Wish I would have seen this sooner I might have been able to meet him for a ride. I’ve been on the GPz a lot this summer and would have loved to turn some miles with Davis. Happy belated birthday and keep the rubber side down Davis
"When walking in open territory bother no one. If someone bothers you, ask them to stop. If they do not stop, destroy them."
Just got off the phone with Davis, he's in Arkansas, I expect to see him sometime late Saturday afternoon. Just thought y'all would want to know.
WARNING: The above post may contain thoughts or ideas known to the State of Caliphornia to cause seething rage, confusion, distemper, nausea, perspiration, sphincter release, or cranial implosion to persons who implicitly trust only one news source, or find themselves at either the left or right political extreme. Proceed at your own risk.
"If you do not read the newspapers you're uninformed. If you do read the newspapers, you're misinformed." -- Mark Twain
I'm here in Arkansas at the foot of the Ozarks with some time on my hands. Waiting for the closest motorcycle shop to open. If I don't replace the rear tire macht schnell, then I will be riding naked cords before the weekend is over. Hot asphalt softens rubber and I've gone more miles than I thot. The chain is wearing unevenly too; but that will have to wait. No big deal ... that's why I left 4 extra days in the sched. Plus I picked up another day along the way.
Now, here's the cutest pic I snapped along the way:
I bet she has her grandpa eating out of her hand.
Here's Texas:
... and just a handful of miles away, here's Oklahoma:
Which place would you Sooner live?
“It has been a source of great pain to me to have met with so many among [my] opponents who had not the liberality to distinguish between political and social opposition; who transferred at once to the person, the hatred they bore to his political opinions.” —Thomas Jefferson (1808)
Did you find a shop? I got thinking about that after we talked last night, seemed like your only option. Considering all the bikes I saw in that part of Arkansas, there should be plenty of options. Hope all goes well. and yah, Oklahoma will burn/wear the center right off your back tire for sure.
WARNING: The above post may contain thoughts or ideas known to the State of Caliphornia to cause seething rage, confusion, distemper, nausea, perspiration, sphincter release, or cranial implosion to persons who implicitly trust only one news source, or find themselves at either the left or right political extreme. Proceed at your own risk.
"If you do not read the newspapers you're uninformed. If you do read the newspapers, you're misinformed." -- Mark Twain
Stay safe Davis and really dig what you’re doing, jealous of a killer ride! Wish I would have seen this before you came through Colorado, would have loved to ride with you. What bike are you on, a Guzzi?
Brett
"When walking in open territory bother no one. If someone bothers you, ask them to stop. If they do not stop, destroy them."
So, Davis got to my house about 530 last night. We ate steak, drank bourbon, smoked some of his home rolled cigars and solved all the problems of the world, if only the world would listen. This morning we headed out on the bikes and took secondary roads, went south from Dover along the Cumberland river. I turned back about 25 miles away from Dickson and he's on his way back east. Good visit.
WARNING: The above post may contain thoughts or ideas known to the State of Caliphornia to cause seething rage, confusion, distemper, nausea, perspiration, sphincter release, or cranial implosion to persons who implicitly trust only one news source, or find themselves at either the left or right political extreme. Proceed at your own risk.
"If you do not read the newspapers you're uninformed. If you do read the newspapers, you're misinformed." -- Mark Twain
WARNING: The above post may contain thoughts or ideas known to the State of Caliphornia to cause seething rage, confusion, distemper, nausea, perspiration, sphincter release, or cranial implosion to persons who implicitly trust only one news source, or find themselves at either the left or right political extreme. Proceed at your own risk.
"If you do not read the newspapers you're uninformed. If you do read the newspapers, you're misinformed." -- Mark Twain
Just got off the phone with Davis. He is heading this way and should be in on Tues. The upstairs of my studio is rather spartan but he has stayed here before. Looks like more steaks and cigars.
Don't know how I missed this. If you need a rest stop on your way back to Smellaware you're welcome to hang out 'round these parts, Davis. Granted, it's only 2.5 hours from my door to your's
Safe travels. I'll give you a ring tomorrow evenin.
“Happiness? A good cigar, a good meal, a good cigar and a good woman – or a bad woman; it depends on how much happiness you can handle.” – George Burns
Stay safe Davis and really dig what you’re doing, jealous of a killer ride! Wish I would have seen this before you came through Colorado, would have loved to ride with you. What bike are you on, a Guzzi?
Brett
I bought a 2016 Kawi Versys 650 LT for the purpose. It's working out damn well. Cheap to buy, cheap to farkle, swift, smooth, nimble, very easy on gas, and common as dirt. I highly recommend it.
“It has been a source of great pain to me to have met with so many among [my] opponents who had not the liberality to distinguish between political and social opposition; who transferred at once to the person, the hatred they bore to his political opinions.” —Thomas Jefferson (1808)
Don't know how I missed this. If you need a rest stop on your way back to Smellaware you're welcome to hang out 'round these parts, Davis. Granted, it's only 2.5 hours from my door to your's
Safe travels. I'll give you a ring tomorrow evenin.
No you won't ... cause I got no cell here!
