Grasshopper Moshing

First day of 3,000+ mile loop

Through Northern California

To Spokane then west to Sturgis

For the Mother of all bike weeks

Near southern Oregon fields

The Harley and I

Encountered our first herd of grasshoppers

In all my years of riding

I say 'herd' because those puppies were BIG

They were big, they were tough

And they knew how to hurt you

They must have been moshing over the highway

Because when I arrived they started moshing me

They were moshing so hard they disintegrated when they bounced off me

Took me an hour and a half to clean those mooshed moshers off the bike.

Must have been damn good music...

Rack'em!

In January of this year we wrestled with issues of an aging biker but rebounded big time with a "Hipshot!" (click on this for a rerun: Cairo Practica II and III).

We did great with that shot.. going some four months without significant discomfort and only walking like a gimp about 75% of the time instead of the usual 100.

We expected it back and it came with a vengeance but now, yes now... we have shot that puppy again! Yes, just a few days ago we went through Hipshot II so now we are loaded with cortisone and somewhat giddy with relief. (I am even more annoying than usual when I am running around giddy).

Why, Molly The World's Greatest Golden Retriever and I even went jogging... for the first time in months. In the interim I have been trying to teach her to to do the elliptical machine but she hasn't figured out what to do with the two extra paws yet. Isn't that just like a dog?!

Anyway, in my elated state I am now planning a bike trip of some 3,000 miles that will have me chasing some of son Tyler's tour concerts in Washington and South Dakota. 

I think the Coyote will join me for part of the trip and I will also get to see some old pals along the way. It also puts me on a direct path with the Mother of All Biker Rallies, Sturgis. Yes, with work and hip diversions it has been three years since I made it there. I miss South Dakota, the Black Hills, Rushmore and The Rally.

It is worthy to note that there is some question as to whether my absence from Sturgis is cause for the precipitous drop in attendance over the past couple of years. That's probably true but when someone questions me about it I just lay it off on the economy...

My rack mounted and ready.
Someone please explain to me
how it could get any better than this...

So, if I am to make this trip, I must have a rack that is strong enough to hold my tour bags and now I do! I picked one up from my local Harley dealer, somehow figured out the installation instructions and now I am there! All I have to do is dig up my electronic tour checklist and started running it. When I am done I will be fully packed and ready to go. It has been far too long since I have been on the road. To say I am pumped would be a massive understatement. So let's rack'em and hit it!

Cold Bugs

Three of us, on baggers, hit a very cold Donner Pass on Interstate 80 at around 10:30 a.m. Fortunately, we had the necessary warm clothing along. Unfortunately, most of it was in our bags, but that didn’t stop us. We were too pumped to stop and change so we blasted through with great anticipation for the warmth we knew was waiting for us in Reno and points beyond. We also briefly paid tribute to the survivors of the Donner Party and their incredible appetites.

At the top of the pass a swarm of pretty butterflies was darting merrily about, enjoying the brisk morning air. We hit them doing about 70… cold bugs splattering everywhere. There were big splotches of yellow on our pristine bikes. We were suddenly hauling some very cold, dead bugs.

Aw, what the hell, entomology and insect control is a standard sideline of every biker. Something we like to sink our 'teeth' into.   .... so to speak.

Chapter 24 - Wells, Nevada

As we left Sacramento I made one of my famous cynical remarks about the run to Wells being the worst of the trip and the Coyote kindly humored me.  He does that often as he has learned I am very good at saying stuff that proves to be dead wrong, or dumb, or both. Sure enough the Wells run was absolutely beautiful. (You know, I wonder if I could have a career as a reverse soothsayer.  For example; “I will buy this lottery ticket but I know I won’t win.” and then having said that I would win, right?!)

We had a smooth run over the mountains into Reno and headed across Nevada in very nice weather.  The whole setting was great all the way through to Wells.  We had an amazing sunset at our backs with clouds above compressing all the red light against a ridgeline.  We also noticed a very large mansion, cupolas and all, on a mountain in the middle of nowhere.  One of Howard Hughes old places, maybe?

Then there was a huge dust cloud just south of the freeway.  As we approached it, we figured out it was blast dust at a mine in the Humboldt National Forest.  We didn’t know what they were after there exactly, but it was an impressive sight.  We also saw a few sheets of rain, like white veils covering the countryside.  Fortunately they were all in the distance and they stayed right there leaving us literally high and dry.

(Photo: Ruby Mountains near Wells)

Once while I was in the lead, I had about a three-quarters view of the Coyote and his bike in my right rear-view mirror.  It was a hell of a sight: the badass-looking biker framed against the clouds and a beautiful sunset.  Hell, even Battle Mountain (Remember the old giant “BM” commemorated in white rocks on the side of a mountain?) looked pretty good that day.

