Ridealot
10-14-2006, 06:05 PM
This is about my trip to the Beartooth Rally in '04. I will admit up front that it is a bit of a weird story and not for everyone.
I need to back up to 1999 when Jim a friend from work was moving and wanted to store his K100RS in my shed for a month. Jim has always been a hunting and fishing fool and rode with me on one of my first motorcycle trips 22 years ago. He is also a very large guy, not fat, but you don't want to mess with him large. He weighs around 280 and is 6'5''. His fingers look like sausages. He is 55 years old and is slowing down.
Fast forward to the summer of '04. Jim's bike is still in my shed and hasn't been moved in 5 years. At work at least once a week I tell him to come get his F'in bike out of my shed and get it running. And then go ride the thing. He keeps saying that he wants to go riding but he seems to be stuck to the couch.
I finally decide that drastic measures are needed to get him riding agian. So I hatch a plan for my trip to Beartooth in '04. Jim has dentures. He takes his teeth out and puts them in his locker when he eats lunch. I have no idea what thats all about. So my plan is to kidnap his teeth and take them with me to Montana. I would then photogragh what a great time his teeth had on vacation. Hey, I told you drastic measures where needed.
I told the guys I was going to the rally with that Jim would be going with us. The morning we where leaving they asked where Jim was. They looked at me strangley when I said he was in my tank bag. I showed them his teeth and said that the teeth are going to be in every picture we take. The first day I was treated like I had lost my mind. Little did they know that by the end of the rally they would be really enjoying Jims company. I think that alcohol at the rally site really helped this. :bottle
Since we where in Montana which is Cowboy country we found a little cowboy hat for Jim to wear. I set up an extra Kermit chair that I had brought so that Jim could be comfortable. For some reason the more beer we drank the funnier Jim became. Whenever someone came over by Jims chair we would say in our best Forrest Gump imitation, "Ya can't sit there, dat seats taken".
http://beemertom.smugmug.com/photos/60175647-M.jpg
JIm also enjoyed his trip to the top of the Beartooth Pass. Although a gust of wind moments after the picture was taken almost sent him over the edge of the road and down a cliff. I caught him just after he fell off the top case.
http://beemertom.smugmug.com/photos/60178216-M.jpg
He also wanted to ride my bike but we decided that he was in no condition to ride so I wouldn't give him the key.
http://beemertom.smugmug.com/photos/60178214-M.jpg
The first day I was back at work I put a stack of pictures and the teeth back in Jims locker. I figured one of 2 things was going to happen. He would either be very mad in which case I was gonna die, or he would see what a great time his teeth had and decide that he wanted to go with them next time. He laughed his a-- off. The very next weekend he came over and we got his bike out. A new fuel pump later and a battery and Blackie (his bike) was up and running. He now rides it to work in good weather.
That was 2 years ago and every time I ride into work and see Blackie sitting in the parking lot I end up smiling to myself. Because I know what extreme measures it took to get Blackie back on the road. The real Jim now says that his teeths trip to Montana is one of his favorite vacations. His Cowboy hat and pictures are still sitting on his desk.
I told you it was a weird story. But sometimes a friend just has to go the extra mile. I didn't die, and Jim is riding again. Mission accomplished!!!
I need to back up to 1999 when Jim a friend from work was moving and wanted to store his K100RS in my shed for a month. Jim has always been a hunting and fishing fool and rode with me on one of my first motorcycle trips 22 years ago. He is also a very large guy, not fat, but you don't want to mess with him large. He weighs around 280 and is 6'5''. His fingers look like sausages. He is 55 years old and is slowing down.
Fast forward to the summer of '04. Jim's bike is still in my shed and hasn't been moved in 5 years. At work at least once a week I tell him to come get his F'in bike out of my shed and get it running. And then go ride the thing. He keeps saying that he wants to go riding but he seems to be stuck to the couch.
I finally decide that drastic measures are needed to get him riding agian. So I hatch a plan for my trip to Beartooth in '04. Jim has dentures. He takes his teeth out and puts them in his locker when he eats lunch. I have no idea what thats all about. So my plan is to kidnap his teeth and take them with me to Montana. I would then photogragh what a great time his teeth had on vacation. Hey, I told you drastic measures where needed.
I told the guys I was going to the rally with that Jim would be going with us. The morning we where leaving they asked where Jim was. They looked at me strangley when I said he was in my tank bag. I showed them his teeth and said that the teeth are going to be in every picture we take. The first day I was treated like I had lost my mind. Little did they know that by the end of the rally they would be really enjoying Jims company. I think that alcohol at the rally site really helped this. :bottle
Since we where in Montana which is Cowboy country we found a little cowboy hat for Jim to wear. I set up an extra Kermit chair that I had brought so that Jim could be comfortable. For some reason the more beer we drank the funnier Jim became. Whenever someone came over by Jims chair we would say in our best Forrest Gump imitation, "Ya can't sit there, dat seats taken".
http://beemertom.smugmug.com/photos/60175647-M.jpg
JIm also enjoyed his trip to the top of the Beartooth Pass. Although a gust of wind moments after the picture was taken almost sent him over the edge of the road and down a cliff. I caught him just after he fell off the top case.
http://beemertom.smugmug.com/photos/60178216-M.jpg
He also wanted to ride my bike but we decided that he was in no condition to ride so I wouldn't give him the key.
http://beemertom.smugmug.com/photos/60178214-M.jpg
The first day I was back at work I put a stack of pictures and the teeth back in Jims locker. I figured one of 2 things was going to happen. He would either be very mad in which case I was gonna die, or he would see what a great time his teeth had and decide that he wanted to go with them next time. He laughed his a-- off. The very next weekend he came over and we got his bike out. A new fuel pump later and a battery and Blackie (his bike) was up and running. He now rides it to work in good weather.
That was 2 years ago and every time I ride into work and see Blackie sitting in the parking lot I end up smiling to myself. Because I know what extreme measures it took to get Blackie back on the road. The real Jim now says that his teeths trip to Montana is one of his favorite vacations. His Cowboy hat and pictures are still sitting on his desk.
I told you it was a weird story. But sometimes a friend just has to go the extra mile. I didn't die, and Jim is riding again. Mission accomplished!!!