Visionary
Posts: 1308
Sand Rock, AL United States | Some of the details are fuzzy because I waited so long to do a journal entry but, here goes. My 1999 Victory motorcycle which I?ll refer to as Ol? Blue had recently been tuned up . ?She? was running poorly and in desperate need of brake pads and tires. I was very stingy with Blue and wouldn?t let anyone have her long enough to do the work required to make her truly road worthy. You see, I wanted to ride my bike every day ( it doubles as my work car) and having it serviced would mean giving it up for several days. Blue didn?t need anything major just scheduled maintenance like a fresh set of spark plugs, new intake gaskets , fork seals ,etc. The absence of mechanical failure is a pride point for me. My bike has never had any motor work which is quit a testament to the bike and the brand considering she currently has over 120,000 miles on the odometer. However, to God be the Glory for allowing this machine to run trouble free for so long. I pray over my bike a lot, that it will run true and I will be granted safe travel. I did finally cave and surrender my bike to a shop to be serviced and when I got Blue back she had fresh tires , brakes and a solid heartbeat . She was now road worthy. I had been toying with the idea of riding to Sturgis this year. I hadn?t been since 2006. I had signed up for a Custom Victory Motorcycle giveaway. Actually , I sign up for 2 or 3 every year. The thing that made this one different from the rest was that you had to be present to win J It was kind of a joke that I would use this as an excuse to go to Sturgis this year. I would tell Kay that I have to go in case I win this bike J Although, I didn?t need an excuse with Kay. She was so wonderful about the whole thing. She could see how much I wanted to go and she was very supportive.
It would be unlike any trip I had ever taken. My wife, Kay, didn?t have enough vacation time to go with me so I would be going solo. School also starts the week of Sturgis so a responsible adult needed to be home. I didn?t have much vacation myself. I had to plan a very concentrated version of Sturgis this year. Work was slowing down too which further promoted the no frills version of Sturgis I was planning. Except, one could not use the term ?no frills? to describe my trip. It was a 3400 mile nonstop thrill-ride! It is roughly 1500 miles one way to Sturgis from Sand Rock, Alabama. My first cost cutting idea was 2- fold. I would ride straight through and avoid any lodging expense, which is normally the 2nd most expensive part of this trip. Because of the ?perceived? element of danger riding such a distance without rest, I chose to do this alone. The ride would require a level of endurance that I wasn?t even sure I had and I didn?t want the anxiety of having other riders go with me or the guilt I would feel if something happened to them while trying such a challenge. The 2nd part of this idea is that I would qualify for the bun-burner 1500 award (1500 miles in less than 36 hours) from the iron butt association or IBA. I was actually shooting for the bunburner gold (1500 in less than 24 hours) keeping in mind that even if I failed that I would qualify for the standard bun-burner certification. The IBA is a motorcycle long distance endurance club offering several types of rides and membership. On a previous trip to Sioux Falls , I had already successfully completed a saddle sore 1000 which is 1000 miles in less than 24 hours. The bun-burner 1500 was the next logical step in the offered long distance certifications. You have to collect your gas receipts and mail them to the club for verification to become eligible for the endurance awards.
I was pumped! I had been planning this economic Sturgis trip for weeks. Lean was the theme and that included packing. I studied long and hard on what I would need, ,when I would need it and how much . My friend Joel Meeks had a great motorcycle travel bag he let me borrow and one more thing that was probably most instrumental in making a trip like this possible. He had made a luggage rack extension that he let me use. This devise would allow me to pack so much on the back that I looked like the Clampets going down the road. Considering I would be gone 6 days and tent camping exclusively, it made loading the bike a breeze. As you may know even compact camping gear can be bulky. Dining out is another expense that can devour a trip budget, pun intended. Because of the ?April Fury? tornados of April 27th and the several day power outage that followed. We had amassed a sizeable inventory of canned soup . Also a friend heard I was doing this type of trip and donated 4 military MRE?s to my cause J The soup had pop-top lids so I wouldn?t need a can opener, just a spoon. I packed an entire bag of nothing but soup , crackers, MRE?s, and granola bars. My goal was to bring all the food I would need for the whole trip. I also needed a couple of things for my bike to make the trip go as smooth as possible. I equipped Blue with a cup holder and a magnetic tank bag with a map window. Very helpful items for such a journey. My bike was due an oil change in 1000 miles . I made a tough decision to wait and change the oil when I got back. It would put me way over on my recommended oil change interval but it would save me about $60. It?s Tuesday August 9th. The bike is packed. I hug and kiss the family, we pray (thankfully, many people prayed for my safety on this trip) and I?m off. I get my starting gas receipt in Collinsville, AL at about 8am and hit the superslab. I really focused on getting my rest leading up to this trip and eating the right things on the trip to promote alertness. It was perfect traveling weather. Me and Blue ate up the miles. The trip routing I chose had me going west at sunset ( in Missouri. It was very difficult to see. I was driving right into the sun for what felt like an eternity. Next time I will map it and time it so that I will be going North at sunset and west after sundown. I was traveling at about 80mph through Kansas City, Missouri (where the speed limit on the interstate is 65, rediculous) a state policeman using a hand held radar gun clocked me and subsequently pulled me over. I thought ?great! I?m trying to do a low budget trip and I get a ticket. He walked up , I dismounted and he asked for license and proof of insurance. I didn?t have an insurance card (it?s the most elusive thing. I can never think to have an insurance card on my person) so I pretended to be looking for my insurance card as we talked bikes. As fortune would have it, he was a Victory fan. We talked about the bikes that victory makes. He , like me, is interested in the Vision. I have studied that model for a long time so I was able to answer a lot of his questions. In doing so I found favor with him. I guess he got tired of waiting on me to find my nonexistent insurance card and was gracious enough to write me a ticket for equipment malfunction which is not a moving violation so it doesn?t go on my insurance. I appreciated that even though it would still be an expensive lesson.
