Thursday, November 1, 2012
Moonshine 2012, Leg 2
Easter Sunday was spent talking, relaxing, and having a nice dinner. When evening came it was tough to go to bed, knowing I would be gone before my friends got up the next morning.
Unfortunately the long good-byes meant it was a late night, and getting up was tough Monday morning. I got a late start, so I immediately worked on trying to adjust my route to save time, but there really wasn't much to save. I had a quick breakfast at a McDonalds in South Carolina on my way to Gatlinburg, TN, where I was going to visit "Cooter's Place". The ride into Gatlinburg was absolutely beautiful, but once into town, I found there was no convenient parking. I would have to pay $6, then leave my bike and gear unattended while I walked to Cooter's Place, just to spend a few minutes checking it out quickly. I ended up just riding by and heading straight to Deal's Gap, home of the Dragon, one of the best-known riding roads in the country.
The roads to the Dragon were fantastic as I wound through the hills of Tennessee. I headed onto the Dragon about 4:30, and I was worried I missed the photographers who hang out on the corners. Fortunately there was one still there, so I got a cool shot of my bike carving the corner. I have to say even I was impressed with how the loaded-down ST, sporting a rear car tire, and a rear tire on the front, was able to lean over through the turns. I scraped my pegs about every other corner. 11 miles and 318 corners later I was tired out and at the end of the Dragon. Initial plans were to run the Cherohala Skyway after the Dragon, but it was getting late and I was going to spend the night at my friends Mike and Janice's home. Since I didn't want to roll in late, I skipped the Cherohala and headed straight to Cleveland, TN. Once again I was spending the night with friends, this time from a Jeep forum I belong to. They were gracious enough to let me spend the night with them, and we had a good time catching up. I was able to get to bed a little earlier Monday night, and left at a more reasonable time for the long haul to Carrollton, TX.
I awoke Tuesday and headed west on I-24, happy that it dipped into Georgia for just a few miles. While a technicality, it meant I could color in Georgia on my Visited States map. I then dipped down into Alabama on Rt. 72 and followed it across Alabama, Mississippi, and to Memphis. The day was beautiful- sunny and warm. I was thoroughly enjoying the south, and hoped I could make another trip to the area and take a route further south.
From Memphis I turned onto I-40 West to Little Rock, Arkansas, then onto I-30 southwest to Texas. The sun was very warm, and temps were in the 80s. I couldn't believe how hot the sun felt this early in the year. I could really get used to this! I was excited as I passed the Texas state line. Very soon after I turned west on Rt. 82 because I had a plan to move the North Texas tag. I enjoyed a nice high speed run with a little traffic as I watched a beautiful Texas sunset in front of me. I rode to the Carpenter's Bluff Bridge in Dennison. This is a cool old single lane bridge that crosses the Red River. The sun was setting so the view was limited, but I could get an idea how beautiful it was here. I got my photo then made a quick run down I-75 to my friend Jody's house in Carrollton, just outside Dallas. We grew up together but haven't seen each other in several years. We spent an emotional evening catching up. The next day I got to meet his daughter for the first time. We spent the day relaxing around the area and seeing a bit of Dallas. Unfortunately another great visit had to come to an end as I went to bed, again with the goal of being gone before anyone woke up. I needed the sleep this time, as my next leg included a Saddlesore 1000 from Hillsboro, TX to Moonshine, IL by way of Salina, KS.
Moonshine 2012: The Trip! Day 1
Moonshine 2012 began when I got out of work at 4:30 Friday afternoon, April 6th. I was hoping for a quick departure, but questions and well wishes from a few coworkers kept me there until about 4:45. I headed straight to the home of my wife's childhood friend Kris, where my wife was to meet me for a sendoff while I showered and changed clothes. This kept me from having to make the 45 minute ride home, just to backtrack again. More well wishes and catching up with friends meant that my planned 5:30 departure from her home was delayed until 6:30. The result was that I didn't save time over riding home, but I was able to spend the time with friends rather than the same ride I did everyday. A bonus to my pitstop was that Kris gave me a few packages of her farm's beef jerky. This turned out to be delicious, and just the texture I like from jerky. If you are interested in trying some, contact Belted Beef Jerky Company.
