Heading Northwest...

This is more of a pre-ride report than a ride report. I'm leaving here on Monday morning early to ride to Eldon Cannon's house (Eldon is "EX-WINGER" on the Forum). I'll probably ride about 780 miles Monday and spend the night in Boise. It's another 460 miles to Eldon's, for 1,238 total. I'll be at Eldon's for a couple of nights before heading up to Abbotsford, BC (321 miles), to check in for the Southern California Motorcycle Association's Three-Flags Classic.

We'll leave Abbotsford at about 4AM on Friday morning (to hopefully get through the Seattle area before the traffic gets too crazy). The first checkpoint is at Hood River, OR, and I'm guessing we'll go on south toward Bend before stopping for the night.

Day two ends at Winnemucca, NV. Day three, Kanab, UT. Day four, Puerto Penasco, Sonora, Mexico, on the northern end of the Gulf of California, and 60 miles from the border crossing at Lukeville, AZ. It's about 2,100 miles from Abbotsford to Puerto Penasco.

Then 1100 miles and a couple of days to home from Puerto Penasco. Total base mileage: 4,760 mileage. Away from home for 11 days, depending on whether I stop to see anyone on the way home.

Chris, I wish I could stay longer, too. I've ridden a lot of Washington's roads. I've been over the Cascades on WA-20, ridden US-2 from Everett to Spokane, ridden from Clarkston to Starbuck to McAdam to Othello to Yakima and over White Pass to Randle to Centralia. I've done Port Townsend to Whidbey Island, and vice-versa. I've ridden through Port Angeles to Forks and down the coast to Hoquiam and on down to Astoria. When I went across 2, I road down through Brewster to Dry Falls Junction to Moses Lake and on down through the Tri-Cities and into Pendleton. Obviously, there are more good roads to ride yet! One of these days I'd like to come out and see Boeing's museum and the one where the Spruce Goose is in Oregon.

But, for this trip, I'm doing all I can do to get away on Monday. I've known Eldon for 14 years now and need to see him while I can.

Ride safe and have fun my friend.

Mike

Wishing you fair winds and a safe ride. It is amazing how reliable modern motorcycles are....
Dont forget to check your six!

Coyote Chris said:

Dont forget to check your six!

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Always! I'm going to be in Washington, so you might be chasing me.

Be safe Phil ... and have fun!

I pulled my usual pre-ride stunt. I went to bed at a decent hour, went right to sleep, slept like a rock for....one (count 'em 1 whole hour. I woke up, went to the bathroom and laid there. I might have slept another hour before I gave up and got up. I didn't get away at 6AM like I planned, but was rolling at 6:30.

I went up to Ft Collins and then took US-287 to Laramie. From there it was I-80 all the way to I-84 where it split toward Ogden, UT. 84 from Henifer to Morgan, through Weber Canyon to US-89 is still one of the most spectacular short stretches of highway in the country. If you haven't ridden it, put it on your bucket list.

I was cold riding up 287 to Laramie and then stayed cold along the north side of the Medicine Bow Range till I got to Rawlins and made my first gas stop (196 miles, 50.6mpg). I warmed up by Rock Springs, but was still very comfortable through Evanston, WY, where I made gas stop #2 (204 miles, 46.9mpg running 80mph). Third stop came at Rupert, ID (208 miles, 46.9mpg). I'll get gas before I leave Boise in the morning. From Ogden to Boise, it kept getting hotter and hotter. It was 98F at Mountain Home at 6:20PM and had gotten to 100F here in Boise.

I'm in the Motel 6 near the airport and getting ready to go to bed. I've got 460 miles to ride tomorrow and hope to get on the road early enough that I can get through Portland before rush hour traffic starts.

I mentioned in the Mick'O'Peg thread that I learned that I could still dangle my legs as long as I keep a wee bit of bend in my knees. The knees were pretty achy by the time i got here.

