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Patience's Progress


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If I were you, I'd choose daylight and more cagers over fewer and therefore faster cars in the dark and the wet. But then, we all know you're not one to make things easier for yourself.

 

As for the lane splitting, you don't need to do it if you're not comfortable or simply don't want to.

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I just read this whole thread...histerical, LMAO, glad your alive, certifiable, stark raving... Ya, you need to get some experience, your dangerous. But...while those stodgy starched shirts sit at home with their rolls of safety wire waiting for the weather to clear, preparing for all eventualities so there is nothing left to chance... I'm going with you! thumbsup.gif

Most memorable part of my last trip was riding thru a T-storm in driving rain, with lightning around me, watching the harley riders in T-shirts head for cover. I was grinnin' ear to ear also.

 

Good judgement comes from experience,

Experience comes from poor judgement (if we live thru it)

Apparently you have. clap.gif

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russell_bynum

Adam,

You've done everything else on this trip in a very "Trial by fire" fashion, and so far it's worked.

 

BUT...don't do that with lane splitting.

 

I would opt for the later departure time with less traffic. Splitting is a learned skill, it is tricky, and it can be very dangerous. If you don't know what you're doing, you could just be bopping along feeling great about your skills, then BAM....you're hamburger.

 

Learn to split by starting small...filter up to the front of a line of cars that are already stopped at a traffic light. Once you're 100% comfortable with that, then you can start filtering up before they actually stop, and you progress from there.

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I also opted not to change my brake pads, because I don't have any new ones to put in. That would somewhat hinder my ability to make it to tech daze if I tried at this point.

 

You might make it. It's spending any time at the Tech Daze that might be hindered due to lack of brakes.

 

Greg

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Francois_Dumas

Hi Adam,

was away on holiday (not nearly as eventful as your trip, unless you count 4 days of skiing with this stiff, out-of-shape old body an 'event') and had to do a LOT of catching up reading your new adventures.

 

Ummm.. somebody commented on not wanting to ride with you.... well... I would.. video cam and digicam at the ready !! grin.gifgrin.gif <grinning>.

 

As for lane splitting... I'm an expert (as well as on jumping roundabouts).... ask Erick. The first time I 'tried' I had visions of an angry mob of car drivers pursuing me on foot because I scratched 20 cars in one go with my side cases...... cool.gifcrazy.gif

 

Didn't happen fortunately (the scratching nor the pursuit), but nevertheless I am still not really comfortable to do it, and I NEVER do it with Nina on the pillion. Okay, call me a wuss.... I'll just wait a little and try to choose routes without much traffic, or lanes smirk.gif

 

Keep up the humoristic reports, beware of tire wear and other hazards and get home safely somehow !

 

Noobie Francois smirk.gif

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Paul Mihalka

Adam, to continue riding on almost worn out brake pads is about as smart as starting a long trip on a almost worn out tire. I'll guess you will do it! smile.gif

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For some of you though, I suspect that running errands and indigestion might be almost too much excitement for one day, so I'll stop there.

 

Don't forget that some of us have cats... Hairballs! Almost too much excitement, especially combined with the person's own case of indigestion. grin.gif

 

Sorry, I couldn't resist. Mark me in the column with those that are enjoying your journey, wishing we were as mentally up for an "anything goes" trip, and desperately hoping you learn lots and lots of "won't do this next time" stuff! thumbsup.gif

 

 

 

Heading to Costa Mesa tomorrow evening, where there should be a set of shims and brake pads waiting for me. There's actually a bit of a conundrum at this point. Do I leave during the worst traffic hours of the day, just for the joy of lane splitting for the first time in stopped traffic? Or do I leave later in the evening, when traffic will be thinner, but the forecast is more rain?

 

 

Don't forget that we also have plain old streets heading between here and there, and if you want to avoid the busy freeway experience, or at least minimize it, taking a less direct route might be a less challenging option. But, it's definitely YOUR adventure! Check you PMs and give me a yell if I can help with non-freeway suggestions. smile.gif

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For some of you though, I suspect that running errands and indigestion might be almost too much excitement for one day, so I'll stop there. grin.gif

LMAO, but I don't think you know some of us well enough to talk to us that way. smirk.gif

 

Roll on, Brother!

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Remember, it's not always necessary to fall down and break both legs in order to stop and smell the roses.

 

Yes... but you're forced to stop and smell them so much longer! You really get to experience those roses! Besides. With both legs broken, the distraction would be welcome. grin.gif

 

But I'm still here, ready to do (different) stupid things nearly everyday.

 

grin.gifgrin.gifblush.gifgrin.gifgrin.gifthumbsup.gif

 

Good judgement comes from experience,

Experience comes from poor judgement (if we live thru it)

Apparently you have. clap.gif

 

Yup. So far anyway! thumbsup.gif

 

BUT...don't do that with lane splitting.

 

I'll take your advice on that. Hamburger just sounds so... unromantic when applied to one's self. I would like to pose another question though. What about leaving midday for that particular ride? Say... noonish? I'm not that familiar with traffic patterns in the area, but would that be more likely to present healthily moving traffic between San Diego and Costa Mesa?

