“Not all who wander are lost”  J.R.R. Tolkein

A ride report.  A REAL ride report.  Highlights of my journey home from Spokane, Wa.

I intended to leave on Thursday, July 19, and I actually did.  About 6:00 pm.  It turned out that my friend George was diddling around in Canada and headed more or less my way, so I waited.  First night was un-eventually spent at the “Baits Motel” in Plummer, ID.  It had everything we needed.  Dry in a thunderstorm, two beds and a working shower.

Friday July 20:  Let the fun begin.  Short ride down US 95 to Lewiston, ID and the old grade into town.  It’s now called ‘Spiral Road’ for a reason.

Across the bridge to Clarkston, WA and WA 129, better known as Rattlesnake Grade.  On into Oregon on highway 3 to Enterprise.  Just a terrific riding road.  Up and down, left and right, this road would be wildly famous, if it weren’t for what it connects to…The descent into Hells Canyon.  The road from Joseph, OR to the river defies description and it goes on and on for miles.  It is one of those roads that simply needs to be ridden.  Schedule the trip NOW!

This ride also includes 10 miles of PRIVATE paved road right along the Snake River.  That conveniently connects to Idaho 71.  A great ride UP the Hell’s canyon on the Idaho side.

The only real catastrophe on the trip happened at Caldwell, ID or some where near it.  We stopped for gas and decided to ride the slab to Burley, ID so we would at least get closer to home for the day…When we got to Burley, I didn’t have a wallet.  Thankfully, I was traveling with a real friend, George covered me for the rest of the trip.  550 miles in 15 hours of hard riding.  What a day.

Saturday July 21:  Pretty long ride on the freeway, from Burley, ID to somewhere near Promnitory, UT.  We took a ‘map’ detour withe the idea of going to see the site of the ‘Golden Spike’.  We didn’t make it all the way there, because we came on the ATK location and static display first…what a wonderful surprise!  A very interesting display that I highly recommend if you are in the area.

We continued more or less south through rural Utah, until we met highway 24.  I have said before that any highway number divisible by 12 is worth the time.  Black rock canyons and meadows predominate this stretch of 24.  We did run into a pretty good thunderstorm and spent an hour or so holed up in a carwash bay in Moroni, UT.  Nobody was washing their cars in the rain, anyway.

George found a connector road between the 24 and the 12 that my best map doesn’t even show.  A delightful red rock canyon of great beauty, it’s only about 15 miles, but a nice transition ride.  To one of America’s great roads, highway 12.  We rode way less than half of it, but what a road.  We ran into another mountain T storm, and this one probably saved us a ticket.  We were picking our way along slowly on the wet road, and were passed by a local sheriff.  Didn’t dampen our spirits, just us.  Spent the night at a place right at the turn into Bryce Canyon National Park.  It had most of what we needed.  Except the wi-fi didn’t and no hot water.  Seems the thunder storms played evil tricks with the circuitry and we came out behind.  Everybody that got up after we did (the whole place) came out better…Great location and wonderful staff, however.

Sunday July 22:  We decided to beat feet more or less directly home.  George’s wife Debby promised us a roast pork dinner in Kingman, AZ.  Met up with the Freeway again at Cedar City, UT (highway 14).  Rode to St. George, UT and from there George led me ‘the back way’ to Mesquite, NV.  Another surprisingly good ride.  On across the North Shore road and into Kingman, AZ.  Pretty spectacular ride considering we were ‘on our way’!  If you haven’t ridden the new bridge in front of Hoover Dam, it doesn’t show much, but IS quicker than the old way.

All in all, a great ride with a great friend.  We had big fun, and saw some stuff.  A truly wonderful ride.  George was just coming home after a 5 week, 11,000 mile ride that took him to Georgia and Alberta.

More pictures at my Picasa site: https://picasaweb.google.com/104216694949627145674

Good roads and tight lines!

In Memorium, in Celebration, in Respect of Motorcycle Riders!

This is going to be a mismash of various and sundry.  Quite a lot going on in my life, on and off the motorcycle.

First:  I love my Connie.  What a great ride.  It is fast and strong and reliable.  I now have 35,000 miles on it and it just keeps getting better.  It makes a great urban commuter (something I haven’t done in years!), a great freeway and straight roads rider and a stunningly good twisty taker.  Just about the best of all worlds, for me.  I am about 2500 miles into my current situation and some of the best of it is my motorcycle riding.

