Wrong !

Saturday 1/2/10
So for 6 days and 7 nights I packed two pairs of jeans, 5 tshirts, underwear, socks and a toothbrush into a backpack.

Checked the weather in Livermore, CA (Northern California) seems that it might be a chilly and foggy start to my road trip. Might as well take the winter gloves and put on the long johns, I can take those off once it warms up (It will warm up right?)

Hit the road 9:45Am heading south for some SoCal fun.

First gas stop 125 miles in and everything seems to be working fine!

For the majority the trip was the normal grind of highway 5 but with a different spin on everything, it was more relaxing.

The freezing mist at the base of the grapevine must have been a lowpoint of the trip for me, jeans and a hope for sun didn't help. The fog rolled in so thick that I almost missed the exit I was aiming for. Took a 30 minute breather with a coffee and a frostee from Wendy's. On the road again !

Arrive right before rush hour in LA/ Orange county area, must respect traffic but must love carpool lane.

Made the 380 mile drive in just short of five and a half hours with a lunch break and four gas stops.

1/3/10
I get a call from my buddy who is a motor patrol officer down here, he wants to go on a canyon ride and is inviting everyone... Sure why not ? Turns out he invites everyone HE knows that rides (all cops, all baggers, all the time) So I end up riding point through Peter's Canyon, Azusa Canyon, down to the beach and up through Laguna Canyon with a group of motor cops behind me. A lot of beautiful driving that I never payed attention to notice when I lived down here.

After lunch we were messing around in the parking lot (they were schooling on low speed cool) So I followed suit and was slinging my nightster pretty well, knowing rear brake drag when they think you don't rocks I gave them all a chance to ride my bike if they wanted, I got to putt around on my buddy's electra glide, he took the nightster for about 30 seconds. He says he has never ridden a weirder bike and doesn't know how I even sit on it, it's a different kind of passion i guess.

A lot of fun I now have 510 miles logged and I am letting my baby rest today, why not have some mimosas on the beach ?

All in all, it is what you want and what you feel comfortable doing, if you want to make a dual sport a long distance runner you can. Sure the trip may have been easier with heated seats and hand grips, air suspension and definatly a wind shield. But oh well !

"People think that preserving themselves their entire lives, taking no risk and ending up in the coffin in the end. I want to slide head first into the grave beaten, bloodied, and covered with scars screaming 'Now that was ONE HELL OF A RIDE! " - Bear Grylls

Ride safe !

=Austin

 

+1 on touring on a Nightser. My girlfriend put 800 miles on her's on a 3 day trip. She loved every minute of it and can't wait until the snow is gone so we can hit the road again.

 

If you've made a bike yours, why wouldn't it go where you wanted to go?

 

Good Ride Buddy... Whatever You Have, Ride it. I Think Ya Did Well.

God Bless The Open Road. "Country Fried"

 

my first bike, XLH1200. Rode everyday to and from work, 4 hr round trip in the Northwest, Washington St. Cold, rain, sleet. miserable!

 

Very nice! My buddy rode his Nightster to Alaska and back with a group of baggers. He bolted a Pelican case to the HD solo rack and had himself a built-in backrest and waterproof storage! We thought he was nuts at first, but I don't think he ever complained once in 3 weeks.

Enjoy your ride...I'm jealous - stuck in SLC with snow and a high of 20-something. Uhhh

 

All I own is a Nightster. not having a windsheild when going on my trips kinda suck but I love my bike.
How bout some pics?????????

 

well played evel.

just proof that these bikes can be anything we want them to be.

 

I put about 1,800 miles on my Nightster in a week. Drives me nuts when people ask me when I'm going to upgrade to a bigger bike or get a windshield or saddlebags. Not going to!! I have a fork bag, Lick's solo bag, and I just got my Motherwell's luggage rack so I can strap a bag down to the rack for longer trips.

Kudos to you!!!

 

detachable bags wouldn't be bad for those long hauls.