Meet Da'mu, the white whale

Introducing Da'mu, son of Da'mit, sired by Shamu II*.  He is a great white whale of a motorcycle rig. On the open road, a killer of interstate miles and miles and miles to go

This 1994 Honda Gold Wing GL1500 motorcycle with a Champion sidecar was waiting for me in Belton, Texas at what I thought was a reasonable price. For a twenty year old machine with 58,000 miles, it was in great shape. The test ride revealed however it would need a few repairs, adjustments and modifications for my intended use. As always and once again, one underestimates the actual $$$ and time for modifications, adjustments and repairs.

By now Da'mu has doubled in cost to own and set up properly for Iron Butt challenges. He is 96.7% ready for some serious long distance riding.

Some of the maintenance repairs were to clean and adjust carbs, sort out electrical gremlins, replace auxiliary fuel tanks and change all the fluids and filters.

The modifications for long distance riding were:
First was to go to the darkside, by installing an automobile tire on rear wheel, a rear motorcycle tire on the front and replace the automobile tire on the sidecar.
Then remove sidecar windshield and have a custom rain cover made for less wind resistance. i.e. better gas mileage.
Next was to replace the three gallon auxiliary gas tank with a five gallon tank so I would have more saddle time between fill ups.
Added Rigid LED driving lights for better nighttime visibility.
Mounted a larger display GPS and iPhone mount.
Removed the CB audio system, replacing it with a solid mount for the map case and tank bag.
Finally changed the front rake with an EZ Steer for less tiring all day riding.

Da'mu does not have two wheel drive or the higher ground clearance of Da'mit, but he does have reverse. We are now mapping out destinations, routes almost ready to roll.

So if you are wondering exactly where we are planning to go on our first big adventure together, let me give you a hint....

So many empty boxes to fill in and so little time... come May 2015, we hit the road, Da'mu and I.

Ride safe, ride long and have an adventure or two.

CCjon


* For those questioning minds, the original Shamu was female.  Shamu II was a male.

Falls Colors in the Rockies

In October, Amparo and I traveled to northern New Mexico to enjoy the changing colors of the aspen trees.  Mother nature put her best foot forward for us.

We drove some of the mountain back roads...

On the Picuris Indian reservation,  crossing a ravine was part of the aqueduct system.

It was two hollowed out logs carrying water from an irrigation ditch, across the ravine to a catch basin on the other side. We wondered how long those logs lasted before having to be replaced. 

The aspen were not the only part of nature showing off their colors. Where Angel Fire gets its name, the sky set ablaze by the setting sun.

The next morning we were treated to a sight of fresh snow on the highest peaks, high above the treeline of aspen and spruce below.

While driving around we spotted numerous wildlife. Though I gave up hunting several years ago, I still enjoy spotting wild animals, then quietly sitting and watching their behavior.

We spotted a hawk looking for its next meal.

Later we came across a hawk pinning a gopher to the ground. Looks like he caught a fresh meal. We got too close, frightening the hawk who flew off leaving the gopher behind. Shaking itself off, the gopher jumped up and dashed for the nearest hole. 

The mule deer studied us as we looked at them.

The pronghorn antelope seemed to cross the roadway unconcerned with traffic.

In the final hours of light, a herd of elk came out of the timber to feed. We counted 43 heads.

Our good friends, Mike and Laurel drove up to join in the tree watching. By the third day we were ready to see other sights, so we drove down to Taos and on to Santa Fe.

In Santa Fe, we took our friends to the Loretto Chapel to inspect the famous winding staircase.

Google Loretto Chapel for the full story and mystery behind this staircase.  It is hard to image this staircase, but everyone who sees it is in awe. How it that possible? How was it built? Who built it? All the questions that remain unanswered after a century and a half.

There is no center support or column for the staircase. The railings and side supports were added several years later as the nuns found it too scary to climb the stairs to reach the choir loft. To descend with no handrail, the nuns would sit down and slide down the stairs on their bums. Safety above modesty.

On our return drive we saw remnants from the frontier days of New Mexico history. 

The wheel on this ox cart was cut from the trunk of one tree. Must have been some rough riding, being out of round and all. 

This wagon has reached trails end. Our trip was relaxing and enjoyable with good friends and greats sights. We never get tired of visiting norther New Mexico even if it does take two days of driving to get there.

