2013 Road Glide Custom, Rockin the War Wagon on the Road to Sturgis

2013 Road Glide Custom, aka War Wagon

A new 2013 Road Glide Custom, some friends, eight days to burn, the Sturgis Rally, and a little Rocky Mountain detour, what’s not to love? Not much, I can tell you that. For those of you that have been keeping up on current events here at the Asylum, you know that my beloved Paint Shaker (aka 2006 FLHRCI, Road King Classic) and sick CVO Springer (2007 FLXTSSE) are no more, traded in to make way for a shiny, well not so much, as it’s black denim, new 2013 Road Glide Custom. Always wanted one of the shark nosed beasts, and given that the Motor Company had deemed it time to put the vaunted Glide on ice for a couple of years, I figured now was as good a time to score one.

Blacker than a Banker's Heart

The War Wagon is fairly trick; complete black-out treatment, Progressive Suspension front and rear (Monotube fork springs and 944’s out back), Klockwerks windscreen, Agitator wheels in black ice, braided brake lines, fully floating rotors up front, HD’s “DayMaker” LED lights with Custom Dynamics LED running/brake/turn lights, Vance and Hines True Dual headers with four inch round mufflers out back, and Screamin’ Eagle air cleaner and tuner. Le Pera seat is coming, and we’ll wait until the warranty is done before we start really working over the stock 103. All in all, it’s a pretty tidy rig. 

Lunch at Orlando's in Taos, yummy!

Our shakedown cruise began in the steaming cauldron of the Fort Worth Metroplex, when you think Texas in the summertime, think oven on self-clean mode and you get the idea. The sooner we could get to the high desert of New Mexico, the better. The three of us, Dan (my boss), Joaquin (e-com guru) and myself droned along the interstate just as quickly as John Law would allow. Staying overnight in Amarillo, we got a late start from work, have to pay the bills, right? Our goal at the end of the second day was Durango Colorado where we would meet up with renown bike builder/designer Jesse Rooke and a couple of his buddies. From there it was on through the Rockies for some great two lane tango.

The Wolfpack on the Great Divide

I’ve gotta say the Glide is such the better bike than the old Paint Shaker, and it really pains me to admit it, but truth is truth. Obviously being a post ’09 FLH model, it benefits greatly from the new frame and swing arm. For the most part the hinge in the middle of the frame is gone. Sure at really high speeds in long sweepers, if you hit a bump you’ll experience a little shimmy-shake, but nothing too dramatic. And if you have the good sense to install Progressive bits on both ends, you’ll be amazed at how well the beast will handle. The brakes are outstanding, to the degree that I doubt I’ll throw on aftermarket calipers, they are that strong. I gotta say I love the frame mounted fairing, not just for the sinister profile, but the wind protection is outstanding, as is the stability. Having grown up riding sportbikes, I prefer the frame affixed units to anything mounted on handlebars.

Hank and Doug on the Open Road

From Durango to Sturgis was a blur, Jesse and Doug set a blistering pace over one mountain pass to another, whether  it a goat trail or a four lane road, we were hauling the mail. And trust me, the weather never cooperated with our “optimistic” route schedule. But that’s the adventure of the open road, right?

DI5H Crew Sonny, Z, HD, and Flash (starting third from left)

 One turn it’s a  herd of mountain goats, the next it’s a black and white, or maybe Jesse’s Street Glide saying, I’m not gonna start at during a thunderstorm at over 12,000 feet. Its always something, and that’s what’s so great. Over Loveland Pass, through Trail Ridge Park and the wilds of Wyoming our little wolfpack was never passed by a single vehicle of any type; car, truck, motorcycle…..nothing. That includes sportbikes of every stripe. We were making some pace, and having a blast.

The Biker's Choice Big Rig on Lasalle

Rockstar Girls Rocking in Sturgis

Jesse Rooke hams it up in Deadwood

Once in Sturgis, it was the usual scene; Main St., Black Hills HD, the drags, flat track, Deadwood. We took it all in, while dodging (mostly unsuccessfully) some of the worst weather I’ve ever ridden in. As a matter of fact, it rained some part of the day for six of the eight days we were on the road……that’s a lot for this Cali transplant!! But as they say, there’s no bad weather, only bad gear. I’m not sure I fully buy into that, but my Firstgear rain gear did keep me dry, and the Road Glide was steady as a stone as we punched through some pretty gnarly precep.

