by Road Captain
Today is Tuesday August 6, 2013: We are spending two days in Sturgis and have a little work to do. First things first – Jimmy and I have to get to the Victory store and check on parts for Josh’s bike (See August 5 here for details). That was a 35 mile ride from Sturgis to Rapid City but would give us a chance to motivate earlier than the rest of our crew. I was going for moral support as […]
Categories: Rides & Destinations, Sturgis, Sturgis 2013 • Tags: maps
Photo quality isn’t the best, but nonetheless this is a sweet ride in true SoCal form. Outside Full Throttle from Sturgis 2013
Categories: Amazing Bikes, Sturgis, Sturgis 2013
by Road Captain
After a great dinner at the Local in Jackson full of raw elk meat and Black Maple Hill Bourbon followed up by a few drinks at the Million Dollar Cowboy bar the 5 AM wakeup time was not welcomed by anyone. We had agreed to get on the bikes at 6 AM but when 6 AM came only three of the six of us were out by the bikes. Saddle time would be 6:45 today as we headed toward the […]
Categories: Rides & Destinations, Sturgis 2013, Trip Journals, Whiskey and Cigars
Our last evening was spent again in Vegas. We didn’t necessarily have this destination in mind during the trip nor were we certain we’d make it the 705 miles all the way down from Leadville, CO but we did. It was a welcomed stop as we’d been up at the crack of dawn, started the day out at 11,000 feet and 37 degrees and ended in the 90’s. We were worn out from the week and the day’s ride, but energized by […]
Categories: Sturgis 2013
I’ve had the fortunate pleasure of riding to exhaustion and once at that point to where my mind starts to wander about the finer things in life like high thread count Egyptian cotton sheets and plush pillows, I’ve had to find strength to push on to the destination. Nobody likes riding tired and it sure isn’t safe, but it happens and you’ve got to be prepared for it and its implications. I remember when I was a ripe 17 years of […]
Categories: Ride Preparation, Sturgis 2013, Trip Journals
by Road Captain
Today is Sunday 8/4/2013. We arrived Salt Lake City last night around 2 AM and had planned on saddling up around 9 AM today for our trip to Red Lodge. This would be 550 miles including some of the hardest miles on the trip – Yellowstone and Beartooth pass. And then there were 8: Two of my friends with whom I had rode last year met us at 9 AM for our ride. Salt Lake City natives Bert and Jamie […]
Categories: Performance & Repairs, Sturgis 2013, Trip Journals
by Road Captain
Last night I had a chance to see one of my all time favorite bands, Mötley Crüe play the full throttle saloon and they killed it. I anticipated a painful show with a haggard Vince Neil and some band members who couldn’t hold a candle to the original four who I saw at the Worcester Centrum in 1989 when they toured with Warrant. This was one of my fondest childhood memories – it was my first time seeing a hair […]
Categories: Letters from the Editors, Sturgis 2013, Videos: Riding & Event
by Road Captain
After a 300 mile ride that got us into Vegas around 2 AM, a few drinks,some food and more time than we needed at the blackjack tables, we would call it a night around 4:30 AM. Not bad for Vegas unless you have to be on the road early the next day. Sunrise came around and 3 of the 6 of us were awake. A few hours later the rest of us threw down some greasy breakfast sandwiches and guzzled […]
Categories: Sturgis 2013, Trip Journals • Tags: maps
Here I am 34,000 ft in the air rocking like I’m in one of those heart shaped motel beds you feed quarters to. I figure the accommodations that we may be staying at along our ride from LA to South Dakota will be similar. Frankly, if we are lucky this is what we’ll come upon in the early morning hours when our buddies who don’t ride that often anymore are bitching. Ha! Fully prepared over here to be sleeping in […]
Categories: Rides & Destinations, Sturgis 2013
by Road Captain
We left Malibu today at 7PM PST for our first leg to Sturgis. The first 100 of our 300 mile day was jam packed with traffic but still great to get on a bike in the 75 degree California sun. The comfortable climate wasn’t there to stay as we found out later. From the moment we pulled out of Malibu and passed through the canyons on the way to Rt 15 the scenery was spectacular. The ride to Vegas from […]
Categories: Rides & Destinations, Sturgis 2013
by Road Captain
As the snow piled up in a brutal New England winter, one late December morning greeted five friends with that email subject line: “The Trip of a Lifetime”! The note would go on to call out the crossroads of our lives where we all currently sit. Between ages 30 and 50, live, work, family etc all normally get the best of us. As a result, of the group, only one of us has been to Sturgis though we have all […]
Categories: Rides & Destinations, Sturgis 2013
by Road Captain
I’ve used a number of tools to plan rides in the past and some are better than others. The elements for a good ride planning application are: ability to upload images from mobile collaboration tools to receive contributions from other riders in my group check lists to keep track of packing items and destinations ability to import maps public and private switch. Some things I’ll share with the world and others should just be for my group to see potential […]
Categories: Ride Preparation, Riding Gear, Sturgis 2013
by Road Captain
Right now we are 13 days from Sturgis. I’ve been in touch with a lot of people I met along the road last year and look forward to riding a few miles with old friends. The bikes just arrived to LA where we will depart as a group toward Sturgis. Again, I would rather ride everywhere but part of the fun is going with your crew. Maps are done Major stuff is packed Only need to pack my clothes and […]
Categories: Sturgis 2013
by Road Captain
In 19 days I head out to the 2013 Sturgis Motorcycle Rally with five other buddies. We are taking an unconventional route (for East Coasters) as we’re starting in Malibu and heading to Sturgis from there. The route maps have been finalized (http://sprng.me/ihsh7) and I have even gone through the task of highlighting the routes on some Rand McNally paper maps. I prefer riding this way rather than using GPS as you can really see the big picture of the […]
Categories: Ride Preparation, Sturgis 2013
by Road Captain
7 months ago I put out a call to action for 5 of my closest riding compadres titled “A Trip of a Lifetime”. I would ask them to join me on a 10 day ride to Sturgis this year leaving August 2 and returning the following Sunday. Taking time off work is never easy nor is fund allocation for such a trip. To my surprise they all said they were in! It would happen – 6 of us would ride […]
Categories: Letters from the Editors, Ride Preparation, Sturgis 2013
Challenge Yourself - Compete Against the World!
Run with the force
A motorcycle journey
The Trooper invades America
Beantown Baggers