Alien VFR

Anyone??

I have an oem Honda top case & a baseplate that mounts to a Ken's solo rack. I sold my VFR and bought a ZX14 so I have this setup for sale in the clasifieds.

If it sells I'm going to buy a Bags-Connection Speedpack Wide for my ZX14. In the meantime, I'm wondering if the Honda case or mounting plate is compatible with any other brands or designs such as Givi, coocase etc.

Basically i want to know if there's a rack for the 14 that will accept the Honda equipment.

If I can make it work, I'll keep the case but the solo rack will still be for sale.

As of now, the whole kit can be purchased in the vfrd classifieds for $425 shipped conus. (hopefully that'll leave me just enough after shipping to pay for a Speedpack).

Link to ad:

http://www.vfrdiscussion.com/forum/index.php/classifieds/item/759-honda-top-case-kens-solo-rack/

By the way, if I'm off the mark on the price, offers are considered.

Hi gang,

Does anyone know where I can get the platic piece to cover the bolt from the grab rail? Also interested in colour matched plastic inserts to cover where the bolts go, in case I decide to remove the grab rails since I mainly ride solo and don't have luggage yet..

Pic attached for reference.

Thanks!

I ordered a replacement plastic cover from my local dealer for about $12.

Sixth gen all the way. I could go into the number of reasons why, but you should just take my word for it :)

If you really take your time with the prep work and you apply several very light coats along with some wet sanding and and clearcoat, you can actually get very decent results from rattle can paint jobs.

In my opinion, darker colors seem to come out better, and I think I'd skip the blue and orange options.

Yellow fifth gens are relatively rare. If the stock paint is in good shape, I'd seriously consider just leaving it, or trying to find another fifth gen owner who'd be up for swapping plastics with you.

Either way, good luck and be sure to post some pics of the results.

Great report! I really like the last pic of "back in sport mode" at the Hawks Nest.

Hawks Nest is a great spot. I like to hit the deli, grab a sandwich and head to the Nest and chill... ...until the cops roll up, lol.

Finish it off with some tastily placed gold decals and that'll look even more tits than it already does...

Very cool...

A buddy gave me this mount. It's got velcro on the platform, and a couple reticulating sections.

Anyone know what brand this is and where I can find more pieces to make it work? I'd like to have it come from the steering head; is that possible with what you see here?

I've always worked out of a tankbag, so this whole mount thing is new to me.

I'm thinking of using it for a small lightweight video camera and/or gps.

How would you mount it on your 6th gen VFR?

Nice trip, Bud. You experienced most of what nature offers and probably still have a smile when you reflect.

I sure do, smiling my way to my next adventure. April can't come soon enough!

I used this rack on my VFR for my cross country trip last year and it perfromed flawlessly. I just reinstalled it for my upcoming Florida trip in April. For those of you who might not have grab handles (like me), you can use simple bushings in place of the handles for a very solid mounting option; worked well for me.

Great product Ken. I hope you get enough interest for another production run.

Thanks for the write up and photos...I can tell by your writing style that you hope to get your narrative published. Any bites on it so far?

I actually haven't considered that at all. Do you think it's worthy?

Where and how would I even start the process?

Thank you for the vicarious enjoyment. That was a well written story with fabulous pictures.

I had to chuckle when I looked at the full sized photo of you standing in the tunnel with your pistol on your hip. There's a guy barely visible round the corner and behind you on the left who seems to have paused, thinking, "I don't want to disturb that guy." :biggrin:

Lol, yeah, people's reactions can be interesting when they see a guy with a gun. Even though open carry is legal in my home state of PA, I conceal 99% of the time to avoid the discomfort of others.

However I do open carry now and then just to be personally comfortable with the idea. And they say: "Exercise your rights or you'll lose them". So...

I just added many more pictures; definately better than the original ones I put up.

Thanks everyone. I truly loved the ride; without a doubt the best three weeks of my life.

