dnj1965
Member
Here is a (long) summary of my first three rides on my (new to me) 2008 FJR. Details of the buying decision and experience are in another post (purchase report).
About three days before I'm to leave to pick up my bike, I start to panic after re-reading the Hurt report and Hough's Proficient Motorcycling. Who the heck do I think I am? I've never ridden a bike more than 150 miles in a day. Only once have I ridden a large bike (a couple of weeks ago I rented a BMW R1200RT while out west). Why do I think I can ride a 600+ lb bike hundreds of miles, some of it in city traffic at speed? What if I drop it? What if I get run over by a truck? What if I get “monkey butt” so bad I can't ride and I'm 700 miles from home? What if, what if, what if... In part, I bought the bike to continue challenging myself and growing as a person. I took a deep breath, reminded myself that there are things I can control and things I can't, and to focus on what I can control.
I fly into St. Louis arriving at about 9:45 local time, 10:45 EST (where I started my day at 4am and where I'll end my day). I'm feeling pressed for time by the time all of our business is conducted as we stop by the seller's house to set the bike up with my stuff and get me on the road. My goal was to make it to Lexington, KY and to stay overnight with some family, requiring about 360 miles to be crunched on this busy day. The seller was very kind, briefed me on the bike, helped me get it set up with my GPS and home-made temp tag, gave me plenty of cold fluids (it was HOT), and let me use his bathroom to change into my gear. I was off at 1PM central time, 2PM EST, with the goal of getting to Lexington, KY before sunset.
In my first 360 miles on the bike, I was to ride out of St. Louis on I-270, going into Illinois and transitioning from I-270 to I-255 and then to I-64 eastbound, where I would spend the bulk of my time.
Just getting my gear on had me sweating. A LOT. As I was leaving the heat index (based on NOAA data) was 102 degrees. Did I mention I'm fat, live and work in air conditioning, and hate heat?
I was wearing: Wicking boxer-brief style underwear, wicking t-shirt, cotton socks (technical fabric socks are now on my to-buy list), Tourmaster Transition 2 Jacket (Hi-Vis), Tourmaster Caliber Pants, Thorogood 8" Waterproof Side Zip duty boots, Cortech HDX gloves and an HJC CL-15 Helmet.
HOT. I was hot before I even started riding. Not Anna Paquin, Kate Hudson, Jennifer Garner, Cameron Diaz, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Liv Tyler hot. No sir. I was two-cats fighting in a wool sock hot. It was so hot I saw two trees fighting over a dog. HOT.
As I pulled away from the seller's home, sweat trickling down my body and settling on/in parts unmentionable in this family forum, operating the bike actually felt comfortable. The low-end grunt and low-RPM manners make it easy and predicable to ride, even for my first 10 minutes. Clutch feel, throttle response, and general location of the controls just felt right. I had read so much on the top-heavy nature of the bike I was being super careful to not end up at a slow speed anything other than upright and with my attention fully on the task at hand. Soon I was at highway speeds jousting with St. Louis mid-afternoon traffic, but within 30 minutes of that I was on I-64 and out of the city interchanges that can be so dangerous. And while I was settling in on the bike, I was okay but (wait for it.... ) HOT. But glory be – It looked like there was shade ahead! Oh, how naïve of me, I really thought it was shade ahead. Oh, there was shade alright. Because of the storm.
I could see the transition coming, and had this odd moment where I could see dry pavement and then a clear line demarcating the wet pavement. Just a wall of water. And lightning. And wind. The FJR handled the wind amazingly well, even while big-rigs were making my life interesting by changing the air flow in exciting ways. The V-stream kept most of the water off me, allowing me to keep the vents of my jacket fully open, which was a life-saver. I don't know how close the lightening was, but it was too close for comfort and I had to make a quick decision – motor on out of the storm or seek shelter. I kept motoring, but I don't know if that was wise.
By 71 miles into things the rain had stopped and my efforts at pre-trip hydration necessitated a stop. So in less than 15 minutes I hit the bathroom, toped off the fuel, and slugged down 500 ml of cold water.
