On the round trip to NAFO I logged 7,423 kilometers on my new '07 A. That's 4,612 miles for my friends below the 49th. Vancouver, BC to Golden, CO and back via the scenic routes.
I've been on many 7 - 10 day bike trips over the past 35 years, but this was the first one I've done on my own. I'm new to this type of motorcycle - Supersport Touring - and I really needed to get a big trip under my belt. This was the perfect opportunity to go on the road for 12 days with a break in the middle for the rally. To top things off, my lovely wife joined me in Golden for the festivities, which was a great break from the riding part. We both had a great time at NAFO and it was wonderful to meet so many like-minded people. Absolutely everyone was a pleasure to meet.
So, 4 days to get there and 4 days to get back. Almost no time spent on Interstates. I looked for secondary highways that were fun to ride, and I found lots of them. I camped 5 out of 8 nights and stayed in motels 3 times.
I had tons of fun on the backroads. No tickets and no bike problems, although I decided that my original Bridgestones were worn out after about 7,500 miles of wear, and had the Yamaha dealer in Kalispell, MT mount a pair of Dunlop D220's. With about 1,200 miles left on the trip I didn't want to take any chances, so the tires were replaced before they got downright dangerous. I had no choice on the brand of the new tires, but from what I've read in this forum the D220's have some respect from several members.
The FJR was an absolute delight to ride. It really has a sportbike soul. You can throw it into the corners all day long. It feels light, considering the load I carried. Lots of full throttle runs up through the gears, hard braking, and picking those sweet lines through the turns. I really got in tune with the awsome power of the FJR, along with it's predictable handling. I now feel like I really "know" the bike.
Thanks to all the members who I gleaned all kinds of farkle ideas from. I have lots of plans to customize my FJR and make it my own. NAFO was the perfect venue at which to sort out all the how-to's. My sore ass tells me that a custom seat is in my future, among other things.
Many thanks to Silent and James Burleigh, who I met on the fabulous Hwy. 12 in Idaho (Lolo Pass), for taking me on a tour with the first FJR riders I've had the pleasure of riding with. It was a very memorable chance meeting and we spent more time in Golden a few days later.
It's great to be back home!
