Heading West Again!

[BobFV1]

Well,

I have most of the details of my life here in DC all settled. Delia has been settling the remaining details of our Arizona life. I will ride Five Charlie home to AZ this weekend, spend the week there - over to San Diego on business on Wednesday (by plane), the teach an MSF class Saturday and Sunday, July 1 & 2. On July 3 I plan to ride to Steamboat Springs, Colo the first night, and then to Mount Rushmore the second night to see the fireworks show. Then to Wisconsin as an intermediate stop on the way to a friends farm in rural West Virginia to spend the rest of the week. Delia will meet me there and then we will ride together back here to DC.

So I will break the trip into two for ride report purposes. The first part will be reported here - starting on Saturday. I am giving myself until Monday evening to be in AZ, which is a piece of cake. My only decision now is between these two options:

1) Saturday morning, leave fairly early, ride 500 miles to Deal's Gap, fool around on the Tail of the Dragon, then head over and spend the night towards Nashville and continue the trip Sunday AM.

2) Leave DC Saturday AM around 0300 and make a hard run for Little Rock, Arkansas, by sunset, completing a "SaddleSore 1000". I've completed a BunBurner 1500, but never a SaddleSore 1000.

I am inclined towards number 1 rather than number 2, but would gladly accept any suggestions.

Will send more from the road!

[Promethean]

Safe travels!

I don't know when you might be in the Wisconsin area (I'll be away during the holiday weekend and will return on the evening of the 4th) but if there is a possibility of meeting up, please don't hesitate to give me a shout.

[BobFV1]

Hi Abhijeet - I plan to roll in to Wisconsin some time on the evening of July 5, but I don't think I will make Milwaukee - probably just make it to the river and stop at the Western border. I have to get to the Parkersburg, WV area the following day - about 800 more miles, so I will probably be banging on out through Madison and Milwaukee early - don't know if a meeting will work out this time around :(

In order to do all the screwing off I do, I have to carefully orchestrate things like maintenance, rest stops, and start/stop dates - it is actually quite a balancing act.....

[R4R&R]

Personally, I'd avoid Deals Gap on a weekend - too many squids and too many LEO's chasing them. Look at going through Mountain City in TN. - just as good as Deals gap, but less traffic. Since you have a GS, there are lots of trails to explore too. You do take that GS off road, don't you?

[Bones]

I agree with avoiding Deal's Gap on a weekend. I recently did it mid week and it was still crowded enough to be annoying. If you have done it before, I don't understand the appeal of going back. If you haven't done it before, trust me, the riding in West Virginia is much better in just about all ways except bragging rights.

Re the saddlesore 1K: I guess if you have to make fast time anyway and are planning on running interstates anyway, might as well consider getting the credits. But if you have done a bun burner and have proven you can do it, I am not sure I understand the appeal of doing a saddle sore.... Guess I don't understand much these days.

Maybe I am being selfish: your ride reports will be more interesting if you don't do the bunburner.

Meanwhile, if you get a moment, I posted a Q you might be able to answer in the tech section. Take a peek. Thanks, in advance.

Jeff

[BobFV1]

Getting closer - only 36 more hours and then I am alone on the open road - I just can't wait!

[Bones]

Bob,
Wishes for a great journey, lots of fun, and may the gods of GI distress never see you.

Take pics if you get a chance. Love the posts of your ride reports.

Jeff

[DarthRider]

Geeze, Bob...what a life!
A killer new bike, over the best roads, titties at night on the Cafe, and your sweet wife for the extra scenic destinations & rides.
Rinse.
Repeat.
I admire your stamina and especially your organizational abilities!
One might call you a "lucky man", and one would be correct. But one must also consider the old saw: "The harder you work the luckier you get!"
Would you be interested in adopting me?

[Biff's R]

Bob,
Have a great trip. If you are cruising through central or eastern Ohio on you way to Wild Wonderful WV, send a PM, or email, and I can try to show some of SE Ohio' fun time roads.

