LA to Daytona Beach via Phoenix, Fort Stockton, N'Orleans and Lake City...

[RDJ]

329169...on the turbo Vrod.

Left Saturday. Arrived today. I-10 nearly all the way. Had a deadline... so no secondary roads.

Distance: 2623 miles by the GPS
Gas mileage: WGAF

10 things it's always fun to relearn crossing the US
1. Texas. New Mexico. 80mph speed 'guidance'. Nice!
2. Holiday Inns have the most comfortable beds.
3. A turbo really does make overtaking a breeze.
4. It can rain all the way across 2 states (Texas, Louisiana, I'm looking at you...).
5. Reliably, keeping wearing rain gear into a third day will make the sun come out.
6. Hitting the Interstate at 0300 courtesy of jet lag gets you a magic 4 hours' riding just with other nighthawks...
7. Always stop the far side of any city / town, thereby missing the commuter traffic.
8. Open roads are great for thinking...
9. The slab fast traffic has a rhythm all its own.
10. Riding is the second best way to clear your head.

329167

:scooter:

[old slider]

Wow on so many facets.

[RDJ]

Daytona and Arizona by way of LA

A few more pix: I tend not to take that many as I find taking pictures interferes with remembering what I saw at the time.

So most of these are to capture the moment when I saw some very outre bikes... I did have a soft spot for the Dragon Trike. And the Nurse-Themed V8 Bike. As One Should...

That said.

My assignment here in the US is coming to an end so last weekend I rode the turbo V8 and the 502 V8 bikes back to LA for storage (probably for about a year - i'll miss them :-) ). I flew back - flying and riding is truly the Worst and Best ways to travel.

I stayed two nights at the Sunset Tower off Sunset Blvd; I got a really good rate because Night One I looked for a room about 22:30 which is when you can get cheap deals at Very Upmarket Hotels as / if they still have an empty room, they'd rather get some & than no $. And the second day, they closed the pool / restaurant for a private function which of course I leaving sparrow chirp after dropping the second bike off, did not give a Flying Whatever about. I did hang around long enough before heading to LAX, to witness Why The Pool Area Was Closed and Marked 'Private'. Sheesh. Get A Room, People...

I did take the time on Sunday to traverse the very first part of Route 66 I ever rode, some 10 years ago now; vis Oatman to Kingman. I did not stop at Oatman as I was on a deadline, and the tourist traffic was overwhelming. But I did stop at Cool Springs (allegedly the inspiration for 'Radiator Springs' in the movie Cars; and although I had zero room for more Route 66 memorabilia, it was / would be a great source therefor. And very friendly proprietors.

329895

329896

329897

329898

329899

329900

[RDJ]

Here we go again

329902

329901

329903

329904

329905

329906

[RDJ]

Here we go...

329907

329908

329909

329910

329911

329912

[RDJ]

These...

329913

329914

329915

329916

329917

329918

[RDJ]

Here...

329919

329920

329921

329922

329923

329924

[RDJ]

To LA and then Phoenix

329925

329926

329927

329928

329929

329930

[RDJ]

Nearly done

329931

329932

329933

329934

329935

329936

I did not stick around for the Burning Of The Wooden Bike - riding back to work, but I bet it was a helluva party

[RDJ]

That's All For Now Folks!

329937

329938

329939

329940

[Old Steve]

3. A turbo really does make overtaking a breeze.


Yeah, you can pass anything on a turbocharged V-Rod, except a gas station.