Many more pictures at:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2055756&id=1536027782

My bike is titled and insured in my name. It's a complicated and boring tale of red tape, etc. Let's just focus on the joy of this trip; trust me, I have a sense of the risks every minute of every ride.

Additional info:

Dunlop Roadsmarts. Great tires. I was ready to swear off Dunlop until I tried these. I'm on my fourth set. One of my rear wheels has a Pirrelli Angel ST, and I don't think I like it as much as the Roadsmart. I've been getting over 7k miles out of a rear, and that's with the occasional wheelie and backroad shennanigans.

I used mobil 1 full synthetic. New oil and filter right before and right after the trip.

I got new front brake pads while in Colorado where I saw the VFR1200 in the flesh for the first time. Sweet.

I'm planning to ride to Florida in April to see the shuttle launch...

Back in May I took a trip through 17 states.

My vfr is my 15 or 16th motorcycle. And in most regards, it is my favorite. I bought it new in 2006 and have just under 50,000 miles on it now at the beginning of 2011. Most of my bikes were early to mid eighties japanese models such as KZ's, GPz's, a nighthawk, a shadow, etc. I also had a 1986 GSXR 750, a 1994 Duc 900ss and a 1999 TL1000R.

While I've hit or have been hit by 6 deer and rear ended by a drunk driver in a pickup truck, I've never really had a crash that was involved in rider error or because of my vision. I know, maybe I would've seen all those deer, right? Yes, maybe, but in ALL cases, I'm cruising along and they run from the bush full speed and smash into me, or run across my path and I impact them. ...whatever the case, thanks to ATGATT, surprising reaction time (an anomoly well known to partially sighted people), and the Grace of God, I'm still here, never even having broken a bone. I'm not cocky, just lucky, and blessed.

So while most of my riding has been local, a few years ago I towed my bike to Florida and cruised the state for one day shy of two months. Basically, I stayed with my cousins and took trips around the state.

I live in Pa, but grew up in Colorado. I love the outdoors and I am an avid camper, kayaker, skydiver, and hiker. But fundamentally, I'm a motorcyclist. My parents either couldn't afford, or more likely were too afraid to buy me a motorcycle when I was a kid. So I got my first job when I was about 15 with the explicit purpose of buying my own bike. That turned out to be a 1971 Honda CB350.

Since moving east as a kid, I've lusted to get back out west and see the place where I grew up. I've also always lusted for the adventure of a cross country motorcycle trip. And I always imagined doing it solo. I've tried to take a trip like this for the past several years, but you need a mere two things in order to do something like this: time & money. The two hardest things to aquire at the same time. Time is the most used noun in the english language for a reason. And money? Well, there's never really enough of that either.

So finally in the early winter of 2010, I knew I'd have the time and money in May of the same year. I downloaded "Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maint." onto my book reader, and started gathering the last few "big ticket" items I'd need for the trip, namely a decent lightweight tent,a top case & mounting bracket, a good all season mc jacket and a new set of tires. As far as most of the other gear goes, I've aquired it over the years from camping, shooting, motorcycling, etc. By May, I had 99% of the things I thought I needed. As far as the bike goes, I did an oil change, installed my double bubble windshield, Lobster's mirror extenders, Ken's solo rack, a set of 1 inch bar risers and 1 inch peg lowering blocks.

Two weeks prior to my planned departure date, I went camping in High Point, NJ with my dad. We go almost every year for the opening weekend of trout season, just like he did in the exact same place when he was a kid with his dad. So I figured that would be an ideal "trial run". I loaded the bike with everything I planned to take cross country and rode the 40 minutes to High Point. I went a night early, as I enjoy being alone, and wanted to get the feel for the whole adventure without someone looking over my shoulder. I arrived at camp around dusk, set up camp and had some dinner. It was cold, as you'd expect in early April at the highest point in the state of NJ. Oh, and then it poured with some lightning and thunder thrown in for good effect... But I stayed dry and warm.

