360Bikers Foundation

After some refueling, (gas, Ice cream, yoo-hoo) we’re almost home and it’s about 4:40 pm or thereabouts. We leave about 3 riders short, as some of our crew split off here. There are plenty left for the relatively short jaunt home.

We continue east working our way toward SR 80. We have a couple more riders split off just outside Belle Glade. Though this area is relatively wide open we actually ran into some road construction to slow us down. It may be just me but they don’t spend nearly enough money in Clewiston and Belle Glade on roads. This particular road has been under construction for awhile now. We keep up a pretty good pace through here just like most of the day.

We have passed through this section before on our way to SR 80 on other 360 runs but I still can’t tell you the name. It bypasses, what goes for downtown Belle Glade. If the whole idea is to avoid traffic lights then it works out great. The weather is great, not warm and not cold. We run into a slight delay approaching SR 80. Sherrif in the middle of the road, lights on and cars pulled over to side. Must have been some kind of dispute or repair, because we barely got held up in time to light a cigarette.  I have a feeling it was the “Horde” of bikers that got that ball rolling because 2 seconds later everyone was gone.

There were some dark clouds threatening but nothing developed over us, there is some thing to be said for timing (luck). As we got closer to Wellington, traffic visibly increased and we started to wave our compadres off. We lost the majority before SR 7. The Wellington group are a bunch of good guys. Plus, quite a few of those guys ride STAR’s, so they get extra credit. We wave to our fearless leader and leave the group to continue on SR 80. There are just 2 of us and a lone biker who happened to join the group in traffic. I lose the last of our compadres about SR 80 and the turnpike and the lone biker a short while later.

Finally riding alone after 10 hours, is kind of strange and almost lonely. I had gotten so use to checking for Hawk and Terri in my rear view or watching Mark, Trudy and Maverick in front of me, that riding alone was almost wrong. I always get the same feeling at the end of a ride, as my fellow riders are peeling off. I actually want to stop and talk to each one and tell them what a great time I had and how cool it was to ride in the group with them. Sometimes, there is not even time to wave to each individual fellow 360er. Our group, of course, has the Post Ride comments on the web and I hope I have expressed my appreiciation and gratitude for my compadres there. Finally, no rain, great weather, slow riding, fast riding, curves, pot holes, alligators, toll roads, fuel island jams, good food and great people equals another great 360 ride. Ride Safe!

GR

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We prepared to leave the gas station as two other large groups that were there rode out ahead of us.  We actually ran into the BMW group later on the ride.  Our number of bikes was now 21 as we prepared to get onto US41, the 2-lane highway that preceded the Interstate as Alligagor Alley.  The beauty of this ride is the changes in geography.  We begin the ride with a lot of sawgrass in the Everglades.  We ride past long expanses of the grass with obvious paths cut through it by the airboats.  This ride is a peak at what Florida was like 100 years ago.

Riding west, we come to Big Cypress and begin to leave the sawgrass plains behind.  Along the right side of the road is a guardrail and then a ditch that is about 10 to 15 feet wide.  Along the shore away from the road you see alligators resting in the sun as it rises in the South Florida sky.  The temperature is rising and the cold-blooded reptiles come out to warm themselves.  What struck us all was the quantity of gators.  We say hundreds of them along the shores just a few feet away from us.  We saw more alligators in 50 yards of ride than most people see in their lives!  They were everywhere and occasionally you’d see a couple riding in a canoe.  It must have looked like dinner to some of them.  It looked dangerous to us.

We saw a lot of beautiful birds, too.  Everything from egrets to herons to eagles to hawks.  This is a ride with nature that is perhaps the best in South Florida.  Leaving Big Cypress we actually ride along the southern border of Collier-Seminole State Forest.

Riding further along the cypress give way to an open plain that isn’t as wet as the sawgrass swamps.  We came to CR92 in Collier county and went down the road that was new to most of us.  The short ride of about 5 miles took us to a small causeway and across to Marco Island.  We rode through the short island in about 10 minutes and came across another causeway leading us towards Naples and our lunch destination.

