I have been a Bob Dylan fan since his first mostly cover album in ’62. Sometimes he has made no sense at all, sometimes he offers great insight and, sometimes he can be profound. As lyrics are so open to interpretation, I give myself partial credit for those accomplishments.
I was not a big fan of his anti war work. I just never thought the themes or the positions taken were very original, or were more than superficial, but he surely wrote a lot of songs about the issues. It’s All Right, Ma (I’m Only Bleeding) was one of those. Still, within all of that noise resides a very profound statement, “He who is not busy being born is busy dying”.
When you get older, if you’re not careful, your life gets smaller. You do less, you see less, you learn less. You lose your momentum, and TV and meal time become the milestones of life. That sucks. We all tend to live from event to event. On air personalities, locked in endless political discourse and baked chicken or an egg white breakfast are not events.
So every year, I look for something to do that pushes me out of my comfort zone, threatens me a little bit, and forces me to learn. This summer it will be a trip. The road from Maine to Texas runs from open road and scenic highway to congested city driving and a population of strangers. I made that solo trip approximately one and one half years ago.
This year, was a vehicle decision year. I have a beater 2005 Ford Escape with many miles that needs a little rust conversion work. But it sees infrequent use, and I can’t see getting a second mortgage to buy a new vehicle, that is tethered to a dealer with Wi-Fi and multi thousand dollar extended warranty.
I took a look at a 4 wheel drive Ford F150, gasoline powered, that started at $32,000, but by the time I added tires and doors, it was a $50,000 wonder. How? Easy. If I wanted a tow hitch, I had to purchase the “Comfort Package” that included heated mirrors, off the road suspension, a sliding rear window, a bed liner, and a 19″ center dash entertainments center *additional subscriptions required.
After some consideration, a few cups of coffee and a need to stop procrastinating, and to line up my 2024 challenge, buying a motorcycle and planning a long road trip made a good deal of sense. Not so much now, but I can’t let that slow me down.
I bought a Suzuki GSX-S1000GT+. The dealer gave me a good price, it’s pretty, it has 150 horse power and… nope that’s about it. Two to three weeks for delivery, I wanted something that had not been used as a dealer’s demo and was flogged by everyone that had a day off and nothing else to do.
So it is really shaping up as a challenge, bike and trip. I am worried I’ll drop it. I am worried a road rager will run me off the road. I am worried I will get lost and end up in Saskatchewan. I am worried I will run out of gas on a deserted stretch of highway. I am worried I won’t find a solution to a 32″ seat height and a 28″ inseam. I am worried I will forget to pack something essential. I am worried a mountain lion will attempt to take me off the bike as I am enjoying the scenic beauty of mountainous woodland.
Yes, I carry the accumulated anxiety portrayed in every Woody Allen movie. However, if I make this journey, the experience would qualify me to write “The Odyssey Part II” and I would have proof that my life didn’t end a year and one half ago, but I was too lazy to lay down.
Ok, now I really have no excuse left not to get off my couch more often.
Good for you Joe. That will be exciting.
Well, when I make the run I hope to video and write a few stories, or maybe just pay attention to where I am going. Not sure yet. The greatest challenge has been understanding everyone at the dealership. I am pretty sure the oldest runs the service department and he is twelve or thirteen years old, or so it seems.
Yes, but hopefully not more than I anticipate.
I’d add a sidecar ,that leans w/ the bike . You won’t fall over & you can pack more ! I was the only one of my bike group that didn’t get in on the group buy , I didn’t want a solid hitch, ended up w/o one .
Texas huh. Done that. Suggestions: Get an open face helmet and put a face shield on it that comes down just below the mouth and get a few Wild Rags bandanas and a lower face shield for off days. Those full face helmets in vogue today leave me feeling like a sardine in a can. Get a good rain coat. My preference is a one piece that zips up from crotch to neck. The full coverage without separate pants and jacket is dryer. Get good leather boots and rub them in well with Snow Seal. Whether you use Google maps or AAA trip tics choose routs around cities. Takes longer but much safer. Try to plan your city circumnavigations away from rush hours. Depart early in the spring, it is god awful hot as you go south. Make a list of Suzuki dealers along the route just in case. Get another waterproof bag to put on the pillion and strap and bungie it in to place. The bags on that bike look skimpy to me. Get more than one pair of gloves. consider gauntlets.
