Day 8 - Sun Fog Clouds

Sunny Day?

Well kinda. It was actually sunny and about 35F this morning with ice in places. There is still a lot of snow above 1000 ft. A good day for a ride, though since it was not snowing or raining. The sunshine actually became a problem in the afternoon. The low sun made it very difficult to see, which means that drivers would have a hard time seeing me. What made todays ride even more challenging were the patches of low laying fog. In one area it was so dense that I could only see 1/4 mile ahead. At other times the areas I rode through were overcast with no sun or fog. All in all, it made for some real interesting riding.

Things to see

On my way home the sky was clear in the East Portland area. I had a beautiful view of Mt. Hood, Mt. Adam, and Mt. St. Helens. The lower hills were covered with snow making the view even more spectacular. The low sun cast harsh shadows on the mountains defining the craggy ridges even more. The photo is not mine, but it is identical to what I was seeing when I stopped on I-205 at the Glenn Jackson Bridge to take a photo. It would have been a perfect shot, but the battery on my new Kodak V1253 digital camera was dead. This new HD 12.0 mega pixel camera can take panorama photos, as well as HD videos, so you would have seen all the snow covered mountains and hills.

Oops! Loose Wires

I installed the wiring harness for my Gerbing's heated jacket liner to the battery this morning. I don't have a shop manual yet, so I read up on the issue at HD Forums and learned what I needed to know. At my first stop today I forgot to unplug. The next thing I know I see fresh melted black plastic on the exhaust. I couldn't believe it. What a dumb mistake. On close inspection, the connector from the jacket liner had touched the chrome cover on the exhaust header for the rear cylinder. When I got home I posted the problem on the HD Forum and received a quick answer from a Harley owner in Wisconsin. He suggested using break parts cleaning fluid. It worked great and the mess is cleaned up. Thanks Tom Sberna in West Allis, WI!


Polar Bear Run

I'm off to the Polar Bear Run in the morning. They are hosting 3 rides ranging from 17 to 130 miles. I'll try the 13o miles. I attached the Harley Headset to my 3/4 helmet and did a quick study on how to operate the thing. I hope this help me stay in communications with the other bikers on the ride. I've never had a CB, let alone a headset on the bike before. It will be a learning experience for me tomorrow.


End of Day

I did stop by Latus Motors to get fitted for a lower windshield. But, they closed at 2:00 P.M. because of the Holiday and it was now 3:00 P.M. I rode a total of 109 miles today on mostly highways. It was a good day in all. It was not as cold as I thought it would be and rode the last part of the day without my heated gear plugged in.

Ambient Temp: 37F
Ending odometer: 000626
Trip Miles: 109
Fuel: $3.37 in La Center.

Ride Safe.

Day 7 - Wet Ride

Rainy Day

It was damp but not raining this morning. I thought I'd put on a few miles, maybe even try for 100 today. By the time I got something to eat and my gear on, you guessed it, it started to drizzle. I was undaunted. As I pulled out of the garage the drizzle changed to rain. I knew 100 miles was out of the question now, so I settled on a short rainy ride around the block.

Places to See

A block around here includes a quick spin to the Highlands. In 1887 the Highland Lutheran Church was constructed with donated land and materials. This church is one of the oldest Lutheran church buildings west of the Mississippi River still used for religious purposes. You can see from the photo that they still have snow on the ground.

Rain Covered Windshields

Did you note the rain drops on the windshield? It's a little hard to see through when you're rolling down the road. That is the primary reason I'm going to a 9.5 inch windshield. I like to see where I'm going. Some riders prefer to look through the windshield, but most prefer to look over the top. I'm guessing those who like to look through the windshield are either fair weather riders or don't live in a rainy region. I prefer to actually see where I'm going. Here's a sizing guide on the Memphis Shades web site. Apparently you can't buy a Memphis windshield online. But they do have local dealers. I see that Latus Motors is on the list, so that's probably where I'll get my new windshield.




