Shake Down

As is the case with every shake down cruise my trip to Roy, Utah today was a chance to try out my gear, my techniques and my ability to utilize onboard systems.

Most everything went well. Those things that did not were clearly my fault. I discovered in Twin Falls, when I stopped for fuel, that I had fastened only three of the five straps that hold my "suitcase" in position. It was firmly and securely fixed in position and was not in any danger of coming off, or even loose. The two loose straps did however flap in the wind at 75 m.p.h. which resulted in one of the plastic clips breaking.

What DID come loose was the rain cover over the top of the bag. It has four sides with a pull string on opposing corners. Each pull tightens the two adjacent sides which, in theory, draws the bottom edges in so as to make the bottom small enough to keep it from sliding up over the bag. There turned out to be two problems with the cinching devices. First is the thickness of the material - it simply does not "gather" well. Secondly is the device that is supposed to keep the material gathered. It is a ball with a button that you push to release. After sliding into position and gathering as much material as possible, you release it and it locks.

 

The locking mechanism however is not secure enough to prevent it from sliding and releasing the tension. 

So just before I got off the Interstate in Twin Falls I happened to reach back and check the position of the rain cover. The front of the rain cover had slid up several inches above the bottom of the bag. The back of the rain cover was half way up the bag, allowing the rain cover to inflate and bulge above the bag. I nearly lost the cover and will need to find a way to secure it.

I discovered that pushing a windshield through the air at 75 m.p.h. plays havoc with your fuel mileage. Luckily my trip will be almost exclusively sans Interstate Highways and their relatively high speeds.

But while we're on the subject of speed let me confess that I scared myself. Not by cruising down the road at 75-80 m.p.h but by realizing that this speed approximated the speed at which we used to hurdle ourselves into the corners when we ran the half mile dirt flat tracks. At these speeds, and usually faster, we would throw the bike sideways into the corner and place our left foot on the ground to provide a balance point. Using a combination of throttle and balance we would skid our way around the corner, actually accelerating to turn further into the inside of the turn (and in those days it was against the rules to have brakes installed on our bikes). While visualizing sitting up and throwing the bike to the left at this speed, I was amazed that this ever was "normal". It scared me, making me realize that Betty was definitely riding with me.

The other thing that has changed with the years is my body. My back, hip and tush reminded me frequently that I was spending extended time in the saddle. But perhaps the biggest physical challenge will be the legs. The bike weighs approximately 800 pounds and can be a chore to support it while sitting still. I discovered it is even more of a chore after the legs have been bent at a 90 degree angle for two hours. This will make it easier for me to rationalize frequent stops however, bringing raved reviews from my other body parts.

The final discovery was that the Bluetooth speakers I've installed in my helmet to receive GPS directions were not able to overcome the ambient noise generated at freeway speeds. I simply could not discern what the "voice in my head" was trying to tell me unless I slowed to 65 m.p.h. or less. Again, this will be much less problematic at the reduced speeds at which I should be traveling.

With a couple minor adjustments when I return to Boise I should be ready to launch on the 26th of April. Wish me luck.