PNW Riders - Blogs - The Path Less Traveled by Gamuru http://pnwriders.com/blogs/gamuru/ Motorcycle rides and riders in Washington Oregon Idaho British Columbia en Sat, 21 Nov 2009 12:58:53 GMT vBulletin 60 http://pnwriders.com/images_pnw/misc/rss.jpg PNW Riders - Blogs - The Path Less Traveled by Gamuru http://pnwriders.com/blogs/gamuru/ The Proof http://pnwriders.com/blogs/gamuru/636-proof.html Mon, 16 Nov 2009 15:41:10 GMT ...is in the pudding. That's how the saying gos, right?

I just posted (really late, mind you) my mileage numbers for October. Pathetic. :angry7:

I put a whopping 278 miles on the bike and 11 miles on the truck. Yep, it truly is the end of Riding Season for me.

Perhaps it's time to take the seat off and start planning for its recovery. ]]> Gamuru http://pnwriders.com/blogs/gamuru/636-proof.html Cheating With Four Wheels http://pnwriders.com/blogs/gamuru/618-cheating-four-wheels.html Thu, 22 Oct 2009 15:08:13 GMT It's been well over two weeks since my last post. Why? I hate to say it, but with the change in weather, the bike has been parked for the most of it. I did manage to sneak away from work early last Thursday for a short ride. I was to be off on Friday and planned to do some riding, but Mr. Weatherman said it was going to rain. And, boy, did it! I'm glad I did get in what little riding I did. Had I waited till Friday, I would have either been really upset or really wet.

Eighty miles is what I put on that day. It'll have to hold me until the weather shapes up a bit. Perhaps Sunday... Don't know and I haven't looked at the extended forecast.

But that's not why I'm writing today. Two reason, really. One is to make comment on a feeling I've been having and the other is to exercise the writing muscle. I find that if I don't stop and put something down on (digital) paper ever once in awhile, it gets harder and harder to do it.

Now, that feeling I mentioned. As I said before in a previous post--which I'm not going to find--I've now got the use of the company truck to run me back and forth to work. While it is nice, I often times feel like I'm cheating on my bike. Is that odd or what? :tard: I don't know what it is, but when I stop and think about driving the truck and leaving the bike at home, I actually feel slightly guilty. Hmmm. I wonder what Freud would say about that. :scratchea

Anyhoo.... That's all I got for now. To you all still up on two wheels: my hat's off to you. Ride safe! 8) ]]> Gamuru http://pnwriders.com/blogs/gamuru/618-cheating-four-wheels.html Guess Who Turned 40,000 http://pnwriders.com/blogs/gamuru/610-guess-who-turned-40-000.html Mon, 05 Oct 2009 02:19:28 GMT

That's right! On the way home from today's ride my bike turned 40,000 miles old. :mfclap: ]]> Gamuru http://pnwriders.com/blogs/gamuru/610-guess-who-turned-40-000.html Eating My Words http://pnwriders.com/blogs/gamuru/609-eating-my-words.html Sat, 03 Oct 2009 23:11:25 GMT It finally happened. The weather took a turn for the worse and, as part of the benefits package that comes with managing my store, I have the use of the company truck. I decided to park the bike and drive the truck until the weather warms again. Oh, don't get me wrong, I'll still ride here and there when the weather is good, but my riding season is pretty much drawing to a close.

Having said all that, the sun made a showing today. I decided to take advantage of the nice weather and change the oil in the bike. Of course, once the oil was changed, I just had to go for a spin. I decided to run up the Mountain Loop Highway to Barlow Pass and back. At the end of the pavement at the Pass, instead of turning around, I turned and headed toward Darrington. As soon as I hit the gravel road, I was reminded of a comment I made to Koorbloh about this section of the Loop:
“ Quote:
Originally Posted by Gamuru View Post
Dirt don't hurt. :nana
Funny what one remembers, huh?

About four miles in, I came around a corner and ran right through a HUGE pothole. I hit that thing like a ton. BANG! went the front forks. It was all I could do to get up on the pegs before the seat drove my spine up through the top of my helmet. Next thing I knew, my keys and plastic triple tree cover went flying into my lap and disappeared.

