500 mile day ride on a Ryker 900

[SportsterDoc]

Rode the Extraterrestrial Highway (Nevada 375) today.
Left at 5:30 AM and returned at 3:30 PM.
467 miles

Photo ops, fuel stops, cold drink and stretch stops dealt with right hand tingling.
Sport windshield and stock solo seat worked fine.

Head winds going north, cross winds west and tail winds on the return.
Highway 375 west of Rachel is a bit rough/jarring, but otherwise a great ride.

It is about 154 miles from Ash Springs to Tonopah, so I carried extra fuel.
Added 0.86 gallon (110 ounces) of TrueFuel while in Rachel for breakfast.
Factory funnel worked great...no spillage.

Arrived Tonopah with one gallon remaining in tank (took 4.25 gallons).
Had fuel not been added, it would have been less than 0.2 gallon.

Had a free radiator cleaning in Beatty: While refueling, a bird started removing bugs!

Carried two water bottles: One frozen and one water over ice. Both in an insulated lunch size bag in the glove box. The frozen one was still 1/2 ice when I got home.

High RPM cruising OK with good ear plugs.

Considered going to Death Valley, tomorrow, but the forecast is 106 F in Furnace Creek.

 

[ARtraveler]

Great write up. Great pictures. Going to have to ride that one. Added to the bucket list.

Death Valley is very warm...but I am guessing you already know that. :roflblack:

 

[SpyderAnn01]

I bet you were at Beatty Nut and Candy, there are always birds on radiator cleaning duty there! You picked a good day for the ride, much cooler today than it has been and the wind died down a ton from yesterday.

People in other parts of the country can’t imagine going for 135 miles with no gas or services but they’ve never been to Nevada. I noticed on our trip home from Boise that they have added new signs and placed them closer to the gas stations, used to be you would go 15 miles past the last gas before they placed the sign that said it was another 135 miles to the next station. You have to ride here to get it and understand the saying about never passing up a gas station!

 

[SportsterDoc]

Great write up.

Death Valley is very warm...but I am guessing you already know that. :roflblack:

Yep, been there several times on bikes...but not usually in the summer!

Still, 106 F is not that hot for this time of year.

And the Death Valley Nut & Candy Store in Beatty has homemade ice cream...that was today's "lunch" after a big breakfast in Rachel.

 

[SportsterDoc]

I bet you were at Beatty Nut and Candy, there are always birds on radiator cleaning duty there! You picked a good day for the ride, much cooler today than it has been and the wind died down a ton from yesterday.

People in other parts of the country can’t imagine going for 135 miles with no gas or services but they’ve never been to Nevada. I noticed on our trip home from Boise that they have added new signs and placed them closer to the gas stations, used to be you would go 15 miles past the last gas before they placed the sign that said it was another 135 miles to the next station. You have to ride here to get it and understand the saying about never passing up a gas station!

I was typing post 4, while you were typing this!
This is the only route that has required carrying extra fuel...to avoid pushing....would not want to push the Ryker!

When I had a generator at our Arizona ranch (before going all solar), I carried a fuel can in our truck.
Somewhere between Kingman and Seligman, I stopped for a M/C along I40.
A youngish couple from Italy were not prepared for distances.
Had enough in the can to easily get them to Seligman.

I made it to Ash Springs, without a jacket...long sleeve Carhartt button down over long sleeve T shirt, but it was feeling chilly.
The jacket in the Pahranagat photo disappeared in subsequent photos!