hitbyastick
Member
FJR first long ride report
So I did. Jumped on the bike with my girlfriend on May 29th and rode old Route 66 in its entirety and finally arriving at my
parents house in the San Francisco Bay Area 7 days later. The trip included some of the most desolate places in this country,
all kinds of weather, modern amenities and traditional travel. And I'm glad I did it on this motorcycle. When we left, the
bike had 904 miles on it and it's now sitting at about 4050.
The trip:
I can't even describe it. I've been reading books about Route 66 for the last three years when I first got "the bug" to do this.
I then spend between January and May planning the exact trip with all the stops and everything I wanted to see. Then I had to connect
those dots with descriptions from people on websites with my GPS software so I could have the turn by turn directions with me on
the FJR. It worked beautifully.
I was immidiately overwhelmed by just how much there is to see. The first day we traveled from Joliet, IL to Cuba, MO. Due to some
unforseen circumstances, this translated to 13 hours in the saddle. St. Louis is incredibly complex to follow the route through and
it takes you to some pretty "underfunded" places if you catch my drift. By this time it was dark and we had to make a serious effort
to stay on schedule. We stayed at the Wagon Wheel Motel which is an authentic old style hotel which I can highly recommend.
The second day took us into Oklahoma and this is where the loneliness of this road really starts to set in. It's not very beautiful
and there is not a lot to look at outside of the towns. Missouri on the other hand lends some excellent riding backroads and I managed
to round my tires off again after the very straight stretch through Illinois. Talked to some other bikers who were impressed that I
would attempt this on a "sportbike". Also met some older gentlemen who have lived on this road for ages and told stories for hours.
Missouri ends and there is a 13 mile stretch through Kansas. I think it was about there that it hit me just how much further
we have to go and I got nervous about the timetable. But it is part of history and totally worth it. Kansas itself was quick, but
kind of cool with an "old west" sort of feel. Lots of old buildings and cars parked in random places.
Then of course, there is Texas. They did away with a lot of 66 and paved I-40 over it. That's fine but we experienced a lot of cross
winds. I got tired of taking I-40, then back into a town where 66 used to run, then back in 40 etc. But it was worth it. We stayed
in Amarillo and had awesome steaks and saw the world famous cadillac ranch. Then there is the midpoint cafe which is half way
between Chicago and Santa Monica. Great food and cheap. And not a whole lot to see around it. It's been there for a very long time.
Somewhere neat the Texas border is what's left of the town of Texola. There are some residents but it's mostly abandoned buildings.
This is when it started to be very, very warm. We had mesh jackets and they started to pay off.
New Mexico is rightfully called the Land of Enchantment. It's very scenic (like a western movie) and the backroads are incredible.
Tons of stops here. We went the northern loop through Santa Fe rather than Albuquerque. Some historic stuff includes native american
villages and it makes you think about how things were and how they are and where they could go. You just never know.
In Arizona a must-stop is Seligman (the birthplace of Route 66). Had icecream at the Sno-Cap drive in and talked to Angel Degadillo.
Those who watch American Restoration on the History Channel (I think) will get a kick out of the restored jukebox in the back. Tons
and tons of knick-knacks and memorabilia is available in this town. It's also very touristy. We showed up just before SEVEN tour
buses rolled in (they just came off I-40). Some of the oldest pavement can be found near here if you take 66 instead. We also took
a detour to the grand canyon (great riding there, of course) and watched the sunset. This was memorial day weekend so it was busy,
but nevertheless an experience worth doing at least once. I was there once when I was 11 with my parents. It's still amazing.
We also went to Oatman. This is an old mining town. When the mine went dry, they left all the donkeys there. You can now feed and
pet them in the middle of the road. Pretty neat. The mountain pass road to there is downright scary. Incredibly tight turns and
slow going. Up hill, my temp gage read something like 227.
Sadly, the beginning of California is just desert. Hot, abandoned, dusy desert that just won't end. There were actual tumbleweeds.
I know this for a fact, because the wind direction changed rapidly and I hit a tiny one at 60 MPh and it exploded. Some sticks
got jammed into the fairing but no damage or scratches. We had a train stop and let us go across the tracks. This is was so
generous because it was just starting to roll and we would have had to sit in 105 degrees for a good 15 minutes with no shade
anywhere. But we managed to get to our hotel in Barstow without any issues.
This is where we stopped, because we had done the rest of the road before and needed to start heading north. Of course, it was
stupid windy. Slow going and fighting with the bike to keep it on the road was taxing on me but we managed. Along CA-58 near
Tehachapi I actually got to ride in a real sandstorm. So happy for my fullface helmet at that moment. Temps dropped to about 48
degrees over the pass but once we got to CA-99 everything turned out great.