Once departed from Otokahe Farm in Jefferson, NH, I rode into Vermont and headed south on I-91. I was planning to stop in Brattleboro for dinner, but because of my late start, and the fact that I was feeling great when I got to southern VT, I chose to keep riding. I was anxious to get to warmer temps compared to the 42 degrees I departed in. I was seeing temps between 37 and 42 degrees throughout Vermont and northern Mass., but was rewarded with 50 degrees showing on my thermometer as I rode through Springfield. I continued through Connecticut and entered New York, crossing the Tappan Zee Bridge. My original plan called for riding through the night then resting for 3 hours in Virginia, but I was feeling the effects of a hard work day and was getting drowsy. While riding through NJ I pulled off into a gas station for a rest on the bike. I was hoping for about 2 hours to refresh me, but after about 45 minutes a local police officer woke me to check on me. There was no problem, he just wanted to check if there was anything wrong. Rather than trying to go back to sleep, I got back on the road and passed into PA. For a few hours I saw temps between 26-34 degrees. I was looking forward to getting further south, and warmer temps as the sun came up.
As the sun was rising I rode through Maryland, W. Virginia, and into Virginia. I had a goal of having breakfast at the Waffle House in Staunton, VA, and I was getting close. As I took the exit for Staunton, Waffle House and a gas stop, I saw that it was only 32 degrees. I joked with my waitress that I came south for warm weather, but it was warmer in northern NH! I enjoyed my waffle & sausage, and had two hot chocolates to warm me up while checking posts on ST-Owners, facebook, and my e-mail. After a relaxed breakfast I hit the road about 9:30. By then it had warmed to above 40 degrees and the sun was shining.
A few miles after my breakfast and fuel stop I turned off onto Rt. 56, a beautiful, twisty country road that leads to the Blue Ridge Parkway. After a few miles of twists and turns up the mountain I came to the Parkway and headed south. My first view of the Parkway was of a smooth, two lane country road roughly following the ridgeline of the mountain range. A few miles further I came to a pulloff at an old narrow gauge railroad bridge with a waterfall a bit further behind it. I got a few pics of the area then headed south. I pulled off a few more times at various views for pictures but mostly just enjoyed the winding road and fresh air. It was about 45 and sunny for my ride down the Parkway.
I planned to ride about a hundred miles on the Parkway, but the short nap I had the previous night was getting to me, and I was anxious to get to Leland and see my friend Joe. I turned off onto 130 East and reprogrammed the GPS for the direct route to my next stop- moving the North Carolina tag. For those not familiar with the game of photo tag, the idea is for one person to take a photo of their bike in front of some landmark, then we have to figure out where it is and ride to it, and get a photo of our bike in front of it, then a photo of the bike in front of a new landmark. Once both pics are posted, the tag is "moved" to the new landmark. The old landmark was near Raleigh, at Lizard Lick Towing. I got the pic of the old tag, then headed headed south toward Wilmington. As I turned toward Leland I saw the Battleship North Carolina and thought it would make a great tag. I stopped for a couple photos, then rode the few miles to Joe's house.
As I rode up his street Joe was outside waiting for me. He had been watching my SPOT tracker and we had talked by phone, so he knew when I'd be pulling in. Man, it was good to see him! I think it had been around 7 years since we saw each other, far too long. We greeted each other, talked about my trip, his family, and what we have been doing for the past several years. The rest of the evening was more of the same, with a quick run to town for fixings for Easter dinner the next day and my meeting Joe and Jess's daughter Lucy.
Once departed from Otokahe Farm in Jefferson, NH, I rode into Vermont and headed south on I-91. I was planning to stop in Brattleboro for dinner, but because of my late start, and the fact that I was feeling great when I got to southern VT, I chose to keep riding. I was anxious to get to warmer temps compared to the 42 degrees I departed in. I was seeing temps between 37 and 42 degrees throughout Vermont and northern Mass., but was rewarded with 50 degrees showing on my thermometer as I rode through Springfield. I continued through Connecticut and entered New York, crossing the Tappan Zee Bridge. My original plan called for riding through the night then resting for 3 hours in Virginia, but I was feeling the effects of a hard work day and was getting drowsy. While riding through NJ I pulled off into a gas station for a rest on the bike. I was hoping for about 2 hours to refresh me, but after about 45 minutes a local police officer woke me to check on me. There was no problem, he just wanted to check if there was anything wrong. Rather than trying to go back to sleep, I got back on the road and passed into PA. For a few hours I saw temps between 26-34 degrees. I was looking forward to getting further south, and warmer temps as the sun came up.
