I ride for Florida in 9 days!

[LordOfTheBuzzards]

What's up y'all, been a while since I posted on here so I thought I'd give y'all an update. I'm all set to head out on the biggest road trip of my life next weekend!!!!


My bike is running perfect but had recently been starting to develop a low-speed wobble and overall poor low-speed handling which worried me quite a bit..
after doing some research on here I realized the neck bearings were super loose so yesterday I re-greased and re-torqued them and the bike handles 100 times better! Rolls straight as an arrow now and no more wobble..

Many thanks to y'all here at the Clinic for helping me diagnose and fix that issue, it was a really cool experience doing more work on the bike myself and learning how the steering system works on these machines. Plus the satisfaction of being able to fix your own stuff is second to none in my opinion..

Anyways, regarding the plan for the epic road trip.. I'll be passing through eastern New Mexico first, then Texas, Louisiana, and the southern tips of Mississippi and Alabama on my way to Panama City to work the Thunder Beach rally.. I'll be taking my sweet time, exploring all the back roads and camping out in random places, basically living the life of a motorcycle hobo haha, it's gonna be freakin awesome.

If anyone on here lives in the general area of where I'll be passing through I would love to meet up with ya and wouldn't mind going out of my way to have a beer and shoot the shit!
After the rally I'll be heading down to Sarasota to hang out with some friends of mine down there, then after that I'll be making my way up north to PA to spend some time with my mom, after that I'll probably be itching to come back out West, probably via the Great Lakes.. at that point I'm not sure where I'll be going but I'll keep y'all posted, I'll definitely be at Sturgis looking for work and exploring the Black Hills so maybe I'll see some of y'all there as well..

I'm gonna be starting a Youtube channel documenting all the crazy adventures I get into along the way so I'll definitely keep y'all posted on that as well! Still not sure what I'm gonna call it but I'm sure something will pop into my head while I'm riding..

Until then, y'all have a good night and keep the rubber side down!

[LordOfTheBuzzards]

Also sorry if this is in the wrong section, I didn't look before posting it

[Mr. Miyagi]

Lord of the Buzzards, I live in Northeast Texas right at the border with Arkansas and I am a little out of your way. Sounds like a good trip. I know last April after my job was shut down from Covid, cabin fever got me and I threw some stuff in my saddlebags and left at noon on a Friday and headed east and south. I spent Friday night at the East shore of Mobil. Saturday morning I was in Pensacola and stopped for fuel and checked in with the wife. She informed me that the county would be shut down Sunday and I better get my butt back home. So I pointed the bike back west and north. I was back home Sunday. Two weeks later was planning on riding the Dragon with a buddy of mine but work started back up and I had to be responsible again. Good luck on your adventure and be safe out there.

[LordOfTheBuzzards]

Thanks a ton man! Yep I figured if I want to do this I better do it before the world gets even crazier and I lose my chance.. it's all I've been able to think about since I got back from Yellowstone 7 months ago, the wanderlust is strong lol.
I'm blessed to be young, free of kids and a family and other responsibilities like that, all I'll really have to worry about is where I'm gonna eat work and sleep. I've come to realize a simple life of exploring and meeting cool people is what I want most at this point in my life. Of course I know there's gonna be some curve balls here and there and it's not always gonna be easy but I want to get out of my comfort zone and learn to adapt to new/different environments so for me this will be the perfect learning experience.

[Father Pobasturd]

Adventure awaits! So, what is it you do when you work these bike meets?

[LordOfTheBuzzards]

Father Pobasturd basically I'm just gonna show up there and walk around the vendors and ask for a job, hether it be wrenching or changing tires or just lugging stuff around and doing grunt work. I have a bunch of money saved up so I don't really need to work the rally but I want to get my foot in the door and maybe get on a crew so I can work more rallies this summer.

