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/cgi-bin/YaBB.pl General Category >> The Cafe >> Trip planning -- year 2018 /cgi-bin/YaBB.pl?num=1505085174 Message started by Oldfeller on 09/10/17 at 16:12:54 |
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Title: Trip planning -- year 2018 Post by Oldfeller on 09/10/17 at 16:12:54 We learned some things about TIMING last year -- don't plan before very late May early June (weather/rain is just too erratic) and don't plan for after the first week in August (college is back in session and vacation time block outs and HURRICANE SEASON makes things get all problematical). So, our best planning time band is actually June July. Best trips this past year were to Kickstand Lodge and to MM's Farm. Mistake made last year was planning too many trips (about half never happened) and believing that casual members would actually show up (about half never did). By planning fewer very solid trips we will likely be more successful next year. |
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Title: Re: Trip planning -- year 2018 Post by MMRanch on 09/11/17 at 07:12:52 OldFeller , We can put the Bikes in the bed of the truck or two bike trailer (if you want to pull it) and unload them at a Black-Hills campground for a week if ya want ! :) That's an area I've been wanting to "EXPLORE" for a few years now . ::) If you can get away for a "Wild- If Ed has a yard (to camp in) left after IRMA then we could run down to Bike Week 2018 ??? :-? If they promise not to behave we could invite the entire Savage Community to join us ? ;D |
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Title: Re: Trip planning -- year 2018 Post by Oldfeller on 09/11/17 at 07:30:46 You and Dave are fancy free after Dave retires, me not so much. Insurance per month is currently $650 per month and INCREASING all the time. I have to work in order to have coverage. I do have vacation days to spend, but I have to put them in 60 days in advance (preferred) and they have shown lately no compunction about cancelling them abruptly. Me and my work issue have no real bearing on trip planning. If I have a no-go at work, I simply can't go. This year I would suggest not paying a lot of attention to me, plan the trips for you, Dave, Springman and the folks who are attending the trips regularly. |
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Title: Re: Trip planning -- year 2018 Post by justin_o_guy2 on 09/11/17 at 08:21:45 Insurance per month is currently $650 per month and INCREASING all the time. I have to work in order to have coverage. I'd probably be a little bit pissed off at anyone who supported that genius piece of legislation. Thankfully nobody on this forum is a big enough dumbass to have been guilty of such lunacy. |
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Title: Re: Trip planning -- year 2018 Post by MMRanch on 09/11/17 at 09:49:21 Amen Justin ;) Now if one of the current bunch will devote themselves to fixing the situation then we'll have a National HERO ! OldFeller , When you get an idea to take advance of a day off we can come see ya ... ya got any weekly rental motels or camping cabins in easy reach ? |
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Title: Re: Trip planning -- year 2018 Post by springman on 09/11/17 at 10:09:00 June, July sounds good for me. The only possible conflict there is with a family vacation. I'll be checking to see what you guys come up with. :) |
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Title: Re: Trip planning -- year 2018 Post by Dave on 09/11/17 at 19:05:20 It might be good to have just 1 or 2 group outings that are planned far in advance - with the potential for spontaneous or surprise trips offered as the opportunity arrives. I will be far more flexible in the future - provided that they are Thursday through Sunday trips. I believe my new "semi-retired" schedule will be a full day on Monday....with half days on Tues/Wed/Thur. I can work a full Tuesday or Wednesday and take Thursday off occasionally. I will have vacation and could take off for a week or two if we can arrange a Black Hills event. Dave |
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Title: Re: Trip planning -- year 2018 Post by springman on 09/12/17 at 10:10:51 Black Hills event sounds interesting. |
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Title: Re: Trip planning -- year 2018 Post by Ed L. on 09/12/17 at 13:07:55 If Ed has a yard (to camp in) left after IRMA then we could run down to Bike Week 2018 ??? Huh We were planning a trip to the Keys but it looks like that is cancelled for at least a year. I'll need to see if my wife is open for it, I think it will be fun but don't know how she will take a bunch of "Bikers" descending on us. |
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Title: Re: Trip planning -- year 2018 Post by Steve H on 09/12/17 at 16:07:51 Hey! Ed made it! Glad to see you out here, Ed. How are things around there? |