I came across a very interesting situation while riding my V-Star this summer. When you ride from Carson, WA to Cougar, WA you pass through a swampy area. Even though it was summer time, there was a mist in the air. It was a lot like fog and it instantly obscured my windshield. It's a good thing I was able to see over the top of the shield that day.

End of Day

I rode a total of 13 miles today. This was my shortest ride yet. I didn't even bother to plug in my heated gear.

Ambient Temp: 39F
Ending odometer: 000517
Trip Miles: 13
Fuel: 0.

Ride Safe.

Day 6 -Toasty Warm

Staying Warm

What a difference heated clothing makes. I rode for a few hours around the Woodland, La Center, Ridgefield area today. It was my first opportunity to really test my Gerbing's heated jacket liner and gloves. The ambient temperature hovered around 42F as I rode on mostly wet roads. I did not get the least bit cold. Before heated gear, I could ride for about 30 minutes and then would stop for hot coffee to warm my hands. So, here's my advice: get heated gear if you think you might want to be a year-a-round rider. (I'll still carry fleece in the trunk in case I have a system failure).

Places to See

The weather today was overcast with a few sun peeks. I-5 was mostly dry from the heavy holiday traffic. Secondary roads were mostly wet. I took a ride from Woodland up NE Hayes Rd. to the Cedar Grist Mill. As you can see from the photo, there was still snow on the ground, but the roads were clear.

I rode back to Woodland where I filled the gas tank with 4.2 gallons of premium. I'm still working on gauging how close to empty I feel comfortable. I wiped the rain off the windshield and headed south. (Yes, it did get just a little damp on the trip to the Grist Mill).

It was starting to get late in the day and I wanted to have time to get home before dark and wash the bike. I stopped at Lava Java in Ridgefield, WA. It's at exit 16 just off I-5 and serves THE BEST coffee in the area. If you've never been there, stop by some time and check it out. They have received numerous Barista awards at regional and national competitions.

End of Day

I was short on time and wanted to ride longer, but such is life.

Ambient Temp: 42F
Ending odometer: 000504
Trip Miles: 43
Fuel: $3.23 in Woodland, WA.

The weather forecast for sun breaks and temperatures in the 50's on Dec. 31 and Jan 1. Guess who is going riding!

Ride Safe.

Day 5 - Snow

Snow Day

One of the realities of life is winter. It's an important part of the cycle of life. It's just as important as spring, summer, and fall. However, when you take possession of your new FLHTCU in December, there are a certain number of things you must be ready to deal with. Such as inclement weather. It is inevitable in winter. It's a part of life.


I took this picture just to record the fact that, while I had be desire to ride, the roads would not be forgiving. I use to ride a dirt bike in the snow when I was young, but that was a while ago.

I'm taking the opportunity of this snow day to learn more about my FLHTCU and what others are saying about their winter experience. I was reading on the HD Forum about a guy who will be in Arizona at the end of December. He said he plans to rent a Harley and was asking others in the forum about a good place to ride. He promptly received several good ideas. That's when I decided that maybe I should check into flights to warmer winter climates. Even California could be an option at just under $400 round trip. The weather in Fresno looks pretty inviting right now with a few showers and warm temperature, but Ontario, CA would be warmer with a round trip ticket at just over $300.

But, back to reality. It's still snowing out with more in the forecast.

Factory Defect?

I also read in the HD Forum that some owners are having trouble with the Fork Lock. I have not been able to lock the forks on my FLHTCU since I left Latus Motors on the day I bought the bike. I thought it was something I was doing wrong. I checked with the owner's manual to make sure I was doing it right. I followed the instructions step by step and it still would not lock. When I searched the HD Forum I quickly learned that this is a problem. One owner locked his bike at a hotel for the night. The next morning he could not get it unlocked. He had it towed to the nearest HD shop, 1.5 hours drive away! The shop had it unlocked in short order. It appears there is a problem with the locking pin. Sometimes it jams, sometimes it shears off, and other times it won't line up with the hole to drop into place. I will be interested to see what the Latus technicians have to say.

