Tatonka

Thanks for sharing some of that warmth. We have snow on the ground and it's minus 18 F, so it's greatly appreciated. Was at Anna Marie Island in April 2008 after picking up a bike in Florida. Where was that taken please? I've traveled that coastline from Cedar Key all the way to Key West. Have a safe and healthy 2009!

I wrote the following for another group which covers some of your question: Quote: Lessons learned I just got back from a 2 month trip and I was writing up what I had learned or forgotten. I use a sleeping bag, tent and mat now, something I didn't use as a young rider. I tried 5 days of camping and two days of hotel this time and made sure I showered at least every two days. I used the hotel stays for charging batteries for phone and camera, and once for dryng out my tent and all of my gear. Most campgrounds and hotels have laundry facilities, so it's easy to wash clothes. Might be a stupid list, but it's a start: Safety- - Always wear your helmet whenever you ride, no matter how far you ride!!!! - Never ride strange roads in the late afternoon because of the glare. Ride twisties between 10 am and 2 pm because of shadows caused by the trees and cliffs. - Always drink enough water and always have a spare water bottle in case you have to camp before you can get to a store. - Stop earlier for the night (practice putting your tent up in the dark and in wind). Have a small hammer for pounding stakes and herrings in the ground. Three stakes should always be available for storm lines. - Magnetic map cases do come off (wind, passing trucks, speed). - Take less clothes and items than planned - Tank up as often as possible (ran out of gas once 10 miles before the next gas station because I didn’t want to get gas at 52 miles) Comfort- - Take a water cooker. It’s nice to have a cup of instant coffee or tea sometimes, or to make a hot meal from freeze dried packs. - Always wear a hat when you take off your helmet, either for protection from the sun or to keep you from cooling off before getting in the tent. - Take a warmer mummy sleeping bag than planned (40°F sounds warm when it’s 90 °F outside, but awfully cold when the outside temperature is 36°F). My Wal-Mart 40°F rectangular bag was inadequate in OR-WA-MT-WY. - A fleece jacket is good for additional warmth, take your jacket liner and a warmer pair of gloves with you. Smart- - Watch out for credit/debit cards and always keep cash on hand - Do regular maintenance on the bike with the tool kit and ensure that you have the tools to do the job - Plan a day of rest at least once a week - Print out the places or route that you want to take Unquote I tried the KOA campgrounds for a total of 5 days, but stayed at non-KOA as much as possible because I felt KOA put us bikers pretty far away from everything. I normally paid about $23 average at KOA, but only $10 average at biker friendly campgrounds with good facilities including laundry, hot showers (always check whether you need tokens or change) and other bikers for company. I've made a lot of cross country interstate trips, but half of my 10,000 miles this time were on side roads. We have a beautiful country with a lot of great people and interesting places to visit, so take the time to smell the roses. I rode the bike 52 days straight, changed oil once and spark plugs once. I did forget to plan any days for rest. My signature box map only shows those states I have visited by motorcycle for 2007 and 2008. Map of my route: http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?hl=en&ie=UTF8&msa=0&msid=111006677486544509451.0004590d21ce3cc7b7512&z=4 Some pictures: File 1: http://s342.photobucket.com/albums/o428/gypsy_moore/USA%20Tour%202008%20Part%201/?albumview=slideshow File 2: http://s342.photobucket.com/albums/o428/gypsy_moore/USA%20Tour%202008%20Part%201/USA%20Tour%202008%20Part%202/?albumview=slideshow Have a safe and fun trip and don't forget to show us some pictures.

I like it sometimes, but I don't have to clean the stuff off anymore. We only have about 3 inches left after 3 days of clear weather, but about 12 minutes up the street on our local hill, we still have about 19 inches of snow and good skiing right now. It's -18° F here right now. I'll try to get a couple of pictures tomorrow with the new camera.

Hey Squeeze, I think you have to dig yourself out of the snow pile before you take the picture. We are having the most snow we have had in years here in Germany. Have fun.

Wish all a safe, healthy and happy 2009. I just tanked up here in Frankfurt, Germany today and paid: EUR 1.24/liter of Super which makes about $6.52 a gallon. please email me some gas

Hi Jerry, First of all, thank you for your service and congratulations on a job well done. We're here to help each other out so try this for an answer to your question. 1) I assume you right clicked the picture with your mouse after you filled in the states (use the small picture for uploading to this website) and saved it to your computer in a place where yoiu can find it. 2) Once you have it saved to your computer, go to UserCP on this website and click on your signature. 3) This should bring up your signature panel and in the second part of the panel, you have the option to download a picture from your computer. Hit the browse button and search for the picture on your computer (I assume under My Documents, Pictures (unless you saved it to some other file on your computer) 4) Upload the picture and you should be done after accepting the change. Hope that helps, but feel free to contact if you have further questions. Wish you a Safe and Happy New Year too! God bless our servicemen and women no matter where they serve.

