Thibodaux to Los Angeles on a Shadow 750 A.C.E.

[jdgretz]

Day 10 cont.


Highway 80 takes you to CA-94 – one seriously cool road.







I need to get back to this one on the Norge as the Shadow did not do this road justice. I saw a bunch of H-D riders who were also enjoying the ride, also at a very sedate speed. This road will seriously smite you if you are not careful.

There are bunches of interesting looking side roads in the Potrero/Barrett Junction/Otay Lakes area that also deserve exploration.

I hung a left on Otay Lakes road as I was headed for San Ysidro – the Southwest Corner of the US and a well-known location for those long distance riders who have done the Four Corners Tour. From there it was the quickest way possible to home.

Totals for this trip –



That was done in 47 hours and 57 minutes in the saddle with an additional 18 hours and 47 minutes stopped for things like lunches, breaks, gas stops, etc., where I didn’t turn off the GPS.

jdg

[jdgretz]

Things I learned

This was a very insightful trip for me as I really hadn't done any real multi-day rides in many years, and back then I was much younger and a bit more adventurous. Not being on a real schedule allowed me the flexibility to take the maintenance induced layover in stride and not stress about it. So, in no particular order, here are some of my observations:

• I pack too much stuff™. There were several items I never got around to using and should never have packed in the first place. I sent home one box from San Antonio but should sent back more stuff. The bike is not a car; I really have to pack less.
  
  
• Rain gear is nice to have, but if you don't plan on really riding in the rain (as in pulling over and waiting for the downpour to pass) don't bother carrying extra rain specific gear, other than boots (maybe).
  
  
• I really like my Motoport stretch Kevlar pants. They worked well in the rain and the desert. Really easy to get in and out of and the armor is great.
  
  
• I'm still very happy with my Tourmaster Snonora 3/4 Air Jacket. Having two liners gave me all the options I needed for this trip.
  
  
• The Sena SMH10 bluetooth head set continues to work just as advertised. Really, what more can you ask of a product?
  
  
• Exoficio underwear from REI are great. Lightweight, wash and dry overnight, and comfortable. I probably could have done the trip with only one pair, but two made it easy.
  
  
• I really enjoy getting out on a nice long multi-day journey.
  
  
• This bike was more comfortable than I expected. 300 mile days were pretty easy on the stock seat once I got to use the whole seat (see above), and when I added the AirHawk, the one 600 mile day wasn’t bad at all.
  
  
• Know what the instruments are telling you and use the GPS as a backup to physical map (or Google Map) planning. Running out of gas at night in the middle of nowhere without cell reception could really suck.
  
  
• I hate Vance and Hines pipes. These suckers are loud and annoying on a long trip. Around town they are not nearly as annoying as I’m not on the bike that long, but hour after hour of that racket was not to my liking. YMMV. Fortunately I’ve found someone with stock pipes that would like the Vance and Hines, so we’re going to swap pipes in the near future – win/win.
  
  
• I really like the Garmin Zumo 660. It beats the heck out of the TomTom Rider 2 I had been using. The ability to build a custom route and import it is a wonderful feature. The ability to listen to pre-recorded music was nice on the long Interstate stretches. The unit is not without faults, however, as about one out of three times, it would not recognize the micro SD card that contained my music. I don’t know what the issue is, but I’ll be checking with Garmin and the various support boards.
  
  
• The portable XM radio I purchased specifically to use on the bike (XMp3i) will not work the way I need it to work. First, and this is not explained in the manuals (I did read these) or anywhere on the website, you cannot use the mp3 function unless you activate the radio, adding it to you existing subscription or starting a subscription of you don’t already have one.
  
  I wanted to mount the radio using a RAM style mount and plug it into some sort of 12-volt power outlet so as not to have to rely on the internal battery (they claim 4 hours XM Live or 16.5 for playback from the micro SD card - YMMV). The only way to accomplish that is to use the Power Connect Vehicle Kit as it contains a mount that is powered off a standard 12-v outlet. The problem is that as soon as you insert the portable radio it demands you have the external antenna attached even though the radio has a built in antenna. While this might work on the Shadow or my C-10 Kawasaki Concours both of which have metal gas tanks, it will not work on my Norge or any bike that has a plastic tank or tank covering as the external antenna is magnetic mounting. Trying the USB connector doesn't work either. It assumes you have it connected to a computer and wish to transfer files. It will charge, but will not play while hooked to the USB cable. Sirius/XM does not make a power adapter that you can plug directly into the radio from a 12-volt power supply. If you want to carry along the home charging unit, you can recharge the radio every evening when it can be plugged into the wall or you can use the USB method mentioned previously.

