Iron Butt Florida

An Iron Butt Saddle Sore 1000 is a 1000 mile ride on a motorcycle in less than 24 hours.

I thought I might be finished with riding these after the one I did a few years ago.  That one started and finished in Jacksonville.  The middle part was fun.  I rode the entire way on interstate highways, up I-95 into South Carolina, then I-26 to Columbia.  From there I rode up I-77 to Charlotte to meet up with Adrian who rode with me to Salisbury for lunch.  After a 75 minute lunch, I was off again on I-85 headed to the Raleigh Durham area, then I-40 back to I-95.

I hit I-95 in the mid afternoon with 425 miles to go.  Luckily I had a tailwind the entire way and rode with the fast crowd at 75 to 80 the entire way except the next to last leg when the engine began overheating and could maintain only around 65 mph.  It healed itself for the last leg.  These machines are a mystery sometimes.

But that is changing.  I have been in communication with a Modern Vespa acquaintance in England who is an Iron Butt rider.  He has done six Saddle Sore 1000s and one Bum Burner 1500.  Two in England, two in the US, one in France and the BB 1500 was in Western Europe, combining a SS1000 with the BB.

He asked me if I would be interested in riding with him and another Modern Vespa friend, Bob, while he was here.  Then it became an Iron Butt ride with both of us riding my two freshest GT's and Bob riding support.

The two freshest machines are Razzo and Vanessa.  I have some prep work do do to assure us that they will be able scooters.  Four new tires are ordered and will arrive this week.  I already have new belts and will get rollers to install in the next few weeks.  I need to mount another RAM mount for the second GPS and a 12v outlet to allow its use for the entire ride.  Then new, quality oil and they will be as ready as possible.

Our route is to stay in Florida, with the added bonus of receiving a special patch for a Florida only IB.  We will head west, out I-10 towards Tallahassee.  Then turn south on 57 near Monticello to pick up 19 to Perry where it joins 98.  We continue to Chiefland where we then run on 27 to Williston where we turn to I-75 and the ride south.

From there it is all interstate highways, taking I-75 to Naples and Fort Lauderdale with a stop along the way to have a brief visit with my co-rider's sister near Sarasota.

From Fort Lauderdale we will turn north on I-95 for the 330 mile ride home.

It is going to take place in late October, so daylight will be less than ideal.  But the scooters have good headlights and the roads are all well traveled.

My only concern at the moment is that I have this hernia.  I am meeting with the surgeon tomorrow to schedule the procedure.  I hope that it is in the next week or so, giving me plenty of time to heal.

My friend is hinting at the adventure on MV at the moment, so I will let him do his thing there.  I am looking forward to another adventure.

Florida North

Florida Middle

Florida South

Waiting out the Storm

Late yesterday afternoon, I decided that I really needed to ride Rocket to Best Buy in Orange Park to look at cameras.  I checked the weather and it looked like I could make it.

I looked them over and headed home.  I saw the big clouds to the north and west as I turned onto Blanding Boulevard so I took Collins Road to Roosevelt to the east.  As I ran up Roosevelt, I could see that it would be close.  So just four miles from home, as I came to Timuquana Road I could feel the first wind gusts indicating it was close.  I could see the huge clouds and rain ahead, so I ducked into the nearest shelter I could fine, the McDonalds restaurant at that intersection.   I went inside and sat safely at a table and started on Facebook, telling everyone my predicament.  My friend Adam was having a similar problem in Gainesville, but at least he was at Loosey's, a bar downtown.  I was stuck in McDonalds.  Russ suggested I get a milkshake.  I looked at the menu and decided on a smoothie.  But it turns out that the smoothie and milkshake machines had stopped working at the first lightning strike in the area.

I was stuck for an hour, then decided to give it a shot.  I decided to ride up Ortega Boulevard to avoid the much larger Roosevelt Boulevard.  Ortega was flooded and I almost got splashed off the road a couple of times but made it all the way home with minimal wetness. One nice part about riding a scooter is the protection from rain and road water that the leg shield and windscreen provide.

My view for one hour in McDonalds

The 2010 Scooter Cannonball Movie

For thepast several years there has been a rumor that a movie was to be made about the 2010 Scooter Cannonball Run.  Some of the same riders participated in the 2014 Scooter Cannonball Run that I entered and ran successfully into the ninth day of ten.

There have only been sporatic reports of movement in the completion of the work and they had a kickstarter program to help fund the work.  It is now looking real and coming out in a few months.  I can't wait to see it and look at it compared to our run.

Nobody was filming on the 2014 run.  Rats.

The poster

It looks like the movie people took the trailer off R&M.  No problem here.

