V-Strom + 2 1/2 days = 1978 miles (TX, NM, CO)

[bigboy292000]

This unlikely story starts this past Wednesday; I have been a bit restless and wanted to do a trip of some sort while I am still on vacation. Talking it over with my wife, it was a bit tough to schedule it all with the kids and all. So on Thursday I get a crazy idea: how about I ride to Colorado and visit a friend up there?

I test the waters with my imminently patient wife (who I am sure is now wondering how we went from getting a bike for small rides to me riding to Colorado for 3 days by myself - and that goes well. Call up my buddy in CO - has no immediate plans for the weekend. Yay, it's on!! Check with few riding buddies if they can make it but nope - other plans are in motion. That's okay; I really have been itching for a solo ride like this so I'll live!

Talk to the kids, sort out what to take (have to pack light as I never did get soft bags that I would like to have for situations like this) and clock is ticking...

Route taken there and back is basically from DFW, to 287, to Amarillo. Then through Dumas, Raton to CO.

DAY 1

5:20 AM Friday I kiss my son and wife goodbye (our little girl was still sleeping) and roll out. After a few hours, I am of course still in Texas. It'll take me about 5-6 hours to Amarillo... So it's kind of flat:

Fast forward to Texas panhandle, as the scenery does not change much. Ah now - we are getting closer! See those are some big hills coming up in the distance!

Ah this is why... New Mexico is here. Someone had too much time with that sign...

Took a quick detour to Capulin volcano. Cows on the road. YO! COWS on the road!!

OK back on track.. still in NM, somewhere before Raton. My first look at the Rockies!

Get it? Rockies rock! I crack myself up...

Anyway... made it up to Raton pass and to CO:

I meet my buddy later that night and we spend the night at Pueblo. 650 miles for the day not too bad.

DAY 2

6:30 AM next morning (Saturday)... it starts slow. We head west through Canyon City. Finally then we find some canyons; I already started wondering how come that all the mountains are over there as opposed to here?

Things get better by the minute though... here for example, we are heading down from Monarch Pass. We swapped the bikes for about 30 miles, I am riding my buddy's FJR and he is on my Wee:

A rare photo taken by me, of my own bike being ridden by my buddy:

Swapped the bikes back. FJR is nice! I'll say though - that seat is a torture device and the bike needs risers for someone as tall as me. Anyway, after Gunnison we hit the lake:

Heading north now... stopped to marvel the Black Canyon:

A panoramic shot, sometime before Maher:

Pushing on... geez definitely rocks in those Rockies!

Had lunch at Aspen (got there via Carbondale)... heading out:

Climbing up to Independence Pass... yeah that line down there is the road we are on:

A panoramic shot of the lake up on the Continental Divide (12,000 something feet):

As we are heading down, this is what we see coming up. Yeah!

Wee!!!

Geez, how many beautiful mountain lakes can one see in a day? Come on!!

OK after some more ride, we make it off the mountains...

We head for the Colorado Springs, via Buena Vista. Dinner there and then I ride to Pueblo for the night while my buddy heads home north. I got a long ride tomorrow! I think about 500 miles that day. That did not suck!!

I also realize there is a smudge on camera lense therefore a lot of photos have a smudge on them.

DAY 3

4:00 AM Sunday... I get up and realize that there is a flaw in my plan: no winter gear and I forgot that I need to go to Raton Pass (high) and I bet it'll be cold! Quick check of the weather... low 50s or high 40s. Hmmm... remember I packed light? That means no liners for my Airglide gear...

Anyway, I put on every T-shirt I have, one long sleeved shirt, and then my mesh gear on top. Then my rain gear on top of that to break the wind a little. I hightail it south. Pitch dark, nobody on the road, no other bikers anywhere. Ah, whatever! I make it over the Raton pass without too much trouble. Heated grips rock!!

After the breakfast in Raton, I head east... it's chilly, quiet, beautiful...

Anyho, after a while, getting closer to Texas, I see a genuine Texas storm forming in front of me. Come on storm, bring it! I wear my rain gear when it's not raining, give me what you got!

It just so happens that the storm splits up as I approach and then closes behind me so I ride through with only 20 drops on the visor. Meh. Probably better that way as I saw some lightning too...

Actually, I know what happened. The storm did not want to mess with the Strom! Plus the shark teeth!!

