key west 2012

[bikerphil]

Sorry I missed you Phill, would have loved to thank you in person for all your help

Sorry I missed you too bro, we'll get together on a ride around the lake soon,

[bikerphil]

BikerPhil
I am very glad to hear of your significant improvement. Sorry I i missed you. I could not make it to the southern & western part of the ride. (Wife was/is a little sickly & needed some care.) Is Dade corners at hwy 997 & 41, Tamiami Trail, near the Micosuki Indian Casino?

Allow me a moment of shameful self pity, with a dash of envy. Poor me, Poor me. Lucky you. Having been to Key west for the last 7 years, I find it hard, nearly impossible, to find much sympathy. I am done for now, moment over.

Back to; Happy for you, glad you are better, and enjoying your ride report--I can picture it...almost taste it...smell the salt air...feel the warm sunshine...

Isn't Life is better when you can ride and eat?

Thanks for the well wishes Brent, feeling much better. Yes, Dade Corners is the gas station/truck wash on the SE corner of 41(SW 8th st.) and the 997(Krome ave.). The big casino is on the NW corner. After the seafood festival, I also rode north with the group up the 29 from Everglades City to I-75(Alligator Alley) where the group continued north and I peeled off and headed East back to Ft. Lauderdale. Sorry you couldn't make it down this year, see you in the fall.

[Brent]

Better!!

Had a great time Friday riding with everyone from Dade Corners out to the seafood festival in Everglades City. It was great seeing everyone again and meeting some new friends.

BikerPhil
I am very glad to hear of your significant improvement. Sorry I i missed you. I could not make it to the southern & western part of the ride. (Wife was/is a little sickly & needed some care.) Is Dade corners at hwy 997 & 41, Tamiami Trail, near the Micosuki Indian Casino?

Allow me a moment of shameful self pity, with a dash of envy. Poor me, Poor me. Lucky you. Having been to Key west for the last 7 years, I find it hard, nearly impossible, to find much sympathy. I am done for now, moment over.

Back to; Happy for you, glad you are better, and enjoying your ride report--I can picture it...almost taste it...smell the salt air...feel the warm sunshine...

Isn't Life is better when you can ride and eat?

[JeffH]

Homeward bound

As usual, really great ride to Key West again this year. Weather was fantastic! Food was fantastic! Fellowship was fantastic! Ride was a blast! A couple of the motel / boatel room experiences will be good for some future stories and ha-ha's .....

I stopped tonight at I-75 & FLA Turnpike at Wildwood FLA Days Inn. Rode up from Sarasota this afternoon in 79 degree weather with last hour enjoying full moon night ride. 405 miles tomorrow will get me back to Atlanta.

Don got back home in Tallahassee at 4pm yesterday along with Bohn & Linda who loaded up and started back to Kansas.

Good riding, good friends and interesting stuff to do is always a great combination. We missed seeing / riding with Cobia but had a fun time Friday with OEM. I'll post some pics.

Jeff

[earl G]

made it home.

yes a great key west ride, a nice warm year from the start to the finish. a very little rain.

this is the way to kick off the year.

[XS1100_OEM4ME]

Great folks!

Sorry I missed you Phill, would have loved to thank you in person for all your help Met the rest of the gang in Fort Myers, nice folks and had a great time fellowshiping with all I enjoied getting to see all the great bikes also, BMW, HD and GL along with an XS1100 Hope all got home safe and hope to make the whole trip next time

Had a great time Friday riding with everyone from Dade Corners out to the seafood festival in Everglades City. It was great seeing everyone again and meeting some new friends.

[bikerphil]

Had a great time Friday riding with everyone from Dade Corners out to the seafood festival in Everglades City. It was great seeing everyone again and meeting some new friends.

[mlew]

Wish I was there. Ride safe

[thumperjsa]

Oh, I can't forget the exciting adventure of reviving my bike back from the dead on Monday night. Running great to Key Largo, turned it off and when we got ready to leave on the bikes to get dinner, cranked but wouldn't start. Could tell it was getting gas but no spark at all on any cylinder.

Went to dinner (in Bohn's car and I will let him explain that) and when we got back all of us went into repair mode to find the problem. Fortunately I had a service manual with me and we were able to troubleshoot everything including resistance of pick up wires and coils and the voltages to TCI as well as several other things. Fuses were checked as well. Ted was meticulous in helping check everything.

Everything was pointing to the TCI was bad. Was thinking I may have to park the bike and go the rest of the way by car and fix it later. Fortunately we could test the box by putting it in Earl's XS. But turned out that wasn't the problem. As Earl said, "It makes my bike run better."

In the dark we are still checking everything and Ted is looking at the wires and sees a loose metal strap on the frame near some wires that are looking a little loose. He removed the strap and started to play with the wires. And "Blam" back to life. Seems as if the tip-over switch may have had a loose enough wire that was touching the metal strap and grounding it out causing no ignition to occur.

How it decided to drop from life after I shut it off in Key Largo after riding it just over 100 miles and several stops and not previously, I may never know. Thanks to my "Pit Crew" for reviving it.

-Jonathan

[thumperjsa]

It was a great ride and I wish I could have continued with the run to the park this afternoon and the seafood festival on Friday. But family needed me home. I had a great time including all the great discussions with everyone. It was great weather for riding all week. Especially when Earl and I saw pretty much all of Key West had to see including some hidden areas we didn't know about on a pair of rented scooters.

Also it was a nice picnic lunch today just south of the 7 mile bridge with everyone. I didn't get to take many pictures on this trip so I can't wait to see everyone posting them.

I made it home at 4:45 and managed to hit a small rain shower just before I got home.

Thanks again to all who came and make this ride enjoyable each year. I wish a fun and safe ride for all of you all the way back home.

-Jonathan

[JeffH]

Great Ride in Progress

Riding on US 1 in the Keys



Trip has been going great so far. We held the Awards Ceremony tonight after dinner at the Spanish Gardens pool side. We had a some good laughs as we passed out the awards that Brent picked out. Temps around 80 has been great. We will be leaving KW in the morning for Florida City and a tour of the Everglades. You might notice Earl and Jonathan on their XS's.

[ELDR]

We have arrive in Key West, everyone checked in to the Spanish Gardens, going to be looking for some lunch. 80F feels like 85F Sunny with Clouds, 18mph wind from the East.

[Brent]

home from FL

Key West is underway

Brent, Earl, Don, Bohn and Linda, Jeff, Ted and Heather in Kingsland GA

I am home from FL. Waved goodbye to crew in Ormond beach about 1030 this morning. Nice ride on Ormond loop through Tomoka State park, back to A1A to Flagler Beach. Shortened ride for me this year, but weather was warm...still 49 when I arrived home at 6:30.

[thumperjsa]

Sorry to hear how the Southern Florida contingent keeps getting injured or sick. Hope you guys can make it down during the week. Jeff remember to give me a buzz when you are leaving the Pahokee area. I plan on meeting still around US27 and Griffin Road. I still have to go to work in the morning and will meet up with you guys I assume just after lunch time.

I still have a room down in Key West setup. If Cobia and Phil don't make it I guess I will have extra room in it. So if anyone needs a place, let me know.

-Jonathan

[jetmechmarty]

Take good care of it! Feel better soon!