Daveand Barbie

This is where I bought the Ride On that I used in the FJR. They have a nice storefront about 15 minutes from me. https://www.sporttour.com/

Before my June trip, I put new PR4's on the FJR, and because I knew I was going to be out for a month, I wanted every protection possible to ensure as trouble free a trip as possible. I decided to use the Ride On for this purpose. My trip covered 7800 miles over the course of a month, saw sustained speeds of 100mph(I-90 in SD), and never once felt a thing out of the ordinary. I am going out again next week for a couple thousand hard miles and expect them to be trouble feee as well. It does the intended job of providing balance to the tires. I don't know how it works as a sealant. Then again, if I had a puncture that I don't know about, then it works really well!

AngryJoe......I read the poll as Richmond, Indiana! I have been to Richmond many times, even had an aunt that lived in Centerville and know the area well. When the poll came up, I said to myself, "what happened to Brown County, IN?" That could confuse more people than me, but now that the links are up, it probably may be more clear to those of us who have issues keeping things all sorted out. I have been to the NC, WV, and IN proposed locations and will plan to go again next year regardless of where it is.

Come on down and join us at the hardware store every other Friday evening for some neighborhood revelry.

No ice cream. but Woodford Reserve bourbon balls are absolutely the best!

I spent a summer in Mackinaw City playing in a band. Remember visiting the Indian River Shrine in the middle of the night with literally thousands of candles. It was really beautiful that night. Lots is of good memories from that summer! Thanks for the trip back in time.

If you consider annuities and are nervous about the market, the only one to even give a passing look to i a FIXED annuity. It offers an interest rate that is disclosed at the beginning and does not change, much like a bank savings account. Interest rates won't be much better than a passbook account, but the risk is pretty much eliminated. Don't let anyone convince you that an Index Annuity will protect your investment. There are so many moving parts in them, they end up not being better than a passbook savings account, and they have large fees if you take your money out. I used to have an investment business and researched these products.

That is a completely different perspective from a bike as opposed to a car. The patches and all aren't near as pronounced in a car.

On any ride where I am in the saddle for more than an hour or two, I follow the following rules: Never wear underwear that has seams of any type that I will sit on Opt for shorts that wick away moisture Wear mesh riding pants that circulate air On my Venture and Bandit, I use an Airhawk because the saddles are not comfortable for me and I am good for 6 to 8 hours. i just finished an 8000 mile trip in the western states, riding in 100+ temps on my FJR without issue. It has a Russell saddle that is finished in leather and was never uncomfortable. That saddle is worth every nickel that the PO spent on it!

I spent a fair amount of time on a GL1800 a few years back during the winter. I enjoyed the power/torque of the engine and also all the goodies that were packed on it. Now, this was when I was riding a UJM daily, and was deciding that I needed a touring bike so the lovely Barbie and I could ride together and go some places. The following spring, I began researching and looking in earnest. The only thing that bothered me about the Wing was the width of the riding position and the cost of admission. Even with my 34" inseam, it felt just really wide. My research brought me to the VR, and the more I read about it, the more I wanted to sit on one/ride one to see how it felt. Craigslist to the rescue. I found a couple locally, rode one that was pretty clapped out, but realized that I liked it a lot. A couple of weeks later I found mine in Michigan and drove up and got it the next day. Would I buy a Wing any time in the future? Probably not. I am pleased that I got a great touring bike that fits me well for 25% of the cost of the Wings I might have bought. At 65 I still like to ride at times in a spirited manner, and the VR handles that nicely. Then again, so does the FJR.

Thanks to everyone for the nice comments. I am already planning a return this fall, this time I will drive the motorhome and pull the trailer with multiple weapons to assault the mountains....... I will utilize all the beautiful national park camping areas that I found that are my favorite price......FREE!

YAY!! for you. I tried retirement in 2002 but it didn't stick so I did it again last month. Immediately took off on a long motorcycle trip and it is going to work this time. Seeing the country is a great thing which more of us should make a real effort to do. I applaud your effort and look forward to hearing of your new experiences.

