Topic: BuB Speed Trials 09 & The Bonneville GP

[andy750]

Here are some photos that Frank sent me  -the bike getting prepped for the trip....













and then finally....complete with rocking chair for the old man 





Off he goes into the wide blue yonder....

[754]

.. I doze off a short time, and waken with a start, I have drops of water hitting my face..

 The storm cloud has moved overhead, and angry drops are hitting the ground.

 I quickly gather myself up, walk to the bike and scan the sky to the south. It is raining pretty good a mile or two away, but I can see the bright spot on the other side of the cloud. I ride off in that direction, not wanting to put on the as yet untested raingear. Road is staring to get wet, but I can see the end so I keep going. Pretty soon I am getting spray off the road, my pants and jacket are getting wet, and I start wiping my goggles.. this sucks.. a couple miles though, and I am clear of it and the road dries up again.

 I am riding down the Salmon River valley, it is a little broader now, sweeping curves, nice views along the river. It is not really warm, a bit better in the sunny spots.. maybe 70 odd degrees. I have to keep most of my gear on, I am not feeling too warm.

 Its fairly deserted along the river valley, sometimes you would see old abandoned cabins.. in fact one I saw reminded me of some of the pics ofreen posted.. think it probably was.. Nice riding, a bit like some of the valleys near home..

  I eventually roll into CHALLIS, and stop at a gas station/store..

 I get a few snacks, look at my map, oil & adjust my chain.

 Chain is terrible, it never really seats on the rear sprocket anymore.. you push it down it pops up.. at no point is it sitting right on the sprocket.. It is totally worn out. .. past worn out.

 To make it worse, I am now thinking that the overstretched chain may actually take out the nice stock front one I installed..

 I examine the tire, almost all the tread is gone. I start to finally realize that tommorow I must deal with this in Shoshone or nearby Twin Falls... if I make it that far..

 To compound that problem, it is around 150 -175 miles to Shoshone, it is near 5 oclock, I been on the road most of the last 22 hrs, but I realize I have to push thru if I can..  I may have a place to stay in Shoshone, and the alternative is I am stuck in a small unfamiliar place or worse yet, side of the road..

 I have approximately 3 or 3 1/2 hrs to make 150 + miles, but now I am even more afraid to do over 60 mph..

 I ride off and soon the road turns southeast and towards Arco...


  I am riding across semi desert rolling plains with high mountains off too the sides, not much traffic, desolate unpopulated are that I find quite interesting. After a bit there is a high mountain looming up ahead. as I get closer, I start scanning the sides to see which way the road will go around this  huge obstacle.. and I dont see a road. as I get nearer, it appears that the road will go right into it. It is at least a couple of hundred feet high, and suddenly, like in a Bugs Bunny/ Roadrunner cartoon... you can see the road disappear into a narrow canyon through the mountain.. . It winds through a curvy narrow path and comes out onto  a flat area on the other side!  Strange indeed..

 I go through miles and miles of high prairie, big mountains on the side.. in fact I pass by  Borah Peak, which is 12, 662 ft, highest in Idaho I think.. I  pass through  MaCKAY, LESLIE, and MOORE, tiny little towns on the end near ARCO.

 I have at times been pushing around 70 -75 mph, but do not want to wear out the tire, have the chain crawling over the sprocket, or break down there either.. plus the push is on to get  to Shoshone by dark..

 As the sun is getting lower and lower in the sky, I pull into Arco, a bit bigger town with a few gas stations and a couple stores.. I pull into a nearly deserted station at the far end of the lot as i am not getting gas, there is a bit of a rest area off the side, I stop for a few minutes.

 Not surprisingly this station is for sale, along with an Quad rental business..  it seems every 2nd business is for sale in these parts..

 After a few minutes I hit the road, it now turns 90 degrees and is heading southwest. I eagerly ride along as I am finally near Craters of the Moon, I have been waiting to see this for almost 2 years.. I get to Craters, and it is the most bizarre landscape you can imagine.. Too bad I am out of time, and am trying to outrun the darkness.. .. I slow a bit and look to the left, most of it is on that side.. Sometimes it is on both sides, but it is hard to see to the right, as I must shade the now setting sun with my hand. I ride along looking at this totally amazing landscape and after a while I am through it . Not much to see now, open plains and the sun quickly setting on the right making it hard to see at times.. I get to the next town Carey, and now it is almost dark..

 I still have around 35 or more miles to get to Shoshone..  the hours on the road are now taking their toll, now that it is getting darker, it gets worse.. I struggle to stay awake and fight the urge to stop..I know it will only take another 1/2 hour..

