Wednesday, November 28, 2007
Good News !!
The Dutch Government has made a change to the law for importing motorbikes from non EU countries that makes it easier to get the Kawasaki in ;) So the bike will be coming over after all (thanks to Todd and Linda) and I may be riding all through Europe on it after all ;)
Sunday, September 9, 2007
Epilogue
The Aussie Redneck Tour has ended for me and what it trip it has been. It started as a joke almost and turned into a real thing quite quickly. The real thing turned into one of the nicest trips I have done in my years of travelling.
The people I met, the places I have been and things I did all left memories, good memories. That is what travelling is all about for me, meeting people, seeing things and go home with lots of good memories.
The boys did well in their last days although Crackles again tried to become the next Evil Knievel. A few scratches on the bike, elbow and ego and he was off again ;) Last I heard he was heading into the sunset with the love of his life !
I have had a bit of sad news though. The Kawasaki can't make it to Holland !! That is, I don't have European type approval, although the bike will be near identical to European types, and the Benelux distributor does not want to endorse his type approval onto my bike. So the choice is to pay a fortune and get type approval here or to sell the bike. I will probably do the last as the total cost of getting it here is getting to be ridiculous (remember Holland has a special tax on bikes and cars that is not yet outlawed by the EU).
Sad indeed as the bike and I have become such good friends, ah well I still have the Fireblade and although it is not as comfy it is definitely an awesome bike as well.
To all of you who have followed the trip via this site, thanks for your interest and hopefully we "meet" again !!
The people I met, the places I have been and things I did all left memories, good memories. That is what travelling is all about for me, meeting people, seeing things and go home with lots of good memories.
The boys did well in their last days although Crackles again tried to become the next Evil Knievel. A few scratches on the bike, elbow and ego and he was off again ;) Last I heard he was heading into the sunset with the love of his life !
I have had a bit of sad news though. The Kawasaki can't make it to Holland !! That is, I don't have European type approval, although the bike will be near identical to European types, and the Benelux distributor does not want to endorse his type approval onto my bike. So the choice is to pay a fortune and get type approval here or to sell the bike. I will probably do the last as the total cost of getting it here is getting to be ridiculous (remember Holland has a special tax on bikes and cars that is not yet outlawed by the EU).
Sad indeed as the bike and I have become such good friends, ah well I still have the Fireblade and although it is not as comfy it is definitely an awesome bike as well.
To all of you who have followed the trip via this site, thanks for your interest and hopefully we "meet" again !!
12 August 2007 Sacramento
My last day on the most awesome bike I have ever owned. Sacramento, the capital of California was the destination. The Capitol is one similar to the Washington one and looks awesome in the bright Californian sun. I had to take some pictures in front of it, to show the Governator what a real bike looks like ;)
Then I went to Old Sacramento, the original settlement to get my touristy stuff and some more pictures. I got talking to a few more bikers and just chilled. This was it, the end of a beautiful trip.
I returned to the Vineyard and de-rigged the bike completely. Empty tank, battery disconnected, ready to be crated and shipped. Sad goodbyes to the most loyal friend on this trip, not for 1 single second did he disappoint me.
11 August 2007 San Francisco
My favourite US city was next on the list for a little visit. I decided that some pictures of the bike in San Fran were required, particularly the Fisherman's Wharf sign as well as the Golden Gate of course. I was also hoping to say hi to my friends at Pier 39 (the sea lions that is ;) and finally get my trip to Alcatraz.
Alas the day went a bit different from what I expected. The traffic from Sacramento to SF was the worst ever !! It took me at least 1 hour more then would normally be required on a working day and this was Saturday. Bearing in mind I was on the bike and able to use the bit of space between the cars as well. I don't know what was going on in San Rafael but it must have been very special as thousands of cars headed that way.
When I got to SF, it was immediately clear that the city was taken over by that most horrible plague of all times : TOURISTS. No parking (not even for the bike), too many people everywhere so that was enough for me. I decided to move on towards the Golden Gate. There is a little park near the marina that is a very nice spot.
The temperature was so low and the wind was blowing so strong that I actually loved wearing the leathers this time. For the second time in the entire vacation, I wasn't feeling like a lobster on its way to the dinner table !!
The windsurfers were out in the Bay, I was suprised to see no kite surfers at all !! Maybe the sport hasn't caught on in SF like it has everywhere else around the world !! Anyway, after the pics were taken, I rode across the Golden Gate !! A worthy end to the vacation although a windy one.
The trip back was uneventful apart from a little bypass I have never seen before (remember I have been to this area at least 10 times over the years).
Back at the vineyard we had pizza and cake for one of Stevens cousins. The whole family was there and they sure know how to have a good time !!
Friday, August 10, 2007
9 August 2007 Sacramento
Steven and I go into Sacramento to have coffee and have a look at the new TriTool facilities. They are massive compared to the present building and allow for an enormous expansion of capacity in production, storage, service, logistics, engineering etc. These guys have a nice challenge ahead of them in the next 5 to 10 years. Luckily the offshore industry (one of their major areas of business) is soo booming.
I also talked to Lards and Chris in the morning and they are hightailing it to the Grand Canyon. Lards thinks the roads to it are awesome, and that means in Ducati terms that there must be some awesome bends. Pity for him he is on a Harley as they don’t like to go round corners AT ALL.
Craig has done another booboo and scratched his pride, bike and elbow. It is unclear whether he thought he was back in Oz and decided to drive on the other side of the road when a truck approached him or whether he has mistaken the Road King for a dirt bike. Anyway, his little venture in the dirt resulted in aforementioned scratches of which I believe the physical ones are the least of them all ;)
They hope to make it to Las Vegas as well as time is running out for them too. I plan to go to San Francisco on Saturday and spend Sunday, kicking back and packing up. I am going to miss the ZX terribly !!
Our late night dinner in Sacramento was very interesting as well. One of the guys in the restaurant/bar we were at (great Italian food) had a bit much to drink. So we convinced him that he couldn’t ride his bike home, a very good looking Harley chopper. As I was completely sober and wearing my Draggin Jeans and biker shoes as well, I offered to ride the bike home while Steven drove him home. The ride was a different experience again. The fat 350 mm rear tyre and lack of rear suspension were one thing to get used to as well as the leaning back sitting position.
We made it home without a scratch and I handed the bike back to a very relieved owner ;) !!
I also talked to Lards and Chris in the morning and they are hightailing it to the Grand Canyon. Lards thinks the roads to it are awesome, and that means in Ducati terms that there must be some awesome bends. Pity for him he is on a Harley as they don’t like to go round corners AT ALL.
Craig has done another booboo and scratched his pride, bike and elbow. It is unclear whether he thought he was back in Oz and decided to drive on the other side of the road when a truck approached him or whether he has mistaken the Road King for a dirt bike. Anyway, his little venture in the dirt resulted in aforementioned scratches of which I believe the physical ones are the least of them all ;)
They hope to make it to Las Vegas as well as time is running out for them too. I plan to go to San Francisco on Saturday and spend Sunday, kicking back and packing up. I am going to miss the ZX terribly !!
Our late night dinner in Sacramento was very interesting as well. One of the guys in the restaurant/bar we were at (great Italian food) had a bit much to drink. So we convinced him that he couldn’t ride his bike home, a very good looking Harley chopper. As I was completely sober and wearing my Draggin Jeans and biker shoes as well, I offered to ride the bike home while Steven drove him home. The ride was a different experience again. The fat 350 mm rear tyre and lack of rear suspension were one thing to get used to as well as the leaning back sitting position.
We made it home without a scratch and I handed the bike back to a very relieved owner ;) !!
8 August 2007 Bonneville to Youngs Vineyard
Up early and straight to the Bonneville Speedway. The access road ends in a lake of salty rainwater from where cars drive to the actual speedway. I don’t want to go there with my gorgeous new bike as I know how much damage salt water does to a car or bike. I do get a chance to talk to one of the ladies from the organization that does the races. 
After that I start heading for Reno, a 600 km trip from Wendover. When I arrive there, after a long drive through the desert, there is a big hot rod thing going on and I have seen some very very nice hot rods there! As it is still early, I decide to go towards Lake Tahoe to spend the night there but arriving there it is clear that finding a bed won’t be easy. There are a LOT of tourists here due to the summer holidays.
So I decide to ride a bit further and further and further and then I finally do end up in Plymouth at Young’s Vineyard (Shenandoah Road) about 1 hour before dinner at the Rock starts.
About 1 min. after my arrival one of my colleagues from Heerema also arrives and it is nice catching up with him as well. And shortly after him Todd arrives as well and him being a fellow biker and friend as well that makes for another great reunion.
But it is especially nice to see Annette and Steven and their kids, Steven’s dad and Jaye and Mondaine again !! Annette has no problem switching back to Dutch (OK she just got back from Holland 3 weeks ago !). I haven’t seen or spoken to them for 2 years and a lot of things have happened since. It is pretty late when I finally turn in for the night, staying in the guest room that overlooks the vineyard. What a gorgeous sight !!
After that I start heading for Reno, a 600 km trip from Wendover. When I arrive there, after a long drive through the desert, there is a big hot rod thing going on and I have seen some very very nice hot rods there! As it is still early, I decide to go towards Lake Tahoe to spend the night there but arriving there it is clear that finding a bed won’t be easy. There are a LOT of tourists here due to the summer holidays.
So I decide to ride a bit further and further and further and then I finally do end up in Plymouth at Young’s Vineyard (Shenandoah Road) about 1 hour before dinner at the Rock starts.
About 1 min. after my arrival one of my colleagues from Heerema also arrives and it is nice catching up with him as well. And shortly after him Todd arrives as well and him being a fellow biker and friend as well that makes for another great reunion.
