I Have a Date

A departure date, that is. May 5. And this will not be the Cinco de Mayo tour. Unless Cervecería Modelo or Jose Cuervo wants to underwrite me.

I took the Tiger in to Cascade Moto Classics in Beaverton, OR to have a new exhaust installed. There  was nothing wrong with the old one. I just wanted something lighter, better looking, and better sounding. It is all of those things. I can actually hear my motor while riding at highway speed. It was perhaps a frivolous purchase, or vanidoso, as my friend Veronica called it. But, it makes me happy. 

And because no trip to the shop goes without a previously unidentified issue, they recommended replacing my chain and sprocket. Not a fun purchase but if it keeps me from getting stranded in Eastern Nevada, bring it on. And as the mechanic pointed out, I did get 26,000 miles out of the original chain and sprocket. 

So stay tuned, six days and counting. 

Not Gone Yet

My departure date has been delayed until after May 1, due to family needs. All is well. 

The route plan has changed a bit:
Olympia 
Bend, OR (via US 12 and 97)
Redding, CA
Sonoma, CA
Austin, NV

From Austin, the route stays the same.  Though it will be flexible throughout the trip. The reason for the change was my accepting Ted and Terri Barton’s gracious invitation to visit them in Sonoma. 

I’ve been in touch with a few other friends who live along the route. Almost all will be around for a visit from me. Some I haven’t seen in many years; a reunion is long overdue. 

The week before last I packed the bike as I will for the trip and took a shakeout ride down to Mt. Saint Helens. All went well and there is room to spare. It was an excellent ride, 212 miles with cooperative weather. Unless you count the last nine miles to the observation center being closed due to snow on the road.  It was early April in the Cascades, after all. 

There was a bit of water on the road on the way. Too deep for me. Never claimed to be an ADV badass. 

I reread a couple of posts from 2016, when I got soaked to the skin riding through Montana rainstorm. I’m happy to report that I replaced the old riding gear with Aerostich. I’ve had it about a year and have ridden through steady rain with it a couple of times. It performs as advertised and reported by other riders. Keeps my dry and with the heated jacket liner, warm. 

The Tiger has gotten a few upgrades. Most importantly a Madstad windscreen to replace the CalSci. The latter had a tendency to crack at the mounting points. After three screens, I decided it was time to to try something else. I also added a MotoJug hydration system. It mounts a one gallon water container with a long hose to the bike. No hydration pack to make my shoulders sore. It looks a little Jed Clampett but performs very well. I will appreciate it on those long rides through the desert.