MTF  50/100CC Iron Butt Association Ride Peter Icaza 50CC Ride Report March 2003

Hi,

These notes will be going out to a diverse group of motorcyclists. I recently completed a 7k+ cross country and back ride in 2 weeks including an IBA 50cc, (coast to coast in 50 hours) some will think the ride was nutz, others will think it was a puppy ride :) I offer these impressions for what they are worth...

splat

Day before ride:
Snow 9" in Connecticut

Day ride is supposed to start:
5 am
I wake up and "know" that I cant get out of the garage much less down my 750 foot long, 10%+ grade driveway.

6 am
Ok, I'll go out and look at the driveway. Hmmm, it is clear enough to back mule, ('96 triumph trophy bbbb), out and point her down towards the first turn in the driveway. I have removed the hard bags. I figure it is packed snow and shouldn't be too bad getting down to the road so I fire her up. I ever so carefully start down the driveway and I hardly even slide at all. The last ~30 feet are even steeper due to the town widening the road a couple of years ago and this is the hardest part. Just as I line mule up to roll right out of the driveway and into my neighbors driveway, the sun hits the "steep" part of the driveway and glimmer of ice reveals ice under the snow. I am not exactly square with the road and as soon as the front tyre hits the road, mule slides from under me and I am standing there looking at her with her legs pointed up hill. with the extraordinary straight that comes from foolishly dropping your bike, U pulled her onto the road and lift her up. 

Well, that was easy :). I start her up and begin my trudge back up the hill. I roust swmbo and say that I am off and will she drive me down to mule. With a look that could melt plastic, she agrees. I load the hard bags into her car and we begin the decent once again. I get my gear on, full gerbings, triumph boots, areostitch 1-piece...where are the gloves...back up the driveway and I find the gloves exactly where I left them. Back down the driveway.

The roads are not well plowed so swmbo says she will follow me out to the main road. I would not have asked her to as she would think I have doubts about the road conditions. We go the mile to the main road and it is in now better condition than the secondarys and she continues down the road for a bit. Probably not wanting to get caught in the attire she has on, she turns off and heads home.

It is 4f degrees.

I figure that the highways will be better. Incorrect. The next 2 hours are very tough going, trying to find the driest part of the road just to discover that what I thought was a dry strip is really packed snow and sand. Here comes a long, old steel grate bridge which is not only down hill but also banked to the right. Mule kicks and snorts but we make it. It is getting to be rush hour as I approach the Tappen Zee bridge and I am glad to see the traffic is backing up on the east bound side and not the west. A few more miles and I get into New Jersey. The roads are now clear and I stop at the first service park to take a break.I it is 7f degrees and my toes are cold. I can tell people think I am nutz but at least it keeps them at bay.

The rest of the day is pretty uneventful and I stop every 1/2 tank to call swmbo. She knows that she can trace me via the gas purchases so this works out ok. my stops are pretty long by IBA standards but I am not on the IBA 50cc ride yet.

Later in the day, 10pm, I am getting tired and I see no need to press on further especially as my blatter is pressing me to stop. As I pull into the hotel, a couple of black ladies are heading out, (I think they were employees), and we start to talk. They ask if I am coming from "bike/trailer week", I say no and tell them about the 50cc. "For real?" They ask with an astonished look on their faces. There are few things more fun that to catch a black lady off guard and make them think that you are just a crazy white boy).

I settle into my room and decide that I would like a beer so I go out to the bar connected to the hotel. Dark, loud, disco. I don't care and order a frosty. A song comes on that is full of bass and is rather melodic and very crude...this song would come back to haunt me.

Miles: 770
Not a bad day in the saddle

Day 2
Wake up and hit the road to Jacksonville Beach. The day is pretty uneventful until a couple of hours from Jax. a 2 up bike passes me at a better pace than I have been keeping and I fall in behind him. I see he has an IBA license frame but I can't see which one. We cruise along for about 1 1/2 hours and he pulls off for gas. I am interrsted in talking to him so I follow. I now see his IBA frame is for a BBG, (1500 miles in 24 hours). I ask if they are going to Jax and they say no they are going west. I verify the way to Jax and they say that is right. So off we go. I follow the sign for 295 south and quickly feel that this is not right, (on my little map 9a looks like 295). the other two come along side me and I point backwards with my thumb and they nod yes, I need to turn around. On the map it looks like 295 goes east, but noooo.

I pull into the "official hotel" and ask if they have any room...no room in the inn for me. I had figured this as I entered the 50cc late and I had a discount coupon for the Surfside Inn 1/2 mile down the road. I settle in as the 50cc doesn't start for a day and a half. when Ii come out I see a BMW GS(?) with huge yellow tanks. I go to the office and ask for the persons room number but they won't give it to me. However, they call the room and let me leave a msg. 
Shortly after, I hear a knock on the door and Joe Colquitt introduces himself. 

Late we walk over to the official hotel and meet up with Alan and some other folks. Later we go to dinner and then retire for the evening.

