Welcome to Big Sur

The next leg focused on one of the great US motorcycle rides:  Big Sur.  I left San Simeon in the morning after a questionable Motel 6 Breakfast Buffet.  You can be jealous about the trip, but that breakfast was truly awful.  There is always a price, people!  I passed beaches full of Elephant Seals as I cruised north from San Simeon.  There were just piles of them on the beach.  The road is pleasant - lots of rolling hills and gentle curves.  This changes when you hit Ragged Point.  You climb into the bluffs and it is steep grades, hairpin turns and epic cliff faces.

Welcome indeed

Ragged Point is the semi-official beginning of the Big Sur region.  They even have a sign!  There is one gas pump running $5.50 a gallon, a small convenience store and a lodge.  It is a great place to stop and the LAST place to get gas for about 90 miles.  Watch out for the 'mileage until the next town' signs - they are bald faced lies.  Ragged Point is listed at 12 miles from San Simeon and by my odometer was closer to 25.  I picked up a snack, Red Bull and $11 worth of gas.  Gotta love that!  

Riding on the knife's edge of the world

The skies were clear right up until Ragged Point and you rode right into the mist.  It was absolutely beautiful.  The mist was light enough that it didn't inhibit visibility, but gave everything a very eerie sheen.  When you rode above the bluffs it felt as though you were riding on the edge of the world.  Surprisingly, traffic was very light.  The Big Sur area is about 90-100 miles in length and I had open road for about 30 miles of that.  

The road wound up and down the bluffs and as the day progressed the mist burned off and it turned into a gorgeous, sunny day.

The view down the bluffs

The surroundings were almost overwhelming.  What do you stop to take pictures of when everything is deserving?  Even the highway was deserving of attention.  Whatever you have to say about California, they take very good care of the roads.  There was perfect, unblemished asphalt nearly the entire length of the state.  And then I hit Oregon.  Oregon sucks.

Just another immaculate view

After Big Sur I cruised through Monterey on the way to see my old friend Caroline!  It had been about five years since we last connected and it was great to catch up.  Caroline is in Gilroy, the Garlic Capitol of the World.  Which is also near the Artichoke Capitol of the World.  I have now seen an artichoke growing.  It is pretty nifty looking.

When asked what there is to do in Gilroy, Caroline replied "Well, there is the Garlic Festival.  But it isn't happening now."  End of conversation.  It was very hot in town, but I was impressed with Gilroy.  On this ride there are so many small towns that are failing or turning into McTown.  Gilroy has its share of Corporate Entities (Outlet Malls, anyone?) but at the same time, it has a fairly thriving downtown filled with locally owned businesses.  How many agricultural towns can you think of with a Main Street area with more real estate full than empty?

See?  Even the road is pretty!

Even more importantly than being a thriving bastion of agricultural bliss, Gilroy has an In and Out Burger.  Somehow I managed to stop in the only towns in California that don't have an In and Out.  It is a curse.  "Aren't there In and Outs in San Diego?" you ask?  Well, I cooked a couple of nights, Liz cooked a couple of nights, we had fish tacos a couple of nights, and all of a sudden I didn't go to In and Out.  Trust me, I would rather have Chicken Paprikash with Dumplings than In and Out.  It is that good.

Caroline was kind enough to take me to the In and Out in Gilroy.  She was shocked that I didn't have more than one burger, but I finished my fries and her fries, so don't feel too bad for me.  I did not get a Strawberry Shake though.  I watched the Shake Machine blow up while I was in line and there was no saving that thing.  I tried to order one anyway, but no dice.  The whole time I was inhaling food Caroline was trying to convince me that In and Out isn't THAT good.  Well you know what Caroline, you have one and I don't.  You are spoiled.  That's like me whining about the beach because it is too windy.  Which I do.  Spoiled.

Mine.  Get your own.

What We Don't Talk About...

As motorcyclists, there are some things that we just don't talk about.  Maybe they get discussed with others who ride, maybe they are just the unspoken realities of what we are doing.  And lets be honest here.  What we are doing is hurling ourselves down a roadway at the same or faster speeds as any other vehicle on essentially two thin strips of rubber ingeniously attached to a high powered engine.

I am a late comer to this concept.  I have always wanted a motorcycle but for whatever reason it never happened.  My family was staunchly anti-motorcycle growing up, and as I progressed through higher education and career it never came together.  Honestly, the tipping point was renting a scooter in Vietnam.  Not only did I not get us killed, I showed a fair level of aptitude for navigating the terrain and difficulties.  We rode double on the scooter on dirt paths between rice paddies and got stuck in traffic after an evening celebration.  I had reached the point where my ambition and sense of caution were in balance.

Molly and I moved back to Maui, where I purchased a used scooter.  I was riding this thing on a segment of the Hana Highway, which wasn't all that smart.  The scooter was a death trap but did serve the purpose of setting a precedent - I could ride in any of the conditions the island could throw at me.  I quickly traded up to my current ride: a 1999 BMW F650.

