tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-73123988422050107092024-02-20T12:40:11.031-08:00There and Almost Back Again- A Motorcyclist's TaleUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger47125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7312398842205010709.post-21147647519428314812010-02-01T18:46:00.000-08:002011-06-28T07:14:56.808-07:00During the summer of 2008, we decided to take a motorcycle trip around the country. This is the story of that trip as written by my husband from notes kept in a journal on the trip. It is FINALLY done!<br /><br />I posted each day separately so you can read them in order:<br /><br /><a href="http://ctoons124.blogspot.com/2009_01_01_archive.html">The Beginning</a><br /><a href="http://ctoons124.blogspot.com/2009/02/day-one-june-22-2008.html">Day 1- June 22</a><br /><a href="http://ctoons124.blogspot.com/search?updated-min=2007-01-01T00%3A00%3A00-08%3A00&updated-max=2008-01-01T00%3A00%3A00-08%3A00&max-results=1">Day 2- June 23</a><br /><a href="http://ctoons124.blogspot.com/search?updated-min=2006-01-01T00%3A00%3A00-08%3A00&updated-max=2007-01-01T00%3A00%3A00-08%3A00&max-results=1">Day 3- June 24</a><br /><a href="http://ctoons124.blogspot.com/search?updated-min=2005-01-01T00%3A00%3A00-08%3A00&updated-max=2006-01-01T00%3A00%3A00-08%3A00&max-results=1">Day 4- June 25</a><br /><a href="http://ctoons124.blogspot.com/search?updated-min=2004-01-01T00%3A00%3A00-08%3A00&updated-max=2005-01-01T00%3A00%3A00-08%3A00&max-results=1">Day 5- June 26</a><br /><a href="http://ctoons124.blogspot.com/search?updated-min=2003-01-01T00%3A00%3A00-08%3A00&updated-max=2004-01-01T00%3A00%3A00-08%3A00&max-results=1">Day 6- June 27</a><br /><a href="http://ctoons124.blogspot.com/search?updated-min=2002-01-01T00%3A00%3A00-08%3A00&updated-max=2003-01-01T00%3A00%3A00-08%3A00&max-results=1">Day 7- June 28</a><br /><a href="http://ctoons124.blogspot.com/2001/03/day-8-june-29th-30769-miles-on-odometer.html">Day 8- June 29</a> <br /><a href="http://ctoons124.blogspot.com/2008/03/day-9-june-30.html">Day 9- June 30</a><br /><a href="http://ctoons124.blogspot.com/2008/04/day-10-july-1st.html">Day 10- July 1</a><br /><a href="http://ctoons124.blogspot.com/2008/04/day-11-july-2.html">Day 11- July 2</a><br /><a href="http://ctoons124.blogspot.com/2008/04/day-12-july-3rd.html">Day 12- July 3</a><br /><a href="http://ctoons124.blogspot.com/2008/04/day-13-july-4.html">Day 13- July 4</a><br /><a href="http://ctoons124.blogspot.com/2009/04/day-14-july-5.html">Day 14- July 5</a><br /><a href="http://ctoons124.blogspot.com/2008/04/day-15-july-6th.html">Day 15- July 6</a><br /><a href="http://ctoons124.blogspot.com/2008/05/day-16-july-7.html">Day 16- July 7</a><br /><a href="http://ctoons124.blogspot.com/2008/05/day-17-july-8.html">Day 17- July 8</a><br /><a href="http://ctoons124.blogspot.com/2008/05/day-18-july-9.html">Day 18- July 9</a><br /><a href="http://ctoons124.blogspot.com/2008/05/day-19-july-10.html">Day 19- July 10</a><br /><a href="http://ctoons124.blogspot.com/2008/05/day-20-july-11.html">Day 20- July 11</a><br /><a href="http://ctoons124.blogspot.com/2008/05/day-21-july-12.html">Day 21- July 12</a><br /><a href="http://ctoons124.blogspot.com/2008/06/day-22-july-13.html">Day 22- July 13</a><br /><a href="http://ctoons124.blogspot.com/2008/06/day-23-july-14.html">Day 23- July 14</a><br /><a href="http://ctoons124.blogspot.com/2008/06/day-24-july-15.html">Day 24- July 15</a><br /><a href="http://ctoons124.blogspot.com/2008/06/day-25-july-16.html">Day 25- July 16</a><br /><a href="http://ctoons124.blogspot.com/2008/07/day-26-july-17.html">Day 26- July 17</a><br /><a href="http://ctoons124.blogspot.com/2008/07/day-27-july-18.html">Day 27- July 18</a><br /><a href="http://ctoons124.blogspot.com/2008/07/day-28-july-19.html">Day 28- July 19</a> <br /><a href="http://ctoons124.blogspot.com/2008/07/day-29-july-20.html">Day 29- July 20</a><br /><a href="http://ctoons124.blogspot.com/2008/08/day-30-july-21.html">Day 30- July 21</a><br /><a href="http://ctoons124.blogspot.com/2008/08/day-31-july-22.html">Day 31- July 22</a><br /><a href="http://ctoons124.blogspot.com/2008/08/day-32-july-23.html">Day 32- July 23</a><br /><a href="http://ctoons124.blogspot.com/2008/09/day-33-july-24.html">Day 33- July 24</a><br /><a href="http://ctoons124.blogspot.com/2008/10/day-34-july-25.html">Day 34- July 25</a><br /><a href="http://ctoons124.blogspot.com/2008/10/day-35-july-26.html">Day 35- July 26</a><br /><a href="http://ctoons124.blogspot.com/2008/10/day-36-july-27.html">Day 36- July 27</a><br /><a href="http://ctoons124.blogspot.com/2009/10/day-37-july-28.html">Day 37- July 28</a><br /><a href="http://ctoons124.blogspot.com/2008/11/day-38-july-29.html">Day 38- July 29</a><br /><a href="http://ctoons124.blogspot.com/2008/11/day-39-july-30.html">Day 39- July 30</a><br /><a href="http://ctoons124.blogspot.com/2009/02/day-40-july-31.html">Day 40- July 31</a><br /><a href="http://ctoons124.blogspot.com/2009/02/days-41-to-43-august-1-3.html">Days 41 to 43- August 1 to 3</a><br /><a href="http://ctoons124.blogspot.com/2009/02/days-44-to-46-august-4-6.html">Days 44 to 46- August 4 to 6</a><br /><a href="http://ctoons124.blogspot.com/2009/02/days-47-and-48-august-7-and-8.html">Days 47 and 48- August 7 and 8</a><br /><a href="http://ctoons124.blogspot.com/2009/02/day-49-august-9.html">Day 49- August 9</a><br /><a href="http://ctoons124.blogspot.com/2009/02/day-50-and-beyond.html">Day 50 and Beyond</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7312398842205010709.post-49979312605370820922009-02-01T18:22:00.000-08:002010-02-01T16:24:19.000-08:00Day 50 and beyond...Day 50 and beyond, mileage no longer relevant.<br /><br /> My dad borrows a trailer and comes all the way out to Hayti to pick us up. 300 miles added to our trip but not our odometers. We spend a week visiting my family and consider buying Ceci a new bike for the ride home. Eventually we decide instead to load the bikes into a Budget truck and we finish the next 550 miles in that. <br /> I’ll not do that again, Budget was significantly cheaper than U-Haul but the truck is terrible. We actually took the first one back and got another. I think my Bandit was a more comfortable ride.<br /> A few months and e-bay parts later I am able to repair the Vulcan. The Bandit would shortly thereafter require significant work to fix what Bubba did not. Instead I eventually purchase a new bike to replace it. The next summer her Vulcan would leave us stranded again when the stator goes bad. This requires pulling the engine to repair, so this time we buy her a Harley to finish that trip. <br /> It was a sad ending to our epic trip, but still worth it. The first 10,000 + miles were a fantastic once in a lifetime trip. Unless of course, we try it again. There are still some states we haven’t hit, and Alaska is beckoning. I’ll keep you posted, but she won’t be on the Vulcan…Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7312398842205010709.post-91435561924959827382009-02-01T18:18:00.000-08:002010-02-01T16:21:59.827-08:00Day 49: August 9Day 49: August 9th 38,710 miles on the odometer.<br /><br /> The End. Damn the bells. We actually get a good start in the morning, unusual for us. We are tempted to visit Ruby Falls, but decide against it. There are a lot of touristy places to visit around here, but I am eager to finish the trip and loathe to spend any more money. We also skip the world’s largest yard sale, as we have no room to store any purchases anyway.<br /> We start off on 41 north, which has a few curves and some scenery that makes it worth skipping the interstate. Then we start racking up miles on highways 64 and 412. Over 300 miles into the day, we still have plenty of daylight and the Mississippi river just ahead of us. Unfortunately, while the river and daylight is just ahead of us, a check of my mirror reveals that my wife is no longer just behind me. I am concerned. I slow down to see if she just needs to catch up, but no sign of her. I am able to exit and u-turn about a mile later. As I head back east at a rather high rate of speed I see my wife alive and well parked on the side of the interstate. It takes another 5 miles for me to find a place to u-turn back to her.<br /> Her trip is done. The motor is running fine, but she has 5 gears of useless neutral. As we would discover later, workers at the Kawasaki factory are pretty lazy. The drive shaft is dry, not lubricated by the oil that keeps the rear gears working. The only protection for the shaft is the grease it gets on assembly at the factory. My wife’s Vulcan is one of thousands that workers neglected to grease. As a result the shaft splines no longer exist and the bike will no longer move under its own power. We discover all this later when we find an online forum with extensive documentation and remedies for the issue. Too bad we didn’t look for forums BEFORE the trip. <br />We are now stuck over 300 miles from our next destination, and 1000 miles short of completing our intended trip.<br /> We get a break when Harley rider Tommy Tillman of Caruthersville, Missouri stops to help us out. He cuts his ride short to go back to his house and get a truck and trailer to haul her broken down bike to Hayti, Missouri. Thank You Tommy. A GoldWing rider with a toddler strapped pillion keeps us company for a bit while Tommy is fetching his truck. We get a room at the Econolodge in Hayti. It is not particularly scenic, but it gives us a place to figure out what to do next. <br /> I neglect to write down the mileage as it no longer seems important. I find it sadly ironic that my abused neglected cobbled together Bandit is still going while her formerly pampered Vulcan sits useless. I never really expected both bikes to make the whole trip; I just always figured mine was the one that would let us down.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7312398842205010709.post-79670163167449191192009-02-01T18:15:00.000-08:002010-02-01T16:17:06.811-08:00Days 47 and 48: August 7 and 8Day 47: August 7th 38,??? miles on the odometer.<br /> <br /> Today we pick up the mounted tires. The service guys are pleasant but I’m a bit leery when I spy the old balancing weights on the rear. The guy assures me that it balanced perfectly without moving/removing the old weights. I’m skeptical, but pay my $30 (pretty reasonable) and head back to the house. <br /> The wheels go on a lot quicker than they came off. A good thing as it was drizzling as I worked and it starts pouring just after I finish.