Gearing UP!

Feb 24th - it is freezing and (finally) snowing a little bit here - and all I can think about is our spring trip. I have been working on various routes and dates - and I think we are through most of the planning stages. The final count - 34 days and over 5700 miles ~~~COOL~~~. 


So since it is so cold that we can't ride and put miles on the bike - we need to start thinking toward the preparation for the trip. And the first thing is.... US. Yep, Jeanette and I have been working out and jogging/walking and watching our weight for the past few weeks - trying to lose a few pounds - and I am also trying to build my upper body strength. You see, I just bought the Voyager and it is a LOT heavier and taller than the 900 Classic LT that Jeanette and I rode over the last two years. So I just want to make sure I can handle the bike - especially at the end of a long day of driving.... but luckily, we are having a "fitness challenge" at work - so I am going to the gym with a couple of my co-workers and I am slowly increasing my "fitness level".... Jeanette has been eating right and being healthy since before I got home from Iraq....


Alrighty then.... the next piece of gear is - the bike....

Yep..... here it is, a 2011 (brand new) Kawasaki 1700 Vulcan Voyager - blue and silver - with all of 200 miles on it (I got the bike in January, but the weather has been so mild that I have actually taken it out a few times). It rides REALLY nice. Especially compared to the 900.  It also has a 6-speed over drive transmission. When I last took it out, I was going about 65-70 miles an hour (on a short strip of Hwy 4 where that is the legal speed) - and I was in 5th gear - and "taching" (engine speed) about 2200 rpm....which is low. What that means is to get this machine into 6th gear and not lug the engine, I am going to need to go about 80 mph.....NOT happening.  But it is a very nice, smooth riding bike and a nice upgrade from what I had. It doesn't have all of the "bells and whistles" of a Honda Goldwing - but it was about $10k cheaper than a Goldwing - so 'nuff said.


Also notice the new helmets that Jeanette and I got (hers is the pink one if you weren't sure....) - but we are using our old intercom system (it is wireless and it works fantastic) that mounts to the helmets. Trust me, that is the best investment we ever made - so we can talk and laugh and have a good time while we ride along. It is also fun because other people can't hear us as we talk....hee-hee.


Now the bike has a lot of trunk space - but I want to put a "rack" on the top of the trunk - so I can put a duffle bag up there and bungie it down - to have even more storage. 

The trick with these bikes is to try and load the heavy stuff in the saddle bags - to help "lower" the center of gravity. So only very light stuff will go into the duffle bag. Again, being the "part okie" that I am - I am using a rack that I had on my old bike and "modifying" it - by means of a rubber hammer - so it will "fit the curve" of the Voyager trunk. Next, I need to find some rubber mounts (to help keep the inside of the trunk waterproof when I drill holes through the trunk lid to mount the rack). I still need to get all of the pieces together - but that is part of the fun of "prepping" for the trip.....so mounting the rack will probably happen in a few weeks.


Another thing I want to show you is the shoes I have to wear. 

I am "blessed" with very short legs - and what seems like a good thing when I don't have to duck when I go into a room with a low ceiling fan - is a bad thing when I try and ride a cruiser bike. What this photo shows is two different (size 10.5) boots.....but do you notice how much SMALLER the one is on the right? That is because it is an "elevator" boot - which lifts me up about 2" so I can get closer to the ground while I am riding the taller Voyager. But on the inside of the boot, it is like a high heel - so it doesn't need to be as long as the normal 10.5 boots. When I first got them, I told Jeanette I thought they had sent me the wrong size....but they actually fit quite nicely. The company also had a pair that would "lift" you up 5 inches....but frankly, I didn't buy those because I don't think I would be able to shift gears - the toe is probably built up pretty high....but these boots I got will work fine. I still can't quite stand flat-footed when I am alone on the bike - but it gets me a lot closer.


As I mentioned last time, we will be driving in the mountains during mid-late spring - so we have to be prepared for any weather. 

We already bought two "cold weather" suits for us. These are lined and REALLY warm. If you notice, my left hand is on a plastic pocket - in case you want to put a map or something like that in there. Even though these are waterproof - it is WAY too heavy/warm unless the temperature drops to 50 degrees or so. It is a nice thing to have - JUST IN CASE... In the near future, we are going to be hunting down some nice mesh suits (jackets and pants) that have armor in the elbows and shoulders....but those will be more for "nice/mild" weather driving.


And finally....."the route"....yes, here it is - just to give you an idea. 

We are going to be SO close to Utah, we might make a quick side trip (we have been through Utah before). IF we do, that means we will have traveled through 20 states...just on this trip. And as I said before - Jeanette and I will have made our "bucket list" to travel through all of the lower 48 states together (and do something in each state -like have dinner or stay overnight.  no fair just driving through). I have spent many hours "pouring" over the route - and making spreadsheets, calculating distances, looking for hotels where we can stay, interesting side trips we can make, etc. So now I am starting to make all of the reservations - and that makes it feel like it is one step closer....


So that is it for now....There is still a lot to do. I plan on updating this each week - until we start the actual trip - and then we will do "daily" reports.....so we hope you enjoy.

From Wade:


WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS?
I was stationed in 2011 in Umm Qasr, Iraq.  When I came back, I wanted to do something special for my "PTSD" (Post Tramautic Stress Disorder) Trip.  One of my "trainers" at Combat Airman Skills Training said that he would take a long motorcycle trip when he came back from deployments and it REALLY helped his attitude. 