Here we go......part deux. And thanks to Ferret for the help in managing the photos. After being mesmerized by all the beauty of southern Utah, it was time to move on. My next stop was the Grand Canyon, and the closest point was the North Rim. I spent the night in Kanab, UT which is known to be a "movie town", where any number of western movies and TV series were filmed. They have the main street lined with information on all the actors and their work, and every year have a big festival where many of them return. The waitress at dinner told me that she was to be married by Grizzly Adams, who is an ordained minister, but he got a gig at the last minute and couldn't appear. Off to the North Rim. The trees and flora were absolutely stupendous, especially from one particular bush that I came to learn is Cliff Rose. I went to the lodge and looked around, bought a cup of coffee and sat on the large veranda, drank my coffee and looked out over the canyon. After sitting there for about an hour I thought just for grins, I would go to the desk and find out what it would cost and how long the wait was for a room at the lodge. The wait is near forever but the lady said "we just had someone cancel a cabin for tonight and you could rent it". Out came the American Express like a middle aged woman at a Macy's sale. The cabins sit on the rim of the canyon, have a porch on them, and a couple of rocking chairs. Morning coffee was heavenly. http://i1083.photobucket.com/albums/j381/drburchfield/IMG_20150613_101443_493.jpg http://i1083.photobucket.com/albums/j381/drburchfield/IMG_20150613_095749_721.jpg http://i1083.photobucket.com/albums/j381/drburchfield/IMG_20150613_095307_959.jpg\ The next day, I rode around to the South Rim and got caught in a monster of a hail storm. I must have been on the tail end of it because it looked like it had snowed except there was an inch or two of ice on the road and everywhere I could see. When I got to the junction to go around, there were a bunch of riders checking in to the motel there, fearful of going on. As I was going around after the storm, I rode through a wonderfully fragrant pine forest and all of a sudden emerged on a mesa with a most spectacular view of about 20 miles. The next hour, I spent riding among some of the most beautiful sandstone cliffs I have ever seen. http://i1083.photobucket.com/albums/j381/drburchfield/CIMG2036.jpg http://i1083.photobucket.com/albums/j381/drburchfield/CIMG2040.jpg I arrived at the South Rim to more busloads of tourists that I care to deal with that were pushing and shoving to get a photo with their "selfie sticks" so I didn't stay long. I liked the North Rim far better. The best part of visiting the South Rim was the Conoco gas station at Rt 89 and the road to the park. The pumps had a sign on them that said "This pump has ONLY 100% gasoline". Mike bike loved me for stopping there, and I was off to Flagstaff for the night. I left Flagstaff and stopped at Meteor Crater, The Petrified Forest, and The painted Desert. I will not be going back to either of them to visit, they were somewhat anticlimactic after what I had already seen. Also, I did stop for the one and only selfie "standing on a corner in Winslow, Arizona". On to Albuquerque. After a good night sleep, I visited the Petroglyph National Monument then rode the tram p to Sandia Peak. Both are "must do" things if you are in the area. The petroglyphs are carvings that the Indians did hundreds of years ago and often tell of some event or person. http://i1083.photobucket.com/albums/j381/drburchfield/IMG_20150618_095237_635.jpg http://i1083.photobucket.com/albums/j381/drburchfield/IMG_20150618_122454_729.jpg The next day, I set out to ride the "Enchanted Circle" http://www.enchantedcircle.org/ There were all kinds of things to see along the way, and I stopped at Bandelier National Monument to see the Pueblo Indian dwellings in the cliffs. http://i1083.photobucket.com/albums/j381/drburchfield/IMG_20150619_115538_356_1.jpg http://i1083.photobucket.com/albums/j381/drburchfield/IMG_20150619_115545_127_1.jpg The next stop for me around the circle was near Taos, which is a really artsy little town. The Rio Grande River Gorge. This thing is massive, and when you stand on the bridge and look over, the gorge seems to suck you right in. http://i1083.photobucket.com/albums/j381/drburchfield/IMG_20150619_171310_389_1.jpg I spent the night in a ski lodge in Red River. The next morning it was off to Comarron Canyon, which was a great road through 2 10k foot mountain passes and lots of beautiful scenery. Cimarron is also the home of the Philmont National Scout Ranch. My next stop was in Angelfire at the VietNam Memorial. It has quite a unique history of how it came to be and what has transpired there since. Like others, I lost friends and family during that time, and it was rather somber for me but worth the time to stop and reflect. http://i1083.photobucket.com/albums/j381/drburchfield/CIMG2131.jpg I then rode back through Santa Fe, where I stopped for the night and enjoyed the famed Santa Fe Opera. The next morning, I got up and started home, picking as many of the lesser travelled roads as possible with the time I had left. All said, it was 7800 miles, the FJR never missed a beat, the PR4's are great tires, and the Russell Day Long is the real deal. Things I learned: - The Oxford heated grips a great - I wore full base layers under my gear. It really helps - Pure gas makes for 3 to 5 mpg better - Physical condition before a trip of this nature really helps - I really dislike foreign tourists - Everyone in the west rides an adventure bike.... - Except for the Europeans who fly over and rent Harleys - I want a Polaris RAZR(for my next trip) - Sometimes just going wherever it feels right, is the best way

A few months ago, I decided to give retirement a try again, and this time, try to make it stick. To help in this, I decided to take a ride to see the west, which I had never before seen except for out the window of an airplane. My plan was to take a month and just wander to the most awesome places I could find without a schedule. BOOM! I pulled the trigger on Social Security, learned that I would only get enough to make my Medicare insurance payment, added a thing or two to the FJR(decided to ride this one since I was going to be in the mountains....and it has a Russell Day Long saddle), and set sail on June 1 in the pouring rain. First planned stop was the Black Hills and Mt. Rushmore. Along the way, I stopped at The Badlands and must say that I-90 is a fabulous road. Very light traffic on a table top smooth road at 90+ mph gets the job done. The new PR4's and Ride On tire balancer/sealer certainly works as advertised. One of the kind gents at the SD welcome center advised me to go through the Black hills on the loop road counterclockwise so I could see the monument through the tunnels, which was great advice. Along the loop, I stopped to see the Crazy Horse project and was impressed in the effort. http://i1083.photobucket.com/albums/j381/drburchfield/IMG_20150603_082708_705.jpg http://i1083.photobucket.com/albums/j381/drburchfield/IMG_20150603_100031_816.jpg After spending some time enjoying the area, it was time to move on. I decided to make my way to Billings, MT for the next stop, was REALLY tired of the slab, so I decided to take Rt. 212. Working my way up to 212, I passed through Sturgis, SD and stopped just so I could say I was there. Meh..... So the trip to Billings provided one of the most unique experiences on the whole trip. The road is another beautifully surfaced 2 lane state roads with a 65mph limit where everyone runs at least 75. I was motoring along, keeping up with traffic when I blew by what appeared to me to be a farmer in a UTV towing a trailer with one of the large, rolled bales of hay on it. Since I only saw him for an instant, I thought I thought it rather strange that he has strobe lights on the rear along with a triangle sign indicating a slow moving vehicle. A few miles down the road, there was an Indian rider pulled off the road with a saddle bag opened, so I stopped to be sure he was OK. He assured me that everything was cool, and he was only taking off a layer of outerwear. As we were chatting, the farmer's rig pulled up an stopped. As he pulled up, the Indian rider said “We have to visit with this one.” As we walked toward the rig, I was dumbfounded when I saw a John Deer UTV pulling a beautifully executed, homebuilt teardrop camper! http://i1083.photobucket.com/albums/j381/drburchfield/IMG.jpg After a bit of conversation, this is what I learned: - He is from Effingham, IL, trailered the rig to the SE corner of SD and was making his way to Glacier NP. -He was planning to then go to the parks in Utah. -There are only 5 states where a rig of this nature is legal on the roads, and he is planning to “vacation” in them. -Don shared with us that his rig would run 44 mph, but he just runs it between 38 and 40mph. The most impressive part of the whole encounter? He's 80 years old! I asked him when he planned to be home and he kind of shrugged and said “when I get there”. This encounter made for a whole new perspective to my trip. I then decided that when I grow up, I want to be just like Don! From Billings on to Red Lodge and across Beartooth Pass. What can I say? It is spectacular in every way. The show pack on the top of the mountain was about 8 feet deep and the temp was 42 degrees indicated on the FJR. The walls of snow/ice were completely vertical and only a few feet from the road surface, which made for a really interesting effect. Even though the road was great for really tearing through it, I took my time to enjoy the whole experience. http://i1083.photobucket.com/albums/j381/drburchfield/IMG_20150604_104053_040.jpg http://i1083.photobucket.com/albums/j381/drburchfield/IMG_20150604_105916_476.jpg Yellowstone was the next stop, and I spent a couple of days in the area. I stayed in Cody, WY and enjoyed it very much. Cody is a fun little cowboy town where there is a rodeo every night and right next door is Old West Town, a museum of the old west created as an entire town comprised of 26 historic buildings. Rt 14/16 from the east entrance of the park to Cody