Friday, June 20th
Friday's ride route (http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&hl=en&geocode=&saddr=3955+Oxer+Rd,+Erie,+PA+16505&daddr=1480+Western+Ave,+Albany+NY+to:1358+Winona+Rd.+New+Hampton,NH+03256&mra=pi&mrcr=1&sll=42.58315,-77.00468&sspn=3.599232,6.811523&ie=UTF8&z=6)
I don't know what possessed me to ride to DIMBY, but I had to do it. The forecast was for rain at some point along the way (managed to stay dry all the way there)
The plan was to meet lethe in Albany around 6 or so. I left Erie at 12 noon with the 675 loaded up for bear.
Of course the super slab is hours of suck. I did make some good time though. I ended up behind some kids in an X5 that wanted to rock, so i matched their speed. We managed 110 at a couple points. They slowed for [leo] so I did too. Worked out well.
I get to Albany at 7 sharp. I meet lethe who is wearing a rainsuit that I will only refer to as "sub standard." In reality he looked like he was wearing a sail from the Flying Dutchman. I should have taken a picture.
We grab some Burger King and hit the road. More highway and no fun until we hit NY7/VT9. 9 is a great road!
It was pitch black and we were still hauling ass through it [evil]
I've taken to sometimes riding with ear phones in (w/ the little rubber seals) I have a lot of different types of music in there and the tune's were a-going this evening. It's a little after 11pm and Coroner comes on.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x7KeEXfMywI
We come flying around a corner that turns into like a 30 foot drop and we carve right through it. There's some fog, the moon is GIGANTIC and orange. I notice all these things at the same time and it was just really really cool. One of those moments where you say to yourself, "this is why I ride."
We find our way to Ducpainter's house, and blow right by it. Both of us on the brakes and we U turn it and pull in.
For me it was 12 hours straight and 594 miles.
Everyone is winding down from an evening of drinking (Im leaving earlier next time, hours earlier [laugh])
So we gave everyone a second (or 3rd?) wind and Nate throws some burgers on the grill for us. After a ride that long, these were the best-est most tastiest burgers I've probably ever had.
I take a look around and there are like 15 or 20 monsters clumped in and around the driveway. There's 2 in the back of a truck and another truck next to that one pulling 2 more on a trailer.
Wait, I look closer. That's not a second Monster in that truck, it's another Triumph! I am not alone!! [beer]
I unpack, have a beer and crash.
Saturday, June 21st
Saturday morning was nice, warm and sunny.
Everyone was moving slooooooly. I think at least one or two others were actually sweating Tequila [drink] [evil]
After a great breakfast (thanks T!) and more lethargy we got a group ride together around noon.
Let me tell you, NH has two types of roads. The first type, I wanted to pull off and trade my 675 in for a supermoto. That road wasn't even fit to walk on [laugh]
The second type = 100 miles of racetrack with short straights [moto] [moto] [moto]
I followed Nate and at one point I think I hit close to 100mph.
In a state park [evil] [evil] [evil] That Kanc was a great place to go, thanks for including it in the route!!
At one point we were cruising through a nice LH sweeper (behind a car who was also moving at a decent pace) and a guy on an R1 comes the other way, drops his peg to the ground (not hanging off at all) and rails the corner. He is not wearing a helmet, i see no coat or gloves either :o :o :o
Nate and I both turn our heads and look back behind us with a "WTF" and a "I wonder if this dumbass is going to take out some of our group?"
Since this was the last weekend of bikeweek, I really did learn what "rolling roadblock" means. We found an open spot and passed a clump of 3 or 4 cars and 6-8 bikes in one shot. [evil]
The bikes were actually holding up the cars, if you can believe that. :-X
We stopped at a fire station to take advantage of their port-a-potty. Before we hit the road back, Statler and I switched bikes and his British conversion began.
Don't get me wrong, the S4RS was pretty sweet, but I couldn't wait to get off it. The sheer brutality of the engine and brakes was nothing short of excellent. BST carbon wheels really really really make that bike turn NOW!!! What a worthwhile upgrade 8) But, like I said, I just didn't fit well on that bike.
We get back to headquarters and I start to park the RS, but then change my mind and I pull up and over looking for better pavement to put the stand on, and I almost take out Monstermash! Sorry man :-[
I pull of my helmet and ear plugs and. .. . . . . no 675.
Still no 675.
Ok, where's the 675?!
