Emporia, Virginia Weekend Ride

I didn't get out to ride at all during February; the weather was somewhat uncooperative on each weekend, and it's tough to get motivated for a ride when it's cold and rainy. It looked like this weekend was going to be nice enough, though, so I planned a nice weekend ride to Point Pleasant, WV.

On Friday, Donna and I reassessed the Point Pleasant route in light of the distance, number of planned stops, and hours of daylight available for bonus hunting. The planned route was tight time-wise--that route should be a 2 1/2 day trip, not a jammed two day trip, so I offered a trip south instead.

We headed west to the Shenandoah Valley, then south through Charlottesville and Scottsville to Emporia. We stayed overnight at the Hampton Inn in Emporia, then headed east to Virginia Beach. From there, we headed north to home.

It was a bit chilly--the temperatures stayed within a 40 deg F to 55 deg F band all weekend, but we had a lot of sun both days. The direct sunlight really makes a difference--that, and the heated gear, made for a reasonably comfortable ride.

Alaska 2020

It's always good to have goals...goals certainly keep me out of the "lost weekend" syndrome, where I can fritter away large blocks of weekend time without producing anything meaningful. So, it's with that in mind, that I'm seriously starting to plan a nice ride to Alaska (and British Columbia, Yukon, and everything between Virginia and there) in 2020.

With a 2017 R1200GSA to ride, and much (perhaps all) of the gear needed to make that ride, already around the house, all I need is a plan and a good set of off-road/on-road tires.

Chilly weather

Some winters are better than others around these parts. This is one of the bad ones. We're caught up in a mass of cold air that covers much of the eastern part of the country. So much for getting out for a little winter riding!

The R1200GSA sits on its battery tender, waiting for an opportunity to explore. I have a lot of ideas of where to go this year, but I do need a little bit of cooperative weather. Highs of 20 deg F and lows of 3 deg F aren't conducive to adventuring (at least on a motorcycle)!

Farklefest: November 2017

With a living room full of parts, and a [nearly] stock R1200GSA in the driveway, it was time to take the new bike apart to find out why it worked. Midway through last week, the weather forecast was promising for Friday and Sunday, with showers predicted for Saturday. Temperatures were promised in the mid-50's...not too bad for November in Northern Virginia.

I got started mid-morning on Friday, as soon as it got warm enough to stand next to the bike for hours on end. I removed the body work and fuel tank. I watched ADVCityGuy's videos on the Denali SoundBomb and Clearwater Ericas to get an idea of how to best do those two installations, then watched Jim Von Baden's video on R1200GSA(W) body work and fuel tank removal.

I got all of the body work off, along with the fuel tank on Friday. I was prepared for Saturday to be rainy, and to finish up on Sunday. Saturday turned out to be pretty nice until about 1500; I was able to get the SoundBomb and Ericas wiring in and the body work and fuel tank re-installed before the rain started. I installed the Clearwater Billie Junior rear light, and its remote light (which I think I'm going to like quite a bit), as well.

Sunday turned out to be nice, as well, so I got everything wrapped up -- this kind of work always takes longer than it probably should, because I work very slowly. Haste can make expensive waste when doing these tasks for the first time. The fit is pretty tight on the R1200GSA to begin with, and to route that number of power and signal cables from the front to the back requires some careful thought and execution.

I'm thankful for all of those years of amateur radio "farkling" -- it ensured that I had every tool and spare part that I needed for the entire job.

Right before sundown today, I wrapped this job up and fired the bike up to do a little op-test. It's always such a relief to verify that everything works as expected. The Clearwater Ericas look great, and that Denali SoundBomb is deafening.

First farkles

I rode with the new Sargent saddle yesterday, and installed the pillion saddle today.

I have a pile of farkles stacked up in the living room, waiting for time and weather to install.

In addition to installing the pillion saddle, I installed guards for the two stock fog lights. The Touratech guards were very easy to install, and look great.

I started the installation on the Altrider headlight guard, but ran out of weather. I'll get that finished as soon as weather permits.

Ginger cat Sonja

I was fostering / adopting an older cat from Fancy Cats, hoping to give Cinder a nice companion. Sonja turned out to be a bit high-strung, and a real hunter, so she didn't get along with Cinder. Cinder didn't appreciate being stalked, and spent all of her time upstairs, under a bed or under the desk. Not a good quality-of-life.

