Motorcycles

A friend once said motorcycles are like shoes. You wouldn't wear a pair of Nike Cross Trainers to a ballroom dance, nor would you wear Cole Hahn wing tips on a 10k run. Motorcycles are the same.  There are Cruisers, Dual Sport bikes, Bobbers, Dirt Bikes, Trials Bikes, Motocross Bikes, Touring Bikes, and yet more.  Each with its own function and purpose.  So what are, or were, my motorcycles?   There have been a few.  Let's start with what I own at the moment.  Listed in order of when acquired.  By the way, I'm not in the habit of naming my bikes, though I've named a few. Suggestions welcome.

2011 BMW R1200RT

One day in 2015 I happened to wander into Tom's Cycle in Walla Walla.  There on the floor was a beautiful 2011 BMW R1200RT.  Corey offered to trade me straight across for the 2010 black Harley Ultra Classic I was riding (that I had never clicked with).  After a few weeks and some negotiating, I did the deal.  It wasn't quite straight across, as the Harley needed a new tire, but in the end, I was free of the Ultra and the BMW was mine.  That summer, I rode it to Sturgis.  It was probably one of 6 BMWs there among a sea of Harleys.  What a great ride that was.  It's now my favorite motorcycle.  Had the seat redone by Seth Laam last year and added some Denali LED running lights.  What a great motorcycle.

At Kelsey's in Spokane, headed to the BeeCee Beemer's

Hot Springs Rally, Nakusp, BC, August 2016. 

On the way to the Grand Tetons, WY,

August, 2015

2012 Victory Cross Country Tour

I've been hanging out with Victory enthusiasts since 2007, since I became acquainted with David Beede and started going to the Starkey campouts. I bought my first Vic, a 2008 Vision, in 2011.  I bought the 2012 XC in March, 2016 from a guy in Canby, OR. Found on Craigslist.  The seller was a small dealer who is retired and buys and sells bikes, snowmobiles and maybe quads for fun. His shop was so clean you could eat off the floor.  When I test rode the bike, Kim and the guy chatted about drag racing, a common interest. Although it's a Cross Country Tour, the seller cannibalized the bike.  The trunk had been removed and sold.  I later found out that the HID headlight had been removed and replaced with a standard H7 bulb.  Oh well, with what I paid, it was still a good deal.

Canby, the Day of Purchase

Mt. Idaho Grade, outside Grangeville, ID

2007 Kawasaki KLR - 1st Gen.

One day in September, 2016, I stopped by Thunder Alley, the Tri-Cities Victory-Indian-Slingshot dealer.  As it happened, they had a 2007 Kawasaki KLR on the floor for a good price.  It had a lot of aftermarket farkles - skid plate, enhanced suspension, fork brace, etc.  I'd been looking for a dual sport for a while and this one fit the bill at a mere $2,500.  Sold!!!  I added a DeWalt topbox and Komy 1600 Lumen LED driving lights.  Took her to Moab in May, 2017, with Ed Bloom and Dave Denham, where we rode some pretty gnarly slickrock roads.

Toad Rock Motorcycle Campground, Nelson, BC

After the ride up through the Palouse, through Metaline and Metaline Falls, after playing 50 questions with the inquisitive Canadian Customs Officer, we headed for Nelson, BC. A little known fact is that Nelson was the filming location for Steve Martin's 1987 film, "Roxanne." Of course, the town is nothing like what is portrayed in the movie, but nevertheless it's an interesting smallish town surrounded by tall peaks lying at the south end of Kootenay Lake. After a stop at a very disappointing grocery store, it was on to find a campground. I'd found Toad Rock Motorcycle Campground online. It lies halfway between Balfour and Ainsworth Hot Springs, just off BC 31.

The campground is run by Mary, who owns the property. One of her memorable sayings is "If it doesn't thrive on neglect, it doesn't belong here." The camp is on a large parcel of land and has wooded and open sites. There is a newish washroom with toilets, showers and sinks. Scattered throughout the property are "accommodations" for those who don't want to tent it. There are little cabins as well as a late '60s vintage VW bus, complete with painted-on flowers (more on this in a bit).

