| CVO Camaraderie Weekend Road Trip > April 23-25, 2010 Meet for Lunch > Saturday, April 24th, 11:30ish Cattlemen's Steakhouse 1309 S. Agnew Avenue Oklahoma City, OK 73108 |
| Phoenix (Glendale) to Oklahoma City |
| The Plan: Complete most, if not all, of this route Friday, April 23rd. Any riders wanting to join the fun along this route, contact me below. See you soon! |
| A BIG THANK YOU to Don! "TwoLaneRider" |
| Click Here |
| The scoots at Cattlemen's Steakhouse in OKC. I think TLR is sending a secret message. |
| Spy's Scoot |
| Ghost Riders' Scoot |
| Cobb's Scoot |
| TwoLaneRider's Scoot |
| CVO Group Photo |
This is a condensed recap of my recent Iron Butt cruise from Glendale, AZ to Chickasha, OK. Regarding weather, the wind speeds are estimated. All indicated times are, Local. All odometer and trip readings are in miles. Trip mile indications are cumulative. Friday, April 23, 2010 6:35 AM – Departed – Glendale, AZ Odometer: 11,153 Trip: 0 Weather: Partly Sunny > Mild Wind > 56*F Fuel: Full Following nearly an hour, clearing traffic within the Phoenix city limits, the ride north on I-17 began well. The road surface was dry and clear. Traffic was moderate. Approaching Munds Park, AZ; about twenty miles south of Flagstaff, the clouds began to grow thick and dark. Snow flurries soon fell and the road condition worsened. The snow and slush created bowling alleys for highway lanes. A local bank sign in Flagstaff flashed: 24* … 8:44 AM. But, the Gerbing’s Heated Gloves, Jacket Liner and Insoles performed like a champ. I never had either dial of the Dual Control rotated above half capacity. My apparel consisted of the following: Schampa Silkweight Dual Balaclava under a Nolan N103 Helmet; Cotton short-sleeve t-shirt under a Cabela’s Premium Thermal long- sleeve shirt. This was covered by a Gerbing’s Heated Jacket Liner (H-D version) and an FXRG Textile Jacket. Gerbing’s Heated Gloves (H-D version) enveloped my hands, keeping my digits warm and dry. LL Bean Flannel-lined Jeans over Cabela’s Premium Thermal underwear. I pulled on the FXRG Rain Pants during the fuel stop in Flagstaff. And, Original SWAT Air 9 Waterproof Boots with Gerbing’ s Heated Insoles and a pair of cotton crew socks kept the toes toasty. 8:47 AM – Arrived – Flagstaff, AZ Odometer: 11,301 Trip: 148 Weather: Snow Flurries > Wind 15 – 20 MPH > 24*F Fuel: 4.6 Gallons ( Phoenix traffic ) 8:56 AM – Departed Climbing out of Flagstaff, I40 East surpasses an elevation of six-thousand feet prior to Gallup, NM. The temperatures ranged from high 20’s to low 40’s. The scoot powered me down the highway and up the grades with authority. 12:32 PM – Arrived – Gallup, NM Odometer: 11,508 Trip: 355 ( Cumulative ) Weather: Cloudy > Wind 20 – 25 MPH > 41*F Fuel: 4.7 Gallons 12:43 PM – Departed Mostly cloudy skies surrendered to the strength of the sunshine and this made for some beautiful scenery. The ride was going very well, complimented nicely by the mountain landscape. The scoot continued to motor along with abundant power in reserve. Passing slower traffic, while climbing up grade, came with ease. This, in spite of carrying full saddlebags, a large fully packed touring bag and my not-so-small frame. ( 6’ 4” / 255 lbs ) 2:54 PM – Arrived – Albuquerque, NM Odometer: 11,648 Trip: 495 Weather: Sunny > Wind 20 – 30 MPH > 48* Fuel: 3.26 Gallons 3:38 PM – Departed This served as my lunch stop consisting of a quick sandwich, water and a chunk of dark chocolate. The oil level in the scoot indicated: Full. : ) A brief safety check of lights, tires, fasteners and cargo revealed they were functioning well, properly inflated and intact. Winds continued to gain momentum, often gusting to something in excess of 40 MPH. ( In my humble estimation ) 6:06 PM – Arrived – Tucumcari, NM Odometer: 11,818 Trip: 665 Weather: Mostly Sunny > Wind 25 – 40 MPH > 42* Fuel: 3.1 Gallons 6:17 PM – Departed Wow! The wind was brutal, gusting from the South, nearly causing involuntary lane changes. Maintaining a speed of 65 MPH proved difficult. I briefly considered stopping for the night in Tucumcari. The wind gusts were so strong, the scoot was literally moving around while I was filling the fuel tank. The decision was made. “Press on!” I shouted out loud. ( I’m glad nobody was around ) It was time to bear down and make some progress. 