Cross Country and back in 10 days

longtallsally · 06-25-2007, 12:51 AM

So I'm going to start this one preemptively and take any advice that could be offered prior to leaving. So the goal is to head back to OH and see my parents from the Bay Area. I'm also flying the g/f back to meet the parents- wish us luck on that! According to the attached images, it will be a total of just over 6200 miles. I'll be riding for 8 days and spend 2 with mom & Dad. I just finished mounting new Tourances, a second power port, and a mount for the radar detector (THANKS marchyman!) so I should be ready to go. I'll have to adjust the valves and change the oil when I get to OH, but nothing new there.

Those that know the important roads will appreciate that I'll be hitting 3 of the top 10 roads in the US (according to Forbes). The road from Teton to Yellowstone, Deal's Gap, and Cherohala Skyway.

In addition to the usual junk to bring, I'm bringing a 2 gig card, a 1 gig card, a 256meg card, and the g/f will be bringing my other laptop to my parents' so I can d/l the first half's images- of which there should be a million since I've never seen the sights I'm going to hit on the way out and back.

Here is the route out:

This is the route back:

Here is the really lame part. Some ass hat hit me on the way home from work on Friday. The GS is simply amazing as I didn't go down and it took quite a shot and only sustained cosmetic damage (verified by the dealer) so now it will be even a little more battered before the trip even starts.

Here is a shot on the side of the road just afterwards. Yes the guy was very apologetic (I told him I was sure he wasn't overtly trying to kill me) and his insurance is covering, but you can see the crash bar pulled out and the side plate mildly dinged. I even got the big beast to do a full on stoppie before the ABS kicked in.

So wish me luck and stay tuned for a bunch of cool pics of scenery as I rock through this haul.

Gadget Boy · 06-25-2007, 06:14 AM

Hopefully, no one else will run into you! That's a heck of a lot of riding for a 2 day visit!! Good luck and keep us posted

xdbx · 06-25-2007, 09:02 AM

aspirin will be your friend....

sportbiker_kev · 06-25-2007, 10:37 AM

Wow, that sounds like a lot of fun! Can't wait to see more pics!

vegasphotog · 06-25-2007, 10:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by longtallsally

.... g/f will be bringing my other laptop to my parents' so I can d/l the first half's images- of which there should be a million since I've never seen the sights I'm going to hit on the way out and back.....

FWIW with that sort of tight schedule, I would not plan on being able to take many pictures unless on-board (shakey). It takes approximately 3-8 minutes per get-off for a photo and I would guess you barely have more than about a total of 12 hours r/t to spare. That does not take into account any mechanical/parts issues that could sideline you for up to 48 hours. You did not indicate any contigency plans but suspect with your casual enthusiasm you can prolly take more days off from work as needed.

longtallsally · 06-25-2007, 12:36 PM

So the guy's insurance company called me this morning and that process is rolling- thank goodness. I'm still going as is, but am not too concerned.

And yes, the schedule is tight, but I should be OK and was realisitic in my daily mileage calculations.

I don't anticipate (as no one does) any mechanical issues as it is a brand new bike, but I should be fine as it is broken in and has been worked quite a bit with no ill effects.

Friday is launch day and the pic fest will commence shortly thereafter...

TwistedGray · 06-25-2007, 05:18 PM

Hey send me an email with dates that you plan on doing this please.

CRAP! This Friday is too soon for me, bummer. :*( :*(

longtallsally · 06-25-2007, 05:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TwistedGray

Hey send me an email with dates that you plan on doing this please.

CRAP! This Friday is too soon for me, bummer. :*( :*(

I'm leaving on Friday at probably around 5 (earlier if I can get out of the office) and will try to make it just outside of Reno that night.

I'll make it WY the next day and then Devil's Tower the next to camp. Then it will be a freeway blast after Rushmore and Crazy Horse to Columbus.

I've got a pretty tight schedule, but anyone that wants to jump in, send me a PM and I'll get you my cell number and I can give you coordinates.

