This is a bangers and mash hotdog. That's right. With Guinness!
Thursday, April 28, 2011
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Battle for Flagstaff, Phoenix Rising
Warning, wall of text imminent.
The day started in Cortez, CO with rain and some snow, so time to layer up! The road to flagstaff was mostly uneventful scenery, compared to the sites the days before, but I finally got to do this:
Ok not a great picture but its the Four Corners monument. Allegedly a few years ago we found out that the ACTUAL site of where the 4 states borders come together is a bit a ways away, down in a canyon. So technically its not the 4 corners but, c'mon, its the thought that counts right?
Not pictured is the "Navajo Burger" I had from a little stand set up next to the monument. Pretty simple with using fry bread and traditional burger stuff in the middle, but the best things are usual the simplest! Delicious! I'm not sure if it was cow or buffalo meat, being within the Navajo Nation and all.
Next destination is Flagstaff, and easily the worst time I've had while riding so far. Mostly pretty boring high desert scenery, with very powerful wind. Most of the road was heading west, and head on into the wind. I heard from some people at the gas stations that this road gets closed occasionaly due to wind. While on the road, I saw an 18-wheeler truck almost tip over, wheels in the air.
Freya hated the wind. I'm approaching the 5000km service window, and when I checked the oil in the morning I had full level of dark black thick mud. Also at this altitude, since I dont have extra jets for the carbs, I'm running really rich. The night before I cleaned both of my air filters, knowing I'd be getting into some dust today.
If I let off the throttle, the wind would knock me down 15mph in about a second. Wind straight in the face the whole way, 4th gear was never an option, and having to run her pretty hard just to maintain 40mph. I attempted to do some drafting, but they're busy doing 65-70 and I couldnt keep up.
Finally, a big RV was slowpoking, and I went with him for about 10km, before I started losing all power and feeling something was wrong with the engine. Knock Knock Knock, more louder than normal, she doesnt feel balanced... "oh my god I just joined the Holy Holey Piston club!" I say to myself. Theres no shoulder, but its all red dirt desert so I safely pull over and shut her down. Middle of nowhere.
After a solid 15 minutes of calming down and letting Freya rest, I check the oil. Still black as night, but proper level. I go underneath, pull the plug and drain about a quart into an empty gatorade bottle. The oil is still dark, but theres no metal in it, just oil... I put a quart of brand new oil in, then use the kickstart to get the new oil flowin. I go to start her up, no help, something is still wrong.
I then change the air filter, check my spark plugs, check all compliance fittings, and everything checks out. Still problems...
Then I put the petcock to reserve, start her up, and after a second she purrs along like normal. I was low on gas! SO SIMPLE. I was also low on mental capacity apparently. How embarassing! Back on the road, into the brutal wind, and no sweet fat slow RV to draft.
The road then turned straight south, so all that horrible wind is now hitting my right side, blowing me all over the road. White knuckle control the entire time, and my arms are killin me right now! All we had to do was climb one more mountian, then it would all be downhill.
I need a helmet camera, because while entering flagstaff and topping the highest point of the day, there was a "dirt devil" or little refridgerator sized tornado of dust. It was coming right for me and nothing I could do! Of course it wasnt big enough to be dangerous, but it sure was funny, and the people behind me all gave thumbs up when they passed me!
From flagstaff to phoenix, its all downhill. Going from 7000 to below 3000 elevation was something Freya and I needed. Now we had trees blocking the crosswind, and with the day coming to an end the winds started to calm down.
Nighttime, cruising all downhill at 55-60 on a sweet winding road. The glow of the phoenix area in the clouds above began to light things up, like a beacon in the distance. A bed of ashes from which a phoenix would rise. Every drop in elevation seemed to make Freya more powerful, we were almost there.
Then finally we got there! Safe and sound at my good friend Mr. Paris's house. I feel like I've been beaten up, sore all over, but Im finally back on the giant paved grid of Glendale.
Canyon Leg complete. Now its time to relax and get ready for the Desert Leg which is from phoenix to Arkansas, via Las Cruces, Roswell, and San Antonio. Hoo-Ya!*
*note yeah thats right I said "hoo-ya". My friends on the USS Connecticut might be back in port soon, and if you're reading this, welcome back my brothers.
The day started in Cortez, CO with rain and some snow, so time to layer up! The road to flagstaff was mostly uneventful scenery, compared to the sites the days before, but I finally got to do this:
Not pictured is the "Navajo Burger" I had from a little stand set up next to the monument. Pretty simple with using fry bread and traditional burger stuff in the middle, but the best things are usual the simplest! Delicious! I'm not sure if it was cow or buffalo meat, being within the Navajo Nation and all.
Next destination is Flagstaff, and easily the worst time I've had while riding so far. Mostly pretty boring high desert scenery, with very powerful wind. Most of the road was heading west, and head on into the wind. I heard from some people at the gas stations that this road gets closed occasionaly due to wind. While on the road, I saw an 18-wheeler truck almost tip over, wheels in the air.
Freya hated the wind. I'm approaching the 5000km service window, and when I checked the oil in the morning I had full level of dark black thick mud. Also at this altitude, since I dont have extra jets for the carbs, I'm running really rich. The night before I cleaned both of my air filters, knowing I'd be getting into some dust today.
If I let off the throttle, the wind would knock me down 15mph in about a second. Wind straight in the face the whole way, 4th gear was never an option, and having to run her pretty hard just to maintain 40mph. I attempted to do some drafting, but they're busy doing 65-70 and I couldnt keep up.
Finally, a big RV was slowpoking, and I went with him for about 10km, before I started losing all power and feeling something was wrong with the engine. Knock Knock Knock, more louder than normal, she doesnt feel balanced... "oh my god I just joined the Holy Holey Piston club!" I say to myself. Theres no shoulder, but its all red dirt desert so I safely pull over and shut her down. Middle of nowhere.
After a solid 15 minutes of calming down and letting Freya rest, I check the oil. Still black as night, but proper level. I go underneath, pull the plug and drain about a quart into an empty gatorade bottle. The oil is still dark, but theres no metal in it, just oil... I put a quart of brand new oil in, then use the kickstart to get the new oil flowin. I go to start her up, no help, something is still wrong.
I then change the air filter, check my spark plugs, check all compliance fittings, and everything checks out. Still problems...
Then I put the petcock to reserve, start her up, and after a second she purrs along like normal. I was low on gas! SO SIMPLE. I was also low on mental capacity apparently. How embarassing! Back on the road, into the brutal wind, and no sweet fat slow RV to draft.
The road then turned straight south, so all that horrible wind is now hitting my right side, blowing me all over the road. White knuckle control the entire time, and my arms are killin me right now! All we had to do was climb one more mountian, then it would all be downhill.
I need a helmet camera, because while entering flagstaff and topping the highest point of the day, there was a "dirt devil" or little refridgerator sized tornado of dust. It was coming right for me and nothing I could do! Of course it wasnt big enough to be dangerous, but it sure was funny, and the people behind me all gave thumbs up when they passed me!
From flagstaff to phoenix, its all downhill. Going from 7000 to below 3000 elevation was something Freya and I needed. Now we had trees blocking the crosswind, and with the day coming to an end the winds started to calm down.
Nighttime, cruising all downhill at 55-60 on a sweet winding road. The glow of the phoenix area in the clouds above began to light things up, like a beacon in the distance. A bed of ashes from which a phoenix would rise. Every drop in elevation seemed to make Freya more powerful, we were almost there.
