addresses

Well, I've taken a day to recover from the tour.. after 25 days and over 5,000 miles on the road, I didn't think the tour would phase me in the least, but truth be told.. it was tiring. About 1,000 more miles in 3 days and plenty of socializing to go along with it.. maybe that was the tiring part..
I've come to learn that the reality of working as a motorcycle tour guide isn't quite as glamorous as it sounds.. don't get me wrong, at the end of the day, all you really did is hang out and ride amazing roads..

Anyway, back in Sunnyvale at the moment starting to organize the plan of attack for opening Sopiago Springs Motorcycle Resort. While I work on the logistics of Special Use Permits, Forest Service regulations, County planners, and DOT regulations, I've got some preparations to do for the next two weekends.. a little over 100 people showing up on friday for the weekend, then another 100ish people for the Pashnit gathering the following weekend.. Think I'll head up there tues. or wed. to get started..


There is no cell reception at the camp, but if I ride a couple of miles to the top of the ridge, I can pick up a signal (supposedly).. and there is a land line (you'll have to call me for the number). I think I'll have internet access, so email might be the best method of contact..


While there are plenty of philosophical and emotional neurons firing in my brain, oddly, I don't have much to philosophize about.. And while there are certainly times during which I am completely and utterly content, this has certainly been a tougher transition than anticipated.
People have marveled at the fact that my worldly possessions are contained within my panniers, and the 'gypsy' has almost become a nickname.

Until next time..

There's Tim assessing the damage and rescue plan for Justin's Triumph..

So he came in to the corner a little hot.. lost it in the gravel at the edge of the road.. He slid to a stop, but the bike flew over the edge of this little cliff.. the background in the photo above this one would be off to the right..

yeah., it was pretty freaky.. But he was ok, fixed up his bike and rode it home!

The view from Forest Road 1. My personal favorite so far.. Unfortunately we couldn't go all the way over the ridge because of fallen trees from a storm last week..

but it's a beautiful, beautiful view.

even a little snow right before we had to turn around..

plenty of debris in the road.. big trees.

Check out this Harley floor board! these dudes can RIDE! I've never seen a Harley ridden like this in my life.. You'd think they were on sportbikes! There were equal size chunks taken out of their exhaust as well..

Mr. Pashnit himself aboard his demo Harley.. REALLY weird to see him on a Harley.

There's the line up.. about 18 people on this tour..

Fairfax-Bolinas Rd. Gorgeous.


This was rolling out of Tim's place in Sunnyvale Friday morning at 5:30 am...
I wasn't happy about it at the time, but little did I know what would be waiting for me on the road...


All in all the tour has been fun.. One more day of riding.. Back down the 1 to San Francisco. Then I'll head back over to Tim's place in Sunnyvale to finish up some work on his FJR and maybe get a new rear tire on the GS..
Tuesday I'm headed to Sopiago to start preparing for the 150-person group that will show up on Friday for the weekend..

I'll try to post more photos of the coast tomorrow, and will certainly get some of the camp up here.. but keep in mind.. I'm not sure if I'll have internet access and I know I won't have cell reception.. bear with me, I'll post as available!

I'll report the final mileage and the winner sometime after Tuesday.. here's a hint: I rolled over 6,000 miles today.

tour tech

oops,, sorry about posting the same picture twice.. had a low battery at the time and not much time get the message to blogger!
Anyway, currently in Fortuna, CA. Riding up the coast from SF to here was gorgeous but not quite as twisty as the southern portion (IMHO).

today we'll just play around for about 300 miles and return to Fortuna for the night..

I had been riding on a nail in my tire for at least a couple hundred miles, but finally plugged it last night which should last quite a long time..

all for now!, gotta get ready!

Tour 1

Up the coast from sf to fortuna.. Beautiful day and beautiful riding. Except i have a nail in my brand new tire.. Doh!

Bike night

Bike night is wed in sunnyvale..

Blue Skies and pipe dreams

It's Wednesday April 25th, and today, while I will continue to ride and blog daily, the major traveling has come to an end. I've got maybe 50 miles to ride today, then the 1,000 over the weekend on the tour. It's hard to believe it's been 23 days since leaving Cleveland, and even harder to believe that I've actually made it. Not that I had any doubts, but it did get a little scary a couple of times.



