MONUMENT VALLEY JUNE 2003

SCOTT & DAN DO MONUMENT VALLEY

THE "CHECKERBOARD" TOUR...     NOW WITH VIDEOS

Last Update: May 21 2008  The below as written by Dan:

Scott & Dan are neighbors in Longmont, CO.  The June 2003 Monument Valley round
trip was 1,500 miles and took four days.  We stayed in motels and ate steak at night
- life is good!  The bikes (both Honda ST1100s) performed outstandingly,
delivering an average of 48 mpg at, um, rather high overall speeds.

Like checkers, the bikes are the same except for their colors.  Even with
their 7.5 gallon fuel tanks, the vast spaces out there were still sometimes
a challenge between fuel stops.  I can't imagine taking a bike with
only, say, a 4 gallon tank (are you Harley-riders listening?) to do battle
with those endless miles across that timeless landscape.

Scott had mounted a Garmin GPS on his bike, and for the entire trip it quietly
gathered statistics.   Several of these were rather interesting: Average speed
while moving: 56.2 mph.  Overall Moving Time: 26 hours 41 minutes.   We drove
the bikes hard and fast most of the time but still felt very stealty since we
were both running Valentine One radar detectors.

A truly incredible thing: Notice how few - none, mostly - cars, busses, trucks,
motorhomes, etc were on the road with us. That was a blessing I never
imagined could still be found in America 2003.

These were classic "Road Runner" type roads (Beep Beep) and, as the pictures show,
I fell hopelessly in love with the long straightaways that seemed to disappear into
infinity.  If my bike and I ever go missing, you'll know that we have surely
merged into one of these vast panoramas as lost-forever Ghost Riders...

All of North America is our checkerboard. Empty roads - fast bikes - let's roll !!

01

5th:

6th:

:>)
11

Amen

In a horrible twist of fate, Scott became the Ghost Rider in 2007 when he passed away unexpectedly in May of that year. The picture at left is from the "Left Coast" Tour that we rode together in the spring of 2004. Who could have known that the photo would eventually be used as the background in a eulogy for Scott, written by one of Scott's younger relatives, Amber. She read it at his memorial service which was attended by dozens of family members and several hundreds of friends and co-workers from all over the nation. Thank you Amber for sharing your feelings, straight from the heart.

   VIDEOS (Windows Media Player):
  The first two pix in Row 02 above show Scott rigging his video cam for the clips below.
   Monument Valley (4Mb .wmv)      Truckin' On (3Mb .wmv)      Colorado in 2 Min. (4Mb .wmv)

Never driven a motorcycle?  Like to?  You may have thought about owning a motorcycle yet feel apprehensive about the expense and your own ability as a novice to control the weight and power of a "big bike" like the ST1300 or a Harley.

OK, here's an excellent alternative (pictured at left; click for a larger image): The Honda Silver Wing - a 50hp, 100mph "scooter".  The Silver Wing ain't your granddaddy's motor scooter!  Notice the larger wheels and the aircraft-style disk brakes (front and rear) to ensure the machine and its precious cargo can stop as quickly as anything on the road.   Especially notice the luxuriant dual seat.  Long-travel suspension front and rear plus a fully automatic transmission and electric start make the creature comforts complete!   Getting a whole lot of fun while getting 50 miles per gallon is worth checking out!   Check the links below:

650cc Suzuki Scooter   600cc Honda Scooter   Download a Honda Brochure (2.5Mb .pdf)

Notes: It was very sad, doing what had to be done to the original hi-res digital photos to make
           them web-friendly.   The originals were truly breathtaking and all snapped with a Canon A60
           2-Megapixel (who needs more?)  By 2008 the Canon A60 had been replaced by many newer models, some of which are listed here.

           But, one way or another, 188 Mb had to be shrunken down to about 15 Mb to fit
           my web host (sorry).      - But here are two virgin pictures not among those above
          - right out of the camera:
             920 K Full Resolution - Feel the wind; smell the pines...
           1.2 Mb Full Resolution - Light the fuse on your Acme Rocket Vest...

In case you wonder how much detail can be captured by "only" two megapixels,
Look for the highway sign in the third picture in row 3 above.  At left is a
full-size crop lifted from the 431K original.  Keep in mind this was a hand-held
shot taken in a brisk wind.  It's not how many megapixels, it's the optics!

          That clear shots could be grabbed at 95 mph is a tribute to both the camera and to the
          stability of the serenely powerful ST1100.  There's a new ST1300 available with even
          more power, and some might say a fresh new beauty.  Take a look, and you decide!

NOW COMPLETED: The Left Coast Tour

A WORLD RECORD [maybe]
The story below is offered as a Post Script to the Monument Valley Trip above.
If not a World Record, then at least it ought to count towards an Iron Butt Award!
Sadly there are no pix since my wife was visiting relatives...with the trusty Canon!

On Saturday August 16th 2003, I did drive my 1994 Honda ST1100 motorcycle
on an 11-hour 420-mile trip that included ascent to the summits of both Mount Evans
and Pike's Peak, Colorado.  Both mountains are well over 14,000 feet high and both
offer stunning scenery.
Not a bad round-trip tour from Longmont CO - surely one for somebody's Book of Records!

It sleeted hard on top of Mt Evans. Better than rain because sleet
does not get you wet - not at first anyway. Eventually it piles up in
the folds of jacket and clothing and begins to melt - THEN it gets you
wet. Yes, even sleet will eventually cause the dreaded Crotch Trickle...
- that point at which you KNOW you're getting wet... The rest of the day
was spent dodging rain - a lot of wet highways but realtively few
down-pours - but there were a few. Naturally I had left my rainsuit behind...

Pike's Peak was disappointing in that the road to the summit has
deteriorated into something only a Hummer could love.  Gravel,
potholes, washboards - all the things that make motorcycles go boom.

I first took a cycle up Pikes Peak in 1972, and maybe 6-8 times after
that. Maybe the sand and bumps didn't bother the younger me so much.
Also it's $10 a person to go up Pike's Peak.  In contrast, Mt. Evans
is only $5 - free  if you have a Golden Age Pass - and the roads
are smoothly paved all the way to the top.

If you're on a bike, definitely see Mt Evans and avoid Pike's Peak.

Here are some maps to help you find your way:

Respect This: On the way down from the summit of Mount Evans,
I met a brave guy on the way up - he was aboard a wheelchair,
arms flailing furiously.  This makes one feel very, very fortunate!

Dead Man Riding: After Mt Evans I briefly followed a Mad Bicyclist who
was going - totally balls-out - downhill into Evergreen, CO.  He was taking
the curves on his thin-wheeled racing bicycle (no suspension, rim
brakes, sodomistic seat) at speeds which I felt very uncomfortable
matching (truth be known, his lead on me was increasing) - even though
I was astride a 110% roadworthy machine with better-than-automotive
brakes and suspension.  Further advantage ST1100 with its heavy-duty
alloy wheels (that won't buckle from a pothole) and steel radial tires
that probably have more rubber in the valvestems than was used in
making Hot Dog's whole front tire.

The roadway to Evergreen was multi-hazard replete with gravel, pot
holes, blind corners, and hidden intersections. This guy was going
35 mph around blind hairpins marked 15 mph - honest. The center
of the road was smoothest and that's the line he followed every time!
A pickup almost neutralized the fool dude on one such gonzo fly-around.
If that's "Extreme Sports", then I'll choose a way safer venue and
rock-solid platform - like 125 mph in Monument Valley on my ST1100.

Ride the GHOST TOUR with Elena

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