Memphis to moab

More American Beauty

2009-10-17T14:09:00.004-04:00

American Beauty

2009-10-17T14:04:00.002-04:00

A pause for some Beauty from America's back roads....

The Buell on a TAT mountain pass

2009-10-12T13:51:00.010-04:00

When I loaded my music player for this trip I put a whole bunch of songs that would qualify as good workout songs. For some reason, this song, and the whole album by Sammy Haggar's band "Chickenfoot" was my favorite. Take a ride up this mountain pass in Colorado while listening to some of the music I had in my helmet. This is the track I was playing as we started up the hardest pass of the trip.....I'll never forget it...

Just like during a workout, the music I was listening to pumped me up and kept me feeling positive and free from fear about the challenge...and the drop offs....until lightning started striking at the summit while sleet started making everything cold and wet, not to mention slippery.... Thats was frikkin scary. People who passed by us in a jeep on the way down stopped and said..."You guys are nuts ! "

Most of this footage was shot on the Cinnamon Pass but there are clips from other sections of the TAT thrown in too......

Stats on this pass:

Me - 220lbs

Gear- 45lbs

Tires- 25 psi

Rear Tire - almost bald

Rear Shocks - full preload

Front Shocks- factory settings

Ipod- Full volume

Ambient Temperature - From 65 to 32 degrees (in that order)

Elevation- 8500 - 13,500 ft

This video was shot on the easiest part of the Pass, the lower section. The camera had to go away once the rain started 1/2 way up the run. Too bad, the trail got MUCH tougher after this. The size of the bumps, rocks and the severity of the switchback turns increased threefold.

Don't Try this with Your Harley....

2009-09-30T13:00:00.004-04:00

Here's a video I threw together (quite unprofessionally) to give you a feel of what the Trans America Trail is like.

Music is by Tony Roberts and Sam Waite.

Footage shot from onboard Steve's Buell Ulysses xb12x

Buell Handguard Upgrade

2009-09-23T10:37:00.004-04:00

If you are going Off-Road with your ULY, upgrading to better handguards is the only important modification you really need to make. It's also very inexpensive. Other mods like bash guards are nice, but not really necessary. This is a testament to how well the bike is built from the factory and not the other way around. If you go off-road at any point , which I highly recommend since this Buell is so much fun, you can count on the fact that you will probably slide or drop the bike at some point unless you are extremely careful. But being extremely careful is no fun! The Uly is made to be used and used hard. It can take it. However, your fingers and control levers are a different story.

Buell offers no factory version of an upgrade unfortunately. The guards that come stock only serve to deflect wind. Trust me, I fell once in a really really soft patch of sand in Ocala Florida's wilderness trail system. The bike slid at slow speed and gently squished down into the sand.... the sand gently squished the windguards into my fingers trapping them between it and the clutch lever. This was 5 minutes into 3 days of riding that we planned. I did the rest of the trip with very sore left fingers by grinning and bearing it. After this, there was NO WAY I was going on a three week 1600 mi off-road trip without finger and lever protection ! The cost for this optional but very important piece of gear listed below? Less than $100.00.

In searching for real handguards specifically for the ULY you will find none listed so it took me some digging and help to find a universal one that worked.

( I got great help from Matt at Twisted Throttle and here is what he emailed me )

"From what I can tell, the BB.BHG6 (VPS full wrap kit) or the BB.S4BK (Storm guard full wrap) will mount up without any issue using the BB.BSC.STD standard 7/8 bar fit kit. Let me know if you have any more input or concerns.

Best regards,

Matt"

Test results: I dropped the bike three or four times from standing position due to slippery or uneven ground . Once I fell because I was getting over-confident and decided I could do a skid stop like I was on a mountain bike. I ended up high siding at the last part of the stop. Everytime the bike fell it fell directly on the handguards and the footpegs. the only damage? The handguards shifted a little to take up the shock. After I got up and got my head back....I just pushed them back down into position. Oh yea, the plastic got scratched too. Everytime I rode off after a fall or crash, the bars and controls were 100% as new. So were my fingers. Awesome. See the clip below for detail.