<br /> Ceci is antsy to get back on the road, and I start working on a route to northwest Arkansas, where my folks live. I consider going back to the Dragon, but eventually rule it out. I really love that road.<br /><br /><br />Day 48: August 8th 38,??? miles on the odometer.<br /><br /> On the road again. It is afternoon though before we get rolling. We start off on interstate highway before hitting state and local highways, but none are good rides. Until we get far enough north anyway. Highway 60 is fantastic. It’s not as good as the dragon, but is very good and lightly traveled. The southern end of the road has a lot of tar snakes that cause me some concern, especially since the new tires feel very quick. Like they’re balanced on a fine edge. Ceci is having no problems with them at all though. When the tar snakes finally go away the road is just excellent. I was loathe to put my aching rear on the saddle today, but the smiles are back now and I’m happy to be riding again.<br /> The ride into Tennessee and through the Tennessee River Valley is just as good and plenty scenic. Traffic is starting to get thicker though. We stop a quite few times to take pictures.<br /> We finish the day back on interstate and stay at an overpriced Super 8 in Chatanooga. Because I haven’t been writing the mileage numbers down, I can only guess we covered about 300 miles today. Ceci is excited that we are back to business as usual. I am enjoying the better roads, but feeling worn and weary when we drone along on the interstates and boring roads. I may be reaching my limit. <br /> On a positive note, there were no issues with either of our bikes today. My skepticism about the rear wheel balancing proves unfounded. If anything, my bike seems to be riding smoother than it did before. Maybe my wife should have gotten me one of those gremlin bells a lot earlier.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7312398842205010709.post-86743876786807243392009-02-01T18:11:00.001-08:002010-02-01T16:14:33.760-08:00Days 44 to 46: August 4 - 6Day 44: August 4th 38,??? on the odometer <br /><br /> Suitably refreshed, today we head back to Augusta. My tires should be arriving soon. First we decide to hit the sites on the island, which has a fair amount of history and historical sights. I find it interesting, and we get in a bit of hiking as well.<br /> Ceci’s bike reverts to form, as the gremlin bell is apparently losing some of its magic. The Vulcan dies and won’t restart. Apparently we ran it out of gas, and it’s taking a bit re-fire on reserve. A little patience is all it takes to remedy the problem and we’re back on the road. <br /> About half way back we see thunderstorms building. Tall dark clouds. Not what I wanted to see, especially with my bald tires. Bits of rubber are beginning to flake off the rear. We can’t avoid them though and eventually find ourselves in a pretty nasty storm. The wind gusts are blowing me all over the road. Ceci is trying to read the wind by what is happening to me in front of her, but it is no use. In the seconds it takes for her to get where I was the wind has shifted to blow the opposite direction. This is dangerous. What’s worse, the wind blows the paper I’ve been writing mileages on out of my map pocket. That’s why you keep seeing ??? on the mileages above.<br /> The first place of refuge we find is the firestation for Engine 9, in the middle of what looks like nowhere. The two men on duty welcome us in, as they are more than happy to let us stay now than pick us up off the street later. We spend a couple of grateful hours drying out and waiting for the storms to pass, before heading uneventfully back to Keith’s. Have to guess the mileage again, but I figure just over 200 for the day.<br /><br /><br /><br />Day 45: August 5th 38,??? on the odometer<br /><br /> We take another day for rest and recovery. The bikes don’t move as it is stinking hot outside. Instead we busy ourselves with laundry, housework, and internet surfing while visiting with family. I really should have written down my mileage at this point, but do not.<br /><br /><br /><br />Day 46: August 6th 38,??? miles on the odometer.<br /> <br /> The new tires have arrived, so today I busy myself pulling the wheels off the Bandit. I manage to somehow snap one of my brother in law’s sockets while trying to remove one of the front calipers. Fortunately it is a Craftsman socket so it is easily replaced. It is a good thing I am replacing both tires as I find a nail that has punctured the front tire when I get it off the bike. I figure there were only a couple hundred miles left in it anyway.<br /> The shop, Augusta Kawasaki/Suzuki won’t be able to mount the tires until tomorrow afternoon, so we’ll be staying here at least one more day. We stop at another motorcycle shop where Ceci buys me a gremlin bell to ensure we both have good fortune for the rest of our trip. I remain skeptical but mount it anyway thinking it couldn’t hurt. Still no luck finding something comfortable to sit on though. My butt is better but still a bit sore, and I’m not looking forward to putting it back in the saddle. It is still stinking hot outside.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7312398842205010709.post-71692065094587428492009-02-01T18:11:00.000-08:002010-02-01T16:10:50.929-08:00Days 41 to 43: August 1 - 3Day 41: August 1st 37,983 on the odometer<br /><br /> Back to the grind. We are only about an hour away from our destination, but it will not be the exciting ride we just left behind. We get breakfast at Hardees and gas up. The gas here is the cheapest we’ve seen on our entire trip.<br /> The only excitement on our ride today is the trip down Keith’s deep sand driveway. We plan to spend a week visiting here so I’ll have a chance to rest up and do some maintenance. My tires are pretty worn now, at least to the wear marks everywhere. The center of the rear is bald. Still I was happy with their performance and want to order some new HKM’s to replace the ones that served me well. Unfortunately, Avon no longer makes them. I order some Roadmasters instead, but it’ll take a few days for them to get here.<br /> In the meantime, we plan to go visit Jekyll Island for some R&R. By my odometer we only covered 52 miles today, bringing our trip total so far to 9,281 miles. By Ceci’s odometer we have covered closer to 10,000 miles. I am starting to get pretty road weary. My butt still aches. <br /><br /><br />Day 42: August 2nd 38,035 on the odometer<br /> <br />Ceci really wants to ride the bikes to the island, instead of hitching a ride with her brother’s family. I decide to chance the bald tire so I can ride with her. It’ll be about 400 miles round trip. We take somewhat back roads but they’re still pretty straight. The scenery isn’t particularly scenic, and we pass some areas that smell pretty bad. There is a very pretty suspension bridge as we get to the island though, and the smell of the ocean is far more pleasant than we had been experiencing. It costs $3 each to get on the island, and we head to an older Clarion resort where we have reservations. It seems overpriced to me, but is otherwise OK. The room is pretty nice and a short walk to the beach. The water itself is silty, but not so bad as to keep us out. I bring a few drops back to anoint the bikes. They have now touched the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans on this trip. There isn’t much beach glass but we do find a couple of shark’s teeth.<br /> I fail again to record my mileage, but figure we went a bit over 200 miles today.<br /><br /><br /> Day 43: August 3rd 38,??? on the odometer<br /> <br />Keith, Kim, and Ashley have a suite with a kitchen. I plan on cooking breakfast for us all in their room. Unfortunately, the stove has been deliberately disabled and none of the burners are functional. So much for that plan. Keith is pretty upset considering the money he shelled out for the place, and I don’t blame him.<br /> We spend the day relaxing on the beach and swimming in the pool. I get a bit of a sunburn, but nothing too bad. I doubt it’ll lead to cancer. We find a lot of sand dollars as the tide goes out. This is the first time Ceci and I have been able to find complete sand dollars on a beach. Usually we just find pieces. Unfortunately for us most of what we find is still alive, so we only get a couple of souvenirs. We do find a couple more shark’s teeth. There are a lot of fish jumping in the surf, and there are a few near collisions as we frolic in the waves. Among the gulls and pelicans flying overhead I spy an occasional osprey. This is just what the Dr. ordered. We don’t move the bikes. It is hot outside.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7312398842205010709.post-46799103585261950932009-02-01T18:02:00.000-08:002010-02-01T16:02:37.046-08:00Day 40: July 31Day 40: July 31st 37,695 on the odometer<br /><br /> We are up in time for breakfast at Hardee’s, but don’t spend any time sightseeing in Cherokee. I think our time will be better spent in the national park, and today is the day we will ride the “Dragon” we kept hearing about. I also hope to reach her brother’s house in Augusta, Georgia before nightfall.<br />The clouds are building as we hit the road, and it is an absolute downpour when we get into the park. It stays that way most of the way through the park, so we don’t make a lot of stops. Towards the end of the park we stop at a visitor center and I exercise my free speech rights at what is posted as the only place in the park where that is allowed. I keep my comments to a brief “Elect me president!” At least the rain has finally subsided and the sun is coming out.<br />Good thing too as the roads here are marvelous. We head down the Foothills Parkway which is curvy and nice enough to be entertaining and keeps me from complaining about how wet I am. The rain has played havoc with the communicators; Ceci can hear what I’m saying, but I can’t hear a thing she’s saying. No amount of drying out will fix them now, that damage is permanent. At least I can warn of things to come. And what wonderful things are to come.