Rooke's Super Sick Street Glide, Fast!

For three days we met with industry folks, looked at bikes, ate food, lots of food, and were more or less chill. We didn’t do a lot of local riding, but we did cut through Rushmore (how appropriate given the new 2014 HD’s huh?) and Custer Park on our way back to Tejas. Given time constraints we pretty much took a straight shot south, two lane when we could, interstate the rest of the way. And oh, yes, the rain continued to the last day, with the worst of it as a matter of fact in Kansas. By that time we were all done with the wet stuff.

Why We Ride

All in all, I’ve got to say I’m loving me the War Wagon, it’s smooth, reasonably quick (we’ll work on that later) and stops better than any Harley I’ve ever owned. But I have to say, without a doubt, it’s the badass stance of the machine that puts it over the top. It’s got class and style in spades……..ace of spades, as in blacker than a bankers heart. This is the start of something good…….

Vince and Paul Sturgis Bound

Sturgis By The Numbers....And Some Random Stuff

Total number of miles ridden - 3,341 (this is my mileage, "door to door", other folks in the group would have slightly different totals)

Number of states visited - 6 (Nevada, Utah, Wyoming, Montana, Idaho, and South Dakota)

Number of times the group (or members of the group) were pulled over by the law - 2

Quarts of oil burned on the trip - 0! (Take that all you Harley Haters......that includes a nearly twenty year old machine too!)

The number of times the group had to breakout the rain gear - 0 (it was a charmed trip, no doubt)

Total number insects sacrificed by our chrome and steel - 376,987 (this is only an estimate)

Motorcycle accidents witnessed - 1 ( the dude survived)

Random Thoughts -

"As much as the Harley crowd takes flak for being "posers" (after twenty years in the business I can tell you that Harley riders don't have a monopoly on that charge), once you get waaaaaay out on the open highway, the vast majority of the machines you see are indeed Harley-Davidsons; apparently there's a fair number of "real riders" among the Harley fraternity."

"Once you get within about a 200 miles radius of Sturgis, the whole "rider wave" thing goes out the window. It's not that folks don't want to throw a welcome wave to their fellow riders..........it's just that there are too damn many, your hand would never be on the bar.

"When coming into Sturgis always avoid exit 32, instead head down to the Deadwood cutoff (I think it's exit 30) there's far less traffic. And the first chance you get bear left, and try to use Williams or Park street, plenty of parking and no traffic."

" A good number of folks that attend the Rally are new or "low mileage" riders.......keep your head on a swivel, cars aren't your only concern."

Uh oh, looks like Nate got busted

"If you look like a Hollywood stylist put together your "biker duds", you'll probably never be mistaken for the real deal"

"Chaps...........for cold weather folks, if the mercury is over, say 65, leave them in the saddle bags."

"It's super cool that many of the local hotels/motels provide towels to wipe down bikes.........not cool that some are poly blends (only use 100% cotton), very bad for the finish."

"Score a shirt from Pee Wee's.........trust me, way better than the tons of "official" souvenir crap you'll find on Main Street."

Stunting Sporty, don't see that everyday

"Bike Week is in Daytona, Sturgis is a Rally...........there is no Sturgis "Bike Week"..........better toss that t-shirt!"

"I'll just never get that whole "Boss Hoss" thing...........a V-8, OK, so what."

"Hands down the best breakfast of the trip was had at "The Cowpoke Cafe" in Lovelock, if you're going through town, stop in and say hi to Rosa."

"If you have any interest in American Firearms, the Buffalo Bill Museum in Cody is a must.........give yourself some time."

"The Full Throttle Bar has some of the best bartenders in town, forget the fact that they're all incredibly hot, they're friendly too!"

Mark, Nate, Vince, JP, and Hank....until next time!

