"Man Journey" Cleveland, OH to San Francisco, CA

best update yet!!
so, the rest comes tonight?

 

Question: How do you put pics in the body of the message like this?

 

helmet - I'm working on the last part. Patience is a virtue

WesleyJN - use the [ img ] url here [ /img ] (without the spaces).

 

patience... pffffft....

I have 4 kids and at work it feels like I work with a daycare full of kids
I have plenty of patience.
However, the story you have put out here is well written, energetic and keeps us hanging on for more.

 

DAY 11

Well rested, we eat milk and cereal, and head outside to an astounding day. 65 degrees, slight breeze off the lake and the craziest cloud patterns in the sky.



Today would be the shortest ride of the entire trip. At just over 3.5 hours of travel, we planned to take it easy and drive slow as we have no place to hurry to. And this last sentence should be explained a bit better. I had spent months researching apartments in SF and had finally been able to locate one that was affordable and in a decent area in the city. I had sent my FICO score to the potential record, my credit score, my bank statement showing some proof of income, a copy of my license to make sure I check out okay as well as jumping through all sorts of hoops only to receive a call the day before that they changed their mind about leasing the apartment. But, this has nothing to do with the ride report, only some social commentary. Forward and onward!

The roads we took portrayed the general attitude of California as they casually wound through lush forests,



and later turned in to vast stretches of land connecting ever bigger growing cities.



Many, many gas stops and 3,329 miles later I have reached my destination of San Francisco.



Google map me, I'm somewhere in this area:




END

EDIT: I just read this and realize that the end is sort of abrupt. I want to say that this ride report took the most thought. I had many paragraphs written, but they all said nothing and deleted in favor of what you have read. To me, the trip ended as abruptly as it began and I hope to pass that along.

I really appreciate all of the support from the XJ Bikes community along the way, may it be through informative write-ups about cleaning carbs or changing the fork oil seals to lending an ear when I could not diagnose problems on the road by myself. I have now found a place to live in the center of town and am enjoying life. The only downside is that I do not have California residency and am unable to buy a parking pass for my baby. Unbridled and resting from the pressing weight of the saddlebags, she is forced to sit in an enclosed back yard, surrounded by tables and boxes.



The wheels on the bike may have stopped turning, but the wheels in my head keep on turning as I am itching to start another adventure!

For those considering something like this trip, this is what I learned:
You need a running bike. Forget what ADVRider says about the latest and greatest.
Have the desire to complete your journey and be prepared.
Out of all of the gear I brought, tools and camping supplies were the most important. I packed as light as possible and had space to spare. If I had a chance to do it differently, I would have used that space to bring more camping gear to make my outdoor stays a lot more pleasant. This is the only part of the trip that I had a dislike for: camping. I was simply under prepared with supplies to enjoy a night under the stars as I only had a sleeping bag and a tent. I would highly suggest taking a day trip or two and camping somewhere from your motorcycle to get an idea of what you can survive with.
Last but not least, be able to do basic repairs along the way.
Oh, and I guess this is actually last, but I made my own Bead Rider and that definitely helped along some portions. At other times though, it just plain hurt to sit on the beads so I alternated between bare seats and my own Bead Rider as my butt saw fit.

Also, XJBikes member WildWanderer and I have been sending some messages back and forth as he recently rode his bike from Pittsburgh, PA to Chico, CA. He mentioned wanting to write his own ride report after reading mine. I suggest everyone send a PM to WildWanderer and harass/encourage him to do a write up about his adventures. It would be nice to sit back and wait for updates instead of writing them.

I hope this ride report both inspired and encouraged all of you to get out and enjoy the roads this country has to offer!

 

YEA itr sure lit a fire in some hearts,homes and clean carbs for a ROAD TRIP to somewhere !!!! Thanks for the PUT ME IN YOUR SHOES ride report and glad eerything turned out ok for ya and the porsche of course......

 

mestnii-
my last ride- 440 miles- before I had to sell, was absolutely the most awesome and miserable ride I could ever imagine. my butt begged for it to be over, but my heart, eyes and mind begged for more miles. I know the bike would have gladly obliged. However, I could not imagine riding that many miles for so long without going absolutely nuts.
thank you for chronicling your adventure through good and bad. it was a very well-written piece that put us on the road with you and gave us all a little spark to do it, too.
since you have completed your journey and the diary, I am probably going to post mine. Although it wasn't nearly as exciting, it's something I enjoyed immensely.

 

If enough people write up some ride reports, we can compile an XJ Adventure book.

I know where it can be printed in hard or soft copy for relatively cheap. Could be used to raise some funds for this site.

 

Fantastic report! Makes we want to jump on a plane and head Stateside - Note to self - must hire Easyrider again 8)

 

Maybe admin could make a new forum: Trip reports.

Great report mestnii!!
Jim

 

A Ride/Trip Report forum would be awesome and we can start cataloging all reports for future reference and future inspiration.

I was reading everything over, as I want to compile it in to a book for myself (and probably my kids) and forgot one tiny detail: safety! I practiced a fair bit before heading out and would advise everyone be comfortable on their bike before going on any long trips. I know that practicing quick stops, sharp turns and riding over railroad tracks and metal bridges (which they have in Gary, Indiana, and are absolutely terrifying) sure saved my life more than once.

