| Author | Message | ||
     Dr_greg |
Warning: This is a lengthy, wordy, picture-laden ride report posted over the course of several days. I'm not a very good writer. There is probably a "ride report forum" on BadWeB, but you Uly guys are my buddies. So be informed. A word to the wise. --Doc "Dr. Greg's Shakedown Cruise II" 1. Some background... Some of you may remember my long struggle with my '06 Uly last fall. The rear spark plug had blown out in October, and as one thing led to another...well, let's just say I had my share of issues. I documented it pretty extensively on BB&D, and many of you were helpful and encouraging. I finally got Uly back together, and to test him out on December 6, 2008 I confidently embarked on... "Dr. Greg's original Shakedown Cruise"... through central and southern New Mexico. Things were going flawlessly, until at 6:02 p.m. (a little after dark at about mile 460) I encountered "Bambi" (actually her Big Sister) at a GPS-recorded 72 mph. Big Sister died, but Dr. Greg sustained only a broken wrist (distal radius fracture), broken clavicle (collarbone), and broken rib (rib). Two months to the day I was back on the bike. But a different bike. Faithful '06 Uly #044 was totaled (at about 55,400 miles), to be replaced by '06 Uly #564 (at 9,900 miles). 520 bikes later I hope the Elves still built them as properly. And it was ORANGE!! That was color I originally wanted, but ended up getting a deal I "couldn't refuse" on the demo bike, which was BLACK. Woo-hoo! My purchase was also well documented on BB&D. Now one of the few advantages of begin an aged pointy-headed professor is...SPRING BREAK and---while some of my colleagues brag about how much they work---I like to see how much riding I can get in that week. So...I figure it's time for "Dr. Greg's Shakedown Cruise II" over the same route. I wanted to do it on Saturday, March 14 (314--that's PI day! There oughta be an "E Day" but 2.718 doesn't work with the calendar), but a late winter storm came through New Mexico and dumped up to a FOOT of snow on the northern NM mountains. I was afraid it dumped a little on the southern NM mountains, which I would have to cross, so I waited until Sunday, March 15. Sunday dawned clear, but after a storm moves through the next day is always... COLD!!! Yeah, I know you midwestern and East coast guys will laugh at me, but it DOES get cold in New Mexico. Anyway, enough build-up; let's get started. 2. Eat your breakfast! My mom told me that breakfast was the most important meal of the day. So Mrs. Greg fixed me a doozy...steak 'n eggs (we had barbecued a steak outside on Friday night in the thick of the storm). So here ya go...the only thing I ask of Mrs. Greg is that the egg yolk is centered (typical engineer...)  Gotta admit I only ate ONE piece of toast. Late dinner the night before. Note all the pills in the upper right...hazard of getting old. Sigh. Oh yeah, inhaler at the upper left...asthma, ya know...man it'll be a miracle if I SURVIVE this ride...uh, just kidding! Took a look at the weather on the iPhone (time 0711) and it was a little chilly...  Look at Tuesday and Wednesday! Maybe a camping trip in a few days (Spring Break, remember?) 3. Hitting the Road Not literally (again), I hope! Dr. Greg looks confident at the start...  However, immediately after joining I-25 southbound, I come up to this guy...not a premonition, hopefully!?  Nah, I've seen enough of the inside of those things. 3. Heading south... At this point I-25 follows the Rio Grande, and crosses it just south of Albuquerque. I shot a pic as I was crossing.  For those of you who live where there are REAL rivers (Ohio, etc.), the Rio Grande is a joke. In May/June it achieves respectable flow, but other than that... However, for Dr. Greg---who grew up in desert SoCal---ANY running water is pretty cool. So the Rio Grande is okay by me. BTW, all those cottonwoods on the banks of the Rio will be green in a couple months. Just startin' to green up now. They call it the "bosque" (forest). As I continued south towards the towns of Los Lunas and Belen, the temp dropped and it was indeed "frio on the Rio..."  BTW for all you "FANHEAD" lovers it is apparent that the sticker is still there...also, heated grip switch is to the left (HI...left is fast lane, etc.) Brr. The temperature dropped to an even 30 DEGREES all the way from Belen to just north of Socorro! My morning commute is colder (low-20s or below, but only five miles), but fellas, I had the Gerbing jacket liner on "WELL DONE" and the Symtec heated grips on "HI" for the first time ever... Man! By the time I pulled into Socorro, NM for my first fuel stop (only 75 miles, but a tradition) the nice warm convenience store felt mighty good. Uly took on a little fuel; he had averaged about 45 mpg so far...not bad, but #044 used to do a little better. If #564 doesn't start to shape up there's a replacement engine waitin' to take his place...  