K11 Owners Group Forum Index K11 Owners Group
K11 Owners Group
 
 FAQFAQ   SearchSearch   MemberlistMemberlist   UsergroupsUsergroups   RegisterRegister 
 ProfileProfile   Log in to check your private messagesLog in to check your private messages   Log inLog in 

Sunrise to Sunset Insanity; Watt was I Thinking
Goto page Previous  1, 2
 
Post new topic   Reply to topic    K11 Owners Group Forum Index -> Pictures
View previous topic :: View next topic  
Author Message
SugarHillCTD
Site Admin


Joined: 10 Oct 2007
Posts: 4240
Location: Now in Eastern Pennsylvania

PostPosted: Wed Jan 22, 2014 1:32 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Marathon posting Gwen.

You do tend to do things in great lengths, don't you. Wink

Thanks for taking us along.

John
_________________
John & Cathy

'92 K100RS4V Pearl White SOLD
'04 K1200GT
IBA Several-SS1k, BBG, 50CC NYC to S.F.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail
Shoganai
Biscuit Fluffer


Joined: 27 Apr 2005
Posts: 2234
Location: Culpeper,VA

PostPosted: Wed Jan 22, 2014 3:22 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fup7fCTbQsE

What would you think if I sang out of tune
Would you stand up and walk out on me?
Lend me your ears and I'll sing you a song
And I'll try not to sing out of key

Oh, I get by with a little help from my friends
Mmm, I get high with a little help from my friends
Mmm, gonna try with a little help from my friends

What do I do when my love is away
Does it worry you to be alone?
How do I feel by the end of the day
Are you sad because you're on your own?

No, I get by with a little help from my friends
Mmm, get by with a little help from my friends
Mmm, gonna try with a little help from my friends



I woke up with a clearer head and a new found distrust for manunkind. I still felt the violation crawling on my skin like leeches as I glanced nerviously around while packing my bike. Upon checking my messages I learned that Augie was shipping me his 478 and my husband would be sending my waypoints via email. I needed to regain the illusion of control so I used the hotel computer to print 'lost puppy/GPS' flyers with a picture of a 478 and my contact info. Then I called the police and filed a report knowing full well that it was pointless.


As I finished packing to ride to Marrowstone Island, I took stock of my resources. Even without the GPS the route books I had made would work. But without a doubt it would be MUCH easier with it. I had a working bike, funds, a cell phone, a place to stay and a few days to recover and regroup. I began to hope that I could pull off the west to east ride as planned.


I completed my pre-trip and I don't care what people say, these old K1100's are the f'ing mules of the bike world with the hearts of a thoroughbreds. Ride 'em hard and put 'em up wet, they just don't care.

I used my cell phone like a GPS and located 3 pawn shops in the area. I told my story at each location and left a flyer them. Then I used my cell phone to route to Drakes place.


I needed to treat myself to something special, so upon Drakes recommendation, I stopped at The Oak Table Cafe in Sequim for breakfast. I ordered Egg Oscar with a heaping helping of Dungee crab, fresh breakfast potatoes with caramelized onions and coffee served with heavy cream.








I saviored the delishish food, drank 4 cups of stunningly smooth PNW coffee and caught up with friends via text and facebook. I called my parents as well to let them know what happened and what was in the works.


I left there looking for a car wash so I could clean up the bike and found one just past the circle intersection in Port Townsend.


All cleaned up and ready to roll.





Drake called to say it would be late before he could make it out to the cabin and to make myself at home. I found a liquer store on the way and picked up some Jim Beam and Stoli.


At the cabin with shed in background.













Looking up from cabin to outhouse.




I degeared the bike, put my things in my room, set up my CPAP, changed clothes then poured myself a drink and went out to sit on the deck overlooking Kilisut Harbor.


I emailed Watt, "I'm working on drinking my back pain and depression away". Later he called to congratulate me on the completion of my Sunrise to Sunset ride and I thanked him for encouraging and supporting me.

Stick a fork in me I...am...DONE!




By the time Drake arrived I was fairly mellow. He lit a fire in the wood stove, poured himself a Crown and we talked, laughed and bull-shitted til well past midnight.


The next moring we got a late start but was just able to make the last breakfast served at The Chimacum Cafe in Port Hadlock.











As we were leaving I stalled the bike by forgetting it was in gear and releasing the clutch causing it to lurch forward and I dropped it on the left side. Drake and another fellow help pick it up. *shrug* I've long since stopped caring about any wounded pride over dropping bikes as I seems to be really good at it.


We rode over to the QFC grocery store for some supplies and I made note there was a laundry mat right next door.


Watching Drake be-bop around the store in his helmet made me laugh. Being a small community they must know all the locals, even the odd rider in the totally awesome helmet because no one even raised an eyebrow.





As we were leaving this jewel was in the parking lot. I swear I'll NEVER look at a station wagon the same again. It was absolutly beautiful!

















Back at the cabin, we cleared out the table and chairs and then muscled Drake's bike in for a little wrenching. That's water not oil if you are wandering.





