Well my wife has got an IBA number via the SS1000 two-up, so I asked my son if he wanted to go to the IBA Jacksonville
Dinner event. He said "Sure" , so I added that they had ride events that he could do and get his SS1000 Certification given
to him without waiting for the normal process. He agreed he would do it on a ride in SS1000. I planned the ride out for a 4 am
departure. We would go south in the cool hours and west and north during the day. I picked Defuniak Springs, FL as our turn
around for sentimental reasons (My very 1st IBA ride).
He has a Kawasaki ZZR 600 that he was VERY confident he could make the ride on. Coming up to the event, he developed an
oil leak on the cover gasket and problems seemed to compound faster than he could fix them. In a rather desperate action, I
contacted a close friend and forum member jgreen and arranged a standby cycle so the ride would not be lost. jgreen graciously
loaned his bike a 2008 FJR which I flipped 107k on bringing it to my place. My son rode my 2008 FJR with only 103k on it while I
rode Joe's bike.
My son's work hours got changed, so the ride started at 1:30pm. We started off with the witnesses at the local fire station and
start fuel in West Palm Beach. He had the only GPS on his bike, while I knew the route in my head. Heading south he jumps into
the Express lane and we get separated right from the start. With no communications between us, this created some apprehension
on my part. We met up when I spotted him on the shoulder of the road right before our Miami entry. He then took the lead and passed
our turn onto SW 7th street which eventually merges into the Tamiami Trail (Hwy 41) I followed him further south and inquired as to the
route the GPS was taking him. "It shut down" was his response. We did a U-turn and headed back north to the exit. It was rush hour in Miami and he shot down the shoulder to the exit. I had noticed LEOs all over the area. We went to different gas stations and would
not see each other for quite awhile. I thought he was ahead of me, so I pushed on. Phone tag followed and I found out he had been
stopped by a LEO and was behind me.
Little did both of us know, the overpass had collapsed over the Tamiami Trail and the road was shut down for miles. It had collapsed
around 2 pm and we arrived around 3:30 or so. It was a complete chaotic mess. Rush hour in Miami, detours hadn't been established,
and onlookers lined the area along with hundreds of emergency vehicles. I eventually found my way around the area and broke free of
the mess on the Tamiami Trail alone. I found a Jet boat area parking lot and called my son and waited for him there. He pulled up and we exchanged stories and were on our way to Naples. I
Miami FIU pedestrian bridge collapses, people trapped beneath | Miami Herald
Once we got our fuel on the "Corner" we headed north on I-75 where we encountered delays repeatedly. We refueled near Wesley Chapel
and he said he wanted to eat at Waffle House. Here we were just over 300 miles into a 1050 mile ride and we had burned up 9 hours of time already. It was past 10 pm and getting cold. As we headed north to I-10 I thought that there was no way he was going to make this ride.
When we got gas on the "Corner" at the I-10/I-75 junction, I told him that we were less than half way and still had 550 miles to go (It was 1 am) I suggested we called the ride and check into a motel and proceed to Jacksonville the next day. He says "I feel great, we can do this"
I told him we would have to ride all night to pull this off and that we needed to hit the turn around at Defuniak Springs by 6 am. He then made
me proud… He rode like a veteran LD rider and we arrived at the turn around at 4:30 am with him leading most of the way. as a father I stayed behind and stressed over any sign of fatigue I could spot. I did not watch him refuel prior to taking off and I was at 25 miles into reserve, so I pulled onto the ramp prior to our stop and checked his gage. He was only 20 miles on reserve so we proceeded to our turn around further down the Highway. the ride back east was uneventful with the biggest struggle being the temperatures. He had my heated
vest with a lighter jacket. Temps ranged from 37 degrees to 45 degrees until the sun began to rise. He missed the 295 exit, but soon showed up at the station for the finish. We finished around 1100 am, not pretty but finished just the same.
SpotWalla.com - Trip Viewer
He had rode through the night perfectly calm knowing the ride would be a success. Guess I am just a wee bit proud !!!