4. A little warmer, but "Doc" still chilly... Leaving Socorro the temp had warmed a little (it was 0830 by now) but I was still pretty chilly. Now "chilly" isn't the correct word, cuz I had heated grips, a nice heated jacket liner, a bunch 'o layers, etc. But doggone it, you fellas know what I mean. My "new" Uly had been fitted with the Touratech handguard extensions, and I DO think they helped a little in keeping my phalanges warm. If they didn't, they're pretty much useless, right?  BTW, looking at the pavement in that picture reminds of our department chairman (er, "chairperson") of a few years ago...Dave Thompson. Dave was a "car" guy and once told me he took a ride on a friend's motorcycle and "...man, I saw that road goin' by and it looked like a giant beltsander..." Dave turned around and never rode again. Giant beltsander, eh? Let's think about something else. Like the GREAT ROAD coming up... 5. NM highway 152... I meant to take a picture at my next fuel stop at Truth or Consequences, NM, but forgot. Got in a discussion with the gas station cashier about my last name (Starr) which was hers, too (she married a Starr). Her hubby had come from Oklahoma (my dad, too) so we figgered we were relatives. Lotsa "Starrs" in OK. My great-grandad was a full-blooded Cherokee; guess I oughta get some kinda ethnic preference. Oh, well. The aforementioned NM 152 is an amazing road that runs from I-25 to Silver City, NM. It is probably 50 miles of double-yellow 15-30 mph marked corners, and beautiful mountain country. In a cage there is NO PLACE to pass for that entire 50 miles. On a bike (esp. the Uly), um, NO PROBLEM! In fact, NM 152 is a great Uly road; lotsa corners, marginal road surface. However, it's not my favorite, cuz the corners are so tight. I like 'em a little faster (there are a few of those coming up later). 6. See you at the TOP! NM 152 demanded too much of my concentration to take any pictures (and there's almost nowhere to stop), plus once you get into a "rhythm" you just gotta keep goin'...but at Emory Pass (elevation 8,228 feet) there's a nice viewing area...this is looking NE:  There was ONE corner just before the pass that was ICY, and a few corners on the way down, but I stayed on two wheels. So...time to enjoy the view. In this pic you can see the road I rode up to Emory Pass:  A self-portrait at Emory Pass...BTW that sweater under my jacket is the bees knees...a heated jacket liner works MUCH better with some insulation outside of it. DAMHIK. I had a lighter-weight sweater with me also.  Oh yeah, right about now I could've sure used that BEARD I shaved off a week ago...sigh. Well, my tradition is September 8 -> March 8...weather be damned. And it was. Now I've read this sign at the top many times before, but this time it had "new meaning..."  The town "Kingston" is now absolutely nothing. It used to have 7,000 people (unimaginable...it's a tiny area) UNTIL the "Depression of 1893." This was a continuation of the "Panic of 1873" and together they constituted the "Long Depression." I first learned of this reading a book about the Chicago World's Fair of 1893. Y'know, there have been "panics" and "depressions" many times throughout history...nothing to get upset about. We're gonna get through it. Consider it an "adjustment" and a damn good one at that. If we can rein in the Wall Street turkeys...I knew there was a reason I became an engineer. OK, ok, off soapbox. The descent of Emory Pass was a little tense...some icy-looking roads, and when on a 515-lb wet-weight bike (weighed it on my bathroom scale...cosine error taken into account) I take few chances...whew, made it! This pic is after the "white-knuckle" part, and just proves there was some snow...  7. Down towards Silver City... Dropping off Emory Pass (that was the Black Range, BTW...part of the Mimbres Mountains of southern NM) the temp warmed up, and NM 152 leads by the Santa Rita open-pit copper mine...  The real "open-pit" is just after this tailings pile, but I couldn't snap a good picture whilst riding, so this is it. Now, I know some folks don't like these kinda mines, but they give people jobs and man we gotta get minerals from somewheres, so...but, hey, I'm the idiot that wanted a job in the nuclear power industry (and got it) between UG and Grad school (summer of 1969) because it was "clean energy" (and I STILL think so), so go figure... BTW, I was also a "card-carrying" member of the Sierra Club, and have done mucho backpacking over the American West, but just had to part company with the SC a while back...I guess I'm a "multiple-use" person now. OK, ok, off soapbox again... My traditional stop in Silver City is at the Burger King for a, well, a "burger!" And after eating it I was SO HAPPY that I just had to express myself in some way:  A shill for corporate America, that's what Dr. Greg is for sure...but it feels GOOD! Well fellas, Silver City is about the halfway point of this ride, and I think I'm gonna post this much and get back to finish it off later...thanks for readin' this far. --Doc | ||
