| Author | Message | ||
     Essmjay |
Connell WA, final lap home. Macy is riding up to White Pass. To meet me. Did Lolo Pass at dawn. Yeehaw Shane | ||
| F_skinner |
Shane, you have done some serious miles in the last two weeks. Hopefully Macy will be able to attend with you next year. | ||
| Bartimus |
You guys are amazing!  | ||
| Jvv |
Made it to Helena..........12 is a pretty neat little road. Added a "foot hold" to the Banke bend. Gunna have to make a permanent set up when I get back. Got tired of my foot slipping off the stand when putting it down.  Doing the Lolo run tomorrow......A local guy on a Harley site told me to take 279 north out of Helena and it will wrap arround and get back to 12 by Lolo. Says it is the best tristy road in Mt. Ride safe....Jack | ||
| Essmjay |
That will be a nice ride Jack, both great roads. I made it home last night. The last day my clutch problem got increasingly worse. I don't know if it is related or caused by the motor oil going into the primary. I really only drained out about a third of a quart in a thousand miles. But the bike would get increasingly hard to shift, then the clutch would not disengage, so I would stop and adjust the clutch. every time it would need to be screwed in farther. At first I thought I was adjusting it wrong, then realized that something was wearing that kept giving me more slack. Each adjustment was good for about 150 miles. At my gas stop in Naches I could not disengage the clutch at all and had to start the bike in gear. I did one more adjustment and drained a little more oil at the top of White Pass where I met up with Macy (my wife). she was on her S3. We headed on down the hill and stopped at the rest area west of Packwood. Now I had strange rubbery squealing noises coming from the primary when I pulled in a released the clutch. We decided to stay on 12 to I5 and on home to minimize the use of the clutch since the bike was doing okay while moving and not shifting. That plan probably would of worked except we hit stop and go traffic on the freeway at Chehalis and I could not disengage the clutch. I banged it down into 1st and slid across to the off ramp. I got into neutral at the light, but the only way I could get going again was either start the bike in gear or rev it up and slam it into 1st. I used the start in gear method which got me to the next light where the same method yielded nothing but a revving motor. I rolled to the shoulder as Macy pulled next to me, holding my broken belt... Fortunately we had a downhill grade to roll thought the intersection with a push and off the road. By now we were only 20 miles from home, so leaving Macy to watch my bike I ran home on her S3, un-bolted the bent tailgate off my trailer (mishap with a large boulder and a tractor, remind me to tell you the story sometime), put air in the flat tire, moved the license plate, grabbed ramps and straps and headed back to Chehalis. It was still stop and go on the slab, so it was close to two hours by the time I got back to the bike and Macy. She had had a few people ask if they could help, and some wack job threw a empty bottle at her, but mostly she was just hot and bored. We loaded up the bike and headed home, just beating the sunset. I am guessing I need to rebuild my clutch pack, possibly brought on by the leaking crankshaft seal, but more likely the nut job behind the bars. I really did push the bike hard with a good load, up and down multiple high mountain passes. I think the killer may have been the Chief Joseph Memorial Byway into NE Yellowstone. So my replacement list now is, front brake rotor, muffler, CS seal, clutch plates, belt. All in all, considering what I pushed the bike through, it performed remarkably well. The front brake MC problem was a aftermarket MC, the muffler that broke was aftermarket, the CS seal was probably the original 15 year old seal, and the clutch, probably just hard riding. Ended up with just shy of 5300 miles, if I counted the 20 mile trailer ride I would have broke the 5300. Great to be home, had a fun adventure. I will put up some photos and tales as I can, I have a lot to do here. Jack- if you come through my area, give me a shout, you could stop by my place. I am in Olympia. My home phone is 9436437 area code 360. | ||
| F_skinner |
Shane, I am glad you are home safe and sound. It was a pleasure sharing a 1000 miles or so with you. | ||
| Bigslug |
Glad you made it home safely Shane, that's a lot of miles to cover on a 15-16 year old bike. Sounds like the S2 was a trooper though, and got you close enough to where you could call home and get back. Good to meet you, hope to see you next year, Mike | ||
| Edv |
Shane Sorry to hear you couldn`t make the last 20 miles after traveling so far and doing so well. It is a tribute to you and the bike. It has been a pleasure to meet you in person and hope to see you again next year. What a hoot Ed | ||
| Jvv |
