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Sturgis / Rockies Loop

4K views 33 replies 7 participants last post by  johnzo 
#1 ·
Day 1 of... up to 25 depending on how the trip shakes out. 3 riding to Sturgis & beyond, 5 more hauling / flying out to meet us Saturday.

5 am departure means 4 am alarm. Ugh.

New Givi E470 installed. Luggage rack installed without sissy hoop to make room for my usual Kuryakyn luggage.

1st Stage - the other two guys want to "wing it", and also take a different route west than I planned. Gone is the requested (by said guys) & incorporated plan to "have a burger at the Harley Museum on the way out". We're taking 95 / 287 / 80 west instead.

As I figured, 20+ mile backup before Stamford CT.

Jams & paving on 80.

Still, we bail off for the night in Fremont Indiana (That's about 850 miles per HD odo, less per mine with oversize commanders on), where we discover: you can't buy cold beer anywhere near where we're staying.

What.
The.

Mustang refoamed my seat. Didn't help. Butt Buffer helped a little, not much. Love the backrest I keep reminding myself.

Target was back in OH so we're ahead a bit. Reminding the guys we have no Sturgis accomodations until Sat...
 
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#4 ·
Day 2
Fremont IN to Worthinton MN

On the road by 7.

Plan is supposedly to go 80W... Except 80W at 80/90 split is "closed" - no forewarning, no detour.

This brings us to the joys of I-90 in Chicago at 9am-ish. It is so choice. If you have the means, I highly recommend it. Extra points for remembering Beuller was a Chicago-locale movie, as the Tower Formerly Known As Sears was in view as we went through.

Wisconsin - been there before, it's nice. But it was largely a blur.

Welcome to Minnesota, ya hey? I jest, Beautiful countryside, nice folks.

Then, Rain.

There's really not a single word that expresses the size of the drops, the intensity of the storm, the flash / bang of the lighning / thunder, with the crosswinds.

Cue Gerard Butler.

This. Is. Sparta!!!

As I bailed off a ramp in search of the overpass below, 5 other cars pulled off to the side of the road with me. I saw the other two guys' directionals go on, saw the ramp sign, assumed they were thinking what I was. They were, kind of. They thought the highway went UNDER. It went OVER the crossroad, and they got stuck out there. A handy MN DOT guy helped run block so they could get back down the ramp after we'd convened a pow-wow in the middle of Atlantis Armageddon.

Back on the road. More storms. At some point I feel something go THUD against my left thigh while riding oh, "in excess" of the posted speed. I find out the next morning it was my new white Triumph badge - the automotive body panel double sided tape let go. Buh bye.

I'm wiped so we stop in Worthington. I am still clueless & frustrated as to why we're pushing so hard to get so far so fast. Dinner at the ground round, in front of the holiday inn express. 2 queen, 1 pull out couch. I volunteer the couch. Horrible night's sleep.

Miles - about 690 I'm told.


Day 3
4:50am, the guys are up, dressed, and looking for coffee. Four letter words swim through my mind.

After a confrontation that ends with words, but action, the hotel I've had reserved in Kadoka SD is cancelled after the guys confirm we can indeed get in a day early in Custer. Simple guys, 500,000+ bikes converging - might want to make sure we have a room before you ask me to cancel the one I have...

I cannot do justice with words about how beautiful and EXPANSIVE the prairie grasslands of South Dakota are. GREEN & GOLD fields, BLUE sky. The road ahead seems to go on to eternity.

It also makes a fine place to go Ton-Up, when the posted limit is 80, and everyone else is already going 90. Hours spent at 75-100.

Fighting a bee at 90 who's stinging you repeatedly in the left side above your hip is not fun. Funny, perhaps, to watch a crazy lunatic punching at himself while trying not to wreck, but not fun.

Wall. Busy place.

Custer State Park. Simply incredible. Amazing roads, and I putt-putted past a buffalo right beside me grazing on the shoulder. Got the week pass, $10.
Lunch at the lodge - excellent buffalo burger.

We head into Custer, locate our motel, walk around Mt Rushmore Rd, pick up some stuff to mail home. Dinner. PizzaWorks I think was the name, not bad. Lots of bikes, a lot of trikes too!

New Belgium Fat Tire at the local gas station, and 2 more big bottles of water.

Tomorrow our 5 other companions will fly into Rapid City and we'll meet them probably near Custer Park to give them their week passes we got for them.

Very tired, very sore. Diaper rash from sweat. Zinc + menthol to the rescue, gold bond on deck.
 
