Mellow
Admin
No harm in taking your time, that's for sure.
On My Way to WV
- Thread starter Phil Tarman
- Start date
Take your time, enjoy the ride, and watch the weather closely! Alberto is moving in and will be making a mess of the roads for at least the next week. It has been raining here for over a week now, pre-Alberto, so we are starting to see road issues with standing water and localized flooding. It will be real fun later this week if we get another 5 inches of rain...:rolleyes1:
OP
OP
Had I gotten up and hit the road by 6 or 7AM on Wednesday, I probably would have missed most of the rain. But, as anyone who has traveled with me knows, the days when I'm on the road by 6AM are few and far between. By the time, I had eaten breakfast, it was obvious that the center of the tropical depression that Alberto had become was heading directly for Cloverdale, IN. I would have been in the rain nearly all the way to St. Louis. It wasn't worth doing that as far as I was concerned. So, I slept some and read some and ate Mexican food at a restaurant across the street from the Holiday Inn Express before going to bed at 11PM. I slept for about 3 hours and woke up. I laid there with my eyes closed, hoping to go back to sleep until 7, and got up and went down for breakfast. After breakfast I was really drowsy and decided to try to take an 90-minute nap. That didn't work, so I got up and finally left Cloverdale around noon. I skirted rain just west of Terra Haute and again just west of St Louis, but was never in any rain. I could see some significant cumulo-nimbus clouds both north and south of me as I went through St Louis and Kansas City, but managed to stay dry all the way. I past one of my favorite place names in the US, Knob Noster, MO, but didn't get off I-70 to check it out. It got hot by the time I left Indiana, and the temp was steady at about 88-90F. Tomorrow will be close to 100F, and I might have to wet my LD-Comfort shirt. I didn't need to do that today. I called it a day when I got to Junction City, KS. I've got 526 miles to do tomorrow and it'll be hot and humid until I get past Hays or Goodland, KS.
Interesting oddity (interesting to me, probably totally uninteresting to all of you: I bought gas in Boonsboro and then here in Junction City. Both fill-ups took place after exactly 227.2 miles. I don't think I've ever had that happen before. I thought it would have really been cool if I'd needed the exact same amount of gas, but that didn't happen. The first tank took 4.444 gallons, the second took 4.673 gallons. I had stronger headwinds from Boonsboro till just west of KC.
I will definitely ride all the way home tomorrow because I'm preaching Sunday. Our church's pastor is in San Diego to do a funeral for an aunt. He called this morning just before I left Cloverdale and asked if I was home. When I told him I was in western Indiana, I think he was maybe, just possibly, almost certainly a tad (or more) nervous about my ability to get home in time for Sunday.
Oh, when I got to Junction City, I stopped for gas out east of town, just a couple of miles west of Fort Riley, the home of "The Big Red One," and then came a whole one-tenth of mile down the road to spend the night at an Econo-Lodge. As I was checking in, I realized that I didn't have my phone. I'd used it at the gas station and then gotten into a fairly long conversation with a guy driving the first Kia Stinger I've seen. He was from Denver and headed back home after being stopped in Indianapolis by the storm yesterday. Turns out he rides a Can-Am Spyder so his wife will go with him on trips. I had the woman at the front desk try calling my phone, but nobody answered it. I could just see it lying smashed on the concrete next to the gas pump. I put my 'Stitch back on and went out to ride back up to the Cenex station and had the bright idea of looking inside the map compartment where I keep my little mileage log. Lo- and- Behold!!! There it was. That was a relief. I didn't have a tent that it could have been packed inside of like I did the day junglejim and I left Spearfish with my phone missing on our way to Alaska.
Miles today: 570
Miles for Trip: 3,628
Total Miles on Bike: 129,477.
Interesting oddity (interesting to me, probably totally uninteresting to all of you: I bought gas in Boonsboro and then here in Junction City. Both fill-ups took place after exactly 227.2 miles. I don't think I've ever had that happen before. I thought it would have really been cool if I'd needed the exact same amount of gas, but that didn't happen. The first tank took 4.444 gallons, the second took 4.673 gallons. I had stronger headwinds from Boonsboro till just west of KC.
