2009...what a good year for riding

[wheatonFJR]

I thought I'd summarize what great riding trips I had in 2009...it was a great year after a horrible winter off season filled with health worries.

First, I tried out my new 2004 ride, and my new TourMaster suit on March and April trips to Wisconsin.

Then, I thought I would try some twisty roads on an April trip to SE Ohio with my buddy TriggerT

Next, I had committed to visiting TheAxeman in Sag Harbor in May. It was a tremendous trip. Gypsy, Ionbeam, Geezer, griff, and murph joined in as we rode to Sag Harbor to honor Jordan and visit with Chris. That's about all I have words for right now on that Sag Harbor trip. You can read more by clicking on the trip report Sag Harbor report linky

Next, in June was the mother of all trips this year for me....CFR...wadda riot. 6000 miles in 11 days. CFR ride report HERE

Then I stopped riding for 2 months and did family trips and worked my tail off at work...

EDIT: In August, I did drive all of 5 miles out of my way to show my son David the IBR checkpoint in St Charles, IL as the riders were arriving ...

Then in September, griff, murph and I did a nice day ride into Wisconsin and back. The following weekend, I took my son David on the same ride route and we stopped at CFO that was meeting in La Crosse. Wrote a little ride report...you can read about it HERE

Then in October I rode with some new Ohio friends...wrote a little SE Ohio ride report HERE

on an increasingly familiar SE Ohio route...roller coaster ridin' and rural livin'

and past haunts ...

artistic rider, 0face and myself headed out to Galena in late October for a nice day ride. Started out in a cold rain, but the weather got better as the day progressed.

Then, at the end of October I took a little ride down to MO/AR with murph to ride 500 miles of twisties in one day,

encountered a little water along the way...murph wrote up a little report HERE

I thought I was done with riding for the year as October was very cold and rainy. November is usually when it gets colder and snowy. But we were blessed this year with some unseasonably warmer (40s/50s) November weather.

As soon as I get the photos off the camera, I will upload some photos of a little ride that griff, airboss, and I took in the Illinois River valley.

EDIT: Here it is...Little ride report HERE

EDIT: CODA: My last motorcycle ride of the year was one week after the ride with griff and airboss. It was up to Zion, Illinois to visit a long lost friend from 25 years ago that I found again through Facebook. My friend is dying from Muscular Dystrophy...and he tells me he has had it for 14 years. I spent a good afternoon talking with him, catching up. He has no plans for the future...he tells me to use my time...he knows his is about gone. That was one motorcycle ride I wouldn't have missed for anything.

All in all it was a fantastic year. I loved every trip...

Here's to many trips in 2010! :clapping:

Now add your own list of favorite 2009 mcy trips in the following posts...

 

[Warchild]

Late July, 2009: Desert Run to Reno with my 19-year-old daughter on the back of the FJR!

 

[str8]

Beautiful Washington.

Zion National Park. Awesome!

California #1.

Death Valley.

Highway 191, Arizona.

Highway 89 near Bitter Springs, Arizona.

 

[Spud]

My first "real ride" on my new '08 in the Spring of '09 (spring here means pavement shows through ice).

My "mayfly special" ride in late May along the Salmon River in ID..

My September trek solo through ID, MT, AB, BC and WA...

Then my "last hurrah" stopped on Jackson pass by WY state trooper b/c of snow storm..

 

[Silver Penguin]

Not much street riding this year : ( but the reason is that we've spent a lot more time riding off-road ; )

Traded my Ninja for a G650GS in April. Rode it to Sedona, AZ in June and tried some fire-roads and trails. There's a ride report lurking somewhere on the forum. Good trip.

Awesome long weekend trip to Page, AZ for SW-FOG. Remembered just why I love the FJR (except when we went down a deep, gravel road by mistake).

Since then, all my weekends off work have been spent on my smallest bike, the TTR125.

Looking forward to lots of happy miles in 2010.

 

[airboss]

My trips seem to always start in early April

MOONSHINE Lunch Run

Then went Big Foot hunting in May.

Found some good roads

Some interesting people

Some reeeeeally big trees

No, Big Foot, guess I'll have to try again.

An SS1000 on a VFR

Spent some time riding with my Daughter, even got her to buy coffee, ONCE!

Went looking at Lighthouses on Lake Michigan and Lake Superior

And of course CFO.

 

[FJRBluesman]

Excellent recap Wheaty. :yahoo:

 

[airboss]

Excellent recap Wheaty. :yahoo:

Great idea Wheaty, looking through the photos again, I could sure use a ride right now.

 

[sonicspeed]

hmmmm i spent all year broke and doing a major store remodel (meaning no riding time at all cept for to and from the jobsite) :blink:

 

[GunMD]

In no particular order:

This was a year of riding for me and my son, Nicky Tomatoes. We spent a few days on the road...