Some people find the midwest boring. Not me. Ultimately, I'd like to go through on secondary roads, but I found the next 207 miles going through IL and IN, including the Hoosier National Forest, very enjoyable. While hot, I was generally happy. Happy I got through St. Louis without death. Happy I didn't dump the bike at the gas station. Happy to be riding. While in this stretch, I realized this one segment was further than I'd ever ridden before, and on a day that including two flights, a bank, DMV and acquainting myself with a new motorcycle. This is powerful testimony to the FJR. The riding conditions were not ideal (new rider, heat index of 102, thunderstorm, etc.), yet I was cranking out a 207 mile segment during the late afternoon and very happy doing so.
My second stop, at about 279 miles for the day, was at a gas station near Louisville, KY. I was worried about Louisville traffic and needed gas, hydration, bladder relief and to stretch my legs. The stop went well but for the station not having a bathroom... The DQ next door did and I managed to take care of all of my needs, as well as place some phone calls, all in less than 20 minutes. Time for the final push to Lexington...
Why are things so loud? Ah, wind screen lowers automatically, yeah, that's it. Wait, still VERY loud compared to before. DOH! Forgot to put my hearing protection back in... Found a semi-safe place to pull over, put the plugs back in, and tried to merge back in with traffic. Hmmm, there's a small gap, can I accelerate up to highway speed in that space? :yahoo: Um, YES, YES I CAN. First time I really tried to get the FJR moving, and she MOVED. Like that HP to weight ratio!
As I was leaving the Louisville area, the mental math was good. Hot and tired, sure, but given the day I'd had, I was holding up well. Only 77+ miles to go to my step-brother's house, and I should have been able to get there in... Uh, oh. Brake lights. Fudge. Only I didn't say fudge. I said Mother Fudger. Or something like that. 20+ minutes of stop and go traffic. Still hot. At this point, I'm VERY much glad I had riding pants on, as my legs were getting cooked as it was. Jeans or shorts and I think I might have suffered some skin damage. I took extra care here to pay attention, as I knew I was at a risky time of day based on almost every variable in play (my fatigue, other frustrated drivers wanting to get home from work, changing traffic patterns, etc.).
Once things cleared, the scenery was stunning. Horse farms, Kentucky green, and a VERY tempting sign for the Bourbon road (oh how I wondered if I could spend the night in a vat at the Woodford Reserve distillery).
Lexington finally came, and the trip through town went better than expected, and soon I found myself at my step-brother's house. What is love? Love is a lot of things. On a day that started at 4am, 360 miles on a new motorcycle in 100+ heat index weather, Love was, among other things, letting a visitor park his bike in your garage and then handing him a pale ale as he steps into your home beet-red and smelling like a sewer. After my shower I'm told “Sorry about the hot water, we forget the dishwasher was running.” My reply: “I never turned on the hot water, so no worries.” That cold shower took my core temperature down to normal and refreshed me enough that I had the energy to go out for “beer cheese”, beer, and a club sandwich with fries that hit the proverbial spot.
Off to bed at 11:45 with my alarm set for 4:15...
Day 2
Plan for today was to make it to Altoona, PA where I had made reservations at a Motel 6. Why Altoona? I don't know either. Just seemed like the right spot. Route was I-64 out of Lexington, through Eastern KY and into WV, where I'd dance through Charlston, pick up I-79 towards Morgantown, and take I-68 into Maryland. In Maryland I'd grab US 220 and work my way through central PA into Altoona.
Wheels were turning by 5:30 AM, and traffic was light. It was warm (mid-80's), but after Day 1, I was happy to just be sweating vs. dripping. Lots of professional drivers out, with few cars or other bikes around. Eastern KY is gorgeous, and I hope I get back there to ride some of the side roads.
First stop was at 112 miles for the day, again bladder induced. Tough balance between getting hydrated and needing to stop. Topped off fuel, drank a “Vitamin Water” (revive flavored), and hammered on.
The transition from KY to WV was seamless, and if I hadn't been looking at the Grand Tetons just a week before, I'd still be jabbering about the beauty of the Appalachian Mountains. I did run into some fog in WV which limited my visibility (and ability to enjoy the mountains). I'm more of a Violent Femmes than John Denver kind of guy, but I sang several verses of “Country Road” while enjoying “Almost Heaven”, “Wild, Wonderful”, West “by God” Virgina. Nice state.