But it is especially nice to see Annette and Steven and their kids, Steven’s dad and Jaye and Mondaine again !! Annette has no problem switching back to Dutch (OK she just got back from Holland 3 weeks ago !). I haven’t seen or spoken to them for 2 years and a lot of things have happened since. It is pretty late when I finally turn in for the night, staying in the guest room that overlooks the vineyard. What a gorgeous sight !!
www.youngsvineyard.com
7 August the ride to Salt Lake City
After breakie, I set of towards Salt Lake City for a very windy ride. The weather was nice and warm but very windy and that does not make for a nice ride. Salt Lake City was nice though, I first went to the visitor centre opposite the Capitol building. The suburb around it has some very beautiful houses !!
After that I went to Temple Square, as Salt Lake City is the headquarters of the Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter Day Saints better known as the Mormon Church. I got a tour from two Sisters and have to say it was very interesting.
The buildings are gorgeous, the original temple (not open to visitors) is absolutely stunning on the outside and the rest of the buildings around Temple Square are gorgeous as well. The feel of this area is almost un-American on one hand but on the other hand the large buildings are very American. Anyway, the city is worth a visit !!
Then I set of towards Wendover or the Bonneville Salt Flats. I checked straight into the motel and plan to go to the flats tomorrow. The World of Speed starts on the 11th of August so I expect the preparations to be in full swing.
I talked to Gavin tonight and they are just outside Denver after a short ride. Gav and Chris had to go on a hunt for parts for the small camera as it is failing and they also got a new small camera as extra / back up. The boys met with the Denver copper but no chilli ;). Tomorrow they plan to ride through the Rockies.
After that I went to Temple Square, as Salt Lake City is the headquarters of the Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter Day Saints better known as the Mormon Church. I got a tour from two Sisters and have to say it was very interesting.
The buildings are gorgeous, the original temple (not open to visitors) is absolutely stunning on the outside and the rest of the buildings around Temple Square are gorgeous as well. The feel of this area is almost un-American on one hand but on the other hand the large buildings are very American. Anyway, the city is worth a visit !!
Then I set of towards Wendover or the Bonneville Salt Flats. I checked straight into the motel and plan to go to the flats tomorrow. The World of Speed starts on the 11th of August so I expect the preparations to be in full swing.
I talked to Gavin tonight and they are just outside Denver after a short ride. Gav and Chris had to go on a hunt for parts for the small camera as it is failing and they also got a new small camera as extra / back up. The boys met with the Denver copper but no chilli ;). Tomorrow they plan to ride through the Rockies.
6 August 2007 Yellowstone Park
The weather was beautiful when I woke up, so I hurried to get ready and have breakfast. A nice fresh waffle with syrup and cinnamon sugar is the perfect start to the day ;). I loaded up the bike and set of towards Yellowstone. As soon as I turned of the Interstate, the scenery turned to stunningly beautiful. It was awesome to follow the Yellowstone river into the park.
Thanks to one of the bikers that was at Buffalo Chip, I already had my entry ticket (that I transferred to an Aussie staying in the Super 8 in Pocatello). The park is gorgeous despite the huge amount of trees that are dead and fallen over. I loved the geysers and hot springs and all the mineral deposits. The riding through the park was awesome and I would love to take some time hiking in it when I get a chance ;)
After the park I rode for another few hours and arrived in Pocatello Idaho around 7 in the evening. Checked in and went for a very sumptuous dinner in the restaurant next door ;) I have now sufficiently compensated for my lack of food the days before.
The last bit of the trip the Idaho landscape turned into a flat and dull landscape. I definitely left the beautiful hills around Yellowstone. The 100 to 150 km around Yellowstone were awesome.
The boys from Oz (report from Chris by phone evening 6 August 2007 around 21.30 – 22.00)
Lards made himself a legend by doing a big burn out in the Arena at 2 in the morning that eventually resulted in his tyre blowing out on the way to Sturgis the next morning. Apparently he set the grass on fire!!
The boys had to fit the new tyre themselves as the tyre place couldn’t do it and that was after the tyre could only be delivered at the end of the day. So they left the Buffalo Chip around 9 in the morning but didn’t get very far. Oh and they also had plenty of rain (I didn’t get a single drop till late in the evening).
Chris also told me about the Poison show at the Buffalo Chip that was “applauded” with hundreds of bikes being revved to the max !!! These petrolheads are just completely of their rocker by the sounds of it !! Imagine the amount of exhaust fumes in the air and the amount of petrol just gone for nothing (that means more work for us offshore blokes ;)
The boys are in Wheatland Wyoming to meet with a copper that is going to make them chilli, apparently Craig met him on an earlier trip and invited them for the chilli cook out ;)
The film crew also met a cyclist on a trip through the US on a push bike / bicycle. The poor guy (described as very tall and thinner then Chris ;) was dead on his feet as far as the boys reckoned. They gave him some of the cold Gatorade from the eski / cooler and filmed him and talked to him. Awesome dude, keep going !!!
Thanks to one of the bikers that was at Buffalo Chip, I already had my entry ticket (that I transferred to an Aussie staying in the Super 8 in Pocatello). The park is gorgeous despite the huge amount of trees that are dead and fallen over. I loved the geysers and hot springs and all the mineral deposits. The riding through the park was awesome and I would love to take some time hiking in it when I get a chance ;)
After the park I rode for another few hours and arrived in Pocatello Idaho around 7 in the evening. Checked in and went for a very sumptuous dinner in the restaurant next door ;) I have now sufficiently compensated for my lack of food the days before.
The last bit of the trip the Idaho landscape turned into a flat and dull landscape. I definitely left the beautiful hills around Yellowstone. The 100 to 150 km around Yellowstone were awesome.
The boys from Oz (report from Chris by phone evening 6 August 2007 around 21.30 – 22.00)
Lards made himself a legend by doing a big burn out in the Arena at 2 in the morning that eventually resulted in his tyre blowing out on the way to Sturgis the next morning. Apparently he set the grass on fire!!
The boys had to fit the new tyre themselves as the tyre place couldn’t do it and that was after the tyre could only be delivered at the end of the day. So they left the Buffalo Chip around 9 in the morning but didn’t get very far. Oh and they also had plenty of rain (I didn’t get a single drop till late in the evening).
Chris also told me about the Poison show at the Buffalo Chip that was “applauded” with hundreds of bikes being revved to the max !!! These petrolheads are just completely of their rocker by the sounds of it !! Imagine the amount of exhaust fumes in the air and the amount of petrol just gone for nothing (that means more work for us offshore blokes ;)
The boys are in Wheatland Wyoming to meet with a copper that is going to make them chilli, apparently Craig met him on an earlier trip and invited them for the chilli cook out ;)
The film crew also met a cyclist on a trip through the US on a push bike / bicycle. The poor guy (described as very tall and thinner then Chris ;) was dead on his feet as far as the boys reckoned. They gave him some of the cold Gatorade from the eski / cooler and filmed him and talked to him. Awesome dude, keep going !!!
Sunday, August 5, 2007
5 August 2007 Goodbyes
A glorious morning and the best sunrise Gav says he has ever seen/filmed (for him that is more or less the same as the camera is glued to his eye ;). We do another interview of the last days as well as the goodbye interview. Then Gav sets of to arrange the helicopter for the arial shots. For us it was easy, just riding along a long straight road while the chopper pilot flew Gav all over the place.
I of course did a little bolter, screaming away from the group at 120 mph and was surprised Craig didn’t follow. Later I understood why as he pushed his bike into the gas station ;) He was running on vapour ;).
Then we came to the tearful goodbyes (don’t worry it is all captured on film) and I set of towards Yellowstone. Man is it hot and with soo many bikes going through Sturgis it took me over half an hour to get out of the bloody town !!
Once on the freeway, I let rip, doing 85 to 90 mph (around 140 kmh) and that got me some 600 kms through Wyoming and Montana. Again the staggering vastness of the US becomes abundantly clear to me. Rolling prairie as far as the eye can see. Beautiful colours of vegetation (green/yellow and browns) and various colours of soil. It is soo beautiful to see and I enjoy every meter of this trip. When I get to Columbus Montana (it is 5.30) it starts to rain and when I walk into the motel, the heavens open up and I am dry !!
I of course did a little bolter, screaming away from the group at 120 mph and was surprised Craig didn’t follow. Later I understood why as he pushed his bike into the gas station ;) He was running on vapour ;).
Then we came to the tearful goodbyes (don’t worry it is all captured on film) and I set of towards Yellowstone. Man is it hot and with soo many bikes going through Sturgis it took me over half an hour to get out of the bloody town !!
Once on the freeway, I let rip, doing 85 to 90 mph (around 140 kmh) and that got me some 600 kms through Wyoming and Montana. Again the staggering vastness of the US becomes abundantly clear to me. Rolling prairie as far as the eye can see. Beautiful colours of vegetation (green/yellow and browns) and various colours of soil. It is soo beautiful to see and I enjoy every meter of this trip. When I get to Columbus Montana (it is 5.30) it starts to rain and when I walk into the motel, the heavens open up and I am dry !!
4 August Sturgis gearing up
We woke up relatively early and saw that it is foggy and moist outside. Then it slowly started to clear up and we set of for Deadwood and Mount Rushmore. The campground is filling up as we move out. After we hit the road and worked our way through Sturgis, that is getting busier all the time J, we got to talk to Ashley, a local who knows a lot about the Sturgis Black Hills Rally history.
Later that night we met up with him and Pete, a Kiwi from New Plymouth of all places (as many of you know that is where Chevonne and I lived last year !!). Pete has lived in Bunburry WA and has mutual acquaintances with Craig, as does Ashley as they both worked there !! Talking about a small world ;)
Deadwood is great and has quite a history with Wild Bill Hickok and Calamity Jane. The town had a large fire in the 1800’s and a large part was rebuilt in stone, hence a lot of the old buildings are still there. The whole main street was of course completely filled with bikes and the sight of the bikes and bikers is awesome. So many different styles and many different types of people riding them.
