Red's Mid-America Meander Meets

Hot Rider and I are up and ready to shove off here soon to drop the kids of at Grandma's. It is a cool morning with temps in the low 60's. We have the camera packed as well.

Hot Rider and I will talk to you everyone in a couple of days as I am bringing the computer, of course this depends on what we decide for riding course today.

Well, Hot Rider and I are back from our gathering with Red Rider. We met at Wild Prairie HD at the specified time. When we got there, I noticed that Red's Bike was there already. Hot Rider and I dismounted our scooters and went inside. Over by the tee shirt section I saw this guy with a leather vest on and full of patches. I knew it was Red right away. I went over there and and said hello. We shot the shiit a little and them we went outside to look at each others rides. We took a group picture and then we discussed what it was that we wanted to do. Red asked if Hot Rider and I would like to ride to New Berlin WI with him as he was having some engine issues. Hot Rider and I said, "yeah, why not?" We started out, first topping off the fuel tanks. After that was done, we took a quick look at a map to determine the course. We ended up taking I494E to I94E and stayed on I94 all the way to New Berlin. It was a round trip total for HR and I of 798 miles.

Red Rider is an awesome person and very direct. I appreciate that about people. We had a chance to drink some beers and talk about different things that mainly pertained to life. We are considering get together again with Red once his bike get repaired and he heads back this way. I hope that we will be able to do this. HR and I had an awesome time.

P.S. MY ASSS HURTS :roflmao::roflmao:

I talked to Red last night but I will leave that news for him to tell. The pics are taken, but I am just a little lazy right now to post them. They will get on here, I am just exhausted.

JB - I wish you wouldn't conclude your story of our meeting up by saying "MY ASSS HURTS!" - if ya know what I mean. :roflmao:

Red's in the middle of a tear-down and no definitive word at this time as to what is making the slapping sound. Suspician now is on the top end. Regardless, the Hal's H-D folk in New Berlin WI believe that even if they have to tear the whole thing down and reassemble it, they should be able to get me out of here by Tuesday. I so want to ride again it is hitting me in the pit of my stomach. I need my freedom back!

The meet with JB and HR was the best portion of the trip so far (not to diminish the ones with Alex the Dog and HarleysLR - but the circumstances were far different as well as the 3 vs 2 meeting). The story goes that we met up at Wild Prairie H-D, but instead of our being able to joy ride MN for 2 days, I'd been advised to TRY to make it to at least New Berlin to get to a mechanic near a place that I could stay free. HR & JB were game to accompany me, even though it became a death race to get there before the shop closed instead of the leisurely ride we'd planned.

We did get there (10 minutes after closing, and with Red slapping herself silly with whatever the problem is) and the shop gratiously took her in. After all we'd been through (HR's bike was playing games with us - needed a few push starts)and needing a place, they got set up at the Brookfield Suites while I went to get a friggin' mini-van from Milwaukee Int Airport. I returned to meet them and their new drunk sidekick at Champs next to the hotel. We did have an epic good time, even if I could have only 2 beers. Honestly, I wished I could have just stayed and partied with them, but I'd made commitments to get to Racine and left, hoping to catch up with them again on the return (Tues? Wed?).

That left getting to Racine in the friggin mini van that was the only available ride. But this is Bike Talk, not Car Whine, so I end this with only the teaser that I did not get to my final destination until :witsend: 0425. Grrrrrrrrrr, arrrrgh!

:roflmao::roflmao: Good Point Red!! TO ALL OF BIKE TALK! DICK JOHNSON WAS AT BAY!!!:roflmao::roflmao:

This was definitely good ride!!! I'm so glad I didn't ride two up with JB on his sporty because that isn't much of a seat. I really enjoyed the adventure. JB and I seem to get random side kicks when we go out and drink. Dick Johnson, there is no words for such an individual, too bad he didn't start eating pizza!! .

As far as my bike, just happy I made it home. Once we got to Silver Lake, MN starting acting up again. Pulled over told JB look I don't know if we are going to make it. He told me to go in front. As the bike starting jerking when I took off, I got it up to 70 and just kept going all the way, didn't care if it took a crap when I got it in the drive way just didn't want to have to deal with getting it home. I have to say watching Red Rider push my bike with JB on it was pretty entertaining. Good thing they took care of me!! I'm not ready to call it a season so my bike will have to hold out before getting put in the shop for the winter. I believe this is the hardest this bike has been ran ever!!

As far as the mini van it was pretty fancy, there was a certain way you had to grab the back door to shut it!! JB figured that out. All in all it was a fun spare of the moment road trip and Red Rider was awesome to meet, it would have been great if he could have stayed to party but that would have been awful riding back with a hang over!

Here is some group pics.

I need to go back and get caught up, but it looks like we may cross paths in Sturgis.

I just sent off four chapters of my book to an agent in New York who I met at the Aspen conference. Very exciting!

Staying a couple more days in Montana and heading on Monday for Sturgis. I should be there Tuesday evening. I'll wait for you for a day or two if I have to. I'll go back and read earlier posts to see if I can figure out where you'll be. I know it's up to the dealership at this point.

yes it will,so will a june bug!

Is the 9th in Aurora a solid date, or are things still up in the air with the repairs? You'd be riding right by my home to get to Aurora, but I won't be there.

Aurora has been Cancelled. That means when I get back on Red I can go wherever I want. I just don't know when that is gonna be. Should find out first thing tomorrow.

I'll have some pics to post, but it may have to wait til I get back home.

Things have sucked since I got to Racine.:rant::witsend:uke: I'd rather be stuck in Lodi again! Lord, please grant me my bike and the open road soon!

:cheers:

To bad JB and my schedule was more flexible because we would have sat and hung out with you in WI. That would have been fun. Started my bike up yesterday and it sounded good. Going to call the shop guy tomorrow and see about a battery and getting that battery tender put on.

Looking forward to the pics,ride safe.

Hey Red, I would talk to the Service Manager at Hal's and ask him about that rate reduction that he was talking about about for the Brookfield Suites. Ask if he will take that off of the bill for Red.

what have you learned so far?

In Hell

It all started with the set-up of the S&S 510G gear-driven cam. I guess it was too tight. Not enough "lash"?

One of the problems I had when people/mechanics would listen to my bike run (and JB, you'll probably remember this) is that they'd hear one thing, and someone else would hear another thing. I never heard half of what others did (too deaf) but I knew what Red used to sound like and suddenly she sounded like tin cans in a washer compared to her prior purring.

We now know why. The crankshaft is heavily damaged:gah:. The camshaft is damaged. The pistons are scored. The parts list is growing. The amazing thing is she ran all the way to the shop, and still had a burst even at the end. Frankly, if I hadn't HEARD all the crap slapping and banging, whirring and wheezing that the engine is doing now and wasn't before I don't know if I'd believe the wrenchs...but I did and I do.

We're into the $3,000 range right now, but there is likely more to come. Time matters, too, as I am now no longer in the "freeloader zone". I can see the Harley shop from my motel room's window. I see bikes roll in and out - . With each day another $70 goes to sitting in a motel room that I so much rather be riding away from.

No ETR, but they didn't change the goal of Tuesday afternoon yet.

Did my engine blow up on I-94 East? Did I die on the last day's ride into New Berlin? Is this, indeed, Hell? Feels like it.....wait, isn't that Rod Serling smoking a cig in the parking lot, looking up at my window? :devil:

Re: In Hell

Good thing we did make it all the way to New Berlin. That could have been a serious disaster and headache.