NC_Yank
Well-known member
Well after almost 30 years of putting off...... I finally completed one of the items in my bucketlist, a 48 state tour.
This was not a tour in which simply a means to cover the lower 48 in the shortest time although I did very well in actual riding time which i will discuss later.
I started just outside of Charlotte NC and by late evening had covered SC, Ga, Alabama, Florida, Miss, and Louisiana......835 miles before making camp.
The following day consisted of Ark, Tx, Ok, Missouri and camping in Kanasas near the Nebraska border where I would find a small town later that night to dine before heading back to camp.
Colorado was breathtaking......Pikes Peak (got caught in a flash flood), over to US 50 and the
the Million Dollar Highway........cant say enough about 550.
Four corners, Grand Canyon was next where I made camp again.
The following day consisted of Hover Dam and through the Devil's Oven as my friend calls I-15 which all but killed me as I was ignorant enough to travel during the worst part of the day. After making it to just outside of LA where I saw an old Air Force buddy and recouping for 2 days I road the PCH from LA to Oregon bouncing between PCH and 101.
Oregon I continued up to Washington state where I would go into Seattle and then doing an insane 40 hour drive putting 1700 miles behind me until I settled in at Ellsworth AFB where I was once stationed. The Shoshone Mtns and Yellowstone were magnificent. I stayed at the base for 2 days for recuperation while also getting a new back PR3. Road around my old stomping ground and enjoyed traveling down memory lane.
The tough part was to come although I dont think anything was worse than the Mojave.........that being the multi-directional winds of the Dakotas.....made camp outside of Fargo ND after being tired of fighting the wind.
ND, Minn, Iowa and Wisconsin was next and continued until camping outside Michigan near Lake Superior.
Enjoyed the Amish country side of Indiana, Ohio, and Pa where I camped in the Alleghenies.
Niagra, upstate NY, Vt, NH, Maine, Mass were next and finally stop in RI after 23 hours plus of riding.
Next day was just as hard with coming down the coast until I hit Delaware where I then would cut across to Maryland and into Va where I stopped again....another 20 plus hour day.......cant say enough I hate the east coast traffic. Never had any close calls except on the east coast where so many people have their heads up their tails.
Only thing left was to WV, Tenn and Ky where I had family waiting and where I would relax for 3 1/2 days.
After visiting family I made it back to NC which was so sweet to be back home.
When all was said and done I put 11,000 miles of asphalt behind me in what was actually 13-1/2 days...........was not trying to set some record just knew where I needed to be based upon the time frame I had.
My ironhorse is a 2005 FJR with close to 75k now on the bike. Farkles consist of a Cee Bailey 4+2 w/ flip, throttle lock and some minor items; stock seat that had a sheepskin cover from a company out of Alaska.....if not for that I would have stopped after the first night.....clearly my most valued item, followed by my Garmin Zumo 550 and a cheap throttle lock which helped save my wrist....even though by the time I make the great lakes my hands were often swollen at night but then again what do you expect when riding an average of 15 - 16 hour days with 3 plus day of over 20 hours.
During that time I took over 700 pictures and 300 videos, courtesy of Contour Roam 2, of which I still have to go through.
I rode this all alone......so in addition to the above mentioned I had two cell phones as well as a Spot 2
in case I got in trouble.
Camping consisted of a Hennessy Hammock Tent although by the time I hit Nevada I was having trouble finding camps / RV places that had enough trees.....so I had to purchase a cheap one man tent as a back up.
I spent close to $900 in gas which considering everything I saw was nothing.......round trip tick to CA and back to NC would cost that.
Favorite states in no particular order are...
Colorado.
California
Tenn,
Ky and of course...
NC.
Favorite Highway.......hands down US 550 in Coloraod (Million Dollar Hwy).....PCH was nice too, especially
in Oregon.....just doesn't match up to the 550.
Coolest thing I saw............will have to go back through my videos but a little town in upstate NY (I think) had a picture of their fallen soldiers on banners along main street........by far my most favorite site of all the things I seen..........those simple banners honoring our fall soldiers put a shame to any highway, monument, natural attraction that I have ever seen.......one of those things that will be burned in my mind for the rest of my life.
Disappointments.........well, I wish I could have spent more time on the east coast and even in DC with the many monuments however being I was carrying a .45 along the way (have an NC CCW permit)........it was best I simply pass through those states.....in particular NJ and DC where I was told I could only pass through......not stop. As a former police officer and veteran that rubbed me wrong however I enjoy my freedom too much to make a big deal over it.
I didn't have any problems along the way.......although the Mojave was absolutely grueling.....wonder if I was going to make it through at times.....should have road that stretch in the early morning hours but again I wasn't thinking on that one......just wanted to see an old military buddy I hadn't seen in over 28 years.........it was great to see each other again.
Would I do it again...........well I will say I am glad I didn't know just how hard it was.........but then again I am the type of person that once I start something I will finish it no matter what.
In closing the FJR was and is an awesome bike............is it perfect.......of course we know its not but for a bike that can compete with the touring bikes and scare most crotch rockets.........well what can one say other then Yamaha made a benchmark in the FJR for all others to follow.