 

You might make it. It's spending any time at the Tech Daze that might be hindered due to lack of brakes.

 

I figure if I just low side it into that row of bikes over there, that should slow me down sufficiently. Hey mike... have any roses planted near your driveway?

 

Francois: Thank you for the encouragement, and I'm glad you've made it safe thus far without angering any mobs of drivers... you wuss. grin.gif

 

Adam, to continue riding on almost worn out brake pads is about as smart as starting a long trip on a almost worn out tire. I'll guess you will do it! smile.gif

 

Paul, I figure I'm at 10-15% right now, (confirmed by iron horse). That said, I've used 90% in 20,000 miles. Figuring that I'm only traveling 100 miles to get from here to Costa Mesa, I don't believe there's too much risk in using that last 10% in that distance. A calculated risk, but with odds I'm comfortable with.

 

Don't forget that some of us have cats... Hairballs!

 

I shudder at the thought. You're right. You don't need any more adventure. eek.gifgrin.gif

 

As far as taking regular roads goes, those kind of scare me more than freeways do. Intersections are baaaaaad.

 

Hmm. I'll have to check though. If the pashnit site has some decent roads getting from here to there, that would definitely be preferable.

 

Sondance: Thanks smile.gif

 

Rich: Ordered them yesterday, they'll be overnighted today. EBC pads. I've heard they're a bit better, and cheaper, than the BMW ones.

 

Joel: Since I'll be living out in Denver soon, see ya in the twisties smile.gif

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Rich: Ordered them yesterday, they'll be overnighted today. EBC pads. I've heard they're a bit better, and cheaper, than the BMW ones.

 

Overnighted to the placed in Costa Mesa where you are going to pick them up?????

 

But where izzaat, Precious, I gotta know, where izzat?

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Ahhhh. ok.

 

I was hoping to hear of a good scooter accessory shop to visit. I work in Santa Ana near the 405/55 junction. (Very close to Costa Mesa)

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russell_bynum

I'll take your advice on that. Hamburger just sounds so... unromantic when applied to one's self. I would like to pose another question though. What about leaving midday for that particular ride? Say... noonish? I'm not that familiar with traffic patterns in the area, but would that be more likely to present healthily moving traffic between San Diego and Costa Mesa?

 

There will be traffic at any time of the day, but noon(ish) would most likely be pretty good. You're looking at about 1.5-2hours most likely (if you just zip straight up the freeway), depending on where in San Diego you are, how fast you ride, etc. You can take a full day to get from there to here, and meander your way across the various canyon roads between the coast and the inland valley. I'm not sure exactly what you're looking to experience, but if you like twisties and you can't leave much earlier than noon, here's what I'd do....

 

Zip up I-5 to CA-74 (Ortega Highway). Get off at Ortega Highway and turn left (east). Take Ortega Highway to Lake Elsinore, then turn around and come back. During the day on a weekday, traffic will be light, law enforcement will be anywhere from light to non-existant, and you should be able to have some fun. A couple of possible places to stop: Hell's Kitchen is on your left as you come through El Carizo Villiage. I've never been there, but it's a popular biker hangout on the weekends. The other spot would be "The Lookout", which is on your left as you go down the hill into Lake Elsinore. You'll have a nice view of the lake and the mountains. Food is greasy, decent tasting, and way overpriced. smile.gif

 

After you turn around and come back on Ortega Highway, get back on I-5 going South. Get off at CA-1 (Pacific Coast Highway) and go North on it. You can pretty much ride the Coast Highway all the way up through the beach towns, then split at Newport Beach to go to Costa Mesa. If you take the Coast Highway to Newport Blvd and turn Right, that'll take you right into Costa Mesa. I don't know where in Costa Mesa you need to go, but I'm sure you'll figure it out from there. smile.gif

 

A word of warning: With the rains we've been having, Ortega Highway still has some dirt and gravel on it in places. Be careful. The tight canyon section of the road has lots of turns with a sharp decrease in radius right at the end. I recommend doing the Slow in, fast out to the extreme. Once you pass the Candy Store, you'll have some really nice sweepers all the way into El Carizo Villiage, then some kick-butt sweepers down the hill to Lake Elsinore.

 

The ride along the Coast Highway should be pretty. There' are no twisties or anything to enjoy, but I just like cruising up that road along the coast checking out the surfers, etc.

 

The out-and-back on Ortega should take about 2-2.5 hours depending on how long you stop for lunch.

 

I'm not sure how long the Coast Highway will take, but you should be in Costa Mesa in less than an hour if you don't stop. Oh...and you're likely to get a chance to practice splitting stopped cars at traffic lights as you work your way through the beach cities. thumbsup.gif

 

Have fun! thumbsup.gif

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I'm not sure how long the Coast Highway will take, but you should be in Costa Mesa in less than an hour if you don't stop. Oh...and you're likely to get a chance to practice splitting stopped cars at traffic lights as you work your way through the beach cities

 

Too true. The coast highway can be busy through the Laguna Beach/Newport beach area midday.