As the sun was rising I rode through Maryland, W. Virginia, and into Virginia. I had a goal of having breakfast at the Waffle House in Staunton, VA, and I was getting close. As I took the exit for Staunton, Waffle House and a gas stop, I saw that it was only 32 degrees. I joked with my waitress that I came south for warm weather, but it was warmer in northern NH! I enjoyed my waffle & sausage, and had two hot chocolates to warm me up while checking posts on ST-Owners, facebook, and my e-mail. After a relaxed breakfast I hit the road about 9:30. By then it had warmed to above 40 degrees and the sun was shining.
A few miles after my breakfast and fuel stop I turned off onto Rt. 56, a beautiful, twisty country road that leads to the Blue Ridge Parkway. After a few miles of twists and turns up the mountain I came to the Parkway and headed south. My first view of the Parkway was of a smooth, two lane country road roughly following the ridgeline of the mountain range. A few miles further I came to a pulloff at an old narrow gauge railroad bridge with a waterfall a bit further behind it. I got a few pics of the area then headed south. I pulled off a few more times at various views for pictures but mostly just enjoyed the winding road and fresh air. It was about 45 and sunny for my ride down the Parkway.
I planned to ride about a hundred miles on the Parkway, but the short nap I had the previous night was getting to me, and I was anxious to get to Leland and see my friend Joe. I turned off onto 130 East and reprogrammed the GPS for the direct route to my next stop- moving the North Carolina tag. For those not familiar with the game of photo tag, the idea is for one person to take a photo of their bike in front of some landmark, then we have to figure out where it is and ride to it, and get a photo of our bike in front of it, then a photo of the bike in front of a new landmark. Once both pics are posted, the tag is "moved" to the new landmark. The old landmark was near Raleigh, at Lizard Lick Towing. I got the pic of the old tag, then headed headed south toward Wilmington. As I turned toward Leland I saw the Battleship North Carolina and thought it would make a great tag. I stopped for a couple photos, then rode the few miles to Joe's house.
As I rode up his street Joe was outside waiting for me. He had been watching my SPOT tracker and we had talked by phone, so he knew when I'd be pulling in. Man, it was good to see him! I think it had been around 7 years since we saw each other, far too long. We greeted each other, talked about my trip, his family, and what we have been doing for the past several years. The rest of the evening was more of the same, with a quick run to town for fixings for Easter dinner the next day and my meeting Joe and Jess's daughter Lucy.
Well so much for my blog, huh? I did a decent job of updating it when the snow was on the ground, and I was in trip-planning mode. Then the snow melted...and I was in RIDING mode! I spent more time riding than posting. I'm really not ashamed of that, however, as that IS the point of riding a motorcycle, isn't it?
Let me recap my summer, before making individual posts for the significant rides. As of this posting, I put on around 32,000 miles this season. My first trip, my Moonshine ride, included 5600 miles and 25 states. It went perfectly, and was a trip I'll always remember.
My next trip was a sad one. I took a Friday off work to ride to Wisconsin for Curt Gran's funeral. I rode a total of around 2800 miles over 3 days (2 days of actual riding).
Smaller rides this summer were a few RTEs (Ride To Eats), several Iron Butt rides including my first Bun Burner Gold (1500+ miles in 24 hours), and even a Saddlesore 1000 (1000 miles/24 hours) with my wife, which was her first Iron Butt ride.
This brings me to another major update- my wife Amelia now has her very own motorcycle, a 2007 Kawasaki Ninja 500. She managed to put 8000 miles on this year since buying her bike in June. I'm extremely proud of what she has accomplished!
Let me recap my summer, before making individual posts for the significant rides. As of this posting, I put on around 32,000 miles this season. My first trip, my Moonshine ride, included 5600 miles and 25 states. It went perfectly, and was a trip I'll always remember.
My next trip was a sad one. I took a Friday off work to ride to Wisconsin for Curt Gran's funeral. I rode a total of around 2800 miles over 3 days (2 days of actual riding).
