Alaska on a BMW K1600 GTL

[ClifNotes]

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on my way to another city. long story. 5 kids and a husband just lost their mom. he wants to make some short videos talking about his wife.

on my way back last night, uncomfortable with all that time in the dark on the freeway. but sometimes it felt nice too - some parts just a lot of freeway and not too many cars. but construction marks makes it all to easy to run into the concrete barrier. solution? i just try to stay in sight of the cars and follow their lights.

[ClifNotes]

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i've already been up a few hours. my hours are funny because of youtube work.

it's been so long, i forgot my password here.

later today, one of the girls i met on the alaska tour will come stay with me a couple days.

i had a close call on the freeway... i think it was adams / madison maybe 5 southbound. the top of a semi truck cover blew off and floated, twisting across 4 lanes into the carpool. i skid... i could hear both my tires skid. the huge piece that covered my entire lane barely, barely landed before i rode over it. if it had been in midair, i imagine my head or body could be cut in half.

i've been really focused on youtube. (you know i wrote about this fantasy months ago - and while i was on the tour.) it was the only "job" i could find that would let me ride anywhere, anytime. at first, i was planning to go into a 2nd loan to make sure i could pay my expenses. youtube was only bringing in 75 cents or 4 dollars a day. i came to a point where i either needed to make youtube work, or i'd have to get a "normal job" and get tied down again.

i decided to try.

i pretty much worked indoors a full 15 days on youtube - never even stepped out the door. finally, enough started coming in to cover all my expenses. and the amount seems even stronger this month. yesterday, i left the house for the first time for a walk around the block - that's how hard it's been. my roommate thought that my exhaustion from youtube was so intense that he was concerned i might collapse and die.

a few seconds featured on ABC. and videos featured on MSNBC and another national news station called me yesterday for permission. Germans have also contacted me saying my videos have been playing on their national tv stations there.

youtube is a largely teen audience, so my vids look immature and silly... even stupid. but i also get a lot of teens and people in crisis asking for friendship, and i give them (i think) attention, compassion, and ideas they need to make it through.

the very first time i even considered making a living from youtube was on the alaska tour. motorcycle touring has a way of removing all the doubts and criticisms we insist on putting on ourselves. and ideas can be born that if you follow up on it (like i did with youtube) - it's possible to make them a reality. sure - i didn't think then that it'd consume me to the point that i'd have to be stuck in the house two weeks in a row. but once i build some strength and popularity, i really might be able to start roaming the planet again - stopping here and there at internet spots to upload videos so i have gas money.

yesterday, youtube sent a payment to me (for the first time in my life) high enough to pay my GTL payment (and then a bit more). the possibility or dream of youtube to support me was born on the alaska tour. and today, i think one of the girls i met on the tour will arrive at our home. so... the alaska tour continues to have strong reverberations in my life.

thanks bill. thanks cindy.
thanks to all of you that supported me and especially those keeping the doubters and haters at bay.

love clif

[SPX]

Originally Posted by ClifNotes

i had a close call on the freeway... i think it was adams / madison maybe 5 southbound. the top of a semi truck cover blew off and floated, twisting across 4 lanes into the carpool. i skid... i could hear both my tires skid. the huge piece that covered my entire lane barely, barely landed before i rode over it. if it had been in midair, i imagine my head or body could be cut in half.

if you were skidding, then your ABS is broken and needs to be fixed. With ABS, you should never skid.

[ClifNotes]

Originally Posted by SPX

if you were skidding, then your ABS is broken and needs to be fixed. With ABS, you should never skid.

Thank you spx! I thought it was because of the tires. suddenly, the brakes were skidding a lot - not just then.

This is good to know

[SPX]

Originally Posted by ClifNotes

Thank you spx! I thought it was because of the tires. suddenly, the brakes were skidding a lot - not just then.

This is good to know

Brakes don't skid, tires skid.
Do you have a brake fail light illuminated on your dash once you start moving? If not, then it is likely not failed abs. Perhaps you thought you were skidding but you weren't.

[judgebill]

Hello and welcome to the continuing saga. Clif and I just had lunch and talked about what we wanted to do, if anything, with our journal. I am now assembling relevant postings from the two of us as well as choice comments, observations, words of wisdom and other notations from our many fans/contributors/critics and so-forth. We will add photographs and assemble the whole thing in some form that you can all enjoy. Stay tuned for our efforts.
In the meantime, I am now living in Los Angeles with Cindy. We ride together and this winter anticipate skiing together. Life is good and riding is wonderful. We will keep you posted on our continuing adventures.
Bill & Cindy.

[ClarkA]

Originally Posted by limeymike

Ist bike; a 1600GTL, 1st trip; Alaska.



I know I'm not the only one thinking what i'm thinking. . . .

No you are not!

[judgebill]

For those of you who have been wondering what's happening, the quick answer is "a lot". My last posting, late last year, reported my efforts to put together a journal of our adventures. Well, it has been a challenge. But in re-reading all the postings I have been excited and pleased to see how well the whole thing seems to fit together. Clif is a prolific poster, much more so than I had realized. Of the thousands of visits we've had, he has to account for a significant percentage. We have many old friends who stuck with us through the entire trip.
At this time, in March of 2013, I am almost finished with my selecting and editing of the text, my selecting of pictures and my adding of editorial comment. The next step will be to publish. This will be done through Amazon with an electronic book. Complete with pictures. Costs a bit more to add the photos but well worth the expense. I seriously doubt that any publishing house would want to take a gamble on this manuscript but for me and Clif and Cindy it has been a labor of love. And if for no other readers than ourselves, we are doing it. I'll post when it is available and in the meantime, Happy New Year to all of you. Bill