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Title: Re: Trip planning -- year 2018 Post by Ed L. on 09/12/17 at 19:25:43 Steve, got a lot of wind and rain but was far enough from the center so we only got hit with cat 1 gusts. I lost a lot of tree limbs and was out of power for about 24 hours. No damage to the house or shop. Can't host the Daytona Bike Week 2018 trip, got some zoning problems about having people camp out on my property. :( |
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Title: Re: Trip planning -- year 2018 Post by MMRanch on 09/12/17 at 20:11:02 That's OK Ed , when we do find a camp maybe you can join us ? Last time I went , the ABATE group of Daytona had a campground set up for about what it cost to operate it. I wonder if Florida will be ready by March from Irma ? |
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Title: Re: Trip planning -- year 2018 Post by Oldfeller on 09/13/17 at 03:25:44 March 9-18 Can you say .... Cccccccccccold ??? three times real fast ??? Daytona temps are between 40 at night and 65 degrees during the day, and that is the averages taken over the years Freeze yer buns off to see a sea of hurleys :P no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no |
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Title: Re: Trip planning -- year 2018 Post by Ed L. on 09/13/17 at 06:48:41 I'll look around, I think the Cabbage Patch has primitive tent camping under the trees right down the road from me. |
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Title: Re: Trip planning -- year 2018 Post by MMRanch on 09/13/17 at 15:05:12 Thanks ED , :) Say , Ed , Is it really Cold Cold Cold , in Daytona at Bike Week ? :-? I went in 2014 and it was warm in Tn. when I left --- then turned Cold while I was gone so that I had to ride in chilly weather on the way home but I had my nylon insulated bib-overalls and jacket with me so it was OK . But , that is only one time ... :-/ ... I was only visiting , you Live there , so what's it like most years ? |
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Title: Re: Trip planning -- year 2018 Post by verslagen1 on 09/13/17 at 18:54:27 My vote is for Denver because we may add to the group. There's nobody in in the black hills. |
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Title: Re: Trip planning -- year 2018 Post by MMRanch on 09/13/17 at 21:10:42 lancer , can I over-night at you place on the way to Denver ? :) https://www.nps.gov/band/planyourvisit/juniper-family-campground.htm might be an overnight spot on the way there . ? -------------------------------------------------------- http://gfp.sd.gov/state-parks/directory/custer/campgrounds/sylvan-lake/default.aspx lots of camping in the "Black Hills" I can see 3 days min. for me to get to the black hills . 4 day to ride the area , and 3 days back What the chance of a 10 day stretch of no rain ? I'm bring a rain suit or a truck ? :-/ |
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Title: Re: Trip planning -- year 2018 Post by Oldfeller on 09/13/17 at 23:27:08 How is this for an idea that is good for 3 bikers. (Not me btw, I will be recovering from prostate surgery and won't be up for a huge huge ride like this) Two bikers (Dave and one other) arrive at MM's on their bikes. They load up bikes on MM's truck and and either pull MM's trailer with the extra bike or else get a bit clever loading the bikes two forwards and one backwards in the bed of the full sized pickup truck. Lancer and Verslagen know the ins and outs of this trick as they do it fairly often. 3 people can ride the seat of a full sized pickup truck OK, not wonderful but OK. Split the gas and the driving on the truck, it becomes more do-able. Next advantage, 24 hour driving in 4 hour shifts keeps an alert fresh driver behind the wheel and gets you there in 2 days, easy. It is a ball buster of a trip you are talking about and I won't be going since I will have just gotten my balls professionally busted ...... |
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Title: Re: Trip planning -- year 2018 Post by LANCER on 09/14/17 at 05:07:03 I had prostate surgery on 2000 and needed 3 months before I could ride again at all, but then they had split my stomach from my belly button down to my ... well it was as far as they could go down. I had a whole string of stainless staples that were at least an inch wide, about 20 of them. Mega piercings ! |
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Title: Re: Trip planning -- year 2018 Post by Oldfeller on 09/15/17 at 13:17:54 Well, I'll learn more after the surgery on Oct 17th. |
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Title: Re: Trip planning -- year 2018 Post by springman on 09/15/17 at 15:33:24 Denver or Black Hills you can pretty much count me in barring anything crazy happening. |
