6000 miles later

[Marc S]

I'm back safe and sound.  It was an awesome trip that couldn't have gone any better than it did.  I saw almost everything I set out to see except the USS Midway, Washington state, and Canada.  I skipped San Diego and started in Oceanside, CA and worked my way up the coast about level with Portland, OR and cut in to see the Spruce Goose.  Otherwise I covered Monument Valley, Grand Canyon, Hoover Dam, Las Vegas, Death Valley, a good chunk of US 1, Redwood Forests, Golden Gate Bridge, Pacific Northwest Truck Museum, Evergreen Aviation Museum (Spruce Goose), Yellowstone, Big Horn Mountains, and boring South Dakota.  Works out to about 6000 miles.  I learned how hard it is to cover miles on the coast.  But, the coast is heaven on two wheels.  Imagine 1000 miles of solid twisties.  I covered so many different destinations I already have a hard time remembering where I was on Monday or what day I rode through Oregon.  This was all new territory for me making it  blend together into one amazing experience.  I could go on for several pages of text but won't bore you all.  The Valk of course performed flawlessly and didn't skip a beat once, even in desert heat.  The rear tire did pick up a nasty screw in Southern California but I had a plug kit and as soon as I realized it was flat, pulled in to a farm where some Mexicans were working on their latest lowrider, put the plug in, aired it up with the Mexicans' air compressor and was on my way in under 15 min.  Nice people.  I debated if I should stop and have a new tire put on or a better plug installed, but it held the rest of the trip without any problems so I have a new faith in plugs.  


Here is a list of some other important things I learned

1.  stop and sleep every night, I rode nonstop to Southern Utah and it took 3 days to catch back up and shake the fatigue.

2.  sheepskin covers are useless, if you must have one, I'll sell you mine.

3.  anti monkey butt powder is also useless, buy baby powder if you need something for chafing

4.  my Utopia backrest was a lifesaver, no backpains at all throughout entire trip

5.  ****avoid the Grand Canyon on Memorial Day weekend****

6.  generic deerskin gloves (providing they fit well) are a godsend and are comfortable from 40-100 degrees

7.  ride through Los Angeles at night

8.  don't go for a leisure stroll in the ocean on a non sanctioned beach (I was caught offguard by a roque wave and swamped up to my waist almost soaking my wallet and camera plus I felt really silly)

9.  Yellowstone is great if you've never seen a buffalo or the aftermath of a forest fire

10.  Don't let the name fool you, Death Valley is awesome riding

11.  What happens in Vegas, really should stay in Vegas...I hope

12.  The Pacific Coast Highway is a must.  No doubt about it.

13.  There is really no need to pack 50' of rope and a half dozen extra bungee cords.

14.  If you must sleep on the side of the road, park far enough away as to not startle passing motorists into thinking you're injured or dead.  "sir...sir...SIR!  Are you okay?"

15.  As far as the people goes, I met them all, from Mexicans to Navajo Indians to Oregon log truck drivers.  They are all good people, generally speaking, exept for Minnesota police officers.  

16.  This country is huge!  I've just scratched the surface but am eager to see more and I'm sure the fat lady is itching to go again too, especially after her much needed bath.

Regards,

Marc

[OURide2]

The tips will come in handy this summer.  Did you do all that in 2 weeks??!!

I have a friend that just returned from a trip out west.  He said in Kansas that you could camp free at all the small town picnic/camping areas.  His other tip was to avoid the interstates and enjoy the scenery and less crowded two-lanes.

Be careful with the tire plugs.  I had a friend killed 2 years ago because he trusted one.  He had just put one a new tire before leaving on a trip.  Had a flat 180 out and plugged it.  Less than 30 minutes later tire blew again, he went down and was killed.  Glad yours held.

Sounds like you had a great trip.

Harold

[Marc S]

Paper Tag

Sorry to hear about your friend.  I friend of mine was severely injured in a rollover after the dumptruck he was driving blew a front right tire.  The tire had less than 250 miles on it.  Afterthat I am cautious after first mounting any tire even if it's new and after any repairs.  Of course you never really do know when a blowout will occur even after the tire has been "run in".  Guess it's just the risk we take.  I will take your advice about the tire plug though.

Thanks.


OURide2

Actually 10 days.

here is a rough breakdown of mileage covered

day 1   1150 mi
day 2   380  
day 3   490  
day 4   715  
day 5   490  
day 6   340  
day 7   430  
day 8   640  
day 9   720  
day 10 565  

A guy I talked to in Oregon summed it up very well by observing it as a "scouting trip"  

Marc

[TPL]

Thats cruising - how many hours a day were you in the saddle? and was this your first long trip of this type? I went around lake Superior last summer - only 1700 miles in 6 days but with all the BS'n with people I met along the way and checking out the sights I could have used one or two more days to soak it all in! It sure sounds like you had a great time and thanks for the info on the sheep skin and the monkeybutt - I always wondered how well they worked.

[Marc S]

TPL

Yes, this was my first long trip.  It wouldn't have been as enjoyable if it weren't for the advice of this list and some local Gold Wing riders as well as Ron Ayres' books.  Some days it was non stop for 16-18 hours.  Other days it was only about 10-12.  Except for the mad dash to get into Utah (new territory)  I made sure to get at least 6 hours of sleep and a couple of times I stopped to take a 15 minute nap.  It really isn't that hard to ride that long providing I'm not bored silly.  I found that audio books work great on the long stretches to keep my mind occupied.  There are times when I'm in a groove where I can go tank to tank but other times I scan constantly for a reason to stop.  I'm a sucker for cheesy things like the "worlds largest" prairie dog, hand dug well, frying pan, etc.  Junkyards filled with trucks or heavy equipment are also a must see.  As far as meeting people at the gas pumps and such,  I'll almost always choose conversation over miles as long as I'm not too far behind.  I stopped at one private antique truck collection and ended up talking to the guy for 3.5 hours.

As far as the sheepskin goes, my dad told me it would be a waste of money.  You'd think by now I'd listen to him.


Marc