James Burleigh, the sage of the FJR Forum posted a topic titled "Are motorcycles inherently dangerous?" this morning. After some supporting arguments, he boiled it down to this statement, which seems to sum it up nicely:
Motorcycles are not inherently dangerous, but they are extremely unforgiving.
I posted my trip report for the ride to Hetch-Hetchy on my TCFJR site.
After weeks a low-key planning and preparation, Justin and I left on our motorcycles last Sunday for an eight-day trip to Arkansas. Here's an e-mail I sent out to friends and family on our plight:
Very early on day one of our trip to Arkansas, my bike bike got a flat rear tire. Of course, these things always seem to happen in the worst possible place -- in our case, it as about half-way between Barstow and Needles on I-40. 105 degrees, no shade, on the shoulder of the freeway and twenty miles from the nearest exitI always carry a tire patch kit and a small compressor for just this kind
of situation. I checked the tire out, found a puncture, and plugged it.
However, the tire would not inflate. We looked at the tire (both me and
Justin, and a rider who stopped to help out his fellow motorcyclists),
and couldn't locate any other problems. Then, to make matters worse,
the fuse blew on the compressor.I called the Auto Club, and they dispatched a truck that could inflate the
tire, or tow me somewhere if we couldn't get the tire to hold air. After
working on the bike for about an hour, we then had to wait another hour
and a half for the tow truck to arrive - and there was nowhere to sit. I
had a gallon jug of water plus two regular bottles of water, but by the
time the tow truck arrived we were almost out.When the driver inflated the tire, we were able to hear a second leak.
I plugged that one too, and the tire held air. Unfortunately, it's just not
a good idea to start a 4,000 mile trip on a rear tire with two plugs in it.Justin and I talked about it, and decided that it would be best to post-
pone the trip for now. From where we were north of Barstow, there was
nowhere to get a new tire on a Sunday afternoon, and we'd lose most of
the day on Monday getting the tire installed. The schedule was tight to
begin with, and we just couldn't make it work if we didn't leave until late
Monday or early Tuesday.So, the trip is postponed for now - but not canceled. We're talking about
going this fall when the heat isn't so much of a problem, or maybe early
next spring. We'll keep you posted.
I had some fun over the last few days being a witness for my friend Doug's 100CCC ride. The details are on this tcfjr post.
On Saturday, I rode up to Santa Barbara for a memorial ride and service for my friend, Tim Bates - known by his forum handle as TWN, or twowheelnut.
More to come.
I rode the FJR to Golden, CO for NAFO 2008 in late July, 2008. Here's the group photo - click for the full-size version:
The weather finally cooperated enough for me to get to Portland. Warchild on the FJR Forum put together a discounted group buy of some awesome suspension components through GP Suspensions, a well-known suspension supplier in Portland. I put a down payment on my parts last December, and have been waiting for the weather and my work schedule to clear up enough to make the trip. Saturday was that day.
I left about 11:45am, heading for Willows - about 80 miles north of Sacramento. Justin rode with me until Gorman, where we shook hands and parted ways. I haven't been on a long ride for a few months, so it was kind of a long slog up I-5, but I made it in good enough time. The Motel 6 in Willows was nice enough.
Sunday morning I had a huge breakfast at the Black Bear Diner across the street from the motel, and headed north with no surprises. The motel was pretty nice, as Motel 6's go.
Monday morning I headed out to the GP Suspensions shop in Oregon City, about 8 miles east of the motel. I did not put on my rain gear, and wound up getting a little wet along the way.
Dave checked me in, and the guys got started on the front fork. I went across the street for breakfast, and read my book for an hour or so. When I got back, they were finishing up the front, and decided to wait for a late lunch and install the rear shock.
All in all, a classy operation. I highly recommend them.
Monday night I drove over to my sister's old apartment, and snapped some pictures for her. On the way back to the motel, I stopped and ate too much at Big Reds. The strawberry lemonade was fresh.
Tuesday morning dawned cold and wet. I put on my full set of gear - Widders, rain jacket and pants, the whole deal. I made good time to Medford, where I stopped for gas. It was so cold, I even dug out the cords to the Widder gloves for the trip over Siskiyou Pass.
The Pass was colder and wetter, but thankfully had no ice or snow. I did wind up using the truck lane with my flashers going, just in case.
Tuesday night was in Williams - I'd stayed there on the way back from Banff last August. On Wednesday morning, I took an Imitrex for a bad migraine, and felt a lot better after it took hold. I made excellent time back home, and was most thankful for my V1.
The karmic conspiracy keeping me from Portland continues. Between work pressures, tax deadlines, dental work, and the stinking weather, Portland must wait. Here's today's view of the Siskiyou Pass in southern Oregon:
The current plan is to leave in the afternoon of Saturday, April 19th, and stop in Red Bluff or Redding. This will let me hit the Siskiyous around noon on Sunday to avoid any morning frost, and get into Portland easily on Sunday evening. GP Suspensions will do their thing on Monday, and I'll stay in Portland again on Monday night. Tuesday will be for local shakeout of the suspension, and a visit to my sister's old neighborhood for some photos. Tuesday afternoon I'll head down to Medford or Grants Pass for the night, followed by a blast home on Wednesday, and back to work on Thursday.
