Richard Fords Trip Home!
My Excellent Summer Adventure, or My Mid-Life Crisis Adventure
Well, it seems like I have been leading a fairly boring life recently. You know, the regular kind
of guy existence. And, for whatever reason, I have had a bad urge for a motorcycle road trip.
Perhaps it was the John Travolta / Tim Allen movie, Wild Hogs?
Well, I had a motorcycle, but the thought of driving around with my little Suzuki V-Strom with a
bunch of tied on bags didn't seem too appealing, not to mention comfortable for any length of
time. I know my back wasn't up to it either. So, one thing leads
to another and in early July I test-drove a Can-Am Spyder. The
Spyder is a bit different, with two steerable wheels up-front, and
a single rear wheel. Janet liked it quite a bit, and we both
pondered the potential fun of driving around CO on three wheels.
But something about it just felt a bit odd to me, perhaps the
sensation of loose steering at higher speeds? I don't know, but I
just couldn't pull the trigger on the purchase.
Well, two times I started to go back to the Spyder dealer, but turned around. Something was just
not right. Then, Janet and I checked out the local Harley dealer to see if the new 2011 Harley
trikes were in yet - nope. Well, I just didn't see myself as a Harley guy anyway. Then, searching
for used possibilities on the "net", I found this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r-mUtUjCreg
I showed the video to Janet. "OK", Janet said, "If you must - it might be fun" I musted. Shortly
after I called Ron at Cool Custom Trikes in Alvarado, MN, and we made a deal on the phone.
That fast. Then, a couple days later, July 27, I grabbed a one-way flight to Grand Forks, ND, the
closest airport by Alverado, MN. I won't bore you with the details of the multi-hour flight
delays, or my lost bag. Yes, the one with all my riding gear. At least I still had my sunglasses…..
Well, the bag arrived later that night and on Wednesday, 7/28, Ron, the owner of Cool Custom
Trikes, picked me up and we drove to his shop in Alverado. What an interesting place. Formerly
the local school, it is an entire city block. Not a bad buy for $1. You gotta love the Midwest.
Ron went over the trike details, the paperwork, and a couple of
riding tips. The odometer reading was 4 miles. After a test drive
around the building / block, and 1 minute of experience, I load
my bags and headed south, towards Grand Forks. Time out was
10:15. What a perfect day: largely sunny, a few Midwest puffy
clouds and about 75 degrees - nice! I planned on traveling back
roads to get use to the different handling of the trike, and to
allow for a lot of throttle changes to properly break-in my new
vehicle. Well, frankly, it was an easy adjustment; sit up
straight, no leaning, and push - pull to steer. Definitely different from a two-wheeler, in a good
way. The seating was perfect as was the scenery. Route: Alvarado to Grand Forks, west on
highway 2, then 18 / 15 / 20 / 14 /83, always heading west or south. Always lots of turns, green
everywhere, and WATCH OUT FOR THE DEER! That goes for birds too. There were an
endless number of ponds and small lakes all over North and South Dakota. Birds seemed to be
present any time there was any water, apparently just waiting for me to approach so they could
fly directly across my path. I still have good eyesight and reflexes I guess; I missed them all,
although I did instinctively duck (no pun intended) a few times. A tall windscreen is a nice safety
accessory - thank you Honda. Well 301 miles and 6:40 hours later I pulled into a little motel in
Linton, ND. I am the only guest there- sad. This was double the distance of any previous one-day
of motorcycle riding for me, but I feel great and really enjoyed the day's ride. Considering I was
always playing with the throttle for optimum engine break-in, today's 30 MPG average was
pretty good.
"Tripod"
Thursday, July 29, I hit the road about 8:00. Light winds and 70 degrees, although a bit cloudy.
Am I blessed? Nope, the rain started about 30 minutes later and although it was only a light rain,
the sky ahead to the south was a very dark gray. OK, if you are planning to ride cross-country,
bring your full-face helmet. Rain hurts when you are only wearing sunglasses and a beanie
helmet, even behind a windshield! So I spent about two hours leaning over the gas tank to
minimize the rain's impact.
