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Detroit/Royal Oak Bike Night....A photographic essay


Fonzie

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Mentioned in that QSL vote thread yesterday, about SamBusa & I comin' down there before, as well as hittin' the Detroit/RO bike night. Here's the writeup I did at that time about RO's.............

How I spent my birthday................A photographic essay ;)

[name=Fonzie' date='Jun 16 2006, 05:13 PM]

Sam showed up around 9:15, we left about an hour later. Took little over an hour to make it from my place to Dundee. Stopped off to get gas & something to eat, and to give Sam's back a break (he just had that surgery less than 4 months ago :icon_eek: ). Here's some pix at lunch.........good light & I liked the way the bikes were lined up. That's Sam in the background actin' important on his cell :icon_smile: People kept gawking at them as they were comin' & goin'...........

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After lunch/gas........we headed west toward Irish Hills. At this point looked like Joel was out again, as he'd broken one friends bike :icon_wink: , and a co-worker put his in the shop the day before just so he wouldn't have to lend it to him. I had talked to Brian (Spicholy) that morning, but forgot to get his cell # from him, and figured I'd just get it when he tried calling me to let us know he was on his way........WRONG!! He called while I was talking to Joel....never showed on my call waiting, so I got his VM, but still no # showed up. Grrrreeeeaaatt........this could get interesting.

So Sam & I ride a few of the roads I remember from going up there as a kid to my grandparents place, and stop off in Brooklyn (MIS). Thirsty & another chance to try & get ahold of these guys. Joes phrase about "cat herding" keeps running through my head!! :icon_think: Missed a neat pic by one of those yellow "curve" signs.....it was a nice squigly one, but we blew by it by the time I thought about it. Head over to MIS, as it was only a mile down the road, and saw a photo op, so we pulled over & I started doin' my Jimmy Olson impersonation...............

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After we took these pix, we rode up to the main gate. I go ahead and pull in, as there's a big van in front of us, and a chopper behind them. We get in line. Security stopped the van and are talking with them, then wave them through, then the chopper....without stopping him, then us. Rode the bikes through the tunnel under the track.......of course we had to pipe 'em, even though the chopper guy probably could've drowned both us out together. Pull out the other side, and hang a lefty into the garage/paddock area. We're just riding the bikes down the row right next to the cars lined up to go onto the track, and all the pit guys are lookin' at us. I was followin' the chopper guy, but now I don't see him. We get to the end gate, where it goes back into the garage area, & I pull over. Sam tells me......."Dude.......let's ditch the bikes........they're drawin' TOO much attention!

So we go over to a parking area, and I notice an "official" lookin' older guy in a golf cart eyeballin' us. We're takin' our gear off, and just as Sam's tellin' me he can't believe I got us in there and had the balls to pull into the track & that security just waved us past, this guy loops around behind us & pulls up next to me just as I'm taking my last stuff off. FUCK.....busted! :icon_pray: I look over at him, and he's lookin' at my bike (now I'm used to Sam usually gettin' most of the attention) and he opens his mouth & says.............................................."Is that an '01 Blackbird"??? :icon_dance: He leans over & checks out my guages and then corrects his mistake. We talked to him for a solid 15 minutes. Real nice guy......works for one of the TV crews there. I gave him the addy for the board & told him to check us out......so Allen....if you're reading this.....Welcome!!

We then proceed to walk all over the place........it was like an open pass. Got on top of the suites overlooking pit row as the cars were getting ready to take their practice laps.........

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When we get done up there, we take the bikes out onto the infield, down by the "pole". Got some cool pix down there between turns 1 & 2 while the cars were takin' their laps in the background. While we're takin' these, we hear an accident down in Turn 4..........heard tires lockin/rubber screachin'........then a smash.......then more rubber screachin :icon_eek:

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Finally got call from Brian again at this point. He's about 20 minutes from us, so we say we'll meet him out front. Wrap up our pix, and head out. I'm not a big NASCRAP fan, but it was definately cool having almost complete access to the track like that. If we'd of wanted to get arrested, it'da been REAL easy to get the bikes out on the track.......just one more turn off the garage/paddy area :icon_evilgrin:

Meet up with Brian outside the track........he didn't have as good a luck gettin' in as we did :icon_wink: Head back through the hills and hit some twisties........see that damn "curve" sign again, but still didn't get the pic :icon_wall: I blasted past some cars & cut it close (too close.....got VERY lucky the big guy was watchin' out for me), and lost those guys for a bit, but when I got to the stop sign, I was waiting longer than what I felt was normal. Got a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach, afraid one of them tried following me on that pass & maybe didn't make it icon_eek.gif

Fortunately as soon as I started heading back to look for them, they came out........Boy....seein' them was a GOOD feeling!