… But now he is already talking about "The Next Ride" … What have I done?
Dinner event. He said "Sure" , so I added that they had ride events that he could do and get his SS1000 Certification given
to him without waiting for the normal process. He agreed he would do it on a ride in SS1000. I planned the ride out for a 4 am
departure. We would go south in the cool hours and west and north during the day. I picked Defuniak Springs, FL as our turn
around for sentimental reasons (My very 1st IBA ride).
He has a Kawasaki ZZR 600 that he was VERY confident he could make the ride on. Coming up to the event, he developed an
oil leak on the cover gasket and problems seemed to compound faster than he could fix them. In a rather desperate action, I
contacted a close friend and forum member jgreen and arranged a standby cycle so the ride would not be lost. jgreen graciously
loaned his bike a 2008 FJR which I flipped 107k on bringing it to my place. My son rode my 2008 FJR with only 103k on it while I
rode Joe's bike.
My son's work hours got changed, so the ride started at 1:30pm. We started off with the witnesses at the local fire station and
start fuel in West Palm Beach. He had the only GPS on his bike, while I knew the route in my head. Heading south he jumps into
the Express lane and we get separated right from the start. With no communications between us, this created some apprehension
on my part. We met up when I spotted him on the shoulder of the road right before our Miami entry. He then took the lead and passed
our turn onto SW 7th street which eventually merges into the Tamiami Trail (Hwy 41) I followed him further south and inquired as to the
route the GPS was taking him. "It shut down" was his response. We did a U-turn and headed back north to the exit. It was rush hour in Miami and he shot down the shoulder to the exit. I had noticed LEOs all over the area. We went to different gas stations and would
not see each other for quite awhile. I thought he was ahead of me, so I pushed on. Phone tag followed and I found out he had been
stopped by a LEO and was behind me.
Little did both of us know, the overpass had collapsed over the Tamiami Trail and the road was shut down for miles. It had collapsed
around 2 pm and we arrived around 3:30 or so. It was a complete chaotic mess. Rush hour in Miami, detours hadn't been established,
and onlookers lined the area along with hundreds of emergency vehicles. I eventually found my way around the area and broke free of
the mess on the Tamiami Trail alone. I found a Jet boat area parking lot and called my son and waited for him there. He pulled up and we exchanged stories and were on our way to Naples. I
Miami FIU pedestrian bridge collapses, people trapped beneath | Miami Herald
Once we got our fuel on the "Corner" we headed north on I-75 where we encountered delays repeatedly. We refueled near Wesley Chapel
and he said he wanted to eat at Waffle House. Here we were just over 300 miles into a 1050 mile ride and we had burned up 9 hours of time already. It was past 10 pm and getting cold. As we headed north to I-10 I thought that there was no way he was going to make this ride.
When we got gas on the "Corner" at the I-10/I-75 junction, I told him that we were less than half way and still had 550 miles to go (It was 1 am) I suggested we called the ride and check into a motel and proceed to Jacksonville the next day. He says "I feel great, we can do this"
I told him we would have to ride all night to pull this off and that we needed to hit the turn around at Defuniak Springs by 6 am. He then made
me proud… He rode like a veteran LD rider and we arrived at the turn around at 4:30 am with him leading most of the way. as a father I stayed behind and stressed over any sign of fatigue I could spot. I did not watch him refuel prior to taking off and I was at 25 miles into reserve, so I pulled onto the ramp prior to our stop and checked his gage. He was only 20 miles on reserve so we proceeded to our turn around further down the Highway. the ride back east was uneventful with the biggest struggle being the temperatures. He had my heated
vest with a lighter jacket. Temps ranged from 37 degrees to 45 degrees until the sun began to rise. He missed the 295 exit, but soon showed up at the station for the finish. We finished around 1100 am, not pretty but finished just the same.
SpotWalla.com - Trip Viewer
He had rode through the night perfectly calm knowing the ride would be a success. Guess I am just a wee bit proud !!!
… But now he is already talking about "The Next Ride" … What have I done?
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