 Finally after a few more towns, would have been tempting to stop.. I roll into a familiar place Shoshone.. my goal has been reached, it has been about 26 hrs, since I left Calgary, and I have ridden between 600 and 700 miles.... not too bad for my first ride in 23 months..

 I cross town, and head to Frankies place, stayed there when I passed through in 07. I tried to phone a few times before I left on the trip, but did not reach him... I pull up at the old stone house he lived in and ring the doorbell..... an unfamiliar woman answers the door, and I asked for Frankie..

 "He moved outa here, he's been gone for a year", was the reply...

......@#%*$%, I say to myself......

  "His dad lives 2 doors down", she offers..and I thank her and head over to Frank Sr's

 After a brief chat with him, I find out Frankie is a few miles out of town, & probably crashed for the night as he works early.

 I ask Frank Sr, if I can maybe crash at the City Park and not get hassled, and he says maybe.

 I walk over to the  C-store accross the street, to get some beer to drown my sorrows....... tall beers.....

 I ride slowly back across town to City park.....

[754]

 
I have to say, at this point, after putting on all them miles, and now having to find a place to crash out, did not excite me.. To make it worse, dealing with the tire and chain problem, could easily suck up the better part of a day, and I was already a day behind.. ..
 The thought that I had stupidly left the Lester 16in mag & brand new tire at home, entered my mind a few times, as well as the fact, I could have mounted it Fri night, and left Sat morning... .. and got a good sleep..
....................................................................................
Downtown Shoshone is intersected by a major railroad, maybe 2 sets of tracks, so there is a main street parallel to  the tracks and another street on the other side of the tracks, and a big space in the middle.

 City Park lies on the side with less  buildings and an incredibly ornate Railroad building is there, and City park and a few businesses.

 I cross the 2nd set of tracks, turn left past a small old tavern, and get to City park 2 blocks off # 93. I note the tavern and pull up in front of the middle of the park, walk over to a bench & crack a beer and check out the park. Nice park, big trees, nice grass, bathroom in the middle, and a swimming pool to the left at the street and along the far edge of the park. I decide that if I put the bike along the solid fence at the back of the pool, I will be invisible from the road, I am hoping.. big tree nearby, I will crash out there facing to the back.. looks OK to me.

 I figure I will go to the bar, soak up some local ambience, ask around if someone knows of a bike salvage place, or someone has a few old bikes sitting around.. and maybe eat and drink some beer. Now eat would be a great idea, no real meal yet that day except at 1:30 am in Shelby. I ride the block and half to the bar, but it is closed...!  $%^&..!! ...10 :30 ish Monday nite, ...WTF ?

 So I go back to the far side behind the pool.. now I dont want to mess with my air matress, finally got a new one this year, but it is big and hard to blow up. So I crack a beer, throw down my jacket, then roll out my sleeping bag, which is 1/2 on the grass. I flop out on top, sip on my beer and doze off. After a while I get up and decide to  take a leak,  get back and open the sleeping bag and drift off..

 I should mention there is freight trains passing thru often, and thru the night. I sorta like trains, and wake up and watch them, they are like about 250 feet away and doing 50 mph or more.

 Drawback of drinking beer is you have to get up a lot at night.. eventually, I get up to go to the can, and past the can I see sprinklers going.. ^**&^!!.

 I get back from the can, now I move my bike over from the very edge of the park, over about 25 ft from the edge of the park.

Then I throw down my jacket and bag, on the gravel lot,  and go back to sleep..

 After a while, I wake to something plopping on my face and my sleeping bag, it large drops of water.. &%@$$#. ..I sit up, good amount of water on my bag, starting to soak in, I try to brush it of. I am ready to leap out, but the sprinkler by now is coming again. FFF******CCCKKKK.. it passes I am ready, I jump into my boots grab my bag and jacket and scramble to the other side of the bike.. just in time.. Sorta wet now but not soaking thru.. I can see the path of the sprinkler and move far enough away and move the bike again. For some reason that sprinkler is soaking a triangle about 20ft long and wide, out of the park, and I happened to be sleeping there..

 Back to sleep, rest of the night till daybreak, I get up use the can, wander around a bit checking out the back of the park. Someone has arrived at the pool and 2 people are doing work in there, they dont seem bothered by me being there..

 I get up , pack my gear, reposition a few things, and head over to the main drag on the far side of the tracks. Went around a few blocks, looking to see if there was a repair shop or bike shop, then stopped for breakfast..