Overall, I would recommend this trip to anyone who likes exploring and maybe getting lost a few times. The history is incredible,
the people are great, the scenery changes hourly and is just stunning. I took over 1000 photos and I still don't think I put a
dent in it. I'll upload some here tonight if I get the chance. I was glad to arrive, but I'm sad it's done. This is not something
you should do on a whim (or a tour for that matter), but you should definitely consider it. I was lucky to live near Chicago so I
could simply take off from there. As a side note .. and this is just my opinion .. it seems a lot more foreigners (I'm German)
are interested in the history of the U.S. than people who are from here. I find that sad. Spread the word
The Equipment:
I couldn't be happier with the FJR. It made it through pouring rain, sweltering heat, a sandstorm, and crazy winds unscathed. Not
even a hiccup along the way. Every morning it fired right up and performed beyond my expectations. I had it loaded fairly well.
Both saddlebags were stuffed, tank bag and my girlfriend behind me. Even then it was just find and I don't think I even scratched the
surface of its capabilities. I dove into a turn too fast and had to lean it harder than I had before and it just accepted it. Awesome.
The rear brake started feeling spongy at some point. I thought they were just wearing in and such but I did bleed them and a single
bubble came out. The tires are still mostly round and I have no complaints about them.The headlights are great and have defintely
helped a few times on this trip. My one gripe is the transmission. It's pretty choppy when not warmed up all the way and you have to
shift it with authority. The cruise control helped relieve a lot of wrist pain I'm sure. Very handy feature and I'd only put it on in
2 minute or so intervals. I like being in control I guess.
We had Sena SMH-10's so we could talk and listen to music. This worked well for the most part until we discovered that I could
have either the phone playing music or listen to directions. Not a problem with Sena but with my setup. The directions used so many
waypoints it would call them each out every 30 seconds or so. This made the music super choppy. So I just turned that part off and
glanced down when I needed directions. I made phone calls with the Sena at 75Mph and they were crystal clear.
The GPS (good 'ol 765T) was stuffed in my Joe Rocket Hammerhead bag. Fits great on the bike.
I generally don't like bulky tankbags. The raincover came in handy and everything stayed dry in the bag.
I bought Airhawks for us as well. Like I said earlier, the first day was 13 hours in the saddle and it was no problem. I got the
Airhawk "R" with the cutout for the old tailbone and being the skinny guy I am, this came in very handy.
The Joe Rocket Phoenix gear I got worked well. It actually got too chilly under 70 degrees and I had to put a sweater on. In the desert,
I put water on a long sleeve t-shirt and it cooled incredibly well.
Anyway, that's all I got right now. The bike is still in California as I had to come back for my nephews birth, so I'll be planning
a ride from there back to Chicago in the very near future. Hopefully this wasn't boring!
--Christoph
So I did. Jumped on the bike with my girlfriend on May 29th and rode old Route 66 in its entirety and finally arriving at my
parents house in the San Francisco Bay Area 7 days later. The trip included some of the most desolate places in this country,
all kinds of weather, modern amenities and traditional travel. And I'm glad I did it on this motorcycle. When we left, the
bike had 904 miles on it and it's now sitting at about 4050.
The trip:
I can't even describe it. I've been reading books about Route 66 for the last three years when I first got "the bug" to do this.
I then spend between January and May planning the exact trip with all the stops and everything I wanted to see. Then I had to connect
those dots with descriptions from people on websites with my GPS software so I could have the turn by turn directions with me on
the FJR. It worked beautifully.
I was immidiately overwhelmed by just how much there is to see. The first day we traveled from Joliet, IL to Cuba, MO. Due to some
unforseen circumstances, this translated to 13 hours in the saddle. St. Louis is incredibly complex to follow the route through and
it takes you to some pretty "underfunded" places if you catch my drift. By this time it was dark and we had to make a serious effort
to stay on schedule. We stayed at the Wagon Wheel Motel which is an authentic old style hotel which I can highly recommend.
The second day took us into Oklahoma and this is where the loneliness of this road really starts to set in. It's not very beautiful
and there is not a lot to look at outside of the towns. Missouri on the other hand lends some excellent riding backroads and I managed
to round my tires off again after the very straight stretch through Illinois. Talked to some other bikers who were impressed that I
would attempt this on a "sportbike". Also met some older gentlemen who have lived on this road for ages and told stories for hours.
Missouri ends and there is a 13 mile stretch through Kansas. I think it was about there that it hit me just how much further
we have to go and I got nervous about the timetable. But it is part of history and totally worth it. Kansas itself was quick, but
kind of cool with an "old west" sort of feel. Lots of old buildings and cars parked in random places.
Then of course, there is Texas. They did away with a lot of 66 and paved I-40 over it. That's fine but we experienced a lot of cross
winds. I got tired of taking I-40, then back into a town where 66 used to run, then back in 40 etc. But it was worth it. We stayed
in Amarillo and had awesome steaks and saw the world famous cadillac ranch. Then there is the midpoint cafe which is half way
between Chicago and Santa Monica. Great food and cheap. And not a whole lot to see around it. It's been there for a very long time.
Somewhere neat the Texas border is what's left of the town of Texola. There are some residents but it's mostly abandoned buildings.
