Niagara and New England: A maiden voyage

I've decided to post my ride report here, as this seems like a really neat community (Please tell me if I'm mistaken ). I also think this will end up being an experience where I have a lot of feedback about the machine, given that this is my first real experience with it.

The impetus for this trip is explained in my new user introduction. I'll link that HERE in case you missed it. It may be helpful to read that first to gain some context about what you are about to read.

The basic plan: Lincoln, Ne-to Niagra Falls-to the east coast and New England-to up through Canada-to down through the upper peninsula of Michigan-to Lincoln again. Seems simple enough, right?

Challenges:
First, I would like to explain a few of the obstacles that will make my trip even more awesome when I overcome them:

Challenge #1: I departed on the NC the 9th day that I owned it.

I don't KNOW this bike at all. Heck, it doesn't even have a name yet.

The lurchiness (I like to make up words just so you know) of my leaving on this new-to-me bike was dictated by circumstances rather than poor planning, but it is a bit of an obstacle. On Meiling (my '71 CB350), I know what every little click and pop means. I've been blessed with a myriad of issues on that old bike which has left me accidentally well equipped to troubleshoot any problems.

The NC still feels like a lifeless automaton to me. I can't even hear the engine above 35mph. These feelings of unfamiliarity inspire a strange sense of guilt within me. This was supposed to be Meiling's trip. A victorious declaration that age is indeed just a number. Instead I feel like I am taking a one-night-stand on a honeymoon. While my faithful partner sits disassembled in my garage, I am out fraternizing (shout-out to PCM) with some young hussy.

My concern is that this unfamiliarity might result in an unnecessary stranding somewhere, not able to diagnose a simple fix.

Challenge #2: No time to customize

This bike is stock as stock can be. That's OK for most areas, but where this is most problematic is in the luggage. Conceivably I could have rush ordered a top box and side cases, but then I looked at the prices. Ick!! I would have had to drop around $500 just for a Honda rear storage compartment (please correct me if I'm wrong). One of the reasons I ride a Honda is because I'm cheap. This was out of the question.

I actually solved this problem fairly well, methinks, without spending any money. I'll show what I did further on in detail, but here is the "creative" solution:



Challenge #3: Just a phone

This challenge only relates to the presentation of this RR. Without a computer, formatting may be a little rough. Please let me know if anything looks awry. I realize this is not REALLY a challenge. I've been on numerous adventures sans cell phone, so having one on this trip is something to be thankful for.

Challenge #4: Tired legs!

This is kind of a funny one. On Saturday October 12th, the day before leaving, I ran in the Market to Market relay. It is an 8 person relay race that winds 78 miles from Omaha to Lincoln. My part in that was three legs totaling about 10 miles. Instead of taking a few days to recover, I'm hopping on a bike and heading east! This shouldn't be an issue after a few days.

I am already behind, but this is the first time I've tried documenting a motorcycle trip in realtime. I'll try to catch up at the next stop.

I'll leave one picture: For the relay, we all dressed up as running Forrest Gumps, wearing Bubba Gump Shrimp hats. The picture below is after handing off to my friend, Kyle. He went all out costume-wise, even sporting the beard. Though I believe a good percentage of said beard ended up in his lungs. I am the lame beardless one in the background

Biggest tank bag I have seen on NC.

Keep the report coming.

The original post is missing. More automatic filtering?

Ok, I thought it was me. I saw a reply to nothing and was wondering what the heck?

Replied before my coffee this morning. Maybe I dreamed the post?

I now see my first post has disappeared. It was there, but then I edited it to put in the link back to my new user post and *poof*. I have most of it saved on my phone, but I hope it comes back. For now, I will just continue the report.

Don't worry, Fuzzy. You weren't dreaming, though I do find it prudent to save my human interactions until after that first cup of joe.

Day 1, Sunday, 10-13-13: Miles 0-362

The first day of the trip was an appreciatively uneventful one. The original trip, with the CB350, was planned to stick just to highways. With the new machine, I added a few more places that I would like to see. Given this, I altered my original plan and decided to "skip" Iowa and just take I-80 straight through.

It's not that I have anything against Iowa, it's just that most of the scenery is similar to eastern Nebraska. I will give it this though, it is one of the most symmetrical states in the union, if judged by landscape. Also, lots of corn and animals that taste good. Surely any Nebraskan can get behind that!

I hit the road around 7:30 headed to Louisville, NE where my brother, his wife and two young kids live. The ride was a bit chilly, 42 when I set out, and foggy. I realized soon that I had not yet dish-soaped my sunglasses as they fogged up quickly.

