The GS650G tour

[duaneage]

Wednesday May 28th I'm off to Virginia, staying in Afton and then heading south down the Blue Ridge Parkway for a while. I might go back to Afton then I head north through the countryside towards PA and Upstate New York on Thursday. Anybody that wants to stretch the GS out in Virginia on Thursday morning or in New York Upstate this weekend give me a hollar and maybe we can meetup.

I'll do an infamous GS story when I am done, something always happens on a trip and this should be no exception.

[BassCliff]

Hi Mr. duaneage,

Best of luck to you, break a leg, ride safely! Drive fast and take chances! :-D

Is your new windshield working out OK? Looking forward to pictures when you get back.


Thank you for your indulgence,

BassCliff

[duaneage]

Well, so far so good. Started oout going down Maryland's Western shore to Lookout Point, back to 301 and over to 95 where I picked up 64 out to Afton Va. Nice ride overall, perfect weather for it.

I stayed at The Inn at Afton. Not a 4 star place by any measure but you can't beat the location, situated where the Blue Ridge Parkway begins and the Skyway ends. I decide to runn down the Parkway after checking in and dropped down in one of the valleys for some spectacular roadways. after meeting some nice people riding bicycles on the Skyway I turn in and await tommorrow.

[maro]

Looks like you might hit some thunderstorms tomorrow in NY, so watch out for that, though I'm sure your checking the doppler when you can. Hope you're having a great time. Curious to see how the ol 650G is handling you, or how you're handling it.

Looking forward to some summertime trek's with ya!

BTW BassCliff, I saw your old windshield on Duanages bike, and it looks great.

[duaneage]

Day 2 was a beautiful morning, after a quick stop for fuel (there really are no gas stations on the parkway) I head out at 9 AM and what a site. Beautiful black ribbon of road with no cars, lights or stop signs for 110 miles. Saw 1 car in 110 miles, and 2 turtles. I moved them to the side of the road because it was too nice a day to get squashed.

I stopped at otter creek restaurant for breakfast, best food I'd eaten in days. Nice people too. Met a VT alumni riding a bicycle down the Parkway, he's done it several times. Stopped for pictures and talked to a landscaper mowing the lawn about the road and what to expect. People really appreciate the beauty there, even after living around it for years.

some pics.

[duaneage]

Day 2 continued up route 81 at Roanoke towards PA. The weather was spectacular, the GS650G was running superb, turning in 51 MPG at 65 MPH. It lacks raw power above 80 with bags and fairing but tough to beat on a nice road. The footpegs I put on at the front allow me to stretch and change positions often.

I roll into PA around 5:30 and take a detour over to Gettysburg. I like G-Burg and the surrounding area, I often travel there for bicycle training in the South Mountain area so I explored new roads by motorcycle for potential training routes.

I snapped a few pics of a GS450L for sale near G-Town and eat dinner. Around 6:15 I point the 650 north and take 15 to Harrisburg and ultimately 15/99 North to the New York State line. The hills are winding and I push the 650 a bit, wanting to get to the end before it gets too cool. I add more clothing as the temperature drops to 55. Gas mileage suffers in these mountains as the bike works to keep up with the cars heading north.

Tragically, a motorcyclist died this night in an accident at Lawrenceville ,right at the border. Heading the warning, I drive a bit slower the rest of the way to Bath New york where I planned to stay for a few days. Best to arrive in one piece. Stepping off the bike at 10:30, i road about 11 hours today, with 2 hours worth of breaks. Things were a little sore, but nothing compared to the 7-8 hour bicycle rides I did a week before. Now that is really tough.

[BassCliff]

Mr. duaneage,

That's some beautiful scenery to ride through, the Blue Ridge Parkway. I"ve been there, but not on my motorcycle. One of these days.

Thanks for the pictures! :-D

Ride safely.

Thank you for your indulgence,

BassCliff

[duaneage]

Day 3 was a trip around wine country up through Penn Yan and around Keuka lake. I strolled over to Watkins Glen and wound it around a few twisty roads until I decided to head for the house. GPS is great for finding the best way out of unknown territory, and the GS never lets you down.

I used a fair amount of oil the first day, almost 1/2 a quart, but since I added some the morning in Afton it hasn't taken a drop. Strange indeed, but I'll take it. I did lose the number 5 indicator light on the dashboard, a consequence of high gear riding all the time. I'll replace that with an LED when I get home.

Stopped for gas and met some Honda riders on vintage CB900 Custom bikes, two of them. They were impressed with the originality of my bike, right down to the pipes. Seems they don't last as long on the CB900 bikes. Road with them for a few miles before saying adios.

It's amazing the kindred spirit you get from other vintage Japanese bike owners, not quite at the H-D level, but a sort of mutual admiration for keeping these great bikes on the road.

I parked the GS before the rains set in, I'll take Sunday off and leave for Delaware on Monday afternoon.

[duaneage]

OK, so last day I eat a hearty meal and leave around noon for Delaware. I forgot it was a Monday, not a Sunday and the problem with that will be apparent later. I scoot down 15 again and decide to take I-80. I have not traveled I-80 in 15 years and remembered it as a scenic route in good condition. After enjoying mostly downhills on Route 15 to Williamsport I spin over to the Northeast Extension of the PA turnpike and head south from the interchange.

Cruising near Lansdale the traffic just stops. It's over 90 degrees out, I am dressed in leather and on an air cooled bike, which is not getting much cooling. I escape the turnpike and head to the backroads. My TomTom GPS is now my navigator as I try to find a way to 476 East through Bucks county.

For those unfamiliar with the area, Bucks county has a huge concentration of cars but roads designed for 1/3 the amount of traffic they receive. It takes me 1.5 hours to go 13 miles around the backup. I was surprised at the traffic until I remembered it was a Monday afternoon, not Sunday, and at 5:30 PM I had to expect such delays. I don't think I will be moving here anytime soon as sitting for 15 minutes to get through one light is a bit much.

Hitting the Blue Route 476 I command the left lane and shoot towards I-95. There is a certain amount of melancholy one feels as you turn onto your own street and see your house. Part of you is glad to be home but the adventure is now over and tomorrow is just another day.

The Suzuki performed admirably, only failure was a lightbulb under the 5 indicator, and not a drop of rain. My bags worked well and stayed on, gas mileage ended up around 50 MPG, and I met some new friends along the way. 120 dollars in gas is a lot of money but well spent for the times you have.