| Snakebreak |
Thanks,looking forward to the rest of it. I do need to get down there and ride. SO much riding to do. | ||
| Ourdee |
About time doc. I was thinking I was going to have to go to the library for some adventure. | ||
| Cyclonedon |
keep the rides and the pictures coming Doc, the more you post, the more of the country I get to see. | ||
| Electraglider_1997 |
You should organize a Buell ride through your neck of the country. Not during 30 F time of year. I've never been down thataway and it looks like it would be worth the effort. (Message edited by electraglider_1997 on March 17, 2009) | ||
| F_skinner |
Doc, great to see you having fun during your break. I will be in Santa Fe for a business retreat 12, 13, 14 of June. I know we have some mandatory fun during that weekend but if I can I want to motor down to Abq to say hi and buy you a cup of joe. Lynn and I are riding down, she will be on her Nightster and I will, more than likely, be on the S2-T. EGlider, there is a Buell rally in Aug of every year in the Taos and surrounding area. | ||
| Jphish |
Great ride Doc - real for you...vicarious for me. I'm too busy thinkin about fork oil. Give us the details on conclusion of the ride. What kind of jacket is that your wearin ? Yeah, I always wear a lite polarfleece over my heated vest to retain warming qualities of the activated electrons. I envy these younger guys who generate more heat than they use up - enjoy it while they can - a heated vest will someday be their best friend. j | ||
| Jlnance |
There oughta be an "E Day" It's so rare I get inside jokes.  My great-grandad was a full-blooded Cherokee You're related to my kids. it DOES get cold in New Mexico. I woke up one November morning in Grant, NM, and rode into ABQ. My first question to the McDonalds girl was "Is it always this cold?" I was expecting a desert. | ||
| Thetable |
Great read so far. | ||
| Jespo_m2 |
Love the thread!!! Good Uly livin' | ||
| Dr_greg |
I'm up for it. There has been an on/off BRAG event in central/northern NM in past years, most recently from Santa Fe H-D/Buell...dunno about this August. I DO know lotsa good roads, that's for sure. Be fun.
I should be around...that would be great! Love to meet a few of you guys. Just lemme know beforehand. And, ahem, I'll do the buying.
I'll forget by the time I finish the RR tonight, cuz today is Mrs. Greg's & my 35th anniversary and I might have my mind on other things, if ya know what I mean... Helmet: Shoei Hornet DS Jacket: FirstGear Kiliminjaro 4 Pants: FirstGear HT Overpants Gloves: Tourmaster Winter Elite (cold/cool weather only) Boots: Oxtar Matrix Riding gear is like bikes: everyone has their own preferences. But that gear has worked very well for me in the cool riding season. --Doc P.S. I'll get this RR finished tonight. Gotta have dinner with Mrs. Greg and pack for another ride tomorrow. Boy the weather in NM is gorgeous right now. Was gonna do a camping trip but things worked out better for day rides. | ||
| Jphish |
Well first things first Doc. Congrats to you and Mrs Doc ! - 35 yrs is darn near historic event. Good on ya both. Ya might actually want to sleep in tomorrow ?! Like the jacket. j | ||
| Crusty |
Congratulations! May your next 35 be even more fun! | ||
| Dr_greg |
Seems the network was cantankerous last night so I was delayed...also thanks for kind wishes on my 35th anniversary. Mrs. Greg is a keeper. RR Resumed... 8. Heading north through Western New Mexico... Silver city is 6,142 feet above sea level; the Colorado Plateau results in all of western NM being fairly high. More of Albuquerque is above a mile high than Denver, FWIW. Silver City is a nice town; Mrs. Greg would like to live there, but Western NM State University does not have a School of Engineering. Oh, well. Heading NW out of Silver City on US 180, the country is hilly (as is most of western NM), and one passes by the tiny towns of Cliff and Buckhorn. Tried to get a pic of the junction of NM 78 W down to Mule Creek (and eventually to legendary AZ 191), but had the camera in the wrong mode. A few miles N of the NM 78 junction is the Gila Wilderness "picnic area"...the Gila Wilderness was "the first WILDERNESS!" See?  You are looking at the Gila Nat'l. Forest, highest point Whitewater Baldy at 10,892 feet. A few more pics of the surrounding area...     Here's a photo of Aldo Leopold, who began the wilderness idea...looks like a kindly man.  The temperature had rebounded nicely...heated grips OFF.  ...and I was busy switching clothes around. Between here and Reserve, NM (the next town) there is Saliz Pass (6,435 feet) which has some DELIGHTFUL curves on both sides. My tires are a newish D616 (rear) and an oldish Sync (front) and I think they work together okay, but I rode just a hair slower than usual. These are 60-70 mph corners. Lotsa fun, but way too much concentration for any pictures. Shortly after the last of the wonderful curves is the junction of US 180 and NM 12 (unusual to see a car out here...)  If one continued straight one would cross W into AZ and the town of Alpine, at the N end of the legendary AZ 191. This "detour" into AZ is one that I do in the summer (note to AZ Uly riders: this would be a great opportunity to meet). But this day Dr. Greg turns E on NM 12... ...and on into the aforementioned town of Reserve, NM, county seat of Catron Country. Biggest, least-populated county in the whole Yewnited States. Lotsa conflict here between the tree huggers who have instituted the release of the Mexican Gray Wolf, and the ranchers who don't like having their sheep and cattle killed by wolves. I saw several graphic billboards from the latter crowd; going too fast to snap a pic. For me, the two landmarks of Reserve, NM are Henry's Corner...  ...and Uncle Bill's Bar...  Wouldn't want to be a tree-hugger in Uncle Bill's Bar on a Saturday night. But this Sunday afternoon things looked pretty calm. Usually there is a whole phalanx of 4WD pickups (with gun racks, of course) lined up in front of the bar. They're all probably still asleep. Leaving Reserve Dr. Greg heads NE on through the Gila Nat'l. Forest (a vast area, BTW) through Cruzville (a seedy-looking RV park) and Apache Creek and the junction of NM 32 which leads N through the Gallo Mts. to the small town of Quemado. Here's the Apache Creek Store...  ...and that's about it for Apache Creek, except for a couple ranches. Now between Apache Creek and Quemado there aren't any real fun curves, but there IS a patch of fairly high (8,000 feet) elevation, with accompanying chill. I usually stop at the "rest area" here to don some warmer riding gear. Also, it's late afternoon by now, and in the dry-high country the temp drops FAST as the day dwindles. Nice ponderosa pine forest here...  Wouldja believe that today the temp is actually WARMING UP at this point, such that I'm changing my heavier "lounging pants" (my preferred wear under the overpants) for my "medium" lounging pants. The medium pants are pretty stylish...  Hey, the classy lounging pants warrant another self-portrait...now in lighter-weight sweater also.  About ten miles before Quemado these bare trees seemed almost illuminated, so I snapped 'em...the effect was more pronounced in person.  It ain't summer here, yet! I usually stop at Quemado at a 24/7 automated gas pump (didn't used to have any gas at Quemado) to refuel, and today was no exception. Forgot to take a pic, but seen one gas pump seen 'em all. I did, however, take a pic of my thermometer...holy cow!  That's a full 40-degree swing from the morning...that's why we dress in "layers" on the Colorado Plateau... 9. Nearing the dreaded "Deer Strike"... Leaving Quemado on NM 36 one passes through high plains, then the junction of NM 117 which bends off towards the W. About 20 miles later NM 117 turns N and enters the "badlands", that is, El Malpais National Monument...  You may recall that my GPS (the very same Garmin Zumo you see below; note damage on the upper left button; its top also got ripped off but it still works!) had tracked into and right on through my deer strike of last December 6. Well, I recorded the waypoint, so on the current ride the GPS gives me this uplifting message...  Once inside "El Malpais" the first feature is "the Narrows" which for some reason is a little slanted today...  Here's the Ventana Arch (one of the few pictures I stopped to take...)  10. Deer Strike!! Well, almost. I was within 0.2 miles of "deer strike" when I turned W on the dirt road to the "Sandstone Bluffs Overlook" which is pretty amazing. This is a high cliff face that I can never seem to photograph satisfactorily...this is from the top looking NNW:  The sandstone surface contained a number of tinajas (is that the right word?)...  Looking to the N one sees Mt. Taylor (11,305 feet), one of the four sacred Navajo mountains...  The sandstone surface here is interesting...  Don't stab yourself with the knife! Duh.  I like this picture...  Always good to get the Uly on some dirt road...  OK, back to pavement, and the 0.2 miles to "DEER STRIKE"... I think back to 6:02 p.m. on December 6, 2008...the thing that crosses my mind is...  Unfortunately (for both of us) I didn't miss. Ah, well. Bambi's Big Sister is now prancing in the Elysian Fields, and Dr. Greg has another Ulysses. We're both happy. 11. I-40 and Home... Nine miles further, and there was I-40...  