Here’s everything:
I contracted a guy to haul the scooter home, privately, in a sealed trailer. I used a website called uShip.com. it’s like ebay or Airbnb, but you list what you want shipped and where, and truckers bid on hauling it. There’s a category for motorcycles; also cars, sailboats, household furniture, and live pets. I said Indy to Clearwater, By 8/31, and the system suggested $350-$450. I offered the high end and it was immediately grabbed. When I accepted his bid, within 3 minutes he called my cellphone. Wow!
He was in North Michigan, needed to pick up another bike in the Twin Cities, then will head to Indy for my pickup. He would be dropping bikes off as he goes south, so no truck to truck transfers and delays. He thought he might pick up the bike thur, but he texted me it would be today. The shop in Indy is expecting him, and I’ll get status texts automatically.
I will rent a car one way and drive myself home, at $80/day. I want to be home only 4-5 days, and when I set back out, I won’t make it this far north and west. So I rented a car, on priceline: an entire week for $150. Even if I turn it in 4 days early, I’m ahead! I hope to swap to the OW car at the Indy airport on Monday or Tuesday, then drive home in 2-3 days
I expect to stop and visit my old friend.Jp Hill outside Nashville for a break from driving. I’m too old to do it straight through. I should arrive home between wed and fri. I’ll stay 4-5 days max, and head back out after labor day. To get quickly to New Jersey (to see Jack) I will once again scooter to Orlando and ride the auto train to Washington. This time I’ll immediately drive north, to Jack’s place. This gives me one day to visit someone in Orlando (ex Jessica).
As far as fixing the bike, instead of buying a motor (from a wreck) on ebay, Adam found an entire replacement bike, in Tampa, cheap. We bought it and it’s already at PMA. For a bit I was thinking to just load up and ride off on the new (ugly gold) bike, but big red has new tires, extra storage, custom seat, and the upgraded feature options, etc. Adam is going to drop gold’s motor and swap it with red, and I’ll leave pronto. He’ll have several weeks to fix the damaged motor, then reinstall that back into gold. At that point, I could keep the gold bike for Jesse, sell it to one of you, or sell it on the market the same way I just bought it. That will all be done when I’m home in Oct.
To formally state my return plans: Adam and Gary from PMA will be going to biketober in daytona, Oct 13-19. Like Last year, I will join them, hopefully staying at Tom’s. Instead of coming home, say, around Oct 1st, and immediately heading back out to daytona, I will use biketober as my vacation wrap up. I will ride down the east coast directly to Daytona, then return home with Garry and Adam on Sunday. I can meet Jax & Orlando friends either before biketober, or even after if I run a day or two late.
The only difficulty in all of this is that the Pinellas court scheduled the final disposition on Lyn & my divorce for that Thursday, Oct 13th, (and I’m supposed to be there). This should have been immediately noticed, except for the confusion during my May departure. I’m petioning the court now to change the date, but they are being generally uncooperative. Details to follow.
I’m currently in Cleveland Ohio, with my rental car. I’m going to go see the Rock & Roll museum and the tomb of President James Garfield. When in Indy last week, fellow presidential graver Benton Nelson and I revisited Benjamin Harrison (and 3 veep also there). I have been to Garfield’s Cleveland tomb in the past (after all, my collection is complete), but always in winter when the doors on the giant basilica are locked. I have many exterior pictures, all covered with snow, but this will be my first chance to step inside, and see what has been described as memorable by many fellow gravers.
Scooterman Summer 2016 