Lee

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Well, the lure of free coffee didn’t get anywhere there between 7:00 and 7:30, but by 8:00 everyone but the breakfast group with Ian had arrived.  When all was said and done, we had 19 bikes in front of my house as everyone commented on how great my neighbors are. Children were walking by and looking at all the motorcycles parked on the street.

About 8:25 Ian’s group pulled in and we did our discussion of riding rules.  I do have to note that I can’t stress enough the importance of quickly passing back signals and executing lane changes from the back to the front.  Keeping the group tight became evident as more important as the day wore on, too.

Today’s ride was the 2nd Annual SoFla 360.  This year our route was 330 miles and went through Palm Beach, Broward, Dade, Collier, Lee and Hendry Counties.  We passed along or through five national and state parks including Everglades National Park, Big Cypress National Preserve, The Collier-Seminole State Park, Picayune Strand State Forest and Okaloacoochee Slough State Forest.  We ended with 21 motorcycles and 27 people on the ride.

There was a little fog, but our late start actually helped the ride in safety as the fog began to lift more and more as we rode south.  We stopped at Starbucks in Hillsborough to pick up another rider.  From there, we rode a few miles to the Sawgrass Expressway.  My most significant challenge came when I suddenly realized the exit for I595 West didn’t exist and we had to take I-75 North.  It was last ditch to make the exit ramp and I felt badly about not having the right information.  Strike one against Google Maps.

Once on the I-75 we rode to US27 which led us down to Krome Ave.  The ride was relatively peaceful except for a major piece of debri in the road as we off-ramped from I-75 to US27.  There was so little time to react to it that was I put my foot out to point to it for other riders I actually kicked it.  Fortunately, I was not moving fast and it didn’t knock me off the bike.  It seemed to be a pull-cart with a piece of luggage.  That was a dangerous moment.

At the corner of Krome and US41 we stopped at the gas station where almost 100 other bikes had met.  A couple groups were almost ready to leave as we gave our smaller bikes time to refuel for the ride across the state.  You’ll read about that in part 2.

LK

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Eating again.

Yesterday we finally made the trip to Cheeseburger in Paradise, a hamburger chain owned by Jimmy Buffet growing industrial side.  Ian had been there before and I was really looking forward to this.  The entire group was looking forward to it.

We had a great set of bikes ranging from Cecil’s scooter (gotta love that guy) to Nick’s Raider.  A few e-Glides, Connie’s Kawi and we picked up Yarka on the way.  It was a Class 2 ride primarily because we used I-95 to get to Miami.  The good news was that I only made one wrong turn and it was because I followed the GPS.  Ian got us into the parking garage he knew about and we parked in a nice spot in front of LA Fitness where everyone could see the bikes as they entered the parking garage for the outdoor mall.

It took us no time at all to locate the Cheeseburger in Paradise location and identify the problem.  It was closed.  Not for the day, but totally gone never to return.  We were all shocked.  Trudy had to be resuscitated because she was counting on that little pair of sunglasses she buys that came with the free drink.  Well, we got over it and Connie asked some cute girls ( should one of the guys have done that?) if they could recommend a place.  We ended up at Dan Marino’s and had a great lunch.

Since Mark missed us on the way down he invited us to stop at his house to see his new toy, a 2002 custom Bourget.  Very nice bike.  It needs some TLC, but damn… it’s a beauty.  Exceptional paint.  We enjoyed Mark’s place which is awesome.  He bought cookies and donuts and I was ready to move in.  It will probably be the site of our next 360Bikers party as he volunteered it.

We came back up Federal to Copans and out to US441/SR7.  It was an adventuresome day with our group showing flexibility all the way.  We had fun, food and a nice ride.  Now, we have to find another Cheeseburger in Paradise.

