The Motorcycle Diaries

So far I've left the Blogosphere clear of my motorcycle escapades/history.  Due to numerous requests to see pics of my bike, etc. I thought it was time to post a few and to share some of  my good and not so good riding experiences.

My first ride was a 1992 BMW K75RT. 



K75RT in the Idaho Sawtooth Mountains

 This was my first motorcycle and the bike I learned to ride on.  It was recommended to me by my good friend Michael Nikunen who also started out on a K75.  I rode it solo from SD up to McCall and back for my first really big motorcycle tour. Here is a shot of the little three banger Beemer up in the Idaho Sawtooths.  This bike puts out 75hp with a published top speed of 136 mph. I put around 20,000 miles on the K75 and when I felt I needed a bit more power I bought another bigger BMW and kept the K75 for a spare.  This is also the bike Jake learned to ride on. 



My next bike was a 1996 K1100RS BMW.  Newer, stronger, faster than the K75. with 105 hp and a published top end of 154 mph.   Somehow I was under the impression that I just wasn't going fast enough on the little three banger.  I put about 12,000 miles on this beauty.  

K1100RS












After the K1100 I got crazy and bought a brand new 2005 Yamaha FJR1300.  Once again, Mr. Nikunen  is partly to blame because he had one and loved it and after tons of research I was convinced that this would be the perfect bike for me.  This bike puts out 145 hp with a top speed of 165 mph.  Remember, this is the PUBLISHED top end.  I can't attest that it'll actually go that fast but I also don't doubt it for a second.  This bike is seriously FAST!


FJR1300 Right out of the box

I LOVED THIS BIKE!!!  It was a comfy long distance cruiser as well as a great bike for carving up the canyons.  Had not some of the bad stuff happened I could have kept this bike for the rest of my life.  More on the bad stuff later in this post.





Kawasaki Concours



After the bad stuff happened I took a couple of years off motorcycle riding and have finally got myself back in the saddle.  My newest ride is a 2002 Kawasaki Concours.  I bought it slightly used only a month ago from a nice old guy who only rode it to church on Sundays.  It had 11,400 miles on it and it still looks new.  This bike puts out 108 hp and has a top speed of 137mph.


This is sort of a poor man's FJR but it will do what I need done quite nicely.  I'm getting it ready for some serious cross country starting this fall.


This link will take you to the good stuff: Bike Pics


Now for the bad stuff . . .  a little background . . . Once again I was riding with my friends Michael, Rob, Gary & Mike and we were up in Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado, when to avoid a monster Elk in the road I managed to run into my friend Michael on his bike.  I went down and Michael stayed up but both my bike and I were the losers in the altercation.  Bottom line was I shattered my clavicle, broke several ribs, broke my thumb and partially collapsed a lung.  After the crack medical team in Granby Colorado decided that I needed professional assistance they put me on an ambulance two hours to Denver with lights flashing and sirens blasting.  I was so doped up I thought it was a very fun ride.  Anyway here are a few shots of the bad stuff: Bike Bad Things