I have to add that the only accident I was in during the entire trip happened on Day 10, right after the first picture of that day's ride report was taken. I got on the bike, and as soon as I planted both feet on the ground, the bike collapsed underneath me and fell over sideways. It was quite shocking, even more so that no matter what I did I could not lift it back up. I even tried the squat with your back to the bike and lift technique, it was planted on the ground like the Sword in the Stone. That is until Misha grabbed it and righted it.

Weird.

 

metal grid bridges are everywhere in Florida due to ocean access and drawbridges. kinda like riding on a concrete roadway with drainlines cut into it,(like in virginia there were lots of em), unerving but steady hand on the wheel and no sweat just FEELS weird.
A Ride Report forum for bike shows and ride reports would sure free up some space on the forum and centralize the issue for easy access.
AND BONUS TIME gather all the data and stories for easy reference to include into a photo journal,essay format for easy publication access as well,giving Props of course to the forum and share the wealth to help pay for site time,computer upgrades and the like,would be beneficial and allow EVERYONE to easily contribute via a web linked page for purchase. Donations are accepted from what i understand,but its hard to give to an unseen thing. Easier to get something and give something and everyone benefits. i got a great idea lets make this an official 501(c)3 non-profit Organization for i surely Worship my Ride........he he he,not really but sounds good,and thereby qualify for TAX EXEMPT status.
WHACHA THINK????

 

yea i second that option

 

Tax exempt status would be awesome.

I really do think that if enough people contribute ride reports, we can publish a book and even get an ISBN number for it so it's legit. Would be cool to raise a bunch of cash for XJBikes, as I know it's already saved me thousands in mechanics fees.

 

I don't want to say what everyone else said, but this was a fantastic read. I've been planning a trip from central PA to the Gulf Coast somewhere... And reading this was quite the kick in the rear!

I also appreciate the post-action report about what to bring. Was there anything you took that you think you could have practically done without? Besides the Chucks, that is. ;oP

Thanks again for documenting your pilgrimage!

 

Hmmm. Good question.

I brought along tools to fix just about any situation that could arise, with the exception of serious engine work and in the end I didn't use a lot of them. I did feel a lot better having all of the tools there though, just in case, and they only took up minimal space (all my tools fit in the black pack on the back of the bike).

I also brought an axe... I never used and that was roughly 5 pounds of gear. I just ended up breaking all of the sticks I found with my hands and feet.

When I did my packing, I planned poorly and stuffed the liner from my pants and jacket in to my saddlebag, that took up a LOT of room but I also would need the liners for parts of the trip that were cold. If you are riding only when it's warm, this could save you a lot of space.

Cooking stuff: I was going to simply eat bananas, bread and peanut butter plus boil tea in a mini kettle. Misha brought an actual pot and a bigger tea kettle. This was crucial, as after a long day of riding having warm food proved to be the biggest pick-me-up. I highly suggest dumping some gear to fit in campground cooking essentials.

Aside from the above, the rest of my gear was stuff like baby wipes, towels, first aid, and spare parts/gaskets/cables. I went as minimal as possible.

If anything, what I would have done is repacked my jacket and pant liners to fit inside the tent case or my backpack and dedicated an entire saddlebag for stuff to make camping more enjoyable. Namely something like a pad to line the hard, rocky ground with and maybe some more cooking utensils/products.

What I did, and what I recommend to do is to put the saddlebags on the bike (if you have any) as well as any and all containers you plan to use. Then, set aside everything you want to bring with you. Then, just go about shoving all that stuff in. If it fits and you're comfortable with how it fits in there, all is well. If there is obviously too much stuff, or things are hanging precariously off the side of your bike - consider repacking or taking less. You'll surprise yourself how little stuff you actually need.

 

Great article man... sounds like a good time.

Rob

 

mestnii:

Great adventure... I just have to ask, what was up with all the carb take downs along the way? What caused you to keep taking them apart? I took a similiar juorney albeit not quite as far (3000 miles) and never had to stop along the way to remove the carbs...Just curious.

 

Both "Man Journey" and "Project 900" are GREAT stories that should appear in a Bike Magazine.

If you agree that these two stories are worthy of recognition outside the Forum where the Motorcycling Community can enjoy two stories that are a delight to read and learn about, ... please use the LINK at the end of this Post and ask CYCLE WORLD to:

a) Visit the Forum and investigate.
b) Mention the two Threads
c) Appeal for recognition of these two remarkable human achievements and THE OTHERS ... (like that Trash Pile of 750 Parts that rose from the grave).

In your own words.
Do the right thing!

http://www.cycleworld.com/article.asp?s ... icle_id=34

 

ski84 : I really have no idea. The bike just has random gremlins that pop up every now and then. Once the carbs came off because the slides were stuck (I found small metal particles in the bore - cleaned them out). Aside from that, I had a constant problem - running too rich. It caused the bike to eat gas at an unreal rate and I tried to diagnose the issue on the road. Oh and once my fuel petcock gasket started to leak so I used that chance to do a full tear down as I had a garage to use.

Rick - I wrote in to Cycle World about the Project 900 and made a small plug for this thread. Maybe we can draft up an email and simply have members send it out to Cycle World - I'd love to see XJBikes get recognition (I couldn't have done this trip without the help of this forum).