Saturday, July 30, 2011

t-minus 30 days...

or 31. depending on how you count.

either way, though, one month from now i will be setting out on the first leg of my trip. down to san francisco, where i'll be playing hurling for three straight days before setting out to LA, phoenix and the land of 100 degree heat. yay!

yeah, i'm a little apprehensive about that whole heat thing. we'll see how those pants work out, or if i end up strapping them on the back and forgetting about them until i get home (or get to south dakota in late september). but, there's nothing to be done. i'll have lots of water with me, and plenty of chutzpah (i don't know if i'm allowed to use that word).

how do i feel about this whole thing one month out? well, there's a mix of feelings floating around right now. i'm definitely excited, definitely nervous and a little anxious to see how this whole thing will turn out. i'm just at that point in the planning process where, though i know it'd be ok in the end and i'll have a great time, i kind of just want it to be over. or at least started. once things get going, they tend to be fine, it's just those final weeks of planning that really start to wear on me.

i'm starting to think about this trip as my walkabout. i think it's something that, sooner or later, i would have needed to do before i could really feel ok about "settling down" a bit. i don't mean buying a house and starting a family (those that know me can laugh at that image), but there are certain aspects of my life and my career that i've continually been putting off for reasons i couldn't really put a finger on. there are some other commitments that i've let get in the way, true, but there has really been a mental block that was telling me i haven't really lived yet. not that i think this trip will solve all my problems, but i think it will be a start. it will give me something to look back on and say i've done something, i was a little crazy in my 20s, i completed what should be the trip of a lifetime, and now i can start the next phase in my life.

whoo. got a little philosophical there. well, it may happen again before this whole thing is over. you have been warned.

on the practical side of things, i set up the tent today, and it still works, with all the parts and everything. i actually set the whole thing up (with rainfly) in under 5 minutes, and broke it down almost as quickly. it's a great little tent, and super easy to use. i'm really looking forward to the camping aspect of the trip. i also went to ride west BMW to try and find a sunstrip (a little tinted strip that fits on the top part of your visor), but with no success. that's the third dealer i've tried and failed to find one of these things. it's one of the last items on my list (and one of the smallest), and so far it's been the most elusive. curse you, little sunstrip. i will vanquish you before the end of august. mark my words.

ok, i'm cursing inanimate objects. that tells me it's time to wrap it up. until next time,

rftc,

scott

Wednesday, July 27, 2011

odds and ends

well, there's no big news to report, nor anything terribly exciting that's happened to me motorcycle-related, but a lot of little things are falling together as the trip gets closer. a few updates:

i'm almost done purchasing gear for my trip. i picked up a nice atlas today. i was going to buy a bunch of maps, but i saw this big road atlas for $20, that pretty much had everything i needed. it's all in a big enough scale, and the pages are easy to tear out to fit in my map window (i did not test this in the store, but it's spiral-bound). now i can start highlighting! i have some of my routes planned (some by me, some by jimbo, and some by the fact that there are only one or two roads to some of my destinations, and i hate interstates), and the rest will be coming shortly. i still need addresses to many of my nightly stays, but those shouldn't be terribly difficult to obtain. other than that, i just have to buy a tool kit and a sunstrip for my helmet visor. and some camping food.

i've been riding as my main mode of transportation except for hurling with very few exceptions. there were a few days i was really tempted to take the car, but luckily i came up with a genius strategy to help me out. as part of my managerial duties, i have to bring the goal posts to and from games and practices. these are composed of 12 ten foot pieces of 3" PVC piping, which now lives on top of my car. combined with the metal stakes in the back, along with all the other hurling gear, my car now gets awful gas mileage, and can't do parking garages. that means it's far easier to convince myself to take the bike. most of the time i'm glad i did.

i've also enjoyed driving less and less over the past few months. i wouldn't exactly call it claustraphobia, but the air feels really stuffy, and i've been driving with the windows down rain or shine to get some fresh air in there (AC reminds me of airplanes). the fact that i'm only driving big, loaded down SUVs means i'm not exactly getting to drive fast, and so i really have no motivation to take the car, unless i have to pick something up. score one more point for going car-less.

i had a nice ride up to port townsend a few weekends ago. i love taking the ferry on my bike. yes, it's mostly a smug sense of satisfaction that i get to bypass the lines and head right up to the front, but it's fun, damn it! the views on the peninsula were gorgeous as always, and though it was a bit chilly (i caught a bit of rain on the way home), i got to test my new pants and gloves, and they held up admirably. a good purchase, even if i'll be hot as bejeezus down south.