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First to Adam,

 

Glad you've reconsidered LEARNING to lane split on rain slicked BotDots in rush hour SoCal traffic. Even for you Mr. Quixtote, THAT would be too much. I'm definately with Russel and Michael's advice on this one.

 

Now to Everybody else,

 

Had a chance to talk to Mr. Quixote last night for a half hour...great talk and thanks Adam for calling. He's not a guy you'd want marrying your daughter (;)) but he is a lot smarter and a lot more in control of this trip than you'd think by his very entertaining posts. Wear bars, 4 months of riding experience, brakes, oil filler cap, lane splitting, etc, etc, aside, he's aware of the risks, looking life straight in the eye and saying, "I can make it". And so far he has and I am convined from talking to him he will.

 

He's a free spirit. Duh. Life threw him a curve at work and instead of knuckling under he said F it, I'm moving to Colorado and gonna do volunteer work...oh, yea, and become a fat cat trading stocks. And oh yea I'm gonna do this trip first. Winter? F it, I'm going. See a pattern? Definately in control in an out of control way.

 

Yea, stakes are high but he's got life by the short hairs right now and he's going to shake it hard. My money's on him if for no other reason than I've been there too. You too I'll bet.

 

PS: He does have a lovin' life, mischevious side to him and I'm pretty sure he likes sticking it to us sometimes just to see who squeaks. cool.gif

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He's not a guy you'd want marrying your daughter (;))

 

Aww shucks. Well thanks Rich, but really... How could you go wrong with a son in law with this much style sense?

 

normal_DSCN1415.jpg

 

thumbsup.gif

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Errr!....I am confused confused.gif

Where did this here "sense" word pop up from at the tail of all these posts? <weg>

 

Stay sane, well and out of trouble! Well, at least one of them anyway dopeslap.gifdopeslap.gif

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Glad you've reconsidered LEARNING to lane split on rain slicked BotDots in rush hour SoCal traffic

 

It's interesting that most all see *some* threshold for Adam. It's a gray area and one person's starched shirt is anothers crazy wacko. Riding a tire til it's death. Lane splitting in SoCal. Riding a motorcycle at all. Whatever your threshold is another person's will be different.

 

So we've all got a point where we say "THAT would be too much". And yet some even go as far as to be insulting to those who's thresholds for risk are lower.

 

And my thoughts spin even beyond simple risk. What risk is acceptable isn't the only thing that makes us different. It's not risk alone that we factor, but the risk/benefit balance. We all also differ in the value of certian actions.

 

Another factor is the ability to obtain the same benefit without the risk. But since everyone's "benefit" differs, it's impossible to be sure you've got a solution that works for someone else.

 

Hmm...

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Yeah. All our thresholds are definitly different. That's what makes for such interesting dynamics. I can totally appreciate that many don't share my love for pushing the edges, and hope I haven't come across as insulting at all. I apologize if anyone has taken any of my posts that way. When it comes down to it, it's the people here I really care about, and not their specific actions or beliefs.

 

I recall Ed's advice for me when I was getting ready to get on a bike for the first time, and ride back from Colorado to Minnesota, through the mountains and black hills. It was something along the lines of "If you do that, you'll be at least as foolish as I was at your age."

 

Someone's got to remind many of you of your young and stupid days to keep you from getting too stodgy grin.gif. BadAdam's a father now, so I figure someone needs to do it. May you all enjoy the rest of the tale, and know that at no point, have I ever taken, or meant, any offense.

 

Headin' out the door towards LA!

 

Later!

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I can totally appreciate that many don't share my love for pushing the edges

 

That's where this is interesting for me. As you see, I just don't understand how you're really pushing any edges with these, um, events.

 

Is the real fun of the ride running out of gas? Or needing a tire? If so, why ever fill up with gas? You sure could have run out of gas a lot more on that trip and had even more fun...right?

 

For me the adventure comes from the unexpected. I expect my bike needs gas and fuel, so these things aren't adventures for me. If I don't tend to these known needs, then I'm just foolish, not a "living on the edge risk taker". But it seems many have a different view. By tending to these basic needs, I'm a old boring starched shirt wussbag....I don't get it.

 

The events that might take place afterwards could be an adventure. But I'd much rather be riding than hunting down a tire, hence I do what I can to avoid the diversions. Fill the tank, check the tires...

 

Is it that you didn't expect these things? Or that they are just exciting for you? I'm not trying to be a twerp. It's genuine curiousity.

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I'm a old boring starched shirt wussbag....I don't get it.

 

That this thread is so satisfying is a direct result of the civilized contrast. Without one, the other pales, and the juice that goes beyond tires disappears.

 

Personally, as much as I want Adam to stay true to Adam, I hope Steve stays true to Steve. thumbsup.gif

 

Peace out for awhile...as I think Mike said, this is Adam's Ride Tale.

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Whoa, I guess I missed the whole point of this ride. I thought Adam was just out for a little adventure. dopeslap.gif I didn't know we had to be all serious about this.

