On My Way to WV

[DirtFlier]

It has been my experience in OH that if I stayed home every time they predicted rain for the day, I wouldn't ride at all. Yes, I have gotten wet on some occasions but it wasn't bad and I continued riding for that day on the route I wanted to complete. I've never cut short one of my rides because of the rain.

"A 50% chance of rain" means that somewhere in my area there is a 50-50 chance that some rain will fall. It is not a forecast for every square mile in the area.

 

[mikesim]

It has been my experience in OH that if I stayed home every time they predicted rain for the day, I wouldn't ride at all. Yes, I have gotten wet on some occasions but it wasn't bad and I continued riding for that day on the route I wanted to complete. I've never cut short one of my rides because of the rain.

"A 50% chance of rain" means that somewhere in my area there is a 50-50 chance that some rain will fall. It is not a forecast for every square mile in the area.

Plus, it doesn't mean it's gonna rain 50% of the time either. Like OH, in MO if you base your riding decisions on the forecast, you'll never ride. Pack rain gear, and hope for the best. Most of the time, you will be pleasantly surprised.

Mike

 

[DirtFlier]

I regards to "rain gear," I'm extremely pleased with my Aerostich Darian pants which were altered to fit my short (28" inseam) legs. They've outlasted many pairs of off-the-rack pants plus they're waterproof and as an added plus, they are unlined and with the cuff adjustment loose, I get enough airflow to make them comfy on the hottest of days. I do have mesh pants but haven't worn them in years because it's really a pain to slip on rain pants at the side of the road!

Now, my rain gear only consists of a Frogg Togg jacket and Aerostich rain gauntlets. And most of the time, I'm wearing my Frogg Togg jacket over my mesh jacket mainly for warmth on cool summer mornings.

 

[Phil Tarman]

Well, tonight I'm in Elkins, WV, and we're spending the night at Davis and Elkins College's Conference Center. We ate at Graceland Inn, a historic mansion that's on the D&E campus and had a fabulous meal.

It was an interesting day, made more interesting by me dropping my bike at the gas station before I met the Stayin'Safe instructors, Eric Trow and Hal Deily and the other three students in the course at the IHOP. I'm getting tired of this (he says understatedly). I think I might have managed to pick the bike up by myself, but was grateful to have the assistance of two women in their 50s. That little incident made me 30 minutes late for the breakfast meeting.

The other students in the course are a couple, Bill and Lisa -- she's riding a G650 and he's on a (Ta-Dummm!! NT700V that they just bought for her last Tuesday. It's a very clean non-ABS silver bike with 22,000 miles that he paid $4500 for at a used car lot. He rides an R1200GS most of the time -- and Connie, a woman rider on a BMW R1200R.

We started our ride from the IHOP to a large empty mall parking lot where we did 25-30 minutes worth of parking lot maneuvers. Then we took a biological break before leaving Morgantown on Kentucky 7 and other great roads before we got to Elkins at about 4:30. We stopped once for lunch and another time for some coaching and another biological break. It was a lot of riding that only covered 154 miles. BTW, if you want to follow my Spot track you can click on https://spotwalla.com/publicTrips.php?un=PTarman. This is my "WV and Stayin'Safe" trip. The track isn't complete because I didn't realize that my batteries were dead until yesterday in Columbus.

Eric and Hal both ride with radios and mikes, while the rest of us ride with radios and earbuds (the radios are Midland X-Tra Talks. Eric started out leading and Hal always rides what we called "Amen" on the church-sponsored bicycle tours I used to lead. Eric talks almost constantly about what he's seeing, what he's watching, his lane position, his transitions between throttle and engine braking (he rarely used his brakes today unless he was coming to a stop). After about an hour, he started having one of us students lead while he followed and talked. Ever so often Hal would chime in on what he was seeing from the back of the line. We rode fairly conservatively, but by the end of the day, the pace was picking up. Tomorrow, we'll start working on riding with "smoothness and precision."

If it wasn't for starting and stopping I'd feel pretty good about my own riding but my confidence in those two "simple" aspects of riding is at an all-time low. My buddy Ken is going to shorten my kickstand some more when I get home and that will make a difference for me when I'm stopping for gas. Right now, I've got to make sure that the slope is to the left and that the bike is not pointing uphill or I can't get off. I think that was part of what distracted me and caused my drop this morning and one I had last week when I was pulling into my motel in Fairmont, WV.

I'm not ready to quit riding, but I've been wondering if I should quit. One idea I've had is to go to the motorcycle training operation over on I-25, about 12 miles from home, and do some slow-speed practice on a smaller bike. He's got TU-250s.

Keep me in your thoughts and prayers -- I'm 1500 miles from home after we get back to Morgantown!

 

[mikesim]

Ride safe and enjoy yourself. I think that shortening your sidestand will make a huge difference in your confidence level. It also sounds like that in recent months you have no longer ridden Dudley daily. Us olde fartz need to practice our riding skills often to keep sharp, so my Rx is to ride daily as you once did when working.

