Spit and Polish

The logo is ready! And it looks really sweet. I've added it to this blog and my Twitter account. Next I'll be printing stickers.

So I've always coveted my buddy Pedro's Redmond-to-Rio sticker. He had some printed up for his ride to South America. The design is really clean and I always seem to see them in unexpected places. This December, I spotted one of his stickers on an adventure bike on display at the Seattle Motorcycle Show.

You can find Redmond to Rio on Facebook. Just search for it.

So after struggling with my own design concepts--I no longer have access to PhotoShop and was trying to pull something together using PowerPoint (don't ask)--a local graphic designer with no free time of her own turned me on to Etsy. There I found a St Louis-based designer named Matt Cockrum, and he's working on designs for me right now. He's got a great bold touch. I'm anxious to see how it plays out.

Check back to see what he designs.

Baby Got Back

So Christmas has come and gone, like a lead-footed rider pushing the Castrol Rocket across the Bonneville Salt Flats. We still manage to capture magic this time of year, no matter how fleeting, and I look forward to the new year with optimism that our efforts to imbue the kids with a sense of wonder will pay off for them later in life.

All three of our kids managed to make it into the double-digits believing in Santa Claus. It took a lot of work on our behalf; nibbling on the cookies and milk well after midnight, running around the house in the black of night with the jingle bells, and equipping our kids with the intellectual means for fending off naysayers. And we're happy to say we have one remaining who still believes, though this may be his last year for it.

I know parents who share our point of view; childhood lasts just a few years and most of us spend the majority of our lives as adults (not always as mature, but as adults). We want our kids to bask in the joy of childhood as long as they can. Santa is a big part of that.

There are plenty of other parents who do not share our outlook on Santa. Through the years, the ones who managed to equip their children with a lack of belief but not the mechanics to keep their mouths shut often caused our kids temporary frustration, but not long-term pain (as can be the case with crueler children). I believe this is due to the key requirement for belief: faith.

Belief requires a suspension of the facts in order to achieve an understanding. And you can't have faith without believing in something inexplainable.

Not so inexplainable is the discomfort that comes with riding a motorcycle over long distances. As much as I love my Tiger, a 50-year old butt sitting on a 6-year old seat gets a little painful even after 250 miles, much less 5,000.

So I was very happy this year that Santa Claus brought me an Airhawk 2 Comfort Seating System for Christmas. It will definitely come in handy for the coast-to-coast run this spring.

The Airhawk 2 mounted on the Tiger.

Rather than a gel seat or a lambs wool pad for my tenders, the Airhawk 2 will be providing a cushion of air (a cush for my tush) that both cools the underside and softs the vibrations. I'm looking forward to getting on the road for a long ride, even before the Puget-to-Potomac Run just to see if it makes a difference.

Sitting on the Airhawk 2 feels a little funny at first. The padding is created through multiple air cells with narrow vents between them, so as you shift in the seat, air is slowly squeezed from cell to cell, giving you a kind of squishy Jell-o feel under your butt.

There's always room for Jell-o.

As excited as I am to get on the road with the Airhawk 2, there are a few concerns nagging at the back of my head:

• The pad raises the height of my already tall motorcycle seat, and I already look like a doofus when I'm geared up and trying to pull my leg up and over. Doing that after a thousand miles will be... interesting.
• I've read some reviews in which riders say the air leaked out of their Airhawks after a few hundred miles. You add air by blowing through the valve (pictured above).
• The Airhawk attaches to the seat by means of two straps (pictured below). The hook-and-loop looks like it could be a little flimsy. I'd rather have a buckle.

Hook-and-loop attach mechanism.

Anxiety Busters

A friend asked me today how I cope with anxiety. The immediate response was: exercise; go for a run or walk, and avoid caffeine and sugar foods. But as I continued to think about her question, I thought I could do a lot better than those two answers.

