The Journey.... - Page 2

Rat-Sass · #11 (**permalink**) 06-04-2005

Hey, Jason:

Where are you staying in the bay area? Email me here if you need a local.
-Stephanie

JasonS · #12 (**permalink**) 06-05-2005

Day One- Thursday June 2nd 2005 - 683 miles

Thursday started at 3:15 am, at which point I hit the snooze for the last time and hopped out of bed. By the time I showered and remembered to forget those last few items, and got out the door it was nearing 4:30. A quick detour to work set me back. I went to look for my polarized prescription sunglasses, thankfully I had packed them, a fact I didn’t figure out until somewhere in NY on I84.

It was 6am by the time I hit Portland, Me, so I was not going to get through Hartford prior to rush hour, but I was safely off on the road. It was cold enough to need the electrics. The temp 40° on one bank clock. The bike ran well and fuel mileage got very good once I settled into a pace. 70-80 is where it feels best. 80-90 is ok, but requires more attention and effort to be aerodynamic. The bulk I am hauling is quite noticeable. The bike is 455 lbs when dry, and a max load is 477 lbs including fluids, people and gear. I never did get to the transfer station to get weighed, but I calculate I am pushing the top end. Three panniers are 120+ lbs total. I did get a chance to weight them at a friend’s house. Add 250 lbs for me fully dressed, the tank bag, the bag/mat/tent bundle and the only thought is where can I find a 40 lb girlfriend? (wait, don’t answer that!)

Fully Loaded the night before depature.

I pushed hard for the last half of the day and stopped frequently. I even paid a quick visit to a Triumph dealer in Wilkes Barre ( I think - and isn't being able to edit my posts a grand thing)

I pushed on until I was too tired to ride more

Friday Jun 3rd 9:24 am 250 Miles+-

Southwestern PA – “a motel” in “a town” – Supposedly this place has wireless, but it doesn’t function in this room.
Slab. So here I am in Shippensburg, PA. It almost 10 am, a peek out the curtains tells me what I don’t want to know. It is raining. Showers my Butt! I didn’t get in until 8 pm last night. The last few hundred miles required stopping every 50-100 miles to stretch. One fill-up was 4.5 gallons, when I looked down at the trip OD it read 224 miles. !! that’s almost 50 MPG.. wow! That’ll save some bucks.

Traffic was manageable, but I can easily say running the slab sucks big chunks of butt! Semi buffeting, ‘nuff said. Bad drivers and a hectic pace add to the fun. The “they are all out to kill me” thought is a very good one. Thinking that the driver of the car that is tailgating, might be a scorned lover bent on destruction and I am in the way, is a safe way to ride.

My goal for the day now depends on the weather. I don’t mind riding in the rain all that much, it’s the after effect of wet that makes it a pain. Skyline drive is apt to be a wash of clouds and rain, although I would see little other traffic! Sigh, I’d rather have this then temps in the 90’s. Time to get packed.

(notes)
Sunday Morning - June 5th 2005

A quick note - I have More to post that I previously jotted down in Word, but time is pressing.

Saturday was a hoot. I'll post more detail later, but suffice to say I did several hundred miles of twisties and let chance be my guide and I was not disappointed!

Thanks for the words of encouragement. I'll respond and post more in a day or so..

Cheers!

[ This message was edited by: JasonS on 2005-06-10 17:00 ]

JasonS · #13 (**permalink**) 06-07-2005

Friday June 3, 2005 8:30pm

Ick! Skyline was in the clouds and so was I for way too long. It is hard to ride in the rain/fog, let alone on Skyline drive! I am glad I went in, but it was exhausting to ride in the soup.

A shot off into the fog from a pullout.

Obilgatory Bike Pics

I decided to give up on the parkway for now and went south. I traveled down Rt309 for a while and as it cleared up I enjoyed the ride in the valley. It was about 6pm when I went by a camp ground in Waynesboro, VA… I pulled a U turn and $21.95 later I have a camp site. I set up and headed out to the grocery store. Charcoal and aluminum foil pouch diner. Yum! Tent is roomy and easy to set up. The kids next door seem to be settling down. The head band light really helps to type in a dark tent.

