I got up early, had a nice breakfast, then took off for Montreal. It was really cold and I was really beginning to feel pain in my hands, wrist, shoulders, and neck. I just about reached my limit just as I rolled into Montreal at 2:40pm.
I met some nice people, nearly all of them in Canada. A couple of times in highway rest areas in Ontario, I had people walk up to me and say, "Eh? Are you the guy from Oregon? You're just crazy." Then i tell them the story about visiting my daughter for her birthday, and they punch me in the shoulder saying "Way to go. You're awesome!" That happened twice! Several kids (15--20 somethings) remarked about my awesome motorcycle.
This is the Honda 599 Hornet in black, seen somewhere between Toronto and Montreal. I'll end up buying one of these later this year...
Arrived at 38,891 miles
The ride was epic. I got out Monday at 3:30pm after replacing the motorcycle battery, twice, bleeding the brakes and installing a GPS and (crucially) heated handgrips. I made it into Boise Idaho at about 11pm.
Tuesday, Boise to Ogden, replaced the front tire, then on across Wyoming and into Nebraska. Stopped at Kimball NB about 9:30pm. Over the night, some jerk stole my motorcycle cover.
Wednesday, across Nebraska and Iowa at an average speed of ~82mph. Stopped at Moline Illinois.
Thursday got out early and crossed Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, entered Canada at Sarnia, then continued into Toronto. Arrived about 9:30pm. Very cold and very tired. Then had a great dinner at an English Pub. The contrast of great warm food on extremely tired, cold, and hungry body was ecstasy. Stayed in a nice, cheap B&B in downtown Toronto.
This morning, I got up early, had a nice breakfast, then took off for Montreal. It was really cold and I was really beginning to feel pain in my hands, wrist, shoulders, and neck. I just about reached my limit just as I rolled into Montreal at 2:40pm.
Now I'm hangin with Nicole. Her birthday is tomorrow. I'll fly back Wednesday.
Overall, 3,034 miles, 50 hrs on the bike (including brief stops), average moving speed over 70 mph.
Mechanical difficulties: front tire, lubed turn signal switch, lost right side bar end weight. Medical difficulties: my right arm feels like a sack of meat. I hope it grows back. Psychological difficulties: I need to go riding with Nicole, but I can't bring myself to get back on a bike for a while.
One bucket list item checked off.
Resolution: Never plan for more than 650 miles in a day and keep the multi day average under 550 miles per day. That 1000 miles in a day stuff is possible but too painful unless you just need to get somewhere fast.
Encounters: I saw less than 10 motorcycles in the entire trip. Across Wyoming and Nebraska, I saw no other bikes. I rode beside a harley guy in jeans, thin gloves and no helmet in 50 degree weather for about an hour in Indiana. I am not the tough guy.
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