The Christmas Gift

I received a unique gift from my parents for Christmas. It's a very old Harley-Davidson hat. They said that my older brother use to wear it when he rode his motorcycle to college in the early 1960's. I peeled back the liner and found his name written inside. I'll have to write to him and make sure he doesn't want the hat. It's not my size, but it looks great on display in the den.

I found a similar hat online for $295.

Ambient Temp: 35F
Ending odometer: (unchanged)
Trip Miles: 0
Fuel: None needed today.

The weather forecast for the next 10 days calls for temperatures 31-47F with rain and snow and possible sun breaks on Dec. 31 and Jan 1.

Ride Safe.

Day 4 - Hazard

Road Hazards

It stopped raining just long enough to take a ride today. I decided to ride to Rose Valley, a small community 10 miles east of Kelso, WA. The sun was out and the clouds were receding. The roads still had standing water on them, so I knew I should ride slow. As I rode out of town the reflection of the bright sun on the wet road made it a little difficult to see the street conditions. This was complicated by a windshield coated with the wet spray from the cars in front of me, making the windshield nearly impossible to see through.

I turned a 90 degree corner to the north on the I-5 on ramp. Part way into the curve the rear tire began to slide to the right. It was a natural reaction to let off the throttle, but I did not hit the break. At the same time I saw the sheen and the smell of diesel fuel filled my nose. I was in the middle of a large fuel spill. The bright sun reflecting on the wet pavement had hidden this serious road hazard.

Just as quickly as I entered the spill, I rode out the other side. I knew I could not enter the highway without making sure my tires were not coated with diesel, so I slowed and let the standing water wash the tires. I hit the brakes a few times to see if I had any traction. I was instantly greeted by the ABS brake pulse. (Money well spent for this important add-on. Video). Two more taps on the breaks and I felt that the tires were clean. By now I was almost on the highway so I accelerated quick to see if I would break traction. Nothing but GO! I merged in the the sparse traffic and set the cruise control for 70 (Washington's speed limit on this stretch or road).

Places to See

Rose Valley is a little country community nestled in a valley east of Kelso. It boasts one country grocery store, a church, a fire station, a school, and grange. The Friends Church built a large modern facility several years ago to replace a small nondescript older building. It also doubles as a day care, sports facility, and community center. Very typical of small communities outside the boundaries of bustling towns and cities. The acoustics in the main meeting room are incredible. It is built "in the round" and you can hear every spoken word without a microphone.










Staying Warm

I've had a Gerbing's heated jacket liner for quite a while, but I've never used it for motorcycle riding. Since it was fairly cold today, I thought I would give it a try. I left my usual layers of fleece in the saddle bag and plugged in. I was surprisingly warm the entire trip. In fact, when I made one stop to chat with my brother, I started to warm us too much. Fortunately, the heated liner has a temperature control. One small twist of the knob and the vest cooled off. Once back on the road, I turned it up and stayed perfectly warm. I forgot the liner had plug-ins for heated gloves. Unfortunately, the plug-in does not match what I need for the Widder heated gloves I purchased the other day. So, I think I'll be selling the Widders and purchase the Gerbing's heated gloves. I think keeping things simple will be a better choice on a long road trip.


At The End of Day

Murphy's Law kicked in today. On the ride home I got a little wet. When I prepared to leave Rose Valley I looked to the north and saw sunshine and clearing skies. When I looked to the south I saw rain clouds. My biker voice told me to ride to the sun and get some good saddle time in before the day was over. My other voice said, "Go home and get ready for family activities. It is Christmas Eve day, you know!" I turned south into the rain. I arrived home a little wet and with just under 1/2 tank of gas and decided against fueling.

A few hours later I was driving north in our SUV to a family holiday gathering. I was driving on dry pavement with the bright sun shining. It was all I could do to keep from turning around and getting my Harley.

Ambient Temp: 39F
Ending odometer: 000461
Trip Miles: 55
Fuel: None needed today.

The weather forecast for the next 10 days calls for temperatures around 40F and possible sun breaks on Dec. 31 and Jan 1. Just in time for the Polar Bear Run in Portland, OR.

Ride Safe.

