From Pagosa Springs, we can put the bikes on autopilot, we've done that stretch so many times. It is rather pretty, though:
The dog in the back of this truck was obsessed with us; his head swiveled around as we passed him.
Here are some of the last twisties of the trip:
Overall, it was a fantastic trip. The only disappointment was the moisture and overall road quality of 550 through the passes between Ouray and Durango. It needs a good repaving.
The trip total was 1200 miles in over 4 days. We got home around the time we left, so it was really 3 days of riding time. We both could have gotten right back on on Monday morning and kept right on riding. The 955 is definitely more comfortable than the 675 for these kinds of trips (especially with bar risers), and it has much better range. The 675's light came on around 160. The earliest I've ever seen the light on the 955 is around 185 or so.
The Chatterbox FRS radios worked well - they really add a lot to a trip like this. Mine was on an elastic strap I made for the purpose. It worked well, and didn't require bolting anything to my helmet. The Shoei helmet doesn't give quite enough room for the speakers, though. I didn't take the helmet off unless I had to. I'm not as thrilled with this helmet as the conventional wisdom about Shoei led me to expect. The cheaper helmets I've had over the years (HJC, AGV, and Bioeffe - or however the heck you spell that) have been just as good in terms of build quality and venting.
The 675 was fitted with Cortech top bag and saddlebags. All soft luggage. They worked well, and were actually a little much for a trip like this. I took only the top bag from my set of Tour Master soft luggage, and it was enough. I'd have to do laundry every 4th day or so, but that wouldn't be a problem. And the 955 has enough room for a good selection of tools under the seat. I've told lots of people that this is the best bike I've ever owned, and I'm even more convinced of that after this trip. My top bag was secured to the passenger seat with 1" nylon straps that I made for the purpose. I didn't want to use the built in bungee cords because they'd rub the bodywork. The strap system I made up prevented any contact between the bag and anything but the upholstered seat. I should have balanced the weight on the outer pockets a bit better, but BFD.
The 675 was running Michelin 2CT tires, with nothing but the highest praise reported throughout the trip. Despite the runaround Michelin has given him with the recall. I had a new Pilot Sport on the front, and a Pilot Road on the rear. They were okay, but I'll probably try something different when it's time to replace this set. Maybe a pair of 2CTs, or some Battleaxe 020s.
As I said, it was a great trip. We took a total of about 720 pictures, about 150 of which are in my photobucket site;
http://s80.photobucket.com/albums/j1...tember%202007/
It was awful just getting down to 150 or so, much less choosing the subset to put in this thread. I'd love to know which you all think I shouldn't have left out!
Keep the rubber side down, anyone who's still reading!
