CBBaron

This is my first time doing a big group ride so I'm not sure my pace. I know I'm not fast, probably more like Med. When I ride alone I seldom stop but I don't mind taking some time to see the scenery. Taking breaks will I'm sure improve my comfort by the end of the day. Really looking forward to getting on the road Sat morning, not so much the slab to Parkersburg Friday evening. Craig

There is actually property big enough in Seven Hills to hunt? That has got to be like shooting fish in a barrel. The deer around here are abundant and nearly tame. They dont even look up from grazing the shoulder when you ride by.

Heh, I'm just jealous of your ability to pack without scrutinizing every choice. I dont want to be left out of the espresso break

I have found that my 7 yr old Tourmaster Transition is not very waterproof when you have no wind protection. I will be carrying a rain jacket, to keep me dry incase it rains, and as an extra thermal layer if it gets too cold. If it was summer I would probably skip it but a 45F rain is no fun if you are soaked.

You guys pack way too much Though I will have to get some saddle bags if I want to do some camping. My current setup is barely sufficient and I will have to add an extra 10min to load and unload the bike each day. Craig

I will lay claim to the other end of the storage spectrum. 2 dry bags and a tank bag mounted on my bike for slightly more than 30L of total space. That is probably less than one of Tonic's side bags. I do have a big Givi topcase I could mount to the rear rack but I am pretty sure I would end up with a broken subframe if it was loaded for this trip.

I would definitely like to catch the game. As mentioned it is probably the top game next Saturday and at primetime so it is very likely on the local stations. However hanging at a bar to get dinner and watch sounds better than sitting in the hotel room.

I'll add a quick review for the Enduro Star Trail Stand that I purchased also. The stand was shipped quick and I received in just a few days. A very simple but well built product. Very flexible uses, I easily picked up my rear wheel or front wheel on my sumo. However because it doesn't have the leverage of the PackJack it would be more difficult to use with a heavy bike. Biggest complaint is the tool is still pretty long when packed down or travel. It barely fits in my fender bad with the hook and foot removed and wont fit in my small enduro tank bag. Both of my wheels are now set up tubeless so I should only need the stand for chain maintenance.

I got the maps loaded into Osmand. Probably not as good as Sygic but should at least work as a backup incase I get lost

Yep, Thats it.

That is pretty ugly. Do you really want that entire are raised to the level of the patio? Smaller would be cheaper and/or less effort. The stacked concrete walls would be affordable if you made the area smaller then sloped the yard up to the small, short wall. That should be something that could be do-it-yourself. Just make sure to put good drainage behind the wall and a firm foundation if you want it to last. Craig

Yep, I'm really excited about that trip. I'm sure I will come back a better rider.

Thanks for the heads up. I hate traffic worse than freeway. An alternative for the last few miles to Bexley in the morning. https://goo.gl/maps/FwJsgeuMJiG2

I agree 100%. Thats where practice come in as sometimes things are happening too fast for the logical part of my brain to make the right decision. Which is where this went wrong. And you are correct sumos have great ground clearance. Unlike most bikes I'm pretty sure I could lose traction before dragging hard parts unless the road conditions were perfect. Still even that is better than high siding so your recommendation still applies. I have not tried learning to trail brake yet. I think I still need to pick better lines and be smoother through the corner. And obviously I still have to learn to "lean, lean, lean" instead of brake when the turn tightens up. At this point trail braking might be one control too many. I really need to get the leathers and take the bike for a couple track days. I'm sure that would be the fastest way to learn seeing how I don't seem to get many full days to hit curvy roads. Craig

I work Friday but reserved a room in the Red Roof Parkersburg. (I think 2talltim was planning to use the second bed) Trying to get from NEO to Bexley before noon then riding 250 miles looked too taxing for me. Instead I plan to take I77 to Parkersburg Friday after work and then take a more scenic route to Bexley in the morning. Probably take 16 in the morning. Craig

Very true. Too fast for my head and a bad line. I probably could have ridden it out by pushing the turn harder and using the other lane, but I don't process that fast enough. Like I said panicked, which is never a good thing. Need more practice!!!! Craig

Glad you had a good ride durk, it was a beautiful day. I had a great time despite myself. Did about 380 miles and made it home right at 4. I did learn several lessons and a couple of them the hard way. I low sided on a sharp RH turn. Came in too hot, panicked and grabbed a handful of front brake. First my concentration was not fully on the road because I was concerned by the pickup that was trying to chase me after I passed him in the straight. Second when you cant see through the curve, especially if the warning sign say 15mph, assume the worse. Third grabbing the front brake hard in the middle of a turn is a really bad idea. Good news is my gear worked as intended and I only have a couple bruises and a little soreness for the accident. Wore a couple holes in the jacket and pants but over all it held up well. The bike did even better with the only noticeable damage is scrapes on the hand guards and a slightly tweaked handlebar. SuperMotos do crash well So despite the biff I had a great day. Just need to replace the no longer waterproof pants . I guess that is a small price to pay for the lessons learned. Also later that morning I learned I am slow. On a nice curvy part of new pavement on 250 in WV I was passed like I was standing still by a rider on a sport bike. I was not pushing it hard since it was not long after my biff and he was obviously skilled, but it was humbling seeing how much smoother that rider was carving the corners. 2 or 3 corners later he was out of site. Craig

Was planning to head down into WV early Sat. My current plans were https://goo.gl/maps/p3CGHTdRvsq Leaving Aurora about 6:30 which doesnt put me in Lisbon until almost 8 I takes so long just to get decent roads from NEO

I decided to try out the Enduro Star Trail Stand for my super moto. http://www.endurostar.com/ The flexibility to remove the front wheel in addition to rear wheel work might be nice, especially if my tubeless conversion does not work out. Craig

Sounds like a plan. Now I need to convert my front tire to tubeless and make sure my packing plan is going to work

The wife only complains when I have a cold. Never heard myself so can't personally confirm

Yep, I have rooms reserved and a spare bed. Let me know if you are interested.

Both of you are way more impressive than me, especially considering most of my miles have just been commuting.

So how many miles have you racked up on the China bike already? I'm guessing you have already put more miles on it than most bikes will ever have.

Just ordered new tires and an aftermarket seat. Not sure the rear needs replaced again but the original front is nearly to the wear bars. Figure the Seat Concepts seat has to be better than the stock 2x4.