Not in Kansas Anymore, Toto

And good riddance.  I had high winds all day, and the direction was from the northeast, so it was part headwind, and part crosswind.  I got my worst gas mileage of the trip at 53 mpg.  Normally I get high 50's to low 60's.  It's tough riding all day in wind like that.  You can't relax because your being pushed all over the place, and it's also noisy.  I didn't listen to the Ipod at all today.  The good news is that although it was warm, it wasn't hot and the bike ran fine all day.  I did have an equipment problem, though.  The zipper on my jacket broke just as I was reaching my destination for the day (Nevada, MO).  I really need that jacket to fit snugly and not be flapping around open in the wind.  Maybe I'll stop somewhere and buy some duct tape and try taping it closed.  I feel like one of those WWII bomber pilots coming in from a mission with systems failing and parts falling off.

Not many picture taking opportunities today.  I did have to turn around and go back to take the following pictures.  I don't know what it all means, but there was a lot of it.

I did get a motel with really high-speed Internet and I got that video downloaded from my ride with Bill Boeck yesterday.  I let the camera run for 7 minutes and this is the whole video.  It is best towards the end.  I didn't know my working title was going to be permanently attached to the video.  Choose to watch it on YouTube and then go to full screen.

It's a Small (www) World

The night before last when I checked my email there was a note from Bill Boeck, whom I haven't seen or talked to for over 50 years.  He went to high school with me but moved to Colorado before he graduated.  However, he still feels a kinship with my class, and attended the 50th reunion and gets emails from the group.  They emailed him about my trip and, not knowing my route or anything, he took a chance and invited me to stop by if I happened to be anywhere near Walsenburg, Colorado.  I had planned to overnight in Salida, which is just north and west of Walsenburg and then go through Walsenburg the next day.  By extending my riding day a little, I managed to get to his house and spent a very pleasant evening with Bill and his wife Marsha at their recently built home in a peaceful high desert-like setting outside of Walsenburg.  Here's the surprise bonus:  Bill has been riding motorcycles, both street and dirt, for almost as long as I have.  We could barley scratch the surface of all the things there were to talk about in one evening.  And then the highlight of my ride so far; this morning Bill led me around on a scenic, curvy loop of about 70 miles over what I believe he said was the first designated scenic highway in the country.  I mounted my helmet cam to the fairing of my bike and took a video of part of the ride.  I have downloaded the video to this computer, but am not having any luck posting it on the blog.  Since I have done it before I must either be too tired, or there is some problem with the wi-fi here. I know it's extremely slow.  I'll try to post the video later.

I do have some pictures.  Here is Bill in front of his house.

And here we are during the ride.  Bill rides a Yamaha FZ6, which is very similar in style and purpose as my bike. We rode pretty well together considering we had never done it before.

Unfortunately, after I left Bill and started across Eastern Colorado towards my destination for the night of Dodge City, Kansas, my bike problems returned.  The problem was the same as I experienced the first day.....the bike would quit but after I coasted to a stop it would start up again.  There was one common trait with the circumstances of the first day:  It was extremely hot.  It did not depend on the tank being low on gas, though, as it happened with an almost full tank.  I found that I could get the furthest, about five or 10 miles, if I waited for a couple of minutes after I stopped before starting out again.  If I started out right away, I might only get a little ways down the road before it quit again.  Since I suspected the high temp was part of the cause I started to keep an eye on the digital thermometer that is part of the clock I have mounted on the handlebars.  When I first started keeping track of it, the temp was 95 deg.  Slowly it cooled as evening approached until at 91 degrees the problem went away and I rode another 50 miles with no hiccups.  I have bought another fuel pump online and had it sent to my brother's house in St. Louis.  Hopefully, that will solve the problem, but the weather forecast for tomorrow is for cooler temps, and that may also solve the problem.

What a Fine Day!

The weather was perfect, the scenery was spectacular, the curves were sweeping and the Ipod was rocking.  At one point I was riding over Teton Pass on steep downhill sweepers with fall colors on the trees around me, when James Brown's Living in America  started on the Ipod.........it was an overload of goodness.   I've even learned to rock out a little on the bike without.....literally .....crashing the party.  At certain speeds and with music of just the right beat, I can wiggle the handlebars to the rhythm and get the bike to do a little wobble number.  I guess you just have to learn to dance with the partner you've got.  I don't do this if there are cars following me least it create a call to 911.