I have good things to report on the tires.  My Michelen  PR3′s are giving me GREAT riding.  I am going to end up somewhere around double the total mileage that I’ve gotten off of anything else.  And they handle wet or dry.  All in all a great riding combination for the Connie.  WooHoo.

I’m about to wrap up my ‘Washington Adventure’.  Mom is well along the road to recovery and I need to haul myself home.  It has been an experience, from nearly loosing my mom to meeting with several good friends.  I hope to ‘ease’ home, taking the more scenic route than I did on the way here.  Eastern Oregon, among others.

I am going to create a new section here on this website, dedicated to our fallen friends.  I am not sure the exact nature of this creation, but the first one that I will ‘honor’ is Ray Underwood.  Curt Gran, Terry Hammond, Larry Grinell, and others will soon follow.  My hope is that people will add to each one, and add their own friends.  It will probably have to wait until I get home to Yuma, but I would appreciate any and all comments that you might have.  Please contact me directly:  tom@motorcyclebackroads.com

As always, good roads and good weather to us all!

“You don’t know what you’ve got ’til it’s gone…”

It’s been a while, I got so disgusted with not being able to ride, that I let this part of my life go away.  Well, guess what?  I’m back.

I was able to take my first real ride three weeks ago today.  Rode up to Prescott for lunch with some friends, and back again nearly pain free.  I was so excited to be back on two wheels…I had planned a pleasant post about the joys of riding being re-kindled in me, I was actually excited to get home to start writing.

I turned on my computer, and the first thing I saw was that a friend (Curt Gran) had been killed in North Dakota.  Hit a horse trailer of all things… It really took the wind out of my sails again.  How could a guy that was a good LD rider be gone that fast?  I don’t know.  I’m sure there will be more about Curt and losing him in the near future.

I was in the process of coming to grips with the loss of ‘Waffle Boy’ when the call came from my brother.  ”If you want to see mom again you had better come to Spokane”.  She had been visiting family and friends and suffered a major heart attack.    First impulse was to fly, but with just a little reflection I decided to ride.  Of all the people in the world, mom would surely understand my need for the motorcycle and the peace it gives me…

I came up just short of 1000 miles in the first 24 hours.  I saw 113º in Havasu, AZ and 30º in Wells, Nevada.  I had my hydration vest on during the daylight and my electric liner on in the morning.   I didn’t get rained on until I crossed the Columbia River at Plymouth, WA.  Welcome to Washington!

So.  Mom had a heart attack on Tuesday, near total Renal failure on Wednesday,  Pneumonia on Thursday.  By the time I got there on Friday, hope was about all she had.  And then she fought back…Thanks to terrific medical care at Sacred Heart Medical Center she started to come back.  A week of recovery, and she had a stroke in ICU.  You’d think an 84 year old would just fold her tent at some point, but she didn’t.  As of yesterday, she is firmly ensconced at St. Luke’s rehab hospital, anxious to rehab back to being able to live alone again.

What’s it all mean?  I haven’t the foggiest idea.  It means that I am 1500 miles from home (baring any short cuts I might find), on my motorcycle.  The very best I can imagine, today.  Life is GOOD.

It’s coming.  It comes to us all.  The end of our motorcycle career.

I didn’t write my blog post last week, I have multiple reasons (excuses). The one I’m going to lay it on is a bad back. I caught a motorcycle that was falling off the worktable about a month ago. The resulting back injury has changed and evolved until, last week, I couldn’t sit down. 10 minutes was a long time to be seated, nowhere near enough time to do any appreciable work. I’m much better now, thank you.

The upshot of it all is that I had quite a lot of time to think and not much time where I could work.

It’s the thinking that is germane to a motorcycle column. I have had the luxury of being able to contemplate the end of my motorcycle riding life. Not a pleasant option under the best of circumstances. What will I do? What WILL I do? What will I DO?

The short answer is: I don’t know. It is near impossible for me to legitimately imagine my future without a motorcycle. I actually hope, at some level, that I do live long enough to make that decision. I simply know that I can’t make it now.

Oh, there are at least a couple things I know I’ll do. Get a dog for one. I’ve always enjoyed man’s best friend, and have had several that have been my best friend. I don’t have one now, haven’t for several years, because of my motorcycle schedule. Which is not much of a schedule. Got time? Check. Got money? Check. Go. Without the burden of who will take care of the dog. I suspect that I could work something out, but always end up feeling that it would be inherently unfair to the dog, and I am nothing if not fair to dogs.