It really was rough riding going up. I-29 was terrible. It was even closed in 2 different places detouring me off in the middle of nowhere in the middle of the night. Very frustrating trying to do a timed ride. One thing I forgot about is that the roads are very rough once you leave Tennessee . They will beat you and your bike to death. It made me really appreciate the road conditions in the south. I got sleepy somewhere near Sioux City about 2am and took a nap on a park bench at a rest stop. 2 hours later I was on the road again. Beautiful day that next morning. Traversed I-90 on in to Sturgis. That was the first sign of rain I encountered. Only rained for a couple of miles as I road toward Belle Forche, South Dakota to a place called Wyatts Hideaway Campground. This is where I would lay my head for the next couple of days. I chose this place because it is Christian operated and quiet time is observed between certain hours at night . One time , while camping in Daytona Beach, my neighbors stayed up all night playing loud music. About 3am, I asked them if they could turn it down and they did, one decibal , maybe! So , after that, I vowed to sleep with ear plugs and shop for campgrounds that not only advertises quiet time but where it?s honored by guests. I know it?s a crap shoot finding a place like this but I have to say, I highly recommend this campground. It was a great experience in every way. I arrived at the campground 32 hours after leaving home. I was so excited about the ride and being there that I didn?t even feel tired. There are always highs and lows during a ride that long but the beginning and the end leaves you very energized. I set up camp and headed back to Sturgis for a bit just to look around. I got on the main drag where I got stuck in the main street traffic and got really nervous. Riding a bike with over 100,000 miles on old oil, I did not want to take any chances. I could tell the bike was getting very hot so I got out as soon as possible. I headed back to base camp and got some rest.
The next day would be great. I took a beautiful ride out to my favorite place , Devils Tower. No matter how many times I see it , every time is like the first time. A great day just taking it all in . I wish my wife could see this. Hopefully, I can bring her very soon. As the day wound down, there was a storm cloud coming and I was desperately trying to get to and inside my tent before it hit. The sky there is so wide open. If a storm comes through at home , it fills the whole sky and it?s all you see. When a storm comes at Sturgis, Belle Forche in this case, it can be just as big but the sky here is so different , it?s such an expanse that you can see the beginning , the end and both sides of a storm. It?s hard to explain, it?s something you kind of have to see to understand. I did beat the storm to my tent, barely! It didn?t release much rain, a mostly wind gust and a few drops of rain and it was over.
Friday , I signed up for demo rides. A Vision again and a Cross Country tour back to back. It put me questions to bed. I liked the XC but the Vision is still my favorite. It just felt more manageable , better balanced and more comfortable for me . Then I was off to Deadwood at a lodge that was the meeting place for the Victory Ride. I registered on line for this event. One of the required pieces of information was your bike vin #, which I thought was unusual. When I arrived at the sign up table they had my ?back stage pass? ready and waiting. It felt exclusive and important with the very cool pass and the owners meeting . They made you feel like you were a part of something bigger. In the owner briefing they talked a little bit about the direction of Victory. It was pretty exciting to me. It felt kind of like a pep rallyJ And yes, I am a Victory cheerleader J There I met Rupert from the reality show Survivor. He was a great guy, very approachable, very funny. He has a tie-died Vision which is his calling card. He uses his bike and celebrity status to raise money for a children?s charity. I really liked him. I met the Ness?s, custom bike builders and contributors on special edition Victory models that bare the Ness name. I also met Michael Song, I don?t know what his official title is but I know he is heavily involved in design for Victory. All very nice folks. No one minded having their picture made with me even though had done a thousand already. It was about time to depart for the Victory Ride to the Buffalo Chip campground. This is where they would give away the Klockworks customized Victory I signed up for, you know, the whole reason I had to come, wink J It was almost time for the Victory ride to Buffalo Chip Campground but there was a storm cloud fast approaching. Right about ?kickstands up? time it started raining. The decision was made delay the ride 30 minutes. That?s all we needed. The rain was gone and we took a beautiful guided route to the Buffalo Chip. Once there , we were given some cool free stuff and a meal. As we finished our meal, the gave away more prizes. I had an idea to call my friend Bubba, who is a big fan of Survivor and let Rupert talk to him. I called , he answered, I said ? hold on , I got someone hear who wants to talk to you? and I gave the phone to Rupert. He talked to him for a few minutes and playfully scolded him a little for not being here in person, making him promise to be here next year . I don?t know who got a bigger kick out of it, me or Bubba. I almost didn?t do this event. It was a tough decision. I had to give up some other great attractions that I normally visit when I?m here to do this. Afterwards I was so glad I decided on the Victory owners ride. It was a highlight for me on this trip. After