2019 Rider Resolutions (Goals, Aspirations, and the like)

[emptysea]

The new year will be upon us before you know it. A search of this forum indicates that a "Resolution" thread for the upcoming year is usually started right around this time. I may be a little early, but the next two weeks will go by pretty fast and I wanted to give you as much time as possible to gather your thoughts on this.

I have found over the last 3 years that setting riding goals for the year encourages me to pick certain destinations and to arrange my schedule to allow for riding. Besides that, it's a fun way to keep riding front of mind.

So, whether you choose to keep those riding resolutions to yourself, or post them here (we prefer the latter), I encourage you to set some 2019 riding goals and to refer back to that list throughout the year.

Let's hear what your plans are!!
Here's my first draft -

1. Continue my streak of consecutive months riding, currently standing at 46 months.
2. Complete my second Iron Butt Assn. SS1000.
3. Visit all 7 Illinois memorials for the Tour of Honor challenge ride.
4. Increase the number of riding days and the number of miles ridden relative to my 2018 riding days total miles. (Will amend this post once I calculate my 2018 riding days total)
5. Add at least one more state to my "States Ridden" list
6. Attend the CB1100 Rally (this is becoming problematic already)
7. Upgrade my riding gear, from head to toe.
8. ?? I'm sure I will have at least 10 items, but it's late and I need to work in the morning....please post your lists!!
9. (Already came up with another one) To ride on the coldest day of the year. This will take a fortuitous alignment of temperature, road conditions, and schedule, but I'll keep an eye on the thermometer. LOL

 

[LongRanger_imp]

Those are great goals. Mine is to get more use from the RT (multi-day, multi-state trips) and explore places in the NW I've not seen. Olympic Peninsula, Vancouver Island, Whistler, etc. I also want to do another Edelweiss trip, perhaps to Norway or Corsica / Sardinia. We'll see.

 

[the Ferret]

Well, I see no reason to alter the goals I had in 2018 so for 2019 I'd like to ride

20,000 miles
300 days
Ride at least 1 day in every month of the year to continue that streak making it 13 years in a row
Attend the CB 1100 rally in West Virginia
Attend the Fall Men's Trip in Kentucky with my son and brother and my son's FIL
Ride to South & North Dakota to pick up 2 of the 6 states I need to complete the lower 48
If it works out hit the other 4 (Rhode Island, Connecticut, New Jersey and Delaware)
Continue on my quest to ride until I am 70 (17 months to go)
Ride safe and come home to my wife after every ride

 

[LongRanger_imp]

Ferret, it you make it out to South Dakota, give me a call -- I'll meet you there. In any event, on your SD ride, be sure to allocate at least 2 days to the Black Hills. Simply wonderful riding (just be sure to avoid the rally crowds in early August).

 

[emptysea]

Ferret -

The route shown is not fine-tuned, but I think you can infer my general concept.

 

[the Ferret]

LOL yes I get the hint

 

[the Ferret]

Day 29 for Dec and 298 for the year.. overcast and 35 degrees when I took off, 37 degrees by the time I got home from today's 64 mile FJR ride.

Today's ride takes me over 21,000 miles for the year (with 21,023) with 2 days to go.

Forecast for day 299 looks great, but for day 300, not so much lol.

 

[alprider]

loosing some belly until spring or i must buy a new stylisch leahterjacket for of my monkey-bike..I did not wear the old one the last 7 years anymore

:worship::worship::worship:

 

[emptysea]

Here’s my current list of motorcycle-related goals for 2019:

Here's my (probably) final draft -

1. Continue my streak of consecutive months riding, currently standing at 46 months.
2. Complete my second Iron Butt Assn. SS1000.
3. Visit all 7 Illinois memorials for the Tour of Honor challenge ride.
4. Increase the number of riding days from 134 (2018) to 150
5. Increase my annual miles from 12,498 (2018) to 13,000
6. Add at least one more state to my "States Ridden" list, currently at 17. Kansas or the Dakotas are probably the closest “open” states to my location.
7. Attend the CB1100 Rally (this is becoming problematic already)
8. Upgrade my riding gear, from head to toe.
9. Write more Seat Time reports and finish assembling a full draft my motorcycle-related short story, segments of which are scattered haphazardly in a dusty notebook like parts of a project bike in a cluttered garage.
10. To ride on the coldest day of the year at my location or at least a below-zero day (coldest so far is +3f). This will take a fortuitous alignment of temperature, road conditions, and schedule, but I'll keep an eye on the thermometer.

I have found that sharing goals (motorcycle-related or otherwise) with interested parties makes them more attainable. The riders on this forum are definitely interested parties and would like to help you attain your goals. Post them up!

Happy New Year!!

 

[Rocky_imp]

I never make resolutions and don't plan anything quite as ambitious as MTC.
None of my bikes need anything, but I might spring for a new helmet.
I'll ride when I can, at my own pace and just enjoy it all over again like in previous years.

 

[suhawk305]

+1 To what Rocky said.
The only big goal I have is to ride my motorcycle to the Rally in Summersville , WV. (512 miles, 7.5 hours, on Interstate Highways). Don’t know whether my wife will agree to this.

