This year marks the 75th anniversary of Daytona Beach Bike Week. I've been making this run twice a year since 2000 and have only missed a few for circumstances beyond my control. It's a great time to see old friends and make new ones and the March event is pretty much the kickoff of the riding season. 

Last year at this time I was buying a new house in Nixa MO, making wedding plans for our wedding in Daytona and building a custom F3S to unveil down in Daytona. We had so much going on that year that when I look back I wonder how we ever survived it. Also this time last year it was snowing and we were trying to beat an ice storm headed our way. We had to trailer down because we had a total of five Spyders we were bringing down for the event. Like I said crazy times. I hate to trailer my bikes but sometimes there's no other way to pull it off.

This year my wife and I are riding out to Daytona, me on my custom F3S and Joan on her F3L Triple Black. I've had just over a week to do some customizing and to get both bikes ready to ride. We had to put some miles on Joan's bike (Black Bandit) so I could do an oil change before we left. I added a bunch of Lamonster Garage billet parts and did some custom graphics and LED lighting just so we would stand out in a crowd. I pretty much tear all my bikes apart just before a big ride. It's how I got the name (Lamonster) and I don't see that changing anytime soon.

I'm so excited to go on this ride with my best friend and wife. We put on about 20,000 miles on the road last year but some of that was in the truck and trailer. This year I've never been more ready to ride. I have my F3S (Triple Threat) pretty much the way I had envisioned it to be when I first got it back in Nov. of 2014. I just had Nathan Curry finish the paint on my Corbin bags and while I'm down in Daytona I'll be seeing Mike Corbin and installing one of the first Smuggler trunks for the F3. Nathan has already painted the lid so I'll pretty much be on a new bike once again for Daytona.

Speaking of new bikes I've got to tell you I've fallen head over heels in love with the new F3 Bagger. This bike has the look and feel that I've been wanting for years. I can honestly say that I'm a little jealous that Joan gets to ride it there and back. When I rode it I didn't want to get off. I'm pretty sure that Joan will feel the same way. She loves her music and the sound system on her F3S is pretty darn cool but it's not as easy to use and for sure it doesn't sound as good at highway speeds. The wind management is great too, you're not getting beat up and you don't feel like you're riding in a bubble. It's the perfect blend between an F3S and a RT. I use to think that the price was a little high compared to the RT but now I realize that to guys like me this is so much more than an RT. Sure you lose the rear trunk but you get adjustable ergonomics and you sit almost four inches lower in the saddle and that makes for a much more stable ride in the turns. As far as storage goes it has way more than any motorcycle I've ever owned and it's setup from the factory for a trailer if you really need to haul stuff. This year we'll be hauling the RT-622 trailer as we'll be on the road for two weeks.

In about 3 hours we'll be on the road and we'll be checking in along the way. We'll post our pics here and on Facebook and SpyderLovers.com so you can share the ride with us. I'll also use this page to keep a daily update so everything will be in one place. While in Daytona Joan and I will be at the Can-Am Spyder demo area so stop by and say hi. We'll be there from Wednesday to Saturday. 

Check back from time to time and share with your friends. Hope to see you on the road.

First Day On The Road

As we figured we didn't get much sleep the night before and we got off to a late start. We, had to drop the kids off at the vet and that took some time and it's always hard to leave them for so long. I know it's really hard on Joan and I've grown quite attached to those little boogers too. They still love us when we get home and pick them up and it is great to see their excitement when we do get them back home.

From the vet we drove the truck to the shop and unloaded the gear into the RT-622 trailer and I had some last minute mods to do on my bike before we left. As luck would have it they didn't go quite as I had planned so we left about an hour later than I wanted to.

We got about two miles down the road and I heard and saw a bolt fly up from my right fender and it looked like a bolt off the bike. We pulled over and I didn't see anything missing so maybe I just picked it up in my tire at the yard. I must say it did have me rebuilding everything in my head again thinking about what bolt it could have been. That's never a good thing when you start off a 3000 mile trip with thoughts of what could I have missed. As it turns out everything seems fine.