What the hell!!! :shock:

I quickly brought the bike to a stop before I got too far down the road from my keys. I found neutral and leaned the bike over on the kickstand. I made it all the way back to the killer pothole but no keys. Crap! I thought to myself. I have to find those keys. I wandered back to the bike scanning the road again. I came back to the bike just as the engine sputters out. I hit the kill switch to see if it would shut the headlight off. Peering around the front I see the light was out. Great. At least it won't run the battery down. And then I see the tail light was still on. I flipped the kill switch again. Made no difference. On closer inspection, I realized how hard I hit that pothole...


Yep, a huge crack ran right through the headlight. It was all fogged up from the gas escaping. Not going to Darrington, I guess. And still no keys. I make another trip down the road and there, laying next to the shoulder, were my keys. I decided to keep them in my pocket until I got off the gravel road.

Dirt don't hurt? Yeah, never thought I'd eat those words. :roll: ]]> Gamuru http://pnwriders.com/blogs/gamuru/609-eating-my-words.html Rumble, Rumble, Rumble! http://pnwriders.com/blogs/gamuru/604-rumble-rumble-rumble.html Wed, 30 Sep 2009 14:31:50 GMT

This was as close as we got to the Oyster Run this year. My wife and I were waiting to cross Highway 20 at La Conner-Whitney Road. Bike engines were roaring all around us. So much so that it made the hair on my arms stand up. Awesome! It was like being in the middle of a hornet's nest, only louder. While waiting in line I pulled my camera out of my pocket and snapped the above picture before the traffic light changed. ]]> Gamuru http://pnwriders.com/blogs/gamuru/604-rumble-rumble-rumble.html Tired Again?!? http://pnwriders.com/blogs/gamuru/599-tired-again.html Thu, 17 Sep 2009 14:59:59 GMT While sitting in Ike's last Friday for dinner with the wife, I noticed what looked like a piece of chewing gum stuck to the rear tire of my scoot. After we finished, I walked out to see what it was. Yeah, not gum... cords. The tire was worn out. You know, the one I just put on in February; just eight short months and barely 11,000 miles ago. Man, that was quick.

I've ordered another one from Cycle Barn in Smokey Point and will keep track of the miles on this tire. If it wears out just as quick I'm going to switch to a different tire.

BTW, I'm running Kenda Challengers, front and rear. Maybe they're suppose to wear this fast. Anyone got any input or experience with this tire they'd like to share? Or, perhaps a tire recommendation? Something with good grip for the corners and moderate durability for longevity. ]]> Gamuru http://pnwriders.com/blogs/gamuru/599-tired-again.html Labor Day Weekend Loop http://pnwriders.com/blogs/gamuru/595-labor-day-weekend-loop.html Thu, 10 Sep 2009 02:00:08 GMT What did you do for the holiday weekend? I know the wet weather kept a lot of people in. And for us bike riders? I suspect most skipped taking them out for rides. In our travels over the weekend, motorcycle sightings were few and far between.

My wife and I had made plans awhile back with her sister and brother-in-law to meet up for a ride weekend. In fact, now that I think about it, we discussed it way back in June when we went down to Coos Bay, Oregon, for our nephew's graduation. And here we are, three months later...


So, where did we go? Well, Odessa, Washington, is where they live, so that's where our rides originated from. The above map gives you an idea where we started from and where we rode to on our holiday weekend getaway.

Friday night, we loaded up the bags and hit the road about 5:30. We made pretty decent time over the pass, despite the rain that started in Sultan and didn't let up until just before the top of Stevens Pass. One could tell Autumn is on its way because it was pretty chilly at the top of the pass. Pretty much motivates you to get into Leavenworth as quickly as possible for some hot coffee.

Saturday, after checking the weather, we decided to make tracks for Ellensburg by way of the old Vantage Highway. We grabbed some lunch at Wendy's and fuel for the bikes across the street, then headed south on the Canyon Highway. The weather wasn't the best as a rain storm was moving over the Cascades and up the canyon pretty quick. Even with the rain, I managed a couple dozen pictures before the rain forced my camera back into hiding. I was hoping to capture all the awesome views and the sweeping curves that is Canyon Road.

Here are a few of the pictures I took:






Sunday, we decided to make a run down to Palouse Falls in the hopes that we could stay away from the damned rain. The trip down was great. You could see the thunderstorms well off to the West, but no where near where we were. That wasn't to last, though.

