Size Matters

Owning a pickup means that everything you own is either wet or stolen. I loved my Buick Roadmaster Custom Cruiser station wagon but the price for good ones is going up by leaps and bounds.

So now a 1976 Chevy Suburban will soon be in the driveway for towing duty. With a 454 big block engine it will tow anything on wheels. Stopping at the gas station should be a thrilling experience.

The RED plaid upholstery is a real bonus. And the faux wood-grain dash is pure Detroit.

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Bike Show Sunday

In case you happen to be in Brazil on Sunday this looks like a great show in Sao Paulo.

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Gas Can

The new gas cans you buy at Auto Zone or WalMart all have the new safety cutoff valve that is impossible to use by anyone with only two hands. In a word, they suck. Another hit from the Nanny State who wants to make sure we don't hurt ourselves. How long before we find only Play School plastic hammers at Home Depot?

However, there is help from VP Racing Fuels. Their racing fuel jugs are even easier to use than the old red containers. The big hose can bend into the tank for no-spill fills. And the separate breather port allows air intake so you're not standing around waiting for the gas to gurgle out.

But wait, there's more! Street Side Auto is selling them for only $20.99 plus $7.99 for the Deluxe Tube. That's about $15 cheaper (jug+hose) than I've seen them for sale locally. I ordered two of each and got FREE FedEx shipping that arrived two days after my order. Too bad these guys don't sell motorcycle parts, the service is great.

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Touring Europe in 1953

Here is a great remembrance of a motorcycle tour of Europe in 1953. I won't even try to comment as the story is much better than my poor words.

Read all the way to the end. The bit about the father in his '70's and the red bike doing the ton is priceless!

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When too much is just right

Visiting the barber museum is an exercise in futility. No way can you see at all or appreciate it all. Certainly not in the limited time we had to enjoy it. We'll be back!!

It should be on everybody's list of things to do.

Racing Problems

Getting to the track is the hard part sometimes. These guys are not having a good time!

Think you're having a bad day?

I have to admit I've never seen a bike break in half like this on a race course. It seemed like a pretty straight forward sliding fall until the bike started doing pirouettes in the air.

At least the rider was safe and ready to ride another day, on another bike.

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Another free magazine from Roadgear

I don't know how they do it but here is a free subscription to Sport Rider courtesy of our friends at Roadgear.

Click here for the form.

On the ill fated trip across country last month that was aborted by the flood my gear was Roadgear and for once I didn't have a wet crotch!

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On the road again

No data links while I was in Yosemite. Finally back to civilization. More tomorrow.

Flood Pictures

US 6 Flooded

The pictures from the trip are here. Keep in mind that I was more interested in escaping the flood than taking pictures of it. Luckily I had a waterproof camera (Pentax W-30) that could take pictures in the rain.

Brake calipers and the crud that washed out from them

Here is a picture of the brake calipers that had to be taken apart and rebuilt. The water and mud had taken a toll and I've ordered new parts to make them safe.

I'm flying to San Francisco this afternoon to complete the trip. It's clear and sunny. I have high hopes this time. While I'm out there I'm going to write up an account of the trip as the explorers of old once did. I'll post it here in the days to come.
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Home

 
I'm home, safe and dry. The bike took a beating with the mud and water crossings in the flood. I made it to Jay's and then Beth came and got me with the pickup.

I'm gathering the pictures I took and will put them up tomorrow with a complete story. 

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Water receding

There may be hope of getting out today

Flood Party

The river is supposed to crash tonight at about 1130. After that it'll take at least a day to come down to levels were we can pass on the road. So it looks like I'm stuck here until saturday. In the meantime there's no food. The water has run out. I made a beer run in the morning on the motorcycle but that's running out too. The red cross is it won't be able to get here with supplies until tomorrow so it looks like lean times.
In the meantime we're bored to death, party as we can, and hope for the best.

No rain Lots of water

I'm stuck on an island in the middle of a lake. The Susquehanna river is supposed to crest at 8pm tonite. No way home today.

Parked!!

Route 6 was flooded out so I tried to go around it I taking some back roads ran into nothing but flooding and roads that were rivers because the ground can't hold a water anymore. To top it off Jay loaned me his tent and mattress and I lost them somewhere trying to find a passage to move west.

Now they're predicting more flooding and flash floods so I'm thinking of turning around. Weather map is showing rain all the way through Illinois. Enough is enough. Besides I like the 1100 so much I think I wanna keep it.

Tomorrow morning I'll look at the weather map again but right now I think it's over. Its supposed to be fun and I've got nothing to prove.

Day 2 More rain

Jay's cabin, a refuge for the night. The rain was so hard on the metal roof over night that I thought I was back in Hurricane Irene.
It looks good at the moment but I can see on the weather map that there are thunder storms a head.

Rain rain and more rain

It started off as a clear day and I had high hopes that I would miss the rain. The first hour wasn't bad and then the proverbial poop hit the fan. At the new york border it started to rain and then it started to pour, then it tapered off, then it rained some more. And some more. I thought I would get a break by stopping at my favorite diner but they were closed. Back into the rain I went. Now it was just a death march to get to Jay's house and a warm shower. That's when disaster struck, The driver in another car gestured to me that I was losing the pack on the back of the bike. I pulled over to find my tent in my sleeping pad for history. I went back about 5 miles in retraced my steps thinking thatI the missing pieces couldn't have fallen off too much before the guy told me. They have either fallen off long before or they were off in the bushes were I couldn't find them. Back to the road in onward to Jay's. Chili and cornbread will make you forget a lot of things Is certainly improve my spirits immensely. Now for a good night sleep and back into the rain predicted for tomorrow.

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Cross Country Trip 2011

The Bike - 1983 CB1100F

The Plan - US Route 6 - CT to CA

I was going to fly out to Calif to see my parents when I suddenly became unemployed. Too good an opportunity to pass up I thought. Jet Blue said that I could change my reservations for a small fee ($100) but that it would be cheaper to just not show up for the flight west and then use the eastbound half of the ticket. You have to love airline thinking.

My first choice was my NX650 but then my friend Paul called me and told me about this cool bike that I had to go see. I went, I saw, I bought! The CB1100F is an old school UJM (Universal Japanese Motorcycle). Inline 4 cylinder engine, long wheelbase, upright seating. It has power everywhere, not hot rod power but smooth, effortless power everywhere in the rev range. At 586 pounds it's not "flickable" but it is rock solid once you set it up for a curve and is agile enough for spirited riding in the twisties. Add a comfy seat and a tiny wind screen and it just begs to eat the miles.

US Route 6 runs from Provincetown MA to Los Angeles CA. This was the main way to get from New England to the west coast before there were interstates. Unlike Rt 66 most of it still exists and is a trip back into an earlier America. I've ridden parts of it but never the entire length. This time I will.

I've got a couple of friends to see along the way but I have no reservations or time schedule other than being in Yosemite by the 16th. Some days may be fast, others may be short. I'll be camping whenever I can but I've always been a sucker for a '50's style motel.

I'll keep posting progress here each day. Stay tuned for more adventure.
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Choices

I knew I had made a good choice 20 years ago when she suggested a better cleaner instead of having a hizzyfit about the MX boots in the kitchen sink.

Test 3

Yet another test