I figure either they got lost, caught in traffic or Statler's in a ditch somewhere. I really wouldn't have cared if the bike got crashed (as long as he was ok) I was more concerned over how I would get home [laugh]
So they just took a wrong turn and showed up right as I was putting my helmet on to go look for bodies [cheeky]
Saturday evening consisted of the usual schedule of eating, drinking and burning things.
Sunday, June 22nd
lethe and I say our goodbye's and hit the road at 945 or so. We take 9 (in the daylight this time) and have some fun, but mostly get stuck behind 5000 harleys going home from bike week.
I knew we'd hit rain at some point and VT was the place for that to happen. We pulled off and I threw on the rain suit, he covered up his tail pack and we were back at it.
It did rain pretty good for a bit around 1:00 or so. Id call it a 5 or 6 out of 10 on the suck scale.
Instead of reversing our original route, we made our way over to RT30 in NY and man o man what a bad ass MF'N road!!! It's 100 miles, gas stations at both ends and sweeper after sweeper up, down and through the mountains [thumbsup] [thumbsup] [thumbsup] [thumbsup]
It didn't shave any time off my trip, but it made the first part much more fun.
BTW, lethe is f'n fast on that 620! [thumbsup] to you man
We split around 6pm and I take 17/86 across NY to get home (instead of I90 - FU and your tolls! As if I didn't hate the highway enough, now I have to pay $20 to ride on it? Not!)
17 is uneventful. I pull of and grab fuel and Wendy's around 8. Im sitting there eating my burger and a mom and 3 kids sit down in the booth in front of me. She leaves to go get something (dad is on the way with food I guess) and the one kid looks at me and says,
"That your motorcycle out there?"
"Yep."
He looks back at it, "sweeet."
[laugh] [laugh] [laugh] [laugh]
He's 7 and Ive had this same conversation with guys 20 years older than him. I think he's a future [moto]
Back to 17 and it's starting to get dark. I make a note that I still have my smoked shield on, but it's still 50 or 60 miles before I planned to stop for fuel again.
Then I look up. Bad bad things are in the sky. There were clouds like the ones circling the apt. building in Ghostbusters.
Me: Please wait.
Death clouds: We're not prepared to make any promises at this point.
Me: But, the sunshine?
Death Clouds (in an angry voice): There is no sunshine, only Zeul!
Me: AHHHHHHHhh
I pull off and put the rainsuit back on, change to the clear shield and it lets loose.
I've never been in rain like this, let alone by myself at night. There were no other cars on the highway in either direction for miles. I make a note that this is a bad place to be disabled.
I hop on board and rip towards home. I'm running about 90mph for as long as I can to try and push through. I don't care about [leo] I passed 2 of them earlier (w/ their radar guns out) at 80 and 85 and they both left me alone. The rain is coming down pretty good.
Then it rains more. I don't know how this is possible. I have to slow to about 75 as there's too much water on the road and my front won't clear it well enough to keep the steering sharp. Im also having trouble seeing the lines because there's too much water on my visor. Using the finger squeegee on my Held Phantoms wouldn't have helped (though this is a really cool feature for a glove- highly recommended)
I ride this way, in full tuck, between 75 and whatever speed I can manage for about 60 miles. I pull off for fuel and check my phone. My wife sent me a text about the Severe T-Storm warning the have all over the TV.
Thanks for the head's up [laugh]
I come up on the Salamanca casino exit on 17. It is raining so hard Im looking for the Arc. It's that bad. Im hauling ass again to get home, and get out of the rain (+ im close to home so Im more motivated) I come up on another car that's moving at a good clip. He's passing a tour bus, slowly. Im moving at about 90mph and having a hard time catching these two! I eventually do and this car wants to run. I don't know what this guy was thinking or where he was going or why he wanted to get there so fast, but he was determined.
I pass him at 100 (in the rain at night, [roll] yeah I know)
A few seconds later, he decides to pass me. Im back down to 90 or so and he blows by me.
This is a Pontiac Bonneville BTW.
He slows down.
Ok, so I think he's just intrigued by a bike, in a rainstorm with bags and all this crap strapped to the back and he wants another look.
We hit a straight section, the rain lightens up quite a bit and I lay into it and go by him.
At like 120.
I slow it back to 90 and he rockets past me again and slows after he passes.
Ok, so it's like that.
He's passing other cars, maintaining 90-100mph or so, I just stay back and match his speed. Cops can come out after him. They'll get him, but I'll be checking out and not staying around for that conversation.
That never happened though. I kept my 90-100 pace all the way to where 17 connects with I90. There is a nice, NICE long sweeper here that even a liter bike could get through at top speed (with a smart rider of course)
Pontiac guy is behind me at this point.
