"Man Journey" Cleveland, OH to San Francisco, CA

Wow! What an awesome journal... Where is the rest?

 

I've done a bit of on-line writing myself. It would be great to get paid for it, but what the hell; I enjoy myself! I've had many people tell me I should publish, but not sure if I'm up to the aggravation & hassle.
Suffice it to say, I know good journalism when I read it. You've got chops...keep it up. This is really good stuff, well written, with a great flowing style that mixes well with your photography.

 

Alright. I am 70% done with day 10 and have been sitting here for over an hour as I can not come up with the next paragraph. I will promise an update tomorrow by 11 AM Pacific Time.

I had an excellent (and challenging!) time at my interview, my brain needs to be recharged.

 

can't wait for the next installment mestnii. Really enjoying the story so far.

 

ah ohhhhh,now after rave reviews he suffers the dreaded Writers Block

 

You can always write while waiting for the phone to ring!

 

great story so far can't wait for the next installment.

 

40 minutes ahead of schedule! Enjoy!

DAY 10

For everyone that did not appreciate their teachers, I ask you to reconsider. We wake up at the same time as the rest of the household: 5:30 AM. While Erica and her room mates run around getting ready, making coffee, double checking lesson plans, I choose to use my time wisely and fall back asleep until 6:20. More tired than I was at 5:30, I get up and sleepily wander in to the kitchen where kids grades, progress reports and talk of parent conferences is flying about. I can barely keep my eyes open long enough to sip coffee. The last to eat breakfast, we are hurried as we need to be out at the same time as everyone else to lock up the place. We say a quick round of good byes and the girls fly off to a long day of teaching.

I stare up at the Nevada sun. It is already too hot for me and the temperature is supposed to keep rising. As much as I believe in ATGATT, today there was no way I was going to be wearing any of that. I embrace the road with only jeans and a t-shirt (and helmet!) as we begin on the tedious task of making our way out of Las Vegas. Heading north on Highway 95 towards Reno, we are exposed to desert and wind. Lots of wind. I manage the first 30 miles of the trip with relative ease, and in comfort as the combination of sun and the air swirling around my body created the perfect mix of hot and cold. It was like those times when you step in to a shower and you have the faucet(s) opened just right for that perfect temperature. Yea, like that. After that, the winds severely picked up. I had ridden through gusts, but nothing like this. I was riding with a hard lean to my left just to stay on the road. Somewhere close to Beatty, NV I am unprepared for an extra severe gust of wind and am blown on to the shoulder as I fight to stay upright and brake to stop myself from flying right off of the road and into the tumbleweeds. Considering this a fair warning, at the next gas station I put on and (partly) zip up my riding jacket. I ask the clerk about the wind and he said it would continue all the way up until Reno, with gusts that can reach 70 MPH. Nice place to put Nellis Air Force Bombing and Gunnery Range.

My gas mileage has been keeping steady at 29, and we were making considerably good time. The next time I took time to look up from the road was on highway 264 heading towards Bishop, California. The scenery was changing. We cruised through desert, dotted by masses of land sticking up in the distance.



The road weaved up and down and led us through valley's surrounded by scenes straight of the Wild West. We passed abandoned towns and houses with corrugated roofs, dirt roads leading to abandoned and sometimes still functional mines, and old, debilitated heavy machinery. We stop at a Nevada historic site and explore a mine shaft only to find out it has collapsed itself closed.



With the Sierra's off in the distance,



we make haste until we reach:



To be honest, the state sign came of out of nowhere, and was so shot up that we blew right by it until we were able to safely stop. Misha spins his car around in a circle on the side of the road, and leaves the music blaring as he climbs out to take his turn in front of the sign. This was it. As far as state crossings go, this is as far we were going to go. We took some time to relax and look around, appreciate how far we've come.

