OK OK, finally have time to do some work here. 10:20 and Howard is dead to the world. Getting his beauty rest for our ride to New Orleans tomorrow.
Day 1 - Started out on a beautiful chilly crisp autum Colorado day. 48.7 degrees. Howard was running behind as his wife was being forced to take some pretty pictures of him. 7:30 was 8:00 then the first thing he did was take a 15 minute dump at MY house. Oh well. I'd have done the same for him. I-25 here we come. 160 miles later (2 hours - we ride at 80, eh Derek!) it was gas stop time at Raton, NM. 39.-- mpg! I'm happy. Wind at our backs. Promising considering my gas gauge is tempermental. Fuel injection means NO reserve. Turn south/east off I-25 on US84. Sign says "Historic Route 66 prior to 1937". NICE 2 laner. Wide open not much traffic. Old delapidated pre 1937 Route 66 buildings now replaced with trailers. OK, let's see 40mpg, approx 170 miles to Santa Rosa, NM. No problem, yeah right! 169 miles later on I-40 1 mile from Santa Rosa, you guessed it, it dies with a semi truck on my ass! Did this in August on another 175 mile leg to Dallas and I limped through by restarting, clutch, coast, etc, multiple times. Air bubble into the fuel injectors. Howard blows by me oblivious that my loud exhaust note is no longer?? I point to my tank, my speed is up and down, he is in front and gone. DOH!! Exit time, goodbye Howard. 1 mile later I manage to coast into a gas pump. 5.1 gallons in a 5 gallon tank. Not quite 35mpg. #$%*, that just changed ALL my planned gas stops! OK, find Howard. Double back to I-40 east, damn it has a lot of traffic! Next exit there is Howard at a gas pump. That was easy! Time for lunch. Route 66 diner in Santa Rosa. We hit the road after lunch headed for Carlsbad, NM and the caverns. Riding through Roswell, NM proves uneventful as we are not abducted by those aliens. Roswell is a nice vibrant clean town unlike most towns we see these days. No real signs of a recession. Gas time again. Less than 140 miles this time and it's damn near dry again. Can you say 28? mpg!! JFC!! Oh well, deal with it. Bike is running fine. It's that dyno mapping at 6900+ feet that has suddenly gotten richer in thicker air but it's running damn good! Just down the road is Carlsbad, NM, a Motel 6, a barbeque joint and COLD BEER! Goodnight!