Ultimate Road Trip

vicco27 · July 15, 2011

“WE’RE BACK!” As many of you know our one year trike build took three and a half years to finish. With less than 400 miles on the new trike we started our adventure June 15th, eventually spanning 10 states, 26 days. and 4,020.3 miles. The worst gas mileage was 19.83 MPG and the best 35.7 MPG, with an average MPG of 30.954 for the trip. The only problem we had with the trike part was the two new lnner CV joint boot clamps did not hold properly even though I had bought the special tool to tighten the clamps with. We had to have them changed out with worm-type hose clamps in Newcastle, Wyoming. However Charlize. the 1989 Yamaha Venture Royale half decided to lose all power going up a hill just after passing a truck. Eventually I performed enough surgery to get us into Lusk Wyoming where she threw another fit. This time I got out a piece of string that was in the lower trunk and bound the wiring harness to a handy place making a temporary fix, that would do until a better one came along. At this point she started flooding so out came one of what would be many cans Sea-Foam and Lucas oil fuel system cleaner. However, she kept flooding off and on till we left Reno for Red Bluff California. Wa La, no more flooding. The electrical problem was solved in Colorado Springs, Colorado with the installation of a new spade-type fuse block. The temperature gauge quit working in Gallup, New Mexico after crossing what seemed like 20 railroad tracks, never to work again. I learned a lot about trike idiosyncrasies, some we like some not so much. As we came through Roseburg, Oregon on the final stretch home to Spfld, I told Marilla that I wouldn't take a Million Bucks for the memories, but I didn't think you could pay me enough to do it again. For the record I hate, no we, hate wind!