For the few of you who read this blog, or know me, you'll recognize that I'm often on the move. Part of that is due to anxiety. And one of the reasons for planning a two-day stop at Mount Rushmore and Crazy Horse is to see just how much I can allow myself to relax. That stopover combined with the ride across South Dakota and Iowa are sure to tax my ability to calmly be in the moment.

I don't know if anxiety is ever beatable, but it can be managed. Here's a list anxiety-busters that have worked for me from time-to-time and might work for you:

• Exercise through cardio-vascular activity
• Avoid caffeine and sugar foods
• Perform good deeds. helping others is a sure-fire way to get out of your own head
• Take a long, hot bath or shower
• Meditate. Own 10-15 minutes to clear the mind of distractions and worries
• Laugh 'til you cry
• Pitch in. Get busy on tasks that benefit others without having to be asked
• Listen to loud music and sing along
• Journal. Start every day writing longhand and stream-of-consciousness
• Find a buddy and hug it out
• Pray
• Monitor food intake. You may find that slight allergies or food intolerances put you on edge

I don't recommend talking out anxieties unless the person you are talking to is a certified therapist and you are paying them for the session. Friends will tolerate only so much verbal processing. Also, avoid self-medicating through drinking and drugs.

Peace out.

Wax On, Wax Off

As previously mentioned in "I'm an Orange Guy, Too," I picked up some leather conditioner at the recent Seattle Motorcycle Show. None of my leathers are on the packing list for the Ride--this is to be a strictly textiles trip--with the exception of the boots. But since booth saleswoman did such a good job of getting me to buy a tin of The Original Australian Leather Seal, it seemed like a good Sunday afternoon task to see what it could do for my BMG Montana jacket.


The instructions for the ALS are simple; apply with a cloth on warm leather, and then buff with a cloth or brush. I used a clean terry cloth from the garage for application, and a brush from my Dad's old shoeshine kit for buffing.

I grabbed an old beach towel from the linen closet for the work surface and got down to business.


The photo to the left shows the immediate effect of the Leather Seal. Though the beeswax is colorless, it can darken your material, as is stated on the tin.

The left side of the jacket is freshly sealed and nearly black. I didn't mind so much because when I ordered the jacket, it was marketed as black. The Leather Seal gets the tone of the jacket closer to where I want it.


The instructions for the ALS say you don't have to use too much to apply on surfaces, and my application was probably a little light. However, I'm really pleased with the results. The jacket isn't greasy, and water beads right off the leather. The combination of beeswax and leather smells great. I'll probably start wearing it on a daily basis in Seattle's rainy winter conditions. I also like the all-natural ingredients.

The tin of Australian Leather Seal cost $20 at the motorcycle show. I couldn't find it on Amazon, but there are online stores that carry it. Search for "The Original Australian Leather Seal."

"I'm an Orange Guy, Too"

"You get that helmet here?"

"Hm? No, I've had it a while."

"I'm an orange guy, too."

Riding a motorcycle brings with it a paradox--riders love to get out on the road, to be free, to be individuals. But they are always looking for ways to connect with other bikers. That's why we're always waving at each other.

Today's connection happened at the Seattle Motorcycle Show. I had my fill of walking the booths and was reviewing my loot. The parallel of a kid coming home from trick-or-treating was not lost on me--not when they supply me with a goody bag on the way in.

"Pretty slim pickings for a trade show (helmet not included)."

The helmet was set on a ledge along with my takeaways right in the main hallway. I didn't notice the guy at first, but he was really happy to find somebody else who believed in the Power of Orange. We weren't alone though, minutes after he stopped to talk, another person noticed the helmet and struck up a conversation with me. 

"Did I like the orange helmet?"

"Does it reflect at night?"

She doesn't like riding at night because it's more difficult to be seen. But the orange got her thinking that the basic black trap many riders fall into may not be the best idea when it comes to getting the attention of car drivers. It's tough enough when drivers fail to notice the presence of a bike on road--roar of the engine and all. Maybe blending in with the background and the night leaves something to be desired for long-term viability.