 

Lets see no one got hurt, I had some chuckles, Adam is OK and truckin' on in good spirits, making fun of himself and admitting his mistakes to the world.

 

Do it Adam, for someday you may be unable. You will be able to look back at this experience and get some real good laughs.

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Ahh. I finally think I see where you're coming from, Steve.

 

Let me break it down a bit into the thought processes that went into the situations that happened.

 

Riding through the mountains in the snow and fog: Not all that dangerous if you go slow. I was going half the speed limit or less most of the time. Having driven a Semi over those kinds of roads in nasty weather quite a few times, I had some idea of what to expect. I wasn't afraid of major injury or death because I was going slow enough that I felt comfortable falling at those speeds based on the road conditions and shoulders. At this point, my bike's been down recently a couple of times, so I wasnt' concerned about scratching it either.

 

Regarding riding on the tire:

 

First off, I remembered as much as I could about the Z6 tires as had been discussed in previous threads about them here. There was discussion that those tires would last longer than the Z4's. Thus, I expected to get at least 7-8k out of those tires. Having only put around 5000 on them at that point, I figured I was good from that standpoint. They also looked just fine, with plenty of tread depth. From what I've gathered from some of the posts about them here as well, they pretty much look great right up until they die. So my thought was hey. They look great. I've only got 5000 miles on them, so I should be just fine to get to 6500.

 

Come el-paso and about 5800 miles on the tire, I saw some whitish things on the bottom of the tire. No one had ever shown me what wear bars are, and I (wrongfully) assumed that I'd see them when they started showing. Based on that assumption, I saw what I believed were wear bars showing in El Paso, since I had no experience to the contrary. I called Leslie at that point, and explained I had my wear bars showing, and that I was going to shut down for the evening. She explained that you can usually go for a fair amount of time after the wear bars start showing, and based on my conversation with her, I decided that I could safely try the 700 miles to San Diego.

 

I stopped in Lordsburg NM after I accidently drained my battery (still need to test my charging system at this point). The next morning, I got up, got a jump from a fellow there, and continued running the trip without my gerbings, which proved to be little enough that the alternator could handle.

 

Coming through Tucson then, I decided to stop and check my tires. At that point, I noticed my pressure had dropped, and I decided to call Les and Jamie about wear bars again, to see if I could realistically continue. Jamie at that point cleared up my misconceptions based upon lack of experience, and explained that those weren't wear bars, and that it was unsafe to continue riding on them. Well, I had to get to a dealership, so I rode slowly all over town to different shops, after being told on the phone it should be no problem, only to be told that it was once I got there. I couldn't keep calling towing services to cart me around from dealer to dealer, so I figured if I rode slowly, with very slow acceleration and no rear braking, with frequent tire checks, that I could make it a few miles at a time from dealer to dealer. Ultimately, it comes down to not having enough experience to know what wear bars were, and then I decided to take the risk of riding really slowly on a tire that's pressure was low, in order to get to a dealer that would change it.... which ended up being a longer process than I anticipated, because I hadn't had any experience with that goofy plastic thing under my seat which turns out to be a socket. Now that I've got more experience with both those things, I don't forsee that type of situation happening again. What made the situation amusing to me was just how ridiculous it got, riding around on a half flat tire trying the best I could to find someone who could change the thing, only to find out that I had the necessary part all along. I've learned after experiencing quite a few things in my life, to value situations where I don't have experience, because they usually lead to my own embarassment, and rather amusing stories. I rarely make the same mistake twice, so I like to laugh at them when I do.

 

Next, the running out of gas bit.

 

That particular leg of the trip was 155 miles.

 

Based on info I've gotten from the F650.com site, my bike should be getting between 50 and 70 miles to the gallon.

 

Now I know that going faster will use gas faster, so I tried to be conservative.

 

I figured okay. To start at the lowest end of the range based on the experiences of others, I would assume 50 mpg.

 

From there, I figured that I have a usable capacity of roughly 3.7 gallons.

 

3.7 gallons times 50mpg is 185 miles before I run out of gas at the low end of the spectrum. I figured I'd be even more conservative while planning, and assume 45mpg. Which would come out to a 167 mile range. So I round down from there, to 160 miles, as slightly below the lowest end of the mileage spectrum if I'm moving at a fast pace.

 

From that number, I planned on 160 as the longest stretch I could make when I planned my route. Since this stretch was less than that, at about 155, I figured I could move at a fast pace, and make it with no problem.

 

The irony begins to come into the equation when I ran out of gas after all that figuring. (math isn't my strong point)

 

Running out of gas by itself wasn't all that ironic, but it happened to get compounded by the surrounding events.

 

1. I ran out of gas half a mile from my exit.

 

2. That half a mile was up a big freakin' hill.

 

3. There was also a heck of a headwind blowing, and I had to strain quite a bit just to push the bike against the wind, much less up the hill.

 

4. Then to ice the cake completely, the name of the town just happened to be "Truth or Consequences." The truth was that I didn't have enough bloody gas to get there. Thus, having to push my bike into a headwind up a big freakin' hill into a town called Truth or Consequences after planning as conservatively as I could made for a fairly amusing situation. A good thing too, because I needed -something- to laugh about at that point. wink.gif

 

Hopefully that kind of explains my thought processes anyway.

