Check out Creed and Lake City along 149, great road and two cool little towns.
Could be Epic
- Thread starter sapest
- Start date
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sapest
Well-known member
Thx for the suggestions, but wrong way this time.
-Steve
sapest
Well-known member
Good eyes!
The gauge was a gift from my late father that worked great on my V*1300. Unfortunately, the probe doesnt hit any oil on the FJR. So it reads contact temps from the surrounding metal. It reads anywhere from 40 to 60 C.
-Steve
sapest
Well-known member
Day 7
Today is the opposite of yesterday.
435 ish miles from Pueblo to Wichita in the rain and wind.
Temps in the low 50’s F all day.
We were able to find some fun in the 70-75 mph speed limits.
Good stuff - KS has excellent highways, huge shoulders, and very nice surfaces.
Bad stuff - on the two lane sections, doing 75ish, and 5 ft away in the opposite direction is a semi doing the same speed. Ka-boom buffeting. Now add a 15-20 mph cross wind.
And the rain.
As we went further into the plains the cross winds picked up speed.
Our route followed some of the Chisholm Trail, Highway 50 to Dodge City.
We picked up 400 at Dodge City so we could go by Fort Dodge. So now we are traveling a piece of the Santa Fe Trail.
Another reason to switch to 400 was to go thru Pratt.
I had to see the Serva-Teria. Its as old as I am.
When was the last time you saw a ‘Smorgasbord’ sign?
(not my photo, we went by in the rain)
Ended the day in Wichita.
Cheapest gas $3.24
5 states now.
-Steve
Today is the opposite of yesterday.
435 ish miles from Pueblo to Wichita in the rain and wind.
Temps in the low 50’s F all day.
We were able to find some fun in the 70-75 mph speed limits.
Good stuff - KS has excellent highways, huge shoulders, and very nice surfaces.
Bad stuff - on the two lane sections, doing 75ish, and 5 ft away in the opposite direction is a semi doing the same speed. Ka-boom buffeting. Now add a 15-20 mph cross wind.
And the rain.
As we went further into the plains the cross winds picked up speed.
Our route followed some of the Chisholm Trail, Highway 50 to Dodge City.
We picked up 400 at Dodge City so we could go by Fort Dodge. So now we are traveling a piece of the Santa Fe Trail.
Another reason to switch to 400 was to go thru Pratt.
I had to see the Serva-Teria. Its as old as I am.
When was the last time you saw a ‘Smorgasbord’ sign?
(not my photo, we went by in the rain)
Ended the day in Wichita.
Cheapest gas $3.24
5 states now.
-Steve
norcal rider
Well-known member
Wow. What a great ride sharing journey. Thank you! Looking forward to every update, as I'm a couple days from starting my own two week journey and really appreciate the inspiration.
Ridelikethewind
Well-known member
Looks like a great ride, and Temps are not too bad it looks like.
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Ridelikethewind
Well-known member
Where in Central Cal are you? I am in the Fresno/Clovis area.
sapest
Well-known member
Where are you headed?
sapest
Well-known member
Day 8
My riding partner enjoyed too much Saturday night. And lost a riding light and tail-lamp lens. (Its a H-D, so even on Sunday you can buy parts while clothes shopping at the dealer) We are staying put today.
So - a little food **** - brunch at the Doo Dah Diner -
Maybe this is one third of whats available, and yes, thats pork belly up top.
I stayed till they closed.
Best meal so far.
[Sidebar]
Living so close to the WA border, I thought I had a sense of how COVID affected US business. But I have to say, the last two days are as bad or worse. There are small towns where every business is gone. Blocks of strip mall behind chain link. Empty car dealerships, 3 or 4 in a row. I didnt think middle America had taken such a hit.
[end]
-Steve
My riding partner enjoyed too much Saturday night. And lost a riding light and tail-lamp lens. (Its a H-D, so even on Sunday you can buy parts while clothes shopping at the dealer) We are staying put today.