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#5 ·
Day 4

Chatted with a guy about the Bird - he has a carb'd America. Nice chat.

Sylvan Lodge in Custer Park for breakfast. Wonderful view, great roads getting there. On to Needles, where mama & baby goat decided to hang out in the 8' 4" wide tunnel. After convincing them to let us pass, around the park, Wildlife Loop Rd - incredible views - who knew rolling hills, grass, open sky, and buffalo could be so breathtaking. An overwhelming feeling of being small in the presence of expansiveness.

Perspective.

Deer watching a few feet away as we roll by slowly. Did it early and glad - no one through the first part, parades the next hour. Get in before the campers / trailers start rolling. Back to Custer by 11am. Have to head back out soon to meet our friends coming into the airport to get their bikes on the other side of the park to give them their week passes. Lunch at the Game Lodge, then more riding.
 
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#6 ·
Foggy start - scrapped the plans to do the park again with the group because it was just too dangerous. So we made our way toward Deadwood instead, where the weather was supposed to be better. I had gotten the Sony ActionCam set up on the RAM mount on the handlebar, so it was ready to go. I bought 2x 64Gb Micro SD cards and have a 128Gb USB flash drive to offload to (MacBook Air for the trip is only a 128Gb itself, and is always near-full). Sadly, we caught a bad scene on the way north.

A rider and a deer danced a tango and they both lost. Do not know how bad the rider was hurt but they were laying on the side of the road with a number of other riders tending to them. EMS came hauling up the road after we got by.

Triumph Count is now THREE! A Rocket III parked 2 bikes down from me at the Deadwood VFW sidewalk, and a Bonnie (I think) that was pointed out to me as they rode by.

Roads and scenery are just amazing.

Hill City was fun people watching.

I like having the Givi E470 Top Box on rides - great for keeping the rain gear in, and I'm getting used to the latch.

Tonight, thunderstorms, possibly hail. Tomorrow is supposed to be the better of the next few days, so it's Custer / Needles / Wildlife Loop, then off to the Badlands / Wall. Should be a busy day. Must bring extra water.

Mornings are in the 50s, days 80s. I think tomorrow is supposed to hit 90.

Ran with the Cycle Gear Heat Out long sleeve base layer under a t-shirt today - not bad. Started with the Frogg Toggs Toadz jacket, then just the shirt / shirt combo. Speaking of the Toggs, that set works AWESOME. I just don't get wet (though I do sweat with them when hot out).

Broke my LifeProof case / lightning port door in Hill City. 2-daying a replacement.

Boom. Just thundered. Gotta go. :)
 
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#8 ·
Day 6

More Custer / Needles then east to the Badlands. Incredible scenery. Unique. Must see.

Wall Drug. South of the Border wishes they will be this when they grow up.

I broke off from the group and ran up to Ellsworth AFB / SD Air & Space museum to see their Lancer (B-1B). While there, another one took off from the runway at the AFB behind us. Heard it winding up, then the slow blast skyward. Awesome.

Took Iron Mountain back to the motel - that is one incredible road. And frustrating when the pickup in front of me doing 5 mph for an eternity would not pull off. By the time they did there were 50 more bikes stacked up behind me. Bird rocked, left them in the rearview.
 
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#9 ·
Day 7

End of Week 1.

Did breakfast at the big game lodge in Custer.

Wildlife everywhere, passing deer & prarie dogs & bison grading RIGHT IN THE (BLIND) APEX on some tight / slow turns. Crazy. The herd is right in the busy section at the intersection of Wildlife Loop Rd & 16A.

Off to Iron Mountain Rd. This is a killer road. By the time we reach the first tunnel, which you can see Mt Rushmore through, we've been split from 8 to 4 riders. We go back, get the "turn around" from one of them as they approach, and get lined back up before that single-lane tunnel.

"What happened?"

"Dougie went down."

Doug was riding his brother's Victory Highball, took a corner slowly and he says the bike stalled. Low right side, low speed. But he's 62, his helmet is scraped from where he hit his head on the pavement, the usual cuts / rash from a fall. Ribs hurt. But his adrenaline kicked in & he lifted the bike right up before oncoming traffic could get to him.

He's shaken but wants to go on. We finish the road at our paces, collect at the end by Keystone. Doug says he's fine, so we gas & go on toward Sturgis. Through Deadwood again, then finally to Mecca itself, rally central.