Weather permitting, of course...
Last December, some of the senior guys on the FJR Forum put together a discounted group buy for new suspensions with a well-respected shop in the Portland area. GP Suspensions spends the spring, summer, and fall doing race and track setups for sports bikes, so they agreed to a nice discount to get some business during their slow winter period.
My original suspension is nearing the 36,000 mile mark, and really needs to be changed. I never really got a good setup going with the OEM shock and forks, and the new aftermarket pieces are top-of-the-line. Most of the guys in the group buy had their parts shipped to them, but the shop also offered a discount on installation service, so I decided to head up to their shop to have them do the work.
I've been trying to get up their for about six weeks now, and have just not been able to find an opening in the weather. I was all set to go a week ago Wednesday, but a storm rolled in at the last minute to blanket the passes in the Siskiyou's.
Here's today's highway cam pic of the Siskiyou Summit on I-5, six miles north of the California border in southern Oregon.
This article by Nick Ienatsch was originally published in the August 1995 issue of Sport Rider magazine.
Ten years ago I signed on at Motorcyclist magazine and began commuting to work on a motorcycle over the busiest freeways and streets of Los Angeles. In those 10 years of commuting, two staff members had commuting accidents, neither of which caused significant damage or pain. That's five to seven editors riding to work every working day for 10 years. If we were the survey panel, the conclusion would be that commuting on a motorcycle is an extremely safe way to get to work. And with the proper skills, it can be.
Experience is a great teacher, but an often painful one. To help shortcut experience, we've compiled five basic steps to existing in traffic to help get commuters out of their cars and onto motorcycles. You'll save time (one of the few nonreplenishable resources we have!) and reduce parking problems, and your work day will begin and end with less stress and more pleasure. One thing we know for sure: That sport bike in your garage isn't just for Sunday mornings.
Carole had other things going, so I spent Saturday fussing with the motorcycle. I installed the bracket for the Garmin Zumo GPS, and even shrink-wrapped the soldered spade connectors before attaching them to the barrier strips. I installed my cool new TCFJR personalized plate (thanks, Carole!), which is actually a pain because of the helmet lock bracket. I finished the setup of the Skyway hydration system by drilling out a lid, inserting the hard tube, and threading the long tube into the neoprene cover (which tore up my hands).
Finally, I installed my new Cateye V-1 security enclosure. This took a few tries (including drilling a couple of holes for the diamond RAM base), but I'm happy with the final outcome. The remote audio unit attaches to the bottom of the main enclosure with velcro and a cable tie (routed through pre-drilled holes on the base of the enclosure).
I replaced all my RAM arm knobs with 1/4x20 x 1.5" hex head bolts. Last night I ordered ten high security bolts from McMaster-Carr, along with two drivers. I won't leave the Zumo on the bike unattended, but once the tamper-resistant bolts are on I'll probably be able to leave the V-1 on the bike during a quick lunch stop.
I drove down to Mission Viejo on Sunday for an Accident Scene Management class.
A list of things I'd like to get for my motorcycle:
After my SS1K, I have a new wishlist for my motorcycle:
I did my Iron Butt Association Saddle Sore 1000 (SS1K) ride yesterday. An SS1K is 1,000 documented miles in less than 24 hours, for which you recieve a license plate frame, a pin, a certificate, and all the personal satisfaction you deserve for extending your horizons.
I'd mapped out a route months ago, waiting for my mind, body, and the weather to all reach a state of readiness. The headaches are mostly under control, I'd been exercising regularly, and the weather looked good, so Sunday was the day.
I spent Saturday getting things in order, and did some final packing first thing Sunday morning. I woke Carole up at 5:22am to witness the start of my ride. Originally I planned to go down to the WaMu ATM for my start-of-ride documentation receipt, but at the last minute I decided to stop at the 76 station at Duarte and Rosemead to top off. The gas receipt showed my official start time was 5:30am.
The 210 was fast, but the 15 a little faster. There were cool fingers of clouds hugging the ravines along the ridgelines from Glen Helen up to the 138, and I hit Barstow at 7:00am straight up. I filled up, got a small coffee and a blueberry muffin, and changed from the sweatshirt to the fleece underneath my Joe Rocket Phoenix jacket (with the liner in place).
The head winds were fierce on I-40, and the occassional crosswinds made things interesting, in a horror movie sort of way. The winds also dropped my gas mileage way down, and I had to stop in Yucca, AZ (between Bullhead City and Kingman) to fill up, about 35 miles short of my planned stop in Kingman. I left I-40 for US-93, the main road between Phoenix and Las Vegas. People drive fast on this road - very fast. Wickenburg seemed like a nice little town.
I made good time until I hit the outskirts of the Phoenix metro area. Construction work slowed me down, and I mistakenly stayed on US-60 instead of taking the 101 freeway loop. I-17 south can be bad, even on a Sunday, but I made good time.
