June/July 2009 Trip
The Great National Park Tour:
Connecting as many National Parks as possible on my way to/from the Sidecar National Rally in Lake Tahoe, California.
Monday, 15 June, 2009 - 09:00CST:
T-minus 48 hours before my original planned departure date/time and the motorcycle is looking decidedly UN-roadworthy...
In fact, the entire front fairing, wheel, fender, and forks have been removed. A great deal of the wiring has been disconnected from under the seat and is hanging loosely as well.
All as a result of adding a steering damper.
Why you might ask? -- Project creep...
About two weeks before the start of the trip, while installing the damper, I thought, "Hey, while I am doing some work on the forks would be a great time to do that steering modification that I had always intended to tackle!"
All I need to do is take the entire front suspension apart so that I can measure the lower fork bridge. Design the trail reduction bracket to fit between it and the forks. Have one machined. And then install it, along with a spacer on the front shock spring to increase preload to compensate for the longer effective telelever arm. Oh, and then install this new steering damper too! Simple...
Taking things apart is always the easy part. If you don't count the screw that broke off in the fork tube while removing the fender... "Guess that I get to remove the fork slider to remove the broken bolt and change the fork oil at the same time. Simple!" (Besides, with the fork removed there is more room to work up inside the front end, right?)
Once I had my dimensions taken off the stock parts and my new adapter designed, I simply dropped the drawing off at my local laser cutting shop for quoting. They are slow right now, so they should be able to get it out to me in a couple of days, right? NO. The slowdown in the shop means that the person who runs the machine I need has been put on reduced hours to save money. We can get it to you in 7 business days. ("Hmmmm, that is next Monday, I can leave either Wednesday or Thursday. So even if I DO run into a problem, that still gives me three days to get it put together, right??? -- And while I wait for the part, I can be doing the other work!") I checked everything when I mocked up the modification, I don't need anything else, even the brake lines are long enough. {That there is foreshadowing...}
While waiting for the adapter I set about the other tasks. Might as well install that spring spacer... I will either need to remove the shock or better access. Either way, the front fairing needs to come off!
"HEY, while I have the fairing off would be a GREAT time to do some other things that I have been planning to get to..."
So suddenly even more is added to the list. Installing the headlight protection film, making and installing a cover for the oil cooler inlet, and installing that great compact air horn like I have on the R1150R...
The first two items go pretty quickly and smoothly. The air horn installation lead to even MORE project creep!
Opening up the seat to prepare to run wires for the horn's power supply, I see once again the ugly haphazard collection of wires festooning the battery terminals. The sidecar installation left the bike with four individually fused connections with dedicated grounds. Add to that the bike's stock connections and the GPS power that I had previously installed, and adding one more for the horn was going to break the back on the proverbial camel. Time to install that central fuse block that I have had on my list since the sidecar was installed... Simple!
I spend the weekend adding the fuse block, oil cooler & headlight covers, mocking up a bracket for the air horn (final location not possible till the suspension is put back together), and prep'ing the new left fairing panel that I bought as an additional bit of project creep. (the old panel had previous damage when I bought the bike)
Did I mention that also during this time I was designing and building a bug canopy for open-air sleeping in the sidecar, and installing a second (relay controlled) battery in the trunk of the sidecar for running accessories while parked?
Project creep? Me???
So, Monday morning comes. After a call to the shop, they finally get the parts cut-out just that afternoon. I still need to lay out and drill/tap/counterbore the holes and other finishing work. By 7pm I am fitting it to the bike. It fits great. Fabricated spacers to mount the fender, wheel back in. Nothing else to do but slip the calipers back into place and clean up.
The brake calipers however, do not reach the mounts like when the setup was mocked up. (Don't ask me why???) I need longer brake lines. I could have had them on order over a week ago if I had known... I will have to call the bike shop first thing in the morning and have them overnighted.
No problem. The lines will get here by 10am Wednesday. Installed by noon. Brakes bled by 2pm. The rest already put together and ready to roll Thursday morning like my alternate departure date plan. Simple!
Tuesday, 16 June, 2009 - 15:30CST:
Problem...
Call from the bike shop indicates that one of the two brake lines that I need is not in stock in the USA. BMW has 320 of them in Germany; but even a VOR (Vehicle on Rack)/overnight order will take 2 weeks with customs! Apparently with the backordered part, it was too late to do this project before I even started two weeks ago...
Now what???
What now is taking apart the trail reduction bracketry, and putting it back together with stock steering for this trip. But WITH the new steering damper. (remember the steering damper???)
