200ccccc Attempt-10/10ths

[101stpathfinder]

Mike,

Waiting for brake pads (F&R) to come in. My back tire has 17k and has surprising rubber left.

I will change that out though, as Wheaton gave me a twisty route back north that I want to ride. I am hoping for a Sunday night ride to the lake and a Monday morning departure.

 

[TripperMike]

Stop by the house and I can put the tire on for you. You want one of those big flat tires right?

 

[dcarver]

tony, is it safe to say the mojo be back?

 

[101stpathfinder]

Don,

I fought the battle in my head BEFORE the ride.

When it was time to ride I had already decided that it would be accomplished.

I was happy with the way in which the ride progressed. I learned much and got the situations that I had hoped for. I won't say the ride was easy, but I felt in control of the ride throughout . The lack of "On road rest" was a challenge, but knowing a motel awaited me on the corners made it sustainable.

 

[travel_man]

Tony,

That is how I have approached all of my big IBA rides, fight all of the battles possible in your mind BEFORE the ride, be very prepared and then the ride does become easier with less stress. Of course you can not know what you don't know but you can limit the surprises which makes you more efficient on the ride.

 

[101stpathfinder]

Greg,

I have learned much from you. The trifecta we did, I could have never done without your planning. Before this ride I had every negative thought hashed out in my mind. And there were many negative thoughts! About the time we found a motel in San Diego- I knew it was going to be done. So are we doing PINKS?

 

[escapefjrtist]

Greg,I have learned much from you. The trifecta we did, I could have never done without your planning. Before this ride I had every negative thought hashed out in my mind. And there were many negative thoughts! About the time we found a motel in San Diego- I knew it was going to be done. So are we doing PINKS?

Do it Tony, looking forward to meeting you.

If weather is decent and mountain passes are open [snow free] I'll be at Pinks again this year!

--G

 

[Redfish Hunter]

I do see a center stripe on that rear tire that makes me think it may be a bit thinner than you realize though. Keep an eye on it during the run to Iowa.

If you are talking about that thin line that runs almost dead center around the circumference of the tire, that is supposed to be there. All the Michelin PRs I ever ran had that line almost from new. I read that it is supposed to help dissipate static. Apparently the high silica content of the PRs creates a static charge against the road surface as the tire spins. That line is a material that discharges it back to the road. How important that is, I don't know. Apparently Michelin thinks it is important.

I will add my congratulations and admiration to all the rest. If I spend 10 hours in the saddle I am ready for a hotel. I sure don't do it without several rest stops. You are awesome.

 

[user 213]

Thanks Redfish, it's been a loooong time since I ran a PR2, and rather a while since I ran a PR3 Trail on the current bike. I remain amazed at the mileage Tony is getting from that rear tire. the PR3 Trail I ran only lasted 6800 miles and I'm pretty easy on tires. Used to be I could get 10-12k from almost any rear tire. Now the current generation of moto tires are pretty short lived, with no change in riding style.

 

[101stpathfinder]

New tire is on along with new rear brake pads!

Front brake pads are due in Monday, I will put them on when I get back from Louisianna. Tire had some miles left on it, but the return to Iowa will be on back roads suggested by Wheaton, so I wanted fresh meat on the bike.

 

[erixun]

Tires lasted I will comment tomorrow on a few things. Good learning ride for me,

learned much more about hydration, equipment…

I am looking forward to reading these in valuables... as I am still contemplating a single 50CC next spring. Some of the few things I would like to know about your ride is the equip you used, (liked -didnt like- changes- recommendations) tires you ran, avg MPG, and of course all the tips and tricks you could impart on a newbie, etc. etc etc.

And once again, congrats, well done.

It took me 4 trips across, but I have some good advice for you if you would like it. I have done the 100ccc as one of my 1st LD rides.

I have the timing and stops down now and I could even create a GPX file for your GPS to guide you along. We would need to adjust

it all to your personal info (Miles per tank, breaks, motels…) I would be more than willing to help. I just don't like to plan my own rides

out (To gain "Road smarts")

A "Spring" ride would be different for sure, as in rain. I think October would be the best month for this ride. The ride seems boring,

but you can make the most of it with fun extras.

I am still following this thread and will PM you when the dust settles a little more. (And I can quiet down my hectic work / school / training life in a couple of weeks or so, if that is still okay with you.) I am definitely interested in any tips you can pass along and really would like to see the GPX file. As I am planning on this for next May, I have time till then, just in short supply right now.

Cheers.

 

[hppants]

Well - I might as well get this out. The good news is that my leave has been approved and I can take a bike trip week after next. I leave on September 25th and don't have to return to work until October 6.

The bad news is that taking off September 15 is totally out of the question. I already have 4 meetings scheduled.

101 - I've disappointed myself twice now. I'll just have to catch up with you another time (no small task, mind you).

 

[TripperMike]

Yet another nice ride in the books Tony. Congrats!

 

[101stpathfinder]

Mike,

If you speak of the Mississippi Headwaters ride?

