Day ONE, and the Challenge begins..

After midnight started hearing the big trucks roll down toward the Keys. By 3:45 I had to get up and join them. Da'mit and I made good time and were in Key West by 7'ish. Found my two witnesses at the Central Fire Station,then over to the 90 Mile buoy for photos.

 

and finally an Official Pump generated gas receipt to start the clock.

My start time is May 23, 2013, 7:31 am Eastern Time Zone. So to qualify for the Ultimate Coast to Coast Challenge, Da'mit and I must arrive together in Deadhorse before 3:30 am Alaska Time Zone on June 22, 2013.

Today we took the first bite out of this Iron Butt elephant. Immediately we left Key West and rode for the mainland. Just to verify that we actually were in Florida, took several more photos,

Then had to wait for a draw bridge to close

 

In Texas we have Road Gators that can bite you if you hit one while riding two wheels. Gina is a long time motorcyclist who doesn't even own a car, rides everyday. A Texas Road Gator got wrapped up in her bike and she took a spill, breaking her ankle in the process. Here's what they look like.

In Florida they have Road Gators too, here is what they look like (CAUTION - BLOOD & GUTS)

Hit one of those when on two wheels and they can bite you. Hello asphalt. He was about 4-5 feet long.

 

Back to riding, A roadside wizard forecast a pleasant ride, Said Da'mit soars like an eagle and Alaska was in our future. Also said he could forecast the weather: If the ball is wet, it's raining, Dry, the sun is shining. If he can't see the ball, heavy fog.

 

Around the corner was his gargoyle friend. His facial expression and hand gestures are the same as mine after a rough patch of Louisiana back road.

 

So how much ground was covered today? Left Homestead, rode to Key West, turned around and rode back to the mainland, across the Everglades and arrived in Sebring for the night. 488 Km today. In spite of the forecast, no rain today.

Tomorrow I expect to exit Florida north of Marianna. Am ahead of schedule, as I said in the beginning, planning and schedules are great, but once the ride begins, it takes on a life of its own.

For the fellow Uralists:

Was having a small leak in the final drive when I arrived at Gene's. We thought it might be overflow. In 2011Ural tried a different fill plug on the final drive, but soon found it leaked. I have one of those plugs. Gene looked around and found an old style plug. We put that in, plus the "NEW" exact amount of gear oil. Gene said they got a memo saying to put less. I was using 75-90 gear oil, Gene likes the 80-140, so we went with that. Bottom line, after two long riding days, the final drive is DRY.

If you switch out to the old style fill plug, carefully measure the correct amount of gear oil, then dip it, look to see where the new level is, then notch the dip stick as the notches on both the old and new sticks are no longer correct.

The seat back is UGLY as sin. But with a slight tweaking to it, I think it stays on the rig, at least for the duration of this trip. It was pushing me forward in the seat so I rebent the frame, slightly. Now it is there when I want to sit back, or if I sit upright I don't even touch it. With all the farkles and mods, Da'mit never was going to win a beauty contest, but she sure does ride nice.

Da'mit is running smooth and strong. Drinks gas like a mule but gallops down the highway like a horse. Her sweet spot is 4000 rpm. No issues. Tires might present a problem down the road as the pusher is being eaten faster than anticipated. Gene thought it was because of all the weight I was carrying. Am not so sure, my camping stuff doesn't weight more than most spouses. Do they wear out tires?

The only mechanical problem was the RAM mount dropping the iPhone, then another piece of it fell off, so I removed it.

Well, a great first day, only 29 more to go.

 

Night all

CCjon

 

 

 

 

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Day -1 Hopopaw Gene

Awoke to flashing lights and a loud horn blasting like a car alarm had gone off. It was right outside the building I was sleeping. Thinking it was either an EMS ambulance or a fire truck, I jumped up to look out. To my surprise it was a big yellow school bus making all the racket, warning lights flashing and that white dome light they put on the roof now. Now why would they be makking so much noise? Maybe the kiddos they were suppose to pick up were not out there yet, 5:45 am? So they were calling them??????

Well the noise and lights went on for 20 - 30 minutes. I never went out. Later Gene tells me the lady bus driver panicked when the bus security alarm went off so she pulled over. Had the dispatcher on her cell phone but they could not turn it off, or they could not hear each other with all the racket. Gene said he finally just pulled the wire off the horn to stop it.

Well, Ken finished the seat back and mounted it. The jury is still out if it was a good idea or not. Will know after a couple of days riding with it. Ken finished the 5000k service, checked the valves, slight adjustment only. Then checked the alignment for the pulling to the right. Alignment was perfect. So we decided, since there is so much extra gear and weight in the sidecar, we would try increasing the sidecar tire pressure to 40 psi, like the pusher tire.

Speaking of tires, even though I have three new tires waiting for me in Fairbanks, the OEM tires are not lasting long, due to the load. Well have to keep an eye on them.

Gene feels the lower mpg is due to the weight and windshield. First day was 21.9 mpg, Day two was 24 mpg. I have notice the mph getting slightly better as the ride progresses.