the prize giveaways ( I wasn?t chosen as a finalist for the bike) I headed back to my campsite , took a farewell ride through Sturgis. I would be leaving the next day. I got up, loaded up and headed out. I had thought about going through the Badlands National Park on the way home and even got in line to do so but the more I thought about it, I was burning daylight and needed to get home so I did a u-turn in the road and aimed it for home. Actually , I wasted more time at Wall Drug trying to decide on souveniers for the kids but I couldn?t settle on any one thing so I left. I had planned a couple of key stops on the way home. My return route was much better than the ride up. I planned it through Spirit Lake, Iowa to see where my Victory was made. I made it there just a little too late to ask for a tour of the plant. It was 2nd shift Saturday and no one with the authority to escort me through so I hit the road for the motorcycle museum in Anamosa, Iowa where they proudly display a Victory identical to mine. What gives this Victory distinction is that it?s owner had ridden over 200,000 miles on this bike. That was my goal. I wanted to be in the Victory 200,000 mile club, hopefully as member #2 J My bike now has over 120,000 miles as of this writing. The only real rain I faced would be today. It was some of the hardest rain I had ever ridden through! I later found out about the storm that caused the stage to collapse at a Sugarland concert killing some concert goers and wondered if what I had ridden through was part of that system. It stopped raining finally . I kept riding as long as I could and was getting very tired so I found a campground that night and set up camp about midnight. It began to lightning in the distance. I was in my tent, so I wasn?t very concerned about it. What I didn?t plan for is my tent not being water tight. Yes it rained again , hard and my feet began to get cold in the bottom of my sleeping bag, wait , my feet were cold because they were in a puddle of water! I chose to leave my air mattress behind in the name of ?packing light? so I was sleeping on the ground all this time. What I learned is , even if the ground looks level and smooth , when you lay down , you will find it is neither level nor smooth. So, not having the luxury of sleeping above the water with an air mattress, I constantly had to keep rotating to get away from the water. Finally, there was nothing to do but curl up on the highest ground in the tent and make the best of it. It was a long night and I didn?t get much rest but none the worse for wear. I got up and began packing the bike. I met and talked to the nicest retired couple. I have to say, the biggest surprise was how much I enjoyed Iowa. I expected it to be just one big corn field and there was corn but Iowa is a beautiful place and I really enjoyed riding through it. I loved all the farm land, the old barns, and those huge windmills! I never realized they were so massive. I could hardly concentrate on riding because I was almost hypnotized by those things turning. One time a big rig came down the road carrying what looked like a huge yacht so long it was hanging off the end of the extended lo-boy trailer. When it got closer,It turns out it was one propeller blade for those windmills! I couldn?t get over how massive these things were. At night , they would arrest your attention too. They have a huge red blinking lights in the center of the prop. I drove by a field of what seemed to be hundreds of those things and they would all blink at different times . It was a beautiful sight and I could hardly stop looking at it. The people of Iowa were very nice . It just reminded me of home. I arrived in Anamosa Saturday, probably around noon. The Museum was great! It was much more than I expected. They have a very nice facility and extensive collection of all things related to motorcycles and then there it was, Roadkill?s (as he is known on my victory forum) V92C. I saw the KYSO black and blue beauty and it made me smile. It was sitting there among all the other iconic representations in all its glory. The cool thing for me was feeling that it belonged there. It?s not only there because of landmark mileage, it?s a landmark motorcycle. Long live the V92C. I had some cold soup outside the museum at a picnic table and hit the road again. The rest of the trip would be uneventful. Just me, Blue and the road. I was fine with that. I love just being on the road but at the same time, I was ready to be home. I rode the rest of that day and all night. I was home by about 6am Sunday morning greeted by my wife. I took a 2 hour nap and then got ready for church. Two things I missed, a hot meal, and I regretted leaving behind my air mattress . What an amazing experience! A lot of friends followed my trip as I would make facebook posts from different palces. They seemed to enjoy keeping up but when I tell some people this story they sometimes react with pity, feeling sorry for me that I had to ?endure? such a trip. I have a hard time making them understand just how exciting and how much fun it was. I love adventures and I love challenges, especially challenges that require endurance (I?m also a long distance runner). I will never forget this trip! Thank you to God for making it possible , to my wife, Kay (who I hope can go with me next time), for her support and love and to my friends and family also for the prayers and support. As a side note , I called to pay for my ticket I got in Kansas City. They had no record of me as they had switched over to a new accounting system and , in doing so, lost information, including my ticket ! J
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my Sturgis trip journal entry