The rain has quit and this section of road is dry.
I crush this corner. Pontiac guy, till now, had been trying to keep up (I think). I got through the turn and never saw that guy again. I even dropped down to about 70mph once I got on 90.
So, I left Ducpainter's house at 9:45 that morning and pulled into my garage at 11:45 that night.
I made it from the Casino exit to home in 62 minutes. Map of the route (http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&hl=en&geocode=12436099811137391607,42.153045,-78.746369&saddr=777+Seneca+Allegany+Blvd,+Salamanca,+NY+14779+(Seneca+Alleghany+Casino)&daddr=3955+Oxer+Rd,+Erie,+PA+16505&mra=pe&mrcr=0&sll=42.123804,-79.456472&sspn=0.906495,1.702881&ie=UTF8&ll=42.098222,-79.458618&spn=0.906874,1.702881&z=9)
My friends, that is a long day. That's 14 hrs of riding, half at night and in blinding rain.
Total mileage from 12 noon Friday to 11:45 Sunday night = 1360.
Top speed achieved on the trip = 123mph.
Ave MPG = 45 8)
Next time around I propose we make things more interesting. 600 miles and 12 hours one way just didn't take enough of a toll on my body and mind. I think next time, I'd like to leave reeeeeallly early, ride up to NH, meet you guys at Louden, do a trackday, then go back to DP's place and drink [evil] [evil] [evil]
Riiiight [roll] [roll] [laugh]
Some pics- -
(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y25/900rider/DIMBY08008.jpg)
(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y25/900rider/DIMBY08007.jpg)
(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y25/900rider/DIMBY08006.jpg)
(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y25/900rider/DIMBY08005.jpg)
(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y25/900rider/DIMBY08004.jpg)
(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y25/900rider/DIMBY08003.jpg)
(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y25/900rider/DIMBY08002.jpg)
that's the longest read ever..and..it's not even about a friggen Ducati!
[roll]
Your first mistake is admitting you read it all :-*
Quote from: Monsterlover on June 23, 2008, 09:16:52 AM
Your first mistake is admitting you read it all :-*
Are you kidding me?! I scrolled through it first came to the conclusion it was too long and posted. ;D
Nice pics though!! [thumbsup]
No you're kidding yourself. You know you're a secret closet Triumph freak.
Just admit it and get it over with [laugh]
Quote from: Monsterlover on June 23, 2008, 09:16:52 AM
Your first mistake is admitting you read it all :-*
i read it all and enjoyed every word [thumbsup]
i was worried you ran into the same death clouds we did,
i'm sooooo glad you & lethe made it home without incident.
i was riding further back through the kanc, and the R1 guy freaked us out too...
that is one beautiful road over the pass! the group stayed pretty tight through the whole thing,
we only lost sight of the front a few times... i was bummed we didn't stop at the top, but nate made the right choice...
there were sooooo many bikes parked up there!
thanks for the write up, i loved your story! [moto]
Sorry to leave you hangin at Nate's wondering where we were...but that thing is soooooooooo sloooooow it took us some time to catch up ;D
just kidding. I liked the Triumph a whole lot more than I thought I would. It's soooo easy to ride fast. Actually has quite a bit of stomp up in the rev range. It sounds really good from the saddle too....one of those bikes that makes nice music for the rider but is quiet for everyone else.
I still like my bikes to be more blood and guts and brutal...and the triple is smooth and civilized. Certainly a fun swap for a short hop. Thanks. (and there's no way in hell I'd take the RS on the trip you just did...I don't think anyone would have fun on my bike on that trip...but the Triumph...sweet).
(and when monsterlover says he didn't fit the RS, you have to realize his legs are three feet longer than mine and he is seven feet taller overall).
Oh, I also would like to send out a big thank you to Triumph for building such a reliable bike.
There's no way I could have lived with myself if I had been the one to break down at DIMBY and make the rest of the group pull over and wait.
[laugh][evil][laugh]
Quote from: Monsterlover on June 23, 2008, 10:59:48 AM
Oh, I also would like to send out a big thank you to Triumph for building such a reliable bike.
There's no way I could have lived with myself if I had been the one to break down at DIMBY and make the rest of the group pull over and wait.
[laugh][evil][laugh]
Smartass.
(I had a rearset bolt vibrate out so the entire assembly rotated down and I couldn't shift. Caught the bolt with my foot and we did a brief tightening on the side of the road before we caught up to the group patiently waiting and tightened it with the right allen.)
