keithu

Well done, congrats! Despite all the LD riding I've done over the years, I've never quite done a BBG. The closest was 1440 miles in 23.5 hours. At the time I didn't realize how close I was because my odometer had failed, but I mapped it out later in software. I need to bump this up on my "to do" list.

True. And I know I'm the one who brought up Bend. But in reality the lower Willamette Valley has a longer riding season than Bend. They get enough snow up there to make riding pretty sketchy November-March. Meanwhile down here in Albany I still ride to work most of January. Bend is beautiful, no doubt. But winter sports are a big deal there for a reason.

Winter in Boise is not bad, but there is some snow. Bend would be similar, not sure about Spokane. Parts of western Oregon offer year round riding if you don't mind a little rain: Medford, Eugene, Corvallis. (Salem and Portland, though nearby, oddly get more snow.) Utah allows filtering now, which is not exactly like lane splitting in CA but it's a start.

It sounds like you want to live in SLO. Or Eureka, maybe? Both are surrounded by incredible riding. Ventura isn't bad if you still want to be close to civilization. It's on the NW edge of the LA area so it's pretty easy to escape and avoid LA altogether.

How you ride makes a huge difference. I burnt through my first PR4 in about 7500 miles, but that included about 1000 miles of elevated speed in eastern Oregon and Nevada. My second PR4 - same exact tire - lasted 10k miles and it still wasn't quite to the wear bars, but I barely topped 80mph the whole time. I just replaced my PR4 with a Road 5 and don't have enough miles yet to really judge it, but so far so good.

I know that area and all those roads well. My Dad lives off Geiger Grade between Reno and Virginia City, and I'm heading down there next weekend. Sorry to hear about your stomach issues, that is no fun at all.

Outstanding, inspirational ride! Thank you for sharing. It's great to see someone with an FJ-09 that is even dirtier than mine!

That looks like it would work. It's not as pretty as the Lightech, but it's half the price and only a chain adjuster after all.

I'm having the typical problem with my OEM chain adjusters because they are made from case hardened swiss cheese. I like the design of the Lightech adjusters, but they're $260 which seems a bit much. I found a vendor on Amazon named Waase that advertised a similar-looking adjuster for only $50 so I ordered those. Alas, they don't fit, not even close. The vendor gave me a prompt refund so I can't complain too hard. Any other options out there? Or do I need to just invest in the Lightechs? (Note - please no eBay links. They pissed me off years ago and are on my poop list.)

Since you haven't bought an Aerostich yet, I'll take this opportunity to mention that unless you want to get the R-3 the two-piece Roadcrafter is the better all around choice. This saddlebag storage issue is just one of many reasons. I have 40L Hepco Becker bags, and even with the back protector removed I don't think my R-3 would fit in one. My old two piece Roadcrafter could zip apart and fit no problem. The two piece is also more waterproof, easier to use with heated gear, more customizable, and (surprisingly) is easier to put on. There are countless other advantages. I had a two-piece Roadcrafter for 19 years and not once did I wish it was a one piece. I've had my one-piece R-3 for three years now, and I frequently find myself wishing I could split it in two.

Nice ride! The weather has indeed been crazy. Last week I left beautiful weather in Oregon to encounter grey skies and rain in San Diego. Go figure.

Glad you made it home safe. Heal well!

Welcome! I live in Oregon but travel to San Diego frequently for work. (In fact I'm here now.) Lovely place.

That's been part of my excuse. I still have a quart of BMW transmission oil (80w-90 gear oil) leftover from the K-bike I sold 19 years ago. I've been using it as chain lube ever since and it's only just now almost empty. At this rate I should only need to buy one more quart of gear oil for the rest of my life.

Well said. And I think your post begs the question: if you can't possibly appreciate an R6 on the street, why bother with an R1? My brain says the R6 is fine. But some other part of me says, "Effing wheelies man!" Not rational. But if I were truly rational I would have just bought a Prius.

Those are some great roads. Well, except I-80 of course.

I'm not sure three is enough motorcycles.

At some point I'd like to get something sportier as a second play bike. But depending on my daily mood swing I may want a Thruxton, Daytona 765, R1, MV Agusta F3, FTR1200, or Vitpilen 701. This probably seems like an eclectic group to cross shop.

It should also be said that many 600 supersport bikes used to be versatile street bikes. Think of the CBR600f2, ZX6E, YZF600... You could race those bikes or sport tour on them. I don't think many people would want to ride cross country on a modern R6.

Sometimes I take this scenic route home from work. In the summer I can stop in for a pint at the Rogue Brewery hop farm.

Thanks! I liked the Hepco Becker bags because they kind of reminded me of the BMW system bags I had on my old K-bike. Plus, at the time I bought them the US Shad importer had some serious customer service issues. Four years on I think they look kind of dated. And they're only about 95% waterproof. If I were buying new bags today I'd probably get something else.

The 600cc supersport is a classic victim of its own success. When the class started in the '80s these middleweight sporty bikes were built to a price, so there was a significant cost jump from a 600 to a 750 or beyond. But they were front line race bikes that almost anyone could afford. As the 600s moved upscale to be more race competitive, the prices got closer to bigger bikes, so today the typical street only rider is going to look at an R6 or GSXR600 and decide it makes sense to spend just a little more for the liter bike. In terms of spec and price, the FZ6R and CBR650 are closer to what the 600 class used to be. But those aren't used in racing so many buyers will dismiss them as "not real sportbikes."

LOL. I parked the bike, made some tea, and posted these pictures. Now it's raining. My lucky day.

The forecast called for rain today, but after putting some stain on a woodworking project I looked outside and noticed the ground was dry. What better way to wait for the wood finish to dry? I took a quick ride up to Detroit Reservoir, crossed the dam, and rode the paved goat trail that goes 9 miles up into the mountains over the lake. It was a quick 100 mile out-and-back jaunt.

Even with a given manufacturer, you need to try on the specific model before you buy. I wore Shoei RF-series full face helmets for 15 years, but when I switched to a modular helmet I found the Shoeis didn't work at all. Also ignore the "how much is your head worth" crowd. It's not necessary to spend $700 for a decent helmet. If it meets modern safety standards and feels good on your head, that's what matters.