 Stopped in a restaurant that I went to last time I was there.. Frankie, Myself, and 1080.... got something cheap as iIfigured I would have to spend money on the bike.. biscuits & gravy and coffee..

 After I eat, I checked out a phonebook and start looking for shops in Twin Falls.. it is looking like the Honda shop, and maybe one custom shop. I decide that after I will check out the lawnmower shop, on the other side of the block.. (not yet open, so I had breakfast), if I strike out there, I will head to Twin Falls....

 I start the bike ride around the block, to the lawnmower shop.. still closed. But there is an old guy walking up the block to where I am parked and ask him if it is his shop, he says yes. So I explain my predicament, and ask if he knows of anyone close by that may have bikes sitting around, but he says no. I told him I had tried to find Frankie, and had hoped he knew someone with parts, he said Oh, his dads airplane is in my building here. I never did get in the shop past the counter, now it was time to hit the road.

 I slowly ride the  24 miles to Twin Falls, cross town, with the directions someone gave me, and find the Honda dealer.  Adventure Motorsports, Honda & Yamaha dealers. I ask if they maybe have a used tire pile, and they told me where to look.

 I had decided I would try to buy a new chain, but a new tire would be out of my budget. In my mind I figured a tire would be at least 100 bux, plus chain, that would be over 1/4 of my travel money gone..

 So the used, actually scrap tires were a bit grim and quickly narrowed to about 2 choices, a pretty worn sportbike looking 18, and a Dunlop qualifier, that looked sorta like front ? with a bit more tread. Then I walk back in the shop to buy a chain.. I am hoping for a non O-ring of decent quailty for maybe 40 bux or a bit more. They offer me a cheapo, around 16 or 17 bux!. I asked if they have a bit better, they say no, not unless I get O-ring for a lot more money. I decide to take it, and I get change back from a 20..

 I now have to ask the  service manager  Kevin, if I can borrow or rent a grinder to break the chain, as the bike has an endless. He says well, ok . I ask where I can work on the bike, and he shows me a place out of the way. I push it over and start getting it apart, and tools off. I push it beside a bay door to use the grinder, and grind off the pins, then push back to my spot. I get the chain broken, tie it up and pull the wheel. I am getting pretty dirty by now, and I figure I may have trouble, getting air in the tire with my sh!tty  bicycle pump. plus its getting on in the day. So I go back in and ask Kevin, if I can use the air to inflate it. He seems a bit annoyed and says, either we work on it or we dont, if we start, we have to charge. I can understand that, and am worried about the crappy tire, so I ask how much to mount and balance.. its like 24 or 25 bux.  So I figure, sure, I will get it mounted and balanced.

 I wait a bit and get it mounted and balanced, around 26 bux and change.. I roll it back to the bike. Bearing in the sprocket holder looks like its losing grease, but feels not too bad so I put it in and the brake and axle. Now I slide it in the swingarm, but the adjusters are bent up, and it is hard to get it all the way forward.. about now I wish for a rubber mallet. I hook in the new chain, 100 links, and start pulling it through. I am thinking it may only be 98 links need. I am still quite worried about the rear sprocket, thinking I may need to replace it. I get the chain around and I cant get it to meet.. I loosen the axle more and bang it around and get it a bit closer to the front, finally get it on, by pulling against sprocket tooth with a screwdriver.. guess it does use 100 links! I  had checked the chain at the  sprocket, and it does not appear too bad, mabe it will survive. I figure the cheap chain will need adjustment in 30 or 50 miles.  I will be happy if the chain gets me home, another 1400 miles.

 I look at the old chain, it is unbelievably worn out, in fact it will droop 90 degrees over about 1/2 its length.. I lay it on the pavement on a half circle and take my first pic of the trip, chain and the bike where I was working on it (will try to post later)

 I go inside, throw the chain in the scrap barrel,  get washed up , thank Kevin for the help and get ready to hit the road. I go down the road a mile, find a Fearless Farris Stinker station, and fill up with gas..

 Now I am ready to hit the road, its 12 :30 and I am about 160 ish miles from the Salt Flats... and feeling a bit better..

[754]

Hope you are enjoying this thread, its a lot of work..
 but..

..I figger, if it makes even one person decide to strike out on the road on a CB 750, then it was worth it...

 Am I getting too long winded, too much detail, or is it about right?...?

 So far it is taking nearly 50% as long to write this story as it took to actually ride it..

....................................................................................