When we got on 65 south the wind was blowing pretty hard. It blew hard for most of the ride today and the Spyder handled it well but it was real noisy in my helmet and that got old pretty quick. When we made our first fuel stop we checked the radar and decided to change our route as we were heading into a rain storm and there was no reason to do that so we headed east towards Memphis TN. We added some time and miles to the trip but it was mostly back roads and it was a beautiful ride. It reminded me why I love to travel and to travel in the wind. There's nothing like being out in the elements and adjusting to your environment.

The F3's were well received by a couple of Harley guys we saw on the road and a gal we met at one gas station who rides a CBR 600 RR. She knew all about the Spyders and wanted to talk to someone who owned one and see what they really thought. I don't think she knew she was talking to two of the most excited Spyder riders on the planet. I'm pretty sure she'll be pulling the trigger soon on a new Spyder. I think she's leaning toward the RT but we told her to try the F3T too. She liked my bike but she really liked the Black Bandit. The bike was turning heads everywhere we went. I think Joan has crossed over to the Dark Side now too. She loves that F3L almost as much as I do.

We wound up with a 500+ mile day and found a place in the middle of nowhere Alabama to stay the night. We'll get an early start in the morning and try and make Daytona by dinner time. The F3's are running fantastic and I can't wait to get back on the road again and neither can my wife. She is a kick to ride with, we pretty much cutup the whole time while on the headsets. Love riding with someone who shares the same passions as I do. We'll check in tomorrow. Good night for now.

  Made it to the party!

We had a great ride today. The wind wasn't too bad and the F3's ran like horses to the barn. I can't believe how nice they are to ride long distance. We ran 70 mph plus most of the way and even towing a trailer I was getting 32-34 mpg. The F3 has so much power  you never have to downshift to 5th to pass a car unlike the RT. Part of that is the lower gearing. All I know is that even after 600 miles in the saddle that day I still felt pretty good. Joan was dealing with some back pain unrelated to the ride but other than that we did great. 1100 miles in two days. Not bad for the first ride of the season.

The last few miles to the hotel we had a Harley that wanted to play. Joan was in the lead and I think she needed something to keep her mind off the back pain and this seemed to be just what the doctor ordered. She was all grins when we pulled into the hotel. I love a gal that likes to play with the big boys! 

Next stop is Corbin to install a Smuggler trunk on my bike. Can't wait.

Fun in the Sun

Today we met with Mike Corbin at his shop and installed the new Smuggler Trunk and seat on my F3. This is a really nice piece but keep in mind that it is one piece, the seat pan and trunk are one. You can't use one without the other. So this is pretty much a solo setup but so is the F3S for me. I love the lines on it and the way it flows with the Corbin bags, too. The response has been great as far as looks goes. For me it's great for all those things I need easy access to like my earbuds and charging cables. I love everything about it and it really finished off the look of this bike. I had Nathan Curry paint the lid in the Triple Threat theme and that really pulled it all together. Thanks Mike for allowing me to have the first one and getting it done in time for me for Bike Week! You did good bro!

After we left Corbin we drove down A1A and stopped for a bite to eat and talked about how thankful we were to have found each other and to be able to both do what we love and to do it with each other. There's really nothing like it. As Joan would say "happy is good" and I would have to agree with that.

After lunch we drove down to the beach where we got married last year at Ponce Inlet and I think we both were a little choked up. It was an amazing day and it was nice to go back and remember where we started our NeverEnding Story. It really is a match made in heaven and we both know it. I thank God everyday for His grace in my life.

After hanging out at the beach for a while we stopped by one of our favorite restaurants right there by the lighthouse and mingled with the other bikers. Lots of questions about the Spyders and everyone loved the custom work we did to them. It was a great time to chill and enjoy the day. We saw a couple people take pictures of the new 2016 Special Series in Triple Black just while sitting there. It's definitely catching attention.

We drove back on A1A to Main street and turned some heads there. Lot's of bike and lots of folks taking pictures. As cool as some of those bikes were, the Spyders still get plenty of attention. Having a good looking blond on one doesn't hurt either. From Main street we drove to the race track and finished out our day. We got to talk to lots of folks and I was having fun watching Joan working the crowd. Having just ridden 1100 miles in two days on the F3L she could give some real world answers to the folks asking questions there. It's really fun to see how she interacts with other riders. This gal is the real deal and the people she talks to knows it. Me, on the other hand, I'm just a poser as you can see from these pics.

Hope you enjoy the story and the pics. Off to make more memories.