I did notice some Japanese bikes (a lot of Goldwings of course) but we are still a very small minority. I do predict though that in the next 10 years the younger generation will be rolling in more and more Jap bikes. I did see a few of the faster ones, a Gixxer, ZX12 (the “smaller” brother of mine ;), R1’s, Fazers, Hayabusas etc. I even saw a few Ducs and Beamers. My mate Pete, from Milwaukee Wisconsin of all places !, is riding a RS 1200 G. A brave man riding a Beamer in the heart of Harley Davidson land ;)
From Deadwood, we headed for Mount Rushmore and on the way we met Annie and Christophe again. It was nice to see them again and catch up. They just came from Rushmore and were on their way to Deadwood. We met up with them at night in Sturgis before they start to make their way home.
When we were standing in the parking lot, talking to each other, rain started again. I put on my jacket while Craig shot off towards Mt. Rushmore and that was the last we saw of him till that evening. When the rain increased on the way up, I put on my rainpants as well. It got worse, as the drops grew bigger and bigger. When I got to Mount Rushmore and parked the bike in the undercover car park and let my gear dry, I couldn’t find Craig. The film crew, Lards and Macca did show up within approx. 5 mins of each other.
We went into the park and while we did, the weather cleared up. Gav got some great time lapse shots of the monument until the park rangers threw a spanner in the works. It seems that we need a permit to be allowed to film (commercially) in the park. So we canned the filming and got the paperwork to apply for a permit later.
On the way back we rode through Keystone, a nice little touristy town. We didn’t stay and cruised back to Sturgis in the most glorious weather. When we got back we didn’t hesitate for too long and set off into town. We met with Pete and Ashley, we got our T-shirts/caps and other souvenirs. I took a lot of pics in the main drag with all the bikes and people. Over time they will appear on my site : http://www.eusje.smugmug.com/
I also told the guys that I plan to leave Sturgis tomorrow. I am not able to join them for the rest of the trip as my flight leaves Sacramento on the 13th and I would like some time in San Francisco and need to get the bike shipment sorted (Todd has promised help so that should be fairly painless). I also want some time at Steven Young’s Vineyard, the Rock is calling my name !! This leaves me too little time to go to the Grand Canyon and Las Vegas.
Also I have seen both twice before, last in 2005 and since I am so close to Yellowstone (only 900 plus kms, only 300 while I am writing this) I decide to go to the one park that has eluded me on all my previous trips !! After Yellowstone I will go to Salt Lake City and the Bonneville Salt Flats !! Hope to be able to get onto the track where Burt Munro made history with his Indian (The World’s Fastest Indian with Anthony Hopkins, one of my favourite movies). I have seen neither before so I feel the need (for speed).
I will miss the group (and do while I am writing this) and have done my best to convince them to join me. Unfortunately they have the same issue, time is not enough and for them the Grand Canyon and Las Vegas are a first and I wouldn’t pass that by either !!!!
Later that night we met up with him and Pete, a Kiwi from New Plymouth of all places (as many of you know that is where Chevonne and I lived last year !!). Pete has lived in Bunburry WA and has mutual acquaintances with Craig, as does Ashley as they both worked there !! Talking about a small world ;)
Deadwood is great and has quite a history with Wild Bill Hickok and Calamity Jane. The town had a large fire in the 1800’s and a large part was rebuilt in stone, hence a lot of the old buildings are still there. The whole main street was of course completely filled with bikes and the sight of the bikes and bikers is awesome. So many different styles and many different types of people riding them.
I did notice some Japanese bikes (a lot of Goldwings of course) but we are still a very small minority. I do predict though that in the next 10 years the younger generation will be rolling in more and more Jap bikes. I did see a few of the faster ones, a Gixxer, ZX12 (the “smaller” brother of mine ;), R1’s, Fazers, Hayabusas etc. I even saw a few Ducs and Beamers. My mate Pete, from Milwaukee Wisconsin of all places !, is riding a RS 1200 G. A brave man riding a Beamer in the heart of Harley Davidson land ;)
From Deadwood, we headed for Mount Rushmore and on the way we met Annie and Christophe again. It was nice to see them again and catch up. They just came from Rushmore and were on their way to Deadwood. We met up with them at night in Sturgis before they start to make their way home.
When we were standing in the parking lot, talking to each other, rain started again. I put on my jacket while Craig shot off towards Mt. Rushmore and that was the last we saw of him till that evening. When the rain increased on the way up, I put on my rainpants as well. It got worse, as the drops grew bigger and bigger. When I got to Mount Rushmore and parked the bike in the undercover car park and let my gear dry, I couldn’t find Craig. The film crew, Lards and Macca did show up within approx. 5 mins of each other.
We went into the park and while we did, the weather cleared up. Gav got some great time lapse shots of the monument until the park rangers threw a spanner in the works. It seems that we need a permit to be allowed to film (commercially) in the park. So we canned the filming and got the paperwork to apply for a permit later.
On the way back we rode through Keystone, a nice little touristy town. We didn’t stay and cruised back to Sturgis in the most glorious weather. When we got back we didn’t hesitate for too long and set off into town. We met with Pete and Ashley, we got our T-shirts/caps and other souvenirs. I took a lot of pics in the main drag with all the bikes and people. Over time they will appear on my site : http://www.eusje.smugmug.com/
I also told the guys that I plan to leave Sturgis tomorrow. I am not able to join them for the rest of the trip as my flight leaves Sacramento on the 13th and I would like some time in San Francisco and need to get the bike shipment sorted (Todd has promised help so that should be fairly painless). I also want some time at Steven Young’s Vineyard, the Rock is calling my name !! This leaves me too little time to go to the Grand Canyon and Las Vegas.
Also I have seen both twice before, last in 2005 and since I am so close to Yellowstone (only 900 plus kms, only 300 while I am writing this) I decide to go to the one park that has eluded me on all my previous trips !! After Yellowstone I will go to Salt Lake City and the Bonneville Salt Flats !! Hope to be able to get onto the track where Burt Munro made history with his Indian (The World’s Fastest Indian with Anthony Hopkins, one of my favourite movies). I have seen neither before so I feel the need (for speed).
I will miss the group (and do while I am writing this) and have done my best to convince them to join me. Unfortunately they have the same issue, time is not enough and for them the Grand Canyon and Las Vegas are a first and I wouldn’t pass that by either !!!!
3 August 2007 Sturgis arrival
This morning it was pouring with rain, unbelievable the amount of rain that is falling. The Aussie bikers actually think it is cool to ride in the rain, they obviously haven’t done it as much as I did. As soon as they set of, the heavens open with a vengeance : Hollywood rain I would call it.
Once it dries out a bit, about 1 hour later, the film crew and I set of through the Badlands. It is awesome to see and we set up a camera on my mirror so the view in my mirror visor and the scenery around it make for a beautiful sight. After some filming we continue towards Rapid City SD and then the rain starts so the rain gear goes on. I end up needing it for a little bit during the ride.
When we arrive in Rapid City at the Harley dealer, there is a huge Sturgis event going on. Lots of market stalls selling this that and the other and when we see Craig we find that he had some “louder” mufflers installed on the Redneck II. We decide not to stay too long and head for Sturgis.
Riding into Sturgis we come across the hellfighters and the Ministry of Motorbikes and the Sons of Light people. They are very nice people and offer to bless our bikes. We also receive their prayers, plus some lemonade and the Hellfighters Search and Rescue Handbook. Basically the New Testament with stories of people that found the bible on their way to destruction and were saved.
Then we continued into Sturgis together with heaps of bikers, filming slowed down traffic a bit as usual but everyone seems to take it in their stride. There are so many bikes around already and more are pouring in over the weekend. Getting to the Buffalo Chip campground we found out that something has gone wrong with the reservation. So we book open spots they still have and set up camp, to find out much later that we are at the wrong campground !!!!!
After set up of the tents we go into Sturgis to do some filming and it is amazing, the cameras can continue rolling because there I always something happening. I keep snapping one photo after another until I run out of battery. There is soo much to see, including the staggering amount of police. Apparently they come from all over the area up to 100 miles from Sturgis. They are a bi secretive about their numbers but I estimate that there are hundreds on foot patrol at any point in time, including the dozens of cars.
Then it starts to rain, no sorry then it starts to come down in oceanloads !!! I have never ever seen soo much rain come down and water is pouring down the street like it is a river. We are in the car and the wipers can not keep up with it at highest speed and the car travelling very slowly. We see bikers riding around trying to shield their eyes as the rain just hammers into them. The rain lasts for about 45 mins and we fear for our tents, despite the fact that they are on a hill. Our fears are unnecessary, the tents are in perfect shape and dry, lucky us.
Once everyone is back, we decide to go to the Arena in the center of the campground. After some drinks there, Craig going online to find out we are at the wrong campground, we set of back into town. After a few drinks at the Oasis where the karaoke is very popular (and some of the singers are really good as well) we return to the campground for a short night of sleep.
Once it dries out a bit, about 1 hour later, the film crew and I set of through the Badlands. It is awesome to see and we set up a camera on my mirror so the view in my mirror visor and the scenery around it make for a beautiful sight. After some filming we continue towards Rapid City SD and then the rain starts so the rain gear goes on. I end up needing it for a little bit during the ride.
When we arrive in Rapid City at the Harley dealer, there is a huge Sturgis event going on. Lots of market stalls selling this that and the other and when we see Craig we find that he had some “louder” mufflers installed on the Redneck II. We decide not to stay too long and head for Sturgis.
