The "Where The $#&! Has Daveinva Been?" Thread

[daveinva]

I'm not so vain as to assume that I've been missed, but there HAS been a reason why I've been quiet the past couple of weeks: I was out a-riding!

First trip was 5-12 May riding out from Washington to Chicago & Milwaukee, and then home again.

Second trip was just this past weekend, a short trip to West Virginia for a wonderful cabin weekend with the GF.

But let's start at the beginning...

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I've lived in the DC area for 20 years now (gosh, has it been so long?), coming out here for college and never leaving (like the Mob that way!).

Before that, however, I was born and raised on Chicago's South Side. 95% of my family and a whole bunch of my closest friends are still in the greater Chicago/Milwaukee area. I visit as often as I can-- not as often as I like-- so it was only a matter of time after I got my Spyder last year that I'd make the ride west.

So, at dawn on chilly and rainy Thursday, I got the bike ready to roll...

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[SPYD1]

Dave, I actually was wondering where u have been??? Now I know. Now that I know you're from Chi-town I now know how you handle your traffic there in VA. I am going to be in your area in July for the birth of a grand-daughter and the traffic is making me wonder if I want to drive the bike there. I am not used to it. I will be in Dumfries??? My son-in-law is a marine at Quantico but they live off base. Glad you had a good trip:D:D:D.

[daveinva]

Alas, May is always a tricky time to travel. It can either be great weather, or wet weather, or something in between. This trip was most definitely the latter.

Heading west on I-66, there was plenty of mist and fog. Speeding towards the Shenandoah, I balanced my eagerness to get the "slab" part of my trip out of the way ASAP with the need to be cautious. An accident at any time is an awful thing to contemplate, but man, I was *just* starting my week and half off of work.

After all, if you're gonna wreck, do it AFTER you have all the fun, not before! :joke:

I stopped out by the foothills near Sperryville to take these:

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I took VA SR 211 through Sperryville to Luray. http://www.motorcycleroads.us/roads/va_us211.html

Locals will know it's a short but sharp set of twisties over the first range of mountains. On sunny weekends it's squid city, heavily patrolled by fun-killing state police. On foggy weekday mornings, I had the road to myself. Sadly, the fog kept me from enjoying the road to its full potential-- no biggie, I've ridden it before, and there'd be better roads to come. MUCH better...

[daveinva]

After a quick run south down US-81, I turned west on what would be my main road for the rest of my first day of travels: US 33.

http://www.motorcycleroads.us/roads/wv_us33.html

I had long read about how nice of a road 33 was. I already knew that West Virginia is a motorcycle rider's paradise, having spent plenty of time riding the George Washington National Forest just over the VA/WV state line. This trip would be my first to take me *really* deep into "banjo country." I had high hopes... now, if only the :cus: weather would clear!

Oh boy, did it ever...

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Picking up speed, heading a few thousand feet up 33 towards Seneca Rocks, the only thing slowing me down were a handful of trucks puttering along. Mercifully, generations of federally-funded highway construction has generously allotted West Virginia more than its fair share of truck lanes.

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For the record, it positively CRUSHED me to stop riding (and smiling) long enough to take photos during this leg of the trip... :D

[daveinva]

Dave, I actually was wondering where u have been??? Now I know. Now that I know you're from Chi-town I now know how you handle your traffic there in VA. I am going to be in your area in July for the birth of a grand-daughter and the traffic is making me wonder if I want to drive the bike there. I am not used to it. I will be in Dumfries??? My son-in-law is a marine at Quantico but they live off base. Glad you had a good trip:D:D:D.

Traffic in DC is like traffic in Chicago (Chicago *used* to be better, but riding through there convinced me that it's now a hopelessly lost cause). Thus, if you can answer the question, "Am I prepared for utterly inexplicable random traffic jams and irrational drivers unused to things like 'signals' and 'laws'," then you'll be fine to ride!

(Personally, I'd caution about riding here in July-- it's hot, sticky and the height of tourist season. That said, there are plenty of great roads heading this way that are awesome to ride, sooo... good luck with your call!)

