SO AFTER this long silence, and after despairing, in my previous post, of getting anywhere at all this summer, I did get on the road for a few weeks and put a few thousand miles in the mirrors. The mirrors of both motorcycles and the camper van. It didn’t give me much insight into whether I still have the chops to range afar for two or three months at a time, but it scratched the itch for now.
You may recall that Bob, my friend from British Columbia, rode out here in June, back when I had a cough I couldn’t shake for probably eight or ten weeks. Kind of embarrassing to have to excuse myself time and again, go out on the back porch and double over for a few minutes, hardly able to get a breath. I have no idea what that was all about. RSV? Chest x-ray was negative. A mystery.
Here’s the loop Bob rode out and back. I lost track of the daily pin drops when he was in Colorado, still 1,600 miles out from home. You can picture the ones from there on up to his starting point in BC.
Speaking of the west (and how I miss it), Robyn, our friend from Montana, sent these pics of a storm over Two Dot Butte, as seen from the Lode Ranch in Wheatland County.
We’re so looking forward to Robyn’s visit. Around the end of next month. she and her friend, Lyn, a retired teacher, will fly into DC, spend some time there, hop the train to New York, tour around there a bit, then it’s on up to Little Rhody where they’ll spend a week with us.
Two weeks ago, my friend Will from Pennsylvania appeared at our door on his dual sport. We saddled up and rode north to Vermont, a little north of where Jenna and Jonny are building their ski getaway. The garage and the apartment above are finished, the kids will likely break ground on the house in the new year. They just had the water well drilled.
There are thousands of miles of dirt road in Vermont, I’ve only just begun to explore them.
This was my first real chance to try out the new suspension on the 650 piglet (“new,” I installed it probably four years ago, the bike sat through the pandemic and beyond.) It really proved out. I found it very forgiving of operator error.
On a badly rutted class-4 road, no maintenance whatsoever, nothing but two deep wheel tracks through the woods, I stayed with the bike through three potential upsets that would have easily sent me off into the weeds with the old suspension. My fault. I had too much speed, one too many gears, a poor sight line, went into a hard turn I didn’t know was there and just about lost it. Slid off the middle hump into that deep left-wheel track, bounced out of it and into the right track, immediately bounced back into the left and somehow rode it out and regained control with my right boot planted on the ground through what was left of the turn. Really surprised myself on that. Score one for those pricey Cogent Suspension bits! Worth every penny.
On that final slide I did get whacked in the back of my right calf by the hard pannier on that side. Not hard enough to hurt. Just enough to remind me to always reverse the boxes on dirt, which I had neglected to do. I had set up my pannier mounts for that very purpose, offsetting the mounts to one side so I could move the panniers forward or back depending on the surface, asphalt or dirt.
On dirt, if you switch the left box to the right and the right to the left, it gives you another six inches of leg room for safety’s sake. If you were to really catch your boot heel on the ground sliding around in the dirt, a hard pannier can hit you hard enough to snap your leg. I’m going to be paying more attention to that next time.
So after negotiating some challenging dirt and rocks without dumping the bike—I dropped it on asphalt.
I called it operator error (just about every mishap in motorcycling is), but then the next day I found out it probably wasn’t. It was likely my clutch not liking synthetic oil.
I had done an oil change before we left Rhode Island, used synthetic for the first time (first time for the piglet).
This photo is deceptive, doesn’t really show how much higher the one road is from the other. Anyway, on this uncommon sort of turn, a hard-right uphill switchback, I bang down into first so as not to bog it, ease out the clutch at an extreme lean angle and BLANGO! Had just enough time to get my leg out from under it and shoulder-roll into the ditch.
Will, who was in the lead at that time, had taken the turn a lot wider than I had. A better line for sure. He parked his bike, came running down the hill and said, man, you’re going to be hurting tomorrow. But I had not a scratch, not a bruise, felt perfectly fine that evening and the next day. (Ask any motorcyclist how much fun it is to get crashed up and not be hurt—Exhilarating!)
Getting a fire going at Coolidge State Park, Vermont…
Thought I was in first gear but wasn’t, you’ve guessed that by now. Let out the clutch while leaned over on a hard uphill switchback, find yourself not in first or second but in neutral… oops… you’re going wheels-up pretty quick.
How on earth do you miss first gear, dumb ass?
Well… the next day I missed first gear six or seven times. My mishap the day before had been just the start of this emerging problem. I found I couldn’t reliably downshift into first while running and couldn’t find neutral while sitting still. Had to start turning off the bike in gear.
The Valvoline synthetic I had used must contain friction modifier a wet clutch doesn’t like. I’ll drain the oil this coming week and switch to a Castrol product formulated for motorcycle clutches that live in the engine case.
Long story short, Will and I rode back to Rhode Island, spent a day here, rode out to the Hudson Valley for a couple of days, then Pam and I split for Pennsylvania to see friends there, some where they live and some from Kansas who’d had occasion to be in Pittsburgh last week. We spent a little time at Gettysburg and the Flight 93 National Memorial.
Will see if I can scribble up something about that this evening. Out for now.