It is already late afternoon by the time the shop found out about the backorder and called me. I am tired and disappointed. I decide to do the work tomorrow instead of the anticipated brake bleeding and still just leave on Thursday. No need to push myself tonight and make my mood worse through being overtired...
I am having an adventure before the planned adventure even begins...
Thursday, 18 June, 2009 - 14:00CST:
FINALLY underway!!!
There were major thunderstorms across northern Iowa, Southern Minnesota, and SouthWest Wisconsin this morning. Right in my intended path. Waiting until after lunch let them shift and dissipate.
The ride across Wisconsin and Iowa was uneventful. I stuck to Hwy 12/18 West towards Madison rather than battling afternoon freeway traffic, and shuttled across South of Madison rather than deal with the always busy Beltway during the height of rush hour. Pulling into Sioux City, Iowa 480 miles later at 12am I was still feeling fresh enough that I even contemplated pulling an Iron-Butt all-night ride. Nothing to see in Nebraska anyway, right??? But I decided to park it and get some sleep. I have plenty of time, no need for heroics the first day out...
Friday, 19 June, 2009 - 20:30MST (21:30CST):
I sure am glad that I stopped for the night in Sioux City. The first real day of riding of this trip was varied and interesting. Spent about half of the day in Nebraska, then shuttled North into South Dakota. Eventually ending up in the primitive campground inside of Badlands National Park. The first stop of my Great National Parks Roundup...
Not all of Nebraska is flat and featureless. Nebraska State Hwy-12 out of Sioux City is quite scenic. It is designated as a state scenic route, called the "Outlaw Trail". It is also a part of the historic route of the Louis & Clark Expedition.
And even the sections of vast prairie that I rode through made me contemplate earlier travelers and the spirit they must have had. Think about the determination that it must have taken to have packed up all of your possessions and to have ventured forth into a wild and seemingly endless wilderness. Some days never even making it as far as the horizon that you spied at first light... Months spent living on the trail. Traveling towards hopes of a better life in places they had only read about, or heard about through word of mouth.
I spent quite a bit of time traveling down a narrow strip of asphalt that barely made a mark in the vastness as it knifed its way across the grasslands. Laser beam straight. Till it literally disappeared into the distance as a vanishing point on the far horizon. For a while I marked my passing by the signs that marked the historical campsites of Louis & Clark. Realizing that I was able to traverse in minutes what took their party entire days. I wondered if I would have ever had the fortitude to make this trip if I were limited to traveling as they had...
Oh, btw... Remember that backordered brake line that was in Germany and wouldn't be available for two weeks? I got a voice mail message at 10:00am Friday morning telling me that the part had already arrived!!! I wonder if I can have the parts mailed ahead to meet me at Lake Tahoe and install them at the rally???
I made camp for the evening at the primitive campsite deep inside of Badlands National Park, pulling in just before sunset. The bug tenting set up quickly and easily. This was my first time using it out "in the wild". It was nice having the extra space inside of the "Escape Pod" when bedding down that evening, and was not disturbed by a single bug. However, there was quite a bit of condensation on the inside of the ripstop roof overnight. Thankfully, I found out that everyone's tent had the same thing. Must have been a local weather thing...
A foursome of recent college grads from Georgia State who were on the return leg of their own grand tour invited me to share their dinner stew. In the morning we discussed routes and I gave them my AAA tourbook and some routing tips, since I had just come the way they were heading. Sometimes it just works out that way.
Driving out of Badlands National Park the next morning I was throwing a nice roost of dust behind me on the dirt/gravel road leading out of the back side of the park. BIG smiles!!!
Saturday, 20 June, 2009 - 18:30MST (19:30CST):
Arrived in Casper Wyoming to visit my friend Kay. Spend a good part of the meandering through the Black Hills of South Dakota before being chased West by the blooming afternoon thunderheads.
The roads were nice, but the traffic was not.
[Rant Mode:]
Why don't people simply pull over and let traffic pass if they want to drive slowly and sightsee? Gee, they could even take the time to actually frame a photo rather than hanging their arm out the window while driving slowly and weaving over the center line...
Also, I am upset that Mt. Rushmore now has a private concession run parking structure. Even though it is built on/in the National Park, and there is no alternative parking, they do NOT honor the National Park Golden Access/Age Passports. And they have conveniently posted "no parking" signs along both sides of the approach road for miles to make sure that you are forced to pay a private concession to be able to visit your National Park. At the very least they could offer free parking for the disabled who are unable to hike in and are often financially disadvantaged as well...
[Rant Mode, Off...]
