After looking for a Versys for a long while, my wife says “why don’t you put on the forums that you’re looking for one..” so that’s what I did.  And a week or so later, a fellow ADVrider inmate sent me a message about his 2008 Versys that he was thinking about selling.  Him and his wife talked it over and it was on the market.. I had first dibs on it!  He has decided he wants to pick up a Ural Patrol and farkle it up.. something different.  He sent me photos of this bike.. and I just couldn’t believe how clean it was and how much work he’d done to it.  Every farkle I’d ever put on this bike was already on it!  So, I had to call him up and see if I even trusted him.. after a long phone call this was my kinda guy!  And buying a bike out-of-town makes it much easier when you really like the guy selling it.

We decided we’d make a small family vacation out of the trip out west to Kansas City, Kansas… packed up and headed west!

The boys had snacks and a few movies…

About 8pm we hit Kansas City, MO.. the Chiefs were playing too…

About 30 minutes later we made it to our hotel.. the Hampton Inn right at the Legends shopping mall.  Very nice!  The boys were having a ball, riding the elevator, looking in the snack machines, using the fancy room key cards. I remember when I was young and my Mom & Dad would take us kids to a hotel, we thought it was so awesome.. heck it could of been right down the street from home, but to us it was forever away…

We needed ice cream, so we just started walking and look what we found!

One problem.. they needed to make more chocolate… so we waited!

Finally.. we put out orders in..

These little dudes where happy.. we ate as much as we could then headed back to the hotel room…

Well, we were almost to the hotel and Brave drops his ice cream on the ground.. SPLAT! all over the place.. hahaha!

We all had a good laugh and went back to the room to jump on the beds.. I mean get to sleep!  We would head over and pick the bike up in the morning and then be tourists for the rest of the day.  It was great meeting Brian and his wife, just great people… he showed me all the mods he did to the bike, I could tell he took pride in his work.  I admire that and I feel much safer on this bike because of it! Thanks Brian!

the Kawasaki Versys I would be riding home….

One place I wanted to take the boys was T-Rex Cafe.. man this place was awesome!

T-Rex Toes…

And we couldn’t leave this prehistoric wonderland without some souvenirs !! The boys build their own dinosaurs.. they had a lot of fun bringing them to life.. very cool.

Brave’s new buddy…Spikes!

Brayden.. well.. he always comes up with crazy stuff like this.. meet Ceratop!

Then we had to make everyone happy.. so we took Mom shopping.. she shopped and we played…

Enough of this shopping .. its time to go play.. So we headed over to Dave & Busters. You gotta start them young on a bike.. so I’ve heard..

That night we all went for a swim in the hotel pool and then crashed out.. it was late, we were wiped out from all the walking and playing that day.  The next morning we ate some hotel breakfast and took Mommy shopping again.. my wife is very frugal.. I think the whole trip she only bought a couple earrings.. buy 2 get 1 free! I’m blessed to have her. We headed over to this HUGE store.. Nebraska Furniture Mart, not sure why it’s not called Kansas Furniture Mart?!?  But it was a very cool store.. like a super center with everything you need for the house and more!

Another place I wanted to go on this trip was Backfire BBQ, a restaurant of the Tutel’s, Paul, Paul Jr. & Mikey.  We’ll even if its not it’s still a cool place.  And as a side note, it’s really sad what’s going on with Paul Sr. & Paul Jr.  Family is just too important!

I love BBQ and I really like motorcycles.. so we just had to eat here for lunch before we head home..

MmmmMmmm…

MmmmMmmmm…my wife looking good.. as always.

cuz she was about to dig into this..

For me.. yummy BBQ sandwich..

With our bellies full it was time to head home.  I changed into my ATGATT and we got on the rode… 222 miles back to the house…

My beloved WR250R now has a friend… I’d still sell the Versys before I’d let go the WR, no question about it !!  More about the Versys as I get acquainted with it.  After the 222 miles back home, I’ll be shortening the bars and smaller grips.. other than that.. this thing just hums along! I’m very, very happy with it so far.. love the riding position and the engine is a dream.

I look forward to commuting to work on this new bike, 60 miles a day on a bike is much more of an adventure than sitting in my truck falling asleep everyday… as another dimension to motorcycling comes to life; I hope to become a better rider, gain more respect for the sport and enjoy God’s beautiful creation more… hopefully partake in a weekend getaway with my wife, a little 2up camping.. shall we!?!

But that’s just me, so check out the shootout here.

