RETURN TO PROTEAM HARLEY DAVIDSON 3-7-2012

ON WEDNESDAY, 3-7-2012, DAVID, ALAN AND I RODE BACK UP TO PROTEAM HARLEY DAVIDSON IN LAWTON OKLAHOMA TO DROP OFF MY EXTRA KEY, ORIGINAL SEATS AND THE RIDERS BACK REST THAT WENT TO THE TOURING SEAT ON THE ROAD KING THAT I HAD TRADED IN FOR A HERITAGE STC ON TUESDAY 3-6-2012. JOIN US FOR THE RIDE UP TO LAWTON OKLAHOMA (HOME TO FT.SILL, THE US ARMY'S ARTILLERY TRAINING POST). REMEMBER, IF YOU WANT TO SEE THE PICTURE BIGGER, JUST CLICK ON THE PICTURE!

HERE IS MY HERITAGE AND THE SEATS WE WERE GOING TO RUN BACK UP TO PROTEAM HARLEY DAVIDSON. I BUNGEED THE PASSENGER SEAT TO MY BACK REST AND PUT THE RIDERS BACK REST TO THE TOURING SEAT INTO ONE OF THE SADDLEBAGS. DAVID BUNGEED THE LARGER RIDERS SEAT ONTO THE TOURING TRUNK ON HIS GOLDWING.

HERE IS MY NEW 2012 HARLEY HERITAGE STC IN FRONT OF THE HOUSE. WHEN I FIRST SAT ON IT IN THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT OF PROTEAM, IT FELT LIKE IT FELT WHEN I SAT ON THAT 2001 HERITAGE I HAD HAD PREVIOUSLY. IT FELT LIKE IT HAD MY NAME WRITTEN ALL OVER IT AND I KNEW NOW, LIKE I KNEW BACK IN 2009 WHEN I BOUGHT THE 2001, THAT THIS 2012 WAS MINE BECAUSE IT FIT ME SO WELL LIKE I WAS PART OF THE BIKE AND NOT SITTING ON TOP OF THE BIKE LIKE THE ROAD KING.

A PICTURE OF THE DERBY COVER. 103 CU. IN. IS APPROXIMATELY 1688 cc.

THE METAL PLATE ON THE GAS TANK

THE AIR BREATHER

THE BUTT END OF THE HERITAGE. AFTER RUNNING VANCE & HINES SHORTS ON THE OTHER HERITAGE AND VANCE & HINES HIGH PERFORMANCE LONG SHOTS ON THE ROAD KING, THE STOCK PIPES ON THE NEW BIKE ARE SO QUIET OR SEEM TO ME TO BE QUIET, THAT IT'S LIKE RIDING A STEALTH BIKE. HECK, I WAS RIDING BEHIND DAVID A FEW TIMES AND HIS GOLDWING DROWNED OUT MY PIPES AND WE KNOW HOW QUIET GOLDWING'S ARE..

HERE ARE ALAN & DAVID BEHIND ME ON BARNETT RD AS WE LEAVE MY PLACE AND HEAD UP TO LAWTON OKLAHOMA

HERE IS DAVID AS WE HEAD EAST ON US 82 (KELL FRWY) TO  I-44.

HERE IS ALAN ON HIS 99 HARLEY ULTRA CLASSIC. HIS BIKE IS SO CLEAN, IT LOOKS LIKE IT JUST ROLLED OUT OFF THE SHOWROOM FLOOR. ALAN WILL TELL YOU THAT THE ULTRA HAS NEVER LET HIM DOWN.

HERE ARE DAVID & ALAN AS WE HEAD UP AND OVER THE "FLY OVER" THAT WAS BUILT BACK IN 2002 OR 2003

WE START DOWN THE OTHER SIDE OF THE OVERPASS. DAVID & ALAN HAD TO SLOW WAY DOWN BECAUSE THE CAR IN FRONT OF US WAS POKING ALONG AT ABOUT 30 MPH OR SO. THAT IS DOWNTOWN WICHITA FALLS TEXAS  IN THE UPPER LEFT PORTION OF THE PICTURE

HERE IS WHERE US 82 MERGES WITH US 287 UP ON THE OVERPASSES. WE ARE STILL BEHIND THAT CADILLAC. BUT IN ABOUT 30 SECONDS THE CADDY WOULD BE HISTORY BEHIND US...