We are now entering the most fun stretch of road of the entire trip; California 168. It begins as a gentle, sloping ride towards the mountains lasting a few miles. It nicely eases you in the a steep, twisting climb, which ends as abruptly as it started. A short descent leads in to a valley populated by cows, what appears to be a hot spring, two farmhouses, and a 13 mile long straightaway! The next climb appeared fuzzy as it was shadowed in a haze. No matter how much I moved, it appeared as if the mountains were equally as far away as before. Like I was riding on a giant treadmill. The road suddenly took a sharp, upward turn to the right and I was about to be treated to the grand finale of California 168: the ride through Inyo National Forest. If you have ever played the earlier Need for Speed series, then I need to say no more. If not, let me elaborate. The road is narrow, barely wide enough for two cars, twists up to a peak, and descends, winding down through hills and valleys. The road follows the lay of the land so naturally, filling out every dip and bump as you rocket through perfectly banked turns, some of more than 180 degrees. This section was the most technical and put to use everything I learned about riding to date. By the end of the 37 miles that is Cal. 168, my clutch was feeling maladjusted and the tires were missing a whole lot more rubber. I recommend that EVERYONE take the time once in their life to ride the full stretch from the Nevada border to Big Pine, CA. I have never “slain the dragon” so I can not compare, but I must warn everyone to be cautious as I considered this a challenging road and found up myself on the wrong side of the yellow line twice. With the mountains we saw at the state line fast fading in my rear view mirror, we ride through the Sierra Natl. Forest and Mammoth Lakes up California 365 to Lake Tahoe.



The scenery along this portion of the ride was as varied as the people inhabiting San Francisco. We saw small-town America, a hippie commune traveling by bus, endless forest and lakes. Out of all of the waterways that we saw, Mono Lake caught my eye the most. Just having passed a town of no more than 200 people, I was careening down the mountain road, eager to pick up the speed I lost in the 25 MPH zone. As I rounded a corner, a vista of watery expanse opened up in front of my eyes, delighting my senses. The lake expanded out to my left, reaching the horizon and melting in to the sky. The varying hues of blue in the water had an iridescent white coating that reflected light out and made it appear as if the lake had a slight glow.



From then on the California landscape changed again as we rode through excessively green, sunny pastures filled with hundreds, if not thousands of cows. I remember seeing a commercial for “Real California Milk” with the happy California cows. Let me tell you, these cows have to be the happiest cows in the world (maybe with the exception of some in India) as they roam countless acres of grassland and tan in the sun.



Ever closer to S. Lake Tahoe, our destination for the night, we have one more pass to cross: California 89 – Monitor Pass. This road starts right next to a forest fire brigade station. The signs entering the pass read “Snow Chains MUST be on during season,” and “If flashing, road is impassable.” Sounds like fun. The road carves its way through rocky outcroppings and lifts you up and over the valleys filled with happy California cows. At a pull out, I stop to take a breath and take in the vast spaces of open land. At the highest point of Monitor Pass, I could see for miles. The only things obscuring my vision were the clouds and the curvature of the Earth as vast mountains in the distance were swallowed up by haze from the sky.


Elevation: 8,300 ft.

The fresh air filled my lungs and the long day finally started to catch up to me. The rest of Monitor Pass is secluded as it winds back down closer to sea level. I took a leisurely pace, coasting through most of the down hill sections with the clutch in. After roughly 3,000 miles of hearing the same XJ noise at 5K RPM, pulling the clutch in and coasting at idle was as if I was being thrown in to silence. All I could hear was the whirr of the speedometer cable as the bike let gravity take over and pull it down in to S. Lake Tahoe.

 

very nice,awesoem pics o the pas and far off moutains,lakes ,etc. really enjoyed that read thanks

 

I feel like moving back to California.

 

best update yet!!
so, the rest comes tonight?

 

Question: How do you put pics in the body of the message like this?

 

helmet - I'm working on the last part. Patience is a virtue

WesleyJN - use the [ img ] url here [ /img ] (without the spaces).

 

patience... pffffft....

I have 4 kids and at work it feels like I work with a daycare full of kids
I have plenty of patience.
However, the story you have put out here is well written, energetic and keeps us hanging on for more.

 

DAY 11

Well rested, we eat milk and cereal, and head outside to an astounding day. 65 degrees, slight breeze off the lake and the craziest cloud patterns in the sky.