Lee

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As everyone has noticed, winter is upon us.  Even here in Sunny South Florida.  It’s not a problem though, Florida is still the ride all year state!  Since the weather is cold I just wanted to share my thoughts on typical riding gear.  One of my favorites, and the one I get the most grief about, is my leather chaps.  Besides looking like i’m dressed for halloween or a refugee from a YMCA video, people wonder where your horse is. I tell them the HORSES are parked outside and there’s about 76 of them!  Unless you’re heading for a biker meet or it’s freezing outside, you may be a little sensitive about wearing them.  I have to say, when I first got them, I felt a little self conscious, but really, the benefits far outweigh loss of dignity, lol.  Seriously, for long trips or cold weather, chaps can’t be beat.  I actually didn’t know what I was missing.  My first 2-3 hour ride with the chaps on, showed 2 major differences.  The first is obviously my legs were warmer and I was more confortable during the ride.  The second was bit of a surprise.  I did not realize how the wind resistance affected my legs.  After a ride wearing chaps and spending the day at an event, I felt less stress and less tired then before the chaps.  More comfort and less weariness adds up to a safer ride!  Of course, being able to enjoy your entire day’s ride with less aches and pain is great too.  Motorcycle pants serves this purpose as well but won’t last as long and won’t keep you as warm.  So, for those of us who have chaps, keep enjoying them.  For those who don’t, give it a shot, they really work, you will really appreiciate them on your next long cold ride.  If you find it works and this was helpful, pass it on to  your ride buddies.  After all, if we are all wearing chaps, there will be too many of us to make fun of.

Ride Safe,

GR

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I pull up to work on my 2007 Triumph Daytona and coworkers and my boss marvel at my audacity and nerve. I ride my 2008 Royal Star Venture with my wife and brothers and extended 360 family on the weekends and people just stare. I know what they are thinking because the people I actually talk to all ask the same thing. They want to know how I have the nerve or guts to ride a motorcylce. Don’t I realize how dangerous it is? Don’t I realize that I risk my life each and everyday? It’s the same question. Hidden in a compliment about how nice the bike looks or stated outright as a greeting of sorts. I can never explain to a non rider what the motorcycle experience is. Sure its been described in everyway imaginable….(pause here to fondly remember and pick out your favorite ride)…always the feeling of freedom and the call of the open road. Long sweeping curves, hills, 5 mile long straights, to test your bikes capabilities. Everything that makes a biker smile.

There is something else there though. It’s something deep that some of us don’t even know is there. It’s the point where the risk is no where near as great as the reward. Riders put on their helmets, jeans and gloves and ride. WE ARE UNAFRAID! It’s amazing actually. My wife is deathly terrified of the smallest spider but will twist the throttle and summon life saving speed without a second thought. I don’t think she knows its there because she still won’t watch a horror movie…lol. It’s bond of sorts. I see bikers everyday. I wave to each as a show of respect. There goes someone else who is UNAFRAID. It doesn’t matter what you ride. It doesn’t matter how you ride. Surfing on the tank of your Gixxer in rush hour traffic or freight training 60 bikes strong for lunch. All are bikers and all are UNAFRAID. Of course, let’s not mistake courage for stupidity. The aformentioned Surf through traffic is one I have seen many times and from a safe distance. I will respect them no less. I can no more control their actions as control their fate. As for me, I will ride UNAFRAID until I can ride no more. When I am done, please line up every biker you can find and freight train them right up the nearest and busiest roadway. I want them all to know. I was UNAFRAID!

No one wants to be hurt.  No wants to lose a friend or loved one.  Unfortunately, I been down more times than I can count.  Fortunately, I am still here and I am still UNAFRAID! Next time your friend, your neighbor, your coworker or your family, ask you why you still ride…….Tell them!!!

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This entry really should have been written by someone that rode the ride.  I, unfortunately, managed to get sick and miss one of the most exciting rides I’ve created.  Of course, the one thing that makes it great is the people, and there were lots of people.

On January 25th the 360Bikers had a convergence ride.  The ride was designed to give opportunity for any level 2 rider or better in our group to meet others in our group.  I was really four different rides from different geographical areas that members.  All the rides converged and gave everyone a chance to meet.

Well, even in a group our size it’s luck to get more than 20 people together on one ride.  This ride culminated with over 50 bikes and more than 70 people.  I have heard more nice things about this event than any that I’ve planned so far.

Below is a slide presentation of over 150 of the photos submitted from the ride.

…..

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Had a very interesting meeting regarding the 360 Foundation for fallen riders. Great cause Lee!

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