Where did you ride from/to?
San Ysidyo, CA to Blaine, WA to Madawaska, MA to Key West, FL. Southern California Motorcycling Association (SCMA) sets up the ride annually and the rider must sign in and make special 'check points' on the corners, take picture of his/her bike, get a gasoline reciept and mail it all in from each check point location. You must complete this tour in 21 days. Then you can take what ever route you want after that, touring wherever you go. There is an entry fee of course. What a wonderful way to see the U.S. and Canada while enjoying all there is to see from atop a motorcycle. There was just too much to list here.
What did you ride?
2005 Honda VTX1300R and a group of 3 bikes took the trip together. Other than a tire going flat and the need to purchase a few tires that wore out, there was no problems to speak of except for an occasional down pour of rain and a lot of wind. Of couse, we all had rain gear so we just put it on and continued our ride for the day. SCMA has approximately 600 members and sets up three one-of-a-kind runs each year: Three Flags Classic (Mexico to Canada) on Labor Day week; California Parks Adventure, touring to all 24 national parks in the state of California during the summer; and The Four Corners Tour I spoke of in the previous input. They also have local clubs who set up local rides so you can get out and see the state and not need to set up the ride yourself. You also enjoy the camradere of fellow riders (a minimum of 40 other people) over the day or week end run. More info can be gotten on www.sc-ma.com for all the activities I attend each year and have been since 1973 when I attended my first poker run. I put on from 2,500 to 8,000 miles on my bike each year just touring on these runs.
What I'd Do Differently
- I just get my bike ready by getting the tune up, oil change and check tires every spring. Then pack any gear I may need and take off. The one thing I would really reccomend; get something to carry drinking water in and every hour take a drink of water because the lack of water makes you sluggish and slow on responses to what ever my occur. The wind passing over the body dehydrates it VERY fast. You won't even feel it until it is too late. When you finally feel thirsty, it is way too late to recover while riding. A doctor, who was on a run, told me that out in the middle of Death Valley on my very first desert run.