The Tent Site

I only made it a few hundred miles south today. The fog up on the Skyline drive was brutal and exhausting. At one point I came upon a BMW nearly stopped in the road, a very dangerous way to drive. I also nearly became a part of the rear of a tour bus. So while the visibility was poor, the roads were mostly clear.

I should admit to something, not that I want to, but eating crow must be done. I dumped the bike today. It was preventable and one of the stupid things we do that we wish we hadn’t, and that we didn’t have to admit to have done. I was taking a break at a pull-off. I made two huge mistakes, both of which were very preventable. I parked on a slight downhill and I didn’t have it in gear. I have been very good in the past about both of these things. The bike went down when I pushed on the rear to get a case closed, and the bike started rolling down the incline and off the stand. Next thing I know it was leaving paint on the tarmac… Boo Hiss… I tried to right it, but had to remove the baggage in order to get it vertical. The clutch lever took it hard, and I will need to get a new one… I haven’t called the dealer here in Orlando yet.

Evidence-Order The Touch Up Paint!

So I ended the day earlier than I would have liked, but the camp site is OK…. Except for the occasional TRAIN.. rumble… I ate dinner, drank a bit o scotch and relaxed. Actually by the time I had dinner and cleaned up a bit, it was dark-thirty and was time for some shut-eye. My mood ended that day as ones would, having eaten some rather un-tasty crow. But the day is past and the road goes on.

[ This message was edited by: JasonS on 2006-01-30 19:44 ]

JasonS · #14 (**permalink**) 06-07-2005

Saturday June 4, 2005

Waynesboro, VA to Morgantown, NC 483 Miles

On the map these two points are not all that far apart. However, the way I rode between them was! I broke camp and was on the road by 9am. I got out to 81 and cruised for a bit, but soon got tired of the semi-blast. The weather looked to be good, so I picked a point in Georgia and told the GPS to take me there in a straight line and not on any highway. What I got I could not have planned better. I was and still am amazed at the great roads I traveled. I tried to look it up once I got to Orlando, but can’t seem to retrace the roads I did take. Suffice to say there were twisties galore. I’ll re edit this when I can verify, but the roads taken were a mixture and I got into “the zone” It’s kind of hard to describe, but in hind sight I was so engrossed in riding that I lost track of time and mileage. I was surprised to finally notice that I had ridden much farther than I had thought once I stopped long enough to figure it out.

I dumped off I-81 somewhere around Route 8 and then on to 321 going southwest. Then into Route 173 that fed into Route 226. I might have this a bit wrong, but regardless, it was some of the best riding I have done in my short cycle life. I learned a few things on this twisty day. I learned there is a zone. I learned that I need to not shift too aggressively with this much weight on the bike or the front wheel pops off the ground. I need to work on being smoother in corners. I rode well and didn’t over-cook any corners, but I kept hesitating and not picking up the line well until I was “in” the corner. More experience.

In the late morning I stopped at a pullover on a narrow road next to a river. I fired up the stove and reheated last nights dinner leftovers and had a nice lunch. There was a nice rock cliff on the other bank.

I stopped at this nice (it was a rotting old country store) for water about half way through the day. There was a rafting operation going on, and this was the general store the kids were coming to for refreshments. It was the kind of place that has been there for decades, with not a straight line in the place. All the timbers warped over time from the weight and constant humidity. I yakked with an older couple that was on a circle ride and enjoyed the shade. I also needed to rewet the air conditioning. The efficiency of the Aerostich evapodana and the wetting of the T-Shirt was very effective at keeping me cool. I also found that I didn’t get sore butt as easy, as I was moving around in the seat so much.

At one point I got behind a train of cruisers loping along at 35-45 in a 55 zone. This was very frustrating. No rain drops got to me this day, but I saw evidence in wets roads all over. The route I took is EXACTLY what you would look for in a great day of riding. Hitting unknown roads and taking a “pick a direction and go” routing. I am having some interesting thoughts about how to continue the trip once I leave Florida.

A picture from a rest stop on 226 in NC. This is not a fisheye lense picture.