Oh man, it's simply crazy. We have to park quite a distance and walk. So much to see & do. Doug gets icy patch for his ribs. We make our way down the main street to the Iron Horse saloon, where our scantily clad lithe barmistress is eager to serve us outrageously priced beers. Which is ok, because, the view, duh. Leather cupless corsetry & pasties abound. Bikes & beer & babes. Hey, I am what I am. :)

Thunderbird LT Trike Conversion. $27k. On sale on the main drag.

Off we go to walk another street, my brother & I decide "Rally Ink". He gets a tribal piece on his shoulder, I get a buffalo skull with "Sturgis 2016" on my back shoulder. His takes considerably longer, mine's done before he even starts. 2 hours later, about 3:15, the rest of the group having finished One Eyed Jack's & antsy to move on, they head back toward Custer. We hit The Knuckle for a late lunch / early dinner. I get a Knuckle Sandwich - two half pound burger patties - and a beer. We keep walking around for awhile after.

Hey, that rain cloud above us is huge. Like Independence Day kind of mothership. Time to boogie. Rain gear in 90 degree temps. Blech. But we gear up & decide to take the long / straight way back - 90 / 79 / 36 / 16A through Custer Park.

Soaked. But the new Frogg Toggs Toadz once again delivers.

LOTS of wildlife, including a bull who's IN the road staring at us as we approach a turn. Yikes. Deer EVERYWHERE. Back to camp, long day. Hosts are throwing a cookout for the motel guests. Nice people, Don & Brenda are.

Devil's Tower for Wednesday.
 
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#10 ·
Day 8

Devil's Tower.

Breakfast, then fixing my brother's 100th anny Heritage Softail. A) the upper brake caliper bolt backed out & wasn't heard during the ride home or b) someone else at Sturgis needed one & poof...

Away we went, awesome weather this morning. I started the video as we left Sundance - awesome seeing it cresting a hill. Since I first read about it as a kid maybe 6 or 7 years old in Boys Life I think, I have wanted to see it. Coincidentally, Close Encounters came out shortly after so, doubly set in my mind.

When we pulled up to the gate, I did not have the anticipated excitement. I felt humbled, small, imposed upon by an indescribable force. If you ever need proof that there must be something out there bigger than yourself, go see it. I found a large rock on the side of the trail, climbed it, and just... sat it its presence. Awed.

Off to Hulett. Fun times.

Through Aladdin, population 15...

Made our way to roughlock and spearfish falls. Roughlock is sweet - right down the dirt road from where the final "I am your friend" / winter camp scene from Dances with Wolves was shot.

Then the weather hit. Lightning strikes, torrential rain and hail hit us hard around Hill City. Three of us rode through, five were, uh, smarter and pulled off.

Scrambler, America, Rocket III sighted today.
 
#11 ·
Had to look up what day it was.

Day 9
Crazy Horse Memorial. Pretty impressive. Wish you could see more progress, but they only blast 3" at a time for fear of vibration damaging the sculpture. Coming up on 70 years working on it. It'll take another hundred. Still, ambitious and inspiring.

Due to sick thunderstorms forecast today I took point and went to southern SD / Nebraska. Route 18E in SD / Route 20W in NE. Wide. Open. Spaces. Grassland. Ooh! A turn in the distance! 5 minutes later you get to take the turn...

Hot Springs was quaint.

Buffalo in Wind Cave park I think it was called.

Rocket III downtown Custer at the Post Office as I mailed (too many) shirts home.

May ride to Regent ND tomorrow to a) get away from more forecast thunderstorms and b) see the large metal sculptures up there. Or may ride through Custer as much as I can, and go see Mt Rushmore. Good chance I'll be leaving Saturday for Billings instead of doing 750 miles straight from Custer SD to Babb MT Sunday.
 
#12 ·
Iron Mountain Rd - oops, nope, two large bull bison hanging out in the road. Needles instead.

Rushmore, ELEVEN BUCKS to get inside so you can take a picture head on (pun intended). Eff that. I rode by clicking away on the iPhone. Five bucks I'd have gone in.

Ran into a 2010 Thunderbird owner on the side of the road at Rushmore.

Did Keystone, then Iron Mtn / Needles / Wildlife Loop twice each today.

Heading to North Dakota / Enchanted Highway then Billings MT tomorrow.
So long South Dakota, and thanks for all the fish...
 
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#13 ·
Change of plans.

Left for Wyoming instead, figuring I'd stop at Little Bighorn on the way to Billings.

Change of plans.

Decided to two-lane it, and, to go ride through Bighorn National Forest, going the long way to Billings.

