Denver to Atlanta

[BillInGA]

Hello GZ'ers, I've been off the forum for a while - super busy at work and home.

But, it's finally that time. I'm leaving tonight for Denver to pick up my Vulcan 500.

I'll be following essentially the same route I took out to Colorado, but with some different stopping points: Pratt, KS; West Plains, MO (same as the outbound trip); and Tupelo, MS. At this point Tupelo is still up in the air. I might want to do a long day and overnight at a friend's house in Leesburg, AL, or do a really long day and go all the way home. I just depends on how I'm feeling. In any case, I have four days planned.

Weather looks like beautiful riding conditions the entire way with high temps in the high 70's / low 80's and no rain forecast. Although, with lows in the low 50's, it may be a little cool in the mornings. I'm bringing some extra layers with me and the big windshield on the Vulcan will help keep the cool wind at bay.

Tomorrow is maintenance and prep day in Colorado. I'll be installing my new backrest and throttle lock (shipped to my parent's house) and I'll be bringing my new Airhawk pneumatic seat cushion. I'm looking forward to using the Airhawk - I've heard great things about it, but haven't had a chance to try it out yet.

With the additions to the bike and the nicer weather, I'm looking forward to an enjoyable ride.

I'll post along the way if I'm able. Otherwise, I'll see you on the other side.

Bill

[dhgeyer]

Good luck Bill! Keep the rubber side down, and enjoy the ride.

[alanmcorcoran]

Tell me more about the airhawk!

[burkbuilds]

Hope you have a great trip Bill. Let us know how it went when you return if you can't post anything along the way.

[blaine]

Enjoy your trip.Ride safe. :rawk: :2tup:

[mole2]

Enjoy your trip Bill and ride safe. We want to see some pics when you get back so be ready to post. :poke2:


:)

[BillInGA]

My bike modifications are complete and I'm looking forward to getting on the road tomorrow.

Back rest, throttle lock and seat pad all went on easily. I took a short ride to Boulder and back and everything is working fine.

I expected to have to put a battery charger on this morning when I got to the hanger. However, even after sitting for two months, the engine fired right up. I was pretty excited about that.

I am missing two pieces of equipment for my return trip: GPS and CamelBak. The GPS was sent back to Garmin for a recall repair last month. It was supposed to be back last week, but no luck. Apparently they are backed up on the repair work. As for the CamelBak, I just forgot to pack it. :whistle:

I do, however, have a new phone. I picked up a Droid X two weeks ago, breaking free of the walled garden of the iPhone. The Droid has GPS and an app that lets friends and family track my position online (it's called Lattitude). Since I'm riding the same route back, I expect to only occasionally need to use the GPS.

Cheers,

Bill

[BillInGA]

First leg is complete: Broomfield, CO to Pratt, KS.

The ride through eastern Colorado / western Kansas was the usual long flat grind, although I did have some pretty strong headwinds in Colorado to spice things up. I also saw two humongous fires in Kansas. I took a picture of one of them, which I'll post tomorrow.

The verdict on my equipment additions is very positive.

The Airhawk seat cushion is AWESOME! I rode all day long with absolutely no discomfort. Highly recommended. I discovered that my seating position with the Airhawk is slightly higher and farther back. This put my helmet in very turbulent air coming off the windshield. After a few hours of getting my head shaken like a martini, I finally adjusted the windshield up about an inch and a half. Problem solved. My final leg today was very comfortable - no sore butt and no scrambled brains.

The throttle lock is a great help (mine is the Vista Cruise). It really cuts down on fatigue and lets me spend more time concentrating on the road rather than chasing my speed. On the rolling hills I can easily adjust the throttle to maintain speed. Most of the time, with no other traffic, I just set it and accepted the slight loss and gain in speed going up and down the hills.

I'm also very happy with my backrest. High quality workmanship and easy to install (on the Vulcan). My duffel bag isn't quite wide enough to let me lean back on it, so I'm going to see if I can find a small pillow to fill the gap. At least I don't have to worry about my bag sliding back off the seat.

All in all it was a good day on the road. 444 miles and 12 hours start to finish (about 8 hours actual driving).

Cheers,

Bill

[burkbuilds]

Hey Bill, sounds like you are having a great trip. Nice recommendations on some of your equipment for the bike, thanks. It is always nice to hear first hand how something worked from someone you trust and not just an add or commercial. Hope you have a great ride the rest of the way home.

[alanmcorcoran]

How old are you Bill? You seem to be able to knock out some serious daily mileage... A 444 mile day and I'd probably want to take the next one off. Pleas epost some pictures of your backrest and airhawk seat thingie. I am interested in fatigue reducing farkles.

I did 275 this morning coming back from DV. That's just about right for a "long" day for me. On "fun" ride days, 120-170 is plenty.

[Easy Rider]

airhawk seat thingie. I am interested in fatigue reducing farkles.


The Airhawk is like an air mattress.....only an air seat cushion. The original had NO straps to attach it to the seat; a major flaw in my book so I never considered it seriously BUT............
I have seen a LOT of good reports on it and it seems like the new ones have something to attach so I may look into it again next spring.

Can't imagine how it would be that much different than the gel pad I have now.......but my "imagination" has been known to fail me at times.