Tony DePaul, September 21, 2024, Cranston, Rhode Island, USA
Great to see you get some miles on the Piglet! I did something I never thought I would do – I bought a Harley. Picked up a 2022 Pan America with just break-in mileage on it for a song.
I hope you get at least a few more chances to ride before the snow flies. Looking forward to reading about it when ya do.
Cool. From a dealership or a private seller?
I don’t know anything about the Pan America. Have seen one up close just once. I’ll be curious to know how you like it.
Hey Tony,
Keep on riding…Trust movement!
Michael
Best to be a moving target!
Thanks for reading, Michael.
Oh gads… the cough… I’ve had a dry cough for 4 months! Allergies? Asthma? Tried several things… now an inhaler. I always feel kinda good when someone tells me they’ve had a cough for a while… thanks😜
Glad you are out and about! Nothing like the open roads, dirt or asphalt. Cheers!
Right, the inhaler… not sure what mine was, I pitched it with a third of the doses left. Hang in there, Denise. The mystery cough goes away.
Hey, I heard something new today, Denise. Just got back a moment ago from my regular 6-month checkup with our long-time family doctor. She said she thinks I probably had pertussis in the late spring and early summer. Whooping cough. The cough in adults doesn’t sound the way it does when kids have it. It’s caused by a bacteria and she said they’re seeing quite a bit of it lately. Ask your doc if pertussis might be what you have.
Hey Tony, glad you and Pam were able to get down to Pennsylvania and visit the parks and Gettysburg (your trip there reminds me I must get out to visit again, but spend more time as there is so much see about the Civil War).
On a different note: your friend Robyn is an excellent photographer from what I can see.
I enjoyed our ride immensely, as well as your family’s hospitality. Thanks again for an excellent adventure.
Those roads are going to be fun in mud season 2025.
Funny way you have to park your bike!
I remember riding your DR last summer and mentioned I didn’t like the position of your shift lever setup. Maybe a contributing factor not being able to find the gears?
Keep the shiny side up my friend…..Bob
Hey, bud! Getting out there again on the DR brought back fond memories of our ride up through BC and the Yukon in 2019.
That big aftermarket gas tank! Seven gallons or whatever it holds. It was pretty full when I dropped the bike in Vermont, as it was that day out in the williwags off the Alaska Highway. https://www.tonydepaul.net/teslin-lake-the-yukon/
It’s like having a squirming fourth-grader sitting on your handlebars.
Hey Bob!! How are you doing? Another super guy that’s welcome here anytime!
Cheers Tony! May you be blessed with good health and soft landings! Ride safe.
Thank you, Doc. I thought of you and the family last week when we rode by Hazelton, PA.
Young Doc’s doing a great job but we all knew he would, you above all.
Glad you didn’t pick up any fresh bruises on your latest tumble. I’ve been to Gettysburg with BD, Matt, and Chuck and found it very humbling. I used to think it would be a good place to visit for all the nimrods who are so quick to throw around the “Civil War” phrase whenever they are losing. But then I realized those Gravy Seals/Meal Team 6 types still wouldn’t get the point. Hope you enjoyed the trip. Peace.
Well, I definitely got that vibe at the Flight 93 Memorial. I thought a significant minority of people paying their respects probably think highly of the January 6 rioters who sacked the building the Flight 93 terrorists were after. A little cognitive dissonance anyone?
I’d love to spend more time poking around Gettysburg. Organize that, Bullet! John would be in and I’ll bet Larry would, too.
Great news that you’re back on the road, and also that you are okay after that spill. Love the pix of the big sky, too. Here’s to many more bike trips.
Thanks, Ellie. I’d like to ride more of those Vermont dirt roads before the snow flies, but at elevation that can come pretty early. Will see how it goes. Thanks so much for reading.
Tony, so glad to hear you are riding once more. The road was missing you… and you, the road.
Robyn captures beautiful big sky photos.
That clutch issue when using a synthetic oil is concerning. I wonder if using Mobil One would have the same effect?
The 2025 National Sidecar rally is looking at Maine for a location. I’ll give you a heads up before knocking on your door.
Please do, amigo. You’re welcome here anytime. I’ll ride up to Maine with you.
Great to hear from you. Was starting to be concerned, but happy to hear its just life. On a personal note, life in Colorado’s Roaring Fork Valley is THE BEST thing that has happened in decades. Had my first stay-a-couple-of-days visitors last weekend, The guest suite got rave reviews. Took them up to Independence Pass, down a trail off 82 about halfway up, went to the top of Aspen Mountain, and finally to Maroon Bells (although a rain finally appeared, but the Bells were stunning as usual). I’ve been using the Calimoto motorcycle app to discover twisty routes near me and done a few. Love going uphill on some of these roads and they always end up being gravel at some point. Come visit!
I’m gonna! And we have to go check in at Speed Week to quaff a toast to Jeff.
Brother, second week of August every year. It ain’t far from here and that would be a long overdue send-off for our buddy. Mark it down before we run out of breaths.
Hey gents, I want in on this get together!