My two Ducs and 70 degrees

After exclusively riding the XT225 for the last few weeks and 500 miles, I needed to take the ST3 out for a ride today. I haven’t been on this bike since October 14, the day I picked it up from the dealership after the install of the new ECU and exhaust springs. I only rode it 2 miles to the house and it’s been sitting ever since. The truth….. well, it’ not pretty, but having four bikes means that now some of them sit for a longer period of time, as I only have weekends to ride. But I can’t let them sit too long, gas does go bad after two months usually, so sooner or later I have to empty out the tank and fill it up with new gas by riding the bike. Actually I could siphon out old gas and replace it with new gas, but gas is so expensive, why would anyone want to do that if they could ride the bike.

So I take the ST3 out for a ride today. The sky is cloudy but the temperatures are warm. Some of the bank signs are reporting 71 degrees. Today was the warmest day yet this Thanksgiving weekend. At one point I was a bit too warm, but as soon as I got out of the suburbs the air felt a lot cooler. Either that or the roads opened up, free of traffic and I could increase my speed and not stop so much.





Look at the one cow on the left, looks like a kitty cat, turning around to look at me



My ST3 on Tower Road near Burlington, IL

We've got a curve or two here

The adjustment period. I’ve noticed in the past, when I ride the 954RR a lot and then I jump on the ST3, I notice the added weight of the ST3 right away, I always need about 15-30 minutes to adjust to the ST3 after I haven’t been on that bike a while. But I’ve never had as big of an adjustment as today jumping from the XT to the ST3.

Pulling out of the driveway was almost scary, and I’ve gotten so used to sitting upright on the XT that leaning forward on the ST3 seemed almost exaggerated, I felt as if I was lying down on the tank with my arms stretched out forward, like superman. Right turns felt strange, oh yea, I kept reminding myself “you have to lean to turn”. I almost forgot, since on the XT I actually turn the handle bars to make slow right turns. After about an hour I was in sync with the ST3 and it felt like my bike again, not some weird contraption that I’ve never operated before in my life.

It’s so weird how I get used to my bikes and the longer I spend riding one, the harder it is to adjust to the other. The adjustment from dual-sport to sport-bike or sport-touring bike is a bigger adjustment then from sport-bike to sport-touring bike.

Holiday lights on Fox River in St. Charles, IL

So I headed west. Today as yesterday, I noticed a lot of activity around people’s houses. May were putting up lights and Christmas decorations, I also saw many Christmas trees on top of the car roofs. When the night fell, there was noticeably a lot of Christmas lights, that always reminds me of Texas over the Holidays, since I’m not able to ride around Illinois during the holidays due to cold weather and snow.







900SS and holiday lights, still warm at 8PM

XT break in is complete

Another amazing November day, low 60’s, a bit hazy, no wind. I got out there early today, so psyched that today I would reach 600 miles on the odometer and I’d be done breaking in the XT.





On Buzzell Road somewhere between Sycamore and Burlington, I came upon a Llama farm. Buzzell road started really nice, but went to crap, with big chunks of gravel. I realized something today, big chunks of gravel or deep gravel suck even on a dual sport.



Buzzell Road nice section



Buzzell Road nasty section



That’s some big gravel





Darnell Road had two pretty good curves, the gravel got really deep in the second turn, Mt. Hunger road also had a turn or two. I also rode many badly paved roads. Its impossible to figure out which roads are dirt and which are paved using maps, the state maps don’t have these little roads and my Illinois Atlas shows them all as paved. The only way to know for sure is to ride them all.



This above was Roosevelt Rd, and it was pretty cool even had a turn, it went on for like a mile or two and then all the sudden I was in someone’s driveway. That always kind of sucks. Some of these dirt roads lead to people’s farms and houses, they have street signs on them, they look like regular roads.



The sun again hangs low on the horizon, time to head home. I did 180 miles today and got home with 598 miles on the odometer. I carried some stuff today just to see how much stuff I can strap on to the bike, my old Chase Harper tail bag is a bit too small and my Nelson-Rigg tail bag is to big. I used my Chase Harper bag today but not much stuff fit in there. Funny, when I started touring, all I'd have is that tail bag and a tank bag. Now it seems I bring a lot of stuff with me and require larger bags.



Today I tried wearing my Dragon goggles, it’s so cool that I can wear goggles with the Arai XD helmet.





Shield open and closed with goggles

Geneva, IL

Another beautiful day, even warmer then yesterday. I started the day by practicing for adventure riding.



Today’s ride was a short one, though the cornfields and back to the suburbs. It’s so funny, I live so close to Geneva but I‘ve never been to see it.

I couldn’t believe there was so much treacherous terrain in the center of town, what an eye sore, but fun to ride through.