Then finally we got there! Safe and sound at my good friend Mr. Paris's house. I feel like I've been beaten up, sore all over, but Im finally back on the giant paved grid of Glendale.
Canyon Leg complete. Now its time to relax and get ready for the Desert Leg which is from phoenix to Arkansas, via Las Cruces, Roswell, and San Antonio. Hoo-Ya!*
*note yeah thats right I said "hoo-ya". My friends on the USS Connecticut might be back in port soon, and if you're reading this, welcome back my brothers.
Sunday, April 24, 2011
Crazy ride, crazy weather, crazy people. Awesome.
Time to play catch up! After leaving Panguitch, Utah, it was once again time to layer up and get ready for some cool rain. The road to Esperanto was fairly uneventful, but beautiful. As the elevation was climbing, Freya was having a noticable drop in power. Nothing real serious, but I was sort of expecting it. Since she isnt fuel injected, and high elevation air is thinner, she was running too rich (more fuel, not enough air, so less combustion).
I made a quick call to Ski and Dennis just to confirm the suspicion, suggestions, and risks associated with running very rich. The elevation I was at was only 5000 feet, and Freya was set up to run slightly rich at sea level. The road ahead had a 9000 foot pass. I've heard horror stories associated with running very rich, and didnt want anything terrible to happen (which is, anything I cant fix by myself).
So I'm pulling in to get some lunch, and somebody in a truck saw me, whipped around and jumped out of their truck. A crazy looking greybeard with motorcycle clothing and tattoos. He was the owner of the only motorcycle shop within 200 miles. I asked if he had jets for carbs, he said probably (?) and told me where his shop was. After lunch, I found the most badass shop/garage I've ever seen:
Yup, thats a carpeted driveway. HOW COOL IS THAT!?
Covering the sides are cut up tires that The Doctor has changed, and then labeled with the country or place that the rider hailed from. Take a look, its just about everywhere imaginable. Since the road I was on is well traveled, for good reason, people from all over the world ride it, and not a lot of people can carry spares like a Uralist. In fact, we all know bikers who dont properly prepare or even bother to learn about their bike. The best quote I've ever heard from a bikers (BMW) mouth is "I dont need any tools, I got a Triple A card". Thats a Hong Kong no shitter!
The Doc let me rummage through his stuff to find jets, but there werent any main jets smaller than 160! I run 130 mains!! I did find some slow jets size 40, so I spent the 15 minutes and installed those. At the time, I was running 45s. I knew it wouldnt do much when riding at speed, but its all I could do. My only other option was to loosen an air fitting to my airbox, and kind of throttle or crack it open, which would let raw unfiltered air get to my engine. Could work, if its dry and not dusty, but I really wanted to avoid it.
Heres the Doc himself, a true road warrior. Story is 30 years ago his bike broke down here, and there werent ANY shops around. So he stayed and made one. I had to admit to him how envious I was of what he has and what he's done. Living the dream. If you're reading this, Doc, thanks for your time and keep on rockin.
Doc gave me all the advice he could about the road ahead, and made double sure I had his card in case something happened. "youre gonna go down to the desert, and then up to some snow. Watch your ass brother". It was time to baby powder the ballsac and go on the attack. 10 miles down the road, I saw the descent, with an dark angry cloud heading the same way:
Pretty daunting, menacing, and beautiful. I took a moment to perform a quick check of all systems, mounted up, and said "bring it ON!" as Freya sprang to life. Purring like a kitten, then roaring like a tiger.
Descending through narrow slits in the canyon, the storm certainly brought it on. First, the rain, no big deal. Then the hail, marble sized and lots of it. Then the wind, harshest wind I've yet to encounter. Rain was sideways, the wind blowing me all over the road, it was a fight. The narrow two lane road has maybe 1 foot of shoulder, and its either a solid rock wall waiting for you to scrape it, or a sheer cliff trying to bring you all the way down. I got to the top of this leg, take a look:
Neither wind nor rain nor hail could stop the Iron Swan, but it was a physically and mentality challenging fight against the elements. Freya 1, nature 0. Okay nature gets half a point.
Now for the ascent to 9000 feet or so. All twisty and uphill, most of the time Freya was bouning between 2nd and 3rd, pulling me along at 30mph. I was careful not to keep on the throttle and flood her, every one in awhile going to neutral and letting her burn off some of the fuel. It was pretty grueling, and yes I was talking to her the whole time. Finally, the top:
The most fun thing I did while letting her cool down was throw snowballs at her. The snow would hit the engine and explode into steam, not only looking badass but sounding awesome! We then started the descent, which was a welcome change.
I thought I was done meeting crazy people for the day, haha, gladly I was wrong. I was at a gas station chillin out, and a random stranger pulls up next to me. We start talkin, and I get invited to a cabin to meet other people and hang out. I'm so glad I did, as the group was hands down some of the coolest people i've ever met. Hopefully if they're readin this I'll get some pictures emailed to me (HAHA). Of course, Freya gets all the attention:
We hung out by the campfire, drinkin it up and having a blast. Everybody had a top notch sense of humor and I could be close friends with any one of 'em. Meeting great people and having a great time, completely randomly, is one of the reasons people do big rides like this. Night set upon us, and it was time to eat!
BBQ chicken with rie and vegetables cooked Dutch Oven style. DELICIOUS! By the way there were also dudes there, but somehow I didnt get any pictures. Weird right? HAH!
The night was long with all the beer pong and playing around with a tiny little bunny rabbit chillin out with everybody. The bunnies name was Peter (classic) and he probably felt like a baby kangaroo since he spent most of the time in somebodies pocket, nibblin on grass and licking your hand.
All in all, it's going to be difficult to top this day. Great ride, fantastic people. For the record though, I am NEVER playing "slapa-da-bag" again! If you dont know what that is, don't worry about it.
Happy Easter :)
I made a quick call to Ski and Dennis just to confirm the suspicion, suggestions, and risks associated with running very rich. The elevation I was at was only 5000 feet, and Freya was set up to run slightly rich at sea level. The road ahead had a 9000 foot pass. I've heard horror stories associated with running very rich, and didnt want anything terrible to happen (which is, anything I cant fix by myself).
So I'm pulling in to get some lunch, and somebody in a truck saw me, whipped around and jumped out of their truck. A crazy looking greybeard with motorcycle clothing and tattoos. He was the owner of the only motorcycle shop within 200 miles. I asked if he had jets for carbs, he said probably (?) and told me where his shop was. After lunch, I found the most badass shop/garage I've ever seen:
The Doc let me rummage through his stuff to find jets, but there werent any main jets smaller than 160! I run 130 mains!! I did find some slow jets size 40, so I spent the 15 minutes and installed those. At the time, I was running 45s. I knew it wouldnt do much when riding at speed, but its all I could do. My only other option was to loosen an air fitting to my airbox, and kind of throttle or crack it open, which would let raw unfiltered air get to my engine. Could work, if its dry and not dusty, but I really wanted to avoid it.
Heres the Doc himself, a true road warrior. Story is 30 years ago his bike broke down here, and there werent ANY shops around. So he stayed and made one. I had to admit to him how envious I was of what he has and what he's done. Living the dream. If you're reading this, Doc, thanks for your time and keep on rockin.
