Still getting over the shock. (High Bandwidth)

[fljab]

I went to Sturgis this yr. I have a HD buddy that goes every yr and he'd been bugging me for a while to do it, so I agreed on the condition that we go the week before and I leave when the crowds come in. That worked - we left Central Florida on Saturday morning, got to Sturgis Monday ~noon (the week before the rally). We did the "American Pickers" tour with stops in Nashville & Iowa to their business locations. No Mike, Frank, and esp Danny D! Lots of tourists both spots tho.

We rode Black Hills for 2 days (he really knows those roads!), and Devil's Tower on Thursday, then I left Friday morning (first rally weekend) for North Dakota (the 49th state I've ridden in now - only Alaska left),then over to Montana, Idaho, Washington State, then down to Beaumont Tx to meet 101spathfinder for a BBG back to Denver for the IBA meet, then home. ~11K miles total.

Pics:

American Picker store Nashville

American Picker store Iowa

Mount Rushmore through one of the tunnels in the Black Hills

Devil's Tower

Black Hills sign photo op

Somewhere in Montana

Independence Pass Colorado

Salida just a little bit late for SWFOG!

Will Barclay's bike at the IBA meet, Denver (winner of 2010 & 2011 Hoka Hey)

Mission Accomplished!

 

[Bounce]

The Black Hills any time other than the rally is fine. OK roads, still touristy, lower prices, lots of National Parks/etc. to see.

I've always had misgivings about pets riding on bikes. That this one got hurt made me sad.

Doesn't look like they've made any progress on Sitting Bull since I was there last.

 

[MEM]

Have you heard about how dear little Bonnie is doing? :heart:

Please give Ken a nice hard Jimmy Kick for me? :assassin:

 

[Boomer612]

Have you heard about how dear little Bonnie is doing? :heart:

Please give Ken a nice hard Jimmy Kick for me? :assassin:

I saw Bonnie's mother on Monday and she reports at Bonnie is walking normally again and that her paws have healed very nicely and fairly quickly it seems... must have been good drugs from the vet.. she is a tuff doggie..

 

[wheatonFJR]

The Black Hills any time other than the rally is fine. OK roads, still touristy, lower prices, lots of National Parks/etc. to see.

I've always had misgivings about pets riding on bikes. That this one got hurt made me sad.

Doesn't look like they've made any progress on Sitting Bull GERONIMO since I was there last.

Fixed.

I'm also sad that the doggie got hurt through no fault of it's own.

 

[Burnspot]

Interesting report! The main impact this report had on me was that it reinforces my lack of desire to do Sturgis ever. Besides, I don't own any handlebar tassels.

I feel for Bonnie; she should've been left at home or in a kennel for this particular trip.

 

[Mihalis fjr]

Great Pictures from realy beautifoul places!!

Thanks for sharing with us!!

 

[yamafitter]

I have been in the Sturgis area twice and love riding through Custer State Park and the Needles Hwy. Great scenery and great roads but you wouldn't catch me dead around there during the rally. The roads get all plugged up with pirates on parade and you have to stand in line for hours to do anything. Definitely not my cup of tea.

I would go back to Daytona during Bike Week but I would be going to watch the racing, especially the Dirt Track at Memorial Stadium. If I took a bike it would be my WR to ride the Alligator Enduro just for old times sake. Also going a week early and catching the GNCC would be a hoot but that's just me. There's more than enough going on in and around Daytona that you really don't have to interface with the Pirates that much.

 

[Fred W]

I suddenly understand how people can ride 18k miles on a PR2/3 tire.

Holy shlamoley. Do you ever get to turn the thing?

I'm seriously rethinking ideas about taking a ride out west.

 

[Bugnatr]

I suddenly understand how people can ride 18k miles on a PR2/3 tire.

Holy shlamoley. Do you ever get to turn the thing?

I'm seriously rethinking ideas about taking a ride out west.

Fred, trailer to the rockies and then start riding. Some of us living in the twisty's get about 7.5 k out of a pr2 and are quite happy for many reasons.