<br />We spot two cops shortly after turning onto HW129 – The Dragon. At first I am disappointed by the apparently strictly enforced low speed limit and less than challenging overhyped road. Then Nirvana. Oh My God. Up. Down. Hard Left. Hard Right. Esses. Switchbacks. Decreasing and Increasing Radius. Mostly Positive Camber. Wow. 318 turns in 11 miles. The hype is real and I’m loving every second of it. This is why I ride a motorcycle. This is better than sex. Up to now I have been on a trip, today I take a ride. My Avons stick like glue on the mostly dried out pavement. The chicken strips are gone; first time I’ve ever done that. Ceci can’t keep up but neither of us cares. As I ride I find myself ignorantly wishing I had a better bike that isn’t so overloaded to fully appreciate this. Then I wish I had better riding skills so I could really fully appreciate this. The Tail of The Dragon is by far the best motorcycle road I have ever ridden. I am smiling from ear to ear, no longer sure that the soaking wetness in my pants is entirely from this morning’s rain. <br />We stop at Deal’s Gap to refuel the bikes and savor the moment. Then we head out on 28. The adrenaline is still pumping, I feel like superman. The roads are still fantastic. A couple of sport bikes pass me and I instinctively grab some throttle wanting to keep up. A burning sensation on my ring finger slows me back down so my better half can catch up. Still we are moving pretty good. We drive past a lake with a nice positive camber climbing right turn in the road. I whack the throttle to enjoy it. Then I see the sand. Crap. The whole center of the turn. At this point I can’t miss it. I yell “sand” into the chatterbox. Ceci can tell from the rising pitch of my voice I’m about to have an experience. I lift myself up pushing as hard as I can on the pegs. The bike starts its sideways slide as the tires slip across the sand trap I just stupidly entered way too hot. I’m pretty sure I can ride this out until I see the Cadillac Escalade coming the other way that has decided he needs half of my lane to make the turn. Looks like I’m going to pancake into the side of him. This is gonna hurt. Damn. Wait a minute there’s some traction. A little wiggle. Get me outta here. Whew! Ceci, well warned, makes it through with no drama at all whatsoever. My adrenaline is pumping harder now, but I’m no longer Superman. Pretty good kryptonite right there. We stop and get pictures at Bridal Veil Falls; very scenic as you can get in behind the falling water. <br /> On to Augusta. The roads are enjoyable but slow. As they straighten out, the pavement worsens. We are not making good time. There is no way we will make it to Keith’s house before dark so when the sunlight ends we stop in McCormick and stay in a very cheap dump of a motel. I don’t care, this is the best day of riding I have ever had. Only 288 miles but a high you can’t kill. I wish every day could be like today.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7312398842205010709.post-60649147459822812352009-01-26T17:26:00.000-08:002009-01-26T20:00:09.775-08:00The BeginningI think the only reason my wife wanted to marry me is because I had a bike and was willing to ride it. When we met in 2004, my 1996 Suzuki Bandit 600 showed signs of use, and often enough got me back and forth to work. A couple of times riding bitch and my occasional hint that I’d teach her to ride had her hooked. When a bad mechanic and hurricane Rita all but ruined my bike, she was undeterred. I was her best chance to ride that included side benefits, so she dug her hooks deep. On Superbowl Sunday in 2006 she said yes and that June I was hitched forever.<span style=""> </span> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">We purchased a Suzuki TL 185 shortly thereafter and I made good on my promise to teach her to ride. Not that I was really the best instructor. I learned in college from a roommate with a Honda XL 185 in 1988. Greg was offended when I referred to bikes as “murdercycles.”<span style=""> </span>He opened my mind, and before I’d ever slipped the Honda into 3<sup>rd</sup> gear I found and purchased ½ interest in an abused $50 1980 YZ 80.<span style=""> </span>Best $25 I’ve ever spent. Roger and I heaped more abuse on the poor Yamaha than any bike should ever have to endure. When the motor finally succumbed, I bought<span style=""> </span>Greg’s Honda. This was my <st1:street><st1:address>first street</st1:address></st1:street> legal bike, and I rode it until 1993 when I sold it back to him. I look back on those days fondly. I was always broke, but managed to find ways to keep gas in the tank. I remember getting the guy at the local motorcycle shop to give me clutch parts for the YZ by eating a live fly I caught with my fingers.<span style=""> </span>Good times, and I learned a lot. I firmly believe there is no better way to learn than pushing your limits and surviving the wrecks. The YZ was perfect for that, it has probably saved my life numerous times.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">That’s the reason for the TS. At our age pushing the limits and surviving the wrecks probably isn’t prudent or advisable, but having a bike that could take some mistakes and abuse without overly punishing the rider or wallet seemed wise. I really wish Ceci had ridden the bike more and a little harder, but she isn’t the patient type. It wasn’t long before she bought a very low mileage 2001 Vulcan 750 from a friend. That was followed by a motorcycle safety foundation class with instructors more capable than I am. In no time she had her license and was riding regularly.<span style=""> </span>I, on the other hand, was riding nowhere.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">In 1996 my interest in riding was rekindled by Navy buddies that rode. I purchased the Bandit while on leave in <st1:state><st1:place>Missouri</st1:place></st1:state> and rode it back to <st1:state><st1:place>California</st1:place></st1:state> where I was stationed. This was my first real street bike, and I’ve yet to find its replacement. Unfortunately, the roads where I live now in <st1:state><st1:place>Texas</st1:place></st1:state> aren’t all that interesting and I didn’t ride like I should. Eventually it started running so poorly I had to take it to a mechanic for<span style=""> </span>long overdue work.<span style=""> </span>Between his ineptitude and the Hurricane that destroyed his shop, my bike was left unrideable. I couldn’t find another mechanic willing to work on it. It just didn’t seem to be worth fixing, so I had to watch my wife ride and enjoy the fact that she was happy.<span style=""> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">She wasn’t happy enough. She kept bugging me to start riding again. After all, that was the reason she married me, wasn’t it? Things had not been going great at home. The honeymoon was over and problems were creeping in (looming large?). There was the miscarriage. I stopped working in 2007 and my retirement money <span style=""> </span>was running out. Her teenage daughter was out of control and driving me nuts. We were getting by, but things weren’t exactly joyous. Summer vacation was approaching and we had no plans. The conditions were all there, and there I made quite the error in judgement.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style=""> </span><span style=""> </span>“Honey, we could just cash in Sami’s college fund and take a motorcycle trip across the country.” <span style=""> </span>It was a lark really. There was no way she’d say yes to that. It made no sense. I didn’t even have a bike to ride on. There was less than $2,000 in the college savings anyway. Ceci had never taken a real trip anywhere on the bike. She didn’t even have her own gear, she was riding with mine. It was just a dream to hope for. Like the Ferrari I keep lusting for. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">There was no hesitation. No questions. Her mind instantly made up. “You need to get a bike.” I was wrong. I had greatly underestimated my wife. Her father had talked of one day riding across the country, but passed away without accomplishing it. Her older brother has talked of it also, but as yet hadn’t done so. The dream was now hers, and I had become part of it. Any problems we were having went away. We now had new problems. I needed a bike. She needed gear. We had to plan the trip. We had something to look forward to.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">Tourist information and maps started coming in from every state except <st1:state><st1:place>Hawaii</st1:place></st1:state>. I spent hours calculating routes that would have us back in time for her to go back to work. How much can you see in two months? What do we want to see most? How can we get there without trudging along the interstate? I had to figure that out. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">We don’t buy anything from <st1:country-region><st1:place>China</st1:place></st1:country-region>, so gear can be a problem. We found Frank Thomas brand jacket and pants made in <st1:country-region><st1:place>England</st1:place></st1:country-region>(most aren’t, we got lucky), and an AlpineStars back protector(<st1:country-region><st1:place>Indonesia</st1:place></st1:country-region>) at Cycle Gear. I found an online store with an HJC-90 communicator compatible with my own(<st1:country-region><st1:place>Korea</st1:place></st1:country-region>). <span style=""> </span>It had been on the shelf for a decade. It seems someone above was looking out and providing for us. I spent weeks shopping the internet. Metzeler Marathon tires (<st1:country-region><st1:place>Brazil</st1:place></st1:country-region>, <st1:country-region><st1:place>Germany</st1:place></st1:country-region>), Fieldsheer summer gloves(<st1:country-region><st1:place>Pakistan</st1:place></st1:country-region>), Garmin GPS(<st1:country-region><st1:place>Taiwan</st1:place></st1:country-region>), helmet Halo(<st1:country-region><st1:place>USA</st1:place></st1:country-region>!), Chase Harper tank bag(<st1:country-region><st1:place>USA</st1:place></st1:country-region>!), new face shield for her HJC helmet(<st1:country-region><st1:place>Korea</st1:place></st1:country-region>). <span style=""> </span>She would use the Bates boots, Alpine Design hydration backpack(<st1:country-region><st1:place>Indonesia</st1:place></st1:country-region>), and <st1:street><st1:address>River Road</st1:address></st1:street> winter gloves(<st1:country-region><st1:place>Pakistan</st1:place></st1:country-region>) she already had. Ditto the <st1:street><st1:address>River Road</st1:address></st1:street><span style=""> </span>saddle bags that came with her bike. <span style=""> </span>Any other luggage she would have would be bunjee corded down.