Another thing on the for sure list is to volunteer for a civic type organization or two. I do some of that now, but not on any sort of a schedule. Same reasoning as above.

I have spent much time thinking about it this last week, to the point that it has made my head hurt. Maybe that is why my back is so much improved, I just don’t know. I do know that my back has improved to the point where I can not only sit here writing my blog, but I can sit on the seat of a motorcycle in relative comfort. Which is what I’ll do shortly.

I’m old enough to know that the end of my riding is coming. I’m young enough that I don’t have to think about it today. I’d like to think that I have at least 15 years to contemplate the finale. Way too far in the future to waste anymore time on futile contemplation. Let’s ride!

Clear weather and good roads.

“If you’ve never been to the Moonshine Lunch Run, you are not a real rider.  You simply own a motorcycle!”

That’s a mostly direct quote from my friend, Terry Hammond.  He started the MLR in April, 2005 by inviting his long distance riding buddies to come have a moon burger in Moonshine, IL,  population 2.  This weekend about 1200 of his closest friends will be there to celebrate riding and his memory.  They will consume about 2000 ‘moonburgers’ and will get it all done by 12:30 pm Saturday, because that’s when Helen and Roy Tuttle close the place…They do make an exception on this Saturday, if you have your order in by 12:30 you will be served.  Not so, most days…

Moonshine is relatively close to Casey, IL, and the whole town helps out with the event.  Campers start showing up at the family farm on TUESDAY!  Several hundred will camp at the farm, and don’t even think about a motel room in a 30 mile radius.  Maybe next year, if there is a cancellation.  The Volunteer Fire Department hosts a dinner on Friday, and I’m pretty sure it is sold out!  Several local non-profits pitch in and are supported through this work.  It’s a great civic accomplishment.

Young and old, large and small, male and female will all be there.  I wonder if Paul Thomas will be…he was born on Thursday, 4-12.  I’m sure Aeryn C will be, she’s made every one in her short life.  One of my favorite photos of Terry is with Aeryn in his arms on the stoop at the Moonshine store.  PT may be the youngest, but I have a guess about who will be the oldest, that I will keep to myself.  Family members?  Of course!  Couldn’t go on with out them…

The weather for this weekend is predicted to go from ok to foul.  It won’t hurt the attendance a bit.  ”It’s all about the ride.”  There will be lots of folks there that have ridden over 2000 miles just to get there.  That’s some hamburger!

Check this link to see the ‘official site’.

Those of you who know me, know that I sometimes hear music in my head.  I often hear a song by Julio Iglesias with words that he never sang.  “To all the friends I’ve known before…”

I miss Terry Hammond, more than I can generally express.  And Putt (LarryG) and Raymond and….

Under Terry’s definition, I am just a motorcycle owner.  A fairly passionate, dedicated owner, but not a rider.  I’m OK with that definition.  For now.

The bestest hamburger evar,,,

Clear roads and good weather!

Motorcycle camping and the resource to do it Right!

So. I have wasted a significant amount of time in the past couple days trying to decide A: if I need to carry an auxiliary tarp when I camp and B: how to carry the poles if I do decide that I must have the tarp. A pleasant if not particularly productive endeavor.

Let me explain. I often like to camp when I am riding. Sometimes I go specifically to camp, usually on the V Strom. It’s a very adapt camp vehicle because I can pack an incredible amount of stuff on it. Sometimes I camp when I’m traveling, usually on the Connie. It’s a terrific road warrior and I can pack enough stuff on it for overnight stays. Camping off the Connie tends to be “take it off, set up, sleep, take it down, pack it up”. Camping off the V Strom tends to be more leisurely, and often multi-night stays. This is where the tarp comes in. Or more correctly where the desire for a tarp comes in.

What to do? What to do? The good news is that I know a place online to go find out. Moto campers dot com. It’s a terrific place populated with friendly and knowledgeable people that camp off their motorcycles. They don’t just camp, they freely share their experience and experiences. This site is the be all and end all for people that want to camp off of a motorcycle. Some, like me, pack everything they need on a motorcycle. Some pull a cargo trailer, camping with relative ease. Some pull small tent trailers, motorcycle camping in relative comfort.

