Frisco to Ft. Lauderdale on a VTX1800

[Disco]

Howdy, All,

As posted earlier, Dag was searching for a 2003 VTX1800 for his friend, Atle.  I let him know about one I had seen at Maxim and they bought it, added saddlebags/sissy bar/hi-way pegs, and made me an offer I could not refuse - to deliver it to the shipping company in Ft. Lauderdale.  It has to be there by next Friday, 30 January.  When I picked it up Friday afternoon, the odometer on the Uranium Green beauty read 585 miles.  Virtually new.

My original plan was to go I-20 all the way to Mongomery before working my down to I-75 and the turnpike, but low temps and the threat of rain forced a re-think.  When I left Frisco this morning, headed toward Shreveport on I-20, then down 49 to Lafayette, it was 37 degrees.  I stopped in Canton to top off the tank (that got exactly 40 mpg), drink some hot coffee, buy some trail mix, stuff my summer gloves inside the winter ones, and head south a bit early in search of warmer, less hectic riding.  64 to Tyler, 69 through the Angelina National Forest and Big Thicket Preserve to Beaumont, and I-10 to Iowa.  Louisiana.  Yep.  (pronounced I O WAY).  Brand new La Quinta, but I don't see the Denny's.

It was a weird day to ride.  Must have been that the sensible ones either caged it or stayed home.  I was 208 miles from home in Lufkin when I saw my first other bike on the road - another VTX.  At that point, I had seen twice as many EDSELS as motorcycles!  (A very nice one on 64 between Canton & Ben Wheeler, and a derelict in Lufkin.)  I was in Lumberton when I saw my second (another VTX) and on I-10 when I saw my third (FJR or Concour) and last.  Three other bikes in 393 miles. 

I thought of Rainmaker when I checked in to the hotel.  The manager told me he would discount the room if I had a La Quinta "club/reward", AAA, or AARP card.  That last one was a first - guess I am old enough for the 'wing!

After nothing but a banana, a few ounces of trail mix, and coffee all day, and in the spirit of ride to eat, I did massive damage at the local buffet.  Hot tea, Chicken noodle soup, and spinach salad to start, followed by pork roast, butter beans, sauteed yellow and zucchini squash, and cajun dressing, followed by fried chicken, greens, mashed potatoes, and gravy, followed by fruit cocktail cobbler. 

Next stop:  Somewhere in Florida.  Should be 20-25 degrees warmer tomorrow.  Yippee! 

All for now,

DFG

I did get an "Everywhere in Texas" pic, although this one is Valk-less.  Can I get a waiver?

[Dag]

Thanks for posting Dave,
That sounds like a good start!

[BnB Tom]

Blessed are those with a big heart for others and warm gloves.

[RainMaker]

Hope everything goes well on this trip.  As for the discounts, note that you can get AARP benefits at age 50, so if you're close to that, they ask.  It's not just because you look old - they may think you are forgetful, too.

Maybe Dag will need another bike about the time he visits in May and can make the ride himself.  I-10 has some decent scenery, for a super slab.

As for the picture, I appreciate you taking it, but I believe the strict rules of a Valk being in the picture would disqualify the photo of the VTX for the project.  But I'm not in charge of Everywhere (I think that's Mark Stovall or Daniel Meyer) so it's their call.

RM

[godfire]

ride safe dave 

[Wanderer]

Looking forward to another in a series, David! Hold on to that photo. We can always harvest the signage to photo shop behind a Valk. Ride safe and eat well. ~Jeff

[godfire]

Hold on to that photo. We can always harvest the signage to photo shop behind a Valk.

What do you think Jeff???? 

[Wanderer]

absolutely perfectomundo, GF!

[Houdini]

Go Super Dave!  I wish I'd known you were going on this trip; I could have loaned you my Gerbings jacket liner and gloves.  I am somewhat incapacitated and probably won't be riding for at least another week.  The Gerbings make a heck of a difference on these cold days.

[Disco]

Howdy from Tallahassee,

It must have been the hot tea with dinner last night.  Couldn't get to sleep.  Couldn't stay asleep.  Overslept.   ???