Miles: 330

Day 3
6am
BOOOOOOOOOM! huh? Ii wake up to a tremendous thunder storm which lasts pretty much all day. However, Joe and I go back to the official hotel to see who has arrived and we spend most of the day there meeting folks, (all new to me mostly old friends for him). Everyone goes to a local restaurant for dinner. We are seated at a long table with 15-18 people on each side so you pretty much have to talk with your immediate neighbors. My end of the table is the first to have orders taken...and I was one of the last to be served :)

Stuffed with the last really food for a couple of days we all go to our hotels and sleep. I usually don't use an alarm so I set my screamer to go off at 4:30 so I can get to the starting point by 6am.

Miles: 2

Day 4/50cc day 1
3 am
I am wide awake and have 3 hours to kill before the starting time. Not exactly what I had in mind. I go down to hotel office and have a nutritious breakfast of fruit loops and I head out to the gas station. Joe is already there and I park mule and talk to people. I have my first meal bar of the 50cc. Those of us who got to the gas station early are anxious to get started but we all wait for the assigned starting positions. In the mean time we get our starting witnesses to sign us off .

At 6am the call for the first 8 riders to gas up and go. Some of the pumps aren't working correctly so the start is slower than expected but not by much. It is finally my turn and I gas and go. I figure I will get about 300 miles per fill up as I have a 4 gallon Jaz econo-rail fuel cell strapped on the back of mule. I take the 202 to the 95N to 10 west. ahh, 24 miles, 1% of the ride. all I have to do is 99 more of these quick rides. 

There is a strange fog on the rode. It is about 3 feet tall and is centered right at my visor level. If I bend over I can see under it and if I were to stand up I could see over it. I start out with my planned pace figure I should have less than 16 stops. After about an hour I see someone going at a better pace than I am doing and I fall in behind as I can see he has better electronics than I have. We cross into central time. The fog lifts after a couple of hours and my lead heads off for some gas in Marianna, Florida. I follow and we meet. He is rich and is on a vintage gold wing and has about the same gas range as I do. He usually rides alone but we decide to ride together.

Alabama and Mississippi are "short" states and the miles tick over quick. we hit Louisiana and we need gas again so we stop just over the border in Slidell, lLa. We meet some other people on the ride, say hi and fuel up. I take off my 'lectrics which make the stop a long one, over 15 minutes. I stuff them into my bungie net and we are off again. Louisiana is quite pretty but I determine that LA has more bugs per linear foot than anywhere else because my wind screen is covered with brown, yellow, blue, green and other colors that used to be bugs. We take I12 to avoid New Orleans. over the Mississippi River at Baton Rouge were we get back on I10. We cross an 18 mile long causeway that seems about 2 feet off the water, (swamp?). I figure nobody would ever be found if they fell in. in Lake Charles we cross the steepest bridge I have ever seen...it must be 10% grade or better.

Texas. We are 1/3 of the way to San Diego. a few more miles and we get gas in Beaumont,TX, have a quick bite of a nutri-grain bar and we are off again. We hit Houston at rush hour.I remember being told to "hit the HOV lane and stay in it". It seems like we missed it but after awhile in slow traffic, we enter the HOV lane and buzz by the people, (in the regular, slow lanes), who told us to use the HOV's in the first place. The HOV's fork and we read the signs and think it is time to leave them so we get back into the regular lanes...mistake. Slow traffic as we watch some other riders past us at speed in the HOV's and eventually see that we could have stayed in them. Won't forget that again. Hours later we get gas outside of San Antonio, TX. It is fully night now. at about 100 miles east of Junction, TX, (the mid point), I start thinking if I want to go for a Bun Burner Gold, (1500 miles in < 24 hours). It comes to my realization that what I am thinking of is like being in Boston, going home and then going on to Baltimore, MD. What is odd is, this thought does not seem odd to me.

Late pm
We stop in Junction to regroup and, (discretion being the better part of valor), we decide to catch some sleep in the motel.

Day 5/50cc day 2
Early morning
The screaming meanie alarm goes off 4 hours after Rich sets it and we quickly get ready and take off. We see other riders arrived after we did and are still sacked out as we leave. We have 1/2 tanks of gas. We pass thru Sonora, TX and soon after stop in Ozona, TX for gas. We pass I20, which I will be taking on the way home and pass thru Van Horn, TX which is where we would have had to go last night to do a Bun Burner Gold. It was such a quick ride this morning, but I know that last night it was probably out of the question and move on into mountain time to the next gas stop in Sierra Blanca, TX. It is mid day so I take off my lectrics and stuff them. We hope to pass New Mexico all together and get gas in Arizona.

New Mexico is a blur and we make it to San Simon, AZ. We figure that we should stop in Yuma, AZ for gas but it is too far for our tanks and we decide to stop at an exit about 1/2 way to Yuma, AZ where there is supposed to be gas. We pass Tucson and get ready to take I8 somewhere near Casa Grande, AZ. Once on I8 we pull off the agreed upon exit and into the first gas station, we see it is deserted and head for the next one up the street. this one looks dubious also and I motion for rich to stay on his wing while I check out the cashier. Nobody here either. It is a good thing that we were not depending on the stop for gas as the next gas is quite a ways down the road in Gila Bend, AZ and it seems like it will be a long night to San Diego. 