[Bones]

Biff,
You live in SE Ohio? Bob, he does not lie. SE Ohio has some of the most amazing motorcycle riding anywhere, truly. Gorgeous scenery, elevation changes, sweeping turns, decent road surface most of the time, nice folks.

Jeff

[BobFV1]

Biff,
You live in SE Ohio? Bob, he does not lie. SE Ohio has some of the most amazing motorcycle riding anywhere, truly. Gorgeous scenery, elevation changes, sweeping turns, decent road surface most of the time, nice folks.

Jeff

I will definitely check out the old return route map - the "regular" route on the Interstate through Columbus just sucks!

Okay - I am off - ride report, hopefully from somewhere in Tennessee, to follow tonight....

[BobFV1]

Made it 920 miles today. Still had a LOT of daylight, but I was getting pretty tired. Started in DC and stopped here in Forest City, Arkansas, about 80 miles East of Little Rock. I am toying with the idea of getting up very early tomorrow morning and making a had run for home. Maybe not.

The GS is running strong - not a drop of oil burned - odometer went over 11k today.

Got to get some rest now.....

[Deans BMW]

Call on the home phone and if not at home leave your cell#.

[Biff's R]

Bones,
I live a few miles north of I-70 and about 30 miles east of Columbus. More central than south east. Good for the commute to work in Columbus, and about 15 minutes from good roads.

Bob, I think that my ass would fall off after 920 miles in a day. Good luck tomorrow.

[BobFV1]

Bones,
I live a few miles north of I-70 and about 30 miles east of Columbus. More central than south east. Good for the commute to work in Columbus, and about 15 minutes from good roads.

Bob, I think that my ass would fall off after 920 miles in a day. Good luck tomorrow.

Jeff - It was a pretty long day. Think I'll only do about 700 to 800 tomorrow! :eusa_drool:

Dean-O - I just checked mapquest - no way I will make it to Show Low tomorrow :( - I am going to bust for the New Mexico border, and hopefully post from somewhere in NM tomorrow night!

[Bones]

Bob,
HOLY $$$$$$$$$$$$hit! From DC to Arkansas in a day. I was actually wondering if when I take a trip with Perry next June if we could make it down to Arkansas, do some riding in the Ozarks and make it back all in week. You made it all the way down there in a DAY!?!?! You, my friend, are psycho and I love it.

I usually stay off Interstates altogether, but if I was trying to make miles per day, no question that is the way to do it. I regularly do 10 hours a day on the bike, but some days, if we find really great roads, it might amount to no more than 300+ miles.

Glad your GS is running well. Mine still likes oil, and I do ride it with a lot of throttle and front brake. Maybe by 10K the oil consumption will drop off.

Are you still liking the Tourances? I am really happy with the performance of them. Would be curious what kind of miles you will get out of your set.

Ride safe and enjoy.

Jeff

[GPM]

Bob, I have to agree with Jeff here, you're an animal. Ride safe and give us a call if you have time for a beer or three on this trip back.

[BobFV1]

Bob,
HOLY $$$$$$$$$$$$hit! From DC to Arkansas in a day. I was actually wondering if when I take a trip with Perry next June if we could make it down to Arkansas, do some riding in the Ozarks and make it back all in week. You made it all the way down there in a DAY!?!?! You, my friend, are psycho and I love it.

I usually stay off Interstates altogether, but if I was trying to make miles per day, no question that is the way to do it. I regularly do 10 hours a day on the bike, but some days, if we find really great roads, it might amount to no more than 300+ miles.

Glad your GS is running well. Mine still likes oil, and I do ride it with a lot of throttle and front brake. Maybe by 10K the oil consumption will drop off.

Are you still liking the Tourances? I am really happy with the performance of them. Would be curious what kind of miles you will get out of your set.

Ride safe and enjoy.

