Vacation time

[Jayell]

Day 29, Tuesday July 5, Joliet, MT to Custer, SD 641km.

The ride on US212 to Belle Fourche was extremely dull, not much to see. More small towns, more casinos. However, I was rewarded at the end of the day with a lovely ride through the Black Hills of South Dakota, route 14A was fantastic. On to US385 south heading in the direction of Mount Rushmore. Sturgis? I think I'll skip it. I rode 385 to Custer, but stopped along the way for dinner at a fifties style diner. The girl serving me suggested I stay at Custer State Park. Good idea, but the dude at the park didn't think so. He looked at me like I had two heads when I said I didn't have a reservation. No matter, there are tons of private camp grounds around. I settled on one a short ride away, and even got my own private shower. It's a beautiful starry night, dark at ten o'clock. We didn't have the stars way up north, of course.

Critter count: several deer along the way today.

Tomorrow: the Badlands!

I forgot to photograph the J-Bar yesterday.

Just another small town Montana casino, this one in Ashland.

There wasn't much going on in Ashland.

Welcome to The Boondocks, Fabulous 50's Diner.

Move over, coming through!

There's a deer at the edge of the road on the left.

Campground not far from Custer.

 

[Joe Bass]

Re: post #136 *Joe Bass blushes*

Sent from the Purple Zone

 

[PrivatePilot]

Enjoying the followup, Jay. Bringing back some memories of our trip out that way in 2008.

 

[Jayell]

Day 30, Wednesday July 6 Custer, SD to Murdo, SD 419km

Wow! Lots to write about today. I hope I'm not too long winded.

The day began with a ride north to Hill City for some breakfast. I understand these small towns and the surrounding area is jam packed during the Sturgis motorcycle rally. Glad I missed it. On Main St. I chatted with a retired fellow from New York state. He was driving a small, beaten up pick up towing a home made trailer. He and his wife had come to ride the Black Hills. His ride was a well used R1150GS, hers a Buell Blast, acquired from a garage sale for $1000. One of the few Blasts to escape the crusher, I reckon. She was perfectly happy with it, of course.

Following breakfast, a short ride to Mount Rushmore, which I found underwhelming. Interesting to look at for a moment, but that's it. A tourist trap, for sure! I took my photos at the side of the road, rather than park in their $11.00 lot, and moved on.

16A, Iron Mountain Road, sure looked good on the map. Perhaps too good. While scenic, it was too slow and tight for great motorcycling fun. It even had a couple of 270° turns. I felt like I was on a kid's slot car track! It's interesting that a couple of the tunnels emerge with direct views of the Rushmore monuments.

From 16A to 36, then to Hermosa, where I stopped for fuel. From here, route 40 towards the world famous Badlands National Park. I rode past Red Shirt, but had to slow at one point to allow a group of wild horses to cross. To the south west corner of the park, then east on #2, Cuny Table Road, which, according to my paper map was gravel, but it turned out to be brand new asphalt. Disappointing. The Badlands themselves are truly spectacular. Other worldly almost. Fantastic vistas! With so little traffic, I had the whole place to myself. I was feeling rather small and insignificant. The road led to the White River Visitor Center, where I learned a little bit about the local history and geography. Did you know the park was once the site of a United States Air Force bomb and artillery range? I asked the park ranger about taking Sage Creek Road, a gravel road, across the top of the park, rather than the paved SD44 which takes a more southern and direct route. He advised against it, saying the road was not in good shape following some rain. He also cautioned me against foul weather expected later in the day.

So, north to Scenic and the junction of SD44 and Sage Creek Rd. The tiny town was pretty cool, with a few abandoned and forgotten old buildings. Ignoring the ranger's earlier advice, I headed north on the empty gravel road. It was a bright and warm afternoon, the road looked good to me. How bad could it be? As it turned out, not bad at all. It was a solitary, though lovely ride to SD240, then to the east end of the park.

I stopped at another visitor center at Cedar Pass and bought a couple of souvenirs for my wife and daughter back home; it's not a wise idea to return empty handed.

Now late in the afternoon, I came to the sad realization that this was it. It was time to hit the interstate and lay down some miles. The Badlands now in my rear view, I hit I90 east hoping to get as far as I could. But just as the wise park ranger had warned, dark skies were ahead. The wind picked up and tossed the bike around mercilessly. At 90mph, the turbulence from the trucks combined with the terrific wind made for a very difficult, tiring, uncomfortable, and thoroughly unpleasant ride. After about an hour or so, I'd had quite enough and pulled off at the town of Murdo, SD, with dark thunder clouds looming overhead.