The driveway was slick with wet leaves so Drake being the roguish gentleman that he is offered to princess park my bike.











I was about to get schooled by the Master K man himself. Now for the life of me I still don't fully understand what for all intent and purposes was just magic to me. All I had to do was hold a hot soldering iron tip near the rear speed sensor and Drake was able to calabrate the bike speedometer to prefection. It was something about the 60 cycle stimulation on the sensor and using known data about the RPM's at a known speed and the turning of a screw in the instrument cluster.

I still say it was magic!








Drake prepared the salmon he bought and I fixed the shrooms and asparagus. Out on the deck we ate like kings on paper plates with the sound of the bay lapping the shore.










Things were winding down for the day and neither of us wanted to ride and as luck would have it I recieved a call from David Morgan, the LD rider who signed my paperwork in La Push. I had invited him out to the cabin if he should have time and he in fact did.

SWEET!

It was so very nice to have some daylight and some time when things were not as rushed as they were. David has one of the all time greatest laughs I've ever heard and gives great hugs to boot! I was also glad he could see me stand upright. At La Push, after being on the bike so long it felt like I had become frozen into the shape of a rider even when I wasn't on the bike. I was having a great deal of pain in my back whenever I tried to straighten up and walk.

Thank you so VERY much David for making the time to ride out to see me at the cabin!



After David left, Drake brought out the Jägermeister. Now I've never had that before but I liked it, maybe a bit more than I should in
retrospect...20/20 and that.


.
_________________
1993 K1100RS aka The Shop Whore
1994 K1100RS aka Blue Streak

The long road is a rainbow and the pot of gold lies there.
So slip the chain and I'm off again,
You'll find me everywhere. I'm a Rover. - JT


Nana korobi ya oki
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail
Shoganai
Biscuit Fluffer


Joined: 27 Apr 2005
Posts: 2234
Location: Culpeper,VA

PostPosted: Wed Jan 22, 2014 6:27 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

.


As riders we've all heard, 'motorcycles are dangerous, aren't you afraid?'

Life is a fatal disease. We are born to die. What we do while we live will not change that. And there are worse way to die than in a motorcycle crash. I could live 'safe' so that I can live long enough to end up in a nursing home with bed sores, a feeding tube and a diaper. No, riding motorcycle doesn't frighten me, but living too long does.

So that night we celebrated the people that we love and miss. Drake lost his father this past year to complications after a fall and they were very close. We recalled stories of our friend Phil Marvin who may have been the greatest k-bike knowledge bank that ever lived. But if you ever heard him tell a story about his trips to Mexico, you would also have to very patient, because Phil never said anything fast or directly to the point. We must have looked like a pair of maudlin drunks but what the hell.



Phil never met a stranger. In 2009 while waiting for the truck to pick up a busted bike, Phil sought out some local workers to past the time with.




In 2010 he was the Spaghetti King.



And his Irish Coffee was not to be missed!






In 2011 I commented on his weight loss. He said he had lost his appetite and that no matter what he ate, it felt like it got stuck and he had to throw it up. I knew what that might mean and I too felt ill. I made him promise me he would see a doctor as soon as he got back to Texas.









Three months later he called to tell me to say they had found stomach cancer.

He passed away less than a year after these pictures were taken.

Cheers Phil! Ride buddy, We'll catch up later!



Drake told me he had a IMDb page and of course I thought he was pulling my leg.

Not.

He even had the movies and so we watched "Shredder" which was classic B-type slasher film.

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0808032/

After a night spent drinking Jägermeister I was still drunkish, not hung over, the next day. It was agreed riding was not going to be in the plans that day and the morning was spent drinking coffee and tweaking with Drakes bike again.

By noon I was feeling much better but I really needed a shower and to wash some clothes. I rode down to Fort Flagler State Park to buy a shower. It was then I realized I didn't pack wash cloth, well not one intended to bathe with. So I unclipped my bug crusted face shield rag out of my tank bag, and used it. By the time I was done, we were both clean. Twofer!

Then back to Port Hadlock to wash clothes. I absolutely loath the boredom of Laundromats!

I don't generally hold still very well.

I stopped by the post office Nordland on the way back to the cabin to pick up the GPS that Augie sent me.

.
_________________
1993 K1100RS aka The Shop Whore
1994 K1100RS aka Blue Streak

The long road is a rainbow and the pot of gold lies there.
So slip the chain and I'm off again,
You'll find me everywhere. I'm a Rover. - JT


Nana korobi ya oki
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail
abreeze
Flying Brick Rider


Joined: 17 Jun 2006
Posts: 671
Location: atlanta

PostPosted: Wed Jan 22, 2014 11:44 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Gwen, thanks for sharing!

That last pic of us at HM4 brings a big smile to my face...

Looking forward to seeing everyone SOON!!

Breeze....
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail Visit poster's website
grant93
Flying Brick Rider


Joined: 23 Mar 2013
Posts: 238
Location: Victoria - Australia

PostPosted: Thu Jan 23, 2014 1:06 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Gday Gwen,

What a great story and write up of the trip.... Just Excellent!