"There are few experiences in life that can rival a 12 day road trip with close friends..........life is short, round up your buds and get out and ride. I'm glad I did, thanks guys.........especially Vince, you made it happen."

Sturgis Or Die, Day Twelve....Home Again

Last day. It's a hard admission to make, I don't want this thing to be over, to be done, not just yet. The five of us have jelled, we're a unit, we ride as one, and we're riding well, we're ready for whatever the road and circumstance throw at us. When we're not riding we're laughing, or eating......both activities that a sane person can't really get enough of, and I don't want to give that up.  But the cold truth is....last day, time to ride home, back to our separate, "real world" lives. It's sunny, perfect really, but not my mood. I'm gonna miss all of this. Riding everyday, new people, new sights, new adventures........we were explorers, men on the move. Damn.

We've got some miles to throw down, nearly 500, so there's no time for a leisurely breakfast, it's 7:30am and we're firing up the machines, Nate gives JP a shove and the Dyna chugs to life, they got this bump start thing down! We pull out into the cool, high desert sun, it's not blazing yet, but it will be.

Nothing fancy today, it's pretty much highway 80 straight west across Nevada, up and over Donner Pass, down through Sacramento.....homeward bound. No long stops. We cruise along at about 80mph, there's little traffic and we only see one trooper. Gas and go. Breakfast today is in Winnemucca, a sort of casino/diner joint. Local kids are playing around the entrance while their parents throw down nickels and quarters hoping for the "big" payoff. No beautiful people here, the place is a last chance, last hope for folks without much of either. It could be me, but there's something just a little bit sad about the whole scene. We walk into the diner, friendly servers, lots of food....pretty good too. A hostess, probably a babe during the Kennedy administration, strode up and asked, ".....whose jacket is that on that Harley?" We look through the window, it's JP's. "You know, kids here are just like kids anywhere". We get the message, JP walks outside and removes the temptation. Nice lady.

I have to say that throughout our odyssey I was struck by the number of people, and not just fellow riders, that admonished us to "be sure and ride safe". Genuine concern, it was nice, and it happened a lot. No sideways glances, no disapproving stares.........for the most part the fact we were bikers started folks talking, our motorcycles initiated smiles, thumbs up and approving nods. We were, for a brief period of time the embodiment of freedom and adventure, and people recognized it. It was humbling and very cool, all at once.

Finishing our last real meal together, maybe we take just a bit more time, tell just one more story, laugh about something dumb one of us did. Last day kind of stuff. The check comes.....one for each, we finally got that down, only took ten days! Fueled up, body and bikes, we roar west. Strong crosswinds make themselves felt all the way to Reno, but we're seasoned high mileage veterans now, no big deal. We're making good time. Good I guess.

Vince, JP, Nate, and Mark....last stop

It's "Hot August Nights" time in Reno, there's hot rods everywhere, I'm gonna have to come up and check this out sometime. We decide to pull into Reno Harley Davidson to have a chat with their techs, just to see what they thought about the Dyna's current "issues". Good chance for a cold soda too, and a gander at the bikes, never a bad thing. Their service manager tells us what we already know, it'll take hours to diagnose the "stumbling" problem, and even if they can, they aren't going to have the parts to fix it (the Dyna's almost 20 years old fercrissakes). If we wanna get home today we're gonna have to steal a line from Vince's favorite biker comedy and "just ride!" (the name of the movie has been deliberately omitted by the author simply because I hate it, so there!). So it's gloved fingers crossed and west we go......

We gas up in Boomtown before we begin the accent up the pass. Only 20 miles to the summit, if JP can keep the Harley moving, we're in the clear. We decide on a more mellow pace, no more than 65, we don't want to push our luck, or the Dyna. I take point, Nate on my six, Vince and Mark flank the boy. We're a unit now.

