Gertrude Has An Adventure, or, What I Did On My Summer - er, Spring - Vacation

[GrandpaDenny]

Hi guys, home from this year's trip a bit early. It's been an expensive adventure.

First day of the trip, left Philly, took the Cape May - Lewes Ferry, ran down the Eastern Shore, across the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel, through Norfolk, down back roads to Cape Hatteras. Discovered I'd made my campground reservation for the following night. Fortunately had cell phone signal, made a call, got it all fixed up. Cold and windy night, but no problems.

Day two, Hatteras - Okracoke and Okracoke to Cedar Island ferries. Misread the Cedar Island ferry schedule, it left at 1 pm, not 10 am. So I had a second breakfast at a local hotel - fresh blue crab and swiss cheese omelet. Mmmmmm!!! Met a lovely young lady whilst waiting for the ferry, hung out on the ferry, had dinner together. Shortened this day's ride destination from Myrtle Beach to Wilmington, NC because of the ferry schedule mistake. Stayed at KOA Wilmington, people two campsites down argued all night and again in the morning.

Day three - Wilmington to Sebastian Inlet, FL. 680 miles, 10.5 hours. Now my new longest day, and without any kind of seat cover (I'd left the sheepskin at home). I think the seat (thanks Gene again!!!) is more comfortable without the sheepskin. Around Daytona it clouded up, so I pulled off my clip-on sunglasses, and with it the left lens of my glasses went flying - at 80 mph. Met up with my son and family at a Wawa in Melbourne, rode the 18 miles or whatever down to the campground, where I discovered that I had made the reservation for July, not April. Kronk out of luck, no spaces available, nearby campground five minutes away from closing and a ten minute drive. So spent the night on my son's sofa, then got a motel the next day.

Days four - Left Gertrude at the hotel, went with my son and family to the Key Lime Pie Factory in Cocoa Beach. Yes, indeed, real yellow genuine Key Lime Pie. It was so rich, it was about half way to cheesecake. Then we went to find a restaurant that we all could agree on, and it seemed like we drove down the only section of A1A that didn't have any restaurants, same for US1, or we were just blind. Decided on Makoto's in Melbourne, line was out the door. Then three cheers (and four thumbs up) for Meg O'Malley's in downtown Melbourne. Closed for renovations. Cheddar's, 45 minute wait for a table. Went to Bennigan's finally.

Day five - rain rain rain. Found a place to make me new glasses in a day, $450. Ugh the cost of progressive lenses. I guess Progressive is kind of a theme in my life: Progressive insurance, Progressive front springs, progressive lenses, and more to follow later in this story.

Day six - Son's birthday. Rain rain rain rain rain. Lounged around hotel until son got off work, then went to his house for dinner and cake and ice cream - it was my son's birthday.

Day seven - back on the road, headed up to Stagger Lee's Music Camp in Georgia. Stopped off on the way to visit Carl Leo. Got a radio bezel, and a new headlight adjustment cable and knob, and had a gread time and visit. He's got the most gorgeous '96 10th Anniversary bike! Of course he's also got an '02. I wonder if that was the most popular year? On the way to Stagger Lee's, there was a brush fire that closed the highway, about 12 miles from Stagger Lee's, meaning an eighty mile detour! Hit a surprise unmarked monster railroad track crossing, got airborne.

Day eight - woke up to a bottomed out Gertrude. Blown out rear suspension thanks to aforementioned monster railroad crossing. Aborted the rest of the trip, headed for home. Spent the day alternating between riding towards home and frequent stops to air up said rear suspension. My right arm is now three times larger than my left arm from pumping LOL. It was cold as kronk, and windy, and I wasn't having fun. Got a hotel room in Lexington, NC.

Day nine, yesterday - suspension was losing all its air in minutes, gave up on pumping it up. Tried to choose smoothest roads the rest of the way home. Riding the Baltimore-Washington Parkway, was getting bored, so was dancing around the lane with the music cranked. The unmarked cop who'd been behind me for half an hour was laughing as he zipped by. Got home a little after nine last night.

So add Progressive rear springs to the list. Total of unforseen expenses this trip, somewhere around $1400. And I didn't get to play in the mountains. I did get to see my son and grandson, and that was really cool, and I did ride something like 2500 miles (without looking), but damn it was expensive.

Gertrude ran flawlessly. What a bike! Gas mileage still highly variable. Stuck in traffic? 45mpg. Wandering around, waiting for ferries, etc? 45 mpg. Sustained 70-80 mph? 30-35mpg.

[cranky]

... life on the road... thanks for taking me along!!! I'll get out in July....
Nice weather!!!!! GBG

[Nails]

Sorry it was only almost fun.
I like the stock shocks just fine, but there's something to be said for fail-safe metal springs.
I'm looking at a short jaunt to SoCal and back in the next few weeks, god-willing.

[cranky]

.. not short... better beat the chickens, if you intend to do it in a day...
. think I'd take 2 days and try to stay off the super slab....

[cushman eagle]

Sorry it was only almost fun.
I like the stock shocks just fine, but there's something to be said for fail-safe metal springs.
I'm looking at a short jaunt to SoCal and back in the next few weeks, god-willing.

Nails,,what shock are you referring to as all metal springs? When my stock shocks started leaking,I researched the Progressive 412,and found it has a nitrogen charge in along an with external spring.We have had too many failures with nitrogen gas struts on farm equipment,that I was unwilling to go with those.I went with the 416 shock advertised as an air shock,but found it has an internal spring with air assist.The spring without air added is too stiff for comfort,but I use it without air,and tolerate it.

[Nails]

I just meant that air suspension can "let you down".
Normal spring suspension can too, but not so often catastrophically.