Houston to Salt Lake City

[hecpilot]

Welcome to my first ride report, and my first cross country motorcycle trip. Prior to this, the longest I had ridden was 250-ish miles in one day, Houston to San Antonio and then some.

I had always dreamt of crossing the country by motorcycle. My first bike was a Suzuki GS-450 that I bought at the age of 16. I remember exploring the nearby towns and country roads and imagining what it would be like to really go a long distance.

Fast forward--27 years, a 2007 FJR1300-AE, a few weeks vacation, a super-supportive significant other, and it was time to make the dream come true. The original goal was to ride from Houston to the Pacific Ocean and back, but early on I decided that this trip would be about the journey, and not the goal. Plans would be flexible, the destination flexible, I would have a plan A, B, C and a plan "whatever". The only hard constraints would be to meet up with friends in Albuquerque and near Salt Lake City on certain days in order to work out our various work and days-off schedule. I would ride 250 to a max of 400 miles per day, stop when tired, sleep when I felt like it, take lots of pictures, have fun along the way. And while there wasn't a set budget, it was by no means unlimited. I would try to economize to make the trip last longer.

The original outline would be Houston to San Francisco via San Antonio, Midland, Tx, Albuqurque, Durango, CO, Salt Lake City, TBD somewhere on the way to San Fran, San Fran, then returning via a similar route. I wanted to see my family, ride with my friends, see the Grand Canyon, Bryce and Zion national parks, and whatever else seemed good along the way. If I got tired or sick or sick of riding, I would stop in Albuquerque or Salt Lake City and either head for home or leave the bike with friends and fly home. And Salt Lake City would be a perfect alternate destination in case time or money constraints prevented making it to San Fran. Of special concern was my tail bone, broken 15 years ago and still giving me fits to this day.

As this was my first long distance trip, I tried to put some thought into my equipment and gear. With a lot of research from other ride reports, consideration of the time of year and climate, this is what I decided on:

2007 FJR 1300 AE

V-Stream Windshield

Seat Mod by Spencer https://greatdaytoride.com/Home_Page.php

Cortech 18liter Tank Bag, magnetic

Premier Cycle Accessories FJR1300 Tail Rack https://www.premiercycleaccessories.com/Sma...ack_p/11999.htm

JC Whitney Tail Trunk, large, with my own LED mods

Wal-Mart Sport Duffle bag, qty 2, 12.00/ea. One for the tail trunk, other for the winter gear and would ride on the back seat. (Note, the bag fits *perfectly* in the JC Whitney tail trunk.

Garmin Zumo GPS

Cardo Scala Bluetooth headset

Clothes/Gear

Helmet - HJC Symax modular

Balaclava

Tourmaster Transition Series 2 jacket with liner

Tourmaster Flex pants with both liners

Tourmaster Synergy heated jacket liner

Alpinestars SMX 2 AC summer gloves

Olympia - Cold Throttle winter gloves

Alpinestars Web Gore-Tex Boots

Froggs Toggs Rain Gear

underclothes for 10 days, shirts/jeans/shorts for 5

sandals

Camera

Canon Powershot S5-IS

Raynox 0.66x Wide Angle Conversion Lens

Lensmate 52mm lens adapter

Joby Gorillapod Tripod https://www.joby.com/products/gorillapod/original/

Tools/Misc

2 liter hydration bottle for the Cortech Tank Bag (Wal-Mart)

Slime Air Pump and tire plug kit

Socket set, allen wrench set, zip ties, duct tape, electrical tape, Rescue brand tape, ignition switch override kit (home made), Lock-tite, vice grips, wire strippers/cutter, multi-tool, 2 led flashlights, tire pressure guage

First aid kit

Chargers for everything

Laptop

Joel's BBQ ball cap

Stuffed dog mascot, Kiki.

Rider:

Me, Henry. 43 year old father of 1. Airline pilot. Computer Geek. Riding experience: 3 years in my late teens, off and on through my 20's and 30's, and 8 months on the FJR.

I'll be posting every few days with photos and recollections of each day. I'll also be adding "Gear Reports" to let you know how all the stuff worked, or didn't work. Along the way we'll hit cities, mountains, deserts, sun, heat, cold, rain and snow. Thanks for reading and look for my first post tomorrow.