When we stop in Gila Bend, I call swmbo and say where we are. It is late in the east so I don't talk long. ~100 miles to our last stop before San Diego. This leg is very fast relative to the others we have done today. When we stop in Yuma, AZ, (where the signs say last gas before California prices), we admire some locals, get a second wind, and after another "long" stop of ~15 minutes, we are off on the last leg. into California and pacific time. The sun goes down and I want to put on my lectrics but know that I will lose Rich if I stop at this point. We pass El Centro, CA ...Rich's old stomping grounds and about 1/3 of the last leg. About 90 miles outside of San Diego, 3 late model wings pass us and Rich falls in behind them, (later he tells me the wings had been ribbing him about his older wing and he wanted to show them it would keep the same pace). The wings move as one unit as they pass cars. Rich can move in with them but I get stuck behind cages and many times I have to catch up and I feel cold. the mountain roads are wide sweepers but, to me, fairly dark as this is the first time I have been on them. as we enter the city, I look for the hotel and I think I see it so I make a note of it. We get off the highway and head for the beach to get our sand and water. I am glad to be following someone who "knows" the way. After a few minutes, we find the beach. there are a few fires burning and we pull into a parking lot and the first wings there are approached by a couple of very partied people. I see Rich heading up the dune towards the water and I try to run in my one piece aerostitch suit in the sand to the water. It is low tide and we have to walk out into the surf to get our water. of course then the water come rushing up and soaks us, "water proof boots don't work if the water goes over them...". We go back to the bikes so the others who, (I just figured out), had been watching our bikes to keep them safe from the partied dudes. Everyone gets water/sand and as we head off to the last gas stop, we see a truck rockin' so we didn't go knockin'...We all got a laugh from that as we were in a public parking lot. We stop for gas and get just a little as the other guys, (who are going back to Jacksonville tomorrow), have to get a gas receipt at this same station on the way back. we go twisting thru the city roads and suddenly we are at the hotel...I don't think I would have found it in less than an hour if it had not been for someone's GPS. After we get witnessed and talk a bit we hit the hay. We made the 50CC!

Day 6, Post 50cc
Wednesday

After a long 6 hour sleep I heard the screaming meanie go off again...Rich was heading back to JAX and was in a hurry. I could have sleep in but I dragged myself up and went to the meeting place to see the group off before the sun came up. Well by the time I got there, hardly anyone was left, but I talked with a couple folks. and then headed up to San Clemente, CA to where I was going to stay for a couple of days. I got into town about 6:30am and decided to give mule a bath. I found a car wash, however, the change machine had a sign that said it would not work until 7am. :( so I went to well deserved real breakfast and talked to some locals and then went back and washed mule. It was now a sunny 7:30am and I found the address of the people I was going to stay with and gave a ring on the cell phone. I hear a commotion in the apartment, (very near the pier), and when my hostess answered , I said I was right out side. After awhile she figured out that I was at the side door ... I didn't know better :). I unpacked mule and we moved the diesel benz outta the garage and I set to taking the wheels off, (after 10k+ miles the tyres still looked ok but as I had preordered a set of conti-force's at Socal Triumph, (now Motoexotics) they came off. the rear wheel came off pretty easily but then I had to lift the front end up and I didn't have a jack so after a few harrowing attempts we finally got some 10 pound weights under mules belly, topped off with card board of course). With both wheels off, I called to say I was on my way..."we cant change any tyres until tomorrow"...I say that I had arraigned this ahead of time and that I was bringing the wheels in. I was not clear at first but things worked out. Then we set to getting the benz started..ya gotta love diesels). A couple of battery charges later we were on the way to Socal Triumph., dropped off the wheels , went to a local Mex place for lunch. Another real meal! and we went back to get the wheels. 

As we were leaving, I spied a lizard-like thing inside the shop, (my daughter thinks it was a sand surfer) and we had a good time taking pictures of it and then we let it go. Even with legs, the thing took off like a snake. 

Back to the house and re-shoe mule, (she was happy and I promised to change her oil and antifreeze when we got back home).

Day 7
Thursday

A leisurely sleep in and a long breakfast and I was ready to hit the hills above lA. My friend, an lA. native and biker chick, had never been up Mulholland Hwy?!?! Back on the slab for the hundred mile ride up to the rock store. I quickly notice that my speedo is not working...damn mechanic! Oh well, it will wait. up the 5 to the 10 to PCH in Santa Monica and on to Topanga Canyon Rd. Nice and twisty, a welcome change from 3500 miles of slab. Past old Topanga Canyon Rd...hmmm, it that the road I took 2 years ago??? A few miles later I realized that it was the road I had taken before but I see Mulholland and take a left. more twisty and then the rock store. I was sorta hoping Ed and Vern would be open but I figured they wouldn't be and they weren't. there was a couple of harley guys there who basically ignored us until I stopped and they saw the Connecticut tag. Priceless look on their faces as I tell the saga of the 50CC and 4 degree weather in CT. We all had a good time and then we all took off. I headed for the overlook to show my friend the view...she was quite impressed. I looked at my clock and realized we were going to hit the infamous L.A. rush hour traffic and don't have time to hit the angles hills...way too bad. I like them better than Mulholland, oh well. out to 9N, down to PCH and take a left. slow going thru Mailbu, back on the 10 and a "short cut" on to the 405. A few bikes split past me and I figure when in L.A. do as the L.A..-ers do so I move between lanes and blast to keep up with the bikes. My speedo wasn,t working but I was doing close to 5k rpm...(hmm, I bet that is fast).