[Jerry Rxman Griffin aka MuthaF'er]

Doing great Frank. No stories about adventures with women ??

[andy750]

+1 doing great Frank and I am enjoying the read. Easy casual writing style. Keep at it! I can visualise the situations you get yourself in 

cheers
Andy

[Magpie]

Great story Frank!!
Cliff.

[hoodellyhoo]

just found this great thread! I really like the minimalist aspect of it.

[754]

 I pull outa the Fearless Fairless Stinker Station, and head west to get back on 93..

 I turn south, on 93 and start putting on miles.. the used rear tire, not so smooth, I hoped balancing might have made it better, than it in fact turned out.

 Made it to the Nevada stateline, and soon I was in Jackpot NV.
 
 Stopped at the Chevron, been at a few times. At the pump, I see my first bike that had been at the flats..

 Beemer from the 80s I think , with a hack, Custom welded spoked wheels, windshield, touring custom seats.. looked like a serious miles maker.. BMWOA decals, the whole deal.

 Salt all over it, tried to warn him about cleanup, buit he did not seem too worried.. Chatted a bit, he had been at BuB a few days, and was now back on the road. Turned out he was a low miler, I think around 400 a day or less, boy, I read that one wrong. He was lightly dressed, shirtsleeves I think, and it was getting warmer than it had been, the warmest, but not hot.

 We said our goodbyes, I gassed, got a few snacks, checked the chain and tire. Man was I surprised that the cheap chain had not slackened, in about 45 miles. The tire looked, well..used, quite a bit of cracking, guess it did not like being yanked outa reTIREment..

 I hit the road, time to make some miles.. Kept my jacket on, was not feeling that warm after a night outside, but it was getti ng nice out. Figured maybe if the tire had a "problem" I was better off somewhat protected.. Mainly I wanted to get to the salt, if the tire got me there I figured I could  fix that  in the next few days.

 I headed south, enjoying the high desert scenery and the warmth. I had tucked a water bottle in my jacket pocket, so I could drink on the road. Soon I came upon some road construction, on about a 4 mile straight stretch, with the pilot car led bunch of traffic disappearing down the road. I talked the flag girl into letting me try to catch up, assured her I would catch them before the corner. Well, pretty soon I am up to 80 mph, and not catching up.. . I am gaining near the corner and in sight of them, finally I catch up..this is way better than a 1/2 hour delay when I am getting so close to the Salt..

 I had 2 problems, did not want to push the tire & did not want to get caught speeding..
 
 When I caught up to the pack, I found there was a Trooper in the lineup, when we cleared the end of construction, he pulled out, then re entered the road and followed behind. I had passed one car so he was 2nd behind me. Makes you a bit nervous and watch your speed. Eventually, he pulled off.  Somewhere along there, I lose my water bottle.

 I ride the remaining miles, and get to  Wells and I 80. I stop at the truckstop for a bit in some shade, oil my chain, ponder my tire..drink a bit of water. I then turn East on Ie 80, and start booking it, the final stretch.. around 60 miles to Utah.. about an hour to the Salt if I push and dont stop.

 I ride the next stretch, enjoying the desert scenery. Eventually I hit the high pass, it gets up to 7000 feet, a bit cooler up ther.

 I push on and pretty soon I am in Wendover west. I forgo the scenic route, stay on the superslab, and cruise right past both Wendovers to Exit 4. Take the offramp turn north over the Interstate, and pull in at the truckstop/Salt Flats Cafe/showerroom.. gotta pick up some cold beer 

 I am now 3miles or less from LandsEnd, the beginning of the salt..

[754]

 I ride the next 3 miles to Lands End, a wide spot on the road, the pavement ends here, and you drop down about 6ft to be on the salt lake bed. At times when it is wet there is a lot of water here, and sometimes you have to drive through a few puddles to get on the salt, if its been raining, like Monday morning 08, it is a stream.. That is why this area is sometimes refferred to as "The Boat Launch" !

 There is lots of parking here, I get off the bike and grab a beer, wander around checking out the bikes and people, I am checking for  a Red or Black Ford crewcab, with B.C. plates, the racers from back home. The BuB boys have their entry/admission table set up there, but it is late, racing is fininished, and I dont want to spend 20 bux for a pit tour.. rather wait there for everybody to come out, and spend the money  on drinking and eating..

 Eventually, I start talking to the BuB crew, and after a while, I am sitting down there, and look like I am working there.. I did spot a black truck with BC plates, flagged them down,  but they were from Vancouver.. I never did see George or Roger, athough I waited till around 8 oclock, got there around 4:30 ish.