Descending through narrow slits in the canyon, the storm certainly brought it on. First, the rain, no big deal. Then the hail, marble sized and lots of it. Then the wind, harshest wind I've yet to encounter. Rain was sideways, the wind blowing me all over the road, it was a fight. The narrow two lane road has maybe 1 foot of shoulder, and its either a solid rock wall waiting for you to scrape it, or a sheer cliff trying to bring you all the way down. I got to the top of this leg, take a look:
Now for the ascent to 9000 feet or so. All twisty and uphill, most of the time Freya was bouning between 2nd and 3rd, pulling me along at 30mph. I was careful not to keep on the throttle and flood her, every one in awhile going to neutral and letting her burn off some of the fuel. It was pretty grueling, and yes I was talking to her the whole time. Finally, the top:
I thought I was done meeting crazy people for the day, haha, gladly I was wrong. I was at a gas station chillin out, and a random stranger pulls up next to me. We start talkin, and I get invited to a cabin to meet other people and hang out. I'm so glad I did, as the group was hands down some of the coolest people i've ever met. Hopefully if they're readin this I'll get some pictures emailed to me (HAHA). Of course, Freya gets all the attention:
We hung out by the campfire, drinkin it up and having a blast. Everybody had a top notch sense of humor and I could be close friends with any one of 'em. Meeting great people and having a great time, completely randomly, is one of the reasons people do big rides like this. Night set upon us, and it was time to eat!
The night was long with all the beer pong and playing around with a tiny little bunny rabbit chillin out with everybody. The bunnies name was Peter (classic) and he probably felt like a baby kangaroo since he spent most of the time in somebodies pocket, nibblin on grass and licking your hand.
All in all, it's going to be difficult to top this day. Great ride, fantastic people. For the record though, I am NEVER playing "slapa-da-bag" again! If you dont know what that is, don't worry about it.
Happy Easter :)
Friday, April 22, 2011
Cowboy steakhouse
Mighty tasty sirloin, goes great with Sioux City sarsparilla. I think I spelled that right...
Leaving Las Vegas
All good things end, and staying at the Venetian in Las Vegas was definately a good time. Although I didnt "party it up" like we've all seen in the movies. I spent most of the time either walking around looking at stuff (one of my favorite things to do) or hanging out in the hotel room relaxing like a champion. I did force myself to go gamble with $100, and it lasted awhile but gambling isnt my thing. I had fun though.
The venetian is beautiful! Heres some pictures of the ceiling:
more ceiling, it was amazing:
The road out of LV was flat, windy, and full of traffic. It didnt take long though to get to a place called Zion. I could definately live here! It was truly a welcome change from the barren desert, and I was relieved to finally get back to some scenery that matches Oregon and North California in beauty
Very cool road. Normally there is a charge for driving through this national park, but this week it was all free! Of course, I like to think it was free just for me and Freya. The road was mostly uphill and winding, and had a really cool, somewhat scary, 1.1 mile long tunnel. The tunnel had no lighting at all, and was very narrow. What creeped me out was that for most of it, I was totally alone! Once free from the dark bowels of the tunnel, I emerged to sunshine and actual cheering from onlookers!
Lookin all pretty, and bad ass. Freya is also known as the Iron Swan for those who follow names and such.
Further down the road, as the elevation was higher, it started to get a bit cold. I pulled over to get some layers on and walk around for a bit. I went a little bit north of the road I plan to take tomorow, as it was getting dark and I figured its a good time to call it a day.
The venetian is beautiful! Heres some pictures of the ceiling:
Further down the road, as the elevation was higher, it started to get a bit cold. I pulled over to get some layers on and walk around for a bit. I went a little bit north of the road I plan to take tomorow, as it was getting dark and I figured its a good time to call it a day.
Thursday, April 21, 2011
Thanks for the suggestion
I walked 5 or 6 blocks to Emerils at the MGM Grand only to find them closed! I guess they close before dinner or something, but when I said all I wanted was a banana cream pie, they said no problem and hooked it up! Couldn't eat it there so I took a cab back to my hotel room.
By the way, this pie, totally worth it! Thanks for the suggestion!
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
The Road to Las Vegas
Started the day in Lake Havasu City, AZ, and saw the london bridge. Neato! Moving on...
This was most of the road. Lots of open space with little slivers of river. The one thing this picture doesnt show ya is the MASSIVE WIND that was constantly blowing. 18-wheeler trucks were struggling, and sometimes failing, to even stay in their own lane. Everybody was being blown around, and it sure sucked on the Ural. Gave me quite a workout keepin Freya pointed correctly. More desert and wind later and I happened upon the Hoover Dam!
But first theres this bridge you have to cross, and while crossing it I had no idea just how massive it was! Even this picture doesnt do it proper justice
Hoover dam is awesome! I didnt take the inside tour, I probably should have. I was having a great time just hangin out with Freya and getting somebody new to come up and talk to me every 5 minutes. Seriously, even on my way out I had somebody jump in front of me to get a picture. Driving across the top of the dam, there was at least 4 pictures taken of Freya each time (I crossed the dam twice).
Fighting the ridiculous wind, finally arrived in Las Vegas!!!! Earlier today, I was thinking "ya know, I'll just drive on through since Vegas is more a weekend thing with a group of friends". Soon as I hit the strip, that idea went away. So now I'm staying at the fabulous Venetian. Check out my home for the next two days!
Wait, is that Mad Max the Road Warrior in that picture!? I THINK IT IS! I had a great time being all covered in dust, looking like Mad Max, walking around this imaculate place. I got some cool looks too, but mostly people averted their eyes. HAHA, See the power!! Anyways, room service?
Most delicious BLT ever, onion rings, and of course the classic shrimp cocktail! While we're at it, lets have a plate full of tiny tabasco bottles. Why not?
More later.. probably..
Fighting the ridiculous wind, finally arrived in Las Vegas!!!! Earlier today, I was thinking "ya know, I'll just drive on through since Vegas is more a weekend thing with a group of friends". Soon as I hit the strip, that idea went away. So now I'm staying at the fabulous Venetian. Check out my home for the next two days!
More later.. probably..
Lunch in kingman, Arizona
KFC is good, but a KFC buffet is better!
Also, stopped by a Harley-Davidson shop and found me some goggles that fit over my glasses. I put on my brain bucket and goggles, and learned that not only do I look like a walking dick, but its also uncomfortable!
Looks like me and my full helm "stinky" are sticking together. I also notice I'm by myself when it comes to helmets, as every biker I've seen doesn't wear one. I don't understand why a brain wouldn't want to protect itself by wearing a helmet, but people will do what they want I guess.
Now, on to las vegas!
London bridge, no kidding
London bridge in lake havasu city, arizona. Brought over brick by brick from London. That's the story anyways!
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
On the road, and a day off
Coachella was amazing, as usual. For more info and better pictures than I know how to take of coachella, check out their website. 3 days of seeing all sorts of bands and acts, most of which I never heard of, just a great time all around.
Time to get back on the road. I decided to attack the north rim of the grand canyon, by way of las vegas, before heading to phoenix. The road from Indio California to Lake Havasu City Arizona was pretty terrible. Wind wind and more wind! Constant pushing and pulling of the handlebars was required to stop freya from going off the road!
Most of the way seemed like I was cutting straight through the middle of nowhere, and then it got really interesting around Parker. Theres just something beautiful about a body of water, be it a lake or river, surrounded by desert plateaus. Sorry for no pics, but you can imagine it.