So whatever happens from this point forward, there's one thing for sure; it's nice, when dreaming up this blue sky stuff, to look up and actually see a big blue sky.


The cutoff for mileage guesses will be Sunday April 29th at Noon (PST)


As far as names for the GS, I've got one vote for "F*** Yeah", and one for "Das Tank"..

Love them both, but we need some more to choose from.. common all you creative people, gimme somethin to sink my teeth into!

hardly

Here's a few from the PCH:

Avacados are 7 for a

Avacados are 7 for a dollar! Holy guacamole!

In santa cruz tonight.. Sunnyvale

In santa cruz tonight.. Sunnyvale tomorrow.. Then leaving fri. For a 1000 mile tour! The mileage game ends sunday! Around 5250 right now!

I had forgotten how delicious

I had forgotten how delicious the air is here'.. I think its the eucalyptus trees.. It brings it all back... And it feels perfect.

Hwy 1

A world class road, on a world class motorcycle.. Life doesnt get much sweeter!

San simeon

Morro bay

Alright, Alright,,,

Everybody just settle down.. the mileage on El Bandito was noted, and the trip reset on the GS.. the game is STILL ON!

I'll give you a hint though.. I've ridden over 850 miles in the first two days of owning the GS. Do you remember what the last mileage announcement was?

That is the last mention of miles I will make! Get your guesses in!


Oh, and, the prize was never the sprockets anyway.. so tough Sh**.

____________________________

On to the experience of Joshua Tree... It was a very very long day coming from Tucson.. didn't leave town until after 12pm.. still working out details on the GS like,, how do I look at a map? (my old tank bag doesnt fit)..
So it was well after dark by the time I got to the National Park, but I kept telling myself, This is called an ADVENTURE, not a HOTEL-ER. Plus I thought it would be cool to ride in at night and wake up to discover where I was..
The air was still, the sky clear and full of stars.. Much like the trips to the planetarium in 5th grade. The moon was so bright I could see my shadow on the ground beneath me, and the silence was deafening.
It was a very cold night during which I didn't sleep much.. a major surprise to me after having ridden 45o miles..
The experience of riding through Joshua Tree in the morning was almost magical. Gorgeous park. I even took the GS off road for the first time for about 10 or 15 miles.. it just goes.. it doesn't care what surface you're riding on.. it just goes. Purely amazing, and unlike anything I've ever felt. I have a short video clip of the off road adventure which I will attempt (with MF'er's help) to post in the near future..
For now, enjoy these...


The big one is the Joshua Tree.. This one's for you, Joshua ;)

A close up of the cool part

Looks like the GS is growing something!

phew,, ok, that was just a Joshua Tree!

Check out those Mammo-Jammo rocks!

yup, they're big

Beauty and the beast.. but which is which?
can you tell I have an ear-to-ear sh** eating grin in there?
(those are some weird kind of poisonous cacti.. chohalla or something like that...



Ok, now that the photo session is over with.. someone questioned whether there's a name for the GS yet.. as a matter of fact there isn't.. El Bandito seemed to fit pretty damn well, but nothing's jumping out at me for the GS except the following options.. Please vote for your favorite or contribute your own!
1. Kick A**!
2. Holy Sh**!
3. F*** Yeah!
4. Dude, Sweet!
5. Bad A**!
6. The Beast
7. GuS (haha)
8. G (ood) S (hit)


I dunno, I just came up with those on the spot..

Tonight I'm in Ventura, Ca. I saw the Pacific for the first time this trip a couple of hours ago.. I think tomorrow morning I'll walk out and put my feet in.. gotta FEEL it to make it official.

Not sure where I'm stopping tomorrow,, but tune in and find out!

till then,

Ventura

Bike night has officially begun! Im there in spirit but it'd be better if u guys were here! Ventura, ca.

Ahhh

The pacific

66

Az desert..

GS Mania!

I still can't believe it.. I think I'm in shock.
Headed for Joshua Tree National Park today.. It'll be a long day of riding, but I'm looking forward to it more than ever!
Thanks to Mary and Diana for their awesome hospitality!

If you will it, Dude, it is no dream.