Oh, the places you will see

I blame the BMW bike thing on my Dad.  He fed me a constant stream of Jack Higgins novels as a kid.  All the spies, IRA operatives and assassins in those books rode BMW motorcycles.  What can I say?  It warped my fragile little mind.  I equate my bike with the Subaru Forester.  It isn't sexy.  It isn't fast (For a motorcycle, but it is still faster than a car).  It doesn't do anything particularly well, but doesn't do anything poorly.  What it is, is a very dependable, well-made motorcycle.  And it comes in Roadstripe Yellow.  I call it unapologetically ugly.  Molly insists it isn't ugly but can't come up with a different adjective.  

What we don't talk about is the inherent nature of riding on a motorcycle.  When you first sit on a bike, especially if you are coming into this as an adult, any activity is exhilarating.  Coasting across a parking lot is flying.  Working with the dreaded friction zone while executing a turn makes your heart pound.  But all too quickly, these accomplishments start to fade as your proficiency and comfort level expands.  The next rush is riding on a highway.  55mph!  These people are crazy!  About the same time, you will start to appreciate roads with a little more wiggle in their walk.  You start looking at the incline and finding that sweet spot of outside, inside, outside on a right hand curve.  You are looking at these things even while driving that boring old car.

The chips start to fall faster.  Freeway.  75mph.  85mph.  Learning how your bike responds.  Where does it shimmy?  At what rpm does the bike vibrate differently than the rest of the ride?  Where is the sweet spot for max power with the best engine braking?  How do the brakes respond when climbing a hill?  Descending?  It is a very complex and constantly evolving relationship.  

Take care of the bike and it will take care of you

This relationship is always changing.  New tires?  The bike will ride completely differently.  You get the rear suspension serviced?  Now the bike turns strangely.  Your back is sore?  The ride is going to be stiffer.  Your right knee hurts?  Now you can't turn to the right as smoothly.  The relationship between rider and bike is symbiotic.  Your state of being effects the ride of the bike as much as the bike's condition does.

This all sets the stage for a situation where you are constantly pushing the limits of your ability as a rider in a fluid set of conditions.  The rider is always one bad turn, one bad shift away from a wreck.  Maybe your jaw is locked from too much truck stop coffee and the bike just blew out an exhaust gasket.  The twisting road you are on is unrelenting and the descending grade, combined with an engine that isn't 100%, puts you in a bad spot with your gear ratios.  You are either running too many rpm's or too few.  You have just entered the majestic Redwoods and that edge of focus you need is just a touch blurry.  The RV that you have been stuck behind for the past 5 miles finally pulled their head out of their ass and let you pass.  You celebrate the new found open road by gunning it around the next turn and just don't quite lean hard enough.  The curve in itself isn't unusual.  Yes, it is a gnarly hairpin turn but this is the Pacific Coast Highway - 400+ miles of gnarly hairpin curves.  

In my case, I  laid on my brakes, kicked the back end around a bit and came to a screeching halt with my front tire about 10 inches from the guardrail.  As I am under orders from a higher authority to take pictures, I figured I would hop off the bike for a bit.  I backed it up and took a few pictures.  

The turn that almost got me

I came up with a couple solutions to avoid similar heart pounding moments of terror in the future.  There were a few vehicles on the road, obviously locals, who were driving well.  They were also extremely courteous.  When they pulled over to let me pass, I would pull up to their window.  My usual spiel was that I was making lots of stops to take pictures and they were doing great.  I told them that unless it bothered them having me behind, there was no point in leap frogging each other every 30 minutes.  This worked out great.  They kept a solid, constant pace that wouldn't drive me nuts and kept the vroom vroom instincts in check.  And I actually stopped to take pictures.

Riding a motorcycle is a saga of near misses.  Getting cut off on the freeway by someone who hasn't read all the bumper stickers about looking twice.  Having your head start to drift into the oncoming lane on a botched left turn.  The bike drifts to the center line on a right turn where you missed the angle by a degree.  Some genius runs lines of road patch material down the middle of the lane for 40 miles.  Those lines of unsurfaced tar are like ice with a little condensation on them.  A simple mechanical failure can be catastrophic if you don't respond at the right time in the right way.  And all of this is while riding the thin edge of rubber where the tires make contact with the road.

Don't get me wrong - there are plenty of ways to help combat this.  Motorcyclists love their sound bytes:  "Dress for the slide, not for the ride."  "A.T.G.A.T.T. - All The Gear, All The Time."  "When in doubt, give it throttle (contradictory as it seems, this is excellent advice.  Especially on a botched turn.)"  I personally ride in, bare minimum:  reinforced boots, armored jacket, gloves, full face helmet and pants.  The pants are the only things that aren't armored.  They are worn for around the town, short rides.  Better than nothing, but not by much.  Anything longer and I have a pair of armored pants as well.  No, it is not always comfortable.  It sure as hell wasn't comfortable being stuck in stop and go traffic in East LA.  I had to peel the pants off inside out because they were soaked.  But, if something had happened, I was prepared.