Mike

 

[DirtFlier]

How was Iron Pony and your visit to the AMA Museum?

+1 on Mike's comment about riding more regularly.

If it makes you feel any better, the last time I dropped my NT was in the lodge parking lot at North Bend around 4-5 years ago. A small group of us had pulled in there to have lunch and had to park far from the building because of too many cars in the lot. You may recall that the slope increases as you get further from the building. I stopped without taking into account the slope and when I put my foot down, the ground wasn't there....or more accurately, it was 2-3" further away! Yup, I plopped to the ground and one of my pals had to help me get the bike up because the top of the bike was facing downhill.

Since that time and after a lot of soul-searching, I am very careful of where and how I stop. Whenever possible I choose the best spot for my short legs and am wary of even minor angles in the pavement. After the NT Gathering, I put my NC700X into service and placed the NT into semi-storage on my motorcycle rack. The NC is taller than the NT700V so it's taking a little bit of "relearning" but that has a good side because it keeps my ancient brain firing on all (most?) circuits.

 

[Mellow]

Drop some weight Phil, actually, drop a lot of weight. Not trying to be mean. A few years back I dropped just 20 lbs and while that doesn't seem like much it make me feel a whole lot better and as we get older, carrying that extra stuff does not help. You'll feel better and live longer. Exercise helps but it's all about calories consumed vs expended so low carb high protein as long as that doesn't mess with existing medical issues.

As for the bike, heck, get a Burgman 650, classified as a scooter but it will keep up just fine and do everything you need a bike to do not to mention the open entry/exit. The other option being a trike or spyder but if it were me I'd go with a scooter before I gave up.

 

[seagrass]

Great advice Mellow and wisely given.

Seagrass

 

[DirtFlier]

Carrying lot of extra weight is tough on your organs and also your "frame" and its various joints. The more weight you carry, the less active you become so it becomes a vicious circle.

 

[Reniram]

I can definitely relate..There are times when I ask myself..What the heck am I doing ? Riding has been in my blood for so long it seems as natural as waking up in the morning but..there are times when the fun factor is overcome by realizing my eyes and reactions and just the body in general is not what it used to be...and I surely do not want to be a hazard on the highways to other road users..

 

[Cnille]

I've also been having problems with my legs and I also dropped my bike on the way to the gathering at North Bend. I've also been considering a scooter (Burgman 400) because I'm having so much trouble getting my leg over the saddle. Has anyone had any experience with the scooters? I was told that the wheels on the 400 are 15". Does that make any difference in going thru the twisties?

 

[DirtFlier]

Cnille - 15" is almost normal size. I rode a PC800 for 12 years and it had a 16-inch front tire and 15-inch rear tire and did OK in the twisties.

You'll be amazed at how well the 400 Burgman performs and it might make you wonder why you waited so long to switch.

 

[junglejim]

Drop some weight Phil, actually, drop a lot of weight. Not trying to be mean.

Joe broke the ice, now here I go.

The obvious isn't always that obvious. Yes, we know when we are overweight, but there is a human factor involved. Our brain gets in the way. And the brain gets signals from some body chemistry. And some medications complicate that as well. Old age doesn't help either.

Like Joe says, 20 pounds makes a huge difference (more is better). I became discusted with my weight before Christmas last year and I didn't want to gain any more weight over the holidays. I made myself a simple diet. Bowl of cereal for breakfast, sandwhich for lunch, a healthy supper (no seconds) and no dessert, followed by no snacking between meals. Lost over 20# and not looking back. Increased activity increases metabolism which burns calories and reduces hunger. The biggest challenge, however, may be to one's own determinationn to succeed.

Dieting, however, will not cause a motorcycle to lose weight. (Neither does scraping off a little paint) The industry could build a motorcycle as light as we would all like to see, but we couldn't afford to buy or maintain it. There are other options, some were already mentioned.

Seriously, Phil, your friends here would all like to see you lose weight, but I think no one here wants that more than you do. And to quote Red Green "I'm pulling for you - we're all in this together."

 

[Mellow]

I've also been having problems with my legs and I also dropped my bike on the way to the gathering at North Bend. I've also been considering a scooter (Burgman 400) because I'm having so much trouble getting my leg over the saddle. Has anyone had any experience with the scooters? I was told that the wheels on the 400 are 15". Does that make any difference in going thru the twisties?

I was passed by a Burgman 2-up in the twisties once, never looked at them the same after that.

 

[junglejim]

I was passed by a Burgman 2-up in the twisties once, never looked at them the same after that.

Humbling!

That's pretty much true of all my hobbies. All the new-fangled bows shoot better than I do, so it makes little difference which one I have. All the guns shoot better than I do. All the motorcycles (and scooters) are faster than I ride. And even the lightest mountain bike is at least 50# too heavy form me to keep up with good riders (even though it only weighs 25#). I keep myself happy enjoying the toys I have.