What a magnificent solo day. Happy rider. "Nice visitin' with you, Rob with the Tiger 1050 at the McDonalds in Worland WY".

Tired.

What a dinky room. Also need to edjumacate the girls in the lobby about what "walking distance" is for a sammich. Ow my feet.

Gassed. After a good night's sleep, off to Babb, Thronson's Motel & General Store, and Glacier Park / Going to the Sun Hwy on Monday.
 
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#14 ·
Catching up. Sunday, rode two lanes up through Lewis & Clark to Babb. Freaking gorgeous countryside, especially of the Rockies close to St Mary. As you rode for hours with the hint of them on the horizon, not quite blurry, not quite clear - like Jupiter in "2010" when the monolith drained the planet's color... faded.

Babb.
Thronson's rocks. Newly reno'd rooms, throwback (actually never modernized) general store. Caught the Blackfeet pow wow or something so the whole reservation was dry. $40-$60 steaks. We had the $26 pork chops & chicken. The guys rode one shot from Custer so I took the floor & gave them the beds. Mistake, see later.

Great ride solo.

Monday
Glacier Park. Incredible. Hit the park at 7am. Coffee at Glacier Perk at the entrance. The sunrise colors on the mountains as we rode toward St Mary from Babb were exquisite. The park / road / scenery are, for lack of a truly comprehensive enough word, awesome. Do this ride. Lots of traffic coming west to east - we did east to west. Quaint tour buses. Takes a couple hours. I will replay the video for a lifetime. I hope to go back with my wife.

Long ride out to Idaho / down 95 south to Lewiston. 96 per weather channel, 103 per Chinese place we had dinner. So much for being the nice guy. Got the floor again. Nice when the old retired guys just drop their things on the beds - huh, guess that's how it is.

Tuesday
Early start. Sun in the eyes as we rode east on 12. Then there it was - my worst nightmare: a double-wide being rolled down the route in front of us. "NOOOOOOOO!"

As soon as safe, I went for it. 5000 miles to follow that? I don't think so. It got better later though - a dodge caravan whose back lift door was easily 3/4 Bondo, towing a trailer. Would not use the slow vehicle turnouts. Well my video and view are not going to be corrupted by that.

It's a great ride, sweeping turns, 50-70 mostly. Great road that follows the scenic river. Gone is the "winding road next 77 miles" sign. There was one at 99 miles but we zoomed past - poor area to stop and not scenic either. I'm told there is another 99 miles one near the peak coming from Lolo side but did not see / stop.

Missoula, oil change for 3 bikes. Hit 90 east at 2pm. Blasted down the highway. Got in to Red Lodge at 7:15 I think.

Note: take 421 to 212 to red lodge instead of 78 all the way like the signs tell you. Rolling farmlands, no traffic, 60-70mph posted speeds & the "45" corners are easy at 55-60. Lots of fun & pretty.

Gee, somehow I got a rollaway bed. F this. Now I'm pissed. Get your own rooms from now on out. I'll go solo.
 
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#15 ·
I did the Sun road last year in one of those quaint tour buses you describe.
The scenery is awesome, lots of historical information on the road building.
The best way to see the Rockies on this road must be by motorcycle.
Last year there were dozens of bikes, all Harley's, a few Goldwings, riders without helmets would have the best view, don't strain your neck though, this is very 3 dimensional landscape.
The tour buses are fun, they give you blankets to keep you warm.
I love touring America.


Sent from Motorcycle.com Free App
 
#16 ·
Quaint breakfast then Beartooth Highway.

Amazing road, wonderful views. 10,947 ft peak. Tough to qualify where on a top ten RIDING list this would be, but easily top five for me, probably top 3. Going to the Sun is more "beautiful" I think. Beartooth is double espresso with a "kick me in the jimmies" on the side.

Yellowstone. Plan a week because riding through doesn't do it justice. Saw Old Faithful - luck was on my side. Got there, parked the bikes, walked up, googled when the next scheduled eruption is, and oh hey, 10 minutes...

Teton range. Sharp peaks. Ominous clouds. Rain here & there. Imposing, like someone should put a, "Welcome to Mordor" sign out front.

Holy cross-winds Batman! Heading down 191 to Rock Springs... Dayum. Lean into it. Hard. Guessing 50+mph gusts. Blew us all over.

Santa Fe grille - very good ribeye with a 25oz Alaskan Ale on tap.

Back to copying today's videos - 18gb worth.

Tomorrow: down to Moab, canyonland, arches, and dead horse point.

Friday: San Juan / Million Dollar Hwy.