as well as the Chief Joseph Highway(Rt 296) are beautifully scenic. The most spectacular thing that I found in the park was the lake. I was shocked at the size of it, the mountains in the distance made for some great viewing. http://i1083.photobucket.com/albums/j381/drburchfield/CIMG1804_1.jpg I went out the south entrance and straight in to the Grand Tetons. Those mountains, with the river in the foreground, are fabulous! I used my left hand technique to take photos as I rode along(Thanks Ferret!) http://i1083.photobucket.com/albums/j381/drburchfield/CIMG1818_1.jpg I rode on through the Tetons and down through the Snake River Canyon, which is spectacular in itself, to Jackson, WY. This is another great little cowboy town with lots of character and a slant toward tourists. I had lunch at the Million Dollar Cowboy Bar and dinner at a second story cafe that afforded me a great view of the town square. Yes, the arch is made of antlers. http://i1083.photobucket.com/albums/j381/drburchfield/IMG_20150607_130645_452.jpg http://i1083.photobucket.com/albums/j381/drburchfield/IMG_20150605_122227_878.jpg There was a western region car show there for the weekend, so I decided to stay overnight to see the cars. Off to the south of Utah. I had planned to take 2 days to get to Arches NP at Moab, and it was a good decision. I found Moab to be a place that I know I will visit again. I encountered multiple people who were happy to offer lots of information about things to do here. I planned 2 days here and am glad I did. While out looking around, I stumbled upon this: http://i1083.photobucket.com/albums/j381/drburchfield/IMG_20150609_104741_792.jpg My mind immediately said “I NEED to do this”. Next day, I was hooked up with a really cool Polaris RAZR to have some mountain fun. The rental place had 3 trucks and trailers full of fun things to play with. I will go back, and when I do, one of the Bultacos will be with me. After I left Moab, I went to Canyonlands NP, found it to be more of a hikers paradise, so I moved on to Capitol Reef NP, which was a really nice place to hang around, but not all that different than what I had already seen. While in Moab, I discovered a really welcoming and educational place called The Brewery. While there, talking with a Colorado River guide, I learned a couple of very excellent things. They were to ride out the Colorado River Canyon, if for no other reason, for the scenery, but to have lunch at the winery, and to ride to Bryce via the Grand Staircase-Escelante(Rt 12). Both very excellent suggestions. I took some photos of the winery where I had lunch, but there was no way I could do anything but concentrate and be astounded on Rt 12. There were multiple mountain passes where riding on the ridge was the order of the moment. 2 lane road, 2 foot berm, no guardrails, and a 500 foot drop on either side. How very scenic! I enjoyed the moment immensely with the images burned in my memory. Yes, I will go back. http://i1083.photobucket.com/albums/j381/drburchfield/IMG_20150609_113251_925.jpg http://i1083.photobucket.com/albums/j381/drburchfield/IMG_20150609_120801_108.jpg On one of the back road trips around Moab, I ran across some really cool petroglyphs. http://i1083.photobucket.com/albums/j381/drburchfield/IMG_20150609_145947_522.jpg Coming in to Bryce Canyon, I got held up by road repairs, and got hammered by hail. No time to get the rain gear out. My knuckles took a beating, but I dried out quickly. I stayed at Ruby's, a really cool place, albiet a bit pricey, and enjoyed my stay. I took the bus tour through the park, and Spike, our bus driver/guide had been a Pepsi driver for 20+ years, and know the park area very well, with lots of great information. The free bus tour is well worth it. http://i1083.photobucket.com/albums/j381/drburchfield/IMG_20150611_105554_872.jpg Do you see Snoopy on his doghouse? This is a “whodoo” http://i1083.photobucket.com/albums/j381/drburchfield/IMG_20150611_121630_849.jpg On to Zion NP. What spectacular sights! The rock formations are quite different for what I had already seen and just huge! This park is a “must see” for anyone contemplating a trip near the area. http://i1083.photobucket.com/albums/j381/drburchfield/IMG_20150612_101948_168.jpg http://i1083.photobucket.com/albums/j381/drburchfield/IMG_20150612_102620_943.jpg http://i1083.photobucket.com/albums/j381/drburchfield/IMG_20150612_131219_980.jpg Next installment: Arizona and New Mexico

