[ST] Ride Report

[Dan Wallander <newsgroup@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

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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