My 2010-2011 Motorcycle Trips

2011 Year End Milage Totals

2012-01-01T15:52:00.002-06:00

Now that the 2011 riding season is over, I have the milage figures.

'09 Kawasaki Zx-14...start 16,788 end 29,209 for the year 12,421

'06 Yamaha FJR ......start 25,145 end 26,791 for the year 1,646

There are 11,089 miles(17,843 Kilometers) on the set of Michelin Pilot Road 2 tires on the Zx-14. I mounted them 6-10-2011. They are well worn and starting to cup. I wouldn't take them on another road trip, but they'll be OK for another 1,000 or so miles this spring. I have one more set of the PR2's ready to mount.
I think I need to re-evaluate keeping the FJR, but it is such a sweet ride.

My First Car.

2011-12-19T18:41:00.003-06:00

I was blog surfing today and found something interesting on another blog. The blogger asked his readers to identify 2 cars in a picture that he posted. One of the cars is a Chevrolet Impala. The other car, well, there's a bit of a disagreement as to it's year.

To end this, I'll post pictures of my first car. I was 19, back in early 1980, when I purchased a 1973 Buick Riviera. The Rivieras built from 1971-1973 were the only boat-tailed ones. Earlier year Rivieras, such as those from '66-'70, had a fast-back with the long, slanted, rear window glass, but '71-'73 were the only ones to have the tapering, curved, rear glass of the boat-tail. The rear license plate on the 71s and 72's was mounted left of center. On the '73's it was center mounted. The grills were different on '71 and '72's, they were a bit more under-cut and sharper than the '73's. The '73 grills were a bit more vetical than the '71 and '72s. 1973 front bumpers were larger and heavier looking.

Gary, I hope this clears it up...

Gary, for even more information on Rivieras, there's always Wikipedia for Buick Riviera.

Edited 12-20-11 to add better pictures!

My Favorite Five.

2011-12-10T12:02:00.000-06:00

Some of my fellow bloggers have posted their favorite 5 pictures from 2011. It started HERE with Roger from New Zealand, and others have followed. You can see more pictures Here and Here.

I had a hard time picking 5 but here goes....

My favorite picture from this year was taken on a trip that John, my riding buddy, and I took out to Idaho. I snapped this one with the Tetons in the background. It was my attempt to be a little artsy...

The next 2 are from my solo trip to the west coast. The first one is a picture of a road sign on CA hwy 36, west of Red Bluff. That section of road was one of the things I HAD to see on this trip. It didn't disappoint me. Pushing a heavily loaded, over weight, sport bike through 140 miles of twisty roads, in 90 degree heat was tough, but it was worth it!!

This one was taken the day I passed through Yosemite N.P. A very sweet older lady asked me if I was taveling alone. She offered to take my picture for me. She was a sweet heart. We talked for quite a long time about all kinds of things.

I even have a few pictures just to show I have interests beyond motorcycles. This summer, Nancy and I got into kayaking. We spent a lot of time on some of the nearby rivers. Unfortunately, the computer that has most of my pictures in it crashed a while back, so my selection of kayaking pictures is limited. Even if it's not the best picture, it's what it represents that means the most to me.

The last one is from this fall when Nancy and I took a road trip up to the "northwoods" of northern Wisconsin. We were on a fall color tour that Sawyer County puts on. They mark some of the roads through the Chequamegon National Forest, and have a few different loops to drive around. We were maybe a week early this year to see the peak colors, but I really like this picture, it makes a great background!

Paul Bunyan ?

2011-12-09T23:01:00.001-06:00

Tonight, the temps in my part of the world are 7 degrees F and headed lower, so I was passing the time catching up with a few blogs. Hey, if I can't ride, I can still read about it! That's when I noticed something that fellow blogger, George F., posted. It's a picture of Paul Bunyan that he took near Klamath, CA. I also have nearly the same picture...

George's picture is HERE.

And this is my picture. I took it this summer while on my trip to CA.

And if that isn't strange enough......
Another fellow blogger posted the same picture on both facebook and his blog. It's about half way down this page... CLICK HERE.>

How strange is that??????

George, I've got to ask, do you have a picture of the gold bears mounted on the ends of the bridge over the Klamath River?

Edited 12-23-2011.................
I went up north and stopped in front of Bulik's Amusement Center in Spooner, WI. I wanted to get a picture of Mel, the muffler man.

I did a little search and found that there are at least 5 more giant sized, fiberglass, "muffler men" in Wisconsin. I feel the need for a spring time road trip. More muffler man information HERE.

I also have a picture of the Indian version of the muffler man. He was standing outside the Chieftain Motel, in Carrington, ND. My riding buddy, John, and I stayed there on our way back from the Sturgis rally - Idaho trip this summer.

My Goldwing Vs. Pronghorn Antelope Story.. with pictures

2011-12-05T21:31:00.000-06:00

I was catching up with the updates on some of the blogs I follow, and came across a picture of a trike with a huge camper shell mounted behind the driver, and 2 rear axles. I saw it on Trobairitz' blog. I have a picture of the very same trike. I took the picture sometime back around '99-'02. I looked through my photo albums, but couldn't find it. I did find this picture from my 1999 trip. What caught my eye in this picture is how young I look. I've aged since then.

From left to right.. Jesse, Garth, John, and me. Lyle is taking the picture.

That was back in my carefree, do-rag wearin', nothing-can-happen-to-me, pre crash, days. That all changed in 2006, when my Goldwing was struck by a Pronghorn Antelope. Yes, it hit the Goldwing, and hit it hard enough to bend the left front brake rotor and toss me to the highway. It happened on the second day of our annual trip to the Sturgis rally in SD. We were only 30 miles from Sturgis.....
We were riding staggered, about 5 or 6 of us, with traffic behind us, and 1 more bike behind me. I saw the lead guy in front pointing off to the right. I looked right and saw a large antelope on a rise, quite a ways off the road. What the guy in front didn't see, was another antelope run out into the road from the left ditch, almost hit him, do a U-turn, and head back into the ditch. Everyone else saw it. We just started to let off the throttle and reach for the brakes. That's when a 3rd antelope decided that if others could run onto the road, so could he. This one wasn't successful. He plowed into the left side of my front wheel. I tipped over onto the left side and rolled down the highway. I remember how time slowed WAY down as it happened, like slow-motion. I know it was over in seconds, but I distinctly remember having 5 thoughts while it happened.

1. "oh crap, this isn't going to be good"
2. "man is that thing ugly"
3. "roll, don't slide"
4. "damn, am I ever going to stop rolling"
5. "you've got to get out of the road, there's traffic coming"

It takes longer to say them than the whole crash took.

I remember making a mental note of how I felt as I was getting up. I was wondering if I was going to feel pain and fall down. I walked out of the road, sat the shoulder, and lay down. Everyone in our group was either a cop or fireman, or a retired cop or fireman. Someone called 911 and before I knew it, a couple of Mead County Deputies was there. Once they figured out that we were ALL cops or EMS, their personalities relaxed a bit.

What follows are some pictures of me, post crash..................

This was my un-helmeted head that bounced off of SD hwy 34 at the Hereford junction. The photo was taken after the E.R. visit, and between bandage changes.

My left leg that was "protected" by blue jeans. The jeans offered about a tenth of a seconds worth protection in the crash. I'm lucky that I rolled and didn't slide.

My left wrist, 3 days later...pinky side..

And thumb side...

My left knee...

This was my head, 3 days later....

I didn't get any pictures of my right big toe nail. Somehow, when I dumped the Goldwing, my right big toe hit the pavement so hard that the nail turned black by the time the ambulance got to the hospital in Sturgis. In the E.R., the Dr. used some type of electric probe to burn a hole through my toe nail. The relief was instant! I had a male nurse in the E.R., he was an Iron Butt rider and owned a Kawasaki Concours, he was pretty cool. I was treated and released in about 3 hours. Back at camp, the guy that was behind me at the time of the crash, told me that I bounced real good, and that he had locked up his rear wheel and skidded past my head. Missing me by inches. He skidded his bike all the way across the on coming lane and off the left side of the road. He skidded into the back of my trailer.
I spent the next day at the campground waiting for my girlfriend to come from WI to pick me up.

I went back to the crash scene on my trip out to pick up my Goldwing from the Honda dealer. I found the skid mark and the dead antelope. I picked up a few of the clean bones as a souvenir.

5 years later, and the road rash on my left knee, left wrist, and head is still visible. It's OK, I wasn't pretty before.
The really stupid thing is, we had just left a gas stop about 10 miles back, in Union Center. It was at that gas stop that I decided to take off my gear, after all, we were only 30 miles from the campground. So, I put my full face helmet and mesh over-pants in the trailer, and slipped my gloves off and had them under my thighs. What could go wrong?
I saved the Firstgear Meshtex jacket I was wearing at the time of the crash and kept it in my closet for a long time. It sacrificed itself in the crash, but where the jacket covered me, I had no bumps, bruises or road rash.

I am very lucky that I survived. If I had hit face first, or smacked my head a little harder, I could be in a totally different world now. Or dead!

I have since become a solid believer in ATGATT, but I still support your right to choose whether or not you wear a helmet. I also believe that a person riding without proper gear is a fool.

40 Years of Motorcycles

2011-11-25T11:05:00.004-06:00

I thought it might be interesting to list the motorcycles I've owned over the years. My love affair with 2 wheels started early.

My first motorcycle was a Ruby red, 1971, Honda, SL-70 K-0. She was lightly used and in great shape. This is not an actual picture, but mine was just like this, but maybe not quite as mint as this one.

I owned my little Honda until about 1977? I wish I had kept it. I would like to find another one and restore it back to like new condition.

In the fall of 1979 I was working full time in a gas station/convenience store. I was working with a guy named Bret. He told stories about riding to California on his motorcycle, and I think I wanted to do that too. I had graduated from high school the year before, and was ready to see the world. I purchased a brand new, 1980, Harley-Davidson, XLH 1000, Sportster. It was brown with a brown seat, and cast wheels. I still have the receipt. I never did tour on it, and my girlfriend at the time wanted nothing to do with it. Oh well, I got the cruiser desire out of my system early! I sold it around 1984?

A few years later, the motorcycle bug would bite again. This time it was a 1985, Honda, Nighthawk 650. I put a Tracy Vortex fairing and a back rest on it. It was a fun commuter bike. After I sold it, I had life get in the way of riding for a few years.

It wasn't until about 1997 or 98 that I got into riding somewhere other than back and forth to work, or around town. I purchased a well used 1985 Yamaha Venture. It was on this bike that I made my first trip out to the Sturgis rally in SD in 1999. I have been going back every year since then. Not so much for the "lifestyle" but for the great roads in the Black Hills. I thought it was a great bike. My then wife, didn't like the passenger comfort. I had to upgrade in 2000. The Venture's on the right. I'm standing closest to it.

In 2000, my now ex-wife, came with to Stugris. I was riding a new, left over, 1998 Honda Goldwing. It was a nice bike. I could really rack up the miles in comfort. I know it's not the best picture..

New girlfriend=new bike, so in the summer of 2004, I traded in the '98 Goldwing for a 2003, Jupiter Orange, Honda Goldwing. Wow! what a bike! I was hooked on long distance travel. That same summer I bought a Bushtec trailer, and had it painted to match the bike. That bike has been all over the western United States.

On the road trip to the 2006 Sturgis rally, I hit a Pronghorn antelope with that Goldwing. The insurance company fixed it, but it took the repair shop 6 weeks to do it. I knew that if I didn't get back on and ride something soon, I might be spooked and the antelope would win again.
So, I bought a 2006 Yamaha FJR-1300. I thought the Goldwing was a mile maker, wow, is the FJR an easy bike to ride all day. I found my self taking the FJR everywhere. If Nancy wasn't riding with me the Goldwing was in the garage.

There it is in 2007, fully loaded for a 3 week trip, parked across a deserted stretch of hwy 6 in Nevada. I rode out to Nevada, attended an FJR rally in Park City, Utah, and met up with the guys at the Sturgis rally on that trip.

In 2007, I thought that a dual purpose bike might be fun. I picked up a 2001, Kawasaki, Super Sherpa. I rode it some, but not enough to justify keeping it. I sold it late in the fall of 2011.

In 2008, Kawasaki updated their little 250 Ninja. I picked one up. It was somewhat of a dissapointment. I couldn't get used to the high reving engine after years on large touring bikes. It would make a great commuter bike though.

Over the winter of 2008-2009, Nancy's doctors told her that her riding days were over. She had a heart attack in 2006, and has an issue with a bad back. In the spring of 2009, she told me that if I wanted to get rid of the Goldwing and get something else, It was OK with her. I think I was out the door before she finished the sentence.
I traded the '03 Goldwing and the 250 Ninja for a 2009, Candy lime green, Kawasaki, ZX-14.
If the FJR is quick, this thing's unbelievable! So smooth, ergonomics that are OK with my 51 year old, over weight, body. A set of Givi side cases and it's an instant cross country ballistic missile!!

So, I'm down to 2 bikes. The FJR and the ZX-14. Both are great bikes. I've thought of selling the FJR, but everytime I ride it, I fall in love again. There's no way I'd get rid of the ZX-14 either. At least until my body protests the ride!

My 10 bikes, covering almost 40 years. What bikes have you owned?

PS.... If you look close, you'll notice that the FJR picture, and the top Zx-14 picture were taken near the same spot on Hwy 6 in NV, 4 years apart.

Not Done Yet!

2011-11-24T15:30:00.001-06:00

In this part of the country, if you don't like the weather, just wait a day or two. I guess it's true. I managed to burn through half a tank of Sta-bil treated, non-oxygenated premium today! I didn't want to be gone too long on this sunny Thanksgiving Day, bit I couldn't let the day pass without a ride.
I brought out the FJR, grabbed the camera, and put on the gear. I tried to ride to places I hadn't been to in a while.

The usually lush green valleys are now drab gray-brown.

I rode to the little town of Elmwood.

Main street Elmwood..

Elmwood is the self proclaimed "UFO Capital of Wisconsin" and home to "UFO Days", held the last full weekend in July.
There's clearly evidence of alien activity....

After Elmwood, I headed further east, deeper into WI. I made another stop at a wayside rest that over looks the Chippewa River, north of Durand.

I headed back towards Elmwood, by way of county back roads. I passed through the unincorporated village of Eau Galle. Right in the middle of town is a small dam and power house.

Don't you just love small towns....

I was on the way home and spotted this. It looks like a later 70's Honda 450 2 cylinder, that's been converted to an ATV?????

Not a bad way to spend a few hours on a Thanksgiving Holiday.

I wonder if I'll be able to ride to Minneapolis for first thursday next week?