The miles click off, JP stays fixed in the rearview, so far so good. Not much farther, Donner Lake to the left, we're gonna make it, no "mechanicals" this trip! Up and over the summit, just an easy roll home now. It's cool at this altitude, feels great. It'll heat up again soon as we descend into the foothills. In a day filled with "lasts", we stop in Auburn for one last gas stop. This will be the final time of the trip that we'll be able to talk to each other (OK, Vince and I have the Chatterboxes, but you get the idea), share a laugh, just hang out. We have some cold drinks, snap a group pic, and it's time to go. Handshakes won't do, it's hugs all around, it's been a hell of a trip, better than any of us (including the Sturgis Vets in our group) had imagined. The weather, the roads, the bikes, the scenery, Sturgis.........it was all perfect. An adventure of a lifetime.........but not quite done yet.

Nate's Road Glide front and center

Still some miles to under our wheels. Head west on 80 through Roseville, skirt the edges of Sacramento. Mark stays on 80 as the rest of us turn south on "the five", he's heading to Winters. It's funny what a trip like this can reveal about others and ourselves. I've know Mark for years, well over twenty to be honest, and yet I had no idea about his encyclopedic knowledge of western history, but it sure enlightened our journey. Funny what you learn.....

Down 5 we go, boring, lots of traffic, smells like cow shit......I could be done with this. Exit onto highway 12, straight shot to Rio Vista, then left on 160, we're nearly there. It's super windy, it's the delta, welcome home. Vince and I talk a bit, I tell him what a great job he did in planning the route, hell, he planned the whole adventure! Great job my friend, great job. Over the Antioch bridge, I take the Brentwood exit, so does Nate, he's got some friends to see. One last glance over my left shoulder, Vince and JP motor pass and wave, on to Pittsburg and home.

I make my way through town, turn down my street and park in front of the house, and just like that it's done. Over 3,341 miles in 12 days, an adventure of a lifetime with four of the finest people a guy could ever know. Last day? No way, we're gonna do this again...........there's no "last" about it!!!

Sturgis Or Die, Day Eleven

By the looks of the parking lot and the bikes (with the exception of mine.....it was covered this time!) it had rained quite a bit overnight. The sky is grey, but the forecast isn't calling for any rain, which is a good thing because we've got some miles to do today (420 to be exact) and some high mountain passes to climb. But first thing first as they say. Need food.

With Vince still in full hibernation mode, I struck out with the lads to score some grub. Nothing fancy, just something to get us going until lunch, last nights fantastic Mexican food feast was still keeping any serious hunger pangs at bay. Just a snack. We stop by the Harley Shop to score a cool "Jackson" t-shirt. The joint was staffed by an amazing array of young lovelies…….coincidence, I think not, and don’t care. Only wish I had my camera handy!

Doughnuts, that would be good.....the lads stop at a Taco Bell (no breakfast burrito for me.....not enough Zantac left), I hit a gas station convenience store for some tasty powdered doughnut gems.......sweet. I also pick up a travel mug that Vince had spied the night before..........he's been adding to his collection throughout the trip. Hey, everybody's got to collect something right!?

Our crew, plus one, at a gas stop somewhere in Utah

Walking back to the hotel, looking at the surrounding mountains, clomping along the wooden sidewalks, catching the friendly waves of locals and tourists alike, I'm thinking this is a place I have to get back to for a more lengthy "look see". Jackson is an amazing place, might even be a place where one could move...........just maybe. Oh, and in case you were as confused as I was; "Jackson Hole" refers to the surrounding area, whereas, "Jackson" just refers to the town itself. There, just thought you should know. Whatever the name, I'll be back, there's no doubt about that.

Returning to the hotel, Vince and Mark are loading up their motorcycles, it's just about time to hit the road. The grey is giving way to more sun, and the temperature is cool, this promises to be a good day. we'll be long gone by the time the predicted afternoon thunderstorms appear. Ready to go, Nate gives JP's Dyna a push, it fires right up. It seems that the new battery didn't fully cure the machines starting issues....something in the starter itself is hurting. But no worries, as long as Nate's legs hold out we're all good.

We head west on highway 22 and over Teton Pass (8,431 ft summit). It's an amazing road with plenty of breathtaking vistas, sheer cliffs and forest........some of the grades are 10%! On the lower portions of the pass, on both the east and west side are some of the most amazing homes I've ever seen.............guess other folks have found out what a fantastic corner of the world this Jackson Wyoming place is.....damn. We cruise along drinking in the scene as it unfolds curve to curve.