[first update: I'm back home and will be writing this post-dated. I wish I had time during the ride itself to write each day, but I was having too much fun!]

 

[Niehart]

Cool deal Henry. Good luck and we'll be watching for updates.

 

[ndivita]

Can't wait to read your posts on the trip. The first LD trip is the one you remember the most.... Congratulations....

 

[hecpilot]

Houston to San Antonio

**Just to clarify, I am already home from my trip and writing it post-ride. It was a fantastic trip...**

It seems a lot of ride reports get off to an auspicious start. Whether it is weather, a sleepless night, mechanical problems, a forgotten item, something seems to go a bit wrong. For me it was weather. I was due to start the trip on Saturday, April 25, 2009. Everything was (mostly) packed and ready to go, all that had to happen is that I had to fly in from Mexico that Friday, spend some time with my family, rest up, load up the bike and take off Saturday morning. My flights Friday were Mexico to Houston, to Ft. Myers Florida and back to Houston. Everything was fine till we hit Ft. Myers. A HUGE storm was hitting Houston and there was no way we were going to be able to fly into the storm and land. So, we waited it out in Ft. Myers. Until the next morning. So, as the weather improved, we left Florida about 20 hours behind schedule, on Saturday morning, the first day of my vacation. Looks like the bike ride would start a day late on Sunday. Such is life!

Today's Route: Spring, Texas, to Halletsville via US Hwy 90, North via US77 to I-10, to Flatonia and Joel's BBQ, then a straight shot down I-10 to San Antonio. Total miles, about 220.

Overall the ride was easy, the weather perfect with temps in the low 80's. I spent the time listening to music and getting accustomed to the V-Stream windshield, my new jacket and generally getting into the flow of longer riding.

I got to San Antonio happy for a successful first day and thrilled to visit my family. Looking forward to tomorrow!

Starting Milage

A sweet good-bye.

The Family (babies often wish for tinted shields!)

Selecting the route.

On the road!

First stop, Sheridan, Texas, always wanted to get a picture under the oak trees next to the post office.

Great day to ride!

Halletsville, Texas. Nice tribute. Loaded for bear!

Joel's BBQ in Flatonia, Texas. My fav BBQ stop along I-10, exit 661. Sorry, I forgot the food pic! Not the first time either...

Home at my brother and sis-n-law's home.

Henry and Brother. Woohoo! What a great first day.

===Gear Report: The FJR===

What is there to say about the FJR that hasn't been said? It is a supreme long-distance, high-speed machine, a true GT. The only things I would add to mine are highway pegs and a cruise control. I will not do another long distance tour without them. While riding, I would find myself moving my legs a lot and stretching every 20 minutes or so in order to relieve the bend in my legs. (I'm not tall, 5-8, 30" inseam). Highway pegs would have helped give me another riding position and truly make longer rides more tolerable. As for cruise control, I used a cramp buster to help hold my throttle position. It worked out well except for the next-to-last day, 400 miles and 7.5 hours. At the end of that ride I found my right hand swollen and tingling from pressure on the nerves. 3 days later and it still hasn't gotten completely back to normal. It's my fault for not adjusting my hand position more often. Other than that, a bigger windshield than stock, a seat upgrade (if necessary), and a tail trunk and you are set to cross the world.

 

[cpsfjr]

Way cool, Henry. Looking forward to the rest of the report.

How do you like the v-stream w/s?

 

[Old Michael]

All right. I'm IN! Keep 'em coming hec.

(S5IS - Great camera, huh? I've beat the crap out of mine, and it just keeps ticking.

Goes through batteries though.)

 

[Niehart]

Keep'em coming. Great shot of the post office!

 

[twistedcricket]

Great report so far!! Can't wait for updates!

I've found lots of things that have made my trips better...after I get home from them Crampbuster (from your Day 1 comments)

 

[hecpilot]

Day 2 - San Antonio to Midland/Odessa

Route: I-10 to Junction, TX, US 83 to Eden, US 87 to San Angelo to Sterling City, then Hwy 158 to Midland/Odessa

Total Milage: 340, about 6.5 hours in the saddle.

Weather: sunny and clear, temps in the high 70's to high 80's.