When you pay attention to the things that are presented in life, it's pretty interesting how they fall into place. Walter's statement carries much much more meaning than meets the eye.
I knew this bike would be there, and I think somehow I knew it would be mine.. The timing was aweful and the financial aspects could have been better, but what price can be put on living a dream? I've been filling my helmet with laughter ever since!
It was sad to see El Bandito rolled into the showroom floor like he belonged to them.. but he does.. He served me well and at this point I don't think he owes me a damn thing.. After all, over 14,000 miles in 13 months.. I'll take a little financial loss for that.. well, that and a GS Adventure.


In a way this transition goes against every logical thought in my brain, but in reality, I can't think of a more perfect and fitting vehicle to take me on the remainder of this particular Adventure. If you will it, Dude.. it is no dream.

Thanks, TR, for working with me on this one.. Your motivation to see me on this bike played a large part in making it happen. Extremely large. See you on the road... don't forget to go for a freakin' ride! You're welcome in Grizzly anytime.. say the word.

Yup i did it!

Proud new owner! 2003 GS Adventure

Oh my f***ing god! I

Oh my f***ing god! I am soooo done with Dennis Kirk! Do yourselves a favor and take your business elsewhere! I'll be in tucson for a while!

Mmmmm

Hmm

All is not lost, I suppose... despite feeling a little uneasy about reinstalling my old chain yesterday, I decided to take a run up the Catalina Hwy to Mt. Lemmon.. One of my favorite day trip getaways from the Tucson days..
I never thought about it back then, but it's 25 miles of some pretty sweet riding! And the views.. well..

yeah, they're pretty sweet, too.

at times it reminded me of the Cherohala Skyway..

check out the road down below.. just over my shoulder..


On my way out of town I stopped by the Beemer dealer again.. he had been reading this blog and asked if I'm ready to be done with chains and sprockets forever.. Well, TR, I am.. and you're the only dude that can make it happen!
Maybe I'll just have the readers of this blog call you repeatedly until you make the deal a bit sweeter!
Or maybe I should set up a paypal account like the guy from ADV rider who quit his job, set up a paypal account, and has been traveling ever since on the donations... Think I could come up with a couple grand by the time that GS comes in?!

(for those of you not privy to the "GS", here's what I'm talking about:

And if you want to get an idea of what this thing can do.. go rent "Long way around"..
If you didn't already know.. Me and this bike... we're made for each other.
Now if I could just figure out how to afford the damn thing..
Now accepting donations!!


In other news.. Dennis Kirk finally relented and admitted their mistake. I emailed a pdf of the facts from the service manual and they have already changed the information in their catalog and website. Too bad I had to pay the price for saving everybody else this headache. The right shit should be here tomorrow. **should**.

Gs

Look at all of em! I just want one!

Another day in paradise

There have been all extremes of thought for the last 17 days; emotional, practical, compulsive, rational, deliberation, and even a little intellectual. What intrigues me, though, is the constant fluctuation between lonely independence and extreme inspiration, determination, and the feeling that you all are with me through every step of this journey. There are times during which I feel that this journey is helplessly solitary, and others that remind me what an amazing group of people there are cheering me on from behind the scenes; and periodically being reminded of that is probably one of my saving graces.

The solitary vulnerability did not even occur to me until beginning to traverse the south-eastern portion of Texas.. I found myself in an area in which I had no interest in being, but the closest "safe" place to stop was a couple hours behind, and the destination for the day way several hours ahead. It was not a pretty site.. an environment with which I was completely unfamiliar, and frankly, rather scared of. (later I learned that I was in the town in which those two guys dragged an African American man behind their pickup for a couple of miles... remember that story? ) This was the day I crossed the windy bridge.. it seemed to play a metaphoric role in transcending me from solitary vulnerability to solitary independence and determination; a "deliverance", of sorts.. a right of passage, or the proverbial light at the end of the tunnel.

I've enjoyed the familiarity of Tucson for the past couple of days.. it came as a welcome change from the hardships I had been having in the previous couple of days. The places are familiar here.. the names.. the sky.. the air. It feels good. "At certain times in life, it's nice when you can say, things haven't changed that much..." and it feels good to be familiar. This thought, though, comes as a surprise to me.. after all, I AM an experiential junkie, and THAT was the intent for this journey.