The Party's Over????

2011-11-20T07:29:00.001-06:00

I knew it had to happen sooner or later. It started yesterday, and quit last night. This morning, it looks like this outside my front window.

All is not lost yet, the city hasn't brought out the salt/sand.....yet. The forecast for later this week includes some high 40's, even a shot at 50 by mid-week.

Maybe it's not all over?

If it is over, the oil has been changed, the Sta-bil's been added, the battery tender is plugged in. The bikes are resting.

Maybe the Last Ride of the Season?

2011-11-12T19:48:00.000-06:00

At about 11:30 today, I was sitting around the house when John called. He asked me if I had checked the air in my tires yet. I told him, "no", and asked him if I needed to do that. Was I going somewhere today? He said we'd be leaving my place around 1:00.... Funny, I was just thinking of going for a ride.
I rolled the 2 bikes out into the driveway and gave them a quick wipe down with spray polish. I fired up the air compressor and checked the tires. I decided to ride the FJR, it was low on fuel and I could fill it on the way home.
A little after 1:00 John arrived. We took a quick look at the WI gazetteer and planned a loop.

View Larger Map

It's about 120 miles long through Wisconsin farmland and glacial valleys.

We stopped in Plum City and had a snack. Then again at the scenic overlook along the Mississippi River, just north of Pepin, WI.

A few barges headed south.

Johns '09 H-D Electra Glide Classic, and my '06 Yamaha FJR.

We were back in Prescott by 4:10.

Tonight, the weather man on tv said that the highs later in the week would be in the low 30's, with a chance of snow by next weekend. This might be the end of the season.

I hope not!

A Motorcycle for Every Day of the Week!

2011-11-11T08:42:00.001-06:00

I follow a few motorcycle related blogs, and the list keeps growing. On one of the blogs the author asked a question, "If you had unlimited funds and could have one bike for every day of the week, what bikes would you choose?"
That blog was This One.

So, I searched the internet for images of bikes I'd like to own. Most of them are older bikes. Here's my list.

I'd keep my 2009 Kawasaki ZX-14.

I've always thought that the Honda CBX was an awesome bike, so it makes my list.

Next up would be a bit of nostalgia for me. I'd like to reacquire the first motorcycle I owned, a ruby red, 1971, Honda SL-70. Mine looked just like this. Well, maybe not as pretty.....

In keeping with my youth... I was a big fan of Cafe Racers, so this would bring me back...

I'm still not done with my past. This would be a tough choice. I know it's 2 bikes but I just couldn't decide which....
A modern, Evo engined, Sturgis

Or the ultra cool, old school, XLCR,

Both are the right color, and both have minimal chrome. Just the way I like it. Sorry, but I can't pick just one.

Not all the bikes I like are old. This would be a lot fun on the weekend out on my 40 acres...

My last one would be a Goldwing. I'd have another one if Nancy could ride again. I sold the one I used to have when she had to give up riding. We really enjoyed traveling!

So, there's my list of bikes. It's interesting to see other people's choices.

Dulono's Pizza First Thursday, November 2011

2011-11-05T12:58:00.002-05:00

Unless, by some miracle, the roads are still clear and the temps are above 35 degrees, last Thursday, was the last "first Thursday" of the season for me. The weather was perfect, it had warmed to the mid 50's during the day. The turn out was light. I expected more people given the warm day.
John and I got there around 4:30,and there were maybe 15 motorcycles parked in the area.

We parked in the street to avoid getting blocked in like last month.

We went inside to eat....

When we finished...

We went back outside, there were probably 40 bikes around, and the numbers kept climbing. I think it topped out at around 90-100 bikes. There were many that I hadn't seen before.

1922 H-D...

I got home about an hour and a half after sundown. The temps had really started to drop. This was the bank clock down the street from my place.

It was a fun way to spend a few hours in the evening, and get some riding time too!

A No Fall Color Ride

2011-10-28T21:55:00.001-05:00

I was feeling a little down today after yesterday's, not so enjoyable, trip to the dentist. What better way to lift my spirits and clear my head than four hours of therapy on the big Kawasaki.

This afternoon it was a cool 50 degrees, with a partly cloudy sky. While I geared up, I started the bike in the garage and let it warm up. I skipped the liners in both the Venture pants and Cortech jacket. When it gets another few degrees colder, I'll be needing those. I stopped in town for some no ethanol premium and headed east.

I noticed that the fall colors that were so brilliant the last week of September, have really faded. Only a few Birch trees still have color, and most of the Oak trees are hanging on to dry, brown leaves. Most of the other leaves are gone. The fields around here have been harvested, and almost all the corn and beans are gone. The only green things are the evergreen trees and a few grass fields.

No color!

This would be a nicer picture if I knew what I was doing and got the depth of field right...

On the way home, I stopped at a road side plaque and checked out the back side. That was almost 10 years ago, from one of the first motorcycle rides I brought Nancy on. I love you dear....

A little more color along the Mississippi River.

I got home just as the sun was hitting the horizon. The temps were falling fast!

Last Thursday, I put the Super Sherpa on craigslist. There is someone coming over Saturday morning to look at it. He's pretty sure he'll drive it home. Update Saturday...... He came here in a car with a friend. They test drove it around the block. He drove it home for $100 less than my asking price! I'm happy.... He's happy. He called me a few hours after he rode it away. He drove it home, an hour and a half away, in 40 degree temps. He said it was cold but worth it!!! I say, enjoy!!!!

Now, do I try and sell the FJR????? It's a great bike, but since I got the Zx-14, I just don't ride it as often as I should.

100 Miles Round Trip to Ride 10 Miles of Great Road

2011-10-23T22:29:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, John came over and we went for a ride on some of the local "alphabet roads". I put about 100 miles on my FJR on that ride. It was a nice fall day, with cool air and bright sun.
We'd been riding for a while, when we found ourselves on County Road SS. A few miles east of Lund, at the start of a nice downhill run with fast sweepers, we had to slow down. There was a grain truck and 2 H-D dressers in front of us. I never ride as if the road is my race track, but the speed of the vehicles in front of us was depressing. By the time the grain truck was at the bottom of the hill it was quite a ways ahead of the Harleys, yet they were still dragging their brakes. AARRRGGG! I got the feeling that the grain truck wasn't slowing them down, if you know what I mean. We stopped along side the road at the intersection of SS and U. We waited for the truck and bikers to move a ways ahead of us before we continued. While we were stopped John and I decided to head back to my place. We cut short one of my favorite roads, and headed west.
When we got to my place I changed oil in the FJR while John and I shot the breeze.

Today, I went out by my self. I had the supplies to change the oil in the Zx-14 and wanted to warm it up before I started that project. I took a swing through town to try and gage the "biker" activity in front of the local bars. Weekends in Prescott can find the main street and bars packed with motorcycles. Today the turn out was light. It was probably due to the rain earlier and the Packers Vs. Vikings football game that was going to be on TV in a while. It was so nice to have the roads to myself.
I headed south on WI-35 along the Mississippi River. In the little town of Maiden Rock, I turned left onto County Road S, then right on CC and down to Lund. Out of Lund, I followed SS. Unlike yesterday, there was no one on the roads. I got to ride SS from Lund, past the Porcupine Cemetery, past the junction with D, down hill, all the way to N. That's about 10 miles of really nice sweepers and right angle, 30 MPH corners. Fun!!
I rode through Arkansaw, out to Hwy 10. I went west towards home, but stopped for a pop in Plum City. The cashier told me that the Packers were ahead, 27-17?. Go Pack!! I fed the trout in the city trout pond. They look like they're between 12 and 24 inches long!

After a short break, I drove non stop to home. I pulled in the garage and changed the oil in the Zx-14. Two down, one to go.

View Larger Map

Super Sherpa for Sale----SOLD!!!!

2011-10-20T22:32:00.002-05:00

On Monday, I took the FJR out for a nice ride through the rural Minnesota countryside. I took the long way down to Plainview Powersports. I wanted to look at a new '09 Yamaha Wr250x that they have listed on Craigslist. They have it priced at under $5000 with no "freight and set-up" fees, and I'd pay the sales tax and registration fees when I register it in WI. The little Wr250x is still brand new, and sold with the full warranty. New 2011 Wr's are over $6299 plus the BS "freight and set-up".

It looks like this. (stock Yamaha photo)

I have an '01 Kawasaki Super Sherpa. It's a great little bike, but not quite what I'm needing. I picked it up in the fall of '07, and at that time, it had 6640 miles on it. Sadly, it only has 7300 on it now. When I take the Sherpa out for a ride, I keep thinking that it would be a blast to have street tires on it. There are so few unpaved roads in my area of WI.

I placed the Super Sherpa on craigslist today. If it sells before the end of the riding season, and the Wr250x is still available, I just might have a new bike.

Dulono's Pizza First Thursday. October 2011

2011-10-07T11:51:00.002-05:00

I was able to make it to Dulono's Pizza for 1st Thursday this month. Last month I was in the hospital with a-fib. John and I rode the FJRs over. We got there fairly early and parked in Dulono's parking lot. I also learned a good lesson for next time. If possible, find a spot on the street, not the parking lot. We were blocked in and had to wait for other bikes to pull out before we could leave. There was a very large turn out this month.

John and I ate early to avoid the rush, we split the usual Dulono's Delite. It's a thin crust, pepperoni, sausage, and onion pizza. It's very good!

After we ate, we walked around and checked out the bikes. There were a few I recognized from before, but also a lot I'd never seen.

I'm normally not a huge H-D fan, but I can appreciate an original bit of mechanical excellence. I thought this was really interesting. It's an Electra glide trike, with an S-S motor that's mounted sideways, then a shaft drive to a transaxle and rear suspension from a VW bug. Pretty Trick!

There were a number of custom old Japanese bikes.

And quite a few nicely restored UJM's

I think I found my next bike... I'd have to sell the Super Sherpa, but this caught my eye. A Yamaha Wr250x. A supermoto, kind of like an off road bike with street tires. Hummmmm. Maybe....

Do You Recognize the Red Mark?

2011-09-02T17:08:00.004-05:00

I have a question to ask..

Does anyone know what the red mark on my chest is from?
It's the red outline, NOT the pimple
It's about 3.75 inches wide and 5.0 inches long.
There's a identical one on my upper back.
No, I didn't fall asleep in the sun with something on my chest.
I know how it got there, do you?

Anyone?

Click pic for bigger image!

Seeing as no one answered...I'll tell the story.

On 8-31-2011, around 8:00 p.m., I was sitting at my computer, when suddenly, I didn't feel so great. It felt like my heart was racing and that there was something wrong with me. I took my blood pressure, and was a little surprised by the results 185/95, pulse near 200. With a long family history of death by heart issues, I didn't want to delay getting checked out.
By about 9:15 p.m., I drove down to the Regina hospital E.R. in Hastings. When I told them I had a rapid pulse and a high BP, they looked at me like, ya, ok, go have a seat in the waiting room and we'll get to ya when we can. A short time later a nurse wheeled over a cart to take my vitals. She took my BP and I was immediately brought into a room.
The E.R. Dr. had them take an EKG. He read the strip and told me I had an irregular heart rhythm called AF, or Atrial Fibrillation. He informed me that while AF is not "life threatening", failure to treat it can lead to blood clots forming that can cause stokes or even massive heart attacks. I was give a couple of different meds to help me. One to try and slow my heart rate and restore normal rhythm, and one to try and prevent clotting.
I was admitted for the night, while they continued to try and restore a normal rhythm.
Around 7:00 a.m. the next morning, another Dr. came and told me that they were going to send me to United Hospital, to see a cardiologist. She also told me that there was an elevated level of Troponin in my blood, and that I may have either heart damage or had a heart attack! Just what I wanted to hear first thing in the morning.
By 9:00 a.m I was being rolled through the hallways at United and was brought up to the 4th floor. A short time later I met Dr. Olson, a cardiologist. He was great! We discussed what they had planned for me.
By 9:45, I had a process called an Electro-cardioversion performed. I had been knocked out, given an electric shock that restored a normal rhythm, and was awake. That took all of about 2 minutes. While I was recovering, I had an Echocardiogram.
When that was over, I was rolled back to my room. I had to wait a bit until they could get me in for a heart CT scan. While I was waiting, they had to draw more blood from me. I think I was stuck at least 15 times while in the 2 hospitals. Some of the needle sticks were successful, some were not. I still have black and blue marks on my arms from all the pokes.
In the early afternoon, I was rolled down the hall again. I had a 2 CT scans of my heart. One with no drugs or dye, and one after a nitro pill, and contrast dye. The dye made me feel like I was going to pee my pants.
When it was all over, and Dr. Olson had time to check my results, we talked. He told me that sometimes people go into AF once, get treated for it and it might never have it happen again. Or that they can get treated and have reoccurring issues for a long time. He prescribed some meds, recommended a follow up visit with my regular Dr., and we discussed what to do if I feel that way again. He also said that he noticed no damage to my valves, and that I showed no signs of coronary artery disease! That was great news.
I was discharged from United around 4:30pm on Friday, 9-1. I had been in for around 18 hours, and had not had anything to eat for almost 21 hours. While I was being discharged, they brought me juice, graham crackers and peanut butter. It was the best snack I'd had in a long time!!!

Day 16. The Last Day.

2011-08-22T22:06:00.002-05:00

Friday the 19th.

After breakfast in the cafe at the Chieftain Motel, we left with 2 goals for the day. Vist the Ronald Reagan Minuteman Missile Site, and make it home by sundown.
The first stop was just 47 miles away in Cooperstown. 4 miles north of hwy 200 on hwy 45 is the North Dakota State Historical Society's very well preserved Minuteman Missile LCC (launch control center). I visited the similar facility run by the National Parks Service near the Badlands this June. I have to say that the Parks Service facility is nowhere near as complete or nicely restored as the one in Cooperstown! John and I spent nearly 2 hours looking at every square foot of the place. At the Badlands facility, I felt rushed and it seemed like I was through it in 15 minutes. I was happy to pay the $10 admission. I'm sure it's going to help keep the LCC open. It's a great piece of Cold War history.

View of front gate from inside security office.

Underground mechanical room. The floor is hanging on 4 huge shock absorbers. There are parts of 2 of them in the background.

Blast door for mechanical room.

Door frame of blast door for control room. Signed by crew on the last day the facility was active. At the bottom, "in aquilea cura" was the motto of the 448th Missile Squadron. It translates to "under the care of the eagle"

2 red chairs for launch control officers.

Launch control board, 1 of 2. The red box is where the missile launch keys were kept. Each officer had his own padlock on the box.

Keys were inserted here...

