7
7981GS
Guest
There are definitely states where most of the population should be on a suicide watch list for certain.
Especially if you know how to ride motorcycles.
Pure living hell.
Eric
-
Required reading for all forum users!!!
Welcome!
Register to access the full functionality of the GSResources forum. Until you register and activate your account you will not have full forum access, nor will you be able to post or reply to messages.A note to new registrants...
All new forum registrations must be activated via email before you have full access to the forum.A Special Note about Email accounts!
DO NOT SIGN UP USING hotmail, outlook, gmx, sbcglobal, att, bellsouth or email.com. They delete our forum signup emails.A note to old forum members...
I receive numerous requests from people who can no longer log in because their accounts were deleted. As mentioned in the forum FAQ, user accounts are deleted if you haven't logged in for the past 6 months. If you can't log in, then create a new forum account. If you don't get an error message, then check your email account for an activation message. If you get a message stating that the email address is already in use, then your account still exists so follow the instructions in the forum FAQ for resetting your password.Have you forgotten your password or have a new email address? Then read the forum FAQ for details on how to reset it.
Any email requests for "can't log in anymore" problems or "lost my password" problems will be deleted. Read the forum FAQ and follow the instructions there - that's what we have one for...
-
Returning Visitors
If you are a returning visitor who never received your confirmation email, then odds are your email provider is blockinig emails from our server. The only thing that can be done to get around this is you will have to try creating another forum account using an email address from another domain.
If you are a returning visitor to the forum and can't log in using your old forum name and password but used to be able to then chances are your account is deleted. Purges of the databases are done regularly. You will have to create a new forum account and you should be all set.
There are definitely states where most of the population should be on a suicide watch list for certain.
Especially if you know how to ride motorcycles.
Pure living hell.
Eric
T
Tim Tom
Guest
You brought a bowling ball on your trip?
Well you never know right?! Actually no, that was borrowed from friend's garage to serve as a ballast to weigh down the front end. This of course was not needed due to the full tank of gas, and the downward angle of the bike, but it made me feel a bit better about leaving a bike with no wheel sitting in the street while I ran to the local dealer.
Fantastic that you found a diamond in Kansas! Who would have thought it possible?
Eric
I was just as surprised as anyone! It was a wonderful campsite. Especially considering it cost a whopping $9 for BOTH of us. So for a cheeky $4.50 each we had paradise for a night. Plus the breeze off the lake kept us cool in the tent, and we slept great
.More pictures to some soon from the western half of the country!
G
Guest
Guest
Thanks for getting this going again Tim, looks like a great trip so far! I'd love to get out for that long some day...
T
Tim Tom
Guest
Cheers Pete! Glad people are watching at least. It doesn't take much to go. You already have a bike. That's requirement one. The next thing you need is a few days off work. Even a 4-5 day 'long weekend' type trip is a better than none. It doesn't have to be expensive either. I think I spent a total of $900 on my trip. For a three week vacation I challenge ANYONE to get a better deal
. Granted we skimped on things like fancy dinners and such, but that all helped create the adventure. Now back to the pictures and a bit of story.
We left from Denver that morning and it was cold and wet. We were wearing every thing we could. Long johns, underarmor, 2 tshirts, flannel shift, leathers, rain gear. And it was still cold. We took hwy 40 out of the city and quickly found ourselves climbing some mountains. Rt 40 was a blast of a road, lots of switchbacks and hairpins. Even in the wet with a new rear tire I had some fun on it!
Finally we reached the summit of this particular place. Which is also along the Continental Divide.
Cold and wet, but happy adventurers!
Darkening skies but high spirits still!
Three guess as to why my right pant leg is shiny? Hint, I still have not gotten all the residual oil off of my boot
.Proof of elevation!
The GS ran fine on the climb up. I noticed a bit of lack of low end oomph trying to get drive out of the tight uphill corners, but made it work. Of course Kyle with his giant 1700cc trumpy had power to spare and suffered no troubles.
