Daytona 2005

2005 Daytona Run:

Not a totally happy story ...

Shirley a round for the bar!

Welll ... This ain't gonna be my usual wordy trip report. Did have a great ride down to Daytona. Took US 17 most of the way. US 13 to bypass Tidewater area. Alt 17 is a GO2L through low country with moss hanging from the trees. Spring crept up on me as I head south. It was 29 degrees when I left, bundled up in long underwear, fleece, ski pants and mittens. The next day, I was stripped down to blue jeans and regular gloves, I was digging the warm breeze and seeing the flowers in bloom.

Got to Daytona just in time for my appointment with Dr Dyno - the meastro of the dynometer who can tune a Power Commander like nobody's bidness! As it turned out, the map I downloaded was pretty damned good, but he tweaked it and eeked out a bit more mid-range torque.

The next morning, I headed down A1A towards Smileys. Stopped for breakfast at a "colorful' seafood joint, took off my lid and enjoyed a slow ride down a great road in beautiful weather.

I jogged inland, saw a little 2 laner called John Davidson Highway and decided to check it out. It soon opened into beautiful, undeveloped beach country. Very cool. There were two cars a head of me, but they pulled off the road onto the shoulder. It was apparent to me that they were stopping. I was wrong. The car in back whipped into a U-turn - right into my path of travel, leaving me no time to react. I think I managed to think "Shi...". And, that's the last thing I remembered until I came to several minutes later.

I slipped in and out of consciousness until the ambulance arrived. I tried to sit up a couple of times. I vaguely remember my bike on its side with the contents of my right saddle bag all over the ground, a big puddle of my blood on the road, and being overcome by shock. I managed a few cogent questions of the cops as I was being loaded on a backboard.

At the hospital, they did a cat-scan of my head, x-rayed my ankle and my hip, and found nothing obviously wrong. They stitched up my head, splinted my ankle, glued a small wound shut on my foot, and let me go. The Trooper came by with all my paperwork, told me he cited the cager - who couldn't believe he was getting ticketed.

Somewhere along the way, I managed to call Smiley's and got a hold of Banker Bob. He and Bear came by the hospital to check on me, and went out to the storage lot to take a few pics and retrieve my stuff... What a couple of Assholes!

Pictures by mon fre're, Bear

Somewhere along the way they picked up TL and Sue, and we all sipped whiskey, swapped lies and exchanged swag in the hospital parking lot. There's a nasty rumor that I rode bitch holding my crutches on the back of Bear's bike. All I'll say is that there's no pictures and it can never be proven. They did get me back to St Auggie, we had dinner together, drank some beer, told a few more lies. So, I didn't ride 1000 miles for nothing ... I managed to see some old friends IRL!

The next day I managed to get a Uhaul truck, some clean clothes, and deal with my insurance company. Monday, I got my bike outta storage, headed north, spent the night in NC and I got home this afternoon.

My bike's left side is in pretty good shape with just a few scrapes. The right side is pretty well trashed from the point behind the engine on back. I obviously didn't t-bone him as the front end is fine. The major impact was right behind my right leg (phew!) The crossover is smashed, the pax footboard was sheared off and the frame is damaged at that point, my PCIII is smashed (sure glad I paid for that dyno-tune), the fairing, front fender, handlebars, mufflers and tank are damaged, and the right saddle bag was smashed. OTOH, the engine, tranny, air cleaner, and rear fender are all fine.

The service manager says she rarely sees big twins totaled. Says they reframe bikes everyday - paid for by insurance companies.

I'm sore, but I'll heal. My bike will be OOC for a while, but it'll be restored. My biggest disappointment is that I didn't get to see some old friends or meet some of ya IRL for the fist time. OTOH, the outpouring of real support speaks volumes about the nature of this place.

I love this bar.

--
Chilly
BS#226 GLANS MANS
www.chilly-willy.net