Port Dover, Friday 13th

Day 1:
I left the Capital at about 8:30, it was overcast but no rain in sight, I got going, and got Gas...  boy it was going to cost a lot to get down even on my bike.  I ran into 2 others about 3/4 hrs in at a pit stop, one of them was on their first trip to Dover, the other was on a trip back after 6 years away.  The bugs were bad, I was glad to be wearing my full face helmet.  I rode hwy 7 down to 37 then the 401 through to hwy 5 and rode into Waterdown around 2:30pm, no issues in TO or anywhere along the road, it was a good quick trip down.

Day 2:
We had to get the kids gone, that took until 9:30, and then we went to breaky with another rider friend of my riding buddies...  this was going to be the latest arrival ever in Dover... what happened to no plans.  On the was in we passed 342 bikes leaving, really before noon!!  At a Timmie's outside Dover I ran into a person leaving, they said it was packed, no parking LOL, we'll see about that, I know a few spots over my years going.

Hot and Humid, I guess that is what you get for being near the water.  It was busier than I had expected but, it was a smaller crowd than in recent years.  Some new bikes that I had not seen before and a beautiful old Indian...  I still love those bikes. 

We walked around for a few hours, got the shirt, and the patch and then hit the road.
137 pasted bikes going into Dover, the place was going to be packed well into the night.

Day 3:
Time to go, had to get home, as much as I like taking off on the bike, I still wish my better half could be on the road with me.  So I left, thick fog, not good to ride in, I stopped about 1/2 hrs in just to get a coffee and phone home that I was on my way.  So the fog left around TO, but then the rain started, glad I had on the rain suit (I put that on when I stopped for the fog).  The rain did not stop, the entire ride, somewhere, after about 2 hrs, that was it, my rain suit on the bottom was leaking... great, boots full of water, but full of water, I didn't want to take off my gloves, good luck getting them back on.  I had to stop outside of Smith Falls, a rest station on the side of the road, time to switch the gloves, no way I was getting them back on. I then went full tilt to get home, a little faster than the posted limits....  I just wanted to get there after 3 hrs in the rain.  1:30pm I pulled into the driveway.  Cold wet and worn out...

What A Great getaway...  I needed that, now a few days off and then back to the grind...  I need to work on doing this full time!

Newbies

Wow first weekend down.  You have to realize, a normal first weekend is wet, cold and dark, your lucky if it does not snow.  I was asked to cover the first weekend for a fellow instructor that had a death in the family...  what can you say, I decided to help even though I'm doing something every other weekend in May, this was suppose to be my one together with the family.

We (we always teach in pairs) got out there bright and early 7am on the saturday and were faced with 10 students, only 2 of which had ridden before but all had bikes at home already (or on order to pick up on the Monday following the course).  My worse fear was coming true, a bunch that wanted to ride so bad over the winter they could taste it...

It started off slow as it always seems to with the new riders.  balance issues, clutch issues, shifting issues, we can go on and on.  but by the end of the first day it was all coming together for them.  Only a few dropped motorcycle while waiting in line... note to self 'remind students that the motorcycles still need to be held up while they wait for thier turn behind someone'.

By the end of the second day we thought most were ready for the evaluation, we though some might not make it but we would give them all a chance.  9/9 passed....  (Oh I know what your thinking, I said 10 before...  well we lost one at lunch on the first day, never came back.  I don't think they realized how physical riding is, they passed out, and we heard later mild heart attack, not at the site with us but over lunch, last I heard they were doing well, resting and waiting to go home).

And then there was the weather...  wait for it....  18~20 c with sun on Saturday, and clouds on Sunday...  you could not ask for better weather.  Now lets hope for more of the same this weekend and maybe...  a couple more intermediate students.

only 11 days till PD13!

later
Paws