A tough learning experinece

[Rastoff]

I bought a motorcycle. Specifically a Harley-Davidson Ultra Classic. Being the age of the internet, I found the best price on-line from a store in Chicago.

I have owned many motorcycles and ridden several hundred thousand miles. However, it has been 9 years since my last bike. Yeah, I'm out of practice and older than I was. Being headstrong, I didn't take that into account and decided to ride the bike home from Chicago to California. This was a mistake as you will see. Here is my story, enjoy...

Friday, 1 April - 0430
The attendant at the airport tells me I don't have a reservation. Yeah, somehow I got the date wrong when I made the reservation. This mistake cost me an extra $100 and the connecting flight was 3 hours later. This meant I got to the dealership about 10 minutes before they closed.

Friday, 1 April - 1800
It is currently raining. My intention was to ride about 4 hours tonight, but rain and the late hour put the kibosh on that. I get a hotel room for the night and decide to head out in the morning.

Saturday, 2 April - 0900
True to his word, the salesman picks me up at the hotel and takes me to the store about an hour before they open.
It's snowing. Not sticking to the road, but snowing. He asks if I'm sure I want to head out. I take the bike around the block first, but decide that I'm comfortable enough to head out. I'll get more comfortable as I go.

Saturday, 2 April - 0915
The snow didn't last long, but now it's raining. That becomes light hail for about 5 minutes, but eventually I get out of it. This is when the wind showed up.

Saturday, 2 April - 0915 to 1600(or so)
Wind. No seriously, WIND! As I head south on the I55, the wind is from the west at 45mph with 50-60mph gusts. I mean super crazy, killer wind. I see two over-turned 53' semi trailers, three flipped travel trailers and numerous smaller trailers in the ditch.
I was hoping to make 600 miles today. I called it quits at about 360 miles in Sullivan, MO.

Sunday, 3 April - 0730
Hit the road earlier. I'm on I44 now and headed in a more west direction. This means the wind is more directly at me which is easier to deal with, but still not fun. I am physically blasted and mentally ravaged. My confidence in my riding ability is shot. This is bad as a motorcyclist because it's hard to trust my ability to do the right actions as I ride through corners and wind. Still, I push on through to Oklahoma City.
Today I made 430 miles which is better. I could ride more as there is plenty of daylight left, but I'm having a hard time trusting my ability. I'm also exhausted physically.
I call my buddy who lives in Albuquerque, NM. He actually offers to come pick me up in OKC, but that's 8 hours of driving and too far to be practical.

Monday, 4 April - 0900
After a good night's sleep, I call my friend. We both agree that I've pushed things further than I should. I decide I can go a little more. We decide to meet up in Amarillo, TX.
Before I start I promise myself to stop at least every 60 miles. Now I'm on I40 and headed almost due west. The wind is negligible.
After the first 60 miles I stop and gas up.
I make it about 25 miles before a cramp has me stop.
I stop after another 30 miles or so and gas up again.
I'm struggling with my confidence and driving about 5mph under the limit because it's more comfortable.
This pattern continues with me going no more than 40 miles without a stop. It's only 240 miles from OKC to Amarillo, but it takes me 5 hours.
I get about 20 miles shy of Amarillo and I've hit the wall. I just can't go any further. My friend meets me at a truck stop and is a sight for sore eyes.

It's about 1500 when he gets there. Thankfully, his son came too and we have no trouble loading the bike. We stop at a good steakhouse, have a good meal and head out for Albuquerque.

Tuesday, 5 April - 0730
After a great night's rest, I wake to the smell of home made biscuits and gravy; the best I've ever had.
1230 finds me on a plane headed back to Cali.
1530 and my wife picks me up at the airport.
The bike is still in Albuquerque at my friend's house. He's going to take a vacation at the end of the month and ride the bike to me. His daughter and grand kids live near me so, it's a perfect fit.


Thursday, 7 April - 2100
As I sit here typing this I'm remembering the trip. There were times, many of them, on the trip where I was ready to sell the bike and never ride again. My left hand doesn't work properly, but is recovering. Typing this is challenging. I'm sure it was mostly the unbelievable wind that taxed me physically right to the edge of my ability.

