On the Monday after Basic Rider Training, I rode the motorcycle to Redding, California. This was the longest trip I have ever taken, and it was a test for the motorcycle and for me. The weather was just gorgeous. The mountains were an easy ride, and the view through the Mt. Shasta area was breathtaking.
The first time I put my foot down to break in California (getting gas in Yreka) my left foot slipped out from under me, and I almost dropped the bike. My foot was covered with oil! I overheated one time as well, but I'm pretty sure that was an operator error (wrong gear for mountains.)
I chose the ride to Redding for one reason: In-N-Out Burger. The California weather was really warm for this Oregon rider. However, In-N-Out was air-conditioned, and the smell of freshly prepared hamburgers and french fries was all I had hoped it would be. The taste did not disappoint. If I hadn't been so concerned to diagnose the oil leak I might have ordered seconds. I checked into a cheap motel down the street and spent the evening in a hot bath and on the internet trying looking for clues to the spill on my shoe. What I finally decided was that I had over-filled the oil reserve, and the pressure created by the high rpms over the mountain passes had increased the leak out from under the stator cover. The excess oil leaked onto my shoe.
(Note to self: take it easy going up the mountains.) The next morning I found a Honda shop near the Hotel and bought extra oil for the trip home. Another customer stopped me and offered to buy my bike. I have to admit, given the trouble I had on the way down, I was tempted to take his offer and ride the bus home. But it promised to be another beautiful, sunny day, so I tied everything down and hit the road.
For the way home, I decided to head up I-5 to Weed, and then cut across HWY 97 to Klamath Falls, up through Bend, and then over Mt. Hood to Portland. The road south of Bend has a couple of long, straight, flat, empty lengths for testing the motorcycle's (ahem) fortitude. I broke my glasses in Klamath Falls, but luckily the helmet pads held them in place the entire way home. (Note to blind self: take spare glasses everywhere!) I caught light rain and heavy traffic around Bend. The ride over Mt. Hood was spectacular, although on the way down I experienced some suspension play which I've decided was the rear shocks. By the time I hit Sandy, my hands were very cold, and my rear end had a definite ache; I was standing at every stoplight, and I could not wait to go home.Total mileage on the trip was 932 miles. I felt pretty good as I climbed on the motorcycle Wednesday morning, though I did pause for a moment of thanks that my destination was a local coffee shop and not another state. This will definitely be a challenging trip, but I am very much looking forward to it!
