An electrical glitch sidelined my Harley-Davidson Switchback Sunday shortly after I headed out for a long-overdue ride in beautiful weather.

Thankfully, Amy ventured out with a pair of jumper cables and I was able to get the machine started again and limped home from downtown Floyd.

The Switchback will sit in the garage until I return from the state high school basketball finals this week but my older, dependable Dyna Super Glide fired right up and provided a nice ride for the remainder of Sunday.

The Super Glide was the one that I laid down on the evening of November 9, 2012, to try and avoid hitting a black cow on U.S. 221 at Poague Valley Road in Roanoke County while returning from a football playoff game.

Dairyland Insurance Company tried to total the bike, not from damage, but from mileage.  The Dyna, a 2009, had topped 100,000 miles just two days earlier.  It took less than $3,000 in repairs to put the Dyna back on the road and it remains a solid, dependable ride, with with more than 100,000 miles on the odometer.  I turned to it for a ride when the Switchback, with less than 8,000 miles on its odometer, can’t keep its battery charged.

Rode the Dyna down Virginia Rte. 8 to the Blue Ridge Parkway at Tuggles Gap.  The Parkway was open and free of snow and ice so I headed north.  Stopped at the Smart View overlook for marvel at the beautiful weather and to snap a few pix of the Dyna on my iPhone 6+.  Ah, technology.

Continued north towards Franklin Pike, then over to Poor Farm Road and a last leg on Sandy Flats to home.

Meeting a friend for breakfast this morning and we will ride for a time after food.  The Dyna will fill in nicely and the Switchback will head to the dealer when I get back from the state basketball finals for a check of the electrical system and a new battery.

Some questioned why I kept the Dyna after buying a new Switchback.  A couple of people have tried to buy it for far less than it is worth.  Yes, it has more than 100,000 on the odometer but the engine is strong, does not burn oil, and the bike still has more than four years left on its extended warranty.

Call it my dependable Dyna.  A strong engine guard helped save my life in November 2012 and it saved my chances for a good ride on a beautiful day on Sunday.