I just got back from my first longer-than-one-day road trip
. My brother and I U-hauled his son's stuff to the marine base at Twentynine Palms, California where we off-loaded our bikes and rode 1200 miles back to SW Washington state. I learned a lot. First, I learned that the name Twentynine Palms was probably just made up so gullible Marine moms wouldn't worry so much. It's a pleasant sounding place, but don't let that fool you. That is because there aren't really any palms there. In fact, there are no living plants there. It has exactly what you would expect to find growing on the surface of the sun. The only shade is from the bloating corpses of those who thought they could get shade from palm trees. The government lost out big time when they made that place a Marine base instead of a penal colony. But I digress.
Here's what I really learned:
Motels are expensive. Rain gear needs to come with a system to tell you you are about to get drenched and you'd better pull over and gear up NOW. Old Hondas run just as good as new Yamahas. Reno traffic sucks. Throttle springs feel like leaf springs from an old Chevy after several days. Nady helmet communicators suck as much as Reno traffic. Sunglasses shouldn't be worn after dark. Earplugs are good (except in restaurants). California drivers consider speed limits to be really just general recommendations. It gets dadgum cold in the mountains. Lake Tahoe is chock full of Yuppies. Knees are made to be straightened out at least once an hour. You needn't worry about having a sore ass on a long trip, because at some point you'll freeze it off anyway. Cheap motorcycle luggage is probably cheap for a reason. Good gloves are worth whatever you're asked to pay. Motorcyclists are much friendlier that SUV drivers. Leather: good - Polyester: bad. If I had one of them fancy Goldwings and a catheter I could've made trip in a single day.
Would I do it again? Yes, but not soon. Me and the 750 both need to rest a while...