So as I sat in my tent, I enjoyed a snack and continued to read Zen and the art of... I made it a point to only read a little bit of the book prior to the trip. But as I read, I had a hard time putting it down. Reading it really stoked the fire of my imagination as I prepared to leave on such an epic journey. By the time I left, I had read half the book, and the other half came with me. I continued to read the book in the occasional grimey motel room, and finished the book in one of the most remarkable places I've ever seen, but I digress; I'll get to that later.

So my dad shows up at High Point the next day, we enjoyed our traditions (spaghetti & Progresso clam sauce on Friday night, no matter what), caught some trout, and had a great weekend together as usual. These are the days I'll truly never forget. The bike handled fine with all that gear, and based on what I learned from a couple hours and a couple days, I made minor adjustments, but was ready for the real thing.

Two weeks later, I have my finances figured out, the bike is packed up and I'm excited and terrified to actually take that first turn, travel that first mile, and ride into that first sunset. Oh man, here we go.....

Now remember, no license, though my bike is registered and insured in my name. Don't ask how I managed that. Oh, also, for the first time in my life, I actually got an inspection sticker! I've been pulled over in the past, busted for no license, speeding, etc, but not once has a cop ever bothered to ticket me for not having an inspection sticker. But taking as much risk out of the equation, shy of just staying home, I did everything I could to look and behave in a legal manner while far from home.

It's Monday morning and I'm supposed to leave. But damn am I tired, and I'm sure there was another reason that I can't pinpoint in my head, but I stayed home. Tuesday morning: Ok, here we go, for real.

So I go, having said goodbye to my family and friends, receiving a token of my mothers care a few days prior: a small visor clip with an angel. It belonged to her mother. She asked me to take it with me, hoping it would keep me safe. Here I am, telling this tale, so it I guess it worked.

I headed out of my driveway on a beautiful sunny morning wearing a Fieldsheer mc jacket with armor, a rain liner, as well as a down liner. On my head an HJC Symax modular helmet with a tinted visor, an internal tinted visor and a pair of sunglasses. Sounds like overkill right? Well, the way I see the world, that's usually the best combination for me. Once I reached the open desert, with the sun blaring down, it was downright perfect.

A nice pair of Fieldsheer leather gauntlet gloves on my hands, my hands on the bars I headed away from home feeling very confident and looking forward to breakfast that was about an hour and a half away in Wilkes-Barre, Pa at a Denny's where I met up with my buddy Luke. We enjoyed a good breakfast, and he wished me luck as he took a picture of me in the parking lot. Uh oh, what's that? Drizzle; great.

So I gear up and throw on my River Road rain gear. Let me say this: AWESOME for $60. I hit a LOT of rain on the first half of this trip, from the first day and this gear kept me 99.999 percent dry. It even fit well over my jacket and Joe Rocket armored riding pants. Along with a neck wrap and Timberland boots, I never got wet, even in the torrential rain at highway speeds in Ok and Tx.

Anyway, I say farewell to Luke, belly full and excited to reach my destination for the day. A small town in Virginia who's name eludes me at this moment. A lovely girl awaits me; an old friend named Devon who moved to virginia a year or two earlier. We've stayed friends and she welcomed me into her home for a hot meal, a hot shower and a warm bed to sleep in. No hanky panky here, it's not that kind of story. The puppies and kittens were adorable though! It rained the entire ride from Pa to Va. By the time I reached Devon's apartment, I was used up. I was tired and hungry, but so happy that regardless of the weather, poor visibility and erratic drivers, I successfully made it through my first day, as I was confident I would.

The next morning, I enjoyed catching up with Devon over a pancake breakfast and began to gear up. Dry clothes and damp gear on, I walked outside into a bright, hot & very humid virginia morning. So far, my trip has been all interstate highway. Not being in a hurry, I took a few rural routes away from Devon's house. After enjoying the serenity of the hills and farmlands, I again found myself on the highway, headed south with no real direction otherwise. David Byrne sang it best; "I'm not lost, but I don't know where I am". That said it all for me. I-81 south lead me into Tn and I-40 West. What a beautiful ride through those Tennessee mountains. The weather was just perfect and I was now truly enjoying this adventure the way I imagined I would. Far from home, far from help, far from family and friends, far from everything I know. Except I was closest to the things I truly know best; myself, my relationship with God, and my motorcycle. And right now, I was one with all these things.

