West Virginia Part I

I'm back from my trip to West Virginia. This is my once yearly big motorcycle trip and I spent a week on the road touring and exploring West Virginia. I took notes on each day of the trip to remind me of my experiences while I was travelling.

Day 1 - Saturday July 12th
I was on the fence as to whether I should go or should I wait until Sunday. The weather forecast looked dodgy and that always puts me in tension. But, I kept fiddling with the bike and loading up the saddle bags. I was thinking I could do the whole trip to Summerville, my base camp in one day. The bike was loaded and the dogs had been walked and breakfast had been consumed, cleaned and put away by 11:00. Finally, I decided to leave. I had lots on my mind including work. Work had not gone well on Friday and I was leaving with a large project unfinished with a deadline for Monday the 14th.

I made it to Erie, Pennsylvania in time for lunch - about 2 hours away from home. Not bad timing. I was ready for some good food - it pays buckets to eat well when you are on the road. I found a Panera Bread store and had a good vegetarian sandwich and a green iced tea. Remember to stay hydrated as well, I thought. With plenty of fuel in the bike and myself - I was ready to head south to West Virginia. I made it to Waynesburg and an Econolodge. The price was right and the room was clean with new carpet.

Day 2
I was close to Summersville maybe 3 hours most - I didn't want to go and sit at the campground all day. I found a brochure to a toy museum about an hour and 1/2 in Moundsville, West Virginia and it looked interesting. I fueled the bike and checked the tires for air. The temperature was 26 degrees Celsius with light rain and overcast skies. The ride to Moundsville was a full immersion into what I would be doing for the next 5 days. Rolling hills and tall mountains with roads that hugged the contours of the land. The strip malls and franchise joints faded away as I rode deeper into the country side.

Moundsville was town that looked like it's heydays had come and gone several times but there was still some charm left in this town. Must be some opportunities still available as I saw a lot of people. I arrived in town early, before the 11:00 am opening of the toy museum - I found a park called Grand View and thought I'd check that out. The park was located high up on a mountain and when I arrived I was surprised that the 'view' was not grand, it was obscured by trees and the park signs were poor in letting visitors know where to go, where to park and what you could do. I used this as a rest stop and motored on.

The toy museum had changed it's hours and the tourist brochures had not been updated. It turned out to be closed on Sundays and not open. I took a few pictures from the outside and decided it was time to head to Summersville. I took Rt. 250, another curvy picturesque road that was a motorcyclist dream. Found a chain joint for lunch and head for the Spral-Mart for food and snacks. Heading into Summerville the rain began, lightly at first. I found the 'resort' and checked in for camping. The rain was falling harder now. Went to the campsite, could barely make out the site numbers at this point and saw what looked like my spot. It was at this point had turned into a large mud pit. I decided to bag camping that night and motor back into town for a motel room.

The rain was coming down in buckets now. The vents in my jacket were wide open for ventilation and the rain was pouring in. I could barely see out my visor and the ride was nerve-wracking to say the least. Finally after what seemed like miles (about 6 miles to be precise) I found a suitable motel with Internet access. While checking in, water was pouring out of my jacket - I couldn't seem to make it stop. I must have took on several gallons of water. Even after I got in the room - the jacket kept draining for another 1/2 hour.

With Internet access I could start to resolve the mess at work and begin to set my mind at ease for my vacation. I still had to deal with those awful negative thoughts in my head. Talk more about that later.

Memorial Day Ride

Here's post #2. I must remember to bring my camera. I always tell myself this and just plain forget. This will make the post more interesting and more expressive. To get started - I bought my new bike on Saturday with 9 kilometers on the odo. The service department got first ride to check her out and make sure she was road worthy. If you are wondering, yes I call my vehicles by the female terms. No explanation - just do. My old bike was an F650Cs by BMW. I loved that bike but I just couldn't deal with the service options available to me in my area. Over priced and not very friendly. I don't want to wallow to much in this subject - letting her go was very tough and I have been through the decision back and forth and I'm done. I've made my decision and I've moved on. My new bike is a 2008 Kawasaki Versys in Candy Plasma Blue - I call her Ocean.

I'm stuck in the break-in mode. There is a lot of debate on the proper break-in procedure and I feel it best to just follow the Owners Manual and keep her under 4000 RPMs for the first 800 kilometers. This also provides a limiting factor to me while I get used to the new bike. I've read that it's common to have an accident on a new bike within the first 2-3 months. This period helps me keep it cool until I gain the muscle memory for the switches and controls.

I am enjoying the new bike - I find several things superior to my old bike. The instrumentation is much clearer and easier to read in full sun light. The oil check procedure is a breeze compared to the Cs (an utter nightmare). The Versys is also more comfortable to ride - the seat stays cushy all day, I'm not overreaching to the handlebars (I used pull-back riser blocks and that only helped a bit) and I have more leg room than before. The Versys engine is quieter than the Rotax engine on the Cs and smoother to boot. I rode 200 kilometers yesterday and I felt comfortable all day.

Yesterday's ride encompassed a melange of urban, rural and highway routes. I find her competent in all areas. The day before, on Sunday - we went through several dirt roads and she's very competent there as well. I'm still getting used to the controls and have been making adjustments either physically or mechanically and sometimes both. Ocean now sports 300 kilometers on her odo. I can't wait to get past this point and get into the 6000 RPM range - I'll need to keep it at that point until she reaches 1600 kilometers.

On the music front - I've been practicing rhythm on my guitar. When I read music I usually just guess it but I'd like to do better and be more accurate. I've been working with EarMaster Pro 5 and using the exercises in there to improve my timing and accuracy. The music I play sounds much better as I improve in this area. My guitar teach spotted the inaccuracies right off the bat and I've been working with him to improve.

Thought for the day: I've been playing Grand Theft Auto 4. It's about the nastiest raunchiest video game I've ever played. But, I'm addicted to the free-roam nature of the game. I can go just about anywhere and do just about anything. This game includes picking up hookers, running people over, stealing cars and committing crimes. I feel like a real sleaze-ball playing this game. But, for all of it's flaws - when you get on a motorcycle - the characters always put on a helmet. Nice touch!