If you like to camp, think you might like to camp, or even just want to see what kind of crazy buzzards camp from a motorcycle, it’s a great place.

I think I really need the tarp. It will provide shade, wind protection, and a dry place when it rains. Now what I need to do is get the tarp and the poles and I’m sure I can figure out a way to pack them. I’m not the first, and I can prove it. MOTO CAMPERS  There is also a link to MotoCampers on the right hand side of every page on this site.  Makes it EASY to find!

Clear roads and good weather!

How to ride the corners with aplomb.

I’ve been reading about the pace program for at least 20 years. The first time I recall reading about it was a motorcycle magazine, probably Cycle World. It described a method for a group of  riders to enjoy an afternoon’s ride on a twisty mountain road. The rules of the program are simple: Bore through the corners without touching the centerline or the fog line. Stay in your lane, don’t set up your lines to cross centerline under any circumstances. That’s what I thought I read, and it sounded like really good advice. Every time a motorcycle rider gets over the centerline he takes a chance of getting hit. Makes perfect sense to me.

Fast forward about 15 years to the Angeles Crest Highway in Southern California. Riding in a group of five on glorious spring day on one of the best motorcycle roads in America. Led by the infamous uncle Larry, we are all good experienced riders. Larry sets off at a “sprightly” pace and soon has me grinning inside my helmet. In our first break Lynne, the second rider in line asks uncle Larry about his riding style. “What are you doing Larry? You brake light has not come on, and I’ve been watching. You haven’t shifted once. What’s up with that?”

In about 2 minutes, Larry explained it. Staying in your lane is certainly part of it but by no means all. Choosing a gear allows you to accelerate smoothly through the corner and also to engine brake into the next corner. Most motorcycle engines are happiest in an RPM zone called the power band. Depending on which motor, 4000 to 5500 RPM. You want plenty left on the top end to be able to accelerate through and out of the corner and enough space below your run speed to be able to set your speed for the next corner, without touching the brakes.

I listened carefully, and tried the system on the next part of the ride. Smooth, I was suddenly much more smooth through the corners. The lightbulb came on! Instead of trying to improve my race technique (and I’ll never be a racer) through every set of corners, I now had a way to concentrate my efforts on each corner. One corner at a time, I started to flow.

This technique has served me well the last several years. No more upshift out of a corner, race to the next corner, brake and downshift into it. Letting the motor do its best, it seems almost leisurely between the corners, but what I have found is that I am as fast or faster through any given set of corners. No mistakes with the throttle, or the brakes, my entire concentration is now on the corner itself and the best line through it. It works. It really does.

One other not so obvious benefit: by not trying to maximize my speed at all times, I’m sure I have dodged at least a couple of tickets. It just doesn’t look or sound like I’m trying to be a racer, and I’m sure that is taken attention away from me more than once.

Just goes to show, that old dogs can learn new tricks. Viva old dogs!

My thanks to uncle Larry, and his pet raccoon. One of those truly wonderful people you meet when you are riding a motorcycle.

Clear roads and good weather.

You want to know what makes me angry?  Really angry?  Motorcycle things?

Start with the infamous “I never saw him” defense for 4 wheel drivers that have just killed a motorcycle rider.  I know that the weather has been really good, and motorcycles are out, BUT CAGE DRIVERS NEED TO LOOK FOR THEM!

Case in point in Kelowna, BC.  Guy in a Jeep Cherokee is driving down the street, on his cell phone, when he realizes that traffic has stopped at a red light.  He just barely hits a city bus that is in front of him, but he ‘never saw’ the motorcycle between.  Man killed, woman in critical condition.

Right here in Yuma, AZ, just over a year ago.  A young woman, late for work, blows a left turn and runs directly over a man riding sedately in the right hand lane.  She ‘never saw’ him, killed him dead on the spot.  She didn’t even get a ticket for littering, having scattered pieces of motorcycle over the 50 feet it took her to stop.  My question:  What if she ‘never saw’ the child in the school crossing that she drug the bike through?  Would she have gotten a ticket THEN?  The guy she killed was a respected local business man that was riding to work.  AARRGGHH.