Riding into Sturgis we come across the hellfighters and the Ministry of Motorbikes and the Sons of Light people. They are very nice people and offer to bless our bikes. We also receive their prayers, plus some lemonade and the Hellfighters Search and Rescue Handbook. Basically the New Testament with stories of people that found the bible on their way to destruction and were saved.
Then we continued into Sturgis together with heaps of bikers, filming slowed down traffic a bit as usual but everyone seems to take it in their stride. There are so many bikes around already and more are pouring in over the weekend. Getting to the Buffalo Chip campground we found out that something has gone wrong with the reservation. So we book open spots they still have and set up camp, to find out much later that we are at the wrong campground !!!!!
After set up of the tents we go into Sturgis to do some filming and it is amazing, the cameras can continue rolling because there I always something happening. I keep snapping one photo after another until I run out of battery. There is soo much to see, including the staggering amount of police. Apparently they come from all over the area up to 100 miles from Sturgis. They are a bi secretive about their numbers but I estimate that there are hundreds on foot patrol at any point in time, including the dozens of cars.
Then it starts to rain, no sorry then it starts to come down in oceanloads !!! I have never ever seen soo much rain come down and water is pouring down the street like it is a river. We are in the car and the wipers can not keep up with it at highest speed and the car travelling very slowly. We see bikers riding around trying to shield their eyes as the rain just hammers into them. The rain lasts for about 45 mins and we fear for our tents, despite the fact that they are on a hill. Our fears are unnecessary, the tents are in perfect shape and dry, lucky us.
Once everyone is back, we decide to go to the Arena in the center of the campground. After some drinks there, Craig going online to find out we are at the wrong campground, we set of back into town. After a few drinks at the Oasis where the karaoke is very popular (and some of the singers are really good as well) we return to the campground for a short night of sleep.
2 August 2007 Valentine
The weather was much better in the morning, sunny and nice temperature. After filling up the bikes we set of towards Valentine and arrived there just after lunch. On the way we stopped in a surreal little town, Johnstown NE, that still has some old building, a bank, drugstore etc.
The L-Bow Room, run by Ruth and her husband, is the “centre” of activity in town and she gave us all the history of Johnstown. After promising that we would send a postcard from home to let her know we arrived home safely, we continued on our way.
Just before we got to Valentine we ran into a beautiful old railway bridge across the Niobarra river (sounds almost Aboriginal that name ;). The bridge was converted into a footpath and we decided that it was perfect for a motorbike path as well. So we did some filming of that before we continued towards Valentine. The sights from the footpath are awesome.
When we got to Valentine we disrupted traffic quite a bit with our filming the riding down the main street. Luckily the view of the camera makes people very forgiving about those sort of things. We had lunch in a classic American style restaurant, flowery carpet on the floor, fluorescent lighting, American flags on the cheap plastic tables, brilliant !! The service was excellent, fast and friendly and the food was typical heartland America food.
As it was still early we decided to take the scenic route and ended up in Interior in the Badlands. A beautifully desolate area in South Dakota that is normally very hot but right now it is only 25 degrees C. We’re staying in the only motel in interior that overlooks some of the mountain ranges of the Badlands, a gorgeous sight.
The L-Bow Room, run by Ruth and her husband, is the “centre” of activity in town and she gave us all the history of Johnstown. After promising that we would send a postcard from home to let her know we arrived home safely, we continued on our way.
Just before we got to Valentine we ran into a beautiful old railway bridge across the Niobarra river (sounds almost Aboriginal that name ;). The bridge was converted into a footpath and we decided that it was perfect for a motorbike path as well. So we did some filming of that before we continued towards Valentine. The sights from the footpath are awesome.
When we got to Valentine we disrupted traffic quite a bit with our filming the riding down the main street. Luckily the view of the camera makes people very forgiving about those sort of things. We had lunch in a classic American style restaurant, flowery carpet on the floor, fluorescent lighting, American flags on the cheap plastic tables, brilliant !! The service was excellent, fast and friendly and the food was typical heartland America food.
As it was still early we decided to take the scenic route and ended up in Interior in the Badlands. A beautifully desolate area in South Dakota that is normally very hot but right now it is only 25 degrees C. We’re staying in the only motel in interior that overlooks some of the mountain ranges of the Badlands, a gorgeous sight.
1 August 2007
The surprise this morning was Lards being dropped of to the motel this morning by two nice looking Air Force girls in a black Mustang convertible. He had a good night I would think ;). It did delay our departure a bit but we weren’t in much of a hurry anyway. After a short stop at Starbuck and filling up with petrol we went towards Sturgis.
A short stop at the Harley dealer (I got Molly a nice Harley toy to destroy ;) we kept going and by lunchtime we were in Hooper. There we had a great time, filming in the main street and getting pulled over by the police ;). Lunch at the Iron Horse Saloon was nice and the 1 meter diameter pizza I had was great (they ran out of medium pizzas).
Then we ran into thunderstorms so Lards and I (we were ahead of the group to arrange a place to stay), ran into the first showers and they were BAD. Luckily we were close to O’Neill so we were “dry” within a few minutes !! Still a lot of gear was very wet. Tomorrow we will be going towards Sturgis again, hopefully in better weather ;)
A short stop at the Harley dealer (I got Molly a nice Harley toy to destroy ;) we kept going and by lunchtime we were in Hooper. There we had a great time, filming in the main street and getting pulled over by the police ;). Lunch at the Iron Horse Saloon was nice and the 1 meter diameter pizza I had was great (they ran out of medium pizzas).
Then we ran into thunderstorms so Lards and I (we were ahead of the group to arrange a place to stay), ran into the first showers and they were BAD. Luckily we were close to O’Neill so we were “dry” within a few minutes !! Still a lot of gear was very wet. Tomorrow we will be going towards Sturgis again, hopefully in better weather ;)
31 July 2007 Topeka departure
The weather looked pretty shitty in the morning, overcast and about ready to rain. Luckily hardly any rain fell throughout the day. In the afternoon it actually cleared up and became very nice.
In the morning we went to the Topeka Harley shop to get some stickers and badges but more important, to have a look at the little museum beneath the actual shop. It had quite a few really old and older Harleys. My favourites are the two WW2 ones, the purpose built style of the bikes is so nice to look at and the simple straightforward engineering for nothing more then doing a job is what got Harley started well.
I will never be a Harley fan as I think they are more a marketing success in marketing an image instead of a good motorbike. I do think that the background of the Harley Davidson is something to be proud of, unfortunately they didn’t really do well in improving the bikes to keep them up to date. Anyway, that is my opinion and the reason why I prefer Japanese bikes over any others. Although BMW is definitely trying their best to keep up with the Japanese ;)
Before we walked through the museum, we had coffee in the Eagles Nest. There we bumped into some very nice people that gave us plenty of tips and good stories. Also the Eagles nest cook showed his pride and joy, smoked tender meat. The whole crew (but me) loved it. A very passionate man when it comes to cooking.
After that we went to the go-kart track to see if we could go for a ride but unfortunately the weather and a late start made it unlikely that we would get to ride. So we switched to the back-up plan, the indoor gun range. Thanks to Greg Escobar we had all the info to get to the range. Once I was able (thanks to my friend at the Eagles Nest) to decrypt Craig’s notes and punched the address in the TomTom it was a breeze to get there. We got there without a hitch and were set up with some BIG guns.
Lards, Crackles and myself were shooting .44 Magnum, Macca had a .357 Magnum and Christophe and Annie were using .45 and 9 mm Glocks. The target was a Dog the Bounty Hunter type on a large sheet of paper. I was so lucky that the owner had a beautiful .44 S&W with scope on it, to compensate for my “funny” eyes ;). The shooting was great, I haven’t shot since I left NZ in April. Huggie, I did try to teach those Ozzies a bit of proper shooting but they were all over the bloody target, Damn West Islanders ;)
Macca did end up winning our little competition, with a single shot on the “Deck of Cards” target. He was the only one that actually hit his “Card”. He will collect his price later this week.
After the shooting we started riding on the 75 North towards Nebraska. We had lunch on the way in a place called Café Trail in Holton Nebraska. A very good lunch and some interesting sayings on the wall that clearly show that the place is female run ;)
The landscape changed to rolling hills covered with mainly corn fields. It is incredible how vast this country is for someone from Holland. Despite the fact that I spend a lot of time in the US and Australia, I can still be amazed by the sheer vastness of it.
On our way we rode through a little town called Dawson (209 inhabitants) and the film crew and myself did a bit of filming there while the rest continued on their way. Hopefully we can get some nice footage out of that little detour.
We ended up in Omaha in another Super 8 motel where I got my first run of the trip done, finally !! Dinner was at the Outback Steakhouse, very nice and very funny how they try to make it look Australian. Unfortunately not everything is spelled correctly: it is she-la not Sheila ;).
In the morning we went to the Topeka Harley shop to get some stickers and badges but more important, to have a look at the little museum beneath the actual shop. It had quite a few really old and older Harleys. My favourites are the two WW2 ones, the purpose built style of the bikes is so nice to look at and the simple straightforward engineering for nothing more then doing a job is what got Harley started well.
I will never be a Harley fan as I think they are more a marketing success in marketing an image instead of a good motorbike. I do think that the background of the Harley Davidson is something to be proud of, unfortunately they didn’t really do well in improving the bikes to keep them up to date. Anyway, that is my opinion and the reason why I prefer Japanese bikes over any others. Although BMW is definitely trying their best to keep up with the Japanese ;)
Before we walked through the museum, we had coffee in the Eagles Nest. There we bumped into some very nice people that gave us plenty of tips and good stories. Also the Eagles nest cook showed his pride and joy, smoked tender meat. The whole crew (but me) loved it. A very passionate man when it comes to cooking.