Merge on to the 5 and back home in 2 1/2 hours ...pretty good time for rush hour. my hosts don't want to go to bike night at the Knollwood so I take off hoping to make it on time. back on the 5N to 91N to 90E, get off the exit turn right see radio shack and realize I went the wrong way. I stop at radio shack for a fuse and confirm the Knollwood is just a bit past the Hwy.

As I pull in, I see 15 bikes, mostly triumphs but a HD and a wing were there too, and I fall into the last spot. I am pretty hungry and order some food, (not exactly a real meal but). I see Ken Ish and talk to him a bit. I ask for Terry Smith who helped me out with all the fuel cell do-dads I needed but he is nowhere to be found. I ask about Donny Do Good and Ken points out the guy in the HD jacket. so that is his HD...it was like of different looking and he told me what it was but I have forgotten now. Tom from Socal then holds the weekly raffle and introduces a guess speaker promoting a wheelie school and some people ask if they do stoppies too...he says not yet :) I start back to Ken and another guy, (sorry I forgot your name right now), says hey is that your trophy w/ the iron butt tag frame on it...yup...were you on the 50cc...yup. He says he was one of the witnesses in San Diego and we talk about the IBA and bikes and GPS's and his Honda Gold Wing/Toyota Carolla trike in the parking lot. my phone rings and it is Terry saying he can't make it tonight. Thats ok, seeya next time. its getting late so I head on back home. I miss the 91S exit and end up in some place I know is wrong and turn around and make it back home. we talk a bit at home because I really haven.t meet my host for more than a few minutes discover where a floor jack is and then hit the hay.

Day 8
Friday
I wake up sorta early, grab the floor jack and start to take off the front wheel to fix the speedo. it was much easier with a jack and I am done pretty quickly. Another good breakfast and after a ride to the pier it is time to head out to Pheonix for my next visit. less than 400 miles. Piece of cake...back on the 5, take the 74 Ortega Hwy, a nice twisty, past Lake Elsinore, Baldy Mountian, Idyllwild and hit the 10. As I approach the 74 exit, I grab a handful of brake and hear a loud whack and feel nothing in my brake hand!?!?!? I coast past the exit and pull mule over to the side. the front caliper is off the disk and dangling from the brake hose! What a dipstick mechanic who put the front wheel on this morning. I turn her around and go up the entrance ramp and find a gas station to look up the two local Triumph dealers, Socal and Orange County. I really don't think they will have the caliper bolt that is some where on 5N but I have to try. n.g., but I have the name of an industrial hardware store in of all places, where I got lost last night, about 20 miles up the 5. When I reach the place, I take off the one bolt I have to show them and know that I am stripping the threads. Insert the expletive of your choice here. Well they have what I need but would not let me use a tap and die so I buy a pair and ask If I may at least use the wrench to clean up the threads...the guy says to go in the back and talk to Juan. I feel like Juan is busting my chops and tell him I will bring the bike in the back. I figure the CT tag will catch their eye and it works. We have a good time talking and cleaning the threads and I am back on the road. I am too far north to want to go back to Ortega Hwy so I head north to find the 10...I am now way off schedule and twist it. I am not exactly feeling good about this mornings events but I try to relax and enjoy the view. I wind her up to about 5k rpm and realize, "yup, I was going fast yesterday :)". there are hundreds of wind generators on the way to AZ and I continue to Blythe where I fuel up. I plan on taking the 60 to avoid Phoenix as I am headed to the northern suburbs. On the 60, night falls and I have a hard time judging distances as the roads are too long and straight and there are a few towns where I make sure that I do less than the speed limit as I figure I have had enough excitement this day. I feel like I am way off course and/or schedule so seeing Wickenburg ahead I plan a quick stop, (I figure I have enough gas). it comes to my mind that Wickenburg, AZ is where Clint Eastwood/Sondra Locke were in the movie "The Gauntlet", That sorta lifts my spirits and I see a street light where I cam pull over. as I stop and put my right foot out to lean on the 8" curb, I just miss the top of the curb and mule hits the road...insert another expletive of your choice here. Piss me off! errrrrr and she is up on her feet again and look at the map. I figure another 60 miles or so and I light off again with a cloud over my mood. it is getting cold now and I refuse to stop to put the lectrics on as punishment.

On to 90/74 to just 74 trying to find the "carefree hwy"...(I always thought Gordon lightfoot was speaking figuratively but there it was). I am close. I find the turn off onto dirt roads and I know I am within a few hundred feet of my destination but I cant find it. I see an suv approaching me, (I am on a private road and I prepare to explain myself), and hear a lady say "are you Peter"? Yup. "Follow me home". Best offer I had all day and two minutes later mule is turn off for the night and I start unpacking again. greeting and salutations and good night.