Jeff

Hey Boner -

The Tourances are running in well - had them mounted at 7K and they are now at 11K - running them 40/42 cold and the rear is flattening - it has been mostly slab, except about 600 miles of dirt/twisties in Colorado a few weeks ago. I'll see how they are when I get back to Phoenix - may replace them if the rear becomes square. THinking of trying Anakees just for shits and grins.

Harry - I'll reach out for you in PHX - would be great ot catch up.

Ride safe everybody - more from the road later....

[GPM]

Excellent!! Sounds like Roger's wounds are healing and he's off the pain meds. Let's plan to tip a few...

Absolutely try the Anakees next. Since I've only got 6k on my GS, I'm good for a few at least 2-3 thousand before I need tires. At the rate you're going you should be able to test all available tires before I need to make a decision on what to mount next.

[Deans BMW]

Bob, no prob. A place to stay is always available at a moments notice.

When the Motorcyclistscafe "Barn and Guest house will be up and running in about a year....will always open and no locks on the door.

[jamming]

Bob, Harry, I'm ready.
Made it back from Tucson last night, way cooler at night.

Roger

[BobFV1]

Made it about 850 miles today before the weather went to shit - now holed up in Santa Rosa, NM, trying to wait out the wind and the rain and get home tomorrow. Hopefully I will make it and I will give you a proper ride report....

[Promethean]

Bob....you Da man.

[GPM]

Bob,

We're getting the typical dust storm and a bit of rain in the afternoon.

Tomorrow's forecast:

Partly cloudy. Areas of blowing dust in the evening. Slight chance of showers and thunderstorms in the evening. Lows 76 to 86. South wind 5 to 15 mph in the evening... Becoming southeast 10 to 20 mph after midnight. Chance of rain 10 percent.

Watch the horizon and ride safe.

[STexFJR]

Bob, I believe you could've applied for the SS1K and BB at the same time, and still may be able to.

[BobFV1]

Bob, I believe you could've applied for the SS1K and BB at the same time, and still may be able to.

Hey Dewayne -

You are correct - I completed both on this ride but didn't document them. I already have a documented Bunburner on record, though. This certainly is a good time of year for Iron Butt stuff. I am plotting to do an SS50, but it will probably wait until next year.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

All - arrived safely in hot, smoky (from the Sedona fire) Tempe Arizona safe and sound about an hour ago. preliminary statistics - 2400 miles in about 58 hours. Ride report and photos to follow.

[BobFV1]

Okay, it's only fair to warn you, these are going to be really boring ride reports, with very boring pictures. Doing this iron butt stuff doesn't leave a lot of time for notes, snapshots, etc, but I will do my best.

Saturday morning I was up pre-dawn and out of my McLean, Virginia lair at about 0500. Hit I-66 Westbound in pre-dawn darkness, and headed straight down I-81 through the Shenandoah Valley - rain threatening all the way. Stopped in Staunton, VA, for gas, really lame gas station pic follows:

http://r1150r.smugmug.com/photos/77975693-M.jpg

Only interesting thing about this stop, at about 0700 Saturday morning, is that while I was gassing up, a beat to shit Honda Civic with two young black guys right out of "Boyz In Da Hood" and a trailer trash white girl pulled up. They were having a class A domestic dispute, and the girl looked strung out on meth. When the two gentlemen went in to the store, I got their descriptions for the photo line-up, because I was about 80 percent sure they were going to rob the place. Alas, they came out with a 12 pack of cheap ass beer and I finished my business and headed South.

Ride ride ride ride through Virginia. Way down by the Tennessee border we got a thundershower along the Interstate. Now, I had been watching the clouds and realized that we had driven through the dark shit, which was headed North (behind us) and while we were getting a locally heavy shower, it would only be a few minutes before it cleared up. Well, as soon as it started to rain, there was a near multi-car pile-up, something was in the road ahead. Traffic started moving again, and the cloudburst was almost over, but I saw what had caused the problem. At the first raindrop three idiots on Gold Wings pulled precipitously off to the narrow right shoulder of I-81 and started dawning their raingear. They were still putting it on when I rode past them. What a bunch of Cheesedicks!