The bikes won't get much rest today....too many miles to cover

Dropping into Idaho the temperatures begin to rise, off come the jackets, on go the vests, some opt for just a t-shirt. Our luck with the weather gods continues! Our luck with the mechanical gods, is giving us just a bit of a test however. On a gradual upgrade along highway 30 just west of American Falls, JP's machine begins to lose power and bog. My Chatterbox squawks a warning from Vince, a quick glance in the rearview confirms it, headlights pulling off to the side of the road. Dammit!

Nate and I are stopped about a mile ahead of JP, Mark and Vince, with no way to turn around we wait. I can hear Vince talking to JP trying to diagnose the issue with the nearly twenty year old Harley. "It just started bogging out" was JP's response. There's not much we can do here, we need to get the thing moving and see if we can get it looked at in town......any town. Staying cool and calm Vince tells JP we're gonna have to do the best we can and "ride around the problem" until (and if) we can get it repaired. Time to suck it up. A quick push and the Lowrider fires up, we're back on the road...........but nervous, this is no place for a serious mechanical. JP rises to the occasion and keeps the bike moving, heading west.

JP hoping that the Dyna goes the distance

Next gas stop; Rupert, Idaho. Rupert is a special place for us,  it's the home of one Cal Rayborn II (yeah, the son of THAT Cal Rayborn). Cal raced for us years back, and gave us lots of wins and championships at Sears Point Raceway in the AFM Formula Pacific series. Too bad we won't have time to look him up. Gotta figure out what's up with JP's machine. Pulling into a gas station we assess the situation.

Taking a closer look we find that the petcock appears to be cracked, and is leaking a fair amount of fuel. This could be the problem........at least it's a problem we can deal with. A quick application of some Super Glue, fingers crossed, we think we may have saved the day. Time and miles will tell. Heading west we see what could be the first serious weather threat of the entire trip. Fairly active cells are developing with lots of lightening and precipitation. We might just have to break out the raingear after all.

By the time we hit Twin Falls, it's looking really grim.......the good news? JP's bike is keeping pace and running well......all hale Super Glue!! We're on the edge of a thunderstorm and taking some hits.....hail hurts when you're wearing fingerless gloves! Off to the south, and not too far away, it's pouring waterfalls of rain....same to the north, but the road directly ahead is eerily free of serious downpours....charmed we are. A few miles more and we turn south on 93 at Twin Falls, across the Snake River Gorge.....wow is that thing deep.......is that a golf course down there!? And what's with the wind sock on the bridge.......just then we get smacked with a sucker punch of cross wind....guess that's why.

All the while the weather is clearing and we remain dry. JP's Harley hasn't missed a beat. It's all good. Motoring south on 93 we cut a swath through the high desert of northern Nevada.......sage brush, rock and sand for as far as the eye can see. It's desolate and beautiful, and with the exception of Jackpot, a border town just south of the Idaho state line, there's very little evidence of civilization. We "two lane" it all the way to Wells, where we hook up with highway 80 for the short hop to Elko. It's been a great day of riding; amazing scenery, some fun roads, and just a little drama. One more to go and we're home.........

Sturgis Or Die, Day Ten

Been looking forward to this leg of the trip since Vince showed me the itinerary way back in December. Today will have us head west on highway 16 along the Shoshone River, enter Yellowstone National Park through the East Gate, ride through the park, then exit at the south gate for the final push south to Jackson Hole Wyoming The scenery and roads promise to be nothing short of spectacular. But first things first.

Main Street action in Cody, we're gonna miss this town

Today’s ride distance is only around 180 miles, so we can relax and take our time saying goodbye to Cody. Vince, Mark and I stroll over to the Laundromat to pick up our clothes (yes.....I've managed yet again to avoid washing clothes!), we pay by the pound (dry of course). The stuff weighed more than you'd think, but totally reasonable. It's back to the rooms to finish packing up, we've gotten into the habit of filling up with gas when we roll into town, that way we have one less thing to do when we're trying to jet.