[daveinva]

Without a doubt, that was Germany Valley in West Virginia (hint: you'll hear more about this awesome place soon enough...)

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Unfortunately, about here was when I began discovering two problems that would plague me the rest of my trip:

1. The Spyder's limited range. Never a problem for me in urban Northern Virginia, this would worry me more and more throughout rural West Virginia, Ohio and Indiana. I was determined to stay off the highways as much as possible, happy to get "lost" from time to time to discover the great roads the guidebooks don't tell us about, but more than once on the trip I'd hit that last bar-- or less!-- on the fuel gauge at the worst possible time. It's impossible to enjoy the beautiful scenery once the low fuel pucker factor kicks in.

The first time it did this right as I approached Seneca Rocks. All riders who visit the Rocks take the obligatory photos near there, or stop for lunch at the Front Porch restaurant. I did neither, eager to keep moving. Little did I know that Seneca Rocks would be my last chance for gas for a good 20++ miles. I reached a gas station just as my last bar disappeared.

Bottom line: I don't need 300 miles of range, but 120 or so miles is simply crummy for touring. To heck with trips out in the desert west (let alone Alaska!), even bombing through Midwest farmland is a logistical challenge on the Spyder. Oh well, maybe someday we'll get a (non-hybrid) solution...

2. The second problem? A terrible GPS setup. I have an old Garmin Nuvi 780. Simple but effective. I did not, however, have a proper power connector for the Nuvi. While I had it mounted on a Ram ball to my left handlebar, I didn't have the plug to my Powerlet in the dash. Instead, I was relying on a USB charging cord routed to the frunk.

The good news? This charged the GPS just fine. The bad news? While charging via the USB, the Nuvi recognized the Spyder as a computer, not a power outlet, and thus couldn't be operated while charging. This necessitated me stopping from time to time to unplug the Nuvi, reboot, and adjust.

I *did* run it when I could without the plug, but the problem there was a lack of juice-- keeping the GPS bright enough to read while riding burned through the tired old battery in 90 minutes, tops.

Basically, I never had happiness with my GPS setup, and wouldn't have it until AFTER the trip, when I finally bought the proper Powerlet adapter. :banghead:

That's all for tonight. Tomorrow, the best roads of the trip... heck, of my life. :doorag:

[ARtraveler]

Welcome back, and thanks for the beautiful photos. :2thumbs:

[NancysToy]

The Garmin GPS usually comes with an adapter cable to allow it to connect to USB and still operate as a GPS. Powerlet makes a USB cable for the Garmin that needs no adapter. I use the Powerlet charger cable.

[Bob Denman]

You were missed, but not missing... You were out gathering information for great places to ryde! :2thumbs:
Thanks for those pictures! :firstplace:

[daveinva]

The Garmin GPS usually comes with an adapter cable to allow it to connect to USB and still operate as a GPS. Powerlet makes a USB cable for the Garmin that needs no adapter. I use the Powerlet charger cable.

"Usually" being the key word, Scotty. Mine came with a USB cable connector that, when plugged into the frunk outlet, won't allow me to operate the Nuvi while charging. 'Twas annoying, but I solved it, AFTER my trip, by getting the Powerlet cable.

Which, for the record, isn't a solution by itself, either-- here's the fun chain of events for posterity's sake:

1. Decide I need my GPS on the trip. I've never used it on the bike, just the car, so research what I need to mount it. Get a simple RAM strap, aftermarket Garmin holder and ball mount for the handlebar.

2. Hey, the ball mount doesn't fit, what gives? Oh, the Garmin ball is too small for the aftermarket Garmin holder. Re-order (and ship fast) a new ball mount that does fit.

3. Get the new ball mount, install it, everything looks great... leave the next day for my trip.

4. Try to use the GPS without charging for a while, thinking I'll just charge it at night. Quickly discover that even at 50% brightness the thing runs down in a couple of hours, max. Need to charge it on the road. No biggie-- I've got the USB cord, I'll just run it to the frunk, loop it over my mirror, and plug it in.

