Day 1: June 22, 2008

28, 754 miles show on the odometer.

We are on the road at 9:30 AM. Not a bad start really. We both had to use bunjee cords and nets liberally to secure all the gear. Ceci really needs a sissy bar bag to go with the rest of her luggage, but we make do with just a backpack. It takes about an hour to figure out just where and how to secure everything. We look like the Beverly Hillbillies on bikes.

This is Ceci’s first long trip, and my first since Daytona Bike Week 1998. Heck, I haven’t even been on the street at all in a couple of years. No time to work up to anything now though, it’s all in sink or swim.

The weather cooperates, no wind or rain. It is a bit warm, in the low 90’s, but bearable. Ceci’s jacket has small vents that aren’t working very well. It probably doesn’t help that her Vulcan has a good sized windscreen. I am a transplanted Yankee that likes it cold, and Ceci is a natural born life-long Texan, but I’m doing better in the heat than she is. The hydration backpacks are most welcome. For Ceci it is a necessity.

Ceci’s bike is still running poorly at idle and low speeds. At highway speeds it seems to be doing OK, so we press on. Hopefully, it’ll fix itself. My bike seems to be running just fine. Go figure. Mileage for both of us is just under 50 m.p.g. Disappointing, I was hoping for better than that. Fortunately, her tank seems to be using the full 3 gallons now instead of her previous two. I guess that is a good sign.

I am remembering now why I always cursed my Bandit. The vibrations were always terrible. Within a few months of buying it I had installed Pro-Grip gel grips and filled the handlebars with foam in an effort to quell the vibrations. It seems worse now than ever. I constantly have to adjust my hands and fingers to keep them from going numb. In the first 100 miles I am starting to feel saddle sore. It was annoying ten years ago when both the bike and I were much younger. Now Ceci hears my regular complaints on the Chatterbox. I hear no such complaints from her. Once upon a time I wanted to try the Iron Butt rally, but now I’m thinking not so much. Maybe find a soft foil rally.

The roads are mostly straight and flat, fairly uninteresting. We take some back roads, but mostly follow 105 out of Cleveland and then 290/71 towards Junction. An occasional bit of small town stop and go traffic exaggerates the heat and the problems with the Vulcan. Parts of the route are labeled scenic by the map, but I’m not seeing it. Day one is already the longest bike trip of Ceci’s life, and she is enjoying that. I know there are much better rides yet to come.

We stop for the day at South Llano River State Park. There are just enough trees to give a shady spot to pitch the tent. Definitely welcome. We hang the sweat dampened gear up to dry and head for a dip in the South Llano River. Unlike most of the waterways in Texas, the Llano runs clear and cool. We spend a refreshing hour swimming in a well visited but not too crowded swimming hole. It takes a lot of the road weariness away.

Before sunset we manage to do a bit of nature watching as well. Neighboring property has exotic African game, undoubtedly brought in for canned hunts. White tail deer roam freely through the park, and we spend 15 minutes watching a small herd from our campsite. By 9:30 we are ready for bed, exhausted and needing our rest for tomorrow’s trip. My allergies are starting to act up a bit, I just hope the nasal passages clear up enough for us to sleep.

By my odometer, we covered 341 miles on our first day.