my first long ride (2k), and suzi's last

[Planecrazy]

...and let's don't forget my '80 GS550L available soon! :lol:;-)

 

[tconroy]

Ive got an 83 650L in mint condition that needs a good home (and garage) too!!!

 

[Kcwiro]

OH THE HUMANITY..... I just found this today and ugh this is worse than waiting for a TV show season to start backup...

UGH... this sounds like a real adventure; I'm going to have to think of doing a road trip on my GS when my contract for work is up... WEE I cannot wait to rad the conclusion =)

 

[BentRod]

hahahaha
not the least bit of pressure on the poor guy either.
Let the men work people.

Relax. and BEHAVE!

 

[t3rmin]

Alright, name your price. I'll pay anything. ANYTHING.

 

[Kcwiro]

Bumping so other who have not read this can enjoy the cliffhanger with the rest of us...

I've ran out of limbs and items to count with... and the writing on the wall is well...FULL

...now I think he is just playing with us and I keep expecting to see the hat going around

All things come to those who wait... well at least the millennium came with a countdown heh

INTERMISSION

....lets all goto the lobby...lets all goto the lobby....lets all goto the lobby....and buy ourselves some snacks *thank you*...

 

[bonanzadave]

I think the next time he shows up hell be sporting some Vipex shocks. 8-[

 

[SDK]

I bet the oil comes up again! I can't wait to ready the ending. when is it. I'm super excited.!!!!!!

Shane

 

[SDK]

So i thought it would be nice to take all the parts so far and put them on in one note so that everyone can get caught up to the same point, with out havening to trace everything back and find it all. I cleaned it up by caps a lot of things and fixing miss spelled words so here you go.

Shane

 

[SDK]

My first long ride (2k), and Suzi's last By Mordantmonkey
Warning: This story is full of idiotic choices and youthful indiscretions. You can shake your head and admonish me all you want, but I probably won't listen. Because I?ve already learned, the hard way.

It is also long and will be broken into installments.

So my plan from the start was to get rid of everything i owned, except a few sentimental items left in storage at my mom's house, and ride a motorcycle packed with all of my remaining necessities from KC to San Francisco, and perhaps continuing up toward Seattle.
After many hours of research I settled on a GS, and i'm so glad i did. What a reliable beast. Though in hind sight a 550 was a bit small.
After 8mos and 4k mi under my belt, I figured I was ready. Though my longest single day trek was only 250mi.
I had a nice set of big nelson-riggs saddle bags, and a large internal frame backpack precariously strapped on top. (Btw, the tip about straps instead of bungies... priceless.)

Day 1
Kansas... Booooring. Took the Interstate till Salina then hopped on 56. Many long straights, but the extra weight and small engine prohibited any meaningful speeding. for now. The bike felt comfortable at around 65mph, and so was I. While it's no luxury posterior cradle, for an old seat it was surprisingly comfortable. And big thumbs up for perforated leather! Kept me cool even in 99 degree midday sun on black leather!
When I stopped for gas and lunch I noticed an oil leak from the front oil filter plate.... slow though. One of the 3 nuts had already been missing, stripped stud when I bought it. Should it have been fixed before I left? Yes. Did I fix it before I departed? No. (Yes, I am that reckless/young/dumb) The remaining two had been holding up just fine for the last 4k right?
I figured I hadn't tightened them enough when I changed the oil before i left.
I figured wrong.

About 20mi outside of Dodge City I stop for gas... LOTS of SMOKE. I was leaking a horrible amount of oil. It was splashing over the oil pan and burning away. My heart sank. I was 20mi from nowhere. Bought a couple quarts, and limped into the Wal-Mart of Dodge City, KS. No sooner did I get into the parking lot than the idiot light came on. Bought a makeshift oil pan at Wally world. Broke out the tools.
Turns out that when I put the filter plate back on I cross-threaded one of the nuts... every time i tightened it to "stop the leak", it was ripping up what was left of the thread. Fortunately there was an ACE hardware in town.(my saviors!) went and got the necessary studs and nuts.
One problem, I didn't have the tools to extract those damn studs!!! Even vice grips were just eating up the metal.
A guy on a Harley stopped by, but since he never did maintenance himself, he had no advice; just sympathy.
After about an hour of fidgeting on sweltering blacktop I had had it.
I was frustrated, tired, and hungry. My spirits were down, and I had resigned to call a tow--tomorrow. So I saddled up all my valuables in my 50lb. backpack, left the saddlebags with just clothes, and hiked to the nearest lodge. Holliday Motel: kinda smelly, but cheap, with a shower and cable, which is what I needed after the 5mi. hike in 95 degree heat.