All in all, it was a wonderful trip and I'm just about ready to do some more exploring, but first a bit of work around the house, some bike cleaning and maintenance, and then maybe another few days out exploring and having fun. Who know, maybe my wife will join me next time.


jdg


Shameless plug - the trip is also on my blog.

Shameless plug #2 - There are additional photos on my Flickr page - that's two links, one for the ride, the other for the Big Money Rally photos.

[jdgretz]

Originally Posted by Mystic Red

Can't wait.......... I'm enjoying the ride along!

Glad you are enjoying it. It was fun to do.

Originally Posted by Nstu

Xcellent trip so far. great pic's and great writing.

Thanks, I appreciate your comments.

Originally Posted by demenshea

Great stuff and wonderful photos! Man that Boss Hog is HUGE!!! Can't wait for more!

Yep, the Boss Hog is a big machine. Even the two wheeled version is a force with which to be reckoned.

Originally Posted by sprockethead

Great ride report and pics - keep 'em comin'!!

Thanks you - hope you enjoyed the rest of the ride.

Originally Posted by Old Surf Dog

Very nice John. The AV Riders sound like a great group to help Mike out that way. It's true that you meet the nicest people on a motorcycle. Too bad that you couldn't back road it most of the way. I can't think of anything more boring than riding the interstate through Texas!

The folks on ADV are something else, that's for sure. I would have liked to do more back roads (like US 90 for a lot longer), but I was on a bit of a self imposed schedule. I'd hoped to spend about 8 - 10 days on the road, without maintenance issues. That would have given me a couple of more days to explore and play, but was not to be this time. Next time...

Originally Posted by DYNA118

Never seen so many people in Luckenbach proper, really not a thing there.

It all depends on what you're looking for. During the week, you're absolutely correct. Hondo originally purchased the place because when he was driving home from one side of his ranch to the other the General Store/Bar would often be closed, so he said if he owned the place "I can get a damn drink when I want one".

On the weekends, it's very different. Folks come to hang out and not be in town. Yeah, they get a bunch of tourists, but the majority of the folks are regulars just enjoying getting together. Then there's the music...

Originally Posted by CRASH

Nice report ... and what you guys over at Adventure Rider did was selfless and simply outstanding ... good on all of you.

Thank you. I'm honored to be a small part of something that should be pretty cool.

jdg

[Mystic Red]

Nice RR! Sounds like you had a great adventure while fulfilling a commendable mission.

I really like my Motoport stretch Kevlar pants. They worked well in the rain and the desert. Really easy to get in and out of and the armor is great.

I assume they shed enough water to keep you happy and dried quickly? And breathed well enough in the desert heat?

The Sena SMH10 bluetooth head set continues to work just as advertised. Really, what more can you ask of a product?

How true! I use my own ear buds, not the supplied speakers, with the triple flange silicone ear pieces. The sound quality is amazing, voice and music, while knocking out a lot background noise like wind and road noise. Bluetoothed to my Droid I don't need an MP3 player.

I hate Vance and Hines pipes. These suckers are loud and annoying on a long trip. Around town they are not nearly as annoying as I’m not on the bike that long, but hour after hour of that racket was not to my liking. YMMV. Fortunately I’ve found someone with stock pipes that would like the Vance and Hines, so we’re going to swap pipes in the near future – win/win.

Don't think my earbuds would knock enough dBs out these to make a trip bearable.

Thanks for the detailed summation of your trip. I learned somethin'.

[jdgretz]

Originally Posted by Mystic Red

I assume they shed enough water to keep you happy and dried quickly? And breathed well enough in the desert heat?


Thanks for the detailed summation of your trip. I learned somethin'.

Yes, they do shed water very well. The company (actually the owner - I went down towards San Diego to pick mine up) says they are good for about 2 hours of pretty solid rain before they soak through, and from my short trial, I'd agree. I rode in steady moderate rain for over an hour, and once I picked up a pair of rain boots from the local Cycle Gear, I was in good shape.

jdg