[prof_stack]

After much planning,

Dirk W flew into Seattle today and went to Ducati Seattle and bought a new B5.  The bike was "broken in" on their dyno for about 50 miles with a variety of speeds and loads.  The heat off the cat gave his OEM torpedo instant street cred.

Anyway, he agreed to let me write about his adventure, since he will have no Internet on the trip.  Perhaps he can occasionally use a motel computer in their lobby and post something as well. 


Dirk listens as salesguy Patrick goes over the controls.



We rode from the shop and got some food and then headed south and west for a nice dusk ride near Puget Sound and back to his hotel near Sea-Tac airport.

We will meet tomorrow and do more riding and eating and riding before he leaves on Thursday. 

Stay tuned...

[Leonard]

Sounds like a fun trip, please keep us posted.  Does he have a planned route?

[prof_stack]

Day  -1 :

I met Dirk on Hwy 99 and then we went to my place to tighten up things on his B5.  I gave him a few things and then we headed out for dinner at Smarty-Pants, a non-HD biker bar near Boeing field.  Cool place with lots of "properly"  attired bikers.


Here is Dirk tightening a few bits on the new B5.  Yes some needed work.


Check out the street cred OEM torpedo.  That's what happens when a dyno does the break-in by computer, I guess.  My torpedo has virtually no such nonsense.

HIS PLANS:  tomorrow he starts  by heading north to Hwy 20, the North Cascades Highway, voted the best motorcycle ride in the state.  Dirk plans to call me with his daily report.  I'll put  them up here.

[Maturin]

Accross a continent - a breathtaking thought. 3000 miles on a Bullet is a breathtaking thought either. I hope Dirk as well as the bike will do well on this adventure. Good luck!

[bob bezin]

i suggest taking us2 as there is very little traffic on it .last summer i took it from duluth mn. to hy 20 on our way to west vancouver .and yes 20 is a great ride.

[prof_stack]

Accross a continent - a breathtaking thought. 3000 miles on a Bullet is a breathtaking thought either. I hope Dirk as well as the bike will do well on this adventure. Good luck!

Maturin, I think you would like to know that Dirk is originally from Karlsruhe (near the Black Forest in Germany for those not in the know).  He has lived in the US for half of his 42 years.

He is a carpenter/wood worker with a shop near the U of Virginia.

I got to practice my pitiful German with him:  "Nach ein bier, bitte!"

[prof_stack]

Day 1:  Seattle to ___________

Dirk scheduled to have the oil and filter changed on his B5 at the dealer before leaving this morning.  

Due to a late 1PM start, Dirk rode north on I-5 to Arlington and then took 530 east to Rockport to highway 20, the North Cascades Highway.  Lots of lush farmland.  He called it the most beautiful motorcycle road on the planet.  It is the #1 rated road in WA state, at least. 

The B5 ran beautifully.

Dirk camped near Diablo dam for the night.

Here is a "styling" photo of him from last night, just before we headed our separate ways:

It could be a suave ad campaign photo, doncha think?  

AND, the saddlebags hide the frumpy fender!  WIN-WIN!  

[cochi]

Sounds like great ride! Looking forward to reading about it. cochi

[prof_stack]

Day 2:

Dirk stuck around the Diablo area and rode the B5 up a very steep trail for 5 miles, 1st gear only, and then hiked 13 miles to the peak of the local mountain.  The trail down was also very steep ( ) and the B5 ran just fine. 

Dirk stayed at the campground another night.

[prof_stack]

Day 3:

Dirk rode East on highway 20 through Winthrop and camped near (Grand) Coulee Dam on hwy 155 in the state park.  Beautiful scenery and wonderful weather.

The B5 ran with the pleasure meter at max.   

[prof_stack]

Day 4:

Dirk left a message with the trip so far, so I updated the previous days' details in boldface.  He was out of cell phone range thus far.

So far today, Dirk rode towards Spokane and then north on Hwy 2 to Glacier National Park and now has his sights set on Sand Point as his stopping point for today.

The B5 is running fine and he is totally loving the bike.  It is everything he wanted and more.

Incredible scenery of all types!   From the alpine setting of Cascades to arid flat lands.  
 
Heck, I wish I was there to join in the trip!

[olhogrider]

Heck, I wish I was there to join in the trip!

We all do.

[TWinOKC]

So do we know what route Dirk is planning?   Any chance he will drop down and take a southern route?   Maybe someone could meet up with him during a stopover?

[prof_stack]

So do we know what route Dirk is planning?   Any chance he will drop down and take a southern route?   Maybe someone could meet up with him during a stopover?

That is a GREAT question.  I'll call his cell number later in the oft chance that he is in range of a cell tower somewhere in Idaho/Montana.  He has given himself until around September 20 to return to Virginia.

Our arrangement was for him to call and leave a message for me detailing his daily trip.  That's tough in national park campgrounds.

[prof_stack]

No cell phone calls to or from Dirk.  He's either lovin' it and riding or ... I don't know.