So, I rode 780 miles today on 1 or 2 hours of sleep and never got sleep and don't think I made any mistakes in judgement or attention. But if I don't get sleep tonight, tomorrow won't be as much fun.

THATS GOOD! for "on the road attention", now you just need to only post story 1 time!! but we will take that error for computer if it makes you have a safe trip on road

update edit: well last night I saw 2 posts 1 minute apart, now see only 1

How are you getting along with your lowered bike?

Hope you have a good visit with Edlon.
Say "hi" to him for me.
Ride safe.

I'm at Eldon's. He says "Hi!" to all his friends on the Forum.

I got some good sleep last night and woke up at 8, loaded the bike, ate breakfast at Denny's and was out of Boise, by 9:30. Got two tanks of gas between Boise and Woodburn, OR, where Eldon lives. I got here at about 4:30. Portland was a zoo and south of Portland on I-5 was an even worse zoo. But I'm here. It was 1,248 total, 780 yesterday, 468 today. Today was probably 10 degrees cooler than yesterday. Nowhere to go tomorrow except run Eldon to an appointment tomorrow afternoon. He's seeing a doc to get a pre-surgery physical before his cataract surgery toward the end of September.

Thursday, I'll leave here around 9:00AM, hopefully getting to Portland after morning rush hour traffic has stopped and through Seattle before the real afternoon madness starts. We'll have the Three-Flags classic pre-ride banquet Thursday evening and then I'm planning on leaving Abbotsford by 4:00 so I can get through Seattle before the madness. The first day's checkpoint is in Hood River, OR, but I'm thinking I'll get on to Prineville, OR, before I stop for the night.

BTW, if anyone wants to follow me on Spotwalla, my link is: https://spotwalla.com/publicTrips.php?un=PTarman

To follow the trip, start watching on August 28, and go on to whatever the current day may be.

Oh, BTW, DirtFlier asked how my newly-lowered bike is working for me on this trip. Answer: It's mostly an improvement. A friend lowered my sidestand last Thursday and so the bike isn't quite as precarious as it was after only the lowering link was added and the forks were slid up in the triple-clamps an inch. But I still have to avoiid parking in areas which slope to the right, so after I get back, I think we're going to take a second cut and lower it maybe another 1/4" - 5/16". I also removed my peg lowerers so I wouldn't lose cornering clearance and find that I'm not lmited at all in that area. But my knees, after 1248 miles between home and Eldon Cannon's house (for those who don't know him, Eldon is "EX-WINGER" on our Forum), are still a tad tender, so I was glad to learn that I can dangle my legs like I used to do, just not quite as far. Stopping and starting in traffic like i had today is a big plus for lowering the bike. All in all, I'm happy with the change and glad I did it.

Another 330 miles today. Riding through Seattle wasn't too bad, but Tacoma was a mess, and north of Seattle was even worse.

Leaving Abbotsford at 4:30-ish in the morning.

Please buy Eldon a slice of pie for me. The must press on bug bit me at the wrong time.

Daboo said:

You passed within a mile of my place

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Where was I when I did that, Chris?

Have a great ride Phil. Can't wait to follow your posts.

Phil, you did 780 miles in a day leaving around 9am?
That's 1250km in our numbers.
It is physically possible to do that here if you are young and strong enough BUT our road conditions and speed limits mean that to cover that distance legally with two fuel stops would take at least 13-14 hours (for me, more like 15 hours).
I have not done more than 720km/450 miles in a day and even then I was exhausted.
I know that your Freeways are smooth and suitable for high speed touring but to me that is impressive.
I also know the "Iron Butters" can do a lot better but they are exceptional.
I can't stay alert for that long as I get the mid-afternoon slump and need to stop and freshen up.
What was your cruising speed?

Macka

Macka said:

Phil, you did 780 miles in a day leaving around 9am?

