The Itch, has been scratched.

I have had an itch for quite some time, but no matter how hard I tried, I just couldn't scratch it. The more I talked about it the worse it got. It would keep me up all night doing internet research on the best way to sooth it. It would cause me to day dream at work for hours on end. My wife would never even discuss it. I had come to the conclusion that I would suffer this itch for all eternity.

A few weeks ago I decided to try and get my wife to help me one more time. I double checked all of my research, consulted friends and I practiced in front of a mirror. In the end I gave a passionate speech. I layed out all of the positive points. I made it clear that if my itch got scratched, that I wold be more than willing to return the favor when the time came. I probably gave the best sales pitch of my life.

I guess I should remind the readers this is a blog about MOTORCYCLES. Get your minds out of the gutter.

About a week after my sales pitch I started to get that feeling I would be living with itch for a long time, when my Loving wife asked me If WE were going to the motorcycle shop that weekend? I think I passed out. When I awoke I checked to make sure I had heard correctly and then didn't ask again for fear something would change.

As it turned out we couldn't make it to the shop that weekend, so I called Gateway BMW Motorcycles on Friday afternoon and asked them to put a sold sign on the bike a 2009 BMW G650X Country, and that I would be in on Wednesday to sign all the papers and take delivery. It turned out to be a good idea to call them as Saturday some came in to buy MY motorcycle.

My itch got scratched at about 2:30pm on Wednesday September 30th, 2009 when I left the Dealer on my new bike, taking the long way home of course.

Look for more about G650X in future post.

See you on the Road.
GAW

DynaBeads - How to balance without balancing or how I cured my neurotic psycho-somatic feelings.

I recently purchased and installed new tires on my motorcycle for the first time. Just to clarify, I installed the tires myself for the first time (on a street bike anyway). I have used up 5 or 6 sets of tire's over the years, but I always had them installed by a dealer.

A friend of mine has a No-Mar tire changer and a static balancer. I made arrangements to visit him with my old tires still mounted on the wheels (left the bike at home) and the new tires. In a matter of about 30 minutes we had the old tire's in the back of my truck and the new tires installed. Then it was time to balance the tires and wheels. I'm no expert on balanceing tires, this being my first time, but the idea when static balancing is to find the heaviest part of the tire/wheel and add weight to the opisit side of the wheel using stick on weights. We went through the process with both wheels, adding another 15-20 minutes to the whole job, not to bad less than an hour to mount and balance for my first time.

Later that day I installed the wheels back on the motorcycle and took it for a test ride. During the ride I thought I could feel the slightest vibration, more so at certain speeds.

At this point my neurotic behavior kicks in and I start down a dangerous path of "what if's" and "should I's". What if I did the balancing wrong, should I re-mount and re-balance? What if it's a defect in the tire, should I... If I was sitting in a chair while this was going on and you observed me, you might notice my eye's vacant or a small string of drool. No big deal sitting in a chair in a padded room, but I'm traveling in excess of the posted speed, on a road that doesn't have 1 inch of straight and level pavement. This prosses continues at lightning speed until I have a really wet brain fart. After the brain fart I conclude that the balance must be off slightly and that I must revisit it.

Re-mounting and balancing is not a simply process as I would need to contact my friend with the equipment and set up a date and time, also I ride to work everyday and my weekends are usually full of family time. So there had to be an alternative, some place between Google and ADVRider I found DynaBeads, small ceramic beads that you pour down the valve stem and they dynamically (Magically) balance your tires as you ride. Using the DynaBeads web-site (click on title link) I found a dealer near me and the proper amount of beads for my bike 2 oz front and rear. After leaving the dealer with $26 less money, I had two 2 oz bags of DynaBeads and a installation kit (plastic bottle and tube). Installation is a breeze,

1. Let the air out of your tires.
2. Remove the valve stem.
   
3. Put the proper amount of beads in bottle.
4. Connect tube to bottle and valve stem.
5. Squeeze bottle (pump?) until all beads have entered tire.
6. Replace valve stem.
7. Inflate tire to proper pressure.
8. Repeat until all tires have been done.

Not to bad, I had both tires done in a matter of minutes and was ready for a test ride.

My first impressions during the test ride was that things had noticeably smoothed out, but I could still feel a vague vibration at certain speeds/RPM's. At that point my neurotic behavior kicked in and I started down the dangerous path of "what if's" and "should I's"...

I have now convinced my self that during my most recent oil change I overfilled the oil (my bike takes exactly 3.7987779 quarts of oil) and spun a bearing or broke a piston skirt. At the moment I'm reserching if DynaBeads poured into the crank case will help, I'll let you know how it turns out.

The big question, DynaBeads, did they work? I think so. I read many accounts from people who said they will use nothing else, but I still think it wise to balance your tires in a conventional way before pouring $25 down your valve stems.

See you on the road.

GAW

P.S. I have found a soultion to my balance / vibration problem, but you will have to check back later to see what it is.

Motorcycle Bugs

Preaching to the Choir, I know but isn't it the truth?

GAW

Chris Pfeiffer takes over BMW HQ.