8:42 PM – Arrived – Amarillo, TX Odometer: 11,932 Trip: 779 Weather: Sun has set > Wind 30 – 45 MPH > 50* Fuel: 2.4 Gallons 8:54 PM – Departed This was my shortest run between stops. Go ahead, I know you can guess the cause. Hint: Rhymes with send! I spoke with, “Cobb,” indicating my intention of completing the trip. He and, “D105,” stated they would ride West and meet me in Clinton, OK. How’s that for camaraderie! We agreed that I would call again when I was near Clinton. 11:08 PM – Arrived – Clinton, OK Odometer: 12,101 Trip: 948 Weather: Clear > Plenty of stars twinkling in the sky > Wind 10 – 15 MPH > 52* Fuel: 4.2 Gallons 11:27 PM – Departed What are the odds? The Zumo 660 indicated a Shell station on Gary Blvd in Clinton. I remembered the location from previous trips. The Shell station is just West - Northwest of the Route 66 Museum. I decided to ride in and fuel-up and, while there, I would call Cobb. Well, I arrived and, guess who is setting at the gas pumps? You betcha! “I thought you were going to call,” Cobb said, while wearing a huge grin. “D and I have been here about five minutes!” Friends, that’s timing! We exchanged greetings and spoke for a few minutes. ( It was great to finally put some faces with names ) But, it was time to get back on the road. We fired the V-Twins and motored toward Norman, OK. Saturday, April 24, 2010 12:45 AM – Arrived – Norman, OK Odometer: 12,206 Trip: 1,053 Weather: Clear > Mild Wind > 52* Fuel: 3.7 Gallons ( They require a bit more fuel when running slightly above the posted limit ) Fuel Total at this point: 25.96 Gallons Average Miles Per Gallon: 40.56 < Nice > 12:57 AM – Departed We enjoyed the cruise and made good time! Now, it was on to Cobb’s place where a warm shower and bed awaited. My hosts, Cobb and D105 could not have been more accommodating. I was immediately made to feel at, “home.” Every trip is truly enriched when you have the pleasure of meeting honest, genuine comrades. Folks who instantly make you aware of this simple truth: It is always about the people! 1:35 AM – Arrived – Chickasha, OK Odometer: 12,233 Trip: 1,080 Weather: Great! Shower: Greater! Bed: Greatest! Result: Mission accomplished! And, best of all: Did I mention the people! 2:20 AM – Zzzzzzzzzzzzzz My odometer indicated one-thousand miles approximately fifty-two miles beyond Clinton, OK. I made a mental note of the time, marking it as, 12:08 AM. Summary: Total miles traveled: 1,080 Total time on the road: 17 hours, 0 minutes Total elapsed time to travel 1,000 miles: 15 hours, 33 minutes A check of the SERK’s oil level found it needed nothing. It was low by approximately four ounces. Following our, “Spider Lunch,” ( and a great one it was ) Saturday afternoon, we rode back to Cobb’s place. I packed the scoot, exchanged good-bye’s and departed at 3:22 PM. I began the return trip better equipped due to the Homemade Chocolate Chip Cookies supplied by Cobb and D. Thank you! I steered the SERK West through much of the same wind. The difference being, it was now blowing across Chickasha as I began the return trip. It did not let up until just East of Amarillo. I stayed in the saddle until arriving in Gallup, NM at 1:52 AM. Total distance traveled: 679 miles Sunday morning was crisp and clear. There was not a cloud in the sky. I pressed the START button, bringing the SERK to life at 10:18 AM. The temp was a comfortable 56*. The cruise home, through Flagstaff and on to Phoenix was beautiful. Picture-Post-Card perfect! I pulled into the driveway just prior to 3:00 PM to a balmy 89*. The scoot performed flawlessly. She has a sweet spot, smooth and mellow, at 3,000 RPM. Depending on load and wind conditions, this delivers an approximate speed of 77 MPH. She is one sweet machine. And, during the course of the entire trip, she used about eight ounces of oil. Stellar! I am now blessed with new friends! A fantastic road trip, indeed! Life is good! |
| Iron Butt Ride - Glendale, AZ to Chickasha, OK April 23 - 24, 2010 |
| Charlie's '02 Screamin' Eagle Road King |