After that we went to the go-kart track to see if we could go for a ride but unfortunately the weather and a late start made it unlikely that we would get to ride. So we switched to the back-up plan, the indoor gun range. Thanks to Greg Escobar we had all the info to get to the range. Once I was able (thanks to my friend at the Eagles Nest) to decrypt Craig’s notes and punched the address in the TomTom it was a breeze to get there. We got there without a hitch and were set up with some BIG guns.
Lards, Crackles and myself were shooting .44 Magnum, Macca had a .357 Magnum and Christophe and Annie were using .45 and 9 mm Glocks. The target was a Dog the Bounty Hunter type on a large sheet of paper. I was so lucky that the owner had a beautiful .44 S&W with scope on it, to compensate for my “funny” eyes ;). The shooting was great, I haven’t shot since I left NZ in April. Huggie, I did try to teach those Ozzies a bit of proper shooting but they were all over the bloody target, Damn West Islanders ;)
Macca did end up winning our little competition, with a single shot on the “Deck of Cards” target. He was the only one that actually hit his “Card”. He will collect his price later this week.
After the shooting we started riding on the 75 North towards Nebraska. We had lunch on the way in a place called Café Trail in Holton Nebraska. A very good lunch and some interesting sayings on the wall that clearly show that the place is female run ;)
The landscape changed to rolling hills covered with mainly corn fields. It is incredible how vast this country is for someone from Holland. Despite the fact that I spend a lot of time in the US and Australia, I can still be amazed by the sheer vastness of it.
On our way we rode through a little town called Dawson (209 inhabitants) and the film crew and myself did a bit of filming there while the rest continued on their way. Hopefully we can get some nice footage out of that little detour.
We ended up in Omaha in another Super 8 motel where I got my first run of the trip done, finally !! Dinner was at the Outback Steakhouse, very nice and very funny how they try to make it look Australian. Unfortunately not everything is spelled correctly: it is she-la not Sheila ;).
Monday, July 30, 2007
30 July Topeka Kansas
This morning we took it easy again. We split up into three groups, the film crew to get some gear, Craig and Macca went somewhere else to get some gear as well and Lards and myself went to get Lards some camping gear. We ended up at the Kansas Speedway to find out if we could get a NASCAR or Indycar racing day going. Unfortunately we later found out (Craig had made the same stop earlier ;) that they won’t re-open till 3 August.
After all the shopping we made our way towards Topeka via the beautiful back roads of Kansas. Amongst others we rode through Lawrence KS and had some very nice ice cream (Cold Slab Creamery) and coffee (Starbucks) as breakie ;)
Lards and I did ride through Topeka and had a good look at the Capitol building in the centre, very nice.
The search for motels ended up in a minor split in the group this time, we only lost the camera crew. They eventually found the motel although they reckoned that Craigs directions weren’t the best in the world ;) Later that day Christophe said something similar, also after Craig tried to guide him to the motel ;) ! Yes, Christophe and Annie finally joined the group. They left Houston on Saturday and went almost straight North to meet us here. In the next days we will hear more details of their trip.
Before Christophe and Annie arrived we finally got a chance to do the interviews. The boys interviewed each of us to find out what we thought of the various bits of the tour sofar. By the sound of it they were very happy with the result ;).
Upon the question whether I thought the filming has a negative effect on the trip, I had to admit the waiting for set up of the camera in the heat can be annoying but the positive effects are better. It “forces” me to see more of the surroundings and think about what we are doing then I would normally do on a trip.
I am also doing the interviews in Dutch, in case the documentary ever makes it to the Netherlands ;).
When we returned from the interviews, a State Trooper : Greg Escobar was working in the parking lot, checking trucks. We got talking to him and it ended up being a long “interview” with him that was filmed as well. He was very nice, very focussed, polite, smart, well trained and sharp as a knife.
The evening was concluded with dinner at Hooters ;)
After all the shopping we made our way towards Topeka via the beautiful back roads of Kansas. Amongst others we rode through Lawrence KS and had some very nice ice cream (Cold Slab Creamery) and coffee (Starbucks) as breakie ;)
Lards and I did ride through Topeka and had a good look at the Capitol building in the centre, very nice.
The search for motels ended up in a minor split in the group this time, we only lost the camera crew. They eventually found the motel although they reckoned that Craigs directions weren’t the best in the world ;) Later that day Christophe said something similar, also after Craig tried to guide him to the motel ;) ! Yes, Christophe and Annie finally joined the group. They left Houston on Saturday and went almost straight North to meet us here. In the next days we will hear more details of their trip.
Before Christophe and Annie arrived we finally got a chance to do the interviews. The boys interviewed each of us to find out what we thought of the various bits of the tour sofar. By the sound of it they were very happy with the result ;).
Upon the question whether I thought the filming has a negative effect on the trip, I had to admit the waiting for set up of the camera in the heat can be annoying but the positive effects are better. It “forces” me to see more of the surroundings and think about what we are doing then I would normally do on a trip.
I am also doing the interviews in Dutch, in case the documentary ever makes it to the Netherlands ;).
When we returned from the interviews, a State Trooper : Greg Escobar was working in the parking lot, checking trucks. We got talking to him and it ended up being a long “interview” with him that was filmed as well. He was very nice, very focussed, polite, smart, well trained and sharp as a knife.
The evening was concluded with dinner at Hooters ;)
29 July 2007 Sedalia and Kansas City
The day started relatively uneventful as we set of towards Kansas City MO (Missouri). The landscape is slowly turning into the archetypical flat Midwest USA. The weather is warm and dry with little wind. We first went to the river just outside Steelville to film riding across the old 1930 bridge. After that Craig and Lards tried to play choo choo train with the Harleys, a not so successful venture ;). 
On our way towards Kansas City we rode through a little town called Sedalia. Turning into Ohio Street to do some filming we found the most surreal scenery. About 90 percent of the old buildings were empty. It looked almost like a horror movie in which almost everyone died of some horrible disease or a nuclear bomb had made the town radioactive.
After filming we went to Starbucks for coffee upon which I decided to return to take some photos of the “deserted” town. Once done, after some 20/30 minutes, I returned to Starbucks to find the rest gone. As agreed I headed to the rendezvous point (riding fairly quickly) to find no one there either.
So I called the film crew and they gave me their location in Kansas City. Before I set of a friendly police woman stopped to check whether I had bike trouble and whether she could help. When she left, a ute almost crashed into her (she wasn’t looking to well) but the driver still had to pull over and got a talking to.
I headed of to meet the boys and on my way there I saw Macca race by, going in the wrong direction. When I got there, I found out the rest was still scattered all over town. Then Craig called, and he wasn’t a happy camper to say it lightly. He had been waiting for Macca for an hour and Macca never showed up. In the mean time I tried to talk Lards towards us, without success but he did leave his location with us. Once that was set in the Tom Tom we decided to pick him up when Macca finally showed up.
When he did we set of towards Lards and the 5 of us headed towards the motel that Craig had found just outside town. A lot of talking and emptying a margarita bottle helped in settling things ;) Plans for tomorrow are……………….tomorrow.
On our way towards Kansas City we rode through a little town called Sedalia. Turning into Ohio Street to do some filming we found the most surreal scenery. About 90 percent of the old buildings were empty. It looked almost like a horror movie in which almost everyone died of some horrible disease or a nuclear bomb had made the town radioactive.
After filming we went to Starbucks for coffee upon which I decided to return to take some photos of the “deserted” town. Once done, after some 20/30 minutes, I returned to Starbucks to find the rest gone. As agreed I headed to the rendezvous point (riding fairly quickly) to find no one there either.
So I called the film crew and they gave me their location in Kansas City. Before I set of a friendly police woman stopped to check whether I had bike trouble and whether she could help. When she left, a ute almost crashed into her (she wasn’t looking to well) but the driver still had to pull over and got a talking to.
I headed of to meet the boys and on my way there I saw Macca race by, going in the wrong direction. When I got there, I found out the rest was still scattered all over town. Then Craig called, and he wasn’t a happy camper to say it lightly. He had been waiting for Macca for an hour and Macca never showed up. In the mean time I tried to talk Lards towards us, without success but he did leave his location with us. Once that was set in the Tom Tom we decided to pick him up when Macca finally showed up.
When he did we set of towards Lards and the 5 of us headed towards the motel that Craig had found just outside town. A lot of talking and emptying a margarita bottle helped in settling things ;) Plans for tomorrow are……………….tomorrow.
28 July 2007 The Ozarks
Leaving Kennet (the birthplace of Sheryl Crowe) was time consuming as usual but once on our way we made good time. Craig found an Eski/cooler yesterday and after filling it with ice we were ensured of cold drinks all day !! I also filled my “camelback” with ice and that gave me cold water all morning.
We continued our way along the 412 West towards the Ozarks. We agreed that we would turn off the 412 as soon as we saw the 63. When we did, Craig insisted on continuing along the 412 until we went onto the 63 North. Initially we convinced him to stick to the agreement but then things went pearshaped. Almost immediately after I found the perfect Ninja magnet (a beautiful sweeping righthander that was begging for a high speed lean to the right) he decided to return to prove his point. Again plenty of confusion of course and we ended up travelling in two groups for a bit.
After our stop (filmcrew, Macca and myself) in Imboden (Immodium ?;) at the Confederate Trade Post where we stocked up on some confederate flag items and did some filming we set off again. Not too much later, Craig and Lards caught up with us and we kept moving North.
After a very expensive lunch at the State Line restaurant (border of Arkansas and Missouri) we went into the Ozarks. Alas it started pouring with rain so no nice shots or high speed curves. When I caught up with Macca (who went ahead because he still sticks to the speed limits ;), the boys were hooning on the humpback road ;), the weather cleared up.
