Here's the trip so far.
The day's ride didn't have a good start. Every night, before I leave the bike, I take the GPS out so I can download my route and make the maps above. In it's place, I put in a plastic insert that came with the bike to cover the hole in the dash board. Well, I don't really navigate by GPS and forgot to put it back in the dash. While leaving the parking lot, I was reminded of this when that square plastic insert popped out and fell through the tupperware toward the front forks. I didn't hear it hit the ground. Of course, I pulled over right away and searched for it. It was still somewhere under all that tupperware and my concern was that this 3x4 piece of hard plastic could work it's way into a place that caused the front fork to lock up. It would make for a nasty spill if that happened, so finding it was a priority. Of course, it's black, just like everything else. I pulled off the right side panel, but couldn't see anything. I noted that I was very low on coolant. :-( Finally, I found the plastic piece with a flashlight by looking up from the wheel. It was lodged off to the side and probably wouldn't have caused a problem, but it probably would have rattled loose at some point.
It just so happens that there was a Car Quest auto parts store open at 7am just down the street from me. I stopped in and bought coolant. I only needed a pint or so, but the smallest they had was a gallon jug, so now I'm carting around a jug of coolant in addition to everything else. All in all, I can't say I have all that much. I probably won't need my heated gear, but I have that and my rain gear in the left side hard case, along with my hand tools and a knapsack with my 3 season jacket in the right hard case. In my top bag I have all my clothes, laptops, cable bag and shaving kit. In the trunk, I have the drone, oil, miscellaneous stuff and my GS-911. Now, I have a jug of anti-freeze back there also.
My friend Jeff commented that the route isn't exactly a straight line. I beg to differ, somewhat. After getting out of the Rockies and making my way across the state, I turned South to get to 412. 412 is a secondary road that goes between New Mexico and Arkansas.
<<<insert tunnel video>>>
I've been trying to stay off the super-slab as much as possible. I took 15 out of California to get this trip started, and did about 50 miles on 25 south to get to 412. If someone dropped a chalk line between the three states, the road couldn't be straighter. With the exception of short little diversions to pass through some towns, the road is amazingly straight. I could probably fall asleep and make it across the state. 412 starts out as a 2-lane, unmarked road without a building in sight for my full 135 degree field of vision, all the way to the horizon. I saw one vehicle every 20 minutes or so for a long time. If I had opened it up to 160, nobody would have known it. Out here, there is also no cell service or any other services for that matter. Truly, this is off the grid. If I were to break down or need any other services, my bet is that I'd wait a few hours by the time I flagged someone down, they got to the next area with cell service, called it in, and someone made it to me.
When I hit Clayton, I was in need of gas. This monster thunderstorm was off to the north and I was concerned that it was going to get in front of me. As it was, the top anvil was over me. It's possible that I pushed my speed up a little bit to get it behind me and put some distance in between it and me. The last thing I want to deal with is a thunderstorm in this part of the country. There is literally nothing out here for shelter and towns with any kind of infrastructure (not just the intersection of 2 roads) is easily 80 miles apart. That's a long way if riding in weather. As I got to each town, I looked at the Dark Sky to make sure I'd get to the next town before I left. It was much more stop and go than I'm used to, but I felt it was necessary. I also decided to start searching for gas when I was at half a tank. If I got to 100 miles DTE, I was a little concerned. Towns on the map don't necessarily have gas and the ones that do don't always have premium.
Right about Woodward, I decided that I was going to make my plan for where to stop. Enid was in my path and would give me an option to get to super-slab, should the need arise. I also had options to go in any direction should morning storms show up. With that in mind, I began my last 90 minute leg, which was interrupted by a police officer who gave me a verbal, roadside speed certification. It would seem that I was coming into town and while setting Enid into my GPS I missed a speed limit sign and when I saw the 30mph sign, I was going too fast and hit the brakes. He was right there and pulled me over. I knew he didn't want to give me a ticket. He addressed me as brother when he walked up. He also told me he rides. I asked him what and he said he rides a Yamaha V-Star. I commented that they are nice bikes and that a fellow paramedic I used to work with rode one for many years. He then told me that the department was looking at getting motorcycles, but the chief really wanted Harley's. He said he wanted BMW's. I commented that there was no way a Harley was going to catch a bike like mine, particularly out here. He laughed and agreed. He checked my license and we talked for about 10 minutes more, shook hands and he let me go without another word about my speed. At the beginning of the stop he mentioned that he got me at 42 when I crossed that 30 mph speed limit sign.
The delay meant that I'd spend the last hour riding in the dark. 412 doesn't have a light on it, so the only thing you have going for you is whatever headlights you have and the lights of an occasional passing vehicle, mostly 18-wheelers. I made a reservation while in Woodward to make sure 1) there were hotels in this town and 2) to make sure I'd have a room. I really didn't want to be without a room. At this point, I'd been riding sun up to sun down 2 days in a row.
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