By dressing for the ride, you put yourself in a different mindset.  It is the same as when I put on a chef's jacket.  The mental state changes.  The focus increases.  Outside distractions become just that: outside.  To me, this is as important a feature of the riding gear as the actual armor.  The act of putting on the gear prepares you for the ride ahead.  Maybe other riders can make this mental shift in street clothes.  I don't know, and never will.

I think these are important

Maintenance is another way to ensure a safe and successful ride.  You have to be able to rely on the bike.  If the engine cuts out on a motorcycle while you are in gear, you are hitting the asphalt.  The engine cuts out on a car, it will mess up the car but there is no imminent danger to the passengers.  Maintenance was the overall reason for this whole journey.  I couldn't keep the bike maintained on Maui.  There aren't many mechanics who will take in a BMW and even those don't do a good job.  I am capable to do some things but I don't have a shop.  The repairs I am doing in Idaho are relatively easy, but I couldn't do them without access to my Dad's auto shop.  Parts for the bike are few and far between on Maui as well.  Everything has to be shipped.  On the mainland, no big deal.  There are shops with resources throughout the US with access to parts overnight and a fair amount of them will ship for free.  I just couldn't keep up with it and I didn't have anyone I could trust to do the things I can't.  And if the bike isn't maintained, it isn't safe.

I did not have to pull the radiator, which made me a Happy Panda

The first stop for this trip was a real, live BMW motorcycle mechanic in Santee, CA.  I got new tires and a small horde of accumulated minor problems repaired.  In general, the bike is extremely well designed and very reliable which helps.  I did run into one issue on the road.  I blew out 1-3 exhaust gaskets just south of the Redwoods in northern California.  What this means is there is a small loss of power, the bike backfires around the header when you let off the throttle, and a relatively quiet motorcycle now sounded like a Harley.  Praise Jeebus-Buddha-Hari Krishna-Vishnu that I had earplugs and sound cancelling ear buds because it got real loud, right in the front of the engine.  It also vented hot exhaust gases directly onto my right leg but hey, guess who has reinforced boots and armored pants.

I ended up wrapping the header and the front of the engine in Aluminum Foil to keep everything clean and at least insulate the exhaust valve a bit.  It worked moderately well and I rolled into Caldwell with the bike still kicking.  I say 1-3 exhaust gaskets because there are 4 and I can guarantee that at least 2 were toast.  I am replacing all four anyway.

After spending nearly 1900 miles on my bike in a less than a week I have come to a conclusion.  Riding a motorcycle is like being a Knight (it is also like being a Cowboy, but I never wanted to be a Cowboy).  It doesn't matter how gross, tired or hurting you are, you take care of the bike (or horse, if you missed the analogy) first.  I would stop, pop the bike up on the center stand, unload my gear into a pile right in front and go through the thing from front to back.  Oil, Chain, Coolant, Tires, Aluminum Foil-reinforced engine, signals, everything.  When I was satisfied that the bike was tip top, then I got to take care of myself.  This was my routine to make sure that the bike took care of me as well as I took care of it.

The last thing that we don't talk about is how addictive riding is.  I am selling my bike.  For various reasons it was the right decision.  I have found a great home for it with Evan and it is a fantastic bike for him.  The design of the bike will extend his riding season earlier and later in the year.  It is very forgiving to ride and parts and mechanics are readily available when you don't live in the middle of the Pacific Ocean.  But even after riding 1900 miles in a week, I haven't woken up not wanting to get back on the bike.  Yes, I am happy to have the 4 days off in Idaho.  I needed to fix the bike and write a slew of blog posts that Facebook won't share.  But I have already started shopping for my next ride.  I won't get another bike while on the island, but if we move to the mainland, I am going to need transportation right?  Right?  Molly?  Bueller?

A Mexican Misadventure

So I had this great idea:  after I picked up the bike from the mechanic, I would take a ride down to the Mexican border.  When I eventually hit the Canadian border in Glacier National Park, I can say that I have ridden across the U.S.  I know, south to north isn't as impressive, but this country is built in 2 dimensions, goddammit!  We have an X and a Y axis in these parts!  

Anyhow, I head south from the northern suburb of Santee.  There is actually a direct route down to the border from there.  I needed to familiarize myself with riding on California Freeways anyway and I was pretty intimidated to begin with.  I started to acclimate about 30 miles in and by the end of the ride was cutting across lanes like a native.  I hit the end of 125, which is about a mile north of the border, and everything is under construction.  There are detours in both directions and signage is either nonexistent or just plain wrong.  

