Topic: 23 Rides in 2023, Frank's New Years resolution that we can all enjoy.

[budman]

I think that it’s probably a really good idea to not allow guns in bars, over here they account for most of the violence on a Friday or Saturday night. I worked security at one of Melbourne’s biggest public hospitals and most of the injuries that came into the ER were blokes who’d had too much to drink and got into fights. If they were allowed to carry guns, the morgues would fill up pretty quickly.

Some drunk people do get violent.  That's universal.  There's a 51% rule in Texas.  If a business earns 51% of its income from selling alcohol then no guns allowed and they must have a big red 51% sign posted.  I don't think that's the case for liquor stores because they are not an "on-premises" retailer.  If a restaurant earns 50% of its income from selling alcohol then guns may be allowed, unless they have one of the other signs I mentioned.

[Kevin D]

Wow! What a fantastic ride Kev, well done mate, you should get a special award within this thread for being a hard-arse and covering so many miles in so few days! It’s also great that you’re “back in the game” with 8 rides under your belt, and your K1 is a real beauty, doing all those miles without complaint, it’s not just a testament to their reliability, but your careful attention to maintaining it for all these years! Anyway, good job mate, as we get older longer rides like yours get harder, so well done again mate, and I look forward to reading more of your adventures as you head towards the magic 23!

That's awesome, Kevin.  Sounds like you're warming up for a few days in the Hill Country.

I don’t want to say bucket list, but if I don’t start doing this kind of stuff, well…….
A ride to BallAquatics ride zone in the SE Ohio hills and valleys is on my wish list, trying to get my son to go with me.
A ride in the Hill Country would be very nice, the distance might make it a rental ride, or get a trailer for my CB.
A 2025 route 66 visit could be out there.
And I might tag along with Lone Builder if he gets his visa sorted and comes by this way

[Terry in Australia]

Yep, I don’t know where everyone here lives, and I’ll probably only take a couple of weeks for Route 66/2025 Kev, but the more people who I can meet along the way, the better!

[Kevin D]

Yep, I don’t know where everyone here lives, and I’ll probably only take a couple of weeks for Route 66/2025 Kev, but the more people who I can meet along the way, the better!

Terry, if you’re coming 8000-9000 miles to come this way, it would be a crime for me to not go a bit and say hello mate!

[Terry in Australia]

Yep, I don’t know where everyone here lives, and I’ll probably only take a couple of weeks for Route 66/2025 Kev, but the more people who I can meet along the way, the better!

Terry, if you’re coming 8000-9000 miles to come this way, it would be a crime for me to not go a bit and say hello mate!

Ha ha, thanks Kev, I’m looking forward to it!

[jgger]

Terry, is your 66 plan to go fron Chicago to Santa Monica or start on the west coast and go east?
If west to east I might be able to ride as far as Flagstaff then hand you off to someone else.......like godzilla.

[RAFster122s]

So, we are gonna treat Terry like Godzilla? Godzilla was reported to drink a few under the bar ...

Or, was that Lefty or PimpZilla's legend?

I think Terry would likely be able to drink any of us beneath the table. Last thing you wanna do is ride into the sun with a hangover...

[Terry in Australia]

Thanks guys, just I generally have no clue about very much, I haven’t developed a plan as to where I’m starting from or where I intend to finish. 2025 still seems like a dream right now, in 2 years and 2 months I’ll be taking “long service leave” (3 months paid vacation) and with another months annual leave on top of that, I won’t be going back to work.

My vague plan is to organise my mate Jim in Sweethome, Oregan, to pick up an early Harley Dyna for me which will be my Route 66 ride, which I’ll hopefully import back to Oz at the end of the ride. I definitely want to go to Las Vegas and spend a night or two in one of those Casino hotels, and if I can’t do it all on a bike I’ll take some interstate flights and hire cars. America is a huge chunk of real estate so I have no idea how far I’ll get, but as 2025 draws nearer I’ll make a plan to see as much of it as I can, and meet as many of you guys as I can. If some of you are able to ride a few miles with me, well, that would be awesome.