The rest was relatively uneventful. Hit the wind around Dalhart and it followed me to after Wichita Falls. Got up to 102 degrees as I was coming back. Eh! Rolled home just after 6 PM; I left 5:20 AM a little over 2 1/2 days ago...

Trip stats:

Total miles traveled: 1978.9

Gas used: 37.65 gallons

Average MPG: 52 MPG! Now - for the kind of riding I was doing, that blows me away!!

Things that I learned:

• Camelback is your friend. No way would I have made it without it. Bought a basic 50 oz model at Sports Authority and refilled it along the way several times.
  
• My 8GB Zune was my friend. Other than the tracks I have on it, having the FM radio to break the monotony at times was great.
  
• I found that my Etymotic Isolator earbuds were not really all-day comfortable for me. So I am glad that I had other set of corded silicone earplugs. I'd switch to that for an hour or two and it was all good.
  
• The Wee was awesome all the way, just chugging along. Does not matter if it was 75 MPH on the highway for hours in heat or screaming around mountains at 10,000 feet. I rode the oxygen-starved engine hard high in the mountains and it just took it all, never skipping a beat, giving me 60 MPG climbing the highest passes! I do think I'll want to add a fork brace for some added cross-wind stability.
  
• Beaded seat cover is out for long distance. Bicycle shorts are in. Yeah no airflow but really, more comfortable for me. I still will use the beads for short distances.
  
• I could not have made it without Crampbuster. Totally worth $10!

I had a lot of people slow down next to me on the highway to look at the bike or even take pictures. Shark gets the attention what can I say. Lots of bikers turned heads too...

All in all, it was awesome!!

 

[The Bruce]

Excellent ride! If I ever get the Wee I crave I will add the shark teeth. Perfect for that bike.

 

[LeanN2It]

Being one of the "riding buddies" that was unable to make it, I must say that these pictures are making me green with envy.

I am glad you had such an awesome ride and that you made it home safely. Thanks for sharing the pics so that we could live vicariously through them.

- Bill

 

[8wheels]

Man, what inspiration. My Sunday ride was just a liiiiitle less 'surround-scene'. But it was the day that I became a member of the collective, via one of your neighbors just slightly north of you.

Just read your thread about your pennytech windscreen solution over at the other place.

Keep up the inspiration!

 

[gixxerjasen]

Thanks for posting this, I'm dying to figure out a way to do something like this with what little vacation time I have left unaccounted for this year. My problem is that my free place to stay is in Crested Butte, which makes for a loooooong ride from Mesquite. I might still have to do it though, we'll see. Probably next year and I'll try to make it longer.

I pulled a similar stunt on one of my trips a few years ago. 87F when I left for Birmingham. In the low 30's and overcast when I left a few days later after the storm blew through. No cold weather gear so I did like you and put on everything I'd brought. Still froze my butt off.

Glad to see you had a good time and made the trip safely and got some fantastic pictures.

 

[Valker]

Addressing the unexpected cold weather issue....
Back in the day, when this happened, we'd stop and wrap ourselves like a mummy in toilet paper or paper towels if it wasn't wet or newspapers if it was. A newspaper stuffed down the front of your jacket is amazingly warm.

 

[humanrace]

"A newspaper stuffed down the front of your jacket is amazingly warm."

I have also spent several dollars on newspapers without reading a word. Leave them folded and stuff them inside the top of your boots while wrapping them around your lower leg and knees as well as a wind proof vest liner.

Very nice ride and pictures. I can't see the smudge.

 

[AnotherAggie]

Very nice write-up.

 

[bigboy292000]

Thanks everyone for comments! It was a blast!

I was actually planning to raid a gas station for newspapers if the cold got out of hand, but tucked under the shield and heated grips made it OK, so I did not have to go there...

Here is the general CO route:

Today I went to the garage and my Wee said:

"Look buddy; I know you are not the wash and polish type (and I am not that kind of bike either ) but this bug juice is getting out of hand. And - while you are at it, my chain is icky and I need new oil when you get the chance."

So I got the kidsy busy (spraying each other more than the bike), washed it, took care of the chain, oil will come in a day or two...

 

[z_clark]

Thanks for the great write up! Way to make the most of 3 days!!!

 

[achesley]

Great write up on a quik trip. I just done some of that stuff last month. Great place to ride.
Now playing in Arkansas.