Ride on Brother,

A New Day's a Dawning

Still under construction.         Coming soon to a neighborhood near you.

Meet Da'mu, son of Da'mit sired by Shamu II. A sure footed steed in an all white, wide body Honda Gold Wing with Champion Escort sidecar - white, sleek, glides effortlessly and quietly. Doesn't create ripples or commotion as he approaches. Departs as silently as the sun sets.

Orcas are apex predators, i.e. lacking any natural enemies.  I hope that scientific study included consideration of eighteen-wheelers with threadbare tires and distracted cell-phone blathering socialites,  regarded by the two and three wheeled community as natural enemies. The Harley world claims loud pipes saves lives. That may be but a 130db air horn can slap their minds out of deep slumber with a thunderous jolt.

To those who might say, "Offspring of Da'mit and Shamu? OMG, not only is it a killer whale, it's a stubborn killer whale."     Mules are not stubborn, they simply refuse to endanger themselves or their riders. They see the world with an unwavering steadfast gaze. Unbudging, sort of like it's pig-headed rider. 

Wikipedia states white whales are highly intelligent sociable mammals with developed audible communication skills. Hmmm... being highly sociable and talkative, am confident Da'mu will make many new friends as we travel, entertaining strangers with tall tales of adventure from the open road, I'm sure.

Da'mu's fraternal side are part of the oceanic DOLPHIN family (Orcinus Orca), at home in all the world's oceans from the frigid Arctic and Antarctic to tropical seas. So Da'mu and I will be in our natural element then as we explore the breadth of the Americas together.

Da'mu is still getting his land legs together, a bit unsteady, yet will be ready for adventure touring soon. He awaits additional illumination, navigation, rain gear and a shakedown cruise or two.

Mornin' Da'mu, a new day's a dawning.

The stables empty, Da'mit's gone!

Da'mit has moved out, gone to greener pastures in north Texas, leaving an empty feeling in the air.

Those aren't misty eyes wistfully staring at the empty stall where Da'mit would await our next adventure.  Must be a foggy camera lens. 

Chris H, her new owner, says he and Da'mit will be giving his twin daughters rides in the country on a rig that has been to Alaska and back.

Seems like it was only yesterday when Da'mit and I first met.  In fact less than two years ago, in Atlanta, GA, December 2012. There was something special about that Gobi camouflage sidecar that called out to me. A wind of a whisper rustled the Georgia pines saying her and I belonged together. That siren call wanted an answer........ so we made a team, Da'mit and I.

Yes, she was running rough, from having been sitting too long. The seat was too low, too hard and too far forward. No windshield, no luggage and no sidecar experience. But, we had the will and desire to explore this new world of sidecars, together.

Sitting in her saddle for the first time on the day we met, I felt like a kid again. Anything was possible, We could do anything, go anywhere, explore the world together. 

Isn't it amazing how some cameras can capture your inner child! Who needs a dusty sidekick when you have your trusty steed? Hopalong, step aside.  Here comes the Kid on Da'mit. I may have looked sixty seven on the outside, but inside...  I was six again.

Driving back to Texas with Da'mit following on a trailer is when I realized I really don't know how to ride a sidecar. Or as they say in the sidecar world, how to DRIVE a rig. 

Off to Lufkin, Texas, to the only sidecar school in our tri-state area.  A cold chilly day in February found Da'mit and I with one other student learning to stop, turn and fly the chair from a well-informed and experienced sidecar instructor, Marcus Renfroe.  For two days, while he taught and demonstrated, while Jimmy and I fumbled and stumbled. We struggled to learn the techniques to control and drive this off-canter, off-center, over-weight, un-balanced machine. Without going into the physics of sidecars, let it be known that driving a sidecar  is much more difficult to master than riding a motorcycle. Both physically and mentally demanding, all the time, all day long while driving a rig.

So what did Da'mit and I do after learning to fly the chair? 

Why ride down to Key West, Florida, naturally.

That's where you start the Ultimate Coast to Coast Challenge ride. Just 90 miles from Cuba, you turn around and head northwest.... to Alaska. So we did.

 Da'mit and I got to cross the great empty plains for the first time. There came the mountains, the cold, bison herds, black bears, big moose, grizzly bears and even colder cold.

Da'mit wanted to try on some Alaska headgear, but...

 thought it made her behind look small. 

