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.