I'd be happy to show you roads where you will want a straight just to get a rest from the twistys

 

[FJReady]

I suddenly understand how people can ride 18k miles on a PR2/3 tire.

Holy shlamoley. Do you ever get to turn the thing?

I'm seriously rethinking ideas about taking a ride out west.

Fred, When I did my crosscountry trip with my buddy Dan a few years back, we discussed future trips of course, and decided that trailering the bikes to Denver area might make sense as two guys can share the driving and make a quick blast from NE to the Rockies, hence increasing the time available in the west. We decided this after crossing eastern Colorado, Nebraska and half of Iowa in one day.

 

[TomInPA]

I can safely say, that once you are between the front rang of Colorado or the Black Hills of SD and anyplace west of Ohio you're screwed.

...

UNLESS, you take the upper Peninsula of MI or North Shore, in which case the misery starts after Wisconsin.

Doing it right, the Great Plains is covered in one or two days on a FJR. That's where this trip went very wrong, spending so much time traversing the plains. It's a killer.

 

[NightShine]

Regarding the dog, I too was thinking all along that ol' Bonnie looked a bit precarious - glad she didn't get REALLY badly hurt. My dogs go to the kennel when I travel, which is better for them AND me.

I wonder, too, how to one would protect a dog's hearing during a motorcycle trek... I've seen examples where canine pillions have goggles for eye protection, but assuming a relatively quiet bike, is the idea just to try to put them in a "dead" air zone (behind the rider or a fairing)?

 

[wheatonFJR]

I can safely say, that once you are between the front rang of Colorado or the Black Hills of SD and anyplace west of Ohio you're screwed.

Well, you're not safe I guess. But I guess ignorance is bliss.

There are places in IN, IL, KY, MO, AR, OK, TX, WI, IA, MN and SD that do just fine for FJR sport touring riding. They aren't just "fly over" states.

In fact, if you like "open landscapes" like the American Southwest, then you can include some of the other American Plains states as well. And that's just the roads and scenery...then there's the people you might meet on your travels. Not every trip is about the sideways lean of rubber on the road...sometimes it's just being out there on roads you've never been on and places you've never seen, or will see again...drinking it in.

If you have little time and you're getting from one coast to the other...yeah, I guess blasting through is the way to go. But I don't see too many Kali riders venturing outside their korner of the US to head east to the heartland or east coast.

I know what you're saying Tom. I know you could ride all your life only in the confines of California and be happy. There are definitely some great roads in Kali...but there's more to this country out there to explore for sure...

...If you have the time to explore it.

 

[wheatonFJR]

Fred, When I did my crosscountry trip with my buddy Dan a few years back, we discussed future trips of course, and decided that trailering the bikes to Denver area might make sense as two guys can share the driving and make a quick blast from NE to the Rockies, hence increasing the time available in the west. We decided this after crossing eastern Colorado, Nebraska and half of Iowa in one day.

Fred, I know a route that would take you from New York to PA to WV to SE OH to KY to IN to MO to AR to OK to CO in fine shape.

Of course, riding across the country takes time, so trailering and blasting out to save time makes sense as well.

 

[fljab]

I would go back to Daytona during Bike Week but I would be going to watch the racing <snip>,

Next time you come down for Daytona BW - give me a shout out! I'm local.....

 

[jmdaniel]

Fred, trailer to the rockies and then start riding. Some of us living in the twisty's get about 7.5 k out of a pr2 and are quite happy for many reasons.

I'd be happy to show you roads where you will want a straight just to get a rest from the twistys

That's what I did last week. 14 hours from Austin to Denver, then the fun began.

 

[mferriter]

Dude, I think you went off the road and are riding on a sidewalk!!!

 

[SkooterG]

Fred, trailer to the rockies and then start riding. Some of us living in the twisty's get about 7.5 k out of a pr2 and are quite happy for many reasons.

I'd be happy to show you roads where you will want a straight just to get a rest from the twistys

That's what I did last week. 14 hours from Austin to Denver, then the fun began.

Sorry, but there is just something WRONG with that photo.......

 

[wheatonFJR]

If you're an IBA guy, the continent is your playground. :clapping: