Well, the rain has stopped and fortunately so has the pain in my teeth. I know it is small in comparison to what a lot of people are going through right now, but if you have ever had a bad toothache, you will know that it can bring a grown man to his knees pretty quick. But all is good now and I am learning how not to grind my teeth at night. Thanks for all of the well wishes.

I didn't get to mention it last week, but a couple of weeks ago I had the chance to stop by the new Tucson Harley-Davidson located in North Tucson, AZ. If you haven't stopped by here yet I would recommend it the next time you are riding South. It is a beautiful dealership at well over 50,000 sq. ft. in size. One aspect that I found particularly interesting was that they utilized the 2 story volume of size by taking pictures of landmarks around the Southern part of the State, blowing them up and putting them on the walls. The hanging motorcycles and the drive-in service department was particularly interesting. Exit I-10 at the Ina Rd. exit and take the frontage rd. to the store. Click Here for some pics.

Those of you that are avid riders know that there are rarely 2 days in a row that are the same when you are on a cross country motorcycle trip. It seems that from the moment you get on the bike in the morning, you really have no idea exactly how the day will go. We have a plan for the day, we have a route, we have expectations about how we think it should go, but all of that might not match reality at the end of the day. This is pretty much how Day 6 played out on our 2009 Road Trip.

We awoke in Whitefish, MT. on Day eager to head to one of our favorite destinations, Glacier National Park. It was a cool morning and unfortunately even a little overcast. We were on the road by around 7am to try and beat the tourist rush that we knew would be heading to the park. We got there around 8am, got our customary sign pics, used our annual pass for the park and were on our way. We had heard of road construction through the park, but had no idea how bad it really was. As we made our way up the "Going To The Sun Road" from the West Glacier entrance, we found out that there had been massive mud slides that had taken out a lot of the nearly 100 year old road, and a lot of it was down to one lane, which made for very slow going. This is where the plans that I mentioned above, started to change.

We had originally planned on going a little past Logan Pass at the summit, and then turning around and going back out the park to head South to Missoula and possibly Lolo Pass into Idaho. But after seeing that we would be spending a couple of hours sitting and going 10 mph to get through construction, we decided to make some changes to our route and exit the park to the East and make our way across Montana to Red Lodge for the night. It would be a pretty good haul, but we felt we could make it there by around 7pm.

All was going pretty well. Aside from having to ride several miles on some new chip seal, we were making decent time. This part of Montana from East Glacier/St. Mary's, there really isn't much to see. It is just a whole lot of rolling hills and flat farm land. But we did get one little surprise as we went through the little town of Fairfield. We thought we were seeing things, but to our left was a herd of Camel, yes Camel, grazing in a pasture. Given that was one of the most interesting things we had seen for the last 200 miles, it deserved a U-Turn for a Kodak moment. After stretching our legs and trying to figure out why there were 15 camel in the middle of Montana, we were back on the bike to pound out the last few miles to Great Falls.

Remember when I said above that "you really have no idea exactly how the day will go"? The following is what I mean. We had just stopped at a Taco Bell in Great Falls for a quick bite to eat and check some motel availability in Red Lodge. By the time that we were done eating it was around 2pm. We got on the bike and was prepared to knock out the next 254 miles to Red Lodge. I turned on the switch, pushed the start button and nothing. I mean nothing. No headlight, no gauges, no nothing. I immediately thought that the battery had fried so I pushed the bike next door to a tire store that had a quick battery charger. Nothing! Didn't even make a difference at all.

Hmmm, Red Lodge was now looking farther away, and Plan #3 for the day was getting much closer. There happened to be a Harley dealer in Great Falls by the name of Big Sky HD. I called the service dept., told them that I was on a cross country road trip and thought that I needed a new battery. The guy said no problem, we will be there in 15 minutes with the trailer to pick you up. Wow! Now that is some good service. Sure enough, about 15 minutes later a guy showed up, loaded up the bike and took us to the dealership. Things were going pretty good right? It's about 3pm now, I will get my new battery installed and be back on the road in no time and still make Red Lodge. Wrong! My diagnosis was not correct. In fact, it took the mechanics about 2 hours to figure out what the real problem was, and then they had to fix it.

After running diagnostics, getting false readings, putting in a new test computer, etc. They finally figured out that it was the switch had fried. The good news was that they had figured out that it was just a switch. The bad news was that they didn't have one for my bike in stock and that it would take 2 days to get one there. Not really what I wanted to hear. Red Lodge was by now way out of the picture, and if I had to stay 2 days in Great Falls, I was going to have to make a straight shot back to Phoenix because my time would have run out.

