Midrsv

Here are a few more photo links. We're back in Willow Springs, MO and we should make it home tomorrow. It's been an OK trip, far from the best that we've taken. The weather in Colorado was not great. If it wasn't raining it was very cloudy. Taos was very disappointing and we probably won't be going back there in the future. Dennis http://www.traynorphoto.com/taos

Yes, we did ride up to the Red River area. It was a bit cooler. Just arrived in Durango. Dennis

We left home last Monday for Taos, NM. We arrived on Wed after riding through the blast furnace in southwest Kansas and the Oklahoma panhandle. We spent the last few days riding around the area. They've been good days but sure wish it had been a bit cooler. Bandelier National Monument near Los Alamos was worth the ride. Tomorrow we head to Durango and then on to Montrose and Colorado Springs. If you're interested in pictures they are at: http://www.traynorphoto.com/taos Dennis

No, just the nature of the design. Not enough air and you will run rich. I've been riding in NM this week at 6,000 to 9,500 feet and I can tell a difference with a fuel injected Goldwing. We have a Tour Deluxe and and Honda Magna in our group with carbs and they are struggling too. Dennis

Our return route isn't fully set yet. I'm just showing that to get a mileage estimate. We were just looking for the most direct route out and back that keeps us off the interstates. We've been across the country on I-40, I-70, I-80 and I-90. I'm sure there are other secondary routes we could take but they would take us out of our way but we may vary that a bit. A lot will be dependent on how tired we are toward the end of the trip. For us the trip really starts around Pratt, KS and ends with Dodge City, KS. The rest of the mileage is just the commute to get to and from the fun stuff. Once we leave Colorado Springs we've allowed 3 days to get home. We normally would do it in 2 buy my wife will be riding the whole way this trip so we'll take it a little easier. Her and the other ladies usually fly out to the fun areas. Dennis

Puc, you want to see photos? Go here for photos from previous trips.... http://www.traynorphoto.com/3.html

We didn't get to take a big trip last year due to some family health issues. But we're back on track this year. We leave tomorrow morning with 2 other couples and 3 single guys, total of 5 bikes and one car and we're headed west from KY to Taos, NM. About a 12 day trip. Attached is our approximate route. If you see three Goldwings, a Tour Deluxe and Honda Magna along the route give us a wave. Dennis

If it were mine, I would replace it since you've had most of the work done anyway to pull it off for patching. Dennis

Gary it will get better, I felt the same as you at 3 weeks post surgery. It seemed that at about 6 weeks the corner turned and I felt I was going to really improve. After about 3 months I had nearly full range of motion. The knee is great now. Still feels a bit different than the other one but no pain. I won't hesitate to do the other one when the time comes. Do the PT. Good Luck, Dennis

Congratulations Steve. You'll love it. I think the RSV is still a more comfortable interstate cruiser. However, you can't beat the handling and performance of the GW. You'll love the torque of the engine. You rarely have to shift. Dennis

Mine is the Drift HD. Thanks the heads up on the power cord issue. Dennis

I just received a new Drift HD camera to use on my upcoming trip west. I bought a RAM suction cup mount to mount it on the front of the GW fairing hoping to minimize vibrations. Here is a link to a short video I shot a few miles from my house. First I mounted the camera on the front facing forward. Made a couple of passes that way. Then I moved it to the side of the saddle bag facing rear. The tie strap I had on the mount as a safety measure seemed to get in the way on that run. I'll remember that in the future. The camera has a near fish-eye lens so it is very susceptible lens flare. Also, I found after I finished this that there was a big smudge on the lens which made this video soft. Another lesson learned. Clean the lens before starting. Anyway, here's a 10 minute or so video. I had to replace the audio with music because the wind noise was terrible. I've got an external mic that I'll be using as soon as a get the appropriate adapter. I'm going to use the camera on a trip to Taos, NM and up through Durango, Telluride and Montrose. http://www.traynorphoto.com/palisades.mp4 Dennis

Film, what's that? I've got Omega color enlarger in my darkroom along with all of the other stuff collecting dust. Probably hasn't been used in 15 years. B&W was a lot of fun at the time. Dennis

Wow, that was quite an adventure. I've got a cross country trip coming up and your post makes me quiver. The most trouble we've encountered on the road was a flat rear tire. Dennis

I just changed my tires yesterday using the "lay down" method for the rear. Very easy. Far easier than the RSV. I do place a 1x6 plank under each crash bar to assure that the bags don't touch the pavement. I always have someone help me lay it over so that we can let it come to rest gently. I can put it back on the side stand by myself. The front it easy too. Just put it on the center stand and place a jack under the front to get the front tire off the ground. Dennis

I'll second the vote for Tyre. It's far easier to use and read from the Garmin as well as write to it. Dennis

You'll love the Magna. I ride with a friend who rides a '94 Magna with about 110,000 miles on it. He's 78 and plans to ride it to NM with us next month. It just keeps purring. Good luck with yours. Dennis

55, I'll take your word for it. I lost count long ago. Dennis

I don't think the extra TV would cause your speed problem. I've got splitters all over the house with 6 TVs all connected to cable along with my cable modem. I've had speed issues before and the cable guy came in a replaced all of my splitters which didn't help the problem. It was fixed when they found a bad part in a distribution box a couple of blocks away. They should be able to check the signal strength at the modem work back from there. Dennis

Barry, give it time and you will find comfort on the wing. I too went from an RSV to a GW. When it was time to replace the RSV I just couldn't see buying another new bike with a 15 year old design. The RSV had better comfort due to the peg position. That can be mostly cured with some good highway pegs. The drivetrain performance and handling are far superior on the GW. Once you get used to the button placement everything is intuitive. It took me a while to get used to it but now 500 mile days are no problem. Enjoy it. Dennis

As others have said, have a good rain suit and good tires. And while I am off the bike putting on my rain suit I pick a terry cloth towel out of the bag and place it between my legs when I get back on. Since I don't have the luxury of looking over the windshield I use the towel as needed to wipe the top of the windshield clean. I also use it to wipe the backside of the windshield as water marches over the top. Use it on my face shield also. I also prefer a steady rain to a drizzle because it clears the windshield at a decent speed. If traveling on the interstates I will not stop on the side of the road or under an overpass. I'll ride in the rain until I can get off at an exit to put on my rain gear. I've heard of too many fatalities from people stopping. Dennis

Eck, what I found on my tubes were that the tire was in great shape but there is a washer under the rim at the base of the valve stem and that washer had rusted. The rust was abrasive and wore a hole in the tube at the stem base. Yep, retirement is great. We're at our Florida place now. Dennis

Eck, be sure to replace the tubes as well. I had a tube failure around the stem in the middle of Montana. Glad I carried a spare tube. Dennis

That's going to be a long day. Ride safe Eck. Dennis

While is Florida in January one of the TV stations did an investigative piece on the the red light cameras. The cameras are set up and run by a contractor and many of the lights have the yellow cycle too fast. Some as much as half of national standard. The mayors of several of the towns wouldn't talk about them because they had directed the contractor to reduce the yellow cycle. If you lose a second or so you can't clear an intersection on yellow. Dennis