I also came as close as Ive ever been to being in an accident on this trip. It happened to fast it took a few minutes to fully set in. 2 lane highway, 60mph speed limit (which I'm doing), and a certain dumb asshole driving a truck and pulling a trailer. This dumbass was 2 cars behind me and decided to pass everybody in one shot. I didnt see him until the last second, where had I not slammed my brakes he would have ran head on into an 18 wheeler. Seemed like not even 2 feet in front of me was the corner of this guys trailer, an 18 wheelers front bumper, and my front tire all so so close together.
So close and so fast, and then of course 500 feet away the highway gains another lane just for people to pass! The nerve and lack of brains and patience of people astounds me.
Not too far after that I was in Lake Havasu City, where I currently am. I took a day off to just hang out and recharge everything after coachella.
Tomorrow, I'll be in Las Vegas. I probably wont stay there, I might just drive on through. We'll see when I get there!
Time to get back on the road. I decided to attack the north rim of the grand canyon, by way of las vegas, before heading to phoenix. The road from Indio California to Lake Havasu City Arizona was pretty terrible. Wind wind and more wind! Constant pushing and pulling of the handlebars was required to stop freya from going off the road!
Most of the way seemed like I was cutting straight through the middle of nowhere, and then it got really interesting around Parker. Theres just something beautiful about a body of water, be it a lake or river, surrounded by desert plateaus. Sorry for no pics, but you can imagine it.
I also came as close as Ive ever been to being in an accident on this trip. It happened to fast it took a few minutes to fully set in. 2 lane highway, 60mph speed limit (which I'm doing), and a certain dumb asshole driving a truck and pulling a trailer. This dumbass was 2 cars behind me and decided to pass everybody in one shot. I didnt see him until the last second, where had I not slammed my brakes he would have ran head on into an 18 wheeler. Seemed like not even 2 feet in front of me was the corner of this guys trailer, an 18 wheelers front bumper, and my front tire all so so close together.
So close and so fast, and then of course 500 feet away the highway gains another lane just for people to pass! The nerve and lack of brains and patience of people astounds me.
Not too far after that I was in Lake Havasu City, where I currently am. I took a day off to just hang out and recharge everything after coachella.
Tomorrow, I'll be in Las Vegas. I probably wont stay there, I might just drive on through. We'll see when I get there!
Saturday, April 16, 2011
Coachella... wait for it..... wait..
Just posting this quick update to say there probably won't be another big update with pics for a few days. There's no solid network, and I'll have to pick the best pics and post em all at once. Other than coachella, there isn't much going on in terms of a ride report. So wait for it!
Also, after this ill be heading straight to phoenix vice las vegas. That's the plan now anyways, and that might change as usual!
Friday, April 15, 2011
First tire change
Since I had some time to kill, and my pusher tire is somewhat low on tread, I went ahead and changed it to a brand new uralishna.
I know I could get more from this tire as there's no "soul patches", but come on I had an excuse to get dirty!
Took maybe half an hour since I took a lot of pictures of the brake assembly and such. I got some practice to do before o can whip a new pusher on in 15 minutes or less.
The longest day so far, and LA sucks!
Not quite sure where I started the day from, but I hit the road around 8 or 9am ish on my way to Indio, CA. Reason is a giant music festival that lasts 3 days and has more bands/groups than I can count. For more information check out http:/www.coachella.com and you'll get an idea.
Now its almost 11pm and I'm at an IHOP awaiting my good friends, and with them comes a place to sleep! And boy do I need sleep, heres why:
757 kilometers done today. Quick math conversion says 450 miles. On a tractor seat (which really, Im sure I'd feel better with a different seat, but its not really that bad thanks to my small butt). My brain is the most exhausted, so this report might jump around a bit for the day.
For comparison sake, I started this trip with 500km on the odometer, and she now has 2727km. Therefore, the total kms I've done since the start is 2227. That means that today I did 34% of my trip so far!
Today did put me in the position I hate: only interested in making distance and time to get somewhere. Thats something I want to avoid for this whole trip, but, 'dems the breaks'.
A lot of the way was going right alongside the pacific ocean and the beautiful beaches (such as Malibu). Very pretty and mostly uneventfull. My bike (named Freya) is performing better than ever thanks to Ski and the team at Triquest. What she used to do and sound like at 55mph she now does at 60, just purrs along and sings to me. I had no problems at all, except for traffic in LA.
Thats right, downtown Los Angeles, during rush hour. I've never seen traffic like this. for a solid 75 kilometers the highest speed I obtained was 20mph for about 2 minutes. With an air cooled engine, if youre not moving air over the engine youre getting hot and can possibly overheat and cause some damage. To avoid that, I employed two methods:
Method 1: Turn the bike off and push. Which I did, and kept up with the pace of traffic much to the liking of many other motorists. Looks funny, but it works. Especially with a slight downhill!
Method 2: Pull over on the shoulder and chill out. I would take a swig of water and then give freya a little bit on the engine. With traffic slowly crawling by, I had a lot of 2 minute conversations with people from their vehicles! I also had to give the thumbs up to the tow trucks passing by. Of course nobody intentionally stopped to ask if I was ok, not even police who were also on bikes. They just stared at me like I'm the idiot! Jokes on them, I'm actually very smart by not pushing Freya too much.
5 lanes of traffic full of cars as far as I could see. Just amazing. How anybody could deal with that day after day is beyond me!
So you might be asking, "millsy why did you go through downtown LA during rush hour? thats pretty dumb". Well, youre right it is quite dumb, however, traffic in major cities has been a fairly big concern of mine and I wanted to experience it and learn to deal with it, therefore I hit it head on as bad as it gets! Most of my time was spent thinking aloud "please oh please see me and or hear me". No close calls to mention of.
After LA it was pretty smooth. Nightfall hit and I was on the interstate for a couple hours, which was another concern of mine since I do not like traveling at night. I did it anyways, as safely as I could, and thankfully Freya and I are unharmed and just about ready to call it a night.
757 kilometers. That is a personal record, and I dont want to break it anytime soon. Hopefully thats the most I'll ever do in a day. I'd be interested to know the personal "bests" of other Uralists for kms/day.
I apologize for the lack of pictures, I didnt charge my electronics nor did I really try to get any pictures.
I dont wanna think anymore tonight, I want a hot shower, a cold beer, and some much needed rest!
Coachella tomorrow!!! Its gonna be ROUGH!
Now its almost 11pm and I'm at an IHOP awaiting my good friends, and with them comes a place to sleep! And boy do I need sleep, heres why:
757 kilometers done today. Quick math conversion says 450 miles. On a tractor seat (which really, Im sure I'd feel better with a different seat, but its not really that bad thanks to my small butt). My brain is the most exhausted, so this report might jump around a bit for the day.
For comparison sake, I started this trip with 500km on the odometer, and she now has 2727km. Therefore, the total kms I've done since the start is 2227. That means that today I did 34% of my trip so far!
Today did put me in the position I hate: only interested in making distance and time to get somewhere. Thats something I want to avoid for this whole trip, but, 'dems the breaks'.
A lot of the way was going right alongside the pacific ocean and the beautiful beaches (such as Malibu). Very pretty and mostly uneventfull. My bike (named Freya) is performing better than ever thanks to Ski and the team at Triquest. What she used to do and sound like at 55mph she now does at 60, just purrs along and sings to me. I had no problems at all, except for traffic in LA.