HERE ARE ALAN & DAVID AS WE HEAD NORTH ON I-44. THE TOWN WE ARE APPROACHING IS BURKBURNETT TEXAS.

APPARENTLY THE CAMERA INADVERTANTLY CLICKED AS I WAS IN THE PROCESS OF PUTTING THE CAMERA BACK IN MY CUP HOLDER. I THOUGHT THE PIC THAT WAS TAKEN OF ONE OF MY VEST EXPANDERS WAS UNIQUE LOOKING, SO HERE IT IS..

WE ARE NOW LEAVING BURKBURNETT TEXAS AND APPROACHING THE RED RIVER BRIDGE. ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE BRIDGE IS OKLAHOMA..

HERE IS DAVID AS WE CROSS THE RED RIVER BRIDGE HEADING FOR OKLAHOMA

THE RED RIVER IS EXTREMELY LOW. BUT I HAVE SEEN THE WATERS SO HIGH THAT THEY LAP AT THE UNDERSTRUCTURE OF THE BRIDGE JUST UNDER THE ROAD WAY..

WE STOP AT JOHNNY'S (CLOSED A WHILE BACK) AT I-44/US 70 FOR A QUICK BREAK. HERE IS ALAN.

HERE IS DAVID AT JOHNNY'S CORNER (I-44/US70) AFTER WE STOPPED FOR A QUICK BREAK.

WE WILL LEAVE AS SOON AS I GET TO MY  BIKE. WE WILL TAKE BUSINESS 287/277 TO AVOID THE TOLL BOOTH ON I-44.  WE WILL GET BACK ON I-44 IN ABOUT 5 MILES OR SO.

HERE ARE DAVID & ALAN AS WE HEAD NORTH ON BUSINESS 287/277 ABOUT 6 MILES NW OF WALTERS OKLAHOMA..

HERE WE ARE RE-ESTABLISHED ON I-44. ALAN IS ON THE RED HARLEY AND DAVID IS ON THE WHITE GOLDWING.

AND WE GET TO THE PREVERBIAL ROAD WORK WHICH IS AN ALMOST CONSTANT ON MOST INTERSTATES NOW-A-DAYS

WE HAVE CRANKED DOWN TO 60 MPH

THIS IS THE COMANCHE CASINO AT THE GORE EXIT  OFF OF I-44 IN LAWTON OKLAHOMA. THE HIGHWAY NAME IS FOR THE 95TH DIVISION. WHEN I WENT INTO THE ARMY RESERVES AFTER GETTING OUT OF THE USAF IN 1977, I WAS ASSIGNED TO THE 95TH INFANTRY DIVISION NICKNAMED THE "IRON MEN OF METZ" FROM ACTION THEY WERE INVOLVED IN DURING WWII IN GERMANY. FOR MORE INFO ON THE CASINO & THE 95TH INFANTRY DIVISION, SEE THESE LINKS: http://comanchenationcasinos.com/  &      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/95th_Infantry_Division_(United_States)                                                              

AS WE APPROACHED THE GORE BLVD EXIT OFF OF I-44, I TOOK THIS PICTURE OF PROTEAM HARLEY DAVIDSON. IT IS LOCATED DIRECTLY ACROSS I-44 FROM THE COMANCHE CASINO. IF YOU WIN BIG AT THE CASINO, YOU CAN GO ACROSS I-44 AND BUY YOURSELF A COUPLE OF NEW HARLEY DAVIDSON'S.

NATURALLY, WE GET CAUGHT AT THE RED LIGHT/ DAVID IS UP FRONT BEHIND THE CAR AND ALAN IS IN FRONT OF ME.

PULLING INTO PROTEAM HARLEY DAVIDSON'S PARKING LOT.