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Hopefully that kind of explains my thought processes anyway.

 

Hey! Don't try to put a stop to the abuse by trying to suggest there might have been consideration of all of these issues.

 

(I certainly don't think you have to explain running out of gas; lots of people have pushed too far, thinking they could make it. I chose an even better place than you: US 50 about 20 miles outside of Austin, NV. Turns out mileage on a K75 isn't so great when you're running close to triple digits.)

 

Greg

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Hey! Don't try to put a stop to the abuse by trying to suggest there might have been consideration of all of these issues.

 

Okay. I lied. That whole post was a total farce, and every bit of this adventure has happened because I didn't plan at all! thumbsup.gif Okay... today's adventures coming up in a few. I'm on dialup, and need to upload pics. This could take a while.

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russell_bynum

Turns out mileage on a K75 isn't so great when you're running close to triple digits.

 

Same with an RT. 47 miles with 2 bars showing? No problem....unless you're WFO the whole time going from Torrey to Hanksville. dopeslap.gif

 

Of course...that never happened to ME. It um...happened to...um....some friends of mine. Yeah, that's right...I read about it once.

 

thumbsup.gif

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1. I ran out of gas half a mile from my exit.

 

2. That half a mile was up a big freakin' hill.

 

Adam, perhaps you did not totally run out of gas but rather starved the pick up(tube or pump within the gas tank) due to the grade of the hill confused.gif

 

As far as the charging system on the 650..... as you know it's dismal. My wife was unable to run 35w(x2) moto lights with the hi beam & grip heat on frown.gif

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Ugh. 26k dialup speeds. I'm getting too exhausted to write much this evening, but here's some of the shots I manged to get between San Diego and Costa Mesa. Northerners... you poor fellahs. grin.gifgrin.gifgrin.gif

 

normal_DSCN1429.JPG

 

 

 

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I think it means "Caution: Watch for surfers too stoned to notice they're running into traffic."

 

Though you can't see it, the beach is just to the left of the palm tree.

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Francois_Dumas

When you're on dial-up and typing such long stories, I start wondering what your miles-to-the-message ratio is <grin>.

 

Heck, planned or not, it's a great 'tale' and you sure get plenty of comments and views grin.gif

 

I am learning from it too, I guess. I am one who tries to plan for everything in life... and it is getting me nowhere it seems.... so perhaps you have the right attitude and just plunge INTO some of the things without much planning..... you know what? I'm gonna try some of that myself ths year wink.gifsmirk.gifcool.gifthumbsup.gif

 

(And a 'running surfers sign' near the dike might be a welcome addition to our landscape, don't you think Erick !? grin.gifgrin.gif ).

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Adam, perhaps you did not totally run out of gas but rather starved the pick up(tube or pump within the gas tank) due to the grade of the hill

 

when you HAVE to get up that hill, does it really matter weather you are out of gas, or the pickup tube just cant get to it??

 

Adam, Great ride tale, great learning experiences! ( checking my tires this morning for a change)

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Joe Frickin' Friday
Let me break it down a bit into the thought processes that went into the situations that happened.

 

OK. As Rich noted, you're more in control than a first glance might suggest. I think the tire situation had a lot of us spooked for you. Checking your tires doesn't help much if you don't know what you're looking for. crazy.gif In the future, where safety items are concerned - especially safety-related wear items, like brake pads and tires - you would be wise to find out ahead of time exactly what to look for (e.g. make sure you're measuring the thickness of your brake pad's wear material, NOT including the metal backing plate). Hopefully the Tech Daze will set you straight on that stuff.

 

As far as expected tire life is concerned...that varies widely from rider to rider, as you've now discovered. Is this the first time you've ridden on Z6's?

 

The other things:

 

Eh, I've ridden through snow and fog, probably faster than I shoulda. The first El Paseo comes to mind, as does Independence Pass at the first Unrally. You've accepted that you might fall, and prepared for it by riding slow enough to minimize damage if that happens, and you're keeping an eye on pavement conditions. thumbsup.gif

 

The charge issues? You're using your city-commuting 650CS as a 3-season (4-season??? crazy.gif) touring bike, something it's not exactly built for, so the alternator is prolly struggling (although yes, there might actually be something wrong with it). In the same vein, I've used my sport-touring RT as a dual-sport before, and gotten it stuck on a remote snow-crusted dirt-road mountain pass at 10K feet in Colorado. No regrets, it was an adventure. Sometimes it's fun pressing equipment beyond the boundaries of its intended use.

 

The toolkit? Prep here is advisable. As has been suggested, not only should you familiarize yourself with what's there, but consider adding to it. Don't know what you carry for spares, but many of us pack spare alternator belts, clutch cables, throttle cables, signal lights, headlight bulbs, etc. Extra tools? Think about needlenose pliers, knife, etc. There's no room under my seat because it's packed with spares and extra tools.