Then the riding really began and the full beauty of the Ozark road 19 came out. The Ninja was finally in its perfect environment, long sweeping road, dry, good viz and ready to go. I just had a blast letting her slide through the curves using countersteering. I took it fairly easy and that made it soooooooo nice.
Lards and Craig were following me and they scraped the pegs like nobody’s business while the Ninja pegs stayed miles from the surface. Just sweeping her around the curves was biker heaven.
We ended our trip in Steelville doing some more filming, amongst others in the West End Tavern. There we were told that Hillary (Clinton) is going to be the new President and we confirmed that there are really kangaroos in Australia. No they are not there for the movies only. And yes Australia has deserts and camels as well. Very big deserts actually, how amazing ;).
We then went to the rafting co. campground just outside town and are heading for Kansas City (we ain’t in Kansas yet Toto). We are going to use our tried and tested way of finding the route, just turn when anyone feels like it. It has gotten us this far so it will serve us well for the rest of the trip I reckon ;)
We continued our way along the 412 West towards the Ozarks. We agreed that we would turn off the 412 as soon as we saw the 63. When we did, Craig insisted on continuing along the 412 until we went onto the 63 North. Initially we convinced him to stick to the agreement but then things went pearshaped. Almost immediately after I found the perfect Ninja magnet (a beautiful sweeping righthander that was begging for a high speed lean to the right) he decided to return to prove his point. Again plenty of confusion of course and we ended up travelling in two groups for a bit.
After our stop (filmcrew, Macca and myself) in Imboden (Immodium ?;) at the Confederate Trade Post where we stocked up on some confederate flag items and did some filming we set off again. Not too much later, Craig and Lards caught up with us and we kept moving North.
After a very expensive lunch at the State Line restaurant (border of Arkansas and Missouri) we went into the Ozarks. Alas it started pouring with rain so no nice shots or high speed curves. When I caught up with Macca (who went ahead because he still sticks to the speed limits ;), the boys were hooning on the humpback road ;), the weather cleared up.
Then the riding really began and the full beauty of the Ozark road 19 came out. The Ninja was finally in its perfect environment, long sweeping road, dry, good viz and ready to go. I just had a blast letting her slide through the curves using countersteering. I took it fairly easy and that made it soooooooo nice.
Lards and Craig were following me and they scraped the pegs like nobody’s business while the Ninja pegs stayed miles from the surface. Just sweeping her around the curves was biker heaven.
We ended our trip in Steelville doing some more filming, amongst others in the West End Tavern. There we were told that Hillary (Clinton) is going to be the new President and we confirmed that there are really kangaroos in Australia. No they are not there for the movies only. And yes Australia has deserts and camels as well. Very big deserts actually, how amazing ;).
We then went to the rafting co. campground just outside town and are heading for Kansas City (we ain’t in Kansas yet Toto). We are going to use our tried and tested way of finding the route, just turn when anyone feels like it. It has gotten us this far so it will serve us well for the rest of the trip I reckon ;)
27 July 2007 From Lynchburg to Kennet
Another glorious day in Tennessee, the weather looks a bit cloudy but soon clears up. It did take some time to get hold of Lards and Macca as they had a good night out. Looking a bit “fuzzy” Lards was the last to show up. Unfortunately poor J.D. (James David) “Punkin” Porter and his mate George were waiting for us at the BP station near Punkins house.
We set of in three groups, the camera crew going ahead to film meeting Punkin and George, Macca and myself, closely followed by Craig and Lards. Only Macca and myself made it there in one go, based on the directions Craig gave us. The others (including Crackles) managed to get themselves lost AGAIN ;) Note, I did NOT use the GPS (it was still in my bag ;)
Anyway, meeting Punkin and George was nice and we bumped in to some interesting people at the gas station. One guy claimed his grandfather was a local minister of church that got the financing of the Mount Rushmore monument going !!! Nice story and lots of advice on where to go and where not to go!
Once we finally got onto the road it turned out to be an awesome trip, the East Tennessee country side is beautiful with its green rolling hills and curvy roads. A few little detours for the camera (Punkin is a very good guide, so we didn’t get lost once ;) and we kept progressing well.
Temperature wise it was another sweltering hot day but also incredibly beautiful. Crossing the Tennessee river was a beautiful sight, followed by a nice lunch in a small roadside fish restaurant with the largest catfish (meervallen) I have ever seen. They were basking in the sun in a shallow, tiny little pond. They didn’t seem to be to bothered with the size of their dwelling ;)
Once back on the road we continued going northwest and finally had to say goodbye to Punkin and George. While they headed back towards Nashville, we continued riding towards Missouri. Crossing the Mississippi river into Missouri was a beautiful sight.
We’re now in the flat flat flat Missouri fields (almost feels like being in Holland ;) and staying the night in Kennet. Tomorrow we will go into the Ozarks, I’m looking forward to that as it has lots and lots of curves.
We set of in three groups, the camera crew going ahead to film meeting Punkin and George, Macca and myself, closely followed by Craig and Lards. Only Macca and myself made it there in one go, based on the directions Craig gave us. The others (including Crackles) managed to get themselves lost AGAIN ;) Note, I did NOT use the GPS (it was still in my bag ;)
Anyway, meeting Punkin and George was nice and we bumped in to some interesting people at the gas station. One guy claimed his grandfather was a local minister of church that got the financing of the Mount Rushmore monument going !!! Nice story and lots of advice on where to go and where not to go!
Once we finally got onto the road it turned out to be an awesome trip, the East Tennessee country side is beautiful with its green rolling hills and curvy roads. A few little detours for the camera (Punkin is a very good guide, so we didn’t get lost once ;) and we kept progressing well.
Temperature wise it was another sweltering hot day but also incredibly beautiful. Crossing the Tennessee river was a beautiful sight, followed by a nice lunch in a small roadside fish restaurant with the largest catfish (meervallen) I have ever seen. They were basking in the sun in a shallow, tiny little pond. They didn’t seem to be to bothered with the size of their dwelling ;)
Once back on the road we continued going northwest and finally had to say goodbye to Punkin and George. While they headed back towards Nashville, we continued riding towards Missouri. Crossing the Mississippi river into Missouri was a beautiful sight.
We’re now in the flat flat flat Missouri fields (almost feels like being in Holland ;) and staying the night in Kennet. Tomorrow we will go into the Ozarks, I’m looking forward to that as it has lots and lots of curves.
Thursday, July 26, 2007
26 July 2007 Jack Daniels and Nashville
What a glorious day again in the beautiful little town Lynchburg Tennessee. We got up “late” as we only needed to ride for 2 minutes to get to the Jack Daniels Distillery by 9 for our tour. Craig had arranged for a tour for just us to allow for plenty of time and opportunity for filming. The Jack Daniels people were only too happy to oblige and thankfully so.
William, our tour guide, did an excellent job in guiding us through the distillery. I have never found a tour guide that had an answer to any question we could think of and the answers were delivered with a beautiful Tennessee accent (sorry guys, I know you thought we were the ones with the accent ;). Great sense of humour as well, thanks mate !!
The tour itself is too elaborate to describe and worth every minute of it, I definitely recommend it, even for teetotallers ;)
After that we headed for Nashville through the beautiful countryside. Craig, again, did his best to confuse us by changing direction several times but we made it. On the way we met up with Punkin Potter, a very nice guy Craig met on an earlier trip. Punkin took us to and into Nashville and proved an excellent tour guide as well !
After a short stop at the Harley dealer, Craigs bike needed a service, we went into town to listen to some live country music in Tootsie. The band was great and the scenery very “interesting”;) Since Craig decided to “have a few” I was handed the keys to his most priced possession, the Redneck II, to take it back to the hotel. It was a different experience I have to say, not entirely unpleasant, especially if you like sitting on a BIG vibrator (ladies you will love
it ;). I still prefer the Ninja, as they say, each to his own ;)
William, our tour guide, did an excellent job in guiding us through the distillery. I have never found a tour guide that had an answer to any question we could think of and the answers were delivered with a beautiful Tennessee accent (sorry guys, I know you thought we were the ones with the accent ;). Great sense of humour as well, thanks mate !!
The tour itself is too elaborate to describe and worth every minute of it, I definitely recommend it, even for teetotallers ;)
After that we headed for Nashville through the beautiful countryside. Craig, again, did his best to confuse us by changing direction several times but we made it. On the way we met up with Punkin Potter, a very nice guy Craig met on an earlier trip. Punkin took us to and into Nashville and proved an excellent tour guide as well !
After a short stop at the Harley dealer, Craigs bike needed a service, we went into town to listen to some live country music in Tootsie. The band was great and the scenery very “interesting”;) Since Craig decided to “have a few” I was handed the keys to his most priced possession, the Redneck II, to take it back to the hotel. It was a different experience I have to say, not entirely unpleasant, especially if you like sitting on a BIG vibrator (ladies you will love
it ;). I still prefer the Ninja, as they say, each to his own ;)
25 July 2007 heading for Jack D
I got up around 8 and got my gear ready, got gas and went to the freeway entrance at a good viewing point so I could see the boys. I called them to explain where I was and it work fairly well. Lards was the first to arrive but he shot off to go and get an Eski (or cooler) while the film crew came and did some more filming. Finally Craig and Macca arrived after which Macca set of to gain some headstart.
Macca is taking it easy with his older bike and does around 65 miles per hour, while we (like the rest of the traffic) do 80 and sometimes 90 miles per hour. Every now and then I have to open up to 100/110 mph (160/170 km/h) to catch up after getting caught in traffic.
It is pretty busy on the roads here but traffic is not as bad as in Houston. Traffic has gotten a lot more aggressive and dangerous compared to when I came to the US for the first time, 20 years ago. People are not as polite as they were and most dangerous are the women on the phone while driving. They are soo distracted that they drive through red lights, don’t indicate, don’t yield or wait in front of green traffic lights……. And EVERYONE seems to be on the bloody phone here.