Katoom119 · 06-25-2007, 11:32 PM

Helluva trip! If you need anything when you're in Tennessee, I live in Johnson City, go to Deal's Gap at least 3 times a month, and know a few out of the way routes to get there. Just shoot me a message.

Bueno Suerte!

longtallsally · 06-26-2007, 01:09 AM

Thanks for the well wishes and travel partners, everyone.

I should be all set to rock at this point. My return trip is going to be tight and I'll be getting in pretty late, but it should all be good. The onlything to do is run the wire for the V1 and put the velcro on it and I'll be sorted.

After I load the routes to the GPS and charge various sundry batteries, I'll be in business! I am SOOOOOOOOOO excited for this and SOOOOOOOOOOO excited to get out of my nutcase office for a while!

Dabears · 06-26-2007, 05:36 AM

I'm guessing you won't have a spare minute to provide updates along the way but please let us know how your trip goes. That's some pretty aggressive ridin!

MrEndo · 06-26-2007, 06:24 AM

Look for the "Ocean City Maryland 3043" Mile sign as you come into west Sac. If you make it to Ocean City, You can take a picture of the sign that says "Sacramento 3043"... Done this ride twice before. I sugggest early starts as the sun comes up and be hunkered down by 4-5pm. Be prepared for afternoon thunder showers as you get into Utah. Plan your stops (overnights) on the far sides of the big cities so you dont have to fight the commuters into town in the morning. Have a great trip...

longtallsally · 06-29-2007, 07:35 PM

OK. So my day of departure has come... and gone... I'm hosed from a long week at work and some very fruitful interviews. I am hoping to get an offer in the throws of the trip which would be a GREAT opportunity and career move.

That said, I'm going to get some sleep and head out at sun up tomorrow morning. It will be a 1k mile day or so, but worth the good sleep I'll get tonight. Plus I was going to have to do some night riding in some areas I didn't want to, so I'll push off tomorrow.

I also had my review with my current job which went better than expected, so I am really going to be leaving with a clear conscience.

Nevertheless, the adventure has begun already. I wanted to take the Jeep (a rock crawling trail machine rarely if ever driven) to work today as the GS is in the garage fully loaded. However, as I was on my Friday morning call (not able to hear a dang thing due to the noise in the Jeep) I noticed the temp was rising more than usual. So to be safe I pull over and sure enough, the water pump decided to die. Grrrr... Head back to the house, put on the monkey suit, get the track bike out...

and take it in. grrrrr... I love the 954... on the track. Outside of that, I look like a monkey effin a football (as my father would say) and it is farfugnuven uncomfortable!!!!!!!!!!!! Not to mention that I was sweating like a pig to boot. Oh yeah, did I mention also that it has a dead battery and I have to push start it? Like I said, the adventure has alreay begun between all this and the accident last week.

Anyway, this will most likely be my last post until Tuesday and some more pics, but here is the GS loaded and ready to go.

The typical staples for a time sensitive trip (I've had my life threatened if I'm not there to pick her up from the airport on Tuesday):

The good part is that now I feel I can take a couple extra days and not really care- thus the thread title change.

WISH ME LUCK!!!!

ClearwaterBMW · 06-29-2007, 07:39 PM

good luck
ride safely.....
and...... that RED BULL will kill you....

you DO know that.... right?

MAD MAN · 06-29-2007, 08:30 PM

RIDE SALLY RIDE!

I'm behind you all the way man. Ride hard ride long. Try to stop when you get tired, try not to ride at night (too much), and take it easy on the curves.

Test your limits. Get home safe. And you'll end up with an experience under your belt that will give you a confidence you can carry on to your next great challenge.