Knowing my situation, the owner of the dealership came to us with a work around that would get me back on the road that night and enable me to continue the rest of my trip, with just a minor inconvenience along the way. These guys made me a 3 pronged key made out of electrical wire that allowed me to hot wire my bike for the next 4 days to get home where I could get the switch changed out. They even made it so that the alarm system would still work at night. The hassle of it was that each time I stopped, I had to pull these 3 wires out from the plugs that they had fabricated, and then plug them back in. The issue was that it was up under the fairing not making it real easy to do. But that didn't bother me nearly as much as sitting in Great Falls for 2 days waiting for a new switch. These guys went over the top to help a stranded rider get back on the road.

By the time the workaround was done it was 7pm. There was still a couple of hours of daylight left, but we decided to just stay put in Great Falls and fortunately grabbed one of the last rooms in town. As I reflect back on this experience, I can't say enough about how Big Sky HD worked so diligently to get us back on the road. Knowing that we were traveling, they put us in front of the other bikes with their best electrical mechanic to figure out the problem. Even the owner of the dealership was right in there with them trying to figure it out. This experience really made me feel good seeing first hand the brotherhood of those who share how important being on the road is to a rider and also the incredible support of the Harley-Davidson brand. I am still amazed that they were there to pick me up within 15 minutes to help get me back on the road. Thanks again to Big Sky HD for saving our trip. If you are in the area, stop in and get a t-shirt.

So as I said in the first paragraph, "we have a plan for the day, we have a route, we have expectations about how we think it SHOULD go, but all of that might not match reality at the end of the day." Those words could not have been more true on this day. None of what we had planned or expected materialized. But what did happen is that we still had one wonderful day with a happy ending while experiencing the good of people and making life long friends in the process.

"Being a motorcycle rider, it almost seems like we have an unfair advantage when it comes to building memories. Every day we fire up our motorcycles and head out on the open road, we are filling out another deposit slip for our memory bank of life. And the more you ride, the more experiences you have to share with others".

Looking for a good quick ride destination or a great place to meet up with your group for a ride? Grab lunch before you go! Every Saturday from 11am - 2pm head to Chester's Harley-Davidson for the "Party On The Patio". Enjoy FREE BBQ Burgers and Dogs with all the fixins', Live Music this week with Jynx and an Outdoor Sidewalk Sale. Great Deals to be had on some inventory reduction! Park under the patio, hang out with other riders, meet new friends and DEMO a brand new Harley-Davidson. Good times to be had by all. The Party on the Patio will be happening EVERY Saturday at Chester's Harley-Davidson located at 922 S. Country Club Dr. in Mesa, AZ. 480-894-0404.

This Week

Saturday, January 30th

Buddy Stubbs Hogs and Dogs. Ride by and Buddy Stubbs Harley-Davidson and enjoy his famous monthly Hogs and Dogs event from 11am - 3pm. LIVE Music, FREE Food, FREE Drinks, FREE Motorcycle Museum Tours with Buddy Stubbs, FREE pool tournament for prizes and FREE Marissa Miller Harley-Davidson Poster. This event is always a good time and one that riders look forward to every month. Buddy Stubbs Harley-Davidson is located at 13850 N. Cave Creek Rd. in Phoenix, AZ. 602-971-3400. www.buddystubbshd.com .

Saturday, January 30th

9th Annual 3 Ball Run. MMA-Leather district presents the 9th Annual 3 Ball Run. Come on out for 3 Ball and a whole lot of fun. Show your skill. Trophies for 1st, 2nd, 3rd and last place. Sign in at Charlie's Place located at 43rd ave. and Thunderbird in Glendale from 10AM - 1130AM. Door Prizes, $5 per person. 5 stops with 3 ball played at each stop. Door Prizes. Info at 602-487-8317, Shorty.

Motorcycles On Main St. in Mesa Sponsored by Chester's Harley-Davidson. Riders have been asking for something to do on a Friday night for a long time and it is finally here at least once per month. Ride to downtown Mesa the first Friday of every month for the Downtown Mesa "Motorcycles On Main St." Cruise Main St. and enjoy Sturgis Style parking on the inside lanes. Park and show off your bike. The night will feature 4 Beer Gardens located throughout the 2 blocks and 4 Live Band Stages. Be sure and ride to the first one on Friday, February 5th to join in on the motorcycle fun in Downtown Mesa from 6pm - 10pm. Downtown Mesa is located Just East of Country Club Dr. on Main St. Ride in with Chester's HD. Meet at the dealership at 6pm located at 922 S. Country Club Dr. in Mesa. Ride leaves at 6:30pm and ends at the Chester's Booth on Main St. Reserved Motorcycle Parking on the Main St. See Ya There!