Shortly after I left Arco this morning I stopped at a roadside information area that explained a lot about
Arco and the submarine conning tower.  There is something like a 900 square mile nuclear testing and construction area nearby.  Arco is the first city to get electrical power from a nuke plant. and the laboratories there were responsible for development of the nuclear Navy.

A lot of my route today and yesterday was along the Oregon Trail and the Snake and Sweetwater rivers.  It's beautiful country but I'm glad I didn't have to do it on foot.  There are a lot of Autumn colors, but I haven't seen any Aspen yet.  Maybe tomorrow.  Here are the pics for the day:

This is the Snake River canyon and I think I was still in Idaho:

I took a road that I hadn't initially planned to ride and it turned out to be one where I would have been better off on my Dual Sport bike.  It was inside Grand Teaton National Park

Picture of the Tetons.  The area was actually quite crowded and there has been a lot more development since I was last there in the 80's.

I came upon fields of some kind of low growing plant that had turned bright gold.  Maybe it was a heather of some kind.  The following picture doesn't do it justice, but you can get a glimpse of it.

Tomorrow I dive down into Colorado.  I have gone over 1100 miles and the bike is running like a champ.

Day 2, NO PROBLEM!

This morning I had to ride over 100 miles just to get to the next gas stop in Vale, OR, so I topped off and went for it.  The temps were a lot cooler and I went 119 miles with no problem whatsoever.  I was gaining some confidence that whatever the problem was I may be able to get around it by keeping the tank level high and riding in cooler temps.  Then I rode another 100 miles or so past Boise to the turnoff for hwy 20 to my overnight here in Arco, ID.  This included some stretch of Interstate 84 with a 75 mph speed limit.  I tried to stay in the right hand lane, but the trucks had a slower limit so I had to pass them, hoping the bike wouldn't take a burp while I was out in the fast lane.  By the time I started on my last 175 miles I was relaxed and confident the bike was going to run OK.  I don't know what the problem was yesterday.......maybe I got some bad gas in Maupin, OR.  It was a pretty dinky little station and I noticed the pump said the gas contained no ethanol.  Where do you get gas like that nowadays?  All the major brands have ethanol, so maybe I got some home-brew that was too volatile in high temps.  Still, I'm a little concerned about the fuel pump.  When I went to the Kawasaki website to get a part number, I discovered that the part has been superseded by another one.  That often means that there was a problem with the original and they went to an improved version.  Of course, it can also mean they found a cheaper supplier.  At any rate, tomorrow I may order one from an online source to be sent to my brother's in St. Louis where I can change it out.  It would be over $250 in parts and shipping, so it better be the right choice.

Once I relaxed I had a good ride today.  I saw a huge amount of sparsely occupied country in Southern Idaho and the roads were pretty straight.  I even got my Ipod out and connected it to my helmet intercom.  The sound quality is amazing given I have ear plugs in and wind noise to deal with.  The ear plugs cancel out the wind noise but allow the music at high volume to get through.  I quickly learned that I can't rock-out while riding down the highway because my gyrations cause steering inputs that get me all over the highway.

Some pics from the day:

You know you're a redneck when.....

Your rifle is worth more than your pickup.

This is the cute little motel I am staying in in Arco.  Away from the highway, clean, and cheap.  I can tell the walls are thin, though.

This is what I found next to the motel.  I don't know what a submarine conning tower is doing in the middle of Idaho, but there it is.  You can see my motel sign in the background.

A little local humor in the sub memorial parking area:

Day One, Problem 1

I was about 60 miles from my day's destination of John Day, Oregon and riding along fat and happy when the bike quit.  I pulled in the clutch and coasted to a stop.  Then I pressed the starter button and she started right up.  Went a little further on and same thing.  I would have to sit alongside the road for awhile and then it would start and run.  This kept happening, and I wasn't making much progress.  But I think I know what the problem is and I can fix it.......but it will probably  cost me a day.

 I need a new fuel pump.  When the problem first happened it was very warm (about 95 deg) and I was getting low on gas.  I believe the fuel pump, which is mounted to the bottom of the gas tank, has some sort of leak in it that is letting air get into it when the fuel level gets below the crack or leak in the pump.  I think the heat exaggerates the crack or whatever is letting air in.  The reason I think I'm right about this is that as the day cooled the problem happened less often, and when I finally got to a gas station and filled up, it ran like a champ for the next 40 miles. So maybe I can get by if I keep the gas level high, or am lucky to have cool weather, but I think the best plan is to get a new fuel pump.  There is a Kawasaki dealer in Boise, ID, and maybe I can get the part from them.  I assume this is a common part across many models and they may have one in stock.  I do know it is expensive.  It's not that difficult to replace the fuel pump......I could probably do it with the tools in the tool kit, but I'll see what it would cost to have it done.  The problem now is that tomorrow is Sunday and no shops will be open.  I may have to layover for a day in Boise.