PARKED OUT IN FRONT OF THE PROTEAM HD DEALERSHIP IS THIS BIG DOG BIKE. GOOD LOOKING EH? MY BUTT HURT JUST LOOKING AT IT. I HAD A 1977 HARD TAIL SHOVELHEAD BACK IN 1979 AND AFTER A WHILE, IT TORE MY BUTT UP..BUT IT WAS A RIOT TO PUTT AROUND ON..IT WAS A GREAT BIKE.

THE BIGDOG AIR BREATHER..

BRANDON, OWNER OF PROTEAM HARLEY DAVIDSON, TALKS WITH ALAN ABOUT GETTING A NEW BIKE AS DAVID LISTENS IN.

SOME OF THE NEW BIKES FOR SALE AT PROTEAM. OFF TO THE LEFT IS JANICE, WHO SELLS THE NEW HARLEY'S IN THE MOTOR SALES SECTION OF PROTEAM. SHE IS THE ONE WHO TURNED ME ON TO MY NEW HERITAGE AND WAS MY SALES PERSON. IF YOU ARE LOOKING FOR A NEW HARLEY OR USED ONE, JANICE IS THE ONE TO SEE. SHE KNOWS HER HARLEYS INSIDE & OUT. FOR MORE INFO ON THIS FINE DEALERSHIP, CHECK OUT THIS LINK TO PROTEAM: http://www.proteamhd.com/  AND LET ME ADD THIS ABOUT PROTEAM: IF THEY CAN PUT ME ON A 2012 HARLEY, THEN MOST LIKELY, THEY CAN PUT YOU ON A NEW BIKE TOO. OR A USED HARLEY FOR THAT MATTER. GO BY AND SEE JANICE OR BRANDON TODAY AND FIND OUT. THERE IS NO BIGGER THRILL THAN GOING TO A DEALERSHIP AND RIDING HOME ON A BRAND NEW HARLEY. GO GET A NEW HARLEY AT PROTEAM AND SEE IF I'M RIGHT. A COUPLE MILLION OTHER HARLEY RIDERS KNOW I'M RIGHT.

DAVID IS CLICKING HIS HEELS AND SAYING "THERE IS NO PLACE LIKE EDDIE HILLS, THERE IS NO PLACE LIKE EDDIE HILLS, THERE IS NO PLACE LIKE EDDIE HILLS" DAVID IS A HARDCORE GOLDWING RIDER AND AS TRY AS WE MIGHT, JANICE, BRANDON, ALAN & I COULD NOT TALK HIM INTO TRADING HIS BELOVED GOLDWING IN FOR A NEW ULTRA CLASSIC.  EDDIE HILLS IS EDDIE HILLS FUN CYCLES LOCATED IN WICHITA FALLS TEXAS. WHEN I RIDE THE METRIC BIKES INSTEAD OF THE HARLEYS, I ALWAY DO BUSINESS WITH EDDIE. I HAVE KNOW EDDIE HILL SINCE 1975 AND THE NHRA RECORD HOLDER IS A DOWN TO EARTH PERSON AS IS ERCIE HIS WIFE. CHECK OUT EDDIE HILL'S SITE AT: http://www.eddiehillsfuncycles.com/           

THIS IS MATTIE. SHE WORKS IN THE MOTOR CLOTHES AND ACCESSORIES SECTION. SHE IS ALSO VERY KNOWLEDGEABLE ABOUT THE HARLEY CLOTHES AND ACCESSORIES. I HAVE MY FAVORITE SALES PERSONS AT DIFFERENT HARLEY DAVIDSON DEALERSHIPS AND MATTIE NOW RANKS AS MY #1 FAVORITE IN MOTOR CLOTHES/ACCESSORIES, JANICE IS #1 IN MOTOR SALES AND BRANDON IS THE #1 OWNER/FINANCIAL OFFICER, ALL IN OKLAHOMA, ALL AT PROTEAM HARLEY DAVIDSON!

COMPLETING OUR BUSINESS, WE HEAD BACK TO TEXAS. HERE WE ARE, WITH DAVID LEADING AS WE HEAD SOUTH ON I-44.