Shane...Glad you made it home OK!!! Surprised about the clutch......one of the few things that seem to last forever. I had to adjust mine yesterday......the cable stretched a little.......(I hope )......I will be interested in what went on in there. Thanks for the invite.....I am in Clarkston.....not too many S2 miles away. I will be heading south tomorrow. Lolo pass is a great ride........279 out of Helena to 200 to Lolo and 12 to here....400 miles of very, very little straight road. What a nice ride....more bike that cars on 12. | ||
| Essmjay |
Jack- I highly recommend taking HWY 129 out of Clarkston south to 3, then 82 to LaGrande Oregon. For even more fun and still heading southward try 244 out of LaGrande to 395 and take 395 south to Burns. Really great roads. I mean REALLY great roads. | ||
| Gowindward |
Shane good to see you made it home. Does that leave Jack as the only one still out in the wind? | ||
| Essmjay |
Yes, Jack is only the lonely. Frank- it was a gas riding with you, we should do it again sometime. I had a fantastic time meeting everyone on the UP, you are a great bunch of guys. | ||
| Jvv |
Shane...Thanks for the suggestion on "The rattlesnake".........That's a SUPER route to La Grande. Right up there with the BEST MC roads anywhere!! Definitely still "out in the wind"......and loving it.  This Oasis restaurant really "out in the middle of nowhere".......was something. Bike ran great and never saw a law officer. Loved that road!!! Heading "straight" home tomorrow......have to be in Placerville/Sacramento Thursday. Ride safe....Jack | ||
| Essmjay |
I thought you would like that route Jack. If that road wasn't out in the middle of nowhere it would be world famous. Have a great finish to the trip. Shane | ||
| Essmjay |
Had a whole valley to myself for the thursday night up in the Bighorn national forest. The only sound all night was the elk bugling to each other, and it would echo on down the valley. No other sounds, no light except the 1/2 moon and the stars, flat calm. Most awesome place I have ever camped and I had it all to myself. This photo is at the sunset.  | ||
| Essmjay |
And here is the next morning, all packed up and ready to go as the sunrise kisses the tops of the trees.  | ||
| Essmjay |
Sometimes the asphalt is the softest place to pitch the tent. this is a campground at the top of Lolo Pass, Montana side.  | ||
| Rex |
good thing bigfoot didn't see you out there. he likes buells | ||
| Jvv |
Hey Guys............Made it to Reno......the S2 cruised 80+ almost the whole way. Seems to be running better that ever. 84 and the first half of 95 are actually pretty good roads..........good pavement and enough sweepers to not be totally boring......last half of 95 and all 80 are just straight as an arrow. I'm off to the hot tub............( Shane........this is MY kinda kamping). Ride safe all...Jack | ||
| Essmjay |
Glad to hear you are having a great trip now Jack. The straight n'arrow would be better as the unstraight narrow, but you gotta take what the route gives you. shane | ||
| Essmjay |
 this is what you can get if you get up early in yellowstone. I shot this video with my phone in the pre-dawn on the way up to Dunraven Pass. Saw three cars on the ride to Canyon. click on the picture to see the video. (Message edited by essmjay on July 27, 2011) | ||
| Smoke |
looks like y'all had a fun, challenging and all around good time! sorry i missed it as i was really looking forward to meeting up again. we going to Kansas next year? tim | ||
| Jvv |
Almost midnight ...........just rolled in. Spent the day with son/grandson at the MX track, just outside Sacramento..............(hang town event track)..........rode sons new 450 KTM. Very impressive bike. Just want to say a big THANK YOU to all that helped me with my bike at different time...............(this included everyone)......a great adventure going cross country on a S2. Can't wait for next year. Some of you guys that have not done one of these, really do not know what you are missing. Ride safe all............Jack | ||
| Bluzm2 |
Ok, the last one has arrived home. Now we can all rest easy! | ||
| Essmjay |
Congratulations Jack! That was one hell of a ride, a story to share with your grandson when you get old. Shane | ||
| Spiderman |
a story to share with your grandson when you get old. It's an illustrated adventure   glad ya made it home safe Jack! | ||
| Edv |
It was great to get to know you Jack, glad to hear you had such a great ride back. Looking forward to seeing you again next year. | ||
| Gowindward |
Jack, glad to hear you made it home, sorry to hear you are no longer in the wind. Loren | ||
| F_skinner |
Very true Jack... I am already looking forward to next year. | ||
| Bartimus |
I am very sad I missed this adventure. My life is in turmoil at the moment, and even riding doesn't seem to help. Thank you all for the pictures and allowing me to ride vicariously through you, it has helped me immensely. Glad to see everyone finally made it home safe and sound. Jack and Shane, you are an inspiration to us all! Looking forward to next year! |