While I always, as a way of life, try to limit my expectations (of people, of situations, and of circumstances), It's notable to be aware of our subconscious expectations and more importantly what becomes of them. Things are not usually what they seem, and certainly not what we want them to be. I believe the only way to be at peace is to truly accept each moment as it happens for what it is, nod our metaphorical heads in compliance, and move on to the next. And this journey has literally been a test of that philosophy for me; to expect nothing but the unexpected.. it's the only thing we can guarantee in this life.


With all of that said, I checked out of Hotel Congress this morning, shipped my long johns ahead to myself, and went to work on El Bandito's chain and sprocket replacement. Mary and the crew at Photographic Works (my former employer) have been nice enough to allow me to make the shop my "home away from home".. or more literally, my garage. As I got into the project I realized I didn't have a wrench big enough for the front sprocket.. so I consulted the factory service manual.. while looking for the size of that nut so that I could go buy or borrow the appropriate wrench, I stumbled across the rest of the specs for the bike.. low and behold, I happened to skim across the chain specs.. 530, 114 links.. right. WRONG... wait a minute.. The chain that just showed up for me is 110 links!

(Granted, I knew that the chain that I had installed in Lafayette was a 114 link chain (or so they said), but for some reason just kind of forgot.)
However.. in my defense, The Dennis Kirk.com website is pretty cool.. you can search by bike to find the appropriate parts.. so I did. There it was, 97 Suzuki GSF1200SA.. chain and sprocket kit.. 15t front, 45t rear and a 530 110 link chain. cool! (I thought) I'll take it! they've made this easy.. they packaged up all the appropriate pieces.. EXACTLY what I need.. no guess work.. the proverbial "no brainer". wrong. Dennis Kirk has their facts wrong. A 110 link chain will not work on the 1997 ABS model Bandit. (subsequently, I'm having to prove it to them by email a pdf of the factory service manual for them to change their damn website and save any future riders from finding themselves in my current shoes.)

So... the correct parts will be here.... Saturday. Of course it was too late in the day to get them overnighted. Dennis Kirk is picking up the return shipping and the 2nd day shipping to get the right crap here, but on the flip side... that's two more nights of hotel bills in Tucson. Their mistake is costing me dearly. (yeah yeah,, I should've known better and caught it in the first place.. but who's the professional parts retailer here???) I'm trying to get them to also either sell me the new crap at cost or issue me a store credit or something...


Good thing I like it here in Tucson.



*****************************UPDATE*****************************

For those of you guessing for final mileage.... I have just learned that a couple of days after arriving in California, I'll be leaving again for a three day 1,000 mile tour with Pashnit.. Since I wont actually go to the camp until after that tour.. I'm counting it! So if you've already guessed, you may want to revise! When it's all said and done, I'll do a post with everyone's guesses and announce the final number and the winner.. Good Luck! (little do you know the prize will be one of my old, dirty, greasy, worn out sprockets!... suckers!)

Look familiar?

Its funny how history can repeat itself.. Even though everything is different, familiarity is welcoming.. Its a gorgeous day in tucson.. Makes me wonder why i ever left, but if i didnt, i surely wouldnt be sitting here right now. Not much to do today but sit back and soak it in.

Welcome to Hotel Congress.

One of my favorite places on earth.

Welcome to Arizona

Think ill break 4000 miles today.. Be in tucson in 100 miles.. Speed limit is 75.. Im starting to get the taste of margarita in my mouth..

fuel economy and crappy chains..

By the way, I figured I ought to update on the "rich problem"..
At the suggestion of The Doc, I dropped the needles in my Carburetors two notches (the lower the needles sit, less gas enters the combustion chamber)..

So, not only was El Bandito blowing black smoke, collecting carbon on the pipe, bogging out, and getting crappy gas mileage (around 27)... but 1/2 hour worth of work in dropping the needles, and wham-o!.. 38mpg, no smoke, no carbon.. no apparent ill effects!

It's 7:30 am in El Paso.. taking a few minutes to clean the dust storm out of my air filters & adjust the chain.. then it's on the road.. 320 miles to Tucson.

Finally!!