I love to read about endurance/long distance riding

Well done to you and all your support team.
_________________
Cheers Grant

1994 K1100RS
1981 R100RS
1978 R100RS
1928 Chevrolet tourer

www.montythe1928chevrolet.blogspot.com.au
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Shoganai
Biscuit Fluffer


Joined: 27 Apr 2005
Posts: 2234
Location: Culpeper,VA

PostPosted: Thu Jan 23, 2014 8:33 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

.

Ok by now I was feeling froggy enough to tear into my bike to sort out a few things.

First was the right side panel power failure.










Next was to attempted to repair the J&M on/off switch that had been damaged in the drop.









No go.

Then I looked at bypassing or tapping into the helmet speakers and just gave up. I might have been able to do this but just didn't want to keep trying. I knew this would mean no audio input for the rest of the trip and I was not looking forward to it.



Let me go ahead and say that the only thing I can stand in my ears are foam ear plugs. I've tried many things over the years including the spendy custom molded ones. Even those didn't last more than 500 miles. For the past few ears I simple did without audio input. Then Steve got me the J&M CB so that I can listen to music, books or CB. I still wear the ear plugs for wind noise reduction and the sound from the helmet speakers was AWESOME! I never knew it could be that good!
Oh well.

Drake was able to load the waypoints on the GPS the Augie sent. Augie even set up all the screens just like I had mine based on the pics he had seen.







Then my delight my friend Michael Cummings dropped by for a visit. He's in the Nation Guard and it just so happened that he was in the area the same time I was. I believe the last time we met IRL was in 2007 in Charlotte, NC. He didn't have long to visit but it was so wonderful to see him again. A finer gentleman and dear friend you would be hard pressed to know.














Dinner on the deck was BBQ chicken that Drake cooked on the grill and rolls. No drinking tonight for me because tomorrow was going to be a long ride to fulfill a promise.





.
_________________
1993 K1100RS aka The Shop Whore
1994 K1100RS aka Blue Streak

The long road is a rainbow and the pot of gold lies there.
So slip the chain and I'm off again,
You'll find me everywhere. I'm a Rover. - JT


Nana korobi ya oki
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail
Shoganai
Biscuit Fluffer


Joined: 27 Apr 2005
Posts: 2234
Location: Culpeper,VA

PostPosted: Thu Jan 23, 2014 11:01 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yLTkHsio9-g

“And if I make it to the waterside, will I even find me a boat or so?
And if I make it to the waterside, I'll be sure to write you a note or
something.
Oh I'm on my way, I know I am, somewhere not so far from here”
- Cat Stevens – Sitting




The Ten Bulls in Zen Buddhism are short parables in the form of poems that are intended to show the stages towards enlightenment. Regardless of ones views of the world, I believe there is some truth in every faith. This part of ride could best be described in the parable of Discovery of the Bulls Footprints.


When Phil passed away, the members of K11OG.org paid for his daughter to fly out to the Annual Hungry Mother meeting in his stead. She was out guest of honor.






Gear was provided and rides were taken.




She in turn honored us with this gift.





Riding in my tank bag next to Ardys ashes, were the ashes of our friend Phil Marvin.
Phil was a regular at K11OG.org Annual Hungry Mother S. P. gatherings and his spaghetti dinner's were not to be missed! We still cook it every year in his honor though no one can match his Irish Coffee. As Drake and I love our old K-bikes, so did Phil. He was always a wealth of knowledge and always eager to share and patient to teach.

It was Drake that suggested we ride together and take our friend Phil for one last ride to Neah Bay.








Finding a good place was not easy and tip-toeing a K11 with a 29" inseam on an incline was not much easier!



I finally gave up, got off an turned it around.




I headed back the way we come and waited for Drake. Being able to stand on the pegs and haul ass on the dirt made me a little faster than Drake.




Here's what he thought of that! Smile




We did find just the right location. What a beautiful place!









I filled the now empty vial with sand from the shore and tucked it safely in my tank bag for the ride home.


I was so grateful to have Drake there because scattering Phil's ashes in the Pacific was harder than I anticipated.

Heading back, we stopped along the way.







And took pictures.









Note the shit-eating grin!






We pulled over for a break and a snack at this beautiful but tiny wayside. One of the things that I have always LOVED about Drake is that he always treated me like any other rider that likes to wrench and ride their machines. If I have to explain that to anyone, then you'll probably not understand.








DAMN! That is one good looking K-Bike!



Oh look! Another one!



It was then I noticed I lost my belly pan bracket.




.
_________________
1993 K1100RS aka The Shop Whore
1994 K1100RS aka Blue Streak

The long road is a rainbow and the pot of gold lies there.
So slip the chain and I'm off again,
You'll find me everywhere. I'm a Rover. - JT


Nana korobi ya oki
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail
Shoganai
Biscuit Fluffer


Joined: 27 Apr 2005
Posts: 2234
Location: Culpeper,VA

PostPosted: Thu Jan 23, 2014 11:44 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

.


