I was a bit baffled by the choice of US-82 as well, but a straight shot down I-40 misses Louisiana. US-82 is probably the quickest way across north Texas. It's a nice straight 4-lane highway and not too many slowdowns along the way. You can link up with I-35 and blast up to OKC in two hours to catch I-40 out west as well.
2011 IBR - The Inside View
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Warchild
Benevolent Dictator
Heat. No question. And I'm about to get plenty of it when I start heading south to Ontario later today on the Hayabusa.... dashing to the Finish Line to help Mr. IBR Photo Deity to score riders.
Trekker Dave
Member
SPOT use isn't always as easy as turn it on and it's good for days. Darn things seem to need to be reset on a regular basis. Using one requires some familiarity like a GPS so that during those times a rider is dead tired it becomes muscle memory. Add the Spot Tracking/Spotwalla lag and it can make us keyboard riders moonbat crazy.
gixxerjasen
Well-known member
So what are the times for the final checkpoint? Open, begin points deduction and closed?
Spot 1 has a 24 hour limit when in tracking and shuts off. Requires reset when using OK before returning to Tracking mode. AA batteries last long time, (months), but the unit sometimes misses if GPS signal is blocked.
Spot 2 stays on until you shut it off or the batteries die, When in Tracking mode and OK, (or Custom), is used, the OK, (or Custom), message fires for 20 minutes before the unit returns to Tracking mode, w/o further operator input. AAA batteries last about 10 days of continuous tracking. Unit sends more signals, thus the shorter battery life. Physically smaller as well. Note - It appears that if you fire the unit up inside and it can't get good GPS signal for 20 minutes it will auto shut off.
Perk - Both drive keyboard riders moonbat crazy. :yahoo: Which never bothered me a bit while I'm out riding.
I would take the heat as well. I could stop and cool down within a specific amount of time. If it's raining and you're heading east you could be riding in rain all day. If you see the rain coming you can find a spot to wait it out. Not to mention being almost invisible to other motorists during the rain, the hydroplaning and having to dry out after the ride. I think it's more tiring to ride in the rain.
Twigg
Just an old, bald man!
lol Eric .... I'll have you know the "keyboard riders" are having a brilliant rally 
We don't have final drive issues either
We don't have final drive issues either
Connieldr
Big Slimey Gobs of Bacon Greese
With all due respect to Dale, I don't see it as quite a "set in stone" answer. It depends.
Heat can be a very insidious danger. It can kick your *** before you think it's gotten bad enough to take measures to further
protect yourself. Even a slight physical heat event can make riding impossible until you recover and that will take some time
in a cool area, out of the heat. You need to be in tune with your body and with the program in general to catch the onslaught
of heat affecting you before it's too late. Rain is alot less the hidden danger.
I don't think rain causes me near the same gravity of issues until the rain or standing water is bad enough to affect
the control of the bike and maybe the functioning of some electronic farkles. Unless rain is at it's very heaviest for extended
periods, I think heat is more likely to put you into a "no go" sitiuation.
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Twigg
Just an old, bald man!
You make good points.
Some rain is just fine, it can help not hinder.
The problem is that, in this part of the world, when it rains it doesn't come in a steady, cooling drizzle. It comes in a Biblical style of flooding rain, and it's dangerous.
Jeff Earls
Well-known member
mdisher
formerly Renegade, get used to it.
Yeah, I thought the question was heat or rain.
Heat or Rain? Rain.
Heat or Monsoon/Hurricane? Heat.
Heat or Zombies? Heat, definitely Heat.
Heat or Rain? Rain.
Heat or Monsoon/Hurricane? Heat.
Heat or Zombies? Heat, definitely Heat.
BwanaDik
Well-known member
robeth
Well-known member
cdogbt1sw03033
Member
[
and for those that happen to have a Smartphone with Verizon's wireless national plan and an account setup for it with Jason's Spotwalla you'll see a much quicker, accuracy down to apprx 2-4 meters.
the days of limited cell coverage is almost nil in most parts of the paved roadways of conus.
there are other apps available to supplant those losses and soon the delorme app will make it even, more useful.
my usage with Glat on the phone and the Spot 1 unit is pretty good and accurate.
there are still some other issue to overcome; such as the water proofing, battery consumption pose some issues.
even without a clear sky view the Glat will still provide pretty good location reports.
and if one wants to see even more accurate reports the Google latitude history will hold an amazing amount of data and the replay is much more in depth than what Spot or Spotwalla has displayed in the past.
of course YMWV
caio'
and for those that happen to have a Smartphone with Verizon's wireless national plan and an account setup for it with Jason's Spotwalla you'll see a much quicker, accuracy down to apprx 2-4 meters.
the days of limited cell coverage is almost nil in most parts of the paved roadways of conus.
there are other apps available to supplant those losses and soon the delorme app will make it even, more useful.
my usage with Glat on the phone and the Spot 1 unit is pretty good and accurate.
there are still some other issue to overcome; such as the water proofing, battery consumption pose some issues.
even without a clear sky view the Glat will still provide pretty good location reports.
and if one wants to see even more accurate reports the Google latitude history will hold an amazing amount of data and the replay is much more in depth than what Spot or Spotwalla has displayed in the past.
of course YMWV
caio'
Twigg
Just an old, bald man!
I have been trying to use Latitude too. In theory it is vastly superior to Spot. I don't have an issue with the phone battery as it is mounted to the equipment shelf and wired in.
The problem is "Data Roaming".
While it's true that the US is gradually getting more and more coverage, my excellent National Plan is great for texts and phone calls, but doesn't include Data Roaming, and that gets very expensive. Latitude needs data coverage to work.
One day it may be a better option, but right now I am finding it too patchy, and am about to invest in a Spot 2.
tmc
Ginger-Mex Extraordinaire
I was about to say this. Spot2 definitely returns to tracking mode after an OK message. My first set of batteries lasted about 8 days of riding, with one 24 hour long period mixed in. Stupid me, I bought AA lithiums and when I should have bought AAA. OOPS!
Edit: I tried to use Latitude and it just doesn't cut the mustard once you leave the beaten path. You need sat service there, there is no substitute yet.
I will take (dry) heat over heavy rain, or light rain over heat. We can hydrate our way to some degree of safety with heat. Rain just sucks when it's coming in buckets (and pooling on the road). A light spritz, meh, no worries.
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Bob Lilley
Member
Rain, yes. But it's the lightning that comes with it in the western states that scares the **** out of me. You're often the tallest thing around for many miles while riding a lightning rod.
+1 (within reason)
if there's enough rain to cool temps without hindering visibility or terminal velocity, then it's a boon. if the rain is heavy and the temp below about about 105 - 110 (surface temps not official temps miles away from me), then i'd take the heat if i was on the clock.
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BikerGeek99
Yeah, it's a concrete corn cob. So?
Unless you're like me and have an iPhone through AT&T.
When Sooze and I were on our epic trip out west last year, I can't count the times when we were stopped and we'd compare coverage.
Me: No signal.
Her: 3 - 4 bars.
:angry:
I think that qualifies as MM V-ing.
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