Trip report: Navarre, FL to the Bay Area and Back, June 7 ÔÇô 23, 2007 with a week long stopover in San Francisco.
Mount: 1995 R1100R w/ Fairing and Cases
Riding Gear: Olympia Summer Riding Pants
First Gear Summer Jacket
Timberland Motorcycle Boots ($50 new on eBay)
Old, Venerable Shoei
BMW Summer Riding Gloves ($80 and worth it!)
Chase Harper Seat Bag
Route:
Outbound - I-10 all the way to L.A. I-5 North to Livermore area, then west (on whatever) to Oakland/Bakersfield area to 92 across the Bay. Then 101 North to SF.
Return: East to I-5, the south to Bakersfield, avoiding L.A. at all costs. Continued to Barstow on CA highway whatever to I-40. Then it was east all the way to Nashville. From there, took I-24 to Chattanooga and I-65 all the way to the exit for Navarre south of Montgomery, AL.
Some Lessons Learned:
The relatively expensive alarm brake lock turned out to be more of a liability than anything else, as it tended to sound the 100 db beep periodically for no apparent reason. In other words with said security device I ran a greater risk of having the bike towed off by the motel manager than being stolen. Once the batteries came out, however, I had no problems with bike security. Ergo, dumb brake locks work just fine and cost considerably less than the electronic ones.
GPS (mine was a handheld) may be fine for off road travel. On the other hand, see absolutely no need for such gadgetry on the highway system. Maps work fine, and hand drawn schematics work better than maps for the handlebar case. They are easier to read while riding and have only the information necessary for the leg of the trip.
Things other than maps have a way of flying out of the handlebar map case while on the road. Fortunately, the headphone jack saved my iPod Shuffle. The GPS would have been a goner had I used it en lieu of the maps. An easy fix to this is to attach the map case with the Velcro facing forward. Duh
Shure E2 headphones work fine in the motel room. Else, am open to suggestions with regard to a good set of comfortable under-the-helmet phones that can seal out engine noise.
Found removing the face shield from the helmet is an aerodynamic upgrade to having it in the raised position. You can always retrieve it for riding at night or in the rain.
ItÔÇÖs best to err on the side of caution when stopping for gas in West Texas since there are stretches there where service stations are far and few between each other.
If a motel is in an area populated with other motels and fast food place, chances are youÔÇÖre in a Wi-Fi hot spot, whether your overnight digs provides this service or not.
The gas pumps in California are like no others in the country. For one, they are more expensive to operate than anywhere else in the Continental US. For another, fueling a bike is a two handed operation, as the pump isnÔÇÖt activated until the plastic accordion on the nozzle reaches a certain compression point. This may be fine for cars, but for bikes with shallow tanks this is a great way for the uninitiated traveler to spray him/herself along with the motorcycle with pricey gas.
When replacing the tail light, itÔÇÖs a good idea to check it out by operating the brakes. If the polarity is reversed, the brake light will always be on. The simple fix is to turn the light bulb 180 degrees and reinsert it.
Harley riders can be impolite on occasion.
Abstract:
Interstates are boring for the rider. However, the bike seems to be in its element on the super-pave.
Felt like Frodo minus Sam in Mordor while passing through Lake Charles, LA at dusk. ThereÔÇÖs a natural gas production facility there easily the size of SFO with a very eerie lighting scheme and lots of towers spewing flames. Kept an eye out for warlocks and whatnot while giving the gas an extra nudge.
Felt like Don Quixote going through West Texas, Southeastern CA and the area around Livermore. The reason for this has something to do with all the wind turbines in these areas. Seems CA and TX have invested heavily in wind as an energy source. Also, noticed that one blade for a large turbine occupies the entire bed of a semi trailer.
Felt like Chuck Yeager coming out of the mountains east of Riverside and L.A. I settled into a 95 mph stride on the glide slope with no traffic in sight at sundown. It was something of a man-machine moment on top of the world. My high was interrupted, however, when a Prius passed me after five minutes or so. Several other vehicles did the same shortly thereafter. It wasnÔÇÖt too long when every car on the west leg of I-10 seemed to follow suit. Apparently, I was operating the Granny mobile that was blocking the left lane @ close to 100 mph! Wonder what happened to Ponch and Jon?
The L.A. connection to I-5 was like an hour long, white knuckle ride on the Ninja Challenge at Six Flags -- mayhem at 85 mph. Amazingly, noticed the local sport bikers split lanes in all the ballistic chaos. Go figure In SF, on the other hand, the lane splitters like to outclass their counterparts in L.A. by doing wheelies between the cars and trucks!
The northern route going back (I-40) was more comfortable than the southern route on I-10. There are trees in northern Arizona that cool things down and scrub the air. Also, there are service stations at frequent intervals on I-40, and none are deserted with vultures perched atop broken fuel pumps, unlike West Texas. Alas, the Four Corners where AZ, NM, CO and UT meet has some great scenery.
The starter went to the South Pole in central Oklahoma. Opted for a tow truck versus trying the gravity role method of starting the bike in traffic. Fortunately, the BMW dealer in Oklahoma City gives on the go customers priority. The staff was very friendly, and I was back up and running with a new starter in thirty minutes. So Kudos to the gang at BMW Motorcycles of Oklahoma!
The best part of the trip was the ride up Lookout Mountain, Tennessee (where I was born and raised) with lots of twisty roads and great scenery. The locals were friendly, and when they asked for the whereabouts of my home of origin (as all southerners do), I could point down the street.