Now it was just a matter of slabbing 80 miles home. Mrs. Greg was a little concerned: there's no cell service from Silver City to I-40 (a matter of six hours in this case), and, well, she had reason to be, I guess. What did we do before mobile phones? Worry less, I guess. I had this nice shadow follow me home...it started in the left lane and ended up in the right lane.  12. Back in the Garage... Well, here was the mileage...  Not too shabby for three months after a major injury. My wrist felt, um...  Actually it didn't feel too bad. Just had to insert that pic! Hee-hee... And the doggone #564 engine must have gotten the message: here's the iPhone-computed mileage over the last 160 miles (admittedly with a brisk tailwind on I-40)...  12. Epilogue... Fellas, thanks for readin' this whole thing. After the deer strike this ride was kinda like a hurdle I had to jump over. I don't mind sayin' I had a few misgivings about it (and that's a first for me), but it worked out well. I'm goin' on another ride Thursday (3/19), then another on Saturday or Sunday, the Lord willin'... It's gonna a good summer, just like I said. --Doc | ||
| Electraglider_1997 |
Very cool and nicely done. Jealous as all get out. It's no wonder you have so many miles on your bikes. | ||
| Thetable |
Man, I have to make it out to NM this year. Absolutely beautiful. Thanks for the read and the pics. | ||
| Jlnance |
Gotta like a guy who does 550+ mile day trips. | ||
| Pkman |
Awesome trip Dr. Greg! 'Glad to see you're doing better. I like the pics of the Cibola area. I probably would have gotten a degree from NMT if I didn't like wandering around there so much - that and the Owl Bar!  | ||
| Portero72 |
"the N end of the legendary AZ 191. This "detour" into AZ is one that I do in the summer" Just curious, do you do this in the summer due to weather concerns or just because? I plan on tripping back to AZ via this very road, the 2nd week of april. Thought I'd ask a 'local'. | ||
| 4_pete_sake |
Doc- well written and well done... back on that horse in a big way... glad to hear it/see it... the self portraits are great I wish I could remember to do that on my rides... (camera ....check... using camera ... no check...) the lounge pants are sweet... I wear long shorts under my pants... just past knees ... no as cool looking as your though I must admit. Congrats... Cheers-pete | ||
| Dr_greg |
Yep, New Mexico is a great state to live in if yer a motorcyclist. Or an atomic physicist.
Be sure and let me know...I'll show ya the good roads!
A breakfast waitress heard me talkin' about ridin' up to an area (about 200 miles away)..."oh, ya gonna spend the weekend up there?" "Nah, that's the lunch stop."
Well, what can I say...New Mexico has something for everybody! 
The "detour" to AZ 191 woulda been a great inclusion into my ride, but the days are still a little short for that ride. With the AZ side trip, the mileage is around 700, and the days are short for that. And after "deer strike" I'm a little shy of riding at night. Probably from May onwards is when I would include the AZ 191 ride into my "Silver City" ride. But if you're already in the AZ area, anytime from March onwards should be fine. Weather not a problem. April would be GORGEOUS!! --Doc | ||
| Dr_greg |
Yeah, even though I was the dork in P.E. class in 1962 doesn't mean I can't be STYLIN' now...  | ||
| Portero72 |
Thx for the info, Doc. Looking forward to NM. Glad you're back. | ||
| Hangetsu |
Great pics Doc. and you're not as bad a writer as you say. Very entertaining. I will be heading into NM week after next and I'm excited to explore some of those roads. At this point, I;m not sure how far south I will get. I have a hotel booked in Santa Fe for the four nights I will be in the state. I got a deal on the hotel that I could't pass up, so I plan on making day trips (some long ones)each day out of Santa Fe. A side question - how well do those PIAA 510s light up the road. I will be adding auxiliary lighting to my Uly soon and I'm tossed between the PIAA 510s and the Trail Tech 30W HIDs. I actually like the look of the PIAAs. Sorry to get off the subject. Cheers. A- | ||
| Jmhinkle |
Seeing that orange bike with the PIAA's really brings back some memories. Mostly bad, but that's another issue. Glad to see you are back to riding and feeling better. | ||
| Ourdee |
I got a good startle yesterday, Doc. Then I thought of you. I've started riding a new road to work, mainly because of the 30 mph corners and the ice being gone. I was running 65 when I topped a rise that falls into a sweeping right hander. That deer looked like it was 5' in front of me. I know it was further as there was enough time to chock it down. Goofy deer just slowly walked out of the road. Well, that was the kind of wake up call I needed. I needed to cool my guns. Oops not another gun thread, that'll start some political missteps, Oops, just can't keep my feet outta my mouth.  "Hey!, be careful out there", Fish. |