A bit of view from the top as the clouds lifted a bit.
As the afternoon continued we stayed on Hwy 40, which is a fantastic road all around. Up and down mountain passes, through river canyons, and generally fantastic riding. After the flat country in the previous days this was a very happy change.
We made it into Utah just before sun-set and found a campsite in Starvation.
Wow.
If anyone has never been to Utah, it looks like mars. Steep plateaus with flat tops, red soil, salt lake beds, it's otherworldly.
To be continued soon!
T
Tim Tom
Guest
Whooo more pictures!
Whooo more pictures!
We also discovered in Utah that our bikes made for decent dual sports! The 5 mile road to our site was sand. Very loose in some spots! We kept the rpms low, and somehow managed to get our overloaded street bikes down it okay.
Luckily there must have been bikes there before us, as there were some scrap 2x12's laying around that made for perfect side stand pucks!
Fantastic place to camp!
The light from the setting sun was strikingly beautiful.
We were very lucky with stumbling upon gorgeous campsite after gorgeous campsite. The secret is to ask the locals in the little towns. They always know the best spots.
Whooo more pictures!
We also discovered in Utah that our bikes made for decent dual sports! The 5 mile road to our site was sand. Very loose in some spots! We kept the rpms low, and somehow managed to get our overloaded street bikes down it okay.
Luckily there must have been bikes there before us, as there were some scrap 2x12's laying around that made for perfect side stand pucks!
Fantastic place to camp!
The light from the setting sun was strikingly beautiful.
We were very lucky with stumbling upon gorgeous campsite after gorgeous campsite. The secret is to ask the locals in the little towns. They always know the best spots.
7
7981GS
Guest
It appears that you were able to find ALL of the very best places to make camp.
Eric
Eric
T
Tim Tom
Guest
Yeah we did pretty well. The trick is to avoid the KOA's and other types of RV parks. These tend to be next to major highways, loud, and not very scenic. Although if you need more amenities than a wilderness site, KOA's can be very good. State parks tended to be the best wilderness sites, and the cheapest by far. Some didn't even charge!
Picking up the pictures now; crossing the flats of Utah and into the flats of Nevada...
I was still having issues with the oil leak, it would get hot and pee out of the valve cover and tachometer cable. Falling onto my hot engine, and smoking. As long as we kept moving the bike was fine, when we got into towns, and had to ride slower it looked like it was on fire a bit! Sorry guys no pictures of this, but it is a credit to the GS's that even when abused like this it did not miss a beat.
A word of advice, when it is 110 degree's outside. DO NOT drain the oil out of the bike to replace with heavier stuff, after riding it 100 miles. That oil was SCALDING!
Eagle eyed viewers will notice the sheen that covers the right side of the bike... Yup. That's engine oil. Very eagle eyed viewers will notice a similar sheen on the rear tire! Oil had found its way back there too. Made right hand turns more than a little scary! Eeek!
I knew I shoulda turned left at Albuquerque...
We used Highway 50 to cross Utah and Nevada. It is known as the loneliest road in America. This is why.
The view behind us...
And the view in front of us...
Yup. Not much out there. I had picked up two 1 gallon gas cans in Denver, and it's a good thing too. My 850 started to sputter and ran out of gas with 5 miles till the next town! A quick pull over and another gallon in and we were moving again.
Hwy 50 is a strange road. As the above pictures show it's flat as can be for 40-50 miles, than you cross a mountain range. On the other side it's flat as all hell again until the next mountain range. Very odd. However all of this flatness was good in that we were able to make great mileage and covered the 650 miles from where we were to Eric's place in Reno.
His wife had made this sign for us so we would know where to go!