So, I had to return Sonja this morning. Though she'd only been in the house since 31 July 2017, she'd settled in nicely and was a lot of fun to watch. She was frequently stretched out on the floor in the "new" room, and liked to lay on the couch and knead the large pillow. She spent her days sequestered in the new room, sitting on the scratching post and watching the wildlife out the window. I'd let her into the remainder of the house in the evenings (and on the days I worked from home); she had built a small blanket nest on the chair near the dining room table, and was content to knead the blankets until she fell asleep.

It was really hard to return her, but Cinder's quality of life was taking a hit. I'm hoping that Sonja finds a nice home where she can get a lot of attention, but without the distractions of another cat.

Cinder has already been out during the day more than I've seen in months. I think she can definitely feel the difference already.

First [real] ride

The run-in period for BMW motorcycles is about 600 miles (100 km). It's +/- 50 miles to Bob's BMW, so I need to get about 500 miles under the saddle before the initial check. The weather for the weekend is predicted to be spotty, so it was important to get some riding in today, to get ready for the 10 November run-in check.

I laid out a quick 250 mile run, then added a few spots for geocaches (to sweeten the pot). The run-in needs to be done at varying speeds and loads, so I headed west. I ran out to Sperryville, VA to ride U.S. 211 over Shenandoah National Park, then headed to Harrisonburg, VA, with a brief lunch stop at Luray, VA.

From Harrisonburg, I headed east to Orange, VA then north on U.S. 29 to pick up I-66.

The ride was very good. Because I still don't have the side cases (BMW Motorrad stop-sale on the side cases for a reflector-positioning issue), I removed the top case as well. The GSA is remarkably nimble (at least at this weight), and the increased low-end torque is a noticeable difference from the 2010 R1200RT.

I have another short ride this weekend to finish off the run-in period.

R1200GS Adventure "Triple Black"

With great sadness, I traded in my well-loved, and oft-ridden 2010 R1200RT today. I returned home with a 2017 R1200GS Adventure "Triple Black". I'll be farkling this new bike over the next few weeks, as I get ready for next year's rally and grand tour season.

New bike

I have mixed feelings about getting a new motorcycle. The 2010 R1200RT has gotten me to some amazing places over the ~7.5 years I've had it. It's out of the extended warranty period, though, and has nearly 160,000 miles on it. 

The features on the newer bikes, such as water-cooling, tire pressure sensors, and better integration with the GPS receiver, make a compelling case for an upgrade.

So, I put a deposit on a 2017 R1200GS Adventure today. I'll have a new bike to farkle shortly.

I have one more longish ride on the RT this coming weekend, then it'll be time to retire that bike.

Bike maintenance

I took the R1200RT in for needed maintenance today. I've put about 18000 miles on since the last long-interval maintenance -- that included the 2017 IBR, the Void Rally, and a couple of long weekends.

The aft speed / rotation sensor was failing intermittently, so it was on the list.

It turns out that the breather on the final drive was allowing some moisture in -- perhaps during all of that rain on Leg 2 of the 2017 IBR. The final drive oil appeared to be somewhat emulsified. Ugh.
I took a few breaks during the day to look at the R1200GSA -- quite possibly my next bike. The 2018's have a few new feature, and will [hopefully] continue to work out some of the kinks that have turned up in the water-cooled bikes.

19 February 2017 Ride Report

I got a very late start on Sunday -- the weather was decent, the list of undone chores was manageable, and there was a [short] list of nearby Big Money Rally bonuses to knock out. The four local "stadiums" on the list -- Nationals Park, Verizon Center, FedEx Field, and the Prince George's Stadium were worth just over 12 points total -- plus several "campground" bonuses promised a good point total day.

Nationals Park

Verizon Center

Lincoln Park Kitchen & Wine, Lincoln Park, Washington, DC

FedEx Field, Landover, MD

Prince George's Stadium, Bowie, MD

With such a late start (almost 1400), I was up against the clock to get as many bonuses as I could before the light gave out. The need to have the motorcycle in the shot greatly limits my night bonus hunting ability. I shed a few western bonuses, but still managed a great afternoon (and early evening) of point gathering.

Tin Cup Products, Falls Church, VA

12 February 2017 Ride Report

The weather forecast promised much, so Donna and I headed out for a Sunday ride to Lynchburg and other points south. I'd been frustrated, on the 21 January 2017 ride, with missing both the Manassas train depot and the Lynchburg stadium bonuses. So, it was time to redeem myself and take Donna on a nice winter ride.

The temperature was in the mid-40 degrees F when we left -- the forecast for Lynchburg was in the upper-70's by mid-day. 