Smaller rides this summer were a few RTEs (Ride To Eats), several Iron Butt rides including my first Bun Burner Gold (1500+ miles in 24 hours), and even a Saddlesore 1000 (1000 miles/24 hours) with my wife, which was her first Iron Butt ride.
This brings me to another major update- my wife Amelia now has her very own motorcycle, a 2007 Kawasaki Ninja 500. She managed to put 8000 miles on this year since buying her bike in June. I'm extremely proud of what she has accomplished!
Sunday, April 1, 2012
5 days, and its coming fast!
Its almost noon on the Sunday before departure, and I'm a bit behind. I wanted the bike to be done by now, and only worry about organizing & packing this weekend. Well due to snow I wasn't able to get the bike to the shop last week to work on the tool box, so that idea is scrapped until after the trip. I received my new Battlax BT45 rear tire, which will be mounted on the front in an effort to improve tire life. I spent some time this morning mounting it on the wheel, and what a bear it was to get on with tire irons! Its on now though, and just needs to be mounted on the bike. Yesterday we took a little road trip to Whitehorse Gear for a few last minute items. I managed to find a pair of ventilated warm weather gloves. Not as much finger protection as I would like, but at least they fit my large hands. I think the weight I lost helped, as the last time I was there, they had NO gloves that fit me. I also found a panel mount socket for my heated jacket plug, so I will no longer have to remove the seat to access the cord. I also picked up a Ram mount for my new Nikon L26 camera. On the way home we picked up a new sleeping pad since I'll officially be camping at the farm. I say officially because Friday night I gave up my room to two other Moonshine attendees.
I still have a busy day ahead of me, I need to wire up the top box and tank bag, and if I have time, rewire the Garmin 2720 GPS power wire so I can switch between constant on, or ignition on. I still have to pack, which will probably consume most of this evening.
On a related note, a good friend of my wife's is going to let me use her shower Friday night to clean up after work. This means I don't have to make the 45 minute ride home to clean up, then backtrack 45 minutes- she is only 15 minutes from the shop. I should save an hour overall, which will be appreciated if I need an extra nap, want to stop a few more times on the Blue Ridge Parkway, or just arrive early at my friend Joe's house Saturday evening.
Now, back to work!
I still have a busy day ahead of me, I need to wire up the top box and tank bag, and if I have time, rewire the Garmin 2720 GPS power wire so I can switch between constant on, or ignition on. I still have to pack, which will probably consume most of this evening.
On a related note, a good friend of my wife's is going to let me use her shower Friday night to clean up after work. This means I don't have to make the 45 minute ride home to clean up, then backtrack 45 minutes- she is only 15 minutes from the shop. I should save an hour overall, which will be appreciated if I need an extra nap, want to stop a few more times on the Blue Ridge Parkway, or just arrive early at my friend Joe's house Saturday evening.
Now, back to work!
Monday, March 26, 2012
10 days, final countdown!
10 days left 'til I leave for Moonshine. One weekend left to work. Fortunately most of my necessary work is done. This past weekend we wired up my backup GPS and I started the install of my top box wiring. My highway pegs work well but need a small modification to keep the right one from spinning and loosening if I put downward pressure on it without it being fully open. I need to paint the peg brackets. I painted the driving light brackets, unfortunately the driving lights I chose have a problem- one of the welds on one light gave out during install, so I'll be returning them. I'm quite disappointed in them.
Left to do: Wire up tank bag for charging my headsets & phone. Finish wiring top box for charging my netbook. I've decided to skip the aux. tank and concentrate on making a quick release tool box mount. Wire up a relay and switch for my backup GPS. Assemble my tank bag organizer. Install my new Scorpion battery, and try to fit the throttle lock from my KLR on the ST.
This coming weekend will be spent gathering all of my gear together, rough packing, and fitting everything on the bike. I'll leave as much as possible packed until my departure. This will be the first time in 10 years that I'll be using my Excursion Pack, which should hold all of my camping gear- tent,. sleeping bag, pad, and camp chair.
I have a little news, only for those of you who actually look at my blog- I'm planning to move some tags during my trip. There are two easy ones- North Carolina and northern Texas. Both are very close to my planned route. I'm also considering moving Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana. Those may not happen though, as they are much further south of my planned route, and would add a couple hundred miles to my route, making for a 1250 mile day.
