April Fuels; Spring is in the air ; destianation motorcycle trips start now!

It was February- 2017.. I was scrolling through Instagram and started seeing photos telling me that this ride, this ride I've seen get flooded out, frozen out, postponed and rescheduled.. Is coming up- it's in Indiana.. Not far, it looks like all bikes are welcome, and it's in April- so it is the first ride of the year, and I have a new goal to get my Ironhead running.

 I've known about the April Fuels ride in Indiana only from the internet.  Vague ride photos of folks posing in knee deep water, bundled to the hilt as if it were below zero- riding these hills of green and skies of blue- with captions like "wet, sketchy and fun as fuck" faces full of smiles.  I had never been able to make the commitment due to my job.  But April Fuels 3 was going to be the year that I made it. 

Well, the weather wasn’t cooperating, and the run got pushed into May, so I didn't make it. And somewhere in the back of my head I was glad- because my Ironhead wouldn't have made it. NO WAY.

It gave me an entire year to get my bike in shape, and use the run as her maiden voyage.  It was stuck in my head- I was GOING TO APRIL FUELS 4- ON BREEZE.

@aprilfuels

     Fast forward through my build, and one year later… in the 12 months in between, I had made some good friends in Indy- gatherings like the Clam Jam and Mama Tried brought us together.  I was convinced this year April Fuels was going to be checked off of my list.  Things kept falling into place- an old friend.. Internet acquaintance? .. From The very first Quad Cam Bash, eleven years ago, reached out to me, remembered me and my trip out to Ohio that summer on my brand new Nightster.. Rich asked if I wanted some company, and I was super stoked to meet up with him again.  He let me know the man who puts ON April Fuels was part of the QCB back in the day, and I was more excited to meet him, for the second time- HOW IN THE WORLD does that happen? Small world for sure.  So I was in.  We were meeting halfway from each other to go all the way to Edinburg Indiana.  A mere 250+ mile trip for me and Breeze.. But if you know, you know- NO TRIP is just a trip.. On an Ironhead…

We made bad time- having to stop for gas so frequently.. Her tank is about a gallon? Maybe… But no issues.. Aside from having to tighten her motor/ignition mount at the first gas stop, and this eventually lead to a missing motor mount bolt...  Rich was on his wicked custom Evo sporty, keeping a steady pace for me and my old bike- staying close behind him I whizzed along pretty comfortably, really- for a '76 sportster… If you've read my past blogs- you know I've tried to ride this bike, multiple times to Indiana.. MULTIPLE times.  EVERY SINGLE TIME it broke down a mere 108 miles from home, in Mohomet Illinois.  As we approached the water tower to Mohomet.. I thought.. This is it!! I'm going to make it!!! I grabbed my phone to take a picture of the city sign to prove I broke the bikes boundary- and WHAM… absolutely true to my character, the planets are always aligned for me to fuck shit up- my phone gets blown out of my hand and bounces down the highway… FUCCKKK… I pull over.. Rich doesn’t see me (no mirrors) and I figure I'll catch up- I turn off the bike, and I go back, phones fine…thanks Life Proof Case! I lost my IoCore from my IoMount- I'm sure it stuck to any passing car that was metal, since the magnets are so fucking strong!! So I could no longer stick my phone to my tank.. Since this bike wasn't equipped with a proper mount… but I got my phone- and I text Rich- just incase… I start to kick Breeze over, and just as she gets fired up here comes Rich- BARRELING across the valley median of grass that separates most of highway 74.. Like a fucking CHAMP!  I'm dying at this point.. Absolutely laughing my ass off that he came back, and also jumped a ditch to find me!  These are the people I want in my life. The real people who have your back, and are down to ride- NO MATTER WHAT. After collecting ourselves and laughing some more about how Rich, nearing the water tower to the INFAMOUS Ironhead killing town of Mohomet- he looks back to give me a fuck yeah thumbs up- AND IM NOT THERE!!!!
 We get back on the road, made a few more stops.. Danville for a drink and blue cheese nachos, which no one ate but me- they were delicious.  I tightened my ignition ONE MORE time.. And I made sure it wasn’t going anywhere by filling the acorn nut UP with red locktite.  FUCK IT. We GOT THIS!

@aprilfuels

     Arriving at the motel in Edinburg was almost etherial.. I mean.. When my bike .. That I built all by myself.. made it across the state line, I cried. Like literally bawled in my helmet.. I was glad Rich didn't have mirrors..

When we pulled up to the hotel- we knew we were in the right place right away. Chopper next to chopper, next to evo, next to dyna, next to chopper..  I pulled in, and parked my bike next to one of the only bikes I recognized.. A 2002 XL1200 I had just sold to Benny, an Indy native, a mere 2 weeks prior.  It was already thrashed and stripped down, had a rusty tank welded to the frame… yeah.. This is the place.

There were a few folks wandering around, and drinking a few beers- we made introductions, and then a familiar face came walking up the hill from behind the hotel- it was Ryan- he informed me that Benny was down there, and he wanted my bike to be down there too- so- away we went..

     Benny is an amateur photographer- I met him 3 years prior, because of his photos and attendance to events in the Midwest.

As I pushed Breeze down the hill into the dampened grass I could see they were setting up a Sportster chopper to shoot.  A blue panhead was sitting in the grass behind everyone doing photos- so I oogled it and watched as Benny executed long exposure shots in complete darkness of  Nate's bike - and its owner (and his abs).  It was my turn next- I don’t know WHY I didn't do a ghost butt photo- probably because it was 36 degrees and I was freezing in my 3 layers from the ride down!  But I got some amazing shots that night- One that hangs in my living room- and makes me feel like magic every time I look at it.