Palouse Falls. What an awesome hole in the ground. Never, ever underestimate the power of running water! (...And the road leading into the falls wasn't too bad, either.)










The last couple photos above are of my brother-in-law and nephew gearing up for the ride back to their place. We grabbed some grub at Zip's Drive In in Ritzville while waiting for a rain burst to pass over.

After breakfast, Monday morning, we got our gear together and headed for home. Now, we could have taken the usual route home, but more than likely we would have run into both rain and traffic. No, we decided to head back over Washington Pass. Besides, I haven't been over the North Cascades Highway yet this year. What a perfect opportunity to take care of that little oversight, right?

We left Odessa and headed north to Wilbur, then northwest to Grand Coulee. SR174 lead us west into Leahy to SR17 and eventually Bridgeport for lunch. We grabbed a grilled ham and cheese at Nell's Drive In then headed for Winthrop via the Methow Valley. One last stop for fuel and we headed up and over Washington Pass.

It really didn't take that long to make the trip home. After some quick calculations, my odometer reports that we put on 1,070 miles over the long weekend. We both had a great time and I wish to thank my brother- and sister-in-law and nephew for letting us spend the weekend with them. Even when we were being chased by what looked like an F4 tornado across the wheat fields of Eastern Washington, I wouldn't have traded it for anything. No, wind, rain, hail, dust, sun... we saw it all, but we had a great time riding with you all! ]]> Gamuru http://pnwriders.com/blogs/gamuru/595-labor-day-weekend-loop.html On the East Side http://pnwriders.com/blogs/gamuru/592-east-side.html Sun, 06 Sep 2009 03:41:36 GMT My wife and I are spending the holiday weekend at her sister and brother-in-law's place in Odessa. Today, we rode our bikes from Ellensburg to Yakima by way of the Canyon Road. I'll post more on our trip when I return to my own computer but wanted to share a photo with you I took on the way back to their place.


April says she's certain we brought the crappy wet-side weather with us. You can see a bit of it in the above photo as the storm front moves in. What was neat—and what I was trying to capture in the above photo—was the dust on the road rolling off the rear tires as if it were smoke.

I've got several dozen pictures of Canyon Road and will get them uploaded for sharing when we get home.

Have a great weekend everyone and ride safe (weather permitting). 8) ]]> Gamuru http://pnwriders.com/blogs/gamuru/592-east-side.html Mileage Update http://pnwriders.com/blogs/gamuru/590-mileage-update.html Wed, 02 Sep 2009 15:07:40 GMT I just updated the 2009 Mileage Study sidebar for August. I put on over 1,500 miles in the last month which puts me over 10,000 miles ridden for the year. :mrgreen:

It's fun to think back to when and where I was while putting those many miles on the clock. It's been a great year for riding, for sure! ]]> Gamuru http://pnwriders.com/blogs/gamuru/590-mileage-update.html Why no insurance required in WA? http://pnwriders.com/blogs/gamuru/585-why-no-insurance-required-wa.html Sat, 29 Aug 2009 14:20:22 GMT
“ Quote:
Originally Posted by SWS View Post
Not sure this is a LEO question, but any insights would be welcome. A motorcycle can certainly do significant damage to third party property and life.
SWS asked the above question in the Ask a LEO section and got me thinking again about the hot-button question of whether motorcyclists should be required to carry insurance in Washington. I had read somewhere a "sense of Congress" stating that motorcyclists weren't required because, in many cases, the value of their bikes weren't worth insuring. In other words, it would be cheaper to just replace the bike even for minor damage sustained in an accident. I know that is true for the bikes ridden by me and my wife. I paid $300 for mine off Craigslist and $700 for my wife's bike. How much repair would I get for that kind of money at a body shop. Not a whole lot, I assure you.

That, however, isn't the reason bikes are not covered by the mandatory insurance laws. The carrying of insurance isn't meant to cover the cost of damage caused by you to other people's property. How would you ever know in advance how much damage you would cause if you were ever to get in an accident? No, Karl Newman of the Washington Insurance Council put it succinctly when he said, "The purpose of insurance is to protect your own assets. That's why it's so important that you motorists carry adequate coverage for uninsured or under-insured motorists." You're not carrying insurance to repair or replace another person's property. You're carrying it to cover your property. Back to what I was saying earlier. If replacement value of your bike is only a couple thousand dollars, why would you carry a $25,000 insurance policy on it. It makes no sense. Liability coverage is something totally different. The need for it was created by the state when the state passed manditory liability coverage laws on motorists.