In Nashville, I saw a sign for what was attracting all the Honda riders - the "Honda Hoot" was underway. Sure were a lot of bikes being trailered in there!

I-40, which is actually the old US 66 (Route 66), is called the "music highway" between Nashville and Memphis. I stopped at the "Johnny Cash" rest stop. You didn't ask, but here's a picture of it:

http://r1150r.smugmug.com/photos/77975695-M.jpg

My own contribution to the music highway is the Grateful Dead sticker on my windscreen. One of my fellow MSF instructors gave it to me - it is a skeleton man in an old pick-up truck saying "At Least I'm Enjoying The Ride" - a classic Dead lyric. I like having it out in front of me, because on the open highway, I always enjoy the ride, despite the challenges:

http://r1150r.smugmug.com/photos/77975696-M.jpg

It was on the music highway that I saw one of the worst crashes I have ever seen. Thank God they were already cleaning it up, and it was on the median and in the other direction, but it still snarled traffic on my side for miles. As I finally rolled up on it, I saw a flatbed trailer on the other side of the median. On it were two halves of a passenger sedan which was completely cut in half. The front part of the trailer had the front axles and engine, and the rear half had what was left of the firewall and passenger compartment of the car - most of the metal was shredded and the roof was completely collapsed into the passenger compartment.

Despite the horrible nature of the car being split in two, there was no sign that it had burned, which was in stark contrast to that I saw on the grassy median of the Interstate. At first it looked just like those haunting photos of the base of the twin towers at ground zero on 9/11:

http://www.amerrescue.org/world_trade_center/rubble-09-11-01.jpg

As I got closer, I could see that it was just the completely incinerated skeleton of an 18-wheeler. The cab was not even recognizable, and there was a skeleton of smoking "ribs" sort of like an old whaling lithograph showing the massive ribs of the once-mighty beast. Somebody had a bad day on the music highway that day.

I ran on West - through Memphis and over the mighty Mississippi. Tried to take a photo looking back at Memphis from West Memphis, Arkansas, but there is no vantage point, so I pressed on. About halfway (or a little less) to Little Rock, I clicked 900 miles for the day. The sun was still up, so I pulled in to the little whistle-stop town of "Forrest City" and inquired about a room at the Super 8. Two lesbians, one on a Wing (the bull) and one on a BMW Chromehead (lipstick version) also stopped there. When they heard the hotel ice machine was broken they left to find another hotel (I don't even want to speculate), but I stopped for the night, got myself a 40-oz Heineken, and settled in for the night.

[Bones]

Bob,
A couple of things.

1. These ride reports are NOT boring. So keep them coming.
2. Only 900 miles that day. What a pussy.








Clearly, I am kidding re # 2. I have done plenty of 10+ hour days on the bike, but I don't think I ever went further than 675 miles. And I was tired. Granted, I almost never take interstates for more than the shortest distance between backroads. But still, 900 miles is a hell of a day, even for one with a stainless steel ass ring like yours. Keep on truckin'.

Jeff

[BobFV1]

to the sound of two cats fucking:

Here they are right after I startled them. The little gray and white slut had been sniffing around my bike the evening before:

http://r1150r.smugmug.com/photos/77975698-M.jpg

Thanks goodness, the bike's virtue remained intact on the cool Arkansas morning:

http://r1150r.smugmug.com/photos/77975699-M.jpg:

Which is more than I can say for the proprietor's cat, who got herself a right royal rogering from this black stud:

http://r1150r.smugmug.com/photos/77975697-M.jpg

Anyway - I took off and headed West with no agenda but to put a lot of miles behind me, after all, at the risk of TMI, the cats in the Arkansas parking lot were getting a lot more than I have in the past couple of weeks. He he, he he.