I saw a sign for the border crossing and I went for it.  Keep in mind, this is in rush hour traffic.  Right when you would want to be muddling about in unfamiliar areas on a newly rebuilt motorcycle.  I flew down the on ramp and right at the end of the ramp is the sign "Next Exit: Mexico".  Ah, crap.  I came to a screeching halt, flipped a U turn right there and took off up the landscaping on the side of the on ramp.  I rode the wrong way right up the landscaping and the shoulder.  I guess this happens often because there was the equivalent of a dirt bike track through the brush.  

As close as I could get without doing anything else stupid

Having escaped potential detainment and guaranteed embarrassment I took off through the detours again trying to find a good place to take a picture.  I ended up finding a brand new housing development just north of the border wall.  This complex is as south as you can get without actually living in Mexico.  I was entertaining myself with mental images of tunnels and the theme song from "Weeds".  Having had enough excitement for one day, I headed back up to Mira Mesa for Chicken Paprikash with Dumplings!  It was my next to final meal with my hosts and it exceeded all expectations.

Stuffed to the gills and ready to roll

I was planning on saying my goodbyes that night and sneaking out the next morning, hopefully not disturbing Tim, Liz or the kids.  Liz nixed that plan with an offer of Pancakes and Eggs for breakfast.  I graciously conceded to her demands.  It wouldn't be polite to turn down fresh brewed coffee, pancakes with real syrup and panfried eggs.  Don't want to be rude, you know.  Liz and the kids saw me off in style!

I don't have many pictures from the first leg of the trip.  I took I-15 northeast to get on the eastern edge of LA.  In general I was cruising along but it was stop and go for ten miles before every Freeway Interchange.  When I hit northeastern LA, I took 215 due west and cut back to I-5 north.  This was all freeway, which is not conducive to stopping and smelling the high octane, diesel laced roses.  Next stop was Highway 166, which should count as the official beginning.  From here on out, I took state routes and highways all the way to Idaho.  I was planning on stopping at New Cuyama for the evening and camp there butNew Cuyama was only 250 miles from San Diego and it was still early afternoon.  That, and there was nothing there.  

New Cuyama's Tourist Attraction

Just west of New Cuyama you leave the desert plain and wind through the hills all the way to Santa Maria.  It is an absolutely beautiful ride and was just a taste of what Highway One was going to be like.  I blew through San Luis Obispo, though in hindsight I should have stayed with Tracy.  My bad.  I was eating up the miles and even more importantly, I could smell the ocean!

350 miles from San Diego, I find the ocean again

I found the ocean again in Cayucos, 350 miles from San Diego.  The coastline is gorgeous, and easily 20 degrees cooler than the desert east of LA.  Cayucos is a pretty little beach town.  I took a break and contemplated the pier.  It was under repairs and had a crane out on the end of it.  I couldn't help but wonder how well that had been thought out. 

Sunset in San Simeon over Highway One

At this point, I was rolling the miles in like crazy.  I didn't want to stop.  I blew through San Simeon with the intention of "I will just make it to the next town."  I hit the next town and I just kept going.  About two miles past Ragged Point, the highway started to turn into the famous, winding roadway of Big Sur.  I had ridden 450 miles that day, it was dusk, and this was not going to happen.  To add insult to injury, I came across a sign that stated "No Camping Off the Highway for the Next 72 Miles".  I called it quits for the night and backtracked to San Simeon.  They had a row of cheap motels with lodging available.  I managed to weasel a decent rate from the Motel 6.  While I was checking in, a lady ran in and demanded to know if the pool was heated.  With a completely straight face, the front desk clerk replied "No it isn't.  I am told it is very...refreshing."  I lost it and she left in a huff.  Not the right clientele anyway.

Not a bad beach for the No Tell Motel

All told, the first day I logged 480 miles, 30 of those being the backtrack from Big Sur.  I survived the freeways, made it to Highway One, and saw Elephant Seals!  It was a great day to start off an amazing trip.

San Diego!

San Diego has always been on the "Places We Might Move To" list.  Good food scene, reasonably cheap rental market, great weather, good ocean access, the list goes on and on.  But for whatever reason, the only time I have visited was in high school as part of a marching band trip.  Unfortunately it was during my Sophomore year, and I had yet to assert my authority as head band geek as opposed to middle management limbo.  This severely limited my social options at that time.

I think the biggest reason I avoided San Diego is the proximity to LA.  I have no interest in LA and judging by the indigenous population's behavior in LAX, that is probably a good thing.  Lets just say that we didn't get along.  

Mmmm, Hammerhead

All of a sudden, I am headed to San Diego.  The shipping for the motorcycle was extremely inexpensive and it was also quick.  Less than 10 days door to door, all told.  I had everything lined out.  The boat was supposed to arrive on Monday and unload on Wednesday.  I would fly in Thursday morning, pick up the bike and take it to the mechanic just in time to catch the 24 hour parts order deadline.  Instead, the boat was delayed a day thanks to Tropical Storm Something or Other in the Pacific.  Said storm never made landfall but the shipping company held their container ship a day to avoid any issues.