I will definitely ride all the way home tomorrow because I'm preaching Sunday. Our church's pastor is in San Diego to do a funeral for an aunt. He called this morning just before I left Cloverdale and asked if I was home. When I told him I was in western Indiana, I think he was maybe, just possibly, almost certainly a tad (or more) nervous about my ability to get home in time for Sunday.
Oh, when I got to Junction City, I stopped for gas out east of town, just a couple of miles west of Fort Riley, the home of "The Big Red One," and then came a whole one-tenth of mile down the road to spend the night at an Econo-Lodge. As I was checking in, I realized that I didn't have my phone. I'd used it at the gas station and then gotten into a fairly long conversation with a guy driving the first Kia Stinger I've seen. He was from Denver and headed back home after being stopped in Indianapolis by the storm yesterday. Turns out he rides a Can-Am Spyder so his wife will go with him on trips. I had the woman at the front desk try calling my phone, but nobody answered it. I could just see it lying smashed on the concrete next to the gas pump. I put my 'Stitch back on and went out to ride back up to the Cenex station and had the bright idea of looking inside the map compartment where I keep my little mileage log. Lo- and- Behold!!! There it was. That was a relief. I didn't have a tent that it could have been packed inside of like I did the day junglejim and I left Spearfish with my phone missing on our way to Alaska.
Miles today: 570
Miles for Trip: 3,628
Total Miles on Bike: 129,477.
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junglejim
Site Supporter
Good to hear from you Phil. It sounds like your journey is pretty "normal" for you. The routine you described brought back memories of traveling to Alaska. It struck me how we think of things quite differently when traveling. I have a reotine of doing a "pat down" before getting on my bike to check for wallet and phone. I have yet to forget my keys at a stop, but I have had to check a lot of pockets to find them before I could leave. Maybe a pre-flight check list would help you out. Really, when we travel alone and depend on ourselves to think of everything, we sometimes get our brains stuck on some detail (like missing rain) and overlook something important (like a phone).
I'm getting anxious to get going on a bike trip. Nothing but day rides and errands for me so far this year. I'm looking at a more southerly route to Spearfish this year with the possibility of visiting Jim Moore on the way. I think I've ridden all the east-west highways crossing the northern 1/3 of the US several times now. They sort of all go together in a blur in my brain. I think I'll try for US 20 this year. I remember riding that road on my old Connie and it was a good (but wet) ride. The grasslands of north central NB are beautiful, but not a good place to be in a serious thruderstorm. How come we can remember things like that and forget our phone?????
I'm getting anxious to get going on a bike trip. Nothing but day rides and errands for me so far this year. I'm looking at a more southerly route to Spearfish this year with the possibility of visiting Jim Moore on the way. I think I've ridden all the east-west highways crossing the northern 1/3 of the US several times now. They sort of all go together in a blur in my brain. I think I'll try for US 20 this year. I remember riding that road on my old Connie and it was a good (but wet) ride. The grasslands of north central NB are beautiful, but not a good place to be in a serious thruderstorm. How come we can remember things like that and forget our phone?????
Mellow
Admin
Because your phone falls into the short-term memory category, the 1st thing to ..... ah.... hey, it's Friday!
OP
OP
20 is a good ride, Jim. Mike Simmons and I enjoyed 50 through Indiana and I enjoyed it in Ohio and WV.
junglejim
Site Supporter
Um - - - What memory??? What is memory anyway????
My memory is just a memory.
But I haven't lost or misplaced my motorcycle - yet.
Mellow
Admin
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Godspeed on your safe return home. May all your roadways be dry and clear.
junglejim
Site Supporter
Well, that kind of stuff happens when you fall down and bump your head.Jim my friend, your memory is the least of your worries:
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I came from a Suzuki Burgman 650 to the NT700VA.