I can't believe the feeling. The risk, the adventure, and somehow, the inner peace I felt with it all. It's like how certain things taste delicious when they're both salty and sweet at the same time. That's the flavor of this endeavor for me.

So I continued on, stopping for fuel and food when necessary, but otherwise making the miles as best I could. Everything I see is new to me, and yet I can't wait to get to that next mile marker to see more. I took it all in; I remember every mile. I notice the changes. The changes from state to state, day to day. The change in weather, the change in flora and fauna, the change in local cuisine, the police cars, and the changes within myself. Never have I felt more confident, less obstructed, more at ease and less afraid in my whole life. So I rode on.

Interstate miles, miles, miles, miles. Wow, I passed through a timezone back there somewhere; more change. Stopping for fuel, I take a picture of the gas pump, EVERY SINGLE TIME. Guess how many gallons I used? Guess how much it cost? Later, I promise. The VFR is as comfortable on the highway as it is on a twisty back road. Chicken strips are for dinner, not tires. I know how to ride, my tires aren't hungry for chicken strips and neither am I. My Lord, this bike is incredible. Even loaded down with more gear than I needed, it's simply flawless, every day.

So as I head to a rest stop for a snack, a short rest and a look at the GPS I'm not sure what state I'm in at this point. Let's see, ok, it's Arkansas. I've stayed in a couple cheap motels so far. Acually, the cheapest I could find. I've got nobody to impress, and I'm not picky. I just want to get out west so I can camp for days on end. Alone, all alone. In the months ramping up to this trip, I talked about it a lot with my friends. A couple of my mc buddies expressed an interest in joining me, and to tell the truth they would've been more than welcome. But through the conversations, knew it was all talk... I know what it took for me to finally be able to do something like this, and I knew I'd be going alone. Truth again: Solo is how I prefered it to be. Being alone has but one drawback; no buddy system. Otherwise, I can go where I want, when I want and how I want.

Earplugs. Couldn't live without them. Especially on the highway. Speakers in my helmet, some fancy homemade wiring that integrated my GPS, XM Radio and iPhone so I could hear it all and I'm still cruising. Wow, what's with all the rain? Mexican food in Arkansas; frickin' amazing.

Through Oklahoma I hit the worst rain of the trip. I pulled into a gas station and an employee asked how my ride was going considering the weather. I made some gung ho remark and he told me that a Love's gas station a few hrs in the direction I had just come from was hit by a tornado. I began to wonder if it might be a station I visited earlier in the day. I looked at the sky and sort of hoped to see a tornado. Then a slight wave of fear flowed through me as I realized that was actually quite possible! But you know what I got in the end? A lot of wind and rain. Just miserable, non stop, terrible, non stop, horrible, non stop rain. I crossed into Texas around 7pm and literally yelled inside my helmet with excitement. I'm not sure why, but I guess there's just something special about that state. Oh my God, the rain. So whilte it would've been light for another hour or so, I'd avoided riding in the dark so far, and didn't want to start now, in the torrential rain. And with the clouds so thick it was almost dark already. And here I am, in the middle of nowhere, wondering where the next town is, the next motel, the next shower, the next meal. Wow, we sure do get used to the comforts don't we...

So I get off the next exit and find a motel. Probably the nicest one of the 7 or eight I stayed in on this trip. The nice lady at the desk, seeing my wet, ragged condition even gave me a special room with a nook outside my door that kept it out of the rain; very nice.

Terrible Pizza.