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">My bike was a bigger problem. I started shopping for something used, but couldn’t find much worthwhile out there. Maybe a new Ninja 250? If only I could find a dealer anywhere that had one. Could I really justify buying myself a new bike without having any income? Wasn’t there anyone out there that could resurrect my old Bandit? As it turned out, yes there was. Bubba to the rescue. No kidding. His shop (backyard) is about an hour away, and he seems confident he can fix it for a lot less than the cost of a new (or gently used) bike. I deliver it with a long list of needed repairs. The carbs desperately need to be rebuilt and synched, the tank is rusted and gummed up inside. The fuel petcock is broken. The back brake doesn’t function, and the fluid needs to be replaced. The valves need to be adjusted. I need a new chain and front sprocket. The forks need new fluid and seals. The oil and filter need to be changed. Everything needs to be inspected, adjusted, and lubed. Bubba loses the list. He works at his own speed with his own ideas and priorities. He rebuilds the carbs, but won’t synchronize them. He cleans out the tank, which turns out to not have all the rust I thought it did. He rigs the petcock where it is somewhat functional. He just happens to have a good front sprocket lying around. The new X-ring chain comes from Parts Unlimited. A little clean up work and flushing the brakes gets them working again. The old fork seals are retained. The valves go unadjusted. The engine gets Mobil 1 15W-50 synthetic oil and a Fram filter. He paints my seat with a vinyl paint that makes it look much better. He also spray paints the front fender that had faded to an ugly pink. I do the same to the equally faded side plastic. The <st1:place>Avon</st1:place> tyres are aged, but have zero miles on them. The dryrot in the sidewall appears minimal. The bike looks a lot better. More importantly, it runs again – back from the dead. I am concerned about the work I asked for that didn’t get done, but Bubba is not. He is concerned about my 3 year old Wal-Mart battery that somehow still works after years of neglect, but I am not. For just under $1,000 I am riding again. I don’t know how long it will last. I expect I’ll probably have to use the credit card to buy a new bike somewhere in route.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">Fortunately, I need no new gear. I already have matching Chase Harper saddlebags, tail trunk, and tank bag(<st1:country-region><st1:place>USA</st1:place></st1:country-region>!). My Joe Rocket pants, jacket, and gloves(<st1:country-region><st1:place>Canada</st1:place></st1:country-region>) are still serviceable, as are my Bieffe boots(<st1:country-region><st1:place>Italy</st1:place></st1:country-region>) and helmet Halo(<st1:country-region><st1:place>USA</st1:place></st1:country-region>!) . The Chatterbox (<st1:country-region><st1:place>Korea</st1:place></st1:country-region>) needs a new battery but still works. The helmet bag has kept my HJC helmet(<st1:country-region><st1:place>Korea</st1:place></st1:country-region>) clean and shiny. I do buy some new Teknic sport gloves(<st1:country-region><st1:place>Pakistan</st1:place></st1:country-region>) that are heavier than the perforated summer gloves I already have. I also have a hydration backpack identical to my wife’s, and enough bunjee nets to strap down most of everything we own. I just need to pack and I’m ready to go.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">I change the oil and filter on Ceci’s bike, and put in a new battery. I also rebuild her fragile wooden luggage rack so we can carry an extra gas can. It seems her tank will only hold 2 gallons of gas. That might be a big problem when we’re in the middle of the western deserts. I take her bike to Bubba’s to mount the new tires and try and figure out what is wrong with the fuel tank that claims to hold over 3 gallons. He disassembles the petcock and inspects the tank but finds nothing. He gets the tires mounted and we pick up the bike one day before our trip. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">At this point, the omens are not looking good. Ceci’s bike now runs terribly. It won’t idle, and sounds sick. It smells like gas whenever she stops. Bubba won’t answer his phone. Damn you Bubba! I don’t know that I have enough room on the credit card to purchase two new bikes on the trip. I only have about half of our trip planned out. I am not done packing yet. Time waits for no one. Hell or high water we will leave tomorrow.</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7312398842205010709.post-3534032613907957982008-11-10T16:42:00.000-08:002009-11-10T16:44:59.941-08:00Day 39- July 30Day 39, July 30th 37,397 on the odometer<br /><br /> It only takes us an hour to break camp and load up. Very good for us. We make it to the Grist Mill in plenty of time for breakfast. The food is good but not fantastic. The setting is great. We spend some time visiting the restored mill and rebuilt old buildings. Ceci is taking lots of post card quality pictures. There are quite a few other bikers here and we chat with some of them for a bit, before heading out to fuel back up.<br /> We are back rolling on the Blue Ridge by noon. We stop at a couple of visitor centers along the way, and do some gift shop shopping. On some of the curves there is a wild caution sign showing a biker jumping off his bike surrounded by a symbol that is either meant to depict a tight turn or promote The Artist Formerly Known As Prince. I know the meaning is supposed to be serious but I find it hilarious. They sell souvenir signs in the gift shop, but I have no place on the bike to pack it. We settle for a key chain and photo. In the interest of time, we pass on the mineral museum.<br /> The pavement is starting to get worse as we go along. It is still ok, but we are hitting some rough spots and avoiding a few potholes. The road is also getting steeper and tighter as we get further south. At one point, the road is closed so we take a detour on HWY 80. Excellent detour, as it is downright twisty. I get my heart rate up as I dive into a hairpin with a nice big oil patch on entry. The bike slides a bit wide through the corner which helps me avoid all the loose sand in the middle on exit. Fun stuff. Ceci is taking a much safer pace and benefits from my real time ride report through the Chatterbox, so no drama for her. Just a nice ride.<br /> We get back on the Blue Ridge to finish it off. Rain is beginning to threaten, but it holds off. Dusk is rapidly approaching though, and I don’t relish sharing the road with the deer we can’t see. There are a lot of tunnels on the southern end as well. They are pitch black. My eyes can’t adjust fast enough to see anything so we go through blind and hope for the best. As dusk falls we reach the last tunnel. This time my eyes adjust so I can see a bit. Good thing as the pavement in the tunnels isn’t always great, and it is pretty terrible in this last one.<br /> Ceci is also beginning to tire. A lot. She says she’s fine every time I ask, but she is falling behind considerably even with a slow pace. There is no place to stay until we finish the Blue Ridge. It is 9:00 when we finally pull into Cherokee and get a hotel room. She was completely unaware that her placed had slowed so significantly, and should sleep well tonight.<br /> We saw and splattered a lot of butterflies today, but didn’t see as many critters as we had on the last two days. Today we covered 298 miles by my odometer, so in actuality it was a bit over 300. Not bad by our standards, and it was still a pretty good ride with frequent stops to enjoy the trip.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7312398842205010709.post-31240580103186975002008-11-10T16:39:00.000-08:002009-11-10T16:40:54.822-08:00Day 38- July 29Day 38: July 29th 37,125 on the odometer<br /><br /> We hit the road at what amounts to a usual time for us. We make it to a McDonald’s in time for lunch. Hard to rack up the miles when you sleep away half the morning, and spend the other half gearing up and loading down. It also took a bit of time to clean all the splattered bugs off the windscreens and my face shield.<br /> Skyline Drive through Shenandoah National Park is awesome. Smooth pavement with lots of elevation changes and winding roads. Beautiful scenery too. It is Monday and traffic is fairly light; a good thing. We still see quite a few other bikes though. We stop at a visitor center to get our stamp, and spend some time watching a mostly disinterested deer. Shortly after we stop briefly at a scenic pull out after spying a very large black bear. You have to remind yourself that it is a wild predator and you shouldn’t let it get too close.<br /> The abundant wildlife in the middle of the day is also a good reminder to keep the speed down. The speed limit is ridiculously low, especially considering the excellent condition of the road, but all it takes is one good sized critter behind a blind hill or curve to ruin your whole day.<br /> There are a few places to get gas along Skyline, but we pass them all up and have to use the gas can to refill Ceci’s Vulcan when we get to the Blue Ridge Parkway. As it turns out, there are much fewer places to get gas on the Blue Ridge. The road itself is similar to Skyline. The pavement is not quite as good, but still decent and full of curves. I am enjoying this, and slowly the tire is becoming less squared off. At over 8,000 miles tire wear is definitely noticeable, but not yet a concern. There is still plenty of grip for my needs, in fact they feel better to me now than they did at the beginning of the trip. I like these Avons. <br /> The scenery is also similar to what we saw in Shenandoah, though we now occasionally see farms and open land. A lot of wild turkeys too, and more butterflies than you can shake a dozen sticks at. I am trying to swerve around in my lane to avoid them, but still collect a fair amount of splattered guts on my bike and gear. I also swerve to miss a bright blue colored bird I can’t quite identify. It appears to be way brighter than any bluebird I have ever seen. As daylight begins to fade to dusk we start seeing herds of deer. Fortunately for us they are staying clear of the pavement and pay us no mind.