We got to Austin and hit traffic. So, we ducked and weaved and did some lane-splitting getting through to our exit/meeting point. Pulled up to the gas station at the bottom of the ramp and saw my friend Charlie in the lot waiting for us. Took a short break, then ended up splitting up with Mike and the boys. They headed to the campground fifty miles south, while Charlie and I hooked up a place to stay in Austin for the night.
We headed down to a bar close-by and called on this girl named Erin to come and meet us. Not only was she a pretty cool chick to hang with(drank Jamo, straight up), but she was letting us crash at her place for the night - drinks on me. We hit a few bars and landed at this spot called Rebel's Honkytonk. We proceeded to get lit up pretty damn good, dance like idiots, and hit on women the rest of the night. It was great, except for the ride home in the back of some guy's truck.
After some late night drinking and trouble-making at her place, we passed out - planning on an early start that coming morning.
That didn't happen. The guys who organized this deal set up a ride for Saturday late morning/early afternoon. The ride was suppose to start at 11 a.m., but we figured that meant more like 11:30 or noon with that many guys involved(about 30 in all). We got going around noon and decided to meet up with the guys in Luckenbach along the way.
Pulling out of town, my engine was squealing at me, so I pulled over to check it out. I got on the phone and dialed Rich, again, and was greeted with a "what's wrong?". I gave him the low-down and he told me what to check for. From what I described to him, he thought it was an intake manifold leak.
I stopped at a Home Depot and got some WD-40 to spray where the manifold meets the cylinders to check if the engine sped up or slowed down while idling. For some reason, it didn't. With my top rocker gaskets on the outs, I tightened the rocker-box bolts to see if that helped - it did, for a little while. Rich was right all along, but I wouldn't find out until later that night.
We met up with all of the guys in Luckenbach, which is one killer little town. Actually, it's a couple run-down buildings(bar, gift shop, and a dancehall) and an outdoor stage. The place was packed and there was a Country Western Band playing - go figure. I walked around for most of the time spent there, drinking Lonestar beer and snapping photos of whatever caught my eye. Everything I looked at reminded me of my pops, because while I was growing up, Country Western was all that he listened to. The place was Country - 100%.
Finally, we all got on the bikes and fired them up. The whole damn town turned around when we did. Jaws were dropping and people were staring. Pretty sure our presence was felt...
- damn dirtbags and long-hairs, with their hell-raisin and loud motorcycles
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