We headed west through Manassas (and got credit for that train depot), then south on U.S. 29, grabbing bonuses along the way. We successfully snagged the Lynchburg stadium bonus (where I've now been several times -- the Team Strange 30 ball park bonus set caused me to stop by there, as well as many other locations across the country). By the time we reached Lynchburg, the temperatures were above 80 -- 83 degrees F was the highest temperature I saw all day. Not bad for February!

We had a great time between Lynchburg and Richmond, then headed home when it got dark.

Great ride -- a nice test of heated gear, with a little early spring weather thrown in for good measure!

Team Strange Love & Merci Grand Tour

I've had a lot of fun doing Team Strange Grand Tours over the years. This year's involves a search for Merci Train boxcars and spelling the word LOVE (up to ten times) using the first letter of city/town names. Sounds like fun!

2017 Iron Butt Rally

It's official -- I'm in.

Iron Butt Rally 2017

Well, I posted my application for the 2017 IBR this evening...the draw is soon, so I'll know in just a few weeks if I made the cut.

2015 Iron Butt Rally -- Day -1

The three day ride from Virginia to Albuquerque was a good shakedown ride. I ran at about a rally pace, and picked up Tour of Honor, Whispering Giants, and Virtual Cache "bonuses" along the way, which are reasonably good substitutes for rally bonus locations.

More importantly, I settled in to where things should be stored on the bike so I can find them quickly, and convinced myself that I hadn't left anything essential at home. I haven't used everything I packed, yet, but I'm convinced I will.

This morning is a bit of last-minute adjustments, and a little quiet time before the planning begins for leg one. The last thing I will do before the rider's meeting is refuel the bike -- I'll do that when it's warm so the fuel doesn't overflow while the bike is sitting in the sun this afternoon.

Headlights

The intermittent headlight problem that appeared on the ride west turned out to be a short -- the hot wire is discolored, and there is some bare conductor. The tech at Sandia BMW is going to insulate the hot wire spade connector to see if that fixes the problem, enough to get me back on the road.

2015 Iron Butt Rally

As it so often goes, the plans I have (in this case, blogging about my preparations for the 2015 Iron Butt Rally) go unexecuted. It's not that I haven't thought, oh so many times, that I had a nice thought to share -- it's been more a choice to spend time doing other things (in many cases, working on preparing for the Big Dance).

The weather was poor again this winter -- cold and windy -- and with two big proposals to get out the door, the time got away from me. I did get in a few very nice rides, between the Big Money Rally, Cape Fear (which turned out to be a DNF because of a universal joint failure), one of Hammy's rallies, and the Mason Dixon 20-20. I also had several very enjoyable weekend "fun run" rides that served double-duty as practice rides.

In addition to the universal joint failure near State College, PA, I had a final drive replacement, and a main shock replacement. The repair to the universal joint involved a new drive shaft, so the entire drive train aft of the engine has been replaced in the past 12 months or so.

Tomorrow, I head to Albuquerque to ride my first Iron Butt Rally. My goal: to finish safely, earning a three-digit Iron Butt Association number.

A new year

Another year is upon us...a year in which all kinds of good things can happen. 

One of the several highlights ahead is the 2015 Iron Butt Rally, which will involve significant preparation. While that preparation started a few months ago, it will get an ever increasing amount of attention to ensure I meet the goal: safely finish.

Butt Lite 7 – Leg 2

The rally masters distributed the rally books at about 0900. The good folks at Lone Star had tables out for us, so those who were interested could plan their Leg 2 route (which I did).

As it turned out, the first Leg 2 bonus was purchasing something from Lone Star BMW, so I purchased a package of foam hearing protectors to add to the purchases I made before the rally book was distributed.

I spent two hours processing the rally book data (getting it into a form that let me do route comparison), buying the hearing protectors, and packing the bike. When all of that was done, I was underway about 1100.

Though I couldn’t know it when I started out on that Wednesday morning, this was my track for Leg 2:

Needless to say, I wasn’t seduced by the Key West bonus, or any of the other bonuses on or near the Atlantic Ocean. I did, however, succumb to the siren song of Atlanta. I should have known better.

My first stop was Mount Carmel Center in Waco, Texas, where I was to take a photograph of the sign just inside of the fence for 555 points.

The theme for Butt Lite 7 was bowling, so there was a giant bonus (2500 points) at the International Bowling Museum & Hall of Fame in Arlington, Texas. We had to get a time-stamped ticket and, if we were there before 1500, we were to bowl for score (which was added to the 2500 points for this bonus).

There was quite a thunderstorm rolling through Arlington when I arrived. One of my friends arrived at the same time, so we navigated the slippery streets (and rain) to get to the museum.