So about the show. It wasn't the worst show I've been to ("He-llooo San Antonio Motorcycle Show"), but it was far from the best. Of course, my jaded outlook may also be due to the fact that I've gone to so many of these--first in DC, then SA, and now Seattle. What made the SA show the bottom of the barrel? Because it had more tattoo artists than cycle product vendors. Those tattoos seemed to have just as much bacteria as ink. But I'm off-topic again...

What follows is a recap from what I took from the show. A lot of stuff was left in the booths because they didn't seem to contribute to the needs of the Ride. And I didn't bother to hop on any of the bikes there because I don't have plans to buy a new bike anytime soon. But here's hoping that a few of these wind up under the Christmas tree.

Australian Leather Seal
"C'mon then and puht your buht up hee-ah," was what the freckled redhead instructed me when she caught me watching the demo. How could I argue with that accent? It sounded legit enough, and if she was a local actress then she carried it off pretty well.

The Sheila spun her yarn ("Yahrn") with all the fluidness of somebody who's said it one-hundred times already that day; explaining the value of the natural ingredients, how it creates a waterproof coating on leather ("Leh-thehr"), vinyl, or timber ("Teehm-behr"). After a few minutes of application and buffer, she sprayed water on my old leather boots, which beaded right off.

I don't know that it was really needed in my gearbox, but her sale was so strong that I picked up a $20 can. In a future posting I'll show how it went on the leather jacket.

HealTech Electronics Brake Light Pro
You've read my posts enough to know that as much as I love riding, being in traffic with car drivers makes me nervous. Any gadget that promises to help me be seen will always get my attention. The Brake Light Pro from HealTech is a nifty little device that you splice onto your brake wire. When you apply the brakes, the light flashes a few times before going solid. I grabbed the brochure and placed it strategically in the kitchen hoping Mrs. Claus gets the hint.

Moto-Skiveez
You know who thinks that padded underwear is funny? Nobody who rides a motorcycle or bike. I ride both, and nothing's worse than getting rubbed the wrong way after a long ride. Yeah, I can hear you snickering.

The CEO of the company and I had a good chat--we both ride Tigers--and he explained in his schpiel the difference between cycling shorts and his product. It all comes down to the padding matching the rider's posture. Though I've got padded cycling shorts that would help for long rides, having a product designed for riding a motorcycle would be a better option.

The brochure and special show code are also sitting on the kitchen counter for Mrs. Claus.

Alaska, Ho!
Alaska has been in my sights for a couple years now as a biking destination. And last spring I started investigating the Alaska Ferry. Since its most southern port is 90 minutes north in Bellingham, it wouldn't take much to hitch a ride. But my planning always fell short in choosing spots to visit. Thankfully, the woman at the booth had just enough information to help me lock on potential routes.

The info in the photo at the right is also on their website, but not organized as well. This trip is my late summer back-up plan if Puget2Potomac falls through.

Twisted Throttle Catalog
I've been shopping with these guys for a couple years now, either direct or through the dealership. Their products are solid and well-priced. There's another after-market juggernaut out there that specializes in adventure riding, but their prices are always sky-high.

Like the Alaska Ferry literature, sometimes it's just better to have a glossy catalog for window-shopping instead of a website. This one always gets preferential treatment for my gear.



So that's what I walked away with for $12 and a couple hours on a Saturday afternoon. Below are some of the bikes that were on-display. Enjoy!

I Got Gas and Can't Get Lost

OK, so a month and a-half since my last update isn't the best way to remain fresh with planning this trip. It just so happens that the end of August and the entire month of September is one long blur of last-blast vacations, mini-trips, school starts, football season, and in my family, back-to-back-to-back birthdays. And as much I would love to totally zone on my single-man coast-to-coast trip, family comes first.

In looking ahead to the trip--now just 7 months away--one of the realities that needs to be accounted for in planning is bike fuel. My Tiger gets approximately 225 miles to the tank, depending on the ride. That comes to about 13 fill-ups along the way. Since most of the trip will be on highway roads, I'm not too worried about running out of gas. And with the AAA membership, if the tank does hit the big "E," emergency service should be a phone call away.

