Still going...

[smthng]

Hey all,

Just wanted to shoot a quick message out...

NAFO was great! Great riding, great folks and an excellent venue.

Jim (Patent1) and I are still working our way home. We spent three days in Yellowstone and are now in Clear Lake, IA. A couple more 500 mile days will see us back hoe in Springfeld, VA. I'll post updates, pics, etc, when I get back.

'Twas great to put some faces to some names and get some real road time. L8rs!

--smthng

 

[FJRONAMISSION]

wow......... how many miles so far??... mg:

 

[smthng]

"So far" is now "done".

We're back home in Springfield, VA. We rolled in at about 0'dark-thirty last night. That was promptly followed by shower, food and 12 hours of much needed sleep.

Totals...

Distance: 5060 miles

Time: 10 days

Points of note: Golden - CO (NAFO), Yellowstone NP - WY, Devil's Tower - WY, Mt. Rushmore - SD, Kalmes Restaurant - IA (of Feasting on Asphalt fame - my last name is Kalmes), Springfield - VA (HOME!).

Costs and observations...

Gas: A lot. I'll figure out how many stops after I get my Garmin tracks loaded up.

Tires: Installed a set two days before I left, they're toast. I cupped the front out at Golden during NAFO and the rear now has the highway leveling strip. They did good, held up under all sorts of conditions and I expected them to be shot by the time I got back.

Kansas is long, hot and boring. Avoid if possible.

Illinois sucks all around. Avoid it. Especially within 100 miles of Chicago.

South Dakota is the land of speed. We... uh... got to test the Feejer's ability to handle high RPMs for long distances there.

Wyoming is HUGE! Unless you can verify that there's gas within 200 miles, get it now. Always!

NAFO rocked!

Beartooth Pass is highly over-rated.

Buffalo are cool.

The comm system keeps the wife happy.

The Mississippi River is the "Jerk Line" of the USA. Jerks are East, cool drivers are West.

I need to move to Denver.

That's it for now... I gotta go unpack the Feej and give her some much needed lovin'.

Thanks to all who had anything to do with NAFO... Facilitators, attendees and especially the group we rode with. That's probably the best riding I've done on the Feej... She handled it beautifully, even two up.

 

[madmike2]

:clapping: Congratulations on finishing your ride. :clapping:

I need to move to Denver.

Don't forget the narrow riding season and snow. :glare:

A number of CA riders were thinking the same thing until I reminded them that much of the state is covered with a thick blanket of snow for months and months.

But it certainly was a beautiful place to visit and ride their roads. :yahoo:

 

[v65]

Beartooth Pass is highly over-rated.

Funny, the wife and I thought the exact opposite. :dntknw: Different strokes for different folks I guess.

 

[smthng]

Don't forget the narrow riding season and snow. :glare: A number of CA riders were thinking the same thing until I reminded them that much of the state is covered with a thick blanket of snow for months and months.

That just means I'll have more use for the Jeep too.

 

[Bugnatr]

What brand of tires are toast? Seems early cupping on the front but not uncommon to square off the rear.

The riding just gets better the farther west you go!

After CFO next month I'll be blasting across So Dak to Mn to see family and then back across SD before any real hills. That's 1k miles without any mountains. May suffer twisty withdrawls.

 

[smthng]

What brand of tires are toast? Seems early cupping on the front but not uncommon to square off the rear.

Pirelli Diablo Stradas. It's my third set and I love them. The other two sets lasted almost 10,000 miles.

I'm not at all surprised that the front cupped on this set. It was definately my fault, not the tires. I was two up in the mountains and I was riding harder than I usually do by myself. There was a lot of braking and a fair amount of tire "howling" for several days. I wouldn't expect any tire to do any better.