TODAYS RIDE FIRST COOL DAY OF AUTUMN

[Suzuki Johnny]

It was a grand day for a ride....58 degrees this morning when we left from Wendy's and headed out to Hemphill Bar B Que in...where else...
Hemphill, Texas....13 bikes showed up and the ride was brisk...The usual 265 mile route turned into a much longer ride this fine cool day..ENDED UP CLOSE TO 400 MILES [emoji106] ....the temps were too good to pass up...

[old time rider]

400 miles.So what did you do the second half of the day?. [emoji2] ..Looks like a real good time had. Good friends ,good food,and a good drink sure hard to beat!

[BlacktopTravelr]

Am I reading that right, almost 13 hrs total for the trip? What the heck were you doing to be stopped for 5 hours? Oh wait, a bunch of old guys so that must have been the bathroom breaks. Looks like a good ride Johnny and I always enjoy the pics. [emoji106]

[Suzuki Johnny]

On rides such as this there is a lot of down time spent off the bikes....It was a full day to say the least... Lunch was a good two hours...and several stops went at least an hour or so.....we spend lots of time conversing ..with so many people on one ride it takes a while to trade and swap stories with everyone.......
ps" I'll have to check where that extra hour or so went though.... [emoji2] There is a function on my Garmin that permits me to erase certain aspects of the previous ride.....maybe I didn't clear all the fields...Looking back on the ride I don't think we had 5 hours down time, but when you're having as much fun as we have it's definitely a possibility....
Longest retiree ride to date was something like 450 miles and that was to attend a function in Conroe, Texas ( distance 153 miles ) with lunch at the Kountry Kitchen on Hwy 105 headed to Montgomery.

[BlacktopTravelr]

Thanks for the info. [emoji106] I'm looking forwards to next spring when I can get new tires (front motorcycle tire and back car tire) and take a long trip down to Galveston to see the cruise ships. Big ships just amaze me and how they float. I was on an air craft carrier but it doesn't have the big keel like the bulk ore carriers do in Duluth and the huge passenger ships are just plain old big.

[old time rider]

Been to Patriots Point at SC coast three times on motorcycles. The YorkTown biggest they have to tour.Five at it with one a small sub.That thing did not smell good at all.Bet it really got rank during the war and down under. YorkTown was five levels if recall right.If you go and take the boat ride to fort Sumter were the civil war began do not wait till last ride out.You have to walk a ways and can stay as long as they are open if you wish and take next boat back. When the last run is leaving they close and everyone has to leave even in a storm.We all were as wet as if we had fell in the ocean when we got on after the run to the return boat.

[Suzuki Johnny]

Thanks for the info. [emoji106] I'm looking forwards to next spring when I can get new tires (front motorcycle tire and back car tire) and take a long trip down to Galveston to see the cruise ships. Big ships just amaze me and how they float. I was on an air craft carrier but it doesn't have the big keel like the bulk ore carriers do in Duluth and the huge passenger ships are just plain old big.

Well when you do decide to head this way..... I'm just another 144 miles east of Galveston.....come on down and spend a few days with us John and find out what southern hospitality is all about [emoji106] .....Try to make your trip in early November so you can attend the Lone Star Rally....one of the few "FREE" rally's held in the USA...Three day event with lots to see... at least a hundred vendors in two separate sites...one on the seawall and the other at the docks "On The Strand" ....We go every year ( day ride for us ) and crossing the Bolivar Ferry is one of the highlights of the trip .

[BlacktopTravelr]

Sounds like fun Johnny, but I'll have to put it off till next year at the earliest. Money is tight and I have the new building to get ready for winter. It seems if it isn't one thing it is another around here. Oh and I just checked my SS and they still haven't taken me off Plan B. That means another month without my $120.80 if I think SSA is doing this just to keep that money that actually belongs to me.

[Suzuki Johnny]

Sounds like fun Johnny, but I'll have to put it off till next year at the earliest. Money is tight and I have the new building to get ready for winter. It seems if it isn't one thing it is another around here. Oh and I just checked my SS and they still haven't taken me off Plan B. That means another month without my $120.80 if I think SSA is doing this just to keep that money that actually belongs to me.

whenever you have the means and the time...you're more than welcome to come on down to Cajun land and enjoy some good company and some great food... we also have several good rides around also..

[scootermcq]

Looks like a fun day.

On your display, I don't see fuel consumption... just cost. What is the price of fuel down there? 375 miles would cost me $36-39 depending, so $23 seems awesome on a dressed bike. Up here I would have to get 61 MPG (us) to spend $23 for 375 miles.

We are around a buck a litre or $3.78 US Gallon

[Suzuki Johnny]

Looks like a fun day.

On your display, I don't see fuel consumption... just cost. What is the price of fuel down there? 375 miles would cost me $36-39 depending, so $23 seems awesome on a dressed bike. Up here I would have to get 61 MPG (us) to spend $23 for 375 miles.

We are around a buck a litre or $3.78 US Gallon

Prices for premium fuel ranges from 2.13 to 2.39 a gallon and that is depending on how close I am to the interstate system...or for that matter how far I am from it...


But that figure is close to what the actual costs was..... haven't checked lately but I think I've got the per gallon cost set at $2.39 ..which is the highest prices have been in a long while in my area. My bike actually runs much better on the mid grade fuel but I get less MPG with it 39 mpg .....the premium fuel gets better fuel mileage...43+ mpg but it is a few cents a gallon higher so it works out about the same price wise.....
These mileage figures are for all back road traveling...very seldom do we venture out on the interstate system and as you can see I don't baby my bike... the speeds on the retiree rides are brisk but with lots of stops to socialize..
Going over my fuel receipts and If my calculations are correct....I used 9.1 gallons on this trip 375.6 miles / 9.1 gallons = 41.2 mpg
The top speed of 87+ mph reading is misleading... we were passing two 18 wheelers in some curvy roads and it was best not to dally passing them [emoji106]
I've used regular fuel when the other octanes are unavailable and very little differences in fuel mileage???? ( But it will ping if I get on the throttle really hard ) ..... but it will still get at least 39 mpg no matter what octane I put in it.....(ps: As long as I don't keep my hands deep in the fuel injectors that is [emoji2] )

My bike has had some work done on it to enhance the performance a bit.... previous owner installed 254 cams....Arlen Ness Big Sucker air breather and added Screaming eagle pipes.... it still has the Catalytic converter and I'm seriously considering the removal of it......
he had it dyno'ed in 2013 ...it has all the get up and go I'd want in a full dresser