This is when it started to be very, very warm. We had mesh jackets and they started to pay off.
New Mexico is rightfully called the Land of Enchantment. It's very scenic (like a western movie) and the backroads are incredible.
Tons of stops here. We went the northern loop through Santa Fe rather than Albuquerque. Some historic stuff includes native american
villages and it makes you think about how things were and how they are and where they could go. You just never know.
In Arizona a must-stop is Seligman (the birthplace of Route 66). Had icecream at the Sno-Cap drive in and talked to Angel Degadillo.
Those who watch American Restoration on the History Channel (I think) will get a kick out of the restored jukebox in the back. Tons
and tons of knick-knacks and memorabilia is available in this town. It's also very touristy. We showed up just before SEVEN tour
buses rolled in (they just came off I-40). Some of the oldest pavement can be found near here if you take 66 instead. We also took
a detour to the grand canyon (great riding there, of course) and watched the sunset. This was memorial day weekend so it was busy,
but nevertheless an experience worth doing at least once. I was there once when I was 11 with my parents. It's still amazing.
We also went to Oatman. This is an old mining town. When the mine went dry, they left all the donkeys there. You can now feed and
pet them in the middle of the road. Pretty neat. The mountain pass road to there is downright scary. Incredibly tight turns and
slow going. Up hill, my temp gage read something like 227.
Sadly, the beginning of California is just desert. Hot, abandoned, dusy desert that just won't end. There were actual tumbleweeds.
I know this for a fact, because the wind direction changed rapidly and I hit a tiny one at 60 MPh and it exploded. Some sticks
got jammed into the fairing but no damage or scratches. We had a train stop and let us go across the tracks. This is was so
generous because it was just starting to roll and we would have had to sit in 105 degrees for a good 15 minutes with no shade
anywhere. But we managed to get to our hotel in Barstow without any issues.
This is where we stopped, because we had done the rest of the road before and needed to start heading north. Of course, it was
stupid windy. Slow going and fighting with the bike to keep it on the road was taxing on me but we managed. Along CA-58 near
Tehachapi I actually got to ride in a real sandstorm. So happy for my fullface helmet at that moment. Temps dropped to about 48
degrees over the pass but once we got to CA-99 everything turned out great.
Overall, I would recommend this trip to anyone who likes exploring and maybe getting lost a few times. The history is incredible,
the people are great, the scenery changes hourly and is just stunning. I took over 1000 photos and I still don't think I put a
dent in it. I'll upload some here tonight if I get the chance. I was glad to arrive, but I'm sad it's done. This is not something
you should do on a whim (or a tour for that matter), but you should definitely consider it. I was lucky to live near Chicago so I
could simply take off from there. As a side note .. and this is just my opinion .. it seems a lot more foreigners (I'm German)
are interested in the history of the U.S. than people who are from here. I find that sad. Spread the word
The Equipment:
I couldn't be happier with the FJR. It made it through pouring rain, sweltering heat, a sandstorm, and crazy winds unscathed. Not
even a hiccup along the way. Every morning it fired right up and performed beyond my expectations. I had it loaded fairly well.
Both saddlebags were stuffed, tank bag and my girlfriend behind me. Even then it was just find and I don't think I even scratched the
surface of its capabilities. I dove into a turn too fast and had to lean it harder than I had before and it just accepted it. Awesome.
The rear brake started feeling spongy at some point. I thought they were just wearing in and such but I did bleed them and a single
bubble came out. The tires are still mostly round and I have no complaints about them.The headlights are great and have defintely
helped a few times on this trip. My one gripe is the transmission. It's pretty choppy when not warmed up all the way and you have to
shift it with authority. The cruise control helped relieve a lot of wrist pain I'm sure. Very handy feature and I'd only put it on in
2 minute or so intervals. I like being in control I guess.
We had Sena SMH-10's so we could talk and listen to music. This worked well for the most part until we discovered that I could
have either the phone playing music or listen to directions. Not a problem with Sena but with my setup. The directions used so many
waypoints it would call them each out every 30 seconds or so. This made the music super choppy. So I just turned that part off and
glanced down when I needed directions. I made phone calls with the Sena at 75Mph and they were crystal clear.
The GPS (good 'ol 765T) was stuffed in my Joe Rocket Hammerhead bag. Fits great on the bike.
I generally don't like bulky tankbags. The raincover came in handy and everything stayed dry in the bag.
I bought Airhawks for us as well. Like I said earlier, the first day was 13 hours in the saddle and it was no problem. I got the
Airhawk "R" with the cutout for the old tailbone and being the skinny guy I am, this came in very handy.
The Joe Rocket Phoenix gear I got worked well. It actually got too chilly under 70 degrees and I had to put a sweater on. In the desert,
I put water on a long sleeve t-shirt and it cooled incredibly well.
Anyway, that's all I got right now. The bike is still in California as I had to come back for my nephews birth, so I'll be planning
a ride from there back to Chicago in the very near future. Hopefully this wasn't boring!
--Christoph
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