The next day we moved some bikes around at his place and put the 850 into the workshop! A good degreasing revealed the source of the leaks to be the realgasket, which had been completely destroyed; cracked in many places, and the crimp connection on the tach cable. While Eric and I adjusted the valves and did some other tune up stuff, we sent Kyle off to pick up the valve cover gasket that the local dealer HAPPENED to have IN STOCK! Wow. Talk about luck! We ended up changing 5 shims, and I learned how to use that pesky valve adjust tool!
Kyle left Eric's place around 3 pm to see some friends in nearby Lake Tahoe. I didn't get the 850 buttoned back up until later and left Eric's house after nightfall with a suburb running bike, a shower and yet another tasty meal!
Thanks again Eric!! :clap::clap:
It was well after dark by the time I landed in Lake Tahoe, but I did make it. Incidentally this was the only time during the whole trip that Kyle and I split up.
Last edited:
Allie
Forum Sage
Is that Barry Newman waaaaaaaaaaaaay up ahead there?
Vanishing Point reference, yeah, I'm that old!
BTW, that movie gave me the fever and my first car was a 1970 Challenger!
T
Tim Tom
Guest
Thankfully the scenery changed after leaving Eric's house. We decided to spend the next day enjoying Lake Tahoe. Kyle and I had both been there in the winter for the skiing, but experiencing it in the summer season was just as awesome.
Trees, mountains, lakes, and friendly people. A much welcomed change from Vanishing point!
We hiked up to little mountain lake there. The water was gorgeous, and deep enough that the cliffs on the far side served as jumping platforms!
Our little slice of paradise for the day!
You can see the gaggle of people relaxing on the smallest of the three jumping rocks. This one is about 20 feet above the water. The tallest being almost 60 feet high! We did the 20 footer, skipped the big ones.
Truly a world away from the dusty desert
The burned out trees are left from a brutal forest fire about 5 years ago.
We thoroughly enjoyed our day off the bikes, but all the same the next day we were glad to hit the road again and carve the legendary California canyons.
The last view we had of Lake Tahoe as we headed north on 89.
Unfortunately today must have been national road work day, as every 50 miles or so we found ourselves stopped for construction.
Often for 20-30 minutes at a time
His face says it all I think...
To be Continued soon...
Trees, mountains, lakes, and friendly people. A much welcomed change from Vanishing point!
We hiked up to little mountain lake there. The water was gorgeous, and deep enough that the cliffs on the far side served as jumping platforms!
Our little slice of paradise for the day!
You can see the gaggle of people relaxing on the smallest of the three jumping rocks. This one is about 20 feet above the water. The tallest being almost 60 feet high! We did the 20 footer, skipped the big ones.
Truly a world away from the dusty desert
The burned out trees are left from a brutal forest fire about 5 years ago.
We thoroughly enjoyed our day off the bikes, but all the same the next day we were glad to hit the road again and carve the legendary California canyons.
The last view we had of Lake Tahoe as we headed north on 89.
Unfortunately today must have been national road work day, as every 50 miles or so we found ourselves stopped for construction.
Often for 20-30 minutes at a time
His face says it all I think...
To be Continued soon...
T
Tim Tom
Guest
Not having a face with with to express my displeasure at stopping, I resorted to body language...
At least to stops provided a chance to stretch and walk around a bit. And photograph (the bikes of course)
Here you can see the mounting of the emergency gas cans on top of the cases. Very glad I picked up those cans in Denver!
After what seemed like 10 stops, we found ourselves in Lasson Volcano Park. We had not planned to stop here, the road we were on went through the park, and we had no real choice other than to make a 100 mile detour. So we braved the 15 mph speed limit for the next 35 miles. At least the roads were interesting, even at that slow speed!
Being a volcano park, every once in a while we got a strong whiff of sulfur. Yum.
The 850 was running great though. No more leaks, and no more smoking oil coming from my engine. Cant see my face in the Stig style picture, but I assure you I'm smiling.
Even more unexpected than the sulfer fumes, we found some snow! In July! This especially pleased Kyle.
The park was not very crowded that day, and despite the annoyingly slow speed limit, we enjoyed our time there.