End of day 1. More to come...

Day2

I awoke early, and called every shop in the phone book for Dodge City/Garden City/Liberal KS. There were 3. One only did 4 wheelers. The one in Dodge was a Honda shop and refused to even look at a Suzuki, regardless of the fact that I just needed a stud removed from a case. The third was a Suzuki shop, and the guy said he normally didn't work on older bikes, but had some sympathy after I told him about the Honda guys. Only problem was, he was in Garden City. What I had later learned would be a $350+ tow. Ouch. I had saved a nice wad of dough for the trip but that was a bit hard to swallow. Me being a tightwad and all, I decided to trek back to my bike for one last try.

My god it was hot, even at 10:30 am. And apparently in Kansas, people don't give rides to long haired, goateed, Mexican bikers who are carrying all of their belongings in a backpack.
Along the way, to anyone I see with a truck, I offer a nice sum of cash in exchange for a tow to garden city. No luck.
I get back to the Suz with a new found determination fueled by: an angrily hot hike, a growing hatred for Kansas, and ultimately, cheapness.
The night of rest cleared my head and I was able to see that there was still some thread on the end of one of the stripped studs. So I stacked a couple of washers underneath the nut, held the plate (and my breath) in place, and tightened it down. Gently, not bad, it looked ok. Went into the megalomart, bought some oil, and filled her up. No drips! Let it warm up. Revved it a few times, NO DRIPS!!
There was an entire nuts width of thread so it seemed pretty secure. Now, the logical thing would be to drive to the shop and get it fixed properly. Nuts to that. I was cocky and behind schedule. Let?s ride!

I stopped in Moscow for a nice dip in their public pool, and then cruised down through the pan handle of Oklahoma to Boise City, through a crazy storm of grasshoppers, then back up to get on US-160 in Colorado.
Word to the wise: The first part of Colorado on US-160 has NOTHING. The first place I stopped to get gas was closed. The second had no gas. I was closing in on Trinidad (sure to have food and gas) but by my calculations it would be on fumes. I started going real easy on the throttle, but to no avail. I coasted to a farm entrance 20mi. from Trinidad. I started on my hike, thumb out, and this time without the pack. My luck held out and a nice couple from Halstead, KS gave me ride all the way there and back.
I rolled past Trinidad and camped out for the night in Trinidad state park.

Next morning took a scenic detour on 12 "highway of legends". Now this was Colorado! Twisty roads, mountains, and tall pines that briefly parted to reveal an absolutely crystal clear lake. I was so taken by the sights that I let my speed creep up and got pulled over by the HP. The cop was super nice. i just explained that I was concentrating on the road and the view and wasn't paying as much attention to the Speedo as I should have. I lied, I usually keep my speed at <10 over, this time was no exception. He let me know that he tickets at 10 over, and I barely passed.
thanks officer!

Back to US-160, beautiful still, but now it was time to make some miles. made it to Alamosa and took a detour to the Great Sand Dunes national monument. Got a wild hair and decided to climb the largest dune in the noon sun. The dune was 611' high. and a good mile hike from the visitors center. Sand is much harder to climb than one would think. Especially when the hot, sun-baked pebbles work their way into your shoes and begin to cook your feet. Should have kept the cycle boots on. I rested at the top to laugh at all the ants down below; knowing almost none of them would make it this high. Then went down to enjoy the icy cold mountain stream at the base.

US-160 just got more and more amazing. Higher, higher until I hit wolf creek pass. Absolute bliss. Tall dark pines so thick that the misty pine vapor flooded my helmet. To my left a frothy and ever growing stream bounced and boiled along rocks and boulders as it made its way down the mountain. Then a twisty down grade so steep I had to keep the engine in third almost the whole way. The heavy pack on back didn't help either. Then I hit a scenic (as compared to the rest?) overlook that revealed a lush valley that stretched for miles ahead. I made my way down and camped out under an inky black sky cradled by mountains, framed by pines, and awash in celestial twinkling.