5. Discover for the first time (on the road! :banghead:) that the GPS won't operate while charging via USB. Oh well.

6. Get to Chicago, decide I need a Powerlet connector. Stop in a BMW motorcycle dealer, they've got tons of Powerlet stuff... but not the thing *I* need :banghead:.

7. Order next-day air the proper Powerlet connector, shipping it to my friend's house up in Milwaukee. I'll pick it up there.

8. Get to Milwaukee, get the Powerlet connector in the mail, discover that the plug doesn't plug into the Nuvi. ?!? :dontknow:

9. Sigh. Ride home with the same jury-rigged setup... charge the GPS... disconnect... use for a while... charge the GPS... repeat.

10. Get home. On a lark, try to figure out how the heck Powerlet could sell me a Garmin adaptor that doesn't adapt to Garmin. Soon discover in the pile of extra GPS mount parts I set aside from my car install that the *stock* Garmin ball mount that attached to my car mount plugs into the Nuvi unit, and the Powerlet cord plugs into the stock Garmin ball mount.

Also discover that, per #2 above, the smaller RAM ball connector fits the stock Garmin ball mount perfectly (duhhhhh...).

Of course, even had I discovered this stuff while on my trip, it wouldn't have helped since all that stuff was sitting at my house.

Anyway, got the GPS installed properly, with the Powerlet connector. I ended up ditching the the connector to the stock Garmin ball mount, however-- the stock connector fits into the aftermarket mount just fine, and the aftermarket mount (with the larger 1" ball) is MUCH more secure than the Garmin-sized ball.

Long story longer: what a headache, but that's why I took a comparatively "easy" trip as my first big trip. I should have given the GPS setup a shakedown BEFORE I hit the road, but c'mon, where's the adventure in that? :joke:

[NancysToy]

:yikes: I'm dizzy just from the tale. Glad you got it worked out.

[mooneych]

Glad you made it back (GPS non-withstanding). :thumbup:

[daveinva]

After nearly running out of gas near Elkins, WV, I arrive at a crossroads, figuratively and literally. I know that my main destination before dinnertime is Parkersburg, WV, on the Ohio River at the WV-OH border. I can keep taking 33 west, but at some point I need to cut to the northwest. I chose to cut early, at Camden, WV, riding 9/18 up to US 50.

This road, to put it bluntly, is insanely fun.

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For the next hour+, I'm riding a nightmare of twisties, blind corners, sweepers, pristine asphalt mixed with potholes the size of canned hams, turkey vultures crossing the road, trailers and RVs that haven't moved since the Nixon Administration, pickup trucks with more NASCAR decals than Daytona, and (literally) the kitchen sink. It's exhausting, but what fun.

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Not terribly long after, I stop for a quick bite at McDonald's in Parkersburg, then cross over into Ohio, and the gem of my trip...

[daveinva]

Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you: The Triple Nickel.

http://www.motorcycleroads.us/roads/oh555.html

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Somehow, amazingly, I stopped on what must have been the only straightaway the entire length of this incredible road. ;)

Now, I admit, I have yet to ride many roads-- no Dragon yet for me :(-- but SR 555 has the following things going for it:

1. On a Thursday afternoon, it was emptier than my wallet after Superbowl weekend in Vegas. No traffic, no closures, NO POLICE.
2. The Dragon has 11 miles. SR 555 goes on for *60+*. And nearly every mile is an absolute roller coaster, with great pavement, often fantastic sightlines, and pretty scenery (if you like farms and rolling hills, which I do-- comes with the Midwesterner blood in my veins).
3. Did I mention how empty this road is? A few pickup trucks, signs warning of Amish buggies (none seen, however), and a handful of motorcyclists out enjoying the ride-- nearly all HD riders that day, out for a stroll.

I, however, was out for a ride.

Setup for corner. Enter corner. Exit corner. Setup for next corner. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. Mile after mile, the Spyder ate up the road.