<br /> We pull off for gas and grub in Roanoke, but get right back on to set up camp at Rocky Knob. It is a nice place to camp, once quiet time nears and the generators on the RV’s go silent. Today was a good day. We covered only 272 miles, but this is almost 100 miles more than yesterday and it is a really good ride. Even my Bandit approves, as the idle is now occasionally working. Ceci also gets some relief as I bitch and moan a little less about my sore posterior and numb hands. A good road goes a long way to make things all better. She’s really enjoying this ride too.<br /> On the other hand, we are now a good 300 miles behind the not too realistic re-revised revised itinerary.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7312398842205010709.post-20365125308372520112008-10-10T21:07:00.000-07:002009-10-10T21:08:33.803-07:00Day 37- July 28Day 37: July 28th 36,950 on the odometer<br /><br /> Our new amended amended new new itinerary has us stopping in Hershey today on our way to Gettysburg. The route will be mostly freeway.<br /> I only get turned around a couple of times getting in and out of Chocolate World. We don’t have time for the theme park, but find the free ride and museum fairly interesting and informative if a bit cheesy. We spend an hour and a half of our time, but very little of our money here.<br /> Then it is on to Gettysburg. The battlefield museum is pretty good and we spend hours inside. Unfortunately, there is no where near enough time to do the entire auto tour route. You need a full day or two to really cover the place. We do make a point to stop at Little Round Top and Devil’s Den, where Ceci’s great grandfather fought as a Confederate soldier. I had a few relatives that fought for the Union, but don’t know the particulars of exactly where. We discuss the possibility that it was one of my ancestors that wounded and or captured hers here. Neat. It does almost feel like sacred ground.<br /> We’d like to stay longer, but are now considerably behind schedule and are running out of time before sundown. So it’s back to the highway and on to Virginia. My map lets me down a bit again, as I am completely surprised by the sign welcoming us to West Virginia. I hadn’t realized it was on our route. We miss the chance to get a picture of that particular state sign. We stop at Harper’s Ferry so I can check the map. The visitor center is already closed, so no stamp here either, but at least I confirm that we are on the right track. Looks like a nice place but there’s no time to visit here. <br /> We stop for dinner at an A&W as the sun begins to set. As we try and get back on the road, Ceci’s bike keeps dying. Wonderful. Easy fix though, as it turns out the bike just doesn’t like starting from a dead stop in 5th gear. Worth a chuckle at my beloved’s expense. <br /> It is dark and beginning to rain again as we stop at a Holiday Inn. A lot more comfortable than trying to set up camp in the dark rain, but pretty expensive and no free breakfast either. We have stopped about 10 miles short of Skyline Drive, and about 100 miles short of our intended destination for the evening. We spent so much time sightseeing today that we covered only 175 miles. Hardly Iron Butt worthy.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7312398842205010709.post-73982478193903092182008-10-10T21:02:00.000-07:002009-10-10T21:05:17.044-07:00Day 36- July 27Day 36: July 27th 36,701 on the odometer.<br /><br /> As I pull the bikes out, the storm clouds are building. Not a good sign. Neither is the gas leaking out of my #2 carb and into the airbox. Makes it hard to start. We spend our usual hours loading the bikes, and it is noon before we get on the road and into the rain. <br /> It is a drenching thunderstorm as we cross the Hudson River into Albany. I manage to somehow lose my way on Route 9 going south. We stop and wait under a gas station awning for a bit to give my badly misfiring bike a chance to dry out and my badly misfiring organic navigation device a chance to get us un-lost. It rains steadily until we get past the Catskills. We don’t get off our route again except for a detour around what appears to be a fatal bike-car accident. We are too far away too get an idea of what might have happened. <br /> The roads would be good if not for the lousy weather. My worn gear is pretty much completely drenched through. Ceci’s is keeping her nice and dry, with the exception of her boots and gloves. The communicators aren’t working worth a damn in the wet. My Bandit isn’t doing well either. Between the rain cutting out my spark, and the gas flooding the #2 carb, I have to keep very active on the throttle to keep it running, and very careful to keep the tires from spinning on the wet pavement when it suddenly hits on all 4 cylinders. Idle is still high when it’s firing on all cylinders, I’m guessing from the extra gas in #2? <br /> The weather is really slowing us down so we don’t stop to visit the Delaware Gap National Recreation Area as we go by. It looks really nice here though. I also like it through the Poconos and all the little coal towns. It slows us down a bit but I really like the architecture of all the old buildings. <br /> Plan was to make it to Gettysburg tonight, but we come up short and stay at a Hampton Inn in a town where gas is about 30 cents higher than anywhere else. Just my luck. At the hotel we call my Aunt Joanne, who lives in our next intended destination of Virginia Beach. My luck continues, as she is out of town for the week. Time to amend our amended new new itinerary. At least the map pocket is keeping the things that don’t blow out pretty dry.<br /> We manage a mere 249 very wet miles today.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7312398842205010709.post-77682109977897426072008-10-10T21:00:00.000-07:002009-10-10T21:01:43.358-07:00Day 35- July 26Day 35: July 26th 36,701 miles on the odometer. <br /><br /> Plan is to spend the day visiting relatives, so we drive the bikes into the barn and no further. Uncle Burt and Aunt Bonnie let us stay in their RV, and we get some brief visits with my cousins Bart and Brett. We make a stop for a few hours to visit my great Uncle Joe and Aunt Edith. I help him put fuel and a battery in his mower and they fill us up with a lot of desserts. My Uncle Lee and Aunt Jan come visit us for a bit, having just returned from a trip to Maine. I finally get to eat a real New York Pizza. It isn’t great, but it’s good enough. <br /> I do a cursory inspection of the bikes. Tread still looks Ok on the Bandit, as does the oil. Tread on Ceci’s Metzelers hardly look worn at all. We also haven’t really had any problems at all with the Vulcan since we hung the gremlin bell on it. Hmmm. Good signs, we will head out tomorrow. I spend the evening working on a new itinerary so we’ll know where we’re going when we do.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7312398842205010709.post-81176194620390449372008-10-10T20:55:00.000-07:002009-10-10T20:58:17.980-07:00Day 34- July 25Day 34: July 25th 36,4?? on my odometer<br /><br /> Finally the weather is great and we head out. The roads are good and scenic with lots of hills and turns, but nothing real twisty. First stop on today’s agenda is Fort Ticonderoga. We miss our turn for Hwy 2 and have to double back a bit. The fort itself is a pretty significant part of colonial history and we spend a while viewing the grounds and earthworks, but decide the $30 cost of admission to the fort itself probably isn’t worth it. I’ve been here three times before and have still never been inside the fort. <br /> Next stop is the nearby ferry to take us across Lake Champlain and into Vermont. We have to wait a while for the boat, but pass the time waiting by talking to some other bikers also waiting. One is on a Triumph Trophy 900 of a similar vintage as my Bandit. His looks a bit better cared for. He lets me sit on it for a bit to see how it feels and I like it. If I could find a nice clean used one for sale it would be a significant upgrade over my butt-busting hand-numbing Suzuki. Too bad Triumph hasn’t made one like this in quite a few years. <br /> We head south through Vermont towards our next destination, the shaker village in North Hudson, Massachusetts. We pass through miles of rolling farm country hills. A lot of less than pleasant smelling dairy farms here, but the ride isn’t as bad as our trip through Minnesota. The Bandit isn’t running right, the idle is about 1200 RPM’s high. At least it’s running though, neither it nor the Chatterboxes liked the rain very much. <br /> We get to the shaker village just as it closes. Rats. I’ve been here before and thought Ceci would like it too, but I guess we’ll have to catch it another time. The roads are still pretty good, though a fallen tree across the road at the crest of one hill gets my heart rate up and gives the brakes a good brief workout. As we get closer to the New York state line traffic begins to pick up. Not bad, but noticeable – especially in the small towns. <br /> Our stop for the evening is my Aunt Bonnie’s farm in West Sand Lake. Unfortunately, I usually don’t come in from this direction so I manage to get us turned around a few times. After about 20 extra miles I finally get us there. It doesn’t help that yet another map has blown out of the map pocket of my tank bag. Ceci’s bag is the same model as mine, but is much newer and better design. Nothing is blowing out of her map pocket. I should make her the navigator. <br /> We end the day with just over 36,700 miles on the odometer. Not sure exactly how far we went but I figure probably closer to 300 miles than 200.