Thats right, downtown Los Angeles, during rush hour. I've never seen traffic like this. for a solid 75 kilometers the highest speed I obtained was 20mph for about 2 minutes. With an air cooled engine, if youre not moving air over the engine youre getting hot and can possibly overheat and cause some damage. To avoid that, I employed two methods:
Method 1: Turn the bike off and push. Which I did, and kept up with the pace of traffic much to the liking of many other motorists. Looks funny, but it works. Especially with a slight downhill!
Method 2: Pull over on the shoulder and chill out. I would take a swig of water and then give freya a little bit on the engine. With traffic slowly crawling by, I had a lot of 2 minute conversations with people from their vehicles! I also had to give the thumbs up to the tow trucks passing by. Of course nobody intentionally stopped to ask if I was ok, not even police who were also on bikes. They just stared at me like I'm the idiot! Jokes on them, I'm actually very smart by not pushing Freya too much.
5 lanes of traffic full of cars as far as I could see. Just amazing. How anybody could deal with that day after day is beyond me!
So you might be asking, "millsy why did you go through downtown LA during rush hour? thats pretty dumb". Well, youre right it is quite dumb, however, traffic in major cities has been a fairly big concern of mine and I wanted to experience it and learn to deal with it, therefore I hit it head on as bad as it gets! Most of my time was spent thinking aloud "please oh please see me and or hear me". No close calls to mention of.
After LA it was pretty smooth. Nightfall hit and I was on the interstate for a couple hours, which was another concern of mine since I do not like traveling at night. I did it anyways, as safely as I could, and thankfully Freya and I are unharmed and just about ready to call it a night.
757 kilometers. That is a personal record, and I dont want to break it anytime soon. Hopefully thats the most I'll ever do in a day. I'd be interested to know the personal "bests" of other Uralists for kms/day.
I apologize for the lack of pictures, I didnt charge my electronics nor did I really try to get any pictures.
I dont wanna think anymore tonight, I want a hot shower, a cold beer, and some much needed rest!
Coachella tomorrow!!! Its gonna be ROUGH!
April 13th = EAOS
Woke up this morning in the house of Pete Conrad and his lovely wife-soon-to-be Kayla. Spent most of the day walking around Alameda California, and finally got a new phone! AND a new hat!
Then it was time to head back to Triquest Sidecar Motorcycles, pick up my bike, and hopefully pick up some more knowledge of Urals. Boy did I ever! There was also some changes made to the bike, including but not limited to:
Adjusted sidecar alignment/lean in
Checked carbs for proper balancing (also grabbed myself a TwinMax!)
Oil change (and regular 2500km service)
Timing checked and adjusted
Brakes adjusted
So, my goal was to get on the road in a timely manner and make some miles on my way to Coachella, but that is not what happened! Most of the time was spent talking to the owner, Ski, about anything and everything Ural. Actually, most of my time was listening. I felt like I was trying to take a sip of water from a firehose blasting me in the face, so much to absorb and remember.
A lot of time was spent looking at the things others have done on Urals. There is such a rich, interesting, and adventurous culture to the Ural community. If you havent, I recommend going to Urals website and clicking on the link at the bottom. I'll leave it at that so you can go explore it.
Before we knew it, it was dark outside. I knew I had to ride on the freeway, at night, and wasnt really looking forward to it. I'm not afraid of it, but its definately not something I enjoy!
I did it anyway! Thanks to the expert work done by Triquest, there was definately a boost in performance. Bike is very happy, and purred along the freeway. Truth is, I'm not sure exactly how or why, but before today I was used to the sound she makes at 55mph. Now, she makes that sound at 60mph. Might not sound like much, but its a lot for me!
I know a lot of this blog is me saying great things about people, but thats what happens when you meet great people! Hanging out at Triquest with Ski was fantastic, and I look forward to doing it again sometime. Ski if youre reading this, sincerely, thank you.
So I was on the road for about an hour and its 10:30pm... Turning in at a Motel 6 I had a fantastic surprise, right there across the street was an In-N-Out!!!!!!!! AWWW YEAH!
Also, today was my EAOS. I am no longer active duty in the United States Navy. Its been real, its been fun, and sometimes it was really fun. SOME times. For all that has served or is serving, thank you, I salute you and consider you family. Even if I dont like you!
Then it was time to head back to Triquest Sidecar Motorcycles, pick up my bike, and hopefully pick up some more knowledge of Urals. Boy did I ever! There was also some changes made to the bike, including but not limited to:
Adjusted sidecar alignment/lean in
Checked carbs for proper balancing (also grabbed myself a TwinMax!)
Oil change (and regular 2500km service)
Timing checked and adjusted
Brakes adjusted
So, my goal was to get on the road in a timely manner and make some miles on my way to Coachella, but that is not what happened! Most of the time was spent talking to the owner, Ski, about anything and everything Ural. Actually, most of my time was listening. I felt like I was trying to take a sip of water from a firehose blasting me in the face, so much to absorb and remember.
A lot of time was spent looking at the things others have done on Urals. There is such a rich, interesting, and adventurous culture to the Ural community. If you havent, I recommend going to Urals website and clicking on the link at the bottom. I'll leave it at that so you can go explore it.
Before we knew it, it was dark outside. I knew I had to ride on the freeway, at night, and wasnt really looking forward to it. I'm not afraid of it, but its definately not something I enjoy!
I did it anyway! Thanks to the expert work done by Triquest, there was definately a boost in performance. Bike is very happy, and purred along the freeway. Truth is, I'm not sure exactly how or why, but before today I was used to the sound she makes at 55mph. Now, she makes that sound at 60mph. Might not sound like much, but its a lot for me!
I know a lot of this blog is me saying great things about people, but thats what happens when you meet great people! Hanging out at Triquest with Ski was fantastic, and I look forward to doing it again sometime. Ski if youre reading this, sincerely, thank you.
So I was on the road for about an hour and its 10:30pm... Turning in at a Motel 6 I had a fantastic surprise, right there across the street was an In-N-Out!!!!!!!! AWWW YEAH!
Also, today was my EAOS. I am no longer active duty in the United States Navy. Its been real, its been fun, and sometimes it was really fun. SOME times. For all that has served or is serving, thank you, I salute you and consider you family. Even if I dont like you!
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
It's about time!
You're probably thinking the same as me, where's the bbq? Well, here it is! Beef brisk cooked with a sauce called Goop, which had the same texture and was delicious! Add in some cornbread, baked beans, and yams.. then wash it down with the in-house brew Saucy Sista Ale... mmmmmm!
73 men sailing, to that San Francisco Bay... (you know that song?)
Started the day somewhat early, packed up and rolled out to visit TriQuest Sidecar Motorcycles in Santa Clara, and my good friend Pete in Alameda. My bike is just under 2000km, and the recommended service is at 2500km, but leaving her in the expert hands of Ski is never a bad thing. Plus, even though I can do the service myself, I really wanted another pair of eyes on her to help ensure safety.
Had some fun checking out the sites on the way there!
Welcome to San Francisco!
Yep, thats Alcatraz in the background. Thats also the best looking bike in the world in the foreground!
After crossing the bridge, we took a scenic detour by the ocean and the famous Cliff House. Soon after, we were back on the freeway, dealing with some congested traffic and several people who refuse to acknowledge motorcycles. I had to honk at one lady to prevent myself from getting ran over, and then she gave ME an ugly look!
Finally we arrived at TriQuest, and I spent most of my time there trying not to let my jaw hit the floor. I didnt get any pics of the shop (I'll get some tomorow) nor did I get any pics of the fantastic chili burger I ate for lunch! I gotta get a new camera ASAP!