I have finally been able to upload a GALLERY for your viewing pleasure..

This is all kinds of photos,, taken by myself, MF'er, Donnie, and Alisa.. all jumbled into one big GALLERY..

So, click HERE
(or, to access outside of this blog, visit www.c-jr.com/partone


Part two will come when I get to California..


Enjoy!

Mile 3,655

So I've been thinking.. why don't we start a little wager.. leave a comment to this post with your guess of what my final mileage will be..(not the total odometer reading, just miles for this trip) Let's say, to be official, the mileage on my bike when I actually roll into Sopiago Springs.. (which might be a week or so after arrival in Sunnyvale, Ca...)

So, what's your guess?

Oh, and we're doing this Price Is Right style, so the closest without going over.. and to the winner goes an unnamed piece of memorabilia from somewhere along the line...


Now on to other things.. I realize there's a large chunk of this trip from which no real photos have been posted, and I'm working on that,, but for now,, here's some from the last few days....


Thanks again for everything, Whip!

A cool road outside of Big Bend

The same cool road

Look, Mom, it's my new tent!

Viva Rio Grande!

It doesn't really look all that "Grande", does it?

Beautiful lake somewhere in Texas

My entrance into Big Bend National Park.. The damn Mexican Donkies kept waking me up!
(seriously,, the Donkies from across the river... HHHEeeee HHHAaaawwww!)


Tomorrow, It's on to the old stomping grounds of Tucson, AZ!
It looks like I'll be there a couple of days while I install yet ANOTHER chain.. this time I'm doing it right and buying a NICE one and replacing the sprockets while I'm at it.. I guess flogging a bike this heavy, this consistently really takes it's toll! holy crap! I'm gonna go broke with all the F***ing chains and tires and crap!
But, on the bright side, I'm officially a fan of Pirelli tires. I've put a good 1,000 to 1,500 miles on the Diablo Strada since Lafayette, and most of it going straight and flat, and not the first sign of a flat spot! We'll see what kind of mileage I get out of it, but so far, so good!

It's time for dinner.. I'm in El Paso, by the way..

I'll really try to get a photo gallery going tonight.. the sweetheart at the front desk of this motel was nice enough to put me right next to the wireless router ;)

Sunny texas.

Its a beautiful day. Vamanos a Rio Grande!

Ps.. Heade to big bend

Ps.. Heade to big bend tomorrow.. Might be out of touch for a bit..

San antonio.. Mile 2845

Welcome to san antonio.. Finally, a glimpse of big sky country.. Thanks a million to larry and louise for their incredible hospitality! You are both welcome wherever i am at any time! See you on the road!

Pit stop

Pit stop in houston for a new pirelli!

The stars at night, are big and bright....

Well, I dont know about the stars yet, and I probably won't have the opportunity tonight.. I've stopped for the night after a measly 200ish miles just outside Houston..
That crappy picture of the bridge was indeed the scariest thing I've ever done.. It wasn't raining at the time, but heavy crosswinds on this bridge that was hundreds of feet tall with barely a guard rail.. the bike was everywhere.. virtually uncontrollable.. in retrospect, I now know why there were turnarounds just before reaching the bridge..It was certainly a white-knuckle experience.. so much so that I had to pull over to calm down once on the other side.. Lesson learned: Turn around.

In other news, Steven Jones at First Turn in Scott, La, is THE MAN. The folks over at Lafayette Powersports had their heads up their asses and were completely incapable of helping me.. thanks guys, for wasting a day of my time! But Steven hooked me up with a chain this morning and got me rollin again.. Thanks again Steven! The motorcycling community is a small one (apparently those dip shits at Lafayette don't realize this) and you can be sure First Turn is on my list of endorsements.

So I had a big plan to check out this cool coastal area of southern Louisiana crossing into Texas at Galveston, but a wrong turn and this storm blowing in prevented that from happening.. oh well.. Tomorrow I'll head to Discount Tire in Houston for some new skins, then figure it out from there,, maybe go back down to Galveston, or continue west(ish) to Austin..

