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2006 Americade Motorcycle Rally Blog - Day 1

By Walter Kern

This year I'm going to try publishing highlights of Americade 2006, day by day in this blog. Americade is scheduled for June 5-10 this year. The blog will also include my preparation in getting ready to take the ride to Lake George, NY, my observations while there, the ride home, and getting back to normal -- before the next set of rides to the Gold Wing Road Riders Association (GWRRA) Wing Ding national rally in Nashville, TN and the BuRP rally in Maggie Valley, NC. (BuRP is a rally for Motorcycles forum members.)

My wife, Jane, and I have attended Americade since 1994. It's just 270 miles from our house in New Jersey. We usually stay the whole week but this year we will be shaving two days off to help pay for the other rallies we will be attending.

We had our two Honda Gold Wing 1500 Motor Trikes (Jane has a white 1998 and I have a red 2000) serviced in April. Jane went on a ride with our local GWRRA Chapter F (F-Troop) in early May and the alternator went out. Had to get towed back to our local dealer on a flatbed. A new alternator was installed. With any luck, we should now be set for the riding season.

Another complication this year is the onset of arthritis in my shoulders and hands. This started during the Polar Bear Grand Tour and is still being evaluated by a local arthritis specialist. The result is a lot of pain at times that I've never had before. I'm going in for two cortisone shots tomorrow in my shoulders and to hear the results of some additional blood tests ordered by the doctor. Getting old is not fun but it is bearable so long as I can keep riding motorcycles. So, all my rallies this season are test cases to see how I hold up with the new infirmities. I'm betting that I'll figure out ways to continue riding but I'm sure some adjustments will be necessary. In addition, Jane has a bad knee that may require surgery this fall. She has a lot of knee pain and got her cortisone shot two weeks ago.

Only three more days to go before we get on the trikes to travel to Americade.

Back to Americade Day-by-Day Blog

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