We pull in so Brian can gas up, and I try callin' Joel again to tell him no way are we gonna meet him in time for when he leaves work, and try to talk him into meeting us over at Royal Oak again.......He'd been asking to ride bitch with me earlier, and I told him I didn't want to pull a Dumb & Dumber and feel his man tent on my ass......even though he'd promised to wear his "protective cup" :icon_hand: He now informs me that he just bought another new bike, he needs to go pick it up, and he's hoping yet again to hook up with us & ride over to Detroit!!! That's what I'm talkin' about baby!! :icon_clap: We now have to console Brian though, as it turns out, it's exactly the same bike he had his heart set on on Craigslist! What're the odds?!? :icon_drool:

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Part 2.........

Said the whole post was "too much"..........

We then start over to Joel's to see if we can hook up with him, and got some pix in front of this race trailer while trying to call him...........

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Can't get ahold of him (cat herding), so we decide to start migrating toward Ann Arbor/Detroit, and try him again later. Brian's Radian starts acting up on him at this point.......won't idle right, and is making a ticking sound, but he says he'll get us up to Joel, as we finally got ahold of him and set up a meeting point in Ann Arbor.

Found Joel and checked out his "latest" new bike. He had said on the phone you couldn't tell it was red, it was so dirty, but it wasn't that bad........especially for the price he got it for!! :icon_clap: Got a few pix of all of us together, as Brian's still gonna drop off en route............

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Drop Brian off, and Joel leads us on a Hell ride over to Detroit........boy rides like he's possessed.....and he says he was "goin slow" for us :icon_eek: Pull up onto the strip on Royal Oak, do a couple laps around the strip (saw about 4 other 'Birds.......3 black, 1 red) & finally find a parking spot for all of us.......

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Lots of sportbikes. Saw 2 14's roll up later, right when we were getting ready to leave, so didn't get to go down & converse. Never did find whose 'Birds those were...........any of you guys on here show up??? Did see some kids stunt bike..........Primer grey, leaning up against a pole 'cause his kickstand is bent/broke, passenger seat taped on with electrical tape, pieces of rubber tire glued to top of tank, rigged up headlights, can spliced & re-welded with crash dummy sticker on it, and the icing on the cake.......license plate screwed vertically directly into the rear of his exhaust can!!! :icon_twisted:

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Joel gives it the shocker approval!!

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Talked to some young kid about his new anniversary colored R6........Sam tells him he needs to get rid of his mud flap on the back. His response....."Yeah......it's quick. My buddy's got a 750 and I've beat him 4 outa 6 times" :icon_surprised:

Some of the local sights............

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A caprice runnin' 24's. How do we know they're 24's you might ask.........well besides the fact that it looked like a 4x4, he had big signs in his back windows tellin us they were 24" :icon_rolleyes:

Joel & I liked these T-shirts, but the damn shop was closed!! :icon_nono:

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We left about 10:30........Joel shortly before us. Stopped off a few times to eat & give Sam's back a stretch.....I think it was hurtin' him more than he was 'fessin' to. We both got home shortly after 2 a.m. 16 hour day, I did about 400 miles.......Sam about 450-475. Lot's of fun. Thanx to Brian & Joel for playin' tourguide/pathfinder for us, and for comin' out to spend the day with us. And thanx to Sam for puttin' in a long day with me, even though I know his back HAD to be killin' him.....though must notta been too bad....as he was wantin' to get home & get frisky with his wifey!! :icon_evilgrin:

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I looks like fun I used to live in the Ann Arbor/ Ypsi area and make it up to michangan a couple of times a year. InYaAzz on this board goes up there frequently so we need to plan in advance and we can get some more ohio people to come up there with you

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The decals or paint or whatever on your buddy's 'busa is a little bit too gawdy for my tastes. I don't have to ride the thing so I guess it doesn't matter, but I think it's a little overboard. "A" for effort, "D+" for conceptualization.

