Sadlsor goes x-country on the GS Adventure

dduelin said:
Sometimes I have to remind myself it’s not an ordeal, it’s an adventure.
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Sadlsor said:
I think an adventure often starts out as a pain in the butt, and it takes a while for it to mature into an adventure.
At least some are that way.
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ChucksKLRST said:
It only becomes an Adventure when it is over and you are sitting around with your buddies and a beer recounting so called adventure. Until then it was a real Pain in the Ass.
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Sadlsor said:
This is FUN, innit?
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That there is the definition of Type 2 Fun, at best.

Type 1 Fun = it's fun when you do it and when you think of it later
Type 2 Fun = It's NOT fun when you do it but you look back at it later and it didn't seem so bad.
Type 3 Fun = It's not fun when you do it, and your memories don't improve it any.
Type 4 Fun involves search and rescue, First Responders, and medevac.

DON'T have any Type 4 Fun. Please.
 
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I think some here have the mistaken idea that taking a Level 1 adventure course means you can embarrass Chris Birch or Jimmy Lewis on a big bike offroad.
Not so!
When we graduate Basic RiderCourse students in the MSF, I tell them, "Congratulations! You are now qualified to tide a 250cc motorcycle in a parking lot at speeds up to 25mph. Now go get a bike and practice what you learned here, before you forget everything."
I, likewise, now know what I have to practice... everything!
It will drop in the dirt several more times before I'm finished with it. And me, along with it.
The classes were great. This bike was used by students for the 2022 training season, and has the remaining factory warranty and the 6000mi service is done. All the bikes were stored with the keyfob attached somewhere to the bike, as mentioned earlier.
This week the GSA has played the part of the mule. But at least she has new shoes now. A bit over 1000 miles on them.

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They should stick good to pavement now! Nothing better than new Shoes, put new ones on my St and still amazed how much better the bike handles.
Enjoy the ride
 
St-Gerard said:
Nothing better than new Shoes, put new ones on my St and still amazed how much better the bike handles.
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Agreed. It shows you how important tires really are.

When I first got my first ST, it handled really poorly for me. It resisted steering effort and fought being leaned over. Plus, the tires were very interstate-worn, very flat in the middle. But it did come with a Traxxion Dynamics built fork and a Progressive shock/spring. (Thanks, Robbie!)

As I weigh more than the previous owner, I raised the rear suspension about 1/2" on the shock body, which translates to about 3/4" at the axle. The steering improvement was immediately felt and was dramatic. It leaned over and came back up with gentle counter-steering.

Then I put on new tires (Bridgestone T-31s). It was so twitchy and unstable that I was sure I would have to lower the rear end back down a little. But, by the time I got home, I got used to it, and never re-adjusted it. It still responds predictably to light steering effort like a dream.
 
I've enjoyed it all, but I was really tired last night. Ate a steakburrger at Freddy's, I checked into a Quality Inn east of Dallas in Terrell TX after a wet ride for most of the day, no real "rain" but a constant drizzle, and not great visibility.
Unloaded the bike, laid out stuff so it could dry, took off my wet canvas hiking boots, and laid down on the bed about 9:30 with all my clothes on, to rest my back before getting in the shower.
Woke up to my alarm at 7am just as I had laid down... I literally did not move. Never even rolled over.
I feel better, except I can't find today's coffee Cafe thread in my Unread posts. So I settled for the hotel coffee... it's not instant, but can't touch Ray's French Roast. The blighter has spoiled me.
Here's today's travel itinerary, brought to you courtesy of Uncle Google. I don't plan on breaking any land speed records, and I know I can turn 8.5 hours into 10.5 hours with no problem.

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Sadlsor said:
Here's today's travel itinerary, brought to you courtesy of Uncle Google. I don't plan on breaking any land speed records, and I know I can turn 8.5 hours into 10.5 hours with no problem.
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Strongly suggest you ride over to Atlanta before going home. Make a saddlesore out of it.
 
jodog said:
Strongly suggest you ride over to Atlanta before going home. Make a saddlesore out of it.
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Firstly, I'm not sure the HotLanta extension is doable, the way I feel now. My back has been complaining.
Secondly, although a 2200 mile trip *should* offer several varying opportunities for at the least, a SS1K, poor time management, the unfamiliar Nav VI, and a handful of new-to-me bike issues, not to mention an early- morning dropped bike debacle, have all combined to convince me I wasn't fully prepared both mentally and equipment-wise to complete what should have been an easy BBG or the aforementioned SS1K.
But indeed, I've thought about another cert since before I flew to Costaic.
Shame on me.
 
Sadlsor said:
Unloaded the bike, laid out stuff so it could dry, took off my wet canvas hiking boots, and laid down on the bed about 9:30 with all my clothes on, to rest my back before getting in the shower.
Woke up to my alarm at 7am just as I had laid down... I literally did not move. Never even rolled over.
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Now that's tired lol

(I'd have peed myself awake at least twice in that period of time)
 
Arrived at the Louisiana Welcome Center just 6 minutes after they locked the doors to the lobby.
Dammit.
I bet they had paper maps, too. Not like those cheap-arse Western states. I'm looking at YOU, Kalifornia, Arizona, New Mexico.
Each time I strap my prospecting gear and stuff I didn't use to the back of the Mule, it seems to get more better and more organized (-looking.)
Of course, from here on I'll actually have panniers that look like they belong.
Not much of a desert sunrise inthe bayou country. But it's gonna be a chilly night.

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I'll just need to clean and grease the little lip / catch tab, as suggested earlier.
I looked at it very closely at my last fill, and now have a better understanding of the mechanical operation -- aside and apart from the keyless business.
Now I think it WAS getting the signal from the key, but the slider tab was sticking.
 
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