Blue Ridge Parkway Motorcycle Campground. ..
Complete with this gorgeous dog...
“It has been a source of great pain to me to have met with so many among [my] opponents who had not the liberality to distinguish between political and social opposition; who transferred at once to the person, the hatred they bore to his political opinions.” —Thomas Jefferson (1808)
Davis rolled in Tuesday. We rolled a cigar, ate NY strips, downed a bottle of red and made a big cloud of smoke. His bike sure is high tech compared with the two wheelers I've owned in the past. He is on his way up the Blue Ridge Parkway now so good thoughts and safety travel with him.
Home. 8,100 miles later. I would go again in a heartbeat. I would leave first thing tomorrow morning. Here are a few oddball tidbits in closing:
1) 51.4 mpg overall. Sierra scored 68mpg on the Blue Ridge, and 65 in the Sierra Nevada. But mpg plummets anywhere north of 65 or 70 mph; and by far most of the trip was either via the slab at 80-85; likewise on those Nevada, Colorado, Oregon, Texas, etc. back roads, where everyone holds 85+, as tho they are eager to get the hell outta there. I don't blame them -- me too.
2) I was baffled to discover that Sierra never wheezed at altitude. Even climbing twisty grades to Carson Pass (I bought the hat) and up Monitor Pass (no gifte shoppe there), which are both a mile and a half up. She never ran out of guts. I don't know how that could happen with such a wee 650cc mill facing such a steep task. Kawi has done a remarkable job with the Versys 650.
3) Sierra appears to sneak up on critters. Put all the deer I've seen in all the years I've ridden the Blue Ridge both ways all the way all together, and you don't make half the fifteen I saw in one day just going from Cherokee to Cruso. And two of those were elk, which I never knew existed there. Next day was turkey day. Next day was turtle day. Now, granted, turtles generally are not all that elusive when it comes to avoiding murdersickles; but these turkeys and deer didn't even seem to be trying. I have never before seen turkey just sit there by the side of the road and watch you swish past. They always put on their best road-runner imitation. I had deer that simply continued grazing. Didn't even pull up their noses. Amazing. She would be a good stalker, the way she sneaks right up on a critter like nothing's happened.
4) BIrds, on the other hand, bombed me constantly, out and back. You ever have a bright red bike? Red bikes, it seems like birds run into them. This bike, it seemed like every bird wanted to crap at it. Maybe it was my bright yellow helmet that attracted them to poop, cause they always hit me around the head and shoulders. But my Seal-Line dry bag is bright yellow, and they never bombed that.
5) I love the Blue Ridge Parkway to death. It's the one place so beautiful that they set the restaurant table with a pair of binoculars. Even better than the Sierra Nevada.
==========================
I met a blind man sitting on a bench out front of a country store in Fancy Gap, VA. First he shot out his left eye in a nail gun accident. He said he went on a welding job in Iowa after that, where he got an eye infection in his right eye, and lost his sight completely. Took him a year to collect disability, of course. I told him it was a good thing he hadn't used a hammer that first time, cause he might have hit his thumb. He laughed. Next his wife threw him out, he said. I don't know why she threw him out, but she was apparently pissed; cause she burnt everything he owned, from his wallet to his white stick. Left him nothing but the grey T-shirt and dirty jeans he was wearing. So he stuck out his thumb, then, and hitch hiked home blind from Iowa to Fancy Gap. Had been staying with this old couple, but they began fighting with each other tooth and nail that morning, and he reckoned he didn't need to hear any more of that, on this, his 46th birthday, today. So he decided to walk down to this store he knew of and sell his pocket knife for a pack of cigarettes. He's feeling along with one foot in the dirt and one foot on the pavement to know that he's on the edge of the road, so he wouldn't get run over, when a cop car comes by and yells "Put your hands up!" He explains to the cops why he's stumbling along so weird. They give him a ride down to the store. We play name that car, where he would listen to a car door at the gas pump and try to guess what kind of car it is. I tell him now that he's blind, whenever he hears a girl's voice he can imagine her looking any way he wants, and doesn't have to know how many teeth she's missing; so that's a blessing. He agrees. So we try to get the next gal to say hi on her way into the store; but she won't speak to us. Stuck up, I guess. He says he's waiting to find out his new place in life. Says he believes the Lord has humbled him for a purpose, and now he waits to find out what that purpose is. About then, the gal behind the counter comes out and says that there's a Suzie on the phone who wants to talk to him. She leads him in to the phone by his hand. When he comes back out, he says Suzie is coming to pick him up. Before Suzie can whisk him away in search of his purpose in life, I climb on Sierra, who whisks me away up the Blue Ridge.
“It has been a source of great pain to me to have met with so many among [my] opponents who had not the liberality to distinguish between political and social opposition; who transferred at once to the person, the hatred they bore to his political opinions.” —Thomas Jefferson (1808)
@CalvinAndHobo , when does your adventure start? Be sure and keep us posted as you go.
WARNING: The above post may contain thoughts or ideas known to the State of Caliphornia to cause seething rage, confusion, distemper, nausea, perspiration, sphincter release, or cranial implosion to persons who implicitly trust only one news source, or find themselves at either the left or right political extreme. Proceed at your own risk.