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7312398842205010709.post-45583943963635684732008-09-06T14:54:00.000-07:002009-09-06T14:54:36.895-07:00Day 33- July 24Day 33: July 24th 36,436 on my odometer<br /> <br /> Originally, we had intended to stay here for a week. When we checked in though we only reserved the cabin for 2 nights. Today we reserve another night. Hopefully this will give the rain a chance to move on and we can enjoy the place more. We eat breakfast at an inn a little ways down the road. The fare is much better than we had been getting at the diner in town. <br /> First stop for the day is Buttermilk Falls. The falls themselves aren’t too far of a hike from the road, and there is decent enough parking off the side of the road for the bikes. We keep the gear on to protect us some from the rain. The falls are flowing heavy with all the recent rain, so it is a good show. Nothing like Niagra Falls or anything, but quite scenic and a lot less crowded. <br /> Next stop is a rock shop where we seek shelter from the steady rain. Quite a few items of interest here, and it is walking distance from our cabin. We make a few small purchases, as our choices are limited by the space available and difficulty in preserving fragile items on the bikes. Not to mention our fast dwindling funds. We are starting to go into debt on this trip, and there is still a long way to go.<br /> Final stop for the day before returning to town is the visitor center in Newcomb. It is a pretty nice place with a few good hiking trails. There is supposed to be good wildlife viewing here, but we aren’t so lucky. It probably doesn’t help that employees are blasting up and down the trails on 4-wheelers. It is still pretty scenic though, and has the largest hemlock trees I have ever seen. We stop to rest often on the trail, and find great places to view the hills and trees across quiet lake waters. Fortunately, the rain has let up so we don’t get particularly wet. We see lots of trees, fungus, and birds; but not much else for wildlife. <br /> The rain comes back heavy as we get back into town. We stop at Stewarts to wait things out a bit while eating some ice cream and shopping for groceries. Tonight dinner will be sandwiches at the cabin. It will be our last bit of peaceful relaxation for a while.<br /> As we aren’t really traveling anywhere, I don’t write down the mileage on the odometer. Tomorrow’s mileage will be a little off.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7312398842205010709.post-1067224064546068462008-08-16T18:15:00.000-07:002009-08-16T18:15:48.886-07:00Day 32- July 23Day 32: July 23rd 36,434 on my odometer<br /> <br /> We are up in time for breakfast at the same diner we had dinner at last night. The food is again mediocre. The weather has not improved; off and on rain all day. Between showers we manage to rent a canoe and spend a couple of hours paddling across the lake. We see some lakefront property for sale that I think would be a great place to live. One really nice place even has its own little island we paddle around. Actually, if I had a spare million and a quarter I could buy the place we’re staying at. The economic downturn has made places available, but not exactly affordable for us.<br /> The rain holds off enough that we stay pretty dry. Helps that we don’t tip the canoe, though I lightheartedly threaten to deliberately spill us in. The black flies and deer flies are biting, have to remember to bring some bug repellant next time. They don’t seem to be bothering Ceci at all though.<br /> We pull back in to shore and play fetch for a while with the shopkeepers dog. Probably missing our own dogs that we left at home just a little bit. We are getting regular good reports from our dog/housesitters though so no worries. <br /> As the rain returns, we spend the rest of the day window shopping and checking out the town. We get pizza from a small tourist shop with no indoor seating. We end up eating it outside in the rain. I am disappointed as this is most definitely not a NewYork pizza. I am a pizza snob. Then we head back for another relaxing evening at the cabin. I put maybe 2 miles on the bike. Ceci thinks her arms are going to be sore after all the rowing.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7312398842205010709.post-55377132604550458082008-08-16T18:14:00.000-07:002009-08-16T18:14:58.993-07:00Day 31- July 22Day 31: July 22nd 36,382 on my odometer<br /><br /> We covered most of today’s trip yesterday, so we won’t be riding long today. After a good night’s sleep, we awake to find dry towels on our bikes to wipe them dry. The customer service here is most excellent. It is the most biker friendly place we visit on the entire trip.<br /> We stop for breakfast in town at the Lumberjack Inn. It is pretty good eating. Then we head south, deciding to skip the Wildcenter so we can settle in sooner. There are a lot of vacationers in the Adirondacks and I want to make sure we have a decent place to stay for the week. The roads are not disappointing; lots of gentle curves, elevation changes, and great scenery. Traffic is light.<br /> There is one cabin available for the most of the week at Green Harbor on Long Lake. We take it and unpack the bikes hurriedly. It has been raining on and off all around us this morning. Fortunately the gear is still holding up so we can unpack dry clothes. Our cabin sits right next to a small running stream, under a shade tree, and has a nice partial view of the lake from the porch. I could live and die here a happy man.<br /> Once settled inside we take the Bandit to Blue Mountain Lake and visit the Adirondack Museum. I love this museum and have been here a few times. Ceci only thinks it is OK. Still, we spend all afternoon and can’t see it all before it closes for the evening. In all the times I have visited I have never managed to see it all.<br /> Rain is constantly threatening all day. Our choices for eating establishments in the area is slim; we try the local “diner” in Long Lake. The food is mediocre. The relaxation back at the cabin, however, is fantastic. We feed ducks on the beach and watch the sun set behind the mountains and rain clouds on the other side of the lake. We also benefit from the serenade of a group of musicians also staying at one of the cabins here.<br /> I only put about 50 miles on the bike today, but miles were not our goal. What we lacked in miles today we made up for in smiles.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7312398842205010709.post-10273722083513115602008-08-09T14:51:00.000-07:002009-08-09T14:53:33.387-07:00Day 30- July 21Day 30: July 21st 36,064 on my odometer<br /><br /> Before hitting the road for the day we eat breakfast at the motel restaurant. Not too bad. We also have a brief conversation with a slightly insane cyclist from England that is riding his own hand built big wheel bicycle all over the world. He has covered 20,000 miles so far in 20 different countries. Makes our “epic” journey seem pitiful by comparison.<br /> Northern Pennsylvania is beautiful and the roads are mostly nice. Not particularly twisty, but plenty of turns, sweepers and elevation changes on mostly smooth pavement. We enjoy the ride all the way into Watkins Glen. While fueling up we have a conversation with some other bikers that tell us about a great road called “The Tail of the Dragon” and ask if we plan on riding it. I’ll have to look into that as I work on our itinerary. I haven’t done much planning at all for the route from New York to Georgia yet. We also manage to piss off a local cager who doesn’t think we are filling the bikes fast enough, can’t get around us, and apparently doesn’t know how to use reverse to leave the station.<br /> We are treated to lunch at a restaurant with a fantastic view of Seneca Lake by Brandi Holloway, one of Ceci’s coworkers who is up here because of her husband’s job. The scenery is beautiful, but still not as nice as the Adirondacks where we plan on staying a week. New York is the most beautiful state I have ever been to; I just wish it was an affordable place to live.<br /> Today’s planned destination is Texas. It is another place we had on our list of possible relocation places. A way for Ceci to still live in Texas without me actually having to live in Texas. It starts to rain as we leave the restaurant, and we get a steady but light rain for the next hour. Fortunately it is light enough rain that our gear keeps us dry and the Bandit keeps running. Unfortunately, the town of Texas doesn’t really seem to exist. There’s a sign, a marina, and a bait store but not much else. Nothing much to visit. I had planned on setting up camp at Selkirk Shores State Park, but as there isn’t much to visit and the park isn’t worth staying in so we change plans. There is still plenty of daylight left so we spend a few minutes sightseeing on the shore of Lake Huron and get back on the road.<br /> We are now hustling to see how far we can get before dark. As we get to Adirondack State Park there are scattered thunderstorms all around us. The scenery is great as are the roads. Smooth pavement and lots of fast easy turns. As the sunlight starts to fade we are dodging the rain and trying to find a place to stay. There is another group of motorcyclists doing the same thing so we play a form of leapfrog for a little while. Finally we pull into the first motel in Tupper – the Faust motel. I am glad we beat the other group here as it is now dark and not so safe for us to be riding. It is a terribly selfish thing for me to think that way but if there’s only one room I intend to have it. The other group of mostly Concours riders pulls in behind us. Fortunately, there is plenty of room for us all, and the pleasant old lady running the place is definitely biker friendly. <br /> She puts down blocks of wood for our kickstands so they won’t sink into the soft wet ground. She won’t let us check in because the only place in town to eat is about to close. As we hurry to run to the restaurant, she tells us not to worry, and actually calls ahead to make sure they don’t close until we get a chance to eat. After a pretty good meal we go back and check into our cabins. The price is very reasonable. It is old but clean and comfortable. A charming place.<br /> At the restaurant and back at the motel we get a chance to meet the Concours riders we were leapfrogging- Jerald Hampshire from the St. Louis area and friends. They also mention something about the Dragon so I will definitely look into it. We exchange e-mail addresses so we can stay in touch. I have promised to send him the photos and blog of the trip. Least I can do to atone for my selfish attitude when we pulled in. If I ever get this published he’ll get a free copy.<br /> We cover 318 scenic if occasionally wet miles, and are very near our destination at the center of the park.