The Burgman is a great ride. The center of gravity is very low, so they handle really nimbly. The 650 is a portly 635# or so, yet it handles really nicely. I have a friend who is 50-something, Type 1 diabetic with leg issues. He had my 650 for a year, but that was too much for him. He rides a Burgman 400 now. The 400 has 15"/13" wheels, the 650 has 15"/14". The biggest downside to the Burgmans is that the suspensions are somewhat harsh and unrefined. The slightly smaller wheels add to that. You'll find the Burgman step-through, floorboards with multiple leg positions, wind protection, and storage to be excellent. Twist-and-go is awesome. I gave it up due to all of the texters on the road, then decided to get back into riding a couple years later with the NT. Love the ride and handling of the NT. Still miss the storage space of the Burgie, though, believe it or not.
OP
OP
Well, I made it home this afternoon after riding about 8 hours across Kansas and eastern Colorado. Riding across Kansas was just like...riding across Kansas. I don't know how many of you experienced riding across Kansas, but one constant seems to be that if you ride across Kansas, the wind blows. It was nowhere near as bad as it was last October, when it was a pretty steady 45mph straight out of the North, with gusts of 55-60. That was when my bike started having issues with developing power at wide throttle openings or higher rpm or something. It was hard to hold any speed over 60 in October.
Today, it was blowing from the South and was only 20-25. But today, the temperature was in the 90s. It got up to about 97F in the middle of the state. Just as happened in October, I got off I-70 at Goodland and headed north towards St. Francis on KS-27 and within 10 miles of leaving Goodland, the wind had died down to gentle zephyrs. Hot zephyrs, but zephyrs.
I saw lots of bikes traveling. More Harleys than anything else, but quite a few BMWs, a Super Tenere, two or three Goldwings, two VFR800s, a CX1300, and one Kawasaki Ninja. There were a lot of trikes, including one pulling a trailer that was carrying a DR650.
I mentioned shortly after I left home 19 days ago that my bike was running better than it had last fall, and by the time I got home today, it was running fine. My cruise control continues to behave erratically and I think it might be in the control head. When I left Junction City this morning, it didn't work at all until a bit west of Salina and then worked fine till west of Colby. Then it started cutting out in a different way -- instead of the cruise just not working, the green power-on LED would go out. If I turned the unit back on, it would work for a while and then go out again. I was glad I have a Throttlemeister.
By the time I got home to Greeley, the temperature was all the way down to 93F, but it's cooled down into the 60s this evening.
All in all, it was a good trip. I'm looking forward to getting my sidestand shortened next week and that will make stopping and getting off and back on the bike much easier and (I hope) less fraught. [BTW, I don't think I've ever used "fraught" in a sentence before...don't know where that came from.]
Miles for the day: 506
Miles for the trip: 4,126
Total Miles on Bike: 129,983
Today, it was blowing from the South and was only 20-25. But today, the temperature was in the 90s. It got up to about 97F in the middle of the state. Just as happened in October, I got off I-70 at Goodland and headed north towards St. Francis on KS-27 and within 10 miles of leaving Goodland, the wind had died down to gentle zephyrs. Hot zephyrs, but zephyrs.
I saw lots of bikes traveling. More Harleys than anything else, but quite a few BMWs, a Super Tenere, two or three Goldwings, two VFR800s, a CX1300, and one Kawasaki Ninja. There were a lot of trikes, including one pulling a trailer that was carrying a DR650.
I mentioned shortly after I left home 19 days ago that my bike was running better than it had last fall, and by the time I got home today, it was running fine. My cruise control continues to behave erratically and I think it might be in the control head. When I left Junction City this morning, it didn't work at all until a bit west of Salina and then worked fine till west of Colby. Then it started cutting out in a different way -- instead of the cruise just not working, the green power-on LED would go out. If I turned the unit back on, it would work for a while and then go out again. I was glad I have a Throttlemeister.
By the time I got home to Greeley, the temperature was all the way down to 93F, but it's cooled down into the 60s this evening.
