Day 1: Run to Nephi

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This morning I had every intention of going to Tonopah, but right now Im in Nephi.

Randy emailed me this morning and told him I was going to tonopah, and he said he’d meet me there.   Hah, hes a die hard.  Love traveling with this guy.   Somehow that morphed into delta, and when I couldnt get a tent spot in delta and no parks in delta to crash, I rode to Nephi.

I managed to get out around 2:30 and hit 1-15.   I hate 1-15.   I hate freeways.   But I didnt havfe all the time in the world, and wasnt sure what I could find as far as camping in nephi, I rode to cove fort and through Richfield.  The rain was awesome going over the mountains into richfield.  It came straight down, rather than straight into my face.  I was soaking wet for about 20 miles, but once I got over the pass I could see the storm move south and blue sky ahead.    Took hwy 89 north through manti etc, and off through fountain green and moroni.

One of my favorite thing about riding is the smells.  Alfalfa, rain, Wet fields, even manure.   You get it all.  I can associate about half a dozen places with certain smells, now I have one more:   Moroni smells like chicken shit.  I can see why thats an insult, because chicken shit is no damn good.   You speed up to get the smell of chicken shit out of your nose.  You cant wait to stop smelling chicken shit.  I may not drive through moroni again without checking the winds.   nasty.

Im in nephi right now, found a nice little place with power and storm clouds brewing miles away.  it could rain tonight, but I could give a shit.   rain doesnt kill you.   Not riding i think might.

The tour pak was awesome on its maiden voyage.  I cant believe how much space I have now.  a glutton of space.  I hauled an extension chord up, just in case, which im using now.  I still have room.   One thing I did notice about the tour pak is how light and shaky it makes the front end of the bike, especially at slow speeds.    with a passenger over the back wheel, its not bad.  its normal, without one, and 25 pounds or so its a bit more edgy.  I think I need to invest in a solo rack for the tour pak.   I need to invent a way to get a quick coupler on it.  I think Ive got a way I can do that.
So randy is coming out at 6AM from morgan.  He should be here around 9 I’d guess.   Then we head out.  I’d like to go back down to tonopah if we can.  I wanna cross that long desert, and randy is the only guy who’d do that without bitching about the heat.    the question is, does he have the time.  He’s gotta be back sunday night.   Wherever we go, itll be fun.

First blog report from the road.   hah, i love this.

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Harley Tour Pak

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The tour pak came in yesterday.   Its on the bike, and its killer.    The last few weeks ive been selling crap on ebay and buying things for the bike, including:  The tour pak, tour pak liner, tour pak lid organizer, front saddlebag bars with storage and water bottles, new panoptx dark glasses, and a new helmet.

The rest of the money im gonna go riding with tomorrow.   I havent been to tonopah nevada for 20 or more years, so tomorrow ill head out.   Camping for 10 bucks, ill ride and eat cheap.    Hopefully I can do my blog from my tent tomorrow night.   Its 300 miles to Tonopah, im going to try and head out around 3.

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107 degrees and Ice Storms

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Its not very often Robyn and I can spend the day riding.  we dont always have babysitters, and overnight rides havent happened for years.   This weekend is thunder on the mountain in brian head, so we decided to head on up where its cool and see what we see.

The longer I live, the more lucky I realize I am.   Robyn is easygoing, and we have fun together and I enjoy her company more than anyone Ive ever met.   We got to cedar city, and we knew we were going to get rained on.    We went anyway.   Went up to  Brian head, cruised around for a few and on the way over to duck creek we started getting pelted with hail.  Fairly big hail.   we were stuck under the aspens there off the side of the road for about 20 minutes, then it broke and we headed out to duck creek, then out through Mt Carmel Junction and back through Zion.

Great day.  It was nice to get out of the heat and spend the day together.

Rode 216 Miles today.

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Welcome to the family, FatBoy

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In 1990 when Harley was struggling to bring their company name back and sell motorcycles again, they introduced the fatboy.   They wont publicly admit this, but the japanese we’re kicking their ass and rumor has it they named the fatboy after the 2 atomic bombs that were dropped on japan:  Fat Man, and Little Boy.

Ive got a new member of the family.

2006 Fatboy.   In the garage.  Has a windshield, but this bike isnt for touring, its for bombing (hah, get it?) around town.   Its not mine officially untill monday, and a few things have to happen but if they do (and they look like they will, the fatboy is gonna have a home in the garage and on the road.

Its a nice driving bike.  Low to the ground, and the straightbars are comfortable.   Im a bagger at heart, but you can never have too many bikes, and hopefully this will help keep the ol’ road rage from getting too many miles on it.

Im pretty pumped.