Great pictures of what looked like an epic ride. I normally travel on my own and seldom get such fascinating pictures, just pictures of the scoot in front of various landmarks. Looks like a great bunch to ride with. Looks like some of it was still cold though. Thanks for sharing and will maybe see you on the road some day. I'll actually be in Louisville, KY for our National Convention in August. I plan to finish up the open states after that, God willing. Have a great New Year. (My map only shows my motorcycle trips for 2007 & 2008)

Have a great Christmas and a healthy and prosperous New Year. And most of all have a safe and great ride to Florida. How do you spell "envy"? Ride hard, but ride safe.

Option 4 - Nothing!!!! But let me explain please. We try to be good Christians and have followed a suggestion that our Church made quite a few years ago that seemed to make sense to us. The general consensus was that Christmas had become too commercialized and had gotten away from the real meaning of the religious celebration. Santa Claus and the purchase (and exchange) of gifts had become the main focus and people were rating how much someone loved them based on the number and monetary worth of the presents given/received. We try to take care of the children's wishes by asking them to write down one thing they really want or need for Christmas and the kids seem to like the practice and say that they are less stressed out because they don't have to compete with the other kids. So we only celebrate Christmas in a religious way by setting up a Nativity scene (handmade stall, animals and people), attending Church services on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day and don't set up a tree or exchange gifts. We do however follow an older tradition and exchange one handmade gift on January 6th (Three Kings). Sure has helped my stress levels over the past few years and we are now debt free over the holiday season. And Christmas now leaves me time enough to count all of the blessings that I have received from God over the year. I'm not trying to get on anybody's case or step on toes. I'm not judging anyone either. I wish I could give all of you a present this Christmas, but know that my love for this family of riders is great and I appreciate each and every one of you. So know, we really mean it from the heart when we wish you a very blessed Christmas and a happy New Year. God bless and keep safe.

Yo Steve, Thanks for the nice thoughts and wishes and you know I wish you the same for you and yours. Have a great New Year and look forward to counting down with you some more. God bless and keep safe.

Thanks to all, I benefited from this question too since I have been meaning to ask where to find it. Merry Christmas and a healthy and safe New Year.

This is a picture of my baby with tent on the 10,116 mile summer trip this year. Taken at Brown's Campground off CA-395 before Bishop.

I thank all of you for the nice comments and rating. You guys (includes gals of course) are a great family to be in. tmodel mentioned something: Quote- "It is amazing that you were able to control your frustration level with all the mishaps." Unquote There is no way I could have been frustrated on a bike riding through God's country and enjoying God's many wonders. Dropping it or having an accident and then being able to get back on and ride after a little fiddling is another blessing and experienced wonder. Meeting all the helpful and friendly folks on the road was definitely another. I have so many positive stories from the road on this trip that even I sometimes tell myself that couldn't all have been true. From the couple who stopped in an van and offered to pick up gas for me after I ran out in the desert (I gave them $20 because I didn't want to leave the bike and they gave me a bottle of water) who then came back, gave me the can of gas and the change, but refused to accept any recompense for their troubles, to the campground owner who told me all of the restaurants and stores were already closed and then took me home to share dinner with his family. I talked to some great people, Americans and foreigners alike, and inbetween, I talked to God and His creatures. We had a saying in Nam, "Almost only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades." When I was on the way to Nam in 1968, my team was sent one week ahead of me. I had to wait until I turned 19 because they didn't want to send any more 18 year olds. I missed out on a lot of combat action in that one week. I don't ever get frustrated because of accidents or delays. I know God has a plan for each and every one of us, so when something happens I hadn't planned on, I just say, "Thank you Lord!" God bless our servicemen and women no matter where they serve. God bless and keep safe. And folks, please don't stop counting those blessings