Starting on Thursday, August 5, 2010, my wife and I will be riding my 2001 SV650 from the beginning of the Mississippi River to the end at the Gulf (or as close as the oil spill lets us get) by following the “Great River Road”. We have followed the northern part of this route a couple times now, and are excited to see the rest. The plan is then to ride north east through the Appalachians and then back up to Minnesota. – Chris

On Monday they where heading down along the Mississippi on Hwy 40/61 which runs right near my house, so I offered them a free stop at my place… in our Popup!  If we had a plush guest room it would of been theirs but the Popup is all we had and Chris & his wife gladly accepted our offer.

I was finishing setting up the Popup when I heard the sound of an SV650 coming down there street, turned around and there they were.. I was excited, raised my arms up in support of their journey.  It was great to finally meet Chris, I’ve followed his blog since I got my WR250R in Sept. 09.  We’ve flowed each others blogs and enjoyed each others helpful “how-to’s”.  I was hoping Chris was going to be a cool guy, and I was not let down.  We found out we have a lot in common and our wives hit it off great!  I think they could of talked all night/day long.

Unfortunately, my wife and I had previous engagements so we had to leave for a few hours but told our guests, “our house is your house, eat what you want, do laundry, shower.. whatever you need, have at it!”  When I got back home that night, Chris and I talked a while and got to know each other more before he hit the hay.

The next morning they got all geared up and were gone… headed south.  My wife & I enjoyed our time with our new friends and can’t wait to head up north to be guests at their place. It was our pleasure to have them at our place, we will be following the rest of their trip closely…be safe, my friends, be safe!

Ready to roll..

As they pulled away, Chris’ wife yells back.. “See you in Minnesota!” Haha! Deal.

Follow their trip here over on EverydayRiding.org.  It’s looks like they are seeing great country and having a ball!

Here are some scenic photos I’ve pulled together so far.

Basher Rides

Prairie Cattle Gates – there’s something about riding through these gates that just makes it more epic

Desolate Ranch Road – I image this structure has many stories it could tell

Iowa Creek – my WR sitting on this wooden bridge that spanned across a beautiful creek

Jackson Lake – just a majestic scene.

This trip taught me many things, from how to ride better, how to pack better, how to live better and how to love more.  Seeing the vastness of creation in the mountains will open the mind and remind you how small you really are.

Stay tuned.

Idaho Trip Journal

• Idaho 2010 : No 7. “After the Trip”
• Idaho 2010 : No 6. "In Flight"
• Idaho 2010 : No. 5 “Idaho Bound”
• Idaho 2010 : No. 4 "All Packed!"
• Idaho 2010 : No. 3 “Is this really happening!”
• Idaho 2010 : No. 2 "Camera, Maps & Gear, oh MY!"
• Idaho 2010 : No. 1

Today is the day an adventure begins. A day that consists of boarding a plane and flying 1,153 miles across the country. Departing from St. Louis, Missouri and returning to Earth in Salt Lake City, Utah. From the most humid & hot 100 degree temperatures to a land of no humidity & 50 degree nights. Sounds perfect.

Upon our arrival in SLC., we’ll rendezvous with Ken & our bikes, Jeff on a later flight & then head north to Idaho Falls, a 3 hour drive. Tonight we opted to stay in a hotel to get good rest & be ready to gear up in the morning. We’ll meet Tony Huegel, who has been so helpful and generous to us, at his place, saddle up & begin our 2,000+ mile adventure.

I’m ready! Pax where are you?! Pick me up already, the plane is waiting!

Idaho Trip Journal

• Idaho 2010 : No 7. “After the Trip”
• Idaho 2010 : No 6. "In Flight"
• Idaho 2010 : No. 5 “Idaho Bound”
• Idaho 2010 : No. 4 "All Packed!"
• Idaho 2010 : No. 3 “Is this really happening!”
• Idaho 2010 : No. 2 "Camera, Maps & Gear, oh MY!"
• Idaho 2010 : No. 1

Shot this with the new Canon T2i HD DSLR + Canon 50mm f1.8 lens. Audio captured with a Zoom H4n.

Idaho Trip Journal

• Idaho 2010 : No 7. “After the Trip”
• Idaho 2010 : No 6. "In Flight"
• Idaho 2010 : No. 5 “Idaho Bound”
• Idaho 2010 : No. 4 "All Packed!"
• Idaho 2010 : No. 3 “Is this really happening!”
• Idaho 2010 : No. 2 "Camera, Maps & Gear, oh MY!"
• Idaho 2010 : No. 1

Yesterday I spent some time packing all my gear, taking the last inventory of what I’m taking on the trip as well as what little things I still need to pick up.

Things I still need to pick up are dried foods, lighter and some decent walking sandals for around the camp.  I’m still waiting to be delivered my replacement Cortech gloves(details later) and my REI camp chair.  I think this little chair will come in handy in this trip for those rests along the trail, around the campfire and even back home working on the bike.

