The Smith River Ride

This is a video shot on a recent motorcycle camping trip to the central Oregon Coast taking the back way from Lorane to Reedsport.


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Comfort

Father time has snuck into my bones and left me searching for comfort.

That is where I was just a few years ago, looking for something soft and predictable in many areas of my day to day life. Weather it was  what I drove or how I played, I seemed to have fallen into a rut. Then one day I woke up and realized that I was on the wrong path. I had become soft and life was seeping away. You might say midlife crisis, maybe, but I see it as an awakening. I started bringing back the things I cast off as I became an adult. I bought a motorcycle. There is nothing easy about riding motorcycles. I get cold, I get hot, I get wet, I get monkey butt and I have never felt so alive.
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The Reedsport Loop

I am hanging out in my tent thinking about yesterday's ride that brought me to Waxmyrtle camp ground,on the Pacific coast ten miles south of Florence Oregon. The road over the Coast Range was awsome! I can really see why it is not the main road, It is twisty all the way from Loran to Reedsport. I loved every mile. Well I hear Ed making some noise in the tent next door, it must be time to get up. I will have a full ride report later.

The Reedsport Loop
The Reedsport Loop

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Reedsport Ride

I am riding to Reedsport on the Oregon Coast, taking the back roads thru the Coast Range. It should be a nice two day loop. I will try some quick and dirty posts from the road using my cell phone. This is kind of a quick, check out the gear ride, to make sure I get it right for the longer Washington trip coming up. The weather man says mid 90s for the temps. I hope the coast temperatures are cooler.

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Adventure

The Long Way Round is one of my all-time favorite motorcycle movies in my DVD collection. I watch this adventure and can only dream of riding around the world as these two fellas did in the video. Most of us don't have the time or funds to take on such a journey but that should not devalue our adventurous excursions whether long or short. We don't have to travel around the world to find adventure, it can be found where ever we choose to point our front wheel. Adventure is a state of mind not a distance traveled.
I know I won't be taking that big around the world trip anytime soon but I will be out making my own adventures big and small.
See you on the horizon.

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Riding Pants

I have been looking for some riding pants that where practical enough to wear day to day but still give some degree protection in a fall. The truth of the matter is,  as much as I believe in the benefits of dawning protective clothing, wearing leathers all day is just not that practical. 

I had seen a picture of a couple of riders wearing Carhartt pants on a motorcycle trip. That got me thinking maybe the thicker pant with a double layered front would work for me. I asked my wife Paula to pick me up a pair to try. Instead she brought me home a pair of Riggs work pants. I was not to amused, since I had my mind set on the Carhartts. She lobbied hard for her choice. Look, the double front layers, big back pockets, triple stitch seams, ripstop fabric and oh, I got them on sale for 25 bucks a pair. 

Ok, I gave them a try and I would have to say, I love these pants. They are the most comfortable pants I have had on in a long time. I am probably kidding myself on how they would do in a fall but they would have to be better than the shorts and tee shirt the rider was wearing I passed on the way home from work today.     
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Motorcycle Touring and the Price of Gas

This years Washington ride should be between 1500 and 1600 miles so the price of gas has got me a little concerned. There is nothing I can do about the price of gas but I can save money in other areas of the trip.
 
This is a camping only affair so there will not be any hotel costs and dividing the camp fees fore ways should make lodging affordable. Even with the extra vehicle charges for each motorcycle ( which I feel is extremely unfair to motorcyclists ) each rider should be paying 15 dollars or less a night. Even if I wasn't trying to save money I would camp, I just prefer camping to motels.

Food will be a combination of fast food, balance bars, and trail mix. We may hit a market while passing through some of the small towns and take food back to camp. I don't plan on any fancy dinners so food cost should not be to bad.

Although the price of gas does give me pause I will do what I can in other areas to keep my wander lust affordable.
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The Washington Ride Update

I have been planning the Washington ride which is less than a couple months away. We have  settled on a basic route for this years trip. We will start by crossing the Washington Oregon border on Hwy 97 near the center of the state. Taking a route that angles up to the northeastern corner of the state. We will then head west though the Northern Cascades till we hit water, then catch a ferry to Port Townsend. We will keep heading west on the Olympic Peninsula then turn south along the western coast. Once we are near the southern corner of Washington we will point our motorcycles east back to the Cascades then south past Mt. Saint Helens. We will end up where we entered the state at Maryhill, then back home in Oregon. All together the distance should be around 1600 miles. 
I still have a lot to do before the ride but I am very excited to get back out on the road. Hopefully gas prices will  slow down. It is going to be pretty expensive even on a motorcycle. I will file more updates closer to departure.
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The Kids Want To Ride

Would I want my kids to ride street motorcycles? That is a question that I have been rolling around in my head for some time now. I have two boys ages 21 and 12. Both have expressed an interest in riding street bikes some day. I am torn, part of me would love to share my passion for riding motorcycles with them and part of me wants to protect them from the dangers of the road. I know it is a bit hypocritical of me to feel this way. The road is a dangerous place. I am not as much worried about how they would ride but the car drivers not paying attention to what they are doing. My 21 year old will make his own decision. If he decides to ride I will teach him all I can and pray for his safety. As for the 12 year old, I have a few years before I have to cross that bridge.

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Size Does Matter

I have always been drawn to medium sized motorcycles in the 650 to 750 displacement. Something fairly light with enough pep to get me past a car when the need arises. I wouldn't call my bike big touring comfort but it is not to bad. At about 430lbs dry it is nearly 200 to 300 pounds lighter than the big displacement cruisers or touring machines out there. I would never think of taking one of those big bikes on the fire roads I have traveled.

So that brings me to the question why would I need something bigger? What got me thinking about this topic is an encounter I had with another rider while I was on the job recently. I had one of those less than inspiring photo assignments we call a groundbreaking. Dirt was being turned for a new school and the ceremony was about a half mile off the main road. When I pulled up to the construction site I could see why the organizers wanted the public to take a shuttle to the event. The road was constructed for heavy machinery, it was made of deep loose rock the size of my fist. My choices where to park on the shoulder of the road and walk in with all my camera gear or suck it up and ride in. I have been on some pretty tough roads before and I added this one to the list.

After I was done taking the photos I needed, I went back to my bike not looking forward to the ride out. As I approached my motorcycle, I heard a construction worker yell, is that a Bandit. I said no its a Kawasaki Z750s, Kawasaki's version of the Bandit. He sneered showing his lack of approval as he said, a 750. I immediately felt I needed to justify my motorcycle choices. I replied it's all I need, it works for me. He went on to say, I ride a blah blah blah, its motor is a blah blah blah. I said thats nice and prepared for the ride out. I tried to stay relaxed as my bike moved under me over the very loose rocks. I made it to the road without incident. Once I hit tarmac I smiled. Yeah! thats why I ride a 750.
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David

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David
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