Day 9
Saturday
I wake up realize where I am and get up and say hi. I haven't see this friend in ~20 years and we have a good ol' time making a Mex breakfast. He has glass front cabinets and the bottom shelve of two of them is stuffed with every conceivable hot sauce you could imagine. I think there were some that even www.mohotta.com  doesn't have. After eating we go out to site the sites up north a bit. Indian Ruins, Seven Springs and a gold mine. Something is strange but I cant quite figure out what it is until my friend says that there has been a lot of rain this year. Now I know, Pheonix is green everywhere! The last time I was here it was brown desert. it was quite a treat. We found a road that looked like it went up to a giant golf ball out a couple of miles and we take it. sure enough we are headed up to a FAA radar site. We wave at the camera and the sign that says DO NOT ENTER but we aren't entering, just walking and looking at Bartlett Lake and the Pheonix skyline. We head back for dinner and I figured we would be going out from the conversation I heard earlier but we watch a movie with his kid instead and I fall asleep. Hey, you wanna go out? (it is about before 10pm and I am sorta shot but when is the next time we'll be together), sure. We get in to his 73 Saab 95 v4 wagon, (he bashed the oil pan in the sonnet the day before), and head out. It is fun because I used to have both a 1968 96 v4 and a 1968 2-stroke straight 3 and this is a is a blast from the past. 
We go to a bar up a ways and it turns out to be a "cowboy" bar, (it was more like goat ropers but we kept that opinion to ourselves). We hit the next one and this is more like it. Just a good old country/western bar. A couple of beers, admired one particular local and headed home.

Day 10
Sun
It is overcast and rainy...a good time to check out the weather channel. TWC is your frenemy. If you want national/regional conditions, you can wait for a long time. Finally it says it will be getting worse today and stay that way though tomorrow. I know I am welcomed to stay as I planned but I start to consider heading out early. The storm extends east and covers Phoenix and all the way thru New Mexico and will stay there all thru tomorrow. I am headed to Dallas, TX next, (~1200 miles), and that means the first 1/2 of the ride tomorrow will be in a storm with probable severe periods of weather. around lunch time I decide I need to go today and get past the storm tonight.

2pm
I am suited up with lectrics and wet gear looking like the Michelin man. I head out on Scottsdale Road and start to see signs which say "water on road". How bad can it be?!?! The first one wasn't too bad but there ends up being a couple dozen more wet spots. The suv's and cages hit the water at speed and splash water everywhere so I have to time my approaches carefully. Some puddles are 4-6" deep and the wind/rain is heavy. I am only 20 miles out and I start to wonder the wisdom of this decision but I plow forward. I finally get to the 10E after 1 1/2 hours of very tough riding conditions. There are no puddles on the 10 but many trucks and cages going fast. The trucks are throwing water to a couple hundred yards behind them and I try to stay in front of them. The wind it nasty. I figure I am in a 10 degree lean, (maybe it was less, maybe it was more but it was bad), just to stay straight. the gusts are fierce and I get the bright idea that getting on the north side of a truck will block some of the wind. Wrong. I am now blinded by mist, being buffeted by both wind and truck turbulence and I struggle to get ahead of the truck. I am only at Tucson,AZ into the ride to El Paso, TX where I hope the storm will be over.

At times the weather calms down to a dull roar but I ride for hours in the nastiest, windiest, stormy weather of my riding career and I am thankful for the new tyres which hold the road very well. I don't know if other tyres would be better, but these are doing great. I go thru a few different spots of weather and I just miss a few too. I can see them as I approach and sometimes the road turns me away from down pours. I can see the weather on both sides of me with typical tornado type clouds with huge grey centers striking down covering the mountains. I bet this place is pretty at other times. night fall was quite a while ago.

About 100 miles from El Paso, TX, I am under relatively clear skies, not clear but high ceiling. I am approaching the darkest clouds I think I have ever seen and really start to wonder what to do. I get closer and closer. While the clouds are very ominous, they are also very high and I can see quite a distance so I forge on.

70 miles out, I am fully under the dark clouds. It doesn't seem to have an end. I figured by now I would see some clearing but nooo. To the left and right I see areas getting pounded with rain but the road ahead is still "clear". I hope my "luck" will stick with me until I hit clear skies which can't be more than a couple of hours away from what the weather channel said...TWC is your frenemy. 25 miles out and I think I start to see a horizon. no, not yet...wait yes, it is getting clearer up ahead. I am still fully under the black clouds but this sight picks up my sprites and I finally hit Texas. 

Sombitch if it doesn't clear up at the border. I come over a rise and El Paso is spread out as far as I can see to the south east. Good I made it out of the storm. 

9:30pm 
I plan to stop on the other side of El Paso. Well the other side of El Paso has nothing and I promise to stop at the next hotel...a no name but I don't care. I crash in the bed exhausted.

Day 11
Monday, St Patty's
I wake up glad that yesterday is over. St Patty's dinner is at 5pm north of Dallas, I figure it is ~ 580 miles. I suit up and go outside to discover it is raining...should I have continued last night? Doesn't matter. a hardy breakfast of fruit loops and I gas up and I am gone. back on past Van Horn, TX and headed for the 20N. The normal amount of gas have emptied out of the fuel cell and the tank is probably at 1/2 plenty of gas. Just before the 20 I see gas but I like to get on the "new" road before I get gas. There has to be gas at a Junction, right? Besides I have an ace up my sleeve if the need arises. onto the 20, no gas, just ranch exits where you can't even see the ranches. I hit reserve. I promise to stop at the next gas. I stopped before the next gas, reserve dry :( ok. pita but I still have my ace, right? I pull off the side of the hwy and dismount...whoose, truck passes just a couple of feet from me. I put my helmet on the ground next to mule...whoose, that truck's wind was so strong as to blow over my helmet and sent it rolling off the road. I see some truck pull into the left lane and I am thankful to them. the others must not like bikes 'cause it would be easy to pull left. whatever. 