When I passed Sky Harbor I decided that I wouldn't make Casa Grande without more fuel. I stopped in Chandler to fill up, and went across the street to a Wendy's for a quick bite to eat. I also removed the fleece, the neck gaitor, and the jacket liner due to the increasing desert heat.
I stayed on I-10 to I-8, and stopped at a Love's truck stop in Casa Grande/Eloy for a required gas receipt. (IBA rides with rectangular routes require that you document your stops in each of the corners.) I was a little worried about the pressure in my rear tire, so I topped it off here too, estimating that 42 cold would be 45 or so hot. A nice guy on a Harley saw me taking pics of my bike at the gas pumps, and offered to take a picture of me and the bike.
An FJR, a V-1, and an XM radio make the perfect setup for a run along I-8. It's fast, under-patrolled, with a high flow-of-traffic speed. I stopped for a bathroom break at a rest stop, but otherwise went straight through to Yuma. While filling up in Yuma, I chatted with a guy on a BMW with Oregon plates who was heading into San Diego. He left a couple of minutes before me, but I didn't see him the rest of the way.
Ordinarily, I would have been looking into the sun for this leg, but the clouds kept the glare way down. West of El Centro you climb up into the hills, and the warmth of the Arizona dessert was gone. I stopped at a gas station in Jacumba for a bathroom break and to put on the sweatshirt, neck gaiter, and jacket liner. The rest of the way into San Diego was uneventful.
I wanted to check my rear tire pressure again, but the Chevron in San Diego didn't have a working air hose. I grabbed a quick cheeseburger and strawberry shake at the In-N-Out next door, and got back underway at 8:10pm. By now, I was tired and a little sore, but knew I could grit it out.
In Anaheim I got to watch the Disneyland fireworks show from the freeway - a nice diversion. I stayed on the 605 to the 10, and headed back to the 76 station at Rosemead and Duarte for my ending receipt.
I straggled in to the house at 10:35pm, sore but happy.
I'm tentatively planning on my SS1k ride in a few weeks, and needed to put some miles on to make sure I'd be ready. Carole and Mandy were meeting Michael at Gladstone's, so I mapped out a ride that would get me there in time for lunch.
It took a little longer than usual to get ready. My rear tire was way low of pressure, which took a while to correct. The RAM ball in the left mirror mount broke off, so I had to mount the new double ball on the left lever mount so I could use my radio. I finally pulled out around 11:20am.
Once I hit SR-138, the XM just would not pick up a signal. I fiddled with it off and on, but wound up with no music until just about Santa Clarita. I'm looking at either a replacement antenna, or trying to pick up another Roady 2 unit - it's really nice to have tunes on a long ride.
Gladstone's was okay - food was good, but I had a headache that I just couldn't shake. The ride home was uneventful.
Mandy and Carole were heading to Palm Springs for the holiday, and invited me to join them there for dinner. I almost always ride either west (towards Santa Ynez) or north (to Palmdale), and was looking for new roads, so I gladly accepted.
I left at 10:45am, and stopped in Redlands for gas and food at a crummy Del Taco. A three-car accident in a construction zone tied up traffic once I got back on the freeway, but once that cleared I made good time to SR-62. 62 loops north and east through Morongo Valley, Yucca Valley, and Joshua Tree, where you cut south into the Joshua Tree National Park, where I gladly paid my $5 motorcycle entrance fee (I thought it would be $10).
The road through the park is sedate, and I spent some time behind some slower cars which let me enjoy the fantastic scenery. A few miles south of the entrance most of the traffic had found something else to do, and the last half of the drive I was mostly by myself. The views were amazing, and I really enjoyed the twisties on El Dorado Mine Rd. There's no ranger station on the south entrance.
Once you cross I-10, the road changes to Box Canyon Rd., and it proved to be interesting. A few twisties, some wide sweepers, and a 120mph+ straightaway made it pretty fun. It dumps out onto 66th Avenue in the city of Mecca, with views of Salton Sea to the south.
A few jogs took me SR-111 north, then SR-86 north to I-10. The first exit is Golf Center Pkwy, which joins up with SR-111. 111 starts out westbound in Indio, but soon hits prime time in Indian Wells. I got to the Elephant Bar in Palm Desert at 3:45pm, and called Carole to check on our 4:00pm meeting time. They were running late - too much shopping at the outlet mall in Cabazon - and asked me to get them a newspaper with movie times while I waited. They arrived at 4:35pm, and the restaurant was already quite busy - a lot of retirees enjoying an early dinner - but we didn't have to wait for a table.
Mandy had an oriental chicken soup that looked great. Carole had a beef dip with cheddar, and I had shrimp. The cole slaw was perfect - not too spicy, not too bland, nice and crunchy. The lemonade was also just about right - not too sweet, not too tangy. We split a lava cake for dessert.
On the way back, traffic on I-10 was bad from San Gorgonio Pass through to Cabazon. I knew the 10 would be rough with holiday traffic, so I grabbed SR-60 in Beaumont. It had some slowness around I-215, and again at I-15, but the carpool lanes helped a lot. In spite of a sweatshirt, a fleece pullover, and my motorcycle jacket, I was really cold once I got home.
