Yearly trip to Pennsylvania

[dorkburger]

The long running sack gag. I've yet to ride home with it. I only found it hidden there by chance though, and my wife played along with my cousin....
I put it on his truck.... I don't think he has found it yet......
http://Untitled by Glen Brenner, on Flickr

http://Untitled by Glen Brenner, on Flickr

[gordinho80]

Awesome pics, Glen. Looks like you had a great time!

[dorkburger]

Thanks.
Definitely a different vibe playing tag with the family there and back - a more puropseful direct ride, but I still had fun on the highway - despite the rain.... More on that later.
It was a good getaway for the whole family.

[GSXR7ED]

I like the pics Glen...minus the ballsack! Lol

Bringing this to the top!


Ed

[Charlie G]

Forgot about you're sack gag. Good fun!

[dorkburger]

A week later it was time to go home. It rained Wednesday night, and Thursday morning I woke to clouds, but no rain. A weather check showed that it wasn't a matter of if we would hit rain, but when. We had breakfast, said our goodbyes, then headed south on 414 - not my preferred route. South literally follows the valley to the end at Rt 220. North 414 to 220 goes thru some narrow roads, then to 287, which picks up 220 further east. Its a more entertaining road that has some nice curves and climbs to go over the mountain. Still, its not remotely close to a lesser of two evils scenario. Both are nice. Sort of like picking a favorite motorcycle.

We headed south on wet roads, but no rain. Near the town of Cammal there are some pipeline / fracking operations in progress up on the mountain and trucks are constantly up and down the hill. The road where they enter 414 is a dirty mess, and riding thru it in the wet left my bike a filty mess in just a 1/4 mile. Not much of a concern, but if I had a nice bike, I'd be a bit peeved. The ride out of the valley was picturesque with overcast skies and the typical morning clouds lifting- the morning clouds are ever present, even on nice days. We stopped in Jersey Shore PA again for gas - those who are smart and or cheap only buy enough gas in the valley to get out due to its higher price. The family stopped at the diner in town for the third time of the trip for their breadsticks and cheese sauce - for the road this time, while I headed out.

Grunge picked up near Cammal....
http://Untitled by Glen Brenner, on Flickr

Dirty can...
http://Untitled by Glen Brenner, on Flickr

[dorkburger]

After fuel, I hit 220 east. As I approached Williamsport, I could see rain in the distance, then approaching cars with headlights and wipers on, then... rain. It started slow, then picked up. After I passed town, it became clear that it would be here for a while. I pulled off near Lycoming Mall and put on my rain gear. After a couple of goofs and illegal turns I was back on 220. It rained for the duration of the ride down 220, which turned into 180, then I hit Rt 80 east. It was warm, and the rain didn't bother me a bit. Shortly after going east on 80, the rain stopped and the roads were dry. Our next meet up was at Bloomsburg where my wife wanted to stop at a store to pick something up for a friend's infant daughter.

After our stop, I looked around. The skies looked pretty foul all around, but gosh darn it, it was dry now, so the rain gear was stowed, and off I rode. Next stop, Lake Harmony exit.
I knew full well that forgoing the raingear was a foolhardy move, but I was ok with it, as motorcycling itself is a foolhardy love at times. I was ok with my choice.
On the road I was pushing it a bit, running around 85 mph plus at times. I wasn't passing everything in sight, just most of it. I hit a few showers lasting 10-15 minutes at most. I just tucked in behind the screen. It did a good job of keeping my chest dry, but did nothing for my arms. My jacket's clain of being waterproof gave up the ghost long ago. The last 10 minutes or so it got dark- really dark. I was fully expecting the skies to open up with rain, lightning, and thunder at any second, but then my exit arrived. We met at Subway for lunch. Within ten minutes of stopping the rain caught up. It poured so much that it was gray outside....

During the last stretch my signal broke. It broke a few years ago and was repaired.
http://Untitled by Glen Brenner, on Flickr

[dorkburger]

