02-04-2016, 09:04 AM
I can follow the though processes about trailering vs. riding the whole way...here's why I want to trailer.
When you ride for the 880 miles between where I live and Milwaukee, the LAST thing you want to do when you get there is ride more. My other bike is a '14 Harley Davidson Switchback, with the most comfortable seat on the planet...I like riding the bike just fine, but no matter how comfy it is after a 4-hour riding binge I'd rather spend a little time not riding it.
The idea behind trailering is I get thoroughly sick of the car, rather than the bike and the bike turns into an adventure again, rather than "rode it for 15 hours yesterday...riding it for 12 hours tomorrow."
Besides, I'm broad in the chest area, I've found in my short rides so far that riding @70 MPH for that long will give me the arms of a God, and I'm not ready for that responsibility.
The total driving time in the car is ~4 days out of the 17 days I'm taking off. The rest will be visiting and riding the bike...so don't get the idea that I'm NOT going to be putting miles on it.
I used to live in Milwaukee, and have friends there...which is why I'm subjecting myself to it (also: Fuel Cafe). Riding around the backroads between Milwaukee (home of Harley-Davidson) to East Troy (home of Buell) to Janesville (home of my in-laws) is going to be fun anyhow, and up to Madison won't be bad in the couple of days I'm there.
Next stop would be Rapid City...I was born in Sturgis, so I think it will be sweet justice to ride anything there other than a Harley. My folks live right outside Rapid (mom) and Sturgis (dad). Plus I have cousins galore, and need to visit a couple of deceased folks as well...paying homage.
After that it's Seattle...again, relatives...again, I'd rather bore the crap out of myself in a car for the most of Montana that's just tedious rather than on a bike, then when I get there, enjoy the Cascades, the Olympic peninsula, all of that on the bike.
San Francisco and the Pacific Coast Highway next...seriously...
Las Vegas...then Monument Valley...then Four Corners...then Pagosa Springs and Wolf Creek Pass (Way up on the great divide, truckin' on down the other siiiiide), then Kansas City (where I will take devilish glee in parking the bike in front of the Harley plant where the switchback was made...I'll post the picture here). Then Memphis, Blues, BBQ and Graceland on the smoothest engine I've ever felt....yes, thank you.
So that's the WHOLE plan...You see, I bought this bike because I wanted something fun...the Harley isn't that. The Harley is great for what it is, and I love it, but it comes with baggage that's just uncool...I mean, some people THINK it's cool, but I'm not into leather, smelling terrible and talking about how big my engine is while leaving out that it doesn't perform better than a 500.
I'm trailering to get the boring out of the way in the car (Indiana=Boring. Southern Minnesota=Boring. South Dakota=Boring. 90% of Montana=Boring. All of Kansas=Boring) and enjoy the bike when I get there.
When you ride for the 880 miles between where I live and Milwaukee, the LAST thing you want to do when you get there is ride more. My other bike is a '14 Harley Davidson Switchback, with the most comfortable seat on the planet...I like riding the bike just fine, but no matter how comfy it is after a 4-hour riding binge I'd rather spend a little time not riding it.
The idea behind trailering is I get thoroughly sick of the car, rather than the bike and the bike turns into an adventure again, rather than "rode it for 15 hours yesterday...riding it for 12 hours tomorrow."
Besides, I'm broad in the chest area, I've found in my short rides so far that riding @70 MPH for that long will give me the arms of a God, and I'm not ready for that responsibility.
The total driving time in the car is ~4 days out of the 17 days I'm taking off. The rest will be visiting and riding the bike...so don't get the idea that I'm NOT going to be putting miles on it.
I used to live in Milwaukee, and have friends there...which is why I'm subjecting myself to it (also: Fuel Cafe). Riding around the backroads between Milwaukee (home of Harley-Davidson) to East Troy (home of Buell) to Janesville (home of my in-laws) is going to be fun anyhow, and up to Madison won't be bad in the couple of days I'm there.
Next stop would be Rapid City...I was born in Sturgis, so I think it will be sweet justice to ride anything there other than a Harley. My folks live right outside Rapid (mom) and Sturgis (dad). Plus I have cousins galore, and need to visit a couple of deceased folks as well...paying homage.
After that it's Seattle...again, relatives...again, I'd rather bore the crap out of myself in a car for the most of Montana that's just tedious rather than on a bike, then when I get there, enjoy the Cascades, the Olympic peninsula, all of that on the bike.
San Francisco and the Pacific Coast Highway next...seriously...
Las Vegas...then Monument Valley...then Four Corners...then Pagosa Springs and Wolf Creek Pass (Way up on the great divide, truckin' on down the other siiiiide), then Kansas City (where I will take devilish glee in parking the bike in front of the Harley plant where the switchback was made...I'll post the picture here). Then Memphis, Blues, BBQ and Graceland on the smoothest engine I've ever felt....yes, thank you.
So that's the WHOLE plan...You see, I bought this bike because I wanted something fun...the Harley isn't that. The Harley is great for what it is, and I love it, but it comes with baggage that's just uncool...I mean, some people THINK it's cool, but I'm not into leather, smelling terrible and talking about how big my engine is while leaving out that it doesn't perform better than a 500.
I'm trailering to get the boring out of the way in the car (Indiana=Boring. Southern Minnesota=Boring. South Dakota=Boring. 90% of Montana=Boring. All of Kansas=Boring) and enjoy the bike when I get there.