Instead of the bike being available for pick up when I arrived, it was being unloaded that day.  The shipping company actually did me a solid to even get it that day.  What this meant though, was I missed the deadline to order parts by about five hours.  Parts were now coming in on Monday to be installed on Tuesday-Wednesday the following week.

We hang out with the Romney's

Molly reached out to her old friends Tim and Liz, who were incredibly gracious and put me up in their spare room.  What was supposed to be a couple of days turned into a little over a week.  I had a plan for alternate lodging at the cheapest hostel in San Diego (If you have read the Singapore post, you know this violates the very important 3rd cheapest hostel rule) but when I brought it up Liz yelled at me and made it very clear that I was to be a guest at their house for as long as necessary.

Liz took me on a tour of the North Coast up through Encinitas, where we stopped at Pannikin Coffee.  I had the Hammerhead, which is a shot of espresso in a 16oz black coffee.  Pannikin is also known for their baked goods, which were epic.

These things creeped me out

Tim took me snorkeling in La Jolla and fishing off of Crystal Pier in Pacific Beach.  We got to see the phenomenon of the Tuna Crab invasion.  Little red lobster looking things as far as the eye could see.  They were definitely the reason we didn't catch anything.  Couldn't be that I am a crap fisherman.  

The water in La Jolla was pretty cold for this spoiled Maui guy.  The only way I got in the water was by telling myself that it was just going to get colder the further north I went.  I was about knee deep when I looked over at Tim.  It was pretty obvious the only reason he was heading in was to humor me.  Thanks Tim!

Tim warned me about the Stingray Shuffle and told me his tale of being stung.  The medical treatment is very similar to centipede stings on the islands:  stay drunk until you feel better.  Even so, I nudged 2 scary looking things off the bottom before I just sucked it up and dove in.  

I had never swam in waters near Kelp beds before.  That was a new experience.  We spotted a couple large stingrays, like garbage can lid sized rays.  I had made a point to read up on how much damage one of these critters could do to me the night before so I adopted a strict "live and let live" policy from the get go.  After our Cryo Treatment, we headed south along the coast and saw the Sea Lions and Seals.  It is always amazing to see the diversity of life the sea can provide for.  

The seals thank you for the fantastic sea wall

Balboa Park is awesome

Liz and the kids took me to Balboa Park and we ran around in the park all day.  Every Tuesday there is a rotating selection of attractions free to San Diego residents.  There was a guy warming up the 100 year old pipe organ, we hit the cactus garden and the Japanese Friendship Garden.  I ended up sunburned.  The ambient temperature is so moderate I didn't feel like I was cooking.  I am used to feeling toasted when I burn.  Nope!

I like boats.  San Diego has cool boats

The following day, Liz was kind enough to take me to the Coaster Station and throw me out.  I headed to downtown San Diego to meet up with an old friend from New York, Julie.  Julie and Fred are rock star motorcycle touristas and gave me a ton of advice as I was getting set up for the trip.  In addition to the advice, Julie took me to "Sausage and Meat".  AWESOME.  Everything we had was fantastic.  We had sausage.  We had meat.  Julie had bacon in her cocktail.  I heard at least 1 David Bowie song on the stereo.  It was a great evening.  I have no pictures because we plowed into the food like we hadn't been fed in a week.

I was having such a great time in San Diego it was almost sad to be on my way.  Add in Liz making two of her specialties and I had to pry myself out of the house.  Koshari (Egyptian Dish) and Chicken Paprikash with Dumplings (Polish) were sooooo good.  Between the great people and a very active city, San Diego has definitely moved up on the list!

Gear Junkie

I enjoy making, adjusting and documenting my packing lists.  It is something that appeals to my nature and in my opinion, is the most helpful post of an adventure blog.  As much as beautiful pictures of people doing great things in exotic places can be entertaining, the posts that show how the person got there make the endeavor personally achievable to the reader.  The question I get the most is "How can you go on these trips?"  I want to document the answer to that question.  If I can lessen the stress of logistics, finding the will to commit to the journey is that much easier.

When we went to Asia, we pored over our friends' packing list (Thanks Stacie and Steve!) and went through suggested packing lists on Travelfish, Lonely Planet and other resources.  Thanks to these resources, we had a great idea of what we needed, what we didn't, and all the little things that fall through the cracks.

When preparing for this trip, I have the benefit of 6 months in Asia beneath my belt.  Add in some experience doing backpack camping in high school and college and I had a pretty good idea of what I needed.  What I didn't know is what supplies were necessary for the bike.  Add in the fact that camping supplies have greatly improved since high school - 15 years will do that - and there was still quite a bit of research to be done. 