Stopped for gas a little ways up the road in Arkansas. Can you believe that when I went in to get a drink, this asshole parks right in front of me - not another space taken in the whole lot:

http://r1150r.smugmug.com/photos/77975694-M.jpg

A ways up the road, at the Oklahoma welcome center, they had these tacky fake teepees (I warned you there was not much in the way of pictures for this trip!!!):

http://r1150r.smugmug.com/photos/77975706-M.jpg

I kept going West, through Little Rock in the morning, OKC around mid day, and on into Texas. But before I left Oklahoma, I stopped for gas in Henryetta - take a look at this - the bike was showing 20 miles left on the ride computer, and it took 8.994 gallons! Odometer since the last gas stop was at 347 miles:

http://r1150r.smugmug.com/photos/77975707-M.jpg

Winds howled up in Henryetta, and were moderate and gusty, about 15 mph, for about two hours through and past Oklahoma City. The GS is very uncomfortable to ride in any crosswinds, since the "beak" is not aerodynamic and it is attached to the frame. Also, the handlebars are up high and your hands sit behind hand guards, which are not contained in a fairing, so the wind has a tendency to blow the bike all over the place. It is a perfect bike for all situations except high winds - in which it has the potential to kill you.

Anyway, the winds weren't too bad, and by the time I got to Elk City, Oklahoma, they calmed down and I got a glam shot of the bike at the National Route 66 Museum:

http://r1150r.smugmug.com/photos/77975708-M.jpg

I pressed on and on. The wind was fairly calm with just occasional gusts but nothing sustained. Took the obligatory shots at a "splash and dash" piss stop at the rest area 60 miles East of Amarillo, Texas in the Texas Panhandle:

http://r1150r.smugmug.com/photos/77975711-M.jpg

It was only about 1500, but it was hot and the storm clouds were already gathering, as this shot over my shoulder across the Texas plains will vouch for:

http://r1150r.smugmug.com/photos/77975709-M.jpg

I rode on and got to Amarillo, Texas about 1600. The wind had died down, but as I was coming into town, the most peculiar thing happened to me. The winds were completely calm, but the afternoon sun was heating up. As I crossed a high point where the highway went over an elevated bridge coming into town, the following event occurred, all in the space of no more than 2 seconds, and all at about 80 MPH. In completely clear air, up there on top of that bridge, an incredibly intense gust hit me from in front and to the right. I was heading East and this thing hit me square from the starboard bow, or SE, with the force of a freight train. It very nearly pried the handlebars out of my hands, and it got under my helmet peak (I wear an MX-style helmet) and violently blew my head back and to the left. Just as suddenly, and seemingly without transition, I was hit from the left rear like a giant ceiling beam whacked me across my left shoulder. Had it not been for this force to counteract the force of the blast in the other direction which immediately preceded it, I may well have lost control of the bike. But by the time I figured out what had happened, I had ridden through it, down off the bridge and on towards New Mexico. Not sure what the proper term would be - wind shear? Microburst? Whatever it was, it almost got the best of me.

On, on, on, feeling like Tom Joad in The Grapes of Wrath, retracing that same route. Into New Mexico, "Land of Enchantment", except the storm clouds were gathering as I crossed the first city, Tucumcari. About 30 minutes out of Santa Rosa, the storm clouds were getting thicker, the wind was kicking up, I had ridden over 800 miles, and my luck seemed to be running out. I made it to the Super 8, gassed up, and snapped one photo of the threatening sky right after I checked in:

http://r1150r.smugmug.com/photos/77975713-M.jpg

An old fella on a Fat Boy was buttoning his bike up too, said he had tried to go on further towards Albuquerque but 8 miles up the road the winds had beat him back. Probably a good decision on his part. After a beer and a margarita I got back to my room just as the sky opened up.

[GPM]

Welcome home Bob, nice ride report. I think that you've found the Indian name for your bike.

