Florida Actually Not Bad Yesterday...

Ah Florida, land of flat, straight roads, paint-peeling heat and leather-soaking humidity. However, every once and a while it doesn't suck. This Sunday was one of those days.

I have been very busy as of late (as previously noted) and have missed most of the good biking weather and events (business travel during Bike Week as one example).

So, I worked late Friday to finish up taxes (Ack!) so I could get in some riding Sunday. Decided to take the old Honda out to rid it of the fast-aging Ethanol-laced stuff we call petrol (actually "gas") here.

The wife and I had a great ride up the small roads that parallel the intercoastal waterway and headed up to Daytona beach. The weather was in the high 70's (F that's 26 or so C) with few clouds and little wind.

Passed an air show on the way up and were buzzed by interesting aircraft. Had lunch at a great Greek restaurant with a deck on the roof that overlooks the ocean. A great day on the bike (and away from work of all kinds).

Also had a small hydraulic clutch issue on the Honda on the way home because of it having sat for so long, but even that wasn't much of a let down.

After so long away from a bike, it was nice to have a reminder of one of the reasons I have one...

Know what you mean Smilo that first ride out after the long winter is all ways special , as you say reminding us of just how good life can be

Well, for us, it's more of "one of the last rides before the miserably hot summer", but yeah I get your drift.

It was more the "winter of being too busy to ride" for me. And what with biking being such a great stress reliever too!

HOT summer ??? we don't get summers any more never mind hot

Ahhh.. North American opposites! Ice is finally off the lake so took the blankie off the bike yesterday and checked it all over. It POURED rain last week, so all the salt and crap is washed off the roads. Ready to go!

Forecast for tomorrow? Cloudy, then rain, freezing rain, followed by possibly 15cm of snow. Hmmmm...

Dropped by my local bike dealer this afternoon... New Ninjas on the floor, a Benelli, several Gixxers, a KLX, two KLRs... Think I'll get this instead...




800cc , 163 h.p., 483 lbs. If you had the TT scheduled for March, this would probably beat the 130MPH record!

I don't see the picture of the "whatever" (but I assume it is a snow-mobiley thing from the specs). They are conspicuously absent from our showrooms.

Our summer is a bit like the winter season for us as far as bike riding. Unless you are like many riders around here that wear shorts, flip flops, no shirt or helmet.

That actually makes summer pretty nice (particularly if you are working on a tan). Just don't fall down (or hit a piece of debris thrown up by a car or about 1000 other things) and you'll be fine!

I wonder if I used the wrong link for the picture? It shows up on my screen , but yeah... It's a Skidoo 'Freeride' with their weirdo direct injection two stroke motor. I'm starting to loose track of the technology! I remember my CB450 being exotic because it had DHOC!
On the topic of semi-naked riding though, I must attest at being guilty in my youth. It sure is nice to putter down a country lane on a warm evening dressed in shorts and a t-shirt.
Come to think of it though, I swallowed quite a few bugs that way...

Oooh want one!
Lol needed one a few weeks ago!
Hey did anyone of man sparks hire road and tracks snow bikes?wonder what they handled like?
For £20 a day sounded fun

Those things are SO custom now, they are just like bikes really. You can get Sunday cruisers for 2 up, or idiotic turbo things that go straight up mountains better than a KTM450. They are getting incredibly expensive to run around here though because we don't have enough constant snow anymore to run from your back door. When you start adding in trailer and truck to tow them and trail fees (Yes... mandatory) and insurance and license and staying overnight somewhere in the mountains... Too rich for my blood I just hibernate now and wait for two wheels to come around again...
(Funny topic for a Florida link, eh?)

Well smilo probably does have one somewhere in his garage mansion!suppose tho they're too much money wise to have especially if not regularly used...shame tho as they look fun

Lol Florida topic...it ain't sparks without a little thread detour every now and again lol

gary the nurse wrote:Lol Florida topic...it ain't sparks without a little thread detour every now and again lol

Well, we kind of do have them, they just have a boat hull and jet rather than skis and treads...


More on these...

And I am probably one of the rare garages around here that does not have one in it. Too busy with other stuff I guess...

PS: J.P. I do see your picture now, so some magic happened, or I got back on my meds or something...

Those silly Seadoos have RACING classes now! And they're @#$@ CRAZY! Turbo this, direct injection that, even SUSPENSION! I've got one of these in the back of the garage almost all restored... Poor man's version. Had it since I was 14 years old... which is a very, VERY long time ago!!



Oops.. picture's too big... Oh well, you get the idea...

Ah yes... Everybody around here is probably a little more boat crazy than me (even I only have so much room for toys!), but I get a lot of exposure to them second-handedly.

We have some kind of big "personal watercraft" in the Indian river around here, so have seen some of the craziness. There are a couple of big boat manufacturers in the area (up to "oil sheik" yacht size) and plenty of boat/PW tuners, etc.

Y;keys thatsea doo looks fun!!!and omg (where's the eyes popping out of head smillie?) Sorry smilo-thats summat you DONT have in your garage....oh wait-its cos its in your pool lol?

Well when everybody else has a boat, you don't need one!

Two happiest days of your life!

One, GETTING a boat, and two, Getting RID of the damn boat!

Last one sunk on me, the bastard! Silver lining was when I dragged it up, dried it off, and sold it for more than I'd bought it for.
Some days, you just get lucky...

Its getting too hot here already. Close on 90 degrees every day now.

Beesa.