Got my oil changed at Bismark Harley. No Buell filters, but fresh oil. The Uly needs a bath bad. On to Cavalier on the border. I'll stay with some old friends for a couple nights and do some cleaning and checking.
Buelling across America!
- Thread starter jl551c
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BuellyBagger
Well-known member
Holy cow never had the uly do so bad on mileage! They do work hard pushing a wind especially with all you've got loaded.
Read through your journey to the wife even she was interested/excited. She even asked if I'd offered you a place to stay lol (which you're welcomed to of course if you drop south). I'm standing in the shed looking at my uly while it rains, drinking a beer of course, so in am envious of you out riding your wheels off!
Read through your journey to the wife even she was interested/excited. She even asked if I'd offered you a place to stay lol (which you're welcomed to of course if you drop south). I'm standing in the shed looking at my uly while it rains, drinking a beer of course, so in am envious of you out riding your wheels off!
How true! You can't ever get by that one.
I hope you stop to see Mt. Rushmore. Definitely a "can't miss" place. Incredible.
I know you've met some interesting people since it's impossible not to when taking a bike trip. I usually write down a few notes at the end of each day. In a couple of years they'll be really interesting. I took my first long trip with another person. It was OK. The next two trips he couldn't make it and I ended up enjoying my solo rides even more. Plus he almost killed my ass when I took a left and he was riding way too close behind me and then had the nerve to tell me I didn't signal soon enough. I made up my mind right then and there it was my last trip with a partner......at least with this guy.
Day 6 is complete. 438 miles total. Mileage went back up to mid 40s when I started heading north. Smooth sailing with the wind more to my back. I've never been so happy to head north. The cross winds were really tough, like I mentioned earlier. But those were the cards I was dealt and had to play them. The plains are great and deserve the title Great Plains! Beautiful in there own way. Beautiful farm land. Clean well groomed farms all tidy and in order. Big tractors. The people in North Dakota are warm and friendly. Helpful as well. You've got to watch your gas here. Towns on the map may only have a very few people living there with no services at all. The county I am in only has 1 stop light. I'm very close to the Canadian border. I met up with an old friend from Santa Barbara. Hung out with his family. I'm gonna hang out here a day or so. Unwind. Clean the Brave Ulysses and recheck all my nuts and bolts. I gave each of the kids rides around his yard on the Uly. Great time. When traveling these roads it's a blast. Quality pavement with NO traffic. I can pretty much go as fast as I want. One late entry from my visit at the Harley dealer. There were 20 or 30 neat and clean HDs in the parking lot going for a ride. Chrome sparkling, paint shining. I pulled in on my very muddy and road worn Uly packed to the hilt with gear past all those fellas and I felt a sense of deep satisfaction doing so. Like a kid showing off his brand new stitches to the girls. I felt like a real traveler. Good times.
Yep. Got to see it. Very cool
Thanks for the offer! Glad she enjoyed it so far. More to come. Next is Minnesota in a day or so. Can't wait.
Chicknstripn
Well-known member
I love the updates!
Very inspiring trip.
One day, when the kids are grown, I hope to be able to slow down and really enjoy my motorcycling!
Extremely inspiring thread.
Have you done any roadside, KOA or state park camping during your travels? I may have missed a post if you did.
Stay safe! And keep the updates coming
Very inspiring trip.
One day, when the kids are grown, I hope to be able to slow down and really enjoy my motorcycling!
Extremely inspiring thread.
Have you done any roadside, KOA or state park camping during your travels? I may have missed a post if you did.
Stay safe! And keep the updates coming
njloco
Well-known member
Just a suggestion here, I have to travel north jersey for work, mostly in the early hours dawn and dusk, just when the deer are on the move, I have found that tooting the horn every two to three hundred yards, seems to get them off the road to where they feel safe. I see them on the sides of the road but not on it, been doing it for twenty years now.
What a great trip to read about. Now you see how so many books are inspired by motorcycle journeys (e.g. Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Mechanics). Life changing memories and even changes you into a different person in some ways. Too bad not every F'in Presidential Candidate isn't required to ride across country on a bike (without an entourage of secret service) before running. Of course they'd be welcome to carry their own piece. They'd be forced to see what real people live like and how hard they work.
