The beginning of the ride was O.K. I left @ 6:30 Monday and rode out U.S. 6 for quite awhile. I realized quickly that it was not the great road I thought it tio be. I was 35 mph from Chardon, Oh. to Joliet,Ill. Near Joliet, I jumped on I-80.
I rode for 14++ hours total the first day and in Illinois I stopped to camp and the bike was leaking oil. The next morning, I got up and took off at 5:30 and by the time I ran another 100+ miles toward Iowa, I stopped for gas and it was really leaking, so I turned around at Geneseo, Illinois and rode 15 hours home.
I spent 90.00 for gas and oil, 25.00 for a primative camping spot (only to find that my tent had no poles- new from walmart), around 10.00 for tolls and 2.00 for food. (two whopper jrs. at bogus king the first day, the worst desicion of the trip).
I stopped in Gary, Indiana for gas just to see what it was like- I've heard from several reliable sources "do not stop in Gary, Indiana."....I truly stood by the bike and said to myself "Can I get in there, drop a ten on the counter for my gas and be back out here before someone can grab something off the bike?" Yes, really, but I was out of gas and didn't want to run dry in another part of the city....I felt a twinge of fear for the first time in a long time.
I-80 sucks. Bad surface (sometimes...O.K., a lot of the time I was air born!) Truck traffic is heavy. Every time a semi passed me (65-70 mph, them 75-80 mph) they would push me toward the median, I'd lean into it and then as they pass the want to suck you into the back wheels....so you have to time when to go from leaning into them to a "transition" where you suddenly have to lean away. It takes up most of your lane.
One time I was air born from one of hundreds of "bumps" when a semi started by me and I went from the left 3rd of my lane to the white line/wake-up strips, WHILE IN THE MIDDLE OF ONE OF THOSE 1/4 MILE LONG TURNS! I got a major adrenaline rush, unlike any I've ever know....even more than the time I was shot at or the time the really drunk guy stuck a loaded, cocked .38 in the soft part of my neck below the adams apple and said "I'm gonna kill you ****er" because he thought I yelled something out the window at him, which I did not.
Never buy ANYTHING at wal-mart, and not inspect/test it before you need it. I know, common sense. Wal-Mart sucks.
When 3 out of 4 people tell you something there is a possibility that it is true. Gary Indiana sucks and is very not a place you want to be unless you are a crack head or want to rob somebody. Everything looked bad and I don't mean in the good way. Ugly.
Anyhow, I'm home and not overly happy, but It was a nice little road trip, and the addition of another project here in Joe's garage.