On the day before I was to head East, Drake lead me through Deception Pass.





It was waiting to load on the ferry that my first HD rider take a long look at the plate under my tag.



He didn't say anything and I pretended I didn't see him read it as I was taking pics of Drake. Later on the ferry he asked me about my trip, where I was from and where I was going. We had a great conversation and he was an interesting rider with a long history on motorcycles.

























Thank you Drake for letting me lead to Neah Bay and allowing me to discover more decreasing radius turns on one road than I thoughts was possible. Next time, let's ride up there at night and I'll let you lead. :evilgrin



After flipping each other off we parted ways. I rode down to Everett to visit Brian Diver, his wife and another LD rider, Lloyd Gardner.





.
_________________
1993 K1100RS aka The Shop Whore
1994 K1100RS aka Blue Streak

The long road is a rainbow and the pot of gold lies there.
So slip the chain and I'm off again,
You'll find me everywhere. I'm a Rover. - JT


Nana korobi ya oki
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail
Shoganai
Biscuit Fluffer


Joined: 27 Apr 2005
Posts: 2234
Location: Culpeper,VA

PostPosted: Thu Jan 23, 2014 12:54 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

.

In keeping the promised I made to myself at the ferry terminal, I made time to spend with Brian and he was kind enough to invite Lloyd over as well. Brian and I have something in common; I was a sign letterer for 10 years and he still is. More over, he has mastered pin stripping, something I never did.

Nice!



(L>R Brian, me and Lloyd)



Note the route book and maps. They gave me good advice which I followed the next day.

Mrs. Diver served us awesome hummus, which I still buy to this day and enjoy, crackers and nuts as well.

Thank you all for making time to share your home, food and local knowledge with me!

Before I left to head back to the coast, we found the ballast for my main headlight had failed. The PIAA’s and CREE’s made it possible to ride at night but having stayed longer than I intended, by the time I arrived at Sequim Bay Lodge I needed to sleep.

It was very late, but the owner’s wife gave me the best room there (ground floor, first room on the right) for a reasonable price. I slept in a little because my projected departure time was 13:00 so I could go by Chicago at night. Showered, placed the second Foley, ate leftover dungee and boiled eggs that I packed out from Drakes, then finished packing and headed towards La Push via Auto Zone.




Because it was dark when I first arrived in La Push, I didn't collect my sand and water,
so I went straight to the beach and collected two samples.












I pulled around back of Lonesome Creek store out of the way and proceeded to replace my headlight with a H4. (Note to self: do not zip tie wiring so tightly under the tank, it requires removing the tank to replace a headlight!)








That set me back 1.3 hours. Drake had signed my witness form before we left the cabin and I asked a local LEO to be second, which he gladly did. After getting a receipt, I departed at 15:20. The waypoints were in my GPS but not the routes, so what I had to do was find a waypoint and "go to" it. I bunny hopped that way all the way to Eastport.


I planned to meet Mario of LDComfort, so I headed south. It was an enjoyable road,
even in the occasional fog bank and I arrived at LDComfort in the late afternoon. Mario is delightful, energized and passionate and I spent an hour in his company as he showed me around the shop.

Check out the sweet hot water manifold!





What is that under the black cover?





WOW!



Thank you Mario for making time to share your passion and an hour of your time with me.




I also had the privilege of meeting Mario's son Ben Winkelman and his office manager Sarah Eichenberger. Before I was allowed to leave, Mario insisted on giving me a head wrap, socks and LDComfort sleeves. Later that night, I became a believer in those sleeves. They kept the mesh inside my jacket from rubbing my elbows raw and in the cool night kept my arms quite comfortable.

Oh, and Mario gives GREAT hugs!


.
_________________
1993 K1100RS aka The Shop Whore
1994 K1100RS aka Blue Streak

The long road is a rainbow and the pot of gold lies there.
So slip the chain and I'm off again,
You'll find me everywhere. I'm a Rover. - JT


Nana korobi ya oki
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail
Shoganai
Biscuit Fluffer


Joined: 27 Apr 2005
Posts: 2234
Location: Culpeper,VA

PostPosted: Thu Jan 23, 2014 2:15 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

.

Catching the Bull

I left Hoquiam via 12 for I-90. I had been in contact with yet another rider and friend David Wedel who lives in Glendive, MO. We have talked in forums for many years, but have never met.

At the last fuel stop before Glendive we set a meeting location and time and I asked if he would please bring me a cheeseburger. I was starving for 'real food'.

Somewhere between Big Timber, MO and Billings, MO I gained firsthand knowledge that was in FACT better to be pissed off than pissed on. Apparently the tape holding the bag to my leg gave way when I stood to stretch, discharging about 300cc into my boot and on my pants. (Note to self: secure Foley to drainage bag with a zip tie) I pulled over REAL fast and not knowing what else to do, I pulled off my gloves, pulled out my knife and slashed a 12" opening in my pants. I found both ends and reattached them and secured the bag to my leg with gorilla tape, knowing full well I was going to regret that later. There was really nothing else I could do, so I spent the rest of the ride smelling like pee and burnt pee coming from my exhaust. (Note to self: perhaps having a pair of socks within easy access wouldn't be a bad idea)

Oh yeah...suck it up princess!
Gurrr.