Stunt Rider Chris Pfeiffer has taken over BMW HQ. BTW Chris rides a BMW F800R.



Chris has been riding BMW's for a while, but is not the first, a few years ago you may have seen Jean Pierre Goy doing stunts on the Behemoth K1200LT Luxury Touring Bike, if not here is a short clip. Jean Pierre Goy was also the rider in the James Bond movie Tomorrow Never Dies.

BMW Motorrad has been trying to lure new younger riders for some time now and I believe Chris Pfeiffer is a part of that plan. If you are a lucky soul You can even get a Chris Pfeiffer Replica F800R (only 68 are being built).

GAW

Road Trip 2009 The end.

Some people will ask,"What did you do on your trip besides ride your motorcycle, eat food and sleep?" My answer "Ride Eat Sleep Repeat, what else is there?." It's not easily explained to non-motorcyclist, but motorcyclist know what I mean.

Over the 8 days on the road I,
traveled 3184 miles.
burned 73 gallons of premium gas.
averaged 49 mpg.
crossed the Continental Divide 6 times.
rode over 17 mountain passe's.
11 of 17 passe's over 10,000 feet.
2 of 11 over 12,000 feet.
rode to an altitude of 14,110 feet.
visited 5 ghost towns / mines.
rode the Bus 4 times.
ate pizza 3 times.
picked up my bike 2 times.
broke 1 speedometer cable.
crashed 1 time, going backwards no-less.

I ate at the following notable restaurants:
Copper Kitchen in La Junta, CO.
Feliciano's Home Run Pizza in Chama, NM.
Francisco's Restaurante Y Cantina in Durango, CO.
Ted's Taco in Mancos, CO.
Serious Texas BBQ in Durango, CO.
Mario's Pizzeria & Ristorante in Gunnison, CO.
Taco John's in Goodland, KS.

I meet many interesting and friendly people. Including but not limited to the,
father and sons in La Junta, CO.
Wisconsin Bikers in Raton, NM.
Frank in Chama, NM.
Colin (from Farmington, NM) in Mancos, CO.
Everyone at Basin Motor Works in Mancos, CO.
Bus driver in Durango, CO.
Hotel clerk in Gunnison, CO.
Truck driver in Goodland, KS.

I also learned a few things. It seems I always learn a few things on trips like this, but soon after I'm home I forget much of what was learned. Maybe by committing it to digital paper I will retain more of it. I need to pack lighter! Interestingly enough I have consistently packed lighter over the years, but I still need work. I have two area's in particular that I need to improve.

The first is photography / electronics gear. I have slowly decreased the amount of photo gear I take along on my moto trips, and I believe on my next trip I can manage with even less. In the past computers weren't a problem, but today every body has a laptop and they will fit on the bike easily. The computer is a great to have along, but it does add a significant amount of weight, unless you have the latest MAC Air book, which I don't. I believe a net-book is warranted before the next Moto trip.

My second problem area is Fix & Repair. Do I need to drag an air compressor, slime, plug kit and a second set of tools? Well yes, or well maybe and in fact I would like to add a liter of gas to my kit (more weight to lose elsewhere). I guess it depends on where my travels will take me. I will work on lightning the this part of the load before the next trip.

Lastly I have learned that if I plan on exploring the southwest in the future and in particular search out ghost towns, I need to acquire a smaller and lighter motorcycle. Even before I was home my mind was spinning about new wheels. BMW, Kawasaki, Suzuki, KTM and Yamaha. New or Used. More Street or more Dirt. So many choices, I will pursue this in more detail in a future post.

The one thing that is certain is that I have only scratched the surface of the great motorcycle roads and that I must return. The only question is when.

See you on the road!

GAW


Road Trip 2009 Highlights

Road Trip 2009 Day 7-8

I woke without a plan, yet I knew exactly what I was going to do. I had a shower, breakfast, the bike packed and was on the road by 8 A.M.

Day 7 may have gone a little different if my motel had had a guest laundry. I don't mind washing my clothes, but I just hate being stuck at a laundry mat for 2 hours. With that in mind I turned right out of the motel and headed east on U.S. 50. I had 3 destinations for the day, the ghost town of St Elmo, Pikes Peak and a place to lay my head when I got tired, anything in between would be a bonus.

You would think after traveling a few thousand miles (most in northern New Mexico and southern Colorado) I would have learned the local gas rule, "1/2 a tank or less? then stop at the next station you see", that would have been Poncho Springs, but not me I'm a "run it till your on fumes" kind of guy. After an extra 25 miles for gas I was on County Gravel Rd 162 heading for St Elmo.

St Elmo is a very well preserved ghost town. The reason? Because all of the people have driven the ghost away. St Elmo is privately owned so there is limited access to the buildings, viewing is basically from the road and boardwalk. I was still able to capture a few interesting images. There is another ghost town farther down the road, but that road is gated. More Private property.

