How the Long Distance Riding Addiction Started
I had wanted to go on the SS1000 with the Triumph RAT Pack in May but my new Sprint ST was a little delayed in arriving and I knew I�d never make it on the Harley with the stock seat. I didn�t think it would have been good to take a new bike on such a long trip before breaking it and the seat in.
But I still wanted to do a Millennium Mille. The summer was busy and I didn�t want to wait too late in the fall with decreasing daylight and increasing deer activity. A mid-September weekend opened up and it seemed like the best time. But I waited until Thursday to decide to go. With the cooler temperatures I didn�t care to go if I would see much rain.
When I got home from work Friday the forecast was dry but cool with temps in the 50�s and 60�s. I was pretty pumped and excited about the challenge of the ride so I figured I�d have difficulty sleeping so early. But I got a good sleep and was up at 2 and on my way shortly. The only glitch on the whole trip was right at the start. The time on the gas receipt was 30 minutes ahead so I used the ATM receipt as my start at 3 a.m.
The first leg down Route 15 and I-81 to Tennessee. As I was thinking about stopping for breakfast I remembered Paul and Dee were leading the Rat Pack Va/WVa ride. At the first Staunton exit I watched for the Super 8 but at the second stop I saw a Cracker Barrel. Don�t you know, there was a Sprint SS in the parking lot. I enjoyed a long breakfast with Paul and Dee and Mike and Paul Petrilla. Paul Steinbacher asked if I�d seen many deer, I�d not seen a one. Unfortunately Paul and Dee saw one up close later that weekend. Back on the road and back into the Virginia Tech football game traffic. I guess I should have checked the football schedules in addition to the weather forecast. I also found that the Virginia Highway Patrol are very good at hiding behind bushes and mounds. But I was lucky and slipped by their radar on my screaming red �here I am officer� speed demon.
It�s amazing how far you can be from home by noon when you leave at 3. I turned around just into Tennessee to return to I-77 to head north to Akron. As good as interstates can be I-77 south of Charleston, WVa is pretty good. Sweeping curves that slow the speed limit from 70 to 55 aren�t great, but hey, at least I was able to lean over.
And when you're about as far from home as you can get and seemingly in the middle of nowhere you think the engine sounds a little funny. So you start listening closer and convince yourself that you've never heard it make that sound before. And to make matters worse you're in a mountain valley in West Virginia and you just know you'll never get any cell phone reception. So you keep listening all the way till your next gas stop and come to the conclusion that you've just never had the time or paranoia to listen to the engine for that sound.
And talk about having time to think. A reoccurring thought was that before the next long ride I definitely need to get a set-up so I can listen to music. I had earplugs to help with the engine and wind noise. But the music in your head starts repeating itself after not too long and you easily get tired of listening the same partial lines of music as you can never remember the whole song.
I found that the local police in Charleston, WVa must be motorcycle friendly as I didn't realize that the speed limit dropped from 70 to 50 through town. I kept with the traffic in my lane, passing everyone in the right lane, when I noticed a blue light on the SUV behind me and looked a little more and saw a red light on the other side but they weren't lit. Well, if he hadn't pulled me over yet I'll just keep along until I can get over, but I'm not about to speed up to get to an empty spot. So I finally get a hole on the right, he passes me, lights up like a Christmas tree and pulls over the car that was in front of me. Whew.
At about 750 miles I started feeling a bit sore in the knees and arms, at 900 I thought "What was I thinking?" but I'd gone way too far to stop, and at about 1000 the temp dropped below 50 degrees. It started getting pretty chilly making the last 200 miles home more difficult because of the cold and not the soreness. But the cold did numb the sore muscles. I wasn't quite insulated enough for 48 degrees and 80 mph.
As I got closer to home and seeing that I would be at 1200 miles I thought, �Hey just another 400 mile loop by 3 tomorrow afternoon and I could have the Bun-Burner 1500. Let�s see, home by 12:30, going by 6 and home by 1 with 2 hours to spare.� When I got home I didn�t feel as bad as I�d expected. I set the alarm for 5:30 and was out as soon as I hit the pillow. I don�t even remember the alarm going off and waking up at 10 I was awful sore. Enough self-inflicted pain this year, perhaps two 800 mile legs next spring would work. And having some other riders go along would be a good idea, but do I know anyone stupid, I mean, brave enough?