Mary says she's owned the property since 1974, but it has the feel of an old 1960's commune (please don't ask me how I know that). At any rate, the other guests, most if not all on motorcycles, were a well behaved bunch. There is even a camp dog - Dick - who made a show of begging food while we cooked out dinner. Only problem was Dick, a Boston Terrier, enjoyed barking the better part of the night. We consoled ourselves with the thought that he was keeping the bears away from camp. In the morning, Mary was unapologetic. Dick, she said, was just "doing his job."

The most unique element of Toad Rock is the common area. There is an open pavilion with a bar, refrigerator, coffee maker, piano, pool table and various and sundry other items to lend ambiance. When I asked about snow, the response was they get "just about the right amount - 4' - enough to cover the chores." My inquiry about whether Mary closed up the buildings in the winter led to the "if it doesn't thrive on neglect..." quote. So, herewith, some photos from Toad Rock:


And finally, about the aforementioned VW Bus. . . Saturday morning, the Pup said he wanted his picture taken in front of the bus. The site was occupied, but no problem, the residents were apparently absent. Pup got up on the deck in front of the bus and we snapped his photo (I'll have to find that photo and post it later). As we were doing this, I noticed movement inside, behind the curtain, and out popped this woman who had slept in the bus the night before and had been dressing. She was not amused. We defused the situation and learned that her name was Christine and she was from LA. She was riding with her brother Steve, who was from Colville. The two others in the party were Mark and his wife Leslie, from Deer Park. As it happened, we met up with them at the ferry dock and ended up sharing two camping sites with them in Revelstoke. They were great folks who generously shared their sites at the campground, which was otherwise full, with us.

If you're on the road near Balfour, BC or Ainsworth Hot Springs and want an unusual camping experience, check out Toad Rock. Just bring ear plugs, cause Dick will keep you up half the night.

Oh Canada! - Day 2 - Aug. 5 - Lewiston, ID to Toad Rock Campground

Up at 5:00 am to get the bikes packed. I spent the night at Dave Denham's place in Clarkston. We rolled out Friday morning around 7:20 to meet our other traveling partner at one of Lewiston's finer dining establishments.

Our first day on the road saw us charging the fire with breakfast burritos at the Lewiston Jack-in-the-Box. The Pup, a/k/a Alan Searle, met us there and Dave Denham (later to be nicknamed "Casper") and The Pup got on the road around 9:10 am. The day's route would take us from Lewiston up through the Palouse country along US 195 to Spokane, north through Spokane (with much construction delay) to Chewelah, where we continued the fine dining tradition with sandwiches from Subway. From Chewelah, we headed East on the Flowery Trail Road (NF 4243) for a 26 mile ride of broad sweepers and great views. We could see why The Flowery Trail is rated as one of the premier motorcycle roads in the Pacific Northwest.



We hit Washington 20 at Usk, and headed north to a gas stop at Metaline. Just North of Metaline Falls, there are some outstanding views and, shortly thereafter, THE BORDER, otherwise known as the Nelway Crossing. Not sure what it is, but getting into Canada from the US has become more and more difficult. Last year, crossing at Midway, the Canadian border guard had the usual questions - where do you live, what do you do, where are you going, etc., plus "why are you crossing here?" Uh, because I liked the road heading up to that crossing? Well, this time, it was more like the Spanish Inquisition. All the usual questions and a lengthy questioning about firearms, including where was my gun currently stored. Uh, locked up at home, was the response. We finally got past the Canadian Border Gestapo and were on to the Crowsnest Highway for a short jaunt only to encounter a sobriety checkpoint. About this time I was wondering what sort of police state I'd come to. It turned out there was a rock concert nearby and the local police and RCMP were rousting the young'uns headed that way. We were not stopped.

After a grocery stop in Nelson, we headed North on Highway 31 to the Toad Rock Motorcycle Campground. The place had gotten good reviews and since it was nearing 6:00 pm we thought it a good idea to stop. Toad Rock, I believe, is deserving of its own post, which I shall do shortly.

Google Interactive Map:

View Larger Map

Photos to be added later.