06-25-2007, 12:51 AM	#1
longtallsally Yeah I'm a chick Joined: Apr 2006 Location: Bay Area, CA- soon to be Stuttgart Oddometer: 2,499	PICS ADDED Cross Country and back in 10 days or so... So I'm going to start this one preemptively and take any advice that could be offered prior to leaving. So the goal is to head back to OH and see my parents from the Bay Area. I'm also flying the g/f back to meet the parents- wish us luck on that! According to the attached images, it will be a total of just over 6200 miles. I'll be riding for 8 days and spend 2 with mom & Dad. I just finished mounting new Tourances, a second power port, and a mount for the radar detector (THANKS marchyman!) so I should be ready to go. I'll have to adjust the valves and change the oil when I get to OH, but nothing new there. Those that know the important roads will appreciate that I'll be hitting 3 of the top 10 roads in the US (according to Forbes). The road from Teton to Yellowstone, Deal's Gap, and Cherohala Skyway. In addition to the usual junk to bring, I'm bringing a 2 gig card, a 1 gig card, a 256meg card, and the g/f will be bringing my other laptop to my parents' so I can d/l the first half's images- of which there should be a million since I've never seen the sights I'm going to hit on the way out and back. Here is the route out: This is the route back: Here is the really lame part. Some ass hat hit me on the way home from work on Friday. The GS is simply amazing as I didn't go down and it took quite a shot and only sustained cosmetic damage (verified by the dealer) so now it will be even a little more battered before the trip even starts. Here is a shot on the side of the road just afterwards. Yes the guy was very apologetic (I told him I was sure he wasn't overtly trying to kill me) and his insurance is covering, but you can see the crash bar pulled out and the side plate mildly dinged. I even got the big beast to do a full on stoppie before the ABS kicked in. So wish me luck and stay tuned for a bunch of cool pics of scenery as I rock through this haul. Last edited by longtallsally : 07-09-2007 at 09:30 AM.

06-25-2007, 10:37 AM	#4
sportbiker_kev Sportbiker looking 4 a GS Joined: Jun 2007 Location: Ontario, Canada Oddometer: 21	Wow, that sounds like a lot of fun! Can't wait to see more pics! __________________ ~Experience is something you don't get until just after you need it~

06-25-2007, 11:32 PM	#9
Katoom119 Mmmm....Orange Kool-aid Joined: Jun 2007 Location: Johnson City, TN Oddometer: 623	Helluva trip! If you need anything when you're in Tennessee, I live in Johnson City, go to Deal's Gap at least 3 times a month, and know a few out of the way routes to get there. Just shoot me a message. Bueno Suerte! __________________ Those who dance are considered crazy by those who do not hear the music. 5 Cylinders vs. Moab

06-29-2007, 07:39 PM	#14
ClearwaterBMW The Examiner Joined: Jul 2005 Location: Clearwater, FL USA Oddometer: 1,679	good luck ride safely..... and...... that RED BULL will kill you.... you DO know that.... right? __________________ Greg '07 BMW K1200GT live life like you mean it... but take your family and friends along for the "ride"

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06-25-2007, 06:14 AM	#2
Gadget Boy ADV Plenipotentiary Joined: Aug 2002 Location: Toronto, Canada Oddometer: 40,790	Hopefully, no one else will run into you! That's a heck of a lot of riding for a 2 day visit!! Good luck and keep us posted

06-25-2007, 09:02 AM	#3
xdbx Motorcycle Connoisseur Joined: Nov 2006 Location: East Lansing, Michigan Oddometer: 2,070	aspirin will be your friend....

06-25-2007, 12:36 PM	#6
longtallsally Yeah I'm a chick Joined: Apr 2006 Location: Bay Area, CA- soon to be Stuttgart Oddometer: 2,499	So the guy's insurance company called me this morning and that process is rolling- thank goodness. I'm still going as is, but am not too concerned. And yes, the schedule is tight, but I should be OK and was realisitic in my daily mileage calculations. I don't anticipate (as no one does) any mechanical issues as it is a brand new bike, but I should be fine as it is broken in and has been worked quite a bit with no ill effects. Friday is launch day and the pic fest will commence shortly thereafter...