Today we did a lot of riding, some 440 miles to Lynchburg Tennessee. We also had the first rain on the ride and the temperature has dropped a bit. Lards and myself rode through a 30 second shower that caused a car to spin off the road right in front of Lards. I couldn’t even see it because of the spray !!! And after 30 secs everything was dryzabone……… Very strange.
The last half hour of my trip (we got separated again) I had some rain and had to put the rain gear on, after which it dried up of course ;). Later I found out the guys stopped at the rocket factory in Huntsville. Since I didn’t know about those plans, I continued and my Tom Tom again did its work perfectly, getting me into Lynchburg around 5. This allowed me to secure the last rooms in the Country Inn, the only motel here. After a refreshing shower, I kicked back and waited for the guys to arrive. A Subway dinner and diary update. Unfortunately still no internet in the motel so no chance to look at emails or update the blog ;)
Macca is taking it easy with his older bike and does around 65 miles per hour, while we (like the rest of the traffic) do 80 and sometimes 90 miles per hour. Every now and then I have to open up to 100/110 mph (160/170 km/h) to catch up after getting caught in traffic.
It is pretty busy on the roads here but traffic is not as bad as in Houston. Traffic has gotten a lot more aggressive and dangerous compared to when I came to the US for the first time, 20 years ago. People are not as polite as they were and most dangerous are the women on the phone while driving. They are soo distracted that they drive through red lights, don’t indicate, don’t yield or wait in front of green traffic lights……. And EVERYONE seems to be on the bloody phone here.
Today we did a lot of riding, some 440 miles to Lynchburg Tennessee. We also had the first rain on the ride and the temperature has dropped a bit. Lards and myself rode through a 30 second shower that caused a car to spin off the road right in front of Lards. I couldn’t even see it because of the spray !!! And after 30 secs everything was dryzabone……… Very strange.
The last half hour of my trip (we got separated again) I had some rain and had to put the rain gear on, after which it dried up of course ;). Later I found out the guys stopped at the rocket factory in Huntsville. Since I didn’t know about those plans, I continued and my Tom Tom again did its work perfectly, getting me into Lynchburg around 5. This allowed me to secure the last rooms in the Country Inn, the only motel here. After a refreshing shower, I kicked back and waited for the guys to arrive. A Subway dinner and diary update. Unfortunately still no internet in the motel so no chance to look at emails or update the blog ;)
24 July 2007 New Orleans
After a quick breakie at IHOP we were on the road again, on our way to New Orleans. Temperatures were still very high and the sun was out all day. Entering Louisiana the road surface improved vastly compared to Texas !! So much nicer to ride on and soo much safer as well.
The I10 route is not the most interesting one but the few 30/40 meter high bridges offer awesome views of the wetlands. Also the elevated roads, 3 meter above waterlevel are a beautiful site. Just think of the work required to install all those piles !!
I decided to speed up a bit doing speeds of around 140 km/h, the bike just zooms along like it is
nothing. Soo smooth, soo powerful and soooooo nice to ride. I arrived in New Orleans just a little after noon and after some riding around I decided to go to Bourbon Street and wait for the rest. Very interesting time there seeing life go by such as the poor drunk black guy that made a nuisance of himself and got arrested. A long talk with one of the shop owners about US/world politics ;)
Finally the guys arrived and made for a great entrance into Bourbon Street, after which we did another few rounds around the block for the film crew.
Then we moved to the French Market area and I took some nice pics of the church and park while we were waiting for the film crew finding their way through the twisty New Orleans streets ;) 
After New Orleans, we went for a Harley dealer in Slidell. Craig knew exactly where it was and we only needed to follow him. After taking the wrong turn twice in 100 meters, we ended up needing to go through the dirt ;) Well that is good and well for Harleys but not for my beautiful lady in blue. So I shot up the freeway and turned at the next exit to return in no time.
After filming us passing the Mississippi sign, we got split up because I needed a new charger. So to save time I opened the throttle a bit further (150 km/h in seconds ;) and shot of to the shopping centre area. After checking various stores (no luck) I started looking for the other. Alas, a change of plans I wasn’t informed of and dead comms of our big boss meant that I had to go look for the boys.
Assuming they decided to head further north as originally agreed I set of to see if I could catch up. Doing 160 km/h I was hoping to catch up soon but after some 100 km it was getting dark and I decided to go off the freeway and find a motel (I tried every motel in the 100 km already but they weren’t there). I finally got hold of them, remember there was no calling, to find out they were in a motel near where I did my shopping. Macca had been put on the lookout for me but never saw me (light speed Kawa ??).
Anyway, this proves that retirement has done its damaging work on Craig ;) Procedure change without informing all team members (most importantly the engineer ;), no comms (due to dead battery) and no use of the other available comms and putting a spotter at the wrong location !!!! Brett, this boy clearly needs some re-education by you mate, good luck on Kupe ;)
Anyway, I did have a nice and quiet night without any snoring J!!!
The I10 route is not the most interesting one but the few 30/40 meter high bridges offer awesome views of the wetlands. Also the elevated roads, 3 meter above waterlevel are a beautiful site. Just think of the work required to install all those piles !!
I decided to speed up a bit doing speeds of around 140 km/h, the bike just zooms along like it is
nothing. Soo smooth, soo powerful and soooooo nice to ride. I arrived in New Orleans just a little after noon and after some riding around I decided to go to Bourbon Street and wait for the rest. Very interesting time there seeing life go by such as the poor drunk black guy that made a nuisance of himself and got arrested. A long talk with one of the shop owners about US/world politics ;) Finally the guys arrived and made for a great entrance into Bourbon Street, after which we did another few rounds around the block for the film crew.
Then we moved to the French Market area and I took some nice pics of the church and park while we were waiting for the film crew finding their way through the twisty New Orleans streets ;) 
After New Orleans, we went for a Harley dealer in Slidell. Craig knew exactly where it was and we only needed to follow him. After taking the wrong turn twice in 100 meters, we ended up needing to go through the dirt ;) Well that is good and well for Harleys but not for my beautiful lady in blue. So I shot up the freeway and turned at the next exit to return in no time.
After filming us passing the Mississippi sign, we got split up because I needed a new charger. So to save time I opened the throttle a bit further (150 km/h in seconds ;) and shot of to the shopping centre area. After checking various stores (no luck) I started looking for the other. Alas, a change of plans I wasn’t informed of and dead comms of our big boss meant that I had to go look for the boys.
Assuming they decided to head further north as originally agreed I set of to see if I could catch up. Doing 160 km/h I was hoping to catch up soon but after some 100 km it was getting dark and I decided to go off the freeway and find a motel (I tried every motel in the 100 km already but they weren’t there). I finally got hold of them, remember there was no calling, to find out they were in a motel near where I did my shopping. Macca had been put on the lookout for me but never saw me (light speed Kawa ??).
Anyway, this proves that retirement has done its damaging work on Craig ;) Procedure change without informing all team members (most importantly the engineer ;), no comms (due to dead battery) and no use of the other available comms and putting a spotter at the wrong location !!!! Brett, this boy clearly needs some re-education by you mate, good luck on Kupe ;)
Anyway, I did have a nice and quiet night without any snoring J!!!
23 July 2007 The Start
Lots of stuff to do, Lard picked up his bike, the camera crew bought all the goodies they needed while I got the temporary rego sorted. That was the most painless process I ever had with American bureaucrats !! The lady was extremely friendly and the process was done quickly (no waiting whatsoever) and for practically nothing (USD 25) I was all ready to go!
Petra took me to Starbucks (can live without my White Chocolate Mocha for too long J) and some very nice bagels. Then I got my gear on the bike to ride out to Christophes place for the start. Man was it hot, it is amazing how hot it feels out here. Of course I am wearing my full gear (MJK cool leathers does help !!) because these Houstonians are lousy, stupid, dangerous drivers mate ! They cut in left and right, tailgating like they are qualifying for the Indy 500, they don’t need the death penalty over here, they are killing themselves already!
Getting ready to go was an interesting procedure with a film crew around !! It was nice to get a few takes before we had to do the real stuff. We were sweating like crazy by that time though so getting more and more water in was vital! My little water backpack was doing a good job !
We finally went off to do some shots around downtown Houston and I bet they will be great as we had some awesome views of the city. Traffic was getting very heavy (evening rush hour was starting) so we decided to get going. A few close calls in the mad rush hour traffic, again shows it HOUSTONIANS can’t drive if their bloody life depends on it, they are actually trying to end it as fast as they can………
Once out on the road, the traffic thinned out and the weather cooled down as well. Going east on the I10 is not one of the prettiest roads in the world but some of the views were still awesome, especially crossing a bridge at 30 meters gives you a pretty cool view of the estuary ;)
Pulling into the parking lot at a motel 6 in Beaumont Texas, resulted in an interesting evening with a lot of interesting people J. Texans, Cajuns, an Ohio trucky and a dating lady made for interesting conversation. Then of to Hooters for dinner, we couldn’t let poor Lard in suspense for too long to see what it was like, we found his eyes rolling on the floor before someone stepped on it though J. After that, of to bed !!!
Petra took me to Starbucks (can live without my White Chocolate Mocha for too long J) and some very nice bagels. Then I got my gear on the bike to ride out to Christophes place for the start. Man was it hot, it is amazing how hot it feels out here. Of course I am wearing my full gear (MJK cool leathers does help !!) because these Houstonians are lousy, stupid, dangerous drivers mate ! They cut in left and right, tailgating like they are qualifying for the Indy 500, they don’t need the death penalty over here, they are killing themselves already!