"If you do not read the newspapers you're uninformed. If you do read the newspapers, you're misinformed." -- Mark Twain
I leave from home July 3rd. Google won't let me add all the waypoints and backroads that I plan on taking, since I plan to avoid interstates as much as possible, but this is a close enough outline of what the trip will be, unless something throws a wrench into my plans. It'll be the southern part first, then going north and back east along the Canadian border on the farm roads. The total trip should be somewhere between 20-25 days. It would be very cool to do what Davis did and meet up with anyone who lives along the route, but I can't give exact dates for when I'll be at a location, because of things like rain, or cool places that I want to spend extra time at.
WARNING: The above post may contain thoughts or ideas known to the State of Caliphornia to cause seething rage, confusion, distemper, nausea, perspiration, sphincter release, or cranial implosion to persons who implicitly trust only one news source, or find themselves at either the left or right political extreme. Proceed at your own risk.
"If you do not read the newspapers you're uninformed. If you do read the newspapers, you're misinformed." -- Mark Twain
I didn't feel like spending thousands of dollars on one when a couple bungy cords will work just as well, since I don't have a passenger that I have to make comfortable.
yeah, you've got a back rest, and a good sized duffel will hold more than a tour-pack anyway. I put my sleeping bag between my tour pack and me on the pillion, then bungee my sheepskin across it and down onto my seat so that it's like a chair.
I highly recommend the sheepskin. First time I rode from Tennessee to Sturgis SD and back, when I got home I ordered the sheepskin. They send you the whole thing, and you cut it to fit. That was 30 years ago, and I'm still using it now. It's seen me through 3 motorcycles. Well worth the money. I think it cost $90 back then, probably closer to $200 now, thanks to our glorious leaders injudicious use of their printing press. But, that's a rant for a different thread.
WARNING: The above post may contain thoughts or ideas known to the State of Caliphornia to cause seething rage, confusion, distemper, nausea, perspiration, sphincter release, or cranial implosion to persons who implicitly trust only one news source, or find themselves at either the left or right political extreme. Proceed at your own risk.
"If you do not read the newspapers you're uninformed. If you do read the newspapers, you're misinformed." -- Mark Twain
Comments
"If you do not read the newspapers you're uninformed. If you do read the newspapers, you're misinformed." -- Mark Twain
Now, here's the cutest pic I snapped along the way:
I bet she has her grandpa eating out of her hand.
Here's Texas:
... and just a handful of miles away, here's Oklahoma:
Which place would you Sooner live?
"If you do not read the newspapers you're uninformed. If you do read the newspapers, you're misinformed." -- Mark Twain
Brett
"If you do not read the newspapers you're uninformed. If you do read the newspapers, you're misinformed." -- Mark Twain
"If you do not read the newspapers you're uninformed. If you do read the newspapers, you're misinformed." -- Mark Twain
Safe travels. I'll give you a ring tomorrow evenin.
I bought a 2016 Kawi Versys 650 LT for the purpose. It's working out damn well. Cheap to buy, cheap to farkle, swift, smooth, nimble, very easy on gas, and common as dirt. I highly recommend it.
No you won't ... cause I got no cell here!
Blue Ridge Parkway Motorcycle Campground. ..
Complete with this gorgeous dog...
@CalvinAndHobo , when does your adventure start? Be sure and keep us posted as you go.
"If you do not read the newspapers you're uninformed. If you do read the newspapers, you're misinformed." -- Mark Twain
I leave from home July 3rd. Google won't let me add all the waypoints and backroads that I plan on taking, since I plan to avoid interstates as much as possible, but this is a close enough outline of what the trip will be, unless something throws a wrench into my plans. It'll be the southern part first, then going north and back east along the Canadian border on the farm roads. The total trip should be somewhere between 20-25 days. It would be very cool to do what Davis did and meet up with anyone who lives along the route, but I can't give exact dates for when I'll be at a location, because of things like rain, or cool places that I want to spend extra time at.
Awesome. Love that bike! No tour-pack?
"If you do not read the newspapers you're uninformed. If you do read the newspapers, you're misinformed." -- Mark Twain
I didn't feel like spending thousands of dollars on one when a couple bungy cords will work just as well, since I don't have a passenger that I have to make comfortable.
yeah, you've got a back rest, and a good sized duffel will hold more than a tour-pack anyway. I put my sleeping bag between my tour pack and me on the pillion, then bungee my sheepskin across it and down onto my seat so that it's like a chair.
I highly recommend the sheepskin. First time I rode from Tennessee to Sturgis SD and back, when I got home I ordered the sheepskin. They send you the whole thing, and you cut it to fit. That was 30 years ago, and I'm still using it now. It's seen me through 3 motorcycles. Well worth the money. I think it cost $90 back then, probably closer to $200 now, thanks to our glorious leaders injudicious use of their printing press. But, that's a rant for a different thread.
"If you do not read the newspapers you're uninformed. If you do read the newspapers, you're misinformed." -- Mark Twain
@CalvinAndHobo, you're covering some beautiful territory.