Second stop was 133 miles after the first, in Snowshoe WV. Had some locals give me a friendly but very curious look-over (I may well have looked like a perverted bumble bee on my black FJR with a high-vis jacket on). At this point it was about 9:50 and I had 245 miles for the day. While I was a bit tired (going on 5 hours of sleep after the day before...), I gave some thought to whether I could make it all the way home vs. stopping in Altoona. Reason prevailed and I stuck with my original plan, and took off for PA via MD, but stopped one more time in WV. Stop 3 was at about 11:40, 104 miles after the second stop. Some food and hydration (6” subway and some Gatorade), gas and bathroom, and a few minutes off the bike. Ate while taking in the local surroundings (people, place and things). Back moving by noon, and knew I was in the home stretch for the day.
Having spent 8 years of my life in Maryland (graduate school and post-doc in the Baltimore / DC area), I am embarrassed to say I had no real understanding how stunning Western Maryland is, but man is it very nice out there. Hit some more rain, but as I did, I was climbing to over 2000 feet and the temperature dropped to below 70. Rain or no, I finally cooled off, never to be truly hot for the rest of the ride. There are no two ways about it, it was just pretty, and the rain did not detract from the beauty of the countryside (though traffic around Cumberland demanded my full attention).
My last stretch was 133 miles, taking me into the middle of PA. Again, just great country. Hit some traffic near Bedford and the interchanges for the PA turnpike, but all-in-all, easy ride up to Altoona. Walked into the Motel 6 a little after 2pm, likely looking a bit beat but chipper all the same. Checked in, cleaned up, and realized I had a lot of day left. Should I have kept riding? Easy to wonder as I was cool, hydrated, and sitting on a king-size bed looking at my atlas. Seems like a 480+ mile day, given the circumstances, was an acomplishment. There is no way I could have known going into it I would have been up for more, and I could easily have been over my head, so I resigned myself to being settled in for the day and evaluated my options. Called home, confirming that my suspicion that a trip to the “Hooter's” down the street would not bode well for my long term health, and decided to eat at a Mexican restaurant next to the hotel. WISE choice. Authentic, friendly service, good food at a fair price. If you are ever in Altoona, and like Mexican food, check out El Campesino (40.469374, -78.405385). I can neither confirm nor deny that they have Dos Equis in frosted 32 oz mugs.
Note on Motel 6 in Altoona – I got what I paid for. Wish I had paid for more, but, fair is fair. Bike was still there in the morning, I slept well, and the staff was nice. Very dated facility...
Day 3 was to get home, and included some non-slab time. Some of the very roads that had me wanting the sport-side of the sport-tourer (e.g., Route 26 in central NY) were on the menu on my way back home. 290 miles was on the planning sheet, and off I went, again with wheels moving at 5:30 AM.
My first 90 minutes out of Altoona were some of the nicest on the trip. Temperature was great, I was comfortable with the bike, and I finally believed I'd make it home in one piece and without dropping the bike (though well aware there was time for me to die and or get the dropsies).
I was at peace on PA220 / I-99. One with the bike, moving through space and time feeling part of the universe, full of life, and lucky to be alive. I did wonder if it would be cheaper and safer to take up Zen Buddhism than buying the FJR. But only for about 20 minutes ;-). I know I'm taking a risk on the bike. But I soap my feet in the shower. Work in a building where the windows don't open. Eat grilled steak and drink wine and beer. I want to be around to walk my daughter down the isle, see my son become a man, and get old with my wife. But not at the cost of being afraid to live. I might have 60 years left. I probably don't. I'm not going to start a heroin habit, cheat on my wife, or get in bar fights. But I'm going to ride my bike. And in the winter I'm going to ride my sled. And I'm not going to feel guilty. Lucky? Yes. Careful? Most of the time. But not afraid. Not guilty. It is okay to drink it all in if done semi-responsibly, and that's my plan.
So I made it home by noon. My wife and kids had followed my trip via SPOT, so were outside waiting for me when I pulled up. They played it perfectly. Smiles, hugs, and gushing about how great the feejer looks, and how great I looked on it (that last part was kindness...).
Sorry there are no pictures. I was too focused on getting home safely, and the super-slab run home did not facilitate pulling over to capture the beauty of MO, IL, IN, KY, WV, MD, PA or NY (yes, central NY is beautiful!).
