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

Test 2

This is a test from my phone with a picture of the nx650

test post

This the first test post with a picture of the trip bike.

--
J. Braun
Amston CT USA
xl600v <at> gmail <dot> com

Speed is not a four letter word!

Free Magazine

Roadgear is having another promotion with Motorcyclist magazine. Free subscription for the first 10,000 people to sign up.

Here is the link http://roadgear.com//-i-111.html

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New Bike

1982 CB1100F

 

586 pounds of motor! Doesn't matter what gear you're in, when you twist the grip it takes off like a jet fighter. In the twisties it's not exactly flickable but it's solid and stable which inspires confidence.

On 6 Sept I'll be leaving for San Francisco on this. I'll be taking the old US Route 6 across country. I'll be posting pictures and stories along the way. Stay tuned.

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Sounds like fun

This guy is really good!



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All Grown Up

 

My brother's daughter got married this weekend. How time passes. It's a cliche but it seems like only yesterday that she and her friends were piling into the back of my pickup so we could sneak down to the lake for ice cream. I don't think we really fooled her mother but it was great fun pretending.

Now she's married to Michael and I'm a fond memory in the rear view mirror.

Congratulations to them and Bon Voyage.

Life is a wild ride!

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What are you doing on the 21st? - City Version

If you can't or don't want to come out to the country and ride in the Tiddler Tour there is the Velocity show in Brooklyn.

Details are here. I've attended this in the past and always had a good time. There are plenty of interesting bikes, great people watching, and good food and drink. Unfortunately, I can't be at this and the TT both. Darn!

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Ugly bikes

When punk music first came out it was a revolt against disco and the over-produced housewife rock of the times. However, it was soon a genre of me-too mediocrity.

The bobbers, cafe bikes, and rat rods are following the same path. There is certainly a lot of great workmanship going into some of these bikes but, to me, it's all looking the same and getting pretty boring. Check out a few of them here and make up your own mind which are the ones that really stand out.

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