Looking for that perfect motorcycle related Valentines Day gift? Take advantage of the Arrowhead and Chandler HD Pre-Valentines Day Event! One Day Only on February 6th from 9am - 5pm. You will find huge savings including 10% Off on Boots, 15% Off Leather and 20% Off Jewelry, PLUS 40% OFF End of Season Items. And the famous TIER SALE: The more you spend the more you save. Get up to 20% off on motorclothes, parts and accessories. Enjoy a HOG Chapter Bake Sale & enter a raffle to win a dozen red roses at Chandler. Enjoy Cookies and Candy while you shop & enter to win a dozen red roses at Arrowhead. Arrowhead HD is located at 16130 N. Arrowhead Fountain Ctr. Dr. in Peoria, AZ. 623-247-5542. Chandler HD is located at 6895 W. Chandler Blvd. in Chandler, AZ. 480-496-6886.

Have you ever wondered how much horsepower you have when you are fully loaded and trying to pass those cars on a slow 2 lane road? It seems like never enough! But now you can find out how much you have and where you need to be to get around those cars in plenty of time. Stop by Chester's HD on Saturday, February 6th for a FREE Baseline Run on our Dyno and let us tell you how much Torque and Horsepower your motor is producing. While you are there, enjoy FREE Food and Live Music at the "Party on the Patio". You can also take advantage of 10% off on Performance Parts purchased during the event with service scheduled. For the entire month of February you can get your new tires for the season with the Chester's Metzler Tire Blowout. Tires starting as low as $90.00. Stop by Chester's Harley-Davidson from 10am - 3pm on Saturday, February 6th for all of the fun. Chester's HD is located at 922 S. Country Club Dr. in Mesa, AZ. 480-894-0404.

Chief Bill Lanford Memorial Ride. Honoring our Fallen Firefighter Brother William D. “Bill” Lanford was the Chief of Buckeye Valley Fire until he was tragically killed while riding his Harley on Vulture Mine Road on February 6th 2003. Please join the many brother and sister Firefighters, Law Enforcement Officers and all of his friends and family in honoring Chief Lanford on this memorial ride. Everyone is welcome – Any Scooter, Hot Rod, or Apparatus, Ride it, Drive it, Push it, or Pull it – Just come and make this a huge, memorable event. Check-in at 8:00 A.M. – Ride Starts at 10:00 A.M. at Station 324: 25206 W. MC 85 Buckeye Az. 85326. Continental Breakfast Provided. $15.00 Single rider, $25.00 Couple. Escorted, 100 mile ride, including a stop at Bill’s roadside memorial on Vulture Mine Rd. Everyone Welcome to the After Ride Party. If any questions please contact Jason at jjessamine@local4371.org or 480-734-3778

For those in the Tucson area that are looking for that perfect motorcycle related Valentines Day gift, stop by the beautiful new Tuscon Harley-Davidson and take advantage of the Tucson HD Pre-Valentines Day Event! One Day Only on February 6th from 9am - 5pm. You will find huge savings including 10% Off on Boots, 15% Off Leather and 20% Off Jewelry, PLUS 40% OFF End of Season Items. And the famous TIER SALE: The more you spend the more you save. Get up to 20% off on motorclothes, parts and accessories. Enjoy Cookies and Candy while you shop & enter to win a dozen red roses. Tucson HD is located at 7355 N. I-10 EB, Frontage Rd. in Tucson, AZ. Take the Ina Rd. exit to the Frontage Rd. 520-751-3380.

Extras

Post your ride photos on the front page of the Cyclerides.com Facebook.

Take a look at all the new photos posted on the wall. I invite you to post a picture of yourself by a sign or landmark from a trip you have taken, or a picture of you on your motorcycle. Or just share your favorite ride with 1400 other motorcycle enthusiasts.

I am inviting you to 1650 other riders and "Become A Fan" on the Cyclerides.com Facebook page. Click Here to Become a Fan and bookmark this page. If you are not on Facebook, you can still view the page, but you will not be able to post. There will be a link there for you to sign up for Facebook if you are inclined.

This is takes talent or guts. Or both. Watch how this sea plane takes off from a trailer being pulled by a car. Click Here to View.

Here is the snowmobile version of the sport bike riders. Click Here to View

Video of the Week

Everyone loves a good building implosion video, and this is one of the best I have seen. Amazing how they can drop a 40 story building straight down and not touch the other ones near by. Click Here to View. Click on the Video of the Week graphic on the page.

Until Next Week,
Blessings and Safe Riding To All,

Barry Caraway
"The Road Is Yours - Take The Ride"
www.cyclerides.com
info@cyclerides.com