There there you have it. My first three days with my feej. Three good days, and I hope there are more to come.
Thanks for reading.
dnj
About three days before I'm to leave to pick up my bike, I start to panic after re-reading the Hurt report and Hough's Proficient Motorcycling. Who the heck do I think I am? I've never ridden a bike more than 150 miles in a day. Only once have I ridden a large bike (a couple of weeks ago I rented a BMW R1200RT while out west). Why do I think I can ride a 600+ lb bike hundreds of miles, some of it in city traffic at speed? What if I drop it? What if I get run over by a truck? What if I get “monkey butt” so bad I can't ride and I'm 700 miles from home? What if, what if, what if... In part, I bought the bike to continue challenging myself and growing as a person. I took a deep breath, reminded myself that there are things I can control and things I can't, and to focus on what I can control.
I fly into St. Louis arriving at about 9:45 local time, 10:45 EST (where I started my day at 4am and where I'll end my day). I'm feeling pressed for time by the time all of our business is conducted as we stop by the seller's house to set the bike up with my stuff and get me on the road. My goal was to make it to Lexington, KY and to stay overnight with some family, requiring about 360 miles to be crunched on this busy day. The seller was very kind, briefed me on the bike, helped me get it set up with my GPS and home-made temp tag, gave me plenty of cold fluids (it was HOT), and let me use his bathroom to change into my gear. I was off at 1PM central time, 2PM EST, with the goal of getting to Lexington, KY before sunset.
In my first 360 miles on the bike, I was to ride out of St. Louis on I-270, going into Illinois and transitioning from I-270 to I-255 and then to I-64 eastbound, where I would spend the bulk of my time.
Just getting my gear on had me sweating. A LOT. As I was leaving the heat index (based on NOAA data) was 102 degrees. Did I mention I'm fat, live and work in air conditioning, and hate heat?
I was wearing: Wicking boxer-brief style underwear, wicking t-shirt, cotton socks (technical fabric socks are now on my to-buy list), Tourmaster Transition 2 Jacket (Hi-Vis), Tourmaster Caliber Pants, Thorogood 8" Waterproof Side Zip duty boots, Cortech HDX gloves and an HJC CL-15 Helmet.
HOT. I was hot before I even started riding. Not Anna Paquin, Kate Hudson, Jennifer Garner, Cameron Diaz, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Liv Tyler hot. No sir. I was two-cats fighting in a wool sock hot. It was so hot I saw two trees fighting over a dog. HOT.
As I pulled away from the seller's home, sweat trickling down my body and settling on/in parts unmentionable in this family forum, operating the bike actually felt comfortable. The low-end grunt and low-RPM manners make it easy and predicable to ride, even for my first 10 minutes. Clutch feel, throttle response, and general location of the controls just felt right. I had read so much on the top-heavy nature of the bike I was being super careful to not end up at a slow speed anything other than upright and with my attention fully on the task at hand. Soon I was at highway speeds jousting with St. Louis mid-afternoon traffic, but within 30 minutes of that I was on I-64 and out of the city interchanges that can be so dangerous. And while I was settling in on the bike, I was okay but (wait for it.... ) HOT. But glory be – It looked like there was shade ahead! Oh, how naïve of me, I really thought it was shade ahead. Oh, there was shade alright. Because of the storm.
I could see the transition coming, and had this odd moment where I could see dry pavement and then a clear line demarcating the wet pavement. Just a wall of water. And lightning. And wind. The FJR handled the wind amazingly well, even while big-rigs were making my life interesting by changing the air flow in exciting ways. The V-stream kept most of the water off me, allowing me to keep the vents of my jacket fully open, which was a life-saver. I don't know how close the lightening was, but it was too close for comfort and I had to make a quick decision – motor on out of the storm or seek shelter. I kept motoring, but I don't know if that was wise.
By 71 miles into things the rain had stopped and my efforts at pre-trip hydration necessitated a stop. So in less than 15 minutes I hit the bathroom, toped off the fuel, and slugged down 500 ml of cold water.