My good friend Pete came and picked me up, and I had to ride in a car for an hour to Alameda. Sure was weird being in a car! I'll get more pics and such later.
Had some fun checking out the sites on the way there!
After crossing the bridge, we took a scenic detour by the ocean and the famous Cliff House. Soon after, we were back on the freeway, dealing with some congested traffic and several people who refuse to acknowledge motorcycles. I had to honk at one lady to prevent myself from getting ran over, and then she gave ME an ugly look!
Finally we arrived at TriQuest, and I spent most of my time there trying not to let my jaw hit the floor. I didnt get any pics of the shop (I'll get some tomorow) nor did I get any pics of the fantastic chili burger I ate for lunch! I gotta get a new camera ASAP!
My good friend Pete came and picked me up, and I had to ride in a car for an hour to Alameda. Sure was weird being in a car! I'll get more pics and such later.
Past few days catch up
Warning, this is kind of a long post as it covers the past few days!
Finishing up the Oregon coast, I started to wonder and ask myself "just how long can this awesome scenery last?". I'm still asking myself that, because the beauty has yet to stop!
Soon after crossing into california, I started seeing my first redwood trees. This was a point on my giant map in my garage that had a little sticky note on it saying "drive through a tree!". I remember growing up and seeing pictures of cars driving through these huge trees and daydreaming about doing it myself...
I was on my way to a friends place in Bodega Bay so that I could camp out on the beach. After calling him on the phone, he recommended a route called "Avenue of the Giants". I am so glad he mentioned this, because I'm not sure if I would have taken this road.
Avenue of the Giants is a scenic bypass for the 101. I've never seen anything like it. These trees are truly massive and the driving while surrounded by them was mind blowing. Every few miles there was a little town of a couple hundred people, and I can understand the reason somebody would want to live here. Just amazing scenery, all around, all the time.
After a few miles on the Avenue (I wasnt paying attention to distance, as I was constantly in awe) I finally saw what I wanted, a giant sign that said "Drive through tree!". What choice did I have!? I had to check it out!
I pulled up to a little gateway, and saw a guy who looked somewhat like The Dude from the movie The Big Lebowski. I asked him if this is where i pay to drive through a tree, and he said he'd let me go through for free but I'd have to let him take some pictures of my bike. SOLD! We talked back and forth for about half an hour, and then another cross country tourist arrived, which led to more talking back and forth. HAHA we were there for about an hour!
Imagine being the by in charge of letting people drive through a tree. The other tourist who showed up asked if he takes credit card or debit, The Dude said "no, but if ya got a dime or nickel thats ok, I cant not let ya drive through this tree!". Imagine caring more about the site youre in charge of instead of being so concerned with money. What a great dude. After taking some more pictures, we went to The Tree.
So awesome. This is definately one of those times where the saying "pictures dont do it justice" truly applies.
There was also a tree house!
Leaving that site, I stayed on the Avenue. Another phone call with my friend Dennis informed me that he's heading north while I'm heading south and we're gonna meet in the middle, somewhere. We were still a ways away from each other, so no worries. Further down the Avenue, following alongside a beautiful creek, I stopped for some fantastic mexican food and washed it down with my favorite mexican beverage, pineapple jarritos. Sorry, theres no picture of that. While eating, I learned that me and Dennis werent far away from each other at all anymore, and we were soon to see each other.
The Avenue ended and I was back on the 101, constantly watching the oncoming traffic and wanting to see a white Ural Solo (a Ural with no sidecar). Miles go by and I dont see him, more miles... Finally I decide to stop for gas and give him a call.
While pulled over, gassing up, a group of 3 or 4 Harleys roll up beside me, with one guy taking his helmet off and yelling "I KNOW YOU!". This kind of freaked me out, I responded with "I doubt that, I dont believe we've met". HAH, the guy then shouted "No man! Dennis is lookin for ya! He was with us up the road, we knew he shoulda stayed with us!!"
Right at that time, a white Ural solo rolls up and we've finally met. There was a brief stretch of the 101 where the lanes were separated, that has to be where we missed each other. Finally, I got somebody to ride with.
The road to Bodega Bay, or Casa de los Dennis. The road from this point was mostly downhill, and going to wine country. At this time, the sun was starting to go down so the whole area, all the vineyards, had this great golden glow. Just beautiful. We made a brief stop for treats (and I my eyes were yellow cause I had to pee so bad!), then took a little off shoot from the 101.
This little road went through vineyard and ranches, some of them owned by such people as Raymond Burr (Perry Mason), Fred McMurry (my three sons, lots of old westerns), its easy to see why somebody would want to live here. The road was full of twists and turns, and I felt lucky to have somebody to ride with that knew the road.
Finally that road ended, and we arrived at Bodega Bay. Dennis was not kidding when he said he lived on the beach! Its RIGHT THERE and you can constantly hear it. Since I have yet to have broken out my camping gear, I decided this was the time. Dennis let me set up camp on his "Bruce Willis Deck", and he'll have to be the one to tell ya the story! Though it wasnt the most comfortable thing ever, it was definately the best sleep I've gotten since I've started this trip. The constant ocean sound is fantastic, and I think hearing the ocean all the time is why I've been yawning a lot all day!
I cant say enough about Dennis and his lovely wife, Becky. I consider myself lucky to able to meet such great people, as getting to know people that are so good natured and caring is truly a treat. I spent most of the morning asking questions about Urals and listening to all the stories, history, and technical information that Dennis would provide. And he provided a LOT! So much infomation to absorb!
We pulled my gas tank and FINALLY found the electrical gremlin that was messing with me and stuck in Astoria! It was a little, tiny tiny spot on a red wire that was chaffed and had some black markings from arcing. A little bit of electrical tape solved that problem, and then extra tape on all sharp corners to prevent any future gremlins. Back in Astoria, I was about to pull the tank, but I didnt have any containers to hold all the gas for draining it, nor did I have anything to plug or pinch the fuel lines.
With the high winds coming in, I decided to stay indoors for the night. Tomorow the plan is to visit Ski and have some service done to my bike. I could do all the service myself, but I really want at many expert eyes on my bike to back me up and help ensure safety.
I know this was a big update, and if youve read through this, you deserve a pat on the back. If you didnt read this, then imagine me giving you the finger! LOL
Finishing up the Oregon coast, I started to wonder and ask myself "just how long can this awesome scenery last?". I'm still asking myself that, because the beauty has yet to stop!
Soon after crossing into california, I started seeing my first redwood trees. This was a point on my giant map in my garage that had a little sticky note on it saying "drive through a tree!". I remember growing up and seeing pictures of cars driving through these huge trees and daydreaming about doing it myself...
I was on my way to a friends place in Bodega Bay so that I could camp out on the beach. After calling him on the phone, he recommended a route called "Avenue of the Giants". I am so glad he mentioned this, because I'm not sure if I would have taken this road.
Avenue of the Giants is a scenic bypass for the 101. I've never seen anything like it. These trees are truly massive and the driving while surrounded by them was mind blowing. Every few miles there was a little town of a couple hundred people, and I can understand the reason somebody would want to live here. Just amazing scenery, all around, all the time.
After a few miles on the Avenue (I wasnt paying attention to distance, as I was constantly in awe) I finally saw what I wanted, a giant sign that said "Drive through tree!". What choice did I have!? I had to check it out!
