It finally worked out that no one is under the weather and the rain had moved on. That being the case we decided to warm up the Ultra and take a spin.
The check engine light was at it again so we called the Harley shop and headed over before our ride. It seems that the front O2 bypass sensor that came with the Power Commander is out of tolerance and needed to be replaced. That done, and at no charge, we look around in Motor Clothes and head out.
It had been cloudy since Friday and still was today except for a brief shot of blue sky about 10:00 this Saturday morning. The radar showed the rain had moved offshore and only a 30% chance. The temperature was around 58.
We leave the dealership and head to Pollocksville by Island Creek Road. I know a lot of riders that worry about that road since it cuts cleanly through some very back woods terrain and there have been more than one close call story involving deer.
(Click on the map to see our route.)
I like the road because of the terrain, the canopy of trees and the multiple curves that present themselves. It used to be my personal racetrack back in the mid seventies when I plied the highway with a '71 bright red MG Midget. Almost as fun as a bike but not quite...
After we rode through Pollocksville we headed to Trenton on 58. Just a few miles out we saw two cars pulled over, one on each side of the road, and a large black bear lying on its side just off the roads edge. Debbie and I discussed going back and looking at the bear but decided to keep going. We both concluded that if the bear was merely dazed and woke up, we may not be in the best of situations.
As we rode by the old grist mill in Trenton I realized I left my camera home. Yes, left it home and the work to the mill is finished AND there is water flowing over the dam. The only consolation was that it was very overcast and the pictures would not be of the best quality.
We stopped at Debbie's moms to visit for a few minutes and noticed that it was getting darker to the northwest. A quick check off the local radar showed a small cell just north of town and a few more in the area. We decided to head home only to run into heavy rain on Trent Road in New Bern. We pulled in to my moms house and waited until it passed.
Since we were wearing full leathers we didn't get wet, except for glasses and exposed hair. All in all it was a good ride but we should have worn one additional layer to better combat the creeping chill that sets in at 60 mph.
We are certainly looking forward to spring and some long rides.
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