Prospect purchase

[fintip]

So I've been here with Monkey and his wife the past few days. His wife and I talk during the day--she has a wonderful piano that isn't play enough, and her mother's old classical guitar needing some taking are off, so I restrung it for her and have been stretching the new strings in trying to break them in so they'll hold a tune. Monkey took a ride on my FJ and seemed impressed, calling my transmission 'enviable' and calling the bike in general a Garage Queen, pointing out a thousand little details that I hadn't noticed were special (example: my 'boot' for the trip reset button is still in place. Didn't know that was a hot item).

Got to hear his start today, though his battery is toast and his is wired up funny, so it'd be a pain to drop mine in, so he doesn't want to risk riding it. Still, just hearing it start with the supertraps on... Holy cow. What a sound. So different. Ogled his upgraded front and rear. Talked lots of tech. Tonight we balanced my carbs; they weren't much off, but now the idle is set at about 1050 and the bike is smoothly set.

Also, wow, Angels Crest... Glorious! Can't wait to go for a short pleasure ride on that road tomorrow!

Monkey and his wife have been great hosts, very friendly people, very hospitable, and I feel very lucky to be here in their home.

While here, I got a call. My understanding had been that my family was doing thanksgiving a week late. I just confirmed a few days ago that actually, they're hoping to celebrate this weekend, on Saturday. I had been planning to do the Iron Butt's SaddleSore 1000 from Flagstaff to Mt. Pleasant, TX, which is where thanksgiving is in my family this year (it's 1,059 miles between the two). But given my time frame, and realizing that LA to Mt. Pleasant is about 1525 miles if I pass by flagstaff (though it is 1660 if I go by the Grand Canyon itself, which is 80 miles north of Flagstaff), and realizing that the 1k in 24 is kind of like the 'silver' achievement and 1.5k in 36 hours is more like the 'gold'... I figure, why the hell not? When else am I going to have an excuse to do this and not be wasting fuel or missing pretty rides?

So I started planning it. I just got a host in Albuquerque on Couchsurfing, first time I won't be staying with either a friend, friend of friend, or internet friend (forum/youtube) and will need to use the site on the US/Canada portion of the trip. It's 925 miles there. If I leave at 6:30AM, at sunrise, I should pass by the grand canyon before sunset, and hit Albuquerque by 10pm-ish. I will crash for 6 hours, wake up, and hit the road again, driving non stop until that evening.

This is the route:

Day 1: http://goo.gl/maps/eGmnU
"Day" 2: http://goo.gl/maps/GWxKc

Food will be pre-packed sandwhiches, and trail mix on the tank bag. GPS enabled Nexus 7 will be taped to my dash and running trip averages for time, speed, average moving speed, average total speed, top speed. Will be plugged into power socket/lighter power adapter that I brought along with a USB converter plug, so it will run the whole time. Camera battery will be charged. Will be stopping every 150 miles for gas, so as not to risk any mishaps.

Planning to leave morning after next. Should be one hell of a ride. Wish me luck. And many thanks to Corbin, this seat is the most comfortable motorcycle saddle I've ever had the pleasure of resting my ass on. Not a single sore spot after my 13 hour ride here or long ride from Portland to Redding before.

Also, thanks to Monkey, who is passing on one of his many sets of gloves that are an upgrade from my ski gloves as well as his old leather jacket that's a perfect fit, and an old pair of boots he doesn't use anymore. All are going to be much appreciate on the higher altitude side of Arizona and NM during the night riding sections.



This is probably going to hurt, but I am looking forward to telling my grandkids this story. How far can a sight unseen bike purchase GO!? Let's find out!

Cheers,
Kyle

[movenon]

Glad to hear you are ok and on track. Please be safe. It is hard to believe now that you are in the LA area but the Flagstaff area will be cold. You will not start to warm again until you get into Amarillo. After you leave ABQ you will climb up to Clines Corner it can get cold and icy up there. After you leave there headed East the stops are far between until Amarillo. Mostly Indian reservations.  Again please be safe and manage the risk. Thanks for the update on your ride I was wondering how you were progressing.

