XS Southeast 2013

[dpotter58]

you are so friggin artistic Ben

[madmax-im]

Finally after a month offline at home...here are my pics you can arrange the pics in order from oldest first...it may not already be that way..

http://s1272.photobucket.com/user/stbne1979/library/#/user/stbne1979/library/Old%20Bikes%20and%20Bikers%20in%20the%20Blue%20Ridge%20mtns?sort=2&page=1&_suid=138359748095000548146403445533

[madmax-im]

Scott it was great to meet you at the Iron horse...Awesome ride you have had as well..Glad you are home safe...

[3Phase]

After a few hours my hands and arms didn't really want to work in the cold but the really fun and entertaining part of I-70 was passing trucks and/or crossing a bridge in the wind. It didn't take long to figure out that if I wanted to live long enough to make it to Denver that I should not be on a bridge and anywhere near a truck: pass a truck or cross a bridge but not both at the same time!

Trying to not play tag with the big trucks took some timing and patience. The trucks were all heeled over to port and tacking dogtailed in the wind like segmented multi-ton sailing ships that would suddenly snap upright and straighten out and shift the other way when the wind cut or switched direction. The trailer(s) would swing around and try to bat me like a baseball, drive over me or pull me underneath and it was hard to stay upright and at least somewhere still in my lane and on the road as I cleared the front end of the tractor.

Crossing bridges was even more fun and a roll of the dice even without the trucks. When the wind goes over a bridge span and/or hits the concrete K-barriers it speeds up, slow downs, changes direction or all of the above all at the same time, lifting the me and the bike completely off of the pavement a few times and dropping us few feet in some random direction that was rarely still in my lane but mostly still on the road and, fortunately, still on top of the span.

Then there are those barricades every so many miles that are used to close off the Interstate and the huge signs with the flashing lights warning that when the road is closed, violators (read: survivors) will be prosecuted.

And it's really not even Winter yet....


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[BA80]

Thing of it is Scott, there's nothing between Canada and I 70 to even slow down that north wind. Drove that highway a few years back in a mini van and I think I was on 2 wheels more than I was on 4. And yes, it was COLD.

[3Phase]

"Six-two and even, over and out!"

You know, if I do this again I think I'll take the bus, "Wake me when we get there..." and rent a bike.

The Weather Channel and I are going to have a little talk about wind speed. "68 degrees with WNW winds up to 10 mph" indeed! I saw a turtle that chained itself to a fence post hanging on for dear life! It was colder crossing Kansas and Colorado with the wind off the Rockies than it was in Oakhurst during the winter and riding over pass out of Denver on the '70 was positively balmy even though everything in the Eisenhower Tunnel was frozen solid and they were making fresh snow with the snow machines when I came out the Western end of the tunnel.

When I lived in Oakhurst I used to ride until the the ice was too thick in the morning to chip off of the bike and the snow got deep enough to high-center and it ceased moving forward under its own power, then I'd put the bike in the living room and tear it down to the frame for inspection/maintenance so I would not and could not ride it until Spring. Did I mention that it was cold crossing Kansas?

5732 miles for the trip, 7527 miles on the ME-88 rear tire and according to my handy-dandy Harbor Freight digital caliper it has an entire 3/128ths of tread left before the wear bars. Nothing on Columbo or at home broke while I was out on the road (I know!) so I have about 75,000 miles and 5 years on the rebuilt engine -- YES! <arm pump>

Well, I did kind of melt the cigarette lighter in the fairing while I was at motoman's but that was self-inflicted. We traded bikes after going on a mini-rally ride with Jerry to see some giant horses made out of hammered copper plates and he said it felt like the back end was wobbling in corners at ~75mph. I reset the swingarm bearings just to make sure they were good and I covered the fuel tank with my jacket to protect it while I reset the new bearings in the triple tree. I must have leaned on the fairing and the jacket held the lighter pushed down so I had to buy another lighter. Stuff happens....


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[jetmechmarty]

So, I think everyone is accounted for. I hope to see all of you in September!

[motoman]

What's this? A keyboard?

A keyboard instead of a mobile phone keypad? How does this thing work?

Oh, it's MY keyboard! (Snoopy-dance)

I got home around 6:30 PM Pacific-whatever-time-it-is-here-now so thanks, Jeff, Marty, y'all put on a good show. Now it's time to go look around the house and see what broke while I was gone.

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Got your phone message. Thanks for the call, and glad your home safe!

( enter,enter......cool). Good that the tire got you there with no incident, considering the speed limit had been bumped up to 80mph out that direction unknowingly since I last traveled it!

[MPittma100]

How You Doing?

Greg,

You've been home for a little while now. So how are you healing up? Going to make to the 2014 Rally? Or is too early to tell?

Mike

[DGXSER]

Glad you made it home safe Scott. If you get back in town, be happy to meet up again. Maybe next time I can break away for a ride.

[3Phase]

Back Home and Safe

What's this? A keyboard?

A keyboard instead of a mobile phone keypad? How does this thing work?

Oh, it's MY keyboard! (Snoopy-dance)

I got home around 6:30 PM Pacific-whatever-time-it-is-here-now so thanks, Jeff, Marty, y'all put on a good show. Now it's time to go look around the house and see what broke while I was gone.

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[JeffH]

and all is good; should be home tomorrow. .

Scott,

Last guy out from the SE Rally. THANKS for joining us at the Iron Horse. What an adventure indeed!!
Hope you run that last leg home from UT with no traffic hassles like the "Cucamonga Crawl" or the "Pasadena Poke" getting across to Simi V. 5,500 miles is not a ride or trip, that's an epic journey.

Hope you mom doesn't need new brakes already or had to go to Midas in your absence. ooh.... Glad you made the run eastbound an iron butt
and decided to keep rolling all the way to NC.

Jeff

[motoman]

Nice, you all are way to coopertive as you were three summers ago, but the state speaks for itself. So, with that said, first part of the year I'll figure out if we'd do one outa' here in GrandJunction(Grand Mesa for a ride over 10,000ft. some 30min. from here, The BlackCanyon of the GunnisonRiver southeast of here, or over Independance Pass east of here above Aspen,Co.). or out of Durango again with some thrown in different rides to mix it up from three summers ago........to be continued in the future in the Rally section.......

[MaximPhil]

I'm ALWAYS thinking of Colorado. Its been a couple years since I've had the bike there and am ready for more.
(was there last year for a tour in the car with the mrs. but car ain't a bike!!)

I avoid taking the "Brent Blast" on I-40 and find US412 or US160 over a couple days a more fun way to get to CO. So, I'm certainly interested in a 14' Rally too! Since Scott rode all the way from Simi Valley to join us in NC; I got no excuse not to try and make a rally in CO.

Jeff

Hi Jeff,
See how easy it would be with $100M also want to see Colorado
Phil

[3Phase]

Aahh! A nice room, shower, a hot meal and a little something from Beaver Liquor (You! In the back there! Stop snickering! ) and all is good; should be home tomorrow.

Durango sounds like a plan, count me in too!

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