Man Down!! (Day 6)

We planned on today's ride being a short day of 379 miles into Chesapeake, Virginia. Of course, plans are always subject to change which is why we rarely book hotels ahead. Rather we just see where the day takes us and depending on weather and stops we make, we are able to adjust our overnight stays easily. This morning was a great example of the need for flexibility!

Man Down!!

Within 20 miles of our ride, Al's Harley simply stopped running. On the side of the freeway with semi trucks whizzing by at 70 MPH, it appeared his bike with 85,000 miles on it might be having either an electrical  or fuel injection problem. A tow arrived quickly and the nearest Harley Dealership turned out to be at the next off ramp. We could have almost hit their building with a rock from where his bike had quit! Since this was Sunday, their service department wasn't open so he and Penny arranged to rent a "cage" so they could continue to our Chesapeake destination.

I continued on and descended from the Virginia hills and into the flat lands. With every mile I think the temperature increased by one degree. By the time I hit Norfolk, temps were in the 90's. That's not so bad but for the humidity! One of the neatest sections of the ride was the tunnel that goes underneath Chesapeake Bay. I arrived in Chesapeake in time to wash some laundry and get some dinner.

I'll be here until Friday morning with my Blue Knight motorcycle friends relaxing pool side and taking a couple of short rides. Jessica flies in on Wednesday and will join us for the rest of the trip. Riding "two-up" requires careful packing of the bike so we can haul what we need. I better stop buying stuff!  Friday we will set out for Niagara Falls and contemplating potential stops in DC and maybe even New York. We are confident Al's bike will be road ready by then!

Miles today = 379
Total miles = 3,251
Total States = 11

iPod song of the day Carter's Chord I can break hearts too. I can't find a link to this new song, but it's a good one!