Shane
Well-known member
So Phil arrives at my house Friday evening, August 3, ready to head out the next morning to the Rocky mountains and other parts west--he on his '03 FJR, and me on my '04. Both are sporting aux tanks, Russell saddles, and enough on-board do-dads to keep us well hydrated, oriented, and entertained for a week on the road.
This was an experimental outing of long-distance traveling together for the first time, and I must say that in hindsight, I was thoroughly entertained. If you don't know Phil yet, he's well to the maximum on the extrovert side of the personality profile--me, not so much.
While this provided a never-ending source for making new friends along the way, it did make it necessary for me to ask Phil in a joking way if he remembered his wallet every time we resumed travel. You see, he'd get distracted taking pictures and learning the family history of everyone he encountered, foiling his self-imposed re-start routine. It became kind of a joke that the theme of the ride should be the title of this thread, but it was helpful to remember to check my own kit while giving him the needle constantly.
Our plan involved getting to Colorado on Day 1, then riding around the Rockies for a couple of days before heading to Moab, Utah, for a quick tour through some Slickrock and Arches before heading to Sturgis. Here's a link of our SpotWalla trip (select "All" on the left under History to see the whole trip): My link
Phil has the bulk of the pictures and a bunch of riding videos, but I have a few to share here...
Phil hydrates while checking in on what he's missed over the last 12 hours/800 miles
It seems that the GPS's multiplied during the night--three of them on Phil's bike!
No time wasted getting to the top of Mt. Evans. We did need to dodge many mountain goats though, not to mention all the cages we wasted.
Phil documents pretty much everything. This was the first memory card in use--the next one was 32 Gig's!
Some prefer to take the long view of things...
The altitude and gas fumes were getting to us a bit, since the tank pressures at 14,000 ft. cause our tanks to vent much more than on flat ground. Phil needed the sign to hold his head up :dribble:
Next day we climbed another peak; Pike's, to be exact. One of the best surprises is that the parking lot at the top is the only gravel anymore. A very nice development indeed!
Phil acclimatizing again
On to Moab...we ran into an Australian couple on a rented FJR who were touring the western US. Well-travelled and skilled motorcyclists, they joined us for an evening ride through Arches, and dinner afterward.
The Aussies by their bike. See the towel tied around the right mirror? That's to remind them to ride on the right side of the road.
Phil poses in the 105 degree shade by my bike
Left to right: Hilda, Phil "Archie", David.
Moab lizard
Sturgis Darksider Road Captain's bike. A super single semi tire on the rear--no kidding!
V-Twin pizza cutter
Weather coming through Sturgis
Scooter G?
Yesterday's ride home--11 hours, 725 miles, one stop for fuel/sandwich. Good to be home!
I have to say thank you to Joe Weber for designing the tag along aux. tank for my bike. It worked flawlessly every time, regardless of heat, altitude, speed, or anything else--perfect. It also is an incredibly effective backrest for me, the top of the tank being about belt-high.
It was great fun to answer all the questions about it from curious people, but it was even better fun to hit the switch knowing that empty was another few more hours away! :assassin:
It was also my first multi-day ride with a Russell saddle--this is THE difference maker when it comes to mileage and physical tolerance. Simply wonderful.
Hopefully Phil will come along and add some of his pictures as well.
All the best,
Shane
This was an experimental outing of long-distance traveling together for the first time, and I must say that in hindsight, I was thoroughly entertained. If you don't know Phil yet, he's well to the maximum on the extrovert side of the personality profile--me, not so much.
While this provided a never-ending source for making new friends along the way, it did make it necessary for me to ask Phil in a joking way if he remembered his wallet every time we resumed travel. You see, he'd get distracted taking pictures and learning the family history of everyone he encountered, foiling his self-imposed re-start routine. It became kind of a joke that the theme of the ride should be the title of this thread, but it was helpful to remember to check my own kit while giving him the needle constantly.
Our plan involved getting to Colorado on Day 1, then riding around the Rockies for a couple of days before heading to Moab, Utah, for a quick tour through some Slickrock and Arches before heading to Sturgis. Here's a link of our SpotWalla trip (select "All" on the left under History to see the whole trip): My link
Phil has the bulk of the pictures and a bunch of riding videos, but I have a few to share here...
Phil hydrates while checking in on what he's missed over the last 12 hours/800 miles
It seems that the GPS's multiplied during the night--three of them on Phil's bike!
No time wasted getting to the top of Mt. Evans. We did need to dodge many mountain goats though, not to mention all the cages we wasted.
Phil documents pretty much everything. This was the first memory card in use--the next one was 32 Gig's!
Some prefer to take the long view of things...
The altitude and gas fumes were getting to us a bit, since the tank pressures at 14,000 ft. cause our tanks to vent much more than on flat ground. Phil needed the sign to hold his head up :dribble:
Next day we climbed another peak; Pike's, to be exact. One of the best surprises is that the parking lot at the top is the only gravel anymore. A very nice development indeed!
Phil acclimatizing again
On to Moab...we ran into an Australian couple on a rented FJR who were touring the western US. Well-travelled and skilled motorcyclists, they joined us for an evening ride through Arches, and dinner afterward.
The Aussies by their bike. See the towel tied around the right mirror? That's to remind them to ride on the right side of the road.
Phil poses in the 105 degree shade by my bike
Left to right: Hilda, Phil "Archie", David.
Moab lizard
Sturgis Darksider Road Captain's bike. A super single semi tire on the rear--no kidding!
V-Twin pizza cutter
Weather coming through Sturgis
Scooter G?
Yesterday's ride home--11 hours, 725 miles, one stop for fuel/sandwich. Good to be home!
I have to say thank you to Joe Weber for designing the tag along aux. tank for my bike. It worked flawlessly every time, regardless of heat, altitude, speed, or anything else--perfect. It also is an incredibly effective backrest for me, the top of the tank being about belt-high.
It was great fun to answer all the questions about it from curious people, but it was even better fun to hit the switch knowing that empty was another few more hours away! :assassin:
It was also my first multi-day ride with a Russell saddle--this is THE difference maker when it comes to mileage and physical tolerance. Simply wonderful.
Hopefully Phil will come along and add some of his pictures as well.
All the best,
Shane
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