I stopped at the first motel off the interstate. The price was right, but the vibe wasn't. The fellow running the place, a middle aged guy with a plastic surgery face, perfect hair, and a Clark Gable mustache was overly friendly in an uneasy way. He showed me photos of the rooms which looked like they were right out of the seventies, with bright colors, heavy on the velour, floral patterns, and ugly furniture. When he started making references to his elderly mother, who lived at the motel, and her exquisite taste, that was it. This place was just too creepy. Too Norman Bates. With the rain coming, I knew I'd be walking to dinner, so I needed to be in the center of town anyway.

After finding a more suitable place, unloading and parking out front, the motel lady suggested I move my bike around back to be better protected. Good idea. If there ever was a night to spend in a motel with no guilt, this was it. The approaching storm was going to be huge! The skies were black. Just as I sat down for dinner at the restaurant next door, the skies unleashed. Torrential, pounding rain that went on for about an hour. So glad I was warm and dry.

Tommorrow: Fun time over!

Breakfast in Hill City

Good morning, Mr. President!

There it is, the famous Mount Rushmore Monument. Let's move on.

A tunnel on Iron Mountain Road.

The road splits into one way lanes at a couple of points.

Going down my very own garden path.

This is one of the wacky 270° bridges.

Another tunnel.

Somewhere near Red Shirt.

Old general store in Scenic. The sign reads: "Ashes to ashes, dust to dust. If we don't have it, it isn't a must."

The Longhorn Saloon.

More critters!

Another loner.

cont'd...

 

[Jayell]

More Wednesday photos:

Million dollar views no matter where you look.

Move over! Triumphs go to the front!

This was taken at about 6:30pm, just before the monsoon.

 

[Jayell]

Day 31, Thursday July 7, Murdo, SD to Westby, WI 835km.

Very little to write about today. It's Thursday, I'm 1320 miles from home, and I want to arrive on Friday night. This way I'll have the weekend to unwind before returning to work and the real world on Monday. 600 miles over two days doesn't sound so tough, does it? I wish...

Just as I was leaving, another guy at the motel on a metric cruiser mentioned I passed him on I90 late yesterday. He couldn't believe my Tiger could cruise at 90mph. He gave me his road atlas, insisted I take it, says he gets them for 25¢ at garage sales. Nice guy!

So, I have to really get on it to keep this schedule. No more fun allowed. I90 the entire day across South Dakota and Minnesota. Somewhere along the way I struck a dead ground hog or gopher, or some kind of giant rodent. At 85mph, it gave a big thump and a good scare. Luckily, no damage.

The day's ride was a crushing bore. I crossed the mighty Mississipi into La Crosse, Wisconsin late in the day. I'd had enough of the interstate and chose US14 towards Madison. Such a welcome change. Rural Wisconsin is so lovely, with rolling hills and the dairy farms; I wish I could spend more time here.

Dinner at a pub in Coon Valley, where the very pleasant waitress suggested a motel not too far from here in Westby. Off I went for a final night on the road. By the way, the motel was just for me, not her and I.

Tomorrow: The titanic push for home!

The Stockyard in Coon Valley, Wisconsin. Nice place, nice people.

Gas station and motel in one handy stop.

A nice reward after a long day.

 

[Riceburner]

Great write up. Reminds me of how many times I've gone near Mt. Rushmore on my cross continent runs and never bothered to stop. Guess I didn't miss much. lol

 

[Jayell]

Day 32, July 8, Westby, WI to Pickering, ON 89,097 1267km.

This is it, the last day on the road, and I've a mountain to climb. I was up early, on the road at 7:30am, but knew I'd have to give back another hour. A nice ride to begin the day on US14 to Madison, WI.

Absolutely brutal traffic through Chicago, as I had expected. I'm not familiar with the area, don't know the quick route. I didn't have time for the ferry, and simply didn't know how much further south to go to avoid Chicago. Perhaps I should have gone north? Locals weren't much help, so I simply followed the hated GPS, which took me right through downtown at lunch time. Worse traffic than Toronto or Vancouver. One toll road after another. It was bloody hot and no fun at all.

Slow going from Chicago to Port Huron, MI; lots of necessary breaks, food, and a nap. I stopped at a McDonalds in Lansing, MI, where an old gent looked me up and down. "What's with the get up?" I'm riding, I said. "Oh, of course", he nodded knowingly. "What's all that gear worth? About two hundred dollars?" I chuckled, but didn't tell him it was more than ten times that. I offset the cost of the gear with two one dollar cheese burgers.