i suppose that's about it. i missed my chance to convoy with charley boorman up in vancouver, BC, since he did it on a monday, and i was working (trust me, with the week i had at work, i would MUCH rather have been riding in BC with charley). oh! and my second dics of "race to dakar" isn't working! that's the second disc of this set that's busted out on me. it's worked before, but now i'm stuck halfway through the series. yeesh. netflix to the rescue, i suppose.

until next time,

rftc,

scott

Friday, July 15, 2011

the good, the bad and the yet-to-be-determined

i woke up today to find an overcast sky, threatening looking clouds and a forecast of showers, although the temperature was very reasonable. putting aside for a minute that it's the middle of july, and this type of weather is ridiculous, i was at a dilemma about what to wear on the bike. do i wear the leathers, which would probably be more comfortable temperature-wise, but not so good in the rain? or do i go with the textiles which, last time i wore the pants with any type of mugginess or not-cold temps, i ended up sweating buckets unless i was going 70 mph?

i ended up playing it safe and going with the textiles. the air still had a nice chill to it in the morning, and i was fine on the way to work, with the liner in my coat and vents open. as the day went on, though, the sky seemed mysteriously empty of clouds, and the temperature seemed to hover between definitely-not-cold and slightly-warm-and-muggy. at the end of shift number one, i knew it was going to be a toasty ride across the bridge unless something was done. what was done was me riding without my pants. sure, i wore the overpants, but my khakis were in my shoulder bag, along with my jacket liner and work shirt. wearing just the overpants, vents open, was actually quite comfortable, though a little scratchy with the inside stitching. the ride ended up being pretty comfortable, and my clothing choice seemed right on target as it started to rain just as i entered the theatre (job #2).

the way home was a different story, however. assuming (hoping) that the temperature had dropped slightly, since it was 10pm, i put the textiles on over the khakis for the trek home, but left the jacket liner out. i didn't even make it to the parking garage before my legs started sweating like crazy. i zipped down the side, which helped a bit, but i was still quite uncomfortable as i paid for parking and got the rest of my gear on (granted, the parking garage is ridiculously muggy and hot). i left the sides unzipped the entire ride home, which helped a bit, but it was still a hot ride home (and it was definitely not-hot outside).

it seems my textile pants are far from breathable, even with the vents open. this makes me doubt their applicability on my trip, as much of it will be in the south during the end of summer. sure, i can always strap them on the back, but they don't really do me much good back there, do they? i'm wondering if my good ole leather chaps might not be a better fit for the ride.

keep in mind, the pants will still be a good investment. come winter, when i can rely on cold, rainy weather, it will be nice to only have one outer layer to put on, as opposed to fleece+leathers+rainsuit. but as for the traveling, i'm not as sure about their flexibility. i know the leathers wouldn't be cool either, but at least it's a breathable heat. the textiles feel like i'm wearing snowpants, and breathe just about as well.

i checked the average temperatures of where i'll be riding for the state of september, and they average from 55 to 72 degrees, which is not as hot as i thought, but also not exactly cold. i know altitude will come into play, but all in all this is not going to be a cold-weather ride. unless i just want to not wear jeans all day (a possibility), or strap the fancy pants on the back of vixen for most of the south, i might end up wearing the cowhide. or maybe i'll just suck it up and accept that i'll be boiling no matter what i'm wearing, since it's the south in the summer (i'd be hot wearing shorts and a tank top). we'll just have to see.

till then,

rftc,

scott

Thursday, July 14, 2011

break out the tent!

so, i've been doing a lot of itinerary planning over the last week. looking at the map a lot, checking mileage, and putting up more stickies of places to stay. i realized that the way i was planning it out, i wasn't going to do almost any camping, which is one of the things i've been looking forward to on this trip. i love the idea of having everything with you, and surviving just with what you have. that's one of the aspects of this type of travel that really appeals to me.

i decided to check out some campgrounds on my routes, mostly KOA, just to see what was there. at first it was just in case i couldn't find anyone to stay with, but the more i started looking the more excited i was about the prospect. there are some very cool places to camp around the country (go figure), and it would also mean i could even out my days a bit more, and not worry about some of the longer stretches i was going to have to take.

my new plan is to have two main stretches of camping, one on the way over, and one on the way back. after alburquerque, i'm planning to camp for a few days, first in oklahoma, then in hot springs, arkansas. stay with a friend of my dad in indianola, mississippi, then camp again in pensicola before hitting orlando for my first rest day. i can head up the coast (i was a little worried i wouldn't actually get to see much of the atlantic), and camp in savannah, georgia before seeing my brother in greenville, NC.