Left to do: Wire up tank bag for charging my headsets & phone. Finish wiring top box for charging my netbook. I've decided to skip the aux. tank and concentrate on making a quick release tool box mount. Wire up a relay and switch for my backup GPS. Assemble my tank bag organizer. Install my new Scorpion battery, and try to fit the throttle lock from my KLR on the ST.
This coming weekend will be spent gathering all of my gear together, rough packing, and fitting everything on the bike. I'll leave as much as possible packed until my departure. This will be the first time in 10 years that I'll be using my Excursion Pack, which should hold all of my camping gear- tent,. sleeping bag, pad, and camp chair.
I have a little news, only for those of you who actually look at my blog- I'm planning to move some tags during my trip. There are two easy ones- North Carolina and northern Texas. Both are very close to my planned route. I'm also considering moving Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana. Those may not happen though, as they are much further south of my planned route, and would add a couple hundred miles to my route, making for a 1250 mile day.
Monday, March 19, 2012
18 days, and Progress
Yesterday after posting I went for a ride to test out the Russell seat and highway pegs. The pegs need a bit of adjustment but work well, and the Russell is just fantastic! I did almost 500 miles yesterday while moving the NH tag. That turned into a bit of an extra ride. I took Rt. 16 down to Portsmouth, then 101 west to Brookline, where I was to get the old NH tag. Unfortunately first I ended up on the wrong road, N. Mason Rd., instead of Mason Road. Once I finally found the tag, Tapatalk (the Android app for forum access) wouldn't let me upload the photos. I rode back to 101 where I had better cell service, and by using my phone as a hotspot I used my laptop to upload the photos. This is where it gets funny- after uploading the photos and writing my post, I found I was beat by another forum member by 10 minutes! Fortunately I was able to figure out where the new tag was, and it was only about 13 miles away. I hauled right over there and officially moved the tag!
The day was a great success, and was very beautiful for a ride.
Tonight after work I started over on the light brackets and got a design I'm happy with, and had them both done in a couple hours. I just have to add the light tabs tomorrow, and make a small adjustment to the angle of my highway peg brackets after work. If all goes well I might just have time after finishing all the wiring to attempt to make an aux. fuel tank before I leave.
The day was a great success, and was very beautiful for a ride.
Tonight after work I started over on the light brackets and got a design I'm happy with, and had them both done in a couple hours. I just have to add the light tabs tomorrow, and make a small adjustment to the angle of my highway peg brackets after work. If all goes well I might just have time after finishing all the wiring to attempt to make an aux. fuel tank before I leave.
Sunday, March 18, 2012
19 days 'til Moonshine!
19 days 'til departure, and I'm falling behind! I got the highway peg brackets done yesterday and started the light mounting brackets. I'm not crazy about the highway peg brackets, but they will work for the trip. I'm not at all happy with the mirror brackets, so I'm going to start over. Hopefully I can get them done this week after work. I also need to get some wiring done.
My big choice will be deciding between fabbing up an aux. fuel tank or tool box brackets. Which is more important for the trip? Tough call. Neither is critical, both are much desired. I'm leaning toward the aux. tank. I'll decide this week, since the chosen project will hopefully start next weekend.
19 days and counting!
My big choice will be deciding between fabbing up an aux. fuel tank or tool box brackets. Which is more important for the trip? Tough call. Neither is critical, both are much desired. I'm leaning toward the aux. tank. I'll decide this week, since the chosen project will hopefully start next weekend.
19 days and counting!
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
24 Days 'til Moonshine!!!
24 days left. While that may seem like a lot, its just a hair over 3 weeks. Three weekends to get the bike, and myself, ready. This coming weekend I hope to get the highway peg brackets done, and maybe even start on the driving lights brackets. Hopefully Sunday will be for riding...maybe even a ride Saturday evening.
Also on the To Do list is to finish my wiring, install the driving lights, make a tank bag organizer, and maybe some kind of top box organizer. I'm waiting for my new riding pants to get here, in a smaller size than I used to be. :-) I'm also going to fab up a mount for a tool box to mount behind the license plate. I saw another ST with a similar setup and it looked very clean & functional.