[ This message was edited by: JasonS on 2005-06-10 17:06 ]

JasonS · #15 (**permalink**) 06-10-2005

Sunday June 5th 2005
Morganstown, NC to Orland FL 612 Miles

What can I say about today’s ride other than it was droning on the Interstate all day. However, this 600+ mile stretch was much easier than the last. I took more opportunity to move around on the bike. I figured out a way to hang each leg out to the side in order to straighten out the knee. It seems the ‘stich puts a lot of pressure on the front of my knees. Much like the butt pressure situation blood flow is restricted. I’ll figure it out. I was pushing 80+ most of the day so the MPG was down to 46 or so…. Grin… I was making very good time all day and conditions were good. Again, the wet t-shirt and the evapodana worked great in combination with the full Aerostich suit. I stayed cool all day and it was 90+ all day. On the GA-FL border I ran into some serious thunderstorms. Rain, hard enough to sting through the stich, pelted me for miles! Great torrents of rain! I was wet underneath the suit to begin with, but was even more so after the rain. It didn’t matter; I would be in my hotel room in less than 3 hours at that point!

I saw it coming and actually was looking forward to it, a diversion if you will. I put the cell phone in the top pocket and stored the Starmate radio in the tank bag. It was only a shower so I didn’t put the rain cover on the tank bag. I did button up the suit, but still it would only be a quick shower. It lasted for miles. Soaked me good, it did. Ruined my cigars!

I’m actually writing this from an I-Trolley, a cheap transport for tourists that runs up and down International drive here in Orlando. It’s Thursday and I’m on my way to the Convention center for the last day. Hopefully it is a quick transit, as other days have been agonizingly slow to make the trip. However, this is giving me a good chance to play catch-up with the write-up, something I only managed to figure out this morning. Of course just after that sentence was typed an throng of tourists filled the trolley and I didn’t get back to writing until Friday in the hotel room. A tropical storm has caused me to elect to stay one more day here as opposed to riding into the teeth of heavy rain and wind for the 4 hour drive to Fort Myers.

Once I cleared all the rain, I pulled over to take a short break. In the morning I had decided to use my non-gauntlet gloves to get more airflow up the sleeves. As these were pulled off at the rest stop, I was a bit taken aback by the lovely blue tint to the skin on my hands. It took three days for them to look normal again. The rest of the ride to the Holiday Inn was uneventful. I piled all my ***** on a cart and settled in to my room for the next few days.

[ This message was edited by: JasonS on 2005-06-10 17:15 ]

vwvectors · #16 (**permalink**) 06-10-2005

June 11th where are u know Jason & what dealer did u use in Orlando.

JasonS · #17 (**permalink**) 06-12-2005

Hi all,

It is Sunday the 12th of Juner and I am in Ft Myers at my Brothers... I'll write up the ride down at some point. I'm using my nrothers computer to post this ( he has no high speed!!!)

To play catch up

Quote:

Hey, you'll be traveling right through my home town of Fresno CA. There is a decent Triumph dealer there: Wilson's Motorcycle. If you need a shop for tires, oil, or the like, they are a pretty fair group of people. If you do, be sure to tell Dewain (Shop foreman) that Rick Springer sent ya (The guy with the '02 blue ST).

Heck, If I still lived there, I'd put you up for the night.

Looks like I am going to lop off some portion of the western part of the trip. Time and Money are ganging up on me. Slab is not a fun thing

Quote:

Your route shows you going through east TN. Suggest going east a little more and having some fun in the Smokey's. I ran through there twice in the past month. it only adds a couple of hours, but it is worth it.

If you need a place to crash in VA PM me. Good luck and let see some pics

I was through that area last week and I am leaning towards going back. My new thought of a plan is to go back up to Tenn and weave my my northeast.

But then I should go see something HUGE, like the grandcanyon... I'm just not sure

Quote:

Hey, Jason:

Where are you staying in the bay area? Email me here if you need a local.
-Stephanie

Thanks for the offer!.. *IF* I make it out that way I will post here...

I can't imagine having a MC in FL.. it is just too hot.. in the stich at speed all is well, but stopping even for a minute can be too hot...

I'm off agani in the morning... headed out of FL... we'll see where it ends up taking me....

Time to go put on the clutch lever....

cheers!