The youngsters are still trying to recover from their little Hardin adventure, so we let them sleep a while longer. We've got some shopping to do! Oh, and we might sneak in some doughnuts too.....it's the one food group we haven't had the pleasure of consuming this trip. That would change today.

Since we started this trip Vince and I had wanted to pick up something to commemorate the trip, something lasting and meaningful. The tattoo thing was out, at least for a while, we needed to come up with a design that we both liked and then agree on an artist. I already have about seven tat's, but Vince has none, and he was apprehensive to just "dive into" a shop in Sturgis and have a go. Nate and I kept pushing, the old peer pressure thing, but no dice. We're thinking of using the Street & Steel Deadman's Hand skull design and having Nate at DV-8 (he's done all my stuff and is really talented) do the ink.........stay tuned.

OK, what else might signify our trip?? Matching knives, that might be good. Yeah, assuming you can agree on a style!  Cody has a number of great stores, we cruise around town stopping into the Custom Cowboy Shop, a store that Vince had spotted the night before. I'm leaning toward a Case straight blade beauty, but there's just one rub, the stock scabbard doesn't fit quite right. No worries, in the basement is one Gary Ray, master saddle maker, and he will craft a handmade scabbard custom fit to my knife. Sold! How cool is that? A local Cody Wyoming craftsman will be working up a one of a kind piece for my knife, I'm more excited about the darn scabbard than the blade........almost. But what about Vince? Still nothing, yet!

He ambles back to a sporting goods store we had checked out when we blew into town the prior afternoon. He had already spotted a likely candidate, but needed to make sure it was truly "Sturgis worthy". It was, purchase made. So we got our special souvenirs, each the same, and yet totally different...........kinda like us. We're stoked.

It's about noon now and we meet the boys at the Buffalo Bill Museum to finish the tour that we had started yesterday. It's really five museums in one, and all are extremely well done.......especially the firearms, Buffalo Bill and Plains Indians exhibits. If you find yourself in Cody, it's a must see attraction. Trust us on this.

East Gate, Yellowstone National Park

We hustle through the last of the firearms displays (I know some guys at work that could spend days just checking out the overstock guns in the basement) because we want to get on the road............this promises to be the last "easy" day of the trip, and probably the most visually stunning. We saddle up and head west out of town on highway 16 on our way to the East Gate of Yellowstone Park, just forty miles away. Right from the start we treated to amazing vistas, sheer rock canyon walls, climbing to dizzying heights on our right and left. Massive evergreens, sprout from impossible perches thousands of feet up the slate grey rock. Along the valley floor the Shoshone river marks the roads progress, occasionally changing sides, just to keep us guessing. Up ahead, lakes, ponds and waterfalls seem to appear at every turn……incredible.

The sky is a patchwork of white, blue and cigarette yellow. Oh yes, there are fires here too. As a matter of fact when we got up in the morning we were greeted with the acrid stench of smoke.....fires burning north of the highway, near the East Gate, but the road was open. And as the morning wore on the sky gradually cleared, so we thought the smoke eaters had done their jobs and the fires were well out. We were wrong.

To the north we see plumes of smoke, still comfortably in the distance, but close enough for concern. The road twists and dips, and turns back on itself...........it's simply one of the best stretches of asphalt I've ever had the pleasure to traverse. It's sensory overload, do I gaze at each more progressively stunning landscape , or stay focused on the task at hand, riding the machine, and avoiding disaster? Honestly, I kinda split the difference......it's that good! The smoke continued to rise, and we see the first of the firefighting helo's that are sucking water straight from the river to our left and dropping the smothering liquid on the flames to our right. It's an amazing sight.

Yellowstone Buffalo, yes they're that big, and yes we were that close

As we continue we see plenty of evidence of recent fires, some still visibly smoldering. There are camps with firefighters right off the road........Yellowstone is burning, and we are witnessing it. Pressing on, thankfully the smoke is blowing away from us, we make it to the East Gate. Twenty bucks later and we're in the countries very first national park. The road snakes east toward Yellowstone Lake, along ridge lines with views that I'm simply not capable of describing.........

