In garage getting ready to leave
On the side of the road just after entering Kansas
Somewhere south of Wichita, set the camera on the ground and hoped this pic works
Where I am right now, Day's Inn in Wichita. I'm uploading thses photos while I wait for Stephen to show up. I'm afraid he ran into some rain East of here so he might be late getting here.
The knobby back tire I mounted on the back of my BMW R100 for this trip.
Stephen at 65mph. We had just left Wichta KS, We were able to avoid rain the whole day thanks to Stephen suggesting we take a more southern route,
My motorcycle decided to take a nap. I spilled her in the deep sand in the corner. Stephen was nice enought to first grab his camera with me still laying on the ground, but the pic is on his camera, not mine so I cant post it right now.
After we picked up my motorcycle and got her out of the sand. I set the camera on a fence post. This is somewhere about 100 miles west of Wichita.
Just another pic. Funny thing is, although we were way out on a section road, no farm houses nearby, when we continued on, we found some people were working cows about 100 yrds away.
This is Belvidere Kansas. Halfway between Wichita and Dodge City along a dirt road.
This is Hally, she runs the store, we had a nice time talking to her, She was very friendly and told us a little bit of the history of the town, She grew up here.
Somewhere at a rest stop on a dash to Liberal where we plan to stay the night. I am walking to the camera thinking the timer didnt work. We had strong cross winds that switched from out of the south, to out of the north in the afternoon.
About 20 east of Liberal KS., last stop before we got ot Liberal where I am right now, in a Super 8 motel, writing this. Tomorrow we hope to make it to either Trinidad CO, or Raton NM.
Monday morning at a motorcycle shop in Liberal KS, Stephen had both front and back new tires mounted and balanced. The owner was very nice to begin work on Stephens tires before he opened. We go lucky and got an early start.
Stephen somewhere in the middle of westen Kansas. We are stopped for a break
Stephen up the road taking photos. The dirt roads way out here in west Kansas are WAY easier to ride than the ones in central Kansas that we were on yesterday, at least for me they are, Stephen never had any problems like I did yesterday.
I think this is way out west Kansas in a town called Springfield KS. We stopped for gas.
Me taking a photo at 70 mph. We are on paved roads here. It was around here we entered Colorado, on these back roads there was no sign telling us we were in Colorado, but our GPS units said we were.
Photo for Kim Reese. :) This is Kim Colorado. I never heard of this town.
We stopped for a break in Kim Colorado. The landscape is still flat as a pancake in this area.
Stephen on the road in east Colorago, we are on our last dash to Tinidad.
Stephen at speed.
Photo I took, you can see how fast we were going.
We made it to Trinidad just as the sun was setting. This is the cozy motel we found.
TUESDAY We have left Trinidad Colorado and are now heading east. We stopped for a photo looking back towards Trinidad.
Just a photo along the dirt road we are following out of Trinidad Colorado.
Stephen, (who later in the day saves my butt)
We are about 20 miles east of Trinidad. It's warming up quickly, when we left Trinidad it was 37 degress.
We wanted a photo of the cool mountains and mesas
Somewhere along the road stopping to get directions and look at the GPS.
Stephen driving slow trying to cut his way through these cows. This road is within an "Open Range" where there are few fences.
The cows allow Stephen through.
Stopped to look at GPS's and maps.
The Adventure begins! This is a "road" that according to the GPS we should take. We did, Turned out, an hour later it came to a dead end at a fence with no gate.
Along the trail we took, We stopped and began seriously wondering if this was the correct way. The trail is getting VERY rough! This is out in the middle of NO WHERE New Mexico. Seriously, we are way out, miles and miles from any civilization.
We are still following this trail
Stopped... wondering where in the hell we are.
We had to do a few small water crossings, this looks simple, it isnt with a fully loaded 500+ lbs bike.
Stephen decides to walk his thru, to help avoid sinking in the muck.
DEAD END!!! We followed this trail until we could go no further due to a fence.... a fence... WAY OUT here? We have to follow the trail back out.
We actually got lost trying to follow the trail we came in on. We finally found the way. (whew!)
We are back on the right road/trail. This is a nice overlook of a vally we are descending into.
Playing with the camera. Important side note: At this point the alternator light on my bike is glowing dimly, but I dont notice it. You will see what happens later.
Descending into the beautiful valley.
Now we're back on flat land, heading east.
My bike dies!!! I was cruising along st 65mph and suddenly it looses power momentarily then just quits. We try everything we can to fix it, The man and wife stop to help. He drove back to his ranch and brought back jumper cables and A BATTERY for me to put in my bike! This man is a true Saint. He told us to hang the jumper cables on the fence post and he'll pick them up some other day. Stephen had the GREAT idea to tape a $20 bill to them when we left them on the fence post. We did, (I just made a long story short)
We tried everything we could think of concerning why my bike wasnt charging the battery. Stephen has tons of emergency parts and we start diagnosing and swapping out things, alternator rotor, stator, voltage regulator, nothing works, So we put in the battery that the man GAVE us, I removed all lights that might drain the battery and I then made a b-line to Boise City Oklahoma, almost 50 miles away, the nearest town. Stephen follows.
