Official BRPR 24 Post

[BillGsa]

Matt & Wes on the way

[802Mike]

Looks too wide to be that goat path along the river that Rod took me down.

[955i]

Looks like you all had a great time. I just couldn't get my life organized to get there this time. For sure it looks like the "A-Team" was there in force.
T (&C)

[Lee]

I just couldn't get my life organized .
T (&C)

Is that possible

[Capnrip]

Some photos from BRPR

WV scenery


Lower Humbert Covered Bridge


From the inside



From there we (Elizabeth, Furman and I) rode up to the Flight 93 Memorial

Here's the tower of voices



Partying out back. Bill cooked up a bunch of Fish and the trimmings on Friday night, and brought in BBQ on Saturday night. That guy's allright.



If you don't know what this rag is for Joe wants you to come to a rally



More beautiful WV scenery

Until you get fed into the Cuisinart windmill blade!



I had to put one windmill picture in for Tyson. He's a big wind turbine fan I hear.

[Doctor350]

Looks beautiful. How far is this from you Wes?

[Capnrip]

About 6 hours JB.

[802Mike]

Somewhere along 219 on the way home I saw a turbine that had burnt.
I saw hundreds on the way home through PA and NY.

[802Mike]

I left for Elkins, WV on Tuesday morning wearing long underwear and vent closed
because when you get to the Adirondack Park you can count on it being 10 degrees
cooler and it was. I'd intended to ride to Watkins Glen (300 Miles) where I would
spend the night.
I ride by this cleaver painting on a rock along Rt 8 in Hague, NY and finally stopped
to take a photo. You know how it is... you just blew by someone and you don't want
them to catch up with you, so you keep moving.



I checked the radar in Speculator, NY and the rain was coming right at me... big dark
green and red. So I decided Plan "B" was going to be used. I'd go south on Rt 10
and hope to get in under it. Rt 10 is a nice road that takes you through where De
used to live before she got flooded out by Irene. I came ot Hancock, NY and into
PA. Somewhere after I turned onto RT 10 the rain started and stopped. Finally I
stopped and put on the clear visor with the *Pinlock and rain gloves.
After Hancock I had no choice but to take RT 6 to I 81 and then I 80 where I would
get to Bloomsburg, PA. I was getting into some heavy rain and dreaded riding in
it at rush hour through Wilks-Berry and Scranton.
I was getting a little water inside the visor and later discovered that I had to pull
down hard on both tabs to get it to click closed. At one point on 6 I hat a puddle
that slapped my right leg hard. At the hotel later I discovered that my pant leg was
covered with what seemed like diesel fuel. The bike was a mess too.



This happened to me the first time I went to BRPR in 2002... It had been raining
since mid morning. I round the mountains and the sun breaks out and it's a really
beautiful afternoon for the rest of the ride. And it happened again. I guess the gods
were looking out for me because although the traffic was busy, it wasn't crazy. It
was moving at a slow but steady pace with nobody getting crazy.
Once I broke out of the traffic of 81 and onto 80 it was smooth sailing to Bloomsburg.

This is a screenshot of the wether I rode through. It's like potholes here in the spring.
I seemed to hit every one.


I ckecked into the Holiday Inn Express and was given "Princes Parking" under the entry.



Why is it that they don't put the hotels close to good restaurants !!
I had to cross six lanes of traffic to get to this place "Quaker Steak and Lube". It's a chain
so the guy sitting next to me at the bar told me. Turns out his family owns them, but he
does his own thing, owns a lot of rental properties and manages them as I recall.
Service was slow, the wings weren't great and beer on tap was the usual Blue Moon, Boston
Lager, Bud Light and some Dbl IPA. The more you looked the more stuff you saw though.





It was a pretty good discussion at the bar though. There was a dairy
farmer (milking 1400 head), his buddy owns a landscaping company,
the landlord, two truck drivers and myself.
After a couple of drinks I managed to navigate across the six lane road
back to my room and crashed for the night.

(food porn for Martin later)

Edit to add Relive video:

https://www.relive.cc/view/v26MjkYLK3q

[955i]

Thanks for the photos and write-up, Mike. Sounds like a good day in the saddle, even with the rain. Remember, GS's are designed so that they look as good dirty as they do when clean! LOL!

[802Mike]

Day two from Bloomsburg, PA to Elkins, WV:
It was a beautiful morning for a ride through the PA countryside, but it didn't last
very long before it started raining again.
I took the Rt 522which slants southwest through the valley and dropped me into
Hancock, MD.
I did jump on I-68 West to catch RT 219 that took me to Elkins. I stopped several
times to take pictures from overlooks, but the clouds would move in and the rain
start again.
I did manage a dry stop at this rest area and swapped out the rain gloves and clear
shield.



Later a stop at this rest area and waterfall. There were some people fishing it.





I arrived in Elkins a day earlier than I'd originally planned, mostly due to
the rainy weather. I was just sick of it.....
I came into town on 219 from the north around 5:00, traffic sucked. Note
to self: come from the south!
I checked in, went across the 4 lane road for some beer and snacks, then
went next door to the steakhouse and salad buffet for dinner.
I think I was the only guest in the hotel that night.
The next morning the complimentary breakfast included cereal, fruit cup,
juice, toast w/jelly, coffee..... there was a microwave egg burrito on request.
Protein was non existent. I coffeed up and went out for a ride.