We stop at a gas station and souvenir store near Yellowstone Lake, a quick soda and look see for goodies. It was at this point that Nate asks if I saw the Buffalo? The what I?! Apparently there was  herd of Buffalo just north of the road about ten miles back (Nate has a knack for spotting critters/points on interest at amazing distances.....he'd make a great sniper spotter). Crap, I missed it. Guess I was paying more attention to the road after all.

We saddle up, and head out.........and I'm bummed. That is until we turn south on highway 191 and to our immediate left is a......herd of Buffalo!! These guys are enormous, and only about a 100 feet off the road.......and there's no fence, nothing between us and 2,000 pounds of potentially pissed off, unpredictable creatures. So we stop and walk towards........it was an incredible moment, trust me. Photos snapped and a stampede successfully avoided we continue on our way.

More  mind numbingly beautiful sights; sun dappled green forests, scorched tree trunks on barren rock strewn ridges, sheer cliffs give way to bottomless sun starved canyons, pungent sulfur ponds, and a geyser. Yup, we saw a geyser in full "go" mode. Not quite what I expected (although I'm not sure exactly what I was expecting really), imagine a fire hose underground pointing straight up, that's it......but warmer!

A quick note on spectacularly amazing sights...people lose their flippin' minds! They screech to a stop in the middle of the road, dive off to the shoulder, shove their way back, and just generally forget that they are not the only folks in the universe. Unfortunately motorcyclists aren't immune to the behavior. We keep our heads on the proverbial swivel.

The Grand Tetons in backlit glory

Any moose you ask? As a matter of fact we did see some moose some distance from the road playing in a pond.........you can imagine the traffic jam that caused! Regaining our composure and pace we head to the South Gate, or 70 plus mile tour of Yellowstone has come to an end. No worries, we're no sooner out of the park than we enter the Grand Teton's National Park............Mother Nature worked overtime in this corner of globe.

To the east and west of us rain threatened, we still hadn't experienced any "real" rain on the trip, so we're feeling lucky. Rounding a ridge, the Teton's come fully into view, and grand they truly are. Other than perhaps the Austrian Alps, I've never seen anything quite like them. Mountain peaks of jagged shards of rock so massive and so sharp they threaten to gut the sky. Simply amazing. We stop for photos, we can't do them justice, but we try anyway. As we ready for the final few miles JP's ride won't start.....again. Even with the new battery, it won't turn over, we think it's a short. maybe the starter. A quick push, and it fires to life and we're down the road. But a little concerned......we don't need a "mechanical" at this point in the trip.

Vince, Mark, Nate, and Hank on the outskirts of Jackson

We avoid the rain, maybe a drop here, or a drop there, as we roll into the upscale winter playground of Jackson Wyoming.  Very cool place, wish we had more time to explore. we dump our gear at the motel and set out for some chow. A Mexican restaurant a block or so away will do the trick. The foods pretty good, but then again, we hadn't eaten since morning, and that's not our style.

We walk around the town, it's alive with folks checking out the shops and bars, rain is falling now, and lightning flashes in the distance. After some ice creams, dished up by a couple of the many eastern European students we found working at their summer exchange jobs..........guess there's American kids slinging stew in the Czech Republic as this is written?! We're tired, and I have to sort photos and blog.........tomorrow is a big mileage day, so no beers and it's off to bed.........

Sturgis Or Die, Day Nine

Today's going to be an easy day, relatively short mileage through some really choice scenery. If only we could get out of Hardin! Seems the lads, Nate and JP, never actually left Shawna's Casino/Steakhouse, at least not until around 2:30am, at which point they scurried off to an after party (do they really have "after parties" in Montana?) put on by Shawna herself, and some of Hardin's hardiest revelers. From all indications they had a hell of a time; for starters they didn't get back to our hotel until after 4am, Nate had been challenged to a friendly fight by one of the local toughs (no fists were thrown, they ultimately threw down drinks like brothers........apparently duking it out is their way of getting to know ya), JP found a "friend" and was AWOL for  an hour or two. It was only after Nate began searching house to house, revving the piss out of his mighty Road Glide, did the younger buck stagger out into the street. From there it was back to the Super Eight.