Onward, the next day I ride through north Texas, nothing much to see as I'm sure many of you know. And then as soon as you cross into New Mexico, things take a noticable change. The landscape. It started to grow and fall away all at the same time. And it was beautiful. I Had been dying to get out west and see, just.....see. The world went from an infinate two dimensional plain and started to take shape. At some point I hooked up with a few metric cruiser guys. They all looked to be of retirement age, or close to it. After a couple hours of riding through beautiful New Mexico, I followed them off the highway and to the gas station. We made introductions, and they welcomed me to continue riding with them, which I did for the remainder of the day. They were riding to California to join a POW/MIA ride back across the country to D.C. Great guys, noble mission. I enjoyed riding with them, as I took up the back of the pack. At a gas stop we said our goodbye's, but continued to ride together until the cruiser guys had to stop for gas (again). With their smaller tanks and probably less fuel efficient machines they stopped and with a wave. Getting at least 200 miles per tank, I rode on to find my food and bed for the night. Let me say now that I WILL return to Albequerque to check it out. Riding through it was really a cool memory, and I feel like I'd like to explore that area someday.

Petrified Forest National Park is another place I'd really like to explore more too. I arrived late in the day and was only able to ride through around sunset. The low sun made for wonderfully colored rock vistas. Time to find a room, it's dark now.

I rode out of New Mexico and into Arizona. Another one of the coolest places I've ever seen. Meteor Crater. I've wanted to see this ever since I was a kid. Astronomy, geology, science in general have fascinated me, and this was to be one of the highlights of my trip. I spent a few hours here, took the rim tour (that still sounds dirty to me somehow), grabbed a few souvineirs and headed north. Grand Canyon, here I come.

Ok, so what can I say about this place that hasn't been said before? It's incredible, that pretty much covers it. I stayed here for about ten days, camping and hiking. So far, the trip was pretty care free. I just meandered my way south then west and here I am standing next to this earthbound heavenly geologic sight, as the sun eases its way to the horizon, creating the most vivid colors on the stone of the canyon, I can say this is truly a pivotal moment in my life. So I'm new here, and I have to look for a campsite before it gets dark. After some running around I find a site at TenX campground for $10 a night. An older couple who ran the campsite were quite pleasant and very generous. They even offered me a sleeping mat. The campsite was beautiful, well maintained and clean. The colors, smells, the air... It was all so beautiful. 29 degrees, a mountain lion outside my tent and a pistol at my side; ah, that was my first night in a tent on this trip. Amazing. These are the things I couldn't have imagined, and this is why I came here, although I didn't know it until I arrived. ...Arrived by motorbike that is...

Every night at camp I read more. I finished "Zen" a little confused and wanting more. I hate when a good book comes to an end, because much as I enjoyed it, it truly is over.

My girlfriend, she doesn't get it. Most people don't get it. My dad bought a racecar when I was a baby, so I like to think he gets it somehow. Motorcycles invoke a passion in those people who get it. I get it. Oh do I get it. I read it, I fix it, I study the physics of it, especially in my head while RIDING IT. Riding it. Working on it, looking at it, talking about it; that's all great. But nothing compares to riding it.

And I rode it here. And there. I want to ride it everywhere, all the time. I wish it was my job. What it is, is my passion. ...And I'm not even supposed to be doing it.

Breakfast. My white gas powered Dragonfly stove makes oatmeal & tea in minutes. Delicious.

Hiking the trails, cruising around, truly enjoying everything about this place. The people, everyone from the park rangers to the tourists, and even the lone motorcyclist from Canada were all wonderful. The only thing lacking, and maybe I didn't look around good enough, was good food. I did a lot of cooking at camp, but I really enjoy eating out, and especially abroad where new flavors and dining experiences can be relished (haha, get it?). The local diner was EXPENSIVE, which you'd expect, but the food was mediocre at best. The steakhouse was also pricey and the food was decent, but what I really wanted was some authentic food to go with such an exquisite location. Oh well, the food I cooked at camp was always delicious, and you couldn't beat the atmosphere.

Dinner. I grabbed a fully cooked rotisserie chicken, some gravy and veggies from the grocery store, brought it back to camp and cooked it up in a pan over the stove. That was awesome.