Dusk by the time I got to Port Huron. I waited for some time in line for the toll bridge, then more waiting in line for customs. Upon being handed back my passport at the border and sent on my way, the bike refused to start. A flat battery. The headlights on the Tiger suck and I also lost one low beam in my earlier mishap in Yukon, so I had the high beams on. Coupled with the radiator fan running nonstop while idling in line, plus heated grips, it was too much for the Tiger. I should have lowered the lights and turned off the grips, though I never thought of it. Even though I had replaced the stator, regulator/rectifier, battery and rewired everything before I left, the electrical system still seems to be the Achilles heel of the Tiger. After pushing the bike clear of the inspection booth, I waited half an hour, but it still refused. I asked the bridge authority guy for a boost, but he declined, saying they have too much trouble with motorcycles. Perhaps he took pity on me, and after agreeing to do the hook up myself, I was in business.

Homeward bound at last, now almost 11:30pm, the final leg of this great trip. My wife had warned me of severe rain and pleaded with me to stop for the night, but I was bound and determined to get home. The run from Port Huron/Sarnia to London, about sixty miles, was under a clear, starry sky, and a very comfortable cooler temperature, a welcome relief from the earlier heat of the day. This was the first time in four weeks I would be riding at night. Despite having to deal with headlights which were less than ideal and a real concern with deer, this turned out to be the most enjoyable part of a long day. Little traffic and perfect weather. One last fuel stop on the 401, a straight shot through Toronto free of the usual traffic and construction delays, and I pulled it into the garage at home at 2:30am, my happy wife waiting with a big hug and kiss and a few tears. Having been in the saddle since 7:30 the previous morning, it was a monstrous 18 hour day (I had to give back an hour when changing time zones) at 1267km, but I felt surprisingly good, and of course, absolutely delighted to finally be home and in one piece.

I was so focussed on riding today, I didn't take a single photo.

Next up: Miscellaneous post ride thoughts

 

[Riceburner]

.... but I was bound and determined to get home. ...

Last time I did that, resulted in a 23 hour riding day. Never again.....maybe.

 

[bigpoppa]

Thumbs up to the Adventure CBR!




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Haha...goood lord. Crash bars, Frame sliders, and KNOBBIES?!

Like something out of mad max...

 

[J_F]

Haha...goood lord. Crash bars, Frame sliders, and KNOBBIES?!

Like something out of mad max...

pretty cool, but I'd prefer some higher bars, those ergos would not be good in the dirt

 

[Joe Bass]

pretty cool, but I'd prefer some higher bars, those ergos would not be good in the dirt

Probably from the school of "run what ya brung". ?

Sent from the Purple Zone

 

[Jayell]

Post ride thoughts:

Total trip distance: 17,186 km, 10,679 miles, 32 days. Five provinces, one territory, and eleven states.

Here's a rough approximation of the route. Google maps wasn't very cooperative, so I had to draw some of it myself.

The weekend at home was spent unpacking and not much else. It was a nice change to do... nothing.

I went about ripping the Tiger apart and surveying the damage over the next few days. It wasn't too bad, a couple of surprises, but it could have been so much worse. I had made the decision to repair the bike, but knew some parts would be bloody expensive, if even available. It's a good machine, structurally sound with a good motor. It also holds sentimental value for me, so full steam ahead!

Some parts were simply ordered from the local Triumph dealer, some acquired through ePay, some salvaged. The front fairing was beyond repair and would need to be replaced, but I had little hope of ever finding one. They rarely turn up on secondary markets, and when they do they're usually beaten. I knew it was a long shot, but imagine my surprise when I asked my parts guy at the dealer about it. "Yep, in black, in stock in Atlanta. It'll be here in two weeks." I couldn't believe my good luck as the battered credit card was laid down once more.

The Tiger is equipped with a K&N air filter, cleaned and oiled before I left. While not completely plugged up, the air box and filter were full of Alaska dirt and crud on my return.

So, by the end of the summer, all was once again as it should be. The Tiger has been restored to its former glory.

Behold the mighty Tiger!

I managed to salvage these decals.

The graveyard of smashed, bent, and broken bits.

 

[Jayell]

Some essential gear I wouldn't want to be without:

Aftermarket pickings are pretty slim for this old Tiger. In some cases, if you want it, you have to fabricate it yourself. To that end, I made up a side stand foot for parking in the soft stuff and a screen for the radiator and oil cooler. Both very crude, but effective.