My brother also rides, a 1980 CB750. Here we are this summer, 61 combined years of human, 76 combined years of motorcycle:


(the minivan in the background proves that we are true rebels)

He took some pictures with the bike and I:





I would like to document that the following exchange took place just for posterity:

Grant: Are you sure you don't want to borrow my heated vest?
Me: No, it shouldn't get much colder than this, and I feel fine.
Grant: You are definitely the dumber brother.

I don't think that last line was actually said, but it should have been. Hugged the kids and off I went.

Rolling down I-80 at 70mph for an extended amount of time really strips away ones cold-defenses. It has been a mild fall so far, so maybe I just forgot what a cold ride feels like. I hit Des Moines at noon, shivering.

I went into a sports bar just east of town to watch my Chiefs dismantle a typically undisciplined Oakland Raiders, 24-7. The last couple decades have been unkind to Chiefs fans (during our last playoff win I remember fiddling with the rabbit-ear antennas, trying to get a better picture of Joe Montana leading the team down the field....1993) so I am relishing every snap of this 6-0 start. The three hour break saw me down about 5 cups of coffee, trying to get my core temperature up.

I hopped back on the interstate around 3:30. It was much warmer and pleasant conditions in general, just about a 10mph headwind. I found a campground at Salusbury Bridge recreation area near Muscatine which was supposed to be $8/night. I didn't find anywhere to pay, nor any facilities but chemical toilets for that matter, so I'm not sure I was in the right place. I was the only one there so I set up in a little corner, right on the bank of the Cedar River.

If someone knows who I'm supposed to pay, please let me know.



I bundled up for a cold night and was lulled to sleep by a symphony of crickets chirping, fish jumping and owls hooting.

One more thing: Are the pictures formatting Ok? I'm resizing them to 640 width on my phone before uploading them to imgur. I couldn't get them to resize by putting the width argument into the IMG BBCode. Let me know and I can make them bigger or smaller.

First impressions:

I think I'll just comment briefly on some of the main criticisms of this bike that I've read.

Seat:
I don't think I hate the seat, though hate is a strong word that I just reserve for things like alcohol in my gasoline (but that's another lecture). I think Honda designed it more with short rides in mind. The shape of it allows ones legs to be closer to the center of bike, aiding in handling and making it easier to stand on the pegs. The shape is not ideal for longer rides but it is not the source of fatigue, for me at least.

The padding is where I think it fails. One hour is fine. I can sit straddling a picnic table bench for an hour. At 90 minutes I start squirming. I naturally like to move around a lot when I ride, flexing and stretching to keep the blood moving, but by this point it is a losing battle. At two hours it is no fun at all. Every little bump feels like the slap of a fraternity paddle. (I must note that this is purely conjecture as I was not a member of the Greek system)

The seat will probably be the first thing I alter, but for now I'll just make a few more stops.

Windshield:
I call it the jewel-case since it is clear plastic and of similar size. (For those born after 1990: In the old days you bought music in a store. The music was written onto optical discs dubbed CDs, which were sold in clear plastic cases called jewel cases.....where did the years go?)

For its size, it does an incredible job. It deflects wind away from my entire body, hitting my helmet around lip level at 60mph. At higher speeds it feels less effective. I was surprised the first time I sat on the bike how far below my sight-line the windshield is. It could easily be 6-8 inches taller without impairing my vision.

I'm in no hurry to upgrade this, but might for longer trips.

Suspension:
Stiff! I hear it loosens up which I am surely hoping for. I could use a bit more give.

Other random notes:
This is the first vehicle I've ever owned that registers speed when moving in reverse. I wonder how high up I can get it.....

The horn seems really weak, unless it is somehow just focused forwards.


I am daily discovering some of the compromises that were made to bring this bike together. Please don't read the word "compromise" as some sort of term of derision (what up, Washington DC?), there is no such thing as versatility without compromise. You can't fit a tailor's quality scissors into a Swiss Army knife!

The most peculiar blend that seems to be arising from my brief spell with this bike is this: Short range characteristics built onto a lumbering, long-stroke parallel twin that loves to cruise at highway speeds.

More to be said, surely.

It looks like my second post did not show up either. When I submitted it, it said it would be posted after moderator approval. The posts that aren't showing up are ones with pictures. I am previewing the posts before submitting and they appear fine. Should I just keep waiting for moderator approval? Do I need to contact one of them for some reason?

If I don't hear anything by tomorrow I will probably just move this RR over to advrider (not vindictively, though ).

I see five posts from you. The first one required approval, which was given; the rest posted on their own. How many posts did expect in this thread so far?

