Rolling Thunder Hint:It sucks
 

Took my daughter to Rolling Thunder, it was a good experience, one that I'll most likely never do again unless I can show up and leave right away for the parade route. The way they have it set up is that you show up between whenever and 3 in the afternoon. The way they park you is in these huge line with 3 feet between bikes, there is no escape, once you park you are there until its time to go. Add to that, its a bad sign when there are a bunch of tow trucks that take off right before the first bike.

So I take my daughter out this morning, load her on the KLR and set off for DC. We left the house at 9:30 and arrived at the pentagon a little after 10:30, including a stop for gas and some traffic, just about 50 miles this direction including driving around DC lost.

So we park and get trapped in there so it was impossible to move. Meet up with some friends who were also trapped in there and couldn't escape, hung out with them for an hour then I took my daughter for a walk around the parking lots and mingled with the leather vest wearing crowd. I really really feel the need to buy myself a leather vest, I could put patches all over it and they mean stuff, like I trailered my bike places and did rides in honor of stuff, and be a road captain or something like that. I did wear my OEF veteran hat, so I guess I sorta fit in. There were patch and pin vendors everywhere, it was a leather vest wearing pin and patch putting on jizzfest.

They also had famous people. We saw Sarah Palin. She was in a secured off area and didnt engage the crowd at all, she very much was kept away from the mortal man. Some guy that smelled bad and was dirty made a funny comment about her though, it sorta made my day. he was all like: That bitch, she don't ride bitch. She rides the cunt cuz thats what she is." Yeh that made me laugh because for some reason I could actually understand the guy through his marginally understanadable english. I also think he might have been a little bit liquored up.

So after that little laugh Someone yelled start your engines and lets roll out. I thought it was Optimus Prime, but I was wrong about that too. So we hurrily moved back towards the bike to wait for our turn to take off. We get there, and we waited. And we waited. And we waited. I could hear the rumble of American vtwin in the distance, but nobody in my parking lot moved. No one put on a helmet, no one walked towards their bikes, nothing. They all just stood around talking about leather vests and patches and pins. After an hour we went back around to the first parking lot which was less than half empty. Oh my god this is gonna take forever.

2 hours after Optimus Prime and Sarah Palin left someone yelled that our parking lot was getting ready to go, and so my daughter and I started to put on our gear. We got it all on and on the bike just as it was our turn to ride off. Nobody else really had that problem because they all just put on little half helmets and fingerless gloves. Some didnt wear helmets or gloves. Some just wore fingerless gloves, some just wore little half helmets, some just had on leather vests with patches and pins.

The actual ride to the memorials was cool. all the streets were blocked off so it was a straight ride through DC from the Lincoln memorial, to the capitol building, then back to the Lincoln memorial to park. My daughter had a blast. She waved at all the people lined up along the route. I will say that the route was cool and that it was nice to see all the people out there with flags and flag shirts, POW flags and homemade patriotic signs. Really cool. The ride made it worth it.

So then we park in a public park in the grass, dismount and I took my daughter to go see some of the war memorials. Shes seen them before, but I take the time to tell her all about what each of the memorials mean.

After a tour of the Korean, Vietnam and WW2 memorials we headed back to the bike with eyes towards home. It was kinda cool, but really time to go home, and experience I'm glad I did, but will never do again. I also realized that my daughter had ridden her first triple digit mileage day doing a hair over 100 miles round trip, this was her longest single day ride to date, her previous longest ride was probably about 30 miles on my CBR from my old house to visit grandma.

And insert pictures:

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Its Sarah!

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It was pink!!!!! OMG it's pink. This is soooo cool. We really really need to get this so she can have a pink bike in the house (and save it for 8 more years till she can ride it)

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5265/...f06e14ae_b.jpg


and time to head home

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nice silverwing

I have my eyes open for a super good deal on an older goldwing gl1200 or gl1500. I figure with one of those I can get a small bike trailer and bring my other bikes with me on trips

lol nice. i always thought an old naked gl1100 would make a great cruiser

father and daughter time is always special....

no I want fully faired all out touring

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi..._Wing_1200.JPG

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi..._Wing_1500.jpg

Why yes it is

i was thinking more like naked and retarded

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DmCnS...layer_embedded

Great pics.

My mom's boyfriend has 2 G(oldwings). He has one almost like the pink one, not sure what year, but I believe an 80's 1100. Looks like this...

http://images.psndealer.com/dealersi...P1632260_1.jpg

He just bought a pristine 1994 1500, just like the maroon one that Dave posted. I actually saw it tonight for the first time. Just miles ahead of his old one. Apparently by the mid-90's Honda perfected the art of super-slab riding. She's a big beast though. I was a little intimidated to throw a leg over, being used to my bike like 500.

My wife wants something with a backrest and armrests. Shes done with sportbikes, and wont even look at the KLR. I wouldnt mind a harley dresser either, and a yamaha venture would be cool too for the right price.

He picked this 94 up for like $5500 from an older gentleman that just babied it. Sure it has miles, but its a tourer. If your wife is picky, my mom approves of the 1500. High backrest, armrests, cup holders, aftermarket heated seats.