After about nine or ten days at TenX Campground, I finally decided to move on from the Grand Canyon's South Rim. Part of me didn't want to, I think because I know that from here I'd head north, but eventually back east. I felt somewhat somber as I said goodbye to the Grand Canyon, and thanked God for the opportunity to see it, live there if only for a moment, and also for the strength and resources to continue on.

So I continued north. Utah. I want it. I've seen pictures, heard stories and had an intrinsic desire to get there. And boy was it worth the journey. And the journey was trechorous. Through northern Arizona and southern Utah I experienced.....experiences. Experiences I couldn't have imagined the feeling of without feeling it. Low on gas, haven't seen a gas station for a long time. Finally feeling alone because I haven't seen another vehicle in a while either. I wasn't scared per se, but it did invoke a feeling of trepidation being that far away from pretty much anything and anyone. I felt so remote that if anything happened, it could only be bad. A place where nothing exists is a place you want to get out of. But being there, feeling somewhat vulnerable also invoked a feeling of empowerment. As I reveled in these thoughts and looking at my fuel gauge every mile or two, I began pulling in the clutch and coasting down hills because you never know if saving that little amount of fuel is the difference between pulling into a gas station under the bike's power or mine. Finally I see a crossroads, and through the crisp desert air I see a gas station. I really hope that place is open! ...and of course it is, and I wasn't exactly on fumes yet anyway. But I was getting close.

Well now that I'm not feeling anxious about my fuel level, I figure I can cruise along easily for the rest of the day... And I did. After nine or ten nights in a tent, tonight feels like a motel night. I'm in Utah now, and so far I haven't seen anything that blows my mind, but the tacos from the taco truck sure hit the spot.

Wake up and go, breakfast was probably a nature valley granola bar and some water. Today I go to Arches National Park. Oh yeah baby, that's a place I really wanted to see. The morning ride was pleasant and hassle free, but mid day the wind whipped up. It whipped up alright. It whipped up to be the strongest winds I've ever felt in my entire life. And of course I'm aboard a VFR with a top case and saddle bags. Awesome. Oh, and the winde was perfectly sheer, blowing at a perfect perpendicular angle from my left. Awesome. It truly was. The sand actually changed the color of my motorcycle. When I got home and put the rear seat cowl on, the paint no longer matches! The wind blew the sand insessantly, all day. I stopped for lunch and even the locals remarked on how severe the winds were. I felt more and more confident every day, with every new challenge I faced. I remember thinking to not get cocky, to not take risks, but I knew I was beating these challenges with relative ease. It's just despite my flaws, I was made for this. If not for my poor vision, I would've likely had a military career. The adventure, the risk, the challenge, the reward... Well, that was never going to happen, but this trip? This trip was happening right now, and I was all about it.

So I rode on, and for the first time in the whole journey, I made a navigation error and missed an important turn. And I didn't realize it until almost an hour and a half later. So I missed the road that would've taken me through Monument Valley. I was very disappointed, but to stay on schedule, I couldn't back track. So I took a different road north that still provided a fantastic view, but the whole time I was wondering what I was missing in Monument Valley. Sounds like an excuse for another trip, does it not??

I rode through Moab, enjoyed the sights and dined on a sub-par oriental buffet as I looked at the map. After lunch I headed into Arches. Beautiful of course. I knew there were a couple campgrounds in the area, but I headed to Devils Garden. Guess what? These campsites are booked a year in advance! Wow, this must be quite a place to camp. ...and I'm screwed because I didn't know it was in such high demand! ...or am I? I found the campground manager and voila, I've got a site! It turns out that a group campsite was available due to a cancellation and they were letting walk-ins camp on it. Unbelievable luck! And it was a true blessing. This place is just alien to me. There are three colors: the sky, the red dirt & rock, and the exquisite green of the plant life. I absolutely loved it. But the wind! After hiking some of the trails and seeing some arches, It's evening now, and the wind is STILL blowing angrily strong. I had to wear a bandana over my face the whole time, otherwise I was chewing sand.