Greg

670cc said:

I see five posts from you. The first one required approval, which was given; the rest posted on their own. How many posts did expect in this thread so far?

Greg

Click to expand...

The first post I now see in this thread is mine responding to OP's post that is no longer there. No one but me has apparently seen his oversize tank bag.

Try it now, Fuzzy.

Maybe if the OP edited something, the moderated status returns? I dunno.

In times past, once a newcomer's first post was approved, no more approval was ever requested by the forum software.

Greg

670cc said:

Try it now, Fuzzy.

Maybe if the OP edited something, the moderated status returns? I dunno.

In times past, once a newcomer's first post was approved, no more approval was ever requested by the forum software.

Greg

Click to expand...

Thanks.

It is there now. So back to my original comment.

That is a huge tank bag.

Hooray! We are up and running. Thanks for getting that approved, I can now see all of my posts. I was not looking forward to re-typing that on my phone.

The gigantic tank bag is your standard issue $20 Wal-Mart backpack. I know it looks excessive, but it fits there really nice. There are so few nice flat surfaces to tie things down to I had to utilize this space. It does not get in the way at all and actually is really nice to have there. It is just clothing so it is a soft platform to lean onto when my back gets tired, or when I want to duck down out of the wind when it is really chilly.

I'll post more pictures of my packing process in a couple of days.

Day 2, Monday 10-14-13: Miles 362-746.

A very chilly morning. The phone said 36 degrees when I woke up. I quickly packed up and was ready to go at sunrise. The physical discomfort was mitigated by the beautiful scene of mist rising off the water.


The photo really can't do it justice.

I had a tussle getting the bike out of the little spot I'd found. It was so sandy that I could not get a grip. They did a good job disguising this bike's weight when on solid ground, but it feels every pound of its curb weight once the tires dig in a little. I killed the engine a couple of times but eventually got it extricated.

I crossed over into Illinois via Muscatine



I gritted out about 110 uninspired miles, trying to think warm thoughts and convince myself that I do, indeed, enjoy riding a motorcycle. I stopped into a little family diner off the interstate. It was one of those mom and pop type places where the waitress starts to pour you coffee before she finishes asking if you want some. I had a hearty breakfast of cholesterol, sodium and saturated fat. I try to keep a balanced diet!

The temperature was warmer when I departed, but now discomfort came from a different source: A little town called Chicago. This great bottleneck is never fun to drive, so I don't know why I chose the interstate. It was around noon, so I thought the traffic might be a bit more manageable. Whereas hours earlier the bike had felt like a massive dead weight stuck in the sand, I now felt like I was piloting a mosquito being buffeted by every wind gust and swatted at by aggressive drivers. There were no real moments of consternation, though. The bike can show a lively burst when one needs to exit a less than favorable position.

After getting into Indiana, I decided that I'd had enough interstate for one day. I hopped down to US-6, the Lincoln Highway, and continued east. The most interesting thing I saw was in Nappanee. It has a large Amish population and signs warning of carriages dot the main roads. I was pulled over when I noticed one coming around the corner. "This will be a good photo opportunity." I thought to myself. After turning to grab my phone, the carriage was already speeding by. This horse was booking it! It had to have been going faster than the 25mph posted speed limit. So no picture. Blame it on Amish horse steroids.

Unfortunately, there was a major detour that consumed me for most of the rest of the day. I should have looked at a map midway through, as I would have been able to save some time. I was running out of daylight and needed to find a spot. I found one at Indian Springs campground, north of Fort Wayne.

I pulled up right at dusk to a closed gate. I had no sooner dismounted when a man in a pickup truck drove over and asked me what I needed. He called someone to come assist me. I'm not sure whether his actions were sincere helpfulness, or whether he was just on duty for the neighborhood watch.

$16 got me a much needed hot shower and a safe place to set up shop. This was a European style campground, one where people purchase spots for a whole season and leave their trailers there on a semi-permanent basis. I have not seen many like this in the states.

While setting up, I heard some loud "BANGS" coming from seemingly every direction. Not gunshot loud, but enough to make me take notice. I eventually figured out that the trees were dropping what I think are walnuts, some of them from a significant height. The sound of them hitting the fiberglass tops of the campers resonated loudly. I was relieved to figure it out since the bike was parked right beneath one of these trees when I first set up.

A funny sign caught my eye when brushing my teeth:


...but how do you know if they are reliable at damages if you ask them to leave after one time?

