That was a trip.

I travelled 3,218 miles in 7 days. The first day was the longest with 700 miles, and it was probably the worst day, but had the biggest learning curve. Riding in 70 degree weather is cold. If clouds are blocking the sun, it's cold. If you are anywhere near water, it's cold. If the sun is out it's hot as hell. The only luxury I had while riding was a 2 liter platypus canteen in my backpack. Why is it called platypus? It doesn't matter. Through most of the trip I travelled around 80 MPH. I became so used to it that 70 felt like a snails pace. I tried to find another car going a similar speed just so that I wouldn't run too fast. Although I had tried to keep to highway 61 going south, it was too slow and it took me almost half the day to get to Iowa. After that I stuck to the freeways. Zippity zoom zoom. According to math I could do 140 miles til I hit the reserve on my tank, which I only did on the last day. I mostly went to 115 miles or so, which if I think about it now ate up a lot of time. I have a small gas tank anyways, and my knees bent back felt like they were going to explode on some days.

MY GEAR:
I am surprised at all of the weird looks I got on the trip wearing my suit. The best was in Nashville where I walked around with the pants and boots without the jacket. Or, the time in the bathroom in southern Mississippi where a guy asked if I was a skydiver because a friend of his wears something similar in the military.

Helmet:

This is an AGV K4 Evo that I have had about a year and a half. It was not the right helmet for the trip. As the bike directed the wind at my head and shoulders this took a lot of the brunt. The first day it felt like a 2x4 being pressed on the front of my head. I had to wear a bandana to prevent my brain from exploding. It also let bugs in through the vents, when I showered I washed them out of my hair and it was gross. 

Jacket:

This is the Alpinestars Andes that I have had since last fall. It is a pretty great jacket that I have worn in the cold while snowmobiling and through the heat in Alabama. It doesn't deal with the heat too great because it has a "breathable waterproof membrane" so the vent that open up don't actually let air to my body, but just around the jacket. The good thing though is that it is mostly waterproof, some water gets in at the lower part of the zipper, as the cover to it is split so that it can open up and be zipped down half way for ventilation. It comes with top quality pads in the elbows and shoulders, and simple foam pads in the chest and back. I replaced the back piece with a top of the line racing back protector. some of the edges of the pockets are showing some wear, but it is still holding up very well for a low priced touring coat, that was given months of abuse in the time of a week. One thing I noticed as I was riding though a heavy downpour is how much the grey matches the color of the rain. It does have reflective pieces all over it which you cant really see in the photo. Now I need to figure out how to clean all of the bug remains, bat blood, road grime, and street sludge off of it. 

Pants:

These are the matching Andes pants, because style is key. These guys have good knee pads, and then flimsy foam on the hips. On the front thigh there are vents big enough to be used as pockets, and on the back it is just a small vent opening. My biggest complaint with these is that the knee pad pocket opens from the bottom, so I was often checking to see if I was going to lose one. These are rally awkward to walk around in.

Boots:

Pictured here are Gaerne something something waterproof sports style boots. Again since they are waterproof they do get sweaty on the inside, even though they have whatever they call their gore tex style water out/ no water in science stuff. There is a zipper on the inside of the boot and then a large velcro flap to tighten it. This ol' guy has hard plastic protectors in all of the good spots. One thing it is missing from the higher end boots is an ankle brace that keeps the foot in line where it should be in the event of a crash. Of all my gear that is italian (the helmet, jacket and pants) these were made in Italy, probably why they're so stylish and hip. 

Gloves:

Aerostich out of Duluth makes these gloves. Although these don't provide much for safety, they make up for it with comfort. This set is the elk skin touchscreen roper. They have touch screen conductive threads in the finger tips, and the greatest thing ever, a squeegee in the thumb. They were so amazing, every time I used the thumb wiper, the better it worked. I did bring another pair of full gauntlet racing gloves that reduced the strain on my hands but for some reason caused the vibration of the bike to make my thumb numb. I wore those other gloves the first day and my thumb stayed numb through the third day, so I stuck with these guys. My next pair of gloves will be their full gauntlet with knuckle padding fer sher. 

Back Pack:

This little beauty is the Kriega R20, shown with a lock that is stuck on it. This bag can hold twenty liters of junk, and has straps on the back to hook on another pack to the back. It is semi waterproof, but if you hang out in the wet everything will get damp, so I had a small garbage bag in there for extra insurance. The best part of this thing is the shoulder strap system that eliminates the feeling of weight on your shoulders which is now copied by a lot of other back packs. The shoulder straps adjust from the top and the bottom to fit anyone anyway. It has four straps on the back to cinch everything tight, limiting any effect of wind catching it, and keeping everything secure. They do sell a "hydration system" made specially for their bags, but I just grabbed a 2 liter canteen thinger with the straw that I ran out of the side of the zip. I have had this beauty for years, it also has reflective material on the straps on front and printed on the back. Funny thing is that this bag was once stolen out of my truck, recovered by the police who called me saying they found my bag which had a bunch of ants in it. They left it outside the front door of the house wrapped in brown paper and evidence tape, and when I opened it up there were a bunch of ants still in it. 

