Trips_3rd_Las

Friday, March 2nd 2001

This afternoon, I called my friend George; he has a motorcycle shop and promised me to get me the missing mirrors I nedd on Roxana. "Yes! they finally arrived, it's US$ 120 (ouch!), they are alredy at the shop!", "Great, I'll pick them out tomorrow morning; in the afternoon I have to study", "Sure! no prob. Ah! we are going out with the group tomorrow, we'll going to Las Salinas, have lunch and come right back, wanna come along with us?", "Humm, do you think we'll be back by 2:30 pm?", "I hope so, I plan to leave at 10 am", "Okis! count on me!"... what the hell, I have so *many* things to do betwen work and university, and a good ride is just what I need!"

Saturday, March 3rd 2001

During the night I was barely able to sleep, I was so happy I was going on a group riding again the day after! It would be my second group riding and the third trip in total...
I arrived early at the shop, put the mirrors on the bike, paid (aich...) and we where ready to go.. well, of course between installing the mirrors, checking everything on all the bikes, a minor problem here, another there it was alredy 11am by the time we started our engines.
Group: George (the lider) on his VMax with one of his sons on the back seat, a VFR800,a Ninja ZX-11 (yep, the old one), an Intruder 750 and a wonderful '99 F4!
Las Salinasi isn't very far away, you can find it on the map on the south side of the island, west of Santo Domingo, named Las Calderas (due to the Navy base located there) just out of Ban�.
As soon as we enter the highway I notice something that will be very, very particular of the whole trip.. The guy on the Intruder was not going above 60mph... humm, does he have some problem? Ah, I remmebr now, this is the guy George was talking me about, the one who never left the city on his bike.. first trip for him...
55-60 mph, Roxana is pretty relaxed in 5th gear, no way he can old 6th without going below 4k rpm (which would probably discharge the battery as I learned the hard way).... hum, ok, this is his first trip, but.. com'on... do Intruders have a speed limiter setted at 60 mph... could be? Everone else of the group goes quickly away, then wait him a little bit and goes away again.. I think to stay with the new guy, you know, alredy my 3rd trip, I'm pretty expert now.... just kidding! It's just that I can immagine how he must feel in this moment, experiencing something new, a first time for him, the road seems completetly another one even if he traveled it dozens of time on his car, everyone quickly accelerating on fast sportbikes and vanishing away... except for that little red/blak F4 that is alway behind him telling him not to worry, everything is fine, you can go at your own speed, I'll be with you...
As usual the lider stops at the side of the road to wait for us, makes sure everything is ok, and then goes back to the others pretty far ahead at this time.
On the road between San Cristobal and Bani we see the lider parked at one side of the road (we alredy left the highway) but something is unusual, his son is standing at the side of the bike and he doesn't have his helmet on... aich, some problem on the old 1200cc V bike... electrical problem? a fuse is blown... starts again but not very good, and after a while dies again... seems like some dirty stuff in the fuel line.. well, *somewhere*... the trips seems to be over for him. A pick-up stops, we tell him our story, and he gladly accept to give him, his son and the VMax a ride 'till Santo Domingo... free of charge..
He says to us to go on, don't worry, enjoy our trip, there's no way we have to come back at this time..
And off we go again, thinking about George and Monti, hoping the best for them.
30 minutes later, Las Salinas is on sightm ah, what a beauty, blue sea, a little fresh wind.... I'm thirsty and hungry! As everyone else in the group!

Park the bike, let's have something served at the restaurant.
Ah, George arrived fine at the capital, no prob at all and... he's gonna reach us... hey.. it's about 60 miles... no prob, he is coming on the Hayabusa... Ok! waiter, put something more on the fire, he'll be back soon, really soon...
Time for some good, cold beers now; always remember, if you want to drink some alchool, really make sure he drink it as soon as you arrive somewhere, and plan to stay there *at least* 1 hours for every drink you got (check the MSF book about this one).
Food arrives, as well as George and Monti, let's eat and start drinking Pepsi now..!
We chat about this and that, really relax, I think I have *plenty* of things to do and finish, but that's something far away, 60 miles away... I'm here now and this is everything that counts at this time.. so, just relax....
Well, we all ate a good paella by now, are feeling a lot better too, it's 4:10 pm, better take aour way back home...
Same stuff as before, the Interceptor doing no more than 60 mph (he said at lunh he felt he has very, very little control on the bike above 60 mph, maybe some problem on the chasis? he's thinking about getting a sportbike now... did I tell you how great a F4 is???!). We all told him don't worry, if the group accelerates beyond what he considers to be a safe speed, keep that one, the group we''l wait for you ahead, really don't worry, go at your own speed, nobody is in a hurry and above all, the left togheter the city, we come back togheter... well, at least we'll wait for you so to come back at the same time :)
Everything goes pretty smooth and we are back home before the sun settles dows, good :)
We say good by each other, promise to keep in touch and enjoy soon again another trip and back to each one's home and each one's many things to do... ok, I have to study a *lot* and I alredy lost a day, but at least I'm happy, relaxed and will surely be able to study a lot better now!
Ride Safe!