I stopped at the museum to refine my route – I had managed to develop a very ambitious route, that I would be paring down over the next few days. This caused me to leave the museum much later than I had planned.

My next stop was the site of the Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow shoot-out in 1934 for 476 points. The road to the site was blocked by a train, so I took a detour around to a bridge over the tracks – lo and behold, there was a nice patch of gravel on the way to the bridge. Ugh.

By the time I got back to the railroad tracks, the train had cleared, so I had smooth sailing back to the freeway.

I was running late because of the delay in Austin and at the museum, so I passed up a small (125 point) bonus. I also missed a 555 time-limited bonus because I passed through Vicksburg too late (a little over two hours which, if I hadn’t dawdled would have been easy to get – lessons learned for next year).

There were two bonuses north of Vicksburg – one time-limited (we had to be there before the store closed at 2200 so we could purchase a stuffed bear for 509 points), and the other was available 24 hours for 166 points.It turned out that the store wasn’t open when I arrived (another rider was also there), so I got a picture of the store.

This was the 166 point bonus.

I spent my rest stop at the Econolodge in Hattiesburg, Mississippi…clean and serviceable.

This wooden pole in Lucedale, Mississippi was worth 124 points. There’s a claim that Ronald Reagan scratched his back on this pole. I didn’t; I got my photograph, and headed down the road.

There were two bonuses in Monroeville, the literary capital of Alabama. My first was a fountain on the grounds of Alabama Southern Community College, for 101 points. My task was to take a photo of the fountain with the names Harper Lee and Truman Capote visible.

This monument to the character Atticus Finch was worth 102 points.

This obelisk monument to Fort Toulouse in Wetumpka, Alabama required a short walk to earn the 128 points.

From Wetumpka, my route took me north to the shores of Lake Martin, Alabama, where I was to earn 132 points for taking a photograph of this historic highway marker.

I should be obvious, by this point, that I’m spending a lot of time riding to get some pretty small bonuses. That was the plan of our illustrious rally masters – provide a lot of relatively small bonuses, and get riders like me to bite. And bite, I did. In the cold, hard light of hindsight, I can easily build a shorter route with more bonuses. Hindsight is, however, simply something that is unavailable when the rally book is thrust into one’s hands.

My next stop was little Rosalind Nadine Earles’ grave (more here) in Lanett, Alabama for 156 points. It is just a little creepy, but very well tended. The Christmas lights were a nice touch.

Then, I was off to Turin, Georgia to take a picture of Barbie Beach for 127 points. Barbie Beach is surely the only clothing-optional sunbathing location in Coweta County, Georgia.

I dropped a 116 point stop in Atlanta based on a little delay getting past the airport. That I even considered going through Atlanta to get to Emory University to earn a paltry 116 points was ridiculous.

I did stop in Atlanta to visit a BP station / convenience store. The visit was worth 444 points for purchasing a pack of gum, and delivering the gum and the receipt to the scoring table.

Butt Lite 6ix had several legal-themed bonuses; Butt Lite 7 continued the tradition. My next stop was a historic highway marker placed to remember the site where Leo M. Frank was murdered on 17 August 1915 by a mob. Leo Frank is buried in Queens County, New York – a future bonus stop perhaps.

My next stop was McCaysville, Georgia and Copperhill, Tennessee to take a photograph of a state line marker outside Patrick’s Pub and Grill for 109 points. Patrick’s has the distinction of being partially in Georgia and partially in Tennessee, which took advantage of the differences in alcohol control laws between the two states (Fannin County, Georgia was formerly “dry” for liquor sales in restaurants).

While I’m walking back to my bike, another long distance bike pulls up, with a rider wearing the typical “uniform” of long distance riders. I yell out that it’s so nice to see another rider, and he replies that he’s not riding this rally! He was up from Florida to ride the same route through Tennessee that I was on.

The World’s Largest Ten Commandments at the Fields of the Wood Bible Park was worth 515 points. The speck near the center of the photograph is my R1200RT.

Next, I was off to visit a memorial (of sorts) to Wash and Wear in Tellico Plains, Tennessee for 245 points. The maps in my GPS receivers have bum gouge on at least two streets in Tellico Plains, so I got to take the longer way into town. With the routing and a fuel stop, this stop was about 14 minutes. Ugh.

My next bonus was the grave of Sgt Alvin C. York in Pall Mall, Tennessee for 488 points. The rally book mentioned gravel in the cemetery, so I parked the bike near the road and walked in. There’s a streetlight that illuminates the area around the grave, but it was nice to have the big flashlight for this bonus.