Dress for the Fall, Not for the Ride

2009-09-21T18:41:00.004-04:00

You have to dress yourself and your bike for falling as well as riding with the former being very important. You will fall.

I didn't want to be uncomfortable or get hurt so I did alot of research and got tons of good advice from John as well as from internet searches before picking what gear to buy for this trip. I am really happy with what I ended up with but it wasn't easy. Coming soon I will have a complete list with pics of what worked, what didn't and why.

At just $150.00, the BUELL MESH JACKET was the BOMB. However it's been discontinued and it's only avail. in SM and XL. I am 6'0", 215 lb. 45" chest. The XL was perfect for me and left room for a thin bottom layer or two even with the rain liner in.

Shown above:

Buell Mesh Jacket Xl $ 150.00

Moose Sahara pants $ 109.00

Sidi Discovery boots $ 325.00

Race-tec Nitro Summer gloves $ 55.00

HJC Full Face Helmet /shield $ 0 ( Free with an old Honda I bought for $300.00)

Clothes: What worked and what sucked

2009-09-21T17:43:00.014-04:00

A special thanks goes to Tony Murphy at the Salt Water Angler in Key West for setting us up with the perfect underclothes for this trip. He gave us a super deal on hi-tec stuff from a company called Ex-Officio. He also provided us with something every offroad rider should have , a BUFF. Buff's are worn by fishing Captains in the Keys to keep the Sun off of their necks. But they cross-over to motorcycling because they are a really great way to help filter air and keep lots of DUST out of your nose, mouth and ears. They are extremely light, very cool and dry fast after washing in a sink. The underwear worked perfectly and never chafed or stayed wet. The stuff packed real small and dried over night every time.

Here's the challenge with clothes: You can only take a very small amount of clothing with you on a trip like this. Because of this, everything you take is extremely important. The clothing /gear you choose has to be able to keep you cool, warm, dry , protected and comfortable.

Here's what worked for me. I am 6'0", 215lbs, 34" waist, 45" chest.

Jacket: Buell Mesh Jacket size XL with optional back armor. FANTASTIC product. Fit perfect. VERY cool with lots of airflow. Complete protection, arms, shoulders middle and lower back. The buell logo on the front even offers a bit of "Roost" protection since it's made ofthick rubber just like the forearm logos. I felt very protected for such a light jacket. The zipout liner was great. I put it in and out everyday as it served as a great way to keep warm in the higher elevations. All of the zippers /buttons/velcro on the jacket are 100% after the trip.

(NOTE: I got one of the last Mesh jackets out there as the jacket is now discontinued by Buell.)

Pants: Draggin Jeans Urban Camo : I had two pair of long pants on this trip. The Draggin's were for staying warm, and for doing long stretches of high speed pavement. They are expensive and worth every penny. They have kevlar lining and fit extremely well. Im a 34 " waist, but I got 36" so I was sure they would be comfortable at the waist while sitting. They were. These were great for the cold too. I also was very comfortable wearing them casually which is great because I had no other pants except the Sahara mesh off road one's. They fit over my knee armor no problem. $225.00

Pants: Sahara mesh by Moose: Great fit and also very high quality. I'll have these for a long time. They are a bit cooler than the Draggins but not as much as I thought. I bought these for hot summer /slow riding off road. They have hip pads for extra protection there and I liked that. No other protection except for inside the knee. Soft leather there. I liked the Draggins more overall. Sahara's are on sale at MCsuperstore right now for $83.00.