Day 3 - Weather Report

Trusting the Weatherman

I watched the weather report carefully this week to see if there would be a break in the rain. By Thursday night, I saw a break for Friday. I was scheduled to work part of the day in Hillsboro, OR, so I decided to ride. Earlier in the week the forcast was for sun breaks with no precipitation but, by Thursday night, the report changed to overcast and a chance of showers. On Friday morning it was overcast and 38F so I decided to give it a try. I bundled up in all the cold weather gear I had and started out.

Soon after I hit I-5 I saw rain drops on the windshield. By the time I reached Ridgefield, WA it was raining. I had only gone 8 miles! Oh, well. Serves me right for trusting the weatherman. I decided that it might just be a wet cloud and the rest of my ride would be dry. By the time I reached Portland it was dry. However, as I listened to the radio, they reported that the holiday traffic had already started and was heavier than normal for a mid-day Friday and were reporting 4 accidents around the Portland/Vancouver metroplex.

Avoiding Traffic

I made it to Hillsboro, Or. with rain drops on the windshield and bright sun in my eyes. (Only Pacific Northwest can give you a ride like this). After I finished my business for the day I found a gas station and paid $3.18 per gallon for premium. As I listened to the FM radio, I heard a traffic report about 4 wrecks in the Portland area. Three of them were between me and I-5. Traffic was stopped and there was no way to get through without finding an alternate route. It was obvious that I could not get home without going somewhere else first.

Places to See

I decided to take Cornelius Pass to US 30. If you are ever in this area, you will want to stop and stop for a break, try the McMenamins Rock Creek Tavern. It's a great place to eat and quench your thirst. Rock Creek Tavern is off of the beaten path. But it's a well-advised trip into the Hillsboro, Oregon countryside. With live music, pool table, and great food and ales, there's no finer place to ride your bike on a lazy day. If you have the kids with you, it is family friendly.

The ride over Cornelius Pass was uneventful and the road was surprisingly dry. Once I reached US 30 I rode west through Scappoose, St. Helens, and Rainier on my way to Longview, WA. I was behind a slow moving pickup truck on the straight stretch next to the old Trojan Nuclear Power Plant. Traffic was sparse so I decided to pass. As I dropped a gear and accelerated, the Harley quickly jumped to 70. I dropped back to the speed limit just as fast after regaining my lane of travel. The ride was uneventful and the road was mostly wet.

At The End of Day

The Hillsboro - Cornelius Pass - Scappoose - St. Helens - Rainier/Longview loop ended after 116 miles. I had an hour before dark when I arrived home. Two of the grandkids were visiting, so it didn't take long for one of them to volunteer to help wash Grandpa's Harley. All in all, it was not a bad ride. The cold weather gear worked out real well, and it's not even connected to the battery yet. I'll have to talk Rowdy or Bruce into helping me take the seat off the bike and figure out how to wire in the harnesses to the electric gloves and electric vest.


Ambient Temp: 37-41F
Ending odometer: 000404
Trip Miles: 116
Fuel: $3.18 per gallon in Portland

The weather forecast for the next 10 days is rain with 32-36F temperatures. Not very ride friendly weather and traffic will be a mess.

Ride Safe.

Day 2 - Surprise Ride

Unexpected Ride Day

Today was a surprise. It was suppose to rain hard for the next two days. Instead I awoke to a dry overcast 40F morning. It did not take long to take advantage of this nice December day. A quick breakfast saw me out the door in 30 minutes with my cold weather gear. Three miles from home, I turned around and returned for more cold weather gear. It was a little colder than I thought. Thirty miles later I was in SW Portland, OR warming up at a Starbucks. I called my fried Bruce for cold weather riding advice. He quickly sent me to Cycle Gear to buy Widder electric gloves. I didn't have the tools I needed to connect them to the battery, but they were in instant improvement over the gloves I was wearing.

From Portland I rode north. The bike handled real well as I moved from highways to secondary roads and then to surface streets. By the time I arrived in Ridgefield, I was pretty cold, so I darted into Love Leathers to see if they had any insulated chaps. I was not disappointed. Tammy took measurements and said to come back in 3 hours and she would have my tailored chaps ready.