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Title: Re: Trip planning -- year 2018 Post by JLC on 09/15/17 at 15:43:56 Denver or Black Hills suits me fine... Unless I am in Europe at that time! |
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Title: Re: Trip planning -- year 2018 Post by LANCER on 09/15/17 at 18:38:33 57455745485B5459521A0 wrote:
Of course you can...silly question ! |
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Title: Re: Trip planning -- year 2018 Post by MMRanch on 09/15/17 at 20:07:16 Wild HOGS ! Yeee-Hhaaa I'm sure SpringMan is bring a Savage , I'm bringing a Savage , My Van only gets about 15 mpg when pulling the two bike trailer , truck might get 18 mpg (20mpg , if I play Feather-Foot) . I'm good for 500 miles (super-slab) or 400 miles (state-roads). on my Savage. My house to Lancer's was one-day and my house to SpringMan's was one day --- but those were long days . We bring a Bike to Trailer week ? |
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Title: Re: Trip planning -- year 2018 Post by Dave on 09/16/17 at 04:30:24 I don't yet know the answer to my participation. Looking at Mapquest it is a 17 hour trip along a northern route for me.......MM has a more southern route and it takes him 19 hours - our paths don't cross until we get to Omaha. It takes me 7 hours minimum to get to MM's house.....so unless we somehow reroute and meet somewhere between the northern and southern routes....I don't see how we could travel together. I would be bringing the Honda NT700 bike for a trip like this, I probably would put it on a trailer to travel to South Dakota, and it is possible the wife wouldn't let me make a trip like this without bringing her. I can get away for long weekend trips easily next year - trips of 7-10 days are a different story. My wife and I have not been on a long vacation in 10 years - it is time for us to do a trip together. |
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Title: Re: Trip planning -- year 2018 Post by Oldfeller on 09/16/17 at 09:56:35 Dave, instead of a SUPER MEGATRIP (leave those things to MM who jest loves them) how about a trip all the way up the Blue Ridge Parkway to that steam tech park you found just past the end of it? Or to some other focal point trip of similar (relatively fewer) days? The trip all the way up the Blue Ridge is 2-3 leisurely days, likely with a hotel stay near the steam museum. If you were going to take your wife, this trip would be less stressful. |
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Title: Re: Trip planning -- year 2018 Post by MMRanch on 09/16/17 at 18:41:26 After my son get to working a regular job , then the wife will be a lot more receptive to putting the bike in the back of the truck and going places . The good news is he is out of Collage now ... it will be a change in lifestyle when son goes to work ! So , if my wife is going there is a high percent chance the tent camping days will end . :( But If we are biking it , then I don't have room for sleeping bags and tent anyway. Hard luggage on the guzzi and budget-motels might get the wife on a 3 day bike ride. Next year could be a game changer either way ! ::) |
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Title: Re: Trip planning -- year 2018 Post by Dave on 09/17/17 at 07:34:47 I would like to take the gang to Suches, GA next year - it could be a "guys" or "couples" trip. I will be towing my bike there - so the car would be available if the wives wanted to go shopping/hiking and avoid climbing on the bikes a time or two. The Two Wheels of Suches has nice cabins, or you can camp. If I take the wife it will be the Honda, if I go alone and the weather is good the Savage Cafe' bike will go. It could also be designed as a trip that begins at the Kick Stand Lodge, and we could travel down to Suches and ride around the area, take minimal supplies and stay in a cabin, then ride back to the Kick Stand the next day. Riding with the wives will change the character of our riding, as none of us own a bike with the "Big Old Comfy Couch" back seat like the Harley's and Goldwings have. The back seats on our bikes are far less comfortable than the front seat - the padding is very thin and the footpegs are high......the passenger is not treated nearly as well as the operator. When my wife goes for the ride - the motorcycle serves as the transportation vehicle between sight seeing, shopping and hiking venues - the motorcycle is not the extended 12 hours of twisties that I find satisfying! |
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Title: Re: Trip planning -- year 2018 Post by Oldfeller on 09/21/17 at 17:56:30 I'm not surprised, stuff changes all the time. What we consider a "good trip" is changing as well. A good trip used to be ripping up the mountains, then it became ripping up the sweepers, now it is headed towards "Wife on the back, cruising the pretty stuff". If you told me MM was gonna be a Guzzi man, I'd have laughed out loud. Me, a Barcalounger boy? You gotta be joking, right? Like I said, I talked with the folks at Kickstand and I saw what my future might become, and it was scarey, believe me. Some of those couples go from known campground to known campground in a seasonal sort of migration pattern, doing maybe 300 miles on a travel day. And they travel in groups, too. |
