I am a leaf on the wind!

[Hanson]

Day 609 : Friday January 8, 2015 : Miles 29307

Hi Fletch,

Thanks for the kind words.

The Autumnal Equinox last September was the last of the 4 rides I needed for a Four Seasons Bun Burner Gold. Your are not required to do all the rides in the same year, that is you are not required to start with a Vernal Equinox BBG, but the four rides must be contiguous, four in a row, and I started my attempt with a 1705 mile Winter Solstice BBG in December of 2014.

If you are not already an IBM member, you might consider riding a Saddle Sore 1000 just to get started and to learn a bit about your personal riding envelope. This is the normal path to IBA membership, but it is certainly possible, perhaps even classy, to earn your IBA membership number by choosing a different ride. Any ride that is not considered "Extreme" or "Gold" level can be used to gain entry into the IBA, and this includes the basic national parks tour. I hope that you will share your experiences with everyone on the forum and if you have any questions, I would be glad to help when I can.

Safe Travels,
Richard

[Hanson]

Tuesday October 4, 2016 : Miles 33200

I had never laid eyes upon the vast gash in the Earth known as the Grand Canyon, so I rode out for a quick peak this weekend and also managed to catch the launch of the hot air balloons in Albuquerque on the way back. The weather was remarkable good for the length of the trip.


>>>> Obligatory Photo of Bike at Park Entrance


>>>> A view of the Grand Canyon

I left home a bit after 2:00 AM Saturday morning and arrived home at around 7:00 PM on Sunday. It felt so good to be back out on the road, sit there and twist that, but I have worn out another rear tire.

Safe Travels,
Richard

[Hanson]

Tuesday October 23, 2016 : Miles 34294

I rode out to West Texas this weekend to experience TX 118 between Kent on I-10 and Fort Davis. As far as riding in Texas, this is an excellent rode through the Davis mountains with lots of twisting and useless ups and down on generally good pavement. Yes, there are far more beautiful roads in North America, but for Texas, 118 is high on the list and not heavily traversed.


>>> In front of the McDonald Observatory visitor center

The weather was fantastic for much of the ride with a remarkable range of temperatures from a low of 48 to a high of 90. It was electrics and the morning and evening, and discomfort in the heat of the afternoon. I stopped at the McDonald Observatory, operated by the University of Texas, for a natural break and a cup of coffee at the StarDate Cafe.


>>> Texas 118


>>> Texas 118

I rode 118 From Kent to Fort Davis, fueled, and then rode back. Out of Fort Davis, riding north, I was stuck behind a pickup for a bit and waited for the first passing zone to overtake. When I went around the truck I had a sport touring bike, I think it was a Yamaha FJR, glued to my backside. I would leave him behind on every sets of curves but he would come roaring back in the straights. After a few iteration of this behavior, I just pulled over and let him go on his way. It had been fun, but I don't need anyone pressuring me to go faster than my rather modest skills will prudently accommodate even if I was consistently creating a gap between us in the curves.

Overall, it was a great day to be riding a motorcycle.

Safe Travels,
Richard

[Hanson]

Tuesday November 8, 2016 : Miles 36380

I order both a set of Barkbusters hand guards, and more importantly, a Kaoko throttle lock for my DL650A. These are both bike specific products, that is there is a need to order a version designed to fit on the make and model of the bike on which they are going to be installed. Moreover, the Kaoko throttle lock comes in different version if you are going to also install Barkbusters hand guards.

Instillation was somewhat tedious, but requires little skill and was accomplished over a couple of evenings, perhaps two hours of effort.

I went for a little ride last weekend.

The Kaoko was just awesome. No, it is not a cruise control, but it is a power control, and when doing long stretches of slab with little traffic, the throttle lock can greatly reduce the work load of constantly glancing at the speedo and making adjustments to the throttle position. I found that my enjoyment of the ride was significantly enhanced as I could spend a lot more time taking in the views. I can't wait to buy a motorcycle with a true cruise control, but for the next couple of years I am never going to regret the $150 I spent on the Kaoko.

The Barkbusters did provide some protection from both the cold and the wet and I like the idea of the robust guards protecting my break and clutch levers. I have a hand an embarrassing propensity for dropping my bike when it is parked and I have, in the past, had to replace both the clutch and break levers which are designed to break. If I am at home, this is not that big of a problem, but I have also done it once when I was many hundreds of miles from home and then I had to ride back with half a clutch lever.


>>> BB 60 - The Battleship Alabama - November 5, 2016

I like battleships.

On my way to Jacksonville I stoped to take a few quick picks of the Alabama. I have visited the Texas, more than once, including when I took a Scouting group of about 60 for a stay abord over night event, but the Alabama is just huge in comparison. This is not something that is apparend from just looking at photographs, but having laid eyes upon both ships, the disparity in size between the two is tremendous. It is the differeance between what was the most powerfull U.S. battleship in WWI and what was one of several far more powerfull battleship of WWII.

Safe Travels,
Richard

[NorthernPete]

Quite the boat. I took a tour of the USS intrepid and was hugely impressed by the size of these vessels.

[blues2cruise]

I just pulled over and let him go on his way

Smart thing to do. It's not fun when you feel pressured.

[Hanson]

I am thinking about a getting a bike again. I donated my DL650A a couple years ago to a returning vet, but I am thinking about going back to riding in the next couple of years.

Safe travels,
Richard

[JackoftheGreen]

Very cool, you absolutely should!

Any musings on what sort of bike you'd get? You rode the poo outta that wee-Strom for a while there.

[Hanson]

I think it is going to be a couple years yet, but I am getting interested again. This time I want a shaft drive so perhaps a Yamaha Super Tenere or a R 1300 GS. Also, I want something that does not lay down flat on the ground so that it is an easier lift. Perhaps this will never happen, but I also want a bike that is comfortable for more then two days which was about the limit of the DL650A. After about 40k miles, I think I had outgrown that bike and I also lost my life along with my job when the company I was working for went bankrupt. I did not feel comfortable taking the risks with my families financial future.

Safe Travels,
Richard

[JackoftheGreen]

Sorry to hear about the job/company going belly up, that had to be a hugely stressful time for you. I hope things are looking up these days for you.
A good friend of mine rides a SuperT and he's just as pleased as punch with it, hard not to like such a capable bike. You plan to take it off road any?