I did manage to traverse the Needles Highway without much traffic, and with some great scenery. The route also includes three tunnels through the rocky terrain, including this one that I found to be the most interesting/scenic.
Am still working on editing the photos from Saturday. Will post some more soon...
Southern Wyoming:
Some great vistas to be had by getting a little bit off of the beaten path... Took a road that showed as "closed in winter" on the map. Gravel and dirt the whole way, but what wonderful views!
Got up where there was still snowpack next to the roadway...
Coming down from altitude towards Colorado I entered into Aspen forest and more of a dirt/clay road. It was smoother than the gravel had been, and a relief to my arms which had taken some abuse on the more jarring sections of the gravel. It was also extremely pretty and serene...
Also decided to try one "short cut" that the GPS recommended that became narrower, and narrower, and more and more muddy. I eventually had to find a wide enough place to turn around at a trail junction when it was down to two muddy ruts and the way ahead was looking more rocky and rutted. Was a bit worried that I might have been hiking out to find someone with a winch! Ah well, all part of the adventure... I treated the rig to a bath at the coin-op carwash in the next town. ;-)
At one point during the "short cut" I surprised a deer who ran ahead of me down the road for several hundred yards before deciding to turn off into the woods. Enough time for me to pull my camera out of my pocket and snap off a couple of quick shots while I was riding.
Sunday, 28 June, 2009 - 16:30PST (18:30CST):
Taking a little break from the heat of the day in a small internet cafe' in Sonora California. On my way to Yosemite National Park. Temps at the lower elevation here hit over 104-F!!!
The rally was fun and I met lots of nice people. Only one little mechanical issue due to a brake line being routed incorrectly when I had the sidecar installed. Will write more about it when I have the time, but I need to get back on the road if I plan to get through both of the mountain passes that I have planned before dark...
This photo was from the first pass that I went through on California Hwy-4 earlier today.
Wednesday, 1 July, 2009 - 21:53MST (23:53CST):
Stopped for the night in a little pull-out inside of Redwoods National Park near Eureka California. Taking a little time to make a few notes before going to sleep.
Pretty short day today. Just took it easy riding North along the Pacific Coast. Stopped in Eureka to do an oil change on the bike. I did the transmission oil and adjusted the valves back at Lake Tahoe, along with replacing the pinched brake line on the sidecar and bleeding the system. By the time that I had completed the repair of the brake line, I didn't have time to do the engine oil while still at the rally. The trunk is now several pounds lighter now that all the oil is used, and I have more space as well.
Had dinner just the other side of the bay from Eureka at the Samoa Cookhouse. It is a historic lumber mill cafeteria that is now open to the public. Meals are served just like they were to the lumbermen. No menus, you eat what they made for the day, brought out to you "family style" - one bowl of soup/salad/veggies for several people at the table to serve themselves out of. And LOTS of it!!! All you can eat of anything that they are having that meal. Including hot bread pudding with whipped cream. <Yum!> The red bean & rice soup was also delicious, but unfortunately, they had run out of the batch of that after I had finished my fried chicken, southern baked ham, baked potato, and corn; and wanted seconds of it. They did have a fresh batch of Lumberjack vegetable soup as the new soup. Most of us would call it vegetable beef, with big chunks of tender beef, and very hearty. The Cookhouse is on my recommended lists of places to eat if you ever get the chance to make it out that way!
The ride across the
central valley of California on Tuesday was pleasant. Hwy-49 North out of
Mariposa, where there is a large stand of Giant Sequoia trees, was nicely twisty
with very little traffic.
Hwy-12 through Lodi got to where it had more traffic, due to afternoon workers coming home from the Bay area, but they were generally very polite, kept proper following distances, etc... Reaching the coast, the temps came down quite a bit from what I had experienced in the dry climate of the central valley, and it was a cool night for camping with the coastal dampness. The views of sunset through the cloud cover over the coast were just like in the calendar photos.
The sidecar has been working quite well as a sleeping pod so far, and I woke up warm and rested at dawn this morning. That meant that I had the coast highway pretty much to myself for well over an hour, but the chilly overcast did not lend much of a view. Still, there were a few fine vistas with the haze/fog adding a bit of atmosphere (pardon the pun) to the scenes. And later the sun managed to burn off some of the overcast and I was again treated to some great views.
Tomorrow will start off with a tour of the Redwoods here in the park, and then Northward into Oregon. Still yet to decide if I will take the Pacific Coast Highway all the way up, or cut overland through Oregon to miss the bustle of Portland and to save some mileage/time on the return journey...
Thanks for checking in!
Some other random photos from my trip....
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