When I arrived in Glendive, David Wedel was waiting for me, cheeseburger in hand. I was running further behind so let his camera take all the pics while I fueled, added oil, stuffed my face and tried to explain why I smelled like pee. It wouldn't have been the first impression I would have picked, but David knew me and I trusted him to accept me as I am.



I can't believe he would get that close to me under the circumstances.



I wasn't there long, and then David led me down the interstate for a few miles.





Thank you David for the food which I am so grateful for. I ate half the burger there and the other half at my next fuel stop. It felt like a 24 hour rally pit stop minus the rider change but it was still REAL good to finally meet you!


I rode without further incident to Steel, ND for the first part of a BBG3K, 1548 miles in a total time 22:58.





There I ate 1/2 a truck stop sandwich, replenished my liquid supplies then rode to a building within sight of where I fueled. There were four boys playing some kind of game between ages 8 and 13 near where I intended to sleep for an hour in the shade of a fir. I waved them over and asked if they would watch my bike while I took a nap. The oldest said: "We got your back lady" and I handed each a dollar and thanked them. After I called my husband to check in and ask him to call me in one hour as backup, I set my alarm clock. It was a great place for a nap and I woke up two min. before my alarm went off. The kids were gone, but my bike looked untouched.

FYI this is my alarm clock. I'm a Luddite to the bone, baby!




Because of the delayed start time, the hour at Mario's and the hour sleep, I just barely got through Chicago before the traffic got really bad. All that together put me between 2 - 2.5 hours behind schedule. I had been having problems with my EZPass since leaving home and in Indiana I almost drove slap through a toll gate when it didn't open. At the toll way Service Center, I pulled in and got a good lesson about EZPass. The curved top i.e. turtle shell is SHIELDED, thus my mounting orientation, not location, was the problem. I flipped it over and from then on I had no problems what-so-ever.

In the early afternoon near Sandusky, OH at exit 118 a motorcyclist appeared to have been sideswiped by a young driver in a van. He was back boarded when I came on the scene and his co-rider was at his side, clearly upset. He was not wearing any gear and every limb, his belly and face were bleeding from road rash. It seemed he must have rolled along the road and K-rail. I asked the co-rider if I could do anything for him and he asked for water, but the State Patrol Officer didn't want me to cross back at that time. So I offered to secure any personal things off the riders' Goldwing and he said: "Thanks" and turned his attention back to his friend. I handed him what I found as EMS was about to lift the rider onto the stretcher then slipped across the highway to my bike. I snapped a couple of shots and re-joined the motorized herd on its migration east.





***************************************************************
http://www.daytondailynews.com/ap/ap/ohio/motorcyclist-hospitalized-after-oh-turnpike-crash/nZKW4/
Updated: 3:26 p.m. Friday, Aug. 9, 2013 | Posted: 3:26 p.m. Friday, Aug. 9, 2013

Motorcyclist hospitalized after OH Turnpike crash
The Associated Press
MILAN TOWNSHIP, Ohio —


Authorities say a motorcyclist has been seriously injured in an accident in the eastbound lanes of the Ohio Turnpike.

The Ohio State Highway Patrol reports 64-year-old James Allen Metzinger of Canfield was flown to St. Vincent Medical Center in Toledo after his 2013 Honda Goldwing sideswiped a 2005 Dodge Caravan while attempting to change lanes. Metzinger lost control, slid off the roadway and was ejected from his vehicle. He was not wearing a helmet.

The patrol said several Ohio Turnpike patrons stopped to help provide life-saving measures until emergency personnel could arrive. One was a doctor identified as Jonathan Schweid.

The driver of the Caravan was 25-year-old Ryan F. Knaack of Albany, N.Y. He was not injured.

Alcohol was not considered a factor in the accident.
***************************************************************

It was a difficult choice to stop, but it was an injured rider, how could I not stop? I thought there was no way I would make BBG3K. I began to calculate and recalculate potential fuel locations along the route and the relative closing times to each. I had originally selected Utica, NY for the ending point for this part of the ride but it was VERY clear I would never make it. I found I could EVER so slightly make it to Denny's in Syracuse, NY at exit 35 with the added bonus of a Days Inn right next door.

I barely parked the bike, and with all my gear on I ran inside and ordered a medium rare steak, "Sides? I don't care; you pick and run this card as fast as you can...thank you ever so much. I'll explain later." The GPS indicated I rode 3001 miles in 47:39 and the bikes odometer showed 3044.




.
_________________
1993 K1100RS aka The Shop Whore
1994 K1100RS aka Blue Streak

The long road is a rainbow and the pot of gold lies there.
So slip the chain and I'm off again,
You'll find me everywhere. I'm a Rover. - JT


Nana korobi ya oki
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail
Shoganai
Biscuit Fluffer


Joined: 27 Apr 2005
Posts: 2234
Location: Culpeper,VA

PostPosted: Thu Jan 23, 2014 3:28 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

.