End of day 2

 

[SDK]

Day 3

I awoke to a pale dawn and the chattering conversations of forest squirrels, which are apparently much more vocal than their city counterparts. I went for a short morning hike, and discovered that what I had thought was the sound of rustling trees lullabying me to sleep was actually a gurgling stream. No wonder I had slept so peacefully.

I was too lazy to cook breakfast and not particularly hungry so I began packing up camp. As I was packing I was pelted by what I thought was probably the biggest bug i had ever seen. I swatted it away and jumped back... it was in fact a humming bird. It was in fact, several hummingbirds, apparently attracted to my bright red helmet and gas can. I sat and watched them hover around restlessly until they realized there was no nectar to be had and disappeared back into the forest along with the chatty squirrels and timid chipmunks.

I carefully made my way through the mile or so of gravel that the GS wasn't particularly suited for, until I had reached the highway once more. I made my way through a surprisingly camper/RV packed 2 lane highway, whomping on the poor little 550 engine every time a passing lane emerged. It?s a great beginner bike, but is sadly lacking in mean acceleration at highway speeds. Or possibly I could blame it on the high altitude, or the fairly ragged state of the specific motorbike in question. Finely tuned and expertly maintained it was not. But hey, it got the job done.

I made it as far as Durango before both I and the bike began getting dangerously close to empty. Stopped at a Denny's for a quick bite, and then went to the grocery to buy some more food, and to use their bathroom to get rid of the thermal underwear that kept me warm in the early morning hours but were quickly becoming a hot and uncomfortable liability.
I then wound my way to Mesa Verde whereupon arriving at the entrance I realized that I had left my wallet in the grocery store restroom... 40 $%&! Miles back. So I race back to Durango, with the ever growing realization that if I don't find my wallet I will be stranded there with no gas and no money, desperately calling relatives, and searching for a western union. I park my ride on the sidewalk, swiftly walk to the bathroom, and burst into the stall not really stopping to even worry whether it was occupied. Fortunately no one was in it, but unfortunately neither was my wallet. it wasn't on the TP dispenser, it wasn't on the sink, it wasn't behind the toilet, it wasn't IN the toilet (yes I would have reached for it if it was). I went to the customer service desk asking about it. No luck.
I began frantically tracing my steps through the store, back to the parking lot. Almost reaching the parking spot I had last used, I hear a loud shout across the lot.
"Hey! DONATO!!" I spin around oddly as though I?m preparing for a gunfight, and there is a municipal bus driver with a big grin, waving out of the driver's side window. "I recognized you from your driver's license picture." "Found it in the bathroom; figured you'd be back for it sooner or later."
How much 'later' he planned on waiting I didn't ask, but just thanked him and my luck stars and headed back on my way.

With much relief I re-entered Mesa Verde and made my way through the twisty ass roads that led to the cliff dwellings. I only had time to see one, and I fortunately chose the one that kept me from getting rained on during the ensuing downpour. Though, forgetting to cover my bike before the tour, I couldn't say the same for it. The tourists were sparse, the ranger guide far too annoying, and the cliff dwellings magnificent. I only wish I could have camped out in them. The rain had stopped by the time the tour was over, and my pack was waterproof enough to keep my clothes fairly dry. I drove back through the miles of eerie, naked, burnt trees (apparently, lightning and fires are a common occurrence) stopping only once to admire a large 12 point buck. He simply stood at the road side staring back for what seemed like 2 whole minutes before slowly turning and striding away.

Back to the Highway I raced for Arizona. The desert spread farther and farther around me as did the sunset, until soon I was driving through nothing but a panorama of lavender, and pink, and orange, and crimson. In contrast to Colorado's close quarters of heavily stacked pines and rocks that bound my puny vessel with it's massive mountains, the expansive desert of Arizona set ablaze by the sinking sun released me into the west. I at once felt larger and smaller than I ever had during my waking hours.

Rain began to sprinkle as I resigned myself to find a hotel now that the sun had fully set. All full up in Kayenta. The shabby hotel 30 mi farther past town wanted to fleece me on a room. For $80 I'd sleep on the roadside instead, or at least I?d drive the extra 35 miles to the nearest camp site in monument valley. Even if the rain was picking up, and it was pitch black out, and I was tired as hell. In retrospect I should have shelled out the dough, but it was really the principle of it (and my cheapness). The thought of being flung off my bike like a rag doll and not being found until sunrise, if at all, did a decent job of fighting off the sleep. But I was definitely not prepared for the moderate rain combined with moonless driving on an unfamiliar road populated with reckless speeding desert drivers. Several times I considered pitching camp in a pullout or side road, but thought better of it. Had I only known what true rain and maniacal driving was, I would never have complained at the time.
I pulled into Goulding's lodge and camped out in the dusty, gritty campsite, more tired than I ever thought possible from sitting on one's ass all day.