Sat: start home. route & duration unknown...
 
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#17 ·
Ok day until I hit rt 128 between I-70 & 191 Moab side. Aside from rougher surface road it was an amazing section.

Did Rock Springs WY 191 / 40 / 64 / 139 / 70 / 128 to Moab UT. Arches park only, didn't really have time for canyonland & dead horse, sadly.

I found arches a little disappointing. It was fine, but after following the river down 128, it was anti-climactic.
 
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#19 ·
Only one noticeable casualty so far - left side vintage tank badge fell off at highway speeds. Tires look ok, brakes checked ok. She's a dirty girl though. I wiped clean one small section of the white front wheel this morning, sighed, literally threw in the towel.

A little jingle / cheeping beside guardrails here & there. Belt still running center. May check hub when I get back / replace those all balls wheel bearings.

Mileage drops off big time over 70mph. 80 posted all over, and we tend to do 5-10 over when we deem appropriate.

Oh and did I mention, a) she did 100 fully loaded with the tool-loaded hard bags, givi E470 top box, my 230lb, and an easy 50lb kuryakyn on the pillion with a rolled up yoga mat on top?

Then, after discussing with the street glide companion, I took her to 110 indicated the following day? That's with Michelins so it's closer to accurate. She had more but I ran out of road & courage - didn't want to break her 2000 miles from home. :)
 
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#20 ·
So, 191 / 46 (becomes 90 in CO) / 141 / 50 / 550 today.

141 was an great road for canyon / river scenery plus ride - amenities not so much. Fill first. I sweat making it to Gateway, then freaked out when the amenities sign had duct tape over the gas symbol. Just a mistake, the Gateway General Store had gas.

Ouray, wow. Beautiful entry to the mountains.

Ouray to Silverton.

O.M.G. Don't look down. I kept telling myself, "Don't f*** up - there's no coming back from a mistake here."

Beyond words, the Million Dollar Highway. Bucket list item for any biker, period.

There are passing zones down a way, if you're behind an a****** who won't use pull offs etc - but they're downhill, approaching a tight blind right hander, with no guardrails. Just sayin', no place for second guessing.

End of the planned tour - now to decide how to start heading home.

Durango, cool town. May hit Steamworks via the trolley.
 
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#21 ·
Finally heading east again. A bed. Hot tub. Civilization.

Told the guys my plan - Durango CO to Amarillo TX. I knew it would be an early day (relatively speaking). I knew I would lose an hour. I knew they would want to ride on. One of the guys, the one who has to be back to work in Mass on Wednesday, said to the other guy, you can go on with him if you want, I'm a big boy, point me in the right direction...

Right. A real big boy doesn't need pointing. I was ticked off that I had my plan all along, they were going to part ways and spring for home over 3 days again (uh, no thanks, did it on the way out and hated it).

My body is killing me. 5 of the last 7 nights have been in rollaway beds, pull out couches, or on the floor. I have gotten about 3-4.5 hours of sleep a night - they drop off at 9, up before 5am. I'm up checking weather, copying video from the camera to a big USB stick, mapping routes / alternates, verifying gas availability, oh and remoting into work to fix stuff.

Got a brief glimpse of the Cadillac graveyard on the side of I-40 on the way in. I think I'll consider going back to check it out in the morning (after I sleep in late that is, and enjoy the SIX THIRTY breakfast opening (vs the 5:30am pushes we've been doing).

What's this? A bed? And what's this on it? Could it be a PILLOW?!? I've died.

15 minutes in the hot tub helped. I'll
Advil-up before settling in. I should put the brake disc lock on the bike, but they must have an airport I can fly home from... See what nonsense a lack of sleep does?

Today:
550 / 160 / 84 / 285 / 14 to Madrid, NM for lunch. Wanted to have a slice of apple pie at Maggie's Diner. Oops. The building is a stage set. It's a t-shirt / helmet sticker business inside. Nuts. Down the street to the Mine Shaft Tavern. Good pork sammich. Welcome to New Mexico - a pepperoni pizza comes with chili peppers on it by default.

Rode on to Edgewood via 334, and picked up 40. Welcome to Central Time.

Oh what an aroma at the stockyards along 40. I grew up raising some angus, yorkie pigs, etc - this was underworldly.

So now I check weather, figure out if I have it in me to mosey over to the Arkansas Pig Trail / Deals Gap / Blue Ridge etc home to New England, or if I just highway it at my own pace (500 max a day, thank you).