Although the fact that it's a 'busa makes him ok in my book. I think the Blackbirds look much better, in perspective.

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The decals or paint or whatever on your buddy's 'busa is a little bit too gawdy for my tastes. I don't have to ride the thing so I guess it doesn't matter, but I think it's a little overboard. "A" for effort, "D+" for conceptualization.

Although the fact that it's a 'busa makes him ok in my book. I think the Blackbirds look much better, in perspective.

Yeah.......It took quite awhile for me to get used to it too. His wife cut all those decals out by hand & applied them all herself, so I definately giver her an A+ on talent & effort! She's also the one who did up the BlackBird kanji's for me on my rear cowl thumb.gif

.......the bike draws attention.

Yes it did! However.......It's been re-done 3 times since then in the last 2 years :eek: It's like I get a new girlfriend every summer....Twice this year! :D

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that camo bike is sweet! :lol: i want that shirt woth the gun

My favorite part of that bike is how he screwed the plate right into the exhaust can.....No bracket or nothin, with the Crash Dummies stickers on there for good measure!! :D

Kid was pretty cool about it......He came out while we were takin' our pix & clownin' about it, and he just started laughin' along with us....Didn't cop an attitude or anything thumb.gif

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The decals or paint or whatever on your buddy's 'busa is a little bit too gawdy for my tastes. I don't have to ride the thing so I guess it doesn't matter, but I think it's a little overboard. "A" for effort, "D+" for conceptualization.

Although the fact that it's a 'busa makes him ok in my book. I think the Blackbirds look much better, in perspective.

It was done for "my taste" not yours;)

Then it went to Caddy white. Next was the screwed up chrome job by XXX Chrome. Now she's in pieces.

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It was done for "my taste" not yours;)

Then it went to Caddy white. Next was the screwed up chrome job by XXX Chrome. Now she's in pieces.

Ahh, I didn't know you were on the site. Yea, I understand - like I said, the effort was pretty impressive, just not my tastes. I wouldn't have the balls to do any paint work / decal work on mine - it'd just be a mess.

That white though is :leghump:. If I couldn't find an '03 in the copper color, the '06 LE in white would've been a very close 2nd. You did it up right in the white! :cheers:

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Ahh, I didn't know you were on the site. Yea, I understand - like I said, the effort was pretty impressive, just not my tastes. I wouldn't have the balls to do any paint work / decal work on mine - it'd just be a mess.

That white though is :leghump:. If I couldn't find an '03 in the copper color, the '06 LE in white would've been a very close 2nd. You did it up right in the white! :cheers:

Shoulda left in white too. Now it's sitting naked in my shop:( I want that copper color. My Hummer was that copper. Absolutely beautiful.

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I've never seen a red blackbird before...
Then you still haven't....She's Mustang orange ;)
kind of an oxymoron...
She's still black underneath & on the bottom.....Where it counts :D
but it's :honda:
Amen Brother....AMEN!! thumb.gif

Here's a couple newer/better pix of our girls together last summer.........

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And here's one from 2 years ago, in their original dress. I like to call this one "Vader & Maul"! ;)

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He was referring to Joel's Redbird ya tard:p

Then you still haven't....She's Mustang orange ;)

She's still black underneath & on the bottom.....Where it counts :D

Amen Brother....AMEN!! thumb.gif

Here's a couple newer/better pix of our girls together last summer.........

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And here's one from 2 years ago, in their original dress. I like to call this one "Vader & Maul"! ;)

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Those pics of the white and orange together are givin' me half-stock. Those are some good looking machines.

Thanx Justin

He was referring to Joel's Redbird ya tard:p

Oh yeah.....Forgot Joel's was in a few of those 08.gif:D

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  • 11 months later...
I looks like fun I used to live in the Ann Arbor/ Ypsi area and make it up to michangan a couple of times a year. InYaAzz on this board goes up there frequently so we need to plan in advance and we can get some more ohio people to come up there with you

Sounds like a plan! thumb.gif We were just sayin' a few weeks ago that we need to try & get back up there this year, as it's been a few now

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