Now my ace is the bottom of the fuel cell...it must have 1/2 gallon in it and all I have to do is unstrap it and hold it at an angle. that works for about 5 oz. and then the gas doesn't flow even though I can see it in the tank. Ok, now I have to work for my ace and disconnect the cell and pour the gas into the tank directly, fine. Damn truckers pull over will ya? Open up the right pannier and pull out the tools bag, get the screw driver out and take off the cell and empty it into the tank. Reconnect it restrap it, put the tools away and hope she starts, it has been hard to start when I ran her dry before testing the tanks range with out the cell, (I figured 200 miles...it was 199.9 :). back on the road and going at way below my pace to conserve gas. Next gas 12 miles...hmm it will be close. I made it to Toyah,TX and vow not to repeat that again.

There is a whole lot of nothing between Pacos, Odessa, Midland, Big Spring and Abilene, TX. After that it is a nicer ride. I hit the 35W, (north), at Fort Worth and the traffic is thick. I had been told the lane sharing/splitting was tolerated in TX so I put on my L.A. mode and cantor up the emergency lane right by officer friendly. I didn't think it was a big deal but later I am told splitting is frowned upon. I guess it was good the traffic was thick because he could not have chased me. Up to the 35E, (south) near Denton, (where some of the 50cc'ers are from), and down to my exit. Well it wasn't the right exit but I was following Mapquest. I wonder around "Bill Utter's Ford", (I kid you not), and finally call for directions. I was close but the development I was in seemed really nice and I was unsure. but yup, this is it. 

I walk in to the house and there are several people there. I want to shower before meeting people but the hosts insist. I say hi and retire to shower. now where is that beer I heard about. Wondering outside I see the neighbor rolling out his HD and sorta scowling at mule, more on this later. The hosts have recently retired from the NYC/Wall St rat race and most of the people are of similar age. But they ask me questions and I learn one of them has a '85 beemer of some kind and we have a good old time. Dinner is served, parsnips, carrots, spuds corn beef, Irish bread...the works. After dinner we sit down to listen to George Dubya and he tells Saddam to get out in 48 hours. He is really going to do it...after a lively conversation people leave and we retire for the evening.

Day 12
Tues
Easy morning and we go up to Denton town center and later down to the central market. Big deal, right? Well as hard as it might seem this grocery store is cool. Just about anything you could want, many baked good bake right there, lots of other freshly prepared dishes as well. Peppers of all shapes, sizes, colors and heats. I was impressed. I bought a bottle of "Fischer/wieser 'the original raspberry chipole sauce'" (sidebar: when I got home I tried some of this sauce and I thought it was sweet but in a sorta dull way. this is good me thinks and then I swallow...ok here comes the after burner...no wait that was not the after burner that was just trottle up, now this is the after burner :) it isn't really severe but more than I expected.)

We went back home and the neighbor was out so we go to talk with him. Another priceless look on his face when he hears what about the ride I am doing. He says he cant go more then 1/2 - 1 hours without having to stop. I suggest a different saddle :) But we had a good time and it was getting dark and I had forgotten to take some pictures of the house etc so I did. The hostess asks when I want her to get up and fix me breakfast and see me off...I decline the tempting offer and say I will be leaving ~ 5am and I generally don't eat a big breakfast on rides. We watch some of the war program and then retire for the evening . I had a nice time and wonder when the next time we will get together....

Day 13 
Wednesday
I wake up just before the screamer I had goes off and I turn it off so the neighbors don't complain :). Get suited up and take off toward Route 66 in Virginia. I figure ~ 1300 miles. Back on the 35 E, (south), I decide to take the northern route via I30 and Texarkana due to weather. The weather won't be better but it "should" be shorter. Damn TX is a long state even if you break it up into different days. It is a full 1/3 of my entire trip! 

The ride is sorta blurry at this point and I forget where I get gas. Probably some place 300 miles west of Memphis, Tennesse as I want to make that my next stop. Western Arkansas is very nice and easy/pleasant riding. towards Little Rock, I start to hit some of the construction I knew about but it isn't too bad and I keep up a good pace. around Little Rock and onto I 40. more construction and this is worse. Mule twitches her "red idiot lite" ears and complains she is hot. Well, I don't want to have any more mechanical issues so I ease over to the emergency lane and go at a slow canter so people won't get pissed. I am also practicing what I will say if officer friendly want to have a chat with us.

I get gas near Memphis and it starts to cloud up. the most I hit is drizzle. I look forward to Nashville which I figure is half way to Virginia from here. The day stays dreary and I plod on thru some very nice scenery, past Nashville, (I wish I could stop in some of theses places I am going thru, but...), and I stop near Cookeville as I don't think gas will be as available further east. as usual, to local engage me in conversation and one says that I am in Putnam County where tornados have been spotted. Lovely. It will be dark soon and we continue with a eye towards the sky. past Knoxville and it is getting dark again. Shortly there after I hit I81. I will be most on this road until I am within 200 miles of home. It seems like a last leg and I get a second wind even with the rain.