After the tour of the LCC it was pretty much a minimal stop run to home. We stayed on 200 until it ended at US-2 near Floodwood, MN.
A quick run down I-35 to the twin cities, and I split off on 694 to Cottage Grove, then into WI on hwy 10. To home... just before sundown

Total mileage for the 16 day trip.... 4753

Day 15.

2011-08-22T20:45:00.001-05:00

Day 15. Thursday the 18th

We had spent the night at Fellman's Motel in Jordan, MT. It was a nice place. The price was right. It also had a great shower, small, but the water pressure and flow were awesome.
We left town and continued east. We crossed into ND and noticed all the oil wells and temporary housing. It's a booming area.

We came across a coal field. There was an electric dragline working. It's a Marion 8750. It weighs 13.5 Million pounds. The boom is 360 feet long. The bucket is 20'x16'x10' it weighs 244,000 pounds. It holds 125 cubic yards of overburden(dirt). It's HUGE!!

for a while, we thought the weather was going to turn bad. This was ahead of us, but by the time we got to it, there was nothing but gray skies.

We stopped for the night at the Chieftain Motel in Carrington, ND.

Day 14 More Montana with Nukes

2011-08-17T22:51:00.002-05:00

This morning it was 35 degrees in Lincoln, so we were in no hurry to get on the road. It wasn't long before the temps climbed and the riding was good. We continued east on 200.
Our route took us past Malmstrom A.F.B. Home to 150, LGM-30G, 300 Kt nuke equipped, Minuteman III missiles. It was interesting to see the differences between the '90's era LCC's (launch control centers) and LF's (launch facilities) of SD and the current ones in MT.
I toured the National Parks Service's restored LCC and LF near the Badlands in SD on my trip west in June. Pictures Here.

LF...launch facility.

LCC...Launch Control Center.

In Lewistown, we stopped for food and fuel. We noticed that there was a museum with a Minuteman missile on display.

Because we got a late start, we ended up in Jordan, MT for the night. We should be well into ND by tomorrow night.

Day 13. Making the Turn Towards Home.

2011-08-16T22:52:00.000-05:00

Day 13. Tuesday the 16th.

This morning, we left the Motel 6 of Coeur d'Alene and headed to Rathdrum, via ID-41. The further north we went, the more Idaho looked like a place I'd like to live. The panhandle area looks a lot different than southern Idaho. In the south, there was a lot of sagebrush. In the north, it's pine trees. It reminds me of western Oregon. We followed ID-41 all the way to US-2 on the ID-WA border. We took US-2 east to Sandpoint.

John wanted to ride hwy 200 from it's start in Sandpoint, ID all the way across MT, ND, to the end in Cloquet, MN. We Got on 200 near the east side of Sandpoint. We rode 265 miles of it today. We stopped for the night in Lincoln, MT. We checked in to the Three Bears Motel, unpacked, and went to The Montanan for dinner. I had the best bacon cheeseburger I've ever had.

Visitors outside our motel room near sundown.....

Day 12. Grangeville to Coeur d'Alene

2011-08-16T02:02:00.001-05:00

Day 12. Monday the 15th

We made today was a much slower paced day. We stopped a lot, and I managed to take a bunch of pictures and experiment with different camera settings.
I've been north out of Grangeville on ID-13 to US-12 to Lolo, 2 other times. The ride is one of my favorites. This time, we turned left on 12 to go west.
We crossed over the Clearwater River on ID-7 and into Orofino. We took county road P-1 and stopped at the Dworshak Dam.
In Kendrick, we had lunch at Archie's Place. The weather was turning colder, and by the time we got to Troy, via 99, we had to stop and put on another layer of clothing.
We turned to head west and rode through Moscow and into Pullman, WA. We went up WA-27 to Palouse. Then back into ID.
We gassed up in Potlatch and went north on ID-6, the White Pine Scenic Byway. It's a short ride, but the scenery is great!
Out of St. Maries, we turned left onto ID-97, the Lake Coeur d'Alene Scenic Byway. It's a nice 35 mile ride that takes you along side Lake Coeur d'Alene. The views are nice, but maybe I was tired, but it seemed to take forever to get to the end.

Day 11. Arco to Grangeville

2011-08-16T00:47:00.001-05:00

Day 11. Sunday the 14th.

We checked out of the D-K Motel, gassed up, and left Arco. We headed west on US-20. This interesting building was in downtown.

We stopped at the overlook just before the Craters of the Moon N.M. Neither John nor I felt like taking the time to drive through the park.

After passing through Picabo, we turned north on Gannett Road. Gannett Road meets up with ID-75, just south of Bellevue. That section of ID-75 is the Sawtooth Scenic Byway. The view was nice but there was a lot of traffic. The area is a huge tourist attraction. The prices for real estate in the Ketchum and Sun Valley area must me outrageous. One yard had a helicopter parked in it.

We stopped in Stanley for lunch and fuel, then left town on ID-21, the Ponderosa Pine Scenic Byway. In Lowman, we got on the Wildlife Scenic Byway, also known as, NF-24, or, Banks-Lowman Road. That 33 mile section of roadway is awesome!

In Banks, we headed north on ID-55, the Pyette River Scenic Byway. Our original plan was to stop for the day in either McCall, or New Meadows. Motels in McCall looked too expensive for our budget. In New Meadows, we gassed up and decided to go all the way up to Grangeville.

We stayed at the Super 8. It was the same place we stayed last year on our trip through the area, and the place I stayed on my trip west in June. After being quoted a rate for the room, I asked the clerk if she'd give us a deal for staying with them 3 times in the last year. She knocked $11.00 off.

I was so tired from the 400 mile day, that I fell asleep in my clothes watching TV. I didn't wake up and go to bed until 0400.

Day 10. The Long Way to Arco. Saturday the 13th.

2011-08-13T21:11:00.001-05:00

Arco is only 67 miles from Idaho Falls. So John and I decided to take the long way, 302 miles. We stayed with the theme of riding the Idaho scenic byways.
We left Idaho Falls on I-15 and got off at exit 143. We went west on ID-33 to Mud Lake. Then north on ID-28, the Sacajawea Historic Byway. The road runs up between 2 mountain ranges, and along side a couple of different rivers.
We had lunch at Subway in Salmon, and then gassed up. We followed US-93 out of Salmon. The first section follows along side the Salmon River, and is the Salmon River Scenic Byway. In Challis, US-93 becomes the Peaks to Craters Scenic Byway.
We got a room at the D-K motel in Arco.

Day 9. Worland, WY to Idaho Falls, ID August 12

2011-08-13T08:49:00.001-05:00

We left the Days Inn around 0945 after doing our laundry and eating breakfast. We headed south towards Thermopolis, home of the worlds largest hot spring.

We continued south from Thermopolis. Hwy 20 runs through the Wind River Canyon. It was kind of a weird optical illusion, but both John and I thought that the road was going down hill, and it looked like the river was running up hill as it flowed north. If it weren't for the GPS telling me that we were gaining altitude, I wouldn't have believed it.

Further up stream is the Boysen Reservoir Dam.

We passed through Shoshoni, over to Morton, and up hwy 26 to Dubois, where we stopped for lunch.

John and a cardboard cut out of Gene Autry, his hero.

We turned left at Moran Junction, and headed for the Grand Tetons.

My favorite pic so far.....

We rode through Jackson, then west on WY-22, over the Teton pass and into Idaho.

Near the Teton Pass.

We spent the night at the Motel 6 in Idaho Falls.
We were thinking of trying to make the coast, but we only have until the 20th. We have changed our plans and will most likely be spending the next few days exploring the many scenic byways in Idaho.

Days 7 and 8.

2011-08-12T00:20:00.002-05:00

Day 7. Wednesday the 10th.

John and I went into Sturgis to do our shopping. We walked up and down the streets, shopped, and people watched. We walked over to the Post Office and mailed our purchases home. We took a short break in the Civic Center, and we met a couple of guys from New Zealand. They had shipped their bikes from home to the west coast, then they flew in and picked them up. They rode all the way to the rally, and found camping on a little old lady's front lawn, just a block from rally headquarters. They were going to tour the USA on their 5 week vacation.

At 1200 we met Lee and Gabi, Lyle, Larrie and Garth, for lunch at the Loud American Roadhouse.

Lee and Gabi

After lunch, John and I went back to the campground. We went back to Sturgis just before sundown, because I wanted to try and get a few night life pictures.

The "top" is painted to match the pants.

It was a very slow night. The temps have been a lot cooler this year compared to past years.

Day 8. Thursday the 11th.

This morning John and I packed up and headed west. We're still not sure where we're going, but it will be somewhere west.
We left Belle Fourche and headed west on SD-34. In Aladdin, WY we dropped down onto I-90 from WY-111.
We stopped for gas in Gillette. That's when John noticed that his front tire had a really bad cupping problem. He decided to go back an exit to the Harley-Davidson dealer we'd just passed. We walked into the the service area and John spoke to the service writer. The dealership wanted almost $400.00 to mount a new Dunlop D-408f on his bike. John told them he'd have to think about it. I got out my netbook and Googled his old tire, D-407f. I found out about a recall on that tire. So John called his dealer in Rice Lake, WI. Their service manager told him about a service bulletin, M1258C. John went back into the service department and the writer looked up the bulletin and they ended up replacing his tire for free. We were back on the road about 3 and a half hours later.
We got off I-90 at Buffalo, and crossed over the Big Horn Mountain on hwy 16. I had been over the Big Horns before, but on hwy 14. I think that 16 is a much more scenic highway and is perfect for a motorcycle. There are nice 50 MPH sweepers and even a few 25 MPH tight hairpin curves.
I tried to get some pictures on the west side, but I was shooting into the setting sun.

We had really good dinner at the Ten Sleep Saloon. I had the chicken fried steak with mashed potatoes and John had the beef roladen with mini dumplings and brown gravy. Both the food and the waitress were GREAT!

We stopped for the night in Worland, WY at the Days Inn.

Day 6.Tuesday the 9th.

2011-08-09T23:14:00.001-05:00

Last night we had a plan... We were going to get up with the sun, shower, eat breakfast at the campground as soon as it was available, and head south. It was a good idea, in theory, but the weather wasn't cooperating. This morning the sky was overcast and we could see rain to the west and south, and it was headed our way. We sat around in camp until the weather improved.
We got on I-90 and got off in Rapid City. From there, we took 79 down to Hot Springs. None of us could remember ever going to Hot Springs during the rally. We stopped for lunch in a combination pawn shop/cafe. The food was good, the portions were large and the prices were low.

After lunch, we gassed up and started north on 385. We stopped at Whitaker Jewelers. We have stopped there every year since I started coming in '99. They used to have stores in Hill City, but last year they moved south, just out of Hot Springs. They have a small shop and live totally off-grid. Preston showed John and me his solar collector set up and his battery bank. Both John and I expressed interest in his system. Preston's advice was to read as much as possible before planning or buying anything. John bought a necklace for his niece.
We followed 385 north through Custer, and Hill City. We went east on Sheridan Lake Road. All the way up, we were either just ahead of or just behind the rain. We only had a little sprinkle all day.
We stopped at the T.G.I.Fridays in Rapid City to meet up with Terresah. She was John and Lyle's waitress way back in '97, and was still waitressing as a college student, at the Valley Cafe in Spearfish when I started coming out here in '99. We have met up with her almost every year since. She is the mother of the child I never had... (there's a G rated story behind that from 2000) We celebrated Lyle's birthday. Terresah got some of the other help to come out and sing Happy Birthday to him.

Lyle getting his birthday dessert.

Garth, me, Terresah, Lyle, Larrie, and John.

We got back to camp around 1830. I don't think the temp ever got over 70 all day.

I spotted this alongside the road. Is it a South Dakota riding lawnmower?

Days 3 4 and 5

2011-08-08T22:45:00.003-05:00

Day 3, Saturday the 6th.

I was up with the sun, showered and ready to rock by 0630. We didn't get going until 0830. The 5 of us, me, John, Garth, Lyle and Larrie, drove the 26 miles from Belle Fourche to the VFW in Sturgis for breakfast. After breakfast, John and I rode down Vanocker Canyon to Johnson Siding. Then down to Hill City. We tried to photograph the 1880 train, but it wasn't running. We had lunch in Hill City at Rico's. They have great home-made Mexican food.

Day 4. Sunday the 7th.

Another breakfast at the VFW in Sturgis. This time with Lee and Gabi, and Tom and Carla. After breakfast we were supposed to take a group ride. John and I got separated from the others. We were going to go out Vanocker Canyon. John and I headed out to the canyon, but couldn't find the others. We drove part way down and waited but never saw them. We turned around and headed towards Belle Fourche.
John and I ended up going out 34 to Hulett, WY. Then up WY-112 to Alzada, MT.

This was an interesting thing to see in the middle of nowhere..

Just an experiment with the camera. Click it for a larger view.

We stopped for a pop at the Stoneville Saloon. The weather didn't look very good down towards our campground in Belle Fourche, but we went that way anyway. A few miles down the road in Colony we ran into a heavy rain. We rode through it, a few more miles down the road. Just before getting to Belle Fourche it started to rain again.
We stopped for an early dinner at the American West restaurant. We sat down and ordered, and then it really started to rain. 10 Minutes later it let up, but turned to hail. Pea and marble size at first. The manager/owner came over to us and told us to drive our bikes around to the back door and park them in their basement on the dance floor in the banquet room. So John and I ran out and got the bikes to the back door. We got back to our table and when we looked out the hail was golf ball to almost tennis ball size. By the time we finished dinner, the storm was passed us the sun was shining. A huge Thank You to the American West restaurant in Belle Fourche for your thoughtfulness.
That night, after dark, we had another storm pass through camp. That one was just thunder, lightening, and heavy rain.

Day 5. Monday the 8th.

John and I had breakfast at Taco John's. Then we stopped at the laundromat at washed clothes. It was a pretty sad place, half the machines were out of order. We went back to camp and met up with Lyle, Larrie and Garth.
We went for a group ride down Spearfish Canyon. We stopped at Roughlock Falls and walked down to view the falls.

Larrie, Lyle, John, Garth.

We stopped at the little town of Rochford.

Then back onto 85, and into Spearfish. We ate dinner at Sanford's. After dinner it was back to camp to relax.

Day 1 and 2 of the 13th Anual Sturgis Trip

2011-08-05T22:29:00.001-05:00

I left home a little later than the 0630 I wanted to leave by. I drove to St. Paul and met John. We were under way by 0730. John led me through a twisted maze of back streets through St. Paul and Minneapolis, out to hwy 394. 394 became 12, and we followed it out to Wilmar, MN. In Wilmar, we took MN hwy 40 to the SD border. We took a series of SD hwys and county roads all the way to US 212. We followed 212 to Belle Fourche, SD. We had very nice riding weather all day. Even a nice tail wind the last 100 miles.

