Log your rides

[patrick_777]

Update in this thread after you ride. You can elaborate however you see fit, but distance, duration and any mentionable events are also good fodder for discussion. Pics and videos are most certainly welcome, as are links to other ride reports or logs (yes, even to other sites!).

It doesn't have to be in a story format, or a list or anything at all. Not even on a specific bike. Just log how you're spending your life on 2 wheels...or even sometimes 1 wheel...

[patrick_777]

I'll start.

Today (02/20/2010) I rode about an hour and a half on the SV650 putting about 80 miles in the seat. Mostly interstate, but there were some side roads and a couple of distraction rides to get some pics. I rode down our main artery from the north side of Tulsa (Owasso) to the south side (to Broken Arrow).

The weather was about 45 degrees out and it was foggy with a heavy mist and some slight rain. It wasn't uncomfortable in my FG Ranier jacket and long-johns under my jeans, but it was definitely muddy on the roads due to the excessive sanding and salting they do around here in winter.

The ride was to get a few pictures for a scavenger hunt TAG-type game I participate in on a local motorcycle board here in Tulsa. Pictures of your bike in front of interesting things, and the others have to duplicate it. etc. etc.

No notable interactions except with a little girl looking at me through the back window of her mom's car at a stop light. She waved real big side to side, so I waved real big back (up/down) and she got super excited. She turned around and immediately told her mom in the front exactly what happened, mimicking the hand gestures and everything. It was funny and kinda heartwarming. ( :puke: )

http://s2.postimage.org/P461i.jpg (http://www.postimage.org/image.php?v=TsP461i)

http://s2.postimage.org/P48wr.jpg (http://www.postimage.org/image.php?v=TsP48wr)

http://s2.postimage.org/P4dvJ.jpg (http://www.postimage.org/image.php?v=TsP4dvJ)

http://s2.postimage.org/P4iv0.jpg (http://www.postimage.org/image.php?v=TsP4iv0)


I road for about 3 hours on Sunday as well, picking up I think my favorite of the pictures of this SV so far:

http://s2.postimage.org/P4nui.jpg (http://www.postimage.org/image.php?v=TsP4nui)

http://s3.postimage.org/wTMt0.jpg (http://www.postimage.org/image.php?v=PqwTMt0)


Let's keep this going. Try and get at least a few regulars riding and posting a log of your ride, even the most mundane details help fuel the fire.

[alanmcorcoran]

I went by Hahm Motorsports today in Anaheim to pick up the replacement part for my Strat front blinker lens. No photos (shoulda taken one) but I found the place to be mostly closed. The main building has had the bike dealership names (Suzi, Yama, Kawa, Honda) stripped off and they have retreated to a much smaller former parts and service building. I didn't see any new bikes for sale in the parts building. They used to have over 1000 bikes on their showroom floor.

My impression of the place from five or six visits (I almost bought my Strat there - it was there I first saw a 2007 "new" one) was that they were, like many motorcycle dealerships, a mixed bag of short timers and lackadaisical management. I've done business now with four dealerships, Mission Motorsports, San Juan Capistrano Power or Performance Something or Other, Corona Motorsports (?) and Hahm. Mission is probably the most professionally run of the four, but I've encountered questionable employees at all of them. Having worked in the auto dealer industry, I am aware that dealerships do not necessarily represent the "best and the brightest" (and most ethical) of America, but I get a sense that many Motorcycle dealer employees feel that we're all kind of anti-establishment "buddies" and we'll understand if they don't really give a shit. I've generally found the parts guys to be the most helpful, but mostly it's a matter of me telling them specifically what I want, them taking my credit card, and then calling me when it's arrived. Most of the "advice" I've gotten has either been words of wisdom from Dr. Obvious or, the old stand by "If we have it it will be out on the shelves somewhere..." Thanks!

Hahm was the place that reneged on their verbal comittment to sell me the Strat for 12K out the door. ("Made a mistake.") Mission did meet the 12K OTD price.

Given the poopy state of the economy and the reluctance of average Joes to take on debt, especially for non-essentials, I wouldn't be surprised to see a few more of the marginal operators disappear over the next year.

[Maggie]

Nice shot with the checkered wall. I was hoping to take a nice 40 mile ride tomorrow, but rain is in the forecast. Will post when the sun comes back.

[MLGTIB]

I went for a ride on Saturday 2/20/2010. I took Topanga Canyon down to PCH, and then to the Santa Monica Pier. I then did a U turn and went back the way I came. There where some really dark clouds and did not feel like riding through them, that's why i went back the same route. All in all i rode about 45 miles in about 1 hour. Had a great time. Can't wait to hit the rode again.

[Water Warrior 2]

Excellent idea Patrick. Right now the only riding I get is through the forums. I will be waiting for the Olympics, ParaOlympics to end and then waiting for the road to be rideable. I did try for a ride last week but was very uneasy with the road mods for Olympic traffic flow. It is meant for cars and buses but not bikes. If the weather stayed warm enough to keep my hands warm this would be an ideal time for minor bike maintenance and such.

[patrick_777]

It rained heavily all day long, but during a break (cold out though), I put both the Ninja and the Shadow around the neighborhood a couple of times each. I'm letting the GZ sit winterized right now. I didn't want to break down the stabilizer in it until I'm certain I can get a few miles on it every week or so.

[BusyWeb]

I really like your bike's color...
My next bike color must go to Yellow.
Thanks for the nice photos.

[patrick_777]

Rode for about 20 minutes today on the SV. It was cold, but not blisteringly. I just picked up a new GoPro HD Motorsports HERO camera (http://www.goprocamera.com/index.php?area=2&productid=30) so I wanted to test a mounting position and do a video to see if there was any stability or vibration issues. Fortunately, it looks pretty decent. I have to transfer and edit the video, then I'll post it. It's nothing special though.

[BusyWeb]

Rode for about 20 minutes today on the SV. It was cold, but not blisteringly. I just picked up a new GoPro HD Motorsports HERO camera (http://www.goprocamera.com/index.php?area=2&productid=30) so I wanted to test a mounting position and do a video to see if there was any stability or vibration issues. Fortunately, it looks pretty decent. I have to transfer and edit the video, then I'll post it. It's nothing special though.

Can't wait the video result..
I also look forward to have one of those camera.
Only worry about it is that doesn't have preview lcd screen,
but it has many mounting options that I want to have.. ha ha ha

[patrick_777]

Can't wait the video result..
I also look forward to have one of those camera.
Only worry about it is that doesn't have preview lcd screen,
but it has many mounting options that I want to have.. ha ha ha

Apparently, GoPro is supposed to come out with an LCD adapter back for them this year. We'll see.

Here's the video. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MtfZtgD4Nec) I only recorded in 720p, though the camera will do 1080p at 30fps natively.

[youtube:3hhhnnjz]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MtfZtgD4Nec[/youtube:3hhhnnjz]

[burkbuilds]

Great video Patrick, I'd forgotten how flat Oklahoma is. Your bike has a great "kick", very impressive. I don't think we have any place in Northern Georgia or East Tennessee with this much flat land. It's been almost 25 years since I was in Oklahoma, loved the way the thunder "rolls" out there as it comes across the land, just doesn't ever sound like that back here. Thanks for sharing the video!