Finding a corner away from others in hopes I didn't make anyone lose their appetites from my odor, I called my husband and parents. I must have sounded breathless because I felt like I had been running uphill for the last 100 or so miles.

After checking in, I had to deal the pee explosion. I removed the Foley and bagged it with my jeans, socks and underwear in a black plastic trash bag. After tying a knot in it, I placed it by the door for morning disposal then took a lengthy, hot shower.

When I rolled out the next morning, I was starting to feel the miles. The BBG3K was without a doubt the single most difficult ride I have ever done. I fueled and ate breakfast at the Mohawk Service Plaza at MM 172, and shortly after getting back on I-90, it came to a complete standstill. I could see way down the road that both east and west bound lanes were blocked. This was NOT good and didn't bode well for clearing up any time soon.



**********************************************************************
8/10/2013 crash on NY Thruway

SCHENECTADY, N.Y. -- The Thruway is back open after a tractor trailer accident on Saturday morning.

According to State Police, a serious crash involving a tractor trailer closed down all three eastbound lanes between exit 26 and 27. They said another vehicle rear ended the tractor trailer.

One person in the car was seriously injured.
**********************************************************************
Generally speaking, no one looks at two choices and says to themselves, "I'll pick the worst one," but the longer I had to use my clutch hand, the more intense my back pain became and the longer it was taking to recover. Pain was defiantly a driving factor in the choices that were to followed for the rest of the ride.



I turned around, headed west, found a cross over and exited at 27. Well since all east and west bound traffic was being diverted into Amsterdam, I took 30 west with the intention of running the back roads west and south and re-engage the Thruway via Lower Gregg Rd to River Rd. However, when I arrived at where the GPS showed Lower Gregg crossed under the Thruway, it was and had been for some time blocked off.



So I just routed to the next waypoint which took me to I-88 and then back on I-90.

After turning north on I-495 the traffic became dense with stop and go slowdowns about every 2-3 miles. At Hwy 2, it just stopped. I jumped off again and rejoined I-495 at Hwy 119 and things were moving a little better...for a while. Starting just south of Haverhill through Merrimac it became unbearable! I couldn't let go of the clutch and was dog padding to keep from dropping the bike. I just about couldn't think straight from the pain and all I wanted was relief at any cost.

I exited again and ran up 108, 107A, 125 and then east again on 4 back to I-95. It was something like 40+/- miles and I estimate I lost an hour because of it, or broke even if I had waited for the crash to get cleared up. Sadly, the damage was done as far as the nerve compression at C6/C7. Once the area has been irritated for extended periods of time it takes a couple of days to return to normal. Suck up it Princess!

The GPS estimated I would arrive in Eastport 10 min. before the window closed. With nothing to do but try, I started calculating estimated fuel range and balancing that in keeping the fuel stops within 350 miles. I also stopped drinking anything for fear I would loose valuable time with a pee break. I came up with needing just one more fill-up and picked the Kennebunk Service Plaza. I jumped off, swiped my AMX card which I had been using without issue the entire trip, opened the main and AUX tanks, turned around and the screen said. "See Attendant".

Believe you me, I started swearing like a drunken sailor as I stormed over to see the attendant. I'm normally a calm person even under stress, but extended periods of pain had made me less tolerant. I said to her, "Please reset the pump and I'll use another card". She replied, "Are you from Canada?" I almost yelled, "No! Just reset the pump, that's all I want!" and I started back to the bike while pulling out my Master Card. DONE! This was one of my pre-researched stops and I already had all the data I needed. I jotted the ODO info on it and just stuffed the receipt in my jacket pocket and left quickly.

The rest of the way to Eastport was highly focused and intensely purposeful. By the time I exited onto 9 in Maine I had gained a 23 min. window and by the time I reached Eastport I had gained 19 more. I didn't know it at the time, but as I made the last turn before Bay City Garage, I was being filmed. Colleen and her husband Walt had been following my SPOT and had ridden out to meet me on their 2003 Honda VTX 1800. She filmed me from behind at I pulled up to the pumps. True to her word, Colleen opened the store for me and I bought a soda 52 min. before the window for a Sunrise to Sunset West to East closed. My friend Dave had also been following SPOT and rode up from Boston, ME to greet me at the end of my journey.

This picture he took of me in an unguarded moment says it all.





(L>R Walt, Colleen and Dave)




After Colleen and Dave signed my witness forms, Dave and I went for a celebration dinner at the Chowder House.

I want it ALL!
And ordered one on the bottom.







Avert your eyes! Me eating lobster is not a pretty sight!



However, Dave was none-the-less amused!





While we ate and talked, Mary and friends showed up having tracked me down because my SPOT was still on, to tell me she had turned away seven couples JUST to save a room for me. She also had a BBQ chicken dinner waiting for me when I got there. How sweet is that!