9:45pm
Near Bristol, TN
I think I am in Virgina and stop for gas. It is sorta late and the hotel beckons me. I go and the room is $59. I ask for a better rate and I am told "this is the best rate on race weekend". but is it only Wednesday! "Doesn't matter, you won't find a better rate for at least 50 miles in any direction"...I had settled down and was out of "the flow" so I took it. I got in, in time to watch the Goerge Dubya show and hit the hay. I figure I am ~300 miles from my next stop off of route 66 in va.

Day 14
thurs
5am
I wake up naturally and look outside. still raining but it is lite and I have recalculated the iles to the next stop. more like 330. piece of cake. another hardy breakfast of fruit loops and I suit up the same way I did for the ride outta pheonix, (or soi thought), and im off. its a bit chilly so the lectrics go on and I settle in for a less than optimal day of riding but it will be a short day. 
I start to feel a sharp pain in my upper back and it seems to be from the lectrics, so I turn them off for a while. as I do this I discover that my hands are wet?!?! the inexpensive rubber gauntlet over gloves have collected rain from my areostitch and collected it into a puddle and soaked my leather gloves. this did not happen in pheonix and I am suprised, but it is a short ride today... the rubber gloves are formed so if I hold onto the grips it hurts my hands very quickly so I just rest my hands on on the grips ready to move if necesary. I try the lectrics again and shortly I feel the same pain so I turn them off and the heated grips on. this helps a little bit but if I move my hands the cold water reminds me I am wet.
I am cold now and decide tostop way before I need gas, something I have avoided as doing so really eats up time. 
looking like the michlin man on a bike in the rain drew some odd looks from people but I go into the gas station and strip down to my lectrics, then go out to fill up with gas. man my hands are really cold. its been 1 3/4 hours and 90 miles. this is going to be a long day. I call my next host's cell phone and leave a msg. I warm up and stow the leather glove away while getting the lectric gloves. I decide to put the gauntlets under my stitch and I try to suit up but I cant quite get the last zipper up. I ask the woman behind the counter tohelp me and she is confused. her manager comes in and has no difficulty in knowing what I need and zips me up. ok, I should be able to make it the rest of the way with out stopping for gas. a 45 minute stop...good thing I am not on an iba ride, I would have to document any stop over 20 minutes. back on I81 in the rain. 
it quickly occurs to me that the lectric gloves are too small for the rubber gloves and even with the heat turned on my fingers are cold because the gloves are cutting off the blood flow. I pull my hands back in the gloves but now the pain in my back forces me to turn off the heat. damn im cold. now my back pain is dull but always with me. maybe the wires are exposed and touching my shirt?!?! so I try sitting up and curling my back forward into a rather unnatural postion and turn on the heat. this is better butt uncomfortable and after 60 miles I am off the road again to warm up. nutz! 3 1/2 hours and only 150 miles this is going to be a long day. strip down, fill up with gas, stay and chat with the locals and truckers who cant find diesel. one says he wishes he got my mileage but I tell him he would miss a dry cab and we all have a chuckle on that. I have a msg onthe cell phone...my host wont be home as he is on the way home from a client in nj. how ever, I and told how toentry the residence without incurring the rath of the locals police and I return the call to say thanks. time to suit up and go. I put onthe stitch and decide the gloves will be on the outside for the rest of this leg. the lectric gloves are the only dry pair I have so I pull them into the rubbers and then pull my hand out so my fingers are not squashed. it occurs to me that this is how I left pheonix which is why I didnt get wet in the much more severe weather. 4 1/4 hours and 150 miles out...another 180 to go. I vow to go at least 90 miles before the next stop. my hands are dry and the heated grips provide some warm but the lectrics still cause pain so I struggle with alternating heat/pain and cold/less pain :). 
I make the 90 miles 2 hours later and start my ritual again, strip down, get gas, talk with locals and warm up. I talk with a trucker who has been stuck here since early morning with truck problems and he's been waiting for a machanic. bummer. I am hungry so I have lunch, 2 nutri-grain bars and a cup of hot chocolate. the lunch of champions. 7 hours out and 240 miles traveled. I should be there in 2 hours or so. suit up and off again. I divide the rest of the trip into short sections of time and distance. 45 miles and about an hour. and I will be half way. 20 minutes out and I am almost to 1/3 the miles. just a bit more to the 1/2 mark of the first part. 1/2 way there and less than 30 minutes. I am cold/wet but my goals are short and easy to make so I continue. the last half of the first leg is pretty quick using this stratagy. now I am half way and I set my next goal to the junction of I81 and rt66 where I will be turning, about 20 miles. this comes quickly and I am on rt 66. I get a second wind as I am close to warmth and a clothes dryer :). off onto rt 17 a couple miles turn right onto a dirt road, (mule asks why she has toride on dirt so much this trip...I say yaa mule), I stand up to put the center of gravity lower and slide the 1/2 mile to the main house. I decide against parking in front because I dont want to have to caryy every thing so far to the house. it wasnt that far but at this stage, every foot counted.

day 14
Thurs continued

8 1/2 hours and ~340 miles uhg! This is by far the worst leg of the trip.