Boots: Sidi Discovery: I'm very happy with the fit and construction of these. Very easy to get on/off and they are versatile. They can be worn in wet situations as long as water is no more than 10" deep. They are comfortable enough to walk to the next gas station if you have to. Or as in the picture above, walk to the next Burrito stand. I love the Burritos out West. They took quite a beating and have 0 defects after the 2500 mile trip. I am a 10.5 sneaker and I got the size 11. They were absolutely perfect fit. $325.00

Socks: Fox coolmax thin: Cool socks, but they didn't ever dry overnight so get a few pairs. $16.00

Neck Protection: Buffs: We have no motorcycle supply stores where we live so we had to get creative with a few things like these buffs. Got ours from Tony Murphy's offshore outfitter which is THE outdoor store in Key West. They have many unique and special items for protection against the elements. Buffs are light, stretchy & strong. We used them to help filter dirt that entered the helmet area. They worked great. $20.00

(I have a Buell fleece buff on in one of the shots. Got it free when I walked into a dealer and they had a promotion going on. I loved this for staying comfortable while riding in the cold of the higher passes and on mountain mornings. I don't know if they sell this but they should. )

What Sucked: The mesh jacket was the 4th item in a row that I tried for upper body protection. Here's what I threw back: I threw back a Teknic "freeway" jacket that I had huge hopes for (Too big and HOT). I also got two "mesh body armor" body suit things. One was from Aerostitch, one was an acerbis from MC Superstore. Both sucked to put on and take off. There's no way I'd be able to pull these things off to cool down in between rides. They had no pockets and had no warmth. They were too tight and squeezed my arms and wrists. They were hard to pull on and off too. Did I mention that ?

Tip of the Day: Don't Wear polarized glasses if you want to see your GPS or any lcd screen through your polarized clear face shield !

Buell Ulysses Gets Mods for Mud

2009-09-16T16:51:00.011-04:00

Here are two mods that I did to the Uly that worked out great in the abusive offroad environment we found ourselves in day after day.

Mod 1. Billet footpegs from precision engineering.

These pegs are super easy to install and look great. They really grip the feet as they have sharp edges all the way around. I could hang my feet off these in all different ways without ever slipping. They are nice and wide, wider than stock. They are very comfy to stand on. Mud passes right thru and keeps the surface clean. I got the 1" and the 2" drop pegs at the same time and decided that the 2" drop pegs were way more comfortable. Precision was very helpful and sent both for me to try. I am 6' with a 33 inseam and the extra inch really made a difference in long term leg comfort. These pegs are super tough too. I dropped the bike about 5 times during our two week trip. Each and every time the bike fell on the pegs and the bark busters I put on the handlebars. The pegs never got more than a scratch on the edge. There was no deformity or cracking anywhere. The bike fell in hard dirt, mud, gravel and on rocks.

Mod 2. Touratech Kickstand pad. This was really important on the ULY since there is no provision for a center-stand at all. Pro's: Good construction and looks while keeping the bike upright in anything but jello. Attaching this permanently to your kickstand is way more convenient than waiting for your buddy to find a piece of discarded garbage for you to put your kickstand down on. CON: It started to rattle a bunch 1/2 way thru the trip even though the bolts were tight. The sound it makes is an annoying clacking rattle on every bump. Luckily I had noisecancelling earphones blasting a great new road-mix I downloaded just for the trip. BTW: Sammy Haggar's group "Chickenfoot" rocks !

Ulysses Off-Road Tire Wear

2009-09-15T10:55:00.012-04:00

In a search for a more aggressive tire that fit the Buell for this trip I found Pirelli Mt-60 rs corsa's. 120 /70 front 160/60 rear. The 160mm rear mounted on the 180mm rim with no issues. I replaced the stock Sync's with these just before the trip.

On the road the tire was noticibly "heavier". It required more input to do corners. This actually made the bike feel more stable, as if it were wider.

Off road the tires proved to provide plenty of traction on a variety of surfaces. Pics below show some of the terrain we encountered. I had plenty of traction on uphills with loose gravel and dirt. The tires even kept traction on steeper uphills with larger rocks and boulders. The only thing that felt real scary was deep gravel. The loose feeling on deep new gravel is unnerving and takes getting used to. The same feeling was encountered by my fellow riders as well even though they ran completely different bikes and tires. In MUD, the tires provided very little in the way of traction. Two feet down and very slow was the only way to go.