I'm sure a web search would turn up all kinds of information.

[Water Warrior 2]

Gel seats or gel pads are great but a couple points to remember. They are hot when parked in the sun. You need a sheep skin or other sort of cover or you will burn off your buns pronto. Gel pads will add about an inch of height to the seat so don't be surprised if your legs are just a bit shorter than before.

[IceBreaker]

Hey.....BillInGA......we hope you are back safe in GA! Anyone heard from Bill after his trip from Denver to Atlanta?

[BillInGA]

Wow, where has the time gone? I can't believe it's been almost six months since I finished up the Denver - Atlanta adventure.

My apologies for dropping off the radar like that. As soon as I got back I was elbow deep in a huge 4th quarter project at work. After that, I was just out of the routine of getting on the boards.

So, here are some follow up responses to the previous posts.

The Airhawk is different from a gel pad in that it creates no pressure points. It consists of multiple interconnected air chambers that automatically equalized the pressure across your entire seating area. To easy's point, I use the straps, but they're really not necessary for riding. The bottom of the cushion has plenty of friction to keep it from shifting. What the straps do is keep me from having to take the Airhawk with me whenever I stop.

I'm 47 and in reasonably good shape. I find that my ability to do long days is dependent on reducing fatigue as much as possible. 4 things that really make a difference for me are: 1) windshield; 2) earplugs or noise-attenuating earphones; 3) Airhawk; and 4) Throttle lock. I've done long rides on the GZ with none of these and my limit is about 200 miles. On my last leg returning to Georgia I did close to 600 - on the 3rd consecutive day of riding.

I really enjoyed getting into the rhythm of being on the road. Although I've been doing my weekend jaunts, I'm really looking forward to my next long trip. This one will be to El Paso, TX in mid-June for my 30th high school reunion. 1400 miles - I'm thinking about covering the distance in two days. Stay tuned...

Also, I'll post some photos of my seat pad and other mods presently.

Cheers,

[Water Warrior 2]

Almost a 600 mile day. Wow ! Anything is possible on a GZ by the sounds of it. Good to know you eliminated the 4 most fatiguing factors in riding.

[BillInGA]

Almost a 600 mile day. Wow ! Anything is possible on a GZ by the sounds of it. Good to know you eliminated the 4 most fatiguing factors in riding.

Actually, I was on my 2000 Kawasaki Vulcan 500. The GZ is a great bike for secondary roads, but I won't ride at highway speeds for more that a few miles. At highway speeds the GZ is at it's performance limit with no reserve power.

[alanmcorcoran]

I found I can do a lot more miles if my final destination is my house and I don't have riding plans for the next day.

I keep thinking about getting a mustang seat for the strat, but the price and the uncertainty that it is that much bett than the stock seat has prevented me from taking the leap. If you get the seat and the pillion combo, I think it's seven or eight hundred bucks. Haven't done any serious mileage since last October, but we're in DST now and, I should be getting started with some trips soon.

[Water Warrior 2]

Alan, if memory serves me correctly you are somewhere near Russell Day Long seats in California. Maybe do a bit of research and see if you can do a ride in for a new seat. They will match the seat to your own body size shape height etc. Looking is free and it can't hurt.

[burkbuilds]

Bill, it's good to have you back on the forum. 600 miles in a day, wow, I am impressed.

Alan, I second WW's idea on checking out Russel's place. If I were anywhere near there I think I would have gone that route if I had the money. If you make an appointment, they will let you drive in and fit and build the seat the same day if I remember their adds correctly. I've heard a lot of riders comment on how comfortable their seats are and they look really good too.

Yep, found it:
One-Day Ride-In Service
Bring yourselves and your motorcycle to our shop, and we'll build and install your "Day-Long" Saddle all in one day. This arrangement is strictly by appointment, and there is an extra charge (see Prices). This process allows you to test sit the seat for comfort and make adjustments as needed before the seat goes to the covering department. Appointments are accepted for Tuesday through Friday only.

The openings are limited and fill up quickly in the spring and summer months, so please call early if you want an appointment. Campgrounds and motels are available close by. We are located at 800 feet, so winter weather is not a factor.

If you are planning for a Ride-In Service option, please download and read our instructions (PDF), to help prepare you for the service and to facilitate your seat order. Download Instructions>>
http://www.day-long.com/index.html

[alanmcorcoran]

Thanks for info guys. Ww you might be closer - its a mere 670 mile ride for me - one way! Also they use your seat and do not have any seats in stock so... Not sure what going there would accomplish. Please keep me apprised on how your Corbin works out. I still am gun shy on price and uncertainty and will likely do nothing in the interim.

[Water Warrior 2]

I too am curious how the Corbin will work out.

[Moedad]

I liked the Corbin that was on my Nighthawk when I sold it. My longest day on it was about 275 miles. Butt-wise, I think I could've gone significantly further. I'm still looking forward to a long ride (longer than 90 miles) on my Wee.

[Water Warrior 2]

Moedad, the Wee seat is a love it or hate it kind of seat. I have the gel seat at present and it is quite a bit better than the OEM for me but it seems that I need an upgrade in the seat department now. Either that or a younger body to live in. The Wee itself is capable of far more distance than any rider can endure. Looking forward to the Corbin in a few weeks time.