The Bike:

This thing is ancient in terms of sport bikes, but really all that means is that it is still comfortable. It is a 1998 CBR600F3. All I did to prep for the trip was change the chain and sprockets, and also the oil and filter. It already had a tool set with extra supplies that I put in there a while ago. After I got a flat tire last year I keep a bike pump and tire plugs with the bike. This ol' thing is pretty beat up, but it doesn't matter to me, it's incredibly reliable and basic. 

Other stuff I used through the trip were ear plugs, a couple pairs of really awesome socks. All of this stuff, and you too can look like D.B. Cooper!

Some things I would change next time I take a trip would be that I take less clothes. Half way through everything all smelled the same from being in an air tight bag in the heat. I think I would have liked to do more planning so that I could do more camping, but I didn't and usually ended up pretty close to anything I wanted to do, if I wanted to do anything. I didn't hang out in St. Louis, just drove through it missing out on some wicked BBQ as legend has it. I missed out on a lot of BBQ I feel, as I didn't really eat. In New Orleans, it was a bummer it was raining so much, I would have loved to get breakfast their and see what the french quarter is like during daytime. Do the weirdo's still linger, or do they crawl back into the sewer. How do sewers work there? So many questions. Nashville was intense, from the somewhat lame plantation, to the wild energy during the day. Kentucky was beautiful, lots of different landscapes. At one place I do believe I saw billboard saying "Worlds longest underground zip line." Say what! Had I known Indiana was going to be such a pain I would had cut back to go through Illinois farmland. Also I wanted to stop at a 7-11, grab an Icee and loiter in Chicago, possibly while listening to Smashing Pumpkins. 

Now that I know that I can do this, that I can't be afraid to be too far from home for anyone to be there to help, to be truly on my own, was powerful. To find my limitations and accept them, as it turns out four days running on the road and going though brand new towns fried my brain. I had stopped thinking clearly, maybe it had to do with my not being able to take care of myself properly. I didn't drink enough water even though it was conveniently there for me. I hardly ever ate other than beef jerky, nuts, and whatever. I drank red bulls a plenty. I pushed myself to keep going the times I was hurting, but I took the breaks I needed when I needed them. I had very few near accidents, all would have been my fault. Even though as a motorcyclist I accept all responsibility when anything happens. Everyday you're learning. In the end I made it home safe, and sore. I know I didn't break any records, and there are tons of people who could ride longer, faster, whatever better than me, but there is always next time.

The city that beer built.

 

I can't remember what the town is actually called, but it has something to do with being awesome. I woke up at seven already knowing that it was supposed to rain, but I was hoping it wouldn't be for long. It rained forever. An hour after I woke up I rechecked the radar and the rain just kept covering more and more area. 1030 came around and I said screw it and left. I had wanted to leave a lot earlier because I was going to go to the Harley Davidson museum by around 9 when it opened. I went to north Milwaukee to check out this motorcycle coffee shop called fuel cafe. This place was really cool, photos of all sorts of racing and on one wall there was a giant photo of some 70's dirt track racers. This place was doing it right. I haven't had a coffee that good in a long ass time. They also host some motorcycle gatherings throughout the year, might have to go for it sometime. I then headed souf through the city to the museum. I got a strong industrial/ hard working town. Bars and factories all intertwined in the same way the new and old parts of the city did as well. The museum was right downtown next to the river in a cool looking modern blacked out buildings. I parked my little baby honda next to all the other massive touring Harley's. It was 18 bucks to get in, which I was questioning why as the barber museum was 15 and had a lot more bikes, but the way everything was set up with the memorabilia and the effects and lighting was pretty damn sweet. I saw Harley #1 so that was a thing that happened. One really strange thing, well I guess it not strange since it is how Harley does shit, but they had  very little displays of their new stuff, like the v rod. The museum worked though I really wanted a Harley half way through, but then they got into "look at how cool our owners are, and how they have style" rather than the bikes themselves. Just trying to sell the brand. Still, after seeing the New Orleans cops on Harley's did look pretty cool. Anyways, I had to get the fuck out of Milwaukee to make it home before dark. When I got out slide the rain had become nearly over, and the sun started shining through and all the roads started steaming up. Pretty awesome. Off I went to Minnesota. People stopped driving properly. I assume that since people are going ten over the speed limit they are and always will be the "faster moving traffic" so they sit there and plant, holding everyone up. Some fuckwad wouldn't move over with two wide open lanes to the right of him, and as I passed him on the right he flicked me off. I don't get it. Wisconsin is all farm and forest, pretty to look at, but you have no reference or cities on the way to use as reference. I spent the last 140 miles of Wisconsin  behind two gals in a Pontiac g6, and as the pulled off in Hudson they waved goodbye, so sweet. Coming through St. Paul/ Minneapolis it was weird looking at it comparing the  past 13 or so metros over the week. 