I actually rode for about 30 years, old British twins, sport bikes and closed out on a Harley. Then I stopped for almost 20 years. In all that time it was daily riding to work or maybe a weekend trip. Quite a difference from a long run as obvious in your comments. I’m use to full helmets and riding feeling like my head is in a vise.
Good comments on rain gear. Never owned any. I appreciate the insight. Leather jacket with a little interior armor should work if I dig them out and they don’t fall apart. I should find a pair of high top brown boots with reinforced ankles and toes, when I find the jacket. That sno seal you mentioned looks pretty good. Maybe I can bring the leather back and finish with the Snow Seal.
Absolutely agree on the circumventing cities. I’m going to take a more westerly route to avoid NY/NJ metro. I have no nailed down what I will use for navigation. The Suzuki has an interface for Apple and Android that will function with the bikes display and Google Maps. I don’t really like Google Maps and I worry about being out of cell phone service. Easy in a car with a GPS on the dash. I am not familiar with AAA Trip tics, but I will check it out.
Yup, Texas gets hot. By plane, I have been down there frequently. Most of my family lives in Round Rock or Driftwood. Unfortunately, The trip will include a reunions with some old Air Force geezer friends in Texas, so the schedule will depend on when they can get off of respirators, charge up the batteries in their wheel chairs and stop going on an on about owning a Corvette they can’t bend enough to get into. Life is complicated.
I thank you for your comments and suggestions.
Joe,
I retired from LE in 2010 and took a cross country trip from San Diego to Atlanta and back on a 2009 Harley ultra limited. I worried about all the things you mentioned. But I worried for nothing. Yes I ran into issues but handled them on the fly. 3 weeks on the road staying off of interstates when possible.
Had rain gear. Used once for 30 mins. Hot? Yup. Drank water often. Keep it close. Sold the bike in 2018 thinking I was done. However, TV and a pot pie was depressing so I bought a new Honda Transalp just to smile once in awhile.
Take your time, drink lots of water, and enjoy that thing we call life!!!
That is quite a ride, Michael. Good hearing from you folks who have made longer trips. I have done shorter trips on bikes, longer trips by car. I’m actually more excited about the trip, than worried, but it is a lot of assessing, analyzing and planning right now. Somethings are much like auto trips, somethings very much not. I’m sure it will be OK when I start getting pieces in place. Right now, I am looking forward to putting a couple of hundred miles on the bike to get comfortable with it and to sort out differences from previous bikes.
Awesome! I know you’ll have fun. The riding gear that is on the market is so much better than we had 30 years ago. Leather jackets and Jeans! A fullface is definitely the way to go. I rode for years with an open face and if I hadn’t been 10 foot tall and bulletproof it would have scared the bejesus out of me. Catching bugs, (bee’s) cigarette butts and gravel not withstanding. I have been riding a new Royal-Enfield (that I’m told doesn’t have enough power), for 3 years now, but boy is it fun.
Absolutely agree on the new gear, and the typical old. I switched to a full face helmet when I started riding sport biked. I have to say I do miss stopping at a diner for a coffee break, taking off a pair of sunglasses and having those two big white circles on a road dust covered face.
I’m guessing the Royal-Enfield would be a nice ride. My motorcycle experience began with BSA, Norton and Triumph, other British design twins, and they were a lot of fun to ride. I like that the new Royal Enfield managed to integrate a good deal of new tech without losing the classic look.
Great choice of the Suzuki GSX-1000, as they are smooth handling and basically bulletproof mechanically. You will find that lots of breaks and taking lots of pictures will add to the enjoyment on your epic adventure. A quality leather jacket and gloves will be important additions for your riding pleasure. Enjoy!
Leland
Yes, I’m going to try to not make it an iron butt marathon, stop frequently and keep a camera and lenses in a tank bag for when picture taking opportunities arise.
Lots of choices in toned down leather and fabric jackets with a little armor for safe riding, and the prices have dropped considerably over the years.