redtail
Well-known member
Okay, so I went to GP and had my suspension done (full front re-build, new Penske 8983 rear W/GP mount)! I have to start here because it completely transformed my ride! My stock suspension was was fading fast and I had lost all confidence in it. I didn't realize how much I was compensating for that and struggling to maintain. Now it feels like I'm riding on a rail! Amazing feedback from the road, but completely stable in the saddle. You can actually feel the suspension work! This is my first bike with adjustable suspension, so I guess it's welcome to the 21st century!
The guys up at GP really took good care of me as well. I showed up the night before, and checked in with them before hitting the hotel. So when I got there in the morning, all my parts were laid out on the counter, set up and ready to install. I was shown the difference between the old and new with an explanation of how things work internally! In by 9 am. and out by 2pm. with what would seem to be a completely different bike!
P.S. If anyone is getting a Penske shock, by all means get the mounting bracket that GP makes, it really is clean!
The long distance part of this adventure provided me a chance to learn alot about traveling on two wheels. One of the reasons for justifying a ride in appointment, was that my Mom lives in Oregon, and I could include a visit. It happens to be a little over 900 miles from my house to GP, and alittle under 800 miles from my house to my Moms. Which teased me into thinking about a SS1000. I didn't want to mess with my service appointment, so I set up a trip with a little loop past my mom's that would give me enough miles, and took off a couple days early. Now I have been thinking about one of these rides pretty much since I started reading this forum, and have been collecting gear and doing alot of reading.... Any ways, I learned alot and had a great time!
I left home at 6 am. with witness sheet signed and receipt in hand. Missed the next planned gas stop and headed over hwy 154 out of Santa Barbara. This would be the only "short-cut", but mapquest showed it as direct and there was no to prove otherwise so... But as I rode I started to worry about it and cut off through Solvang, and back to the 101. Got gas in Buelton and 30 miles later realized I didn't have my phone!!!! I dropped it getting gas, somebody turned it in and all I lost was 60 miles. Okay, settle down... It's just a ride... remember this is supposed to be fun.
Beautiful ride up the hwy, starting to get in the groove and really skooting along. My plan was to take the 880 and 580 fwy's around the east edge of the bay area, but the transition to the 880 was jammed so i just stayed on the 101. This gave me a great ride through San Fransisco and over the Golden Gate Bridge, but cost me another hour that I would really love to get back later! It also put in with an amazing exodus out of the city, and so I had traffic for some time.
When it finally opened up, I was in small town-divided by-amazing sweepers country, and got back into a great groove. It had been cold when I left home and really enjoyed my new tourmaster heated vest. I turned it back on as evening set in, but about 20 miles from Eureka and 750 miles into a 2500 mile trip, it quit working! Apparently, I missed the memo about their temp. controllers being very sketchy ( so sketchy that another company has developed a replacement!) So I pulled into Eureka cold. I new I was headed into some weather, so I went ahead and put on my rain gear which sealed out any wind and off again.
By this time I've realized that the riding part is easy, but making sure to get all the receipts and having that on your mind can be a b#$ch. I crossed into Oregon, and am communicating with Shiny-parts-up, still no rain and in good spirits, so off again! Now, I planned this kinda for fun, knowing that the important thing was getting to GP without misshap. That being said, there were three places I could back out and just head inland to mom's. I'm passed the first one which was at Crescent City (through Grants Pass to Roseburg), and we agreed we would regroup at the next one which would be Bandon (and the 42 hwy over the coast range). This is where it all unravelled!!!!
Doing fine,.. oh a light mist on the visor,... then rain... then rain with wind... all of a sudden I'm in one hell of a storm. I got 40 mph winds with 75 mph gusts, rain coming down sideways, branches coming down out of the trees all over the road, its now dark as heck, and when I'm not among the trees I'm fully exposed to the wind. Probably quite protected by the darkness, (if I could have seen better i'd have been terrified!). I got hit by one gust that set me into a major tank slapper that I barely rode out of.
Finally made into Bandon, and right at the junction of the 101 and 42, I pulled up on the sidewalk of the market and parked facing the bike into the wind! Got Shiny-Parts-Up back on the phone told him I was done. We both knew it wasn't worth pushing any harder north, and at this point I'd be risking ice if I just left the coast and headed over the mountains, so he jumped online and found a hotel for me where I called it a night.
I had just ridden 952 miles. 60 miles didn't count, so I figure I was an easy 100 miles short, at least! Next day , in the light and between storms, I rode up to Reedsport and over to Roseburg. All in one piece, and on a complete bike. Got to finally meet Shiny-Parts-Up, who provided great support throughout the whole trip, thanks again Michael.
Rode to GP between storms, where I was treated like family. Rode back to Roseburg, and visited a couple more days with my actual family. By the time I left, I had no choice but to take the coast home, as it was snowing in all the passes. I made it back to Eureka and slept and then rode 800+ miles home.
Lesson summary.... don't combine first SS1000 with other plans!... Try to avoid crossing major cities... Late november might not be the best time for the pacific northwest... and like I read so much in other posts, don't get too worked up because there really is enough time to finish (but I should have practiced like a 400 mile loop with receipts!)