Hi Dan, If I could walk in your shoes for a few miles, roam in your head and see what you like and dislike, watch you make decisions of what you consider to be important, what your bank accoount says and most of all, what you would do with a RSV or Burgman 650, I might consider making a suggestion, but... I see you ride a Suzuki LS650. How many miles do you have on it? Looking at the two, Burgman and Savage, there isn't much difference in engine size, but a whole lot of difference in handling, storage, comfort. One is a motorcycle (oh, shivers) and one is a scooter. I don't think either one is comparable to the cruising capabilities of a Wing, RSV, Harley (I didn't really include that did I? Buy the Burgman and RSV for the same price and your problem is solved ) or other bike although, any of those bikes will weigh twice as much as a Burgman. The weight and mass requires fitting your head around the two measurements and feeling comfortable with them. A bike that makes you feel uncomfortable at the onset usually retains that feeling later on because instinct has already spoken to you. What are your trip plans, how often do you plan to go, and, and? I'm not trying to be funny. I know how difficult those decisions can be. I have a trike, scooter, automobile and mobile home in Germany. I keep two bikes in the states, one for cruising and one for quick handling within 100 miles of home. I think you'll see a lot of folks here in the forum with more than one bike. I guess bikes become family too.

Greetings Rich, Sorry to hear about all of the problems with bikes, Katrina, health and such. Motorcycles aren't like cigarettes, you can always take a break and come back to them. They will also always be hazardous to your health, but there are few things that aren't. Take a break after those bypasses, let your body and spirit heal a bit. You don't have those type of operations and accidents without some type of emotional and mental stress appearing. And I guess all of those things make us realize our mortality. Sometimes it takes a few months or even a few years to get back in the saddle, but after that long a service to our country (thank you for your service), that short time is a piece of cake. We are bikers. We look forward to that little bit of freedom we can only feel on a bike. So, please don't give up, just take a break while your body and mind heal. I'm sure your wife can understand that also because she knows how important it is to you. Although I told my lady I was ready to ride right out of the hospital (which of course upset her as it should have at the time), it took me 5 years to be fully able to ride again. Started with trikes, went to scooters and finally back to cruisers. 12,000 miles this year making it over 35,000 since I started riding again. Remember all those great project bikes? My 1982 Virago XV920 is up and runs great and actually took me from DC to Reno and back last year. Not something for everybody, but there is always something to keep you occupied until you do what you want.

I thought about the 130 WWW from AVON but I went for the 150 BW AVON for my trip in August. Even loaded down with things on my luggage rack and packs on the passenger seat, I felt that the front tire really handled well in spite of me dropping it five times this summer. I rode max load most of the time. I hit a lot of gusting wind on the 395 along the Mojave Desert, on the 101 up the west coast and then a lot more from Denver down through Kansas and Oklahoma. In any case, it's only a personal opinion on my part. If some of you personally find the 130 "twitchy" in wind, I'm glad I had the 150 because I did more of my 10,116 mile trip in the wind than I did in U-turns. Ride safe.