All in all, it was a good trip. I'm looking forward to getting my sidestand shortened next week and that will make stopping and getting off and back on the bike much easier and (I hope) less fraught. [BTW, I don't think I've ever used "fraught" in a sentence before...don't know where that came from.]
Miles for the day: 506
Miles for the trip: 4,126
Total Miles on Bike: 129,983
DirtFlier
Site Supporter
I've crossed Kansas 4-5 times in both directions so know full well the winds in that state. It seems to be worst on I-70 where using US 36 to the north or US 50/400 to the south is a lot better although slower if you're trying to make time.
I opted for the expensive MC Cruise (Australia) when my bike was new, not wanting to adapt another generic cruise control unit designed primarily for cars. I had an Audiovox unit for cars on my PC800 and it worked nicely and never failed me. The MC Cruise is a lot more refined than the Audiovox and is a pleasure to use.
Good to hear you're home safely.
I opted for the expensive MC Cruise (Australia) when my bike was new, not wanting to adapt another generic cruise control unit designed primarily for cars. I had an Audiovox unit for cars on my PC800 and it worked nicely and never failed me. The MC Cruise is a lot more refined than the Audiovox and is a pleasure to use.
Good to hear you're home safely.
Mellow
Admin
Side effect of having long sidestand psychosis... not many people know that...
Glad you're home!
There are pretty good odds on the green light going out is an indication of lost power/ground to the controller. Intermittent electrical problems are challenging, but a digital voltmeter and voltage drop testing can be your friend.
Sounds like you had an awesome trip. Nothing beats good roads and good friends! Glad the Kansas wind was behaving
junglejim
Site Supporter
Good to hear. I guess you can just about close the book on this one and start planning the next ride. What's next?
Spearfish is just a few weeks away. For me, I have a conference the week before Spearfish so I'll probably leave for Spearfish one day after I return from that conference. I'll probably leave a little early for Spearfish and take a little tour on the way. Then I'll go straight home from Spearfish (something I've had a lot of difficulty with in the past). Of course those plans are subject to change by my wife.
I suspect Rusty_Iron is correct about your Rostra Cruise. Trouble is that you have to remove a bunch of stuff (fairing parts, gas tank, air box, etc) to get to all the connections that you need to check. And, even then, you may not be able to diagnose the problem(s). The slightest wiggle can resolve a poor connection and you'll never even know what you'be "fixed" after you're done. Intermittent/inconsistent electrical issues are puzzling at best. Is there any "system test" or "trouble shooting" guide that came with the instructions for your Rostra? That would be very helpful. A simple throttle lock is cheap and easy, but after you've had a real cruise control, your porbably won't be happy with a throttle lock any more.
Spearfish is just a few weeks away. For me, I have a conference the week before Spearfish so I'll probably leave for Spearfish one day after I return from that conference. I'll probably leave a little early for Spearfish and take a little tour on the way. Then I'll go straight home from Spearfish (something I've had a lot of difficulty with in the past). Of course those plans are subject to change by my wife.
I suspect Rusty_Iron is correct about your Rostra Cruise. Trouble is that you have to remove a bunch of stuff (fairing parts, gas tank, air box, etc) to get to all the connections that you need to check. And, even then, you may not be able to diagnose the problem(s). The slightest wiggle can resolve a poor connection and you'll never even know what you'be "fixed" after you're done. Intermittent/inconsistent electrical issues are puzzling at best. Is there any "system test" or "trouble shooting" guide that came with the instructions for your Rostra? That would be very helpful. A simple throttle lock is cheap and easy, but after you've had a real cruise control, your porbably won't be happy with a throttle lock any more.
Phil, Yes, check the power connection and the ground connection on the cruise. I just finished driving across Kansas. See my FB page. Glad every one is back safe.
Woodaddict
Site Supporter
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Phil, good to have a real westerner come over to the east coast gathering. overall your trip should have put a smile on your face, gathering, mc training session, visit other things. now you just need to update your mileage on tracker for your HUGE TRIP and see if you passed me???