Welcome to the Two Wheeled Texans community! 
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- Joined
- Aug 31, 2007
- Messages
- 1,023
- Reaction score
- 10
- Location
- Beaumont, Texas
- First Name
- Ken
- Last Name
- Phenix
This thing began a few months ago with a promise to to drive the moving van to where ever my girl and son-in-law to be chose to settle and then ride back. The northwest? Colorado? It turned out to be Lovettsville VA. No problem, as good a place as any, right? The wedding takes place the middle of January and the move 2 weeks later.
I planned a route to the east coast and down to the Chesapeake, through the Smokey Mountains, Blue Ridge Pkwy, The Dragon, etc. Fine so far, right?
A minor snag in the ride plan presented itself in December in the form of a knocking smoking motor. Ebay to the rescue: I clicked buy it now on a 2,000 mile 2006 Katana complete kit and popped it in the old Bandit the first week in January.
January 27: I finish the side case install, pack my gear and head for College Station TX to load 'er on the truck.
January 28: An uneventful drive to Hattiesburg MI marks our first day out.
January 29: I get the first hint the return ride route might be changing when we run into ice just south of Chattanooga.
The kids secured one of the last rooms available and I staked out the Waffle House parking lot and enjoyed the spacious accommodations of the Penske motor hotel.
January 30: The weather reports start rolling in - snow plows are out in full force on I-81. Still we have no idea what's in store.
We make it to our destination, Lovettsville VA at 1:00 am. It's 14 degrees, 31 in the house and the furnace won't fire up.
January 31: Friends arrived to help unload the truck. Now the waiting begins.
February 1: More snow falls. There is no way to get the bike out the snow and ice covered 1/4 mile incline that is the only road from the house.
February 2: A break in the snowfall. I gear up and take a chance but it was not to be. Not today. Half way up the road I hit a patch of ice. The old Bandit slammed to the cold ground and I did a swan dive off the front. No harm done, other than another day of waiting.
I planned a route to the east coast and down to the Chesapeake, through the Smokey Mountains, Blue Ridge Pkwy, The Dragon, etc. Fine so far, right?
A minor snag in the ride plan presented itself in December in the form of a knocking smoking motor. Ebay to the rescue: I clicked buy it now on a 2,000 mile 2006 Katana complete kit and popped it in the old Bandit the first week in January.
January 27: I finish the side case install, pack my gear and head for College Station TX to load 'er on the truck.
January 28: An uneventful drive to Hattiesburg MI marks our first day out.
January 29: I get the first hint the return ride route might be changing when we run into ice just south of Chattanooga.
The kids secured one of the last rooms available and I staked out the Waffle House parking lot and enjoyed the spacious accommodations of the Penske motor hotel.
January 30: The weather reports start rolling in - snow plows are out in full force on I-81. Still we have no idea what's in store.
We make it to our destination, Lovettsville VA at 1:00 am. It's 14 degrees, 31 in the house and the furnace won't fire up.
January 31: Friends arrived to help unload the truck. Now the waiting begins.
February 1: More snow falls. There is no way to get the bike out the snow and ice covered 1/4 mile incline that is the only road from the house.
February 2: A break in the snowfall. I gear up and take a chance but it was not to be. Not today. Half way up the road I hit a patch of ice. The old Bandit slammed to the cold ground and I did a swan dive off the front. No harm done, other than another day of waiting.
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Concrete bridge , high speed , water and a 50 foot drop, inattentive cagers. Yea baby, thats what I'm talkin' about! 