[bonehead]

Goin' a little fast in that school zone were'nt ya?

[Water Warrior 2]

Patrick you really have to get that SV into some mountain twisties. I will also add the fact that I do miss the wide open spaces of the prairies and the bright star filled nights but not enough to move back. The SV was one of the bikes I looked at before I got the Vstrom but it didn't quite fill the pack mule job description. The power to weight ratio of the SV is a real winner though.

[Moedad]

Your part of Oklahoma looks like our San Joaquin Valley.

[patrick_777]

Goin' a little fast in that school zone were'nt ya?

Indeed. I honestly didn't know that was a school zone until reviewing the video just now. That's a church there actually. I'm not certain why it's an SZ but I'll be more careful next time.

Thanks for pointing out my misgivings. :retard:

[BusyWeb]

Hi, Mr. Patrick.
It is very nice video result even with under those overcasted weather conditions.
Ha ha ha, I subscribed your YouTube channel for not missing other coming videos.

Did you mount the camera at helmet?
I like your bike's rpm meter too.. ha ha ha.
Nice camera angle and good sound add up...
I want to have those camera...soon..

Thanks for the video

[patrick_777]

It was mounted on the tank with the suction cup mount that comes with it. I'm looking to find better angles for the camera, but on a naked bike, it's kinda hard.

[alanmcorcoran]

I like the mounting position. And I believe you blew right through a stop sign as well.

[patrick_777]

I like the mounting position. And I believe you blew right through a stop sign as well.

I do have a bad habit of not stopping at stop signs around here. Mainly because everything is so flat, you can see a car coming for miles in each direction...including cops.

[patrick_777]

Anyone else doing riding lately? This thread isn't just about my many traffic infractions... :whistle:

[alanmcorcoran]

I feel bad cause I'd lke to contribute, but I was in Chicago all week and this weekend it is once again raining like a motherEffer in Sunny SoCal. Howevah, on Tuesday morning, prior to going to the airport, I did ride over to the HMO to get my stitches out. I rode the entire length of the Richard Nixon Memorial Freeway (it's about two miles) (there was a cop on a BMW with a radar gun planted right about halfway up, too.) And I rode right past the Richard Nixon Presidential library. I didn't take any pictures (I still am not in the habit of shooting while riding) but I will try to post an image nonetheless. About 24 miles round trip.


http://s2.postimage.org/7i4Xr.jpg (http://www.postimage.org/image.php?v=Ts7i4Xr)

http://s2.postimage.org/7i9WJ.jpg (http://www.postimage.org/image.php?v=Ts7i9WJ)

[patrick_777]

I rode right past the Richard Nixon Presidential library

Did your skin burn? Mine would have.

[burkbuilds]

"Watergate does not bother me, does your conscience bother you now tell the truth" - Sweet Home Alabama- Allman Brothers

[alantf]

and this weekend it is once again raining like a motherEffer in Sunny SoCal.

Seems like things are happening all over the world. Can't turn the tv on without news of another catastrophy. Last night even we were on red alert. Torrential rain & winds 100mph+. Spent all morning clearing up the debris. We weren't too bad, but everyone around here is talking about the roofs that were ripped off, & the trees that were uprooted. Today the winds have died down, but we've had heavy rain all day, & we're still on red alert for tonight. :sad:

[alanmcorcoran]

Having been alive and pretty well informed at the time of things political, all things considered (and there is a lot of not so good shit to consider) I would probably take Nixon over some of the folks that have been in that office of late. The guy was grasping, abusive of power, probably a racist and and anti-Semite, but he was not afraid to tackle tough problems head on and he had (the arrogance?) of confidence to believe he could fix things. Even though he was power mad, and an egomaniac, I think he strove to do (at least in his mind) what was best for America. Like Obama, he inherited a messy war, and like today, it was a lengthy, relatively fruitless effort that wrecked our economy and divided our country. First he tried to win it by force, then he basically just shut it down. Having turned 18 in 1976, even though I am not a republican and there is no question he abused his office way beyond basic dirty politics, I will be forever grateful that both the Vietnam war and the draft ended before I had to get involved.

He was a complicated man - an interesting mix of very bad and very capable.

People often only remember Nixon for Watergate, and I suppose that is fair. But this was a guy who lost a very close race (some would say fixed) to JFK, beat Ronald Reagan out for the Republican nomination in 1968 and eked out a win in a tough three way race that included George Wallace, who mostly siphoned off votes that might have gone to Nixon. His reelection, wasn't even close.

[patrick_777]

Short ride today looking for something cool. Also wanted to try the handlebar mount on the GoPro in photo mode.


http://s4.postimage.org/EHDKi.jpg (http://www.postimage.org/image.php?v=aVEHDKi)

[alanmcorcoran]

Did about a 55 miler after work and racquetball to one of my local hangouts, Alta Coffee. It's in Newport Beach (kind of looks like "The OC" did on TV, it's the high priced Real Estate.) Might have posted about it before. A friend does a singer/songwriter showcase there and I know most of the performers. Took a few iphone shots.

If you look close in one of them I think you can see the Strat parked outside.

http://s2.postimage.org/j4z8r.jpg (http://www.postimage.org/image.php?v=Tsj4z8r)

http://s2.postimage.org/j4BDA.jpg (http://www.postimage.org/image.php?v=Tsj4BDA)

http://s2.postimage.org/j4E7J.jpg (http://www.postimage.org/image.php?v=Tsj4E7J)

[Water Warrior 2]

Looks like a cool way to spend some time.

[alantf]

Did about a 55 miler after racquetball to one of my local hangouts, Alta Coffee.

Have they a resident nurse to do the bandaging/taping/stitching, so you don't scare the other customers away? :lol: :lol: :lol: :banana: :banana: :smoke:

[dhgeyer]

110 mile ride yesterday on the Beemer. No pictures. Even though it was sunny and hit 50 degrees, things are pretty drab looking around here. Snow is mostly gone right now, and what is left is dirty. Everything else not man-made is brown except the evergreens. This is about the least photogenic time of the year. The GZ is prepped for Winter storage, and like Patrick I don't want to start riding it until it's warm enough to ride without electric clothes on a regular basis. Anyway, I rode out to North Hampton to the Beemer dealership there to drop off a tool they sent me by mistake along with a large order of stuff to do maintenance. That was just an excuse to go for a ride of course. I took 101 out and back, about 70 mph for most of the ride both ways. Did a little fine tuning on the bike when I got back. A good day all around.

[alanmcorcoran]

Have they a resident nurse to do the bandaging/taping/stitching, so you don't scare the other customers away?

My memory ain't so good, but aren't you the Alan that crashed his GZ into (or was crashed into) something/someone twice in the space of a few months?

Face is all healed up and I took two out of three yestiddy, smartass. No new lacerations. But, thanks for the concern!

