Festar is here, we have a little Pre-Sturgis ride planned

Yamaha FJR Motorcycle Forum

Help Support Yamaha FJR Motorcycle Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

bigjohnsd

2021 BMW R1250GSA
Joined
Mar 2, 2014
Messages
2,733
Reaction score
2,079
Location
Spearfish SD
I'm giving him a day off the bike tomorrow but Wednesday we leave for Powell WY via a circuitous route, Ten Sleep, Shell Canyon etc. After a night in Powell we'll hit the Chief Joseph, the Beartooth both ways up and back before arriving at Pterodactyl's for lies, his not ours, and Irish Whiskey, also his, not ours. Leaving Pterodactyls we'll head To EUREKA MT. Saturday or Sunday we'll head South down 93 to Lolo, do the Lolo both ways before ending up with friends in Belvue ID. After Belvue It Will be a hot ride to Idaho Falls and then Jackson WY before a Sprint back to Spearfish and a short rest before Sturgis. We Would Be Happy to meet anyone along the way.

 
Last edited by a moderator:
Sounds like fun! I leave tomorrow morning for Olympic Nat Park, and then a PCH ride to the Golden Gate, maybe after that I will shoot up your way!

 
Sounds like fun John. Watch the speed on Lolo, I hear law enforcement is out in force. I'm leaving on Saturday with a loaded Bushtec to deliver Carver Parts to the Bay area and then spend a few days working my way up the coast. Looks like the weather in the west is going to hold for awhile.

 
We will see you in Sturgis this year John...MNFJR05 and Son are going to live with the Harley-Dite Tribe for a couple of days...maybe time for another installment or two of "MNFJR05 Living with the Harley-Dite Tribe." The boy hasn't seen the restless Harley-Dites in their native lands, so I am taking him for a quick weekend before he is off to college...I will drag the DSLR along I suppose for some classic shots from the Hooligan RoundUp. Although its an "off" year and the wildlife may be a bit less exotic than 5-0 years...we'll make it a point to stop by and say, "Hi!"

 
I'd be afraid to use a good camera to photograph the rather elderly and saggy wildlife that frequent the "Streets of Sturgis" JSNS

 
Sounds like fun! I leave tomorrow morning for Olympic Nat Park, and then a PCH ride to the Golden Gate, maybe after that I will shoot up your way!
How long will you be in SF??

Sounds like fun John. Watch the speed on Lolo, I hear law enforcement is out in force. I'm leaving on Saturday with a loaded Bushtec to deliver Carver Parts to the Bay area and then spend a few days working my way up the coast. Looks like the weather in the west is going to hold for awhile.
Festar is well aware of that fact as we lucked out when we rode Lolo last month and dodged a bullet because the officer was busy with someone else! ;)

 
At the Red Lodge Brewery after a sweet almost 500 mile day. Temps on top were low 70's, temps in the valleys were mid-90's. Beer at the Brewery is just as good as it was last June. They make a pretty good Gyro and Pulled Pork Sammy too.

https://johnlangdell.smugmug.com/Pre-Sturgis-Ramble-2017/i-KfFJHbm

Beartooth and Chief Joseph await us tomorrow.

 
Last edited by a moderator:
When you are served lemons, make some Lemonade!

Up 212 towards the Beartooth, which is supposed to open at 0800 due to nightime construction. We hit a long line of stopped traffic, nothing comes the other way for 15 minutes. We opt to reverse course and try from the Chief Joseph. Run i to slide clearance on the Chief Joseph, stopped for 10 minutes, about 20 back from the front. Once traffic goes we work our way up, held up for a long while by a HD FreeWheeler. If i had to ride a trike I think I'd quit. Once clear we had a great ride the last 26 miles to 212, rode the Beartooth back to Red Lodge, once again held up by 2 Harleys, they just don't get it. Once clear of them it was a great ride. FYI, the Montana side of Besrtooth will have all fresh pavement by September. Should be fun next year. On to Pterodactyls via a circuitous route. More later.

 
Last edited by a moderator:
More Lemonade?

We were seeking a roundabout way to Helena, to arrive about 5:00pm. Plugged in some waypoints in the GPS and pressed "Curvy Roads" MT 78 from Red Lodge up to Columbus was magnificent. MT 306, as I recall, to Rapelje was nice, little traffic, some nice sweepers. Once we were through Rapelje things turned to....lemonade. the road turned to dirt, tben sharp gravel, then Brian Maddy said "Hey Mate, take a look at my rear tire, me bike is squirley and feels a bit dodgy" this translates to I think I've got a flat tire. He did. It is 101F and there is no shade. We are in the middle of a giant wheat field. We used all our water searching for the leak, finally found a rock cut.

We tried plugging, 6 plugs later it kind of held air. Then our battery powered air pump stopped working, the leads had come off the motor. Held the leads in place long enough to get sufficient air in the tire to proceed slowly to the nearest ranch, Todd loaned us his air hose and compressor. We limped into the metropolis of Ryegate. After some searching we locate the only guy in town with an air compressor, Carson, a real life saver. He also patches tires. He even had a Motorcycle lift. After about an hour the tire held air after a large patch was applied. We made it to Helena. Dinner was late. All is well, drinking Lemonade again. Safe at Pterodactyl's and Festar's steed has some old, but new to it, PR2's on both ends. Smugmug and I can't figure out how to find the link that works here from my phone, check Facebook for pix.

 
Last edited by a moderator:
Hmmm, maybe I'll rethink using the curvy roads option for future routing...too much adventure for me.
rolleyes.gif


Glad to hear Festar has fresh(er) rubber now John. Y'all ride safe and maybe shoot for a little less adventure, 'kay?

--G

 
The intrepid FJR dual sporters were up early yesterday for a truck ride to Walmart. Purchased some Rotella and a filter for BigJohn and changed his oil back here at the Outpost. They were dressed and nearly out the door when we remembered the faulty air pump. Some solder, some shrink wrap and some heat and the pump is good as new.

 
Great day, spent the morning on Lake Koocanusa, went right up to the Canadian border, could see the cut li e on both sides of the lake. No Border Patrol this morning. After our boatride Festar and I mounted up and took Forest Rd 92 from Rexford MT to Yaak, MT, then South on 2 to Troy MT and followed 56 to 200, then 93 to Missoula. The FS road was quite technical, mostly 2nd and 3rd gear tight stuff. The rest of the run was simply fantastic. The Burgers we had at the Yaak Tavern were eccellent. Tomorrow tskes us South on 93, maybe over Lolo and back, definitely down the Salmon River to Stanley, possibly down the scenic byway to Boise then across to Bellvue. Cheers! No pix after the bosting, the biating pix are up on facebook.

 
Last edited by a moderator:
In Bellvue ID. 2.5 hour delay on top of Galena summit for a 5 motorcycle wreck. 24 year old woman going to fast, crossed centerline and struck a 5th wheel trailer, then a rock wall. Brian Maddy helped with CPR for an hour before she was pronounced dead by one of the on scene Doctors. 4 others went to the hospital. I directed traffic. Typical HD Pack of riders all too close together went down like bowling pins.

 
Top