[Guest]

My Friends

Several weeks ago, I again suggested to R6 Jimmy that he plan a ride route for the Tampa Crashers and set up a Sunday ride. Jimmy and I both know a lot of roads in Central Florida, but he lives on the other side of Tampa Bay from me and his geographic area of road expertise extends quite a bit farther north than mine. So today was the Fast Jimmy ride. There was quite a bit of traffic on Saturday on the Tampa Crashers List, with riders finalizing their plans,......where to meet and who was riding with who to the meeting spot for the ride. Jimmy had about 10 or 12 riders confirming. Everything was all set,......or so we thought.

I had a hard time getting psyched up for the long ride to Brooksville. It was going to be about an hour and most of that was on the Interstate. However, I got my act together and got out of the house at 7:30. I knew that the excellent road route would be worth the long commute there and back. I bought gas and was delayed paying because the guy in front of me at the gas station was buying a bunch of Florida Lotto tickets.

Now I was running late. I hoped the gang wouldn't leave without me. I would have to make up some time on the Interstate.

More later........
Bogus Dave

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[Guest]

So here I am on the Interstate, trying to make up time and not get a ticket. I'm hitching a tow behind every fast moving car I can use for a radar deflector and watching my mirrors for overtaking police cars. I don't want to get a ticket on a major artery, (which is dumb), but I don't want to be late for the Fast Jimmy Ride. I don't like it when riders are late for my rides, and I know I will take some friendly razzing if I'm late today.

Amazingly, I pull off the Interstate at Hwy 54 and turn in to the Texaco at precisely 8:30 on the ZX's clock. I have come 65 miles and I am exactly on time!

As I pull up to the gas pumps to top off, I notice that only about half the riders are there. I got an uneasy feeling. Where were the rest of the Crashers?

More later......
Dave

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[Guest]

We have a good core group at the Texaco.....ZX9 Morten, GSXR1000 Darin, fearless leader R6 Jimmy, GSXR1000 Bobby (aka RGSXR1 on the ZX12 Forum) and yours truly. We are missing a half dozen riders that were coming from Pinellas County. We chat, we wait. Then Bandit 1200 Larry comes zipping in. He's been chasing a masterlink (Thanks GSXR1000 Don) because he discovered late yesterday that his was MIA. We try to phone a couple of the truant riders. No luck.

I theorize that the lost boyz group has gone to the other Texaco at the next Interstate exit north because we often meet up there. We decide to press on and hope to find the lost souls mid-morning at the sportbike gathering spot Hess Station.

More later.....
Dave

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[Guest]

We head north. Fast Jimmy leads. Soon we are traveling on some of the finest roads in Florida. We're doing curves at various speeds, going up and down hills (a rarity in flat Florida) and seeing lot's of trees and greenery, including some roads with shady overhanging branches. Very scenic. Unfortunately, we can't watch the scenery because the fairly fast pace demands we focus on the road and the bikes ahead. Jimmy's route takes us off the normal sportbiker's path where there is apt to be law enforcement. We see no cops on the back roads all day. This is a good group. We all ride within our limits. Sometimes Jimmy motions us ahead and various riders take the lead until the next stop sign. Then Jimmy takes over again and we repeat the procedure. I'm hanging in the back mostly, just behind Gixer Bobby. After a stop sign he gives me a show.......a sustained wheelie. Very impressive. He really hung that front wheel out to dry.

More later......
Dave

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[Guest]

Finally, the six of us pull in to the Hess Station where all the sportbikers gather every weekend. Out friends are not there. We gas up, get a drink, and check out the bikes.

I see a couple of benchmark bikes that looked very familiar too me.......a first year model 1973 Z1 903. (I had a new '74) Also there was a Kawasaki H1 3 cylinder 2 stroke of unknown year. (I had a new first year 1969 model with drum front brake) I have to tell you that the H1 sounds just as weird and cool as it did then. It sounds like marbles rattling in the head. Those two bikes were cutting edge technology in that era.

We finish our drinks and decide to retrace our steps south. Near the end of the ride, ZX9 Racer Mort (complete with road rashed leathers) takes the lead and I chase him down the curves on Pasco road while the others cruise behind. This was great fun. Mort set a good pace for the street and was kind enough not to run away from me.

Really a fine ride today. No "incidents" to report. Everybody stayed on the pavement!

Best wishes to all my friends in Cybeerspace.

Until next time,
Bogus Dave
260 miles today
7753 miles on the 2002

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[junglepeanut]

Another great report thanks Dave

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