It was a complete fail! I had no aux tank or hydration and packed no food in the tank bag.

My GPS mount didn't supply a charge to the GPS and I had loaded the route, but didn't back it up with paper cheat sheets like I normally do. I paper routed at gas stops. My start receipt was off by an hour and 17 minutes, but I thought I could still pull it off. I only got 3 hours sleep in minnesota prior to the start. I got behind on the ride and never recovered. I was going to quit the ride in Jackson, MS and head over to my friends, but found out there was a 36 hour non hold version of the ride. I completed the ride in a little under 26 hours.

Hit a monster storm in Venice,LA but made it to my friends last night. Today is bike maintenance time as I have had electrical issues. Steering head bearings are shot and I have an appointment with Traxxion on the return ride to Florida.

See you at NAFO !!!

 

[garyahouse]

Guess I've been a little too busy with school this past month, today is the first I've checked in on this thread. I couldn't sleep, so i got up early and just happened across this story. I've been reading for well over an hour and have enjoyed this story a great deal.

Tony, you sir are amazing. But I was thinking, some might ask the obvious: WHY? Why would anybody want to do this? To most of those who've posted on this thread, the answer is understood. Many of you may not know this, but as of this minute, there are 47,139 registered members of this forum. I'd be willing to bet that a very large percentage do not understand why anyone would want to do this, and dead sure would never try it themselves.

After all, there are a slew or reasons why most would never do this. In no particular order:

• Cost. a single trip across the country from San Diego to Jacksonville is about 2200 miles. Do the math. That's somewhere around 50 gallons of gas per leg: not cheap. Tony purchased over 200 gallons of gas to do this trip, at a cost of 650 bucks or more.
• Time. this journey took 8 days on the road and a dead minimum of a day's time on both ends for preparation and recovery. 10 days: that's all the vacation many of us see in a year.
• Wear and tear. Most guys fuss over putting too many miles on their motorcycle. Ever try to sell ANY bike with over 40k on the clock? People are scared of miles, and though we know something about the reliability of the FJR, it doesn't change public perception of used bikes with higher miles.
• Physical limitations. Many simply do not possess the ability to do a ride like this. Weight, age, physical conditions, general health, etc.
• Risk. What if I get lost, robbed, hurt, sick, or experience a breakdown in the middle of nowhere? Too many things can go wrong.
• Fear. What if I fall asleep on the road and kill myself?
• Inexperience. You'd be surprised how many people own a motorcycle but couldn't find the battery. They have no idea that a bike can be push started, much less how to do it.

The list could go on, I'm sure but you see my point. So WHY? WHY would anybody attempt to do this? I guess it all comes down to the strength of the human spirit. For you Tony, and many others who have completed incredible rides as well, a dream became a plan and that plan, thanks to the strength of the human spirit, resulted in a victory over some nearly impossible odds.

I'll let some folks you might remember, all much wiser than I, shed some light on the "WHY."

1. There are no constraints on the human mind, no walls around the human spirit, no barriers to our progress except those we ourselves erect. -Ronald Reagan

2. We are all the same in this notion: The potential for greatness lives within each of us. -Wilma Rudolf

3. No pessimist ever discovered the secret of the stars, or sailed to an uncharted land... -Helen Keller

4. There are those that look at things the way they are, and ask why? I dream of things that never were, and ask why not? -Bobby Kennedy

Years ago, someone asked me again, for like the umpteenth time, "Hey man, WHAS-HAPPENIN'? We all know the standard answer to that question. I just stood there, staring, thinking. After a moment I stood up just a little straighter and replied, "I don't care about "what's happening." I am only concerned about what I'm going to MAKE happen." He looked at me and just stared. "Whoa," he replied. "That's like heavy, man."

After I walked away, it struck me. I think I might want to remember that. I need to start practicing that ASAP.

Why you might ask? It's not the ride, though seeing America is a dream for millions. Just ask a truck driver. Even great scenery gets old sooner or later. The ride cannot compare with this one thing: the victory of rising to a challenge, standing against all the odds, and walking away the victor.

Tony, thanks for teaching all of us something about the human spirit.

The next time I see you, I plan to tell this to you face to face, and will consider it an honor to shake your hand.

Gary

darksider #44

 

[101stpathfinder]

Thanks Gary,

You truly are a master of expression and your communication skills are outstanding! I wish all teachers were as "Teaching" as you.

I look forward to seeing you again soon. Are you attending the Orlando expo? I should be back from Owosso by then and since the prime

Florida riding season is nearing, we must start working on some destinations!

 

[Twigg]

I have been asked "Why" a few times. Part of me thinks that if you need to ask then you might not really understand the answer. The ones who have a real interest don't ask "Why?", they ask "How?".

That said, my usual answer goes along these line:

"When my kids ask me "What did you do today Dad?", I could tell them that I went to work, or watched the TV, maybe did some yard work ... or I could tell them that today I rode my motorcycle over the Rio Grand, at sunset".

I know which I prefer.