We set up camp at Wyatt's Hideaway Campground. Wyatt's is the best camping I've found in my 13 years of coming to the rally.

Garth's stuff was here when we got here, but he wasn't around. He showed up about a half an hour later. He had been to Walmart to get a new tent. One of his tent poles broke while he was setting it up, so he had gone to get a new tent.

We set up our tents and it wasn't long before everyone was asleep.

DAY 2.

We didn't do much today. We rode into town for breakfast, came back to camp and rested. We didn't go anywhere else until after Larie and Lyle showed up around 1615. After they set up camp, we went to the Belle Inn for supper.

The weather looked threatening, but it blew past with only a sprinkle.

Tomorrow we'll go for a ride and I'll take more pictures.

Oh Crap

2011-08-01T14:38:00.003-05:00

So, in 4 days, I'm supposed to be headed out for Belle Fourche, SD again. What happens..... an emergency root canal! Oh just great. Just what I ~~needed~~ wanted to do. I spent Sunday morning and afternoon on the couch with heat and cold packs in a "Vicodin haze". Thank God I had some leftover meds. I thought my head was going to explode.

This moring, I had root canal work done. Tomorrow, I go back for the permanent filling.

.

Another First Thursday at Dulono's Pizza.

2011-07-08T01:19:00.000-05:00

John and I went to First Thursday again at Dulono's Pizza in Minneapolis. I didn't realize it until I was looking at the pictures I took, but every shot I took was of a red bike, except one.
The crowd was big, and there was a live band playing in one of the parking lots. We didn't stay too long. John wanted to get a few things done at home tonight before he leaves for Sioux Falls tomorrow.

Here's the pictures...
A sweet KZ-1000

I love the sound of a 3 cylinder 2 stroke.

Another...

A really cool Honda 550-4

Yamaha 350

CBX....

Another Honda 400-4

The last pic. A Honda 450, springer hard tail. The seat looks a little uncomfortable!

Day 17. The End!

2011-06-29T12:55:00.000-05:00

I got up early Tuesday morning, packed and was ready for breakfast by 6:30. I was pretty excited to be going home. I missed Nancy and the boys (cats). 17 days away from home is a long time for me, for others 17 days is nothing.
I was on the road by 6:50, that's 7:50 central time. I gassed 3 times, and grabbed a quick lunch at the Taco John's in Luvern, MN. I finished the 541 mile day by 4:30.
I brought home a few things that I found for Nancy, a sample of beach sand from the Pacific, a huge pine cone, and a couple of crab shells. She was pleased!
Total miles on this trip 5780.9 through 9 states, with only day or two of light rain.
The only mechanical issue I had was the loss of one of the quick connect retainers on my luggage. I didn't notice that until I got home. A replacement and a spare have been ordered.

I also learned that my underwear of choice for a long trip is not the cotton briefs I usually wear everyday, but the stretchy, black, polyester boxers that look like bicycling shorts. Add a bit of Palmer's Bottom Butter, and an Aleve and I'm good to go!!

My bike needs a lot of service in the next few weeks. I need to do an oil change, clean the chain, change brake fluid, check the air filter, and give it a very good cleaning. It's looking pretty ratty!

Days 15 and 16.

2011-06-27T19:56:00.000-05:00

I'm fine, I was just too tired last night to post anything. After I took a shower, I fell asleep without blogging.

Day 15.
Grangeville, Idaho to White Sulphur Springs, Montana.
I started the day knowing that I'd get to ride Hwy 12 over Lolo Pass. I was excited to ride that road again. I did it last year with John. You can read more about that day HERE. I was having a good time. I had shot a few pictures along Hwy 13 and even got a nice clear one of the "winding road next 99 miles" sign. I stopped to get another picture of the fast moving river, when I noticed the camera was telling me there was no memory card in it. CRAP! All the good pictures I thought I had! Oh well.
From Lolo, I went through Missoula, Helena, and stopped in White Sulphur Springs. I think I was asleep before 9:00 p.m.
I think the rivers along Hwys 13 and 12 are higher this year, than they were last year. There are a lot more areas of white water than I remember from last year. There were also a lot of small islands that had water running over them. There were 2 or 3 foot tall pine trees on those islands.

Another state sign.

There's still snow at Lolo Pass

I saw another one of these things just outside of White Sulphur Springs... any guesses???

Day 16.
White Sulphur Springs, Montana to Wall, South Dakota.
I slept so good last night, that I was up a packed and ready to go by 6:30. I had breakfast at a little place in town called Dori's Cafe. I had scrambled eggs with diced ham in them, toast and hash browns. It was very good. I was east bound by 7:00.
Just 20 miles out of town, I looked down at the gas gauge and looked up to see a deer standing on the left shoulder. He was facing left, looking off the road. I thought he'd just keep going and would be off the roadway, but no, he decided to turn around, and run back across my lane. I missed him by a foot, at the most. I took a short break on the side of the road, then made my way to Harlowtown for gas.
There were a TON of small gnat type bugs on the road. I had to pull in at almost every town and clean my face shield. I was trying to make good time, so most at most of the stops I didn't even get off the bike to clean the face shield.

Before I knew it, I was in Belle Fourche. I gassed up and was thinking about where to end the day. I felt good and it was still only 2:30. I had been thinking of the beef tips from American West restaurant for the last 100 miles. If it were closer to supper time I would've stopped. I drove through Sturgis and stopped in Rapid City. I knew there were a bunch of restaurants near exit 59. I chose the Golden Corral. I ended the day at the Super 8 in Wall.

I should be home before too late tomorrow.

Day 14. Idaho

2011-06-25T23:09:00.000-05:00

I didn't take many pictures today. I pretty much just rode from Burns, OR to Grangeville, ID. I didn't sleep very well last night. I now realize that I can't drink caffeine anymore. I had a hard time falling asleep, and my ass has been dragging all day.

I did think that this was an interesting sign...

I got one more state sign.

The Little Salmon River..

Day 13. Crossing Oregon.

2011-06-24T23:33:00.002-05:00

I turned and headed east this morning. I'm, at least, travelling the direction of home. I'm not sure when, or even how, I'll get there. It will be good to get home.
I rode two very beautiful Oregon roads today, OR-38 and OR-126. From Reedsport, I took OR-38, AKA, the Umpqua Highway. It follows along side the Umpqua River. On parts of the highway the trees are so close to the road, that you're driving under a lush green canopy. There are many sections where they had to cut into the rock to make room for the road and the walls are just feet from the roadway. There were several small waterfalls along the road and a tunnel through the hill.

Highway 38 runs through Drain, and out to I-5. I took I-5 up to Eugene/Springfield and caught 126 east. A mile or so later you begin to think you're in the middle of nowhere. East of Vida there is a really cool covered bridge over the McKenzie River. Here's some more info.

I also spotted this. I have no idea what it is, but I've seen 2 or 3 identical structures on this trip. It's very large and several stories tall. Any ideas???

I wanted to take 242 out to Sisters, but the road is still closed. Too much snow.

I had to take 126 to 20 to get to Sisters. The town is named after the nearby 3 mountain tops, each just a bit over 10,000 feet. I didn't stop in Sisters, but I got the feeling it is kind of a tourist town.

I was thinking of riding all the way to Ontario, OR, but instead stopped in Burns. I didn't feel like riding another 2 and a half hours.

Day 12. Fortuna CA to Reedsport, OR

2011-06-24T00:19:00.001-05:00

Last night, I pampered myself and stayed at the Super 8 in Fortuna. I know that really doesn't sound too fancy, but I'm trying to keep costs down. I also had to get the "Bates Motel" of Quincy feeling off of me. It was good to have the continental breakfast of fresh fruit, a waffle and juice.

I spent the day driving up the coast on US-101.
The first stop was a California rest stop in the Redwoods.

A field of elk.

I finally get to the Pacific Ocean.

I thought this was neat. On each end of the bridge over the Klamath River, there are 2 bears.

I saw this and thought I was in Brainerd, MN.

A few more from further north.

I've seen commercials for Jack in the Box and thought I'd try it. I stopped in Crescent City, CA for lunch. It wasn't bad.

Into Oregon.

In Gold Beach, OR, right along side the road, is the office for Backwoods Home magazine I've never had a subscription, but I've read many issues over the years. I stopped in and picked up the current issue. I may have to subscribe.

I ended the night in Reedsport, OR. I'm back to low dollar hotels. Tonights hotel was $43.00 with no extras.

Tommorow, I turn east for home.

Day 11. 140 Mile Workout and Avenue of the Giants.

2011-06-23T00:04:00.004-05:00

I got up this morning and checked out of my motel... it was one step up from the "Bates Motel". I was ready to cross 2 more items off my list of places I wanted to see while on this road trip. I headed north on CA-89, all the way to CA-36, and took it west. A lot of the roads I've been on follow along the sides of rivers, and others were cut into the sides of the mountains. CA-36 has both. I stopped at a grocery store in Mineral. I was surprised, for being in the middle of nowhere they had everything. A huge Mexican and Asian section, better than some of the larger grocery stores back home! I picked up some more supplies, including dried tart cherries and craisins.
CA-36 crosses over the Sierra Nevada Mountain Range, then drops down into the Sacramento Valley, and finally over the Coastal Range, and it ends at highway 101, near the ocean. The temps today were nice and cool at the higher elevations, but it was 96 degrees at 1100 when I crossed the valley.

A short ways out of Red Bluff, in the valley, is this sign. I have seen it for years on web sites like sport-touring.net and pashnit.com. It's kind of a motorcyclists icon in northern California.

It was a long time from when I passed the sign, before the temps began to drop again and for me to gain elevation. It is a very fun ride. Traffic was light, and there were plenty of places to let other cars go by. I was in no hurry to reach the end. It was a heck of a workout, maneuvering a 650 lb, large, sport bike that's fully loaded for travelling, around all those curves!!! I'm beat!

When I came to the end of CA-36, I went south on Hwy 101.

I wanted to see some Giant Redwoods, so I went here.

The road is actually the old Highway 101. A newer, multi laned, road now runs almost right along side the old road. The giant trees are right next to the roadway. I still can't believe just how big they are. I saw pictures of them when I was in school, but they are so much bigger in real life. WOW, what a sight.

A couple more pictures from today.

Day 10. On to Quincy.

2011-06-22T02:41:00.003-05:00

Today was not a very productive day. It started warm and just got hotter. In the 5 minutes it took to drive from the hotel to Rodz Grill for breakfast, the temp was warm enough to make my hands sweat and my gloves moist.

Rodz Grill, Angels Camp, CA. A neat, car themed diner.

My plan for today was to follow CA-49 up from Angels Camp, through Placerville, through Auburn, up to CA-89, to somewhere on CA-36. Things didn't go quite that way...

I was following the GPS and doing ok. Somewhere in Auburn things went wrong. The GPS will occasionally call the road I'm on by the local name, such as "Main Street", instead of the route number, like "49". So I wasn't to concerned when it told me I was on Auburn-Folsom Road. I should've been a bit more aware of where I was going, but it was HOT and I think the temperature got to my brain! I didn't realize I was so lost until I saw a sign for Rancho Cordova. I found my way onto Hwy 50 and got off back in Placerville. By the time I got back up to Auburn, I had wasted 3 hours! It was fun to re-ride that section of 49 again, but it was a time killer.
I found my way through Auburn, again, and managed to stay on 49 and not get lost. CA-49, especially where it runs along side the Yuba River, is a great road for a motorcycle!

CA-49 takes you through neat little towns like Downieville and Sierra City.

I had set my GPS to guide me to Quincy. It told me to turn north onto Gold Lake Road. As the elevation climbed, the temps dropped. It wasn't long before I was into the snow again. I wanted to stop and lay in the snow for a while and cool off. While I was following Gold Lake Road, the GPS told me to turn right onto a forest service road. I made the turn and in less than 50 feet I had to stop. Darn GPS.

As if wasting 3 hours because I got lost, and being sent down a snow covered road weren't enough, I got stung. After getting onto CA-89 from Gold Lake Road, it was very hot. I was running with my jacket totally unzipped. I was riding along and felt a bug hit me in my throat. It hit hard. Then I felt a pain in my left shoulder, right under the collar bone. I felt something in my shirt moving towards my belly. I grabbed at it with one hand, while trying to get to the side of the road and stop the bike. Once I got stopped, I ripped the my shirt out from my pants and a big fuzzy bumble bee fell on the ground.
I'd had enough. I stopped in Quincy for the night, had a Subway, and grabbed a hotel room. While I've been typing this, I've lost the internet connection 3 times. Good night!

Day 9. Bishop, CA through Yosemite, to Angels Camp, CA

2011-06-20T23:53:00.000-05:00

This morning I thought it might be a good day to take in Yosemite N.P. It's also the day I decided to try and overcome my insane fear of heights!!
I left Bishop and headed for Lee Vining up 395. What a beautiful highway!

The view driving up 395

Highway 120, aka Tioga Pass Road, is mostly up hill all the way to the Yosemite entrance. The pictures don't reflect the reality of just how high the road climbs.

I know it may not look like it, but there is a road down at the bottom. It was almost straight down!

The same shot at 40X zoom...

I took a lot more pictures, but after a while they kind of start to look the same. I did meet an older guy in the park. He had worked there for over 30 years. He told me which roads to take in where to turn. He was very helpful. I spent over 5 hours in the park. I was comfortable at the higher elevations, but when I dropped down into Yosemite Valley the temp really went up. I was stuck in a lot of stop and go traffic. The Valley was packed.
I did amaze myself with where I went to get some of the pictures. I walked out onto a bridge that was so high, I could barely see the river below. I even walked out to the edge of some very steep drop offs on the sides of the roads. I'm not over my fear of heights, but I'm not paralyzed by it anymore (I hope).
I left the park on 120 towards Big Oak Flat, and followed it to hwy 49. I took 49 through Sonora, and stopped for the night in Angels Camp. The temp was nearly 100 degrees. I was wearing jeans, over pants, a non mesh textile jacket, gloves and a helmet. I was roasting! It wouldn't have been as bad if I could have picked up some speed, but traffic kept speeds slow.

I think I'm going to try and reach the coast tomorrow. I'd like to see some redwoods up by Eureka/Fortuna. After that, I'll drive up into Oregon a ways, then start to make my way towards home. Maybe.

Day 8. Ely, NV to Bishop, CA. The long way.