Some people find the midwest boring. Not me. Ultimately, I'd like to go through on secondary roads, but I found the next 207 miles going through IL and IN, including the Hoosier National Forest, very enjoyable. While hot, I was generally happy. Happy I got through St. Louis without death. Happy I didn't dump the bike at the gas station. Happy to be riding. While in this stretch, I realized this one segment was further than I'd ever ridden before, and on a day that including two flights, a bank, DMV and acquainting myself with a new motorcycle. This is powerful testimony to the FJR. The riding conditions were not ideal (new rider, heat index of 102, thunderstorm, etc.), yet I was cranking out a 207 mile segment during the late afternoon and very happy doing so.
My second stop, at about 279 miles for the day, was at a gas station near Louisville, KY. I was worried about Louisville traffic and needed gas, hydration, bladder relief and to stretch my legs. The stop went well but for the station not having a bathroom... The DQ next door did and I managed to take care of all of my needs, as well as place some phone calls, all in less than 20 minutes. Time for the final push to Lexington...
Why are things so loud? Ah, wind screen lowers automatically, yeah, that's it. Wait, still VERY loud compared to before. DOH! Forgot to put my hearing protection back in... Found a semi-safe place to pull over, put the plugs back in, and tried to merge back in with traffic. Hmmm, there's a small gap, can I accelerate up to highway speed in that space? :yahoo: Um, YES, YES I CAN. First time I really tried to get the FJR moving, and she MOVED. Like that HP to weight ratio!
As I was leaving the Louisville area, the mental math was good. Hot and tired, sure, but given the day I'd had, I was holding up well. Only 77+ miles to go to my step-brother's house, and I should have been able to get there in... Uh, oh. Brake lights. Fudge. Only I didn't say fudge. I said Mother Fudger. Or something like that. 20+ minutes of stop and go traffic. Still hot. At this point, I'm VERY much glad I had riding pants on, as my legs were getting cooked as it was. Jeans or shorts and I think I might have suffered some skin damage. I took extra care here to pay attention, as I knew I was at a risky time of day based on almost every variable in play (my fatigue, other frustrated drivers wanting to get home from work, changing traffic patterns, etc.).
Once things cleared, the scenery was stunning. Horse farms, Kentucky green, and a VERY tempting sign for the Bourbon road (oh how I wondered if I could spend the night in a vat at the Woodford Reserve distillery).
Lexington finally came, and the trip through town went better than expected, and soon I found myself at my step-brother's house. What is love? Love is a lot of things. On a day that started at 4am, 360 miles on a new motorcycle in 100+ heat index weather, Love was, among other things, letting a visitor park his bike in your garage and then handing him a pale ale as he steps into your home beet-red and smelling like a sewer. After my shower I'm told “Sorry about the hot water, we forget the dishwasher was running.” My reply: “I never turned on the hot water, so no worries.” That cold shower took my core temperature down to normal and refreshed me enough that I had the energy to go out for “beer cheese”, beer, and a club sandwich with fries that hit the proverbial spot.
Off to bed at 11:45 with my alarm set for 4:15...
Day 2
Plan for today was to make it to Altoona, PA where I had made reservations at a Motel 6. Why Altoona? I don't know either. Just seemed like the right spot. Route was I-64 out of Lexington, through Eastern KY and into WV, where I'd dance through Charlston, pick up I-79 towards Morgantown, and take I-68 into Maryland. In Maryland I'd grab US 220 and work my way through central PA into Altoona.
Wheels were turning by 5:30 AM, and traffic was light. It was warm (mid-80's), but after Day 1, I was happy to just be sweating vs. dripping. Lots of professional drivers out, with few cars or other bikes around. Eastern KY is gorgeous, and I hope I get back there to ride some of the side roads.
First stop was at 112 miles for the day, again bladder induced. Tough balance between getting hydrated and needing to stop. Topped off fuel, drank a “Vitamin Water” (revive flavored), and hammered on.
The transition from KY to WV was seamless, and if I hadn't been looking at the Grand Tetons just a week before, I'd still be jabbering about the beauty of the Appalachian Mountains. I did run into some fog in WV which limited my visibility (and ability to enjoy the mountains). I'm more of a Violent Femmes than John Denver kind of guy, but I sang several verses of “Country Road” while enjoying “Almost Heaven”, “Wild, Wonderful”, West “by God” Virgina. Nice state.