Pax and I also wanted to try out some LD Comfort gear on this trip, so we each got a pair of Comfort Cool Sleeves coming, I’ll post up a report after we get back.

After reading about all the hype for Rok Straps, I decided to order a pair and Pax need a pair as well.  These things “rok”!  I tested them out and they are just perfect for gear on a motorcycle.

My WR needed a little elbow grease to get her all pretty for Idaho.  I clean her head to toe, behind the ears and even cleaned my chain up. 

How do I clean my chain you ask?  I use Mineral Spirits and a rag.  Then some soap and water, let her dry out then apply some of this stuff. DuPont Teflon Multi-Use Lube, $5 bucks at Lowes.

Here’s the best way I’ve found to apply it without getting over spray all over the rest of the bike. Works very well.  I use newspaper as a shield.  Starting at the master link, spray generously until you get back to the master link.  Then I apply a second time. Let this stuff dry for a few minutes and then you are set.  No mess when the wheel rolls.

And here she is, all ready to make the trip up to Idaho Falls, where we begin our adventure.

I’m crazy excited and just hope I don’t forget something important.. like… my helmet or even worse, ignition key!!!

Idaho Trip Journal

• Idaho 2010 : No 7. “After the Trip”
• Idaho 2010 : No 6. "In Flight"
• Idaho 2010 : No. 5 “Idaho Bound”
• Idaho 2010 : No. 4 "All Packed!"
• Idaho 2010 : No. 3 “Is this really happening!”
• Idaho 2010 : No. 2 "Camera, Maps & Gear, oh MY!"
• Idaho 2010 : No. 1

Yeah, that’s how its starting to feel!  I have all my gear spread out in the garage

My bike is waiting to be loaded up

Getting Organized

All that’s left is a few little things to pick up and WHERE to pack everything! To help me in this process I’ve created a Google Spreadsheet that lists EVERY item I’m bringing, even anything in my toolkit.  Each item has a packing location designator next to it. Here’s a screenshot to give you an idea:

Yeah, call it “over-doing-it” or whatever, but this has provide a good tool for us to 1) Over time get a good list of gear, trying not to forget the important and to forget about the unimportant 2) All four of us riders can look at each other’s packing list and get ideas from each other 3) keeps us from everyone bringing all the same stuff, and 4) share in any extra gear we have with each other.

This little exercise has also helped in gear placement in the bags.  I will use this as a guide, do a practice pack and see what I think will or will not work. Then revise.  Hopefully by the end of the trip I can revise this list into a good, sound packing list guide for future trips.

Here’s some gear I picked up last week, some Under Armor HeatGear wicking briefs, Nike Compression shirts, Under Armor HeatGear wicking boot socks, 3 4L dry bags, unscented Deep Woods OFF, and another flashlight.  BTW, these Nike shirts were half the price as the Under Armor and seem just as good to me.

Here’s what I came up with to store those little things like fuses and some duct tape, of course!

Bears

Because none of us want to be like this elk (um.. the bear’s next meal)

There are a few precautions we are taking. One is just the little things of using unscented products

Unscented deodorant, wet wipes, soap, etc.. Gotta have some anti Monkey Butt products for sure!

I’ll also be carrying this to add some flavor to his meal

Water

We can never bring enough water on a trip where we will be out in God’s country, primitive camping as much as we can and riding all day.  So we are going to try to have 4L of water per rider to allow enough water to drink while riding and to cook/clean at camp.  I headed to REI on lunch break yesterday and was going to pick up an MSR 4L water bag for $30.  Then I thought, “what if my 70oz Camelbak malfunctioned or sprung a leak?!”  So I opted to get a second 100oz bladder that I can carry extra water and if needed, use it as a backup to my 70oz bladder. This will give me a total of around 5L.  I’ll just fill the 100oz and strap it on the rear rack to use back at camp.

I also snagged a collapsible bowl and “Bar of the Month” at REI are Cliff Bars @ .99 cents ea. The chocolate chip bars are pretty good too!

Battery Charging

Capturing this epic ride via photos and video is very important to me. I need the ability to recharge my camera battery and have plenty of storage space. So I will be bringing 3 16gb SDHC Class 6 memory cards and maybe a 8Gb Class 6 just in case!  Next is how to charge my battery while riding.. we’ll I found this on eBay and has worked very well.  Battery charger connects up via a cig adapter to my Powerlet on my bike.  It came with a second battery for my Panasonic Lumix DMC-FP1 and was $30 for charger and battery! Can’t be that, I’ve been using the battery since I got it and it has worked very well.  A little piece of velcro to keep the battery on the charger good.

I still need to pick up some Mountain House dried food kits and a pair of gloves.  Stay tuned!