Today would be the shortest ride of the entire trip. At just over 3.5 hours of travel, we planned to take it easy and drive slow as we have no place to hurry to. And this last sentence should be explained a bit better. I had spent months researching apartments in SF and had finally been able to locate one that was affordable and in a decent area in the city. I had sent my FICO score to the potential record, my credit score, my bank statement showing some proof of income, a copy of my license to make sure I check out okay as well as jumping through all sorts of hoops only to receive a call the day before that they changed their mind about leasing the apartment. But, this has nothing to do with the ride report, only some social commentary. Forward and onward!

The roads we took portrayed the general attitude of California as they casually wound through lush forests,



and later turned in to vast stretches of land connecting ever bigger growing cities.



Many, many gas stops and 3,329 miles later I have reached my destination of San Francisco.



Google map me, I'm somewhere in this area:




END

EDIT: I just read this and realize that the end is sort of abrupt. I want to say that this ride report took the most thought. I had many paragraphs written, but they all said nothing and deleted in favor of what you have read. To me, the trip ended as abruptly as it began and I hope to pass that along.

I really appreciate all of the support from the XJ Bikes community along the way, may it be through informative write-ups about cleaning carbs or changing the fork oil seals to lending an ear when I could not diagnose problems on the road by myself. I have now found a place to live in the center of town and am enjoying life. The only downside is that I do not have California residency and am unable to buy a parking pass for my baby. Unbridled and resting from the pressing weight of the saddlebags, she is forced to sit in an enclosed back yard, surrounded by tables and boxes.



The wheels on the bike may have stopped turning, but the wheels in my head keep on turning as I am itching to start another adventure!

For those considering something like this trip, this is what I learned:
You need a running bike. Forget what ADVRider says about the latest and greatest.
Have the desire to complete your journey and be prepared.
Out of all of the gear I brought, tools and camping supplies were the most important. I packed as light as possible and had space to spare. If I had a chance to do it differently, I would have used that space to bring more camping gear to make my outdoor stays a lot more pleasant. This is the only part of the trip that I had a dislike for: camping. I was simply under prepared with supplies to enjoy a night under the stars as I only had a sleeping bag and a tent. I would highly suggest taking a day trip or two and camping somewhere from your motorcycle to get an idea of what you can survive with.
Last but not least, be able to do basic repairs along the way.
Oh, and I guess this is actually last, but I made my own Bead Rider and that definitely helped along some portions. At other times though, it just plain hurt to sit on the beads so I alternated between bare seats and my own Bead Rider as my butt saw fit.

Also, XJBikes member WildWanderer and I have been sending some messages back and forth as he recently rode his bike from Pittsburgh, PA to Chico, CA. He mentioned wanting to write his own ride report after reading mine. I suggest everyone send a PM to WildWanderer and harass/encourage him to do a write up about his adventures. It would be nice to sit back and wait for updates instead of writing them.

I hope this ride report both inspired and encouraged all of you to get out and enjoy the roads this country has to offer!

 

YEA itr sure lit a fire in some hearts,homes and clean carbs for a ROAD TRIP to somewhere !!!! Thanks for the PUT ME IN YOUR SHOES ride report and glad eerything turned out ok for ya and the porsche of course......

 

mestnii-
my last ride- 440 miles- before I had to sell, was absolutely the most awesome and miserable ride I could ever imagine. my butt begged for it to be over, but my heart, eyes and mind begged for more miles. I know the bike would have gladly obliged. However, I could not imagine riding that many miles for so long without going absolutely nuts.
thank you for chronicling your adventure through good and bad. it was a very well-written piece that put us on the road with you and gave us all a little spark to do it, too.
since you have completed your journey and the diary, I am probably going to post mine. Although it wasn't nearly as exciting, it's something I enjoyed immensely.

 

If enough people write up some ride reports, we can compile an XJ Adventure book.

I know where it can be printed in hard or soft copy for relatively cheap. Could be used to raise some funds for this site.

