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Ok fellow riders. Here goes: Three of us shipped our bikes(2-"T"'s and an electra glide) to Seattle, WA via JC motors, who did a first rate job, exactly as promised.. They were sent to Downtown Harley Davidson, which is in a suburb of Seattle and a short distance from the airport. The HD dealership was chosen because they were happy to receive our bikes and store them for several days without charge. The large Honda dealership wanted $20 per day and did not seem too cooperative.. Anyone looking for a bike in the Seattle area, please take note..We flew to Seattle along with our wives took a cab from the airport, loaded our bikes up with stuff and headed out for a ride. We traveled a little in WA, Then on to Oregon, N. California and back to Oregon where we reluctantly saw our wives fly home, leaving us to our own devices...hahaha.. We rode through Oregon, back to Northern California, then to Nevada, Utah, Colorado, New Mexico, Texas and home... Here are some photos with captions, then I will tell you some things I discovered or confirmed about the bike, myself and misc (folks, country ect).

Here we are (wife and I ) ready to deal with the rains.. Rains really weren't a problem, except once when the temps dropped to the upper 30's and we had some snow mixed in near "Bachelor Mountain"....lessons learned..Always have the right gear, such as rain suits, warm clothing in layers, boot covers or waterproof boots and waterproof gloves...BTW, the full face helmets are really good for those conditions too.

Nothing special, just an ominous looking view we had one day....ditto...proper clothes and equipment.

My wife took this one while we rode down the road in Oregon.. No, we didn't have all rain, I just like this picture. The HD is directly ahead of us and the other "T" is in the lead.

The roads were all pretty good and the trees in WA, Oregon and N. California were beautiful.. The redwoods were especially nice.

One day when we stopped for lunch, I ran into one of my favorite good-guys...couldn't resist...sorry!!

Crater Lake is really gorgeous and the ride was good too. It was crisp and dry, not too much traffic and an all around nice part of the ride.

Guess you figured out by now, I like water views..Here is one of the pretty streams and rivers we either crossed or rode along.

After we got the girls on the plane, we headed across Nevada..We went around Tahoe, through Virginia City, Silver City, and Carson City.. Here is one I made while traveling NV hwy 50, dubbed the "World's Lonliest Road".. What you see here is pretty much what you get for a long, long way.In fact, after leaving Carson City, it was 48 miles before we even saw a tree..LOL. One stretch of another road we took into Utah was all ours for the first 52 miles, then we passed a truck..Not much traffic.!!

Some of the sights in Utah, Colorado and N. Mexico were pretty dramatic..rocky craigs, cliffs, mountains and valleys.

You never know what lies around the next bend when you take the roads less traveled..
Hope you enjoyed the photos, now here are a few things I either learned or confirmed:

PREPARE: If you are planning a long ride or a two-up ride with extra gear.. load the bike and riders BEFORE you start your trip and practice.. I don't mean a short trip to the store.. I am talking several days, lots of miles, and different terrain. Our bikes are well engineered machines, but placing an extra 200# or so on them, especially with stacked up weight dramatically changes the way they handle, especially at low speeds.. This must be considered and if you want to be comfortable and safe... practice is in order. You must also make sure you are physically and mentally ready.. Long rides, especially with a rider and extra weight are a challenge.

GEAR: If you will notice the photo of our bike, you will see a rear trunk in addition to the hard bags. This worked much better than a strap on bag because it is waterproof, can be locked and allowed for a rack and duffels on top. I have already mentioned having the right gear for weather. We had warm clothes, rain-suits, waterproof gloves and boot covers. Without them we would have been miserable. Also we encountered triple digit temps as well, including a day when the temp hit 106 in Redding California. We had "Hydration Vests".. There are vests that you soak in water, place over a shirt and cool the body by evaporation while riding. Also a light colored, long sleeve shirt can be worn over them, which helps extend the time they are working and slow down loss of fluids from your body.. Sun screen is also a great thing on exposed body parts. Something to cover the neck is a good idea, and will make your day more pleasant when the sun is at your back.. I used a white face towel placed near the back of my head, held in place by my helmet and tucked into my collar.
Also. we carried extra fuel, via fuel bottles..basically spun aluminum containers made for fuel. We attached small saddlebags to the racks on our hard trunks and kept the fuel there. We didn't ever need it, but came very close a couple of times and if the stations we finally found had been closed, the extra fuel would have been necessary. We also carried a gallon+ water per person on each bike, along with oil, tools, plugs ect.

BIKES: Our bikes are great machines..The two "T"'s did very well and are fine touring machines. A "Mustang" seat and "Air-Hawk" cushion made the long days in the saddle bearable. My two riding mates wanted to ride more in Colorado, so we parted company in Durango, they headed north and I headed South towards home. If not for the seat and cushion, the trip home, where I got off of the back-roads and hit the fast lane, would't have been possible. Our bikes are certainly capable of an "Iron Butt" ride, if you plan for fuel stops, but my 61 year old butt isn't. My longest day was 540 miles and it hurt....OUCH !!

PLANNING: One of our riders, Gary,spent many hours planning the routes, fuel stops and alternates. He had a GPS, laptop and the ability to really use them for our benefit. I reserved the hotels in advance for our week with the wives and each day the second week I would reserve in advance for us. Jim, the HD rider took care of the shipping ect and all did a fine job.

MISC: The folks we met along the way were for the most part very nice. There were more bikes in the NW than anywhere else and the cage drivers more courteous.. Sorry Texans, your drivers were the least considerate..For example; I was driving down a flooded street at low speed near Terrell, TX and had several drivers with Texas plates, pass on the shoulder and shower me with water.. they also regularly would pull out in front of me at intersections..Be very careful anywhere you ride, but especially there or here in Mississippi....
Anyway, that is the short version of a long trip..how long?

4626 total miles in two weeks. 1306 Miles of those were with our wives during the first week..
It was a fun trip, one I will long remember..Hope you can vicariously enjoy it abit now too...Bob <><

Glad everyone is enjoying the photos and commentary..Scott, it is nice of you to mention receiving the bike..Downtown HD was close and willing so that worked out well..Roger..We didn't stay long near Tahoe..In fact, my sister was at her cabin there when we passed and I didn't even get to see her..KcRoadrocket.. If I ever do another long trip, it will be more about stopping along the way and enjoying the local ambience and attractions.....Bob <><

Beau, I too lived in Dallas many years ago and it has changed a bunch. I have a throttle lock on my bike, an item that greatly increased my ability to ride for extended hours..Glad you asked..that's an important point...Bought mine at the local Honda dealer, but it looks exactly like the one JC Whitney sells ;"Vista Cruise" for Honda, Kawasaki, Suzuki and Yamaha Cycles $34.99
Bud, Go for it.. If you have never ridden the dragon you are in for a new and exciting ride, have a great trip, but please do be safe.. The last report I had from there was of a greatly increased police presence so watch your step.. ...Bob <><