I pulled up to a little gateway, and saw a guy who looked somewhat like The Dude from the movie The Big Lebowski. I asked him if this is where i pay to drive through a tree, and he said he'd let me go through for free but I'd have to let him take some pictures of my bike. SOLD! We talked back and forth for about half an hour, and then another cross country tourist arrived, which led to more talking back and forth. HAHA we were there for about an hour!
Imagine being the by in charge of letting people drive through a tree. The other tourist who showed up asked if he takes credit card or debit, The Dude said "no, but if ya got a dime or nickel thats ok, I cant not let ya drive through this tree!". Imagine caring more about the site youre in charge of instead of being so concerned with money. What a great dude. After taking some more pictures, we went to The Tree.
So awesome. This is definately one of those times where the saying "pictures dont do it justice" truly applies.
The Avenue ended and I was back on the 101, constantly watching the oncoming traffic and wanting to see a white Ural Solo (a Ural with no sidecar). Miles go by and I dont see him, more miles... Finally I decide to stop for gas and give him a call.
While pulled over, gassing up, a group of 3 or 4 Harleys roll up beside me, with one guy taking his helmet off and yelling "I KNOW YOU!". This kind of freaked me out, I responded with "I doubt that, I dont believe we've met". HAH, the guy then shouted "No man! Dennis is lookin for ya! He was with us up the road, we knew he shoulda stayed with us!!"
Right at that time, a white Ural solo rolls up and we've finally met. There was a brief stretch of the 101 where the lanes were separated, that has to be where we missed each other. Finally, I got somebody to ride with.
The road to Bodega Bay, or Casa de los Dennis. The road from this point was mostly downhill, and going to wine country. At this time, the sun was starting to go down so the whole area, all the vineyards, had this great golden glow. Just beautiful. We made a brief stop for treats (and I my eyes were yellow cause I had to pee so bad!), then took a little off shoot from the 101.
This little road went through vineyard and ranches, some of them owned by such people as Raymond Burr (Perry Mason), Fred McMurry (my three sons, lots of old westerns), its easy to see why somebody would want to live here. The road was full of twists and turns, and I felt lucky to have somebody to ride with that knew the road.
Finally that road ended, and we arrived at Bodega Bay. Dennis was not kidding when he said he lived on the beach! Its RIGHT THERE and you can constantly hear it. Since I have yet to have broken out my camping gear, I decided this was the time. Dennis let me set up camp on his "Bruce Willis Deck", and he'll have to be the one to tell ya the story! Though it wasnt the most comfortable thing ever, it was definately the best sleep I've gotten since I've started this trip. The constant ocean sound is fantastic, and I think hearing the ocean all the time is why I've been yawning a lot all day!
I cant say enough about Dennis and his lovely wife, Becky. I consider myself lucky to able to meet such great people, as getting to know people that are so good natured and caring is truly a treat. I spent most of the morning asking questions about Urals and listening to all the stories, history, and technical information that Dennis would provide. And he provided a LOT! So much infomation to absorb!
We pulled my gas tank and FINALLY found the electrical gremlin that was messing with me and stuck in Astoria! It was a little, tiny tiny spot on a red wire that was chaffed and had some black markings from arcing. A little bit of electrical tape solved that problem, and then extra tape on all sharp corners to prevent any future gremlins. Back in Astoria, I was about to pull the tank, but I didnt have any containers to hold all the gas for draining it, nor did I have anything to plug or pinch the fuel lines.
With the high winds coming in, I decided to stay indoors for the night. Tomorow the plan is to visit Ski and have some service done to my bike. I could do all the service myself, but I really want at many expert eyes on my bike to back me up and help ensure safety.
I know this was a big update, and if youve read through this, you deserve a pat on the back. If you didnt read this, then imagine me giving you the finger! LOL
Saturday, April 9, 2011
This! All day long!
Trying my best to convey the scenery, its absolutely gorgeous. I would venture to say that you owe it to yourself to ride the pacific coast highway at some point in your life.
Too bad its overcast, but it doesn't really matter.
Friday, April 8, 2011
Newport, Oregon
Made it to Newport, Oregon today, sitting on the Oregon coast. I was debating on getting to a campground that was suggested to me by a UDF-er (UDF-ee? I'm terrible with names, but what would you call the person who creates the UDF? hah, words.). Instead, since its a cool 45F in the afternoon, windy as heck, and looked like some clouds coming in, I posted up at a motel. Plus, they got the wifi!
The road from Astoria to Newport is amazing! Its mostly all along the coastline, with a little piece of it going through "cow country". It sure smelled like it, cow poop smell permeating everything.
I went through Tillamook, which is the home of Tillamook Cheese! I kind of regret not stopping and getting a tour, since I've used that cheese a lot!
Some of the road was quite rough, but nothing majorly wrong. Speed limit was mostly 55mph, yet there were only a handful of turns that suggested 45mph, the rest was about 30mph. I will say this about the road, who in their right mind makes a road that is off-camber!? Scared the crap out of me on the right hand turns, I really didnt want to fly the chair. Several times I had my butt on the sidecar itself! Traffic wasnt too bad, and had a lot of wide shoulders designed for slow pokes like me to pull over and let faster people pass.
The beautiful weather, the Oregon Coast, and a road that really made me focus on each turn makes this probably the best ride I've ever had. I'm not kidding with the scenery! You know those 'bikes' with 2 wheels in front and one in the back? The commercial they shot for it was on the Oregon coast, so if ya see it, you'll get the idea.
Tomorow, I gotta get a new camera. I can take pics with my phone, but they're not the greatest quality.
Hopefully that electrical gremlin stays away. The engine is also running a little different.. seems a lot more "loose", its hard to explain. I really cant wait to set up shop and go to town on the next tuneup, its gonna be epic! I also think my tires arent exactly balanced, its obviously nothing dangerous otherwise I wouldnt dare get on the road, but it is something I've noticed.
This wont be the last time I"ll say this, but THANK YOU again to all the fellow Uralists (Uralistas?) who did their best to help me out. Even though I may not have found this gremlin, just by talking to everybody I've managed to learn a lot!
millsy
The road from Astoria to Newport is amazing! Its mostly all along the coastline, with a little piece of it going through "cow country". It sure smelled like it, cow poop smell permeating everything.
I went through Tillamook, which is the home of Tillamook Cheese! I kind of regret not stopping and getting a tour, since I've used that cheese a lot!
Some of the road was quite rough, but nothing majorly wrong. Speed limit was mostly 55mph, yet there were only a handful of turns that suggested 45mph, the rest was about 30mph. I will say this about the road, who in their right mind makes a road that is off-camber!? Scared the crap out of me on the right hand turns, I really didnt want to fly the chair. Several times I had my butt on the sidecar itself! Traffic wasnt too bad, and had a lot of wide shoulders designed for slow pokes like me to pull over and let faster people pass.
The beautiful weather, the Oregon Coast, and a road that really made me focus on each turn makes this probably the best ride I've ever had. I'm not kidding with the scenery! You know those 'bikes' with 2 wheels in front and one in the back? The commercial they shot for it was on the Oregon coast, so if ya see it, you'll get the idea.
Tomorow, I gotta get a new camera. I can take pics with my phone, but they're not the greatest quality.
Hopefully that electrical gremlin stays away. The engine is also running a little different.. seems a lot more "loose", its hard to explain. I really cant wait to set up shop and go to town on the next tuneup, its gonna be epic! I also think my tires arent exactly balanced, its obviously nothing dangerous otherwise I wouldnt dare get on the road, but it is something I've noticed.