 

Fantastic report! Makes we want to jump on a plane and head Stateside - Note to self - must hire Easyrider again 8)

 

Maybe admin could make a new forum: Trip reports.

Great report mestnii!!
Jim

 

A Ride/Trip Report forum would be awesome and we can start cataloging all reports for future reference and future inspiration.

I was reading everything over, as I want to compile it in to a book for myself (and probably my kids) and forgot one tiny detail: safety! I practiced a fair bit before heading out and would advise everyone be comfortable on their bike before going on any long trips. I know that practicing quick stops, sharp turns and riding over railroad tracks and metal bridges (which they have in Gary, Indiana, and are absolutely terrifying) sure saved my life more than once.

I have to add that the only accident I was in during the entire trip happened on Day 10, right after the first picture of that day's ride report was taken. I got on the bike, and as soon as I planted both feet on the ground, the bike collapsed underneath me and fell over sideways. It was quite shocking, even more so that no matter what I did I could not lift it back up. I even tried the squat with your back to the bike and lift technique, it was planted on the ground like the Sword in the Stone. That is until Misha grabbed it and righted it.

Weird.

 

metal grid bridges are everywhere in Florida due to ocean access and drawbridges. kinda like riding on a concrete roadway with drainlines cut into it,(like in virginia there were lots of em), unerving but steady hand on the wheel and no sweat just FEELS weird.
A Ride Report forum for bike shows and ride reports would sure free up some space on the forum and centralize the issue for easy access.
AND BONUS TIME gather all the data and stories for easy reference to include into a photo journal,essay format for easy publication access as well,giving Props of course to the forum and share the wealth to help pay for site time,computer upgrades and the like,would be beneficial and allow EVERYONE to easily contribute via a web linked page for purchase. Donations are accepted from what i understand,but its hard to give to an unseen thing. Easier to get something and give something and everyone benefits. i got a great idea lets make this an official 501(c)3 non-profit Organization for i surely Worship my Ride........he he he,not really but sounds good,and thereby qualify for TAX EXEMPT status.
WHACHA THINK????

 

yea i second that option

 

Tax exempt status would be awesome.

I really do think that if enough people contribute ride reports, we can publish a book and even get an ISBN number for it so it's legit. Would be cool to raise a bunch of cash for XJBikes, as I know it's already saved me thousands in mechanics fees.

 

I don't want to say what everyone else said, but this was a fantastic read. I've been planning a trip from central PA to the Gulf Coast somewhere... And reading this was quite the kick in the rear!

I also appreciate the post-action report about what to bring. Was there anything you took that you think you could have practically done without? Besides the Chucks, that is. ;oP

Thanks again for documenting your pilgrimage!

 

Hmmm. Good question.

I brought along tools to fix just about any situation that could arise, with the exception of serious engine work and in the end I didn't use a lot of them. I did feel a lot better having all of the tools there though, just in case, and they only took up minimal space (all my tools fit in the black pack on the back of the bike).

I also brought an axe... I never used and that was roughly 5 pounds of gear. I just ended up breaking all of the sticks I found with my hands and feet.

When I did my packing, I planned poorly and stuffed the liner from my pants and jacket in to my saddlebag, that took up a LOT of room but I also would need the liners for parts of the trip that were cold. If you are riding only when it's warm, this could save you a lot of space.

Cooking stuff: I was going to simply eat bananas, bread and peanut butter plus boil tea in a mini kettle. Misha brought an actual pot and a bigger tea kettle. This was crucial, as after a long day of riding having warm food proved to be the biggest pick-me-up. I highly suggest dumping some gear to fit in campground cooking essentials.

Aside from the above, the rest of my gear was stuff like baby wipes, towels, first aid, and spare parts/gaskets/cables. I went as minimal as possible.

If anything, what I would have done is repacked my jacket and pant liners to fit inside the tent case or my backpack and dedicated an entire saddlebag for stuff to make camping more enjoyable. Namely something like a pad to line the hard, rocky ground with and maybe some more cooking utensils/products.