Not long after leaving St Elmo I was heading east on U.S. 24, next stop Pikes Peak. Actually my next stop was a little shade along the road to eat left over pizza. When I arrive at the Pikes Peak toll booth I'm told it's $9 to enter, and I'm also told that the road is paved, gravel, paved and more gravel. In parting I'm told that I picked a good time to visit as the road is in excellent condition for the International in 4 days time. I would hate to see the road when it's in poor condition. I now have a new found respect for the drivers who compete in the Hill Climb, they either have some really big brass balls or a total lack of reality. The summit is shoulder to shoulder people. It doesn't take much time to see the sights and I'm on the way down.

It was late afternoon when I stop for gas in Colorado Springs. The plan then was to head towards home stopping for gas & food when needed, when I needed a rest I would look for a place to stay. I stopped for supper at Taco Johns in Goodland, KS after that I had no good reason to stay in Kansas. There would be no sleeping until I could sleep in my own bed.

I had watched the sun set in my mirrors as I approached Kansas and as I crossed Missouri I watched the sun rise. the last 100 miles were the hardest, I was ready to hit the hay. I'm a little gray on the exact time I arrived home, but I do remember figuring I had been on the road for 22 hours. A day later I figured the mileage as being 1048 per google. After a quick shower I was asleep before my head hit the pillow, not to fully awaken until the next morning.

See you on the road.
GAW

P.S. I will post a summary of the trip and some thoughts on what is to come. It shouldn't take to long, it just needs A/D conversion (it's all on paper). Check back soon.

Road Trip 2009 Highlights

Road Trip 2009 Day 6

Sorry for the delay, There was no time to update on the road and once I was back home I came down with a bad case of the lazy's. Better late than never, right?

The map above shows me taking I-70 for part of the days ride, it is not accurate. When I drew the map Google didn't think I should ride over Independence Pass.

After Day 5 I wasn't about to rush into anything so I took my time getting ready. I had the free breakfast at the motel (better than most free breakfast, but worth more space) and was on U.S. 50 heading west just before 9A.M.

Not far from Gunnison I notice a large bird of prey (not sure is it was an eagle or hawk, sorry I'm not an Ornithologist) that looked like it was going to auger in nose first, and it did. Just as I approach the crash site the bird takes flight. It appeared the bird picked up an unwitting passenger. Today's in-flight meal will be chipmunk sashimi.

I take CO 92 and follow it along the Black Canyon of Gunnison, stopping to apply my rain gloves when the clouds let loose. Day six would be no different from the rest, rain on and off through out the day, sometimes very hard, others just a few drops. Not long after putting on my rain gloves I stopped to remove them at the overlook where Gunnison Creek meets the Gunnison River. With different gear (hiking boots) I might have hiked the trail to the bottom of the canyon, next time.

On to Hotchkiss and north on CO 133 through Paonia, home of "Top O the Rockies" BMW Rally, I was early by a few weeks. Over McClure Pass a meager 8755 feet. Just down the east of McClure Pass I stopped to shoot some photos of Hays Creek Falls and the Crystal River.

Next I followed CO 82 a 4 lane highway into Aspen. Aspen is packed with people and cars, I can only imagine what it must be like in Ski season. None to fast I'm east of Aspen heading for Independence Pass. Halfway between Aspen & Independence Pass I spot what turns out to be the abandoned Independence mine. I took a great deal of care parking the bike on its side stand just off the road on the beginnings of a jeep trail, all to no avail. Before hiking around the mine works I broke out the trail mix for a little energy boost, with a mouth full I got quite the surprise as the bike tried to take me out. Luckily as it fell the seat gave me a push out of the way. I said a few choice words as I picked it up. I didn't think to document the moment on film until the bike was up-right and in a more stable spot. I've had the bike for 13 years and until yesterday it had never been off its wheels, now twice in 2 days. Photos of the mine taken and on the road again I come to the mining camp not even a half mile down the road. There is a nice level parking lot (with lots of cars and people), but I don't stop. Cars and People don't fit into my ghost town photos.

At the summit of Independence Pass (12,065 feet) there is a over look at the end of a short hike, but again the parking lot is full, so I snap a shot of the Pass marker and skip the rest. When I reach U.S. 24 I decide to save the side trip to Leadville for my next trip west, It was getting late and I had a long way to my motel. I headed south to Buena Vista, fuel-up and follow County Rd 209 to Cottonwood Pass. Cottonwood Pass will shave 20-30 miles off my trip back to Gunnison but will require 16 miles of grave road going down the other side. At the summit (12,126 feet) I take a rest and a few photos. It's the highest point on my trip so far and the highest on two wheels for me. Cottonwood Pass is more to my liking, only a few people around when I get there and before I leave I'm the only one there. It's not that I don't like people, I just enjoy the quite solitude. The 16 miles of gravel wasn't bad, hard packed Dirt with just little loose stuff on top.

Even with the short cut it was still after 8 P.M. when I arrived back at the motel. By the time I decided I was to tired to walk to the Cowboy bistro and should order pizza the pizza joint had closed already. Luckily Mario's Pizzeria & Ristorante was open late and delivered. So I got another pizza and salad from there. I think the pizza was actually better this time. After dinner I made sure everything was organized and ready to go onto the bike in the morning, as I would be moving to an as yet unknown location in the morning.

See you on the road.
GAW

Road Trip 2009 Highlights