There are a number of great resources online for motorcycle touring.  There are route planners, camp site recommendations, and numerous blogs.  I ended up researching a number of options trying to tailor the suggestions to my needs.  The Unleash Your Adventure Packlist by Sherrie McCarthy and Patrick Schweizer and Adventures on a Motorcycle - Gearing Up for Touring and Camping by Richard Mawson were both incredibly helpful.  Unleash is written with the idea that you have multiple people in your group, which makes the list very extensive.  Adventures is written with being solo in mind so between the two you have a good idea of what you WANT on the trip and what you NEED.  Both books are available online through Amazon.

I am going the bulk of my trip solo which means that I am responsible for carrying all the gear needed for the journey.  In Asia, Molly and I were able to split some of the necessities, which allowed us to bring additional gear.  I carried the electronics and Molly carried toiletries, gifts and souvenirs.  Our division of labor gave us the ability to bring a wider variety of clothes and accessories than I can take on this trip.  Add in the fact that I have to carry camping gear and I ended up paring down to bare essentials as far as personal comforts go.  I would much rather wear the same pair of pants for multiple days and overload on emergency gear.

The most important gear I am carrying with me is all for the bike.  I am completely dependent upon its health and wellbeing and have packed accordingly.

Motorcycle Supplies:
Tools:
BMW Toolkit - This is the standard kit that comes with the bike.  It has anything you would ever want in it, in the least functional form.
Personal Toolkit -
Zip Ties
Duct Tape
Thread Tape
Electrical Tape
Extra Spark Plug
Feeler Gauge
Vise Grips
Universal Screwdriver
Loc Tite
Silicon Gasket
Needle Nose Pliers
WD-40
Tire Gauge
3/8" Socket Wrench
1/4" Socket Wrench
Bit Adapter
Socket Extension
Assorted Philips and Flathead Bits
Metric Hex Bits
Metric Sockets
Shop Towels
Chain Tool
Tire Repair Kit:  Tire Puncture Plugs, Extra Valve Stems, Valve Stem Tool, Bottle of Slime, Additional Tire Gauge, Handheld Air Compressor (which you should never hold in your hand) set up for drawing straight off the motorcycle battery.

A Secondary Toolkit with a wider diversity can never be a bad thing

Riding Supplies:
Flat Pack Bungies - Greater surface area means better grip to keep my pack on the back of the bike
Bungie Cargo Net - Borderline useless but good for a back up
Haynes Repair Manual - My bike is very simple to work on, but it is always easier to be able to answer questions in a clear and efficient fashion if I need help
Rain X Wipes
Kickstand Plate
Disc Lock
Multitool
Motorcycle Cover
Microfiber Towel
Quart of Oil

"Dexter" Kit, Check.  Repair Manual, Check.

Riding Wear:
I prefer Cordura and Nylon mesh protective gear.  It is inexpensive, safe and well ventilated.  I keep a pair of cargo pants for short rides and when I am going hiking.  My jacket is nylon mesh with large ventilated patches front and back.  It makes a huge difference while on blacktop in Hawaii.
Cargo Pants
Motorcycle Pants
Motorcycle Jacket
Boots
Helmet - Modular Helment with built in Sunscreen
Gloves
Cambodian Scarf - Lightweight, Wicking, Protects my neck from the sun.  Added benefit of looking cool.
Rain Suit
Night/Rain Filter Glasses
Earplugs
Camel Pak - It is small enough that it doesn't cause back strain, but it carries 2 liters of water and still has plenty of room for my camera and snacks.

My new riding pants didn't arrive in time for the photo shoot.  :-(

That's it for motorcycle gear.  No problem to big or small, right?

Camping Gear:
The biggest differences in 15 years of camping gear is size and weight.  My tent, sleeping bag and air mattress are tiny.  TINY.  And they were inexpensive.  The tent has fantastic reviews.  The only issue people had is weight.  My bike doesn't care, and it was 1/3 the price of a nearly identical tent that is 24 ounces lighter.  I can roll my mattress around the tent and it still fits in the stuff sack.
2 Person Tent - Lets be honest.  It's a 1 Greg tent.
Air Mattress
Camp Pillow
32 degree sleeping bag
Internal Frame Pack
Rain Fly for Pack
Headlamp
Battery Free Shakey LED Flashlight
Back Up Flashlight
Life Straw - Coolest thing ever.  Google it.  Go ahead, I will wait.
1 Liter Nalgene Bottle with Micron Filter
Trash Bags - People suck.  I don't.
"Dexter" Kit - Marketed and sold as a Gerber Big Game Cleaning Kit.  In reality, it is a great assortment of tools for camping and makes for a good emergency kit.  It has a Hatchet with a mallet backing and a paring knife in the handle, a folding saw, a high end knife (you can never have too many knives.  This will be discussed later) and one screwy punch knife.  Remove the punch knife, put something useful in that pouch and you are good to go. 