Two Cats Fucking

[BobFV1]

There is an odd sense, in Northern New Mexico, of spirituality, the spirituality that the ancient people, especially the Anaxazi, felt and reflected in their culture. While the entire civilization of these people was limited to within a few hundred miles of New Mexican mesa, they seemed to have a better appreciation for the infinite than many cultures who have had the ability to reach around the globe. When you visit the area, it is not hard to understand why.

But of course, I bring my Christian God along with me on these trips - he's pulled my ass out of the sling for 48 years, so I better stick with what works for me.

So what would it be on Monday morning, the dark angel, or my guardian angel? Depends on the winds. I checked accuweather. At my location, Santa Rosa, no wind at all expected in the morning. two hours West, in Albuquerque, 20 mph winds expected in the morning, and about an hour further West at Grants, New Mexico, in the New Mexico Badlands, 23 MPH winds were expected. West of there, starting in the little town of Gallup near the Arizona border and on towards the West, no winds were predicted, to speak of.

Shit - I tortured myself about riding down the rain-slick grade into Albuquerque in the near-dawn darkness into 20 mph winds on a bike that would not do me any favors in those conditions. And then further on, in Grants - 23 mph? On my RT I would have been concerned but okay, on the GS I was worried.

Checked the astronomical data. Sunrise at 0545. SO I was up at 0400, prepped the bike, made the sign of the cross, and headed West on the empty and lonely Interstate, into the cold and still rain-soaked dawn. Well, actually, the dawn was behind me, and I headed into the darkness, which I caught up with for about an hour, then the sun overtook me from over my shoulder.

Hit Albuquerque about 0645 - no wind at all! The dark angel lost again. Ha ha ha ha! Fuck you, dark angel! Motored on, made it to Grants - no winds at all - so much for accuweather.

Just West of Grants the road changed a bit. Suddenly, there was no terrain relief from the open desert, and the wind started to howl. Signs warned of dangerous crosswinds,and I would say they picked up to about 18mph - will have to check (http://wwwa.accuweather.com/forecast-past24.asp?partner=accuweather&myadc=0&traveler=0&zipcode=87020&metric=0 - accueather says they were between 20 and 23 mph that hour)

The winds weren't gusty - they were blowing up from the South and they were constant, so I was able to gut them out, and sure enough. by the time I hit Gallup, NM, they had relented.

Ran in to this cool rig at a rest stop in NM - I think the dude was asleep in the little trailer:

http://r1150r.smugmug.com/photos/77975715-M.jpg

The rest of the trip was routine. Holbrook, AZ, stop for gas, rode down the Salt River Canyon, getting a little wear on the sides of my tires for a change. Down on the desert floor, close to home, the heat climbed up to about 110 and there was a smoky smell and haze in the air from the Sedona fires a couple hours to the North. sad and unpleasant.

Anyway, mechanically, the bike is a supertar. Over 12K miles - had not burned a single drop of oil! Not one drop!! The Tourances are doing well, rear is flattening out a bit. Only thing I would say about these tires is that, unlike other Metzler's I have had, these ones get very nervous when riding over tar snakes which are on the same axis as the direction of travel, or sometimes even when hitting the slick highway paint used in painting the lines on the road. Not real twitchy, but not real planted, either.

Here re my final screen shots. Departed McLean, VA Saturday morning at 0500, arrived Tempe, AZ, Monday afternoon at 1325 (1625 adjusted to start time):

http://r1150r.smugmug.com/photos/77975716-M.jpg

http://r1150r.smugmug.com/photos/77975717-M.jpg

[Pacific]

Great report, Bob.

Jay

[Bones]

....Nice writing, too. Can't even imagine what the report would be like if you were on small back roads and stuff. Keep it coming. For those poor sods like me who have to go to the office today, it is something to look forward to at the end of the day.

Jeff

[geechie]

Great ride, Bob, and great report too. Thanks.

And tell me where, but in the Cafe, could one read a ride report enlivened by:


Which is more than I can say for the proprietor's cat, who got herself a right royal rogering from this black stud:

...complete with pictures, no less.

I doff my lid to you, sir.

george