This is Ken's 2012 Patrol T. He has added camo, canvas panniers, custom seat, Summit Racing exhaust pipes, and a few other nice touches.

Here is Gene's ride of choice, Says he can cruise at 70 on his retro. They also build and sell trailers for the Ural sidecar rigs, sized perfect.

Here is Ken on the left and Holopaw Gene. Half of a guard dog too.

By noon Gene and Ken had me ready to go.

Was on the road again with the idea to spend the night in Homestead and do and in-n-out on Key West Thursday. By 6 pm I was in Homestead looking for a room. The riding day was spent putting on and taking off rain gear. One the gear did not keep the rain out of my boots, Two, when the rain stopped, the gear does not breath so it gets hot....FAAST.

Have a pair of insulated winter boots for Alaska, will try riding with those in the rain to see if my feet stay dry. IF not, will have to shop for better waterproof footwear.

Well, tomorrow it is up at 4:30 and scoot down to Key West, find a couple of witnesses, take the required photo and get the starting gas receipt which will start the official Iron Butt clock.

Night all

 

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Day -2 Crossing Central Florida

Awoke at 4:30, on the still dark road by 4:50. Riding thru a national forest in the early morning dark, one worries about critters dashing out on front of one, the two bright yellow Hella FF500 auxiliary lights did the job, one pointed down thee road, the other pointed at the shoulder to spot critter's eyes to allow time to slow down. That plus keep the speed down.

Dawn in Florida finally wakes up, a heavy wet fog hangs in the air. While the Mississippi morning fog was more of a whispy misty veil hanging across the sky, the Florida fog was a heavy wet grey blanket that made anything dry wet, and anything wet now dripping with dew. Deep thick fog with no color, so thick the Florida sunshine could get through.

It was so foggy, How foggy was it? It was so foggy they couldn't see what they were spelling.....

Saw my first moose of the trip today, hope to see many more before it is over.

Floral City is a beautiful scenic hometown town with roadways canopied with long strands of spanish moss trying to reach the ground, cascading from old roadside oaks, creating a a shady leafy tunnel of shade to ride through.

 

Had to take Hwy 192 near Disneyworld,.....Da'mit let'd go. Or should say Let's stop. Too many stoplights and too much traffic. Finally understood that the far right lane here is for local traffic to turn into sidestreets or business on the right and the middle lane is for through traffic.

Arrived at Holopaw Corvette, Gene and Kenny were expecting me tomorrow. As we talked of things I needed done, happened to mention that I missed not having a back rest. Gene turns to Kerry and asks if they still have that old rest lying around, After several minutes looking, Kenny yells out from behind the many shelves holding parts, "Found it!" The mounting won't work but he says they can make one for my HDPolice seat. The rest of the day was spent fabricating a mount for the back rest. Tomorrow, the 5000k service and check the sidecar alignment as it has a slight pull to the right.

 

The only rain of the trip so far was encountered ten miles from Gene's place in the country. Once safely in the shop the downpour began in earnest. Gene has offered a camping spot anywhere on the back 40 of his land. Or, he says there is a storage building where his old business used to be before moving into the larger metal building. It was near a restroom I could use. Hmmm, setting up in a dry building or camping in the wet tall grasses fighting off swams of mosquitos..... Chose the building near the restroom. Those Florida mosquito may be small but theey suck you dry. Swept the floor, set up the cot, pulled out a blanket for the night.

If we get the service done by noon tomorrow, Wednesday, will leave for Key West with the idea to spend the night near Homestead, then do a down and back on Key West Thursday. Gene mentioned how expensive everything was in Key West AND... this would be a holiday weekend. So best to get in and out before Friday.

Nite all

 

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Day -3 Louisiana to Florida

The morning mist lightly hung over the pine trees as if the trees were holding it aloft. While drops of misty water fell heavily from the tree leaves, a spring rain without the thunder. Dew drops glistened like diamonds reflecting the sun on the roadside grasses. Good morning Mississippi, how are ya??

There is something about having coffee in the morning with your friends. While the local McDonalds has replaced the local diner for the morning meetings, the topics, characters and conversation remain the same.

Old men sitting around with their gimme baseballs caps and faded blue bib overalls, talking about the weather, what ole Joe could have done to get a better crop yield but he don't mind none at all, you know. And why Bill went out of business, too bad too, I told him he needed a bigger selection but Walmart had him beat on prices.

The nuggets of truth and wisdom are passed from one generation to the next at these coffee klatches. The older guys pass on their knowledge earned in the school of country living, telling the younger ones of how it was, what went wrong and why you shouldn't trust them guys in suits on Main Street.

Well, gotta go, the chicken won't feed themselves is a parting phrase. Understood and accepted by all,even though they all know Henry's wife got rid of his chicken a few years ago when he had his first heart attack. But that's okay, Henry shares his wisdom of working the land and they know he earned that knowledge, one drought at a time.

Life in rural America is same no matter which state you happen to find yourself. Old men talk about the weather and old women talk about old men.

Passed by my destination today and added a few more kicks to odometer.