Now, this doesn't mean that any crackhead with an endorsement can hop on a scooter and go putting around town. We're all, as users of Washington state roadways, required to have the financial wherewithal to cover any damage we may cause. Washington state has in place financial responsibility statutes which put requirements on all motorists—including motorcyclists—to establish proof of at least some minimum financial responsibility in the event we cause damage to others.

Do I carry insurance on our bikes? You bet. But, not to replace them. No, I carry it mostly for the PIP, or personal injury protection. You never know when some deer is going to run out in front of you forcing you off the road. Have you ever tried to sue a deer for damages? I guarantee you they'll never show up for court. ]]> Gamuru http://pnwriders.com/blogs/gamuru/585-why-no-insurance-required-wa.html Missing and Stumbling? http://pnwriders.com/blogs/gamuru/582-missing-stumbling.html Sat, 22 Aug 2009 14:39:59 GMT Do you suffer from missing and stumbling? When you roll on the throttle, does it feel like one of your cylinders has gone out to lunch? Well, my friends, read on. I may have a solution for you.

Yesterday, in preparation for the big XJ Bikes meet up in Tumwater, Washington, I decided to show my wife's bike some love by giving the engine a good cleaning with some foaming engine degreaser. After reading the instructions on the can, I proceeded to make the engine ready for the grime-cutting chemical. It recommended that you remove or protect all electrical components. Well, as you may well know, on our bikes the only thing exposed electrically are the ignition wires. So, I popped them off and tied them up to the back bone. (Did I mention I removed the fuel tank?)

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In the process of removing the wires, I noticed that the number three plug cap made a funny sound when I popped it off the plug. On closer inspection, I realized the inner screw of the plug cap was still attached to the nipple of the spark plug. Uh oh! That can't be good, right?!?

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A quick examination of the top of the cylinder head revealed a small carbon rod that had subsequently fell out of the plug cap. I fished it out and replaced both it and the screw back into the plug cap. Even then I was skeptical of the repair job.

Sure enough, later on as I was test-driving the bike, it developed a miss. The warmer the engine got, the worse the miss became. So much so I became worried I wasn't going to make it home. And hills? Yikes! Any kind of loading would make the engine stumble real bad.

So, if you're bike has an intermittent miss and is stumbling under load don't rule out the plug caps. Sure, they may "ohm-out" fine on the bench, but if the screw piece has come lose, it still may not be electrically sound under load. My advice is to take a small flat-bladed screwdriver and snug up the screws. If you find one that is lose and you're experiencing a miss or stumble, the plug cap may be the culprit. Replace 'em. They're pretty cheap.

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Fortunately, I had a couple extra kicking around from a spare set of coils. I popped one off and screwed it onto the end of the coil wire. As soon as the engine spun up, I could tell the problem was solved. Further confirmation came when I rolled hard on the throttle and it didn't cough and sputter. Nothing but power, baby! And that's a good thing! 8) ]]> Gamuru http://pnwriders.com/blogs/gamuru/582-missing-stumbling.html Stinking Badges http://pnwriders.com/blogs/gamuru/581-stinking-badges.html Fri, 21 Aug 2009 21:23:12 GMT An eternity ago, I sanded down and repainted my wife's gas tank and side covers. Part of the project was to change the stock Yamaha badges from gold to chrome to better match her new paint color. After several attempts, I finally found a chrome sticky-back tape that worked well for adhering to the badges.

Well, today, I finally finished the last badge and get 'em all put back on the bike. I took a step back and admired the new look it gave her bike. The chrome really looks much better against the dark emerald green than the stock gold ones. So much so that I went and grabbed the camera for some pictures.

Check these out:

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Yep, not too shabby!

Sorry, Hon, for taking so long getting this little project done. I hope you like how it looks. ]]> Gamuru http://pnwriders.com/blogs/gamuru/581-stinking-badges.html Return to Mt. Baker http://pnwriders.com/blogs/gamuru/580-return-mt-baker.html Tue, 18 Aug 2009 14:22:45 GMT Back in May, I wrote:
“ Quote:
Originally Posted by Gamuru
I'll definitely return, but later in the year. Artist's Point (I think it's called) is further down the road from the Mt. Baker parking lot, but it was completely blocked by a wall of snow. I hear tell the views from there are awesome. Perhaps the wife and I will make another trip at the other end of summer.
I'm happy to report that we made the return trip on Sunday. The weather was great; not too hot, not to cold. There were a few clouds about, but for the most part it was clear and the haziness we've had lately was not too bad. It made for some great picture taking. Here are a few examples of the great scenery. Click each for a larger version.