After some new rubber is mounted, that only leaves one problem.. the fuel mixture.. something is going on here and I just can't figure what has changed.. (this is the "rich problem" for those of you in the dark on this one.. "rich" is used to describe the the mixture of air and fuel as it enters the combustion chamber.. the right mix is crucial, and right now, I've got way more fuel than air..) how can I tell? black soot collecting on the muffler.. it's carbon deposit from unburned gas.. that and the occasional choking of the motor.. once in a while it gets sluggish and unresponsive.. it's not a subtle thing..

I cleaned and oiled the air filters back at the Kickstand and believe I over-oiled them (cuz I got the squeeze bottle instead of the squirt-er).. so I re-cleaned them and left them completely un-oiled to look for a change in performance.. maybe a subtle improvement, but not what I was looking for. Of course the other part of this equation is that with the incomplete burn of fuel, I'm wasting a lot of it!
There may be several factors in play here, including additional weight, substantially increased wind drag, high winds, new wind screen etc. etc.. but there are time when I'm only getting 80 miles from full to reserve! (that's a mere 23mpg, folks!)
Not good.
Not good at all.

Ya know, as of late I've even contemplated stopping by a big used bike dealer and trading in El Bandito on a used BMW 1150GS! (rash, I know, but I can't say it hasn't crossed my mind.. it is my dream bike after all) Any financially stable benefactors out there that encourage this idea? (hehehe)

well, I suppose I'll stroll over to the gas station (the only other thing at this exit) for some dinner! MMmmmmMMMMmmmmmm!

Holy s***!

Welcome to texas.. Home of the scariest thing ive ever done.

4/? Mile 2461

Welcome to louisiana back woods! Ate some weird crawfish thing for lunch.. Its good to be moving again but the wind is less than ideal..

Sweet sweet sunshine!

Relaxin on the porch with a tall boy at the blue moon..

4/12 Mile 2,345

Good morning from Lafayette, La!
I've planted myself at the Blue Moon Hostel for a couple of days while I sort out these bike issues.. I'm going to try to get a new chain today,, maybe sprockets, probably a rear tire while the wheel is off, and going to attempt to sort out the rich problem..
Then it's back to the road but I think we're supposed to get some rain on Friday.. we'll see what happens..

Thanks foor tuning in.. catch ya later

Holy Atchafalaya!!

What the f*** is an Atchafalaya, you ask?
Don't ask me, I'm as confused as the rest of you!
I can tell you one thing, though, for anyone who's ever traveled from Baton Rouge to Lafayette, you know as well as I that that is one looooong mf'in bridge over some water that you couldn't pay me enough to get in!


On a more serious note.. I've touched on this subject already, and I'll probably beat it to death by the time this trip is over, but a good friend just reminded me that "For a guy riding alone so far from home you sure do have a lot of company (in spirit)." And how right he is. It's pretty amazing to fire up the blog and find so many comments on something that I just wrote this morning! Thanks.

I've got a blazing fast wireless connection here at the Blue Moon Hostel in Lafayette, so I'll get crackin on getting some more photos up.. sorry, no photos of the Atchafalaya!


'Til next time..

so long, Mobile

It's 9 am, the air is thick with fog and visibility is about 1/4 mile, but there's no rain. I'd say the decision is clear..

catch up with ya in Louisiana.

4/10 mile 2,100

Ok, time to finally sit back and add some more intensive commentary..

First of all, sorry my photos suck.. I'm not quite sure why, they just do. Oh well.
This post will contain no photos as my connection isnt fast enough to deal with it, but soon I will put some together to post here and/or put a little gallery together or something..
_________________

It's hard to believe that I've been on the road for 8 days already, probably because I feel like the journey never really started until I watched my friends pull away from the Kickstand. Thank you all for making the trip with me, I know it was pretty brutal at times, but I think we all made the best of it and had some good times. Some great times.
I left Mo Tiny and Ruth on Monday morning to head south, and rode the Cherohala one more time on the way out. It wqas snowing when I got up there and brutally cold. (hence no stopping for photos).. I continued south to drop in on my aunt Sherry and cousin John in Decatur, Al who I have not seen for quite a few years.. I barely recognized John. Thanks, Sherry, for putting me up in an ultra-comfy bed and feeding me a great meal! I'm sorry I couldn't make more time to stay..