[Bankerdanny]

Thanks guys, just I generally have no clue about very much, I haven’t developed a plan as to where I’m starting from or where I intend to finish. 2025 still seems like a dream right now, in 2 years and 2 months I’ll be taking “long service leave” (3 months paid vacation) and with another months annual leave on top of that, I won’t be going back to work.

My vague plan is to organise my mate Jim in Sweethome, Oregan, to pick up an early Harley Dyna for me which will be my Route 66 ride, which I’ll hopefully import back to Oz at the end of the ride. I definitely want to go to Las Vegas and spend a night or two in one of those Casino hotels, and if I can’t do it all on a bike I’ll take some interstate flights and hire cars. America is a huge chunk of real estate so I have no idea how far I’ll get, but as 2025 draws nearer I’ll make a plan to see as much of it as I can, and meet as many of you guys as I can. If some of you are able to ride a few miles with me, well, that would be awesome.

Well I look forward to hearing your plan then. I'm in Chicago, so if you start or end here we can definitely ride together. While you are planning I highly recommend that you take a look at the Coronado Parkway AZ191, which runs parallel to the Arizona/New Mexico border. I rode it in 2017 and it is 100 miles of spectacular if you can fit it in.

[70CB750]

Thanks guys, just I generally have no clue about very much, I haven’t developed a plan as to where I’m starting from or where I intend to finish. 2025 still seems like a dream right now, in 2 years and 2 months I’ll be taking “long service leave” (3 months paid vacation) and with another months annual leave on top of that, I won’t be going back to work.

My vague plan is to organise my mate Jim in Sweethome, Oregan, to pick up an early Harley Dyna for me which will be my Route 66 ride, which I’ll hopefully import back to Oz at the end of the ride. I definitely want to go to Las Vegas and spend a night or two in one of those Casino hotels, and if I can’t do it all on a bike I’ll take some interstate flights and hire cars. America is a huge chunk of real estate so I have no idea how far I’ll get, but as 2025 draws nearer I’ll make a plan to see as much of it as I can, and meet as many of you guys as I can. If some of you are able to ride a few miles with me, well, that would be awesome.

If you make it to the East Coast - I am in Virginia. 

[Kevin D]

Hey Prokop,
 Notice the Rock Brothers dry bag carrying all my important stuff. Think that’s a 40L bag and it’s a good size for overnight or weekender. It hasn’t been rain tested yet but I have no doubts that everything inside will stay dry.
All those bungee cords are just holding other stuff. The  Rock Brothers bag is securely strapped to the rack with its own sturdy straps.
Thanks for the recommendation.

[70CB750]

Hey Prokop,
 Notice the Rock Brothers dry bag carrying all my important stuff. Think that’s a 40L bag and it’s a good size for overnight or weekender. It hasn’t been rain tested yet but I have no doubts that everything inside will stay dry.
All those bungee cords are just holding other stuff. The  Rock Brothers bag is securely strapped to the rack with its own sturdy straps.
Thanks for the recommendation.

I am glad it worked for you, Kevin.

[Kevin D]

Ride 9    75 miles

First things first. My tank was low from Sundays big ride. The fill up today took 3.36g for 168 miles. That’s dead on 50 mpg. I’m thinking the Canadian gas from the OnRoute was no ethanol. I found the VPower at 8 Mile rd. for $4.39 but at the corner Shell it is $4.99, price gouging SOB’s. I’m used to seeing the gas grades priced in $0.10 increments between regular mid-grade and premium. I dunno what’s going on?
 Then I heard a voice from the other side of the pump and a former rider was taking an interest in my CB. He said he had both knees replaced a 10 years back and the doctor said no more riding. Before that he was having difficulties with up shifts, on account of his bum knee. I asked about his bike and he said he had a couple of Gold Wings and would go anywhere anytime. I asked his age and he said he was 80 and had his knee replacements at 70, and that chilled me. I’ll be 70 in two weeks, and I’m looking forward to many more years of motorcycling. I might have offered him a short ride on the passenger seat but I didn’t. I should have.
 Anyway, on down the road with nowhere to go, I decided to go for a shorter ride to the Dexter A&W where the food is OK the root beer very good, the usual in car service and nice outside seating on the patio.
 The first photo is from the Warren road bridge over US23. This bridge has been out of service for several years, pushing me off of my regular route. First it was a rebuild. After the rebuild was complete, the bridge was struck from below by a too tall truck and destroyed, WTH?, and the 2nd repair will take much longer because nobody was prepared for what happened, the second repair was unplanned.
 It’s not often you see a velociraptor at the side of the road. Maybe he wanted a race.