2011-06-19T23:00:00.002-05:00

Tonight, I'm in a Motel 6 in Bishop, CA. I had a really good day. It started with breakfast at the Silver State Restaurant in Ely, then a quick tank of fuel, and west on hwy 6. I followed 6 out of town about 18 miles, then turned south onto NV-318. The weather was pretty good. Just a light off and on sprinkle. About an hour after I left, I stopped at a rest area (I hate riding and taking a diuretic!). There was a storm behind me and it was coming in fast.

I managed to avoid any more rain for the rest of the day.

Near the end of 318, the road gets twisty for a short ways as you pass through the White River Narrows.

In Alamo, I stopped for gas and a light lunch of a banana, some Craisins, and a 0 calorie Powerade. After lunch, I took off for Rachel on 375, the Extraterrestrial Highway.
In Rachel, I stopped at the Little Al'e'inn. I picked up a Area-51 sticker and a small pin. It's 160 miles from Alamo to Tonopah. There's no gas available in between, and I was fighting a HUGE head wind. I kept the speed down to try and improve my mileage. I took a few pictures along the way...
Jct. NV-375 and NV-318

The mail box marking the road to Nellis Air Force Range at Groom Lake, aka Area-51.

Rachel, NV.

I followed hwy 6 to Tonopah and gassed up. While I was taking a short break, I met a guy from CA that was on his way home after spending nearly a month on the road. He had been to New York and had put on almost 9000 miles on his Triumph Thunderbird.

A few more pictures from along hwy 6.

The road to the Tonopah Test Range.

Hwy 6 took me out of Nevada,

And into California.

It was a long day, but a good day. It ended with a great meal of, a spicy pollo verde tamale, a chicken enchilada with red sauce, and rice and beans from The Loco Frijole.
I miss you Nancy, say hi to the boys, Sticky, Orangie, Rudy, Screamer, Vinny, and Little Boy.

Day 7. Arco, ID to Ely, NV

2011-06-18T21:49:00.000-05:00

I was up too late last night and woke up too early this morning. I was in a fog all day. The last hour, I think the bike was driving its self.
I didn't stop to take many pictures. I only shot a few.

My internet connection is really slow here. I'll do a better job tomorrow.

Blogspot Issues?

2011-06-18T09:50:00.000-05:00

George F and others, For some reason I can't leave a comment on either my blog or on other peoples. I don't know if it's my computer or a blogspot issue. I'm not being rude, I just can't comment. Sorry.

Day 6. Lander, WY to Arco, ID

2011-06-18T01:02:00.000-05:00

I woke up this morning to a sunny, but chilly, 37 degree day. As I was packing up the bike, the man in the room next to mine came outside and started to clean his Harley. We talked for a long time about riding and getting older. He said he was going to be 76 next month, and that he'll continue to ride as long as he can. He actually looked closer to 60 years old.

I left Lander and headed towards Kemmerer, WY. I had to cross the Wind River Mountains. I'm glad I didn't go north to Cody or Yellowstone. I didn't bring enough cold weather gear for that kind of cold. Some of those mountain passes are close to 11,000 feet. My route is over lower elevations. It was darn cold on the 7600 feet pass I went over. I had to stop at a Wyoming rest area and go inside and warm up. Many of the mountain tops still had snow on them.

Wyoming antelope crossing sign.

I crossed into Idaho on hwy 30, north of Cokeville.

I stopped in Soda Springs, gassed up and grabbed a quick lunch at Taco Time.

One of the things I wanted to see on this trip was EBR-I, or Experimental Breeder Reactor-I. It's the first atomic reactor to generate electricity. Unfortunately, I arrived just 15 minutes before closing. I had time to walk in and snap a few photos, but I didn't have time to read the information about the displays. More information here, and here. Also in the parking lot are 2 experimental nuclear aircraft engines. I'd like to see the size of the plane that could get the engine and a bomb load off the ground.

2 experimental aircraft engines.

After they closed the EBR-I, I walked over to the aircraft engines. There were 5 or 6 other people looking at them. A 30's-ish man walked over to me and started talking to me about his motorcycle trips in years past. He told me he was "car camping", and tried to keep me talking as the other people left. I seldom get weird vibes from people, but this guy had the hairs on the back of my neck standing up. I don't know just what it was about him, but I couldn't get on the bike fast enough. Something in the back of my mind was telling me, Run from the Psycho.....

I stopped for the night in Arco, ID. across the street from the hotel I'm staying in, is this.

Tomorrow?

After the Rally, Now What to do.

2011-06-16T22:05:00.001-05:00

I woke up this morning not knowing what I should do. Should I continue west on my own? Or do I just go home to Nancy and the cats? To be honest, I really wasn't feeling like a long solo ride, so I told myself that I would ride west for half a day, and if I still wasn't sure what to do, I'd turn around and go home.
I gassed up in Custer and took off for Newcastle, WY. I stopped at the SD-WY state line for a picture. While I was there, a young couple in black car drove past me, stopped, turned around, drove back past me, turned around again and as I was leaving, they stopped at the Wyoming sign.

I stopped in Newcastle at an auto parts store. I needed to buy a new 12 volt power outlet.

The one I had been using developed a short in the cord. The new one, on the left, eliminates the cord. Now I can use both the Xm radio and the GPS again

I rode on WY-450 past the Thunder Basin Coal Company's Black Thunder Mine.

In Wright, WY there's a mining museum. I didn't go in, but I did snap a few pictures of the large dump truck parked outside.

I left Wright on 387, then took 259 towards Casper, WY. I gassed up outside of Casper and while taking a break, I met a couple from Kentucky. They were riding a Kawasaki Vulcan. They had traveled from KY to visit a relative in UT, then rode up to Cody, WY. They were on their way back home. They were going to be heading into heavy rain when they left the gas station, but they told me the weather was fine behind them. That was the direction I was going.
I took 26/20 west, and made a quick stop at Hell's Half Acre.

While I was getting off the bike and getting out my camera, the black car from back the state line went past, stopped, turned around and pulled into the parking lot. They were from Tennessee and had just got married, and were on their way to Yellowstone N.P. We talked for a bit and I wished them well and continued on my way. 10 miles down the road I made a quick stop at a WY wayside rest area. As I was waiting for traffic to pass by so I could continue west, they went by and waved and honked. I followed for a bit, but he was moving pretty fast. I ended up following about a mile behind them for quite a long time... We made good time. I turned off at WY-789 and took that down to Lander, WY.
I stopped for the night at the Holiday Lodge, where I got a very nice room with a 40+ inch flat screen, for a nice price.

After a little clean up, I walked next door for a dinner of steak fingers, baked potato and a trip to the salad bar. mmmmmmm

I don't know where I'll be tomorrow.

STN Rally, Days 3 and 4.

2011-06-16T00:25:00.001-05:00

On Tuesday I took it easy. I went for a ride from Custer up to Spearfish to find a better chain lube. I had been riding in the rain and the chain was looking pretty rough. I'm not happy with the lube I had been using. I picked up a can at the Honda dealer. I also discovered that my camera memory card was still in my netbook back in Custer, so I stopped off at Walmart for another card.
On the way back down to Custer I rode down Spearfish Canyon and 385. I stopped off at Lake Pactola for a break. The water in the reservoir was quite high.

I stopped in Hill City at Rico's Restaurant for lunch. They have great home made Mexican food.

From Custer, I rode into the Custer State Park on 16, then up the Needles Highway to 89. Down 89 to 16 and back to Custer.

After my ride, there were fellow members of the Sport-touring.net forum hanging around the parking lot BS'ing. At 1800 everyone walked over to the restaurant for dinner. That was followed up by more BS'ing in the lot.

Wednesday...

Today, 7 of us went on a group ride. We chose a route through Custer State Park. It was a nice 100 mile loop. Many of the roads are very narrow, and a lot of the other drivers on the road drive like they are the only ones on the road. They will stop and nearly block both lanes, while they try and feed the donkeys or photograph the buffalo.

For the most part the ride was enjoyable, but...
If you are close to this...

And the last 5 of 6 corners have been posted with this....

And you lose your concentration.... This can happen...

I came around a 15 MPH corner and found one of the riders from our group, lifting his bike up off it's right side. He had run off the right side of the road, at the exit of the corner. He may have had a bit of "target fixation" and ran onto the narrow grassy shoulder, and dropped the bike. He was fine, but the plastic on his bike was damaged, and his pride was hurt.

We continued on the ride and stopped along side Mount Rushmore for a picture.

The guy that crashed his bike rode back to the motel.

After the ride, there was more BS'ing in the parking lot for most of the afternoon and well into the night.

STN Rally, Day 2

2011-06-13T21:38:00.002-05:00

I had a great nights sleep in Winner last night. I woke up at 0130 to a loud thunder crack. It was raining really hard. I went back to sleep and woke up around 0600. I watched the weather channel, took a shower, had a quick breakfast and packed. I was on the road by 0800.

My route took me through the Pine Ridge Reservation. After the reservation, I saw something that looked out of place....

That's a peacock sitting on the sign. I also saw some long horn cattle.

I made my way to Interior, SD for gas and a water then up hwy 240 into Badlands N.P. where I picked up my park pass. I plan to go back through the park later this week. I left the park and stopped at the Minuteman Missile N.H.S. I watched the video they had playing and spoke to the Park Ranger. She asked me if I wanted to tour the Launch Control Facility. I got my free ticket for the 10:45 tour. I drove out I-90 to exit 127. Then a very short drive on a gravel road to the facility.
There were 6 of us waiting at the gate for the Ranger to start the tour. Ranger Butch was great tour guide. We started at the back of the building and worked our way towards the front. Everything in Launch Control Facility Delta-01, was pretty much just like it was when the last person left the building after it was deactivated in 1992. I saw typical military bunks, A day room with vintage 90's magazines on the table. We then went to the front section of the building where the security force sat and watched the main gate. Behind a door in that area, we rode an elevator down 31 feet to the under ground control room. That's the room that 2 Air Force Officers would sit in, for a 24 hour shift, behind a 3 and a half foot thick steel blast door, and wait for orders to launch their 10, nuclear warhead equipped, Minuteman II missiles.

From the Launch Control Facility, I went to exit 116 where the Parks Service has a self guided tour set up at Launch Facility (missile silo) Delta-09.
There is normally a 90 ton concrete cover over the silo that opens when a missile is launched. This silo cover is partly open and covered with a glass enclosure. You can look into the silo and see a Minuteman II missile.

As a child of the 60's, that grew up reading Civil Defence materials about building fallout shelters in your basement, I thought the chance to tour a nuclear missile facility was AWESOME!!!

After the silo, I rode to Custer and checked in to the Bavarian Inn. I met a few of the guys from the Sport-touring.net web site. We all hung out in the parking lot and b-s'd a while, then Jack(madjack) and I went for dinner. It started to rain just after I pulled into the parking lot.

I'm not sure what I'll do tomorrow.

Day 1 of the ST.N Meet in Custer.

2011-06-12T20:33:00.000-05:00

I've been busy this last week. I changed oil, mounted new tires and picked up my modified tank bag mount. I left home this morning around 0830 and my Ninja's odometer read 18126 miles.

55 miles later, in New Prague, MN, I made my first stop. I bought a bottle of water and put on my rain gear. I rode in a constant light rain for the next 140 miles. I stopped in Worthington, MN for gas and the rain stopped.

I was going to try and avoid all Interstate Highways on this trip but once I was in Worthington I decided to break that rule and ride on I-90 into SD and get off after Sioux Falls. I stopped at the South Dakota information center rest stop on I-90. I picked up a map and some reading material. The nice older woman behind the desk asked where I was going. I told her, Winner. She suggested I take I-90 across the Missouri river. She said there has been a lot of local flooding near the river, and was concerned that I might have a problem crossing on SD 44. I knew the bridge across the river is quite a ways above the water and decided to risk it. I took SD 19 from I-90 down to SD 44 and followed 44 to Winner, SD. The river may have been high but the bridge is a LOT higher than the river.

I got a room at the Warrior Inn.

When I checked in, I asked the desk clerk, Nina, where I could get a good meal. She recommended the Wild West. I rode down to the Wild West only to find out they aren't open on Sunday. I settled for Subway.

I didn't stop for any pictures today but I will get plenty in the next few days.

432 miles today.

First Thursday, Dulono's Pizza, June 2011

2011-06-03T00:33:00.002-05:00

I went to First Thursday at Dulono's Pizza again. Like last month, I met John at his place and we rode to Mpls. Had pizza and pop, then walked around and checked out the bikes. I saw many of the same bikes as last month, but a lot of new ones.

RZ-350

A nice GL done Cafe style

A pair of old H-D knuckle heads

A very clean CBX

An old school Honda chopper. I'm diggin' the King-Queen seat.

A Mickey Thompson N-50-15 car tire on the back of this one

A nice CB1100F

An old Ducati, with interesting button on the dash...

Filthy Air Filter! and Hybrid Tank Bag Mounting?

2011-06-02T15:40:00.000-05:00

In further preparation for next weekends trip, I've started a few projects.

I changed the air filter in the Zx-14. Holy Crap! was that thing dirty. I had pulled it out last year while in Sturgis and knocked a few bugs off of it, but this was bad.

Old and Skanky

New and Fresh

I won't be neglecting that project again. That's 2 seasons and 18000 miles.

I'm also working on modifying a Cortech tank bag mount. I really like the 21 liter bag I have. It works great with the magnetic mount on the FJR. It has very strong magnets and I've never had it move on me. The Zx has a lot more plastic near the tank, so I have to use a strap mount with the bag. The strap mount isn't very stable in a cross wind. The bag wants to flip over. I know it won't go anywhere, but it's very distracting. Kind of like the rope ladder at a Carnival.
I thought I could improve upon the Cortech strap mount base by adding 2 "flaps" with strong magnets in them like on the magnetic mount base.

Here's the strap mount base.

And here's the magnetic one.

My idea was to cut the 2 flaps off the magnetic mount and sew them to the strap mount. There's just enough steel from the gas tank near the middle section of the mount. There's no way our sewing machine could sew through the heavy nylon layers, so I contacted Two Rivers Canvas and Upholstery. I rode over and showed Natalie what I was thinking. She was positive she could help me out with my project. I'm going to go back over there next week with the strap base mounted to the bike in the correct position and let her mark the pieces and cut and sew. I hate to cut up a good magnetic mount base, and the Cortech 21 liter bag has been discontinued, but a replacement magnetic mount is still available. The same base also works for the Cortech Tri-bag. I also have that one, but it's HUGE.

This is the the Cortech Tri-bag on the big Ninja.

Givi PLX35 Cases Mounted on a Zx-14.

