I'm riding my Yamaha FJR1300 to Alaska from Washington, DC. The main reason for the trip is to reconnect with a Sportsmobile that I left there the summer of 2010. I lived in it that summer while I was taking pictures of ice climbers on the Matanuska glacier, but left it there and flew home. So this is a recovery mission, but actually the plan is to sell it there, then ride the motorcycle back by the end of August.
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Monday, June 4, 2012
Tampa
Yesterday I left Brent's house and rode to Key West, the true start of my trip to Alaska, and I'm starting to worry--my butt is really saddle sore, and I'm starting to like it. Kind of like the time I worked out once; I was sore the next day but it felt good. Ok anyway the ride yesterday was almost 450 miles and I rode from about 8am to 7pm. It took a little longer since I had to backtrack from Key West. But man it was a nice ride through the Keys, then the Everglades, and around 4pm as the sun was getting lower, it was a great ride into the Tampa area. That FJR is just an amazing machine, cruising at 80 with no effort whatsoever, eating up miles.
My favorite part of the day starts around 4pm when the sun gets lower and the light becomes amazing. By then I'm usually on a stretch of empty road with nice scenery and just loving it. One thing I've noticed already is that there is about half as much traffic everywhere than in DC. It was Sunday in Tampa, but still, the roads were clear and it was easy to get around.
Below is a little riding footage from my trip from the Keys to Tampa:
andy this is awesome. i love checking where you are each day. love the wee videos also. maybe you could try and interview some people along the way? or just do something funny - you are good at that! cheers graeme
Outstanding footage. Traffic absolutely sucked this evening here in DC, accident on 395 caused all kinds of delays. Make sure you enjoy the lack of traffic.
Ordered some Ram Mount stuff so I can mess with the GoPro too.
Andy: My son, John, told me about your trip so I wanted to follow your progress. I really enjoy seeing the videos and pictures and reading your comments, especially because I also drive an FJR. You are doing what a lot of us only dream of doing. Be careful, enjoy the trip of a lifetime, and keep the blogs coming.
Hey Jim thanks for the note and for following along. Isn't the FJR great? I've been very comfortable and really enjoying the performance. Are you on the FJR forum?
I am on the site, but only occasionally. I might be more active now that I know someone on a ride. BTW, I'm interested in knowing what kind of seat you have for such a long ride and what tires you are running. I only got 3500 miles on my front Battlax.
When I bought my FJR used it already had an aftermarket seat by World Sport. It's pretty good, but my butt still hurts after a few hours. I'm hoping I'll get used to it over time. Everyone on the forum swears by Russel seats, so maybe I'll try that some day. I've also heard sheepskin is helpful.
I put on a new pair of Michelin Road Pilot 3's, which have been great. They have hard rubber in the middle and soft rubber on the edges, so the idea is that they wear longer. I'm hoping to get 10,000 miles out of them. Previously I had RP2s and was happy with those, probably got 6k+ out of those.
Let me know if you have any other questions, I love talking about this stuff.
I'm glad to hear that the Russel seat gets high marks. I have been looking into that seat and hope to get one this winter. My son, Jim, who drives a BMW 1200GS bought a Russel seat last year and swears by it.
andy this is awesome. i love checking where you are each day. love the wee videos also. maybe you could try and interview some people along the way? or just do something funny - you are good at that!
ReplyDeletecheers
graeme
Hey thanks man. I will try to think of something off beat to film. Hadn't thought of videoing an interview but just might try it.
DeleteOutstanding footage. Traffic absolutely sucked this evening here in DC, accident on 395 caused all kinds of delays. Make sure you enjoy the lack of traffic.
ReplyDeleteOrdered some Ram Mount stuff so I can mess with the GoPro too.
Yeah it's weird how most places don't have traffic, it was a huge revelation to me. And definitely get those RAM mounts, and the suction cup.
DeleteAndy
Andy: My son, John, told me about your trip so I wanted to follow your progress. I really enjoy seeing the videos and pictures and reading your comments, especially because I also drive an FJR. You are doing what a lot of us only dream of doing. Be careful, enjoy the trip of a lifetime, and keep the blogs coming.
ReplyDeleteHey Jim thanks for the note and for following along. Isn't the FJR great? I've been very comfortable and really enjoying the performance. Are you on the FJR forum?
DeleteAndy
I am on the site, but only occasionally. I might be more active now that I know someone on a ride. BTW, I'm interested in knowing what kind of seat you have for such a long ride and what tires you are running. I only got 3500 miles on my front Battlax.
DeleteJim,
DeleteWhen I bought my FJR used it already had an aftermarket seat by World Sport. It's pretty good, but my butt still hurts after a few hours. I'm hoping I'll get used to it over time. Everyone on the forum swears by Russel seats, so maybe I'll try that some day. I've also heard sheepskin is helpful.
I put on a new pair of Michelin Road Pilot 3's, which have been great. They have hard rubber in the middle and soft rubber on the edges, so the idea is that they wear longer. I'm hoping to get 10,000 miles out of them. Previously I had RP2s and was happy with those, probably got 6k+ out of those.
Let me know if you have any other questions, I love talking about this stuff.
Andy
I'm glad to hear that the Russel seat gets high marks. I have been looking into that seat and hope to get one this winter. My son, Jim, who drives a BMW 1200GS bought a Russel seat last year and swears by it.
DeleteThis is awesome! Amazing footage. I am really enjoying your updates and seeing where you are each day. Holly
ReplyDelete