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Shortly after that needed a break (major sleep debt accruing) and crashed for an hour. Around noon, we trucked the bike out to Coney Island, pulled it out and rode it up and down the block behind Nathan's Famous. Stillwell Avenue, where I had planned to ride, was closed and in the middle of prep for some big hot dog eating contest on the 4th of July.
Bryan Grimes at Triumph Brooklyn organized an excellent reception for us that night after Coney Island and set up a nice continental breakfast for us to ride us out of town in style the next morning
Day 2 (4th of July): Escape from New York: First thing next morning, Loring Hill fired up the Red One and played his own Snake Plisken in "Escape from New York," beating the 100-degree heat across the Williamsburg Bridge, across town, and through the Holland Tunnel. Bryan Grimes and some of his staff rode with Loring. Once we arrived in Jersey City, Bryan handed Loring's BMW 1100 RT back to him and headed back into Manhattan. That was enough. And for those who ask why I did not ride it out. The answer is that I must admit that I simply not ready. Loring saw that and filled the square to get this project launched.
After we arrived in Jersey City, we put the Red One back on the truck and drove down to Toms River to pick up the new trailer. It turns out that I have no photos yet, but I will take some soon. Joe Calebrese at Airgraphix in Toms River created a masterpiece for our ride.
After we picked up the trailer and were over in the hotel parking lot, there was a major dump of all truck and trailer contents, sorting, and repacking, so that the trailer would be outfitted inside with clean and functional work space. I was definitely tired at the end of that day and had some anxiety because the next day would be the big test for me... riding the Red One in an urban environment.
Day 3 (July 5th): Atlantic City and Philadelphia: Granted, Toms River is nothing like Manhattan, but there were plenty of lights and turns and things to keep my motorcycle-neophyte brain in overdrive. I made it to close to Atlantic City, but missed a turn and that proved to be the place we'd trailer the Red One. On the other side of Atlantic City, I got back in the saddle and drove all the way to the planned stop at Motel 6 in Brooklawn, NJ. This place proved to be, quite simply, a horror story, with all manner of people of various levels of lower economic strata wandering around. We did not feel safe and checked out. The result was that we trailered both the Red One and Loring's bike, bypassed Philadelphia, and dropped into Nottingham, Maryland, which would be the new launch point for Day 4.
Day 4 (July 6th): Nottingham to Gaithersburg, MD: Weather reports suggested that there were to be thunderstorms in the area on the 6th, so we looked for ways to ensure we made it to the event at Daniels in Elkridge but also did not leave us with an impossibly long ride to Cumberland the next day. So I made some last-minute route changes and rode the bike out of the Hampton Inn in Nottingham toward Daniels.
AA Captain Mark Treider rode down from York, Pennsylvania, on his 2006 Harley-Davidson V-Rod "R" model to meet and ride with me from Nottingham to Daniels. I'd never met Mark, but I have to say that his living persona is quite different from the online presentation. He could not have been more supportive and helpful. If I had not gotten lost (or rather if I had just listened to the honking horn of Willie, my support truck driver, trying to alert me I was going the wrong way), Mark would have joined up with us outside Nottingham. But he continued to Daniels with Willie wondering where we were (since I had inadvertently placed my tracking iPhone in the truck), but we made it to Daniels about 15 minutes ahead of Willie and Mark because they held back hoping we would return to route where they would see us.
In the photo at the top of this newsletter, Mark T's ride is to the left (in the photo) of the Red One, while Loring's BMW 1100 RT is next to the right. If you look really close, you can see Loring and Willie getting rehydrated at the bar.
Just before we left Daniels, Mark T shot a short video of Loring Hill "one kick" starting the Red One for me (not that I could not have done it, but it might have taken a few tries and once it is time to go... it is time to GO!). Mark T literally just sent me the link as I was preparing to send this newsletter, so enjoy it hot off the press.
After Daniels, Mark T gave me the full safety rider treatment escort all the way to Gaithersburg. OUTSTANDING! THANK YOU MARK!
Day 5 (July 7th): Gaithersburg to Cumberland, MD: Tomorrow, I think we will have laid out before us some of the finest riding roads on the east coast: The Old National Road. A couple guys on modern Indians are going to meet us at the hotel tomorrow morning and ride with us for about 75 miles or so back near their homes.
River Lane Bowling, Waddington, NY: I understand there is now a nightly "progress tracking" gathering of folks up in Waddington, New York, home to 4th Coast Fours and my most excellent and wise-beyond-his-years tutor, mechanic, and cheerleader, Loring Hill. So here is one for you folks: Your son is doing you VERY proud. Thank you for letting him come and play.
Stay tuned! From now on, I will put my tracking phone in my saddle bag so you can see the miles tick off on the Route page on the web site. |
