cross country trek...going to the arctic circle

[womper]

Originally Posted by Trapper

Womper is my hero. Great blog. Great adventure! I'm even considering forgiving you for not visiting me on your east coast trip last year.

i can be a little anti-social sometimes... but there's always next year! hah.
if i can get out of the west coast. damn motorcycle shops are all closed on mondays. a few little problems with the bike. the rad is leaking. and it's leaking oil between the jugs. not good.
i still gotta get home.

my favorite picture so far from this trip. taken the morning after the crash.
No mr. thomas dalton highway, you will not beat me.



heh

[GeorgiaRoller]

You know if you were out to prove that the earth is still flat we could have all saved you the trouble! And clean that poor bike.

Isn't it time for a dual sport?

[tricker]

dirty bike........

[Trapper]

Love this line from the blog.

i hate putting on the rainsuit when it's light rain because i start to feel like Ralphie in the movie "A christmas story".
at least i can't shoot my eye out.

[omegajim]

driving into big game country, but everything has a risk associated with it.

[geoffsimpson]

HEY! Had i known you were in my neck of the woods (Prince George) i'd have gotten the crew together to ride with you! AH YAH BASTID!!! Enjoy the trip bruther!! Be safe, watch for moose and bears...they're everywhere this year

[womper]

hah.

The bike is dirty for a reason... you can't clean that crap off it. it's calcium chloride they put down on the dirt roads and it binds to everything and makes it greasy at the same time... really hard to clean off.

and ya... time for a dual sport... I'm thinking an older KLR so i can rip it apart, put it back together and know how everything works. then go kick the snot out of it

i'm keeping this bike though. even with all the problems i've had with it, i wouldn't trade it in. the only problem the bike has had really, up to this point has been aftermarket stuff, a small oil leak, and a big Rad leak. the rad leak came from a rock yesterday on a big highway, couldn't avoid that. it hit the rad then hit my right leg after it bounced around.

I guess this winter will be a big tear down and rebuild of the bike. new pipes, new bars, mirrors, headlight, paint job, etc. take everything apart. clean it. paint it. put it back together.

it'll hopefully look and ride totally different.

[edit]

Sorry geoff, i just whipped through PG and kept going. i gotta stop doing stuff like that. if i would have stopped into PG for a little while, maybe the rad wouldn't be busted today. hah.

[geoffsimpson]

It's all good man. IF, by the grace of god you get back this way, you got a place to pitch your tent, a home cooked meal, a hot shower and a shop full of tools

I'd let you stay in the house, but i know what you bikers are like. Make a mess of a good christian boys house

[womper]

that'd be sweet... gotta get the damn rad fixed first... then i think i have to hi-tail it back across country real fast. i have to be back at work in 8 days... hah. don't think i'll be making it back in time.

[russd]

I have been looking at your blog during your trip looks likes it is great looking country your going through . why did you head out so early? this month you might have had less rain and warmer temps. please when you get time let us known how much damaged is done to your bike from the trip and what your total miles you have done.

[womper]

hah.. will do...

you need to remember i've been taking this bike places where i shouldn't have been... even on a dual sport. hah.

so far, i busted the fork seals and the radiator...
where the tail light screws into the frame... it snapped on both sides (due to crash and load)

other things that broke are all due to to crash... minor things

i'm sure i'll find more problems when i strip it down though

[Porcelina Goddess]

You should have let me warn you about chicken fried steak...

I can't stand that crap. Makes me urp...

[womper]

haha... i'll eat pretty much anything edible that's not totally out of the ordinary.

no brains, normally no organs (a good fois gras is nice though) and... well.. that's about it.

i'm not a picky eater... if it's made to eat and not really odd (like bugs, etc) then i'll try it.

what's so bad with chicken fried steak?

[Porcelina Goddess]

the fact that the whole name of it is a farce! you're tricked into believing it's chicken, when it's not!! it's beef... or veal, actually, isn't it?? I don't like veal. But that's not the point... the beef doesn't even taste like beef because you're mind is already sh&t fried into thinkin' it's chicken!!! That's what's the prob, Bob!

[womper]

i'm al, not bob. haha

dunno... tasted just like i thought it would. beef with a kfc coating, covered in white gravy.

tasty. i shoulda had the side of grits to go with it.

[womper]

i'm back... dija miss me? heh

[GeorgiaRoller]

Epic ride my friend!

[russd]

you made it home, what a ride great blog along the way get some rest ,when you tear the bike down give us a damage report.

[Trapper]

Al,

Just let me say this. You Rock! Thanks for taking me along on a true adventure. I checked your blog everyday and your aversion to uppercase letters not withstanding, I felt I was riding with you. Thanks for entertaining me and giving me the motivation to one day take an adventure like yours.

[womper]

heh.. thanks guys..
it was a blast... ya... capitalization isn't my strong suit

everyone should do an adventure like that... even if you're not on a bike, grab the family, take a month and rent an RV or something and just go exploring!

so much fun..

as for damage report.. hah.. that'll take a while i think. might be my winter project...

so far, both fork seals were blown and replaced
radiator punctured and replaced
now the right fork tube is leaking again
the frame where the taillight assembly bolts to it snapped on both sides (zip tied for now)
the jugs are leaking oil, but i think it's just a gasket.

i'm going to be changing the turn signals, mirrors, handlebars, throttle and clutch cable, put a new clutch plate and springs in, and other minor things... hah.