This article makes me crazy.  NHRA has, for years, made concessions to Harley Davidson so that they can run in the Pro Stock class.  They have finally gotten it to the point that nobody but the two HD factory rides has a chance to win on the racetrack.  Hooray for the red, white and blue.  ”Lookit here, mother.  I guess those good old American bikes have put those Japs in their place”  Hogwash.  If you want to race motorcycles at the peak of the sport, then race them on equal footing.  They have brackets in the lower ranks so that like bikes can compete against like bikes.  It’s time for the NHRA to stop trying to make a silk purse out of a sows ear.  Let them RACE.  If you want to race in the top Horsepower classes, build some horsepower, don’t ‘choke’ the competition.  GGAAaaaakkkk

I was searching for one more thing that makes me crazy, and I got distracted.  If you’ve followed this far, you are going to get some good news, like it or not!  Blog Post   Sorry to break off a perfectly good rant and rave session, but ‘that’s the way I am, and I never saw it coming!’

Good weather and clear roads!

The Shadows of my Motorcycle Rides

Earlier this week a friend of mine got me to thinking about motorcycle shadows. He said “the sun was just right, and I could see my shadow on the road. Damn I look good on that motorcycle.”

Don’t tell me you never look at your shadow on the road, I do it all the time. Sometimes, I’m think about how good I look. Sometimes, I am amazed by how sharp and precise the shadow is on the road. Sometimes, it’s just nice to have somebody riding with you.

Earlier today I got an e-mail from a longtime friend. He told me he sold his last motorcycle, that after 63 years he was done riding. He’s been riding motorcycles longer than I’ve been alive. It gave me pause to think and, strangely, contemplate the shadows of a motorcycle ride. Are there still shadows of some of his rides? Is there more than memory left behind? What will I leave behind when my riding is through?

You have to live a long time to have owned at least one motorcycle for 63 consecutive years. This man did more, much more, then just live for those 63 years. A genuine war hero in Vietnam, he retired from the Army and had another full life. I don’t know the whole story but I know he was a surveyor, and Internet pioneer, a political activist, a Veterans Affairs activist and much more. Through it all he rode. When I met him we lived north of the 45th parallel and he didn’t own a car. He had a Volkswagen driven three wheeler that he rode when the streets were snow covered or icy. Otherwise he rode his motorcycle.

Which all makes me appreciate my shadow, more particularly my motorcycle shadow. I know my time for riding will end and from now until then I will appreciate my shadow for what it really is. The memory of the current ride. My shadow will now let me know that this could be my last ride and I need to appreciate it as such.

I’ll end this with a direct quote from my friend’s e-mail of today.

“It is a strange feeling but everything must end at some point in time, I seen many places and events astride some size and make. All that riding only one broken leg and minor skin scrapes several bee stings and a lot of sun burns, rained on hailed on snowed on and sand blasted but every bit of it was worth the discomfort.”

Clear roads and good weather!

Borrego Springs, California

A sprawling state park set in a region not only of geologic history, but current geology. The park ranges from low desert  to wet alpine  and everything in between. The park is bordered on the West by new upthrust coastal mountains. To the north, older upthrust mountains with a big basin that is the heart of the park being the remains of two older, completely worn out, mountain ranges, the remains of which form a broad, flat plain.   The southeastern part of the basin sits atop the Salton Sink, where the Pacific plate is subjugating or sliding under the North American plate. The rift that is the Gulf of California begins here, an active seismic zone.

First Photo of the Day

The town of Borrego Springs California is a small farming town that has transformed itself into a resort and retreat for city dwellers, well within reach of San Diego or Los Angeles. The town itself would be unremarkable except for one thing.The Avery business forms family has set up life-size steel sculptures all around the area. The sculpture are creatures who walked the land in the dim past. Dinosaurs, mammoths, sabertooth tigers, and extinct camels are some of the subjects. Many of the historical figures have their modern counterparts nearby and are set in family groups. All set in today’s desert.

Ready to Race

Anza-Borrego State Park is headquartered in Borrego Springs. The visitor center is well worth the effort it takes to get there. Good explanations of the geology, paleontology, and climate are supported by a friendly and enthusiastic staff. The camping area at the headquarters is a wonderful place with an added bonus. Palm Canyon is an easy hike from the campground and is a real-life oasis. Water surrounded by an ancient variety of palms, which survived in the canyon through the last Ice Age. A delightful surprise.