Pyramid Plastics Fenda Extenda, useful for keeping crap out of the rad and oil cooler.

Heated grips. I can't say enough about them. I'll not own another bike without.

The GO Cruise throttle lock is a useful addition. While it won't hold for extended periods, it's perfect for providing a brief rest. Money well spent.

The Deltran USB 2.1 amp charger hooks up to the battery tender pigtail and is a simple solution for all of twelve bucks. Between this and an external battery pack, I could charge my phone and GoPro day or night.

ROK straps. Simply brilliant. Glad I packed an extra pair.

Mustang foot pegs provide a better bite and are one inch lower than the stock pegs.

DrySpec motorcycle tool tube, handy for tools or just about anything else. Mount it anywhere you like. Also seen are the Thunderbike crash bars. Ugly, but they've saved my bacon on more than one occasion.

In addition to a regular Buff, I always pack a thermal Buff. Wonderful to have when the weather turns chilly. It keeps the air out around the neck, keeps me warm and cozy.

A Joey chair! Lightweight, compact, reasonably comfortable. It is also sometimes a great conversation piece!

I use a blow-it-up-yourself Thermarest, but that's the last thing I want to be doing at the end of a long day. I used a small electric pump, runs on AAA batteries. It gets the pad almost firm, four or five more puffs from me and it's done. A bit pricey, but well worth it.

I always thought camping pillows were for wusses, but I sure was glad to have a compressible pillow. Comfortable and packs small.

Get yourself a proper camping towel, something like a PackTowl. Forget about regular cotton bath towels. They take up way too much space, take too long to dry, and get stinky.

Don't forget a first aid kit of some kind. Whether it's one put together on your own or store bought, you'll be glad you have it when the time comes.

Make sure you have a means of identification in the event you're unable to speak for yourself. Information can be stored on your jacket or helmet. Be sure to include necessary medical info, including allergies and medications.

My wife was concerned about me traveling alone, but I wasn't. I've found that when riding alone, other people are much more likely to approach and offer conversation or help than when in a group. It's always interesting to speak with local folks, there's always something to learn. Most people are good, most are always willing to lend a hand. I may have been riding on my own, but most times I was never alone.

I often think about how I might have done this trip differently. I set out with no rigid schedule, no motel reservations, nothing specific. Some might even suggest my plans were haphazard. I only wanted to arrive in Dawson City in time for D2D. Other than that, no plans. Each new day I would look at the map and set a goal. If something of interest came about, I was free to change my plan. Not being tied to a schedule is liberating. I was never stuck without a place to stay, never any late night riding searching for a motel or campsite.

I've only one major regret: time. I simply didn't have enough. The last week, in particular, was rushed. So many times I wanted to stop for a photo, but not enough time. I wanted to take various side trips, Valdez, Alaska, for example, but not enough time. Five weeks is generous, but six would've been better. Of course, if I had six weeks, I'd be moaning for seven. I guess no matter how much time we have, it's never quite enough, is it? Northern Canada and Alaska are so incredibly vast, there's no way to see it all, no matter how much time one has.

I'm not going to go on about how life changing this ride was. It wasn't. But it was an incredible, unforgettable adventure and now I want more. I'm a fairly simple man, so I won't bore you with philosophical insights. Though I think about it everyday, life goes on, the usual nine to five grind, etc.

However, I will share this: if you're thinking of a motorcycle trip, whether it's a few days, weeks, months, or more, do it. No more excuses, just get on with it. The timing will never be perfect, sacrifices will always have to be made, hurdles to clear. Find a way and do what's necessary. As each day passes, we're one day closer to the end. What's stopping you?

Thanks for taking the time to read. Thanks to all those who offered support and encouragement. I was happy to have you all along for the ride.

 

[gcrouse]

Alot of invaluable info on your wrap up !!! Excellent read thanks

 

[Jayell]

Glad you enjoyed it. Thanks.

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[MacDoc]

what happened with the images ?? you get hit with PhotoBucket mess I see.

Suggest 500px or googlephoto

 

[Jayell]

Thanks for nothing, Photobucket! ?

This'll be a chore. Thanks Mac.

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[shanekingsley]

I used to use photobucket and imgur and flickr, but then a few years ago switched over to smugmug for $40/year and have been pretty happy with it.

That said, I can see your pics just fine! And it was a great read and thanks for taking the time to put it together.

 

[Jayell]

Thanks for your remarks, Shane. I reckon this type of ride would right up your alley.

Curiously, the photos are showing now, but Photobucket can no longer, obviously, be trusted.

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