Five Over

Along the way the Highway Patrol stopped us.  It was the first time for either Al or me– while on motorcycles, that is.  We had been in the hammer lane, the speed limit was 75 and I had the cruise control set at 80.  We both noticed the trooper as we passed him and didn’t think much of it. We did move to the far right lane, though. 

He caught up with us and sat in the hammer lane right off to our left.  I just kept the cruise set since I didn’t think he would bother us.  I figured he was just looking over our bikes, but then the old lights came on, so we pulled off.  I started to climb off the bike and walk back to where the patrolman was talking to the Coyote, but he instructed me to get back on the bike and keep it up off the kickstand. This meant I would be straddling it with both feet planted pretty firmly.  It made sense after I thought about it a little.  I couldn’t be much of a threat to him if I was busy holding up 800+ pounds of bagger. 

After he finished talking to the Coyote he came up to me and said I was going around 85.  I told him I had the cruise set at 80.  He said he usually didn’t worry about folks who were going less than 10 MPH over and that we better get our speedometers checked.  I said “okay” and he let us hit the road.  The Coyote said he told the trooper the same thing: his “speedometer said 80” and that is where we were cruising.  We both still believe his radar was off by 5 MPH, but there sure wouldn’t have been anything to gain from arguing.

(Excerpt from:  "Badass, The Harley Davidson Experience", https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004U7LZBC)

Handlebar - to - Handlebar

Just this morning

Cruising out of Lake Tahoe

To Sacramento

With friend Alonzo "Coyote" Munguia

Certain safe stretches

Based on ten years of riding together

We go handlebar - to - handlebar

Coyote on left side of lane, me on right

Motorcycles... Harley's... side-by-side

Synchronized rumble of pipes

Images and shadows reflecting off one another

Trusting in skills and awareness

You have seen or heard this before

Countless times as in:

"Foxhole buddies"

"Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid"

"Thelma and Louise" (grin)

"Wyatt and Billy" (Easy Rider)

Norma and Al Munguia

Judy and Butch Thomas

Julie and Tom Campbell

All know the good path and the value of friendship

Besides, you gotta' love those pipes!!!

 

To Heel...Or Not To Heel

Therein lies the proverbial rub.

Folks who are  learning to ride, or making the switch from dirt bikes or other motorcycles to Harley's are often confronted with an unfamiliar mechanical device.  This happened to me when my sainted wife first insisted that I purchase one in the late '90s.  OK, maybe she just said "Go ahead and take a look" but to a desperate person this sounds like a direct command.

Right: Shifters to immediate right of footboard.  Heel shifter (bottom) has been extended 1".  Bike is immaculate - it's the camera that is so picky...honest!

One of the first things I noticed was an additional shifter on the transmission spline. There were two instead of one; one pointed forward and the other pointed backward.  I asked and was told it was the "heel shifter".  I tried it a couple of times and to me is was just a nuisance...it blocked off the back of the footboard and left me with fewer positions to place my foot while riding.

Anyone who does distance rides knows it is important to be able to move your feet to different positions periodically.  That is why you often see foot pegs added to Harley touring bike crash bars... so the rider can use them in addition to the standard footboards.

I quickly found out that aftermarket parts manufacturers made all kinds of nice chrome add-ons to cover the spline when the rear shifter is removed so I jumped in immediately.  Thereafter, I had more area to rest my left foot.  With this configuration I was a happy camper and stayed that way through three Harleys.

  

But then, shortly after I purchased my last Harley I attended Reno, Nevada's Street Vibrations bike week. While making my customary rounds to drool over chrome and leather accessories I noticed a vendor selling extended rear foot shifters that didn't block part of the footboard. Desperate (yes, I am always desperate for chrome and leather) I decided to try it. Figuring if nothing else I had some more great looking chrome hung on the bike.

 

We got it all set up and on the first ride I became addicted to it.  Amazing, simpler, smoother shifts particularly when tired.  I can't believe I went through three Harleys before discovering this.  I first thought of it as an "appendix"...useless and now I think of it as vital...go figure!

 

"To heel or not to heel?"  I know the answer to that question!

   

Live to Write... Write to Live

 “If you would not be forgotten

As soon as you are dead and rotten.

Either write things worth reading

Or do things worth writing.”

-Ben Franklin, Poor Richard’s Almanac, circa late 1700s

“Or both”

- Tom Campbell, May 8, 2006

(Click the photo to enlarge your perspective.)