[Mr. Miyagi]

I am 66 years young and I don't sweat the details, I had a sleeping bag and a tarp strapped on the back of the bike but a hotel is usually the way I roll. even with the world shutdown with Covid (I think it was actually 2 years ago) I found places to eat and sleep. I even passed an old guy walking across the bridge at Mobil Bay. Even though it was late I couldn't leave him walking. I circled around and carried him to the point where the highway and the interstate split. I like adventure and Lord knows I am not smart enough to be scared of anything.

[Father Pobasturd]

I'm 60 years young and I'm not scared enough to be smart about anything.

[LordOfTheBuzzards]

I got a big Coleman tent and a Thermarest sleeping pad with a closed-cell foam mat to put underneath so I'll be really cozy compared to last time!

I also have a huge tarp in case it rains like crazy, and I already know it will

[Lug Nut]

I'm NE Indiana if your trip through the great lakes takes you this way

[Tcontrol]

And now my mind is working overtime…. The 12 year old in me says…” quit your job… ride with the wind… motorcycle hobo is the life for me…”

then the 20 year old in me says…” heck yea…. Do it… you only live once…!!!”

the 40 year old in me speaks out with…” times a wasting kiddo… bike is running great…. Life is good… vacation time is well deserved….”

the 60 year old in me says…” now is the time… grab that guitar and go live it up before life passes you by..”

then my wife breaks my daydream and says……“honey… take out the garbage…. The grass is a little long.. you should cut it before it rains…. We should probably till the garden up and prep it for planting…. Honey…. Are you listening to me?…. Why do you look like your a million miles away???”

and then… reality sets in…. Back to the grind… try to get the chores done before it rains… wait till it warms up a bit more… the road will be calling your name when summer is here…. Save a little vacation time to take the road trip to patriots point NC and visit the aircraft carrier…. Ride the dragon 16 more times…. Visit the “somewhere in time” motorcycle museum again… (killer nostalgia trip by the way)…
shoot…. Here we go again… the mind wanders once again…

squirrel….squirrel…. Squirrel…. !!!!

[Mr. Miyagi]

Tcontrol, my response to my wife when she told me that I needed to get my butt back home because of the county lockdown that was coming on Sunday. "What do I care, I am in Florida." Her answer, "what happens if you can't come home because they lock you out." I hate when she's right lol

[Tcontrol]

My wife is never wrong… just ask her…!

me…. I live by the simple statement my father advised me with many many yeats ago….

” would you rather be happy or would you rather be right”….

the hardest thing i ever learned how to do….

[Mr. Miyagi]

I asked my son once, how many dumb assed people do you think Jesus had to deal with, and rub elbows with day in and day out? And in those interactions with people how many times did He get involved with things not concerning the business of God the Father? Some things aren't worth the time or extra effort to deal with. I reserve the right to an opinion and the right to be human and be very wrong.

The wife and I are complete opposites, we are going to have differences of opinion, differences in experience. I know left to my own devices, I probably would not be here, she is the governor on the throttle and the chain that keeps me grounded and I recognize her contribution to our well being. We don't argue, we express our opinion and we go back to our corners and make our own decisions. We have been married for 38 years and still going strong. A good wife is a treasure and should be cherished, even if she won't ride with me anymore.

[SouthernCruizer]

What's up y'all, been a while since I posted on here so I thought I'd give y'all an update. I'm all set to head out on the biggest road trip of my life next weekend!!!!


My bike is running perfect but had recently been starting to develop a low-speed wobble and overall poor low-speed handling which worried me quite a bit..
after doing some research on here I realized the neck bearings were super loose so yesterday I re-greased and re-torqued them and the bike handles 100 times better! Rolls straight as an arrow now and no more wobble..

Many thanks to y'all here at the Clinic for helping me diagnose and fix that issue, it was a really cool experience doing more work on the bike myself and learning how the steering system works on these machines. Plus the satisfaction of being able to fix your own stuff is second to none in my opinion..

Anyways, regarding the plan for the epic road trip.. I'll be passing through eastern New Mexico first, then Texas, Louisiana, and the southern tips of Mississippi and Alabama on my way to Panama City to work the Thunder Beach rally.. I'll be taking my sweet time, exploring all the back roads and camping out in random places, basically living the life of a motorcycle hobo haha, it's gonna be freakin awesome.

