50 States, Day 194

  50 States, Day 194  Newcastle   0 Miles

"If you take away my struggle, you take away my growth."

~Darren LaCroix

 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO THE GOLD WING!

We've owned it for a year. So today, we decided to let it blog. Only once.

Well, really, it's happy anniversary. I'm three years old, but Kevin and Quilter Girl don't seem to count the two years with That Other Guy. Those were good years, I tell you. Short rides, fine weather. Shoot, he only put five thousand miles on me. Between his keeping me pristine and the full service contract, life was good. But just like that, I'm in a shelter in Ames, Iowa. Abandoned bikes everywhere. Worse, every one was a Harley. I'm the only Honda in there. But they're all show; they aren't as mean as they look. I got along pretty good with a 2010 Softtail Custom.

Soon, however, Kevin and Quilter Girl came to rescue me. It all sounded good, until Doug, from the shelter said, "How you gonna get it home?"  And they said, "Ride it."

Well, duh.

But then he opened the garage door. It's pouring down rain. No way. They can't be serious!

We rode for three days in cold and rain, then in Utah, snow! We stopped in Beaver and there's two inches of slush on my fairing. What have I gotten myself into? Finally, we get to Vegas. All right, I've heard about Vegas. Dry, warm, open...

But then...he put a trailer hitch on me. You gotta be kidding me! So now I'm gonna tow a little storage trailer? Oh, no. I'm towing a pop top tent trailer. Between that and both of them and all their crap, my rear tire is begging for mercy.

We take a few rides, Cally, Arizona, Colorado...pretty good. Okay, this will work. I get used to it.

But then...he takes me to Warrior Wraps. Now what? Oh, they put this vinyl crap on me and I look like a hooker. They make the trailer match. Not good. That ain't no Honda, and now people think we're an item. I make the best of it and keep running like a top. And at least he's keeping me clean and polished. We go to a Launch Party. 50 States. Whaaa? No wonder I got maps on my saddlebags. Off we go, and it's going to be one long year. I won't bore you with details, but let me just say a few words. Snow. Wind. Rain. Lightning. Hail. Blazing sun. And EVERY DAY AND NIGHT I tell you, I'm outside. Nobody treats a Gold Wing like this, what I hear anyway.

But yesterday he took me to the shop for a service. They changed my oil, differential oil, headlights, all good. Then they found blown fork seals. No Kevin did not find them. I'd have to leave a Gull Oil Spill lake under me for him to figure it out. Anyway, I got to spend the night in the shop. Nice inside, and it's raining and cold outside.

Typical, the shop closes down and the bikes start swapping stories, you know, where you been, things they've done. The quads are rude. They think they're so superior. "Has anybody climbed over a log?" Stuff like that. Bunch of tractors. A Hayabusa talks trash about speed too, and he breaks out the Castrol. No, none for me, I don't like that synthetic crap. He's talking about snorting nitrous. Crazy stuff. He'll blow a head off in two years, I predict.

Anyway, I'm the out of towner, everyone saw my Nevada plate, so I'm keeping it low. But after awhile the sport bikes start asking me about where I've been. I start talking about the Cascade Mountains, the Mississippi River, the U.P. in Michigan and the Great Divide. Before I realize it, everyone's listening to me! We spend hours talking about my trip. I mention people taking pictures of me. Some of those bikes have never had their picture taken. Me, I've had more photos taken of me than Lady Gaga. Like to see her pull a Trailmaster trailer.

So just before the shop opens again, I realize...I got a pretty good life. Oh, it's hard. That Hurricane Sandy thing was terrible, and THANKS FOR LEAVING ME ALONE IN JERSEY!Sorry. But with all the struggles, it's okay. Even when they take a Sharpie and write on my saddlebags (no one, I mean NO ONE - writes on their bike with a Sharpie!) or brake hard at lights, it's an experience like no other bike. I'm living the dream.

All in all, I think it's worth it.

GW