The year?...2001....the place?...Daytona...1/2 mile east of the hess station where 92 meets I-95....the time?...Bike week...about 9:00pm Saturday Night....the situation...a good ZRX bud of mine and myself were leading out a crew of about a dozen of our fellow "REXER" buds to see the starboyz stunt show at the hess station....and while lined up two abreast at a stoplight this ballzy dude muscles up the middle of our crew on his custom painted yellow on purple slammed V-Twin Kaw Vulcan and lines up between myself and my bud...looks at us both from behind a fullface helmet...triple taps his throttle and smiles..as I thought..."WTF?...who's this guy think he is challenging the oh so badazz us?..especially on a pig of a V-Twin?....he's not got a prayer...
"...so I looks to my bud with his stage 3 cams and muzzy full ti to answer his calling..and Ted rips off a high pitched howl as he lines up and that not being good enough for me?...I break loose with my pods and full muzzy meg fanning the clutch and jumping the front brake...light turns green and I make the best launch of my life...leaning waaay out over the front fender and carrying the front wheel about 9-12"s off the asphault all through 1st and then banged 2nd while the front was but a few inches from touch down and carry yet another 9-12"'s all through 2nd gear and at this point?...I was reading the vulcans plate numbers and once again thinking...WTF!!!
I'm gett'in spanked by a freaking V-twin in front of all my buds and lost the 1/8 mile stoplight-stoplight race by a solid 2-3 bike lengths.
We arrive at the hes station and I'm still in shock while my bud was red faced mad and embarrassed (as we hung with each other within a wheel length) as the vulcan shoot forward from between us...as one of our older rexer buds runs too us screaming.."Guess Who You Guys Just Left The Line With!!!"....Teds disgusted response was..."Someone who just smoked both our azz's on a freaking V-twin!
".....I'm the fatazz in the red shirt...
Ricky Gadson...on a sponsored Mr. Turbo Stealth Vulcan....which won the dyno shoot-out that year with 160rwhp/161ftlbs of torque....shid happens.
L8R, Bill.