MT-60's and Wear: Pics again tell the story. Notice How damaged and ragged the tires looked after 4-500 miles. Gravel gives the tires a real beating and made them look a year old in just a few days. The front tires still have 1/2 the tread left after 2500 miles.

Gravel and torque obviously killed the rear.

Verdict: Since I was left with almost no tread at one of the most difficult parts of the trail, I would not recommend this tire for TAT use on the ULY unless you are willing to replace the rear after only 1600 off road miles.

CLick on pics to see detail

MT-60 Rear

After 2500 mi, 30% On and 70% Off-road

NO tread is left in the middle area.

MT 60 Rear

In Colorado, 1600 mi, Just before I had to

do Cinnamon Pass....In the rain.

Cut, rounded, thin.

Front after 4-5 days

Rear after 4-5 days off road

O miles.

Shallow tread even when new.

TKC 80's still have life...

2009-09-15T08:40:00.004-04:00

The Continental TKC 80's on the 1150 survived the trip, both the trail and gravel and 2600 miles of slab, in good shape. I am impressed and will probably get several thousand miles more out of them. Amazing considering the terrain we covered and the weight of the 1150 GS.

Buell Ulysses and the dust

2009-09-14T16:18:00.007-04:00

Johns F800Gs

Gregs 1150GS

Steve's Buell Ulysses

Let's talk DUST. Serious dust for days. I rode in the back because aboard my bike was GPS # 2. I know dust.

Here's the most interesting thing : After a few long days in the dirt we all checked our air filters outside our hotel. Greg, who rode behind John, found a filter completely clogged with dirt in his GS. Greg's air inlet is down below the tank on the GS and seemed to act as a vacuum due to it's placement.

The Buell, even though it was in the back of the pack had very, very little dirt in the filter. It was like the dirt wasn't even reaching it. Riding the next day I noticed that the air intake, since it's smartly located behind the fairing, receives much cleaner air by virtue of it's location behind the fairing/instrument cluster.

John's F800GS had very little dust in the filter due to the fact that he was riding in front, and also, like the Buell has an intake located high & center on the bike.

John tapped his filter in the ground and it was clean. Greg had a tough time getting the dirt out of his. I had so little dirt that I just wiped it with a damp rag to remove the small amount that collected on the left side near where the air was routed in. See the three-four dark fins on the left in the pic.

These pics were taken in Boise City Ok about 900 miles and 5 days into the trip.

(Posted by Steve)

Instamapper and the GPS Tracker iPhone app

2009-09-14T15:14:00.007-04:00

We used the GPS Tracker iPhone app on our trip and it seemed to work perfectly. It requires cell service to upload data, but now that we are home we are able to see our trip in fairly good detail. Once we look at the data, I will post a more complete review, but here is the trip overview.

(click to enlarge image)
It appears that somewhere around Silverton, Colorado, I was able to send up a signal at 9200 ft., our highest point with cell service. For a free iPhone app and website service, this worked really well for us. Here is the Google Earth view of our trip:

(click to enlarge image)

Coming soon.....Gear Reports

2009-09-14T14:22:00.002-04:00

(Posted by Steve )

The Good, The Bad, the Ugly: My Reports about the Buell Ulysses including: the tires, the suspension, pegs, bark busters, ride clothing, bags, the roads, the dirt, the DUST, crashing, sliding, the fuel, gas mileage and much much more.