 We made it to the northern most point in Alaska reachable by land, Deadhorse. Had a few great adventures along the way, but that is all in my earlier blog.  Sadly, we turned around and rode back to Texas, swinging through Oregon and Washington on the way south. Da'mit and I met some great friendly folks who gave us warn dry places to sleep and a meal. Our first year together was filled with adventure, exploring, riding, even an encounter with plains indians.

2014 was another year for riding adventure. From the Atlantic Ocean in Maryland to the Pacific Ocean in California, Da'mit and I rode. This time with two other Ural riders, Muzzleflash and Lokiboy.

Now in the Fall of 2014, with 40,000 kms on her clock and a lifetime of memories to share, Da'mit is ready for retirement. She told me she is tired of noisy eighteen wheelers blasting her around, fighting cross winds wanting to blow her off the road, struggling up cold icy mountain passes and the long lonely rides in the dark trying to get to the next town. She is ready for a nice quiet pasture, take a few easy rides in the countryside and make children smile.

Da'mit is a noble steed. A forgiving companion as we crossed south to north, east to west and back again. In the year and half together, we have had an over abundance of adventures, stories, encounters and mishaps together. Enough to fill a book. Goodbye good friend. 

Thanks for the memories........

Good night, Da'mit

p.s. Thanks to Anthony for posing as a young adventurist on Da'mit.

Grandpa's Summer Camp

After returning from the cross country ride, was given the opportunity to spend a week with two of my grandsons, Hudson (age 7)  and Harrison (age 5). Thinking they would enjoy the fresh mountain air and cooler temperatures on Northern New Mexico in August (I know I would). decided to take them there. Just the three of us, H&H and Grandpa.

It's a two day drive from their Texas home to Angel Fire, so we stopped at interesting places to break up the drive.

While Grandpa looked at the old cars on display, the boys held a conference with Yoda.

 Never the one to be shy, Harrison introduced himself to Marilyn.

Once in the mountains, the rule was no TV during daylight hours, Only after dark. So we did drawing, reading, Legos, puzzles...

and hiking. Lots of hiking in the mountains, some gravel roads, some trails, even off trail. We looked for animals, animal tracks, identifying tracks, determining which way the animal was going and hoping to see more animals. The boys spotted a black bear which sent up alarms, but we finally decided it was safe to approach.  Even took some photos posing with it. 

While there are both black bear and cougars up there, we didn't see any live ones. 

From local aspen trees, we made height appropriate walking sticks. Then taught the boys the proper way to use the sticks when side-saddling a mountain slope, crossing streams, etc. Every one carried their own water and snacks on the hikes. At 8200 ft elevation, hiking can be breath-taking. 

Had a great time with the boys, the weather cooperated. The temperatures at night were mid-forties and daily highs in mid-70's. Low humidity. Usually a late afternoon shower that didn't last long. My kind of perfect weather. 

We saw mule deer, coyotes, antelope and 38 elk. Plus they put up with my cooking with few complaints to the chef. What troupers they are.

The hills are alive, with the sound of ..........   Next year, yodeling!  This could become an annual event.

Da'mit stayed home on this trip.

Nite Da'mit

Da'mit goes to market

Time has come to put Da'mit on the market.  We have had a great run together, Da'mit and I. Great adventures, new vistas, wonderful people met, interesting stories and distant lands visited.

The history we made together was unforgettable. And now....

... and now it's time for someone else to ride the horizon with Da'mit.

Have posted her for sale on Houston Craigslist. The price is negotiable.  As I slowly remove the many custom add-ons and extras, the price will be adjusted accordingly. To get the most bang for your buck, let's talk before I remove too many extras. 

Here is the link:    http://houston.craigslist.org/mcy/4585774119.html

In case you are wondering, there is another sidecar rig waiting in the wings for my attention and long distance riding. Ride the Horizon II..........?

Some have asked if I will ever go back to riding two wheel motorcycles again. Cause for a pause... as two wheels can do things that sidecars can't and visaversa. Just as mules are better at somethings than horses. It all depends on what the job is you want done. Select the right tool for the job and everything goes easier. Right now, the job I want to accomplish requires a sidecar rig. 