[Goetz]

...Should have been a Gary Paulsen book. "The FJ"

[Klavdy]

1,500+ plus miles, eh?
Most people work up to something like that.
Take ibuprofen, watch the water level in your battery.
Riding a long distance does things to you.
When you start seeing monsters, it's probably a good idea to stop for a while.

[Mark Olson]

Kyle ,

sorry I missed when you where in sac , there is a fj owner here with lots of spare parts and probably had a starter switch for ya.

keep on rockin ,your story is epic.

[FJmonkey]

1,500+ plus miles, eh?
Most people work up to something like that.
Take ibuprofen, watch the water level in your battery.
Riding a long distance does things to you.
When you start seeing monsters, it's probably a good idea to stop for a while.

He has a sealed battery so he just needs to keep himself hydrated and alert.

[pdxfj]

Take it easy on the Iron Butt ride.  Stop when you need to.  36 hours does give you time to stop and sleep for a bit.

One tip on the pumps with the vapor boots.  Hold the pump handle in your right hand and use your left to pull back the boot.  This will allow you to fill up the bike all the way.  I put the nozzle just inside the tank, hold the boot back and keep an eye on the fuel level.  As it gets closer to the top I slow the filling rate and back the nozzle out a bit.

[FJmonkey]

Take it easy on the Iron Butt ride.  Stop when you need to.  36 hours does give you time to stop and sleep for a bit.

One tip on the pumps with the vapor boots.  Hold the pump handle in your right hand and use your left to pull back the boot.  This will allow you to fill up the bike all the way.  I put the nozzle just inside the tank, hold the boot back and keep an eye on the fuel level.  As it gets closer to the top I slow the filling rate and back the nozzle out a bit.

Good timing, we covered that yesterday when he said the California gas nozzles really suck, you can't get a full tank. And fill up on the center stand just before you leave, not before you take a break. It might be a few more ounces but every little bit helps when you don't exactly now how far the next station is.

[andyb]

Of course I can't find a link to one now, and it probably wouldn't help, but at one point someone made a tool for holding the silly boot things in a retracted position. 

Okay, found one.  Wouldn't be hard to make, though when I have travelled to less-civilized places that use such barbaric contraptions on their despensers, I just hold it back with my free hand and pump my fuel as god intented.

[Dan Filetti]

Take it easy on the Iron Butt ride.  Stop when you need to.  36 hours does give you time to stop and sleep for a bit.

One tip on the pumps with the vapor boots.  Hold the pump handle in your right hand and use your left to pull back the boot.  This will allow you to fill up the bike all the way.  I put the nozzle just inside the tank, hold the boot back and keep an eye on the fuel level.  As it gets closer to the top I slow the filling rate and back the nozzle out a bit.

+1, this is exactly what I do.

Dan

[aviationfred]

Of course I can't find a link to one now, and it probably wouldn't help, but at one point someone made a tool for holding the silly boot things in a retracted position.  

Okay, found one. Wouldn't be hard to make, though when I have travelled to less-civilized places that use such barbaric contraptions on their dispensers, I just hold it back with my free hand and pump my fuel as god in tented.

When I lived in in Southern CA. in the 80's and 90's, I had a fuel nozzle boot tool. It was hexagon shaped with a V shape cut in the middle. one angle was slightly larger so 2 different sizes of nozzle could fit through.

Love reading your adventure and the dealings of your bike. Good Luck on your continuing journey, ride safe and keep the rubber on the road.

Fred

[fintip]

I made it, guys. Back with Family in East Texas. Completed both the 1000 in 24 and the 1500 in 36. Receipts and witnesses and trip log... Though it's not over until they approve it, and I don't have the $45 to send in yet. But wow. Full update later.

Thanks everyone.

[movenon]

Great news. Glad you are home safe and sound. Hell of a way to learn about FJ's. Hats off to you.

[Dan Filetti]

Congratulations Kyle. Well done.  I am jealous of your adventure, I wish I had the luxury of time it would take to undertake such an adventure.

Thanks for the entertaining read.

Dan

[Tiger]

  Hats off to you Kyle... ... this has been one memorable adventure to read, let alone ride 

Good times ahead for you and your FJ, I'm sure ...

John.