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[ST] Ride Report
I just got back from my first long trip of the season. Feels good to be
back in the LD game.
My grandmother (at 92) is not doing well so I thought I would pay her a
suprise visit. Normally at this time of year, I would take the Honda
(Civic) to North Dakota, but the weather looked like it might just
cooperate enough to run up and back on the ST so I took a chance.
I had a job to complete on Friday last week, so didn't get started until
2pm. Threw my clothes into the hard cases and pointed the nose north
(from Albuquerque). I slabbed it to Trinidad, CO where I took to two
lane blacktop. My goal was North Platte, NE, but by 8:30 my eyes were
sagging and the heated grips weren't keeping up with the cold. I bagged
it in Limon, CO leaving a very long day on Saturday.
Saturday at sunrise, I'm on the road again. It's cold, but sunny and
the wind hasn't started yet. I'm heading north again. Breakfast a
couple hours up the road in Julesburg, CO and Nebraska is beckoning.
Highway 83 takes me north to Valentine and a gas stop. So far so good.
Makeing good time with the speedo pegged at 90 (about 84 actual and
far above the speed limit). I pop into South Dakota where I see a sign
that says "Speed Limit Strictly Enforced". Every state has those,
right? I slow it down a bit just in case and sure enough, 20 miles
later I'm saying "hello officer!".
I get an official authentic autographed South Dakota performace award
for 15 over ($65.00) and an offer from the officer to tear my bike apart
to look for drugs that don't exist. I politely decline his offer to
rearrange my underwear and he lets me go.
The rest of the trip is usual. Straight roads, head wind. It's
starting to get dark as I cross I-94 just East of Bismark ND. I'm
heading north to small two lane. Not much chance of enforcement, so I
push it to near triple digits for a half an hour. As it gets dark, I
slow it down and watch for deer. They are everywhere. An hour on
Highway 19 East and I'm in Devils Lake and it's warm again.
Looking at the bike the next morning, I realize that the rear tire that
I thought had enough to take me home, doesn't. This is not sport bike
country and this size is going to be hard to find. Sure enough, no-one
south on the way home has my size (or probably the ability to balance
the wheel) until Denver and the tire isn't going to last that long. The
only Triumph dealer anywhere near is in Fargo (the wrong way). I call
them and they don't have a tire. I explain my predicament a bit and go
back to my calling around. An hour later, Ma's Cycles in Fargo calls me
back and says they've found one. I don't ask who they stole it from and
I don't care. Stop in If your are in Fargo, ND. They are good guys.
Tuesday morning, I'm off in a 40 mph cross wind for a 300 mile trek in
the wrong direction to get a new rear tire. 40 minutes later, Ma's has
me back on the road. I make it to O'Neill NE, Irish capitol of the
midwest for the night. This leaves me a very long day on Wednesday, but
it's cold and I'm tired so this is it. 5:30am Wednesday and I'm on the
way again. I stop at the Geographic center of Continental US near
Lebanon KS and find a road grader graveyard (just road graders, nothing
else) must be several hundred of them near Great Bend KS. Dodge City is
next, then, Oklahoma panhandle, Texas (it's warm again!!), Tucumcari and
it's dark and cold, then 174 miles of road construction. I'm home at
10:30. It's been a long day.
All told, something over 3000 miles, no mechanical problems, one new
tire which is now severely flat spotted, not a single curve the whole
way. Temps from 28F to 75F (mostly under 45F though). I avoided the
snow, the rain and most of the crosswinds.
Fun trip.
Dan Wallander
Albuquerque, NM.
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