I definitely do not have the rights to use this image.

One of the accessories for sale on bike vendor websites is the extra fuel canister. They carry less than a-half a gallon of liquid and attached to side cases. They are also usually bright red. 

As much as the idea of adding these to my bike seems like an awesome adventure bike add-on, they also seem unnecessary for this trip. If my goal was to explore the upper-reaches of Canada and take the Tiger into the wilds of BC, then sure, I definitely see the need.

Take, for instance, the author of this story. His trek and the one I took in August--from Seattle to Vancouver Island--started the same, but he and his pack dwarfed my little trip. For a trip like that, you definitely want back-up fuel supplies. When you're on a ride like that, civilization is in the rear-view mirror the whole way.

Which leads me to my next point: getting lost. A year ago, I rode from Seattle out to Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, and then on to Glacier National Park. Somewhere in Montana, I zigged when I should zagged, and found myself technically lost. I didn't know where to go, had no phone signal, and there were no road signs pointing me the way.

So I rode.

I consciously rode with no route in mind and no way to contact anybody for help. In the back of my mind, I knew that civilization would eventually pop up. Probably in the form of a small farming town with one or two gas stations. But for that one moment, time spun backwards to a point when adventure meant discovering something new, seeing places and people unknown, and really being in the moment.

I'm betting that the upcoming trip will have distractions; text messages from home, calls from the office, and worries about cellphone coverage. And with a route that's pretty direct, the chances of getting lost are slim. But if there's one thing that promises to suspend the structure of this trip, and really make it an adventure, it's the opportunity to get lost. I hope it happens.

As long as I have gas.

Papa's Got a Brand New Bag

So I've got this buddy Pedro who's put more mileage on his bikes in the past several years than anybody I know.

• First, he rode with some friends from Redmond up to Barrow, Alaska. And, yep, he went for a brief swim in Prudhoe Bay once he got there.
• And last year, he rode from Redmond to Rio de Janeiro. Check out his trip log on Facebook. Yeah, that's right: 13,000 on a 650 Suzuki V-Strom.

One of the many tips I've picked up from Pedro for long-haul rides is to make sure everything stays dry. Seems obvious, because it's what I preach to my kids when we go skiing (the Cascades are snowy and notoriously wet), and hiking/camping: stay warm and dry, but you can't be warm if you're not dry.

One way to keep everything dry on long rides is to invest in a dry bag system.

After researching the available options on the market, I settled on the DrySpec D66 Waterproof Dry Bag Modular Packing System.

In orange, of course.

The DrySpec D38 mounted on the back of
my Triumph Tiger.

The DrySpec D66 is actually a two-bag system comprised of the D28 and the D38 (the numbers refer to the liters carrying capacity). 

I went with the two-bag system, rather than a one-size-fits-all single bag system to allow for better compartmentalism of gear on the road. This is important, because when you pull into a campsite in a downpour, you want to keep your clothes and sleeping bag nice and dry while you pull the tent out for set-up. Keeping gear in smaller waterproof bags is another thing I picked up from Pedro. It's best if the bags are see-through. 

My first test run of the D66 system was for the trip to Vancouver Island. The summer weather on the Big Island (second biggest in the Pacific Ocean) is dry, so I wasn't testing for waterproof-ness. This test was for carrying capacity, easy of access, and attaching to the bike. For the record, I took just the D38 with me. Here are my initial thoughts:

•  Attaching the D38 to my bike was pretty easy. Just loop each of the 4 straps to secure parts of the bike and slide the strap anchors through the bag loop. The Tiger lacks a symmetrical attaching configuration, but the straps will secure to anything you can loop around.
• The internal plastic frame of the D38 holds the bag shape pretty well and keeps the bag from sagging over the edge of the rear seat and into the bike's moving parts. It also prevents annoying wind flapping.
• The opening of the bag on top is like a mouth, rather than a 3-sided flap that unzips. This helps keep your stuff dry but it also can make it tough to dig around for gear. Best to have some sort of logical packing system so you know where to dig when you are in a hurry.
• The D66 comes in three colors; black, gray, and orange. You know I like to be seen on the road. Having the D38 strapped across the back of my bike gave me a little extra sense that drivers behind me would see the bike.