Giddy stupid laughter filled my helmet. This is why I bought the bike. Months stuck in DC-area traffic paid for this trip, and I was happier than anything.

Zen focus on the ride, scanning for threats, rolling on the throttle and braking through curves (and, ummm, a few powerslides through gravel... 3 wheels wins again!).

The only downside? I was alone, and couldn't share my joy with anyone. I wanted to call everyone I knew to tell them how much fun I was having-- how much fun THEY could be having.

Actually, that's untrue- there were two other downsides.

First one? Good luck getting me to stop long enough to take photos. I'm such an awful tourist. I'd see the scenery, I'd *love* the scenery... and then speed past it. Want photos? There's Google. Want a visceral, soul-pleasing experience? Just keep riding. :doorag:

Still, I did stop in some town I didn't even get the name of to take a few snaps:
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Southeast Ohio is poor. REALLY poor. Perhaps not West Virginia poor, but one theme that stuck with me through my trip is just how hard it is out there in rural America these days. Granted, some of the hamlets and towns (if you can even call them that) that I passed through were impoverished pretty much from the day they were founded, so economic downturn is nothing new for many of these folks. Still, I could see relatively new storefronts recently boarded up, or foreclosure signs littering unmowed yards. Times are tough, and I admit that I felt guilty more than once riding through on the Spyder-- a toy that, let's face it, cost more than some people make in an entire year. I thanked my good fortune, and every chance I got to stop for gas, food, what-have-you, I made sure to be as friendly as possible. Unsurprisingly, that friendliness was repaid tenfold by the many wonderful people who helped me with directions, gave me advice on what to see or do, and of course, bombarded me with questions about the Spyder. Ask away, ask away...

Sadly, all good things must end, and after an exhausting hour (oh, right-- the SECOND downside: 60 miles of twisties positively DESTROYED me, I was downright fatigued by the end), I passed through Zanesville onto I-70. As much as I hated the thought of superslabbing it (the original plan was to head west on the "National Road", US 40), I was running behind my schedule, I was dead tired, and I wanted to get to Columbus, my mid-point, before nightfall. I had no hotel reservations, just a general idea that I wanted to stay downtown near the statehouse/convention center, but I didn't want to putz around a strange city at night hunting for a home port.

So off into the sunset I rode, absolutely thrilled with a crazy long day of the best Spyder riding I've enjoyed yet.

More tomorrow...

[NancysToy]

You write well, Dave, even if you don't take photos. Can't wait for the next installment! I thought I was the only one that gets caught up in the moment and fails to take pics...I guess not. It's goofy, I probably have pics of every car or mortorcycle my dad ever owned, and every trip they took. My parents' trusty Kodak never failed them. I have no pictures of the race bikes, karts, sleds, hydros, or few of the cars (always provided by someone else), nor few of the other bikes or cars I have owned. Same with places I have been. Always too caught up in doing to take time out to take pics. I guess I wasn't born with the gene. Glad I am not alone.

[daveinva]

I spent my first night on the road in lovely and scenic Columbus, Ohio. I dunno why, but I kinda dig Columbus. It's a cozy city, urban but small, Midwestern to the core. I could never see myself living there-- I'm an "all in" urban guy, I need either the BIG big city or the most rural country cabin to be happy. But for a nice place to stop and sleep, it ain't bad.

And boy, did I ever need to sleep. Remember, the longest trip I've ever done before this point was ~300 miles. I did over 550+ that day, and 75% of that was serious, full-attention twisty riding. My tastefully-upgraded Spyder RS is a mighty comfy ride, but even with all the perks I was exhausted by the time I got to my hotel near the convention center.

(http://www.55lofts.com/ Don't bother with them... they're nice rooms, but not THAT nice, and for a lot less money you can stay at the freshly-renovated Red Roof Inn right next door. BUT, I will vouch for the location-- easy to get to off of I-70, plus there's a big public parking garage right behind the hotel that was better than parking the bike on the street all night).