We make it to Boise City and check in the only motel. That silver thing on the back of my motorcyle is the front engine cover, We didnt put it back on for the dash to Boise City.
The only thing we havnt replaced was the "Diode Board". Here is Stephen with a replacement he was carrying, We put it on my bike and charging problem solved!!! I wish I could give the battery back to the man who gave it to us earlier. And Stephen saves my butt. Thanks Stephen.
WEDNESDAY............. This is my original battery, we ran some wires from the the battery in the bike to this one so it would get recharged up. This battery was dead and replaced yesterday with the one given to me by the rancher way out in western New Mexico. Later in the day, after it recharge, I put it back in my bike and gave the one that was given to me to a local motorcycle dealer in Liberal Kansas.
Today we drove dirt roads along the route from Boise City Ok, to Liberal KS. Today was mostly spent making up time lost yesterday when my bike died and repaired.
This is Stephen at speed. On many of these dirt roads way out in western Oklahoma we could cruise at 60mph. On a few we nearly got stuck in mud!
Stephen
An old gas station in a little town in western Oklahoma, I cant remember the name of the town right now. I think it was Gate Oklahoma, ,,,I think
Me at that old gas station, wish it could talk!
Stephen taking pictures.
My shadow while driving to Kansas.
We stopped in a little town in Kansas looking for a motel for the night, we talked to these guys on main street for a litle while. Turns out there are no motels, so we drove back to Alva Oklahoma to find a motel for the night, which is where I am right now posting these wednesday photos.
THURSDAY...... Sorry, the internet connection is too slow to add captions to the photos, I'll just say today was MUDDY!! I went down three times today, Stephen didnt crash once! We made it to Bartlesville tonight.
Mud is getting worse as we head east into north central Oklahoma. Little did we know how bad it was going to get as we continued east.
We stopped to watch an oil drilling unit for a while.
Back wheel completely stuffed with mud!!
North Central Oklahoma some where
I crashed AGAIN. This time I think it was because the front whell stopped turing cause the front fender was stuffed with this mud.
My bike napping in the mud. Its had to tell whats going on in this photo. Bike is laying on its left side, the left cylinder is completely buried in the mud!
This is MUD. Bad stuff, I headed for the tall weeds on the right. No way could I have made it thru this stuff. no way. At least the weeds might keep me from sinking and maybe give me some traction. Little did I know, there was little tiny "rivers" running through the weeds! Oh, notice Stephen made it through just fine, I hated him.
Me in the tall weeds trying to go around the mud. If you look closely, my bike has SUNK in the mud, its only up to my knees and its standing up on it's own from being buried in the mud. Stephen had to come help push it out. (This is one of my favorite phtos from the trip)
We are having fun with a nearby road sign.
Stopped after the mug bog, getting the mud off the wheels so they will turn.
I had to take my front fender off cause it kept getting STUFFED with mud making the front wheel stop turning and acting like a ski. I left it off for the rest of the day and on into the next day. I out the white tape on the front of the fender to stop the sand from blowing off the wheel then back into my face. It worked pretty good, until I had to take the fender completely off!
Who needs front fenders?
At a car wash in North central Oklahoma. We hosed each other down to cause our pants had lots of mud on them.
Cant go any further down this road! We had to turn around and look for alternative roads.
Stephen drove though this!
Stephen proving his bike's manliness. I couldnt go thru this stuff. It was too deep.
At a Sonic Drive in somewhere in north central Oklahoma
Wide open (and dry) spaces! We could cruise these roads at 50 mph for hours.
At a motel in Bartlesville Oklahoma, Thursday night.
FRIDAY
oops mistake photo.
Entering Eastern Oklahoma, Trees!!!!
Stephen tieing his rear fender back cause it was rubbing on the tire from time to time.
Lovely tree lined county roads.
Thats the Illinois River on the left, rocks on the right.
Another one of my favorite photos.
We meet another off-roader on the road WAY back in a nature preserve in eastern Oklahoma.
Saturday in Salisaw Oklahoma, The last hotel before we meet up with fellow BMW guys down near Talihina Oklahoma
Me just playin with the camera
CRISIS !! Some how the left valve cover has a hole punched in it !!! I parked the bike on the side stand at the gas station and oil started running out! This hole apparently has been there for a while because there was oil on the muffler behind it. This must be fixed.
We decided to leave the hole in the valve cover and drive 60 miles down to Kens where the BMW rally is. There I could take my time and fix it right. Here is a photo with the valve cover removed.
Using "JB Weld" to patch the hole.
Valve cover being repaired.
At the BMW Rally. There was about 20+ fellow BMW Airhead riders there.
SUNDAY, Me and Stephen saying goodbye. :(
Last photo, 8 days, total miles for me, 2026, almost 1000 of those miles on dirt roads. I am truely honored to have been Stephens riding companion, We had a LOT of fun! After this photo, I drove 300 miles home, on paved roads this time. :)
