D
DZIMBRIC
Guest
Day 1
Left friday from Bass Lake around 1600. Work delayed my exit and gave me a 150 mile warm-up in the cage to start my day. The driveway was still covered in snow. Made it to Matoon, IL 203 miles.
I was shivering so much when I stopped for a break that I could barely get the bike up on the centerstand. I dusted off my rarely used adult thinking skills and decided to get a room for the night.
Day 2
Matoon, IL to the west side of Dallas, TX
The rain started when I crossed the IL line and didn't stop unit I got through Dallas, TX. 820 miles for the day and 600 was in the rain. Put my one piece rainsuit on over my unwaterproof pants and wore my Savanaha II jacket over the rainsuit. It just won't fit under the rainsuit and the goretex lining allows the jacket to get wet anyway.
Day 3
Dallas, TX to Phoenix, AZ
Boy was it nice to store the rainsuit, heavy winter gloves, bulky clothing, etc. It got a little chilly at the higher altitudes but was still pleasant enough.
Riding US62 through TX was awesome; due to poor fuel stop management I had to backtrack to Carlsbad Caverns, NM for fuel. The sign lied, there was no fuel at the intersection of FR? and US62. That station and the one in Ora? closed years ago. If you take the cut-off from I-20 to El Paso make sure to gas up in Pecos, next gas is 90 miles.
US 62 is a very nice road, it runs along the Guadalupe Mountains and takes you through the Guadalupe State?/Nat? Park across the salt flats and through the high desert. Beautiful road and lots of scenery, the road coming down out of the mountain has some nice sweepers.
Had so much headwind I couldn't use 6th gear in sections of west TX. The bike topped out around 85 in 6th gear. Lowered the windscreen and picked up another 5-6 mph. I was twisting the throttle and nothing much was happening, thought something was wrong.
That is the problem with the long rides, all that time inside your head, I was able to justify the purchase of a new 1200RT based on the torque issue Have to see how that one works out.
It was weird to see standing water in the desert. The watercourses under the rail bed along side I-10 were full to the top and trackworkers were standing around watching the pilings while the trains crossed real slow. I made the border around sunset and rode through AZ in the dark.
Rest of the trip was in darkness, temperature dropped and it was time to break out the Gerbings again. Nice guy working at the Circle K west of Tucson gave me a hot chocolate on the house, said stay warm.
Anyway, 1130 miles later I was in Phoenix with a very sore a..., didn't plan on doing a SS1K so I didn't document that one but hey, I know I did it.
What was easier last summer was much more difficult after being off the bike more than on all winter.
Todays weather forcast is 70 degrees, sunnny and light wind.
Definitely worth the trip. Sorry guys and gals, especially my fellow rounders, no pictures, I was in a hurry and the one time I tried to take a picture my battery was flat.
Left friday from Bass Lake around 1600. Work delayed my exit and gave me a 150 mile warm-up in the cage to start my day. The driveway was still covered in snow. Made it to Matoon, IL 203 miles.
I was shivering so much when I stopped for a break that I could barely get the bike up on the centerstand. I dusted off my rarely used adult thinking skills and decided to get a room for the night.
Day 2
Matoon, IL to the west side of Dallas, TX
The rain started when I crossed the IL line and didn't stop unit I got through Dallas, TX. 820 miles for the day and 600 was in the rain. Put my one piece rainsuit on over my unwaterproof pants and wore my Savanaha II jacket over the rainsuit. It just won't fit under the rainsuit and the goretex lining allows the jacket to get wet anyway.
Day 3
Dallas, TX to Phoenix, AZ
Boy was it nice to store the rainsuit, heavy winter gloves, bulky clothing, etc. It got a little chilly at the higher altitudes but was still pleasant enough.
Riding US62 through TX was awesome; due to poor fuel stop management I had to backtrack to Carlsbad Caverns, NM for fuel. The sign lied, there was no fuel at the intersection of FR? and US62. That station and the one in Ora? closed years ago. If you take the cut-off from I-20 to El Paso make sure to gas up in Pecos, next gas is 90 miles.
US 62 is a very nice road, it runs along the Guadalupe Mountains and takes you through the Guadalupe State?/Nat? Park across the salt flats and through the high desert. Beautiful road and lots of scenery, the road coming down out of the mountain has some nice sweepers.
Had so much headwind I couldn't use 6th gear in sections of west TX. The bike topped out around 85 in 6th gear. Lowered the windscreen and picked up another 5-6 mph. I was twisting the throttle and nothing much was happening, thought something was wrong.
That is the problem with the long rides, all that time inside your head, I was able to justify the purchase of a new 1200RT based on the torque issue Have to see how that one works out.
It was weird to see standing water in the desert. The watercourses under the rail bed along side I-10 were full to the top and trackworkers were standing around watching the pilings while the trains crossed real slow. I made the border around sunset and rode through AZ in the dark.
Rest of the trip was in darkness, temperature dropped and it was time to break out the Gerbings again. Nice guy working at the Circle K west of Tucson gave me a hot chocolate on the house, said stay warm.
Anyway, 1130 miles later I was in Phoenix with a very sore a..., didn't plan on doing a SS1K so I didn't document that one but hey, I know I did it.
What was easier last summer was much more difficult after being off the bike more than on all winter.
Todays weather forcast is 70 degrees, sunnny and light wind.
Definitely worth the trip. Sorry guys and gals, especially my fellow rounders, no pictures, I was in a hurry and the one time I tried to take a picture my battery was flat.