 

The gas thing:

 

Based on info I've gotten from the F650.com site, my bike should be getting between 50 and 70 miles to the gallon.

 

Among bikes of the same model, MPG will vary widely with road conditions, wind, engine health, load, and aerodynamic config. Have you monitored your own bike's fuel economy to see what it really gets under any given conditions? 50-70 may be typical for that model, but going how fast, and carrying how much stuff? As it happens you came reeeeal close to your mark (1/2 mile short of your intended exit), but I think most of us are not comfortable with a plan that expects us to pull off the highway with ounces of fuel left in the tank. For my part, I don't like running down to less than 30 miles left in the tank.

 

Was there no place to stop for fuel during that trip, or did you just want to reach your destination without stopping?

 

Is there a gas gage or low-fuel light on the CS?

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Was there no place to stop for fuel during that trip, or did you just want to reach your destination without stopping?

 

LJR, if you're reading out there, maybe you could speak a bit about this topic... wink.gifgrin.gifdopeslap.gif

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Hopefully the Tech Daze will set you straight on that stuff.

 

I'll bring a dial caliper/depth gauge. I can explain how I track my tire wear. I was using about .021" of rubber per 1000miles at the end of my last ME88 rear.

 

Hmmm. I wonder how many miles you can get per layer of duct tape wrapped onto a rear tire? You know, if you catch it before it starts leaking, that is. Uh, be sure to wrap it in the right direction, eh?

 

Ok, when you change your drive belt, carry the old one as a spare, same with sparkplugs....lessee, what else....ah, that's all I can think of for now. smirk.gif

 

I wonder if one can make a nice plug holder with 1/2 and 3/4" PVC with end caps...I'll have to get some....

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However, this problem was made worse by the crappy toolkit and the need for non-standard tools (otherwise, pretty much any motorcycle shop could have helped him), and BMW's typical dealership hours. But the other two issues are BMW's fault.

 

aDAM...dID yOU ever use the "BMW anonymous book of addresses"...someone might of had your socket and you'd be breezin'westbound. Just a thought..!!

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Ok, I've been hanging back, and I just gotta let my fingers do the talking.

 

First...Adam, nice pix! thumbsup.gifwink.gif

 

 

Adam, and Steve....now that I have met you two, I gotta say this board sure has some GREAT members. You are both really wonderful people. Being individuals in a free county enables us to express our different views, and what better forum than here!?

 

On this one:

 

As I am an old fart, who has been through the trials and tribulations of Adam in my "learning" years, here's the deal.

 

Adam, BTDT, and I am so glad you are safe and enjoying your trip. I am sure you will be the first to admit that a pre-ride inspection is MUCH LARGER in your eyes now than it had been. You are learning, and that is what makes life great. You know what? Your elders in your family (and the elders here) have done it all before in their youth, and sometimes it would make life so much easier if the people would learn from their elder's mistakes.....

 

Seldom Happens, huh? smirk.gif

 

Steve is so much akin to where I am at in my vision of how I want my rides to progress. I don't want the hassle of looking for tires, gas, valve adjustments during major trips. That's the hassle factor I have learned makes my trips less enjoyable. Get that sh*t outta the way b4 heading out.

 

Most hassles on the scoot can be avoided with planning ahead, and that is where Steve is coming from. Frankly I think it's sage advise...but I suppose I am now the curmudgeonly stuffed shirt! grin.gif Hey, I'm kidding , lighten up!

 

Everyone that I now ride with always arrives with a full tank of juice, good tires, and a wonderfully prepared/prepped scoot. That way, all we have to do is enjoy the surprises of the ride, i.e. GREAT roads, super scenery, and good conversation at the "eat" spots.

 

Hassle factor...ZERO. Enjoyment factor..usually above the graph.

 

The wonderful thing here is, BOTH viewpoints work for the persons espousing them.

 

Whatever trips you trigger!

 

Ain't America GREAT?

 

Be safe, Adam!

Let her hang out where you can! thumbsup.gif

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russell_bynum

Nice pictures, Adam. I'm interested to hear the whole tale of that ride. smile.gif I realized as I was heading home that I told you to turn left on Ortega to go east. Hopefully you and your GPS realized that east is RIGHT. Normally, I hit Ortega from the north, so I turn left.

 

Anyway.....

 

Looks like you had a nice ride up the PCH. I always enjoy that, especially around sunset.

 

Did you make it through Newport Beach before the power went out and most of the traffic lights stopped working? I went to the BMW cage dealer at PCH and Newport Blvd last night after work and traffic was a nightmare with Newport Beach motor officers (RT-P riders thumbsup.gif) directing traffic at the more major intersections. dopeslap.gif Of course, that's not such a big deal when you're on a bike and you split, but I was in my truck, so I just had to sit there and listen to the radio while trying not to run over anyone. dopeslap.gif

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but I suppose I am now the curmudgeonly stuffed shirt!

 

TAG your it! grin.gif

 

Adam, good to see you're at least thinking about this stuff. Continue surviving your mistakes. I look forward to hearing about your trip home. And I'll forget about that $5 you owe me if you can make it home without any major events. smile.gif

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I like that sign. What's the mean? "Surfers: Run like hell to avoid the cars!" ?

