Rain Redux

Delayed departure by a few hours to let some of the rain pass. Still rode through several hours of on again, off again showers. cool with temps slowly dropping to 57 degrees. But all went well and temps were up to 67 and sunny by Cape Girardeau at the conclusion of our first day- 400 miles or so. Never started a trip in the rain before. I hope it is a sign that the roads ahead are all sunny and nice. I was so wrapped up though nothing got wet. Rain is really more psychological than a real problem. First major disaster of the trip was my GPS informing me it couldn't find any MP3 files. I have 1100 songs loaded. Enough to make the 6000 mile trip with no repeats. Had to reseat the SD card when I got to the motel- whew. I might have had to turn back. Bike is running well in the cool temps after my 15 "Smart Tunes" with the Race Tuner. Might fight me a bit when we hit 100 degrees in a day or so. The airhawk helps there some. So far Mike and I havent gotten into a fight. But then we were on the bikes all day; there is plenty of time for that.

Rain

Something wrong with starting a 6000 mile cross country motorcycle trip in the pouring rain

'Twas the night before departure, and all through my flat
Not a creature was stirring not even my cat.

The saddlebags were stuffed with my all-weather gear
In hopes that bad weather would never come near.

My clothes were nestled all snug in their beds
While numerous wrinkles ran through all their threads.

With Gatto at his new home, and me with no cat
I settled my brain for a long pre-ride nap.

When, out of my window, there arose such a clatter
I sprang from my bed to see what was the matter.

Away to the window I flew like a flash,
Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash

When what to my wondering eyes should appear,
Friggin' thunder, lightning, rain, I need a beer.

Okay, the last part might have been weak...  But, we're hoping this will pass over night, so we can have a good ride in the morning to Cape Girardeau.  Even if it's raining a bit, at least it's going to cool down.  It should be a very pleasant temperature for the morning ride.

......Off we go...

Mike

The Official Ride Planning Meeting

In about 2 weeks, we will hit the road.  So, all of us convened at David and Joy Bowen's home for our official ride planning meeting.  As always, David was thoroughly prepared:  plenty of food, drink, and friends.  Oh, yea...and the trip details.

David giving the riders his briefing 

 The women planning the route and stops.

The men THINKING they're planning the route and stops.

--Mike

On the hunt for the perfect Pinot- Annapolis Winery

On the hunt for the perfect Pinot. Will certainly bring some back for the other intrepid Harley Adventurers to help with planning for the June trip back West.

We have been assured there will be enough wine

After two weeks of roaming around we are confident there will be enough wine for the big trip out west on the bikes

Scouting Mission

In the spirit of making sure the West is safe for our next Harley adventure in June I am heading to California to scout out the routes and possible beverages available.

What Winter?

Here it is:  March.  We are entering the Spring season, and never really had a winter, at least here in the Cincinnati area.  I scheduled my bike (2007 Harley-Davidson RoadGlide) in for service and a good looking-over in January, assuming it would be the frigid, snowy time of the winter.  As it was, I missed 3-4 good riding days, as temps have been so mild all winter.

Curt, Kevin, and I have been prepping our bikes for the estimated 6,000 mile journey in June.  Curt's bike is new, so most of the work on his was using the Race Tuner/Smart Tuner to calibrate his ECM to the pipes and Screamin' Eagle intake he's put on it.  Kevin did the 10,000 mile checkup on his, a few things were replaced, and he's ready to go.  Mine, being the "old" bike, with approximately 70,000 miles on it, had the most work done on it.  I had the seal between the engine and the tranny replaced, new springs and oil put in my front forks, new shocks on the rear, rebuilt the front brake master cylinder, new engine mounts and torque links, and a new battery installed.  Like new...?? 

An update on the ride plan:  Guido has decided to ship his bike out to Las Vegas with the other guys.  Looks like there will be a total of 10-12 bikes converging in Vegas, with about 20 people, when you include the GIBs (girls in back).  Except for Curt, Kevin, and me, all the others will ship their bikes to Las Vegas, and pick them up on the 7th or 8th of June.  We road warriors will leave Cincy on June 1, with tentative plans to stop at Cape Girardeau, Tulsa, Amarillo, Alamagordo, and Tucson (for 2 nights), where I'll connect with my daughter Kristin, who lives there.  Then, on up to Las Vegas to meet the gang.  We will spend the next week touring Nevada and California, such places as Yosemite, Death Valley, and the Pacific Coast Highway.  Then, we three road warriors will take Route 66 for a large part of the route home, possibly deviating to see Sedona, Santa Fe, Angel Fire, Dodge City, and on home.

Should be a great ride!

Mike

Winter Riding

Here we are, in the middle of the "dark ages," mid-January.  Usually around this time of the year, cabin fever sets in.  Normally, my main activity is using my cool snow blower, cleaning my driveway (and the neighbors') of all the snow.  But, this year, so far, no snow.  In fact, last Friday it was over 60 degrees, so a few of us made a run out to Indian Creek Tavern on the bikes!  The middle of January!!

We are well into the planning phase of this summer's big ride.  My buddies (probably 12 of them) from Eastgate are going to ship their bikes out to Las Vegas in June.  They will fly out there to pick up their bikes.  Since Kevin, Curt, Guido, and I have a bit more flexibility because we don't work any more, we are going to ride out there.  We'll stop in Tucson for 2 nights, to visit my daughter Kristin, and to take a break.  We'll meet the gang in Vegas after that.  Then, for the next week, all 12-15 bikes will ride all over southern California:  Death Valley, Yosemite, Pacific Coast Highway.  The others will return to Las Vegas, and fly back to Cincinnati.  The four of us will ride back, mostly on Rt 66.  How cool is that?

2012 Ride??

We are in the planning stages for our next ride in June 2012.  We may have to change the name of the blog to something more appropriate, describing the upcoming ride...  stay tuned.