Today found me winding through the Texas Hill Country and climbing steadily towards the high plains of Texas. Hitting the 80 mph speed limit along I-10 was a welcome sight as I knew I had a lot of miles to do today. I also got a late start, opting to spend time with my family before leaving San Antonio, and sitting in on a meeting with my Mom's doctors. While I originally didn't want to ride at night on this trip, I figured it was going to happen and I would just make the best of it.

The first 250 miles went by in a flash, I was really enjoying the Hill Country. However, the temps climbed steadily through the day and it was a battle to stay hydrated and cool. My jacket and V-Stream combined to make things warm, and for a moment I second-guessed my decision to bring this jacket, but I knew colder temperatures would be ahead.

The last 100 miles were kind of miserable. It got dark, I was really, really tired, had no hotel reservation, (plan was to "wing-it" at the front desk of a hotel in Odessa), was thinking about my Mom and her health... sadly it was a low point on the trip and it was just day 2.

On to the photos, be sure to check the gear report after the pictures.

About 30 miles outside of San Antonio, listening to Rush (my brother and I are big fans), and dropping the hammer.

At McD's in San Angelo. Home of pretty West Texas girls.

First food pic... I know... it's just McD's. Did I mention the women are gorgeous in San Angelo?

Somewhere out west of San Angelo. These are the new Texas oil wells. Gigantic, spectacular. And green. I just couldn't stop staring at them.

Finally made it to this hotel. Seems all the local hotels were booked for some golf tourney. Nice people, clean room.

Generic hotel building, seems to have been a different motor-hotel in a past life. I was so tired when I rolled in that night, I didn't care.

Don't ask. It was in front of the hotel.

Kudos to a hotel that uses REAL toilet paper, instead of some sand-paper by-products. As I stay in hotels about 150 nights a year, you come to appreciate the little things.

**Plan for Tomorrow**

Off to Albuquerque to meet up with my best friend Juanito. It will be the end of my solo ride, at least for the next week or so.

===Gear Report===

National Cycles V-Stream Windshield.

I've gotten a lot of questions about the V-Stream and I'll do my best to let you know what my thoughts are. FYI, I'm 5'8", 30" inseam. Overall, I have a love-hate relationship with it. In the down position, air hits me below the helmet and while smooth, it is noisy. About 3/4 up is my sweet spot, with a touch of wind hitting the top of the helmet. All the way up I get almost no air hitting me at all, just a slight breeze hitting my shoulders/elbows and wrists. However, I do have to look through the shield to see the road. Not a problem until your shield freezes over. (More on that later!) I used the full-up position most of the time, great for listening to the hum of the engine, or jamming to some tunes. So what didn't I like? First of all, there IS turbulence at the top of the screen. Just raise it up and lean back. The helmet buffeting returns. Second, do the guys designing these things test them in cross winds? The V-Stream is horrible in crosswinds and I think it may be a function of surface area (its big across the top). It definitely pushes a lot in a cross wind. And anytime there is "dirty" wind, i.e. behind a truck, look out. You will be bounced and buffeted. Is it am improvement? Over stock, certainly. Over the Yamaha Touring Windshield I used prior? Yes, but not in cross winds or in dirty air. I think it blocks so much air it wouldn't be good for Texas summers, so for me it is a road-trip shield. Lastly, fit and finish, resistance to scratching are all excellent.

 

[hecpilot]

Day 3 Odessa to Albuquerque

Route: Odessa, Texas to Edgewood, NM (just east of Albuquerque) via Hobbs, NM, Roswell, NM as directly as possible on as many country roads as possible.

Total Milage: about 420

Weather: Great, sunny and clear, temps 80-90 and dry. Did I mention its hot in the desert?

The name of the game today was country roads, and getting to Juanito's house as quickly as possible. After a nice stay at the MCM hotel in Odessa, I was ready to reach my friend's house and start our adventure west-bound. In the morning I packed up the bike, checkout out of the hotel, gassed up and headed out. Had a nice talk at the gas station with a beer vendor, he was all about asking questions about the FJR.

I didn't take any pics till I hit the New Mexico border, and with such a big day (for me at least) I wanted to make time and get to Juan's house before dark. You see, I'm not a get-up-at-daybreak kinda guy. Guess it's the Mexican in me ;-), I like sleeping in, waking up around 8ish, and hit the road by 9:30 or so. I live my life at work by the clock (literally, by the minute) and I decided that on this vacation there wouldn't be a clock. I was lucky I even brought a watch with me.

