In less than two weeks, Aug 1 to be exact, I'll be heading out for my big summer trip. The highlight is the Spank Rally, my first multi-day rally and practice for next year's Iron Butt Rally. After that I'll be at the IBA National, a two day get-together in Tulsa where I'll get to hang around with my fellow motorcycling maniacs.
My schedule is as follows:
- Aug 1: Leave home after work, overnight in Reno. Possible get-together with LD guys Reno John and BR.
- Aug 2-3: Ride to Des Moines. I'm taking I-80 the whole way. Boring, I know, but a good way to cover distance quickly.
- Aug 4-5: Vacation time with family in Des Moines. While there I'm getting fresh tires installed at a local shop.
- Aug 6: Spank check-in, Omaha. A full day of fellowship and mind games with my fellow riders. The rally packs are handed out after dinner and we retire to our rooms to plan our routes (and how to murder George after we see what he has done with the rally pack.)
- Aug 7-14: Spank Rally. Everybody asks me, "Where are you riding?" Answer: I have no idea. Rallymaster George Zelenz says he has bonus locations in all 49 continental states (with the possible exception of Oregon.) All I know is that I'll finish in Tulsa a week later. There have been some hints thrown out. I may be going to Quebec to eat a plate of poutine, to Texas for BBQ, or New Orleans for oysters and gumbo. Or I may be going to museums and public sculpture gardens all over the US to look for Alexander Calder mobiles. Only one person knows, and he ain't saying. It doesn't really matter at this point. I'm sure that George has planned an amazingly fun and challenging week for us. It will be what it will be.
- Aug 14: The end of the Spank merges with the start of the IBA National. Banquets, awards, pink T shirts, parking lots, adult beverages. Oh, it'll be fun.
- Aug 15-16: IBA National, Tulsa. As the website says, "The purpose of the IBA National Meet is to facilitate the cohesion of the Long Distance riding community by serving as a source of information, experience and equipment for the LD Rider and to provide an arena in which to renew old friendships and make new ones." In other words, I'll be hanging around a bunch of long distance riders, kicking tires, telling lies, and taking Iron Butt classes.
- Aug 17-18: Ride home. I've devised a scenic, non-interstate route that takes me across the Oklahoma panhandle, northern New Mexico and Arizona, and ends in St. George, UT. My planned highlights will be Taos, Antelope Canyon, and possibly the north rim of the Grand Canyon.
- Aug 19: Continue ride home. I'm slabbing it from St. George to the Bay Area. That's close to 700 miles, a long day to finish an epic summer vacation. Here's a map of the route.
Preparations:
Right now my bike is in Ted's Beemer Shop in Scotts Valley, CA. (Yes this is a blatant plug.) They are the only shop that I fully trust to work on my bike. They do a great job, and only charge labor for actual hours worked, not what some labor book tells them to charge. They even allow you to hang around the service bay while they work on your bike, so you can watch and learn. Sure, you'll pay extra in labor hours because all that chit-chat slows the job, but it's worth it if you want to learn about your machine.
Normally I do all my routine maintenance myself. However, my bike now has 100,000 miles on it and I want a few extra things checked. They're checking front and rear bearings, measuring clutch wear, and rebuilding my front shock. Along with this, it's good to have an experienced mechanic looking all over your bike and seeing things that you don't.
The bike is supposed to be ready in the next few days, and I hope to pick it up this Wednesday or Thursday. We're doing a little family traveling this weekend, but I hope to be able to start putting my bike in LD trim when we return Sunday. I have my lists and have gathered things together, but still have to get it all installed and loaded. Mixed in with all those preparations, we need to paint our bathroom which is being remodeled right now. Hoo boy, it's going to be a busy couple of weeks!