End of day 3.
Sorry for the mild spoiler, but no, the oil plate is not what i needed to worry about.

 

[SDK]

day 4

Just as the previous sunrise revealed a lush forest and misty mountains, this sunrise revealed a landscape of smoldering ruddy clay interrupted by towering juts of similarly colored rocks-- like downtown skyscrapers hiding out in the desert. Several of these giants were shading me from the direct light of the sunrise as I packed up my tent and gear. A quick breakfast of granola and condensed milk and I was off again, tear-assing through the Arizona highways. Which, as you might imagine, offers long straight-aways with nowhere for a cop to hide. But I was in no rush and everyone seemed to be going about 80 anyway. So I just cruised along and enjoyed the newly paved highway and the scenery as I made my way towards the Grand Canyon.
Again here i must stress the praises deserved of my perforated leather jacket. Even in jet black, i was kept quite comfortable while cruising down the road. Stop and go traffic would have been a different story, but then I?m more inclined to be irritated by traffic than temperature.

I was making my way to the north rim but, learning that it would cost around $30+ to see the canyon (and it was another 50 mi out of my way), I decided to ditch the idea. I'm sure I?ll regret it, but for now it will remain on my "to-see" list. Besides it will give me an excuse for a future road trip through AZ.
Instead, I set my sites on Sedona, AZ which, I had been told, was breathtakingly beautiful and would afford some great camping.
I stopped in flagstaff to grab some lunch and maybe a beer. But first I needed to contact my friend in Phoenix, whose house I would be staying at the next day. My phone had lost all of its charge, so I headed towards the visitors center to see if I could find some juice.
Outside the visitors center was a crusty old bum, and I decided to take a friend's sage advice:
"Whenever you're in a strange town and you want to know what's going on: talk to a bum."
With all that time it's what they do best. Get drunk and observe.
The bum seemed flattered that I?d ask his advice, and he gave me directions to the library where I could not only charge my phone but check my email as well. He also gave me some recommendations on where to get some food and booze. I gave him a tip and, deciding my belly was needier than my phone, head to one of the most ingenious bars i had seen in a while.
It doubled as a bar and liquor store in one. On one side, a long bar with only 3 beers on tap and a small selection of mixed drinks, the other, an entire wall of drink cases housing about 60 different labels of beer. For a small corking fee ($3-4) plus the price of the beer, you could grab a six-pack, hand it to the bar tender, and drink away. Had I the time, I certainly would have taken the offer. As it was I only had time for a couple wheat?s and a sandwich. Then it was to the library where I avoided a light rainstorm for about an hour as my phone charged.
My friend didn't answer, so I left a message. The rain had stopped and I headed off under the quickly clearing skies. Rain in AZ is weird like that; it leaves as quickly as it comes.

I approached Sedona in the late afternoon, apparently just beating the Friday-rush-hour-weekend-getaway drivers coming from flagstaff. After about 10 miles of twisting road carving down, down, down into the dusty red rock I had been driving on top of all day, I came upon the first group of camp sites outside of the town.
"CAMPSITE FULL" read the first and the second, which hardly mattered since I could tell just by seeing all of the tents crammed in like sardines. Not exactly idyllic camping conditions, especially considering the last two nights. I drove on to Sedona and found an overgrown tourist trap. While the scenery and surrounding areas were quite gorgeous, the town was at the height of tourist season and it showed. What I was told had once been a haven of bohemian art and spirituality had now become the commercialized bastardization of itself. The shops felt desperate in their need to sell all manner of "spiritual" merchandise, and I could hardly blame them. Judging by the houses in the surrounding area, property taxes were not cheap.
Perhaps I?m being too harsh. It was tourist season, and I was only there for a few hours. Maybe I?ll go back to reassess it some day.