What I did, and what I recommend to do is to put the saddlebags on the bike (if you have any) as well as any and all containers you plan to use. Then, set aside everything you want to bring with you. Then, just go about shoving all that stuff in. If it fits and you're comfortable with how it fits in there, all is well. If there is obviously too much stuff, or things are hanging precariously off the side of your bike - consider repacking or taking less. You'll surprise yourself how little stuff you actually need.

 

Great article man... sounds like a good time.

Rob

 

mestnii:

Great adventure... I just have to ask, what was up with all the carb take downs along the way? What caused you to keep taking them apart? I took a similiar juorney albeit not quite as far (3000 miles) and never had to stop along the way to remove the carbs...Just curious.

 

Both "Man Journey" and "Project 900" are GREAT stories that should appear in a Bike Magazine.

If you agree that these two stories are worthy of recognition outside the Forum where the Motorcycling Community can enjoy two stories that are a delight to read and learn about, ... please use the LINK at the end of this Post and ask CYCLE WORLD to:

a) Visit the Forum and investigate.
b) Mention the two Threads
c) Appeal for recognition of these two remarkable human achievements and THE OTHERS ... (like that Trash Pile of 750 Parts that rose from the grave).

In your own words.
Do the right thing!

http://www.cycleworld.com/article.asp?s ... icle_id=34

 

ski84 : I really have no idea. The bike just has random gremlins that pop up every now and then. Once the carbs came off because the slides were stuck (I found small metal particles in the bore - cleaned them out). Aside from that, I had a constant problem - running too rich. It caused the bike to eat gas at an unreal rate and I tried to diagnose the issue on the road. Oh and once my fuel petcock gasket started to leak so I used that chance to do a full tear down as I had a garage to use.

Rick - I wrote in to Cycle World about the Project 900 and made a small plug for this thread. Maybe we can draft up an email and simply have members send it out to Cycle World - I'd love to see XJBikes get recognition (I couldn't have done this trip without the help of this forum).

 

mestnii... i just read the six pages in one sitting and while i too think it was an excellent read, the one thing i kept asking myself is omg how did his ass not revolt?

the stock seat on the 85 xj700n wasn't exactly built for the long haul!

 

I just encountered and read this journal. Absolutely fascinating. I want to do something similar and am actually thinking about a round trip from Ohio to Texas.

Mestnii: you mention taking a lot of tools but not needing that many: Can you please list which tools were invaluable and which you found you didn't need? The other parts, packing the right things and such, are known to me as a sometime camper and bicyclist, but the motorcycle specific things ... those would be very helpful to know.

 

I just read the thing in its entirety as well and Mestnii, you have a talent for writing. Even though we are motorcyclists, I think your style of writing fits in very well with what I used to read in Road & Track.

It really motivates me to get my bike on the road.

Thanks!

 

I also just read this. With each sentence wrote and each picture posted, it felt like I was on this trip. Here I am planning a trip across 2/3 of Oklahoma and you travel 2/3 of the way across the United States!
I emailed this article link to my brother in northern Oklahoma hoping to put a fire under him to pin down a date of departure. This was such a inspirational write up and I hope you get your parking pass SOON!!!
QUESTION: Did you ever figure out the mileage issue. Some guys on here are reporting 40-50 mpg. Im not doing as well either.

 

FYI: The OP was just a bit under two years ago, so I expect that the parking pass issue is resolved as he is clearly a resident now and has been paying California taxes in two tax years now. ;-)

 

Insanely inspirational but I probably couldn't make it as of now. I hope to ride on the "iron butt" this summer but I will be doing some work to my bike which includes new (or at least cut) seat. I read this whole thing in one sitting as well. Im in Columbus OH and i've NEVER seen sights like the pictures you took. I get the issue with harley guys around here. There just jealous they have to add new oil every week. Very good story.

 

Wow, I'm glad that people are still finding this so long after it was written. All of the responses from here have actually inspired me to start my own travel/moto blog which will be up soon.