06-25-2007, 05:18 PM	#7
TwistedGray Slow Guy Joined: Jun 2007 Location: Marina, CA Oddometer: 169	Hey send me an email with dates that you plan on doing this please. CRAP! This Friday is too soon for me, bummer. :( :(

06-26-2007, 01:09 AM	#10
longtallsally Yeah I'm a chick Joined: Apr 2006 Location: Bay Area, CA- soon to be Stuttgart Oddometer: 2,499	Thanks for the well wishes and travel partners, everyone. I should be all set to rock at this point. My return trip is going to be tight and I'll be getting in pretty late, but it should all be good. The onlything to do is run the wire for the V1 and put the velcro on it and I'll be sorted. After I load the routes to the GPS and charge various sundry batteries, I'll be in business! I am SOOOOOOOOOO excited for this and SOOOOOOOOOOO excited to get out of my nutcase office for a while!

06-26-2007, 05:36 AM	#11
Dabears Gnarly Adventurer Joined: Mar 2007 Location: Atlanta Burbs Oddometer: 133	I'm guessing you won't have a spare minute to provide updates along the way but please let us know how your trip goes. That's some pretty aggressive ridin!

06-26-2007, 06:24 AM	#12
MrEndo Gnarly Adventurer Joined: May 2006 Location: Sacramento, CA Oddometer: 307	Look for the "Ocean City Maryland 3043" Mile sign as you come into west Sac. If you make it to Ocean City, You can take a picture of the sign that says "Sacramento 3043"... Done this ride twice before. I sugggest early starts as the sun comes up and be hunkered down by 4-5pm. Be prepared for afternoon thunder showers as you get into Utah. Plan your stops (overnights) on the far sides of the big cities so you dont have to fight the commuters into town in the morning. Have a great trip...

06-29-2007, 07:35 PM	#13
longtallsally Yeah I'm a chick Joined: Apr 2006 Location: Bay Area, CA- soon to be Stuttgart Oddometer: 2,499	OK. So my day of departure has come... and gone... I'm hosed from a long week at work and some very fruitful interviews. I am hoping to get an offer in the throws of the trip which would be a GREAT opportunity and career move. That said, I'm going to get some sleep and head out at sun up tomorrow morning. It will be a 1k mile day or so, but worth the good sleep I'll get tonight. Plus I was going to have to do some night riding in some areas I didn't want to, so I'll push off tomorrow. I also had my review with my current job which went better than expected, so I am really going to be leaving with a clear conscience. Nevertheless, the adventure has begun already. I wanted to take the Jeep (a rock crawling trail machine rarely if ever driven) to work today as the GS is in the garage fully loaded. However, as I was on my Friday morning call (not able to hear a dang thing due to the noise in the Jeep) I noticed the temp was rising more than usual. So to be safe I pull over and sure enough, the water pump decided to die. Grrrr... Head back to the house, put on the monkey suit, get the track bike out... and take it in. grrrrr... I love the 954... on the track. Outside of that, I look like a monkey effin a football (as my father would say) and it is farfugnuven uncomfortable!!!!!!!!!!!! Not to mention that I was sweating like a pig to boot. Oh yeah, did I mention also that it has a dead battery and I have to push start it? Like I said, the adventure has alreay begun between all this and the accident last week. Anyway, this will most likely be my last post until Tuesday and some more pics, but here is the GS loaded and ready to go. The typical staples for a time sensitive trip (I've had my life threatened if I'm not there to pick her up from the airport on Tuesday): The good part is that now I feel I can take a couple extra days and not really care- thus the thread title change. WISH ME LUCK!!!!

06-29-2007, 08:30 PM	#15
MAD MAN Space Cadet Joined: Jun 2007 Location: SW MO Oddometer: 170	RIDE SALLY RIDE! I'm behind you all the way man. Ride hard ride long. Try to stop when you get tired, try not to ride at night (too much), and take it easy on the curves. Test your limits. Get home safe. And you'll end up with an experience under your belt that will give you a confidence you can carry on to your next great challenge.