[PeWe]

Very interesting ride reports, Kevin.
The photo must be very old, a vintage bike with dinosaur hunting it!

[RAFster122s]

Well, no one is joking about a dinosaur riding a dinosaur...we all feel old some days...

Your prices are on our range...GasBuddy tells me my Mini Cooper S required premium is running $4.399/gallon at Costco with other stations running $4.549/gal
Regular is ranging from $3.899/gal at Costco and $3.999/gal at other cheapest stations near my end of town.
Ethanol fuel of course...

[PeWe]

My old Audi with 1.8L turbo engine must have highest octane available at the gas stations, 98 RON.
It can use the lower 95, but it will end up in lower power.
Warning sign inside tank lid.

We had a good Audi forum some years ago where several owners with similar cars running same engine reported higher fuel consumption if using the lower octane gas.

Commuting on same roads and constant drive style.

So the less cost in fuel price was beated up by higher consumption.

My car consume less thanks to software upgrade too when handling throttle with care. The update allow much more torque at lower rpm.

Less power for more money

Why buy a turbo engine model with more power and then feed it with fuel removing the power.....?

[RAFster122s]

My old Audi with 1.8L turbo engine must have highest octane available at the gas stations, 98 RON.
It can use the lower 95, but it will end up in lower power.
Warning sign inside tank lid.

We had a good Audi forum some years ago where several owners with similar cars running same engine reported higher fuel consumption if using the lower octane gas.

Commuting on same roads and constant drive style.

So the less cost in fuel price was beated up by higher consumption.

My car consume less thanks to software upgrade too when handling throttle with care. The update allow much more torque at lower rpm.

Less power for more money

Why buy a turbo engine model with more power and then feed it with fuel removing the power.....?

I feed my Mini Cooper S Premium fuel...36-38mpg driving conservatively but enjoying the car 8n curvy roads free 0f traffic. The twin turbos gets exercised regularly.
Actually the BMW Mini Cooper S motor is damaged long term if you feed it low octane fuel, it can 0nly do so much to compensate for the low octane fuel...
The car is lots of fun and I knew when aI bought it that I had limited time before my health issues won't allow me to enjoy a small low sporty vehicle. Spinal deterioration...
Most fun on 4 wheels and approaches 2 wheel fun sometimes.

[budman]

Ride #19 - 110 miles.

Summer has arrived in in the Texas Hill Country.  I had planned to ride yesterday, but I had some work to finish.  By the time I got done it was too hot to jump on the bike and I was tired from a busy week.  The heat came quick.  We were hovering in the low 80's for most of the spring and then yesterday it jumped to 94F.  Today it was the same, so I left at 9am this morning when it was about 77F.  According to the weather guessers we'll see 105F next week.

I filled up a gas can last week, so I topped off the Scout at home before I left.  I took off and rode down Gypsum Mine Rd near my house.  The mine covers a lot of acres on both sides of the road and they have built up some berms so can't really see anything.  I decided to take a peak, so I climbed a berm and snapped a photo.  Yep, it's a gypsum mine.

After some zigzagging through town to avoid the tourist traffic my next stop was Lukenbach so I could lose some of the coffee I had earlier.   I rode down to Sisterdale where there's a bunch of old stuff I've been wanting to take some picture of.   The old gas station and building are all in Sisterdale.  Terry, here's a pic of one of those 51% signs I mentioned in a previous post.  The far-gone old truck is a Republic Truck, which I had never heard of before.  I had to look it up when I got home.  I guess at one time they were the most popular truck on the road.