HERE IS A PICTURE OF ALAN BEHIND ME AS WE RIDE THRU THE CONSTRUCTION ZONE ON I-44

WE CLEAR THE CONSTRUCTION ZONE AND ALAN PULLS UP NEXT TO ME FOR A PHOTO. LOOKING GOOD ALAN!!

CLOUDS START TO ROLL IN AGAIN AS WE HEAD SOUTH THRU OKLAHOMA ON BUSINES 287/277. THERE WAS A 30% CHANCE OF T-STORMS, BUT, I LOOK AT IT AS A 70% CHANCE IT WON'T RAIN..

MY FIRST BUG STRIKES ON THE WINDSHIELD OF THE NEW BIKE.. I ALSO HAD BUG STRIKES ON BOTH LENS OF MY SUNGLASSES..I CAN'T WAIT FOR SPRING WHEN THE SMALL PTERODACTYL FLYING INSECTS COME LOOKING TO COMMIT SUICIDE ON OUR WINDSHIELDS, ,HELMETS, SUNGLASSES, HANDS, BOOTS ETC..

HERE WE ARE CROSSING THE RED RIVER BRIDGE WITH TEXAS AT THE SOUTH END.

YOU CAN SEE THE WELCOME TO TEXAS SIGN BETWEEN DAVID & ALAN..                       

I TRIED BUT COULDN'T GET THE TEXAS WELCOME SIGN IN THIS PICTURE. AT 75MPH, WE WERE EATING UP PAVEMENT AND THE SIGN JUST CAME UP ON US TOO FAST FOR ME TO GET THE SHOT I WANTED...OH WELL, THERE IS ALWAYS NEXT TIME.

WE TOOK THE FM240 EXIT AND RODE THRU BURKBURNETT TO FM 369 WHERE WE TURNED SOUTH. ALAN IS LEADING US NOW, THEN DAVID AND THEN ME, I WAS DOING DIFFERENT SPEEDS AS PART OF BREAKING IN THE NEW BIKE AND I DIDN'T WANT TO HINDER THEM..

LOCATED ON FM 369 NEAR US 287, IS THE JAMES ALLRED PRISON UNIT. SEE THIS LINK FOR MORE ON THE PRISON: http://www.facebook.com/pages/James-V-Allred-Unit/143741038975780

WE WENT TO THE HIGHWAY GRILL IN IOWA PARK TEXAS TO EAT LUNCH. HERE ARE ALAN AND DAVID INSIDE THE GRILL.

THE LAST PICTURE FROM TODAY'S RIDE IS OF ALAN & DAVID IN THE HIGHWAY GRILL IN IOWA PARK, TEXAS. CHECK OUT THE HIGHWAY GRILL'S FACEBOOK PAGE HERE: http://www.facebook.com/pages/HWY-Grill/230642573647671  THIS WILL CONCLUDE THIS POST.

I HAD A GREAT TIME RIDING WITH DAVID AND ALAN AND IT WAS GOOD TO SEE BRANDON & JANICE AGAIN, AND A PLEASURE TO MEET MATTIE. I LOOK FORWARD TO OUR NEXT RIDE, WHENEVER IT OCCURS AND WHEREVER IT TAKES US.

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PLEASE CONTINUE TO PRAY FOR ALL OF OUR TROOPS BOTH IN AND OUT OF HARM'S WAY, ESPECIALLY FOR: JOSHUA PORTER (USN), PATTI JACKSON (USAF) QATAR THEATRE OF OPERATIONS, and MICHAEL RYCKOFF(USAF) KOREAN THEATRE OF OPERATIONS. YOUR PRAYER MIGHT JUST BE THE ONE THAT SAVES THE LIFE OF ONE OF OUR TROOPS.

UNTIL NEXT POST, YA'LL BE CAREFUL OUT THERE, KEEP THE RUBBER ON THE ROAD, KEEP YOUR HEAD ON A SWIVEL AND MOST IMPORTANTLY OF ALL ...............................RIDE FREE & RIDE SAFE!! .....................JOHN