Its time to Ride
Up until now, all of my rides have included no more than 1 hour of steady seat time. Of Course i thought i was ready. Bring on that open road. A 38 year old motorcycle with a novice rider , what could be the problem there. “Why the hell not “? Time to ride!
It was a cool morning , a cold front conveniently decided to come across the state. A slight rain shower and clouds tagged along with the cold front. Temps in the upper 40’s. However , the projected highs for this weekend were near 70. PERFECT. I held off departing until it was breaking up and then committed to it. Layered up, gloved up, and ready to go, i jumped on the Suzuki GS550 and hit the road. No interstates for me! NO! I wanted to see the state, and not get swallowed up at 80 miles an hour on a bike that to be honest, screams like a banshee at that speed.
I routed down to Highway 56. Just a hop , skip , and a jump from my suburban oasis. Head west young man. 
My destination this weekend was simple. My father, the generous sole that passed this relic of a motorcycle on to me, was at his lake side camp spot. The plan was to ride out, spend the night and see my parents, then head back. Simple right?
How Cold Is It!?
At the 30 minute mark, i realized i was getting cold. Where is the damn sun! Not unbearable, but i could feel a chill starting to hit me. I pressed on. Passing Baldwin City. Next up was Overbrook Kansas. Late Morning, after riding for over an hour, the sun was just starting to brighten up. I was officially cold. COFFEE. I took a much needed pit stop and reveled at what i had just done. Not bad son, not bad. i sat out in the warmth of the sun in this small town, watching people pass by, going about their Saturday morning routines. The coffee hit the spot.
I was warm, jazzed up, and ready to go. I climbed back on , gave my tank a pat and took off. 15 minutes in, I realized something. Its still flipping too cold for me to be enjoying his. Shiver.. shiver.. shiver.
I journey’d on. Sun shinning, rolling down highway 56 with no worries. All was good. I felt my comfort level on this orange machine climbing.
A Change in mood.
At this point it also occurred to me that I had what was a 5+plus hour motorcycle ride ahead of me. That thought quickly passed in and out of my worries. Was I Ready? Screw it. Ride on! My full body shivers quickly subsided and i found a new and more relaxed posture. I found another stopping point and about the half way point. After almost 3 hours on the road, what sounds good? SONIC! What Midwest –midlife kid doesn’t like a Sonic burger and tots to brighten up the day.. I took my time, sat out in the sun and ate like a Viking after conquering a new land. Small towns, Sonic, and farm equipment sitting by the road represent a big part of many my memories. Simple life, hard work, and friendly smiles. After giving a smile and a head nod to a couple young kids chilling on the table next to me, i pushed on again. It was a long road and the joys of hand cramps began settling in.
Things Went South on the ride…
At this point, managing numb and crapping hands, i noticed something. My speedometer was no longer providing me an accurate reading. Strike that, it wasn’t providing me ANYTHING. Oh well, that’s just great. I had a feeling after this many miles how fast i was going based on RPMs. At least i had that. And then it hit me. I had no clue how many miles i was riding and when i should gas up. I became paranoid. No doubt due to the fatigue from the long ride. Remember that my longest ride in one day had been no more than 1 hour each way. I stopped for gas, topped up and kept going. About every other town i did this. I was getting more frustrated with each stop since it was stretching out my trip. Self doubt also began to set in. Had i taken on more than i knew? Was this old Suzuki GS 550 ready for this sort of trip?
I cut north to join Highway 4. At this point, I was getting close. I knew these towns. I could feel it. No more troubles. I stopped at what i thought would be my last stopping point. Lacrosse Kansas. Remember names from youth and trips to Hays to meet up. Football games, sneaking into bars, living life. I was relaxed again, despite not knowing how many miles i was going at a time. i did know that this was a planned stopping point to make it in to Cedar Bluff. I was ready, kick ass! Made it!
Not so fast…
I was rolling west on this nice, somewhat scenic plains road , up and down the subtle hills and realized something. I was not maintaining speed. What what what !
My rear break was dragging. I made this far, literally the point where i turn to head north up to Cedar Bluff. Why now. WTF! I pulled over at an open lot that had a single , unattended gas pump. My caliper was smoking. I am hosed! No , not really I know how to break it loose. Popped up the seat and dug out the tools that came with this classic beast from Suzuki. After a few attempts, i was not able to crack the screws open to bleed the pressure off. Luckily, another rider had filled up and saw i was struggling with my ride. i chatted with him a while and he pulled out of his fancy , GIGANTIC Harley bagger ,a shiny new took kit. Fresh with small sockets. Boom… problem fixed. Caliper relaxed. I was now free to journey up the most scenic portion of the road . Curves, limestone outcroppings, a scenic lake view. Fun times were back.
Upon arriving at my parents RV site, i felt a wave of satisfaction . i was still concerned about how things went to complete crap on my motorcycle, but i did make it.
After checking things out, i realized that my chain had also become so stretched that it was clanking on the swing arm. #not safe.
What the hell had happened in the last 1 hour of riding that caused all of this. I think my midlife bike basically flipped me off.. I was able to adjust the wheel, tighten things back up, however i was maxed out. No more room. This cant be good i thought. My chain is much worse than i thought. Ok, so as long as my brakes are fine now, i’ll be ok.
Wrong Answer
I went to dinner with my parents, relaxed, and stretched out. The next day I tackled the brakes. Bled them like a mad man. No air. All was good. I rode around and journey’d to the park entrance. At this point, I squeezed in the clutch and SLOWED DOWN . Still binding up. I raised the white flag. Surrender. This was the end of my journey. I rode over 300 miles, spent over 5 1/2 hours on that motorcycle in one day. Got to see my family. My father , the helper in chief, didn’t object to an impromptu trip across Kansas to bring me safely back home with my bike.
In the End
My goal was to ride to see my parents. I did that!. I pressed myself and my motorcycle beyond a comfort zone (and safe zone). Much needed repairs were also clearly identified.
- Brake Caliper -Needing rebuilding, cleaning
- Master Cylinder -Needing Rebuilding
- Chain- Needed to be replaced
- Speedometer Cable needing replaced
I crossed a point where the ride became more about safely getting to my destination than taking in that open road vibe. Was safe considering the risks? I learned that i could tolerate a ride of this nature and given repairs to my motorcycle , it could as well.
This was the end . It was also the beginning. There will be more adventures and more sites. Being a native Kansan, I experienced towns and sites I’ve never seen. This was definitely not something i expected. Isn’t that what it’s all about. Experience life , see the sites, push yourself. Until next time. Ride on .