The D38 on the Tiger on the ferry from 
Sidney, BC to Anacortes, WA.

The bike is going to need a few more trials before I head to the East Coast, but I'm confident that I made the right choice.

Me and My HD Ghost

One of the side goals of P2P is to capture footage of the ride. I'll be crossing through some magnificent scenery and I want to capture it right.

In looking around for an action video camera (vidcam), I settled on the Drift HD Ghost. It's not the market leader, but if you read all the user reviews, you'll see that it doesn't have all the quality issues that come with GoPro.

The Drift HD Ghost is a sweet little unit. It's solid, compact and bullet shaped. This is more appealing to me than the other vidcams on the market. Since I'll be using it mainly for riding, being aerodynamic is a plus.

My Drift HD Ghost gear.

What you see in the photo to the right is pretty close to what you get out-of-the-box with a Drift HD Ghost purchase. Everything in the photo (starting upper-right and going clockwise):

• Remote control and wrist strap. The colored lights let you know it's on and recording
• The HD Ghost. LCD screen and four-button controls along the top
• Microphone. Purchased extra
• Bar mount. Purchased extra
• Camera mounting clip

The unit comes with a couple mounting clips. With the HD Ghost mounting clips, you really are making a commitment since they have a strong adhesive and bond to whatever they come into contact. 

I have yet to try the microphone. I bought it because the HD Ghost mic is overwhelmed by wind noise at high speeds.

In view: the black clip on the helmet
and on the top of the side case.

For my current set-up, I've chosen the right side of my helmet and the right side case of my Tiger. Each has its positives and negatives:

• Helmet
• Pros: Stable footage and POV angle
• Con: Lots of wind noise
• Side Case
• Pros: Great off-center view of the ride. Engine is audible.
• Cons: Side case doesn't absorb road vibration very well and the camera can get knocked loose

See for yourself what I mean about the pros and cons in the raw footage below. 






By now, most folks have seen my Glacier National Park video, which you can see here. Here's another example of footage from the side case angle:




One thing I still want to do is experiment with other mounting options. This guy has some great ideas on shooting motorcycle footage.

Can You Hear Me Now?

By now you've read my thoughts on safety. Most of my gear decisions are based on protection and visibility (Hello, orange helmet!). Being heard is just as important, especially when you're in the blind spot of a car at 70 miles an hour.

There are three ways to make yourself heard when you're on a motorcycle:

1. Honk your horn
2. Rev your engine
3. Scream real loud

The second one works well when riding a Harley Davidson, but not as much when you're on a touring bike.

The third one is iffy because you're competing with car noise, radios, conversations, traffic, and in the case of full-face helmets, your own head protection.

It's the first one I'm focusing on with this post.

PIAA horn: NIB. Stock horn on the right.

Since most bikes come with stock horns that serve their purpose and not much else, I replaced the stock horn on my 2009 Triumph Tiger 1050 with a PIAA Slim-Line Sports Horn. This was my second attempt; during the first attempt, the horn stopped working, but the guys at I-90 Motorsports in Issaquah and the PIAA distributor took care of me and gave me a free replacement.

On the '09 Tiger 1050, the horn is mounted right between the front fork. It's an ideal position for projecting sound and just a little tricky for replacement. I had to be really patient with the 12mm wrench--no full rotations here--each time I loosened and tightened the bolt. 

Triumph gives you just enough wire.