As far as the ride today went, it was good.  My friends Orv and Ross rode with me to the lunch stop, and it was good to have them along.  I started riding dirt bikes with these guys shortly after I moved to Washington and they definitely schooled me on riding single track trails through dense forest.  Orv won the Oregon state enduro championship at one time, and Ross knew every rock and root of the local riding trails and it was impossible for me to keep up with him.  We all spent many great times building, riding, and maintaining those trails.  I wish they were along for this ride, but for one reason or another, they didn't feel up to it.

I do have some pictures for the day.  The first is just before I let out the clutch for the start of my journey

This is some of the Old West architecture of Shaniko, Oregon:

And this is one of the Good Roads shortly after:

Ready Set Go

After months of planning and preparation, I'm packed and ready to go.  However, there is already a change of plans.  Instead of leaving Sunday, I'm leaving tomorrow.  The weather forecast is for rain on Sunday although the chance and the amount has been downgraded since this morning.  I don't mind too much riding in the rain and I'm geared up for it, but if I can avoid it, I'd rather not.  Also, Orv and Ross are planning on riding with me at least to the noon break, and I  know those guys don't like riding in the rain.  I could maybe get out of the rain over on the dry side of the Cascades, but they would be turning around and going right back into it.  I'm sure I can find something to do with the extra day......like some sight seeing or taking an alternate route to find more "good roads". 

So, tomorrow I ride.  How well I keep up this blog depends on finding motels with wi-fi, and I don't know how common that is.  It's probably less common in the cheap places I tend to stay.  But stay tuned and I'll give it a good effort. 

The journey of 8,000 miles begins with a single step..........let out the clutch.

The Bike

This is the bike that's going to get me there and back, in the luggage configuration that I will be riding it. It's a 2006 Kawasaki Ninja 650R, and it has 71,000 miles on it before I even start.

I have sunk some money into it to make it more suitable for sport touring, primarily to make it handle better, carry stuff more securely, and be more comfortable.  The big dollar items have been the hard luggage cases, a custom seat, and an aftermarket rear shock.  Less expensive but also important were heated grips, different handlebars, reworked front forks, braided steel brake lines and a taller windscreen.

This is not a very expensive bike, even after the money I put into it, but I like the way it looks and it fits me perfectly.  I plan to put at least 100,000 miles on it.

The Route

This is my planned route.  The different colors represent each day's ride, which will be loaded into my Garmin Zumo GPS.  I have a helmet intercom which can Bluetooth connect to the Zumo so that I can get verbal directions just like a car GPS.  Pretty slick, huh?  The eastbound route is the northern one and the return route is the southern one.  I figure that by late October when I will be coming back I need to avoid crossing the Rockies due to the possibility of snow.

Sometimes I look at this map and wonder.......what was I thinking?  It's a big country and that is a looooong way to ride!  Then at other times I just think, wow, 22 days of doing what I love to do.......can't beat that. 

The Grand Tour

The movie The Bucket List  with Morgan Freeman and Jack Nickolson came out in 2007.  It was about a couple of old guys who were diagnosed with a terminal illness and then decided to make a list of things they wanted to do before they "kicked the bucket".  Well, I have not been diagnosed with a terminal illness, but I did turn 70 this year and I definitely have some symptoms of old age.  So, I've come up with my own bucket list, and top of the list is a motorcycle ride across the country.  There are some famous roads that I have read about, i.e., "Good Roads", in Tennessee and North Carolina that I want to experience and compare with the really good roads available on the West Coast.   Turning 70,  it really hit home that there is a limited time left to "get 'er done", because the physical capability to ride day after day for thousands of miles is waining.  For some of my friends it is already gone, and I'm not positive that I can do it either.

But I'm going to try, and I expect to have a lot of fun. 