The weekend before I leave will be devoted to organizing my supplies and practice packing. I need to have everything ready for final packing Thursday night, and I'll leave it in place for work Friday so I just have to come home, clean up, and hit the road. I have a pretty tight schedule to keep if I want to get in everything I have planned.
Also on the To Do list is to finish my wiring, install the driving lights, make a tank bag organizer, and maybe some kind of top box organizer. I'm waiting for my new riding pants to get here, in a smaller size than I used to be. :-) I'm also going to fab up a mount for a tool box to mount behind the license plate. I saw another ST with a similar setup and it looked very clean & functional.
The weekend before I leave will be devoted to organizing my supplies and practice packing. I need to have everything ready for final packing Thursday night, and I'll leave it in place for work Friday so I just have to come home, clean up, and hit the road. I have a pretty tight schedule to keep if I want to get in everything I have planned.
Monday, March 12, 2012
Out of storage, & first ride!
Friday was the big day- with help from my wife & stepson, we lifted the ST from the confines of the basement. Not all of the wiring was hooked up, but the Stebel horn works, and the new Garmin 665 GPS (which also arrived Friday) is hooked up.
Saturday morning we finished putting the last of the plastic on and wired up the GPS so I could leave for Mass. to help Mountain Mike get his bike finished. I left in 26 degree temps with ice on the driveway, snow on the lawn, and very rough, pothole-filled roads. I got a great winter shot on my way through Franconia Notch. The temps steadily increased on my way south until I pulled into Mike's 225 miles later at around 40 degrees. We managed to get Mike's bike back together and roadworthy by early Sunday afternoon, so we left to move the Mass. & NH tags. We successfully moved the Mass. tag, then headed across the border to the old NH tag and got the photo. While getting a drink from the nearby store I checked the ST-Owners forums to make sure the NH tag hadn't been moved, and discovered that it had, in fact, been moved about an hour before! Oh well, it was a good try.
Mike and I split up and headed for our respective homes. The 60 degree temps held up until I was just north of Tilton, then the temps took a sharp drop. In the span of about 30 miles the temp dropped by about 25 degrees. I had to stop in Ashland to put on my snowmobile pants and plug in the heated jacket. I arrived home around 8:30 to 32 degree air. I almost turned around and headed south again!
Monday was the first ride to work of the season. I left home on icy roads, which made the first 15 miles of the ride a bit tricky. By 4:30 it was close to 60 degrees, but it dropped to 45 by the time I got home.
Saturday morning we finished putting the last of the plastic on and wired up the GPS so I could leave for Mass. to help Mountain Mike get his bike finished. I left in 26 degree temps with ice on the driveway, snow on the lawn, and very rough, pothole-filled roads. I got a great winter shot on my way through Franconia Notch. The temps steadily increased on my way south until I pulled into Mike's 225 miles later at around 40 degrees. We managed to get Mike's bike back together and roadworthy by early Sunday afternoon, so we left to move the Mass. & NH tags. We successfully moved the Mass. tag, then headed across the border to the old NH tag and got the photo. While getting a drink from the nearby store I checked the ST-Owners forums to make sure the NH tag hadn't been moved, and discovered that it had, in fact, been moved about an hour before! Oh well, it was a good try.Mike and I split up and headed for our respective homes. The 60 degree temps held up until I was just north of Tilton, then the temps took a sharp drop. In the span of about 30 miles the temp dropped by about 25 degrees. I had to stop in Ashland to put on my snowmobile pants and plug in the heated jacket. I arrived home around 8:30 to 32 degree air. I almost turned around and headed south again!
Monday was the first ride to work of the season. I left home on icy roads, which made the first 15 miles of the ride a bit tricky. By 4:30 it was close to 60 degrees, but it dropped to 45 by the time I got home.
Monday, March 5, 2012
Moonshine updates!
A special Iron Butt Saddlesore 1000 has been organized for riders heading to Moonshine. By starting in one of the 60 designated starting cities/towns, only having to get receipts at the beginning, end, and iof applicable a required midpoint town, I can earn an easy SS1K on the way to Moonshine. For my non-riding friends, this is 1000 miles in 24 hours. To do this, I would have to adjust my departure time from near Dallas, TX; ride about 80 miles south to the designated starting point closest to Dallas (Hillsboro), then ride to Salina, KS; then on to Casey, IL.