There's also two extra wrinkles in replacing horn on my Tiger; the stock wires are just long enough to reach the stock horn, and the mounting bolt is off-center near the left fork. To work within these restrictions, I had to carefully, very carefully, pivot the Slim-Line mounting arm to a position where I could thread the bolt through, get the wires to reach their connectors, and get the wrench in to tighten the bolt. This is probably not unusual for mechanics, but for a guy who doesn't spend a lot of time under the hood, it was a little nerve-wracking.

Rubber washers and
blue lock are extra.

The Slim-Line comes out of the box ready to mount--it's plug-and-play--but I wanted a little extra security in the installation, so I inserted rubber washers on each side of the mounting arm through the mounting bolt (to absorb vibration), and dropped a little blue lock on the threads of the bolt for an extra grip. Probably not necessary, but it didn't seem to hurt.

Since the last time I tried this I made a bit of a mess, the PIAA rep suggested that this time I mount the horn and then attach the wires. That seemed to do the trick because the horn worked on the first try.

Check out the video below to hear the difference between the two horns.

The PIAA Slim-Line Sports Horn currently sells for about $65.

Sometimes you just can't avoid stupid

So this thing about safety: I find that it's never really over-rated. Whether on a motorcycle on the highway, or in a car in city traffic, accidents happen. And with the advent of action video cameras (vidcams), a lot more motorcycle accidents are getting captured and uploaded to the Interwebs. Take this video for example:

Each crash makes me wince. Especially the ones you can see coming a mile away. Each crash reinforces for me the need to wear a helmet and protective gear. Each one practically screams: go easy on wet pavement, don't do stunts, always look out for the other guy, don't split lanes" (Sorry California, but splitting lanes is just stupid), and don't ride motorcycles in Asia.

Required gear for the road: coffee, protein,
maps, and Shoei RF 1100.

On my ride to Glacier National Park last year, I noticed that Idaho and Montana don't have helmet laws. Sure, it can get hot riding on a summer day, but one bad accident can cause more harm than ruining your day.

So, not to be too much of a bummer of a posting, I'm closing out with my video from the Glacier ride. Thank you, Boston! Enjoy!

Class Act

1) Safety
2) Comfort
3) Style

This is the order I use for making my gear choices.  So when I head out next Spring for my cross-country journey, I'll be loaded up with gear that's been acquired with these priorities in mind.

In switching from a cruiser to a dual-sport bike, I joined a new class of riders. You see, within the motorcycling community there are different classes of bike types, and each has specialized types of gear. You can read about the different types here.

Mix, match, and Mojo.

So far, I've managed to avoid committing to one class of gear. What I wear has been a kind of mish-mash; a textile jacket, combined with jeans, leather chaps, and Army swamp boots. But the more I get into touring, the more I find myself gearing up to suit the ride.

My previous bike; the Suzuki Volusia, was a cruiser, but I never bought a leather jacket until last year. Before that, I wore textile jackets. The first was a Fieldsheer Mach 1. Plenty of armor and extremely lightweight. Perfect for summer riding in Virginia. But it wasn't so waterproof or warm, and after a few years got a little snug across the waist. If I have to suck in my gut to zip up a jacket, it's time for a new jacket.

So next I picked up a 3-season Teknic textile jacket. I still have it and up until recently was my primary riding jacket. It's a great cover for tour-style riding. It's really comfortable, and warm and dry. But it's showing its age along the piping. It's also black. Since I tend to be the slightly nervous type, I had been thinking of a replacement for a while with something that's easier to see.

A hornet snacking on the remains of
something during a stop in Kalispell, MT.

The newest jacket I picked up specifically for this trip. The First Gear Kilimajaro is a serious motorcycle jacket. It's all-season and waterproof. Armored. White. Yeah, I know. It's white.

I try to avoid all white clothing because I'm a chronic spiller. Plus, when you're out on the road in the summer, you tend to collide with flying objects; small rocks and bugs. When I traveled last August to Glacier National Park in Montana, the hornets would swarm my bike at each stop--they really honed in on the 'protein' that stuck to the front of my bike. Knowing that I'll be riding into a lot bugs as I cross the country, I full-well expect to resemble a Jackson Pollock painting by the time I hit Iowa.