What a day for ride.  It started at 8:30 in chilly Iowa, but the sun peeked out by Crowley.  By Lafayette, the summer gloves came on and the balaclava went off.  Soon, there was not a cloud in the sky and the highest temp I saw on a marquis was 74.  I got a couple of pictures of the Henderson Swamp on the western edge of the Atchafalay Basin, but they are still in the camera.  I hope they turn out.  The long bridge between Lafayette and Baton Rouge was narrowed to the left lane, so I pulled between the barrels into the right lane, parked, snapped, and made my getaway.

570 miles, all of them, except for gas, food, and hotel runs, on I-10.  Too bad the road surface in LA and MS is not up to TX or FL.  I had to make the last 140 in the dark.  1 deer off the shoulder.  1 large oppossum in the right track of the left lane just waiting to get nailed as I went by in the left track of the right lane.  Other than that, it was sit and twist.

It's about 460 miles to Ft. Lauderdale.  If I can get there, find the shipper, get a hotel nearby, and find a carwash, I should be able to deliver and prep the bike Wed and head for the airport. 

The bike has performed flawlessly.  Steady 40 mpg.  It pulls like a freight train and shifts like a dream.  Long, progressive clutch and smooth, positive shifting.  You'd better pay attention when you go for a top gear roll-on to get around a big truck.  Lots of compliments about the color, too.     

Time for bed.

[Thalas'shaya]

good report!  i found the 1800 to be unpleasantly heavy to stand up, so i'm glad to hear it's got some muscle to go with that bulk. 

ride safe, sleep sound!

[Dag]

Sounds like everything goes well.
Did you see any of these in the Atchafalaya?


I remember that Patron reported some road gators when he delivered a bumblebee for me
early April last year.

[Wanderer]

It must have been the hot tea      

Euphemism? So, how much is "hot tea" in "T town"?

[Rocketman]

It must have been the hot tea      

Euphemism? So, how much is "hot tea" in "T town"?

OK, that nearly made me spew my hot tea coffee all over the place.

It's not a euphemism.  It's just meant to be read out loud, and rather quickly.

[Rocketman]

I did get an "Everywhere in Texas" pic, although this one is Valk-less.  Can I get a waiver?

Ahhhh, no.  If you were going for Everywhere pictures, you should have planned ahead, ridden the VTX AND the Valkyrie.  I'm thinking old Western-style, with one foot on each, and ropes tied to the handlebars of each.

What do you think Jeff???? 

Ahhh, no.

[Disco]

I made it. 

Hello from tony Ft. Lauderdale, FL.  Or, perhaps I should say, "'sup?"  Of course, I realized only after I checked in to the hotel, off-loaded the bike, pulled out superphone, hit the "Around Me" application to find a place where a scruffy (and weirdly-patterned sunburned) Texan could find a casual bite, saddled up, and rode the 1.4 miles into the 'hood to the Blue Goose Pub, that my hotel was almost in the 'hood.  That's right. Ft. Lauderdale has a 'hood, and it's just blocks from the multi-million dollar homes on the canals with the 80' and 100' yachts moored out back.  I was glad I had taken everything off and out of the bike.  I was not glad I had left the tank bag in the hotel room, if you know what I mean.  So I got back on the main drag and headed east for highway 1 and found one of the finest establishments in S. Florida.  IHOP  My appraisal was reinforced when, on the way back to the hotel, I had to wait for a crossing train, and then passed the police station.  OK, it's not that bad, just unexpected.

I started this morning around 10:00 Eastern time with 1,560 on the odometer.  (I had to let the sun get a little higher in the sky. )  I-10 east from Tallahassee to Lake City, I-75 south through Gainesville and Ocalla to the Florida Turnpike.  While ducking below the headwind on I-10 I realized there was another 1/2" available to raise the windshield, so I hit the next rest area and broke out the mini-crescent.  With a slight downward tip of the visor (and by stowing the jacket liner) I was much more comfortable than I had been.  I did get a giggle on I-10 when an aggressively tailgaiting truck full of red-necks hauling a trailer full of 4-wheelers got pulled over after I got out of their way.  I-75 and the turnpike are MUCH smoother than I-10.  I didn't see any deer or opossums, but I did see grasshoppers and butterflies.  Finished the day at 2,047.  Florida is a long state, but I bet there are more turns on the dragon's tail than there are on I-10 between Beaumont and Lake City.  It's hard to believe that I've more than tripled the miles on the Sept '02 bike in the last 5 days. 

I was in a groove and missed one of the toll booths by staying in the SunPass lanes.  Fessed up at the next one and now I have to send a $1.00 money order to pay for previous passage. 