This wont be the last time I"ll say this, but THANK YOU again to all the fellow Uralists (Uralistas?) who did their best to help me out. Even though I may not have found this gremlin, just by talking to everybody I've managed to learn a lot!
millsy
Lunch break!
Well, the camera on the phone still works. Time to chow down on this teriyaki chicken burger and homemade chips!
Back in the saddle
Electrical gremlin kept me stuck in Astoria for the past two days! It wasn't all bad, I met a lot of people and made some friends.
I didn't find the gremlin, but it seems to have went away for now. With that, I hit the road.
The Oregon coast is amazingly beautiful. Id take pictures, but my camera has gone AWOL. I'll have to pick another one up sometime. Until then, there won't be a lot of pictures (sorry everybody!).
Thursday, April 7, 2011
Bad times, part 1
Ok. Check the update later. Bad day in most regards, but the real is it was still a good day.
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
yup, I'm a big wuss
First lemme explain to those that arent from the pacific northwest. Rain Rain Rain! I havent seen the sun in awhile now. Riding conditions currently are around 40F with constant overcast and rain that doesnt stop.
I woke up this morning, looked outside at those conditions... looked back at the nice warm and dry bed..
So... I'm still here at the same motel. HAHAHA, I guess I am a big wuss. To be fair though, I have ridden in much worse conditions, and I'm just about to hit the actual Oregon coast. Hopefully this front will be almost out of here tomorow, and I'll get some great riding along the coast!
I spent the day going through all my equipment for what seems the 100th time. Everything seems satisfactory, though I'll be wearing more layers tomorrow. I'll see about getting an actual list of my equipment at some point, and if something just fails and doesnt work out I'll make sure everybody knows about it.
Nice warm motel all day, reading about how to take better pictures, stuffing my face with hot food and cold beer... Its a hard life on the road, hahaha
I woke up this morning, looked outside at those conditions... looked back at the nice warm and dry bed..
So... I'm still here at the same motel. HAHAHA, I guess I am a big wuss. To be fair though, I have ridden in much worse conditions, and I'm just about to hit the actual Oregon coast. Hopefully this front will be almost out of here tomorow, and I'll get some great riding along the coast!
I spent the day going through all my equipment for what seems the 100th time. Everything seems satisfactory, though I'll be wearing more layers tomorrow. I'll see about getting an actual list of my equipment at some point, and if something just fails and doesnt work out I'll make sure everybody knows about it.
Nice warm motel all day, reading about how to take better pictures, stuffing my face with hot food and cold beer... Its a hard life on the road, hahaha
Monday, April 4, 2011
A Red Letter Day
First, I really dont know what the topic means. I think it was a chapter in the game Halflife2 and meant something good, therefore since I had a good day I'll use it. If its totally wrong and actually means something terrible, well, fuck it.
It took a lot to finally leave. The weather in the pacific north-wet is terrible. Just looking at the outside with the rain and no sunshine (normal) makes it hard to hit the road. I finally got fed up with it, and instead of checking out Mt Rainier and Mt St. Helens... I'm just going straight south to get out of this weather and see some sunshine!
I actually left around noon, once packing was complete and quadruple checked so I dont forget anything.
Once packed, I had to say goodbye to a friend I met just a DAY before. Its funny how just before you say goodbye to a place, you meet friends that you care about and it only makes it harder to leave. Thats life eh?
If you check the post below, you'll see that I was on the road for only 20 minutes before it was time to eat. Great thing about a Ural is they're built for goin a little bit (slowly) then stopping and checking things out.
After the breakfast, it was hitting the back roads on my way to the Pacific Coast Highway (US 101). I'm not there yet, but saw some stuff along the way:
Pretty dreary huh? It was raining the entire time, all day. Luckily my riding gear (full BMW ComfortShell suit) makes it easy, I was mostly dry, except for my gloves/hands. All in all, though terrible weather, it was a great ride. For the most part it was alongside water (no pics while driving!) with some real nice twisties in some parts. I say twisties, which im guessing for sport bike riders has a different connotation... twisties for a ural is probably laughable from a sport bike perspective..
All my gear is in weatherproof bags, and under the tonneau cover on the sidecar I have a blue tarp since the cover isnt exactly waterproof (future upgrade for sure!). She ran like a champ. She's like a bad girlfriend; though i hated the weather, she loved it, so we had to keep going. hah!
I dont plan on riding during the night because you cant see anything. So around 5pm, I find a nice motel in a small town. The owner, Bob, let me use his dryer to dry out my gloves and stuff. Really nice person, and the motel is right across the street from the Top Notch Bar. Dinner Time!!
Thats right, dinner of champions. Fully loaded cheeseburger, fries, and a cold budweiser. Had a great time meeting people (my bike, she's a real conversation starter lemme tell ya). Good times at this bar, and I'm even a part of it now!
I dont have the pics to show ya, but this bar was covered in dollars that people have signed. It was a really nice place, but my pics turned out too dark. I hope to get better with taking pictures, but for now, guess you'll suffer. hahaha.
With this weather, its gonna be hard to leave tomorrow. This front should be mostly out of here a day from now, so it might strike my fancy to just wait it out and get some good sunny riding in. OR just keep going and get to the good weather ASAP. I'm sure I'll miss the PacNorWet later, but not anytime soon!
Stats:
100-something kilometers (hah, i'll get better data some other time)
18 UDFs (for those that dont know, Ural Delay Factor. Its when somebody strikes a conversation about the bike and takes my time, which is cool and I welcome it. Usually starts with a "what kind of bike IS that??")
It took a lot to finally leave. The weather in the pacific north-wet is terrible. Just looking at the outside with the rain and no sunshine (normal) makes it hard to hit the road. I finally got fed up with it, and instead of checking out Mt Rainier and Mt St. Helens... I'm just going straight south to get out of this weather and see some sunshine!
I actually left around noon, once packing was complete and quadruple checked so I dont forget anything.
If you check the post below, you'll see that I was on the road for only 20 minutes before it was time to eat. Great thing about a Ural is they're built for goin a little bit (slowly) then stopping and checking things out.
After the breakfast, it was hitting the back roads on my way to the Pacific Coast Highway (US 101). I'm not there yet, but saw some stuff along the way:
All my gear is in weatherproof bags, and under the tonneau cover on the sidecar I have a blue tarp since the cover isnt exactly waterproof (future upgrade for sure!). She ran like a champ. She's like a bad girlfriend; though i hated the weather, she loved it, so we had to keep going. hah!
I dont plan on riding during the night because you cant see anything. So around 5pm, I find a nice motel in a small town. The owner, Bob, let me use his dryer to dry out my gloves and stuff. Really nice person, and the motel is right across the street from the Top Notch Bar. Dinner Time!!
With this weather, its gonna be hard to leave tomorrow. This front should be mostly out of here a day from now, so it might strike my fancy to just wait it out and get some good sunny riding in. OR just keep going and get to the good weather ASAP. I'm sure I'll miss the PacNorWet later, but not anytime soon!
Stats:
100-something kilometers (hah, i'll get better data some other time)
18 UDFs (for those that dont know, Ural Delay Factor. Its when somebody strikes a conversation about the bike and takes my time, which is cool and I welcome it. Usually starts with a "what kind of bike IS that??")
On the road
Finally hit the road on the cold and rain, about 20 minutes in, and its already time to eat! More later
Friday, April 1, 2011
Delayed!
Not leaving on the 2nd as originally intentioned, due to shipping problems and some minor adjusting.
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