| Author | Message | ||
     Paralegalpete |
Just returned from a weekend ride, Ontario to TN, with a quick stop to ride the Dragon. I was there last March but it was closed due to a rock slide. Some folks say it's overrated, but I really enjoyed it. I rode home yesterday 15 hours in one shot(including two runs on the Dragon) and got home at midnight. Here are my tracks for the weekend    The Uly was comfortable and did everything I asked of it. I was carrying all my spares and tools just in case but no issues. | ||
| Etennuly |
Hi Pete! Wholly ambitious weekend ride! I can figure why you didn't give a shout....you didn't have time! Wow! Next time shoot me a PM, I promise I won't slow you down much! Man, that's awesome. | ||
| 7873jake |
When you come up off of the side stand, you don't mess around do you?!?! Wow! "Honey, I'm headed out for a bag of milk. Be right back...from Saskatoon in a day or two!" The American economy thanks you for buying Aerostich BTW. IIRC, you had just ordered that a few months back? Was gas any cheaper by the gallon down here? Just curious...its been a while since I last rolled up to an Esso or Petro Canada pump. | ||
| Ronmold |
The complaints from my arse would be eclipsed by my grin, what a ride! We need more stories like this which prove the solid dependability of the XB platform as forums such as this (and this is one of the best out there IMHO) unintentionally tend to concentrate the ills. How many miles on'er now Pete? | ||
| Mnviking |
The American economy thanks you for buying Aerostich BTW. I second that. You're also helping out the Minnesota economy, which I'm a fan of. Love the mudflap on the front part of your exhaust. Haven't seen that before. Love it. | ||
| Motorbike |
You call that a weekend ride?! Imagine how far you might go in a whole week! | ||
| Paralegalpete |
Thanks for all the comments folks. Vern, this was a totally impromptu ride I basically made a few calls to some folks that I know from a Sportster forum and had a place to stay in Ohio on the way down and in Maryville in TN. I definitely want to ride with you again and the other folks I met from this forum in March 10. The Stich suit was purchased about a month ago and it's fantastic. That the CAN dollar is currently worth slightly more than the US Greenback, helps. I don't really look at the price of gas but in Canada its probably over 5 bucks a gallon. That mud flap is from Palmer Products UK and can be used with or without the chin spoiler. I also bought little rubber fender extensions from them as well and as you can see, the bar ends and the windshield brackets. If you drive any direction on earth for 800 miles you will hit a lot of different weather and my ride was no exception. Cold with trace amounts of snow in Ontario and New York, Rain in Ohio, High Winds in Kentucky and Hot and Sunny in TN. Reverse the pattern on the way home however with less Wind, Rain and Cold. I rode a lot of back roads on the way down but always eventually ended up on the interstate so that I could reach my night stop in time to socialize. Blasting down 1-75 (85-95mph) in TN into a headwind I only got 100 miles before the fuel light came on. On the way home I took 1-75 all the way and found that if I kept the speed at 75mph mileage was better and I didn't get as fatigued. Day one and Day three were challenging rides. I have about 30,000KMs on the bike now. (Message edited by paralegalpete on April 25, 2011) | ||
| Trevd |
Nice! Reminds me of the old days before I had my kids to keep me closer to home. Is that an umbrella sticking out of the back of your bike? Did you have to slow down to use it?  | ||
| Paralegalpete |
That was my wheelie feeler, so much weight at the back..... | ||
| Etennuly |
So you really feel the suit is worth the money for a trip like this? It looks like a good idea to me. | ||
| Sayitaintso |
I was wondering the same thing about the umbrella... or if it even was an umbrella. Great sounding trip. Thanks for the report.... color me jealous. | ||
| Wolfridgerider |
NICE!!... kinda sounds like the ride to Daytona this year... but with a better road to ride in the middle | ||
| Uly_man |
Very nice. I have toured around the EU, on many bikes, in the past and on some very mad roads. The N16 on the Portugal/Spanish border is a very, very serious road. It is so tight even semi trucks fall over. I find a big tourer is a bit cumbersome on the twisty bits and a full-on sports bike can be hard work on a long haul. The Uly is able to do it all though. You can even do a bit of "green lane" stuff if you want to. Not the sort of thing that lends itself to an R1 or Gold Wing type bike. It really is one of the best "all round" road bikes ever made. It was short sighted enough for HD to dump Buell but bikes like the R/CR and a Rotax Uly would/are serious road bikes that are as good as anyone can produce. Oh and the Duke Multi is a great bike but not at 12,000GBP/20,000USD. For me anyway. | ||
| Natexlh1000 |
That's not an umbrella. It's a drag chute. | ||
| 7873jake |
Pete has a rare problem: two umbrella girls but only one umbrella so he has to trundle it back and forth between the two of them, one at each end of the tail.  I only have two umbrellas.  *picture borrowed from an Indy_Bueller post circa 2008.} | ||
| Paralegalpete |
This shirt was waiting for me  I'm no expert rider, but the Uly handled itself around the Dragon very nicely keeping in mind I was carrying a lot of stuff. Then I was able to blast home 800 miles without my ass getting sore. | ||
| Paralegalpete |
Vern, I don't have a lot to compare to the Stich suit but I can tell you that mine fits me well (size 44) and is really comfortable. I rode through a lot of rain in Ohio and not a drop got through to me and it was comfortable in the 80 plus temps in TN. I think it was worth the money. | ||
| Etennuly |
Sounds like it sure is worth it. Now I have something else to look into! Thanks! | ||
| Ratbuell |
Nice ride, verrrry jealous... Nice tires, too!   | ||
| Mnviking |
I own the Aerostich Darien pants. Love them. They fit great right over your jeans. Wind and water proof. Best gear I've ever owned. | ||
| Johndb |
I'll be leaving for a short trip to the Great Smoky Mountains, and the Dragon on May 21st with a friend and his brother. We'll have my Uly, a '04 VFR and a BMW F800 ST. So far, it's a four day loop T.B.D. | ||
| Fltwistygirl |
Nice trip and great time of the year to do it! We had planned to head towards Suches and TWO mid-May on the two Ulys, but obviously the TWO part will not be happening. Not sure where else in the mountains our trip will take us, but we're gonna catch Cracker and Camper Van Beethoven in that neck of the woods for sure. | ||
| Ratbuell |
Well for any of these long-tripster folks...if you're in Maryland, I have an open door policy. 2 acres, sleep in a tent or indoors or in the barn (your choice...unless you stink THAT bad in which case I'll just hit you with the garden hose before I let you inside!), indoor plumbing as needed including washer/dryer, fire pit, beer store right around the corner, and a garage to park or fix your Buell while you're here. 45 minutes from DC. If I can't TAKE the trips, I might as well hear about 'em! |