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Kolob Reservoir Run

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Enterprise Utah stop- Heading to Cedar City with Erik
Enterprise Utah stop- Heading to Cedar City with Erik

108 degrees out, and my air conditioner went out friday night.   Erik called me to go ride for a few hours, so we headed north out of town on highway 18 up to enterprise, and over to cedar city.   Had a bite to eat, then it started raining pretty hard.     Who cares.  Rain just makes you wet, its just made of water.

Rode up through cedar canyon a few miles and about 4 miles up the road turned into a dirt road, which sucks on a bike but it wasnt too bad.    14 miles of dirt road till we hit kolob reservoir, and then we blew home.    Rode about about 179 miles

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Funerals, Ebay and Tour Pak's

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Kevins funeral was yesterday.    It started around 10 and the funeral and eulogies were great.  Erik Officiated, and I gotta say did a great job from start to finish.   Lots of funny stories and it made me and Robyn realize how short life is.   Kevin had a lot of friends.

Anyway, took a few pictures and robyn made a movie on the back of my bike.   Im not sure she even realized she made the movie, even so its on the back of a bike so its kinda rough:

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ij2Cuh0OuG0]

The after funeral party was good, shot some pool, drank some beer.   met a few people.   Good evening.

This week i sold around 1500 bucks worth of stuff on ebay, so I ordered my tour pak.  SHould be here in a month.   I also got 2 saddlebag bars and bar bags.

Erik and I are going riding again sunday.   Cedar mountainish stuff.   should be good.

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Kevin Flowers

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My good friend Erik’s dad died saturday.    I remember kevin as a guy who woke up at 4 in the morning, and when I’d ride by his house in the AM he had his garage open hanging out in his garage.   I’d pull up, and hed say “tell me a story”.   He was a character, and I’d have to say one of a kind.   I did some excavating for his Dad, Buck flowers.    Kevin will be missed.

Kevin Ray Flowers, 52, of St. George Utah passed on to the next realm Saturday, June 21st, 2008. It was the first day of summer and Kevin was up and out early, as usual.

Kevin was born on January 22nd 1956 in Van Nuys, California, to Elmer Ray “Buck” Flowers and Lola Platts Flowers.

Kevin is survived by his mother Lola (Buck), brother Craig (Linda), sister Lana (Frank Emerson), sister Lori (Ed Burgess), son Erik (Nicole) and grandson Patton, son Colt, their mother Glenda (Sterling Fox), his beloved partner Teri Jo Vernlund and her sons Tyler and Shane, and an endless list of friends and well-wishers too numerous to name.

Kevin is preceded in death by his father Buck (1998), constant canine companions Snoop, Buddy, and Buster.

If you knew Kevin, you knew what he liked. He didn’t have hobbies, he had lifestyles. Boating, biking, customizing, modifying, joking, laughing, and being around people were his favorite things. He spent the last decade of his life doing exactly what he wanted, whenever he wanted. Few people dedicate themselves to their passions as fully as Kevin did. He spent a great deal of his time and energy helping his friends and family accomplish and solve the various goals and problems they brought to him, looking to him for guidance and leadership. There was no one else like him. Impossible to adequately describe, but instantly recognizable.

Viewing will be held at the Spilsbury Mortuary on 110 South Bluff, Wednesday June 25th at 6pm to 8pm and Thursday June 26th at 9am to 10am. Funeral Services will be held at Spilsbury Mortuary at 10 AM, followed by the Last Motorcycle Ride with Kevin to the burial site at Tonaquint Cemetery. Casual dress is encouraged. Guests are encouraged and asked to bring their motorcycles and join the procession as we all take one Last Ride with Kevin to his final resting place.

Last night Erik, Joey and I rode the bikes to mesquite.   I’m dead positive wherever Kevin Flowers is, he’s proud of his sons.    Proof that the beat goes on:

Kevin flowers genuinely inspires me like noone has in a long time.  He lived pretty simply, but lived exactly how he wanted like his obit says.   Thats gotta be how life is supposed to be.
I enjoyed the ride last night.   It was a tribute I felt to eriks Dad.

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halfway there….

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Well, my palmtop sold on ebay the first night for just under 1k.    Thats enough to get a tour pak.    I sold one of my Zunes to make sure, then went down and cashed in 320 bucks in change down at albertsons to shore it up even more.   I should be good.  Now I gotta find a tour pak.

Harley takes 6-8 weeks to get a tour pak out of milwaukee.   I cant wait that long.  Found a black cherry one in Calgary Canada, negotiating now with the guy to try and get it down here by this weekend.   Hopefully I can pull it off.

Robyn is going up north thursday night.  If i can get what I gotta get done at work, im gonna make a shot at hitting texas and back.

halfway there…. Read More »