On Sunday Sept 25th, I'm leaving for a month-long, 8,000 miles ride to the East Coast area and back.  The ride has some breaks in it; I will be visiting family in St. Louis, and attending Carolyn's mother's 90th birthday in Tennessee (Carolyn is flying back).  Still, there should be about 22 days of riding of between 300 and 500 miles per day.  That may not sound like a lot of miles for those of you used to traveling on freeways in heated and air-conditioned cars, but on a bike, in all kinds of weather with wind buffeting all day long and nobody to spell you for awhile in the driving, it can feel like a lot of miles.  Also, I will be looking for the Good Roads, which do not included freeways, so the average speed is usually quite a bit slower.  One advantage, though, is that even though I may get tired, I don't ever have a problem staying awake.

There will be some advantages to going at this time of the year.  The major heat waves should be over, summer vacation traffic should be done with, highway repairs will be winding down, and hopefully Indian summer will mean lots of dry days.  There are some disadvantages also; mainly short days and looking into a low sun during east/west travel.  I don't ride at night, so I will have to get the miles in during about 12 hours maximum.  Also, I expect it to be cold in the mornings, especially heading north toward home in late October. 

I plan to keep up this blog during the trip.  In fact, the blog was set up by my daughter Karen, just so that I could keep family and friends informed of my progress.  Karen was also kind enough to give me a small netbook computer that she no longer used, and the posts I have made so far were meant to be  practice for the trip in using the computer, posting pictures and videos, and writing the blog.  Turns out, I've had a lot of fun doing it.  I hope others are having some fun reading it.

Two Days of Two-Up

The past couple of days Carolyn and I rode with my good friends Orv and Ross on a two-day ride to the Oregon Coast.  We have finally got some real summer weather where the coolness of riding on the coast is welcome.  Carolyn has been wanting to go for a ride and this was the perfect opportunity......not too far, or too vigorous, and with excellent weather.  However, it is my job to handle the bike, and her job to handle the camera.  Consequently, she is not in too many of the pictures. 

Our lunch stop on the first day was at this little cafe that we just happened upon in a burg called Burnt Woods.  The special for the day was any burger on the menu for $6, so Orv got the big one:

Good burgers too, or so I'm told (I got the excellent clam chowder). 

One of the most impressive works of art I have seen in a long time was on the wall off the men's room at this little place.  For those of you who don't know, PBR is my favorite brew and sometimes I feel like this guy at the end of the day when I get my ration of PBR and pretzels. 

Orv and I discuss the route.  Ross is willing to go anywhere and Carolyn doesn't have much choice being on the back.......ha, that's not true. 

Then it was on to the coast proper, and some really curvy roads that paralleled the busy main highway 101.  By the time we got to Rockaway Beach it was actually getting cold and we had had enough riding for the day, so we let Carolyn select the motel.  My reputation for making that choice is not too good, as you may have already read.  This time, it met Orv's high standards and was right on the beach.

It's always nice to take off the riding gear and boots at the end of the day and relax over dinner.  This means eating at a place that is within walking distance of the motel, which in this case meant only one choice; a Mexican restaurant that turned out to have good food.  Then Carolyn and I tried to talk the guys into following that great California beach tradition of marking the end of the day by watching the sun go down over the ocean. 

Ross, myself, and Orv talk over old times and the day's ride.

However, when I tried to talk them into joining hands in a circle and doing some yoga chanting with Carolyn, they had enough and retreated to the standard tv watching and early bed time.  That left Carolyn and I to do some artsy photo shoots while waiting for the sun to set.



That night, as I was working on the blog prior to this one, I saw on the weather forecast that a heat advisory was posted for the greater Portland area for the next day.  Temps were predicted to be in the high 90's by mid afternoon.  This is a pretty miserable temperature to be riding with full protective gear, so we decided to start early and take the shortest, most interesting route rather than go for the fantastic fish and chips for lunch at the Bow Picker takeout in Astoria. 

This was taken at one of our standard rest stops near Jewell, OR.  It is a wildlife viewing area and at some times during the year there is a herd of elk grazing in a nearby field.  Notice that extra helmet hanging on my bike?  That's Carolyn's helmet, and here is further proof that she was along for the ride:

Helmet Cam Video

This is a short two minute segment of some video from a helmet mounted camera I had along on the WBDR ride I wrote about in the blog before last.  The camera is a Vholdr Countour 1080P.  You can learn more about it here: http://store.contour.com/contourhd-1080p-camera-p7.aspx?gclid=CJeSzNCRiqsCFRxSgwodOE_VvQ.