Wednesday, August 25, 2021

Ol' Blue Ride-Along 2021/08/22

Sunday I was out for a nice loop and decided to record roughly 25 minutes (12.4 miles) of up and down Wisconsin back roads.




Sunday, August 22, 2021

BUG FEN

 That's right, exactly as you see it.

I just had to share this incredible project build that friend Mike w/friends pursued and followed through on, darned impressive work these very talented fellows accomplished.

BUG FEN.......the Story


 


Sunday, August 15, 2021

Two Perfect Loops - 2021/08/14

Home from Michigan Friday afternoon, the original plans for the rest of the weekend sort of fell through.  Perfect weather and temperatures, it was only natural to get out on the bike for some late summer miles, my adjustment to the schedule.  Not all that early Saturday morning, I was anxious to take the Elite 250 out for a ride. A couple of weeks ago I rode it into Red Wing and all went well but on the way home, something was going wrong.  The short story, somehow the airbox had come loose, the throttle cable clamp was loose and when I tried to fasten the plenum back on to the carburetor mouth, things just weren't lining up.  Old hard plastic, apparently a bit deformed just wasn't going back into place.  Cable clamp adjusted and tightened but I finally gave up trying to get the air passages back where they belonged.

Taking a better look, there was room for some other filter and a very cheap foam version was found online for a 48mm carb intake.  With no real air filter oil, I just used some straight 30w that I used to run in the tractor.  If I'd been thinking, the Bar Oil would have been a better choice but apparently I wasn't thinking.  So a too short test ride out the driveway was successful, the scooter running at full strength.

Starting out Saturday on the Elite for my Wisconsin loop things soon went awry.  The scooter ran fine on straight petrol, it ran very poorly on straight 30w.  Off and on, on and off, I limped back home.  Any time there was an extra load, the bike would quickly stall out and most of the time keep running.  Most of the time.

I got home and swapped out the Elite for its bigger no-clutch brother, the 400 Auto and that fine machine ran like a top.

The Red loop Saturday on the Honda and the Green loop Sunday on the Morphous.



Bridge painting on the Wabasha-Nelson Bridge...


Along the river in Durand....

 
I know that it must be hard to believe but I've never been here before.

Twisted Sisters Bar.....I didn't stop


Five-Mile Bluff Prairie.....

Guess who I met on a Springfield Blue 2014 Indian this morning??

The Elite has been fiddled with and is now super tuned and race ready!  I plan to share its many strong attributes with the guys at the Hiawatha BMW Rally in September.

Friday, August 13, 2021

Wisconsin 64 - 2021/08/13

A very last minute couple of vacation days, even more last minute riding details that quickly fell into place.  There was not A Need For Speed, but A Need To Go....get some miles on, no real destination but I did have a direction in mind.  I just haven't spent enough time in northeast Wisconsin.  So when everything was put on the scale, a two motel night trip took shape.  Tuesday evening at the last minute, two motel reservations were made to absolutely lock in a place to stay.  Rates and availability have been at premium levels and even though a bit expensive, it seemed prudent to avoid mid-afternoon ride stops to lock something in and I'm glad that I did.

Back in 2010 (it can't possibly be 11 years ago) a 'Coffee' was called, the decision by some of my Chicago area riding partners to meet on Washington Island for a nice hot cup.  I rode the Helix the entire width of Wisconsin, from the Minnesota border to Lake Michigan on State Hwy 54.  Since that time, I've been thinking that a ride doing the same thing, only longer at almost the widest part of the state on State Hwy 64 would be fun.

It was.

Wednesday morning my planned 7am ride was calmly put off (I had a reservation) until 8:30 due to very heavy fog, the air so thick it was almost raining.  The forecast and radar both agreed that I'd be behind any weather that was working its way across the state.


I was tempted to cheat a bit and cut off the first 60-70 miles and work my way northeast, a headstart to #64 but knew that I'd kick myself if I didn't do the right thing and instead go northwest right to the origin.


 

 
228 miles to the other side of the state...

It was like this off and on until mid-morning.

 Cornell....the Guzzi has been here before, so has my Trangia 27....

 


And then I was getting too close...




I stopped in Medford at Rocky's Cozy Cafe to enjoy a L O N G lunch....

I normally deal with these a lot faster....

I stopped in Merrill for gas, it was looking better right there but not as nice off to the southeast.




With only a tiny bit of sleuthing, some Internet and some 'Earth, I managed to ride right to one of our friends' place.  He has been sorely missed at rallies this year due to a recently suffered stroke, that stroke only a short time after picking up a brand new Indian Chief, one of a dozen or so that he kindly showed to me in his shop.  The Vespa was out in the yard....ready for another local ride, local rides he still has confidence in.

It was really great to see you again Mr. R, heal well and fast!

I spent the night in Marinette, crossed into Michigan to take a few photos of Green Bay from the U.P.


Made it, "64 END"

Thursday morning it was full bore U.P.  Stopped at Johnson Landing on Michigan #35, the park road using the old highway bridge, Door County Wisconsin across Green Bay in the distance.



Looks like the men that built it...1911?

 
Au Train....

Lake Superior...


Marquette, Michigan....



On my way to Houghton...



No way could I just ride past this!!


One plum didn't make it to photo time...

 
Houghton, Michigan....I decided not to visit Copper Harbor....this time.

One of the backpackers I follow only recently returned from Isle Royale.  She made her trip from Houghton on the Ranger III.  This boat needed to be bigger than the Mail Boat that I sailed on from Grand Portage.


Lunch time in Houghton, these guys from the Youngstown, OH area.  I shared Larry's story with the guy riding the Indian.

The city park in Ontonagon, I'd really like to return to this place.


All the further the plum made it on Thursday...



On to Porcupine Mountain State Park...

On to Wakefield, then west to Ironwood where I spent the night.






South to Minocqua, then a turn west on State 70 ....

I didn't but I could have....









I'm really enjoying most everything about this GPS unit, one nice feature is the mention of what I'll call side notes.  Hidden in the trees, even when  knew it was there I rode past it and never would have seen it had the label hadn't been on the screen.



Another one....

 
876.2....a very significant mileage number.  Just after I'd passed through Winter, I noticed a field of corn, a grain dryer, bins...It had been a day and many  miles since I'd seen serious crop land.  Timber and more timber is the crop of choice in the areas I'd ridden through.  Beside the other farm machinery, one of the big roller implements that makes a field perfectly flat to maximize soybean yields and that's when I saw it......


A deer crossing the road.

In 876 miles through two states known for being near the top of the heap for car/deer run-ins, I'd seen ONE live, standing deer.  We have 5 times that many sleeping in our front yard every night!!!  But then we have soybeans too!!!

I stopped for lunch in Radisson and saw this photo on the napkin holder.

Known to most of as as Courderay....


On to Spooner, then a stop in Cumberland at Louie's....


A great ride, only a few sprinkles and storms avoided.  I really enjoyed myself and passed a great many trees.  This sort of thing needs to be repeated every so often, of that I'm certain.

Oh....that deer at mile 876?  It was the very last one I saw until I was in our driveway at home....surrounded by soybeans.