Gave my 2021 RTL a good cleaning and replaced the +4" wider OEM style windshield with my -4" shorter windshield. I just returned on Monday evening from a 21 day, 9,045 mile cross country trip. The goal was for me and my buddy to do all 48 Continental States. He had a couple of issues and we had to cut the ride short with only doing 33. But the last 15 are all located in the North East and a couple around the Great Lakes Region.
I will have to say that this was the best vacation that I have ever had. I love riding and although I am not a huge traveling man, I do love the US. It was definitely a once in a life time trip and I will always be thankful to God for taking us out and bringing us home safely. And my buddy was the best as a road partner. We been riding together since I started in 2006 and we know how each other rides and that makes the world of difference when on the road. I did not care to visit many big cities, as I am a nature nut and love just seeing any and every type of waterfalls, mountains, etc.
The Spyder did well above my expectations. When we got to Missouri I was trying my best to get by and check out Lamont's place (and possibly get an oil change since I was still attempting to finish the whole 48 at that point), but things came up and I wasn't able to make it. That is probably the one side trip that I hate that I missed the most. I had contemplated taking my BMW K1600B on this trip, but the Spyder was definitely the better choice. At over 9,000 miles I would have needed an oil change and a set of tires before even starting to finish the route. And on top of that, I was continuously taking pictures and I would hate to think how many times I would have dropped that 750 pound bike. A couple of you on here might know me from Facebook, if you do you have seen a sample of the pictures that I took on this journey. I am hoping to download some of them here when I can decrease the size and time allows. I still plan on finishing my quest for the last 15 states, and since it is in a smaller area, I might attempt that on the BMW.
I do not know his name, but I would also like to thank the guy from this forum who posted a cross country trip titled 48 in 28 at 83. I followed his guidlines as far as keeping records and how to make reservations and such. With all the rain that happened in my home state of NC over the past 3 weeks, and seeing how 2 other groups from my area got rained on with their quest, I am really thankful. We were only threated with rain on our quest through Colorado. Each time I prayed that we wouldn't get rained on and it would either go in another direction, or in a couple of cases, it turned into snow, so we still stayed dry.
Sorry about running on, without pictures, but this has been a bucket list adventure for me for 6 years and to finally do it was amazing. I met so many people with so many stories that it really makes you think. Everyone always asked if I was retired like my buddy (he is 74). I said, no, I am just tired. I am nearing 60, have a loving wife, 2 adult kids, and 5 grandkids. After sending them through college, paying off a mortgage, and providing for a family for 31 years, I have decided we should live with a newer purpose. My motto is that we are the youngest that we will ever be at this very moment, chances are that we are the healthiest that we will ever be. If you have a goal or something that you want to do, and can afford to do it without causing harm to your family, you better do it now because tomorrow is not promised.
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