One last note about jackets: last fall I picked up a BMG leather jacket. Armored and good-looking, I can wearing it on the bike or off (without looking like a doofus). It will stay home for this trip.

For pants, I've been wearing jeans for years. Namely, an extra-long pair of Northeast Outfitters from Dick's Sporting Goods. No padding, but they're long so I avoid the cold breezes up the leg. That was really important with the feet-forward Suzuki cruiser. I tried the waterproof pullovers a couple times; Frog Togs. But they aren't worth the money in my book; always ripping or getting holes burned in them from the engine.

Recently I picked up a pair of cold weather and waterproof Tour Master Venture pants. I like the feel of the armor and extra layers to stay warm. But when I wear jeans under them, the denim and the overpants bunch up behind the knees, which causes a fair amount of discomfort. I have to stretch my legs while riding more often. I still need to try them wearing shorts, and also with the liner removed. I'm already making mental notes for stretch stops along the P2P ride.

EDD: Early May

So the other day I was riding my Tiger back home from the shop. Fresh brakes installed and breaking in at every red light. The ride was less than 10 miles and along some beautiful scenery; the eastern side of Lake Sammamish. It was a beautiful day of blue skies, sunshine, and high temperatures.

My Tiger parked above the Columbia River in Eastern Washington.

Now, for those of you who do not live in the Pacific Northwest, high temperatures includes anything over 70 degrees. Live here long enough after living anywhere else and your body becomes acclimated to narrow temperature fluctuations--it's neither really cold nor really hot. And when it is, you feel it.

So there I was, riding in a short-sleeve shirt feeling might toasty, when it occurred to me that my Puget-to-Potomac run is planned for next summer. That's not a problem for here, but crossing the Midwest and into the Mid-Atlantic states in late June or mid-July will probably wilt me.

Don't even get me started on the humidity.

Portrait of my father and my grandfather's medals displayed
during last year's Veteran's Day ceremony at school.

So, in sharing my concerns with Cece, she came up with the great idea of arriving in DC for Memorial Day in time for Rolling Thunder. Brilliant. I leave Seattle in mid-May under probable cool, gray skies, and arrive in DC to the last bloom of cherry blossoms and one of the largest annual congregations of motorcyclists in the country. I've never ridden in Rolling Thunder, so it would be a great cap to the journey.

And as Rolling Thunder is the annual ride to remember our soldiers who fell in combat or are missing, I can also combine it with a visit to Arlington National Cemetery, to visit the tombstones of my father and grandfather.

So right now, the estimated departure date (EDD) is mid-May. 

Next up, staying warm and dry.

Dems da Brakes

One of the advantages of mapping out this trip so far in advance is that I can spread out my expenses over the course of the year. One big expense that I just had to invest in was new brake pads for the Tiger.

At the end of the road on Mt Baker.

The bike was purchased used last year. It's a 2009 and had about 9,000 miles on it. When I got it checked out by my mechanic (I-90 Motorsports in Issaquah), he gave me about 2,000-3,000 miles to go before the brakes needed to be replaced. Sure enough, the warning squeaks started kicking on my trip back from Mt Baker last month.

Replacing brake pads on a motorcycle is something that most mechanically-minded riders could handle during a w
eekend afternoon. But then, I'm not mechanically-minded and the weekend afternoons are meant for riding.

To replace the pads, the mechanic needed to pull off the disc brake from the tire, pull apart the brakes, insert the pads and then reattached. Here's a video from the UK in which the narrator replaces the brake pads on an old Tiger. I'm more than happy to have a professional do this for me.

What I need is a motorcycle maintenance class. This would save me some money in the long run. Plus, it would provide a sense of Zen.

However, I did get a free popsicle when I picked up the bike.

So one key tip I picked up from the mechanic is that in contrast to new tires (bought those last year), which can be a little slippery for the first hundred miles, new brake pads can make stopping somewhat abrupt.