 George did drive by, and I missed him, must have been chatting or looking at something. Which is pretty funny, considering his girlfriend said "hey theres Frank!" Well George thought it looked like me, but said to her, 'it cant be, he was here 2  or 3 weeks ago!" So they drove off, which sucked, because he had a spare pass, and gave it away before I ran into him..

 Because The Salt flats are so well known, there is a steady stream of tourists coming by and taking pictures of themselves by the big Bonneville sign. Of course most of them want to drive on the salt, but not enough to pay 20 bux to have a look. There was a crew hanging around the BuB table, mostly other helpers from on the salt or buddies, and myself, that slid in there.

At one point, a very cute Italian girl from Italy and here friend were pleading to get to drive onto the salt for a look, of course 2 of the helpers graciously offer to give them a tour.. think they enjoyed that immensely...

[ofreen]

Whew!  Waiting for these chapters is like waiting for J. D. Salinger's next book.  And look how that has turned out.

Just kidding, looking forward to the next episode.

[Old Scrambler]

The rest of the trip report will come....and I am in it! Oh Yah! and so is Roger's girl friend........Come on Frank, keep it going.......

[Jerry Rxman Griffin aka MuthaF'er]

Gee Frank, did you go to jail for a month? No fair, keep it coming.

[mcpuffett]

Hi Frank i've enjoyed your story so far  keep it coming  cheers Mick.

[754]

I shoulda written notes.................. damn..


Now ...I am having trouble remembering everything that happened.....

[ofreen]

I shoulda written notes.................. damn..


Now ...I am having trouble remembering everything that happened.....

I've been thinking about rattling your cage to get the next installment.  Try reading what you've written already and talking to those who were with you.  That ought to jar some associations loose.

[754]

Well I hung around at Lands End,  till nearly dark..

 While I was hanging out at the BUB table I got to chat a bit about the shop equipment that Bub has and what they were making, and for who. They had built a set of stepped pipes for one of our local racers. One of the fellows there was on a big Wing from Florida, and had been on the road a few months already..

 The crew at the Entrance table,  spoke of a bar called the Black & White.. that I was not familiar with. I asked if I could pop in later, they said sure and gave me directions.

 There was a trailer right at the end of the road, they werethe Security guys that keep people off the Salt at night. There was some cool bikes there, and I met 2 riders on 500-4s from BC.. chatted a bit. First time there for them, and the last night, they left in the AM. (I ran into both of them, again,  at the TSAWASSEN Vintage Swap in April this year!)

 When it got near dark, and I did not see any of the local crowd, I finally headed to town.
 
 Then I headed back into East Wendover to look for the Black & White.. which actually is on the West side!! no bars in East Wendover! So I turn at the Shell , go down the hill, turn right at the sign, then get into a sorta Mexican looking trailer park. Now as I ride through a bit of that, I start thinking maybe I am being pranked.. but all of a sudden, a clearing a bit of parking and a bar that looks like its is partly made of trailers !  The Black & White.!

 I pull in, park the 750, and enter the bar. This is clearly a racer Hangout..Pics of racers everywhere  on the walls. A huge table on one side is occupied by the Swiss racing team, there is quite a few of them there.. maybe 20 or more. Off to the table on the side is Horst the photograper, editing pics. I say hi, and ask how its going and how many pics he is getting. He shoots around a thousand a day or around 5,000 in a week..

 I get up to the bar, sit with the Wing rider from Fla, and before I can order one of the Bub crew, Denis' son, says he's one of the Canadians, I'll buy his beer . So I let him buy me one and get my own after that.. nice people..

 I chat with the wonan that owns the bar, and when she finds out where I am from she asks if I know Shawn D from Vancouver Island. ( guy is really into Indians) and I say yeah, met him a few times. Even got over to his place once to try to buy some Scout parts of him.. She shows some pics on the wall of him, her his lowrider truck.. and his Indian.... small world, eh!

 Hang out there a while for a few drinks. pretty soon the Swiss crew starts filtering out, the racers tend to get an early start. One fellow maybe mid sixties to 70 ish, as he passed by, I said in German.. " Why leave so early?" and he says we got to get some sleep.. I dont think much of this... till later but I think it may have been Fritz Egli !

 Eventually the bar thins out,  I head  back to town, and grab a burger. Then I head back out towards the salt to camp at Bend in the road.

 Next day, "The Bonneville Salt Flats"..!!

[ofreen]

cool