Dr. Bones
Well-known member
My wife was leaving town with the kids for the weekend and I had just finished all the maintenance on my FJR after purchasing it last fall with 30,000 miles on it, a 2004. Of note, it did not appear the previous owner had done much maintenance on it, the pumpkin was dry, the final drive oil was green and milky, pads were low, throttle body sync was needed (and was better sounding after). I had wired in a powerlets and a SAE plug from the battery. New front PR2, new Cal Sci large windshield, grip pups, and Throttlemeister (a must!) and I decided on a wednesday that I would got to see Mt. Rushmore from my home in West Bend WI on Friday. Or, I might stop in Lacrosse WI and meet alot of other FJR owners at the Midwest Rally.
After working until 1300 Friday I got home changed into my riding gear (tourmaster transition 2 neon yellow jacket and flex pants, solution boots) and hopped on the bike. The night before I had loaded a tent, sleeping bag, small cooler, camelback, a borrowed garmin c570 (? i think) gps, and jury rigged a velcro radar detector to the brake reservoir. I used a cigarette double plug to power my iphone and radar detector.
Left the local gas station at 1410 on June 11, 2010 and made it 10 miles before having to stop (!) for lunch at Subway. Left there and took state hwy 33 west until merging on I 94 west to Tomah WI. That was slow going with a speed limit of 55 and many small towns. Felt like I was going nowhere, until I got on I-94 and there I found all of Illinois driving the same direction! More slow going and a cop at most places looking for speeders. Stopped for gas in Tomah WI at 1530. Drove through the beautiful Mississippi River valley (decided to go skip the Rally, I needed a trip to get away) and into Minnesota where I found it wide open and not a soul. Beautiful and pretty along I-90. Upped the speed to 75-80 and cruised to Stewartville MN to gas up at 1908. Rode to Jackson MN to gas up at 2054. Drove at night with a beautiful sunset and clear weather to Sioux Falls SD by 10 pm. Once there I found most nice hotels booked solid and ended up staying at the Cloud 9 motel, a family run cheap ($45) not so safe or clean motel off of Cliff Ave and I-90. Total mileage was about 480 miles. I slept solid 'till 7am.
Once up I found it raining steady and figured, hey, I can't ride in the rain (first mistake). I decided to enjoy a slow breakfast (2nd mistake) at Dennys and left there gassed up and on I-90 by 930 on Saturday. I had been very hot on Friday in the clear weather so I didn't wear riding pants or gloves. Off into the rain I went only to stop once to put on gloves due to my sopping wet cold hands and then again to install the rain liner in my pants in Chamberlin SD. At that stop I was at a state viewpoint overlooking the Missori river that cuts the middle of the state and decided to spend a couple of minutes looking at the view (in the rain and clouds). I wanted to take pics but they would have been all grey mist, so no beautiful pics.
Back on the bike I realized that it was after 1200 and I hadn't made much time or distance and hadn't had lunch and it was supposed to rain the rest of the weekend so no camping. THey had just had that torrential downpour in Arkansas flooding away a lot of people so my SO had warned me not to camp anyways. I had to get home for work for Monday AM and I better hurry up. I realized you can't sight see/stop/be unprepared for the weather if you want to cross great distances.
I hopped on the bike and decided I should go farther between gas ups and grab gas station food instead of Subways to make up time. My monkey butt was killing me on the stock seat but I pushed on to Kennebec SD by 1311. After crossing the river the terrain became elevated high plains with no trees, no traffic and no one else. It was beautiful quiet high grassland. I pushed on averaging 90 (limit is 75) and was impressed at the cruising ability/stability of the bike. Unfortunately I butt puckered at my gas gauge draining fast and finding gas stations few and far between in the high plains. On the highway I decided that I couldn't make it to Mt. Rushmore (winding up the mountains and stopping to see it and return back to Sioux Falls SD for sleep), so I changed my plan, gassed up and drove into Badlands NP around 1428.
I was expecting a crappy pile of dirt but was astounded to see the beauty of the badlands. It was breathtaking and made a very pleasant change of plans. At this point I decided I better take a pic or two. With the clock ticking I ran the gravel roads (under construction, not that bad only parts of it) and passed people (are you allowed to do that in a NP?). The drive out from WI had been flat slabs and here was a beautiful location with tight sweepers so naturally I decided to check out the cornering ability of the bike on said NP roads. If you ever hear a story of some crazy biker racing the Badlands Park, that was me! I may have received a dirty look from families occupying Suburbans pulling trailers.
the rest of the photos can be found here. https://s1227.photobucket.com/albums/ee439/...adlands%202010/
At Wall SD I gassed up. I had no idea Wall was so large or so interesting but I couldn't stop to see it. I left at 1630 and headed east on I90 reaching Oacoma SD at 1927. At this point I was getting fatigued, had been on the bike most of the day and didn't want to push it to get to Sioux Falls in the dark. I decided to get a room and had a good meal at Al's Oasis in Oacoma SD. It was an interesting place, having expanded over the years to include a grocery, gift shop, restaraunt. Worth a stop if you're in the area.