I'll be adding more to the Picasa Photo Album, so don't forget to visit for other pictures.

While we were there, I wanted to capture some images to try out the panorama feature. According to the instructions, you're suppose to take a series of overlapping photos, then stitch them together with the program. Here's what I came up with:








Some of these are a touch too dark, but all-in-all, not too shabby. I'll figure out this camera yet.

Well, I guess that's about it. Thanks for dropping in. Ride safe! 8) ]]> Gamuru http://pnwriders.com/blogs/gamuru/580-return-mt-baker.html 398-tya http://pnwriders.com/blogs/gamuru/577-398-tya.html Mon, 17 Aug 2009 14:49:05 GMT Congratulation! You get the Asshole Driver of the Day Award! :thefinge:

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We followed this asshat in his Honda Odyssey Touring Edition off Mount Baker all the way to the interchange with Highway 9. That's like 30-something miles of pure hell! He did the speed limit exactly five times in that entire stretch. I know because I counted.

What was it that qualified him for the award, you ask? No, it wasn't the fact that he had almost twenty cars piled up behind him at one time refusing to yield to them or that he would slow to well below the suggested corner speed in the twisty bits or the fact that anytime there would be oncoming cars he would tap his brakes. No, it was the fact that on every single passing zone he would floor it, making a legal pass all but impossible. For that, Mr. 398-TYA, you're an ASSHOLE! :banghead: ]]> Gamuru http://pnwriders.com/blogs/gamuru/577-398-tya.html Out for a Ride http://pnwriders.com/blogs/gamuru/571-out-ride.html Sat, 08 Aug 2009 14:27:08 GMT A friend of mine, and long-time customer, recently asked me about getting together for a ride. We had discussed it several times in the past. I told him that I had already stopped by his place three freakin' times and he was never home. I even threatened to put my calling card in his front door—a size twelve muddy boot print.

Well, we finally decided Friday, yesterday, that we would meet for the ride. Destination? Artist Point on top of Mount Baker. Bear in mind that when we made these plans, it was 80+ degrees out. Little did I knew that Fall-like weather would be coming just around the corner.

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Turns out that Ken invited Dan, a mutual friend, and his Uncle, Don, too. So, we had a Motley Crew of bikes headed up the mountain. Ken rides a 2001 KLR, I on my 1982 XJ650, Dan on his late '70s CM400 all rat'd out, and Don on his immaculate mid '70s KZ400 which had just a touch over 3,000 miles on it. (Sorry about the last two. I forget their exact production years. Actually, Don's may be a late '70s, now that I think about it.)

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We stopped in Acme for fuel and so I could grab something to eat for breakfast. Then we were off. It didn't take no time at all to get to the really twisty spots on the road up to the top. Man, I sure do love that section of road. Thanks to my fellow riders for letting me motor off and enjoy them.

Ken had a good suggestion. He recommended I stop every couple of miles and wait for them to catch up. That way, in case I did lose it (heaven forbid), they wouldn't have to search the entire 18+ miles of twisties for me. Good idea.

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We stopped at the top for a few minutes to shoot the shit, but really didn't go site seeing as everything was pretty well socked in. We were in the clouds for sure. After a few minutes to stretch out and discuss the possibilities for lunch, we headed back down.

Glacier was where we decided to eat. There's a real neat restaurant that reminded me of an Old West type bar. If you get up there, stop for some grub. The food was real good. I had a chicken bacon wrap, and the others had their Muther something-or-another burger. These things were huge! Yep, good eats.

Turns out the gas station in Acme was almost exactly 100 miles round trip. I stopped and fueled the bike again, then headed for home. All and all, it was an awesome day for a ride. It was made even better by having old and new friends to enjoy it with. Good riding with you guys. We'll have to do it again, sometime! ]]> Gamuru http://pnwriders.com/blogs/gamuru/571-out-ride.html