Ended with 4426 showing. 614 more than yesterday, or 381.5 miles. Will need to keep this pace when doing the Iron Butt to Alaska. Try to build up a margin for contingencies. Tomorrow I arrive at Holopaw Gene's for the 5000k service and to check over the rig before starting the actual run.

Tonight it is sleeping under an overhang at a river fishing camp near a national forest in Florida, no wifi but the price is right....nada, zero, zip. The man answered when I asked how much, "Now why would I charge you?"

Compared to the night before in a small Louisiana country town when three different panhandlers and panhandresses(?) approached asking for,... money? NO! ... gas? NO! ... white lighting? WHAT? Yes I normally pack heat when traveling but Canada won't let you bring a handgun in, so... not to worry, am not totally defenseless. The most dangerous critters walk on two legs and live in the cities. Bears are not to be worried about, its them city critters.

Night ya'll

CCjon

ps. about 9:30 a fogging truck drove thru and within 20 minutes all the mosquitos were gone. slept better after that.

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Riding Day -4 to launch

After four hours of sleep, it was up, stuff a few small things in and be on the road by 6:20 am.

Have always wanting to get a photo of the Ural at the local monastery, so on the way out of town we stopped.

 

A few more blessing for the traveler won't hurt,. you never know. To watch over me and Da'mit.

 

Spotted three whitetail deer feeding in a field in East Texas, but they ran with tails flagging at the sound of Da'mit.

Finally crossed the first of many borders to come...

The calendar says mid-May but the temperatures were hitting the high 80's. Forecast for tomorrow is higher. I should be riding northward, not south. Well, that will come soon enough.

You don't see many of the old fire watch towers anymore. Most have been taken down for scrap iron. Here is the only one I saw today.

No gators spotted but turtles and snakes were on the roads today.

By Five o'clock had reach the day's destination, even after sleeping on a picnic table for an hour in the middle of the day (sorry, no photos).

So we pushed on until 6, ending the first day at 624k, or 387.7 miles. Had a few small issues, one the iphone vibrated out of its holder due to the roads. Of course I did not notice it was gone until a few miles down the road, by then panic had set in, after turning around to look for the remains on the road, I looked down and saw it between the seat and the tank. It was caught in a nook, never hit the pavement. The riding gods smiled on me today.

Second issue is the farkled breather is releasing an oil mist that is smearing face shield, windshield and gauges. When I stopped to drain it, not much came out. So am thinking the engine pressure is pushing the oil/water mixture up and out the breather filter. May have to do like Ural CT and strap on an aluminum Bud bottle to caught the overflow.

All in all a good first day. now for a couple of aspirin and sleep.

 

 

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Cross Country Route

Was asked about the route I will be traveling and where I will be staying or camping. Here is the list of each day’s planned ending location. Of course, plans can change due to weather, mechanical issues or rider fatigue.

Day     Location
 -4. Amite City, LA
 -3. Marianna, FL
 -2. St. Cloud, FL – Ural dealer
 -1. St Cloud, FL - 5000km service
 0. Key West, FL – Official start Friday May 24th
 1. St. Cloud, FL
 2. Marianna, FL
 3. Hamilton, AL – Ural dealer
 4. Rest and Maintenance
 5. Mountain Home, AR
6. El Dorado, KS – Ural dealer
7. Alma, NE
8. Fort Collins, CO – Ural dealer
9. Rest and Maintenance
10. Thermopolis, WY
11. Billings, MT – Ural dealer
12. Billings, LT - 10,000km service
13. Browning, MT 14. Airdrie, Alberta – Ural dealer
15. Hinton, AB
16. Dawson Creek, BC
17. Rest and Maintenance
18. Fort Nelson, BC
19. Watson Lake, YT
20. Whitehorse, YT
21. Rest and Maintenance
22. Dawson City, YT
23. Tok, AK
24. Fairbanks, AK – Ural dealer
25. Rest, Maintenance, new tires
26. Coldfoot, AK
27. Deadhorse, AK - Official End of IBA Ride

 The cities with Ural dealers are highlighted for stopping in, saying “Hi”and meeting other Uralists. Of course, the route and timing are subject to change if weather or mechanical issues arise. There is not much leeway in the schedule for repairs or down time. Might have to up the miles per day ridden to gain a wider margin for unplanned delays......

 The idea is to ride several days, stop rest, perform bike maintenance and do laundry. While camping is the preferred sleeping mode, there is one long distance riding rule I abide by: If cold and wet at the end of the day, get a motel room. Dry out. Start again fresh the next morning.

Final Farkle

Time is getting closer and am getting anxious.... added one last farkle before repacking. A waterproof case/pannier for gloves, balaclava, etc., an Ammo Box. Something if I stand over it, rain will not get in while I change from leather to rubber gloves. Plus I start the day early when still cold, so start with heavy gloves and switch to lighter ones later in the day.

Da'mit has been packed and repacked several times now, she is ready to go... as am I. Wife says my mind is already 100 miles on the road. She is right.

Still a few details to take care of at work first.
Stay tuned, we are about to start a new adventure.

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