I leave mule in the rain and bring in the saddle bags to wash and dry every thing I have. I get the "cleanest clothes I have and fell a bit of warmth while the first load go in. Off to the entertainment room and I select the DVD "Patton". Everything cleaned and dried and my host pulls in. Let's go to dinner and I actually sit in a cage for the first time in two weeks, (ok I was in the benz in L.A. but I was driving that one). it felt odd. the Mex restaurant was owned by Mexican folks and their daughters were quite nice and attentive to us. Back to the house. I am offered the "servant's quarters" but I say I would prefer the couch if it is ok. So be it.

Day 15
Friday
Still drizzly but I am not on the road. We go out to meet the new mustang, (horse not car), I take pictures of some of the other horses as my daughter won't speak to me if I dont' bring pictures of them back. A tour of the grounds and talking to the guy who was born on and has work on the place since long before my host bought the place. He must be at least mid 70's. He was wondering who's bike that was and it sure is a nice bike. "He has a job for as long as he wants", says my host.

We are off to a lunch with the "Romeo"'s i.e. Retire Old Men Eating Out. We are by far the youngest but the conversation is lively and interesting and my walk about was discussed also. Back at the residence, I am treated to a tour of the firearms "museum". Many of various types, sizes, calibers, firing mechanisms. Some as old as 110 years other current. from .22 to .44 mag rifle cartridge. unfortunately it is getting dark so we don't go plinking. We did last time and will next time as well. DVD's and beer. "Hey, there is a gun show tomorrow here in VA, wanna go"? Very tempting but I am 2 days over due at home, Sunday looks like rain and Saturday looks like sunshine so I must decline. I pack up the saddle bags and get ready to take off early tomorrow.

Day 16
Saturday
400 miles to go
Out to Rt 17, onto Rt 66 back onto I81. nice, easy ride. not cold, clear. I keep the pace up...the old passport radar detector goes off like a Christmas tree and it looks like an instant on unit. I flip off the road and stuff it into my tank bag and then quietly pull over. about an hour out and I am stopped...times a wasting but what can you do? "Do you know what the speed limit is"? 70? " No sir. Many people think that but its 65 in VA". (I know that but I ain't tellin':). "and you have a radar detector which are illegal in VA.. That is the first time I have seen a radar detector on a motorcycle. where is it"?

(Do I deny it? He couldn't have seen it. Oh well, its an old passport and is if must be captured and forced to surrender what can I do). Its in my tank bag. "doesn't that affect its range"? It wasn't there until you pulled me over. he grins and asks me to give it to him. Oh, well. farewell old buddy. I ask him how he know I had it and he says he has a little box that goes beep when there is a unit nearby. "I'll be right back". He comes back and hands me the unit, (no $hit? excellent!). "Here's your ticket, you can send it in and I didn't write you up for speeding just the radar unit". Thank you, may I ask you a question? How are the caverns around here. "There are several within a hour of here. they are nice". I say I am thinking of coming down with my kids on their April vacation. "Drive safe". Bye. (sidebar: I forgot to tell you that we got stopped in TX during the 50cc. We were about 150 east of Junction, TX and I was in the lead when the Christmas tree jumped to life. Instant on. We pulled into the emergency lane and slowed down until there was a safe place to stop. Off come the helmets and officer friendly comes over. (the speed limit goes down by 10 mph at night in TX.) he is pleasant and says that the speed limit goes down at night, really? I thought that was for trucks?! He says he rides too and he asks for our lic and reg and goes to check them out. He comes back and hands us each a written warning! Excellent! By the way, what do you ride? "Ah, I just sold a GPS 500". Ok, he doesn't ride. I say its an oldie but a goodie and figure it is best to take off)

It is a short distance to the state line so I behave and turn the unit on only after I cross the line. I also pick up the pace. ~200 miles to home. I81 past Harrisburg, PA and on to I78. Allentown, PA quickly passes by and now New Jersey and, imho, the worst drivers in the country, (list members excluded of course :). But it is Saturday and the traffic is light. On to I287 and the Tappen Zee should be soon. It seems like a long time and I don't recognize any thing so I pull over and check the map. All I can tell is that I ant Mahwah, NJ and I am headed in that general direction. into NY and bang a right and here is the bridge. I am ~100 miles from home. I pay the outrageous fee and wonder why they let you into NJ for free but charge you to get out :). There is still snow on the ground but the roads are clear and it is close to 60 degrees. I need to get onto, what in CT is called Rt 15/Merrit Parkway, but there are not signs for that at this juncture. I see signs for I684 and get confused. I can't believe I am getting lost in my own back yard after 7000 miles :). I am on track and the Hutchen River Parkway is where I need to go. CT comes quickly and the next 60 miles home seem to take a long time. I debate if I should get off early and take the twist back roads and give mule a rest of continue to the road w/ 14 traffic lites on it. I opt for the 14 lites as the back roads may be icy/snowy. It is 64 degrees...60 more than when I left 16 days ago.

Turn into driveway and climb the last .15 miles up the 10%+ grade home. Unpack, think about the 50CC paper work and say let's go out for dinner. 

Home at last.

2 weeks later
It is good to be home but now I want to do the BBG.