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Macka, I rode 780 miles after leaving at 6:30AM. I got to Boise at 7:00PM, but I "gained" an hour on the clock. So my elapsed time was 13 1/2 hours, giving me an average of 57.7mph. I made three fuel stops, which probably took close to an hour and a half, so that made my moving average, 65mph. I was in Wyoming, UT, and Idaho, which had legal limits of 80mph most of the way, and I cruised the speed limit, which varied between 65 and 80. Well, I usually added a couple of miles per hour, but not much over that. I was lucky that the typical 20-30mph wind from the west was absent across Wyoming. It was actually calm most of the way, otherwise I could have one or two more fuel stops.

The only Bun Burner Gold (1500 miles in 24 hours) I've ever successfully done only gave me an average speed of 64.2mph, and I barely made it (1529 miles in 23 hours, 48 minutes). I couldn't have gone much farther on my way to Boise, but never got drowsy the whole trip.

Phil Tarman said:

Macka, I rode 780 miles after leaving at 6:30AM. I got to Boise at 7:00PM, but I "gained" an hour on the clock. So my elapsed time was 13 1/2 hours, giving me an average of 57.7mph. I made three fuel stops, which probably took close to an hour and a half, so that made my moving average, 65mph. I was in Wyoming, UT, and Idaho, which had legal limits of 80mph most of the way, and I cruised the speed limit, which varied between 65 and 80. Well, I usually added a couple of miles per hour, but not much over that. I was lucky that the typical 20-30mph wind from the west was absent across Wyoming. It was actually calm most of the way, otherwise I could have one or two more fuel stops.

The only Bun Burner Gold (1500 miles in 24 hours) I've ever successfully done only gave me an average speed of 64.2mph, and I barely made it (1529 miles in 23 hours, 48 minutes). I couldn't have gone much farther on my way to Boise, but never got drowsy the whole trip.

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Thanks for the clarification, Phil. I misunderstood the day/timing.
I thought that you got up at 8 that day and were out of Boisie by 9.30.
As explained, it makes sense.
Forgive my ignorance of US geography.


Macka

Macka said:

I thought that you got up at 8 that day and were out of Boisie by 9.30.

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That's what I did on the day I left Boise, Macka. The 780-mile day was the day I got to Boise. The 648 miles I rode yesterday, from Redmond, OR, to Ely, NV, was a much tougher day than the day from Greeley to Boise, BTW (see my "Three-Flags Classic" thread).

No need to apologize about being unaware of US geography, I'm at least that ignorant of Australian geography.

Phil Tarman said:

That's what I did on the day I left Boise, Macka. The 780-mile day was the day I got to Boise. The 648 miles I rode yesterday, from Redmond, OR, to Ely, NV, was a much tougher day than the day from Greeley to Boise, BTW (see my "Three-Flags Classic" thread).

No need to apologize about being unaware of US geography, I'm at least that ignorant of Australian geography.

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In an effort to educate myself more with US geography I have just now been looking at Google Maps and entering the places that you have named.
Of course we have a lot of US TV content including news here and we have been hearing the names of US Cities and Town for decades so we are familiar with the names but not really with the places themselves or where they fit into your big country.
Everyday we are seeing the latest reports of the flooding in Texas and Louisiana.
I feel for you all over there with your current problems, floods, fires, shootings, international crisis!

Back to traveling, though.
We only have one road in Oz with a speed limit over 68mph (that I know of-perhaps Seagrass knows of another in the Northern States) and our Police Forces are extremely zealous with enforcement.
It is quite common to be booked for 3mph over the posted limit with a $150-$250 fine and 3 license points lost too.
Most Highways are 100kph/62mph or 110kph/68mph with some parts as low as 80kph/50mph.
In the Northern Territory the main Highway has one stretch which is unrestricted.
You can go as fast as you want to but you have to show that it was safe to do so.
It was unrestricted for a long time and then they changed it to a limit of 130kph/80mph which resulted in an increase in accidents and deaths so they de-restricted it again
and the accident rate dropped back down again.
It is about 30 years since I have been on that road as it is about 3ooo+ km from here.

Macka