Must try a different, much longer route in the future!
Mount: 1995 R1100R w/ Fairing and Cases
Riding Gear: Olympia Summer Riding Pants
First Gear Summer Jacket
Timberland Motorcycle Boots ($50 new on eBay)
Old, Venerable Shoei
BMW Summer Riding Gloves ($80 and worth it!)
Chase Harper Seat Bag
Route:
Outbound - I-10 all the way to L.A. I-5 North to Livermore area, then west (on whatever) to Oakland/Bakersfield area to 92 across the Bay. Then 101 North to SF.
Return: East to I-5, the south to Bakersfield, avoiding L.A. at all costs. Continued to Barstow on CA highway whatever to I-40. Then it was east all the way to Nashville. From there, took I-24 to Chattanooga and I-65 all the way to the exit for Navarre south of Montgomery, AL.
Some Lessons Learned:
The relatively expensive alarm brake lock turned out to be more of a liability than anything else, as it tended to sound the 100 db beep periodically for no apparent reason. In other words with said security device I ran a greater risk of having the bike towed off by the motel manager than being stolen. Once the batteries came out, however, I had no problems with bike security. Ergo, dumb brake locks work just fine and cost considerably less than the electronic ones.
GPS (mine was a handheld) may be fine for off road travel. On the other hand, see absolutely no need for such gadgetry on the highway system. Maps work fine, and hand drawn schematics work better than maps for the handlebar case. They are easier to read while riding and have only the information necessary for the leg of the trip.
Things other than maps have a way of flying out of the handlebar map case while on the road. Fortunately, the headphone jack saved my iPod Shuffle. The GPS would have been a goner had I used it en lieu of the maps. An easy fix to this is to attach the map case with the Velcro facing forward. Duh
Shure E2 headphones work fine in the motel room. Else, am open to suggestions with regard to a good set of comfortable under-the-helmet phones that can seal out engine noise.
Found removing the face shield from the helmet is an aerodynamic upgrade to having it in the raised position. You can always retrieve it for riding at night or in the rain.
ItÔÇÖs best to err on the side of caution when stopping for gas in West Texas since there are stretches there where service stations are far and few between each other.
If a motel is in an area populated with other motels and fast food place, chances are youÔÇÖre in a Wi-Fi hot spot, whether your overnight digs provides this service or not.
The gas pumps in California are like no others in the country. For one, they are more expensive to operate than anywhere else in the Continental US. For another, fueling a bike is a two handed operation, as the pump isnÔÇÖt activated until the plastic accordion on the nozzle reaches a certain compression point. This may be fine for cars, but for bikes with shallow tanks this is a great way for the uninitiated traveler to spray him/herself along with the motorcycle with pricey gas.
When replacing the tail light, itÔÇÖs a good idea to check it out by operating the brakes. If the polarity is reversed, the brake light will always be on. The simple fix is to turn the light bulb 180 degrees and reinsert it.
Harley riders can be impolite on occasion.
Abstract:
Interstates are boring for the rider. However, the bike seems to be in its element on the super-pave.
Felt like Frodo minus Sam in Mordor while passing through Lake Charles, LA at dusk. ThereÔÇÖs a natural gas production facility there easily the size of SFO with a very eerie lighting scheme and lots of towers spewing flames. Kept an eye out for warlocks and whatnot while giving the gas an extra nudge.
Felt like Don Quixote going through West Texas, Southeastern CA and the area around Livermore. The reason for this has something to do with all the wind turbines in these areas. Seems CA and TX have invested heavily in wind as an energy source. Also, noticed that one blade for a large turbine occupies the entire bed of a semi trailer.
Felt like Chuck Yeager coming out of the mountains east of Riverside and L.A. I settled into a 95 mph stride on the glide slope with no traffic in sight at sundown. It was something of a man-machine moment on top of the world. My high was interrupted, however, when a Prius passed me after five minutes or so. Several other vehicles did the same shortly thereafter. It wasnÔÇÖt too long when every car on the west leg of I-10 seemed to follow suit. Apparently, I was operating the Granny mobile that was blocking the left lane @ close to 100 mph! Wonder what happened to Ponch and Jon?
The L.A. connection to I-5 was like an hour long, white knuckle ride on the Ninja Challenge at Six Flags -- mayhem at 85 mph. Amazingly, noticed the local sport bikers split lanes in all the ballistic chaos. Go figure In SF, on the other hand, the lane splitters like to outclass their counterparts in L.A. by doing wheelies between the cars and trucks!
The northern route going back (I-40) was more comfortable than the southern route on I-10. There are trees in northern Arizona that cool things down and scrub the air. Also, there are service stations at frequent intervals on I-40, and none are deserted with vultures perched atop broken fuel pumps, unlike West Texas. Alas, the Four Corners where AZ, NM, CO and UT meet has some great scenery.
The starter went to the South Pole in central Oklahoma. Opted for a tow truck versus trying the gravity role method of starting the bike in traffic. Fortunately, the BMW dealer in Oklahoma City gives on the go customers priority. The staff was very friendly, and I was back up and running with a new starter in thirty minutes. So Kudos to the gang at BMW Motorcycles of Oklahoma!
The best part of the trip was the ride up Lookout Mountain, Tennessee (where I was born and raised) with lots of twisty roads and great scenery. The locals were friendly, and when they asked for the whereabouts of my home of origin (as all southerners do), I could point down the street.
Must try a different, much longer route in the future!
