18 States, 1 province, 14 694 kms (9100 miles) on a Kaw ZRX July 9 to Aug. 5.

[zrxter]

Had a blast...incredible sights, great people, awesome roads .....took awhile to recover from separated shoulder after a minor spill in Colorado on Aug. 3 and from riding the last 1350 kms (1 353 miles) in 33.5 hrs., Aug.4 &5.
Spent 9 incredible days in San Francisco bay area and 2 days in Butte, Montana. Rode the rest of the time.
Photos posted here..... (warning 582 photos)
...click on 2nd set from top on right side.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/52755149@N07/

Mike

 

[vrus]

some amazing shots there

*edit - and welcome back

 

[zrxter]

some amazing shots there

*edit - and welcome back

Thanks vrus!

 

[the bandit]

HI Mike how did the ol kawi treat ya welcome back and will see you soon.gonna do some riding sat pm me if interested or maybe still recovering from saddle sore which I could understand Take care

Manny

 

[ROGO]

Wow Mike. Not only some awesome shots but some really good looking roads and scenery. I'm thinking tail of the Dragon one day. Supposedly one of the best roads to ride.

Welcome Back home.

 

[zrxter]

HI Mike how did the ol kawi treat ya welcome back and will see you soon.gonna do some riding sat pm me if interested or maybe still recovering from saddle sore which I could understand Take care

Manny

Hi Manny! pm sent.
Mike

 

[zrxter]

Thanks Rogo! There are so many awesome roads & sights out there...Hope you make it to the Dragon, and more...

 

[Sabex]

Nice photos. Where you thinking of hitting next year?

 

[7up]

Fantastic!!!! And as always you have the most incredible photos as well. Welcome back and congratulations on such an wonderful trip and thank you for sharing. I am hoping we cross paths again soon.

 

[Jayell]

Wow! What a trip! It must have been a great adventure.

So many questions. Did you camp or motel? Can you provide some details on your gear? Great photos. DSLR, I presume? How were you able to capture all the shots when on the bike? What about the many shots including you? Self timer and tripod or handy rock, perhaps? What about an approximate route map?

Thanks!

Oh, by the way, beautiful bike.

 

[zrxter]

Nice photos. Where you thinking of hitting next year?

Thanks sabex! I want to see more of Utah...some great hikes I want to do there + mtn biking + land speed record week at Boneville Salt Flats......and California ....biker heaven (incredible roads, lane splitting, pacific coast, weather,.....)

 

[zrxter]

Fantastic!!!! And as always you have the most incredible photos as well. Welcome back and congratulations on such an wonderful trip and thank you for sharing. I am hoping we cross paths again soon.

Thanks 7up! Looking forward to another ride w you guys...I'll have to check the posts.

 

[zrxter]

Wow! What a trip! It must have been a great adventure.

So many questions. Did you camp or motel? Can you provide some details on your gear? Great photos. DSLR, I presume? How were you able to capture all the shots when on the bike? What about the many shots including you? Self timer and tripod or handy rock, perhaps? What about an approximate route map?

Thanks!

Oh, by the way, beautiful bike.

Thanks Jayell!
I'm a very s l o w 2 finger typist.....it might be easier to discuss all this over coffee....or...I'll try to answer your questions over the next couple of days.
Mike

 

[zrxter]

Wow! What a trip! It must have been a great adventure.

So many questions. Did you camp or motel? Can you provide some details on your gear? Great photos. DSLR, I presume? How were you able to capture all the shots when on the bike? What about the many shots including you? Self timer and tripod or handy rock, perhaps? What about an approximate route map?

Thanks!

Oh, by the way, beautiful bike.

The main goal of this trip was to visit with my son in Sunnyvale CA and to explore the San Francisco bay area. It was great being able to relax and explore the Bay area from his place. I could have spent another two weeks exploring here. The roads and weather were incredible. I rode so quickly through Washington and Oregon. A trip through B.C. and down there is on my list also. But southern Utah really really struck me, and that is where I want to spend most of my time next trip (maybe attend Bonneville Speed Week also). I retire in Dec. so I'll have more time (& less $) in the future. Re. gear....I bought my bags from Twisted Throttle just before the trip and was happy with them but some of the stitching tore on the dry-spec bags & need reinforcing and a couple of plastic buckles broke, but i was tightening the straps a lot on bumpy roads. I was very impressed with the extra ROC straps i bought and was glad I had these when the Twisted Throttle buckle broke. I have 3 protruding discs in my lower back and the dry-spec bags were great support for my back. I had the Bags Connection Engage Sport tank bag w electrical connection. It was nice being able to charge stuff in the bag while riding. I wore a textile jacket (joe rocket ballistic alter ego 11.0), it's a solid shell that zips off and then is a semi mesh jacket. It was handy in temperature extremes. I started in jeans but wore the J.R. textile pants for the rest of the trip. In the rain I wore Gore-Tex pants and jacket that I use for skiing/wet hiking. These worked great also. I would like to find a Gore-Tex glove for summer wet riding (there are plenty for cold weather). I wore the Givi Canyon Gore-Tex boots and would definitely recommend them. They are pricey but never leaked and were comfortable enough to hike in. I also wore a "Hit-Air" safety air bag vest...I felt goofy wearing it but I like to ride fast and it may come in useful some day. I used my car GPS and had a lot of trouble with it. Maps are great but I still like a GPS so I may save up for a bike specific GPS for next time. I carried a Hennessy tent hammock which I never used. I started out CouchSurfing which may be better for shorter trips when you are on a set schedule. I was planning as I went along so I found that hotels were easier to book. I hated paying though, and always booked ahead using Priceline. I reserved or bid on lower budget hotels with wifi and breakfast included. I always took an extra bagel w peanut butter for my lunch. I also ate a lot of 5$ Subway subs. A big restaurant meal was a real treat. That's about it.
I enjoy photography and brought 2 cameras w me...a canon 5D Mark ii w 24 - 70 EF lens and a panasonic Lumix LX5. I fell and damaged the Canon on my first hike I Montana and was not able to use it. All of the photos were taken w the Panasonic Lumix until Nevada when I lost the charger and battery for it. I couldn’t find a new battery & charger so I then bought a Nikon Coolpix P310. I shoot on manual 99% of time and on the Lumix I’d shoot in raw & jpeg. The Nikon has no raw capability so I shot jpeg. I brought a tripod and never used it. For self photos I’d use other tourists (I always returned the favour) or any nearby object I could find. I also have a “PanaVise” suction Window Mount. That I attached to the ferring screen w my Lumix. I’d ride w one hand on throttle and one hand on ferring clicking photos. (I secured the camera strap to the bike in case the suction cup failed) I als took videos like this but they are pretty shaky. One last thing, I ride a 12 year old bike and have embarrassingly little mechanical knowledge.....I plan on learning a lot over the next few months...hopefully with the help of some local bikers in the GTA. (btw...do any riders w older carburated bikes ever get together to work /share knowledge on bike tuning/suspension/maintenance?) If I can do this trip anyone can. If anyone has other specific questions about the trip don't hesitate to ask. Still working w google on route maps....