I had my cam chain and tensioner replaced by Desert Cycle Works

Had my shock rebuilt...

Turned 80K earlier this year...

Went to a race weekend in Fontana CA...

Visited the IBR checkpoint in Santa Ana...

to be continued...

 

[GunMD]

A few more shots of the great ride I took w/ my son...

 

[GunMD]

Even more road trip w/ the kid...

And a day of dual-sporting on a friend's XR...

And some Route 66 photos...

And another mileage milestone...

 

[wheatonFJR]

Thanks for sharing there Gunny...looks like great times. :clapping:

However, if future posters could keep the post limited to a list of your favorite rides, with a representative piccie or two or three from each ride, and a link to a ride report if you got one....that would be great. Kinda like a little taste of your mcy riding year...

 

[Bungie]

The saving grace of my year was the rides I took with friends, otherwise, I'm only to glad to put 2009 behind me. In a few days, I'll get to hit the delete button on it.

It all started when I backed my bike out from its winter hidey hole and thumbed the starter only to have it spring to life like I just shut it off 30 minutes ago.

The first trip of the year was in late May for a 'Meet in the Middle' with FJRRob1300, Mike and Mr. & Mrs Moosehead for a romp around Parry Sound.

This ride ended with Rob and I camping in Grundy Lake Provincial Park. Do a search for the bear in the woods or the Strogonoff Bomb.

I spent a bit of time prepping the bike for CFR. Unfortunatly CFR didn't go off for me. ****.

In August, Mike and his brother met up with LeSkid for a ride up through Mont Tremblant, the best that Quebec has to offer and finishing up at Mauricie National Parc.

Fantastic ride! Is it June yet?

Before EOM I made do with a bunch of smaller rides around the area. I believe the first of which was to Midlothian Ridge where they're were no sheep to be seen. I think the monoliths scared them off.

And the Bikers Reunion in New Liskeard for the latest in haute couture pirate fashions. Their were some cool things to see, like the TRex with Givi topboxes for side bags.

EOM Finally rolled around in Sept and FJRob1300 and I met up represented Canada. I finally got to ride the Dragon (in the rain x 2) and the Snake. But had an awesome time nonetheless. This and the Quebec trip were the highpoints of the year.

By the time I returned from EOM, the colours will well along. I took a quick ride out snapped this one.

The riding season was winding down. June, July and August were cool and wet. I learned to say **** it and ride in the rain. Sept was really nice, October back to wet and cold and believe it or not, November kicked Octobers *** for weather! So I busted out the heated gear and extended the season as much as I dared.

But all good things must come to an end. On Nov 23 I parked my bike for the long white. I haven't seen it since then. Right now its -32 with the windchill, and just the thought of picturing my bike in those temps, tucked away in a garage in the dark makes me feel terrible. We've been through so much together. Healthy people don't treat loved ones this way!

 

[GunMD]

Thanks for sharing there Gunny...looks like great times. :clapping:
However, if future posters could keep the post limited to a list of your favorite rides, with a representative piccie or two or three from each ride, and a link to a ride report if you got one....that would be great. Kinda like a little taste of your mcy riding year...

Hmm...I suppose that was a little selfish of me. Sorry folks. I may have gotten a little over-excited. Well hey, don't leave me hangin'...who else has some cool shots of 2009? :blink:

 

[MEM]

NICE, Wheatie! Thanks for the great ride-along

 

[sin_loki]

didn't do much riding this year, with being deathly sick, and having to pull money for my family I did manage to have an grand time in sw-fog

Got to see beautiful AZ and Utah





see the fool faces to the ever changing avatars





and general good hearted cometary of of the rest of you guys/gals :yahoo:

would not trade it for anything in the world

Next self serve hotel bar, next few bottles are on me :drinks:

 

[canyonman]

I only managed to squeeze in one real trip this year but it was still a lot of fun. Decided to go find the Lost Coast of California.

Found some other cool stuff along the way.

the whole story is here

 

[escapefjrtist]

Nice pics and summary wheatie! Since I never really have to stop riding due to weather anymore we've got a full year of PNW rides to catch up on...

Rode with my buddy Panman down south for a M&E at Buster's BBQ with the PDX bunch.

Mt. Hood was out this day!

Went north a bit to Mt. Erie and took in the views!

Hudson arranged a little day ride to the Kitsap Peninsula.

Who can forget CFR in Nakusp.

Gotta make a trip or two to Mt. St. Helens to meet the gang. Don't forget Mt. Rainier!

Annual Maupin OR. trip to visit those central Oregon twisties.

End of the year to visit snow!

And...who can forget the bike show with the PNW gang, and barb too!

Here's hoping that 2010 is filled with more adventures! :yahoo:

--G