Richmond Va chatter

Chuck, back off! Lol! I tried on a large Schubert today at Morton's and it fit great! It's mine!

Took the Khaki Kruzer out for its first big run today. I did a 50 mile loop around town this morning before meeting for the RTE at Mission BBQ. Then ran home and switched to my newer clunkier boots and filled up my camelback. Zoomed out 64 to the BRP. Ran south to 56 then to Cabell to Howardsville and back roads to Fork Union before running home via 6 and 64. All told about 280 miles for the day.

It seems I cannot ride this bike without getting rained on. A little rain shower found me on the BRP. I guess it is mother nature's way of trying to wash off the color. I was worried at the start of the day about how my arms would hold up to the lean but nope. It is my legs that hurt. Not the same soreness I get from a 250 mile on the Vstrom either. That being said it was a great ride. I apparently ride more than the PO did because I pushed past all the previous chicken strips without trying. Riding a quick pace is a lot easier on this thing but it isn't as comfortable on the bumpy roads.

I also confirmed that beverages should only be carried in a tank bag. I had a gatorade open up in my hard side case. Good news they are watertight and held all the liquid until I opened up the side case. Luckily I didn't have anything else in the bag.

If you rode that far on your first trip you and your body may get used to the new riding position. Or you are tough as nails and your pain threshold is so high you don't know when you are really hurting yourself. Does the suspension have any compression dampening settings. I am sure the bike is much stiffer than the strom, but it is also possible someone set it on the stiffer side. My FJR used to make my guts hurt on some roads. Played with the settings and followed advice from forums and made a decent improvement. Congrats on out turning the PO. Does the khaki turn heads like an exotic car?

No idea what adjustments are there other than preload. Suspension isn't that bad. I'm running pretty stiff springson the DL with racetec gold valves. It feels pretty stiff but also seems to smooth over the big bumps pretty good. The VFR doesn't and just transmits the big bumps to you.

My soreness is pretty limited to the back of my legs. I expected my knees, back and shoulders to hurt but the don't. Pretty sure it is just from the riding position and not being able to stand up while riding. Once I started to hurt, stopping and stretching allowed me to move on. At the end I was grateful for red lights so I could put my feet down and stand up for a few moments.

Noon today...

I'll be there on the XT close to noon...

The rain looks like it is letting up. It may be two wheels.

Sorry to hear. (in a way) I could tell y'all were looking forward to it.

Oh well, good for us though. Now if we can just get that Michhub guy back here we'll be good as new.

Jdrocks and I rode out to Laurel fork yesterday and camped last night. Took off early and slabbed it out to Staunton.. picked up gravel off of Deerfield and from there miles and miles of mostly freshly graded gravel.. zigged and zagged our way out to Laurel Fork. We figured about a 100 miles of the gravel sections.

Got to LF just in time to have a couple beers (no Kracken!) meet our neigbors and set up our camp before it started raining.. I ended up in the hammock at 8p, nothing else to do.. I climbed in and thought dadgummit, there's no way I'll fall asleep, it's still light and ... zzzzzzz Next thing I know it's 4:30a and eyes wide open. Nice ride out early this morning too. Dark misty forests, very cool.

No pics.. I suck. Close your eyes and imagine a badass DR and the jdrocks ninja-gravel-beast covered in crud and parked on a majestic moutain top overlooking a beautiful green valley. If I had pics they would be just like that..

Any rides planned for tomorrow?

Not planned per say other than planning on getting out.

Yeah I plan on getting out too. Where are you located?

Nice Danny! Sounds like a great little adventure!

picture me on the side of the road at 6AM Friday morning...out of freakin' gas.

that's how the day started, but it got way better in a hurry. gravel roads, then more gravel roads on a round about route as we made out way west. a late lunch at Highs, then 30 more miles of gravel to LF.

while stopped at the bridge at Marble Valley, the owner of the old farm house stopped to talk with us and reported that she had nearly been hit head on by a bike on Ramsey Gap/Archer, not happy that the guy was going way too fast to make the corner and ended up on her side of the road.

we saw only three vehicles in over 100 miles of gravel despite the roads being in the best shape ever, and two were pickups with dog boxes that we passed on the way out in soupy weather this morning. might have been exercising bear hounds.

nearly 1/2" of rain Friday night at LF, but little or no rain 1000" lower on the mountain. new logging operation at the top of the LF turnoff. friendly West Virginians offered beer in the evening, coffee in the morning. unless Dan says otherwise, we left 2 beers cooling in the creek, a calamity, we should go right back out there to rescue them.

hearty breakfast at the cafe in Durban, they actually let us in, even after nearly tossing us out the last time because Monsieur Nix kept staring at the waitress' ass. if the same cute girl was still there, we would have been eating breakfast in Monterey.

that's right folks, Shannon was a doggone trouble maker in the olden days.

great riding with Dan, and i think we were both glad i missed a turn and 20 more miles of gravel road Friday.

West end near Three Chopt and Parham.

Highs= best fries ever

So glad to be back on two wheels.

Five and dime? lap around Chesdin? Post up what you decide on, I might get in on it. Like to get a close-up look at the brown bomber too.

Aww crap. Littering and alcohol abuse.

I could go for a lap around Chesdin. What time and where for meet up?

Were your ears burning. We were telling all kinds of Shannon stories, some possibly made up. You're our Bill Brasky ..