As I was squeezing my way out of the claustrophobic town, and trying to decide on another possible camping area, I received a call from my friend in phoenix. Only, she wasn't actually in phoenix. She was in Wyoming. She wouldn't be in phoenix until Sunday, the day after tomorrow. Hmmm
she quickly offered her garage code, and invited me to stay at the house till she and her husband got back. Hmmm, rough it for another night without an empty campground anywhere to be found? Or drive like hell down I-14 to a clean guest bedroom, hot-tub, and cable TV?
**** Sedona, let's ride!
by this time the sun was rapidly setting, and above the distant mesas I could detect the distinct flash of lightning. No matter. I got closer and closer as the sunlight got dimmer and dimmer. It began to sprinkle, but the rain didn't look too serious. In any event I stopped at a rest-stop, covered my bags and donned a rain-suit over my leather. Now impervious to the rain I head off down the highway to an evening of rest and relaxation.

As I sped toward phoenix in the rapidly gathering darkness, the road began to take some fairly steep downgrades, in addition to twisting around and between the mesas. This would have been much less of a problem had it not been for the increasing rainfall.
Soon it was dark: dark-chocolate dark, dark-new-moon dark, dark-in-the-desert-in-heavy-rain-at-night dark.
I didn't know if the turns were getting tighter, or the grade was getting steeper or both. Or maybe it was that the rain was now a full-on Bombay monsoon! I was no longer relying on any real sense of perception; so much as I was following a fuzzy wet red glow about 30yds ahead of me. A 30 yards that was, to the drivers behind me, apparently 29 yards too far, despite my Speedo reading that I was going 70 (5mph over). But apparently rain doesn't affect road friction or physics in Arizona, as cars would periodically race around me spraying even more water over my already submerged helmet, resulting in the fuzzy red tail-light ahead of me to disappear for a second. Also resulting in my knuckles turning turnip white, my legs giving the tank a death-grip, and a wet spot forming in the crotch of my underwear.
Oh and did I mention the wind? Not only the wind that accompanied the spray from the passing cars, but also the storm gusts that, half way through a turn, would give you a pleasant every time you rounded the
edge of a mesa.
You would think after a couple of minutes of actually surviving this, I would simply pull over and wait it out. But no, that would be rational and logical. And besides, there was something about skating the fine line of my abilities. That and I couldn't see any exits until I was already passing them, and i was unsure of any shoulder.
Whatever the reason, I rode on, gritted my teeth, and let my lips form a little prayer through every turn.

After about 45 minutes, and with great relief, the road began to resemble something more of a straight line, and the rain quickly slowed, then stopped altogether. I was now just a few miles from phoenix and... Good god man! It was hot! I quickly realized i was still wearing the rain suit. I couldn't find the next exit fast enough. I pulled the bike into a car lot and yanked off a smothering helmet that felt like a lead gasmask full of hot farts. Jumping around the parking lot possessed, I ripped off the rain suit as if it had been filled with fire ants. Then I lay down to feel the refreshing cool air again. Only it didn't come. In spite of being soaked like a wet-t-shirt contestant, the air was simply too hot and heavy to be any relief. So I piled back on my bike and wearily made my way to my friend?s house. I parked the bike, and then parked my ass in a nice, hot bath. I slept the kind of dead sleep that only an adrenaline crash can bring.

End of day 4
1 1/2 more to go...

 

[SDK]

this is a vary exciting story, and i can't wait till he finds time to finish it.

Shane

 

[t3rmin]

Cool man. Thanks for the newcomer-recap. ;-)

 

[Gargoyle081]

AAAHHHH ! ! !....I just came across this posting today and read it all....GREAT story. I kept clicking through the pages going "ha ha ha THOSE GUYS had to wait, and the last day is probably on page 10 of the thread"....Now its not NEARLY as funny cause Im hooked now too lol....I hope he finds the time to finish up !! [-o<

 

[Redman]

ah...
That was interesting, and amusing.
but yet, no clue as to the "suzi's last ride" part of the story that has my interest.

 

[Kcwiro]

maybe we are waiting for parts or something *looks for parts hat to go around* \\/

...Long Intermission... Ugh where's my coffee?

 

[QuaiChangKane]

BUZKILL!!!


Considering the original post date! You alright, Kid???


-Q!

 

[bonanzadave]

Hello KC

Hello KC

http://kansascity.craigslist.org/mcy/612094289.html

 

[TheCafeKid]

Excellent!! I have been waiting for the end of this thing since he posted day one!! I hope nothing serious happened to him :-s