When I joined VentureRider.Org there weren't many entries in this section. I remember posting one about my XV920 http://www.venturerider.org/forum/showthread.php?p=204070#post204070 and now I have to eat crow and pay for my big mouth (Don, $25 dollar donation will be made today): I can't just explain one case of dropsies, I have to admit to myriad cases this year. Between my two bikes, I only travelled about 13,000 miles in the states during 2008. I was only in the U.S. for a total of 3 months this year. Here is a short synopsis I did for some friends: Quote- That motorcycle that looked so new in April is/has now: been dropped 5 times resulting in a cracked saddle bag left, scratches in the saddle bag right, twisted light bar and bent fog light right, scratches in the windshield, dents and scratches in the tank, bent engine guard rail right, bent saddle bag guard rail left, deep scratch on the front fender, nicks and scratches on the rear fender, bent brake lever right, bent clutch lever left, etc. Mostly cosmetic (will buy two new saddle bags and bigger and better engine guards). covered in bug splatters, mud and blood (I tried to avoid that bird). road grime and the dust and sand of all of the lands visited west of the Mississippi. Some statistics: I rode the motorcycle everyday from Aug 14 to Sep 30 for a total of 48 days (plus two more days to DC). We collected $515,000 on the Legacy Run this year. I rode through 25 states on this trip and covered a total of 10,116 miles. The majority of those miles were on non-interstate roads and I visted or camped in more national and state parks than I care to think of. After Aug 29th (end of Convention), I held to my 5 day camping, 2 day hotel (different hotel each day) rule. Spent 3 days on a campground in Bishop, CA (due to heavy winds wih gusts up to 70 mph) and 3 days on a campground in South Dakota (base camp for rides through the Black Hills, Badlands, Custer, Spearfish Canyon, Rushmore, Crazy Horse and Devil's Tower, etc.), otherwise just overnght camping. No days off for relaxation, no long sleep ins (time to ride), no days off sick. After leaving Phoenix (4 days of 1-1/2 to 2 inch per day rains) on Aug 29th, only had two nights of rain (one was a full blown storm where I wound up sleeping in water that had gotten in the tent) up until my arrival in DC today. Unquote No 1- happened just after crossing the Hoover Dam to the Nevada side. It was dark and after midnight and I had been running before a storm since Phoenix. I stopped at the Welcome Center to look for a hotel and as I was pulling out, a bunch of side by side lights came down the parking lot side I was planning to use to go to the exit. Thinking I was going in the wrong direction, I hit too much front brake while trying to do a quick U-turn and, yep, dropped it on the right side downward on the 6% sloping parking lot. In falling off, I fell on my back and banged the back of my helmet on the asphalt. I had also watched the various videos, but with a fully packed Riggpack with toproll, tent, mat, camping gear, gas can, sleeping bag and two very full hardbags on a decline, I wasn't sure if I could get it up (add 14 hours in the saddle to that). A bunch of young adults quickly ran over from the approaching vehicles and helped me get the bike back upright. I got the right mirror back on, readjusted the brake fluid reservoir and was on my way for a full two miles when I had to make my first right turn since the accident. The right pipes dragged as I went around the corner and then fell off (right rear cylinder pipe and end pipe). I got the pipes back on but one of the two exhaust seals involved had a leak. No. 2- There were strong winds on Highway 395 between Bishop and Mammoth Lakes, with gusts up to a reported 70 mph. I was riding to Mammoth Lakes when a gust of wind knocked my magnetic map case off the gas tank. I slowed down and pulled onto the shoulder and stopped. As I was trying to put the kickstand down, a sudden gust of wind knocked me over with the motorcycle and she fell on her right side, banging my head on the ground. I didn't have any gear on her, so it was a snap to use the video method to get her back up. Scratches in the right hardbag this time. No. 3- Had left "Going to the Sun" and Glacier N.P. and visited the First Peoples Buffalo Jump State Park in Ulm Mt. It was already dark when I went up, so I didn't see the signs about road conditions and that the park was closed at dusk. It was a dirt road with gravel and lots of ruts and with very steep parts going to the top of the plateau. While I was up there, a storm came up quickly with high winds, lightening and thunder. I quickly put up my tent to have some shelter. It rained heavily most of the night with hail and sleet. On the next morning, I traveled down a very steep, slick and slippery hill. I managed to get down to the fairly level part and was chugging along at about 5 mph when I hit a sea of mud in a curve and went down on my right side again, banging my head on the ground. The bike was on my right ankle and I had to push it off with my left foot. I have a bad right knee and had to turn over to my left side in order to get up, leaving me coated in mud. The bike was even heavier with about 50 pounds of mud caked on it and in every crevice, but I managed to get it up in spite of the slippery conditions. If I had thought anyone would have been traveling the road, I would have waited for some help, but desperation made me get her up. The bike was covered in mud, with mud under the floorboards, in the linkage, in the engine guard, over the top of the hardbag and i was having trouble walking because of the weight of the mud hanging on my clothing and boots. Unfortunately (or maybe fortunately), the gas station just down the road didn't have a car wash so I couldn't ride through one. It rained afterwards though and I was able to ride through the rain and puddles. No. 4- Later as I was heading down Rt 3 towards Moore/MT, a police car came screaming past and pulled to the shoulder in front of me with flashing lights. I automatically pulled to the shoulder somewhat flustered and slid off the asphalt onto the gravel. Bike went down on the right side and I went onto my head again on the decline. The deputy and a passerby were kind enough to help me pick the bike up (imagine a biker and bike covered in mud, showing a paper tag and running straight pipes) and the right pipe had again left the bike. The deputy had been after someone else and was preparing to make a turn when I crashed and burned in front of him. He had to call his supervisor because he felt he was partially at fault for the accident. As I was making my statement with his supervisor, the deputy put my pipe back on and it held for the 4,089 miles to DC. No 5- After I left all of the good riding in South Dakota, I traveled down the side roads. I stopped to get gas at one station and one set of pumps were closed due to low gas in those tanks. I did a slow turn to the next set, failed to see the danger of the rubber bell hose and had my front tire slip out on the rubber hose like it was slick ice. Went down on my left side this time and didn't bump my head for once. Had to readjust left clutch reservoir this time so I could use the mirror. Noticed the sadle bag guard was bent, but didn't think much of it. Found out at the next gas stop that the hard bag was broken and the side piece was actually flapping in the wind. I had packing tape, so I was able to make a temporary fix. I learned it happens a lot faster than you expect and that it really pays to wear a helmet. I have to admit, I only got run off the road once this year. Here is a map of my route: http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?hl=en&ie=UTF8&msa=0&msid=111006677486544509451.0004590d21ce3cc7b7512&ll=41.112469,-100.546875&spn=28.397066,54.492188&z=4 Here are some pictures of my trip in 2 albums: http://s342.photobucket.com/albums/o428/gypsy_moore/USA%20Tour%202008%20Part%201/?albumview=slideshow http://s342.photobucket.com/albums/o428/gypsy_moore/USA%20Tour%202008%20Part%201/USA%20Tour%202008%20Part%202/?albumview=slideshow Ride safe and ride with God.