on the way back, out of chicago, i'm heading to omaha, then camping for three days in three different national parks. i'm hitting badlands in south dakota, yellowstone, and then craters of the moon in idaho. from there it's a bit of a long day to my older brother in walla walla, and a quick one home to seattle.

if everything goes to plan, i'll actually get home a little earlier than intended, but i think giving myself a few days cushion is a wise move, especially with some of the long days i'll be putting in. i havne't updated my itenerary yet to see exactly where this puts me in terms of scheduling, but i'll be home by the end of september no problem (unless there are problems).

also, not sure if i mentioned this, but i am now riding down to san francisco for sure. i have someone to carry my hurling gear in a car, and i'm going to make the whole loop on the bike. i'm really glad it managed to work out that way. it feels more like a pure bike trip, as opposed to driving to cali before actually jumping on the bike.

i'll get a new picture of the map up soon, there are quite a few more markers with all the campgrounds added.

till then, rftc,

scott

Saturday, July 9, 2011

finally! and other thoughts

well, the windshield is finally on. finally. it took long enough, i'd say.

without going into too much detail, it took another few trips to the hardware/auto parts stores for the proper hardware, which turned out to be a quick set of bolts for mounting a license plate. once we got the right hardware, it was just about as easy as i heard it was supposed to be. go figure.

the initial reaction was positive in regards to windflow. i now have a nice little windpocket to hang out in, and the air is now directed much higher, to my neck and helmet more than my chest. i was getting this nice little stream of air that went directly under my left ear, which was very loud. louder than without anything on there. i adjusted the angle of the shield, and it's a little better, but i think it's just something i get to deal with. overall, though, it will serve it's purpose nicely.

and now, as promised, here are some pictures. here's the old:


and the new:


not nearly as sexy, i admit. when the trip is over i think i'll be going back to either the old bikini fairing or nothing at all. i was rather enjoying the naked look for the few days vixen was baring it all.

in other news, i picked up some of the last gear on my list. i purchased a pair of textile overpants, which will be my primary pants on the trip. i went with fieldsheer mercury pants, which have a zip-out liner and some nice venting options. the next day it was nice and cloudy, so i got to test them out on my way to work, and i was perfectly snug and warm. unfortunately, the clouds broke in the early afternoon and i was a little toasty going between jobs, and absolutely boiling on the way home (i was already sweating from my shift, and throwing on a few extra layers never helps). i've come to accept the fact that, for much of my trip (at least the first half), it will be hot! i'll be using the vents as much as possible, and i've already thought about ways to cut down on other layers, like wearing shorts underneath the textiles, or just going with jeans some of the time. i'm sure both methods will be employed at some point.

right now i'm trying to work on a solid itinerary, with approximate dates, so i can start telling people when to expect me. if everything goes to plan, i may even be able to take a little more time than anticipated, and maybe take a few more days to get through some of the longer stretches. i'm also trying to figure out how much camping gear i can fit on the back, since there was some extra room under the cargo net. i really need to just pack everything up and see how much room it takes. that, however, involves actually knowing what all i'm taking. i'm working on "the list" in my head, but have yet to put anything on paper. soon.

in terms of everyday riding, vixen has now become my standard mode of transportation. i've been riding her exclusively, except when the truck is absolutely necessary, which is twice a week for hurling practice (have i explained hurling yet? i will at some point). i'm really enjoying it, and i find myself missing the ride on tuesdays and thursdays. i'm thinking that one of my goals for next year (or possibly sooner) is to go completely car-less, which i think is very doable. it will also save me money on gas. have i mentioned that? it's very nice.

during this riding, i've been working on pushing things a bit more, getting comfortable with slightly more aggressive riding. not weaving traffic or anything like that, but keeping speed up a bit more, taking a turn in third instead of second, things like that. i'm very pleased with my progress so far though, as i said, i'm not pushing it too much.

overall, things are progressing well, and i'm very optimistic for an awesome trip.

rftc,

scott

Monday, July 4, 2011

the turn of the screw (or lack thereof)

i am really beginning to hate these mounting brackets.

what should be a simple 90 minute installation is turning into the project from hell, with just about everything going wrong that possible could. i finally got time this evening to sit down and try to get this thing done, after my lesson from eastside motosports. so i sit down and grab my #3 philips screwdriver to take off the headlight and...wait. i don't have a #3 screwdriver. and neither does mein papa. i'm grounded before i get to the runway. so it's off to home depot to buy a screwdriver.

