11k miles across the US and back

[nwguy]

A few days ago I returned home from an 11k mile trip from the Pacific NW to North Carolina, then to Connecticut, then home.  Thought I'd share some pics and thoughts. One of the highlights was visiting NC Dan at his house on the New River. No mishaps on the trip.  I was trying to ride different roads from the XC trip I did 5 years ago on my Norge.

I'd planned to do this trip on my 99' Bassa, but I'm still not done tunining it (fueling issues). So I bought a 2011 Vstrom 650 with 11.5k miles on it for only $3,500. Folks on their forum advised me to wait to do the 14.5k valve check/adjust until I got home. Still runs great. Changed my back tire in OK eastbound, and in Kansas City westbound, even though the it was new when I bought the bike. Interesting bike and engine. Decent range (250 miles) and gas mileage (~50 mpg).

I'll post more pics in the next few posts.


The green line shows my route for this trip. The yellow is for the one I did 5 years ago.


Heading south on 101 along the OR coast.


Going over a 10k foot pass on Rte 88 in CA's Sierra Nevadas.


Southen Nevada. I thought it would be desert but the landscapes were pretty dramatic.


Nevada's "Extraterrestrial Highway". Remote, desolate.


Drying laundry at my spot in Wide Hollow Campground just west of Escalante, UT. Great campsite. Lakeside with hot showers and a dishwashing sink.

[nwguy]

I ran into this nice guy Rich from north Texas, who's been on Wild Guzzi. He was on his way home from a big trip. We rode together through the 125 mile stretch of no services from Hanksville, UT to Blanding UT. Good to have company there.


Between Hanksville and Blanding.


Four Corners was only 5 miles out of my way, so I had the requisite pic taken.


The Bisti Badlands in northern NM. They're good, but pale in comparison to Goblin Valley near Hanksville.


Riding the Talimena Scenic Drive was a treat. Nice to get back to the East, with low mountains and lush deciduous forests.


I love riding in the Ozarks. I spent almost 3 days there 5 years riding those beautiful, curvey, roller coaster roads. Thought about coming back and renting a cabin. So I did for 2 nights on this trip. Nice to ride with less luggage and have a kitchen, front porch, etc.


The view from the cabin's front porch.

[nwguy]

Typical sign in the Ozarks.


I went to the American Museum of Science and Energy in Oak Ridge, TN. Pretty great place. Lots of exhibits on nuclear energy and atomic weapons.


The man himself, NC Dan. He and Lisa made me feel right at home the evening I was there. That's a nice thing on a long, solo trip. We had fun playing music. Dan tried my ukulele and sounded better than I do in about 2 minutes.


View from the Blue Ridge Parkway. I stayed a couple of nights with a friend who lives less than a mile off of it. Beautiful views from 3k feet.


A coal mine in West Virgina. I really wanted to explore WV, TN and KY on this trip. Did a 2 or 3 full days of riding on WV and TN and loved the roads, little towns, industrial stuff. Hard to find a straight road in WV.

[nwguy]

The New River Gorge bridge in WV. Biggest arched bridge in the western hemisphere. The New River runs next to NC Dan's house.


While buying chain lube in CT at a BMW dealer I saw this ancient one. They told me it used to be in the Guggenheim Museum and is for sale for $365k. It's the first model of motorcyle BMW produced.


Enjoying a stogie and an IPA in front of my motorcycle-friendly, Hopland Motel just outside of Cincinnati, Ohio. I like motels where you can park in front of your room and have your own entry door. Verandas and a bench are nice too.


Some healthy corn along the Ohio River on Rte 156 south of Cinncinati.


Seeking refuge with Harley riders under an overpass during a downpour. Couldn't see because of the rain and the wind suddenly got scary strong. So took an exit and turned under the highway. Turns out 4 tornados touched down just east of there, where I'd just ridden through. The local news said 2 people died from that.

[nwguy]

Kansas.


More Kansas.


The Rockies just south of Estes Park, CO. I stayed a couple of nights with my son in Boulder. Had a great time him.

So, there it is in a nutshell. Glad to be home. Glad I went. That was a big one.

[Dave Swanson]

Now that is a great trip report with a lot of fabulous pictures.  Thanks!