One thing I am not bringing with me is a camp stove.  Snacks, diners, and food are readily available the vast majority of the trip.  The added expense and space issues of camp cooking are a headache I can do without.  I may stash away some MRE's when I hit the mainland but it is not a major concern.

True Blood Season 5 is not going on the trip

 

It is not a big tent

Travel Gear:
This category is a catch-all for all the random gear that I have grown accustomed to having while traveling.  Some of it is camping specific, others just my paranoia running at full speed.  Most of this falls into the "you don't miss it until you don't have it" file.
Paracord
Butane Lighters - 3 in various different places
Ziploc Bags
2 Extra Dry Bags
Playing Cards - Low tech, good time killer and a good conversation starter
Whistle - Would you rather yell for help or blow a whistle?
Assortment of Knives - I like knives.  I always have.  The fact that I get to play with knives and fire were very big factors in my choice of career.  I keep a variety of knives handy.  You can never have enough knives.  Big knives, little knives, Swiss Army knives, fixed blade knives, they are scattered throughout my gear.  The first thing I did in Asia?  Buy a knife.
Carabiners
Extra Shoelaces
Emergency Wallet - Back up ID, Phone Numbers, Insurance Cards, Financial Info, etc...  I even have a hidey hole on the bike where this fits.
Extra Keys for the Bike and the Disc Lock
First Aid Kit
Swim Goggles
Travel Locks - All Combination Locks.  I have enough keys to keep track of.
Collapsible Messenger Bag
Moleskine Notebook - Doesn't have to be Moleskine but the quality can't be beat and I love the history involved.
Hand Crank Radio/USB Charger/LED Flashlight
Highlighters, Sharpies and Pens
Sunglasses

Department of Redundancy Department

Navigation:
1/2 Size US Atlas
Compass
Smart Phone - I broke down and got a prepaid smart phone.  The navigation feature alone is a life saver. 
"Manual GPS" - This was a trick I learned from one of the books.  Write directions on Index Cards.  Basic stuff like how to get through a city to a friend's house or through a tricky set of interchanges.  It doesn't have to be every turn of the journey but just enough to get you through the complicated stretches.  Fill an Ipod Arm Band with the Index Cards and then strap it to your forearm before you head into the tricky area.  It is much easier to pull off to the side of the road, glance at your arm and get going without having to pull out a phone or GPS unit.  Low tech, inexpensive and simple.

A good mix of High and Low Tech

Electronics:
I am not overly dependent upon my electronic toys, but there are a few that I can't live without.
Kindle Fire
Ghetto Kindle
Smart Phone
Dumb Phone
Ipod
Action Camcorder
USB Battery Pack
Travel Power Strip
2 Universal Chargers
Micro USB Cables
Lightning USB Cable - Goddammit, Apple!
Camera

Toiletries:
I bring a surprising amount of toiletries with me.  Most deal with the fact that I have 50 years of miles on a 34 year old body.  So be it.
Sunscreen - I've got the good Zinc Oxide stuff.  It is worth the expense.
Gold Bond Foot Powder - Not for feet
Antacids
Q-Tips
Advil
Excedrin
Sleep Tablets
Sleep Mask
Sudafed
Tiger Balm
Toothbrush
Toothpaste
Immodium AD
Deodorant
Baby Wipes - Molly converted me.  These are awesome as a ghetto shower before bed while camping. 
Disposable Razors
Floss
Shampoo
Body Wash
Face Wash
Pomade
Nasal Decongestant Inhaler
Toilet Paper
Insect Repellant - If you haven't read my post about the Philippines, you should.  This is 33% DEET.  I learned my lesson.  JP, if you are reading this, I hope you are laughing your ass off at me.  Again.
Travel Towel

Clothes:
With all that other gear, I do actually have room for clothes.  Some clothes.  A few.  I came to terms long ago with washing shirts in a sink and hanging to dry.
Flip Flops - I need something other than motorcycle boots.
1 Board Shorts
1 Cargo Shorts - These survived Asia.  Time for a farewell tour.
3 T Shirts
2 Tank Tops
1 Long Sleeve Shirt
1 Light Sweatshirt
5 Pairs Socks
5 Underwear
1 Nice Linen Shirt - lightweight, releases wrinkles well, looks nice. 

See?  Plenty of clothes for a month

This sounds like a lot of gear.  Hell, it is a lot of gear.  But preparation is the most important part of the journey.  When you include time spent visiting friends and family, this is a month long trip.  I am looking at roughly 3000 miles and will be traveling from the Mexican border to the Canadian border before heading east across 2/3 of the country.  A good chunk of this will be alone so I am making sure I am prepared to deal with most issues that arise, although my Pops came through for me big time as a travel buddy.  He will be with me during the most remote stretches of the trip.  Why?  Because I begged.  And he's awesome.  But mostly because I begged.

A New Adventure!