2011-05-31T21:46:00.004-05:00

I took the time today to mount up the color matched Givi PLX 35 side cases on my Zx-14. I started the project by watching videos of the installation on the Twistedthrottle.com web site. They have a nice 2 part video of the installation on a Kawasaki Zx-14. It was a pretty easy job. There are 2 brackets that attach under the rear tail cowling. I had to cut a square notch out of the under tail plastic. It was a pretty easy cut with a Dremel tool and a Roto-Zip bit. I went slow and used the included paper templates. I think it turned out ok! There are 4 more brackets that attach to the muffler and rear peg hanger. A total of 8 mounting points, 4 on each side. I had to think about one of the attachment points. I was supposed to mount a bracket to the stock license plate holder, but I removed that big, ugly, extra chunk of plastic, shortly after I got the bike. So the bags now attach to the bracket, but the bracket's not bolted to anything.

Here's a shot of the mounting frames, the 6 brackets, 2 bags of hardware, and the bracket for the license plate mount. The frames are removable from the bike using 8 quick release type fasteners. When you take the frames off, all that's left on the bike are 6 small brackets.

This is a shot of the left side of the bike. You can see the 2 brackets. The lower bracket, pointing at a 2 o'clock position, is attached behind the muffler mount. One at the top, pointing about 3 o'clock, is attached behind the peg/muffler hanger.

This is one of the brackets that required cutting to mount. It's scary to cut into your bike, but it wasn't really too bad. Left side...

Right side... In this picture you can see the bracket that is supposed to attach to the license plate mount. Now it floats, but holds the bottom rear attachment points of the frames together.

I know that this picture might be tough to figure out, but it's taken from the right side, looking down along the swingarm. It shows the position of 2 of the brackets. One behind the muffler hanger bolt, and one behind the cast aluminum hanger/ mount.

The only thing about this set up that I didn't like is, I lost the use of the hand hold to lift the bike onto the center stand.

Here are a few shots of the bike all put back together. The bike is dirty. I got caught in a downpour the other day and haven't washed it yet.

Now I have to mount up a new set of Michelin PilotRoad 2's, change the oil, and I'll be set to ride off to the Sporttouring.net meet in Custer, SD in 2 weeks.

I've been thinking that I might make this the long trip of the summer. I know that John won't be able to get away from work this year like he has in the past. So this years Sturgis run will maybe be 10 or so days. If I want to get some seat time this year, I may have to do it alone.

I started making a list of things I want to see. Some of them are..
The Pacific Ocean from Northern CA
A redwood forest
CA hwy 36
The Oregon coast
Rachel, NV
4 corners
Hwy 550, and Hwy 34 through Rocky Mountain N. P. in CO
Hwy 12/Lolo Pass, Arco, and Atomic City in Idaho

That's a few of the items on my list.

I've been spending a lot of time on the RoadsideAmerica.com web site. It's a great resource of odd things to see on a road trip.

Microsoft street/trips has my route at about 4200 miles in a loop from Custer, west, and back to Custer. Add another 1500 miles for home to Custer and back, That's looking like 3 weeks+ to me.

Root Beer and Hail.

2011-05-28T20:35:00.001-05:00

The weather around the Minneapolis and St. Paul area has been pretty crappy lately. We've had tornadoes level some areas of town, and the local news has been predicting rain all this holiday weekend. This morning my friend John calls me and says' "If I don't get a ride in soon I'm gonna go crazy". I told him that I had nothing I needed to do, and that he should come on over.
We decided to go for root beer. 100 miles from my place in Prescott, in the small town of Augusta, WI, is a little, old fashioned, drive-in restaurant. Tep's Drive In. We had been there for root beer once before, but no one thought to bring a camera. We tried to go back again at the beginning of last year, but they were still closed for the season then. This time we were better prepared, we had a camera, and they were open!

We parked in a spot serviced by a car hop, but we ate at a table. Both John and I ordered the same thing. We each had a bacon cheese burger and a root beer, and we split an order of chili cheese fries.

I almost forgot to take the required blog food photo! I remembered after the first bite.

After lunch, we stopped in front of the Augusta High School to get our picture with the school mascot, the Beaver. This is not just an ordinary beaver, it's is huge!

We then headed back on Hwy 10 to Mondovi, WI, then down WI 37 to WI 35 at Alma. We gassed up in Alma and took WI 35 back to Prescott.

About 10 miles from Prescott, it started to rain. It was a light rain at first. 5 miles from home it was a down pour, with dark blue-black skies and strong winds. John and I passed another motorcycle rider going our direction. I felt sorry for the guy. There was no windshield on the cruiser style bike, and neither the driver or passenger had on a helmet. The driver was using his left hand to shield his eyes from the heavy rain. Abot 2 miles from home the weather changed again. Now the skies cleared and the sun was shining. As I made the last turn to go home, I noticed hail on the side of the road. John stopped at my place to stretch and dry off a bit before heading home to St. Paul.

As soon as we pulled into my garage, Nancy came out to check on us. She told us we had just missed the hail. She managed to snap a few pictures during the storm.

It turned out to be a good ride. 225 miles round trip. It would have been nice to miss the rain, but I'm just glad I missed the hail!

Thank You Fedex!!!

2011-05-17T12:20:00.000-05:00

This morning, before I was even really awake, the door bell rang. When I peeked around the corner and looked downstairs, all I could see was a box at the door. The Fedex man had been here! It's like Christmas when he shows up. I had ordered a set of Givi PLX-35 saddlebags and liners for my big green Kawasaki.. I had ordered the matching candy lime green inserts and the mounting kit for the bags a while ago, but I had to wait a little bit and let the checkbook recover before I ordered the bags.

15 minutes, and 14 little screws later...... they're color matched!!

Maybe this weekend I'll bolt up the mounting kits.

I also have made hotel reservations for the Sport-touring.net meet in Custer, SD. I'll be there June 13-16, or maybe longer. I'm not sure how long I'll be gone.

Some Old Pictures from Sturgis 2005, and a True Story!

2011-05-15T15:28:00.005-05:00

I haven't been able to do much riding this last week. The weather has been cold and rainy. Temps have been in the 50's. I was looking at old pictures in my computer and found a few from the Sturgis rally in 2005.
That was the year my girlfriend, Nancy, drove out to Belle Fourche and met me for our last day and night of the rally. The next day, most of the guys I was with were going to pack up and head home. Nancy and I were going to ride further west. We really had no plan, but there were a few things I wanted to see. My friend John and his cousin Paul were going to be with us part of the way.

Here's the group. From L to R...
Garth, Jim, Deb, Scott, Sara, Carl, Julie, Larrie, Lyle, and me. I'm not sure where John is? Maybe taking the picture?

One of the activities we try to take in during the rally is the Thunder Run. It's a guided motorcycle ride from Ellsworth A.F.B., through the Black Hills, that ends up in Sturgis. The line up for the ride is on the tarmac at the base. While lining up, you can have a photo op in front of a B-1B Lancer.

In the photo, Paul, John, me, Garth, Lee, Gabi, and Lyle. Click the pic for a larger view.

At the end of the ride is a presentation by the Mayor of Sturgis and the Base Commander. Afterwards, there's usually a fly-over by one of the bases B-1B's. The fly over is so cool! If you're no on the ball and don't see it coming, you won't hear it until it's on top of you and headed away. I've been caught unaware a few times. It scares the crap out of you. The B-1B comes in low, buzzes the crowd, pulls up steep and hammers the throttle. It's awesome!

After the rally, Nancy and I headed southwest. We spent the first night in a KOA cabin outside of Fort Collins, CO. At the end of the next day we met up with Paul and John in Grand Junction, CO. The next day we took I-70 west into Utah and got off at exit 214. We followed hwy 6 to 128. We took 128, which follows the Colorado River, all the way to Moab. From Moab we rode 191 south to 163 into Arizona. Paul broke off from the group and headed for home in Flagstaff. John continued with us until we left Zion N.P.

These pictures are from along the way...

I know I have more pictures from the trip, but I think I was just transitioning from film to digital that year.
On that trip we went through Bryce Canyon and Zion N.P. We also rode Utah hwy 12 from Escalante to Torrey. Id rate that ride a 10+ !!

I know the story that follows will seem odd, but both Nancy and I were there and we both recall exactly the same things....

We had passed through Caliente, NV and the sun was low, but there was still a lot of daylight left. We were headed west on 93 and going to go up 375 to Rachel for the night. About 10 miles up 375, things started to get weird. The road behind us was fairly straight, ahead of us was the pass over the Pahrangat mountains. As I was steering the Goldwing I noticed white lights behind us in the mirrors. They looked like headlights, except they were WAY too far apart. It looked like they were 20 feet off the side of road, on both sides of the road, one light on each side, and maybe 1/4 mile behind us. I saw the 2 lights in both mirrors. It was really strange. There was no other traffic, we passed by no houses, no street lights, and there was no noise, but the lights were there in the mirrors. Nancy saw them too. The lights followed us over the pass, around curves, never getting closer, yet never moving out of my view. A few moments after the road straightened out, Nancy yelped. She said that it felt like she had just had an electric shock in her thigh.
We stopped on the side of 375, just north of Groom Lake Road. It was also while going over the pass that it went from dusk to pitch black. The kind of darkness where you can't see your hand in front of your face. While we were stopped we heard the sound of cows. We had seen the "open range" signs when we entered into NV, but hadn't seen any cattle until I got my big police Mag-light out the Goldwing's trunk and lit up the highway. We had stopped right in the middle of a heard of black cows. They were so black that even shining a bright light on them they were hard to see. About all we could see were eyes all around us.
We must have been there a half an hour when a car came up 375 from behind us. It was occupied by an older male. He asked us if we were going to Rachel, I told him we were. He said, "I'll see you there". Both Nancy and I thought the guy seemed kind of odd. We waited for his tail lights to disappear in the distance. We mounted up and continued on our way. When we pulled into the parking lot of the only open business in Rachel, the Little Aleinn, the man from back down the road was getting out of his car. We watched as he walked over to the passenger side door, he reached in the open window and pulled out an uncased, pump shotgun. While we stood there, he racked the shells out of the gun, put he gun back in the car and pocketed the ammo.
All of us went into the Little Aleinn at the same time. He started a conversation with someone inside about being stopped by the "damn Highway Patrol".... I wasn't really listening to what they were saying. The conversation eventually got around to us, the new strangers in town. The man asked us if we were on vacation, and where we were from. He eventually asked the question that I knew I didn't want to answer. He asked what I did for a living. I didn't tell him that I was a Deputy Sheriff. I told him I worked for the county, plowing snow and cutting grass. When we asked if there was a place to sent up a tent for the night. The woman behind the counter told us to set up anywhere in the grass next to the parking lot. That was the only night I've ever slept with my Glock under my pillow, and that was the only time I've ever been "carrying" while on vacation.

The grassy area next to the parking lot and next to hwy 375.

The rest of the trip was uneventful. After we got home Nancy noticed a small rough patch of skin in the same spot she felt the shock. To this day, almost 6 years later, there's still a 1/4 inch square patch of rough skin on the thigh. It has never gone away, or gotten bigger... Weird!!! Her Dr. had kind of glanced at it and said it was nothing. It couldn't have been a bug bite or sting. She had on heavy textile over pants, over a pair of jeans.
I think she should have an x-ray or ultra sound of her thigh done????

1st Thursday at Dulono's Pizza in Minneapolis

2011-05-05T21:19:00.004-05:00

Tonight, John and I went to Dulono's Pizza in Minneapolis for 1st Thursday Bike Night. I met John at his place in St. Paul and from there we drove over to Dulono's at Lake Street and Garfield Ave. John rode his FJR and I was on my Zx-14. We were there early enough to get a good parking spot on the street across from the parking lot. The weather was nice, except for the 10 minutes of rain we had when we first got there.

We walked around and checked out the lot full of diverse motorcycles. Including this 650 Yamaha with a hard tail and a springer fork.

A nice Honda CBX.

1976 Yamaha RD-400

Kawasaki GPz-550

A very nice custom Honda 750/836 big bore kit done Cafe style.

After checking out the bikes for awhile, we went inside and got something to eat. What else would you get at a pizza place?

A medium, pepperoni, sausage, and onion pizza and 2 pops came to just under $19.00. The pizza was very good!!

We went back outside and walked around the bikes some more. This black and gold Suzuki Hayabusa caught my eye. I'd hate to have to clean that. It was sharp though.

We left there about 7:30. John got off the highway in St.Paul, and I continued back to WI. It was a great way to spend an evening.

Sport-Touring.net National Meet in Custer, SD

2011-05-04T09:53:00.001-05:00

The best thing about my early retirement is the ability to make and change plans at a moments notice. I have not committed myself yet, but I've been thinking a pre-Sturgis trip to South Dakota is required. The Sport-Touring.net web site is having a meet in Custer, SD. It'll take place the week of June 15th.
If I attend, I'd probably leave home on Sunday the 12th and maybe ride only half way the first day. If I rode the entire 650+ miles the first day, I'd probably not feel like doing much riding the next day. I'd arrive in Custer later in the day on Monday the 13th. I could ride the Black Hills on the 14th, 15th, and 16th. Then head for home on Friday the 17th. Or maybe stay later?
I've always been interested in the Cold War, and have wanted to tour the Minuteman Missile National Historic Site near Wall, SD. This trip might be the perfect time to do that. Click for info!!!
I've got some planning to to...

My Therapy.

2011-04-09T17:33:00.002-05:00

This weekend I finally got to do something that I haven't been able to do since early last November. I went riding!!!! On Friday, I put the repaired forks and a new set of EBC brake pads on the FJR. I managed to get in a nice 100 mile ride in the Wisconsin countryside. I rode non stop, and had forgotten to take my camera with me. I had also forgotten how nice the FJR rides. A little clean up and it might make it's way onto craigslist.

Today, I took the Zx-14 out for a ride. After cleaning and lubing the chain, and adding a little air to the tires, I rode for 209 miles. I was gone a little over 4 and a half hours. I made a quick stop in Plum City and called XM radio to have them refresh my little Roady II. 10 minutes later, I had American Top 40 from this week in 1971 playing in my helmet. I rode mostly county roads with letter designations. I wasn't even thinking about where I was going or which road I should take. Most of the roads were in pretty good shape. A few of the less traveled ones had lots of sand in the intersections, and there was sand on the steep hilly sections. A few days of rain will take care of that problem. I took county back roads all the way to Mondovi. Then, I had a nice fast paced, 21 mile run, down WI hwy. 37 to Alma. Hwy. 37 has a lot of nice high speed sweepers!!! I took WI hwy. 35 the 60 miles back to Prescott.

It felt so good to finally get out of the house, get on a motorcycle, have a few hours to listen to the 70's channel and clear my head. I truly enjoyed today's therapy session!!!!

A view of the cockpit...