 

[Phil Tarman]

First of all, I hear the suggestion to lose weight and take it very seriously. I don't mean these "explanations" as excuses, but that may well be all that they are. I've cut way back on my intake, but it doesn't seem to have made much difference. I didn't exercise much at all during the winter because of temperature and two falls (I can fall even without a motorcycle being involved!) that made my knees and shoulders hurt. For some reason, during the winter, I noticed increased joint pain everywhere. Friends suggested giving up statins and my doctor said that would be OK. I'll see her not too long after i get home. Heart disease runs in my family -- my two skinny, physically-fit, long-distance hiking brothers died of heart attacks, one at 53, the other two days after his 70th. And here I am with low cholesterol, low triglycerides, low blood pressure...and I weigh half a ton.

I've thought about a Burgmann, but when I got on someone's in Hill City three or four years ago, it didn't seem that much easier to get on than my NT did then. Right now, one of the big issues I've got with the NT is its too-long sidestand. That'll get fixed when I get home. I think that I'm spending so much attention on finding a parking place (or gas pump) with enough slope that I get slow and the bike leans just a little too much and my gimpy left leg just can't hold it.

I'm also 75 and don't have huge amounts of disposable income. I don't think I could justify to myself, much less Joanne, spending money on a new bike. This summer's riding may well determine how much longer I ride.

Now for the good stuff from today. It was Day 2 of the "Stayin'Safe Wild & Wonderful Advanced Rider Education Program: two days of intensive, on-street motorcycle training in the mountains of West Virginia." Again, we didn't ride high miles, but, oh-my-goodness, we rode excellent miles! Today, the emphasis was on reinforcing yesterday's instruction about lane placement, speed management, and added smooth braking, shifting, and body movement. I was impressed with the instruction and pleased with new insites into riding. I was also pleased that I had already adopted some of the techniques that Eric and Hal were coaching us in. I believe that my ability to gain information from the road and the total riding environment have been greatly enhanced and would heartily recommend Eric's course to any of my fellow riders. I know Jim Rau (junglejim) took it last year and I think vzshadow did too.

Miles for today: 188

Miles for trip: 2,612

Total Miles on Bike: 128,468

 

[junglejim]

Glad to hear a positive report about your Stayin' Safe Class. I struggled to implement all that we were taught on my way home from the class. But the longer I stay with it the more I apply what Eric was teaching. It is a year later and it is finally becoming more of a habit now. I still have lapses, but I keep getting it better. The roads I rode with Eric weren't far from where you rode Phil, but they were excellent riding roads too. Some of them may have been the same. I know I completely lost track of where I was during the class (route number, state, direction of travel). All we had to think about was our riding technique which was fine with me. The class was both fun and informative.

At one time you said you had a third day of Stayin' Safe class, but I no longer see that in the schedule. So do you head toward home tomorrow or is there another day with Eric and Hal? Have a safe and fun trip home. Rest up. And SHORTEN THAT SIDE STAND!!!!!!!!!

 

[Phil Tarman]

Jim, about the 3-day thing.,,sometimes they do that, but it wasn't for this weekend. I'm pretty sure that I didn't misread anything, but that Eric changed his mind. All things being equal, I'm just as glad I'm not doing another day. Like you said, I have no idea where we rode or which direction we going. I did recognize some roads that I did back in '07, when the Concours Owners Group had a National Rally in Canaan Valley State Park. I saw signs that pointed to the Park, and I remember riding by Seneca Rocks while we were on that trip. We got into Maryland for just a few miles today and I remember being there and on the road we were on. It was a great course, but I don't even remember seeing any scenery. If Eric led a ride to Alaska, we wouldn't see any of that scenery either.

I haven't made up my mind whether or not to head home tomorrow or not. I may just rest here. I'm 1515 miles from home and the GPS says it'll take me 23 hours and 2 minutes. But I've got to add at least seven gas stops and probably two more nights in a motel.

 

[DirtFlier]

Glad to hear you enjoyed the class.

Canaan Valley State Park, Seneca Rocks, Maryland, etc., were all part of the venue when we had the NT Gathering in Davis, WV. On our route to Davis from home, we passed within 10-miles of some town in MD.

 

[seagrass]

Phil I just want to let you know how proud I am of you.

At 56 I often find myself questioning how I am going with my riding and when I should consider giving riding away. These thoughts come from feeling not fully in control at low speeds. I am always thinking I need to ride more (I have two motorcycles and I am lucky to ride each of them 12 times a year) but when I get time I often have no desire. Once I get out on the bike I enjoy myself immensely BUT I often come home physically worn out (worn out from all the fun I am having riding)

I am planning a 10 week around Australia trip on my NT700 in 2019 (starting in July, our Winter here in Australia, and heading north into the tropics first). I am currently getting my seat customised for this trip and I will travel distances similar to your four corners of the US trip). I do not know if I will get to do this trip or not but I realise that if I do not do it next year it is less likely to happen as the years go by.

I very much doubt that when I am 75 years old I will still be riding and if I am, I doubt I will be going on trips that cover over 3,000 miles (like you are currently doing)

So keep riding as long as you feel comfortable and able to do so. You are inspiring me and I am sure many others too.

Seagrass