So - a little food **** - brunch at the Doo Dah Diner -
Maybe this is one third of whats available, and yes, thats pork belly up top.
I stayed till they closed.
Best meal so far.
[Sidebar]
Living so close to the WA border, I thought I had a sense of how COVID affected US business. But I have to say, the last two days are as bad or worse. There are small towns where every business is gone. Blocks of strip mall behind chain link. Empty car dealerships, 3 or 4 in a row. I didnt think middle America had taken such a hit.
[end]
-Steve
Bugnatr
Well-known member
This trend been going on longer than covid, online buying is really hard on small town business. Worst part is now even if you try to stay open reliable employees are few and far between.
I could go on about how shutting down the country was a mistake but that's too political for your fine report.
NorCal FJR
Well-known member
Enjoying the ride report. I rode the Staircase out of Lewiston this past June. What a fun ride.
sapest
Well-known member
Day 9
3 states in one day!
I wont say that Kansas is flat, but a rumble strip is not an elevation change. Took 400 & 171 into Joplin. Then south on I49 thru the SW corner of Missouri and into Arkansas. The saving grace came in the form of AK 72, maybe 25 ish miles with some nice curves and hills. Some AK highways have no shoulder, So different from KS.
Good weather, dry, left in the low 50’s F, and arrived in the mid 80’s F.
Spending the night in Bentonville. Rode by Wal Mart HQ. Its a fair sized campus. Went to the Super Store across the road. Big enough to have its own radio station.
Hoping for a little more exciting roads tomorrow.
Cheapest gas $2.99
-Steve
3 states in one day!
I wont say that Kansas is flat, but a rumble strip is not an elevation change. Took 400 & 171 into Joplin. Then south on I49 thru the SW corner of Missouri and into Arkansas. The saving grace came in the form of AK 72, maybe 25 ish miles with some nice curves and hills. Some AK highways have no shoulder, So different from KS.
Good weather, dry, left in the low 50’s F, and arrived in the mid 80’s F.
Spending the night in Bentonville. Rode by Wal Mart HQ. Its a fair sized campus. Went to the Super Store across the road. Big enough to have its own radio station.
Hoping for a little more exciting roads tomorrow.
Cheapest gas $2.99
-Steve
Last edited:
Yea, saw that myself firsthand. Three of us riding through some small town in Oregon and stopped for breakfast at a Burger King that was supposed to have been open an hour earlier. We waited about half an hour and the owner came in telling us he went door to door to try to find someone to work with him for thr day. Nothing ! We actually helped the owner open his restaurant and made our own food. Most will never know what a disaster shutting down the country caused. Sad
sapest
Well-known member
Day 10
Dont shoot the messenger.
7 States, over 3000 miles now.
Today started and ended on an Interstate.
Out of Bentonville on 49 to Alma, and then AR64 east into Ozark.
64 is very nice, thru hill and dale, and a few small towns.
In Ozark, we caught 23 north, the “Pig Trail”
So named one of the 10 best motorcycle roads in the US.
Hockey pucks, I say.
Dont get me wrong. This is a great ride thru the Ozark mountains and forest. Lots of twists and turns, elevation changes, and even a lookout to the Ozark Mtns.
But 1 of 10 best?
Half the secondary highways in BC, and Washington State for that matter, are just as turny and twisty.
Check out Chuck a Nut Drive In WA. Ride BC 3 or 6, or 8 if its ever repaired and reopened.
Anyway -
After the Pig Trail, 23, 16, & 21. (south) These three roads were just as fun to ride as the Pig Trail. Really excellent riding. And very little traffic if you ride the Trail south to north as we did.
I40, then I30 into Little Rock for the night. Too much construction on both.
Dinner at the Flying Fish -
Catfish, shrimp, hush puppies, and red beans and rice.
Secret parking in the back.
Cheapest gas $2.96
-Steve
Dont shoot the messenger.
7 States, over 3000 miles now.
Today started and ended on an Interstate.
Out of Bentonville on 49 to Alma, and then AR64 east into Ozark.
