Mackeroni
Well-known member
Just returned from my week-long 3,050 mile get-away trip, and am happy to report that I completed my first SaddleSore 1000 on day one. I actually rode 1,017 miles from North Canton, Ohio to Melbourne, Florida in 17.5 hours. If you deduct the total 2.5 hours I was not riding, it averages out to 67.8 mph... pretty close to the 65 mph I had planned.
Highlights of the SaddleSore and the rest of the week:
1. Number One concern: Hitting a deer in the dark. Carcasses along the road served as a frequent reminder to watch the sides of the road as well as the road.
2. My butt felt pretty good in the Bill Mayer Saddle. I stood up and stretched from time to time...even did a few deep knee bends while riding. The MADCo throttle lock worked flawlessly.
3. Stopped 9 times for gas, food, water, smokes and coffee.
4. After riding a 1,000 mile day, the 400 mile days now seem like nothing!
5. Rode down to Key West. The ride was nice and all...but the Keys are overrated in my estimation. An endless stream of souvenir shops, liquor stores, bad motels and boat stores. Also bloody hot and very humid.
6. Duvall Street on Key West was...umm...interesting. I have never been to Bourbon Street in New Orleans, but I imagine it is about the same. Lots of partiers stumbling loudly from bar to bar to bar. More t-shirt stores. Lots of tits and tats on display. Some tatted tits.
7. Yes, I had my picture taken at the Southernmost Point marker...by a French tourist. Merci beaucoup, monsieur!
I had a minor 'incident' in the parking lot of the motel on my last night on the road. I was just coming to a stop, got too close to a curb and my left boot got pinched (very hard) between the curb and the shift lever. The impact pushed my foot back off the peg rather violently, causing the top of my boot to catch the shift lever and bend it back like a pretzel. I thought my foot was broken at first, but it felt just fine after awhile. I had enough tools along to do some creative pulling, twisting and standing on the shift lever to get it back in rideable condition. I want to thank the Yamaha design person (or team) that decided the shift lever should be constructed out of material that is rigid enough to perform it's function, but pliable enough to be bent out of shape, and back into shape without any apparent stress cracks. Well done! :clapping:
I spent idle moments during the week thinking about which IBA ride to do next. Circumnavigating the Great Lakes in 100 hours sounds interesting.
Highlights of the SaddleSore and the rest of the week:
1. Number One concern: Hitting a deer in the dark. Carcasses along the road served as a frequent reminder to watch the sides of the road as well as the road.
2. My butt felt pretty good in the Bill Mayer Saddle. I stood up and stretched from time to time...even did a few deep knee bends while riding. The MADCo throttle lock worked flawlessly.
3. Stopped 9 times for gas, food, water, smokes and coffee.
4. After riding a 1,000 mile day, the 400 mile days now seem like nothing!
5. Rode down to Key West. The ride was nice and all...but the Keys are overrated in my estimation. An endless stream of souvenir shops, liquor stores, bad motels and boat stores. Also bloody hot and very humid.
6. Duvall Street on Key West was...umm...interesting. I have never been to Bourbon Street in New Orleans, but I imagine it is about the same. Lots of partiers stumbling loudly from bar to bar to bar. More t-shirt stores. Lots of tits and tats on display. Some tatted tits.
7. Yes, I had my picture taken at the Southernmost Point marker...by a French tourist. Merci beaucoup, monsieur!
I had a minor 'incident' in the parking lot of the motel on my last night on the road. I was just coming to a stop, got too close to a curb and my left boot got pinched (very hard) between the curb and the shift lever. The impact pushed my foot back off the peg rather violently, causing the top of my boot to catch the shift lever and bend it back like a pretzel. I thought my foot was broken at first, but it felt just fine after awhile. I had enough tools along to do some creative pulling, twisting and standing on the shift lever to get it back in rideable condition. I want to thank the Yamaha design person (or team) that decided the shift lever should be constructed out of material that is rigid enough to perform it's function, but pliable enough to be bent out of shape, and back into shape without any apparent stress cracks. Well done! :clapping:
I spent idle moments during the week thinking about which IBA ride to do next. Circumnavigating the Great Lakes in 100 hours sounds interesting.