I rode about 520 miles on that day, monkey butt was bad. For the next day I had a better plan, realizing you had to get up and go early and drive all day to make time. You also had to have all your gear on from the start. Into bed early that night.
I was up and on the road by 0730 Sunday, rode to Luverne MN by 1000, 165 miles, then to Austin MN by 1253 for gas and lunch, another 165 miles. By 1630 I was in Portage WI for gas and at my starting gas station 1748. Total mileage that day 800 miles in 12.5 hours.
What did I learn?
1. You can go great distances on the bike, you can stop and see things, but you can't do both. Better to have a plan ahead of time. My slow start on Saturday cost me Mt. Rushmore. Rain means nothing to the FJR, shouldn't change plans due to it.
2. You can't read a map at speed on a tank bag. My borrowed GPS wasn't water proof so I had to put it away for most of the trip. A GPS is very helpful if you want to drive off the interstates. A zumo 550 is on my wish list. Same for my non water proof radar detector. I rode without the detector for most of the trip. I have since bought an Adaptive Technologies unit.
3. My Iphone was needed for listening to music during the long drive, I used earbuds but am looking into some sort of bluetooth option, the earbuds would vibrate out over time.
4. Camping sounds great and saves money, but you have to stop early to set it up and also pack it. If I'm trying to go long distances, a motel is better.
5. A Russell seat is in my future on the group buy this fall. I would do that trip again in a heartbeat, but not until I get a Russell. It hurt too much.
6. Police. Never saw one AT ALL outside of Wisconsin. Anywhere. It has occurred to me that perhaps WI uses them to collect revenue, as MN and SD didn't have one at every turnaround! I used to be a stong police speed supporter but not now that I've seen other states police usage.
7. Take more Pics!!
8. It's fun to get away and very cost effective on the FJR. If you haven't done it, do it!
9. It's tough working and then leaving to ride all day, next time I'll sleep at home and leave at 3 or 4 the next day. Mental alertness would have been better.
10. I might start to look into a gravity fed aux tank. I got tired of stopping for gas and wasting time.
After working until 1300 Friday I got home changed into my riding gear (tourmaster transition 2 neon yellow jacket and flex pants, solution boots) and hopped on the bike. The night before I had loaded a tent, sleeping bag, small cooler, camelback, a borrowed garmin c570 (? i think) gps, and jury rigged a velcro radar detector to the brake reservoir. I used a cigarette double plug to power my iphone and radar detector.
Left the local gas station at 1410 on June 11, 2010 and made it 10 miles before having to stop (!) for lunch at Subway. Left there and took state hwy 33 west until merging on I 94 west to Tomah WI. That was slow going with a speed limit of 55 and many small towns. Felt like I was going nowhere, until I got on I-94 and there I found all of Illinois driving the same direction! More slow going and a cop at most places looking for speeders. Stopped for gas in Tomah WI at 1530. Drove through the beautiful Mississippi River valley (decided to go skip the Rally, I needed a trip to get away) and into Minnesota where I found it wide open and not a soul. Beautiful and pretty along I-90. Upped the speed to 75-80 and cruised to Stewartville MN to gas up at 1908. Rode to Jackson MN to gas up at 2054. Drove at night with a beautiful sunset and clear weather to Sioux Falls SD by 10 pm. Once there I found most nice hotels booked solid and ended up staying at the Cloud 9 motel, a family run cheap ($45) not so safe or clean motel off of Cliff Ave and I-90. Total mileage was about 480 miles. I slept solid 'till 7am.
Once up I found it raining steady and figured, hey, I can't ride in the rain (first mistake). I decided to enjoy a slow breakfast (2nd mistake) at Dennys and left there gassed up and on I-90 by 930 on Saturday. I had been very hot on Friday in the clear weather so I didn't wear riding pants or gloves. Off into the rain I went only to stop once to put on gloves due to my sopping wet cold hands and then again to install the rain liner in my pants in Chamberlin SD. At that stop I was at a state viewpoint overlooking the Missori river that cuts the middle of the state and decided to spend a couple of minutes looking at the view (in the rain and clouds). I wanted to take pics but they would have been all grey mist, so no beautiful pics.