Obligatory messy hotel room shot:

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I dropped my gear, took a hot bath, then dressed myself up for dinner at the Flatiron Bar & Diner down the street. http://flatironcolumbus.com/index.html Again, decent place, but nothing to write home about. The BBQ was average, but after the long day, the tall Hurricane washed down the aches VERY nicely. :thumbup:

Up the next morning at 6:00 to beat what looked like rain... all geared up and ready to ride!

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Quick stop for gas allowed me to discover just how many bugs I killed during my ride west: (Answer? ALL OF THEM.)

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Off to ride US 40 west...

[daveinva]

... or southern Illinois, for that matter.

The rain held off for most of the morning, but it was foggy and drizzly. US 40, a.k.a the National Road, is a pleasant alternative to I-70. I don't know why more people don't take it; it's a truism that people who drive care most about getting from point A to point B. We weirdoes who ride, however, are a different breed indeed.

Gray skies throughout western Ohio:

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Still, western Ohio has something I don't have here in Virginia: Taco Bell breakfast :thumbup:

Even better? Indiana has the first White Castles on my trip home. Stopped for sliders for lunch outside of Indy, life was good.

Indiana has a new state flower, apparently: wind turbines. Riding through Benton County there were hundreds of them as far as the eye can see among endless miles of farms and dirt roads. 21st Century is a strange place, my friends.

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I finally reached Illinois and turned north up Route 1. Passed through plenty of small towns along the way; stopped at this one, Grant Park:

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[daveinva]

Got into Chicagoland by rush hour.

Note: this is NOT the time to be riding through Chicago. I knew this, I've *known* this... yet I still did it.

Per my earlier GPS nightmares post, I decided to see if I could find the proper Powerlet adapter for my Garmin at a local BMW motorcycle dealer. I had no idea where one was, but found one out in Countryside just outside Chicago, perfect location for getting to.

http://www.bmwmotorcyclesofcountryside.com/

Lemme tell ya, I only wish we Spyder owners were this spoiled. It literally was the nicest motorcycle dealership I've been in this side of Calilfornia. The place didn't look like a dealership- it looked like an *Apple Store*. Some guys get Harley envy; I'm definitely a BMW envy guy.

Alas, the one thing they DIDN'T have was the dang adapter. Oh well, keep moving on.

I was spending the weekend in Chicago with my best friend from home, a guy I've known since high school, nearly 25 years now. He's thankfully always nice enough to lend me his couch when I'm in town, and entertain me with trips to the bars and baseball games.

Sadly, not too many Chicago photos for this trip; I was born and raised there, it's not as if I'm a tourist when I go home. Still, here are a few shots I took riding along in my buddy's car north on Damen:

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[daveinva]

The forecast for my trip featured plenty of rain. Thankfully, I dodged nearly all of it on the way to Chicago. On the way up to Milwaukee, however, I wouldn't be so lucky.

The highlight of my last day in Chicago was the Cubs game. The lowlight was the torrential downpour that threatened to call the game. A two hour rain delay turned into a three hour one, and my plan to head up to Milwaukee before dark was in jeopardy. I hate hate HATE that I did this, but my buddy and I ended up leaving Wrigley before the first pitch was even thrown. Never done that before, but that's the peril of motorcycling: unlike with a car, you're at the mercy of road conditions, and the last thing I wanted to do was ride to Milwaukee in the dark in a monsoon.

Alas, I beat the dark, but did NOT beat the monsoon-- I could have *swam* up there. The worst part of the trip was forgetting that my new Olympia Switchback mesh jacket is only waterproof UNDER the liner-- the pocket holding my iPod Touch was unfortunately atop the liner :banghead:. It got soaked, and ruined (nope, the rice trick didn't fix it, and I bought it refurbished, so no Apple care agreement.... :gaah:. Hey, who here doesn't love buying replacements for things they already own?).

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P.S. For the record, I'm a *White Sox* fan. I love Wrigley Field, it's truly a cathedral of the game, but the Cubs, well... talk to me in a hundred years, maybe by then they'll win a Series ;)