Tuesday, December 18, 2007

Doubling the odometer

Quick note on the finger: Since my doctor visit on December 5th I've been working the finger and as of December 6th I was back on the motorcycle. At first with a large left glove to cover the splint but now I don't worry about the splint when riding because I can easily wrap my hand around the handgrip.

So about the title. You may remember the post about my purchase of a 2005 BMW R1200GS and the fun filled ride home while completing my Iron Butt Bun Burner 1500. Well I still haven't gotten my patch or certificate from the Iron Butt Association for the ride but today I did manage to double the odometer reading. When I got the bike it had 11,744 miles put on it in the first 2 years of it's life. Well in the last 7 months I've put another 11,744 miles on it and today the odometer read 23,488. Since I'm on a 3 day ride right now and have another 600+ miles to go before I'm home the bike will roll back into the garage with just over 24,000 miles. I already have another new set of tires to spoon on, the oil filter and crush washers are waiting on the shelf, I still need to order the alternator belt and spark plugs though. Then a quick trip to the auto parts store for some dino lube and brake fluid and the 24K service can begin. Wow 2 major services on the bike in 1 year, it might not know what to do with itself.

The bike isn't going to get much of a rest in the coming months either. January has a 4 day trip out to Big Bend and back with plenty of riding while out there. Yes in January, Yes I know it'll be cold. Maybe that's why they call it the Big Bend Freeze Out.

In May the bike will head to Memphis for a Riders Edge training conference. No I will not be going the most direct route, this would be a great time to head further east and ride the dragon don't cha thing? With me at the routing helm I might just end up seeing Montana on my way home to Texas. :)

October has a ride out to Washington DC and back planned for the DC 3 Day breast cancer walk.

And in one of the months that doesn't have anything in it I hope to knock out 1 or more of my LD certifications like the Saddlesore 2000, Coast to Coast 50, or Border to Border rides. Oh and if I win the lottery maybe I can do the Florida to Alaska ride, the four corners ride, and all 48 states.

When I bought the bike I said I wanted to put 20,000 miles on it a year and keep it until it had at least 100,000 miles. Well I'm off to a great start this year and it's not over yet. Next year already has several high mileage trips planned and that's even before I slip in an LD event or two. This is a great bike and I love riding it!

Now if I can just get my seat to not hurt so much, butt that's another story.