In Diana jones and the temple of poon.

Some awful pics today, yuck.
I left the shit shack at about ten o'clock in the morning to grab coffee and breakfast. I was moving slow this morning due to the after effects of the whiskey. After gassing up it was off to Indianapolis. People stopped driving well, sitting in the left lane always, well not as bad as Wisconsin/Minnesota. Even worse than that were the roads. Just awful. From the miles of replaced tar that was uneven with the existing cement to the pot holes across a whole lane. Nearly every bridge after Indianapolis had rough patches before and after. I hit a pot hole that was so bad that my suspension bottomed out and I thought the pegs were coming up through my feet. There were spots the were about 8x8 inches that were cut out and not replaced. Whenever I tried to look around another rough section came up. The first stop today was just south of Indianapolis in some backwards town where tons of people were zipping around shirtless on scooters, a lot of panhandlers, and just weirdness. I sat around just people watching for a decent amount of time. North of Indianapolis the road got purdy with trees and rivers for a ways until all that cleared up and I entered farmland. There were a lot of trucks and a lot of wind. I was pretty uncomfortable.  Came across a wind farm, what a site that was, it just went on forever. 100 miles later I was in Chicago. What a town. I got there at 4 and traffic through the city was awful. I traveled alongside lake shore drive or something, the cool breeze was refreshing. People were at the beach and must have been freezing.  I don't know how people get around down there. A google car passed me as I went over a bridge. I think it was on grand? I wanted a Chicago dog, and it took me forever to get to superdawg, an old drive in food joint off of Milwaukee in the north side. The area was very 50's styled and I enjoyed it. After foodin up I figured I could make it to Milwaukee before dark. So I did! A lot of old buildings I like it. I'm going to maybe try to get breakfast at fuel cafe in the north part of town and the Harley museum in the center if it isn't too rainy, otherwise I'll just head out.

Nashville fucking rules.

I packed up the tent and all my gear. I think I got up at 530 and left around 830. If you know me, I have no desire to wake up at 530, but this trip gives it a purpose and I could do it everyday if need be. Today there was a sound that sounded cross like a train and a bike with mountain bike tires going up a hill, but all morning. I'm guessing it was an animal. I had an awful time sleeping, as I didn't have a sleeping bag and woke up wearing my somewhat wet motorcycle pants, a sweater and the liner for my jacket. And freezing. I had crazy dreams all night, if you want to know, I'll tell you you weren't involved and the location was a place I've never been. Fact: I look good wearing shorts, motorcycle boots and a sweater. I talked with a guy At the campsite but I forget what because it was before my second red bull. Probably the same conversation about how can anyone make it this far on that bike and such. The truth is that the best inspiration came from a dude who traveled the country on a Ducati panigale (Google it). He had a better job that he could do at any Spot ,but still that means a lot. 

After I left I skipped through Birmingham again. I have a plan of going down south again through Montgomery and east up the boarder states. Oh also on the way towards the city there was another car with its wheels missing that wasn't there a day ago. North of  Birmingham was straight as an arrow. The only positive sign was  blasting area ahead. Nothing blew up. Until I got back to Tennessee the terrain with fabulous hills and turns oh and also signs towards whiskey tours starting at 9. If I wasn't stuck on a motorcycle that had to do over 300 miles a day I would. That's the sad part, on the first day I did almost 700 miles and there is no support. It takes so much more out of you on a bike. I see some convertibles with their top down but not enough. The only great time on the roar was as a truck was doing 90 on the highway as I followed north to Tennessee. Best free way ever. Ok stopped to see travelers landing, an old plantation/ civil war battlefield. Lingo my figured out whT was giving off that amazing sweet smell for the last 1xxx miles; the magnolia, best tree in the biz. I hung out on broadway for a bit getting BBQ and a feel for the town. So much going on, great vibe. I had to keep moving on unfortunatly to make it to Louisville to keep my mileage up to keep the days short and easy going. Riding through Kentucky was beautiful too, good roads and grand views. A couple attractions on the way such as the corvette sink hole museum and factory. There is a town called cave city too. I can only imagine that the whole state is sitting on soft limestone, great for caves and whiskey, not for stuctures. When I got to the city I saw a bit of the college town, and the. Road the highway through the center of town. It's a big city, you can see a lot of old buildings from the freeway. This is the first time I had to leave a town on a bridge, and it was kind of sad. I have left the south, back into the north. Stayed the night in a dump in Indiana across the river. Surprised I wasn't kept up by trains actually. I drank some whiskey to celebrate the generous south and was woken up by Etta James' powerful voice. I just want to go back around the way I came. But I can't. 