Will try to post some pics later this week or next......
Jeff
This was not a tour in which simply a means to cover the lower 48 in the shortest time although I did very well in actual riding time which i will discuss later.
I started just outside of Charlotte NC and by late evening had covered SC, Ga, Alabama, Florida, Miss, and Louisiana......835 miles before making camp.
The following day consisted of Ark, Tx, Ok, Missouri and camping in Kanasas near the Nebraska border where I would find a small town later that night to dine before heading back to camp.
Colorado was breathtaking......Pikes Peak (got caught in a flash flood), over to US 50 and the
the Million Dollar Highway........cant say enough about 550.
Four corners, Grand Canyon was next where I made camp again.
The following day consisted of Hover Dam and through the Devil's Oven as my friend calls I-15 which all but killed me as I was ignorant enough to travel during the worst part of the day. After making it to just outside of LA where I saw an old Air Force buddy and recouping for 2 days I road the PCH from LA to Oregon bouncing between PCH and 101.
Oregon I continued up to Washington state where I would go into Seattle and then doing an insane 40 hour drive putting 1700 miles behind me until I settled in at Ellsworth AFB where I was once stationed. The Shoshone Mtns and Yellowstone were magnificent. I stayed at the base for 2 days for recuperation while also getting a new back PR3. Road around my old stomping ground and enjoyed traveling down memory lane.
The tough part was to come although I dont think anything was worse than the Mojave.........that being the multi-directional winds of the Dakotas.....made camp outside of Fargo ND after being tired of fighting the wind.
ND, Minn, Iowa and Wisconsin was next and continued until camping outside Michigan near Lake Superior.
Enjoyed the Amish country side of Indiana, Ohio, and Pa where I camped in the Alleghenies.
Niagra, upstate NY, Vt, NH, Maine, Mass were next and finally stop in RI after 23 hours plus of riding.
Next day was just as hard with coming down the coast until I hit Delaware where I then would cut across to Maryland and into Va where I stopped again....another 20 plus hour day.......cant say enough I hate the east coast traffic. Never had any close calls except on the east coast where so many people have their heads up their tails.
Only thing left was to WV, Tenn and Ky where I had family waiting and where I would relax for 3 1/2 days.
After visiting family I made it back to NC which was so sweet to be back home.
When all was said and done I put 11,000 miles of asphalt behind me in what was actually 13-1/2 days...........was not trying to set some record just knew where I needed to be based upon the time frame I had.
My ironhorse is a 2005 FJR with close to 75k now on the bike. Farkles consist of a Cee Bailey 4+2 w/ flip, throttle lock and some minor items; stock seat that had a sheepskin cover from a company out of Alaska.....if not for that I would have stopped after the first night.....clearly my most valued item, followed by my Garmin Zumo 550 and a cheap throttle lock which helped save my wrist....even though by the time I make the great lakes my hands were often swollen at night but then again what do you expect when riding an average of 15 - 16 hour days with 3 plus day of over 20 hours.
During that time I took over 700 pictures and 300 videos, courtesy of Contour Roam 2, of which I still have to go through.
I rode this all alone......so in addition to the above mentioned I had two cell phones as well as a Spot 2
in case I got in trouble.
Camping consisted of a Hennessy Hammock Tent although by the time I hit Nevada I was having trouble finding camps / RV places that had enough trees.....so I had to purchase a cheap one man tent as a back up.
I spent close to $900 in gas which considering everything I saw was nothing.......round trip tick to CA and back to NC would cost that.
Favorite states in no particular order are...
Colorado.
California
Tenn,
Ky and of course...
NC.
Favorite Highway.......hands down US 550 in Coloraod (Million Dollar Hwy).....PCH was nice too, especially
in Oregon.....just doesn't match up to the 550.
Coolest thing I saw............will have to go back through my videos but a little town in upstate NY (I think) had a picture of their fallen soldiers on banners along main street........by far my most favorite site of all the things I seen..........those simple banners honoring our fall soldiers put a shame to any highway, monument, natural attraction that I have ever seen.......one of those things that will be burned in my mind for the rest of my life.
Disappointments.........well, I wish I could have spent more time on the east coast and even in DC with the many monuments however being I was carrying a .45 along the way (have an NC CCW permit)........it was best I simply pass through those states.....in particular NJ and DC where I was told I could only pass through......not stop. As a former police officer and veteran that rubbed me wrong however I enjoy my freedom too much to make a big deal over it.
I didn't have any problems along the way.......although the Mojave was absolutely grueling.....wonder if I was going to make it through at times.....should have road that stretch in the early morning hours but again I wasn't thinking on that one......just wanted to see an old military buddy I hadn't seen in over 28 years.........it was great to see each other again.
Would I do it again...........well I will say I am glad I didn't know just how hard it was.........but then again I am the type of person that once I start something I will finish it no matter what.
In closing the FJR was and is an awesome bike............is it perfect.......of course we know its not but for a bike that can compete with the touring bikes and scare most crotch rockets.........well what can one say other then Yamaha made a benchmark in the FJR for all others to follow.
Will try to post some pics later this week or next......
Jeff