[dhgeyer]

71 miles today, no Interstate, and nothing worth photographing. Snowed a little this morning, but no accumulation. Some of the roads were dry by the afternoon, and it got up to 40 degrees for a little while. I wanted to hit the 1000 mile mark on the bike, and it's up to 1031 now. And I just got it Jan 20th. In New Hampshire. And it was gone for a week for its 600 mile service.

I'm not sure it's a good idea to talk about politics here. But, maybe 40 year old politics aren't too threatening. I turned 22 in 1968, and had just graduated from college. The democratic convention was a riot, literally, by the counter culture folks and by the police in response. It was a horror show, and damaged Hubert Humphrey's chances of winning. I was not a huge fan of Nixon at the time. I was a young radical, and dead set against him. '68 was also the year I got a 1-O classification (conscientious objector), and started alternative service working for a hospital in Boston.

In retrospect, I think Nixon was a mixed bag. Certainly no dirtier than most of today's crowd, but he did lower the standards at the time, as did JFK before him. What I do know for sure is that Nixon will never get a fair shake from today's main stream media. The movie Oliver Stone made about him was nothing more than a left wing hatchet job. Nixon was definitely an interesting character, and did some very good things, which are not what he is known or remembered for.

[patrick_777]

I put down about 20 miles today, just for a couple of pictures and some time outside while the weather is cooperative. Took a video and will probably post it later tonight. Not much to say about the ride though, other than it was a little chilly at speed.

http://s1.postimage.org/l3kci.jpg (http://www.postimage.org/image.php?v=gxl3kci)

http://s4.postimage.org/OAgAS.jpg (http://www.postimage.org/image.php?v=aVOAgAS)

[patrick_777]

Here's the video from today. New angle for those with a knee fetish.

[youtube:1rvtp0qk]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xu-FBhsVDhk[/youtube:1rvtp0qk]

[alantf]

Have they a resident nurse to do the bandaging/taping/stitching, so you don't scare the other customers away?

aren't you the Alan that crashed his GZ into (or was crashed into) something/someone twice in the space of a few months?



Yes, but I'VE got a bike made up of all new parts now! :whistle: :tongue: :ride: ( :crash: )

[dhgeyer]

Yes, but I'VE got a bike made up of all new parts now! :whistle: :tongue: :ride: ( :crash: )

Frankenzuki?

[patrick_777]

Rode around for about an hour today on the Shadow. Just trying to get in some seat time while the weather is freaking beautiful. It probably won't last though.

Here's a video, including a little twisty riding in the parking lot near the middle. It's a fun ride with lots of peg scraping.

[youtube:3fohlfyd]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZMnj7nep4-8[/youtube:3fohlfyd]

[BusyWeb]

Hi, Mr. Patrick.
Those new videos are neat; especially rear view angle.
To the other members >> try to watch in YouTube these videos, then you can have much better video experiences.
Better qualities than small embeded video.. ha ha ha

[patrick_777]

Good suggestion. [strike:2xpyv9qu]I will try and fix the embed code on the board tonight to display the HD and higher quality selections.[/strike:2xpyv9qu]

Fixed the code. Now HD is embedded into the board. It'd still be nice to go to the Youtube page and comment/rate though... :rawk:

[Water Warrior 2]

Looks like the Honda can hold it's own for cornering. Do the Ninjette next. Hmm, just curious Patrick but do the brakes always sound that loud ? Could be the mic is just in the right location to pick it up.

[patrick_777]

Yes, they are getting to be a little "grindy" sounding. I have to get it on a stand. This was the first ride out of winterizing for it though, so there's still plenty to do before the riding season really kicks into gear for me.

BTW, there's already a video of the Ninja on that parking lot, but the quality sucks hard. I have a few more camera angles I can do on the Ninja, so it'll be more fun to watch.

[patrick_777]

Took another "spirited" ride out today, but on the Ninja this time. Hopefully will have video up this evening, but for now, here are some caps. This is from one of the few hot laps around the same parking lot as the last few times.

http://s1.postimage.org/rqciJ.jpg (http://www.postimage.org/image.php?v=gxrqciJ) http://s1.postimage.org/rqeNS.jpg (http://www.postimage.org/image.php?v=gxrqeNS)

http://s1.postimage.org/rqhi0.jpg (http://www.postimage.org/image.php?v=gxrqhi0) http://s1.postimage.org/rq9OA.jpg (http://www.postimage.org/image.php?v=gxrq9OA)

[patrick_777]

Video up from today's ride.

WW, here's a couple of laps with the Ninja.

[youtube:2fsikre6]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u7RpKicj7Fs[/youtube:2fsikre6]

[Water Warrior 2]

Thank you Patrick. I enjoyed the ride along. For a 250 it sure gets out and goes like a bat. It may not win the horsepower race but the fun factor is right up there.

[patrick_777]

After riding the Shadow and SV650 for a while, the Ninja was a LOT easier to toss around. Felt like I was riding a bicycle.

[Water Warrior 2]

It was beautiful day today. Sunshine, warm temps, no heated gear required. In the Ranger.............bah humbug.

[patrick_777]

I was able to wear my mesh jacket. It got up to 68 and is supposed to be warmer tomorrow. My plans aren't for as much riding as maintenance this weekend though. I don't like going too far without giving the engines and bikes a good wrench-lovin'.

[Water Warrior 2]

Dammit Patrick, you are making me feel guilty. I keep putting off the search for the air filter buried in the Vstrom. It would be warm enough to tinker on bikes but also warm enough to ride. Decisions decisions.

[patrick_777]

I don't like to go far from home in the front of the season without thoroughly digging around and making sure they're up to the task. If I do maintenance on the first nice weekend, then I know every other nice weekend after that will be free from any possible worry. Besides, I kinda enjoy it.

[BusyWeb]

Ha ha ha, your helmet has some interesting color schem.
I felt that some small ninja kid is riding bike, white air vent looks like eyes..??
Anyway, you have you own riding track for free.... ha ha ha

[dhgeyer]

Hit 60 here today, but mostly in the 50's. I did about 70 miles on the Beemer. It seemed quite tropical! I got out onto some back roads that I haven't dared try since last Fall. We didn't get a lot of snow this year, so not too much sand on the roads. Usually this time of year you have to really watch out for sand accumulations in the curves. It was a great ride! I stopped by the hardware store and picked up some fiberglass screening to put over the air intake on the Beemer. They make the air intakes and airboxes totally irresistible to mice, who make nesting out of the air filter and make a horrible mess in the airbox. It's happened to me twice on different Beemers. Anyway, the BMW is now pretty well set up with hardbags, a topcase, plastic cylinder head guards, a windshield, and hookups for the battery tender and heated clothing. I don't intend to put anything more on it. I should post another picture soon.

[JWR]

Breakfast Store is open.
[attachment=2:is26ob57]Clipboard01.jpg[/attachment:is26ob57]

[attachment=1:is26ob57]Clipboard04.jpg[/attachment:is26ob57]

[attachment=0:is26ob57]Clipboard021.jpg[/attachment:is26ob57]

[attachment=3:is26ob57]Clipboard03.jpg[/attachment:is26ob57]

A good day of riding. :2tup: :2tup:

[BusyWeb]

Nice ride, Mr. JWR.
Glad that you can start season again....