64 is very nice, thru hill and dale, and a few small towns.
In Ozark, we caught 23 north, the “Pig Trail”
So named one of the 10 best motorcycle roads in the US.
Hockey pucks, I say.
Dont get me wrong. This is a great ride thru the Ozark mountains and forest. Lots of twists and turns, elevation changes, and even a lookout to the Ozark Mtns.
But 1 of 10 best?
Half the secondary highways in BC, and Washington State for that matter, are just as turny and twisty.
Check out Chuck a Nut Drive In WA. Ride BC 3 or 6, or 8 if its ever repaired and reopened.
Anyway -
After the Pig Trail, 23, 16, & 21. (south) These three roads were just as fun to ride as the Pig Trail. Really excellent riding. And very little traffic if you ride the Trail south to north as we did.
I40, then I30 into Little Rock for the night. Too much construction on both.
Dinner at the Flying Fish -
Catfish, shrimp, hush puppies, and red beans and rice.
Secret parking in the back.
Cheapest gas $2.96
-Steve
sapest
Well-known member
Day 11
’stranger in a strange land’
Today was 400 miles from Little Rock AR To Tuscaloosa AL, basically on the same road. 530 became 65, and then 82. Not much excitement.
The ride down thru AR and across MI is flat. Cotton fields fill the eyes, and the smell of pig **** fills the nose. I’m looking for Luke, Dragline and the rest of the gang. (Yes, movie reference if you are old enough)
Into Alabama over a big cable stayed bridge and highway shoulders return. And trees. And casino’s. And churches, there are many many churches along the highway. And a few huge white crosses.
Crossed the Mississippi by bridge for the first time.
Saw my first Piggly Wiggly in Gore.
Walk into any fuel stop and you will find the boiled peanut machine, fried pork skins and crackling's. If you dont say ’hot tea’ when you order, you get (over)sweetened ice tea. People talk, and to me it sounds like they have a mouthful of marbles. Rode by Oktibbeha, is that a name or a cough? Males have two first names. Gas pumps have two types of regular, with and without ethanol.
Over 3,500 miles now. 9 states. Both tires needed 2lbs of air.
Cheapest fuel $2.79! (with ethanol)
-Steve
’stranger in a strange land’
Today was 400 miles from Little Rock AR To Tuscaloosa AL, basically on the same road. 530 became 65, and then 82. Not much excitement.
The ride down thru AR and across MI is flat. Cotton fields fill the eyes, and the smell of pig **** fills the nose. I’m looking for Luke, Dragline and the rest of the gang. (Yes, movie reference if you are old enough)
Into Alabama over a big cable stayed bridge and highway shoulders return. And trees. And casino’s. And churches, there are many many churches along the highway. And a few huge white crosses.
Crossed the Mississippi by bridge for the first time.
Saw my first Piggly Wiggly in Gore.
Walk into any fuel stop and you will find the boiled peanut machine, fried pork skins and crackling's. If you dont say ’hot tea’ when you order, you get (over)sweetened ice tea. People talk, and to me it sounds like they have a mouthful of marbles. Rode by Oktibbeha, is that a name or a cough? Males have two first names. Gas pumps have two types of regular, with and without ethanol.
Over 3,500 miles now. 9 states. Both tires needed 2lbs of air.
Cheapest fuel $2.79! (with ethanol)
-Steve
Torchsport
Deer Whisperer
Epic.
Thanks
biknflyfisher
Well-known member
I’m looking for Luke, Dragline and the rest of the gang. (Yes, movie reference if you are old enough).
“Gettin’ some water here boss”…..
Great story so far!
Biknflyfisher
“Gettin’ some water here boss”…..
Great story so far!
Biknflyfisher
sapest
Well-known member
Good stuff, I was hoping this wasnt too obscure . . .
-Steve
1911
Well-known member
I’m looking for Luke, Dragline and the rest of the gang.
I'd be looking for a car wash
I'd be looking for a car wash