If anyone on here lives in the general area of where I'll be passing through I would love to meet up with ya and wouldn't mind going out of my way to have a beer and shoot the shit!
After the rally I'll be heading down to Sarasota to hang out with some friends of mine down there, then after that I'll be making my way up north to PA to spend some time with my mom, after that I'll probably be itching to come back out West, probably via the Great Lakes.. at that point I'm not sure where I'll be going but I'll keep y'all posted, I'll definitely be at Sturgis looking for work and exploring the Black Hills so maybe I'll see some of y'all there as well..

I'm gonna be starting a Youtube channel documenting all the crazy adventures I get into along the way so I'll definitely keep y'all posted on that as well! Still not sure what I'm gonna call it but I'm sure something will pop into my head while I'm riding..

Until then, y'all have a good night and keep the rubber side down!

Just a heads up...if you are travelling East through Louisiana on a weekday on Interstate 10, be aware that some part of that damn road is slowed down or shut down for minutes to hours due to crashes between Lake Charles and Baton Rouge almost every day. Combination of distracted drivers and bad 18 wheeler drivers. On the Texas side, lots of construction on I-10 between Katy Tx and the Texas/Louisiana border, and of course , the almost daily crash to slow things down.
Good luck on the trip! Enjoy.

[Father Pobasturd]

Does road construction actually ever get finished in Texas. I moved there in 1966, I-35 was under construction. It still is.

[chromax]

Yes indeed the famous I-10 If you are traveling out of Texas east into La you are going to cross a long bridge, the speed limit on that bridge is 60. The traffic coming out of Texas hauls a$$. I was clocked at 78, nothing I said would change the poe poe"s mind. out of state tags and riding a motorcycle and my name
wasn't bubba. Lol $374.00 dollar ticket you have been warned watch out for that bridge brother. Ride safe.

[Father Pobasturd]

Atchafayala Bay bridge that is, I believe.

[LordOfTheBuzzards]

Thanks a ton for the advice y'all!

I'm gonna avoid the interstates as much as possible, I got myself a road atlas so I'll be able to scope out all the back roads and places less travelled which is gonna be interesting..

My good homie out here helped me do a photo shoot today which was super cool of him, got some sick footage for the Youtube channel, I can't wait to get this show on the road!

[Chooch]

Good plan. The Interstate highway system connects the big cities but the U.S. highway system connects the small towns. More scenery, more hills and curves, more interesting, more fun.

[Father Pobasturd]

If you ever make it to Arizona hit me up.

[LordOfTheBuzzards]

Father Pobasturd I'll definitely be making my way through Arizona at some point, will let you know when I do

[LordOfTheBuzzards]

I'm NE Indiana if your trip through the great lakes takes you this way

I'll let ya know for sure man!

[Roadhorsen]

I'm thinking he'd wish he had a at least a windshield

[Mr. Miyagi]

I'm thinking he'd wish he had a at least a windshield

I would think a windshield would be nice, a lot of backroads in Texas have 75 as a speed limit so no relief there. I guess you could do like some old timers that I have seen and strap your sleeping bag on top of the bars and at least get a little pressure off of your chest.

[LordOfTheBuzzards]

I'm thinking he'd wish he had a at least a windshield

I do have a windshield I had to take the brackets off to do the neck bearings last week but it'll be going back on soon

[Ratl]

Love a wind shield. Before I got one, I could tell you what kind of bug that was by the flavor.

[Mr. Miyagi]

You will be glad that you have that, right now we have thunderstorms rolling through east Texas and I understand that the love bugs are thick in Florida right now. Be safe out there.

[LordOfTheBuzzards]

Sorry I haven’t updated in a while y’all but things have been going awesome

I’m in Panama City Beach camped out with Scooter Tramp Scotty, this super cool dude he knows is letting us stay in his yard for the rally, met a bunch of super cool people already and it’s been a pretty wild adventure getting out here..

I still have a shit ton of editing to do but the first YouTube video should be up soon once I figure that out, will post the link here when I do