[JWR]

Thanks, we have been wet and cold this year.

[patrick_777]

It looks like a nice ride, JWR. How were the temps there?

[burkbuilds]

I had a great ride today, not necessarily for any reason other than it was sunny and 70 degrees for the first time in months around here! I started out this morning in full cold weather gear, temps in the mid 30's. I headed up towards Harrison Tennessee passing along Chickamauga Lake. Water levels are still at Winter elevations but because it's the largest surface area of any of the Lakes on the Tennessee River, the water only drops about 6-7 feet from Summer levels so it's still really pretty to look at most places. Spent most of the day helping my 75 year old mother with some yard work and then had a great ride home in just my boots, jeans, jacket liner and helmet, no heavy gear, and man was it nice. Sunshine beaming down,70+ degree temps, felt like Spring! Well, it's supposed to cool off and start raining for the next several days, but today was a great day to be out on the bike! :2tup:

[JWR]

We had a good 60 degree day.
My 2 riding Bud's.

[attachment=1:1jaanrtx]Clipboard02bb.jpg[/attachment:1jaanrtx]

[attachment=0:1jaanrtx]Clipboard01wb.jpg[/attachment:1jaanrtx]

[dhgeyer]

It almost got up to 60 here today. I got out, mostly for a couple of errands. Started the day with an early morning ride to pick up a couple of "Tags" for the new game we're playing. Didn't have to go far for that. A little later I picked up some chain wax for the GZ at Motorcycles of Manchester. Then I stopped by the supermarket. Took the long way out and back. Then I took the GZ out of mothballs, and took it for a short spin. It seems to be running well. So, several shorter rides on a bright, unseasonably warm day.

[patrick_777]

[youtube:2751zpfm]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qUWmSCO7ZeI[/youtube:2751zpfm]

Just a little video editing fun.

[dhgeyer]

It goes well with the cat.

[patrick_777]

Wow, it does! Ha.

[patrick_777]

Took a ride on the Shadow today. Really windy, but warm out compared to the past few weeks. It hit 70 today. Not a bad ride, but met with two highway patrol checkpoints on the backroads. Fortunately, my papers were all in order. Video coming up soon. New mounting point, right by the headlight. It makes for some nice viewing, but a little boring.


http://s4.postimage.org/cUg1A.jpg (http://www.postimage.org/image.php?v=aVcUg1A)

Scrrrrraaaaapppeeee.....

http://s4.postimage.org/cUiwJ.jpg (http://www.postimage.org/image.php?v=aVcUiwJ)

Update: Video is up now.

[youtube:2cnfxy4p]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vwluOe6vc-Q[/youtube:2cnfxy4p]

[alanmcorcoran]

Well, I thought I was gonna get a "tag" in the tag-o-rama, but the building I thought was a spaceship/multisport facility turned out to be a library. Oh well.

Ennyhoo, took the Geezer out for an exercise ride, my regular 52 miler to my Starbucks rendez vous: Santiago Canyon past Cook's Corner and down into the expensive seats in OC. Didn't really get a chance to really open 'er up, but I hit 70 on a slight decline on the way back. Freshened the tank and put at least a gallon through the carb.

http://s3.postimage.org/FLMXA.jpg (http://www.postimage.org/image.php?v=PqFLMXA)

[SlyFinkley]

Hi All,

It has rained every weekend since January, So I took leave and went for a ride today :neener:
Mt Nebo, Brisbane 28 km of twisties up & down the mountain.
It is usually packed on the weekend with bikes, but today I only saw 6 bikes & 2 cars for the whole ride.
I smiled the whole way :2tup:
I took some pics to show you how great the road was. ( Not "Dupo quality" pics, but you get the idea )
http://s1.postimage.org/8_e3i.jpg (http://www.postimage.org/image.php?v=gx8_e3i)
http://s1.postimage.org/8_o1S.jpg (http://www.postimage.org/image.php?v=gx8_o1S)
http://s3.postimage.org/R0wYS.jpg (http://www.postimage.org/image.php?v=PqR0wYS)
http://s1.postimage.org/8_AvA.jpg (http://www.postimage.org/image.php?v=gx8_AvA)

[JWR]

Good looking road.

Cutting that curve a little close.











:hide:

[bonehead]

The fast forewrd looks like Stevie Wonder riding a bike.

[Water Warrior 2]

Good looking road.

Cutting that curve a little close.

Just looks close to a North American. You have to remember not everyone rides/drives on the right side of the road. And it does look like a pleasant way to ride away the afternoon.











:hide:

[patrick_777]

Took a nice little ride yesterday afternoon to pick up the tag in Tag-o-rama. It was an absolutely beautiful day, with the exception of the ugly browns and drab colors still hanging around. Temps were in the upper 60s and there was almost no wind. I was able to wear my mesh jacket which is always a pleasure. I took the Ninja out for a spin. I was going to ride the GZ since I changed the oil and de-winterized it, but I realized I forgot to tag it after I put it up for the winter... :whistle:

That's on the agenda tomorrow. Hopefully I'll be able to get a couple good rides on it on video before too long.

[youtube:3qaibrd9]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WI4EOMUsq2Y[/youtube:3qaibrd9]

[Water Warrior 2]

Cool video Patrick. Watching the instruments on the Ninjette proves it can really go when asked.

[JWR]

A little 100 mile ride today.

The GZ doing it in style.

[attachment=0:1ldm9vc7]IMG_3503.JPG[/attachment:1ldm9vc7]

[JWR]

Played Tag-o-rama 15 miles this morning, about 18 miles.

Rode 2 different bikes at local dealership, then went to bike nite.

[attachment=1:1h1ok49i]IMG_3515.JPG[/attachment:1h1ok49i]

[attachment=0:1h1ok49i]IMG_3519.JPG[/attachment:1h1ok49i]

We had about 40 bikes tonight.

[alanmcorcoran]

Alta again.

[Water Warrior 2]

So I was out again today. Two days in a row and I even got a couple pics for the tagorama today. 130 kms yesterday and nearly 200 today. Life is good.

[burkbuilds]

WW, I take it the weather has improved in Squamish? Glad you have been able to get the bike out and put some miles on the tires this week!

[Water Warrior 2]

BB, the weather is going to be iffy for the rest of the week but it can't last forever. After hiding from the weather and Olympic hoopla the past few weeks I felt like an inmate with an unrestricted day pass.

[burkbuilds]

LOL, well, at least you haven't lost your sense of humor! Maybe the weather will clear early and you can get a nice ride in this weekend. Looks like I'm gonna be riding home in the rain again tonight here in the Atlanta area, maybe the rain will move out by the time I get on the road.

[alanmcorcoran]

At mcclains coffee...

[patrick_777]

Group ride today through Spavinaw, Oklahoma - Copperhead Run.

The ride was labeled as a n00b/slow ride, so the first half never really broke the speed limit. Not so much on the ride home.

[youtube:3ncjbtu4]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eE-cVJKTLl0[/youtube:3ncjbtu4]

[Water Warrior 2]

Looks like a fun ride. Have you tried the SV in mountain twisties with elevation changes ??