In the mean time, I'll tackle all your questions in order -

Charlie3 - It revolted, plenty of times Before I left I made my own "bead rider" by stringing a bunch of beads together in to rows, and then stringing those rows together in to a cover for the seat. After awhile this actually hurt more than the stock seat, but switching it on and off provided different sensations so it was somewhat bearable. Except when we were pulling in to Las Vegas... that sucked.

tumbleweed_biff - I took some larger tools like a torque wrench, axe (mainly for firewood...), and some duplicates of pliers and wrenches that I never used. This was partly because I was moving instead of just travelling so I wanted to bring as many of my tool as I could with me. If I were to do it again I would bring a socket wrench and sockets for each size of nut on the bike, a small philips/flathead, a large philips/flathead, simple voltmeter, adjustable pliers (ULTIMATE TOOL!! These have saved me countless times, but they do strip bolt heads or anything they grip so it is a trade off) and a tire pump (not necessary, but I did have to pump up a few times during the trip..). Anything more than that and I feel the repair would require a garage and significantly more time.

marshallnoise - Thanks!! As you read, I found a job but the call of adventure beckons. I'd love to be able to write about my moto travels (and other two wheeled travel) as a means of providing income. My travel blog will hopefully be the first step towards that.

BillB - Ever since I got the bike I never did better than 40 mpg. It seems to have been pegged at around 33-37mpg for me anytime I filled the tank up.

Oh and no parking pass. You can't register a Non-California bike in CA unless you jump through millions of hoops. By the time I found out about all of the hoop jumping I had removed so many "necessary" parts that it wouldn't pass inspection. Had to sell it. It pains me every day, but I do have my license plate and the story as a reminder.

headhunter1213 - Thanks! Ohio does have some great roads, especially if you get to explore East out of Cleveland. Heck, even if you get 20 miles out of Columbus the scenery becomes lush and the roads much more welcoming.

Thanks for all the positive support 2 years on! It really means a lot to me that others have been able to use my adventure to light some fire under their own seats!!!

 

tumbleweed_biff - Oh and I'd add basic lube (one qt. of oil + can of WD40) as essential "tools" to have.

 

Thank you for that.
There are these great pliers I would recommend getting. They are similar to the traditional channel lock pliers except that instead of relatively large increments, these slide up to make a great fit for whatever you are working on. They are made by Vise-Grip. You open them wide and then slide them up to the desired size. They have a great shape for the opening as well. They don't slip or strip unless you don't hold them tight. Also, for lubricant, some PB over WD40. Superb at penetrating and as a lubricant, I believe it is magnetic and really stays in place. WD40 doesn't hang around as long.

 

I'm sorry but I find that difficult to accept. My '81 650 Max is a New York bike and it's been registered here for over 20 years. My XT is Federal and not a problem either. The inspections I had to have required a VIN verification and a brake check... I wonder if you were going to the right places or the laws have changed drastically over the last year (the XT was a pain for other reasons). I'm sorry to hear of your loss but still enjoy the HECK out of your journey. Makes me wish I'd had the nuts to do similar things when I was younger.

 

I would have thought that an early 80's bike would be old enough to pass regardless. I seem to recall there being a point when vehicles became old enough that the standards were lowered? I remember those stupid smog checks and the PITA they were. And despite that, you constantly saw all these vehicles, particularly trucks, going around spewing black smoke. But they were, oh, so worried about my little Ford Escort that I had to pay to have someone give it a rectal exam every couple of years ... ludicrous.

 

Robert - I may have been misinformed, it has sort of been a tough adjustment for me to follow CA rules (much simpler to get stuff registered or licensed in OH) so I could have definitely misunderstood. I wish I had the foresight to contact you and find out a bit more of the details, but as they say hindsight is 20/20.

On another note, I'm also quite fed up with being bored at my job, so my off time will no be dedicated to starting my own blog/travel site. I've put up this story in it's entirety, plus a few extra images I found after the fact, as a placeholder for that at zhenya.gr

Feel free to check it out if you want to read through it all without any breaks or comments in the way.

 

Awesome journey. Wish I would have done something like that 10 years ago....

 

Wow that was a great adventure I felt like I was there, I look forward to your website, great reading.