Apparently I wrote this post a couple of months ago and never got around to finishing it. It has the potential to be really long. Which is probably why it never got done. I need to write a book or something. This blog has helped me to see that I've done a lot of fun, dangerous, and exciting things in my life. Most of you have no idea. I think I seem boring to myself right now because I'm in school and rarely do anything else. There are a few parts I'd rather not share while I'm around, but it would be fun to think that my grandkids or great grandkids could read about my exploits and adventures and maybe be a little more inspired to enjoy life. Yeah. Write a book. I'm sure that will happen soon. Anyhow, here's the unfinished post.
Although many of these are on roads that are on my list of favorites and they all play a very important role in each of these trips, this post is not just about the roads. The trip as a whole is what matters. They range from a short 45-minute blast on a very familiar road to 4 day trips through Oregon and northern California. Five of the eight rides are completely in Oregon and seven of them start and end in Portland. That lone ride (number 1) is also the only one on the Sportster that made the list, although there are quite a few honorable mentions for it. I included crashes in the honorable mentions because of the strong memories I have of them. Luckily none of them have been any worse than a badly broken leg/ankle. Except maybe the bruised kidney and liver. The bike made me do it. Really.
In order by date:
1. Break-in ride on the new Sportster (April 1991)
2. Group ride on the Eastern Front - Erik (Suzuki 750 Katana), Justin (Suzuki SV650), Dave (Triumph Sprint 900), and myself (Kawasaki GPz1100) (August 2002)
3. First Iron Butt 1000/24 (March 2003)
4. Cal 24 rally (June 2004)
5. Moto GP at Laguna Seca - met up with Justin and Dave at campground south of track (Arroyo Seca, CA) (July 2005)
6. Lunch hour ride on the DR-Z400SM - from work to Rosalyn Lake and back in under an hour. Only 22.5 miles one way (45 miles round trip), but normally takes about 45 minutes each way in a car - Map (2005) I miss that bike.
7. Cascades/Southern Oregon - solo 4-day moto-camping (2006)
8. Hells Canyon, OR/ID border - solo 3-day moto-camping (2007)
Honorable Mentions
- Any crash, some more so than others. Can I even remember all of them?
- Group rides with ABATE (1990-1994)
- Riding the XL on every single day for a year plus, including riding in the snow on the freeway (1991-1992)
- Wildhorse Reservoir to Owyhee, NV - first real discovery of how much fun cornering can be (1992)
- All-Harley drags in Utah - a 35mm camera with a big lens can get you places your not supposed to be (1992?)
- Northern AZ and the Grand Canyon on the Sportster (not strictly a m/c trip - but still an epic and memorable adventure) (1995)
- Winning the slow race at the first Jack Creek Rally (1995)
- 5-1/2 months in Daytona Beach, FL - non-stop riding shenanigans (1996)
- Late night rides (1996, 1999-up) These never get old
- First trip to Vernonia on the XL (1999)First ride on the GPz to Detroit (2001)
- First ride on the GPz to Mt. St. Helens (2002)
- Getting lost in the Cascades (2003) - It's hard to explain how amazing this can be. This one should probably be number 9 on the list.
- Learning how to do wheelies on the DRZ (2005-6)
- Meeting Valentino Rossi and Mert Lawwill at the Moto GP races (2006) - I didn't ride any motorcycles on this trip, but it was all about motorcycles. It was a crazy expensive trip (at least in my mind) but didn't cost me a dime.
- Riding off-road with the KLR650 (2008)
- Riding the unpaved alleys and streets in Portland (2008-now)
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