I LEFT MARYLAND AT 4 IN THE MORNING, 13 1/2 HOURS LATER I PULLED INTO THE HOLIDAY INN AT INDIANAPOLIS... BASICALLY WASTED! I RODE THE 2 LANE HWY 50 THROUGH THE APPALACHIANS AND THEN THE 555 NORTH FROM PARKERSBURG, WV. SOMEHOW I JUST HEADED WEST AFTER THAT AND POPPED-OUT AND INDY.
THE MIGHTY BMW K1300S SAVED MY ASS ON "THE TRIPLE NICKEL" HWY 555... A TWISTY, BLIND CREST LADEN TWO LANER! VERY RURAL WITH GRAVEL DRIVEWAYS TO SMALL FAMILY HOUSES OR SPRAWLING FARMS, KEY WORD HERE IS GRAVEL! YOU WOULD POP-UP OVER A HILL AND BE STARING DEAD INTO A BLIND 90 DEGREE TURN WITH GRAVEL ALL OVER THE PLACE... HOLY SHIT! WAS I SMART ENOUGH TO SLOW DOWN?
TRAVELING TO INDIANA CAN BE A 10 HOUR TRIP IF YOU RIDE THE 4 LANERS. I HAD TO PUNCH IT AT EVERY OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE-UP FOR THE SMALL TOWNS, SLOW DRIVERS AND GETTING LOST. THE END OF THE RUN TO INDY LEFT ME NUMB, DAZED AND CONFUSED.
AFTER 4 DAYS IN INDY, I BLASTED HOME DOING 80-90 MPH ON THE MAJOR FREEWAYS; PASSING EVERYBODY AND NOT GIVING A SHIT, MADE IT IN 10.5 HOURS RIDING TIME.
I HIGHLY RECOMMEND HIGHWAY 50, I HAVE NOW RIDDEN IT COAST-TO-COAST! IT HAS THE MOST FLAVOR OF ALL THIS NATIONS NATIONAL HIGHWAYS.
ANYWAY, SPENT THE PAST SEVERAL DAYS TEARING THE MACHINE DOWN FOR CLEANING AND MAINTENANCE... LOOKING GOOD AGAIN! HE RAN FLAWLESSLY.
I TOOK SOME GREAT PIT PHOTOS... GOT HOME TO DOWNLOAD TO THE COMPUTER AND THEY WERE NOT TO BE FOUND. THIS IS THE SECOND TIME I HAVE LOST MY INDY PHOTOS...I AM ONE ONE SORRY S.O.B.
RANDY MAMOLA GAVE HIS PASSENGERS A FAST LAP FROM THE START-FINISH LINE AND I DO MEAN FAST. VERY COOL TO WATCH! OBVIOUSLY BETTER TO TO BE A RIDER.
THESE ARE THE YAMAHA UMBRELLA GIRLS AND SOME DUDE GETTING A PHOTO IN THE PITS. I WAS SITTING IN THE STANDS ACROSS FROM THE GARAGE AREA JUST WATCHING THE RIDERS COME AND GO... WHEN I SEE THESE GUYS WALKING UP TO THE FRONT OF THE BUILDING AND START TAKING PICTURES WITH THESE TWO CHICKS. REMEMBER I'M ACROSS THE TRACK IN THE STANDS LOOKING THROUGH THE FENCE A COUPLE HUNDRED FEET AWAY. I THOUGHT THESE GIRLS WERE CARDBOARD CUTOUTS AND THE GUYS WERE JUST TAKING PICTURES OF THEMSELVES, IT WAS PRETTY FUNNY UNTIL THE LADIES STARTED MOVING. SO ALL DAY SATURDAY I JUST WATCHED THE UMBRELLA GIRLS, MUCH BETTER THAN A BUNCH OF GUYS ON BIKES. HONDA AND YAMAHA CHICKS WERE THE BEST TO VIEW.
JORGE LORENZO LED MOST OF THE RACE, FINISHED 3RD. HE WAS NOT THE FAN FAVORITE. THE HONDAS WERE JUST SUPERIOR BIKES FOR THE DAY.
VALENTIO ROSSI LOOKED LIKE HE RETIRED FROM RACING UNTIL THE LAST 8 LAPS. HE THEN PASSED 5 OR 6 GUYS FROM A LONG, LONG WAY BACK TO FINISH FOURTH. I THOUGHT HE WAS THE FASTEST AT THE END OF THE DAY.
