from plain and simple enjoyment...."roots" if you will which is the reason I came to like motorcycling for many years ago...! Yes there were great rides on my sportbikes, wine tasting, river rafting, redwood forests, cave splunking, old town exploration...but that ride was special...

 

[walleye]

spending most of my mental concentration on tactics and getting the most out of the bike and taking most of the enjoyment of riding away from the plain enjoyment "roots" I came to like motorcycling for...

You just answered the question many people just don't understand! Once we realize the real meaning of riding, it is a great feeling. Unmatched in it own way.....:s

 

[rick1062]

I keep thinking about posting my most memorable ride, and then I start arguing with myself which one is the most memorable. I am soooooo confused.

:newsmile040:

 

[BUBBIE]

That is a cool story Bubbie! Same goes for Carroll B, Porter and the rest. I have to wonder how many scooters are sold as a result of break downs on the road. I know of two other riding buddies that have done the same. I think it is a reason to do what you really wanted to do, just got that push. The dealerships knows the vulnerability as well!! Fellow riders beware......

YOU might not remember back in PRE sturgis last year, YOU were instrumental in My Deciding to buy a 09 Instead of the 2010, We were "HOT" topic at it... Give and take from many others also.. You and I were going on about the tranny.. I was saying the New one for Me...

You asked Me "if I thought a couple grand More was worth the New 6th gear (beveled)"... I gave that a Lot of thought before AND after I bot the 09 FLHR, saving Over 3500$$$ on This deal.. As this was their Last 09 in the building.... anxious to rid of it..

SO Thanks walleye, Had we NOT had that exchange here on HDT, I probably would of bot the Full Priced 2010 sitting behind it..

So whether you know it or not, YOU were part of OUR Memorable Ride!

signed....BUBBIE

 

[92FXRS]

After wanting a bike for many years, I got one a couple of years ago.
My 2 best friends are "30 Year Friends". We go on golf trips, party together, help each other with home projects, but the most memorable times are like this weekend coming up. We are going to Cherokee, NC for the rally. Just the anticipation of getting all the gear together (tents, stoves, clothes, etc), and then finally meeting up Friday morning to head down the road. These are the kind of guys that always "have your back", in good or bad times. Their more like brothers. These long weekend trips on the bikes, which we do several times during the year, are what we look & wait for all year long.
Good Friends, Good Beer, Good Fun, Good Bikes, Lots of Pretty Ladies.........
There is a God !!!!:worthy