All in all it was an epic adventure that I wouldn't have missed for anything. I'm hooked on the LD thing and will definetly try again!
Thanks so much to this forum for the group buy and all the amazing information that has improved my two-wheeling!
The guys up at GP really took good care of me as well. I showed up the night before, and checked in with them before hitting the hotel. So when I got there in the morning, all my parts were laid out on the counter, set up and ready to install. I was shown the difference between the old and new with an explanation of how things work internally! In by 9 am. and out by 2pm. with what would seem to be a completely different bike!
P.S. If anyone is getting a Penske shock, by all means get the mounting bracket that GP makes, it really is clean!
The long distance part of this adventure provided me a chance to learn alot about traveling on two wheels. One of the reasons for justifying a ride in appointment, was that my Mom lives in Oregon, and I could include a visit. It happens to be a little over 900 miles from my house to GP, and alittle under 800 miles from my house to my Moms. Which teased me into thinking about a SS1000. I didn't want to mess with my service appointment, so I set up a trip with a little loop past my mom's that would give me enough miles, and took off a couple days early. Now I have been thinking about one of these rides pretty much since I started reading this forum, and have been collecting gear and doing alot of reading.... Any ways, I learned alot and had a great time!
I left home at 6 am. with witness sheet signed and receipt in hand. Missed the next planned gas stop and headed over hwy 154 out of Santa Barbara. This would be the only "short-cut", but mapquest showed it as direct and there was no to prove otherwise so... But as I rode I started to worry about it and cut off through Solvang, and back to the 101. Got gas in Buelton and 30 miles later realized I didn't have my phone!!!! I dropped it getting gas, somebody turned it in and all I lost was 60 miles. Okay, settle down... It's just a ride... remember this is supposed to be fun.
Beautiful ride up the hwy, starting to get in the groove and really skooting along. My plan was to take the 880 and 580 fwy's around the east edge of the bay area, but the transition to the 880 was jammed so i just stayed on the 101. This gave me a great ride through San Fransisco and over the Golden Gate Bridge, but cost me another hour that I would really love to get back later! It also put in with an amazing exodus out of the city, and so I had traffic for some time.
When it finally opened up, I was in small town-divided by-amazing sweepers country, and got back into a great groove. It had been cold when I left home and really enjoyed my new tourmaster heated vest. I turned it back on as evening set in, but about 20 miles from Eureka and 750 miles into a 2500 mile trip, it quit working! Apparently, I missed the memo about their temp. controllers being very sketchy ( so sketchy that another company has developed a replacement!) So I pulled into Eureka cold. I new I was headed into some weather, so I went ahead and put on my rain gear which sealed out any wind and off again.
By this time I've realized that the riding part is easy, but making sure to get all the receipts and having that on your mind can be a b#$ch. I crossed into Oregon, and am communicating with Shiny-parts-up, still no rain and in good spirits, so off again! Now, I planned this kinda for fun, knowing that the important thing was getting to GP without misshap. That being said, there were three places I could back out and just head inland to mom's. I'm passed the first one which was at Crescent City (through Grants Pass to Roseburg), and we agreed we would regroup at the next one which would be Bandon (and the 42 hwy over the coast range). This is where it all unravelled!!!!
Doing fine,.. oh a light mist on the visor,... then rain... then rain with wind... all of a sudden I'm in one hell of a storm. I got 40 mph winds with 75 mph gusts, rain coming down sideways, branches coming down out of the trees all over the road, its now dark as heck, and when I'm not among the trees I'm fully exposed to the wind. Probably quite protected by the darkness, (if I could have seen better i'd have been terrified!). I got hit by one gust that set me into a major tank slapper that I barely rode out of.
Finally made into Bandon, and right at the junction of the 101 and 42, I pulled up on the sidewalk of the market and parked facing the bike into the wind! Got Shiny-Parts-Up back on the phone told him I was done. We both knew it wasn't worth pushing any harder north, and at this point I'd be risking ice if I just left the coast and headed over the mountains, so he jumped online and found a hotel for me where I called it a night.
I had just ridden 952 miles. 60 miles didn't count, so I figure I was an easy 100 miles short, at least! Next day , in the light and between storms, I rode up to Reedsport and over to Roseburg. All in one piece, and on a complete bike. Got to finally meet Shiny-Parts-Up, who provided great support throughout the whole trip, thanks again Michael.
Rode to GP between storms, where I was treated like family. Rode back to Roseburg, and visited a couple more days with my actual family. By the time I left, I had no choice but to take the coast home, as it was snowing in all the passes. I made it back to Eureka and slept and then rode 800+ miles home.
Lesson summary.... don't combine first SS1000 with other plans!... Try to avoid crossing major cities... Late november might not be the best time for the pacific northwest... and like I read so much in other posts, don't get too worked up because there really is enough time to finish (but I should have practiced like a 400 mile loop with receipts!)
All in all it was an epic adventure that I wouldn't have missed for anything. I'm hooked on the LD thing and will definetly try again!
Thanks so much to this forum for the group buy and all the amazing information that has improved my two-wheeling!
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