 

[Texfire]

Love it, great trip on a great bike.

 

[Hairsmith]

Very nice ride report, I did many of the same roads last summer.

I do have a question on your comment about needing a fork brace for cross wind stability. The fork braces I have used were installed to eliminate flex in the forks. I am totally unfamiliar with the stroms strengths and weaknesses, but I don't see where a fork brace is going to stabilize the bike in cross winds unless there is flexing going on. I am not trying to start a brand model debate, just trying to save you some $ or understand something about bike geometry that has passed my by.

 

[bigboy292000]

Very nice ride report, I did many of the same roads last summer.

I do have a question on your comment about needing a fork brace for cross wind stability. The fork braces I have used were installed to eliminate flex in the forks. I am totally unfamiliar with the stroms strengths and weaknesses, but I don't see where a fork brace is going to stabilize the bike in cross winds unless there is flexing going on. I am not trying to start a brand model debate, just trying to save you some $ or understand something about bike geometry that has passed my by.

...and that is exactly the theory...

There have been multiple Strommers (over on Stromtrooper or VSRI forums) that have reported that installation of fork brace in fact helps with cross wind stability on V-Stroms. This lead them to the conclusion that there is small amount of flexing that goes on under certain circumstances (highways speeds, truck drafts and/or cross winds). I think it is a complex mix of aerodynamics and flex but in that equation, flex is something that is easier controlled than aerodynamics.

I actually had a fork brace on my previous bike (DR650) and had a similar experience there too.

I'll also say that up to the point of this trip, I did not feel that I'd go for the fork brace. It is true though that I never did a trip like this before, with so much highway higher-speed riding and sustained side wind for so many miles. While the problem is not really pronounced, I am always looking for the next farkle.

 

[Hairsmith]

...and that is exactly the theory...

Very interesting information, and I am sure has led to some lively discussion's. I have ridden some pore handling bikes over the years, and went to some odd measures trying to fix problems. But Never would have thought of fixing that one in that method!
Thanks for the ride report and information !

 

[focus frenzy]

strom is a tall bike and the effect of the wind on the fairing up high like that causes the flex. get rid of fairing and you wont need fork brace!

I rode with several stroms on the last pie run and they had issues with a cross wind that I on my nice low naked bike didn't know was there.

 

[achesley]

I had my '06 DL1000 and my '00 KLR650 together. After riding the KLR in a wind storm, I didn't notice anything flimsy about the DL . . I only did one long distance trip to California and back on it with a lot of Texas, Ok, Ar, Mo and Miss trips that I always considered local. I kept the DL for 14 months and put 18,000 miles on it then traded it off for the Bandit. Never been happier. Some people put a fork brace on that one also. I just don't have the need , yet.

 

[bigboy292000]

Very interesting information, and I am sure has led to some lively discussion's. I have ridden some pore handling bikes over the years, and went to some odd measures trying to fix problems. But Never would have thought of fixing that one in that method!
Thanks for the ride report and information !

I know what you are saying but I'd like to just mention: I would not characterize V-Strom handling as "poor". I rather think that - as with any other "multi-purpose" kind of bike - there are certain things that happen in certain situations that show the compromises that had to be made to create the said multi-purpose bike. Seeing what you are riding, I am sure that you ran into such things yourself.

It's a never ending story. There are so many variables that will be different for different riders, that some might run into it and some might not, ever. Good thing is - no matter what it is, there is probably a farkle for it out there.

 

[Hairsmith]

I know what you are saying but I'd like to just mention: I would not characterize V-Strom handling as "poor".

Never meant to imply the westrom as pore handling, that is what surprised me about the addition of a fork brace. They have a reputation as a good neutral handling bike.
Now the GS1000 Suzuki I had years ago, Was a flexy flyer. I never did get that bikes handling sorted out. I did road race with some guys that changed the frame and were fast.

 

[achesley]

Now the GS1000 Suzuki I had years ago, Was a flexy flyer. I never did get that bikes handling sorted out. I did road race with some guys that changed the frame and were fast.

I went thru the same thing in the late '70's with the GS 750 bumped out the 820 and 870 Yosh kits. All engine and no chassis. Just all over the track.

When I get off my Bandit and get on my DR650, or the other way around, I really have to pay attention to rider input for bike output. Two different worlds.