A good day

I hope you don't get a snowy U.P. welcome when you're coming across US 2! It has snowed in the
U.P. in every month of the year. With Superior unfrozen, the "lake effect machine" could kick up
and bring A LOT of snow. Anything could happen in mid October up there....

Good luck!

**Just checked the Marquette 10 day forecast. Looks like all the precip will be rain.*

mpgandfun said:

With Superior unfrozen, the "lake effect machine" could kick up
and bring A LOT of snow. Anything could happen in mid October up there....

Click to expand...

Thanks for the heads up. It's good to get some wisdom from someone familiar with the area. If forecasts are foreboding I can either go south over the Mackinac bridge, or skip the area all together and go through Detroit.

Does Honda make a snow ski attachment for the front wheel?

Day 3, Tuesday, 10-15-13: Miles 746-1,282

I woke up refreshed, feeling like I slept well. I could not see my breath inside the tent, but could outside. I checked weather reports and it looked all clear for the day. The next day, however, showed an 80% chance of rain in the Buffalo area. I decided to make a push for it to see if I could reach my campground on Lake Ontario in one day. I scarfed down an apple and off I went.



First I had to get out of the Indiana countryside, which proved to be a bit of a task. Once Indiana has you, it does not want to let you go! I missed 3 or 4 turns on county roads that had signs covered up, were unmarked, or passed by while I was gawking at the sunrise. It cost me some time, but they were fun, scenic roads.

I had my first brush with deer on those roads. A pack of 5 jumped over the road, probably 100 meters ahead of me. I had ample time to slow down. The last deer just stood in the road, staring me down, before sauntering into the ditch. As if to say, "Yes, I am leaving the road, but only because I want to, not because you are coming."

There was no sign saying that I crossed into Ohio, but I realized it soon when all the roads were well marked. I stopped into a McDonald's near Toledo about two hours into my day. Coffee was again an important warming agent and I love me some sausage burritos.

On to the Ohio turnpike! What a great road. Well maintained and wide lanes. Not autobahn wide, but wide enough that I had plenty of positions to choose from to make myself visible. It also does a great job of skirting Cleveland. But for the sign, it would be hard to notice. I stayed in the saddle for 190 miles, my longest stretch of the trip. Use of the turnpike cost $11

Needing a break and still needing to get a picture of the bike in Ohio, I pulled into Youngstown, the home of Nebraska head football coach, Bo Pelini. I snapped a picture next to his Alma Mater, Cardinal Mooney High School. Bob Stoops, Oklahoma's head coach, attended there as well.



Regardless of my feelings about Bo Pelini, which I will not expound on here, he is the coach of my team and I support my team!

I was only in Pennsylvania a brief time, but I did forgo the interstate for a short time and found some neat little roads.



Around the time of crossing the New York border, I became the longest travelled rider on this bike. It's the first bike I've owned of which I can say that. The New York thruway was well maintained and fairly scenic. It only cost $3 to boot! As the miles wore on, I was growing weary. It was dark by the time I hit Buffalo. I could glimpse no views of the falls as I rode through Niagara.

The Robert Moses expressway runs north from Niagara Falls. It is an abrupt switch from metropolitan to rural and the road feels too major for its forested surroundings. The expressway dead ends directly into Four Mile Creek State Park, my campground for the next few nights. There was no staff on duty, but also no barriers. They had good instructions for late arriving campers. Facilities were absolutely pristine. I took the primitive site with the best Lake Ontario view.

A cloudy, moonless night, I set up the tent by headlamp. Arriving late into campsites is kind of an Anderson family tradition and I've done well to carry on that tradition so far this trip . A forecasted low of 50 degrees for the night put a smile on my face. I called my parents and we talked briefly, my first phone call in four days. The 500 mile day made sleep very easy to come by.

I am overwhelmed with thankfulness for the first 1,282 miles of this trip. I thought hard, but could not remember ever having to grab the brakes abruptly or swerve away from imminent danger. I feel really blessed.

Mechanically, I must admit to a strange sense of boredom. Whenever I take the CB350 for a trip, I am tinkering, adjusting....sometimes hammering at almost every stop. I found myself on this trip incessantly checking the oil and tire pressure because I had nothing else to do. I guess a normal person would say that this lack of maintenance is a good thing .

Tomorrow The Falls! Get ready for way too many poorly framed pictures!

You were about 2 hours from me in Ohio.Penn and Virginia has the best back roads.last time i was on turnpike it was 8.00.nice write up so far.be safe

sent from my nc700x

Swedstal -
Keep the story coming. This is the most compelling read I've had in a while. I'm currently living vicariously through you!
Cheers and wishes of warmth!