Second stop was 133 miles after the first, in Snowshoe WV. Had some locals give me a friendly but very curious look-over (I may well have looked like a perverted bumble bee on my black FJR with a high-vis jacket on). At this point it was about 9:50 and I had 245 miles for the day. While I was a bit tired (going on 5 hours of sleep after the day before...), I gave some thought to whether I could make it all the way home vs. stopping in Altoona. Reason prevailed and I stuck with my original plan, and took off for PA via MD, but stopped one more time in WV. Stop 3 was at about 11:40, 104 miles after the second stop. Some food and hydration (6” subway and some Gatorade), gas and bathroom, and a few minutes off the bike. Ate while taking in the local surroundings (people, place and things). Back moving by noon, and knew I was in the home stretch for the day.
Having spent 8 years of my life in Maryland (graduate school and post-doc in the Baltimore / DC area), I am embarrassed to say I had no real understanding how stunning Western Maryland is, but man is it very nice out there. Hit some more rain, but as I did, I was climbing to over 2000 feet and the temperature dropped to below 70. Rain or no, I finally cooled off, never to be truly hot for the rest of the ride. There are no two ways about it, it was just pretty, and the rain did not detract from the beauty of the countryside (though traffic around Cumberland demanded my full attention).
My last stretch was 133 miles, taking me into the middle of PA. Again, just great country. Hit some traffic near Bedford and the interchanges for the PA turnpike, but all-in-all, easy ride up to Altoona. Walked into the Motel 6 a little after 2pm, likely looking a bit beat but chipper all the same. Checked in, cleaned up, and realized I had a lot of day left. Should I have kept riding? Easy to wonder as I was cool, hydrated, and sitting on a king-size bed looking at my atlas. Seems like a 480+ mile day, given the circumstances, was an acomplishment. There is no way I could have known going into it I would have been up for more, and I could easily have been over my head, so I resigned myself to being settled in for the day and evaluated my options. Called home, confirming that my suspicion that a trip to the “Hooter's” down the street would not bode well for my long term health, and decided to eat at a Mexican restaurant next to the hotel. WISE choice. Authentic, friendly service, good food at a fair price. If you are ever in Altoona, and like Mexican food, check out El Campesino (40.469374, -78.405385). I can neither confirm nor deny that they have Dos Equis in frosted 32 oz mugs.
Note on Motel 6 in Altoona – I got what I paid for. Wish I had paid for more, but, fair is fair. Bike was still there in the morning, I slept well, and the staff was nice. Very dated facility...
Day 3 was to get home, and included some non-slab time. Some of the very roads that had me wanting the sport-side of the sport-tourer (e.g., Route 26 in central NY) were on the menu on my way back home. 290 miles was on the planning sheet, and off I went, again with wheels moving at 5:30 AM.
My first 90 minutes out of Altoona were some of the nicest on the trip. Temperature was great, I was comfortable with the bike, and I finally believed I'd make it home in one piece and without dropping the bike (though well aware there was time for me to die and or get the dropsies).
I was at peace on PA220 / I-99. One with the bike, moving through space and time feeling part of the universe, full of life, and lucky to be alive. I did wonder if it would be cheaper and safer to take up Zen Buddhism than buying the FJR. But only for about 20 minutes ;-). I know I'm taking a risk on the bike. But I soap my feet in the shower. Work in a building where the windows don't open. Eat grilled steak and drink wine and beer. I want to be around to walk my daughter down the isle, see my son become a man, and get old with my wife. But not at the cost of being afraid to live. I might have 60 years left. I probably don't. I'm not going to start a heroin habit, cheat on my wife, or get in bar fights. But I'm going to ride my bike. And in the winter I'm going to ride my sled. And I'm not going to feel guilty. Lucky? Yes. Careful? Most of the time. But not afraid. Not guilty. It is okay to drink it all in if done semi-responsibly, and that's my plan.
So I made it home by noon. My wife and kids had followed my trip via SPOT, so were outside waiting for me when I pulled up. They played it perfectly. Smiles, hugs, and gushing about how great the feejer looks, and how great I looked on it (that last part was kindness...).
Sorry there are no pictures. I was too focused on getting home safely, and the super-slab run home did not facilitate pulling over to capture the beauty of MO, IL, IN, KY, WV, MD, PA or NY (yes, central NY is beautiful!).
There there you have it. My first three days with my feej. Three good days, and I hope there are more to come.
Thanks for reading.
dnj