Back on the bike I realized that it was after 1200 and I hadn't made much time or distance and hadn't had lunch and it was supposed to rain the rest of the weekend so no camping. THey had just had that torrential downpour in Arkansas flooding away a lot of people so my SO had warned me not to camp anyways. I had to get home for work for Monday AM and I better hurry up. I realized you can't sight see/stop/be unprepared for the weather if you want to cross great distances.
I hopped on the bike and decided I should go farther between gas ups and grab gas station food instead of Subways to make up time. My monkey butt was killing me on the stock seat but I pushed on to Kennebec SD by 1311. After crossing the river the terrain became elevated high plains with no trees, no traffic and no one else. It was beautiful quiet high grassland. I pushed on averaging 90 (limit is 75) and was impressed at the cruising ability/stability of the bike. Unfortunately I butt puckered at my gas gauge draining fast and finding gas stations few and far between in the high plains. On the highway I decided that I couldn't make it to Mt. Rushmore (winding up the mountains and stopping to see it and return back to Sioux Falls SD for sleep), so I changed my plan, gassed up and drove into Badlands NP around 1428.
I was expecting a crappy pile of dirt but was astounded to see the beauty of the badlands. It was breathtaking and made a very pleasant change of plans. At this point I decided I better take a pic or two. With the clock ticking I ran the gravel roads (under construction, not that bad only parts of it) and passed people (are you allowed to do that in a NP?). The drive out from WI had been flat slabs and here was a beautiful location with tight sweepers so naturally I decided to check out the cornering ability of the bike on said NP roads. If you ever hear a story of some crazy biker racing the Badlands Park, that was me! I may have received a dirty look from families occupying Suburbans pulling trailers.
the rest of the photos can be found here. https://s1227.photobucket.com/albums/ee439/...adlands%202010/
At Wall SD I gassed up. I had no idea Wall was so large or so interesting but I couldn't stop to see it. I left at 1630 and headed east on I90 reaching Oacoma SD at 1927. At this point I was getting fatigued, had been on the bike most of the day and didn't want to push it to get to Sioux Falls in the dark. I decided to get a room and had a good meal at Al's Oasis in Oacoma SD. It was an interesting place, having expanded over the years to include a grocery, gift shop, restaraunt. Worth a stop if you're in the area.
I rode about 520 miles on that day, monkey butt was bad. For the next day I had a better plan, realizing you had to get up and go early and drive all day to make time. You also had to have all your gear on from the start. Into bed early that night.
I was up and on the road by 0730 Sunday, rode to Luverne MN by 1000, 165 miles, then to Austin MN by 1253 for gas and lunch, another 165 miles. By 1630 I was in Portage WI for gas and at my starting gas station 1748. Total mileage that day 800 miles in 12.5 hours.
What did I learn?
1. You can go great distances on the bike, you can stop and see things, but you can't do both. Better to have a plan ahead of time. My slow start on Saturday cost me Mt. Rushmore. Rain means nothing to the FJR, shouldn't change plans due to it.
2. You can't read a map at speed on a tank bag. My borrowed GPS wasn't water proof so I had to put it away for most of the trip. A GPS is very helpful if you want to drive off the interstates. A zumo 550 is on my wish list. Same for my non water proof radar detector. I rode without the detector for most of the trip. I have since bought an Adaptive Technologies unit.
3. My Iphone was needed for listening to music during the long drive, I used earbuds but am looking into some sort of bluetooth option, the earbuds would vibrate out over time.
4. Camping sounds great and saves money, but you have to stop early to set it up and also pack it. If I'm trying to go long distances, a motel is better.
5. A Russell seat is in my future on the group buy this fall. I would do that trip again in a heartbeat, but not until I get a Russell. It hurt too much.
6. Police. Never saw one AT ALL outside of Wisconsin. Anywhere. It has occurred to me that perhaps WI uses them to collect revenue, as MN and SD didn't have one at every turnaround! I used to be a stong police speed supporter but not now that I've seen other states police usage.
7. Take more Pics!!
8. It's fun to get away and very cost effective on the FJR. If you haven't done it, do it!
9. It's tough working and then leaving to ride all day, next time I'll sleep at home and leave at 3 or 4 the next day. Mental alertness would have been better.
10. I might start to look into a gravity fed aux tank. I got tired of stopping for gas and wasting time.