One thing about the roads between Hobbs and Roswell. This is oil country and most of my small back-roads took me through the oil patch. Narrow, two-laners, straight as an arrow. Desolate. One of them reminded me of the movie Mad Max, the first one, where he is driving those roads in the Australian outback. I would sometimes go for 50 miles or more without seeing a human being. This one little road had a sign that said "Unfenced Cattle next 70 miles" perhaps the cattle guards at the beginning of the road were a sign. Sure enough, there they were, eating desert plants next to the oil wells. Leaving that area, I think I hit a cattle guard doing 90.

Photos next, and be sure to check the gear report after the pics...

Finally, after riding two and a half days, I cross my first state line. I've left the plains of Texas and entered the desert of New Mexico. A totally new experience for me. Wow, is everything here brown or what? Of course, the temps begin to rise, and the sun is unmerciful.

Entering Hobbs, NM, I looked for a place to eat. Found the local Yami dealership and decided to stop and ask them. Nice folks there, stop by if you are in town. They recommended El Palomar.

El Palomar, great food, owned by folks from Mexico. Yum.

My lunch, all you can eat buffet, around 8 bucks. Delish!

Speak a little Spanish, smile a lot, ask for a photo and look what happens. LOL.

Next stop: Roswell, NM. Didn't see any UFO's and by this time I'm feeling the heat (and its only 90!) and wanting to speed up to get some cooling flow on me I made a hasty exit.

About an hour out of Roswell it's time for a break. Gotta hydrate myself, offload prior hydration and walk for a bit. This little town had a dearth of shade, so I found an abandoned gas station and pulled in.

I spent some time thinking about the people and stories of this old gas station. It was like a trip back 20 years ago...

Finally, after 400+ miles, I am at Juan's house. If you look behind the FJR, you'll see the camper that will be our home for the next week.

It sure was great getting to my friends house. As I rolled past the 400 mile mark, I asked myself how do guys ride 600, 800, or 1000+ miles in a day? I was completely wiped out after doing two consecutive 400 milers. Oh, and at the end of this ride, to get to my friends house you have to traverse about 1/4 mile of gravel roads. I had never ridden the FJR on gravel and I think to myself, "self, you are tired, your legs are wobbly, dehydrated, have a road-headache, lets not drop the FJR here". Glad to say, I carefully wobbled into his driveway.

===Gear Report===

Tourmaster Transition Series 2 Jacket.

Great stuff! This is an all weather 3/4 length textile touring jacket. Well, maybe not for the heat of summer. I was comfortable in this jacket up to about 85 degrees (7 vents opened) and easily comfy down to 30 degrees with my Tourmaster Synergy electric liner. It has a ton of pockets to hold your gear, has elbow, shoulder pads and reflective piping to protect you, a breathable and water proof inner liner, double main zipper will full length Velcro wind flap, adjustable waist band and built in fanny pack. It comes with an insulated removable liner that I didn't try. Fit and finish was good, although I did have a few threads around the wrist area that got frayed after 3000 miles. Wind protection was excellent, as was water protection. I drove twice in heavy rain and snow for about 3 hours and never once got wet. Overall, it's a great 3-season jacket.

Plan for tomorrow, Flagstaff, AZ and the Grand Canyon.

 

[hecpilot]

...Coming in a few days... things go from great, to good, to bad, to ugly.

I thought it didn't snow in late April?

 

[FJRSTAR]

Keep the reports coming. So far so good....

 

[hecpilot]

Thanks everyone for the words of encouragement. Writing the report is fun too. I originally wanted to do it in real-time during the trip, but I was just having too much fun to make the time to sit at the computer.

Hope you enjoy the rest of the story...

Keep the reports coming. So far so good....

 

[hecpilot]

A Tribute to Yolanda.

=====================================

Thoughts about what we leave behind.

In reading many ride reports, I've discovered that many reports aren't just about what we see ahead, but what we leave behind. Some leave behind nothing, abandoning everything, choosing a life on the road and living their dreams. For others, it's about coming home. Thats me.

So, on Mother's Day, a tribute to Yolanda.

This is a typical phone conversation during my two-week ride. She's at home, alone with our 2-month old son. (Imagine us speaking in Spanish, she's from Mexico City)

======================================

Me: Hi Yoli! Whatcha doing!