[patrick_777]

We had some decent elevation changes on this ride, but nothing close to what I'd call "mountain". I'm going to pull the GPS elevation track tomorrow and see just what it was, but the VTwin in the SV pulls like a mule no matter the terrain, so I have no doubt it'd have the torque and power in a steeper elevation change.

[Water Warrior 2]

Patrick, you should have been here late this afternoon. We left the Vancouver area and rode 60 kms(36 miles) to Squamish on our lovely curves and such and NEVER had another vehicle on our side of the highway. Nothing, no one, nadda. Coulda gone crazy if we wanted to but we didn't. Not saying we didn't pick up the pace but still far from what we could have. What sort of surprises me is Lynda's M-50, it corners like it is on rails.

[PhyPhoestilic]

I'm new at this so I hope I do this right.

I just did a 300+ mile round trip ride from Riverside, CA to Tehachapi, CA. The whole trip took about 8+ hours, with a few breaks here and there to make sure I was on track. I pretty much had to avoid all the main freeways because the GZ really has trouble keeping up with traffic (especially uphill). But there were some areas where I was able to cruiser at 60-65mph, even if it was over the speed limit :tongue: .

The routes I took were basically the Historic 66 in San Bernadino, the CA138, then a street off the CA138 called 90th Street. I really enjoyed the ride because pretty much all 3 of those roads that I was on for 25miles+ were just huge stretches of open land, only like 1 or 2 slight curves, the rest was just a straight road. The CA138 did become a little cumbersome because there was a area where I had to climb up to 4,800 feet. The whole climb I was pretty much on the side of the road going up slowly at 30-40mph while all the other cars passed me. I think that's when I felt the real limitation of the 250cc engine. But once I got to the top I was able to race down the otherside at 65mph with ease :) .

I had originally planned for slightly chilly weather (low 50s) at night because I knew it's kinda in the desert and I had looked up the weather conditions to make sure. But man did it get cold, I really should have prepared a extra sweater or something. I had packed really light because it was my first long trip and I didn't want the extra weight to wear me out. All i brought was a backpack with a bottle of water, camera, change of socks, and pretty much everytool I need to take apart the motorcycle if i had to.

But yeah, here's some pictures.

http://img810.imageshack.us/img810/1294/stp83995.jpg
http://img146.imageshack.us/img146/3872/stp83998.jpg
http://img139.imageshack.us/img139/3788/stp83999.jpg
http://img153.imageshack.us/img153/1226/stp84001.jpg
http://img530.imageshack.us/img530/8220/stp84002.jpg
http://img594.imageshack.us/img594/5048/stp84004.jpg
http://img530.imageshack.us/img530/3765/stp84006.jpg
http://img227.imageshack.us/img227/2221/stp84007.jpg
http://img101.imageshack.us/img101/7885/stp84008.jpg
http://img524.imageshack.us/img524/2825/stp84009.jpg





This is my first real long trip since I only started riding motorcycles 3 weeks ago, but I don't plan for it to be my last. The best part of the entire thing was that I only spend $10 on gas :)

[blaine]

Excellent pictures.Glad you enjoyed your first long trip.You are progressing well for a person only riding a few weeks.Make sure you invest in good riding gear for your trips.Ride safe,have fun.
:) :cool:

[alanmcorcoran]

Phy,

Passed through your town a couple times on the way to Idlewyld last weekend. I've spent some time on CA138 myself. After you get a few miles under your belt you'll want to explore 74, 243 and 76 to palomar. Lots of good riding out your way. Also - Joshua Tree has a lot of long straight roads with little traffic - but it can be a little windy on the way out.

[Moedad]

Great report, Phy!

[Water Warrior 2]

Congrats, a successful first ride is a milestone never to be duplicated.

[cayuse]

Nice report, Phy! I'm very envious of your weather!

[Water Warrior 2]

Nice report, Phy! I'm very envious of your weather!
Cayuse, I just checked tomorrow's weather for Abbotsford. Saddle up and ride.

[PhyPhoestilic]

The weather was really good today for some reason, so I went for a ride. Did the 74 and 243 that Alanmcrocoran suggested. Both roads were fun to ride, plenty of turns a little to no traffic. Saw 50+ other motorcyclists throughout the whole trip. about 110 mile trip, took little over 3 hours. Wish I had a video camera to record all the nice turns.

Also that Mile High Cafe had really good Korean BBQ.

http://img703.imageshack.us/img703/3186/stp84025.jpg
http://img441.imageshack.us/img441/4526/stp84027.jpg
http://img808.imageshack.us/img808/1820/stp84030.jpg
http://img196.imageshack.us/img196/2866/stp84032g.jpg
http://img844.imageshack.us/img844/7296/stp84033.jpg
http://img842.imageshack.us/img842/851/stp84034.jpg
http://img413.imageshack.us/img413/6779/stp84036.jpg
http://img149.imageshack.us/img149/4012/stp84037.jpg
http://img543.imageshack.us/img543/2629/stp84041.jpg
http://img836.imageshack.us/img836/3703/stp84042.jpg
http://img811.imageshack.us/img811/4810/stp84043.jpg
http://img80.imageshack.us/img80/7968/stp84050.jpg
http://img814.imageshack.us/img814/663/stp84056.jpg
http://img143.imageshack.us/img143/9443/stp84057.jpg
http://img692.imageshack.us/img692/9254/stp84060.jpg

[alanmcorcoran]

Good deal Phy! Glad you liked the ride and the Mile High. Nam (the owner) is Korean (so it makes sense the Korean barbeque was good) and used to work at a five star sushi place in OC.

[Water Warrior 2]

I am officially envious of your sunshine and warm temps. Looks like a great way to spend the day.

[cayuse]

:2tup: :2tup: :2tup:

[ArdaBey]

Did a short 45 mile total ride as the weather in Chicago is getting slightly better(high 40s, low 50s).

Started at Lakeview, Chicago, went up to the Northwestern Sailing Center in Evanston, then from there rode up to Higland Park, IL, following the part of the Michigan lake scenic route.

Here is a couple pics, one shows the route, and the other one is view of downtown Chicago from Northwestern Sailing center with my bad boy *Muro* in there as well...

Hopefully can do longer rides around Lake Michigan as weather gets a little more warmer.

http://s3.postimage.org/25oy8ybwk/Map_Lakeview_Evanston_Highland_Park_April2.jpg (http://postimage.org/image/25oy8ybwk/)

http://s3.postimage.org/25otacaf8/IMG_1347.jpg (http://postimage.org/image/25otacaf8/)

Happy Riding!

[Water Warrior 2]

45 miles is better than sitting at home. Did a short test run with my newly redesigned camera mount. Back to the drawing board.

[ArdaBey]

Forgot to mention that on the last leg back, I got on the highway for the first time (Lake Shore Dr). Did a little over 60 mph with no issues whatsoever, even with the medium strength winds.

Unfortunately roads around chicago are not very smooth, felt many bumps. Will need to be extra careful if I end up around the same strip at night time...

