Day 45 – Epilogue
Miles Today – 0
Here I sit on 4th of July. A mountain of mail needs to be sorted and the bills paid. The first of several loads of laundry is underway. Even so, I am drawn to reflect on the events of the past month. By several thousand miles this was my longest motorcycle trip to date. Friends have pointed out that 12,000 miles is equivalent to just about halfway around the world. Even so I don’t feel particularly weary. Rather, I feel invigorated by having been so far and having seen so much. Were there things I would do differently? Sure. Nonetheless, I could never really imagined that the entire trip would be so trouble and drama free. It went by in a blur! These are a few thoughts I'd like to share.
Regarding the bike:
My 2009 BMW F650GS performed almost perfectly throughout the trip. The exception was an intermittent stalling issue that appeared at about 4000 miles into the trip. I lived with the issue for about a week before putting the bike in the BMW dealer in Anchorage. Whatever they did (they weren’t talking) fixed the issue as it never occurred again. If I were starting out again I would do two things differently with the bike. First, I would add an extension to the side stand to make the foot bigger. I had repeated issues with the small “foot” sinking into the soft gravel and dirt in gas stations and parking lots in the North. Likewise, when it was just about 100 degrees last Tuesday in Wichita the bike began to sink into the soft asphalt. Fortunately things never quite so far out of hand that the bike fell down. Secondly, I would have replaced the very good, but street riding focused, original equipment Bridgestone Battle Wing Tires with something a little more appropriate to the dirt and gravel on which I regularly found myself riding. In Oregon, on the way back I had a set of Metzeler Tourances installed but, of course, by then most of the dirt riding was over. The greatest “pucker”/”heart stopping” moments of the trip were in the mud and soft gravel of construction areas in Northern BC and the Yukon. Sure did wish I had some more appropriate tires then!
Regarding the route:
If I had this amount of time to make this trip again I don’t think I’d alter my route much. I did keep a pretty aggressive travel schedule and if I had wanted to have the opportunity to stop and see more things, make more sidetrips along the way then I just flat would have needed more time. Disregarding the days when I stayed over somewhere, I averaged 332 miles per day on the Northbound trip and 375 miles per day coming back. That’s quite a bit and doesn’t leave a huge amount of time to enjoy the incredible number of diversions to be found virtually everywhere I went. On the other hand, if I had cut back to 200 or 250 miles per day it would have taken another month to make the trip. There are places that I should have gone (Cassiar Highway in BC) but it’s a little late to second guess now.
Regarding my equipment:
My only equipment failure of the whole trip was when the heated vest quit (conveniently-the day before the coldest/wettest day of the trip!). I carried all the appropriate gear that I needed for the conditions I encountered – everything from the high 20s with freezing rain and sleet to nearly 100 degrees (F). One irony of the trip is that I carried camping gear but never camped. It’s a little hard to explain but during the Northbound portion of the trip it was mostly too cold to seriously think about it. Overnight temps around the low 30s were just beyond what my stuff would have made comfortable. Then on the return trip I had gotten so geared up to have internet each night and do daily postings here and elsewhere that I kinda forgot about the camping thing. Of course, it was always there if I needed it in a pinch. Which I did not. I think for future travel I’ll be a little more specific in planning whether it’s a camping trip or not. My RevIt Sirocco Jacket performed brilliantly, although it is now so filthy that the only appropriate thing to do might be to burn it (only kidding!). It (along with my helmet) was the only piece of equipment that I wore every mile of every day. I might have wanted it to be a bit warmer on those 30 and 40 degree mornings but, on the other hand, it remained mighty comfortable in the 80 and 90 degree afternoons toward the end of the trip. For sure it’s a sound 3 season jacket not a piece of winter gear. Maybe I just didn’t understand that winter wasn’t quite over everywhere I went.
Other thoughts:
One of the very best parts of the trip was meeting new friends, whether on the road or online through my blog or web forum postings. There are plenty of motorcyclists on the road in the North from the end of May on. They are friendly, helpful, and most are also fascinating to listen to as they tell their stories. People in the hotels, restaurants and other motorists are also helpful, interested and attentive. Traveling North America is easy and it’s as rewarding as it is interesting. I have just this one additional interesting anecdote to add. I had no GPS and, frankly didn’t really need to use maps all that much. However I did usually have a map in my tankbag. Occasionally I would stop alongside the road to look at or study the map. I did this a number of times throughout the trip. I specifically recall that I did it 3 times in Wisconsin. The reason I remember Wisconsin so well is that EACH time I stopped, someone pulled up in a car or pickup to ask if I was having any trouble or needed any help. On the other hand this NEVER happened anywhere else I went. I don’t know what it is about Wisconsin people but they sure are eager to help. Fascinating. Reassuring.
While there were many highlights to this trip, the biggest of all was to be able to do something for others who are less fortunate than I. The trip has managed to raise several thousand dollars for the Austin Hatcher Foundation and, even now, additional donations continue to arrive. Thank you all for your generosity!
I also need to thank, once again, the fine folks at RevZilla and RevZilla.com. Their support and encouragement was first rate throughout. If you need motorcycle gear & equipment they’re your guys. Give ‘em a call or check ‘em out on the web at www.revzilla.com. Likewise a shout out to Hermy’s Cycles in Port Clinton, PA. They’re my BMW dealer of choice and became a supporter of the ride early on. I especially liked being able to participate in their Spring Open House back in May before the trip began. The F650GS is going to go to Hermy’s for it’s regular service just as soon as it can be scheduled. See them for your BMW and Triumph needs.
Anyone who is contemplating such a trip, even remotely following my route, is welcome to contact me at jhbfly@yahoo.com for insights, advice, or just to talk about the great adventure of it all.
A sincere thank you to everyone who has joined me on this trip. You’ll never know how much encouragement your interest has provided me.
Be Well,
Jack Broomall