Idaho Trip Journal

• Idaho 2010 : No 7. “After the Trip”
• Idaho 2010 : No 6. "In Flight"
• Idaho 2010 : No. 5 “Idaho Bound”
• Idaho 2010 : No. 4 "All Packed!"
• Idaho 2010 : No. 3 “Is this really happening!”
• Idaho 2010 : No. 2 "Camera, Maps & Gear, oh MY!"
• Idaho 2010 : No. 1

Our trip is quickly coming upon us and there’s still a lot of work to do!  Since my first post, we have been busy getting several things squared away.  And I’m trying to heal up quick.. I either bruised or cracked a rib during my hockey game last week… not fun! Anywhere, here’s a few things we’ve worked on.

Getting There?

How are we getting the bikes out there?  Luckily one of the guys going on the ride does a lot of work-related travel.  He is able to make the trip out there pulling a trailer with all four of our bikes and gear.  He’ll even do a little business while he’s at it.  The plan is for him to meet us out there, rendezvous in Salt Lake City, Utah!  Airfare to Idaho Falls is not cheap!  So… we discovered we can fly into Salt Lake City, Utah (SLC) for much less and best of all.. it’s even non-stop!  Once in Salt Lake City, we’ll re-group, hop in the rig and head north to Idaho Falls.

More Gear

As I begin to pack my gear I quickly see I need more storage!

This setup is pretty good, but I need a bit more storage for the little things.  In the photo above I have all my camp gear packed, including tent, tarp, Big Agnes air pad, sleeping bag, stove, pot, cup, Frogg Toggs, as well as other odds and ends.  My first thought was to add a front number plate bag, the Wolfman Enduro Carry-All.  But I saw these Kriega bags and just think they are well-made AND a drybag built-in.  So I picked up the Kriega US-10.  I plan to just strap it on top, in between my Sealline drybag and my Wolfman Duffel.  These things are made very well and I’m completely impressed!

Here’s a few photos of my Kriega US-10, click to see larger photos:

Next up… a new camera.  I decided I did not want to carry my 4+yr old point-n-shoot on this trip.  Mainly cuz it just doesn’t take good photos :)  My budget for a new camera was around $100 and one feature I really wanted was HD video recording.  After a few weeks of research, I decided on this one:

Panasonic DMC-FP1 : 12MP 720p HD SDHC

One GREAT feature of this little camera for the ADV rider is how you turn it on.  On the picture of the front of the camera, that piece that says LUMIX on it, you just slide it down and it exposes the lens AND powers the camera on.  Slide it up.. powers off!  The other great feature is the AI button next to the shutter button, you can quickly hit that button and let the camera choose the “best” setting for the shot you are trying to take.  Sitting on a bike, this sure does make things easy and fast!  The other very impressive feature is the video quality, both video and audio.  Here is a little video I shot with this camera when a thunderstorm came rolling in at home one day.

Click here to view the embedded video.

I also ordered a second battery + charger that uses a cig lighter outlet to recharge the battery.  I plan to remove the cig lighter and replace it with a Powerlet for easy recharging on the trial.

Headsets

All of us decided that this ride would be much more of a hoot if we could scream and make fun of each other the entire time.  So we got a great deal on 4 of these headsets. Reviews are saying these, Sena SMH10‘s, are some of the best on the market.  Bluetooth even.. so I could listen to my iPhone on the ride or make a call home!  We actually got the good deal from Ron & radiorider.com, thanks Ron!

Click here to view the embedded video.

Maps

Pax has been very busy getting maps ready for all of us to have on our bikes, it’s very nice to be able to pull out a topo of your route on the trail instead of jogging all over the GPS screen!

Other things I need to pick up are some Under Armor shirts, more compression sacks, 2nd pr of gloves and….. who knows?! Man I’m getting excited!

Idaho Trip Journal

• Idaho 2010 : No 7. “After the Trip”
• Idaho 2010 : No 6. "In Flight"
• Idaho 2010 : No. 5 “Idaho Bound”
• Idaho 2010 : No. 4 "All Packed!"
• Idaho 2010 : No. 3 “Is this really happening!”
• Idaho 2010 : No. 2 "Camera, Maps & Gear, oh MY!"
• Idaho 2010 : No. 1

For the adventure rider, what makes it so great is it has topographic maps, so you can really find the good campgrounds that will also be a nice ride to get there! And more importantly, if you click on a campground icon, it gives you detailed information about the site, including GPS coordinates!! You can even download a regional file to upload to your GPS that includes all of the campgrounds for that region.

Here’s a snapshot of the satellite map for Missouri:

Don’t forget to bookmark this one!

All Public Campgrounds : www.uscampgrounds.info