My small tank bag with 12 volt power, Xm RoadyII, my small FM radio that I keep in the tank bag and listen to the Xm through, and my molded ear plug speakers from plugup.com The ear plugs are the BEST money I've ever spent on motorcycle related items... PERIOD! And the company has fixed them for me twice. Not for free, but that's ok, it was my fault both times I broke them.

Shopping!

2011-03-14T00:55:00.000-05:00

While waiting for this never ending winter to get over, I did some shopping. I picked up a set of tires for the Zx-14. I bought them one size taller. The normal rear tire is a 190/50-ZR17, I'm going to try a 190/55-ZR17 instead. The new Michelin Pilot Road 3's were not in stock yet, so I got a set of the PR2's. Other on-line stores seemed to have raised their prices, but I found a good deal on these at motorcyclesuperstores.com. They were $277.98 shipped.

I also decided to buy hard side bags for the Zx-14. I shopped at TwistedThrottle.com and bought the SW-Motec brand, quick release mounts for the Givi PLX style bags. I also ordered a set of color matched inserts for the hard bags. They are a Kawasaki item intended for use on the '09 Versus with Kawasaki hard bags. The Kawasaki bags are the same as the Givi bags. They are painted the same color as my Candy Lime green, 09, Zx-14.

I still have to order the Givi brand hard bags, but judging by the way the weather is going, I'll have a few weeks before riding season starts.

Come on Spring!!

2011-03-01T17:08:00.001-06:00

The weather is looking better today. It's 42 degrees in my back yard. That's in the shade, on the north side of the house. The snow is melting off the roof so fast, it looks like some one's running a garden hose off the roof.

I got an e-mail from Denniskirk.com. It said they're having a tire sale, with up to 40% off... I checked their prices for a set of Michelin PR-2's, and found their prices had gone up nearly $30.00 A TIRE from about a month ago . So much for a "sale". I ended up buying a set of tires from Motorcycle Superstores. Their prices had actually dropped since the last time I checked prices. I have a set of 120/70ZR-17 and 190/55ZR-17 Michelin Pilot Road 2's coming for my Zx-14.

I've been looking at places to go this year. My list of possible things to do includes,
May 14, A day at the track for a "cornering and safety seminar".
May 20-22, The FJR rally in Russellville, Arkansas.
June 12-16, The sport-touring.net meet in Custer, South Dakota.
August ? The Sturgis rally, and western states again.

I've started looking at maps and checking out web sites like roadsideamerica.com, trying to find interesting routes. I'd kind of like to take in some of the Pacific Coast Hwy. Maybe some eastern, north central California. Last year, before I retired, I was sent out to the Angels Camp/Copperopolis/Vallecito area of CA. We had a prisoner transfer to do. It was a beautiful area. It would also be nice to ride some of the old Route 66.

I have more planning to do.

Still Winter...

2011-02-20T18:56:00.001-06:00

Winter is dragging on here in Wisconsin. The nice 30-40 degree weather we had last week has been replaced with another blast from old man winter. Tonight, we are getting another 12-18 inches of snow. There hasn't been much I could do to get over the winter blahs. I did make it to the Cycle World Motorcycle Show. It just made things worse. My mind started thinking of riding again, and all the nice places to go... I need spring to get here soon.

My FJR forks are still at 2K Motorsports in Richfield, MN. They are waiting for a bronze bushing to arrive.

I did find an interesting post on Craigslist. I've cut/pasted it below, un-edited and in full for your enjoyment.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

2008 Harley FLHTC Custom Bobfork - $87000 (Las Vegas)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Date: 2011-02-08, 5:37PM PST

Reply to: sale-zketp-2204523906@craigslist.org [Errors when replying to ads?]
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

If you are looking for a chrome plated sub-tech slow no stopping lousy cornering oil leaking louder than Crackatoa motorcycle with black and white tv era technology that you can pay too much for then this bike is for you. This bike will make up for your tiny manhood and eggshell ego and is perfect for that fat-ass tits on the ground tattooed smelly bovine nearly toothless "old lady" you lug around with you every where you go just so you don't have to kiss her goodbye. Now you can show up at biker events and mingle with other beer-aholic losers who play dress up with the black outfits and stupid vests covered in dumb slogan patches and cheesy trinket buttons and pretend like you're a "son of anarchy." This bike has enough chrome on it to blind you on a sunny day and enough money invested in it to keep my kids from having descent shoes or dental care. Why should they be different from Mom and Dad...right? If you buy it this week I'll throw in every other dumb thing I've bought just because it says "Harley" on it. Once you throw a leg over this beauty you can run that movie in your head where you're the big hero and chicks flock around you like flies. Actually those are flies, but your friends will tell you how "bad to the bone" you look and make you feel special and that alone is priceless in a world where you can get a personality from a dealership. So don't wait. Bust out that wallet tethered to you with a dog chain and plop down your kids college tuition and you can fantasize about being a man. This is your chance.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

I think the ad is freakin' phenomenal!!!!!!! Someone out there has a great sense of humor. Good job, whoever you are!
I guess winter has taken it's toll on me. Hurry up spring!

Sad News: Thanks a Lot, Idiot!

2011-01-04T21:30:00.004-06:00

I just saw this tonight.
Shoe Tree Cut Down by Vandals! Click for story....
Some low life cut down the shoe tree along Hwy 50 in Nevada. It's a good thing I was there this year and got pictures of it before some unthinking A$$ clown f'ed it up for everyone else.

Here is the article, cut and pasted, in case it gets moved from the URL.

Has someone declared war on America's beloved shoe trees? (And we're not talking about this version of "shoe tree.")

The world's largest shoe tree -- located along U.S. 50 in Nevada about 125 miles east of Reno -- was callously chopped down by vandals. And last summer, a well-known shoe tree in Idaho burned to the ground.

Nevada's landmark shoe tree -- a spot where travelers on "the loneliest road in America" have stopped for decades to deposit their boots, sneakers, pumps and even roller blades -- is rumored to have come into being years ago after a quarreling couple tossed each others' shoes into the 70-foot cottonwood tree on their wedding night. Others, for some reason, felt compelled to follow suit, and soon a full-fledged phenomenon was born.

(You can check out a gallery of earlier photos of the Nevada tree here.)

Indeed, shoe trees have become a quirky slice of Americana often sought out by generations of road-trippers. Roadside America -- which bills itself as an "online guide to offbeat tourist attractions" -- wrote that shoe trees "may be the greatest embodiment of the American Spirit you can find on the highway" and explained how they flourish thusly:

A shoe tree starts with one dreamer, tossing his or her footwear-of-old high into the sky, to catch on an out-of-reach branch. It usually end there, unseen and neglected by others. But on rare occasions, that first pair of shoes triggers a shoe tossing cascade. Soon, teens are gathering up their old Adidas and Sauconys, families are driving out after church with Dad's Reeboks and grandma's Keds. Many inscribe messages on the sneakers in permanent marker -- greetings, love poems and life accomplishments.

The Associated Press reports that the Middlegate, Nevada, shoe tree was cut down late Thursday or early Friday and that "fresh sawdust was found on the snow" by authorities. A memorial for the tree will be held by local residents on Feb. 13.

Bummer.

Here's a picture of the downed shoe tree. It was taken by a member of the ST.N forum.

More Craigslist Rant!

2010-12-05T18:58:00.003-06:00

OK, I've been looking at a 1971 Honda SL-70 on the local craigslist. This is a photo from the ad.

I had a 1971 SL-70 when I was 14. It was my first motorcycle. It looked just like this red one. This is not my old bike in the picture, but some one's nicely restored one.

I've emailed the owner twice about the motorcycle. The owner has not replied and the ad is still on craigslist. If you place an ad with something for sale, it would be nice if you'd respond to inquires.
I'd like to have the SL-70 as a winter project. I'd love to restore it to look like the beautiful red one above.

**** Update 12-8-10 **** I have sent 4 emails from 3 different accounts. No reply. How rude is that. If it's sold take the ad down, send back a simple 3 word reply to inquires like, "sorry, it's sold". How freakin hard would that be. Some people!!!

****As of 12-14-10**** The ad is gone, posting expired. The owner never did reply, and he left the ad up until time ran out. How rude!!! Oh well, on to other things.

Craigslist Rant!!

2010-11-25T14:53:00.001-06:00

I've got to bitch! I look at the Mpls, MN Craigslist for motorcycles, every day. I can't believe what I see there. Who are these people that list their motorcycles for sale? Do they even know anything about the bikes they're trying to sell?
Here's a few suggestions....

1. Use a spell-checker. Nothing says, "this bike was owned and maintained by an idiot", more than someone who can't spell. Of course, everyone makes mistakes, but you could, at the very least, try to spell the MAKE of your motorcycle correctly. It's on the gas tank, copy it down!

2. Use pictures. I want to see what condition the bike is in, so post the allowed 4 pictures. Used clear, in-focus pictures, not some crappy cell phone camera pics!

3. Describe the bike. Year, make, model, mileage, condition, are a must, but you can even go further, and list specific things such as tires, accessories. Do your homework. If you don't know what year your bike is, it makes me wonder what else you don't know about, like changing the oil, or using a clutch.

4. Price, I don't want to see... "make an offer"....We all know what that means, you're just fishing, and you have no real intention to sell the bike. If you're not sure what the price should be, do a little research, look at similar listings on craigslist, use kbb. com, see what the dealers are selling it for. Don't think that just because you spent $4,000.00 on chrome that your price should be $4,000.00 more than someone else's identical bike!

5. Title, this is a huge gripe for me. If you're trying to sell a motorcycle that could be licensed and driven on the street, PLEASE have a title to go with the bike! At least this guy has a clue. This was taken from today's craigslist... I didn't change the punctuation or capitalization in the ad. They must think that the first word in every line should be capitalized. This is the way it was posted...
_____________________________________________________________________
"1993 FZR600R Parts Bike - $499"
"We dont have a Title for the Bike,It isnt in our name and dont know
Who its registered to We can write up a bill of sale.14,000 miles
Have the key dont know if it runs or drives.Looks like a honda tank
Is on the bike Thanks for looking And have a great day."
____________________________________________________________________
If you own the motorcycle, and you've lost your title, you can get a duplicate title from the state. If you try and sell a working street bike without a title, it looks as if you don't own it. A "bill of sale" will only get a person so far when they try to register a motorcycle that was purchased without a title.
Also, it would be nice to know if you still owe someone for the motorcycle you're selling. If you still owe a bank or lender money, and I buy your motorcycle, and you don't pay off your loan... I may never get a title and true ownership. Try to be honest about it.

6. Lets not forget, please don't use all capital letters like this clown did... I took out his phone number and web site url. All caps makes it hard to read.
_____________________________________________________________________________
"HERE IS YOUR CHANCE TO GET THE STREET GLIDE OF YOUR DREAMS AT A SEASON BLOW OUT WITH ONLY 10,000 MILES!!! LOTS OF EXTRAS FROM CHROME FORKS, RHINEHARTS TRUE DUAL, K&N AIR INTAKE, POWER COMMANDER, DYNO TUNED, STAGE 1 KIT, CHROME CONTROL COVERS AND CHROME LEVERS, AFTERMARKET BLACK-CHROME SPOKE 21" WHEEL FRONT-18" REAR ($1,999) 2-WINDSHIELDS, HARLEY STORAGE COVER, LED ACCENT LIGHTS (BLUE) LEATHER HARD BAG COVERS, QUICK DETACH REAR BACK REST WITH LUGGAGE RACK ($350) CUSTOM HEADLIGHT BEZEL, ALL LIGHTS HAVE BEEN UPGRADED TO CLEAR SMOKED, WITH INTEGRATED TURN SIGNALS IN REAR, HIDDEN ANTENNA, CHROME WINDSHIELD STRIP, TOO MANY EXTRAS TO LIST.....THIS BIKE HAS OVER $5,000 IN EXTRAS ADDED....CALL AND ASK FOR BRAD AT 612. WE HAVE FINANCING AND EXTENDED WARRANTIES AVAILABLE."
______________________________________________________________________________

Sorry, I just had to get this out in the open!

Added, 1-31-2011... OK, Here's another example of how not to list your motorcycle on Craigslist.... cut and pasted direct from Craigslist. ______________________________________________________________________________
05 suzki 800 - $800
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: 2011-01-29, 4:48PM EST
Reply to: sale-77rbe-2187197727@craigslist.org [Errors when replying to ads?]
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
05 suzki run good and it a lt 80 and it gotlots of new parts call or tex 937 725 9345 _______________________________________________________________________________

Unbelieveable!!!!! suzki???

A Non-motorcycle trip to the North Woods....

2010-11-21T11:29:00.004-06:00

I'm pretty sure the riding season is over, but I still want to add to the blog. Yesterday, 11-20-10, Nancy and I decided to take a road trip up north. She has been looking at real estate in northern WI, so we thought we'd drive up to see a few houses. 4 hours later we stopped in Cornucopia, WI to check out this place..

It's a very nice, but there is no garage or basement, and it's kind of at the higher end of my price range.
We toured the town a little, grabbed a cup of coffee. and stopped to look at Lake Superior.

After Cornucopia, we headed for Washburn, then towards Ashland, and down towards Hayward. I wanted to drive by another place that is for sale. This one is more affordable, and has a 2 car garage, with room on the lot for another garage if needed, but still no basement.

My sister, Kathy, had told me that she was planning to be at her cabin this weekend, so we thought we'd stop in and say hello. We got there around 4:30, just as she was unpacking the car. We helped her unpack and then went to Karibalis' Restaurant in Hayward. After a nice meal and a long chat, we went back to the cabin and I started a fire in the wood stove for her.

We should have been home about 2 and a half hours after we left Hayward, but things didn't work out so well. About the time we got to Roberts, WI on I-94, it was sleeting. The road was a sheet of ice. We got to sit in traffic for a while in Hudson and stare at this jack-knifed semi. It was blocking all 3 lanes of traffic, and was right at the start of the exit ramp we needed to take.

There is a car under the semi trailer, just to the right of the fireman. The EMS crew took a person out of the car and put them in an ambulance. I hope they're ok!
It took us until 1:15 to get home. I had to drive the back roads at 15 mph.

End of the Year Mileage

2010-11-16T11:37:00.001-06:00

I didn't record the yearly starting or ending mileages in my blogs, so the mileage is based on service records.

Mileage for the year.

Zx-14 = 10,000 with 8586 miles on the PR2's
FJR = 1,750 with 1805 miles on the Roadsmarts

Ending mileage for the 2010 season.