Updates on the bike project: Rear flange bearing are installed; wiring harness is coming along slowly, but is nearing completion; valve adjustment is done; shock preload fluid has been changed; and I have my plans ready for the highway peg mounting brackets. Due to my selling my old Dodge diesel pickup, I now have a Garmin 665 GPS on the way, and a new Spot-2 tracker. Just after ordering the GPS I found out about a very nice Russell saddle being sold by a fellow ST-Owners forum member. He was very generous and worked with me on the payment for the seat...it should be shipping out today. This seat will make 1000 mile days a walk in the park!
Left to do on the bike before Moonshine:
Updates on the bike project: Rear flange bearing are installed; wiring harness is coming along slowly, but is nearing completion; valve adjustment is done; shock preload fluid has been changed; and I have my plans ready for the highway peg mounting brackets. Due to my selling my old Dodge diesel pickup, I now have a Garmin 665 GPS on the way, and a new Spot-2 tracker. Just after ordering the GPS I found out about a very nice Russell saddle being sold by a fellow ST-Owners forum member. He was very generous and worked with me on the payment for the seat...it should be shipping out today. This seat will make 1000 mile days a walk in the park!
Left to do on the bike before Moonshine:
- Make driving light brackets
- Install 2 sets of driving lights
- Make highway peg mounts
- Make mounting bracket for my Pelican box, which will be the tool box
- Install all plastic back on the bike
- Lift bike from the basement
Friday, February 10, 2012
Moonshine 2012 Trip Plans
For many Moonshine is the first trip of the riding season, and I am no exception. Last year's trip was a big one, but this year's will be even bigger. I will be riding over 9 days, putting on over 4700 miles, and riding through 25 states. Here is my tentative schedule (could change at any time):
- Friday: Leave work at 4:30, clean up & on road by 6pm. Ride to at least southern PA before a 3 hour rest. 600 miles before break.
- Saturday: Ride sections of the Blue Ridge Parkway before riding to Leland, NC. 725 miles.
- Sunday: Day off, visit with my friend Joe Bardwell.
- Monday: Try to visit Cooter's Place if time permits, before riding the Tail of the Dragon, then the Cherohala Skyway, before finishing the day at my friends Mike & Janice Strawbridge's home, Cleveland, TN. 632 miles.
- Tuesday: Ride to Carrollton, TX to visit my friend Jody Matheson. 872 miles.
- Wednesday: Day off, visit.
- Thursday: Hardest push. Leave early and ride to Casey IL before 4:30pm for a BBQ. 756 miles.
- Friday: Local riding around Moonshine, IL
- Saturday: Enjoy a Moonburger, then leave for home. I may try another Iron Butt Saddlesore 1000 ride on the way home, arriving Sunday. 1120 miles.
Winter storage, new farkles, & cabin fever
Part 3 of my Moonshine 2011 ride will be coming soon. But right now I'll mention what I've been doing through the winter. In late November I lowered the ST into the basement for winter storage, and a warm place to work on maintenance and modifications. The following is planned before spring:
I'm really looking forward to this season. With cabin fever fully set in, I'm doing what many other northern riders do in the winter- pour over maps and look at even schedules. I already have rooms booked for Moonshine and NNEStoc. I'm planning to attend Campstoc, CTStoc, Blue Ridge Gathering, NNEStoc, and take a full week for Moonshine. I'm also going to enter the Minuteman 1000 Rally. Look for a future post about my Moonshine trip plans.
- Stebel horn
- 2 pairs of driving lights
- Highway pegs
- Tool box behind license plate
- Wiring harness & fuse block
- Check & adjust valves
- Flush brake fluid
- New battery
- Replace final drive fluid
- Replace rear wheel bearings
- Clean & lube windshield adjuster
- Check spark plugs
- Check various other parts (front wheel bearings, steering head bearings, cables & hoses, etc.)
I'm really looking forward to this season. With cabin fever fully set in, I'm doing what many other northern riders do in the winter- pour over maps and look at even schedules. I already have rooms booked for Moonshine and NNEStoc. I'm planning to attend Campstoc, CTStoc, Blue Ridge Gathering, NNEStoc, and take a full week for Moonshine. I'm also going to enter the Minuteman 1000 Rally. Look for a future post about my Moonshine trip plans.
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