After the park we picked up Rt 299 west. This road was awesome. Tight canyons, rivers, going under huge wooden rail road trestle bridges, and hardly anyone else on it. I need to go back there and spend a day just riding and photographing the 60 mile stretch we did. I didn't take too many as I was having too much fun.
Unfortunately though we ran into another road closure. This time due to a forest fire! The road was shut down, and they were allowing one lane through at a time. Eventually we got to go, and I wished I had taken some pictures of the burning trees RIGHT NEXT to the road. I was just thankful to make it to the other side though.
Eventually we made it to highway 101, and our plan was to head north to see the giant trees. By the time we got there, it was cold, and starting to be wet. So we pulled of at the first campsite we found.
A very nice older woman was behind the desk, and while assigning us a site, she asked if we had a big tent. I replied since we were both on motorcycles our gear was pretty compact. She smiled and said "You just said the magic words! The owner of the camp ground is a motorcycle fanatic, and anyone who rides in gets $10 off the fee!"
The owner then came out, obviously having just gotten back from a ride, wearing a full leather suit, and carrying a helmet. We talked bikes for a bit, then went to set up our camp. He gave us some good advice on how to avoid the mud on the paths in the campground.
Our home for the night under the big trees.
The redwoods are very tricky to shoot in, the intense tree coverage will trick the camera into using too slow a shutter speed. A tripod would have made these shots much better...
However we had a great night sleeping under the trees, as it was actually cool enough to sleep well! The next morning started off cold and wet so we got all bundled up and went to go look at some big trees!
At least to stops provided a chance to stretch and walk around a bit. And photograph (the bikes of course)
Here you can see the mounting of the emergency gas cans on top of the cases. Very glad I picked up those cans in Denver!
After what seemed like 10 stops, we found ourselves in Lasson Volcano Park. We had not planned to stop here, the road we were on went through the park, and we had no real choice other than to make a 100 mile detour. So we braved the 15 mph speed limit for the next 35 miles. At least the roads were interesting, even at that slow speed!
Being a volcano park, every once in a while we got a strong whiff of sulfur. Yum.
The 850 was running great though. No more leaks, and no more smoking oil coming from my engine. Cant see my face in the Stig style picture, but I assure you I'm smiling.
Even more unexpected than the sulfer fumes, we found some snow! In July! This especially pleased Kyle.
The park was not very crowded that day, and despite the annoyingly slow speed limit, we enjoyed our time there.
After the park we picked up Rt 299 west. This road was awesome. Tight canyons, rivers, going under huge wooden rail road trestle bridges, and hardly anyone else on it. I need to go back there and spend a day just riding and photographing the 60 mile stretch we did. I didn't take too many as I was having too much fun.
Unfortunately though we ran into another road closure. This time due to a forest fire! The road was shut down, and they were allowing one lane through at a time. Eventually we got to go, and I wished I had taken some pictures of the burning trees RIGHT NEXT to the road. I was just thankful to make it to the other side though.
Eventually we made it to highway 101, and our plan was to head north to see the giant trees. By the time we got there, it was cold, and starting to be wet. So we pulled of at the first campsite we found.
A very nice older woman was behind the desk, and while assigning us a site, she asked if we had a big tent. I replied since we were both on motorcycles our gear was pretty compact. She smiled and said "You just said the magic words! The owner of the camp ground is a motorcycle fanatic, and anyone who rides in gets $10 off the fee!"
The owner then came out, obviously having just gotten back from a ride, wearing a full leather suit, and carrying a helmet. We talked bikes for a bit, then went to set up our camp. He gave us some good advice on how to avoid the mud on the paths in the campground.
Our home for the night under the big trees.
The redwoods are very tricky to shoot in, the intense tree coverage will trick the camera into using too slow a shutter speed. A tripod would have made these shots much better...
However we had a great night sleeping under the trees, as it was actually cool enough to sleep well! The next morning started off cold and wet so we got all bundled up and went to go look at some big trees!