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Mt. Rushmore is nice, but just "down the road" is Crazy Horse...
Not yet. Too cold or windy so far. Chance of rain too. I might start on my next leg from here.
Good suggestion. Ill save the deer for deer season.
Day 7 update. 0 miles. I kicked back with an old friend and his family. Well needed relaxing time. Took a good nap today too. I'm leaving in the morning, but just as I started writing this it started to rain. Thunder and lightning too. It's supposed to clear up in the morning. We'll see. Next stop is at least as far as Duluth, Minnesota. 358 miles. I might be dodging some rain. We'll see. I got my clothes washed and am all set to go. Update again tomorrow.
Tbone
Well-known member
Dang Deer are so skiddish, honking if you do not see them is probably a great idea, or if they are so far ahead of you when you honk. I ride with a group that has a leader that likes to honk at deer when we are upon them, and not sure why, the dear do a u-turn in broad day light when they here the horn.
Also do not ride in between cows that are all over the highway, I tried it last month in Arkansas, seemed like a good idea since there was at least 8 or more feet in between them. I was ok between the first and second cow, but then the 3rd cow and the few after that started twirling, kicking, and flailing their big heads around. Scared the crap out of me and I swear I had cow lip prints on my windscreen. Be safe!
Also do not ride in between cows that are all over the highway, I tried it last month in Arkansas, seemed like a good idea since there was at least 8 or more feet in between them. I was ok between the first and second cow, but then the 3rd cow and the few after that started twirling, kicking, and flailing their big heads around. Scared the crap out of me and I swear I had cow lip prints on my windscreen. Be safe!
Haha. I'll steer clear of both!
Day 8 complete. Cavalier North Dakota to Ironwood, Michigan. 446.6 miles. Today I started in the prairie farmlands, entered Minnesota. As I travelled east the scenery changed gradually from prairie to dense green forest. I crossed the Mississippi, drove along Lake Superior, Northern Wisconsin and finally just inside Michigan. My intention was to stop for the day in Duluth, Minnesota but I was having such a fun ride I couldn't stop. Wisconsin was very pretty. Looks a lot like upstate NY. Once I got going thru Wisconsin I couldn't stop and made Michigan my goal. The bike ran great once more. No low fuel light anomaly at all. ??? I did get rained on a bit on the ND/MN border but the two wheeled 80 mph blower dried me off quite quickly. I think I threaded the needle thru some other storm cells. Overall a wonderful day. Beautiful country, friendly people. My California license plate is starting to gain more attention the further I get east. People come up to me at gas stations and ask me questions on why I'm traveling by MC so far from home. I just answer that I'm doing it just for fun. No other reason except maybe a personal challenge and to see our beautiful country by Buell. Do you really need a reason?
The day I took off to rest rejuvenated my muscles and energy. I was anxious to get on the Uly this morning and left a bit before 8:00. I got to my motel at 6pm, just as it started raining again. I felt very comfortable on the bike, but the lower speed limits make me feel like I'm going 40, but my gas consumption is much better. Big difference between 65-70 and 80-90 mph. Good times once again! Canada tomorrow!
The day I took off to rest rejuvenated my muscles and energy. I was anxious to get on the Uly this morning and left a bit before 8:00. I got to my motel at 6pm, just as it started raining again. I felt very comfortable on the bike, but the lower speed limits make me feel like I'm going 40, but my gas consumption is much better. Big difference between 65-70 and 80-90 mph. Good times once again! Canada tomorrow!
So fuel, food, and hotels... About $100-$120/day?
Hmm... Let's see. I'm spending 42 as the lowest and 72 as the highest in motels so far. 2 days free nights at friends houses. Depends on locale and taste. I've looked for the cheapest motels that are clean and have hot water. Has to be a safe place too, which isn't an issue in small town America. So say 50 bucks average motel per night if you have to pay every night, plus maybe 30 bucks a day for gas. Depends how far you ride. 80 to 100 bucks a day roughly? I'll total it all up when done. I've been eating kinda cheap too. Very small breakfast since a heavy lead gut sucks in the morning ride. Light lunch if possible. At my final destination I'll eat a little better. All that adds up too.
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