Edit to add Relive link:

https://www.relive.cc/view/vMq53kx5Y8O

[802Mike]

I messed up, these pictures were from Thursday's ride.

[955i]

No worries. They are good photos regardless which day they were taken. That miners' monument is sad. Good Choctaw boys don't go into caves or mines!

[802Mike]

These were taken on Thursday, I'll get to that.

[Riverfurm]

On the Wes and Elizabeth tour. We stopped by a very narrow covered bride. Then up to the Flight 93 National Memorial. I think we went through WV, Va, Md and Pa. that day. I just follow them.

[955i]

" I just follow them." Riverrfrum, that's always a good idea. Wes is a good ride leader. Liz is more fun than Wes, though, when we get off the bikes!

[Capnrip]

Tyson she doesn't have the wight of responsibility I have as ride leader so she can be more carefree.

[Doctor350]

When in Australia, do NOT follow Wes

[Capnrip]

You had to go there didn't you JB!

[Doctor350]

You know I had to. Don't worry, I'm flying into Germany on Wednesday, picking up a motorhome and driving to Assen and then Sachsenring for MotoGP. I will also be perpetually hungover, so driving on the wrong side will be fun. Maybe not for Tanya

[Capnrip]

And actually you missed my worst driving mistake. Was pulling away from a T stop and turning right and got in the right lane. Luckily the oncoming dump truck made me realize my error. Scared Fisso a bit I think.

Nice trip! Share some photos. I'm doing WSBK again but in Jerez this time.

[Lee]

Was it the donut gasket around the plug and coil?

[802Mike]

Was it the donut gasket around the plug and coil?

Just got around to look at it last night. You were correct, some idiot put it on upside down. ?
Back together but I need to look up the torques. Had to remove the lower crash bar to gain access.
Thanks

[wildbears]

This site always has good info.

[802Mike]

Just got around to look at it last night. You were correct, some idiot put it on upside down. ?
Back together but I need to look up the torques. Had to remove the lower crash bar to gain access.
Thanks

[Lee]

Just got around to look at it last night. You were correct, some idiot put it on upside down. ?

That same guy works on our bikes sometimes

[cabnfvr]

We arrived home last Thursday from BRPR at 10:30am. On the way to BRPR we came upon many interesting things including the Clover Hollow covered bridge in the Newport VA area.


On the way to Elkins we stopped at Droop Mountain Battlefield near Marlinton, WV. One of the Park Rangers almost took us out.


BRPR 2024 Most Refined Hooligans. One carrying the rag of love.

Some of which have their own signs.


After BRPR we headed west, spending Sunday night in Ohio then made our way to Bardstown KY where stayed at the Talbot Inn. Monday evening we had supper at the Talbot Tavern with Matt and THE.


We have passed by here and resisted the call of the wild for too long, so we finally stopped.


Downtown St Francis Kansas has a fantastic motorcycle museum.


Finally, an abode that speaks to us.

[cabnfvr]

You do not want to f-up here. Poudre Canyon, CO 14.


See that blackish red stuff? That's not asphalt.


A couple of the Virginia City NV Sheriffs patrol. They were real nice.


Time to make a turn back toward the house.


One of many Redwoods along the coast. This was one of the smaller ones. An no, Susan didn't act out her Jack Reacher fantasy and nail me to the tree.


Lassen Volcano. This rock travelled FVE MILES from the crater during an eruption in May 1915. There are 800 tourists behind this rock, and one galoot in front.


Crater Lake, OR.

[cabnfvr]

Mormon Crickets again! We came around a curve and had to slow dramatically. We even slid a little. Greasy and stinky.


Our Fluffy Little Abode, Arco ID. Eat at Pickle's Place across the street. Sit in the chair.


EBR-1 is just a few miles south of Arco. It's the site of the first commercial nuclear power generation in the world. I was in the Duke Power control room of Oconee Nuclear station one day when an alarm and red flashy lights went off. The operators seemed unconcerned. I went all STAR on them. Duke Power was big on acronyms. STAR was Stop - Think - Act - Review. We called it..... shit, that ain't right.


One of our best meals ever. Pitchfork Fondue, Pinedale WY. We had surf and turf, homemade potato chips, salad, fruit, cakes, The appetizers included hot sausage with rolls. Not to mention the great view. The owners and staff were great as well.


Flaming Gorge and Red Canyon were beautiful. We had ice cream at the Red Canyon Lodge and then barely outran a line of severe storm a hundred miles back to Landers WY. Have you ever been in a land spout? We neither, but dang near. Would have a picture but the wind was blowing to damn hard!


Have you ever walked around Independence Rock in motorcycle gear plus your heated liner? It is an interesting stop, but even thought out jackets said Klim we didn't trust our boots for that. We did see signatures on the back side from the 1850s. There are a lot more signatures on top.




We found this in a town where we were staying for the night. A Tribute to Old Drum. Anyone who has ever loved a dog will understand.


Only a few hundred miles from home. The food was very good!