Fox River





Cool.... a kayak place



A light tower



A really cool windmill standing near the river off of RT 25





Sunset over the Fox River

Oregon, IL: Devils Back Bone Rd

Happy Thanksgiving! It was a high of 60 degrees today, so of course I went riding. In the last few years it has either been snowing or in the 20’s on Thanksgiving, the last time I remember riding on Thanksgiving day in Chicagoland was 2001. I usually tow the bike somewhere warmer so I can ride, no need this year, it’s going to be in the high 50’s for the next four days.

I took the XT225 for a long ride today, I’m still breaking it in and since December is approaching fast, I really need to get that done so I can bring the bike in for service before the snow hits and do a few mods before my big dual-sport ride end of December.

I didn’t buy this bike to ride so far on paved roads, but I want to be done with the break in already, so I headed out to Oregon, IL where there is a road that I’ve tired to ride before, but when I got there I realized it was a dirt road. The Devils Back Bone Road is less then 3 miles long, but has a few nice corners on it, so I could practice my cornering. Also, this road has some mild elevation changes, nothing major, but fun for me since I’ve never been on dirt prior to getting this bike.



I’m trying to get as much experience on dirt before I head to Texas at the end of December to ride in the Chisos Mountains. Unfortunately, Illinois is flat, so the dirt roads around here are not very challenging, if I was to head out to the Iowa border or up to Wisconsin, there are some nice dirt roads there, but that’s a bit far of a ride end of November.





Straight dirt roads and empty fields near Chana, IL









Devils Back Bone Road

Since I had some time to explore, I went and checked out White Pine State Park and Castle Rock State Park.



Castle Rock State Park and Rock River



On RT 2 near Oregon, IL

After that I headed over towards Byron Nuclear Generating Station, I love the whooshing sound of the two pressurized water reactors. There are a few good paved roads around here, but you can’t get too close to the nuclear generating station, even on this road dirt road, there was a no trespassing sign posted, I turned back around, last time I went taking pictures near the station, a car pulled up and a man with a machine gun told me stop taking pictures and to leave. Apparently since 9/11, taking pictures of a nuclear plant is a no-no.



Today I was going to try Spring Creek Road, it looked like it had a few curves on a map, and it did, nothing great, this is the flat Midwest, it did offer some nice views of the steam stacks.



Byron Nuclear Generating Station

The rest of scenery around here is pretty dull around here, fields and more fields. These cows were making a lot of noise though, I’ve never head so many moo so loud.



The sun sets now at 4:30PM, so I started to make my way back home, 60 miles from home I witnessed a wonderful sun set.



Then the sun went down and so did the temperatures, the next hour and half was a bit rough since I was cold, but once I entered the suburbs, the temperature rose a bit. I got home at 6:30PM chilled to the bone, but it was worth it and now I have 360 miles on the odometer.

I did 230 miles today, this is what I’ve noticed:

The XT will go as fast as 66MPH on a downhill, 57MPH on an uphill and 63MPH on a straight road, mind you this is Illinois, I didn’t ride any steep roads.

After riding for a few hours at 50 degrees and 60MPH without a windscreen or heated grips or a heated vest, it’s COLD! I’m so spoiled having all the goodies on my other bikes.

Even though the clutch on this bike is the softest that I’ve ever seen, when you pull it in a gazillion times, your left hand starts to hurt just like on any other bike.

At 60PMH I think this bike feels very stable on pavement, even going though the corners.
The headlight is pretty good on this bike

This bike is not very comfortable for long distances, it’s really not the seat that bothers me, but more so the upright seating position, the only way to be comfortable is to slouch, but after a few hours my back starts to hurt. Also. My knees were bothering me after all those hours, I’m definitely more comfortable on a sport bike and having my feet up higher and towards the back.

Munich: Castle Neuschwanstein

Today was our day off and tomorrow we are flying home. Two other co-workers and I rented a car and drove to the Lechtal and Allgäu Alps where the Castle Neuschwanstein (New Swan Castle) is located. The castle was built between 1869 and 1886 by King Ludwig II of Bavaria and is now under consideration to be one of the "New 7 Wonders of the World". Not only that, but the Disney castle was designed to look like the Neuschwanstein castle. It’s really an amazing place, I’m so glad I got to see it.

Read more info about the castle here:
http://www.neuschwanstein.com/english/index.htm









Some towns we passed on the way



Even though today was only in the low 50’s and drizzling, I think I rather be riding like this guy



The castle from the road



The castle is near the town of Fussen, which is near the Austrian border









Fussen







Village of Hohenschwangau



Castle Hohenschwangau built by Ludwig’s II father



This is how we got to the castle

We did a tour of the castle, it's the only way to see the inside. It's amazing, although there was no photography allowed inside accept from the windows, so you’ll just have to go there yourself if you want to see it.











Castle Neuschwanstein







Views from the castle

We walked all the way down to the car, the road is very steep, it got dark and it was drizzling again.



Castle Hohenschwangau at night