Sun sets on a great trip

2009-09-09T01:14:00.000-04:00

Photo shoot

2009-09-09T01:12:00.001-04:00

(Photos by Chad Newman)

Pics pics pics

2009-09-09T01:10:00.001-04:00

(posted by steve)

Tuesday was the last day on the bikes for
John & Steve. We had a nice leisurely morning and over breakfast at
the Taos diner ( a locals Favorite for good reason) we got a tip from
our waitress on a couple of nice back roads that would take us from
Taos to Tucumcari the fun way. This time we had Chad " the driver"
Newman with us following in the truck. Chad wanted to get some
action shots of us and we were happy to oblige.... such hams
( the bikes of course)

Long Way Round to Key West

2009-09-08T20:09:00.004-04:00

As John, Steve and Chad take the truck and bikes home by a more direct route, I am riding across some amazing country as I make my way back by motorcycle.

I rode from Moab to Trinidad, cutting across Colorado on Highway 50.
Then on to Amarillo after cutting across the upper corner of New
Mexico. From Amarillio it was on to Fort Worth, then down to
Lafayette, LA. Tomorrow I head into New Orleans for a day of
relaxation then on to Destin, FL. From there I will cut across the
state and ride through St. Augustine, down to Daytona Beach and on to
Vero Beach where my beautiful wife is waiting for me. A day of
relaxing by the pool and then back to Key West.

So far an amazing ride home after an amazing ride from Memphis to Moab.

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Rollin home

2009-09-08T15:53:00.001-04:00

( by steve)

Above: Chad "the Driver" Newman and his ride.

It's been almost 2.5 weeks and more than 2800 mostly off road miles
since we came off the trailer in Memphis and said goodbye to Chad at the start of this trip.
Still, it was real tough to get off the bikes and take the jacket off
for the last time and go back on the trailer home.

We never thought we could ride 13 days straight and still want more.

Going thru Texas and la. today. We are gunning for home by friday.
Once we get home and on our laptops we will be working on the detailed
ride reports with all new pics and video (from the good cameras).

Stay tuned for lots more tech info about how all three bikes, gear and
riders did. The good bad and the ugly.

Sunset mountain run

2009-09-06T21:50:00.001-04:00

Gotta love New Mexico

2009-09-06T21:46:00.000-04:00

Taos is a fun town. It's full of bikes and the worn & dirty BMW and
Buell stand out from the crowd of chrome. We have been getting alot
of questions from cruiser pilots. When
We tell them where weve been they say.... " Trans American What?
That's usually followed by "damn I wanna do that" and,
" how'd you get three weeks off of work????? ".

(posted by steve)

Happy endings

2009-09-06T21:34:00.000-04:00

Worn out tires and worn out luggage....

It's all about the food now

2009-09-06T15:00:00.000-04:00

No more off road so it's just a quest for good food and clean
available motels.

We don't want the trip to end and I have a wee bit of rear tread left
so john and I are headed to Taos via a short 120 mile ride thru the
mountains. ( thanks for the tip Greg)
John and I are headed to Amarillo to meet up with Chad and the trailer
tomorrow. Greg continues solo back to Cayo hueso. ( steve)

Trip home

2009-09-04T23:23:00.001-04:00

Starting tomorrow I will be heading home solo. It has been an amazing
trip and thanks to John and Steve for inviting me to join them.

You can follow my progress home at my motorcycling blog: http://www.thebmw1150gs.blogspot.com
. I will be posting pictures and recording my trip there.

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A day off in Moab

2009-09-04T22:58:00.000-04:00

The tat trip is over but the fun must go on ! Here's one of many ways
to have fun in moab off road. Breakfast at Zak was excellent way to
start the day. Steve and John ripped up the trails while Greg prepped
his bike for his solo run back to Key West on the 1150gs

Moab - Arches National Park

2009-09-04T14:57:00.003-04:00

Last day in Moab

Utah!

2009-09-03T21:41:00.000-04:00

20 miles outside of Moab

2009-09-03T21:38:00.001-04:00

John's bike needed an extra boost to make it the final stretch.

Made it...

2009-09-03T19:09:00.003-04:00

4:00 pm local time, we arrived in Moab. 10 days of riding, 2000+ miles of dirt and gravel, ranging from 180 feet above sea level to over 13,000 ft. Heat, dust, rain, mud, sleet, cold. We made it. More to come...