returning home with my shiny new #3 philips, i expertly remove the headlight (with the help of some CCR and a ninkasi spring reign ale), and start to remove the mounting brackets. everything is going swimmingly, and both brackets are soon removed without a hitch. the problems start again when i try to resecure the headlight bracket bolts without the fairing mounting brackets (are you keeping all these brackets straight?). as it turns out, the brackets for my bikini fairing double as the nuts for the headlight bracket bolts. without those brackets, the headlight bolts can't secure. and, of course, i don't have the right size nuts on the ole tool bench. roadblock # 637 on this project.

so, once again i have to delay the project until i have time to return to home depot yet again, and give myself time for more potential trips (i've learned to anticipate multiple trips from many home improvement projects with dad). the worst part is, i had to reinstall the mounting brackets, simply to secure the headlight so i can ride her over the next few days. insult to injury indeed.

my 90 minute quick and easy installation is now going on 2 days, and i won't be able to get to it again until thursday, when i actually have a day off, and have more than an hour to try to get this damn thing done.

on a side note (it's only a side note because of this stupid windshield, otherwise i'd reflect on it a bit more), i'm trying to only use the truck when i absolutely need to, which is basically for hurling practice (irish sport, of which team i am manager this year. that means lots of equipment) on tuesdays and thursdays. the rest of the time, i'm on the bike. so far so good, and i'm enjoying the hell out of it.

anyway, hopefully next time i post i will actually have pics of this thing mounted, instead of some new complication to complain about.

until then,

rftc,

scott

Saturday, July 2, 2011

crisis averted

i don't know if it's really a crisis, but...

the good folks at eastside motosports showed me how to open the headlight bucket (i was trying the wrong bolts), where we found the nut that had dropped and tightened the headlight. while we were in there, he also showed me how to unplug the turn signals so i can complete the installation myself.

unfortunately, since mein vater has all his tools over in idaho right now, i don't have the proper screwdriver to reopen the headlight, so the project is on hold and, for now, vixen is truly naked.

on another quick note, i really noticed the increased wind buffetting without my little bikini fairing. who'd have thunk such a little fairing would make such a difference?

rftc,

scott

oops

well, thanks to my lacklustre efforts, the DIY movement has taken a giant leap backwards.

i got my windshield the other day, and today was the day i was going to mount it. not a huge deal, i thought, maybe take me an hour or two. so far, things have not gone exactly to plan.

i managed to remove my bikini fairing no problem, but that's about it. as it turns out, the mounting brackets for said bikini fairing also need to be removed in order to install the mounting brackets for my new windshield. unfortunately, the turn signal wiring is looped through the current brackets, and you can't just take them off. after some online searching (to no avail), i called aurora suzuki, where i found out there should be a junction point for the turn signals somewhere in the headlight bucket, so you can remove the wiring. i probably should have walked away at this point, and taken it in to have the pros do it, but i was stubborn. i decided to try and remove the headlight (the bolts needed to be loosened anyway to mount the windshield) and unplug the turn signals. unfortunately, i had only removed one bolt when i heard something drop inside the bucket (i'm assuming the nut for said bolt), and i realized i wasn't even sure if this was the proper way to remove the headlight, much less open the bucket. at this point, i decided it was better to cut my losses and admit defeat. i bolted everything back on as best i could, and am going to take her to a dealer so they can fix whatever i messed up and put the windshield on.

this might be a good place to mention that, of my many talents, things mechanical and technological are not among them. i can sometime fix very simple things, or at least diagnose what is most likely the problem, but beyond that i have very little knowledge. it's not that i wouldn't like to gain some. i had an old 70s triumph trail bike for about 6 months with the full intention of figuring out how the sucker worked and fixing it up. i just didn't have the time, and when i did the best i could do was just kind of stare at it and try to start it about 30 times (with no luck). my mind just doesn't really work that way. i'm sure with proper training i could pick up the necessary skills, but it just doesn't come naturally.

this, among everything else, has been my biggest worry thusfar in planning the trip. were something to happen to my bike on the road, i would be at almost a total loss as to what to do. i have previously looked into some basic courses on maintenance and motorcycle upkeep, but there isn't anything scheduled between now and my trip. part of me is now thinking, what business do i have riding around the country if i can't even mount a stupid windshield? and maybe that part's right. we'll just have to see.

anyway, i'm off to (hopefully) get a windshield mounted. i'll post pics if and when it gets done. and in the future, i'll probably stop pretending i know what i'm doing, and leave it to the experts.

probably.

rftc,

scott