(http://www.brimhallindustrial.com/loctite2.jpg)
never ride a twin w/o it.
unless it's a Thompson Twin
Quote from: Statler on June 23, 2008, 11:16:27 AM
Smartass.
(I had a rearset bolt vibrate out so the entire assembly rotated down and I couldn't shift. Caught the bolt with my foot and we did a brief tightening on the side of the road before we caught up to the group patiently waiting and tightened it with the right allen.)
[laugh]
See what happens you call the 675 slow. . .
this is what you get [laugh]
by slow I meant civilized. You'd never catch the trumpet drinking tequila neat.
we have to do this again next year.
Uh huh. Suuuure you did.
You're right, we do have to do this again. It was too much fun. Ill leave earlier next time, I feel like I missed out on a lot of shenanigans.
Maybe a DMF trackday? That would be cool!
Quote from: Monsterlover on June 23, 2008, 01:19:27 PM
Uh huh. Suuuure you did.
You're right, we do have to do this again. It was too much fun. Ill leave earlier next time, I feel like I missed out on a lot of shenanigans.
Maybe a DMF trackday? That would be cool!
that my friend is a fine idea [thumbsup]
i was talking to nate about doing a fishtail track day, maybe in the fall [moto]
I read the whole post. Great write up and great meeting you.
Good to hear that the rest of your trip from where we parted ways didn't end badly.
I got my fourth wind (maybe fifth at that point) and absolutely crushed the roads heading home from Hancock.
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&hl=en&geocode=9028212176202786049,41.869199,-75.147281&saddr=hancock,NY&daddr=RT-97+%4041.869199,+-75.147281+to:41.799855,-75.183563+to:hawley,PA&mra=dpe&mrcr=0&mrsp=2&sz=13&via=1,2&sll=41.822246,-75.137215&sspn=0.099014,0.21904&ie=UTF8&ll=41.547516,-75.212917&spn=0.198875,0.43808&t=h&z=12
An hour and 21 minutes, ha! Try something more like 45 minutes or so. [evil]
I had forgotten about the crazy little windy narrow road that I took from 97 over to 191, I'll make sure to keep that one in regular rotation now.
Nice! It's good to let the inner squid swim once in a while ;D
Quote from: howie on June 23, 2008, 02:49:01 PM
I read the whole post. Great write up and great meeting you.
You too!
I read the whole thing too.
You, lethe, and Statler are my heroes....
I mean..... traveling as much as 26 ish hours (round trip) to hang out here?....
I'm not worthy.
Quote from: ducpainter on June 23, 2008, 06:27:02 PM
I read the whole thing too.
You, lethe, and Statler are my heroes....
I mean..... traveling as much as 26 ish hours (round trip) to hang out here?....
I'm not worthy.
To actually now "know" someone I've known for a couple years now, totally worth the effort.
Your funny laugh alone was worth it.
+11tyb
+ after 12hrs on board that bike your burgers rule!
Destination and company were totally worth the trip.
Quote from: lethe on June 23, 2008, 06:29:08 PM
To actually now "know" someone I've known for a couple years now, totally worth the effort.
Your funny laugh alone was worth it.
What funny laugh?
[laugh] [laugh] [laugh] [laugh] [laugh] [laugh] [laugh]
Quote from: Monsterlover on June 23, 2008, 06:30:54 PM
+11tyb
+ after 12hrs on board that bike your burgers rule!
Destination and company were totally worth the trip.
I knew you guys were on the way...
It's somewhat amazing I was able to light the grille when you guys showed up. :P
[laugh][laugh][laugh][laugh][laugh]
Awesome
Everyone did seem. .. .relaxed.
I notice that no matter how drunk a man gets there's 2 things he's always capable of doing because they're part of the base code and don't need higher brain functioning:
Sex
and
burning things.
Maybe not in any usable capacity, but god damnit, it'll happen.
I'm somewhat disappointed the fire walk pics didn't come out. ;D
I didn't take any pictures and Im kicking myself for being lazy and leaving the camera packed up.
I think I could have made that picture come out.
You made that look easy. I was tempted to give it a shot [evil]
Quote from: Monsterlover on June 23, 2008, 06:49:26 PM
I didn't take any pictures and Im kicking myself for being lazy and leaving the camera packed up.
I think I could have made that picture come out.
You made that look easy. I was tempted to give it a shot [evil]
I followed this link from a pic JBubble found...
It is easy.
We can do it together this year. ;D
Ummm...
Maybe