Been a long time since I've blogged....

It's been awhile since I've come out here to blog. I'm not sure why I haven't been here.. lazy I guess.

Last weekend I took a camping trip to Arrow Rock State Park. I'll share some pictures and thoughts.

Here is my bike after arriving at the campsite. A lot of stuff on the back of a Sporster, eh? :-)

I started setting up my tent and this little guy came to visit.

And then shortly later I had another visitor.



Got camp set up and then sat around and waited for my friend to arrive from St. Louis. After all his gear was set up and we cooled off a bit (was quite warm and muggy) we headed out on a quest to find beer and food! Into Arrow Rock we went but we struck out as it wasn't 5pm yet so the restaurant wasn't open. So down to Boonville we went.

We solved the beer problem!



And then we solved the food problem!

Iowa.... there is more than corn to see...

Sunday, Sept 2nd was spent riding in Iowa. I couldn't get away for a bike trip this weekend so I did a Kansas trip on Saturday and an Iowa trip on Sunday. Honestly both states look pretty much the same!

Didn't find any twisty roads in Southern Iowa but I found some nice gravel country roads. And I even got to see the bridge featured in the movie The Bridges of Madison County.

Small town USA alive and well in Kansas...

When a non motorcycle rider poses that long time question of "Why?" to me I usually just mumble something and walk away. That saying 'if you have to ask then you wouldn't understand' applies here. The short answer is "It just makes me feel alive!"

Spent a good part of the day on the bike yesterday but really didn't go all that far. I covered about 325 miles. The first leg was all a matter of trying to get somewhere by a certain time. To my brother's house in Central Kansas for my Mom's birthday party. I always enjoy riding but the trip out was 80mph on I-70.

Now... the trip back, that was for me....

Leaving Junction City I couldn't figure out how to get onto a road that wasn't I-70 so I ended up on the highway until I got past Fort Riley. Then I followed 18 East and eventually onto Highway 24. I've ridden 24 quite a few times but I had never been on it so far West.

I ride everyday but sometimes it's just for transportation. I don't think I've spent a long day in the saddle since I got back from my Alaska Trip.

Sorry I haven't updated this blog in awhile. I have been working on updating my Alaska Webpage. From there you can get to my trip pictures and my trip blog.

I came back from Alaska with leaks from both head gaskets. Worth Harley Davidson done me good and fixed them under warranty. They even fixed the missing gasket on the front muffler even though I never even told them it was missing.

The bike is running great and I am currently saving my pennies for the next change I want to make. I am going to switch out my air cleaner for a NRHS Hurricane. And then I am going to switch out my V&H mufflers for a Supertrapp 2->1. The main reason for the switch is that I'm getting a good deal on the AC from a friend who sold his Sportster and the exhaust switch is to fix a reversion that is happing around 3200 RPM. This can be seen in my dyno sheet. Another benefit of switching out the exhaust, and maybe more important to me than fixing the reversion, is going with something that is quieter.

To anyone who may be looking here to follow my progress. We have made it to Dawson Creek and pick up the Alaskan Highway today. I have been journaling with pen and paper and will give a full report on my website when I return.

Hmm... starting the trip in rain gear

No rain anywhere except for here!

I get underway in about an hour and a half. Will start the day in rain gear but should be out of it in an hour or so.

Well, here's my trip map. Microsoft Streets and Trips is saying my total mileage is 9059.

I may make some blog entries along the way but the bulk of what I end up posting about my trip with be on my Alaska Webpage.