Getting ready to go was an interesting procedure with a film crew around !! It was nice to get a few takes before we had to do the real stuff. We were sweating like crazy by that time though so getting more and more water in was vital! My little water backpack was doing a good job !
We finally went off to do some shots around downtown Houston and I bet they will be great as we had some awesome views of the city. Traffic was getting very heavy (evening rush hour was starting) so we decided to get going. A few close calls in the mad rush hour traffic, again shows it HOUSTONIANS can’t drive if their bloody life depends on it, they are actually trying to end it as fast as they can………
Once out on the road, the traffic thinned out and the weather cooled down as well. Going east on the I10 is not one of the prettiest roads in the world but some of the views were still awesome, especially crossing a bridge at 30 meters gives you a pretty cool view of the estuary ;)
Pulling into the parking lot at a motel 6 in Beaumont Texas, resulted in an interesting evening with a lot of interesting people J. Texans, Cajuns, an Ohio trucky and a dating lady made for interesting conversation. Then of to Hooters for dinner, we couldn’t let poor Lard in suspense for too long to see what it was like, we found his eyes rolling on the floor before someone stepped on it though J. After that, of to bed !!!
22 July 2007 Kick off day
Again sleeping in a bit (jet lag is almost completely gone) followed by a very nice pancake breakie (thanks Petra!) followed by some more tinkering with the bags and then we set of into town. We had a nice lunch followed by a visit to Ikea and found a desk chair, mission accomplished J . Sams boat was the next stop before they dropped me off at Christophe and Annies place. Macca was there as well and off we went for a little shopping trip : boots for Macca.
When we got back to the house, Crackles and Lard were there as well. So off to the restaurant via the motel to pick up Chris and Gavin, the camera crew. The Ragin Cajun won’t win any prices for interior design but the food was good and the whole crew got a chance to get to know each other for the first time.
When we got back to the house, Crackles and Lard were there as well. So off to the restaurant via the motel to pick up Chris and Gavin, the camera crew. The Ragin Cajun won’t win any prices for interior design but the food was good and the whole crew got a chance to get to know each other for the first time.
21 July 2007 Meet the Beast
After a pretty good night without too much waking up, the morning came round with the most humid hot weather I ever experienced in Houston. Man was it hot out there. We went over to Dick and Merel to find Arend, Gerda and the kids there as well, inaugurating the new pool, a very nice one indeed !!
Dick had taken good care of the Kawa, it looked awesome. Absolutely in mint condition (thanks Kitty and Pete) all ready to go apart from the TomTom. So Dick helped me with installing the wiring (once I sorted out his soldering iron) and that was it. Job done, time for lunch. Very funny having a big group of Dutchies around the table in a hot backyard in Houston beside the beautiful new pool.
But then finally, I got to ride the beast. Dick had warmed her up for me and with my gear on, sweating like nobody’s business we set off back to Petra en Eriks place. The power of the bike is staggering but very controllable. It is so smooth and refined and still sounds like the deep roar of a tiger, ready to growl. It looks so menacing and ready to pounce it is almost scary.
Fitting the tankbag was a breeze, while fitting the saddle bags at the right location took quite a bit more work. Making sure the hardware underneath the seat doesn’t get damaged wasn’t easy but I finally managed to get it right.
Dinnertime came around quickly and we set of for Petra and Eriks favourite restaurant, a Thai place. Lucky me !!!! Lots of catching up to do as we hadn’t seen each other for 2 years and a LOT happened in that time.
Dick had taken good care of the Kawa, it looked awesome. Absolutely in mint condition (thanks Kitty and Pete) all ready to go apart from the TomTom. So Dick helped me with installing the wiring (once I sorted out his soldering iron) and that was it. Job done, time for lunch. Very funny having a big group of Dutchies around the table in a hot backyard in Houston beside the beautiful new pool.
But then finally, I got to ride the beast. Dick had warmed her up for me and with my gear on, sweating like nobody’s business we set off back to Petra en Eriks place. The power of the bike is staggering but very controllable. It is so smooth and refined and still sounds like the deep roar of a tiger, ready to growl. It looks so menacing and ready to pounce it is almost scary.
Fitting the tankbag was a breeze, while fitting the saddle bags at the right location took quite a bit more work. Making sure the hardware underneath the seat doesn’t get damaged wasn’t easy but I finally managed to get it right.
Dinnertime came around quickly and we set of for Petra and Eriks favourite restaurant, a Thai place. Lucky me !!!! Lots of catching up to do as we hadn’t seen each other for 2 years and a LOT happened in that time.
20 July 2007 Travel day
Travel day
Getting up 4.50 in the morning is no fun at all !!! Luckily the taxi was right on time and we were all set to go. We tailgated our way to Schiphol under the beautiful skies of Holland. Chevonne got on the plane early and I got the much needed haircut done before meeting up with Sarah J. We whiled away the time in the restaurant in a most pleasant way (with lots of food !!).
My flight was slightly delayed and it got worse in Newark. About an hour too late I got to Houston and luckily so did Eric, wonderful thing the Internet ;) When we got home it was still 12.30 but hey, could have been worse, Chevonne had a 2 hour delay waiting on the tarmac in London. It did match with Tricia picking her up though so that worked out nicely.
Getting up 4.50 in the morning is no fun at all !!! Luckily the taxi was right on time and we were all set to go. We tailgated our way to Schiphol under the beautiful skies of Holland. Chevonne got on the plane early and I got the much needed haircut done before meeting up with Sarah J. We whiled away the time in the restaurant in a most pleasant way (with lots of food !!).
My flight was slightly delayed and it got worse in Newark. About an hour too late I got to Houston and luckily so did Eric, wonderful thing the Internet ;) When we got home it was still 12.30 but hey, could have been worse, Chevonne had a 2 hour delay waiting on the tarmac in London. It did match with Tricia picking her up though so that worked out nicely.
The Crew
Macca, works for SWG (Craigs “old” company) and is the least experienced rider but still doing well. His 10 year old Harley is also the least comfortable of them all. Poor guy really struggles a bit when it comes to riding but in the pub he is the Lord and Master. Funny thing is, next morning he is as clear as a whistle ready for another ride. Experience I guess !
Lards, works for SWG as well and has a Ducati 999 at home. For the trip he rented a Harley Road King and has no problem hammering it ;) Doing 90 or 100 mph is no problem for him. He rides like a bat out of hell trying to get back into it. Hooning is his favourite sport, loosing saddle bags, shredding tyres or getting bogged down in the sand is peanuts for him. His luck in chasing the ladies has not been as good as you would expect from someone with an Aussie accent, as that is usually a thing that gets the ladies all hot and bothered. Maybe they are afraid he is one of those venomous snake lovers like the Bushman.
Craig or Crackles, has retired (sort of) and is the originator of the tour as well as the big driver behind it. He is riding a Harley Road King, the Aussie Redneck II. The Redneck I was parked in a marina in California for unknown reasons ;). On this trip he tried various things to "test" his bike angel and the poor thing has had the hardest time ever !
Me, Eugene or Genie, I am the odd one out, not just because I am Dutch but more importantly
because I have decided to ride the most powerful production motorbike in the world, the Kawasaki ZX14. I bought it second hand with only 900 miles and a lot of power enhancing features, so I reckon 200+ hp is a fair number.
Christopher is our sounds engineer and does a lot of the driving of the pick up truck / ute. He is also the friendliest and easiest going person I have ever met. I love doing interviews with him, especially the ones in Dutch, he seems to understand every single word I say judging by his facial expressions !
Christophe is our American/Aussie/European rider (he is originally French) and rides a Fat Boy. Unfortunately he was not able to join from the beginning ro till the end due to lack of holidays. Annie, his partner, is riding pillion with Christophe.
Gavin is the camera man and is always looking for shots (visual ones that is). He tries almost anything to get a nice shot, and another one, and another one. He is mister Time Lapse himself.
Lards, works for SWG as well and has a Ducati 999 at home. For the trip he rented a Harley Road King and has no problem hammering it ;) Doing 90 or 100 mph is no problem for him. He rides like a bat out of hell trying to get back into it. Hooning is his favourite sport, loosing saddle bags, shredding tyres or getting bogged down in the sand is peanuts for him. His luck in chasing the ladies has not been as good as you would expect from someone with an Aussie accent, as that is usually a thing that gets the ladies all hot and bothered. Maybe they are afraid he is one of those venomous snake lovers like the Bushman.
Craig or Crackles, has retired (sort of) and is the originator of the tour as well as the big driver behind it. He is riding a Harley Road King, the Aussie Redneck II. The Redneck I was parked in a marina in California for unknown reasons ;). On this trip he tried various things to "test" his bike angel and the poor thing has had the hardest time ever !
Me, Eugene or Genie, I am the odd one out, not just because I am Dutch but more importantly
because I have decided to ride the most powerful production motorbike in the world, the Kawasaki ZX14. I bought it second hand with only 900 miles and a lot of power enhancing features, so I reckon 200+ hp is a fair number.Christopher is our sounds engineer and does a lot of the driving of the pick up truck / ute. He is also the friendliest and easiest going person I have ever met. I love doing interviews with him, especially the ones in Dutch, he seems to understand every single word I say judging by his facial expressions !
Christophe is our American/Aussie/European rider (he is originally French) and rides a Fat Boy. Unfortunately he was not able to join from the beginning ro till the end due to lack of holidays. Annie, his partner, is riding pillion with Christophe.
Gavin is the camera man and is always looking for shots (visual ones that is). He tries almost anything to get a nice shot, and another one, and another one. He is mister Time Lapse himself.
The Trip
It started as a joke I believe and Craig turned it into a reality. The plan was to start riding bikes in Houston and take approximately 3 weeks to get to Los Angeles. This had to include the Sturgis Rally, the biggest Harley event of the year. The rest of the trip is very flexible, we make it up as we go along.
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