Watching the storm blowing in from Texas inspired me to take advantage of the day to strap on as many miles as I could heading south before the rain hit. I slabbed south from Decatur to Birmingham where I stopped in at the Barber Motorsports Museum to meet with the executive director and check out some bikes.. He recommended I get in touch with the owner of 29 Dreams Motorcycle resort (which, unfortunately, (or fortunately) is closed on Mon and Tues), which I did.. we had a pretty interesting conversation about the business of motorcycle resorts..
Then back to the slab to strap on a few more.. almost stopped around Montgomery when it started to sprinkle, but kept going to finally stop in Mobil. At the Best Western. The ONLY hotel at this exit.

I'm loving all the comments, by the way, but those of you who are commenting anonymously, please don't forget to 'sign' it.. I have no idea who some of them came from..

So, speaking of comments, and stopping in Mobil.. we need to conduct a little poll here.. The weather is not looking good for Wed... do I sit here and do nothing for a day, or gear up and go for it? I can out ride the storm in a day, but I could also save myself the sogginess and stay put. keep in mind it's costing me dearly to stay at this damn Best Western..

In other news,, my chain is wearing at an increasingly rapid pace (adjusting every couple hundred miles), the bike is mysteriously running very rich, and my rear tire, which I anticipated being a problem, is holding up impressively well. Think I'll need to look for a bike shop somewhere Texas for a tire and chain.

On a final note.. I was having all of these profound thoughts today about what this blog post would entail, and I came up with some pretty interesting stuff.. but, of course, the psychosis has taken over and there will be no such discussion tonight.
Suffice it to say, thank you all.. for reading, for commenting, for being there, for not being there but wanting to be, for encouraging my wanderlust, and for looking forward to the next time we meet.. as I am.

Stay tuned...

Xmas

Kinda looks like a big christmas tree huh? Wish there were that many bikes on mine!

Barber

Pit stop at the barber motorsports museum in birmingham al..

Welcome to alabama. Oh sweet

Welcome to alabama. Oh sweet home!

4 9 mile 1335

Today, im headed south. Forty degrees is warm compared to the last few days, but im over it. Alabama here i come.

And then there was one.

Ive said goodbye to the last of them, and they will all be dearly missed.. And so i set off on the journey of motopsychosis. Alone, and one moment at a time. The journey is the destination.

4 7

Yes, it snowed.. And yes, we rode. After all.. We've got world class riding in our back yard.

Dyno

Had the chance to put el bandito on the dyno today.. It sacred me a bit but i learned that my motor tweakin worked.. He now makes 120.8 horses at the crank with a top speed of 165. Wow. And the coolest part i learned is the he shoots flames out the exhaust! No shit.

Tiny

World, meet tiny.. He and his wife ruth are responsible for much of the development of the kickstand.. They came just before it opened in 2004 to stay one night.. They stayed five weeks working and building. That ought to tell you something about the feeling of the kickstand. These are the people that make life sweet.

4 7 1236

Yes thats snow. Its decision time.

Tellico plains

And a fancy lunch in tellico plains

4 6 1175 miles

Ah the cherohala! Ive said it before and ill say it again.. Man i love this road! But its a good thing my parents cant see me riding.. Dont get me wrong, im a safe rider but this road is scary.

4 6 kickstand

Heres the view from my cabin window at the kickstand.. Man its cold!

Kickstand!

Washin dishes for mo at the kickstand!

4 5 1070 miles

I apologize for my late blog post.. Leaving in thirty degrees doesnt leave much time or energy for anything but staying warm. Finally made it to the kickstand and its good to be home! I love this place.

4 3 matthew

Heres the dude makin the trek to meet up in ky!

4 4 503

Its 31 degrees and its a tough day for riding. Trying to make ky today..

Tuesday 4 3

The looming clouds.. Little did we know that these clouds would dump marble size hail..

Tuesday.. 4 3

Alisa.. Rockin the concours!

4 3 mile 378

Beautiful day so far but it wont last long..

Monday april 2

I just realized sitting on the grass at the gas station that ill be doing this very same thing for the next three weeks..it hit me.. Homeless..

Thank you to all who came on sunday.. After months of preparation, the day has finally come! Keep the shiny side up and ill catch you on the road. The journey is the destination.