 

[Cormanus]

I was slightly disappointed by riding a lower number of kilometres in 2018 (18,454 compared to 20,926 in 2017). It can be explained by having to miss the usual trip to the MotoGP due to the need to attend a funeral.

So I hope to better 2018's effort in 2019, although I have to say I'm starting out pessimistic as the likely need to replace my left knee will see me out of the saddle for longer than I'd like.

On the bright side, any kilometre ridden is a good one, so I'll hope to get out in the next couple of days for the first ride of 2019.

 

[Offroad]

My 2019 Goals:

Raise my yearly total from 9,000 to 15,000 miles (that’s 3 sets of tires!).

Ride with my local group of riders every weekend, weather & family permitting.

Ride almost every day during the months of June and July when I’m off for the summer.

Unfortunately the Sept dates of the East Coast Rally makes me unable to attend. I have greatly enjoyed and attended 3 others (Deals Gap, Eureka Springs and Berea).

I still hope to ride some of the roads in VA and WV on my own during the summer.

I hope to continue my annual trip to Cherokee, NC with my wife during the summer. Maybe the BRP won’t be chip and sealing this time so I can go farther north.

I have plans to either travel out to ND, SD, and Southwest Colorado (it was a great time in Northeast Colorado with Ferret and LongRanger!) OR check off my bucket list of riding the pacific coast hwy.

Not really interested in wearing out my tires on the interstate so finding curvy relatively cool roads enroute would be key. Although I keep bearing in mind, that might be the only way to cover large distances in a reasonable amount of time without towing or shipping the bike to the destination point!

Try to ride in temps below 90 degrees F. The best way I’ve found in June and July is higher altitude or higher latitude. Although I was surprised how much a cold body water like Lake Michigan and Lake Superior can cool the ride by 15 degrees vs. inland.

Equipment:

Get COM unit so I can talk/hear other riders in group (still researching…tough choices!)

Get new Modular Helmet with interior sun screen and Pinlock.

Get GPS tracking like MTC has or something similar for when off grid. This one allows you to send and receive text: DeLorme AG-008727-201 InReach Explorer Two Way Satellite Communicator with Built in Navigation

Get and mount a “Mo-Door Micro Switch Motorcycle Garage Door Remote”

Last but not least…………..don’t drop it or crash! LOL

 

[the Ferret]

Finished out September with a 71 mile ride on the FJR (another stinking hot day)

For the month:
29 of 30 days ridden (lost one to a twisted ankle)
CB miles 1,772
FJR miles 1,630
Total miles for the month 3,402 miles

For the year
224 out of 273 days ridden (lost all of May and most of June due to knee issues)
FJR miles 11,382
CB miles 4,829
Total miles for the year 16,211

3 more months to go. Need 76 days ridden and 3,789 mile to make yearly goal of 300/20,000.

 

[Gone in 60]

My goal is to take a dirt riders course. I'm fine on pavement, but would really like to handle weird surfaces a lot better than I do now.
Over last weekend, I was handling parking control at one of my company's events, and running around on a Ruckus scooter managing crowds, I low-sided on wet grass. Put a nice scrape on my leg. Just one more reminder to sign up for that class...

 

[LongRanger_imp]

Except for my Edelweiss trip last month, I didn't make any of my destination goals this year. No worries -- there's always next year. Heck, aside from a 3-day, 2-up trip to Steamboat on the RT this past July, all of my rides were day rides. All good.

This past Sunday I took the Monkey on an ambitious 60-mile ride in the local canyons. I figured with Sunday traffic, I wouldn't be holding up anyone. That proved to be true but I still found a few occasions to ride WFO (about 55-60 mph at lower elevations). Great fun!

 

[GoldOxide_imp]

Nothing quite the same as taking a thumper out for a jaunt.

 

[the Ferret]

Finally, finally after 8 miserable days, my back was good enough for an FJR ride today. Felt great even if it was nippy (shoulda wore my electrics lol)

Numbers for October were not as good as I was hoping due to the back issue..
23 of 31 days ridden
1413 miles on the FJR
417 miles on the CB
Total 1830 miles for the month

My goal was 300 days riding and 20K miles for the year. There are 59 days to go. I'm at 248 days ridden and 18,084 miles... so... I can only miss 7 days the rest of the year (doable most years depending on Dec weather) and I need 1916 miles, also very doable depending on weather.... and barring no more stinking medical issues which have cost me 43 days riding this year vs losing 15 days riding to weather (13 to snow/ice and 2 days to rain). Getting old is not for the faint of heart lol

 

[the Ferret]

39 degrees and dark when I got in from this evenings ride (Watched sick grandkids all day) but tonights ride took me over 19K for the year and 267 days .....so 33 days and 981 miles to go.

November has sucked hope we have a mile December

 

[Chuckk_imp]

my goal for the up coming year will be not to crash my bike like in years past.. it seems every time I get a bike just the way I like it, I end up in an accident.. whether it be caused by deer, other riders coming at me on my side of the road, or just something stupid on my part.. I am getting too old to recover from them ..

chuckk ..