Posted: 03 June 2007 at 5:42pm | IP Logged

I love my new Ultra, I love my Gore-Tex boots, and I love my Moto-lights, but I gotta be honest – I’m not too crazy about riding at night through critter country in a bodacious lightning storm to finish a Lake Huron 1000!  But that’s what I did…..

I was a bachelor this weekend so I got to thinking that I needed to put my time to good use.  Weather reports were reasonable, and Toronto is a great launching point for most of the Great Lakes rides so the best use of my time seemed to be riding around in a really big circle for the better part of a day.

Took off yesterday (Saturday) at 04:45, headed west on the 401 to the Windsor crossing.  Uneventful until I got to the border – real quiet at 8 o’clock on a Saturday morning but you know Murphy’s law for lines, no matter how short the line is, whichever one you choose will be the slowest.  Got to the front of the line and the guard waved for me to hold in the chute, and then he went for a break!  I couldn’t believe it – none of us could move to other lines at that point, so nothing I could do but wait for him to come back.

Got to the International Bridge a little after 14:00 and the US Agents were checking everyone on exit.  When the Agent asked where I was headed, I told him “back to Toronto”.  He got this big grin on his face and asked if I was “doing one of them Iron Butt things”.  He also told me that 2 Harleys had just crossed, doing the same thing.

Storm clouds were right over Sault Ste. Marie, but I turned the corner just in time and ran ahead of the storm.  Got to Sudbury and the pavement leaving town was wet for about 30 miles, but never got rained on.  Turned the next corner at North Bay at 19:30 and started thinking about something to eat, but then I got to thinking about all those Deer and Moose signs, and thought I’d run out the daylight before stopping for a break.

Took a leisurely break at a Dairy Queen somewhere along the way, and was feeling pretty good about life.  When I came out of the DQ and looked south, though, I saw lightning off in the distance.  Here I was taking my time over dinner when I might have been able to beat the storm to TO if I’d kept riding.  Oh well, not to be.

Short time later, put on the rain gear, turned on the four-way flashers, gritted my teeth and took it slowly down Highway 11.  I got spooked a couple of times with blinding lightning strikes, stopped a couple of times and took cover at its worst, but I made it back to my starting point at 00:15.

Like I said, I love my Ultra – this was my second SS1K since I picked up the bike in April.  I love my Gore-Tex boots – my feet stayed nice and dry.  And I love my Moto Lights – as much as anything, I’m sure they improved my visibility to cars during the worst of the weather.  Just didn’t care much for finishing the ride at night in the rain!

Some friends and I have a Lower Lakes 1000 planned for this next Saturday.  This stuff is addicting!

Posted: 04 June 2007 at 4:04am | IP Logged

I'm wearing the Harley lace-up Gore-Tex boots, Erica.  Very comfortable for long hours, and bone dry in a downpour.

What part of KC?  Lived in Prairie Village many (30!) years ago.