Places to See

Meanwhile, I decided to make one of my favorite loops: Battle Ground - Yacolt - Amboy - Woodland - La Center. The roads were mostly dry so I worked on cornering on NE. Lucia Falls Road. When I arrived in Yacolt, I spent a few minutes riding around town. One of the nicer buildings in town is the Yacolt Evangelical Free Church. It was after 1PM and the parking lot and building were empty. I obviously had missed my opportunity to visit with any of the locals. One thing that makes this ride interesting is the Chelatchie Railroad. Part of the route crosses the rail line several times. It wet weather you will want to slow way down when you cross the lines. Yacolt also has "traffic calming humps" which are not friendly at higher speeds. They are best negotiated at 25mph.

I rode on to Amboy and stopped for a cup of coffee at Nick's Bar and Grill. If you are not familiar with Nick's, it is a very biker friendly place to visit. It's often a stop for bikers making a loop through the area, and for some, it is a destination for some rest and refreshments before starting back. Nick's is a great place to get food, visit with some of the locals and meet other riders.

I eventually found my way back to Love Leathers by way of Woodland, WA. I retrieved my new insulated chaps. Wow, what a difference. Now, with warm hands and legs, I am ready to put on more that 30 miles at a stretch without stopping to warm up!

Safety Note

With motorcycle rider fatalities now accounting for 11 percent of total fatalities, and dramatically affecting the overall highway fatality rate, USDOT Secretary Mary Peters announced on November 7, 2007 a renewed focus on reducing crashes, and the resulting injuries and deaths. Peters unveiled the new 2007 Motorcycle Action Plan, public service announcement, and motorcycle crash report. It's worth a read.

Ambient Temp: 38-42F
Ending odometer: 000287
Trip Miles: 162
Fuel: $3.37 per gallon in Portland

The weather forecast for the next 10 days is rain with 32-45F temperatures. Who knows. Maybe I'll have another surprise ride?

Ride Safe.

Day 1 - Journey Begins

"A RIDER'S JOURNAL" is an open journal of the miles I will put on my 2008 Harley-Davidson Ultra Classic. The journal entries will be hit and miss, but it will be interesting for all of us to see where the road leads over the next months and years. Since I'm a year-around rider, there should be few months that I don't go somewhere. I'll try to take photos of interesting sights, so you can see some of the scenery.


HARLEY-DAVIDSON ELECTRA GLIDE ULTRA CLASSIC (FLTHCU)
I picked up the bike from Latus Motors Harley-Davidson in Gladstone, OR today when they opened for business at 9AM. The sales associate, Russ, was great. He helped me order the bike on October 8th and was there today to hand me the keys and take my photo. Latus has a tradition of having the new owner ring a bell located on the sales floor. I rang the bell so hard that the cord came off in my hand. (Sorry Russ).

Three of my buddies came with me for the event, which added to the party atmosphere. Rowdy gave me my first ever "guardian bell". Before I left Latus, we each smoked a celebratory cigar to mark the occasion.

About 120 miles later I parked the bike in the garage for the night after a quick wash job. The ride included some sun, but mostly overcast and 40F temperature. I rode north toward Castle Rock, WA where I had planned to show the bike to some family, but was turned back by a hard rain just north of Kelso, WA. This photo was taken at a friend's house in Kalama, WA where I warmed up with a cup of hot cocoa. I met my son along a county road so he could have his first look at the bike. When he arrived KGON.com was blaring out an AC/DC tune on the killer sound system as the engine idled smoothly.

Probably the most important part of the day's ride was when I picked up my wife. I took her straight to Love Leathers, in Ridgefield, WA where she promptly bought a new pair of Harley-Davidson Sonia boots and a new leather coat. The sales associate was pleased with the amount of money we spent and when she learned we just came in on the new bike, she quickly let us pick out a guardian bell. Yep, you guessed it. We now have two bells on the bike. It can't hurt, right?

Ending odometer: 000125. A full day, but not many miles.