.
_________________
1993 K1100RS aka The Shop Whore
1994 K1100RS aka Blue Streak

The long road is a rainbow and the pot of gold lies there.
So slip the chain and I'm off again,
You'll find me everywhere. I'm a Rover. - JT


Nana korobi ya oki
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail
Shoganai
Biscuit Fluffer


Joined: 27 Apr 2005
Posts: 2234
Location: Culpeper,VA

PostPosted: Thu Jan 23, 2014 3:39 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I've been writing all day and now I need to attend to house and supper then get ready to work all night. It is the first of 6 nights in a row. I still need to write the closing stories and the ride wrap up, but that will have to wait for a few days.

Thank you all for reading about my ride.
_________________
1993 K1100RS aka The Shop Whore
1994 K1100RS aka Blue Streak

The long road is a rainbow and the pot of gold lies there.
So slip the chain and I'm off again,
You'll find me everywhere. I'm a Rover. - JT


Nana korobi ya oki
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail
SugarHillCTD
Site Admin


Joined: 10 Oct 2007
Posts: 4240
Location: Now in Eastern Pennsylvania

PostPosted: Thu Jan 23, 2014 7:07 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

The more I read the more I am over-the-top impressed by your amazing ride Gwen.

WOW! WOW!

May your work tonight be busy but not too busy.

John
_________________
John & Cathy

'92 K100RS4V Pearl White SOLD
'04 K1200GT
IBA Several-SS1k, BBG, 50CC NYC to S.F.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail
Shoganai
Biscuit Fluffer


Joined: 27 Apr 2005
Posts: 2234
Location: Culpeper,VA

PostPosted: Sun Feb 09, 2014 2:44 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

.

After Dave took the picture of me by the fisherman statue, we hugged and parted way. I rode to the Milliken House where Mary was waiting for me with even more food.





She even saved a copy of the newspaper article for me also!



We sat there for over an hour talking about everything from the ride to how she tracked me via SPOT and the events around Eastport while I was gone.

The next morning it was all I could do to propel myself to get back on the bike. I just didn't want to ride. I procrastinated as long as I dared while sharing the last few hours with my hosts.



I was very impressed with the beautiful scroll work all over the home. Mary told me he late husband made them all. I wish I had noticed the camera setting, sadly many are out of focus.

This home harkens back to a time of multigenerational households. Faces not Facebook. Story time, not Prime time. When the only voices in the rooms were those of your family and friends.





























Mary taking bookings.



Mary and Vonda insisted on taking me down to Quaddy Bay Lobster to buy me one last lobster roll (are you see a pattern here, I LOVE those things!)





Mary ordered a crab roll.









I felt a twinge of sadness and a little regret as I mounted up. I was leaving a little bit of my heart in Eastport and I promised myself I would be back.



I cannot say enough good things about Mary and her Millikan House Bed & Breakfast. If you are ever in Eastport, I highly recommend staying there!

.
_________________
1993 K1100RS aka The Shop Whore
1994 K1100RS aka Blue Streak

The long road is a rainbow and the pot of gold lies there.
So slip the chain and I'm off again,
You'll find me everywhere. I'm a Rover. - JT


Nana korobi ya oki
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail
Shoganai
Biscuit Fluffer


Joined: 27 Apr 2005
Posts: 2234
Location: Culpeper,VA

PostPosted: Sun Feb 09, 2014 4:17 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

.


The ride south was brutal but at least the pressure was off so I allowed myself all the freedom to stop and go as I wished. My left arm was almost useless with weakness and any attempt to use to lit the fire and pressure across my left shoulder blade.


I stopped for a nap very close to a fuel station. Rarely will you find a better Iron Butt Motel than this. Closed for business, open for napping!



After about an hour, I rode over to the fuel station to top off my coffee and fuel tanks.

I dropped my bike on the left side while at a fuel station because my left foot stepped on a wet paint stripe. Jason, the nice young man I had been talking with for some time, again delaying having to ride, helped me lift it.



Then I had to fill my coffee again!



When I arrived at Augie’s in Waltham, I was pretty done. I ate a snack while Jeff and I did a little catching up then hit the bed. The next morning the sweetheart dragged / rode the blue boat anchor up to the street.



I love ya Caveman!
Thank you for all you have done for me on this trip and over all the years we’ve been friends.

I was very thankful he allowed me the use of his 478 to get home

I dropped my bike again while lifting it on the center stand at the fuel pump and in retrospect I feel the weakness in my left arm may have contributed to that. At some point in my riding history I stopped caring if anyone saw me dropping my bike and have just been glad someone was around to help me pick it up.

Again, I didn't push myself too hard and I didn't feel like dealing with heavy traffic so I routed down I-81. I stopped often to rest and twice for blown fuse issues that needed sorting out. When the fuse blew the second time, I exited to a shady parking lot to have a closer look. I found the front right turn signal socket and bulb damaged and guessed it was shorting out so I cut the wires to the socket, taped them off and had no more blown fuses.

It wasn't until I was south of Front Royal, VA did I experience my first hint of rain. I ridden over 10,500 miles without even a drop and this lasted for about 30 min. Many years ago an old woman in a nursing home told me one of the things she missed the most was the feel of rain on her face. She had been there for nine years. I was so moved, I swore off packing or wearing rain gear except in the winter. Thank you Mrs. Dobson.