Sidecar rigs are more complicated and more demanding to ride than motorcycles. Motorcycles are relatively easy to ride - it's a motorized bicycle. Once up to speed, just lean to change your direction. The motorcycle rider and the motorcycle are linked, united against the road. The trick is to keep the motorcycle upright as road conditions and traffic can put you down fast. Real fast. 

Sidecars with its three wheels is more connected to the road than to the rider. Every road bump and dip causes the rig to jump or drop, which is felt by the rider. To turn requires a constant effort in pushing and pulling on the handlebars to make the rig go around a bend. Plus the rider must shift his weight to one side or the other in order to keep all three wheel in contact with the pavement. Particularly on right hand turns. Right hand turns taken too hot creates a situation known as "Flying the Chair".  The sidecar can and will come up in the air making for a very unstable rig. For some - panic time. The experienced sidecar riders practice flying the chair regularly on a closed course or parking lot. Then if and when it happens on the road, they don't panic and overreact causing and even worse situation.

The constant pushing and pulling, plus having to moving your weight from one side to the others, then  add in the constant jarring from the road surface makes for a tiring experience when riding all day. It is more physically demanding to ride long distances in a day on a sidecar than on a motorcycle, or even in a car. Maybe that's why sidecar riders are too tired at the end of the day to party or have fun. 

Many motorcycle safety instructors rank riding by the level of rider involvement require to safely handle the machine. Small lightweight motorcycles are the easiest, then heavy cruisers or big adventure bikes, followed by Trikes and finally sidecar rigs. 

Like any skill, it is a simple matter of learning the skills necessary to correctly operate the machine and then practice until those skills become second nature. Up until two years ago, I had never ridden a sidecar rig. Now I feel confident to ride anywhere. Of course Da'mit had a lot to do with helping me reach that skill level. She will help the next owner to learn too.

Nite Da'mit...

Back on the road home

Was a cool 48 degrees under low hanging clouds when I left Angel Fire on Friday, July 18th. Decided to ride across part of Oklahoma on the way home. That will make 32 states Da'mit and I have visited in the last 15 months. Hmmmmm.... one more trip and we could visit the rest.......

Does that makes us a "Ramblin' man"? I can hear the slow lonely harmonica tune now....

Took a short cut across the panhandle of Oklahoma, not much to see out here, long flat roads divide the fields into a giant chess board. More unpaved than paved, but google maps says this is the way to go.

Not everybody makes it home going this way. The wagon trains left oxen carcasses on the road side, the dust bowl left rusting steel wrecks, will the future leave stainless polished fuselages to waste away? The land doesn't change much nor the people passing through. Only what they cast off.

We got as far as Childress, TX before tiredness and nightfall caught up with us. Still 645 miles from home.

After checking the oils and tires, we hit the road early AM Saturday, heading south toward Abilene. Not sure how far we can ride today, but the weather is a cool for a mid-July in Texas. Nice, very nice, so just gas and ride all day.

Only in Texas can you find multiple images of the Alamo. This is the main entrance to the rodeo arena on the Cirlcle T ranch.

Ten miles north of Caldwell, only 90 miles from home, something happened on Da'mit that has never happened in over 40,000 kms of riding remote arctic tundra or lonely desert crossings.....

Can you tell what is going on?

Our FIRST flat tire. Have been using Ride-On in Da'mit's tube tires to balance them and prevent flats. I swear by this product. Some people use Dynabeads to balance their tires, but Dynabeads won't prevent a flat tire. Ride-On does. On the other hand, even Ride-On is no cure for a tire worn down to the bare threads.

Mounted the well worn spare tire with hopes and prayers that it will get us home. Arrived back home in Cypress after several detours for road construction. Beautiful loving wife and hyper-dog were both glad to see us.

The C2C US ride with Rudy and Dave was an pleasant experience in planning and traveling with strangers. We met on the internet, planned our trip and met for the first time face to face in Virginia six weeks ago. Now we have a shared experience and memories of a great ride across America on Russian sidecar rigs, meeting many other Ural riders and dealers along the way.

All in all, it was a safe long ride, no injuries, no accidents, no trip ending mechanical problems. Hundreds of photos were taken to be shared and countless stories will be told of our adventures, sights seen and the people we met. Most of all we thank all of the generous people we met along the way who opened their homes to us, offered assistance, advice and local information. It has reaffirmed in our minds the strength, greatness and generosity of the American people. It is the people of America, not Washington, that makes our country strong.

Nite Da''mit

 

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