Just to give an update on running my Venoms now that I have completed my trip for this year. I had asked a few questions and read the info concerning various tires. I did not want to use the Dunlops and a few other tires were out of the running because of negative reports found here. I tried to buy the Avons through my shop where I was having the bike serviced before the trip but they came back with a quote of $ 384 for the pair plus installation & disposal of old tires, which would have made a total of over $ 500 for a pair of installed tires. I checked some of the sources mentioned here in the site, but considered the best deal to be from Phat where I paid $ 262 for the pair including delivery. I ordered them on Friday and had them at home on the Monday evening. After reading about the tire pressure issue, I had 37 put in the front and 47 in the back (I was riding solo but weigh 314 lbs bare, plus a fairly heavy travel load with things stored in the hard saddlebags and hanging on the sissy bar and luggage rack ) I rode from DC to Indy, then Indy to Phoenix (with about 160 other bikes) mainly on highways (about 2500 miles) and then on my own Pacific Coast and Midwest before heading back to DC. I ran a total of 10,116 miles on the trip from Aug 5 to Oct 2 of which about half were on secondary roads. I rode in the rain, wind, heat (111°F in Phoenix) and cold (36° in Montana) and found that rain, wind heat or cold had little effect on the tires. Very little tire noise (although I ran straight pipes) and most road conditions were not a problem including grooved roads under construction. Standing water did not cause any problems, but as with any tire, gravel and mud were not good. I went down in heavy mud once and in deep gravel once, both times on roads where I should not have been with a cruiser. I rode Going to the Sun, Spearfish, Badlands and every winding, twisting road that I could reach. I kept the tires at 37F/47R and was happy with the handling. I can run the back tire for at least another 5.000 miles I think and the front for at least another 8-10.000 miles. I was happy with the Avons in spite of the fact that they didn't have the WW in the size I wanted for the front. I ran black which actually looked good on the basically black bike.

You know, I cussed a lot when DC passed the helmet law way back when. I had an Afro at the time, so spent a lot of time in front of mirrors trying to get it to stand up straight again. Corn rowing solved the problem. After about 14 major accidents on and off track and a myriad of minor ones, bike and helmet go together like boots and gloves. I actually say prayers for those people without helmets as well as for those in shorts and sandals. It only takes a few minutes to buy a new motorcycle, helmet, gloves and leathers after an accident. Scars and the ache of broken bones last for a lifetime. You can be the best defensive driver in the world, but one of those times, that cage, animal, oil/gravel on the road is going to get you no matter how good you are. You pay insurance for your bike, a little insurance in the form of protective gear for yourself is a good option too. Ride hard, but ride with God.

Thanks Lynn, I decided to forego the WW this time. I'll need a new pair of tires by the time I get back from the trip if I cover all of the States I want to. Like I told someone before, a Black in black on a black bike wearing black clothes and a black leather vest. Good thing I smile a lot.

Thanks Pegscraper! You are always helpful and I appreciate it greatly. Awesome demon you got there. I'll have to talk to you sometime about that 32 mm carb swap. I should be in Indy on Aug 15-16 for the Legacy Run. Will be back there for a conference Sep 26-28. I picked up my XV920 last year from your neck of the woods and it took me all the way to Reno and back with no problems.

Sorry, I know we have posted a lot about the Avon Venom X tires, but most of the posts seem to be from RSV and later model RSTD (after 2001). I'm looking for someone who has run the Avon rear 150/90 15 which seems to be slightly wider than the Dunlop. Are there any Tour Classic owners (98/99) who have used the Venom and who can tell me if there is a problem because they are wider? I want to order a pair of Venoms (front- 150/80 16, rear- 150/90 15) because I like the fatter front tire. Really appreciate the group and great bunch of riders. Thanks very much in advance for your help.

Great looking ride Squid. Couldn't have happened to a better person. Ride it in health and don't forget to put a Guardian Bell on it.