[Water Warrior 2]

Be forewarned the GZ is not the brightest on the road. Most don't even have the light aligned properly to begin with so you may want to check into that. The owners manual will tell you where to find the adjusters, use the bike tool kit screwdriver and find a dark area to play in.
The GZ charging system will not support any real worthwhile driving lights unless you spring for high dollar LEDs.

[blaine]

Be forewarned the GZ is not the brightest on the road. Most don't even have the light aligned properly to begin with so you may want to check into that. The owners manual will tell you where to find the adjusters, use the bike tool kit screwdriver and find a dark area to play in.
The GZ charging system will not support any real worthwhile driving lights unless you spring for high dollar LEDs.
A high performance headlight bulb like "SilverStar" or "NightHawk" will make a big difference.
:) :cool:

[Water Warrior 2]

We had a SilverStar in the GZ and it worked well but they are a little short on lifespan because of vibration. Be prepared to replace one now and again. My Vstrom has had the same SS bulbs since 2006 due to the much smoother engine and mounting system in the fairing.

[waya]

We had a SilverStar in the GZ and it worked well but they are a little short on lifespan because of vibration. Be prepared to replace one now and again. My Vstrom has had the same SS bulbs since 2006 due to the much smoother engine and mounting system in the fairing.

I just found at http://www.gminsidenews.com/forums/f53/ ... post881691 (http://www.gminsidenews.com/forums/f53/headlights-ge-nighthawk-v-sylvania-silverstar-42715/#post881691):


I tried the Sylvania Silver Star bulbs and also noted the shortened life-span.
While researching this I ran across a very....er, "illuminating" article.

Article Quotes:
"Osram, the well-established German lampmaker, sells a line of automotive bulbs they call "Silver Star". These are Osram's top-of-the-range headlamp bulbs, equivalent to Narva RangePower+50, GE Night Hawk, Philips VisionPlus, and Tungsram Megalight Premium. They produce the maximum legal amount of light while staying within legal power consumption limits. They have colorless clear glass."

and,

"Osram bought the well-established American lampmaker Sylvania in the early 1990s, so Osram is now Sylvania's parent company. Sylvania also sells a line of automotive bulbs they call "Silver Star", but it's not the same product. The Sylvania Silver Stars have blue glass. Light output is of legal levels, but as with all blue-filtered bulbs, you do not get more light from them. The Sylvania SilverStar bulbs have a very short lifetime, because the filament is overdriven to get a legal amount of light despite the blue glass."

Go read the whole article here:
http://www.danielsternlighting.com/tech ... /good.html (http://www.danielsternlighting.com/tech/bulbs/blue/good/good.html)

I bought the Osram Silver Star bulbs and what a difference. Last much longer, and cheaper, too!

[waya]

Are these the right models?

GE: http://www.amazon.com/GE-H4-60NH-BP1-Mo ... 938&sr=8-2 (http://www.amazon.com/GE-H4-60NH-BP1-Motorcycle-Replacement/dp/B0017OALW0/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=automotive&qid=1301835938&sr=8-2)

OSRAM: http://www.amazon.com/Osram-64193SVS-OS ... 077&sr=8-1 (http://www.amazon.com/Osram-64193SVS-OSRAM-Silverstar-H4/dp/B001HF2IR0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=automotive&qid=1301836077&sr=8-1)

[blaine]

Yes.H-4 bulbs.I started using these last year.I find them really bright,and a little cheaper,at less than $30.00 a pair.
http://s3.postimage.org/2b9ue2zes/0410318_1.jpg (http://www.postimage.org/)

[Water Warrior 2]

If you can get Osram SS bulbs go for it. Buy 2 and have one for a spare. I had a couple in a truck a few years ago and they were very good.

[tjvk]

well, third time out on the bike yesterday...decided to venture out on the main road....ended up driving about 25km roundtrip to the next town and back...thought I did pretty good for only riding for the first time a week ago. A little nervous in traffic, had a few stoplights and stopsigns to deal with along with some stiff winds on the back road. Wife went out after me and did a 5 km boot down the road as well.

[cayuse]

Well the weather broke today so I set out to knock off a long-planned highway trip up to Hope, BC.
I've done plenty of riding last season up and down the Fraser Valley between Chilliwack and White Rock, but had not ventured up into the mountains East of here. I was really curious to see how the geezer handled the wind and hills at speeds of 60-70mph (it's a 100kph highway). The wind factor is significant as it blows pretty hard up the valley and we all know how sensitive our little Suzukis are to wind. Water Warrior and Hacc81, you'll know what I'm talking about. Anyway, I got to Hope with a tailwind so it was a breeze to cruise along at 65-ish and actually pass the odd slowpoke. With that under my belt I decided to venture "beyond Hope" and head North up the Fraser Canyon towards Spuzzum. Spuzzum was always the butt of jokes around here since I was a schoolboy, basically because it's in the middle of nowhere and is very tiny. So I thought, why not? I'll tell my school mates I paid a visit to Spuzzum. Well, the bike was game and climbed heartily out of Hope into the real mountains. I was pretty impressed. Sure I had to shift down sometimes into 4th but not a lot. And remember, I've got the 16T sprocket so my gears are a little taller than stock. 20 minutes later and I'm in downtown Yale, shifting down and giving the engine a little breather as we cruise by the Japanese-tourist bus at 50kph. Then the real fun began, as the roads got a little steeper; enough that I was playing tag with the big trucks as they passed me on the really steep hills and I caught up to them on the downhill twistier sections. I think I passed through 6 or 7 tunnels, some of them curving as they cut through the mountains. What an experience! Do a Google image search on "Fraser Canyon" to get an idea of the countryside. Another 15 minutes or so and I found myself "in" Spuzzum. I was hoping for a photo-op but it turned out Spuzzum was even smaller than I remembered it (40 years ago). There was no town to speak of; just a couple of highway signs indicating where I was. OK, well I'd come too far to go back empty-handed so I decided to head another 10 minutes North and visit Hell's Gate, a spectacular area of the Fraser River, and a definite photo-op. Boy, by the time I got there the little GZ was ready for a rest! Mountain climbing is not it's forte! Anyway, we made it; I shut her down, looked for a washroom, shivered a lot in the cold mountain air, got the photo and hopped back on for the return journey. OK, now I find out I've had a tailwind pretty much the whole time I've been riding, because now I'm shifting DOWN to maintain speed on the downhills!!! Not all the time, I did get some kind of windbreak effect from the trees in certain spots but a lot of the time I just could not maintain highway speed in 5th gear. I would say I spent about 1/2 the return trip tucked in low over the tank just to keep up with traffic, alternating between 5th (while drafting the trucks) and 4th, doing 90-100. The wind around Chilliwack is notorious so I wasn't too surprised, but it proved that highway riding in this neck of the woods is not done 'leisurely' on a little 250.

280 km, 3-1/2 hours roundtrip . Would I do it again? Sure, but next time I'll take Hwy 7 on the return trip. It's longer, but less windy and more scenic.

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5223/5675084636_71dc652383_b.jpg
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5022/5675101682_16f8c09871_b.jpg

[BillInGA]

Looks like an awesome ride. :2tup: The GZ is great on those twisty mountain roads.