2009 Zx-14.....16,788
2006 FJR........25,145
2001 Sherpa.....7,077

I have to think about selling the FJR in the spring. I just don't put the milage on it like I used too. I can't justify keeping it. It's too bad, the cost of the insurance is so much less on the FJR compaired to the Zx-14.
The first time I rode the Zx on a longer ride, I thought that if it had hard bags It wold be the perfect long distance, sport-touring machine. Hard bags are available for it. They can even have a color matched insert on them. This bag is shown on a Kawasaki Versys, but it's the same bag I could mount on the Zx-14. Maybe if I get a tax refund this year......

I've also been thinking of selling the 2001 Super Sherpa. I don't drive on gravel as much as I'd like to. But I'm not sure. It's cheap to insure and a blast to ride even on the asphalt! It doesn't take up much space and runs really good...... Maybe I should keep it.

Look at this Crap!!!!!!

2010-11-13T18:41:00.001-06:00

Since Thursday, the TV weather man has been talking snow, like end of the world, snow of Biblical proportions kinda of thing... Today, Saturday, 11-13-10, I woke up to this...

The city has even thought to drop a load of salt-sand down the street. It's only 33 degrees out. It will melt.

I think I hear Frank Sinatra singing, "and now, the end is near..."

Late Season Ride

2010-11-10T21:41:00.003-06:00

Today, I took the Zx-14 out for what may turn out to be the last ride of the season. I went out on Sunday, the 7th, with John. It was nearly 70 degrees that day. I even got a 90 mile ride in on the Super Sherpa on Monday. The weather forecast for the next 7 days is for highs around 40 degrees.

My 2001 Kawasaki Super Sherpa KL-250 G-5.

I rode out to Plum City on Hwy. 10, then took county roads, U, S, and D, and smaller township roads, such as Holden, Sunny Brook, and Vosker. I put on a total of 115 miles today.

In Plum City, the Christmas decorations are already up at the trout pond.

I stopped on county road D. Now that the corn is gone, you can see a long way into the valley below.

I stopped along Holden road to look down in the deep ravine, just beyond where I took this picture....

some animals have done a nice job of cleaning up a road kill deer.

There were a lot of deer out today. At 3 different locations I had them run across the road just a ways ahead of me.

I hope I can still get a few more rides in before the snow comes. I have put Sta-bil in the gas and topped off the gas tanks. I've wired each bike with a lead for the Battery-Tender, and put a new battery in the Super Sherpa. If I had to stop riding, the bikes would be ready for winter. I would just need to change oil in them first though.

Tuesday's Ride

2010-10-12T21:38:00.002-05:00

Today I finished up a long neglected project, the back yard. I'd been working on it for the last few days. I made a cover for the fire pit, cleaned both patios, sealed them, and repaired and stained the outdoor furniture.

I took off for a ride after lunch. I spent most of the ride exploring western Pierce and eastern Pepin counties. I stopped at the trout pond in Plum City.

I also explored a few new roads. I rode Big Coulee, Sylvester Hill, Lamphere, Hatchery and Holden roads. There was a lot of gravel in the corners on most of the roads. Lamphere and Sylvester Hill had a lot of 15 MPH, right angle, corners. Holden and Big Coulee were the better ones. I stopped on Holden road to take a few pictures of fall color. Most of the leaves are down. The most colorful thing left now is the Sumac.

I spotted a odd looking formation in the limestone along the roadway. It reminded me of the Hoodoos in Bryce Canyon National Park.

Here's a Bryce Canyon picture.

Here's the miniature version in the limestone...

I was home by 1700. Enough time left to make an apple pie tonight.

A Short Sunday Ride

2010-10-10T19:24:00.000-05:00

Today, John and I went for a 130 mile ride through Pierce and Pepin Counties. We left Prescott on 10, then north on county QQ. East on 620 st. North on E to 690 st. then east to O. We went down O through Trimbelle, to 35. South on 35 to VV. I was going to take a few pictures, but as I found out at our first photo stop, the quarry on VV, that I left the SD card at home! The camera only has enough memory for 6 or 7 pictures. At our first stop, I also trashed my headphone/ear plugs. I knelt down to take a picture and ended up stepping on the cord. I pulled both wires completely out of the plugs! I just got the darn things back from repair this spring. I guess I'll have to send them off again.

John had an unused 16 mb card with him. I put it in my camera, but we didn't stop for anymore pictures.
We explored the back roads around the Trimbelle River, between K and 63. Neat! We ended up stopping for a pop in Plum City. From there, we took 10 out to the county line. We went south to Sunny Brook Road, down to D, D to SS. We followed SS to CC and down to Pepin. It was a slow ride back on 35 to Prescott. I remember why I like retirement, I can ride during the day, while others are at work. I have the roads to myself !

Another Run Up to The North Woods

2010-10-05T23:08:00.001-05:00

I finished a few home repair projects over the last few days, so I rewarded myself with another run up north. I took the long way up. My route included, River Falls to New Richmond by highway 65. Then east on 64 over to highway 25. North on 25 to Barron on highway 8. East on 8 through Cameron, then north on county road M. County road M runs straight north on the east side of Rice Lake. I followed M all the way up to highway 70. I took 70 to highway 27 to Hayward. From Hayward I went east on highway 77. I turned off on Kreyer Drive. I wanted to check out a home for sale. Nice, but the neighbors would be too close. I continued east on 77 and went north on Pederson Road. That turned into county road OO. I took that all the way to Seeley. I turned around at highway 63 and headed back on OO. I took "Old OO road". That was nice untill, it turned to gravel.

The leaves are just past their prime colors. The weather was a perfect 65 degrees that far north. A great day for a ride!

On the way back home I stopped in Spooner to snap a picture of this WWII vintage, welded hull, M4 Sherman tank.

I got this picture of a small cannon in Cumberland.

And no trip to the North Woods would be complete without a picture of this.

It was a 356 mile day. That brings the miles on the Zx-14 to 16108. There are 7808 miles on the tires now. I should be putting new ones on first thing in the spring.

A Northern Fall Color Run.

2010-09-30T20:08:00.000-05:00

Nancy has been out of town since Monday and I've been keeping busy working on projects around the house. This morning, I decided that I would have a day of rest for myself. I thought that a day trip through the north woods was just what I needed. I ate breakfast, washed the dishes, fed the cats, brought in the mail, and got ready. I left home a little after 0900. I took the Zx-14 because the FJR has a problem....

The left fork seal is leaking, so I pulled off the forks. I haven't had them fixed yet so the bike sits waiting.

I drove up to Hudson and got on 94 and got off 17 miles later at the Baldwin exit. I took 63 north and stopped for a quick fill of premium at the 63/64 intersection. I continued up 63 to Spooner. In Spooner, I went east on 70 to Stone Lake, then north on 27 To Hayward. I had a small bite to eat at KFC, then back on the road. From Hayward, I went north on 63 towards Cable. I got off 63 near Seeley and took a few back roads along side the main highway. I drove past a home for sale. Nancy and I had looked at it a few weeks before, but I wanted to see it again. It's nice but,there are a few issues with it. It's large, has 2 full flights of stairs, a 1 car garage, and interesting neighbors. The neighbors have a gaint cross and the ten commandments in their yard.. not that there's anything wrong with that... but...I'm just saying..
Anyway, here are some pictures from the ride.

I went east out of Cable on county road M, into the Chequamegon National Forrest, north on county road D, around Namekagon Lake, and I followed that up to 63 in Grand View. I took 63 back south and stopped in Drummond at the BP for a stretch and another tank of premium.

I left Drummond at about 2:00 p.m., and I went down 63 to Hayward. I made a quick pass over to check on my sisters cabin on Smith Lake. I took a few more pictures.

From Smith Lake, I went through town and visited my parents and the rest of my family at Greenwood Cemetery.

From there I headed home.

It was a great day to ride, with cool temps, light wind, and not much traffic!
I was home by 5:45 p.m. 371 miles.

I've put 15750 miles on the Zx in the last 2 seasons. It is fast becoming my favorite!

Early Fall Ride.

2010-09-16T15:03:00.016-05:00

Being as I retired last week, I now find I have time to ride during the week when traffic is light. That is so nice. Today, I did a little route scouting for a small group ride later this fall. I did a nice 180 mile loop through Pierce, Pepin and Buffalo Counties. I really like this area of Wisconsin. I'm lucky to have nice riding right outside my door. I left home about 1030, and brought my camera with to take a few fall pictures. I got home about 4 hours later.

The sumac is turning red already.

The soy beans are finishing off and turning gold.

The corn is drying up too.

Even some of the maple trees are starting to turn color.

I drove out Hwy. 10 to Plum City. From there it was almost all county roads. All but 3 were "alphabet roads". From Plum City, I made my way down to Pepin. I stopped at BP for a hot chocolate and a cookie.

Then back to riding. Here's my route sheet.

Some of the trees are starting to turn.

When to corn is gone, this will be a great view into the valley.

The obligatory bike shots.

A few more pictures.

I was headed back to Prescott, and going through Ellsworth, it had warmed up a little bit.

New Map

2010-08-25T14:42:00.003-05:00

I figure it's time to post a new map of the USA. The red states are places I've been to, or through, by motorcycle.

Now it's time for oil and filter change and a new air filter.

Day 21. The End.

2010-08-20T20:25:00.010-05:00

Today, we got up at the crack of dawn, 0445. Richard and Linda provided breakfast for us, and we were on our way by 0539.
We drove to the Wasta Rest Area and took a short break. We wanted the sun to get a little higher in the sky so we could see without squinting. We gassed in Murdo and got gas and lunch in Mitchell. We stopped for a pop in Worthington, and a last gas stop in Windom. I got home at 1720.

Total miles for the trip = 5821
Days riding in the rain = .5
Days with perfect weather = 20.5
Days camping = 7
Nights in a hotel = 12
Nights with friends = 1
Performance Awards, AKA tickets = 1
Accidents = 0
States travelled = 11
Best breakfast = Silver State Restaurant, Ely, NV,
Chorizo w/american fries, peppers and onions, and eggs.
Best day of riding = Hwy. 12, Idaho.

Day 20. Belle Fourche

2010-08-19T20:40:00.006-05:00

We actually got an early start today!

We were packed up and at Dori's Cafe by 0700. We had breakfast and were on the road by 0730.
I didn't take many pictures today. We spent the day driving and we were at Belle Fourche by 1515. We're spending the night with John's friends Richard and Linda.

Day 19. Sapphires

2010-08-18T18:56:00.011-05:00

Today, we went looking for sapphires. We drove out to the Spokane Bar Sapphire Mine. We got a 50 lb bag of gravel and went to work. Pour a little gravel into a screen, rinse, shake, drain, place a piece of foam on top , flip and pick. Repeat.

It's a lot of work, it would have been better if I had my glasses with me. I found a few that were of good enough quality that they could be processed into nice gems. John found about 8.

After spending 4 hours picking rocks, we hit the road. We had lunch in Townsend, and continued to White Sulphur Springs. The mountains are being replaced by the plains.

Tonight's lodging is at the White Sulphur Hot Springs Spa + Motel.

Tomorrow we'll try for Belle Fourche, and be home by Friday.
4662 miles so far.

Day 18. Highway 12, Lolo Pass!!!

2010-08-17T21:39:00.020-05:00

We got an early start today, HAHA. We were gassed up and on the road by 0845. Some day we'll get our act together and be moving by 0600, but that's the nice thing about riding with no plans or schedule! We left Grangeville on Hwy. 13. A beautiful stretch of road that takes you down to the Clearwater river. It follows the river and meets up with Hwy. 12.

The view from just outside of Grangeville, looking down towards the river.

Views of the Clearwater River.

The sign on Hwy. 12, at the junction with Hwy. 13. You just know this is going to be good.

Hwy. 12 follows the middle fork of the Clearwater River and also the Lochsa River.
These pictures are from along the Lochsa River.

This is where your Idaho sand came from dear...

We rode along side the rivers for almost all of the 99 miles of Hwy. 12. Pictures just don't come close to showing just how beautiful it really is.

The winding road comes to an end at Lolo Pass at the Idaho-Montana boarder.

A much more realistic speed limit in Montana.

Once into Montana, we had lunch in Lolo and then stopped for gas in Missoula. We took Hwy. 200 out to the east for almost 90 miles.
John stopped and snapped this picture of the Bob Marshall Wilderness Country just outside of Missoula.

We took Hwy. 279 into Helena and ended the day at the Days Inn.
I'm close to 4500 miles for the trip so far.
Tomorrow, we're going to mine sapphires. I hope to be home by Friday night.

Day 17. Out of Oregon

2010-08-16T21:26:00.008-05:00

I'm glad to be out of Oregon. It's an interesting state, but it has a few odd things going for it. There are no self-service gas stations. No matter where you go, someone comes out to start the pump, and hand you the nozzle. The other odd thing is the 55 mph speed limit. Even in wide open areas, with no human population, it's still 55 mph.

We left Hines, Oregon on Hwy. 20 and connected with 201.

We entered Idaho and took 95 all the way to Grangeville. The last 30 miles were miserable. We were stuck in 100 degree heat, stopped in road construction, with no shade. They had only one lane open. They were putting down oil and gravel and the gravel was thick and hard to drive on. The traffic was moving only 10 to 20 mph. When we finally did get moving, the temp never dropped below 99. It was a tough day to ride.

I didn't take very many pictures, because after a while one state begins to look like the other. Sagebrush looks the same everywhere.

We did find a nice section of Hwy 95 that runs along the Little Salmon River.

Here's one for you dear....

We stayed at the Grangeville Super 8. We walked across the street to the Palenque Mexcican Restaurant for dinner.

Day 16. NV to CA to OR

2010-08-15T22:29:00.022-05:00

This morning, we started out with a breakfast at Denny's. Then it was time to hit road. We went up Hwy. 395 and crossed into California.

We stopped at the Honey Lake Rest Area. Nice place. California must have spent a ton of money on it. Lots on cast concrete tables with the CalTran logo on them. The restrooms were staffed even on a Sunday. The place was spotless.

The rest stop over looks Honey Lake, which is a dry lake.

A little further up Hwy. 395, we stopped in Susanville for a couple of pictures.

In Ravendale we found another shoe tree...

The view to the north, just before Likely, CA.

The Modoc County Courthouse in Alturas, CA.

We crossed into Oregon.

We had lunch at the Burger Queen in Lakeview, OR. Then we continued up Hwy. 395, past the Albert Rim.

At Albert Lake, I took off my glasses to take a picture of John, using his camera. I took the picture, got back on my bike and we drove off. I didn't notice that I didn't have my glasses on for over 2 hours...Duh! There's no way I was going to drive the 4+ hours round trip to try and find them.

Hwy. 395 in Oregon has a whole lot of nothing... except wind and heat.

We stopped for the night at the Best Western Inn, in Hines, Oregon. We both used the pool and hot tub.