My next stop was to visit the memorial to SP4 James T. Davis in Livingston, Tennessee. SP4 Davis died on 22 December 1961 in the Republic of Vietnam. The bonus was worth 487 points.

As I was walking back to my bike, I spied this in a storefront window. Thankfully, you don’t see these any more (except as random display items in storefront windows!).

I rested at the sad Budget Inn in Lafayette, Tennessee. I started a six hour rest bonus at the McDonalds on the main drag, and stopped the rest bonus (3600 points) at the same location. The motel was entirely forgettable (which means I won’t be forgetting it anytime soon).

333 points attracted me to the graves of William Alexander Gregory, late of the C.S.A., and Dance and Keziah Brown in the Williams – Brown – Gregory Cemetary [sic].

Here’s the grave of Dance and Keziah Brown, in the same cemetery.

Kentucky’s Stonehenge is located in Munfordville, and was worth 301 points.

There were two “graves in the road” on this rally – I visited the one in Franklin, Indiana for 289 points.

While I was packing up, a nice farmer came by to chat a bit. He had a farm nearby, and was fascinated by the rally. He mentioned that my next stop, Nyesville, Indiana, was just down the road (though it didn’t seem like it when I was riding it on a hot summer day).

My next stop was worth 489 points, at the monument to Mordecai “Three Finger” Brown.

There was a rider on a Harley at this bonus when I arrived. I must have had too much “game face” on – he asked if I was doing okay when I was heading back to my bike. I assured him I was, and wished him well.

My next stop was the Council Grove Minute Men marker, for 113 points, where I was to get the names of the three counties listed on the marker.

I stopped for what I believe are the two most refreshing hot dogs I’ve ever had on a motorcycle trip. I needed fuel while on U.S. 41 just north of Morocco, Indiana, and needed to get off the bike for a few minutes. There was a local law enforcement convention at the convenience store, so I sat down next to a couple who were helping with the story-telling. I ate two hot dogs and drank a soda, and I was all set for the rest of the day.

My next stop was to earn 98 points for taking a picture of the character Flick, whose tongue became affixed to a cold, metal flagpole in the cinematic classic A Christmas Story.

The [former] Santa Fe Speedway in Willow Springs, Illinois was worth 125 points. The location is now a nice-looking housing development.

By this time, I had a lot of margin to visit Rochelle, Illinois, get a nice rest in, and cross the finish line in Minnetonka. I pulled in to the bonus location in Rochelle, and was visited by volunteers who were staffing the park. As I was resting the bike on the side stand, a volunteer urged me to hurry, since a train was approaching. We were to take a photograph of an approaching train for 455 points, and I had arrived just in time! I had enough time to take a leisurely walk to the viewing deck, where I joined several other riders on the same mission.

After I got my photograph, I headed back to my bike. The volunteers were up for a chat, and asked me where I was headed next. They offered that at least one previous rider was headed to Milwaukee (which was not my next destination), and they asked if I was headed there as well. I wasn’t, but said that I would think about it on the way out of town. They then told the several of us, who had just gotten the required photograph, the fastest way north. I saddled up and hit the road, and punched the Milwaukee bonus in to my zumo 665. Lo and behold, I had enough time to go to Milwaukee if I sacrificed some of my rest margin. I felt great (the salutary effects of the two hot dogs were still with me), so off I went.

This photograph of the Holler House tavern was worth 455 points. The tavern was closed, so I didn’t get to see the bowling alley or the brassiere collection. Wikipedia lists Joe Walsh, Traci Lords, and Frank Deford as notable bowlers and visitors.

There was an unnatural amount of construction getting to and leaving Holler House. Wow.

There were a few other rally riders on I-94 from Milwaukee heading to Minneapolis. I recognized at least one of the riders, and we rode more or less together until I left the freeway to head north.

From Milwaukee, there was only one bonus left – the historic highway marker for the New Richmond Cyclone in New Richmond, Wisconsin. The marker was worth 56 points. There was another rider there, so we exchanged a few words before heading west.

All that was left now, was a nice ride west from New Richmond to Minnetonka, Minnesota. I arrived at the finish line about 0518 CDT, well before the 0600 – 0800 window for finishers.

I got all of my paperwork together, and headed for the scoring table. As with the Austin checkpoint scoring, I didn’t leave any points “one the table”.

After all of that riding around this great and beautiful country of ours, I finished 9th out of 49 finishers. I was delighted. Finishing in the top 10 qualified me for a “no draw” entry into the 2015 Iron Butt Rally.