[Water Warrior 2]

Lynda and I were through Hell's Gate. The lowly GZ is a great weapon of choice in that area because of the roads and speed limits. Of course any bike will do if you aren't fussy.

[marmar]

Got on the interstate for the first time today on the GZ, once again was able to get above 70 mph on the flat stretches with throttle left (had previously hit 73mph the other day out on the backroads here). Friday is my riding test at the dmv and then I will be doing the 38 mile each way commute on the bike after that :2tup: Overall I am feeling very comfortable with how the bike will ride on the couple of stretches of I-15 I will be taking it on ( there is a lake I have to cross over and a downhill portion that could probably see the little guy hit 85 with no problem).

[cayuse]

Good luck with the test marmar. :2tup:
In my experience that "little bit left" feels nice but it doesn't mean anything. There's never anything more there when you ask for it. Try it sometime.
You MIGHT hit 85 on the downhill, IF you have a following wind.
Careful though, in 5th gear with a stock 15T sprocket you will be at or near the engine's redline.
Let us know how the commute works out.
:2tup:

[cayuse]

Update on my Hell's Gate trip:

I switched back to the stock 15T sprocket and did this run again today.
What a difference! Not so much in the flatlands, but up in the hills it was way better. 5th gear has some torque again and I found I needed 4th only once when I got tied up with a truck and had to get by him in the passing lane on a hill. The real test was on the way back where I faced the same stiff headwinds as last time. This time, though, it was top gear all the way. I came back along Hwy 7 but it turns out it's even windier than Hwy 1! I was pushed down to about 90kph at one point but hung on and as I got into some wind 'shade' the speed crept up again (this is on flat ground). The worst was westbound on Hwy 1 around Chilliwack, as expected. But, top gear was there with just that little bit extra torque with the 15T vs 16T sprocket and I hung in there with the flow of traffic without downshifting, barely. In sheltered sections, or with other traffic around breaking up the headwind I can do 110kph (70mph) all day, but I am really at the limit of the GZ's capability.

I've got some video of the trip as I'm going through some of the tunnels just south of Hell's Gate. I'll post it here once I get it transferred from the camera.

[cayuse]

Here's a few photos of the Fraser Canyon from my trip there last weekend.
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3471/5838554012_516fcbd833_z.jpg
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3447/5838001233_39826fa2d5_z.jpg
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2700/5838003161_bb7e94e760_z.jpg

[alanmcorcoran]

Good looking trip.

[Moedad]

My favorite parts of cayuse's ride report is when I read the word "Chilliwack." Cracks me up for some reason.

[savrip]

Beautiful vistas. It makes me growl that I'm having issues with getting my back wheel fixed. Fun to see others out having fun. A friend at church tonight showed up after we finished stripping soccer fields. He knew of my problems so I welcomed him with a snide greeting, Look at this guy with his fancy back wheel!

[cayuse]

Yeah, I believe I'm spoiled with the scenery around here. I've got to remember to stop a little more often and take some photos for you guys.

[cayuse]

OK here is my short clip of riding southbound from the Hell's Gate turnaround, past the gondola station and through a couple of tunnels. The camera picked up the engine but also a LOT of wind noise so turn your speakers down.


[youtube:6jheu2r3]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pScrZFc3hl0[/youtube:6jheu2r3]

[Strelok]

cayuse~

Nice Footage.

Can you give some Info on your Camera
and tips on shooting while you're riding?

Thanks

:2tup:

[cayuse]

Thanks Strelok!

I'd like to shoot in HD but for now this is the best I've got. I used this
ultra-simple setup to capture video using my daughter's discarded
digital camera. That's a hex head cap screw, lock washer, and
rubber washer holding a piece of aluminum bar (1/8" x 3/4"
from Rona) onto the fork bracket. The camera is fixed
with a couple of rubber washers, a wing nut, and a
socket head cap screw with knob cap. I also have
a lanyard clipped onto the camera and tied onto
my handlebars as a fail-safe measure in case
something rattles loose. I found this
placement resulted in the least
amount of vibration. Now to
work on noise reduction....

http://s3.postimage.org/2z362qjno/PICT0118.jpg (http://postimage.org/image/2z362qjno/)

[Strelok]

cayuse~

Wow. What a smart idea.
Economical too. The vibration
was minimal and I didn't have any
problem with the wind noise. I was also
wondering what exactly is "Hell's Gate" I saw?

:)

[cayuse]

Thanks Strelok

Hell's Gate is a very narrow section of the Fraser River. The sign you saw refers to a gondola ride you can take down to the far side of the river. Here's a good link:
Hell's Gate (http://www.greatervancouverparks.com/HellsGate01.html)

[Water Warrior 2]

Good video I must say. My most resent attempt on the Vstrom resulted in more vibration and noise than ever before.

[Water Warrior 2]

Stopped for a few pics while going for coffee. Just along side the highway between Squamish and Whistler.
Nice day for a ride. Cloudy and a touch cool.

[cayuse]

Nice shots, WW, thanks!
It was the same down here in the Fraser Valley today. Gloomy enough that I left the bike at home and adjusted the valves tonight.

[cayuse]

I went up to the ski resort on Mt. Baker on the weekend. 4400 ft ASL at the upper parking lot! The GZ did fantastic on the switchbacks.
I will be going back to get some video of the twisties when I get my chest mount sorted out. For now, here are some of the photos.

On my way
http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6067/6024401443_09fd739f86_z.jpg

Entering the park
http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6210/6024348993_df5b5c2a1a_b.jpg

Non-stop scenery!
http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6065/6024965050_bf66d48a38_z.jpg

Oh yeah!
http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6129/6024971404_65eeb69d78_z.jpg

Nearing the top
http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6088/6024973888_822decac04_z.jpg

4400 ft with Table Mountain in the background.
http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6208/6024434629_46b62dbbe3_b.jpg
I have more photos in my flickr gallery.

The GZ ran like a champ; never had so much fun before, grooving through 180deg switchback corners dragging the pegs.
Only trouble is, the scenery is so fantastic but the road demands 110% attention!!

[Water Warrior 2]

Mount Baker !! Right on !! We did that run 2 years ago after Lynda had a handle on the cornering abilities of her M-50. Beautiful riding down there. Gotta get down there again some time in the future.
Fine pics and thanks for sharing. Some of our Southern Buds will have to ride North to see what we can experience on both sides of the border anytime we want. A Passport and credit card are all we need. And a Suzuki of course. :2tup:

[alanmcorcoran]

Very cool. Snow in August. Awesome. Great photos.

[Water Warrior 2]

Very cool. Snow in August. Awesome. Great photos.
We have been thinking of annexing Washington so it can be part of the GWN.