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Title: Re: Trip planning -- year 2018 Post by Dave on 09/21/17 at 18:39:12 Oldfeller: Unfortunately......Life is what happens to you while you are busy making other plans. Every one of us have to face the fact that we will not be able to ride a motorcycle forever. Some folks have to quite very early in life - others can ride well into their senior years. We will hopefully recognize when it is no longer safe to ride quickly......safe to ride for extended periods......or safe to ride at all! Downsizing may help extend the riding period for some - for others it will be a trike! I started coming to the group rides in 2012, and we have lost 4 regular members on the group ride in that time (I don't think it is my fault). They had health problems, lost interest in the Savage, etc. That first year we had BigZuk, Serenity, Oldfeller, MMRanch, Lancer, AlfromNH, me....and I think I am missing somebody(s). BigZuk, Serenity and Al don't come anymore, and we recently lost old_rider. We have a lot of folks that would love to come and chase us around the mountains - but at this point in their lives they have family and work commitments that just don't allow them to travel away from home for an extended period. Thankfully I am still healthy and I really like burning up the curves on the Savage - I don't go fast on the straights and do intense braking as much as I used to - but I sure do enjoy riding tight curves in a manner that guarantees short tire life! I am ready for an all day ride whenever I get the chance. I don't know how many years of riding (or living) I have in my future - I intend to get a lot of it done in the coming years. This year I was not able to ride nearly as much as I wanted to and I was seldom able to take more than an occasional ride around home. My workload "pre-retirement" has been intense, and we have had one of the wettest summers I can remember. Next year I plan on riding at least 1 weekend a month - and now and then I will bring the wife so that we can spend time together in our retirement years. The NT700 rides great double - but I do limit the hours I make my wife spend in the saddle as the back seat is not as comfortable as the front one. I just can't find a medium size sport touring bike that has a cushy passenger seat - the BMW K1200 & K1600 have great looking back seat - but the bikes just appear to darn big for me to ride. The only thing that is likely to keep me from riding.....is rain! I hate riding in the rain! |
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Title: Re: Trip planning -- year 2018 Post by MMRanch on 09/21/17 at 20:11:24 Dave , There ain't nothing wrong with the 700 (WE-Bike) Honda ya got . Your luggage is better and the Honda has good power. Really its probably a better choice than the 750 (WE-Bike) Guzzi I got . I did get my luggage on. Not as slick looking as the Honda but it should work OK. Old Feller , It feels kind-of like a sportbike with standard seating , reminds me of my 1971 Honda CB350 (w/an extra shot of power). The Savage is a lot more "Laded-Back" ride. OldFeller , the thing we didn't do last summer was , to see how the barcalounge does on the super-slab. :-? How many miles are ya'll (you+bike) good for a day ? |
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Title: Re: Trip planning -- year 2018 Post by Oldfeller on 09/22/17 at 10:07:58 I rode up and back to Kickstart Lodge with no noticeable pain, so range has definitely increased some. My Savage feels cramped now, so you very quickly get used to the extra leg room and the extra gas capacity and the nice bedroll behind you effect is all to the good for durability. I will be asking questions about recovery from the prostate surgery which will be affecting what riding I do next year. Savage is what I use in town, just too convenient, really. Any open road trip I would ride the bike I built to do those things "better". Another question for next year is Medical Insurance -- big big question mark that -- with Republicans tossing it all back to the states and chopping off the extra money for Medicare expansions, etc. |
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Title: Re: Trip planning -- year 2018 Post by Gary_in_NJ on 09/22/17 at 10:09:00 52696473626E757368606D72010 wrote:
I like the idea of a couples trip. My wife would hate the idea of riding on the back. She hasn't been on the back of a bike (or been on a roller coaster, or flown in my airplane, and so on) since we had children. |
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