Here we go again folks!  I am at the beginning of a large scale adventure.  This time around, it will be just me (Greg) as Molly has to be, you know, productive and responsible. 


Here's the premise and origin of this tale.  I own a 1999 BMW F650 Classic Motorbike.  Absolutely great bike, perfect for Maui.  Great on hills, twisting roads and in the rain.  It currently has 23,400 miles on it and I bought it a year and a half ago with 17,000 miles on it.  I have ridden all over this island and it has been my primary form of transportation.  For a good chunk of time a portion of the famous Road to Hana was my daily commute and the bike ate it up.

Craigslist Money Shot

About a month ago, I made the difficult decision to part with the bike.  I love it but I have just not gotten the use out of it the past 10 months and we currently have 3 vehicles.  With depreciation, maintenance, insurance, etc... it was time to cut ties with one or both of my Bavarian conveyances.  I listed the bike on Craigslist which is an absolute horror show.  Every inquiry is a scammer or an extreme low ball offer.  It was a very disheartening experience when it is such a nice bike. 


I was one day away from accepting another low ball offer to just get the experience over with.  Molly came to my rescue.  "You know Evan wants the bike, right?" 


Inspiration struck.  Evan.  Minnesota Evan.  'Kelcey and Evan' Evan.  This was at 11pm at night.  5 hours of frantic research later, I had the outline of a plan and a very rough budget.  I researched flights to the mainland and back, motorcycle shipping to San Diego and Seattle, camping equipment, potential travel buddies, and lodging/camping options.  I fired Kelcey and Evan a text message in the middle of night to call me ASAP!!!


Evan called me as soon as he woke up and I proposed THE PLAN.  Evan, being just as excitable as I am, was intrigued.  We had enough of a consensus for me to feel comfortable telling Mr. Low Ball to suck it and I gladly did so!  After some more research, the budget crystallized.  Other things didn't come together quite as well.


I was hoping to ship and fly into Seattle.  I have family in Seattle and would love to visit.  Also it is a straight shot across the northern U.S. from Seattle to Minneapolis.  Unfortunately, shipping to Seattle was 3 times as expensive and took twice as long as shipping to San Diego.  My greatest tool during this trip is the fact that I have limited funds, but relatively unlimited time.  I can take 7 days and add 1200 miles to the trip because gas, time and food are cheap!  What I couldn't afford was the triple expense for shipping.

Ma'alaea Harbor

Now that a rough route was finalized the biggest question mark was the bike itself.  There is a lack of BMW motorcycle mechanics on Maui, let alone parts.  You find someone to work on the bike and then you can't get parts.  I have done the bulk of the maintenance on the bike since I have owned it because of this.  I am a mediocre mechanic at best but I have internet access, YouTube and pretty decent hands.  It is the brain that doesn't work too well.  My skills are not up for the task of preparing a motorcycle for a 3000 mile journey.  I took the bike into Maui Moto Adventures and they went through it.  We pinpointed some trouble issues and I reached out to Dave Campbell in San Diego. 


Maui Moto does a great job but once again, parts just aren't available.  Dave Campbell, on the other hand, has next day availability for parts and the know-how to do a partial rebuild on the bike.  So with a mechanic set up and waiting on the bike, it is time to go!


Today we took the bike to the shipping facility in Wailuku.  The adventure feels like it is real now.  Up until today, I have just been poring over maps and bugging friends and connections across 2/3 of the country for a dream, a hypothesis.  Today it feels real.  The large tote full of gear and the eagerly awaited Amazon order with the rest of my equipment suddenly feel pertinent. 


I have been reading about others who have done similar trips and dissected their packing lists.  I am currently working my way through the show "Long Way Round" about a motorcycle trip around the world.  FYI - their gear is nicer than mine, although they do ride BMWs.  Mostly, though, I have been poring over maps. 


Biggest thing about my riding style is that I am not overly comfortable on Freeways.  Give me twisting, winding mountain highways and I am in my element.  Cruising at 85mph on a Freeway is not something I am comfortable with.  Because of this, my route becomes both more intricate and more memorable.  I will be riding through state and national parks and have been ordered to STOP AND TAKE PICTURES!  Traditionally, Molly is in charge of photos.  Why?  There are a few reasons.  First of all, she enjoys it.  She is good at it.  She remembers to do it.  Me, not so much. 


The bike lends itself to stopping and smelling the roses a bit.  I have to get gas every 100 miles.  It is nice to get up and stretch.  And honestly, I have never been able to do all the bike porn that motorcycle owners get into.  I don't have a smart phone and don't carry a camera with me, which means I don't have shots of beautiful Maui sunsets over my bike.  I don't have pictures of my bike in Makena at Big Beach.  All of a sudden, I have 3000 miles of beautiful countryside to document my bike on.  Even better, I am matrimonially obligated to do so!

Honolua Bay Overlook

I fly out the evening of June 10th and should be on my way a few days after that.  Expect more posts!