Greg

 

You need a little background: on I-5 northbound from San Diego, as you go through the land of Camp Pendleton, there's an immigration inspection station run by the border patrol. Apparently lots of "visitors" to our fair country decide they'd rather not have the eyes of the Border Patrol upon them, and park their cars, cross the freeway to the beach side, go north past the checkpoint, and then cross again for somebody to pick them up. Lots of these folks got hit by cars, so a few years back, they put up warning signs that show a father, mother, and child running hand-in-hand in a yellow diamond. Interestingly, the one south of the checkpoint shows them running west, while the one north of the CP shows them running east.

 

The sign Adam shot is just across busy Old Highway 101 from a popular surfing beach in Carlsbad.

 

And now that I've explained it, of course, the joke isn't funny any more. Sigh.

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You explained the running family sign but not the surfer sign.

 

I must be missing something here, it seems obvious that the migrant workers would want to go west if they are south of the station, to the beach. If you then take that sign and put it on the other side of the freeway, it could only have them going east! Now it's even less funny...

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Hey all,

Mr. Adam just left my place and we had a nice chat for a few hours. Shared some stories and did the man bonding thing talking motorcycles, racing etc. He met my 4 legged shop buddies and got along great with them.

He was concerned about his suspension set up so during a brake between cloud bursts we head out to investigate his current settings. I was sure I could save his tired butt and put some comfort,control and confidence into his journey. I first checked his static sag dimension and it was abit long, then checked the ride height dimension.....wholly cow it was a hopping 2-1/4". I say ok easily fixed lets dial in some preload and see if we can bring this thing into reality. But wait...there's no spring preload adjustment confused.gifconfused.gif and looking closer there's no dampening adjustment. confused.gif I give him that deer caught in headlights look...get the manual. Nothing in the manual about suspension information....huh? He doesn't weigh outside the norm...about 160, but this thing squats terribly when he installs his keester on the bike. Alas, there's nothing I can do for him while on his journey. bncry.gif

We put that aside and continued to chat like we've known each other for years and I had a good time meeting him. I was honered he picked me for a place to visit and share riding stories.

 

Next time he visits I hope to take up to the local playground.

 

Go Adam Go thumbsup.gifthumbsup.gifthumbsup.gif

 

Mike W.

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But wait...there's no spring preload adjustment and looking closer there's no dampening adjustment.

 

Yep... the F650CS didn't start coming with an adjustable rear suspension as standard equipment until this year's 2005 2-spark model.

 

Hope you're enjoying Cali, Adam! Glad you made it! Unfortunately the weather this weekend is looking more like Minnesota at this time of year. frown.gif

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Dances_With_Wiener_Dogs
and I haven't been able to find a metric micrometer thus far.
Adam, I searched for one too and found a few...for several hundred dollars. What I finally did was buy a $20 standard from Searas and then convert the results. Whenever I need the micrometer I'm at home where I can use my computer so conversions are fast, accurate and easy.
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My miles to message ratio happens to be increasing in this case, because it becomes too annoying to sit here and wait for five minutes for each page to finish loading. wink.gif

 

Enjoy your hopping into new situations, Francois thumbsup.gif I used to be more of a planner than I am, but I've found that though a certain amount of preliminary planning is necessary, the ability to be flexible mid-stride and even enjoy being so, is just as necessary. Especially if one wants to enjoy whatever adventure it is that they're currently on. In any complex adventure, there will be variables that we can't predict, and thus, they can either get us bent out of shape because we didn't plan enough, or we can see them as new and fun challenges that enhance the adventure as a whole, and generally make for a better tale. Personally, from a straight enjoyment of life standpoint, I'll take the latter any day. thumbsup.gif

 

Tasker: Thanks smile.gif

 

Mitch: I haven't measured my own fuel economy for two reasons. One, I'd want to measure it into a stiff headwind at WFO for the whole tank to see what my minimum is, and plan for that. I haven't had the chance to. The math involved in trying to do that without just experiencing it straight up would be overwhelming to me, if it could be done. Besides, I'd kind of like to ride WFO for a whole tank. grin.gif For me to plan for 30 miles left in a given tank would be to give myself a 120-130 mile range. On a BBG, that would absolutely kill my average time. In that part of New Mexico, IIRC, gas stations were probably half an hour apart. The fellow at the gas station said that that particular situation happens all the time around there. There is no gas gauge on there, but there is a low fuel light. Unfortunately, once it comes on, it only turns off when you shut the bike off to fuel. Since I was trying not to shut the bike off at fuel stops at that point, and just using a spare key to open the tank, the fuel light always stayed on. I had to just go by mileage to estimate where I was gas-wise.

 

Yes.. That was my first Z6. John at Ironhorse explained to me that it was a common misconception that those tires were supposed to last longer than Z4's. He stated they were supposed to last the same amount of time, but be 20% stickier. Had I known that, there's no way I would have set out on that trip with those.