This was an ill-advised adventure. That doesn't mean I regret doing it, I don't. Not nearly as much fun as I'd hoped and expensive. I've learned that while I may have done trips like this 10 years ago, age has caught up with me a little. I was neither physically nor mentally prepared properly. When it gets here, I will get back on the bike and regain my confidence. I chalk this up to experience and hope to be a better person for it.

 

[rwsmith]

It's hard to accept......

It's hard to accept that your problem isn't only practice, but slower reflexes and judgement, depth perception may be off. Strength in certain parts of your body might not be quite what they were. I think you'll be ok though, if you don't tackle cross country trips in bad weather. Plan on stopping more often.

I had a mini stroke and some other issues and my balance is off to boot. I tried riding a bicycle and felt really uncomfortable when it used to be a breeze. It might improve with practice but it's not as much fun.

I used to be able to eat a large pizza and a pitcher of beer by myself and nowadays I don't bother to try.

 

[finesse_r]

Glad you made it home in one piece. Good luck with riding in the future.

 

[SLT223]

Your last paragraph sums it up for me. You sound like me now with old muscle cars. It took me 20+ years to pull that needle out of my arm. It's not a labor of live, it's a love of labor. Laborious projects are fun right up until you value comfort and family time more. I now have a tarp over my engine hoist and engine stand, but not ove my Dillon 650.

 

[jeffsmith]

You made it without Significant Injury to you or the Bike
and you Probably have Cemented your Friendship even Stronger

I'd say overall for what you went through its a Win

 

[bigwheelzip]

After the first 60 miles I stop and gas up. I make it about 25 miles before a cramp has me stop.
I stop after another 30 miles or so and gas up again.

Glad you made it back OK after such a challenging reintroduction to the hobby.

My husband had the same cramping and numbing problem after three days of riding from NY to AZ with his new Goldwing. After struggling to get to Phoenix, he posted his problem on a riders forum and many respondents recommended Russell Saddles in Shasta Lake CA. He took advantage of a special "Ride-In" offer where they will custom design and manufacture a saddle in one day, while you wait. The owner even gave him his personal vehicle for a little touring while he waited.

The new saddle was built on his seat pan, with multiple density's of foam and specially formed flat springs. The design also moved him up and back to help accommodate his height. It's still comfortable for all day rides after 13 years.


For rain, Frogg Toggs are great.

Keep the shiny side up.

 

[LVSteve]

Glad you made it back in one piece. This being over 30 stuff really bites some days.

 

[rwsmith]

I used to jump all around.......

Your last paragraph sums it up for me. You sound like me now with old muscle cars. It took me 20+ years to pull that needle out of my arm. It's not a labor of live, it's a love of labor. Laborious projects are fun right up until you value comfort and family time more. I now have a tarp over my engine hoist and engine stand, but not ove my Dillon 650.

I did live recording in addition to being on the stage. The old expression about a one armed paper hanger holds here. I was as busy as a sailor in the rigging. I started hours before a performance and didn't finish until an hour after, then I'd go home and spend days editing the tape. Boy that was fun. I wouldn't do it now for a million dollars.

I did astronomy and would get up all hours of the night or wake up early in the morning to catch some event. If conditions were bad I planned to get it on the next time around. I caught a bad case of bronchitis from staying out at night freezing with a blanket around me and only the end of the telescope sticking out the top of my 'shelter'. (skies are often clearer in the wintertime) I don't do that anymore and I can't see anyway.

My single stage press is plenty of action for me and it really gets exciting when I go to the range.

 

[Beemerguy53]

We all get in over our heads sometimes. I've been riding for almost 45 years, and two trips in particular stand out.

In the winter of '82 - '83, I rode my Kawasaki GPz-1100 to my fire station for my nightshift (1600 to 0600), and ignored a weather forecast calling for snow. When my relief came in the next morning, there was 4" of fresh snow, and it was coming down fast and heavy. So, being 30 years old, and arrogant, and confident ("I can do anything!"), I did the sensible thing: I rode the 20 miles to my house. I was careful and took it slow, but it was still, in hindsight, very foolhardy.

In September 2002, when my elder son was in college in Orlando, I got the bright idea to ride my BMW K75s there to surprise him for his birthday. It was 930 miles door-to-door, and we used to do the drive in about 14 to 15 hours, depending on traffic and LEO density.