[cayuse]

Got an hour to kill? I posted a couple of high-def movies to youtube recently.
This one is a tour around the Ryder Lake area south of Chilliwack. The camera is aimed a bit low but you get the idea;
there's plenty of twisties and rural scenery.
http://youtu.be/kUw5KVN7RZY?hd=1

This next one is just my ride to work. I think I'm pretty lucky to have a commute that takes me through such nice countryside;
with the sun at my back, to boot!
Skip past the first two minutes where I'm putting my gear on.
for these movies I'm using a chest mount for a Kodak ZX-5.
I've got the aim worked out better now, so it's time to fix the audio overload thing.
http://youtu.be/xlvpbLSshZE?hd=1

[Water Warrior 2]

Cayuse, the GZ seems to be almost the perfect tool for your commute and exploring. The camera works very well. I'll bet there are a lot of folks envy your scenic commute every day.

[dwh367]

Last weekend I went from Tell City, Indiana, to Mount Vernon, Illinois, via mostly 2 lane highways. In Indiana the highway was SR 66. In Kentucky, the highways were SR 69, US 60, SR 56, SR 132, SR 109, SR 91, US 41A, SR 120, SR 138 and SR 81. In Illinois the highways were SR 1, SR 146, SR 34, Sr 149, and SR 37. I also took a short ride into Missouri on US 62 for gas. Some of the high points were I took a Ferry across the Ohio River from around Marion, KY, to Cave In Rock IL, crossed the Mississippi River at Cairo, IL, and crossed the Cumberland River somewhere in far Western Kentucky (forgot were it was near now). The direct route would have been around 300 miles round trip. I made it into a 587 mile round trip, almost doubling the normal distance. I did spend the night at the halfway point though. The entire trip took around 17 hours just running the speed limit and stopping at whatever interested me.

[Water Warrior 2]

That is the perfect reason to own a bike. The GZ excells at just wandering 2 lane roads and finding scenic views. Sounds like a wonderful ride.

[dwh367]

Went on my first extended trip (2 up) with the GZ back in September. We loaded both saddle bags and the sissybar bag and even though we were trying to pack light, we still had to bungee a duffel bag to the top of both the saddle bags. We weren't terribly overloaded though. We could still run 55 to 60 on level ground and the hills we could take at 45 to 50 in 4th. Most of the stuff we packed was bulky rather than heavy.

We rode from Owensboro, KY to Louisville, KY to see my step daughter off as she left for the Air Force (she has since developed a medical problem she didn't know she had and was released). The motel we stayed at was nice enough to let us park the bike up on their sidewalk where the desk clerks could see it from the window. We stayed in Louisville for a couple of days and did some sight seeing in our spare time. I was actually more comfortable in Louisville traffic on the bike more than I am in my car. The rain grooves on I-264 took some getting used to though. We found a bike gear store and got some pretty good deals on closeout since the riding season is coming to an end. (Wife got a leather vest and 2 do rags for $15.)

When we left Louisville we rode to Cave City, KY to visit a friend of ours. His girlfriend lives in Horse Cave, KY and she offered to let us stay at her cabin. On the way back to Owensboro, we got a late start and ending up making half the trip in the dark. I don't see well at night as the glare from oncoming headlights blind me even when looking off to the side. If it's just me on the road, I can see fine. Then we ran into some rain which in turn caused fog. By the time we got out of it, one couldn't have gotten my butt off the seat with a crowbar. The local biker hangout is only a half mile from the house so we decided to stop and unwind for a few minutes before calling the trip officially over. I guess what doesn't hurt or kill us just makes us more experienced :)

We were gone from Monday until Thursday and we both really enjoyed it. I can see more extended motorcycle trips for us in the future.

[Water Warrior 2]

Wow, rain at night on a GZ!!! It doesn't really have a great headlight for those conditions. Sounds like a great trip and valuable riding experience too.

[northsidegz]

Glad you made it through ok and was an "enjoyable" trip! Thanks for sharing it. :)

[LuigiHodges]

I was hoping to take a nice 40 mile ride tomorrow, but rain is in the forecast.

[Water Warrior 2]

Buy a rain suit. You will need one eventually.

[Rookie Rider]

Lots of snow and a noreaster on its way here.

[celesboy1]

its quite old pics for me but its worth to share coz its first time i was riding with my only bike to another island that far from my hometown

tour start from this area
https://www.google.co.id/maps/dir/-2.934055,104.7717499/Pelabuhan+Tanjung+Api+Api,+Rimau+Sungsang,+Sumater a+Selatan/@-2.6526825,104.486543,10z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m8!4m7!1m0!1m5!1m1!1s0x2e24b2d13743 def3:0x18388bc023470198!2m2!1d104.8058126!2d-2.372717?hl=id

https://fbcdn-sphotos-g-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xpf1/v/t1.0-9/1796617_10152373183452122_347530003_n.jpg?oh=98680 821b2f6004c2f1c8b8545905972&oe=56552CAF&__gda__=1444301810_3e52590cd0b74ceaf9f2833978b7e66 5

https://scontent-sin1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xpf1/v/t1.0-9/1947328_10152373184787122_1628186693_n.jpg?oh=f331 8ce4870c31160d428572918995d2&oe=561304C4

after we arrived in tanjung api2 harbour....bought 2 tickets of ferry boat....then we cross the bangka strait....

part 2 start after we touchdown in bangka island with this route
https://www.google.co.id/maps/dir/-2.0718926,105.1523244/Parai+Beach+Resort,+Sungai+Liat/@-1.872006,105.9265794,11.79z/data=!4m8!4m7!1m0!1m5!1m1!1s0x2e22f44f03579fb3:0xa 08d08b278c4f5b8!2m2!1d106.1252204!2d-1.8061526?hl=id


https://scontent-sin1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xpa1/v/l/t1.0-9/1939473_10152373188822122_1118646780_n.jpg?oh=ce5f 13f6cde167a0d25fe8cf40f564a3&oe=56147AF3


this is pic of my fellow rider
https://scontent-sin1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xtf1/v/t1.0-9/1926820_10152373189377122_1828298786_n.jpg?oh=4215 33441d858198855ab2cad984a9ec&oe=5614E63B


and this mine....
https://fbcdn-sphotos-d-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xfp1/v/t1.0-9/1544476_10152373191877122_992238921_n.jpg?oh=98317 7a22ee6942d8af68a46600287c0&oe=56126DEF&__gda__=1444926901_3cba78414d1cb6d1266042ed0903093 9


visiting my old friend house
https://scontent-sin1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xpa1/v/t1.0-9/10013918_10152373200332122_1708652293_n.jpg?oh=9d9 11f2a9ceb85078b05767fee9eedfb&oe=56243814


and she cut me durian fruit from her own tree
https://fbcdn-sphotos-a-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xpa1/v/t1.0-9/1972276_10152373200647122_391619208_n.jpg?oh=7672b 4593836ac053777ebb764c6ee3a&oe=5623386C&__gda__=1443920311_225ac91e76fb1d424ba2d4ad4accf01 6


and i go back to palembang city on third day....
https://scontent-sin1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-frc3/v/t1.0-9/1908224_10152373203312122_1958091719_n.jpg?oh=3aa1 41aa52a0296293db732d0e97d461&oe=56209FA8

[Water Warrior 2]

Thank you for sharing. It is always nice to see different parts of the world where our members ride.

[rmartin]

Two trips to hardware store. 8 miles total around 73 degrees.

Only a few miles from turning over 10,000