Norwood, Colorado

2009-09-03T15:26:00.000-04:00

2009-09-03T01:16:00.001-04:00

The beast makes it

2009-09-03T00:02:00.000-04:00

The Rhino Beast cleared 13,000 feet today. Blown fork seals, a fading
then failed rear brake, slipping clutch and a battered rider were the
only problems. That and a snowstorm on the way.

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Safe and sound in Ouray at our motel

2009-09-02T22:16:00.001-04:00

Before the snow

2009-09-02T18:34:00.000-04:00

Birthday present

2009-09-02T12:51:00.001-04:00

Today we head up to Cinammon Pass, just shy of 13,000 ft. and the
toughest day of our trip so far. Rocky, steep switchbacks with 1000+
ft. drop offs at the edge. That's the way to celebrate my 48th
birthday. Only thing that could be better is if I had my wife with me.

Gotta love Colorado

2009-09-02T10:50:00.001-04:00

(from Steve)

Beautiful riding, good roads, epic scenes around ever corner & so much
wildlife. Add in cool little towns, log cabins & dirtbike rentals.
Can u tell I love Co?

Marshall Pass

2009-09-01T14:15:00.001-04:00

Had lunch in Salida, Colorado and are now heading up Marshall Pass,
10,892 feet elevation. Then dropping down into Lake City for the
night. We have somewhere around 100+ miles to go, a long way on trails.

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2009-09-01T13:45:00.000-04:00

Colorado

2009-09-01T13:44:00.000-04:00

Colorado in random pics

2009-09-01T00:15:00.000-04:00

A break at 9590 feet
Todays half order breakfast
Sleeping in westcliffe colo.
Mannequin
Old style air- conditioning..... Yikes

BTE

2009-08-31T22:46:00.000-04:00

Best. Trip. Ever.

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2009-08-31T14:11:00.001-04:00

La Vida, Colorado

2009-08-31T14:11:00.000-04:00

New Mexico

2009-08-30T23:30:00.001-04:00

TAT workhorse

2009-08-30T23:28:00.001-04:00

New Mexico border

2009-08-30T17:36:00.000-04:00

We got some mud

2009-08-30T17:35:00.000-04:00

Boise City, Oklahoma

2009-08-29T22:46:00.001-04:00

288 miles south of Denver and 120 miles north of Amarillo, Texas. The
far west panhandle of Oklahoma.

Far end of Oklahoma panhandle

2009-08-29T15:44:00.000-04:00

Panhandle

2009-08-29T14:25:00.000-04:00

On to New Mexico

2009-08-29T09:06:00.000-04:00

We are heading east out of the panhandle of Oklahoma and heading to
New Mexico. A short trip through the upper corner of the state and
into Colorado.

- Greg

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I love road food

2009-08-28T21:19:00.000-04:00

This is a HALF order of something called an Indian Taco at the White
Buffalo in a small tat town in Oklahoma. It cost $3.50 and was
Fantastic. The proprietor makes the frybread fresh and the taco
filling was
Really fresh. I haven't eaten since I ha this today..... I may not
eat again until tomorrow! ( who the hell eats a Full
Order ? )

Mt60's on the Ulysses

2009-08-28T21:10:00.000-04:00

On a bridge over a river in west Oklahoma:
Here are the mt-60 corsa's on the Ulysses after 650 hard miles mostly
off road on gravel and rocks. Probably 100 or so on pavement. I'm
running the tires at 25- 27 psi all the time. They are providing
excellent traction on and off road. We have been lucky and have had
zero mud or sand to deal with. The mt-60's tear up the street just
like the stock syncs but require a little more input to the bars.
Off road they handle dirt perfectly as well as gravel of every kind
imagineable. We all compare notes after any particularly difficult
section like sections of large fresh gravel or uphills with many sharp
loose stones. Both the other riders report the same handling
characteristics. This really surprised me
As I thought the tkc'80s on the bmw's would be vastly different/ better.