I left at 0800, hit rain about 3 hours into the trip -- around Richmond -- and never had dry weather again. I got into Orlando at 0045 the next morning. My rain gear had been overwhelmed, and my clothes were damp. Water had wicked up inside the lining of my full-face helmet, and I looked like a drowned rat (with a chinstrap welt to boot). Water had gotten into my rain gloves, and the black ink from my deerskin riding gloves had stained my hands.

I took a shower and went to bed at my son's apartment. I woke up 10 hours later, checked the Weather Channel...and saw that they were predicting rain on the day I planned to leave to go home. I chickened out and booked a space for the Beemer and me on Amtrak's Auto-Train for the return trip, and didn't regret it: It poured that afternoon and evening.

Glad you made it okay, Rastoff...thanks for sharing your tale with us.

 

[alwslate]

As a long time rider, about 50 yrs, who now has health issues that
seriously affect my ability to ride I can relate somewhat. The
surprising thing is that you did as well as you did. Given the weather,
your long period of not riding and especially the size and weight of the
bike and it's various wind sails I'd say you did very well. It's no fun to
be trapped in a situation where you feel as if you have bitten off more
than you can chew. Value your very good friend, take time to reflect
on this experience and learn from it.

 

[ChattanoogaPhil]

Good to hear ya got everything worked out. I went a number of years between bikes. Yes, it takes a while to adjust to the realities of being out of practice and age.

I'm still curious about someone living in sunny southern California having to travel to Chicago to find a bike to buy. Sounds like flying from Jamaica to Chicago for weed. I'm thinking Facebook babe along the route back home?

 

[BigCityChief]

Glad to see you got back home safe and sound.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Tom S.]

Is it safe to assume that "sore eyes" weren't the only body parts that were sore when your friend showed up? No specifics, please, generalities preferred.

As my father used to say, "Growing old ain't for sissies, but it beats the alternative.". As for me, my mind often writes checks my body can't cash.

 

[whitestang]

Rastoff, Glad you made it without a serious issue. Here in the Midwest spring can be many things. 4 years ago it was in the 70s for 2 weeks in March. When I was a Deputy we had 6 inches of snow in April and everyone forgot how to drive,lots of accidents. Its a standing joke here in Illinois that if you do not like the weather just wait it will change in 10 minutes. It is good the have great friends in ones time of need. I hope the rest of your riding adventures are far less stressful.

 

[moralem]

That is a great ride report and though it was tough you made it. Read some ride reports on some of the motorcycle forums like ADV and you will find that you have just been christened into the adventure rider family.

The adventure is in the adversity you face on a trip but the beauty of the trip is his you manage. If you had some pictures you'd have yourself an adventure post that rivals some of the guys that have done Alaska.

Though I am two years older now, I made a 21 day trip to Alaska from Texas back in 2014. The best adventure ever, though I did mine on BMW RT with a Russel saddle. Don't beat yourself up, you at least tried. Others don't ever get off the couch. Come on do it again.

 

[Geronimo Jim]

Don't be to hard on yourself. The weather was the big killer.
With 70 degrees and no wind, you would have had a very
different outcome.

 

[Double-O-Dave]

Glad things worked out for you, and that you faced and accepted the reality of your situation. I wish I had a friend like yours.

Regards,

Dave

 

[RSanch111]

Dude, you get the Iron Butt patch for sure! How do you get a bike that bike into the bed of the pickup?

 

[M29since14]

BAD decision about midwest weather that time of year, but the good thing is that you listened to your own intelligence and, maybe with a little help from the great motorcyclist in the sky, you came through it just fine. As Jeffsmith says, a win all around.

Pilots have a thing they call "get home itis" and it gets people killed who know better. It sounds like you may have had an attack. I "hope" I would have had the sense to sit that wind out in a nice warm hotel somewhere. You never know until it happens to you.

 

[Jessie]

Wasn't it Clint Eastwood that said " A mans' got to know his limits "?
You found yours and acted accordingly. Good on ya.
When we press beyond those limits are when bad things happen.
Now, the weather is improving and your ride will be in your garage, get out there and enjoy it under your terms!