I started making my way back home and stopped at the Pecan Grove Store for lunch.  I had a good chat with the owner.  He's a former motorcycle road racer.  I've posted pics of some of his motorcycle collection that he has at the store before.  He's hosts motorcycle shows at the store from time to time.  I was getting some details from him about an event he's calling "The Ton" that will be held in October.  He's taking over the weekend in October which has normally been reserved for the Harvest Classic Motorcycle Rally in Lukenbach.  Unfortunately, last year was the year for the Harvest Classic.

I enjoyed my BLT, but I could feel the heat rising so I made my way back home.  I may try to go out again tomorrow morning.

[budman]

Ride #20 - 108 miles.

I got out again this morning.  It's going to get hot this week and I have a lot of work to do, so I figured I would ride while I could.  Nothing too different today.  I stuck to roads I've already ridden numerous times.  It was a little windy when I left, but it calmed down a good bit.

I rode the Willow City Loop (boots on the fence posts) and then up to Llano for some gas.  I took a photo of the old jail and another photo the county courthouse, from the front this time, while I was there.  I headed west down the River Road and stopped at Castell for something cold to drink.  It was heating up early.  I didn't get anything to eat.  It was a little early for lunch and I had a big breakfast.  I walked down to the Llano River and got a photo.  From there I headed for home.

Looks like we're going to be in the three digits for the next couple of weeks.  Unless I ride early, I might have to wait until it cools down a bit.

[Kevin D]

Very good budman, you are getting it done!
It’s ok if you take a day off, haha.

[Terry in Australia]

Good job Bud, and great pics. I’m flying to Canberra tomorrow and have been working my arse off on my computer so won’t get a ride in today, but you and I are level pegging at 20 rides each, so I better get a ride in soon or you’ll beat me to the magic “23”. Our weather is cold and horrible at the moment, the opposite of your hot weather, or I would have ridden to Canberra, which would have been much more enjoyable than being packed into a plane with all the other sardines…. Keep it up!

[ofreen]

#2

A couple of pals on their KLR's and I rode up to Idaho City this morning for breakfast.  Our usual restaurant was packed, so went to the other one across the street.  There wasn't anyone else there, not a good sign, but we ordered anyway.  The Gold Mine has always been hit or miss over the years.  It was miss today so I still can't recommend the place.  The eggs overcooked, bacon so-so, and the hash browns gooey.  So sorry picnickers, no food pix.  Not very appetizing.

[budman]

Good job Bud, and great pics. I’m flying to Canberra tomorrow and have been working my arse off on my computer so won’t get a ride in today, but you and I are level pegging at 20 rides each, so I better get a ride in soon or you’ll beat me to the magic “23”. Our weather is cold and horrible at the moment, the opposite of your hot weather, or I would have ridden to Canberra, which would have been much more enjoyable than being packed into a plane with all the other sardines…. Keep it up!

The next two weeks don't look good for riding, unless it's early morning.  Maybe I can squeeze in a breakfast taco run or something.  June and July are going to be hot.  I sat out last year during these months for the most part.

I'm seriously thinking about riding to Sturgis in August.  It will still be hot, but last year wasn't too bad.  I need to make a decision soon, but that's going to be based on available funds.  My sister lives in Colorado so I can stop there on my way to and from Sturgis if I need to.  If I decide to do go that will be 10 consecutive high mileage rides.

[Terry in Australia]

I’d love to go to Sturgis, I’m planning my 2025 USA trip for August, I wonder if I’ll get there? Anyway good job mate, I hope the weather is kinder to you than me, it’s bloody freezing here!

[Kelly E]

Today Paul and I took the long way around to get lunch. It was my first ride since I broke my foot. He rode the 84' Interceptor 1000 and I finally got a nice long ride on the 77' KZ 1000LTD. We went to the Jamestown Bar and Grille, my new favorite place. After we rode back to the shop Paul rode the KZ 1000 home for the rest of the week. It's his first ride on it. He sent me a text when he got home, "that bike is fast".

I forgot to take pictures(nothing new) but the burgers are excellent. I order the Lil' Buckaroo Burger from the kids menu. It's a grilled 1/4lb pattie loaded with bacon, cheese, pickles, lettuce , tomato and comes with more fries than I can eat and a soda for $7.99.