I had a 1962 Triumph Thunderbird with right side shift. My Bultacos and Montesa have right side shift. If my memory serves, most everyone used right side shift because the Europeans knew that the body coordinated best when cross limbs were employed ie. left foot, right hand. Mr. Honda didn't agree, and with the millions of bikes he was importing, the US decided to standardize to the left side shift. This is what an old time dealer/racer told me many decades ago.

I figured out how to move some photos to the iPad and have attempted to attach them. One is is at the top of Beartooth Pass and the other is some random place along the way. right now I am at Bryce Canyon and am 4100 miles in to the trip. This retirement deal is looking better every day.

I am in Moab, Utah right now, 3800 miles and 9 days into a month long trip. If chosen correctly, the roads in the west are anything but straight. i rode up the Colorado River Canyon today on a 70 mile loop that was as good as any of the roads in NC or Tennessee, and I have ridden most. Just to to be absolutely certain though, I will be going back to the NC Tennessee mountains later this summer.

Contact Wayne at http://www.americaridesmaps.com. his maps outline all the best rides in the area.

Puc......if it is the road from Cody to the park, you had it right. I was was kind of sad top see all the fire damage to the park, but one of the Rangers told me it was a natural part of the ecosystem. I am am heading for Utah tomorrow to see what trouble I can get in to there.

Great White......exactly what I was talking about. Next trip, "the bus" will come along, and the lovely Barbie, and her kitties. This time is is me up close and personal. I am searching out the little mom and pop places to stay that don't have the corporate overhead but are tidy and clean. First 2 days on the slab weren't too bad, especially I-90 from Sioux Falls to Rapid City. Tabletop surface with a "recommended" speed limit of 80mph. Uh huh.....the FJR cruises along at 90+ and says "thank you, may I have another?" Beartooth Pass was beautiful today, and much of the snow pack is still there. At points, it is still 8 feet deep. If I can ever figure out how to transfer photos from the camera to my iPad, I will have some for you all. Otherwise, have to wait until I get to the desktop. i am in Cody right now and will be headed back to Yellowstone and Grand Teton tomorrow.

Day 4 starts today! I am in Billings and will ride to Red Lodge then over Beartooth Pass to Yellowstone. Staying tonight in Cody, WY and will ride the "super special and cool" road out of Cody that Puc had mentioned. I think it is either 14 or 16. Yesterday, I rode up to Mt. Rushmore from the south and got a good photo of the carvings through one of the tunnels. I will try to get it posted up in the next day or so.

The day of departure has arrived! I will be off within the half hour on the FJR with a new GIVI top case on to hold those "few" extra things that have been deemed necessary. Thanks everyone for the suggestions and thoughts, I have incorporated many of them. I will be sure to share photos as I have the opportunity. So sorry I couldn't make MD this year, it would have been the perfect time. Getting ready and consoling the lovely Barbie took up a lot of time.

In preparation to my big trip, I just mounted new PR4's on the FJR. I had bought Dyna Beads, but after reading about Ride On, I bought 2 bottles and will fill treat the tires before I leave Monday. I figured that it is worth the cost if I am in the middle of the Rocky Mountains and encounter a tire issue. I'll just use the beads in one of the other bikes.

I owned this beast for a couple of years with a friend. We used it exclusively in Key West when we used to spend the winters there and is what I would guess a Boss Hoss would feel somewhat like. It took a cow pasture to turn the crazy thing but was fun on the straights like Duval Street. We would tell the girls that we were going to "take the dog for a walk" and then see how many times the girls on Duval would flash us. We owned it for 3 years, decided we needed to become adults, then sold it. My FJR that replaced it is far more comfy and way more fun in the twisties.

I let Barbie's scooter fall off the side stand in the parking lot of a camping place at Key West on a brandy new Boss Hoss trike a few years ago. Left a pretty good rubber mark on the fender. Does that count?