More Oklahoma

2009-08-28T20:41:00.000-04:00

Outside it's America

2009-08-28T13:13:00.000-04:00

Camels by the roadside in Oklahoma.
The roads and conditions are perfect
Thanks to the rains that passed thru
Last night. Bikes and gear are doing great. Full gear report
coming soon.

Oklahoma

2009-08-28T10:24:00.002-04:00

Another scene from Arkansas

2009-08-27T21:15:00.000-04:00

This is what it's all about, part 46

2009-08-27T19:36:00.000-04:00

Oh no, Ooo-Ray sees thunderstorms

2009-08-27T19:35:00.000-04:00

2009-08-27T12:28:00.000-04:00

Man down story

2009-08-26T23:44:00.001-04:00

So I was heading down a steep wide gravel road and heading into a
corner that was tightening as it went. I was coming in too fast and
instinctively hit the front brake. When the front wheel started to
slide I released the fromt brake and hit the back brake. I fishtailed
toward the edge of the road, almost made it when the back wheel
slipped off the edge of the road and I went down.

Slow speed fall and no damage to me or the bike.

Greg

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What a day....

2009-08-26T21:51:00.000-04:00

This a picture of Greg after a really really fun and fast ride through
an AMAZING 30 mile section of the TAT in the Ozarks near Oark AR. I
love this picture because Greg looks exactly like I
felt....exhilarated, spent, satisfied, surprised, triumphant,
challenged....... And ready to do it again asap.

Man down

2009-08-26T21:43:00.000-04:00

Story to follow, but bike is fine and Greg is fine.

2009-08-26T15:39:00.000-04:00

2009-08-26T15:17:00.000-04:00

2009-08-26T15:14:00.000-04:00

Ozarks National Forest

2009-08-26T11:43:00.001-04:00

Day 1

2009-08-25T23:58:00.000-04:00

Water crossing on the TAT

2009-08-25T22:10:00.000-04:00

Steve, Greg and John

2009-08-25T21:14:00.000-04:00

2009-08-25T17:24:00.000-04:00

This is it.

2009-08-25T15:15:00.001-04:00

This is right where I want to be. In the middle of nowhere, dirty and
dusty, gassing up and heading back out in the trail. And only a couple
more weeks to do this.

Thanks to my amazing wife for helping me get to this point and thanks
to John and Steve for having me along.

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On the road

2009-08-25T13:57:00.000-04:00

Locals checking out the Buell

2009-08-25T12:42:00.001-04:00

In the woods

2009-08-25T11:20:00.000-04:00

Packing up for the first day

2009-08-25T07:51:00.000-04:00

Finally...

2009-08-24T23:59:00.001-04:00

We are finally at Hazen, Arkansas after 2 days and roughly 1300 miles.

We are up at 6 am for a short ride to our start of the TransAmerica
Trail. The adventure begins....

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Roadside goodness

2009-08-24T18:08:00.000-04:00

On the wall at Roadside Barbeque

2009-08-24T18:07:00.000-04:00

Passing Memphis...

2009-08-24T17:13:00.001-04:00

Birmingham Alabama

2009-08-24T13:37:00.001-04:00

2009-08-24T13:37:00.000-04:00

Somewhere in Alabama

2009-08-24T10:00:00.000-04:00

6am and 65 degrees

2009-08-24T06:19:00.000-04:00

Sunday

2009-08-24T00:04:00.001-04:00

Day 1
Key West to Columbus, Georgia
745 miles
16 hours +\-

Don't forget to click on the link on the right "Where are we?". We
will be updating our position via satellite as often as possible.
After the map loads you can use the bar on the left of the map to zoom
out and get a sense of where we are.

Tomorrow it's off to Memphis.

