No, the city didn’t close down but I came down with a really lovely cold and wasn’t well enough to make the trip. I was all packed and ready to go but had a conference call to take first thing. I figured that was fine because it would also give things outside a chance to warm up from 29 degrees. As the conference call went forward I felt progressively worse and when the call concluded I felt like the only option I had was to unpack, stay home, and stay warm.
Category: vintage touring
The Vintage Touring category describes my adventures aboard Otus, my 1977 BMW R100/7 motorcycle.
headed to tucson, az
Business is good and I’m headed to Tucson, AZ for a client meeting. I don’t like flying but I do like riding my motorcycle so I’ll be riding Otus to Tucson! I’m going to pace myself and take a few days to get there. When I got to Paonia, CO this summer I was ready to burn my motorcycle and I don’t want to feel that way ever again. To prevent rider burnout I’m going to take three days to get there and three days to get back so I’ll still be on speaking terms with Otus and my butt.
My Proposed Route
I plan on stopping about every 500 miles so that means Dalhart, TX on Thursday night, Las Cruces, NM Friday night, and Tucson, AZ on Saturday. Client meetings are Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday and then I’ll head for home Wednesday morning. I’ll reverse course and plan on being home Friday evening. Stay tuned for more details on the trip and watch for a Spotwalla tracking map!
adding cargo capacity
I’ve always liked Givi products. Otus features a Givi windscreen and I have been coveting their luggage for some time. With the addition of the R1150R I needed a top case so I went with the Givi E55 Maxia 3. Givi makes a mount designed specifically for the R1150R so that was added to the order. Givi also makes a universal mount that allows me to use the top case on Otus. So, one top case, two mounts, and a couple of hours in the garage and I added 55 liters of carrying capacity to both motorcycles. Check out the pictures!
saturday burn & turn
This Saturday I had an invitation from our youngest daughter to meet her for a Father/Daughter event at K-State so naturally I traveled on two wheels. This was my second non-commute trip on Otus since I changed out the final drive to lower his gear ratio. Just like the maiden voyage, riding Otus at speed is now pure pleasure. I can run at 75 mph and the motor turns at roughly 4,500 rpm. With the original gearing at 65 mph the motor spun at 4,500 rpm. That’s not hard on the venerable old boxer motor but I’m more relaxed when Otus isn’t working as hard. Also that lower gear ratio gives me a little more top end which makes passing much less work.
Oh, and I stopped for coffee at La Prima Tazza in Lawrence. Delicious! The flags in the picture are attached to a bicycle safety flag pole attached to a recumbent trike. Lawrence, like Austin, always keepin’ it weird!