After lunch we split up for the last time until home. I contemplated removing my broken signal, but didn't want to lose my rear signal function or have to manually switch the switch on / off to make it blink, especially in bad weather. I let it dangle. I started my bike and it puttered to life missing a cylinder or two - just like after its yearly washes. I suspect it's due to the bad spark plug seals at the end of the caps. I rode next door and filled up. It was still raing, steadily, but not heavily. The wife called and said it was not raining down the pike where she was. I made the soon to be proved as foolish decision to forgo raingear again. I left the gas station and shortly later the bike's miss cleared up as the heat evaporated the water. I grabbed my toll ticket and got on the Northeast Extension. Within minutes the rain picked up..... There was no safe spot to pull over to put on rain gear so I concluded that wet was better then wet and dead. Then it picked up some more..... then some more.... then some more until it was a full on downpour plus. Things were a bit sketchy at this point. A lot of cars and trucks on a two lane interstate with minimal room for error and compromised vision due to the rain, road spray, and water beading off of my shield. Water eventually seeped into my underwear, the unpleasant tell tale sign that one is completely wet. My boots were water logged as well, complete with water squishing between my toes. I lost track of time at this point, but it must have been a good half hour to 45 minutes of this. At one point I was following a fellow fool riding a touring bike in the mess. There was about a 45 second reprieve as I rode thru the Lehigh Tunnel... Perhaps that mountain that the tunnel passes under forms a weather feature, because after exiting, the rain let up, the skies began to lighten, and shortly later the rain stopped. I stopped at the next rest stop for a breather, a drink and to get my wits back - I also poured water out of my boots.

I also noticed that the rain peeled more black from the stripe off. The part nearest to the headlight was already peeled off years ago and (poorly) touched up.
http://Untitled by Glen Brenner, on Flickr

The rest of the trip was fairly uneventful. The weather got hot and sunny as I approached the Philly area and got on the PA pike to NJ and hit traffic volume and a delay.

Then I had to pay my toll.... paying tolls on the bike sucks. I pulled over ahead of the gate and got a $20 and my ticket ready. I'm 99.99999999999999 % sure I handed the guy both together - he claimed otherwise. After a brief discussion, that was plainly evident that I was to be on the losing end of, I peeled more money out of my wallet, paid the guy, made a backhanded insinuation that he was on the take, then blasted off with all of the fury an old 1150 has, just short of breaking traction or bones. In my mind it was an awesome display.... reality may vary, but with no one to confirm or deny, I'm going with awesome. It really pi$$ed me off, and I stewed over it for a bit, but eventually decided that it was a great week, good riding, no breakdows / crashes, and $20 is small in the overall picture.

The last hour was a slow return to reaity as I drew closer to home, passed within a mile of work's office, saw a company truck on the highway, then pulled into Stupid Freehold Boro with a dirty bike and a cleaner outlook on things, yes vacations still work as designed.

Dirty bike with minor damage at the end of a successful trip.
http://Untitled by Glen Brenner, on Flickr

It's no surprise to anyone who reads my ramblings about how much I dig my bike, but I was especially impressed on this trip. While its certainly not even remotely close to a touring bike - its noisy, buzzy, turns a lot of RPM at highway speed, and not totally comfortable, but it did great without an issue. I ran it harder and longer then on any trip, averaing between 80- 85 for extended times. I love this bike......

Theres a new set of signals in the garage, ordered this week, that I need to put on.

[dorkburger]

Yeah..... I found this in my riding pants today......
Seems that out of force of habit I rode right thru the EZ-Pass lane and didn't pay when getting off of the NJ Turnpike.

http://Oops... by Glen Brenner, on Flickr

[Charlie G]

Will they send you a ticket/bill?

[dorkburger]

I’m anticipating a ticket. Nothing yet though.
I don’t know where the cameras are at, so the location and angle of my license plate may have prevented a clear picture. Wishful thinking though.

Anotther thing I’m curious about is the first toll entering PA. They moved to a cashless tool there, where a picture is taken and a bill is sent to non EZ-pass vehicles. Nothing from that yet either.

[GSXR7ED]

I got a $25 fee mailed to me from MD (I95) the time I had no cash and they wouldn't accept debit card. Attendant took pic of my license plate and they sent me a bill...$4 turned into $25...that sucks!


Ed

[RichDesmond]

I got a $25 fee mailed to me from MD (I95) the time I had no cash and they wouldn't accept debit card. Attendant took pic of my license plate and they sent me a bill...$4 turned into $25...that sucks!


Ed

Ok, I gotta ask...how in the world do you go out of the house with zero cash?? I don't think I've done that since I was 11.

More directly on the toll topic, I got a "camera" toll from a freeway near Austin a few years back, it took a few weeks before it came in the mail.

[GSXR7ED]

Ok, I gotta ask...how in the world do you go out of the house with zero cash?? I don't think I've done that since I was 11.

I don't know? I asked myself the same question...silly rabbit, I said to myself. Lol


Ed

[alke46]

For the past 3 years during late June, I have been driving out to Denver area to watch my granddaughter participate in gymnastics and each time having to use the E-470 bypass around Denver from north to south ends. It is controlled by cameras also and I have yet to receive anything from the state of colorado. Maybe just lucky, IDK.