All of my annual leave (vacation) was deferred to 2012.... - but I decided (with my boss's okay) to take the period from Memorial Day, 2012 to the week after the 4th of July (technically 9 July)....but we decided to take a LONG motorcycle trip during that time....going from Springfield Ohio - through Indiana, Illinois, Missouri, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, Colorado, Wyoming, Idaho, Montana, South Dakota, North Dakota, Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan - and back to Springfield.  Right now, the trip is scheduled to go over 5200 miles.  It will also mean that Jeanette and I (together) will have visited all 48 contiguous states in our lifetime (and done something significant - like spent the night or had a meal) in each of those states.


We will be visiting relatives, sight seeing and taking all back roads (we will try and avoid freeways, but there may be some times we have to - but we will minimize those times)....we also want to do some side trips (for example - Wall Drugs, Little House on the Praire, The Corn Palace) and any other interesting places we can find.  We will NOT go over 300 miles per each driving day.


I should also tell you that Jeanette and I are relatively "late comers" to the motorcycle riding scene - we got our first "serious" bike in 2009.  At first, Jeanette would not ride on it....but after taking numerous relatives and friends out for a ride, she climbed on back and we went out to breakfast (at a very close restaurant)....she LOVED it.  I slowly took her out for longer and longer trips - and eventually, we made an 1100 mile round trip excursion to visit Tiffany and our grandkids in Atlanta Georgia.  It was a great trip and we immediately started talking about a "dream trip" around the country.


So we will use this site to chronicle our adventures....I will also discuss how we got everything ready for the trip.  As part of my "reward" for the Iraq deployment, I bought Jeanette and I a brand new 2011 Kawasaki 1700 Vulcan Voyager.  This was a HUGE step up from my Kawasaki Classic 900 LT.  The Voyager is a MUCH bigger and heavier bike.  After I had driven it a few miles, I talked to the salesman (who sold me both bikes) and told him that I am glad I bought the smaller 900 first - as I had not realized how much harder the bigger bike was to ride.  I have had to use "proper" techniques - I can not "horse" this Voyager around as it weighs almost 900 lbs (empty) and I have also had to start working on my upper body strength (luckily, we are having a "fitness challenge" at work, so I am using this as an excuse to start working on getting a little bit more "fit" so I can handle the challenge of driving the bike for the entire trip).


Right now, I am just getting ready to start "outfitting" for the trip.  Since we will be leaving in late May, we are expecting to hit any and all types of weather.  We will have to pack for rain, cold, and hot weather.  And since we have limited space, I am going to look at how we can reasonably pack gear in and around the bike.   One of the first things I want to do is add a "trunk rack" to the bike (which will entail drilling four holes into the top of the trunk) - so we can put a large duffel bag onto the top of the rack.  this will be where we "stow" most of our extreme weather gear (so we can easily get to it - and we can easily remove it at the end of the day.)  


I will also be discussing my "search" for the "perfect" gps unit....I do have a "tank bag" with a "clear map holder" that I am hoping I can put a small computer tablet with a built in GPS unit - such as the samsung galaxy 7.0 or something similar - to help us with our daily journey.   I LOVE Google maps - and have already "semi-planned" our journey - so I am hoping I can plan each day's travel ahead of time - and then follow the gps directions - along with knowing (and studying) each route for the day ahead while we are relaxing each night. 


There are some other things we will be looking for - a nice mesh riding jacket (and pants) for Jeanette, lighter "rain suit" for me and a few other goodies.  One funny thing - since this new bike is so big, I had to buy "elevator boots" from "Tallmanshoes.com" - they were on sale and they raise me up about 2".  Of course, I still can't quite stand flatfooted (until Jeanette gets on the bike - then our COMBINED weight lowers the bike - do not try to get me in trouble here....it is our COMBINED weight that lowers the bike) - but that was fun to "research" those type of shoes....


Of course, being "part okie" I am always trying to find ways to save money or look for deals - so it is not about going out and buying something - it is "can I find something that I can adapt" or "can I find a cheaper way to do this?"   Of course, this occasionally drives Jeanette crazy and she will tell me to "just go buy XXXX and quit spending hours trying to save a buck or so."   So a lot of times, I will simply go buy something  (ESPECIALLY if it has anything to do with safety - we won't scrimp on that)...but a lot of times, the "research" or the "hunt" is part of the fun.


FYI - safety is a big thing for us.  We always go the speed limit - and we ALWAYS wear helmets (we have a great wireless intercom system so we can communicate), boots, gloves, and long pants.  (Dress for the crash).   We drive defensively and we also know that we have someone who watches over us.  We also do NOT drive with rage.  If someone tailgates, we try and find the first place to pull over, etc.  While Jeanette does not "drive" the motorcycle, she is an engaged passenger - always looking for potential problems and having an extra "set of eyes" as we drive along.  We are a team.


When we finally get under way, we will be taking lots of photos and trying to stop at "local" eating establishments and trying out the food.  We hope you will enjoy sharing our adventure.  I will try and show pictures of the various modifications, purchases or whatever.....until we start the actual trip. 


So with that said.....


(Cue music)....these are the adventures of the "Starship WadenJeanette Voyager".  It's 5000 + mile mission - to explore strange new worlds, to seek out new life and new civilizations.....to boldly go where we have never gone before!