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7312398842205010709.post-51116963891726519372008-07-20T07:46:00.000-07:002009-07-20T07:48:14.312-07:00Day 29- July 20Day 29: July 20th 35,804 miles on the odometer<br /><br /> The rain arrives just as we head out. It is a constant soaking rain. I remember to close the vents on my jacket, but it does not matter. My riding gear is no longer up to the task and I am wet from neck to toe for the entire day. The communicators are acting up again, as is my Bandit. It dies twice when I can’t keep the revs up high enough for 2 cylinders to keep it going. Both times it is reluctant to re-start. The second time I have to pull off the road and wait for the rain to end. We waste almost an hour at a closed car dealership while waiting for my electronics to dry out enough to start.<br /> At least the roads and scenery improve as we get to Pennsylvania and get off the interstate. On tap for today is Pennsylvania’s famed route 666, rated by many as the worst road in America. Often that is a good thing, and there were a couple of good reviews from other motorcyclists on the internet. <br /> Damn the internet. Route 666 may be the worst road in America, so long as you’re willing to use the term road loosely. It is more accurately a contiguous stretch of patched and un-patched potholes. The scenery is supposed to be nice but I don’t notice. All my attention is focused on finding a safe place to put my tires. The going is slow and rough. The constant battering actually snaps the taillight off of the Vulcan’s rear fender. Fortunately, it doesn’t fall off the bike and I am able to put it back on with the glue I’ve been using to keep the soles on my boot, plus a bunjee cord to keep it in place. We don’t see a single bike other than our own here. <br /> Route 62 gets much better and route 6 is actually really good. Nothing technical, but lots of smooth pavement, great scenery, and nice turns and sweepers. While shopping in Ohio I picked up some Airplus gel insoles for women’s shoes. It is the kind meant just for the balls of her feet and they fit nicely in my gloves. My hands no longer go numb when I’m riding. It doesn’t get rid of the annoying vibes and discomfort completely, but it is a big help. If only they made one that fit my seat. I may have to buy a couple more and stick them on my butt cheeks.<br /> As much as I am enjoying the ride after 666 in Pennsylvania, Ceci is having a tougher time of it. She gets the rear tire loose on one damp turn and almost wipes out. I don’t see it in my mirror, but she assures me it got her heart pumping. Shortly after that she has a near collision. No harm so no foul, and the close calls should keep her focused on her riding. <br /> We stop for the night at the Colton Point Motel. It is a very scenic place with a wonderful view of mountains and forest. Ceci is also enjoying the scenery, and we add this to our list of places worth relocating to. The motel is an older motel, but I like it. Especially since it gives me a place to change into dry clothes. Fortunately my luggage is still water tight.<br /> Due to the rain and route 666, we manage only 260 miles today.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7312398842205010709.post-89271182509341855512008-07-12T17:52:00.000-07:002009-07-12T17:53:48.789-07:00Day 28- July 19Day 28: July 19th 35,804 miles on the odometer<br /> Maintenance day; neither of us rides the bikes at all. Yesterday we picked up oil, filters, and some tools. The tool kits that come with the bike are woefully inadequate for the job, so we have to get a ratchet and some sockets as well as a filter wrench to change the oil. 7,000 miles is a long way to go between changes, but I figure that running Mobil-1 full synthetic oil on a lot of highway miles is OK. Still, Ceci’s oil is a bit dark when I drain it. Mine isn’t as bad, as I’ve added a quart and a half of new oil as we’ve traveled.<br /> I also give the bikes a good once over and lube my chain. Ceci’s Vulcan has shaft drive, so I don’t have to worry much about hers. (Or so I thought) Despite what Bubba thought might be a slow leak of gear oil from the rear, the fluid level is fine and doesn’t appear to have leaked a drop on our trip. The left handgrip on her bike is starting to work its way loose, and it has slid about a half inch off. It takes a little bit of doing to get it back where it belongs. One of the metal tabs on my fuel tank was bent in the hurricane damage years ago. I don’t notice it until I see the plastic fairing mounted to it has begun to rub on the frame and is wearing itself away. It is a pretty easy fix to bend the tab out and cure that problem.<br /> The bikes are starting to look a bit grimy from the road and could use a bath, but I leave them alone in that regard. I look at the road grime as a kind of badge of honor. I limit the cleaning to wiping up the oil from the change and washing the bugs off the windscreens and headlights.<br /> I work at a leisurely pace but still have plenty of time to finish the maintenance, work on rebuilding the itinerary yet again, and cook up a batch of my Fettucini Alfredo with Chicken. Ceci has spent most of the day visiting with her step-mom so it has been a good day. We cap it off with a visit to the ballet at an outdoor park. Ballet ain’t exactly my thing, but it is time spent with family. I figure I can at least cross it off my list so I won’t have to do it again. The highlight was when a very large limb cracked and fell off of a nearby tree.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7312398842205010709.post-90925985410963193102008-07-12T17:48:00.000-07:002009-07-12T17:52:07.395-07:00Day 27- July 18Day 27: July 18th 35,523 on my odometer.<br /> We do not sleep particularly well, and are up in plenty of time for the continental breakfast. It is actually a pretty good breakfast by continental standards. The sky is overcast as we pack up, but it is not raining when we leave. The bike seems to have dried out, and is back to running on all 4 cylinders most of the time. The Chatterbox communicators that had started acting up in the rain are back to working normally again as well.<br /> We have been on interstate highway since Bay City yesterday. I-75/hwy23 has terrible pavement; rough with frequent pot holes. We don’t leave the interstate until Ohio, where we pick up highway 20 and 18 into Akron. Our entire route today is mostly straight with very little scenery. It is mostly flat farm country with an occasional small town to break up the monotony. The temperature is also starting to climb back up. We do stay dry today though.<br /> We make it to Barbara’s apartment much earlier than I had expected. With nothing interesting to stop for, and straight highways to travel on, we made good time. About 15 minutes are added to our trip when I miss the turn we were supposed to take in to Tallmadge. The turn I do make takes us back into Tallmadge through a traffic circle. I hate traffic circles even more than rain, grooved pavement, and steel grate bridges. I don’t know how the death toll isn’t terrible on the roundabouts. We manage to survive unscathed.<br /> We are early enough to do some grocery shopping, as well as pick up some necessities for the bikes. The bikes have gone over 7,000 miles this trip, so it is definitely time for some maintenance. I will have some work to do tomorrow. Surprisingly, the tires are holding up quite well. There is still plenty of tread left on my Avons, and Ceci’s Metzelers look almost new.<br /> We traveled 281 miles today. Not too far, but we arrived at our destination with plenty of time to do some necessary shopping and visit with family. For the trip so far we have covered 7,050 miles by my odometer. By Ceci’s reckoning it is more like 7,500 miles.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7312398842205010709.post-38817465176664043382008-07-05T15:51:00.000-07:002009-07-05T15:51:59.155-07:00Day 26- July 17Day 26: July 17th 35,171 miles on my odometer.<br /> <br /> The campground is a bit noisy overnight; a few inconsiderate campers and the occasional passing freight train. Not surprisingly, we break camp late. The campground is nice, but not worth dallying for, so we just gear up and go. We stop for breakfast at a place that serves it all day. <br /> The restaurant has a good view of Lake Michigan. The roads up here in the U.P. aren’t great but they’re pretty good. We look through some local real estate magazines while we wait for our food and find water view property to be somewhat reasonable. Now that we have eliminated the Black Hills of SD as a possible future residence, we decide that the upper peninsula might be a viable option.<br /> Our route today spends a lot of miles following the shoreline of Lake Michigan. The temperature is nice, as is the view. We still find no beach glass for Ceci, but I do get another bit of sand for Ma. Mackinac bridge is a pretty bridge. More importantly, the right lane is paved so I don’t have to put up with an annoying ride on the steel grating. The toll costs us $3 each to pass.<br /> Now we pick up Hwy 23 which follows the Lake Huron coast until Bay City. Again we find no weathered glass on the beach, but we do find a few nice rocks and another sample of sand. The waters of Lake Huron are a lot more calm than Lake Michigan was. There are, however, more clouds overhead. <br /> We stop for some fast food in Bay City and have a nice view of a thunderstorm sending bolts of lightning into the lake. Pretty, but a bit ominous. We have had to contend with almost no rain for our entire trip so far, but it looks like things might be about to change. It is my hope that as we leave the shoreline we will lessen the threat of rain.<br /> No such luck. The rain is an absolute downpour as we get to Saginaw. Idiot that I am, I left the vents open on my jacket, so I’m getting pretty wet. Ceci’s gear is doing a good job of keeping her nice and dry, except for her hands and feet. More troublesome for me than the soaking is my Bandit. It is not liking this weather at all. It spits and misfires for about an hour as we ride through the deluge. We slow down on the wet pavement, and I have to downshift to keep the revs up so it won’t die as we ride. Sounds like I need new plug wires.