Home away from home

The campground at Palm Canyon (headquarters) is a pleasure. Clean, well laid out, with adequate water and restrooms. It is definitely one of my favorite places to camp in southern California.  My only complaint is the price of camping in the California State Parks system.  One good thing is campfire wood is available at a reasonable rate from the ranger station.  There’s also lots of BLM ground surrounding Borrego Springs that is serviceable for camping if you have a BLM permit. There are at least two smaller, more primitive campgrounds in the park. When in the park you might see burros, desert sheep, and deer along with a wide variety of smaller birds and animals. Vegetation in the park ranges from typical low desert to high alpine and everything in between.

The town of Borrego Springs has surprisingly good dining, my favorite being Carlee’s restaurant, with possibly the best Cobb salad I have ever had. There are several  resorts in the area featuring golf and tennis. A small grocery store and a very good coffee shop complete picture. All in all Borrego Springs is a surprisingly complete small town.

The roads in and around Borrego Springs are incredibly motorcycle friendly. Several of the best roads in Southern California are within a short distance of Borrego Springs. Nearby attractions include Mount Palomar, Julian, Laguna Mountains, Salton Sea and the Imperial Sand dunes.

I wish you good weather and clear roads!  

Planning for the Long Ride

It starts with an idea, maybe the smallest of ideas. It may have been an article I saw in a magazine, or maybe a post that I read in a forum. It may have been something I saw on TV or read about in a book. But it comes. That still, soft, germ of “I need to ride THERE”.

Typically I sleep on that idea (I sleep on a great many ideas) and it will either emerge a full-blown need to ride my motorcycle THERE, or it will be relegated to “the shadows of my mind.” The full-blown idea then enters near obsession phase. Maps. National map, state map, area map. GPS search, internet search, magazine search.

Next comes the incubation phase. I know where I want to ride, roughly the route I want to ride, and maybe even when I want to do this. I’ll spend the next two days to two weeks thinking of very little else. While I am on the incubation phase a good many things get undone in my life. I forget to pick up the mail, space out appointments, forage for food from boxes and cans. It is in this phase that I know what needs to be done to my motorcycle before I can go. I know roughly how long it’ll take me to achieve my goal and back. It’s almost time for step four.

Now comes the fun. Generally, I’ll enter a destination point into my GPS mapping software. There and back, to determine how many miles minimum. Divide by 600 (600 miles is an easy days ride for me) to see how many days it will take. Then I decide how much time I have to give to the ride, and start thinking about side destinations. Let’s say I have seven days worth of riding (4200 miles) and two weeks to accomplish the ride. That leaves me seven days to visit friends, see things that are near my route, or ride roads that I’ve always wanted ride. This is the part of the process where I can justify routing to Lake Superior via Texas.

The last part of planning phase always ends up with me taking copious notes on who, what, and where I want to see. I write my notes in a notebook so I can save them, and refer to them for other rides. I worry through this part of the planning for several days, deciding exactly what my priorities are on the ride. I also know that I am frightfully optimistic about stopping and starting on time, so I try to leave “direct line catch up opportunities”. I will transfer my notes to a single sheet of paper to carry in my tank bag. This always has the high points of my route and the planned stops I want to make on my entire trip.

On a really good ride, I’ll make it into the second or even third day on my route list before I go somewhere else. Either that, or I’ll go with Plan B. “I think I’ll head northeast for a couple weeks, see you then”.

Clear roads and good weather!

The Joy of Riding Long

Riding long is, for me, the ability to ride a motorcycle from fuel up to fuel up. It allows the rider to cover lots of miles in a day, and to see lots of sights. When I am riding long, I often go as much as 800 miles in a day.

The very best thing about riding long is the amount of ground you can cover. When I am out touring on my motorcycle I can cover six or seven thousand miles in a two-week vacation. I can see incredible variations in altitude and scenery in the course of a fairly short amount of time. If I’m riding to an event, I can get there and back in a reasonable length of time.

The other great thing about going for the long ride is that I am riding with a purpose, riding with a plan. It’s really nice to be planning my trip with folding map or GPS, and being able to know how far I can ride in a given day. There is the added benefit of hours in the wind for which there is no substitute.  It is the very best part of riding, period. One other benefit to long-distance touring is being able to achieve goals. Daily goals, trip goals, distance goals, place goals. Pretty satisfying to be having so much fun and still achieve goals.