There were five or six other parties camping on this group site. A father and son on VStrom motorcycles along with a couple of their friends in a car had set up camp. I overheard the father going on about what a tough guy he is. He reminded me of Paul Sr. from American Chopper. But once a light rain was added to the slashing winds, he changed his tune and soon enough I heard them packing up camp, talking about restaurants and making reservations at a hotel. I sighed to myself and thought there's no way I could walk away from this place, even if the ground split open. It was just that beautiful.

As the wind tore through everything, I found a little spot between some trees and butted up against a giant rock wall. I set up my tent in there and after heating up some Dinty Moore beef stew, I settled into my tent with my ereader and read myself to sleep. I was so worried the wind would knock the bike over in the night. I don't remember falling asleep, but I must've been exhausted to sleep through what felt like 20 banshees trying to tear their way into my tent.

The following morning was chilly, but the wind had died down some. Not completely, but it was much less oppressive now. I took another short hike after an oatmeal breakfast. The bike was packed and ready to go, so after lubing the chain I headed out of Devils Garden; one of the most beautiful places I've ever seen. I would've liked to stay longer, but the the wind truly was a drag.

So off I go. Headed towards Colorado now. This state has huge sentimental value to me. My family moved here from NJ when I was a baby. It's where I grew up, and even as a kid I never took the beauty for granted. My friend from several years ago lives in Colorado Springs now. That's where I grew up, what luck! Bernie allowed me to stay with her for a few days, took me out for a couple fantastic meals and gave me the opportunity to save a few bucks while I visited some childhood memories like the Royal Gorge, Pike's Peak, Cave of the Winds and Garden of the Gods. It felt great to see these places again, but they also invoked a sadness within me. I had thoughts of what could've been if we'd never moved back east.

Bernadette bought me breakfast, and she headed to work as I headed north towards Denver, and eventually east on I-70. That's it, I'm officially headed toward home now.

The mountains in my mirrors, heading across the plains, the land goes 2D again. Things are so flat and wide it's like the TRON landscape.

While sitting in my motel room, looking at dates and locations I realize I'll be heading through Indianapolis the same day as the Indy 500. A quick search on the iPhone, a quick phone call to the ticket office and $70 later, I've got my ticket! Being at this event was almost as amazing as standing at the Grand Canyon. Half a million people, F-16's, and Indy cars whipping around faster than the Utah winds made for an incredible day. It was so hot though, and riding ATGATT through the traffic was an excersize in endurance for sure, but what an experience. I had some pretty good ribs at King Ribs and headed out of Indy.

Frome here I pretty much just hauled ass towards Pa. Other than seeing the Arch in St Louis, there really wasn't anything else remarkable. Back to the east coast where it's just hills and trees.

I stopped in Harrisburg to see my best friend from high school. He was just moving into town from NYC. While tinkering on his bike and mine I discovered the only flaw in the whole trip; a burned out high beam. Now that I'm only a couple hundred miles from home, and having almost 6000 miles behind me, it really struck me what a great machine Honda created in the VFR. It really is the greatest all around streetbike. Everything from header-grinding cornering to cross-country meandering, this bike is truly capable and rock solid reliable. I look forward to many more miles...

The next afternoon I head out for the final few hours of this personal achievement. I got home around 5pm and was greeted by my sister and her kids. I've missed them, and I already miss being on the road. I've gained so much from this experience, and I can't wait to learn again. Hyper from the trip and happy to be home, I immediately started tearing down the bike. I unpacked my gear, threw my 8 spoke rear back on, installed my loud-as-hell open pipes, my short windscreen, removed the fender and applied the seat cowl. Half an hour later, the bike was in full sport mode, ready for the summer...

I lifted the tank to clean the K&N filter. Guess what I found?? Two full handfulls of leaves and accorns. Unbelievable! This debri covered the entire filter but for a couple square inches. I took the WHOLE trip with that in there! I had the bike outside for a few weeks prior to the trip and I guess some rodent found a home. Who Knew? I bet my gas mileage would've been a lot better had I known!