Mapping The Route

Surprisingly, the easiest part of the trip has been mapping out the route. There aren't a lot of options for heading east from Seattle without adding a lot of unproductive, butt-sore, riding to the trip. The goal is to enjoy the journey--don't rush and don't waste too much time.

The first couple days will be easy: head east on I-90 through Washington, Idaho, and Montana. Once I get to Wyoming, I'll take the first planned detour: Devil's Tower National Monument. This place has been a fixture in my imagination since Spielberg's "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" and has carried on to my present family life. We still make jokes at dinner whenever mashed potatoes are served, whispering, "this means something."

From DTNM, I'll take my next detour to Mt Rushmore and Crazy Horse Memorial. This will actually be a real test to see if I can relax for a couple days, do some sight-seeing, and not feel the need to rush east. It'll be important to build up my energy because the next leg of the trip is the hardest: South Dakota to Iowa.

I don't have a lot of expectations for this leg of the journey, yet. The map suggests long and straight roads. This can become boring if not managed right, and boring leads to sloppy riding. 

From Des Moines, the next planned stop will be around Indianapolis. I'd go directly to Columbus if I could but that's a long day to push it. It will be good to be back on campus at Ohio State, but that might need to wait a day.

The drive from Columbus to DC is very doable in a day--I've done it before--but it might be nice to stop for the night in Maryland on the outskirts of the metro area and then ride fresh into DC.

One of the big lingering decisions to make is whether I ride back home to Washington state or ship the bike and fly home.

The route east breaks down like this:

• Leave Redmond (dipping the tire will take place in the afternoon the day before) and drive east on I-90.
• Stay on I-90E through Spokane-Coeur d’Alene-Missoula-Butte-Billings-Sheridan.
• Hotel 1 night in Missoula (477 miles / 7 hrs 10 min)
• Camp 1 night at Devil’s Tower (1,117 miles / 16 hrs 21 min)
• Camp 2 nights at Mt Rushmore / Crazy Horse Memorial (1,234 miles / 18 hrs 33 min)
• Stay 1 night Des Moines (1,895 miles / 28 hrs)
• Stay 1 night Indianapolis (2,366 miles / 35 hrs)
• Stay 1 night Columbus (2,543 miles / 38 hrs)
• Arrive Washington DC (2,947 miles / 44 hrs)

Kicking Off the Bike Ride Blog

This September, I turn 50. The Big 5-0. In commemoration of this feat, I will be bridging present with past by riding my motorcycle from the West Coast to the East Coast. Specifically, I'll be dipping a tire in Puget Sound at the start and doing the same at the end. The current choices to mark the start and finish are Seattle's 14th Ave NW Boat Ramp in the west and Washington Sailing Marina in the east. A tip o' the hat to Cindy Gunn for the idea.

Planning out a year in advance will really stretch out this 2,940 mile trip, and this blog will cover route planning, bike modifications, gear acquisition, and meet-ups along the way.

First up: the bike.

My bike is a 2009 Triumph Tiger 1050. I picked her up last year after riding the old 2003 Suzuki Volusia for 10 years. That was a good bike, but I love my Tiger.

The Tiger allows me to ride upright, which is my preferred seating position--the cruiser positioned me leaning back and set the center of gravity toward the back of the bike. Not a problem until you hit some of Washington State's wonderful rain grooves. With the weight displayed toward the back, the front tire would catch the grooves and cause it to swerve with the grooves. Now with the Tiger, the weight is distributed nicely in the center. I know the grooves are below on the road, but they don't steer the bike.

Some of the features that came with the bike include heated handlebars and computer system that measures average speed, top speed (109 mph to far), miles until empty (my favorite), as well as trip time.

Since buying the bike, I've added SW Mo-tech hard cases, a rear bag, and replaced the tires. This week I get new brake pads.

So if you have ideas on how to make the ride more fun or mods for the bike, let me know here.