I arrived home late in the evening to an open garage and my wonderful husband snapping pictures as I pulled in. It was so very good to be safely home.


The words of my friend Charlie Smith came back to me; he said, ".....picture the landing" It is an aviation thing, I have MORE than a little experience with that - it is not about the ride (or the flight) - it's about LANDING......picture yourself home and safe in Culpeper AFTER the ride - if you see that, then you are good to go - if you DON'T see that.........you may want to rethink the trip."

Charlie, I did and I never lost sight of it, thank you.

While I was riding home, I was already making lists of things I did right or wrong and what worked or failed or needed adjusting. Assessing myself, mentally, this was a very satisfying ride I'm content with. Physically, I don't believe I could do another LD ride until I have my C6-C7 addressed. I've put it off for several years and as high a tolerance of pain as I have, this ride may have put me over the edge. 20% was pain free, 70% of the ride I was in mild pain (scale 4 to 5) but for 10%, I was in tearful agony. The nerve compression causes deep, searing, unrelenting upper back, left shoulder and left arm pain. Pain does not in and of it's self kill, but allowing it to win would be something I couldn't have lived with. Anaïs Nin wrote, “The secret of joy is the mastery of pain.” She was never more proven in my mind than this ride. I also need to continue to lose weight and I need to be in better general condition.

I would add these suggestions; I do not use a wallet while riding; instead I drill small holes in all my credit cards in the middle of the short side, tie a little loop of fishing line through the hole then attach a small clasp through the loop. I modify a retractable name badge so that I can attach all my credit cards on one, and then attach the badge holder to the inside of my safety vest pocket. This provides extremely rapid access to them at all times (on or off the bike) and reduces the chance of losing them. The system allows me to easily unsnap them if needed to hand them over for payment.


Random musing on things that need work: I use water proof notebooks and pens, but I would add a pen on my jacket so that I wouldn’t need to access my tank bag. I’m still not happy with my receipt management, so I’ll keep my eyes open to learn how others deal with them. Having dropped the bike on the left side, damaging the J&M switch, I’ll work on finding a better way to mount it. Because I lost the use of the J&M on the west coast, I had to ride all the way home without audio. So my to-do-list will also include a backup audio input for my iPod or XM that will by-pass the CB. The oilcaddy worked great and now I don’t have to worry about oil leaks inside my panniers anymore. The loose wires for charging or powering things inside my tank bag drove me nuts so I’ll work on cleaning that up. The LED inside the tank bag was beyond awesome; no more having to find or hold a flashlight just to look inside. And made looking inside the bag while riding easy and safe.

On dropped the bike, I know I'll do it again so I'm working the a metal man near Bristol, TN to help me developed either frame sliders and/or crash bars for the K1100RS.

I believe my biggest routing/riding mistake was not giving myself more time between Syracuse and Eastport. I underestimated the traffic and decreased rate of travel. I should have only set aside six to seven hours for sleep after the BBG3K, not ten.


Again I wish to thank everyone who supported and encouraged me and Watt for setting the hook. I just piloted the bike, YOU all made it possible!





That’s all I have time for today. I’ll post about how the bike faired and give a full damage report later.


.
_________________
1993 K1100RS aka The Shop Whore
1994 K1100RS aka Blue Streak

The long road is a rainbow and the pot of gold lies there.
So slip the chain and I'm off again,
You'll find me everywhere. I'm a Rover. - JT


Nana korobi ya oki
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail
Shoganai
Biscuit Fluffer


Joined: 27 Apr 2005
Posts: 2234
Location: Culpeper,VA

PostPosted: Sat Feb 15, 2014 10:09 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

.

Damage assessment


The left saddle bag is basically toast.








The upper fairing is badly damaged.








I had a lot of oil to clean up from the belly pan. I still need to replace the rear main seal. I'll get to it around June.








This is how the EZ-Pass worked perfectly.





Lost a bolt that held the rear fender on.





The oil caddy was made un-square from a left side drop. It was easy to bent back to a squarish shape.








10,000+ miles on PR2's


Rear





Front





Of course the damaged J&M switch.





And the MIA belly pan bracket.






Overall I have to say the bike faired very well with the exception of all the dropped damage, and even with that abuse I still stand by the fact these old K-bikes are about as bullet-proof as anything on two wheels.


Ride it like you stole it!

-Shogs


.
_________________
1993 K1100RS aka The Shop Whore
1994 K1100RS aka Blue Streak

The long road is a rainbow and the pot of gold lies there.
So slip the chain and I'm off again,
You'll find me everywhere. I'm a Rover. - JT


Nana korobi ya oki
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail
Display posts from previous:   
Post new topic   Reply to topic    K11 Owners Group Forum Index -> Pictures All times are GMT - 4 Hours
Goto page Previous  1, 2
Page 2 of 2

 
Jump to:  
You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum


Powered by phpBB © 2001, 2005 phpBB Group