I'm less than 2 miles from the shipping company and only 10 minutes from the airport, so with a little luck finding a carwash, prepping the bike, and repacking everything I'll be able to catch the last Southwest flight out of here tomorrow at 5:00.  If I can't, well, I might have to buy some shorts or a swim suit.  Or perhaps some "Everywhere on South Beach" pictures...

Come to think of it, I haven't seen a Valkyrie of any kind on the trip.  There's still tomorrow.

[Dag]

Fantastic Dave!
You have done a great job for us.
The bike will be loaded in the container right over the weekend, and will be in Norway in 4 to 5 weeks.
We will pick up the bike in Oslo, about 380 miles from home. But first we have to pay the tax ($14.200.00)   

In Norway this bike cold be sold for about $30-33.000.00 (But its not for sale)

Many thanks to you from Atle.

[BnB Tom]

Alright Dave.  I can let one "opossum" slide by but now you've done it with the second "opossum".  I know you are from Texas so what's with you actually putting an "O" in front of 'possum?

Aside from that..

Great Job! I'm sure Dag and his friend greatly appreciate your efforts and your keen eye to detail when looking over the bike.  They should be very pleased with their purchase.

Tom

[RainMaker]

Nobody in the 'hood was going to mess with a bad-ass on a VTX.  They didn't want none of that!!

Your travel journal has been interesting.  Come on back to the frozen tundra called DFW.  20 degrees with ice on the ground as I post this.

RainMaker

[Disco]

Just got back from the carwash de-bugging the bike and had to turn the room's AC on high.

[Daniel Meyer]

Just got back from the carwash de-bugging the bike and had to turn the room's AC on high.

Well for heaven's sake turn it down! You're getting ice all over the place up here!

(sounds like a great trip!)

[Wanderer]

Keep in mind the early dinner rush around 3-4pm when all the other Gold Wingers are supping!

[RainMaker]

Ask for the AARP discount.....

[Disco]

Final Report

I got up Wednesday, located the shipping company, and they told me where I could a self-service carwash to wash the bike and a nice Cuban lunch.  When I got back to the hotel from the carwash, I somehow got everything into the tourbag and backpack and went online to book my one-way Southwest flight.  It was not available at such short notice.  So I hit travelfleamarket.com and went through Orbitz, Hotwire, and Travelocity before scoring at Priceline.  $168.00 for a 7:00 departure, connecting in Charlotte, and arriving DFW at midnight.  Next task was to read US Airways' policy for transporting firearms.  TSA has an umbrella, but the individual airlines have some discretion.  For example, Southwest allows ammo in magazines.  US Airways requires the ammo be in a factory or reloaders box so they don't touch each other.  I checked out of the hotel, loaded the bike one last time, took my stuff in to the shippers, and headed out for lunch, ammo box, and to run some more fuel out of the tank - their instructions.  I was going to a Sports Authority, but the restaurant manager told me about Bill Boyd's Bait, Tackle, and Gun Range about 4 blocks north of downtown. 

When I got back to the shippers, we did the paperwork while the bike cooled enough for the final wipedown.  A fresh micro-fibre and some Honda Spray took care of the last water spots and a nice coat of Rust-Oleum rust protectant went on the chrome and aluminum.  George, the warehouse man, took me to the airport and I went inside to check my bag 3 hours early.  The lady at the counter said my flight was delayed an hour and that I would miss my connecting flight in Charlotte.  I said that I didn't really want to spend the night in the Charlotte airport, so she called her friend at the AA desk down the way and asked if there was room on their last flight out.  It was 1/3 full, was scheduled to leave at 6:15 (an hour later than normal), and was non-stop to DFW!  That's not the way things normally work.

As I was flying home, I calculated the actual mpg for the trip.  I guess my brain wasn't warmed-up in earlier posts.  While I did have one tank at over 39 and two in the high 38s, the overall average for the trip was 36.13 mpg.

Observations

It’s a fun bike to ride.  And for the price, they are quite a value.  Torque is fun.  Lots of torque is lots of fun.  Throw in the tall gearing and you are going really fast once everything smoothes out (relatively).  I would want a taller and wider windshield and some mid-mount pegs. 

Here are a few more pics from the ride.

