Wild Hair Ride Report

[zetaetatheta]

Got a wild hair Monday 7/20 to up and go to Mahtowa Minnesota (been thinking about it for at least a month). What spurred this on is I have a friend that I haven’t seen in 29yrs and I thought I’d surprise him. I also figured I’d travel up to Thunder Bay and do the northern coast of Superior.

So I:

changed the oil, aired up the tires and packed up.

The equipment:
07 Moto Guzzi Norge (red), side bags, Givi E62 top case, and Cortech tank bag.
Tires are mismatched, BT021 back, Conti Road Attack front.
Garmin 550 GPS
FujiFilm finepix z33wp with mirror mount

I plan on leaving about 5 am in the morning (07/21) from Manitou Springs, Co. and getting to St. Cloud or Worthington Minn. Tomorrow evening. I plan on camping most of the way.

The equipment:
REI HooDoo 3 tent, Kelty 25 deg. down bag, self inflating pad and a JetBoil for coffee.

Clothing:
Riding pants, Rocket mesh jacket (liner and rain cover), disposable (underwear, socks and t-shirts.), pair of jeans, zip-off pants, flip fops and hiking shoes.

Standard Toiletries.

This is my first ride report so I hope it goes well. Since I probably will not take my computer I will finish this report upon my return. Lots of pics I hope.

BTW if anyone is from around the Mahtowa, please shoot me a PM, you may know this guy as he owns a pub there.

Day one, Tuesday 7/21

So I am starting my trip report, first one so please be gentle. My pics should start getting better.

Got up and left at O dark thirty (5.30am Mountain) and proceeded to fuel up for trip to see my buddy. Colorado Springs weather looked like rain but as soon as I got past Simla, Co it cleared up.




Things were clearing up nicely.
Trudged through Eastern Co and Kansas, to Nebraska. Stopped for gas in Kearney and having done business with Kearney Yamaha I decided to stop in and see I I could get a front tire as I knew I would have to get one on the trip. They were swamped with weekend work but managed to get me in and change my tire in less than an hour for $125 bucks out the door. These guys are great and I’ll do business with them again.
New shoe up front:


Yes I am in handicapped parking, after-all I’m on a Moto Guzzi ☺
Weather was beautiful save for the wind (20-30mph quartering) killing my fuel milage. Lots of scenery like this:

Getting tired and stopped in Sioux City Iowa for the night. Comfort Inn (75 bucks) and treated myself to some Mongolian bbq

Day one stats and costs:
Mileage-640
Fuel-16.1 gal @ approx $2.50/gal=$40.25
Fuel economy-39.7 mph
Breakfast-$2.02 @ MacDonalds'
Lunch-$3.80 at gas stop
Dinner-$20.00 HuHot Mongolian Sioux City
Tire-Kearney Yamaha $125.55
Lodging-Comfort Inn Sioux City $75.58
Total today $267.20 (ouch)

[dirkterrell]

Wild hair rides are the best. Beautiful bike. I raced an 850 LeMans a few times back in the mid 80s. It was one of the best sounding bikes I have ever heard.

Dirk

[Pandora-11]

...and that is how they do it in Mongolia. Pick and they grill it.

[zetaetatheta]

Wild Hair Day 2 7/21

Left Sioux City about 8 am MT and headed to Minnesota. It started like this:
Quickly turned to this:

Rained about 10 min., not to bad. After I passed the rain I stopped and to a shot behind me, what I just went through

and one ahead of me, where I was going, same vantage point

also saw a healthy deer by the corn

I prefer deer cubed and served on (PETA) bread

Continued on and noticed the midwestern folk are very law abiding on the road. I think one reason is that most are driving American made autos and they all look like LEO patrol cars. I was so bored I took an unofficial survey, I counted 100 cars that I passed and only 13 were not American cars. The patrol cars I did see were all unmarked though. I saw the most in Minnesota. I tried to stay 10-15 mph within the limit.
More scenery pics


Made it to my buddies tavern about 3 pm MT, and you guessed it he wasn’t there. So I had a beer and talked to a few of this friends and found out he would be back tomorrow—relief. So I went into Otter Creek and it stormed (rain, wind, and hail). I got under a gas station awning and stayed there about 20 min for it to pass. Went to a motel next door and asked about a room, didn’t want to pay to much and I guess the girl felt sorry for me and gave me a huge room for $49, she said it had an in-room Jacuzzi where I could relax (guess I looked ragged) and the water had been changed that day. Wow, these folks are super nice up here in the North Woods. I got it for 2 days. BTW love the accent—feel like I’m in the movie Fargo without the wood chipper though.




Stats day 2:
Mileage-442
Fuel-10.5 gal @ approx $2.50/gal=$26.25
Fuel economy-42 mpg
Breakfast-free motel
Lunch-$6.29 Subway
Beer 2 @ $1 plus tip $3
Dinner-$6 Truck Stop Special (sorry no pics)
Lodging-AmericInn $49.00
Total today $90.54 (getting better)

[Vehicle 1]

Nice report!

Include the bike in some more of the pics man, its beautiful!

D

[zetaetatheta]

Wild hair day 3 7/23
Hooked up with my old buddy and it was as if we had never drifted apart. He owns a little honky-tonk that serves food and has a pretty good business. He was busy with ordering and serving customers, so I stayed a while and went off exploring. Told him I would come back later after he was free. We BS’ed, reminisced, and drank most of the evening. It was great. Some pics:

Rob on left and me, after 29 years and at least 29 lbs

His place:

For any Dylan fans:
Oh God said to Abraham, "Kill me a son"
Abe says, "Man, you must be puttin' me on"
God say, "No." Abe say, "What?"
God say, "You can do what you want Abe, but
The next time you see me comin' you better run"
Well Abe says, "Where do you want this killin' done?"
God says, "Out on Highway



Area Pics:


Stats day 3, 7/23
Mileage-55
Fuel-1.3gal @ approx $2.50/gal=$3.25
Fuel economy-42 mpg
Breakfast-free motel
Lunch-Blackbear Casino $10
Dinner and beer-free (thanks Rob)
Lodging-AmericInn $49.00
Total today $62.25

[Nick_Ninja]

Lookin' good! Have a GREAT trip

[GSXRJOHNNY]

Looks like a great trip so far. Keep the reports coming. MN is my home state, seeing the photos and hearing you mention the accent makes me miss it. I think I'll need to get back there for a visit soon. I hope you make it up along the North Shore, is very nice up there.