@bigmfbenny

Once the photo shoot was over, and we all made it back up to the parking lot, the pre-party antics were already underway.  There was a huge dildo.. Like.. 'realistically' painted, but abnormally gigantic, stuck to the hotel room adjacent to the one id be sharing with Benny, Ryan, and a few others.. I had only seen a giant BLUE one before.. So this one was new to the mix.  We stayed up and drank, spooking the other patrons of the hotel, making it almost impossible for them to stay away and NOT ask us questions, like.. Is that a CHICKEN tailight?! HOW does he RIDE that bike with such a small.. Seat?! Ryan refused to party- so he fell asleep at an early hour- prompting the rest of us to, obviously, toilet paper his chopper. Laughing and telling stories, hearing about experiences from everyone on the ride, and anything else we wanted to talk about… the night went on, and we faded- finding our ways to the rooms to get a few hours of sleep before we left on a days adventure.

@bigmfbenny

     Waking up in a cramped motel room is normally a bad thing.  But the next morning, I found myself havingto get up and get my self together, because I never want people waiting on me. Didn't matter- I was the last one ready.. As more folks showed up to ride to the Harley Dealership, I popped out to say HI! Trying to get my hair in a braid and get packed up and loaded.. It was cold. 36* that morning.. And I'm thinking to myself.. OF COURSE I brought the kick start bike.. What an asshole.

@bigmfbenny

     The bikes are lined up- we are heading to breakfast, Ryan has wiped the last bit of soaking wet toilet paper from every crevice of his chopper, and it's my third attempt to get Breeze to warm up and turn over.. At least I wasn't cold- I was sweating my ass off. " GO AHEAD AND GO, Ill meet you there!"  As I duck in to the motel room to grab my tank bag and make sure I wasn't forgetting anything else. I hear "Do you want me to try?" Benny, smiling down at me gesturing toward the bike- at this point, I was sure it wasn't going to start until it heated up in the sun- she was COLD.. And I wasn't heavy enough to get her over until then.   Thinking of how everyone insisted on waiting for me- If you want to- I smiled- go ahead.

Breeze's two kick proved standard as he easily used his weight to kick her over.   I wish, sometimes, I had that advantage.. As she warmed up, I thanked him- the first person to start Breeze, besides me, in 3 years.  And here I was- not offended. Not upset, and not discouraged.  I was thankful.

We went to eat. Coffee was amazing, and the bikes lined up out front looked great! I was so stoked on Breeze.. I just hoped she wouldn’t make me look like a chump. We took off and rode into the dealership meeting point, where, to my amazement there were a Lot of bikes- 40+ last count.  We pulled in and went to meeting everyone, talking, getting our shit together as far as raffles and ride rules- and this is when I noticed my motor mount bolt was missing. WHAAAAA??! Shit. When the fuck did that happen? That TING noise.. I KNOW I heard it fall..

So I run in, thinking the parts counter or techs could find me one… 20 minutes later-true to any Harley Service Department- NOPE. I just tightened down what I had, and away we went.

@amysuesporty

     The roads were beautiful, the day was cold and crisp- the sky was amazing and the sun was bright.  We curved down the roads, on our way to a pizza destination- but about 40 miles in- I started having shifting issues. .. Breeze wasn’t acting right, and a bad noise was creeping into my ears from below.. FFAAACCKKKK.. We were so close to the gas stop, that I tried to just hang back and take it easy- Benny realized I was having issues, he motioned, asking if he should stay by me- NO WAY!! I screamed- go take your pictures!! I'll see you at the next stop! I was just cruising in third- everything was okay until the stopping and starting- luckily we went through so many intersections without stopping, I made it another 20 miles.. And then things got bad- the noise was worse than I could handle, and it backfired once.. Twice- Yeah I'm done.. I motioned behind me that I was pulling over- and I saw a side road that gave me the opportunity I was looking for. 

I'm done! Need the chase truck and trailer- loaded up the bike, Gary stopped to help and Benny offered his backseat… This will be different.

I've only ridden on rides on separate bikes, this will be the first time I'd ridden on the back of a bike. In a long time. Period. Not to mention with a man I've seen zoom past with camera in hand, below the seat of his bike and his left hand on the throttle to catch up and GET THE PICTURE… insane.

I do NOT want to get in your way!! Just elbow me okay- instructions as I put on his pack and climb on the back of the bike I sold him 2 weeks prior. Insane.

@bigmfbenny

     So I learned a few things that day. One was that you need to check your primary oil in an Ironhead almost every single time you ride it..like I ride.. Just because. I learned you need to tighten any bolts associated with any part that may have had a bolt come loose. And add the maximum amount of locktite. Just because. I learned that real friends aren't measured by the amount of time you’ve known them.    

By the time we made it to the Pizza place for lunch, we heard there was a wreck.. Somewhere behind where I broke down. . FAAACK.

     Everyone was okay- which was good.. Luke, one of the bikes that went down, I had met at the Clam Jam a few years ago- He was a little torn up- but it was so cold, it just mostly ate away his cart harts.. he had layers.. He was okay. Trooper! Picked up and carried on to the end.. Right on man. You deserve a trophy for that shit. Next year.. Trophies. Ill make them.. Best wreck- piece of shit- trooper awards… im in. no charge.

So- the rest of the ride back to point A went smooth- I was on the back,  Breeze in a trailer.. Poor girl.

She made it mandatory that I get her a ride home- the entire four hours in the back of a truck.. 

Overall, the weekend was a raving success. The group made it back and we all had a good time winning free shit and talking about the day… thanks to April Fuels and Cooker for putting on such an awesome, well planned and **prepared** event. ** I needed a trailer… this is the best idea ever**

You'd think I was living a fairy tale or something..

 For the photos of the entire weekend to get the full effect of what I'm talking about: GO HERE YOU WONT BE SORRY!!!