 

hANNA: I forgot to pack my Anon book on this trip, unfortunately. Normally it's standard equipment.

 

Jeff: Thanks, and I agree. I like the trip to go smoothly as well. Unfortunately, if it wasn't those things happening, it would have been something else. I can plan all I want and I still can't plan out random, unforseen circumstances. wink.gif Those tend to follow me no matter how many weeks I spend at the drawing board. They tend to happen often enough that I don't really see them as hassles anymore. I just sit back and watch in amusement as each situation unfolds. If I was to go hiking in the mountains, I would probably wake up to a mountain goat scarfing down half of one of my leather boots, and I'd have to hike one-booted home. That's just the kind of thing that occurs. Perhaps that's because I didn't plan on it and keep my boots in the tent rather than just outside, but I don't like to plan for every contingency as much as I used to like to. Frankly, I'd find that funny as heck, and would enjoy the telling of a goat eating my boot more than I'd find hiking one booted to be an annoyance. I do plan significantly more if I'm going on trips with friends, so as not to be a hassle, if it's any consolation. wink.gif I really do like traveling alone a lot of the time!

 

Russell: Thank you, and I never ended up making it to Ortega. I got a late start partially due to prepping the bike with new parts I had gotten, and partially due to my dad forgetting a book that I needed to bring to him. I wanted to make sure to be on the beach for sunset, in case all the clouds made for a good one, so I headed that way earlier. I believe I made it through Newport beach before the power went out, as I didn't see any RTP riders directing traffic. I did get to split up to the stoplights, which was fun. Especially interesting when two cars would be close together with mirrors the same height as my bars. At my previous job, I had to practice a lean/swerve kind of manuver to get through a tight doorway, and it worked really well for those situations too.

 

Steve: tongue.gifgrin.gif

 

And now that I've explained it, of course, the joke isn't funny any more. Sigh.

 

Now it's even less funny...

 

*ROFL*

 

Mike: I had a great time chatting with you as well. Thanks for the project assistance, and for attempting to help me with my sorry suspension. crazy.gif You've definitely cemented it for me that I need a different bike. I've heard multiple times not to go with a bike too big or too fast too soon, but I can't help feeling like I've outgrown this bugger. Non-adjustable suspensions, 150 mile range... sheesh. I'd love to join you up in the 'playground' at some point! Oh! Dude. Your dogs were so dang cute! I forgot to get a pic of them at the back door! Ah well. This one turned out well though! thumbsup.gif

normal_mike%20and%20rosie.jpg

 

Tony: Doh! Yup. Definitely enjoying Cali. It's much nicer than Minnesota right now, even with this rain.

 

Steve M: Yeah. I saw that one at sears. I can't help but think there's gotta be a metric one somewhere. I'll search e-bay from other countries. I'd be willing to bet I can get a good deal on one from Europe if nothing else.

 

Okay... Ride tale from Thursday:

 

Well, after getting a late start, I decided to skip Ortega, and head straight for the beach. Being in Cali, the beach at sunset was something I didn't want to miss. I got my first chances to split at stopped traffic there, which was entertaining. After snapping pics and riding to my Grandfathers, I spent like 2 hours uploading 6 photos, and called it a night.

 

Yesterday: Getting up fairly early, I putted around the house for the morning, then went out to lunch (amidst a downpour) with a friend who works for Pantera Motorcycles. They're currently work on drag bikes with useable steering geometry, and around 140 numbers for both hp and torque, at about 550 lbs wet. Fast bikes. Much faster than my 650. dopeslap.gif We had some Brazillian food at By Brazil in downtown Torrance, parted ways, and I headed over to Mike's for a bit. Mike has the cutest set of dogs, one of which is obvious in the pic above. It was great sharing riding stories, and listening to the years of experiences he's garnered. I got to see the collection of helmets too, for those of you who remember that thread. Very cool! For those of you who appreciate a good set of tools, I did not take photos of Mike's collection, in order to preserve his safety. DAAAAAAANG! *drool* If you ever want to see something cool, give him a call. grin.gif

 

So after leaving there, I set back out for Costa Mesa. It was raining pretty hard at first, and it was dark, which made it difficult to lane split on the 405. The brake lights lit up all the beads of water on my faceshield, and I had difficulty seeing. Once it cleared though, I was able to split the packs of stopped traffic. I must say, I really liked splitting that section between the HOV lane and the far left lane. The section of pavement between the double yellow lines is like having your own little splitting lane. Very fun! thumbsup.gif

 

After the vibration from my thumper kept messing up the HD on my dad's GPS, I made a multitude of wrong turns, and finally made it home for the night.

 

Here I sit this morning, waiting for a priority Saturday delivery of my brake pads, so I can head down to Oceanside for the tech day. It's raining like crazy outside. See many of you later today!

 

Cheers!

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russell_bynum

Too bad about missing Ortega, but the beach at sunset is pretty cool, too. thumbsup.gif

 

Glad you made it through before the power went out.

 

And you've definitely got one thing right...Mike's garage is definitely impressive. I think I could get into some serious trouble in that place. cool.gif

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