The primary difference in dedicating yourself to ride long and just going for a ride, is conditioning and commitment. It does take some conditioning to build go 200 or 300 miles between stops, and commitment to do so. If you are  going to try to ride long, build up to it. Next time out, try riding 10% farther than you are usually comfortable with. If you normally stop every 50 miles, try riding 60 or 70 miles between stops. Once you can do 60 or 70 try riding 80 or 90. Build up to it. It just takes a little commitment to your goals.

Can everybody ride long? Should everybody ride long? No. Some people are simply not fit enough to ride long miles, some simply don’t care to ride the long distances. One thing that can truly help is a good fitting and comfortable motorcycle. Handlebar position, seat height, seat comfort, riding position all play into the ability of anybody to ride long distances. I have had custom-built seats on the last half-dozen motorcycles I have owned. Probably the best single thing I have done to any of them. Three or four them have had the handlebar position changed through the use of handlebar risers, available all over the web. Fitting your motorcycle to you is essential to comfortable riding.

The joys of riding long are many. Not just the miles you can go, but the sights you can see in the smells you can smell.

Whether your ride be short or long I wish you clear weather and good roads.

Owning three motorcycles is a good thing. Most of the time. Currently, I have one in serious need of tires, one almost ready for tires, one in need of a battery and major service, one in need of casual service – and none that I could fire up and go to New York on.

Fortunately I have friends.

Tim and Ernie Keel at Two Brothers Tire are the best ever at selling and sending tires. Just simply above and beyond all the others.

Bob, if you read this before I call please act surprised that I need tires mounted. It is really a joy to have tires mounted and balanced on my schedule. I’m really glad that you own a tire machine and balancer and even better that you are willing to change my tires.

So, I get new tires on the Duc and it’ll be ready to go. I am planning some early spring assaults on some of the great roads that are nearby. New tires will make us both very happy.

Next up will be that Connie, it’s really due for valve adjustment, air cleaner, oil change, and just general maintenance that will carry it through the whole year. The bad news is that it’s a big enough project that I have managed to procrastinate quite a while on already. I really need to clean the shop area before I put the Connie on the lift because the last project there left a significant oil spill and miscellaneous carnage in the shop. The good news is that I have all the stuff already that I need to complete the project. It’s been pretty cold here, really. That’s my excuse and I’m sticking to it. I just got to have it ready for April because I’d like to make a fairly significant ride in the middle April. I guess that means I got a couple weeks of slack time if I need it.

Which leads me to the V Strom. I sometimes treat this wonderful motorcycle like a rented mule. I overload it, over ride it, take it places I probably shouldn’t and just generally misstreat it. It is always willing to go, and it is the one bike in the fleet that would be ready for a long ride today. As long as the tires don’t give out. I guess the tires have at least 1000 miles left in them so there is no real reason to get in a rush on them.

The V Strom does need a general service. Oil change, air filter cleaned, etc. In fact, maybe I’ll go out this afternoon, put the V on the rack and change the oil. Oh, wait. I have to clean the shop first. Kind of a dirty, nasty job to tackle this late in the day. Maybe I should just order the tires for the Ducati. That would at least be a step in the right direction. If I ordered them today, I could have the Duc absolutely ready to go by next weekend. Of course, if I order the tires on Monday, it’ll be plenty soon for the weekend.

I just wish I could figure out why I need to do all this bike maintenance all at once. I’ll have to think about it for a while.

Maybe I should just see what’s on TV.

Clear weather and great roads!

History

The Ute tribe knew of the Canyon and lived on the rims, but there is no indication that they ever went into the Canyon.  The Spanish explorers never saw the canyon and it went basically unknown to America until the 1850′s when an expedition led by Captain Gunnison took to the Grand River (later to be renamed for the late Captain) to survey for a railroad crossing.  In the words of Gunnison “The canyon resembles a huge snake in motion”.  They

Canyon Bottom

gave up on surveying from the river, and Gunnison and most of his party were killed by Piute Indians in Utah, less than 2 months after first seeing the canyon. The Gunnison River was diverted in 1916 by a historic tunnel project, and the water now irrigates much of Western Colorado.

The Place

The centerpiece of the park, of course, is the Black Canyon.  Unbelievably narrow, deep and dark, it’s a geologic marvel.  The river itself drops 95 feet per mile, most impressive when you compare the Colorado River in the Grand Canyon at about 7 feet per mile.   The visitors center has a wonderful accounting of the geology of the area. The visitor’s center is small and intimate, sitting on a bluff overlooking the park.  Very scenic with friendly staff make this one of my favorites in the Park system. The rim of the canyon is mostly covered with Scrub Oak, a very visually attractive feature with the canyon and the surrounding mountains.  Hiking trails and the trails to the multiple overlooks are well maintained and very usable.  Wildlife is abundant, particularly deer and birds are common companions.