But the sky did begin to clear, after I took a thirty-minute break under a small city park shelter.
Time to mount up and resume the adventure. Oh yeah, I did bring a rain suit and it worked
perfectly. Again heading south, with a rapidly clearing sky, things were much better, for a
while…. But, after a rain you sometimes get a "bit" of wind when the front passes. Well, Tripod
has adjustable air suspension - a good thing when crosswinds are 20 with gusts to near 30. I
stiffened the rear suspension and it was tolerable. On other bikes, I would have stopped. It is not
fun changing lanes when an unexpected side-gust strikes. "Strong work," Tripod, and well done!
I continued southward. OK, I am now tired, and park at a hotel in North Platte, NE where it is a
beautiful evening. Today's ride was 405 miles and a long 9.5 hours, setting another new daily
record. Due to the wind and rain, my average MPG decreased to 28 today. The chips and
margaritas at the Mexican restaurant were excellent - Ole!
Friday, July 30 and I am out the door at 7:00. A perfect morning with a blue sky, light breeze
and a few wispy clouds. I am heading west, now on interstate 80, and somewhat amazed I have
already traveled over 700 miles. The wind and rain of yesterday are forgotten. Tripod is a joy to
ride on the nearly empty morning interstate, and I haven't had to dodge a single deer or bird. I set
the cruise control to 70 and enjoy the scenery. My original plan assumed I would not be able to
ride this far in only two days; I had planned on a four or five-day total trip. But, since I managed
a 400 miler yesterday, 500 miles in great weather should be a piece of cake. So, I spontaneously
decide I might take a shot at a run for home (Grand Junction, CO). Oops, I turn on the radio and
discover although it's perfect now, the weather forecast is for big thunderstorms in Denver and
the Rockies for mid-day, and the next day as well. This is kind of like owning an airplane again,
with the storm dodging, but at least I can pull Tripod over and grab a motel. Onward.
A few excellent interstate hours later, like five, I pass Denver, which is not having t-storms yet,
just a mild cumulous cloud buildup. So, perhaps a quick lunch in the small town just up the
mountain from Denver, Idaho Springs? Well, after a quick twenty-minute feed, I exit the
restaurant to find a boiling mess of nasty dark clouds. Time to get moving! Thinking my rain
gear might jinx things, I just wear my lightweight motorcycle jacket and deal with the cooler
high-mountain chill.
As I near the top of the Rockies, close the approach to the Eisenhower tunnel, I pick up a few
drops of rain. But, when I exit the west end of the tunnel, luck is with me; the clouds are a bit
higher and broken. I have barely outrun the big rain that would soon be descending. What a day.
Once again the temperature is perfect, as is the mountain scenery. Lots of big, sweeping turns,
with three-wheel comfort and security. Three wheels definitely make it easier to look around and
enjoy the surroundings. Yippee. Past Vail it begins to warm up a bit, and it is 97 degrees before I
pass Glenwood Springs. But keeping the speed between 65 to 70, the heat is tolerable, except
when slowing in traffic. I know we have a dry heat, but as they say, an oven also has dry heat.
Well, after 9.5 hours and 510 fun-filled miles, I pull safely into our driveway. Amazingly, from
Denver to Grand Junction I averaged 37.5 MPG. Tripod appears to prefer the lower wind
resistance of higher altitudes. Well, that, saner driving, and less wind and rain. I don't want to
ride more today, but I feel pretty good, and I even beat Janet home from work. Today's ride was
three times longer than any previous pre-Tripod ride, and about as good as it can get. Wild
Hogs! I almost forgot: Shorty, the dog, was very curious about the new thing in his garage, but
after a short test ride around the block (with Janet along too), he loves it.
All in all a great trip, a great adventure, and definitely a good purchase! Come on out and take a
ride, or better yet, bring your bike and let's go!
Dick