[Vagrant]

I had a 2000 SV 650 and a 2005 V Strom. JMHO but don't waste your time checking valves until 50000 miles. Even then they will probably be fine. It is not a fun job either!

[Clifton]

Now that is a great trip report with a lot of fabulous pictures.  Thanks!

Agree 100%, nice mix of pics with brief descriptions highlighting the diversity of the country you rode through. Thanks for posting, NWguy!

[PJPR01]

Very nice pics and ride report.

Indeed...that is Richard Hatley from NE Texas...his Norge was in my garage in April/May for a few weeks while I tuned it up and got it ready for CV and his upcoming road trip. Great you guys crossed paths!

Paul

[nwguy]

I had a 2000 SV 650 and a 2005 V Strom. JMHO but don't waste your time checking valves until 50000 miles. Even then they will probably be fine. It is not a fun job either!

Fabulous! I'm going to sell it and have been pondering having the valves done to make it more sellable. I just washed it so it's ready to go on craigslist and FB marketplace. I like the bike. It's a fun engine to play with. I often had to downshift two gears to pass cars which reminded me of other bikes I've owned. But fueling was great, genuinely fun on curvy roads. Somehow it all was a little uninspiring though. This after having owned liter, v-twin air-cooled sport bikes. I'm going to get that Basa running right.

[kingoffleece]

Looks like big fun.  Bet you liked that SouthernTier IPA a whole lot.  Best product they make says everyone who lives near them-me included.  Can't get it in AZ and we miss that one a lot.  They built their entire beer empire on that IPA.  Oh yea.  WV.  Absolutely motorcycle paradise!

[Bulldog9]

Fantastic trip report, thanks for sharing!

[TN Mark]

What a phenomenal trip. Thank you so much for the pictures and descriptions.

[Tkelly]

I would hang on to the vstrom ,even if you get the Bassa tuned there are always issues with old bikes and someone who rides as much as you will not be happy without a bike as the season slips away.

[nwguy]

I would hang on to the vstrom ,even if you get the Bassa tuned there are always issues with old bikes and someone who rides as much as you will not be happy without a bike as the season slips away.

I thought about that when I rode it to warm it up for an oil change yesterday. But I think I'm done doing XC trips all the way across the US and back. Will still do multi-day rides closer to home. I'm looking forward to my cruiser-y, next chapter in motorcycle life. I need space in my garage too.

[Ncdan]

Great news to see you got back home safely, Jim.
It was Lisa and my great pleasure to have you at our river house for the evening, it was just to short.
As we discussed I hope there will come a time in the future that you and your wife will take a road trip and come back to the Great Smokey Mountains and visit us again but longer than just one night.
And thanks for the ukulele lesson👍

Dan

[travelingbyguzzi]

Thanx for the report. We need more trip reports like this. We will talk at Deep Forest this weekend if you are coming.

Bill Lovelady

[nwguy]

Thanx for the report. We need more trip reports like this. We will talk at Deep Forest this weekend if you are coming.

Bill Lovelady

I forgot about Deep Forest. I might be able to make it.

[azccj]

I’m currently riding my 2019 VStrom 650 up in Washington. Bike now has 66,000 miles. I do the valve inspection every 2 years after the bike adds approximately 17-18000 miles to the odometer. The first valve check required most of the shims to be changed out to get the required valve clearance. Since the initial valve inspection, the clearance has remained within spec. I find doing the valve clearance inspection on this bike not all that difficult. Not as easy as the V85tt, but not anywhere near as bad as on the Africa Twinn.

[nwguy]

I’m currently riding my 2019 VStrom 650 up in Washington. Bike now has 66,000 miles. I do the valve inspection every 2 years after the bike adds approximately 17-18000 miles to the odometer. The first valve check required most of the shims to be changed out to get the required valve clearance. Since the initial valve inspection, the clearance has remained within spec. I find doing the valve clearance inspection on this bike not all that difficult. Not as easy as the V85tt, but not anywhere near as bad as on the Africa Twinn.

Did you do the shim replacements?

[azccj]

Did you do the shim replacements?

Yes. Suzuki uses a common size valve shim. I bought a complete set of after market shims for less than $75, before I did the first valve inspection.