Yoli: Hi Amor, we miss you! How is your trip? Are you ok?

Me: I'm doing great, a llittle tired but having the time of my life... (insert ride report details).... and how is the baby?

Yoli: He's doing great, misses his Daddy, he was a good boy today, we went grocery shopping and all the ladies in the store stopped to tell me how beautiful he is and what a sweet boy he is. It was so sweet hearing their comments.

Me: Wow, sounds wonderful. I sure do miss you guys. And how are you?

Yoli: Well, today I got a little bored, so I turned into a tornado and did a gigantic spring cleaning. I changed a few things in the house and I think you'll be pleasantly surprised when you get home. Afterwards, one of my girlfriends came over with her baby and we watched movies. Have you decided when you are turning back for home?

Me: Thanks for taking care of the house, can't wait to see what you did. As for the trip, I haven't yet decided when I'm coming home. I'm probably gonna get to Salt Lake City, ride with Mike then head home. I'm thinking San Fran is out of the question, it's gonna make my trip about 4-5 days longer and I want to get home.

Yoli: Well don't worry about us, we're ok, we just miss you. Go to California if you like and live your dreams. We'll be waiting for you when you get home.

Thank you, Yolanda, for helping me make my dreams come true. :clapping:

 

[FJRBluesman]

Awesome report!

Glad everything went well and you're back safe and sound with your family. :yahoo:

 

[hecpilot]

Thanks! Coming home was sweet, yet at the same time bittersweet since I knew my big trip was over.

Awesome report!
Glad everything went well and you're back safe and sound with your family. :yahoo:

 

[hecpilot]

Joel's BBQ and 400 mile days

I thought a lot about how much I like to ride in a day. I think 300-400 is me. 400 miles is about 5ish hours in a car, and after 5 hours I'm done. I want out of the car. The most I've done in a plane is 11 with a break in the middle somewhere. Those were too long. In my current job, I've done about 9-1/2 (with weather delays) and again, my old butt was done. I can do 8 hours flying but it stops being as fun around the 6th hour. So for me, same with the moto, 4-5 hours is ok, after that I'm not having fun, and then what is the point? Plus, I don't drive that fast, usually speed limit +10ish, so making a big milage day takes me longer... plus time for pictures, chatting, eating, gas, snackies... you get the idea.

I have the utmost respect for the guys that regularly knock out 500+ mile days. Its just not for me.

===============================================

I-10 Houston to San Antonio BBQ report:

Ok, I've tried jerry Mikeskas in Columbus. Hit it on the way back to Houston at the end of my Houston/Salt Lake Ride. The ribs were ok, the brisket below average and the veggies, while having a good selection, were soggy and stale. The sauce was really too sweet, ok for some but not my thing. No pictures, I was too tired and eager to get home at the end of 3500 miles.

My fav is Joel's BBQ in Flatonia, exit 661. Texas style, smoked on premises, moist and yummy. My fav is the brisket. Moist with just the right amount of seasoning. Sauce is balanced between sweet and tart but not too vinigery. Ribs are good but a bit on the small side. Hope you don't mind eating out-doors, because there is no air conditioning. Or you can sit inside in the shade. Nice people, decent prices.

Here are some bonus pics I took of Joel's this weekend on a car trip with the family:

I-10 Exit 661 Flatonia, Texas

Brisket, yum! Order the Texas Sized sandwich.

Place your order.

Have a seat.

Another favorite in Texas is Rudy's and wouldn't you know it the built one in Houston 10 minutes from my house. You can find them in Austin, San Antonio, Brownsville, Houston and who knows where else. Rudy's was the scene of my last dinner, pre-bachelor party. Highly recommended.

 

[flyball]

Great ride report. You came through my town. Wish I would have known you were coming, I could have hooked you up with some fantastic Tex-Mex and saved you from McD's. Please don't rate San Angelo by that!

But you did get one thing right, lots of good looking women in San Angelo.

 

[Big-D]

Isn't it great to get out on the open road and just ride. Riding with a small group is fun, but riding alone allows for the imagination to fire up and guide you into life time memories. You have a rare chance to reinvent yourself and get to know yourself all over again.

You did a great job telling your story and posting your pictures, but we'll still wanting more!