<br /> As it starts to get dark we stay at an AmericInn south of Flint. We get a room with a fireplace and hot tub. The rate really isn’t much more than we’ve been spending on regular rooms anyway. I’m actually pretty disappointed with the rates we’ve been paying so far. I would have thought with the price of gas averaging well over $4 a gallon and the economy tanking, prices would be a lot more reasonable. Things look particularly bad in the lower peninsula. It seemed like every other house we passed was for sale, or had a vehicle of some sort for sale. No such luck for us though. Not much luck with the room either. The fireplace is an electric model that does nothing to dry us out. We end up staying up late drying clothes in the laundry room. My luggage is still doing a great job of keeping out the water, but Ceci’s is not. The hot tub works fine, but the AC in the room does not so we end up sleeping in a warm muggy room. The motel’s solution is to knock $10 off our bill. I am not happy.<br /> The ride today was pretty good, at least until it started pouring. We had hours of scenic lakeside driving, and roads that weren’t always straight. By my odometer we covered 352 miles, not bad for us. Should have a fairly easy day tomorrow getting to Akron where Ceci’s stepmother lives. Doesn’t look like it will be a particularly scenic, interesting, or fun route though, and we are one day too late to catch her brother on his way west.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7312398842205010709.post-21468426022302818982008-06-28T08:17:00.000-07:002009-06-28T08:19:30.059-07:00Day 25- July 16Day 25: July 16th 34,772 miles on my odometer<br /><br /> We awaken to the sound of rain outside the hotel. In an attempt to save time, I left my luggage strapped to the bike. Fortunately, even with a hole in the bottom of one saddlebag and with no raincovers at all, my Chase Harper gear is keeping all the water out. Ceci’s River Road saddlebags are still letting the water in, but we’re not keeping anything in there that can’t get wet.<br /> We eat the continental breakfast at the hotel and hit the road. Pretty early by our usual standards. The roads continue to be rough until we get out of Minnesota. Things get a little better when we get to Wisconsin.<br /> We stop for a while at a really good visitor center in Ashland. You can just barely see Lake Superior from here. We spend about an hour looking through the exhibits and gift shop. We then head off to get closer to the lake, and waste another hour in futile efforts. Finally we find a small city park with a beach. We stop for a bit but find no beach glass. I do take about a teaspoon of beach as a souvenir. My mother has a collection of sands from beaches I’ve been to all over the country.<br /> We are now on Hwy 2, which we will stay on until we get to the Mackinac bridge. Makes navigation easy, and the miles start to pile up. It’s not the most scenic route, but it’s OK and we end up going further today than we have on any other day so far. At one point I very nearly kill another bird. It must be the stupidest pigeon ever. It’s just walking around aimlessly in the middle of the highway. I make my best guess and take a line that just barely misses him. My turbulence sends him rolling along though. Ceci passes harmlessly by while he tries to get his bearings, but the car behind us clobbers him anyway. <br /> It was wet when we started in Minnesota today, but it didn’t rain too much. We pretty much stayed dry. It was dry all day in Wisconsin and Michigan, and best of all the temperature was fairly cool. A much more comfortable ride than we’ve been having. I won’t say I quit complaining about my sore butt and numb hands, but the quantity of the complaints was much lower. Notably though, Ceci has started to mention that her butt is beginning to get a bit saddle sore. 6,000 miles in the stock saddle before she starts to notice any discomfort is pretty good I think. Now we can both powder our butts in the mornings.<br /> As the sun starts to go down we find few places to stop and eat or sleep. I pass a couple of hotels that don’t particularly appeal to me. We eat hot dogs for dinner at a gas station. Finally we stop at a county campground outside Escanabra, Michigan. Ceci sets up camp in the dark and is not too pleased. She’s pretty ticked at me for not stopping earlier at a hotel.<br /> We cover 399 miles today by my odometer. Pretty good for us, but might be a bit too far considering how sore (in more than one way) my wife is.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7312398842205010709.post-54996393900943802962008-06-21T10:17:00.000-07:002009-06-21T10:18:00.797-07:00Day 24- July 15Day 24: July 15th 34,398 miles according to my defective instrumentation<br /><br /> Big Surprise! We get off to another late start. My bags are patched with duct tape and I do a much better job hanging them on today. Doing so takes time though. This would definitely be better if I had detachable hard bags.<br /> The scenery is lacking, nothing but farmland prairie in this part of South Dakota. It is getting quite warm when we pull off to visit the Corn Palace. Just another tourist trap that I find a bit disappointing. Judging from pictures, the long gone original from 100 years ago was a more worthwhile place to see and visit. Too bad, I don’t think this was worth the trip through town.<br /> The scenery in Minnesota isn’t any better. We are on 23 north for 100 miles before occasional trees and water interrupt the farm fields. I’m not sure where the Land of Ten Thousand Lakes is hiding them all. On our route we see one. The pavement is poor for most of this trip, with almost no curves at all. Cage drivers are not particularly courteous (or even competent) out here either. My middle finger is extended in much deserved mock salute more than once. It is a far cry from the courteous waves you usually get in a lot of the rural areas in the U.S. <br /> With nothing much to see, we just keep plugging away. My hands were bothering me from the start today; as the day goes on my aching posterior is killing me. I welcome frequent gas stops just to rest my cheeks. It is painful getting back in the saddle though. The pain in my butt almost makes me forget about the numb aching throttle hand.<br /> On a somber note, I am involved in a fatal collision. No damage to me or the bike, but a small bird (sparrow maybe) perished. I slowed down to miss him, but he turned back into me. He just grazed my right leg before getting clobbered by the saddlebag. Sorry little guy.<br /> On an interesting note, there are no problems at all with Ceci’s bike today. In fact since buying the gremlin bell, Ceci’s bike has had no problems. The Bandit has not been so lucky. Maybe I should get one…. So much for not being superstitious.<br /> We stop for the night at a Super 8. We covered at least 374 miles today, a much better day than we’d been averaging. Easier to rack up the miles when there’s nothing much to see or worth stopping for.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7312398842205010709.post-82976661990151336272008-06-14T12:05:00.000-07:002009-06-14T12:08:28.451-07:00Day 23- July 14Day 23: July 14th 34,140 on the not quite so accurate odometer<br /> <br /> As we spend our usual hour loading the bikes to get back on the road, I notice that oil appears to be seeping through the valve covers on my Bandit. Could be the gas leaking through the carbs is thinning the oil a bit. It doesn’t appear to be serious yet, but it is a cause for concern. I’ll be needing to change the oil soon anyway, plans are to do that on both bikes when we get to Ohio.<br /> Before heading back on the road, we make a few stops in Custer. First stop is a rock shop. There are some items of interest, but nothing we just have to have. Next stop is the library to do a little more research on the area we once thought might be home, but mostly just to get caught up on e-mail.<br /> Then it is off to continue the journey. We take a break at the famous Wall Drug. It is a well advertised shameless tourist trap, but a good one at that. I get my free ice water and donut. We spend a couple of enjoyable hours here, mostly just window shopping. The air conditioning is also most welcome as the desert heat has returned.<br /> Next on the itinerary is Badlands National Park. It kind of reminds me of the Painted Desert. We arrive too late to watch the big pig dig, but the visitors center is open and it’s a pretty good one. The roads through the park are also pretty good, if a bit too warm for comfort.<br /> We have to leave out the missile silo national site as it isn’t finished yet and is spread out over a few locations not necessarily on our way. The visitor center for that is on the way, but it was closed when we got there.<br /> Time to stop the site seeing and rack up some miles. A little late for that I guess, and we don’t come close to my hoped for goal of making it to Minnesota. I was pretty sure we were going to end up short of that goal anyway, so I’m not terribly disappointed. We stop for the night at a hotel on the Missouri river. Unfortunately we arrive just AFTER a very picturesque sunset. Ceci is a little bit upset that we miss the picture opportunity. Most of the roads today were straight and flat, just back to the grind.<br /> The vibrations through the bars on the Bandit feel like they’re getting worse. Ceci is loving her cramp buster, but mine doesn’t seem to be doing anything for me. I make a conscious effort to try and keep my hands more relaxed, but it doesn’t matter. My right one especially was numb for most of the ride.<br /> I also discover that I did a poor job of securing my luggage this morning. The saddlebags settled in far enough that the rear tire wore a hole through one. Crap. Chase Harper has a lifetime warranty I think, but I doubt they’ll cover this damage that is clearly a result of my negligence. (As it turns out, they do have a lifetime warranty and it does cover owner stupidity. Just pay the postage and they’ll fix the bags. Great company and an advantage of buying American) I’ll have to make do with a duct tape repair. Like all good rednecks, duct tape and WD-40 was required gear we had to carry with us. <br /> We have Pizza Hut deliver 2 pizzas for dinner and we gorge ourselves on that. We save the cinnastix and breadsticks for breakfast the next morning.<br /> By my odometer, we manage to cover only 258 saddlebag shredding, nerve damaging, butt breaking miles.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0