JasonS · #18 (**permalink**) 06-13-2005

Friday June 11, 2005

As I said above, I decided to stay over an extra day in Orlando to avoid riding through the rain/wind of the tropical storm traveling up the Gulf. It’s evening here now and the center is now due west and should be well north in the morning, meaning only a few showers on the ride down to Fort Myers on Saturday. I packed up a large box with “*****” from the convention. A whole new collection of T-shirts and other interesting and useful trade show give-aways. I ordered a new clutch lever from the dealer in Ft Myers. It was easier than trying to deal with the guys here in Orlando. I know I was using an Internet phone and the connection may have been weird, but they need to learn patience, perhaps I do as well.. 

Back in May, getting ready to make the trip, I had a mechanical issue that took a bit to get straightened out. After my visit to the dealer for a new set of tires, Michelin Pilot Roads, I noticed a sharp vibration/oscillation in the front end when braking firmly. I had an appointment the next week for the 6k service, and I mentioned it then. The mechanic noted that it was not noticed. I was under a time constraint and had to leave right after they got done so I didn’t see this note until I got home, by which time I knew they hadn’t hit the brakes hard enough to make the vibration noticeable. I made a last minute visit to the dealer week before leaving. They did some swapping and said yes it was an issue, but rotors are a wear item etc, and they’d ask Triumph, but they didn’t think it’d do any good. Thankfully, and after much worrying and email, I got a call from the service manager saying the rotors were one the way from Triumph. I went down the Tuesday before I left for the trip and they swapped in the new rotors. I was biting my nails, but Street Cycles and Triumph came through. After 1900 miles the front bakes still feel great.

JasonS · #19 (**permalink**) 06-13-2005

Saturday June 11, 2005, Orlando to Ft. Myers 180 Miles

It was a steamy ride down to my Brother’s house. Dodged a couple and hit one thunderstorm, which wasn’t bad considering the number of thunder heads around that day. I slept late and left about noon, which worked well, as the morning had been a run of T-storms. Temps and humidity in the 90’s. Not a good place for me and a motorcycle, but I need to visit the family. Made it by 3:30 and jumped in my brothers T/A to run down to the Fort Myers BWM M/C. They are also the Triumph dealer. They had a Clutch lever waiting for me and a pair of Triumph brand gloves was procured to replace the beloved Elkskin Gaunlet (sniff sniff). A nice dealership, but we didn’t hang around long. It rained a lot Sat Sun in Ft Myers. They’ve had enough rain too.

JasonS · #20 (**permalink**) 06-13-2005

Monday, June 13, 2005 Ft. Myers FL to Newnan, GA625 miles

More slab, I-75 all the way North to rt 16 in GA, then west to Newnan. Hot, it was 90-100 most of the way. Ick.

About the same as the trip from Orlando to FT Myers on Saturday, but much longer. I stayed hydrated well, but it was still very hot. Again the suit and wet shirt and ‘Dana worked well, but I think I reached the limit. Were it not so humid, the evaporation would have worked better. Even slowing down to 55 made it too hot. 70-80 was the rule, and perhaps for the best as there were LEO’s everywhere. Remember, the radar detector bought it the 1st day of the trip. So I am unanimous, in that slab and heat do not make for the best of times. It is doable and bearable, but not really enjoyable. Can you say mountains? I thought you could.

The evapodana has started fraying from the wind. I’ll need to scare up some needle/thread to rework the edge. Perhaps something else to add to a packing list, and something else to put somewhere I can find it later. Speaking of fraying.. the liner in the left leg of the stich has also come undone. Grump… equipment failures!.. The inside of the suit has the date it was made handwritten on it. My suit is 5 years old. So, I mentioned I lost a glove? On the way down to Fort Myers… boo hiss. I had one off and not tucked into the tank bag well enough and it went bye-bye somewhere in the last 100 miles of the day. Suck pill. I really, really liked those gloves. Stupid me for not making double sure it was secure.

Today was a grind, but I knew it was going to be. I’m not liking the idea of grinding down Interstates. Tomorrow I get up and go visit the Triumph HQ here in Newnan. I nabbed a room at the La Quinta with a coupon, nice big room, wireless, fridge, microwave. I’ll likely be camping the next few nights, but I’ll log on again soon.

[ This message was edited by: JasonS on 2006-02-28 18:56 ]