Well now I feel like it's time to go back to touring mode. Maybe a trip to Florida to see a shuttle launch in April... Yeah, that'll do, let me go make some camp reservations at Manatee Hammock campsite...

Trip Numbers:

21 days

17 states

5652 miles

Longest day: 740 miles

Second longest day: 460 miles

37 fuel stops

128.544 gallons (reg)

Average: 44 mpg

Fuel cost: $357.33

Many more pictures at:

http://www.facebook....6&id=1536027782

High Point, NJ

My Dad

Catching some trout from the kayak

Nice.

Leaving town, here we go!

Delicious mexican food in Arkansas

Petrified Forest National Park

Meteor Crater

From the visitor center at Meteor Crater

Grand Canyon

Grand Canyon

Grand Canyon

Camp at TenX Campground

Breakfast

Water boils in about four minutes

Peach oatmeal and tea

Grand Canyon

Grand Canyon

My toes

Oh, and the Grand Canyon

Grand Canyon

This guy almost became lunch. Luckily I had a sandwich

Grand Canyon

Grand Canyon

Grand Canyon

Camp

Camp

Leaving the Grand Canyon

This place and those people

From this:

To this. Sandstorm!

The wind made me do it

In motion

Excellent

Taco trucks rule

Devils Garden, UT

Devils Garden, UT

Devils Garden, UT

Devils Garden, UT

Devils Garden, UT

Devils Garden, UT

Devils Garden, UT

Devils Garden, UT

Devils Garden, UT

Devils Garden, UT

Devils Garden, UT

Devils Garden, UT

Cozy

Colorado

Highest suspension bridge in the world at Royal Gorge. 1500 feet high

Royal Gorge

Royal Gorge

Royal Gorge

Royal Gorge

Colorado

Colorado

Garden of the Gods, Colorado

Cave of the Winds

Cave of the Winds

Goodbye Rockies

Colorado

Thanks for everything Bernie!

Not the same as the arches in Utah!

Indy

The best

Infield mc parking, Indy

The only pretty thing in Kansas; the sunrise

Back to sport mode

Additional info:

Dunlop Roadsmarts. Great tires. I was ready to swear off Dunlop until I tried these. I'm on my fourth set. One of my rear wheels has a Pirrelli Angel ST, and I don't think I like it as much as the Roadsmart. I've been getting over 7k miles out of a rear, and that's with the occasional wheelie and backroad shennanigans.

I used mobil 1 full synthetic. New oil and filter right before and right after the trip.

I got new front brake pads while in Colorado where I saw the VFR1200 in the flesh for the first time. Sweet.

I carried a Springfield Armory XD 9mm compact pistol with me. I'm a good shot, am well trained and disciplined with firearms. I was aware of all state and local laws. Of the 17 states I traveled through, I believe only 3 didn't recognize my PA ccw permit. In those states I simply disarmed the pistol per state law. In Arizona I did excercise my right to open carry while on the trails, mostly due to my light attire. I otherwise carried concealed.

I'm planning to ride to Florida in April to see the shuttle launch. Check my other post for trip planning.

Add some more black to the bike, like a bra, or on the lower fairing as seen in my avatar, and I think the black fender would look pretty good.

I'm on my fifth set of Roadsmarts. I was about to swear off Dunlops until I tried these tires. They wear great, and I get great mileage out of them. I just returned from a six thousand mile cross country trip (ride report coming soon), and these tires performed beautifully. They stick enough to drag my header pipe while cornering, and wear long enough that I'll use them on my next cross country trip. They're relatively inexpensive, and well worth the money in my opinion.

I've heard of duct tape being called Kentucky Chrome, but never heard of Redneck Rubber! (And his parents should've used a redneck rubber to prevent his conception)

I have found that Simple Green works well also.

While simple green is a great cleaner, it will DESTROY certain materials, like the gaskets in your chain. Ask me how I know...

Isn't the feeling of brand new tires just borderline orgasmic or what?!?

Black rads are the way to go.

Great write-up and nice pictures. I'll be hitting the road soon, so this was very motivational for me...