anyone go for a ride today? Pics?

[Hayabuser]

Kool Kat, Dave.
Little brother to the big boy.

Mini Me.

[dorkburger]

Ha. Very cool.

[Jedz123]

I don't think I have ever seen a GS with a flip up headlight... Seems like a bad design IMHO. Lets over complicate an imperative piece of equipment.

[Baatfam]

I don't think I have ever seen a GS with a flip up headlight... Seems like a bad design IMHO. Lets over complicate an imperative piece of equipment.

Maybe.....But who cares? It looks cool as heck.....

[Jedz123]

I was only thinking... Damn, how much it would suck to be on an open road and that puppy fails at midnight.
I think I would carry a bungee just to keep it up just in case

[Jedz123]

I do say this with experience with a few cars I've owned with pop ups and them failing to "open" at night... Fuuuuuuuu#$K Guess I'm using the running lights and the moon light to get home.

[Baatfam]

I do say this with experience with a few cars I've owned with pop ups and them failing to "open" at night... Fuuuuuuuu#$K Guess I'm using the running lights and the moon light to get home.

My Miata had a manual knob to raise the headlights in case of failure.

[Jedz123]

My Miata had a manual knob to raise the headlights in case of failure.

Both of mine did too but The Daytona and Accord did not... The best is when the motor developed a mind of it's own and the light would open and close on their own... Daytona did a few times especially after a few hard pulls at the drag strip.

[Hayabuser]

I don't think I have ever seen a GS with a flip up headlight... Seems like a bad design IMHO. Lets over complicate an imperative piece of equipment.

It was the space-aged 1980's! XN85 Turbos, pop-up light Katanas, it was the best of times!

But yeah, it would suck for it to fail down if it was dark out... good thing I can't remember the last time I rode after dark!

https://flic.kr/p/2jArxZY

[trevor]

It was the space-aged 1980's! XN85 Turbos, pop-up light Katanas, it was the best of times!

But yeah, it would suck for it to fail down if it was dark out... good thing I can't remember the last time I rode after dark!

https://flic.kr/p/2jArxZY

lol I rode after dark last night. With a tinted shield lol

[Hayabuser]

lol I rode after dark last night. With a tinted shield lol

Isn't that always the way?

[trevor]

Isn't that always the way?

Yeh...lol..it certainly wasn't planned.

[Burque73]

Great ride report Dave. It's an alarming sight to see your RT napping like that. I'm glad for you to have a not only uneventful day after that, but very nice time riding. That's so cool to have both of your boys riding with you too.

Just curious, did you guys swap bikes at all? I wondered if you've ridden the FJR, other than being a back seat driver that is.

We went on a 3 day weekend with our son and his family and our daughter and her family. So that includes our 3 grandkids.
Stayed at a (vacation rental by owner) place together about 200 miles north of here, Mancelona/Gaylord area.
SOmetimes we all went for some activity together, hike in national forest or swim in a lake.
Sometimes Mimi and Papa stayed with the grandkids while other went off an various things.
We all took turns providing/preparing meals.

And one day, Friday, my son (Tiger1050) and soninlaw (FJR1300ES) and I (R1150RT) went for a day ride.

But this is what I found first thing in the morning.

Seemed like good gravel stone area, but had rained hard during the night.

They all had fun laughing at me, cuz I ran out there in my shorts, then ran back inside to get on boots, and back out to pick up the bike. (yes, there are pics of that, but.... dont need that here... har har har)

Was not hard to right the bike, well, after retracting the sidestand and getting into gear. No damage other than gravel scratches in three areas.

THen we went for ride to up north of Petoskey. Justin made a great route from Bill Murphy book "Motorcycling Acrost Michigan" and the Adventure Routing feature of his new GPS. So found some great roads other than statehighways.
THe major destination being M-119 right along Lake Michigan thru wooded dune land, and where 20 miles of it is called Tunnel Of Trees.

But for us the tress are not the attraction, but the road itself. Has been given the status of "Scenic Byway" and some historic status such that the road has not been brought up to modern standards, of stuff like constant radius curves, constant incline, and clear line of sight and clear shoulders. So it still follows the lay of the land, is real narrow, has about no shoulder in lots of places, so trees right up to edge of the pavement, and lots of curves that get tighter, lots of elevation changed that cant see over, and some curves that seem to somehow curve the other way unexpectedly.

Here can see how narrow the pavement is (and this is a state highway), no center line, and about no shoulder in places.

I greatly enjoyed it, and was thankfull to do it with son and soninlaw. (especially after having to cancel out of similar weekend trip with them in June when I was having a health problem.)

Rest stop on way back to where we were staying.

Were out for about 7 1/2 hours.


On last day, Sunday, we packed up, the wifes and younger kids took off, and then then.......
Doah.... I had left key in aux position and GPS plugged in, grunt-click-click-click.
Push starting it didnt work.
Aint no jump starting it with the battery hid away under all that tupperware.
I had my battery tender. Found an extension cord there at the place we were staying. But knew from past experience it was going to take about 5 hours of charging (is something like 22 AmpHour battery) before it would start.

So son and soninlaw had fun arguing who should take the old man and who should take the 9 year old.

So I was a passenger (first time since 1974) for about 40 minutes till we meet up with the wifes and other kids for the planned lunch (Shorts Brewery, Bellair).
THen wife and I went in van to Traverse City (about 40 minutes) to get trailer, and then later went back (an hour) to get bike, then back to Traverse City.

Home now from Traverse City, left the bike there, so it will be there available for day rides from there, since will be there 2-3-4 days a week (caring for aged-failing motherinlaw).

[Redman]

Other part to the story, after son and soninlaw argue over who has to take the old man.....
the soninlaw says "wait, wait, I have to adjust suspension"
<pushes some buttons>
"there, is set for passenger....oh, wait"
<looks at me>
<pushes some buttons>
"passenger with luggage.....Oh, wait again"
<looks at me again>
<pushes buttons>
"Passenger with extra luggage. Okay, now we might be good."

. . . . . .
Just curious, did you guys swap bikes at all? I wondered if you've ridden the FJR, other than being a back seat driver that is.

No, did not swap bikes during the weekend.

One day a couple years ago Justin and I traded bikes (Tiger1050 for GK) and we went on separate ways for a day.
He had to relearn to use a choke, and to start braking sooner.
I had to learn to have bike pointed straight down the road before wack open the throttle.

No, I have not rode FJR. SonInLaw has made enough statements about not letting anyone ride his bike, that I havent directly asked, but that was when he had DynaSuperSomethingOrOther Harley. And when they moved to SanDiego I did say about everything except directly ask, and no offer was extended. (So then I got the BMW RT out there).

[Guest]

Was going to ride to Kiruna in Sweden, but at the gas station my bike was leaking gas, so I rode home. Found out the fuel line was cracked... So I replaced the fuel lines and went for a short ride instead (lost too much time to fix it).



So now Ive done over a hundred kilometers with my home made gasket, and it still appears to hold up.