Day’s distance: 348 miles I left the house just after 8am. It was 59 degrees and overcast. Temperatures reached a high of 84 and the overcast burned off by 10am leaving only high clouds in the sky. Not great light for photography, but I took photos anyway. I’m super stoked to be on the road, again.This trip will be about 10,000 miles total and take … Continue reading Northern States Tour – Day 1
Just letting people know that I’ll be starting the tour one week later than planned. The new departure date is August 28th. Continue reading Northern States Tour delayed one week
I came across an article titled “Riding Alone – A taste for Solitude” by Jeff Buchanan. I recommend this quick read to help understand some of the benefits of traveling solo on a motorcycle adventure such as the Northern States Tour, starting Sunday. “Going alone offers a chance to test yourself, to be away from familiar things, familiar tasks. There is often an air of accomplishment when … Continue reading Going alone
I’m getting excited about the Northern States Tour. Right now, I’m updating my GPS maps. The weather looks good for the planned August 21st departure and, from the Northwest Interagency Coordination Center fire map, there are currently no fires I have to route around. Continue reading T minus 6 days and counting
This is my fourth set of tires and my third set of Pilot Road 4 tires. I can get 13,000 miles out of a set using them mostly for long distance touring. The work was done by the good folks at BMW Motorcycles of Seattle. Since installation, I’ve put about 150 miles on the set to scuff them up. I leave in a week. Time … Continue reading New Pilot Road 4 GT tires
Pretty soon after purchasing my motorcycle in 2013, I purchased an all-black BMW riding suit. Shortly after that, I purchased a hi-viz safety vest to wear over the all-black suit to increase my visibility. I almost always used the vest while riding and now consider it mandatory equipment for myself. Well, three years later, the vest has faded and accumulated a great deal of road grime … Continue reading Safety vest replaced
I have looked ahead at each night of the northern leg of my trip, getting a bit more familiar with camping and lodging options at each of my nightly destinations. As a result, I have marked some evenings as ones to “plan ahead” – in these cases as I get more certain I am on schedule, I’ll try to make reservations. If I find this … Continue reading 2016 Northern States Tour – updates
