Summer trip planning II

Since my last post a lot of map marking, reading and on-line research has scraped the accumulated grime off a trip plan thought of so many years ago I am not sure when it was. In the 1980's I'd guess, I restarted reading Robert Pirsig's Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance and again did not get much past North Dakota. This was maybe the third attempt, and right as I found myself reading in 2 or 3 page sessions, approaching the time to give up again, I conjured the image of reading the book at the very places he was describing in the text. Actually making the trip that he made in 1968, part of which was with friends riding the same bike I will be riding, a BMW R60. At that time I knew not if the trip details in the book were fiction or fact. On one level it did not matter.

Looking at the states I needed to traverse to get to my goal, a route emerged that brought Pirsig's journey to mind. So a few keystrokes and clicks later and I had a map of his trip, worked out by Pirsig Pilgrims who precede me along the way. I learned that people have earned PhD paper and that there are conferences on one of this book's real messages: the Metaphysics of Quality.

Anyway, Beaverton is not on his route so I'll have to ride a few extra miles. And then there is the return trip. I now plan to ride another bucket-list road: US 50 from San Francisco to Annapolis. A book called Road Trip USA by Jamie Jensen gives details of the good stuff along US 50 called the "Loneliest Road" in the country. Looks like some very nice scenery out west. I hope the gas stations are not too far apart for my little tank. Looks like 7000 miles plus. Maybe too many miles, we'll see.

So on the bike front, I am lacing new rims I've had on the shelf for many years to the hubs and getting them trued up by a professional wheel tweaker, re-lining the brakes, ordering new tires, greasing everything that is supposed to be slippery and wiping off everything that ain't.

I'm mounting my old Craven bags because they hold lots more than the cool Enduro bags now mounted and they have a luggage rack to strap down tent, sleeping bag and the like. Maybe I'm even going to install the dual seat rather than my very tired solo seat so that I can slide back and stretch the legs over the many miles.

I will be running an APRS tracker on this trip so where there is a ham able to capture my signal and relay it to the internet, you will be able to follow my progress. With my new cell phone I should be able to post photos as well. It will be a great to have you along on this hot, cold, dry and wet ride!

Summer Trip Planning has begun!

I recently posted a version of this to the "Slash 2 list" read and populated by other people who ride and love these old bikes. I got a lot of good ideas and some offers to meet the people whose words have informed my riding experience for ten years or more. I now open it up to you to make suggestions, but I'll take a few off the table to avoid both of you typing the same thing:

0- I will be careful, but not full of cares.

1- I don't choose to ride interstate highways, but sometimes they are good.

2- I know that the mid-west holds less charm for motorcyclists then the Mountains on either side of it, and I know it is hot there in July. But for me it is mind over matter and having traversed at least part of the mid-west each July for some years, I can say with some confidence that I will survive it again.

3- I do take my time and smell the roses - that is what the trip is all about. I do not plan the details, only a loose list of places to try and visit. If I don't make it, there is usually next year.

Speaking of next year, Ann and I are getting pretty serious about the "Ride your bike to France" trip. Maybe on a modern bike. That trip is actually more miles than Oregon, and a lot of water crossings.

So here is the original post (with minor edits and a photo of the old R60):


I have friends in Beaverton Oregon that are expecting a baby in mid-July so I am looking at riding my old R60 out there, going west on the northern route via WV, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, South Dakota, Montana, Idaho, Washington and finally Oregon.

I guess I'll go to the coast while I am close, and return by the southern route via Dodge City to see Jim and his sweet wife. Maybe he will give me a ride in the MG.

So at this point having never traveled the good roads in the Iowa -> Oregon stretch on an old bike, I am open for suggested routes, cool things to stop and do, good local food, camping, etc. Any of you along the way that like to host crazy solo riders, let me know. I'd love to meet more of the list contributors.

View July 2011 draft map in a larger map