Vanessa

I now own Vanessa.  Not legally as I have not received the title yet, but I deposited a big check in Leslie's checking account this morning that starts the wheels turning.

As I have posted here, I had been holding Vanessa, Leslie and Maria's Vespa GT, in my garage while they lived in Italy for three years.  I had been very careful with her until I asked Sarah to ride her to the office one afternoon so we could clear some space for a garage sale.  Sarah had ridden my Malaguti several times and I assumed that she would be OK.  I refreshed her memory as to what each lever does, etc. and sent her on her way.  She promptly ran into a parked Land Rover on the street in front of our house.  It was all my mistake and I take the blame for the accident.  Sarah was unhurt, but Vanessa was a mess.  She had a large dent in the front leg shield and was leaking coolant profusely.  Insurance would have instantly totaled her.

At first I was to repair the scooter but that felt daunting.  Getting her back to new condition would require proper tools and a skilled body shop.  I asked Boris if he could get his body guy to do the work but he couldn't get him interested.  I went to the local dealer to see who they used and they said that they couldn't find a shop to do body work on Vespas.  I tried a local body shop but couldn't get them interested either.  I was out of ideas when Leslie let me know that she would sell her to me instead, as she and Maria were to stay an extra year in Italy.

I agreed to her terms and took her to Boris to have his brother Eric bang out the dent and get her on the road again.  He succeeded and I am now the owner of a perfectly good 2007 Vespa GT.  It is the fourth I have owned.  I sold one so I still have three.  It may be an obsession, but it is fun having so many.

After the repair.  Still awaiting the new fender that I will have painted blue to match.  I am leaving the bent parts and painting them with primer only for now.  I prefer that to bondo.

I am leaving the Girl Star sticker.  It just belongs there.

This one came from the scooter rental shop in Rome.  It stays too.

I rode her to Baldwin yesterday.  20 miles at 70+ mph and she was more solid than the others,  It is probably because I took the top case off while leaving the heavier bar ends on the handlebars.  We were also running with no front fender and that may have helped too.  

If all goes well, she will be used in an upcoming Iron Butt Saddle Sore 1000 ride in October and the 2016 Scooter Cannonball Run.

Rocket & Me Shirts

A few months ago I had my daughter, Kylie, make improvements to this blog.  I liked her design so much that I had some t-shirts made and offered them to people who read this little blog.

I sent one to the number one reader, David Masse, who surprised me by posting about wearing it during a ride through the Adirondacks with Stephanie Yue.

Courtesy of Stephanie Yue

Then, when I flew up to Wisconsin for Wisconscoot in July, I gave black model t-shirts to the entire Langholff family for organizing the fun event.

I gave one to my son, Sam too.  He wore it on the last day of Wisconscoot.  His visiting with me on that ride made it a very special trip.

And Michael Beattie, Conchscooter, asked for one, which he received and posted this photo on his site, Key West Diary.

I wear mine around town and for sleeping, but it feels a bit self promotional to wear them to scooting events.  Maybe I will get over it soon.

Riding Pain

The hernia has led me to the realization that I have always been comfortable on scooter rides until now.

Two weeks ago I rode Rocket on the club ride and didn't feel very comfortable.  I couldn't understand why.  Then riding to and back from Apalachicola last week I was in a good amount of pain.  It took another couple of days to realize what had happened to me.  My doctor confirmed it on Monday.

The only rides where I have had any discomfort over the years were on the Honda and its treacherous seat that I call the "Little Seat of Horrors".  And that is only after a couple of hundred miles.

But, on a scooter, I have ridden 1000 miles in one day with no discomfort at all, other than my hands and left arm getting quite numb and useless for a couple of days.

I rode nine days of the Cannonball at an average of 350 miles per day with no discomfort at all.  Actually nothing but excitement and fun for every mile.

And at least 30 more 300 mile days over the years without ever an issue at all.

I am scheduled to meet the surgeon on Wednesday next week.  Then I hope the surgery can be scheduled soon after that and I can get back to the comfortable rides.

At the start of 3200 miles in nine days.  Not a minute of pain.

She's Leaving Home

Today marks the day that our beautiful daughter, Kylie, heads out into the big world on her own.  Sarah and I are putting her on a plane to Chicago to visit her brother, Sam.  From there she is flying to New York City to seek her fortune.

She has nothing but a few interviews planned so far, but is determined to make it work.

It is a sad day for Sarah and me, but we will stay in touch and visit as often as we can.

We are certain that she will do well.

Love you forever and forever

Love you with all my heart

Love you whenever we're together

Love you when we're apart.