Friday, November 2, 2012

Fall 2012 Ride - Intro

September 21, 2012, I needed to be in Altus, Oklahoma for Mom's 80th Birthday. This was the main reason for the trip, but I also wanted to visit more friends & places. A similar trip in 2006 was 4 weeks in length, and not nearly long enough to see everyone & everywhere I wanted to.

Then I got word of my 40th High School Class Reunion in Brookhaven, Mississippi, 2 weeks after Mom's birthday.  Hmmm ... I can make this happen!

Then I thought, 2 weeks is a long time. I'm planning to stay with Mom for a week, but that gives me a week to get to Brookhaven. Hmmm ... I could visit relatives in Illinois in between.  Then I started mapping out routes and locations of friends & family to visit.

While we (my brother, sister, & I) planned a surprise party for Mom, I had a nearly 3-week, +4000 mile ride in August with friends to Oregon, Washington, & Idaho.

Ms. Caponord needed some maintenance before the Fall trip, so I ordered parts. I also ordered and staged a new rear tire at a friend's place in Texas. I was coaching most weekends earlier in the year to help pay for the trip.  It was all slowly coming together.

Packing for a 6-7 week trip can be challenging. Especially if you are bring all of your camping gear to help keep trip costs down, and carrying a computer!  Hopefully the weather will cooperate <cue sinister soundtrack>.

All the work was done. On the final test ride, my new right rear turn signal which worked fine for 2 days, was dead. It tested fine with +12v applied to the correct wire to the signal. No time to tear the fairing & electrical apart. I would use hand signals for right-hand turns for the whole trip. It just would not be right to start a long ride with your Italian Mistress(tm) and there not be some electrical drama!  Glad it was minor.  :-)

Photos links: Fall 2012 Ride, The Swetsville Zoo, Mom's 80th Birthday Party, Chaplin family photos, Kynda's Frisbee Day, and the Commemorative Air Force Museum, in Mesa, AZ.

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