Camping

Probably my favorite campground in the National Park System.  Each tent site is cut out of the local brush, with fire ring and table.  Level tent sites and plenty of room.  A great place for a fire and stargazing.

Temporary Home

Nearby

Montrose is about 8 miles west of the turn off to the Park, Gunnison about 40 east.  Montrose has full services, I have been especially fond of the selection of Mexican food.  Highway 50 is very scenic and worth the ride.

More Attractions:  Within 100 miles

• Colorado National Monument
• Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison National Forests
• Gunnison Gorge National Conservation Area
• Curecant National Recreation Area
• Crawford and Ridgeway State Parks

Fees:

$15.00 per vehicle, good for 7 days.  $7.00 per motorcycle, bicyclist or pedestrian.  Camping:  $12.00 or $15.00 depending on season.

The Ride

Black Canyon of the Gunnison is in Western Colorado, a motorcycle heaven.  The park itself is perfectly motorcycle friendly, the road into it is a wonderful climb from the relative flat of Montrose to elevation, and the nearby roads are epic.  It is a favorite place for me to camp out and ride for a couple of days.  Highway 550 (South out of Montrose) becomes “the million dollar highway” at Ouray and is a ‘must ride’ for most touring riders.  The 280 (North) to Leadville and beyond is also one of the great roads of North America.  Know that this is high altitude country and you should dress and ride appropriately.  Afternoon showers are very possible, and it can be cold, even in the middle of summer.

Enjoy the Ride!

The Machines We Ride
My take on Current Events

Harley Davidson ™ rolled out two new models this week, with attendant hoopla and fanfare. The LA times article is here:

Now, I’m not the world’s largest follower of Harley Davidson and it’s style, but to my casual eye, it seems that this is a prime example of “new trim and paint”. Not that I have any argument with the Motor Company ™ or the way it does business, it’s success is unarguable. No, my bellyache is with ‘new’ introductions that look just like the last batch.

Granted, the fender and seat treatment is new on both models, but the press release has to tell us that one looks like a “Bobber” and one a “Lowrider”. In my 45 year infatuation with motorcycles, neither of those terms would have come to mind based on the pictures I have seen. To me, one looks like a Sportster ™ and one a Dyna™. Maybe it’s just poor photography. Or maybe not.

Steve McQueen rode a bobber. I know he had a Triumph ™ and a Matchless™ and many others, but that Triumph ™ is what a bobber should be modeled after. Cut fenders, fore and aft. Painted wheels (let them be RED). Tricycle seat. Minimum chrome. A chain. Made to ride and ride hard.

Argh. I begin to believe that motorcycling has passed me by. I have a Kawasaki Concours ™ for touring, a Suzuki V Strom ™ for the less traveled road, and a Ducati Multistrada ™ for hooting around. Each does it’s job exceedingly well, and fills a need in my life. Each is purpose driven and looks it. The proper tool for the job at hand.

Which leads me to seat height. The motorcycle world in general seems to be obsessed with low seat height. So that even the most ‘length challenged’ among us is able to ‘flat foot’ a motorcycle with both feet. When I was learning to ride, motorcycles were great, tall beasts, and you learned to stop with only one foot on the ground, and the other on the brake. Seat height was irrelevant and not considered in motorcycle design. Balance and weight and motor design and placement were the over arching design needs. Steve McQueen didn’t worry about seat height. He worried about weight and handling and power generation.

I remember when you could tell a dirt racer (motocrosser today) by the way he handled his silverware. If he handled a fork in his left hand, he used his thumb and first two fingers only. His little finger and ring finger were permanently curled from griping the bars and covering the clutch in case of motor failure. Fingers didn’t straighten out until at least 2 weeks off the bike.

All of which means I am old. It is part of the celebration of my life that I have lived long enough to become statistically meaningless to the motorcycle manufacturers. I am the last line of the survey form, 60 and over. I can ride what I want to ride, and not have to worry about what my peer group thinks of what I ride. I am no longer in Harley Davidson’s target demographic. Hooray, me!

Clear weather and good roads!