Tim Tom,
You drove on 299, which is just about about an hour+ south of me . I'd like to know where the campground that gave you the discount was, or it's name. The redwoods can be cold and damp in the mornings. Thanks for the pictures.
cg
You drove on 299, which is just about about an hour+ south of me . I'd like to know where the campground that gave you the discount was, or it's name. The redwoods can be cold and damp in the mornings. Thanks for the pictures.
cg
T
Tim Tom
Guest
Charlie, 299 is a great road! We both had tons of fun on it, and if I lived only an hour north of it, I would ride it every weekend!
The name of the campground was Emerald Forest and its in Trinidad. It was a really nice place, with a general store and the sites were very private and secluded. Would make for a great getaway.
The name of the campground was Emerald Forest and its in Trinidad. It was a really nice place, with a general store and the sites were very private and secluded. Would make for a great getaway.
Last edited:
S
shirazdrum
Guest
Boy I missed out on this one. It was a shame I didn't make it your place when I came back to US, I'll make it up to you next time, I promise.
What a ride and nice to see another 850 with boxes strapped to it. Those boxes are indestructible, a bit on the heavy side but will out-live you probably.
Ride safe and make that 850 proud
What a ride and nice to see another 850 with boxes strapped to it. Those boxes are indestructible, a bit on the heavy side but will out-live you probably.
Ride safe and make that 850 proud
P
pmong
Guest
Tim,
Great reading about your cross country trip. It inspires. I am still hoping to do a medium length trip along PCH at the end of summer, and thanks for your advice and encouragement.
Paul
Great reading about your cross country trip. It inspires. I am still hoping to do a medium length trip along PCH at the end of summer, and thanks for your advice and encouragement.
Paul
T
Tim Tom
Guest
Boy I missed out on this one. It was a shame I didn't make it your place when I came back to US, I'll make it up to you next time, I promise.
What a ride and nice to see another 850 with boxes strapped to it. Those boxes are indestructible, a bit on the heavy side but will out-live you probably.
Ride safe and make that 850 proud
Thanks Chris! Your epic ride was part of my inspiration to go. I figured if you could ride your beast solo through South America, I could take minem with a buddy, across North America
. This trip certainly will not be the last for my boxed 850. An interesting side note about my cases, I found the date stamped on them, one is from 1982, the same year as the GS, and the other is from the year I was born! I thought it was a cool coincidence. Currently planning a trip up the east coast to Nova Scotia. Not quite the same distance, but should be equally as thrilling. Honestly I think the best maintenance you can do for these bikes is ride the snot out of them. They love it and ask for more. Don't let your GS sit, your not doing it any favors
.Thank you Paul. Hopefully I should get some time either today or tomorrow to continue to post pictures, the next two days of the trip were the highlight as we traveled down the PCH. Lots of great roads and scenery. Definitely worth the 3000 miles we rode to get there. Ride it midweek and it's like your own personal track day, with stunning views to boot! The weekend it jams up with tourist traffic and they take the fun out of it
. When you do go, take plenty of pictures and post em up!
S
shwaz
Guest
T
Currently planning a trip up the east coast to Nova Scotia. Not quite the same distance, but should be equally as thrilling. Honestly I think the best maintenance you can do for these bikes is ride the snot out of them. They love it and ask for more. Don't let your GS sit, your not doing it any favors
oh? do tell... maybe i can make some good use of my upcoming paternity leave to finally squeeze in a decent road trip :-\\\
M
maro
Guest
im riding across the states as well
im riding across the states as well
im riding the states as well...from philly to portland to san fran to arizona to austin back to philly. im currently in denver. leaving todAy headed to utah. would be great to catch up to you two. where u at and where u going?
im riding across the states as well
im riding the states as well...from philly to portland to san fran to arizona to austin back to philly. im currently in denver. leaving todAy headed to utah. would be great to catch up to you two. where u at and where u going?