Odometer at start


It's colder than it looks


Blue Star Memorial on 69 near Jacksonville, TX


Odometer at the end of the first day


Henderson Swamp on the western edge of the Atchafalaya Basin


Looking east


Odometer at the end of the second day


VTX & A7 at Don Garlits' Museum of Drag Racing in Ocala, FL


VTX & A7


VTX at delivery


VTX Odometer at delivery

[RainMaker]

So, based upon the 1500 miles on the VTX, where would it rank against the Valk?  Sounds like the torque is there.  It is definitely not as wide, which may be a great thing.  If you had to replace the Rumblebee today, would you look for a Valk or a VTX?

[Disco]

The low seat height is great for a guy my size.  It's really comfortable at a stop to have my butt on the seat and my knees bent.  Thalas'shaya found it heavy to bring vertical, but it was OK for me - even with the saddlebags and tourbag loaded.  Perhaps my low altitude and practice riding two-up with Janet on the 'wing worked to my advantage.  I believe the Rumblebee, in Tourer form, has a dry weight of 714 lbs, or so.  That's not far from the 734 lbs of the C model I rode.  Throw in rider height / strength, relative seat heights, and relative centers of mass of the Vee and Flat and it could turn into a Darkside or Dyna-Beads discussion. 

The narrow (but adequate-for-me) seat / engine / tank were also comfortable because they didn't force my legs / hips to splay as much as the Valk.   

I also like the angle of the handlebars.  The drag bars are much more like the dirt bikes I grew up on.  The swept angles of the Valk bars often cause me wrist and elbow fatique / soreness - more elbow than wrist.  I've been thinking of changing bars on the Valk and this ride has probably added one more mod to my to-do list. 

On a smooth surface, with only the inherent vibration of the twin present, the thumping is fun at low speed and tolerable at high speed.  On the extended stretches of uniformly poor road surface (not bad repair jobs, but the original, large granule concrete and tarmac of I-10), the added vibration is quite annoying, and at times, hand-numbing.  In spite of the relatively short cruising range (110-120 miles before the low fuel light), I made several stops just to regain the feeling in my hands. 

The suspension was very comfortable and illustrated how badly I need to install my fork springs and get some new rear shocks.

It needs much more light up front.   

The stock 2 into 1 exhaust has an almost Jetson-like whistle on deceleration.  It's a fun, almost funny sound, but doesn't quite fit on such large engine.

After 1,500 miles, I estimate it would take me at least 2,000 miles to get completely used to the forward foot position.  I was getting there, but for me, a set of mid-mounts would provide the relief most of us mid-mounters find with highway pegs.  The highway pegs on the VTX did provide a slight change of position, but only served to increase my wish for mid-mounts.

Understandably, I was anxious to take the Rumblebee for a spin on Thursday.  Although for the first few miles it was strange how far back the grips were, how bent my knees were to get my feet underneath me, and how on/off my clutch is, after about 30 miles, I felt back at home.  What really struck me, though, was how absolutely turbine-like the engine is.  What a fantastic machine.  And at today's prices, what a fantastic value. 

If one were locked in on a V-Twin and not seduced or brainwashed by the bar and shield, the VTX line should definitely be a candidate.  I believe the same should be said for the other Japanese bikes, too.  But, to answer your question, if I had to replace the Rumblebee today it would be with another Valkyrie.  To state the obvious, there is nothing else like it.  Unless it's a 'wing.  

[Dag]

If one were locked in on a V-Twin and not seduced or brainwashed by the bar and shield, the VTX line should definitely be a candidate.  I believe the same should be said for the other Japanese bikes, too.  But, to answer your question, if I had to replace the Rumblebee today it would be with another Valkyrie.  To state the obvious, there is nothing else like it.  Unless it's a 'wing.  

That was what I knew, there is no alternative to the Valkyrie. Not for me, I'm not old enough for a Wing yet.
In 15 years from now I`m 65 and I might consider it.... allow me both a wing and a opening helmet.   

Thanks again Dave!

[Dag]

Finally arrived.

Here is Atle, the proud owner of a Uranium Greeen VTX 1800

[Disco]

Congratulations, Atle!  Take good care of my old friend.

[f-Stop]

What a great mini-documentary!  That bike and Atle will always have a fun and interesting story to tell. 

Thanks Dave in Frisco for lettin' the rest of us in on it!.

[godfire]

Welcome to the family Atle!
Nice looking bike.