Needless to say they were in no condition for an early morning launch............that's cool, we were young once too (I'm pretty sure, don't remember though), so we let them sleep until checkout. We wipe down the Harleys, get organized, watch some news. Once the "undead" regain consciousness, we fire up the motorcycles and head east to Garryowen, a small village near the Little Big Horn battlefield. As a matter of fact, it's the place where the actual battle began. There's a small store and museum.........it's very interesting, and Mark augments the displays with a many "fun facts" about the period, he's extremely well read about western folklore and history. He has really made this portion of the trip far more rewarding......his knowledge has enlightened our experience, even the kids.

Nate's roadside repair, good as new......almost

From Garryowen, we hook a one eighty, and head west back down Interstate 90 to Billings. A quick breakfast at a Flying "J" truckstop, holy smoke, the amount of chow they served up was staggering.......and it was darn good too!  At our gas stop Nate asks for a bungee cord, seems his left saddle bag mounts have busted, and he needs an alternative mounting system (never leave home without bungee's, they're almost as handy as duct tape). Interesting story behind the dangling saddle bag.....and sorry Harley haters, not a factory defect indicative of crappy craftsmanship, but rather the busted bag is the result of getting butt ended by none other than JP himself..........you'll have to get the details on your own, it didn't happen on this trip.

Full of food and fuel, we head back out on 90 to Laurel, where we turn south on highway 310. Soon we find ourselves in the country on fantastic two lane. It's warm, but not oppressive, thankfully humidity is mild. The traffic is light so we maintain a good pace. We're traveling right on the eastern edge of the Beartooth Mountain Range.....stark, jagged and utterly beautiful. Rain clouds are building to the west, with streaks of sun forcing their way through the leaden clouds. Will we get our first real rain of the trip? It sort of looks like it. We cross over the Clark Fork of the Yellowstone river at least three times. It's hard to focus on the road, the terrain is so compelling, this is a road you want to ride, trust us.

A little Cody history

We continue south, snaking along the valley floor, still no rain........at least not on us, it's pouring up on the peaks. One of the neat things about riding motorcycles is the little things you notice, that you'd never be aware of in a car. For instance, the tiny temperature changes that you feel with the change in cloud cover....might be only a degree or two, but you notice.

Before we know it, we're dropping down into Cody, Wyoming. Cody is a quaint, authentic old west town surrounded by some of the most beautiful mountains I've ever seen. We cruise in, stopping off at a gun store (hey, can you ever have enough high cap mags?) before we fill up with gas (less to do tomorrow) and check in at the Comfort Inn. Once we unload the bikes we head off on foot to take in the town.........which is pretty easy considering it's about six blocks long! We spy a re-enactment of what I think was the gun fight at the OK Corral, not real sure as the production value was, well, kinda "off". The costumes were nice though.

Nate and JP

We amble down to the Buffalo Bill Historical Center and Museum. Totally first rate, with the largest collection of American firearms in the world. There are five museums in the complex, we only got through some of the firearms section when they began to close up for the day. We're gonna see the rest tomorrow before we head out of town to Jackson.

Since today is the old mans birthday, that would be Vince, we take him to an Italian restaurant for one of his favorites..........pizza. After way too much food...........a constant theme on this trip, we stroll back to the hotel. Time for a serious laundry session..........which is a pretty big challenge for me (whatever, I have other skills.....). The good news, we found a Laundromat that would wash, dry and fold the clothes for $.50 a pound. Sweet, I'm saved.....I'll be seeing Dixie tomorrow after 9:30 am to pick up our fresh duds. I like Cody.

For those of you keeping track, we've traveled over 2,200 miles so far. One of the cool features of Vince's itinerary is that we don't backtrack on the roads we came east on until Elko (and after that, who really cares?!), so it's new sights and roads everyday.......I highly recommend that strategy, makes the return way more enjoyable. Oh, and the lads, well they're asleep as I write this........guess they'll have to sample the Cody nightlife on the next trip.