Sent from iPhone • 917.512.9379

Huddle House for dinner

2009-08-23T22:54:00.001-04:00

Georgia sunset

2009-08-23T20:31:00.000-04:00

Heading to Alabama...bye bye Georgia

2009-08-23T19:16:00.000-04:00

Team mascot

2009-08-23T14:17:00.000-04:00

Rest stop

2009-08-23T13:00:00.000-04:00

On the road north

2009-08-23T12:58:00.000-04:00

A prayer before leaving

2009-08-23T06:14:00.000-04:00

Trip haircut

2009-08-23T06:13:00.000-04:00

On Schedule

2009-08-21T11:43:00.003-04:00

We are on schedule to leave Sunday morning. We will be trailering the bikes to just outside Memphis, which is our departure point. Chad will be driving the truck with the trailer, making his own road trip and meeting up with the team in Utah.

Wish us luck...

1150 gets new shoes

2009-08-20T20:04:00.001-04:00

Got the TKC 80s on the bike tonight. The bike is battle-ready now.

Buell Gets Off Road Tires

2009-08-20T14:59:00.004-04:00

After agonizing research trying to determine what tires to put on the Ulysses for the trans american trail I finally decided on Pirelli MT-60 Corsa's. I couldn't be happier. Uri at JK motorshop in Key West did a great job with the install and had no issues squeezing the 160 rear tire onto the 180 rim. I REALLY wanted to put full on knobbies for the trip. All I could find in tubeless knobs were undersized rears and oversized fronts.

The Mt-60's are on for just 2 days now but I am really impressed with the feel so far. The bike seems glued to the road as never before. We will find out about the off-road attributes in a few days.

Trailer test run

2009-08-19T08:24:00.001-04:00

Trip tech, part 1

2009-08-18T11:27:00.013-04:00

Here's some quick info on some of the technology I will be using on the trip.

Posting to the blog will be exclusively from the two Apple iPhones we have with us. Both text and photos can be posted instantly, providing we have cell or wifi service.

For tracking, we will be using a program called GPS Tracker, which was designed by InstaMapper. InstaMapper is a free service that allows you to track a GPS-enabled cell phone online in real time. This app will allow us to upload our position and then have it automatically plotted on an interactive Google map. The map updates automatically every few seconds. We will have a map embedded in this blog so people can follow our progress.

Using the link, you should be able to track our trip live. Click the link below to see where we are:

http://www.instamapper.com/ext?key=15998477696005159192

Another program I will be checking out is GPS Kit, which is a fairly full-featured GPS application for the iPhone. It features route tracking, waypoints, and maps.

Fortunately, the maps actually cache so they work outside of wifi or cell range. We will see how this works out. Both Steve and John have dedicated GPS units, so I will be using these from the iPhone just to test the utility of the programs and see how well they work out in the wilderness.

For photography, I will have along my Nikon D200 with a Nikkor 18-200 zoom and 12 gigabytes of storage space, broken up between a 4gb and an 8gb card. That should give me enough space for 1500+ photos. The 18-200 lens is compact and covers a tremendous range. I will be carrying the camera and lens in a padded camera bag, inside my tank bag. I need quick and easy access and as much safety for the equipement as I can get. This solution isn't ideal, but I will have to make it work.

I will also have a Nikon CoolPix 5600 in my pocket at all times.

Gear test

2009-08-15T14:57:00.003-04:00

A day-long rain storm today was perfect for testing some gear. I tried out my Teknic JetStream rainsuit and it functioned perfectly. I ordered an XXL, which fits over all my protective gear and still leaves me room to move. The jacket is nice and long for protection and has some nice reflective striping, including across the back of the jacket.

I also tried out the Aerostitch Rain Glove covers, which are really just industrial-grade rubber gloves, sized super large to fit over your riding gloves. Work great, have great grip and are only $3.00 a pair. They pack small, but make you look like you are about to do the dishes.

'Nuff Said

2009-08-11T16:30:00.005-04:00

Knobbies and a New Seat!!

2009-08-10T17:07:00.002-04:00