Denver to Big Bend, Tx

thorin

Owner of Goliath, the giant motorcycle
Joined
Jun 27, 2017
Messages
537
Location
Parker, CO
Ride
2005 Triumph Rocket III
hey all,
made a 2000 mile roundtrip from denver to big bend, tx a couple weeks ago. it's the first long distance trip for the bike since purchased (and rebuilt after accident) last year.
some random thoughts are offered....

1. armored mesh jackets are still the bomb. after my accident last year while wearing one i said no more but later realized the failure of a sleeve snap resulted in my forearm road rash, not a failure of the jacket material. my new mesh jacket has no sleeve snaps and hopefully will stay in place if needed.
2. the factory seat on my roadster is great. i know we all have different backsides but i was very surprised at my comfort and am no longer shopping for an aftermarket replacement.
3. the progressive shock upgrades made a couple months ago (front forks/rear shocks) make a HUGE difference in ride quality and handling. that fact may also be why the factory seat works for me.
4. my aftermarket led headlights are super bright at night, only $86 for the pair on amazon.
5. canvas duffles bought to fit inside my corbin saddlebags made them a lot more functional in regards to loading/unloading.
6. application of heat resistant material on bottom (inside and out) of said saddlebags protected the contents from exhaust heat.
7. borrowed sena headset worked great for discussion between my friend and i at stops but was useless on the highway.
8. bike didn't use a drop of oil or coolant. tire pressure stayed constant (blu tpms system worked great).
9. the atlas throttle lock sold to me by Old N Grumpy worked terrific. the ability to release the throttle for a few seconds while maintaining speed is a blessing!
10. it's hard to appreciate how hot it is along the texas/mexico border when it's 46 and misting in denver.
11. anyone who thinks this country could run out of space for folks hasn't seen west texas/southern new mexico. talk about wide open spaces!
12. did i mention how hot it is along the border? my handlebar gauge said 104 when riding from Lajitas to Presidio. thank you mesh jacket!
13. discovered numerous sweeping highway curves to be taken at speed, absolute bliss.
14. there's not a lot of eating/drinking options in FT Davis TX. you have to buy your bottle of whatever on one side of the street and bring it into the restaurant. then they sell you a "setup" of a glass with ice.
15. there were a couple places we stopped i was glad to be "carrying".
16. bike averaged 35-37 mpg on the trip, about the same as i get in town.
17. i can eat mexican just about every meal if given the opportunity.
anyways.... here's a few pics from the trip.

DSCN3176.JPG DSCN3188.JPG DSCN3227.JPG DSCN3241.JPG 28548584478_a542fa9830_o.jpg 28548578918_e6f42bcd9b_o.jpg 40613935690_da0a661495_o.jpg 40613940110_2dd38c85f0_o.jpg DSCN3168.JPG
 
Nice write up - I Agree with you about the saddle - I did 2120 to-at-from Stearns, Ky RAA East couple weeks ago on the stock dual seat with backrest, it was plenty comfy when stopping enough times for petro & leg stretching
 
When u said it was hot down there and then only showed 104, you need a return trip when summer is in full swing to truly appreciate the word HOT! :)

Great story brother!!!
 
Great set of thoughts, seems you timed the long ride well considering the shock upgrades. Your write up is helping firm up my list of upgrades but I am not sure about the Mexican every meal:);)

Great set of photo's.

We in the UK can only dream of the temperature's that both your good self and Boog have identified:laugh::eek:
 
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