Rubber down. Well, tomorrow. Tonight: zzzzzz
 
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#22 ·
Clear day riding east on 40 from Amarillo TX to Van Buren AR.

Panhandle sure does look like it's embracing wind power. OK looks like it's "thinking about it" - not nearly as many turbines, and a good chunk of the ones that are up were not spinning today.

Mustang seat back set screw (the one in the seat) seems busted. Took the seat off the bike to adjust, but the backrest still moves up & down too easily - kept falling to lowest position, which hurt my back & exacerbated the leg pain.

They make bugs BIG down here. My screen looks like a cross between a paintball shield and Starship Troopers / Klendathu. Blech!

Hitting some steak at Big Jake's Cattle Co I think. No hot tub in this one so, will just enjoy a nice king bed tonight.

Pig Trail in the morning. Will make a stop at Tucker's Bend of course.
 
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#23 ·
Van Buren AR to Effingham IL today. With a side trip to the Pig Trail, and another to the hoods in STL - the first intentional, the second not so much.

Pig Trail - I liked it just fine. It reminded me of a scaled down version of VA 16 / Back of the Dragon. It was over pretty quick, but what there was, was nice tight switches & hairpins.

Need better indicators of the speed limits down there. Guessed 55-65 because there were 50mph curve ratings, but took forever to find a normal posted speed. Took 23 to 412 to 65 to 44 East.

So that Branson MO - kind of a happening performing town it seems. :)

To the ladies flirting with me at Stuckey's, I'll still take you both on at once, wink!

The Bird has been a conversation starter all along the trip, but more so now that I'm solo. Apparently 3 bikers is intimidating.

So St Louis then...

Well you've got to pay attention about converting 44 East to 70 East, otherwise you a) get to see the beautiful Gateway Arch up close and b) get lost, losing time, and finding all sorts of interesting places. Biker lives matter, ok peeps?

I think I figured out a big chunk of the leg problem. It's the Mustang backrest pushing into my back (imagine that) and pinching something and, pushing me forward to an uncomfortable part of the seat. Ran most of the day without it or the butt buffer pad, no real issues. Ran one leg in the tail end of the day, started getting bad fast. Removed it for the last leg, no issues.

So now I have to figure out how to modify the backrest so it's further back about 2" to better sit me in the bucket, and, go without a belt or something.

2 more days til home. Looking forward to it.
 
#24 ·
Clarion PA. About 550 miles today.

Notes:
Indianapolis - Lucas Oil Stadium is a BIG building as you get close. Good looking too, like the cityscape. But DAYUM guys, fix the potholes! Coming from New England, you don't want this second rivalry (who has the worst potholes). Fix the concrete on 70 please.

Columbus. Psychotic drivers. This, coming from a guy who commuted to Boston.

All highway. Shutdown traffic in the middle of what was apparently a remake of the movie Convoy in PA. Crawled at 5mph. Note to truckers: either freaking stop, or, go 10+ - it's freaking hard to do FIVE on a bike. Clutch in clutch out clutch in curse curse clutch out etc.

Sam Adams Octoberfest on tap!! Civilization! Nothing against Fat Tire, but that seems to be the middle of the country's go-to craft. Gets tiring.
 
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#25 ·
Home. Glad to be.

Saw essentially zero LEOs out west. IL, IN, OH, a few. NY - six in the short stretch between the PA line & Newburgh bridge.

84 in CT essentially shut down. Get off the highway, get behind slow car. Car pulls off, big arborist truck cuts me off & pokes. Get away from the tree truck & behind a portajohn pumper. Hit about every red light created. Like the world didn't want my trip to end.

Summary notes:
Most everything held up ok. Givi monolock latch setup started giving me little fits. Otherwise pretty good.
Tide sink packs. Drop off laundry service. Hotels with breakfast. Beds > pullout couches > rollaways > floor.
Quick dry skivvies & riding socks are a plus. Pack less. Pack even less than that. Bring walking shoes though. Hydrate, sunscreen, chap stick. Microfibers. Still have tread left on the Michelins but they're highway squared off noticeably despite 40psi. Definitely going with another set of Commanders.

9,342 miles, 8/3 - 8/24 (22 days on the road). Just under 40k (30k at tire change).

Best single day riding (roads + scenery) - Moab to Durango, 191 / 46-90 / 141 / 50 / 550.

Best surprise road: 128 in Utah.

Best lesson: don't be afraid to go solo if you're so inclined. No frustration that way.

Thanks for listening. When I get pics / video uploaded somewhere I'll update. I have 3x 64gb cards filled with raw video.
 
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