'Bama roll tide!: the redux

My poor planning yesterday left me in a sour mood yesterday. With a trip this high paced go go go attitude I shouldn't have even assumed I was going to need street clothes. I would have been much happier. Let's start again. 

I slept in enough so that the rain had stopped, and the camping family behind me hadn't started yelling at each other. One thing about a bad southern drawl is that I assume the person is slow. If everything is stretched out it makes them sound as if they are trying to think of the next word as they go. Just my own personal thought, love the accent still. The plan for the day was to go to the barber motorsports museum which opened at noon. Noon is forever away when if I'm not out the door by 9 i may be screwed over by the next stop and have to ride at night, which I see as a death sentence. But anyways, it was a day off! I stalled everything, went to dunkin donuts (not impressed) and got gas and tried some Milo's sweet tea I had been seeing around, and still showed up half an hour early. I hung out with some dudes from Tennessee who were in town for a BMW rally at the track/  complex. I would kill for a touring bike right now, the wind is directed right at my head and shoulders. I have been hiding behind cars as much as I can, going south through Mississippi the vehicle of choice was the Kia sorento at 80 mph. The Hyundai Santa Fe doesn't do it for me though, which is strange. Anyways! The museum was 5 floors of the greatest, rarest motorcycles ever, along with a special section of lotus f1 and other cars. There were two bikes there that I really wanted to see that I would most likely never see anywhere else, a production oval pistoned v4 honda that was pretty much a v8, and the Britten v1000 that was built in a studio in New Zealand from the ground up using amazingly advanced composites for its time and was one of ten. I missed the Britten the first time through and I started panicing trying to find it. When I saw it I started tearing up, which has been a daily thing as of late. I'm not sure what's going on with me, whether it is the stress of the trip, or everything is really affecting me this much. I had just missed the rainfall going through Mississippi the other day and the smell of pine and the sweetness in the air was overwhelming. Welp, anyways there is also a race track viewable from the museum, and that day there was the BMW learners track day thing, an amazing soundtrack for the experience. After I left I had planned to go downtown Birmingham for some lunch, but it rained and was wearing jeans and my tennis shoes along with my jacket. So I got wet right when I was about to pull into town. There is a million times difference between sitting in traffic in the rain and riding in the rain and I wanted to keep moving. Ten miles later I had dried out a bit and took a chance on getting grub even though I new there was more rain on the way. Afterwards I took a chance on getting gas and some booze and mega lost because it was Sunday

And it started raining. I'm trying to figure out the difference between heavy rain for motorcycle vs car because they all slow down when I want to speed up. As I slow down my helmet fogs up, even though it has an amazing fog resistant coating on it, plus my glasses means I'm blind. As I tried to pull into the camp site my brakes did nothing. So I had to sit waiting to so a u turn. I got in through to the campsite and it actually cleared up between the lakes that were in there without tree coverage, but it still poured directly after that. I got to the tent absolutely soaked, upset. I stripped down and waited for the rain to quit mopping up with a towel all the little wet spots. I gave up and listened to some music through headphones to drown out the rain that usually comforts me, but this time is pissing me off. It finally stopped and I laid every thing out but it wasn't warm enough for anything to dry and really dampened my spirits (pun intended, although at the time it wasn't). At night time I figured it was going to rain again so I put all of the smelly wet shit in the tent. I can no longer tell which clothes are clean and which are dirty so on one bag goes dry and the other wet. I drank three beers and had crazy weird dreams. 

Bama, the magic city.

I wrote a long ass post and it disappered again. It is extremely upsetting. I'm angry now. Let me sum up what it said. It rained last night. The frogs croaking crescendos into a loud roar as the sun sets. I went to the worlds largest motorcycle museum. I was going to go downtown but it rained. On my way back to the campground after getting food it rained hard. A bunch of my clothes got wet because I wasn't wearing my waterproof stuff. Nashville and beyond tomorrow. Need to always expect the rain will fuck shit up. No photos. Going to bed.