2011-08-24 NERDS Chamerblin SD to Sheridan, WY

What a long and wonderful motobike ride this has been!  Truly, if I could ride 365/year I would. I LOVE meeting new peeps, being on the road, and the motobike is the gateway to great conversation. I like to listen to peoples life experiences, to feel and be awed by weather, and to challenge the inner being with new concepts, ideas, and challenges.

Crickets were EVERYWHERE in Chamberlain! Bathtub..

Hotel front door.

The crickets crunch as you step on them..

Warm and humid, at 0700 - but who cares?
This motobike is running better than EVER - I think long miles with high rpm and a few doses of SeaFoam is the key..

It's a good trip when you 5k plus and you ain't done yet!

I know understand the lore and magic of the mighty MO..

A secret - I've left behind the lush and green New England area.. The west is 'browning' with every mile..

Except for the yellow the of course? Mustard maybe?

Nopees, as my good bud Ken Mauer used to say, these are SunFlowers? Really? YES! As far as the eye can see too.

All pointed to the rising sun - so I selected 'In the House of the Rising Sun' for the tunes..

Little house on the praire. Literally.

Wall Drug. For over 500 miles they have signs..

South Dakota is, kind of, well, touristic..

My bud, my shadow.

This fire truck was running an honest 90 mph. Not sure where they were going, but they were getting there fast!

Bronson. Heading out that long lonesome highway, going to live life my way...

The 1088 town.. or something like that.. I passed on by.

The entrance to BadLands National Park. See the Harley? 7k in 4 weeks. Not all HD riders are trailer-sniffing-poser queens. Name of Tom.  Good guy. And the HD sounded just perfect - powerful, yet subdued. Tom gets it - He is a Rider.

I'm in the Baaad Lands!

OK, truth time here. The BadLands are kind of like a small Death Valley, that's all. Honestly, I've seen worse territory behind the Hondarosa..

I like this pix..

When I retire, I'm coming back and recreating here..

Too many pix, I know.. But this RR is for when I get old and CRS anymore..

Kind of looks like Red Rock Canyon in Kali or the Red Rocks near Vegas..

As a white man, I feel I need to read up the truth behind Wounded Knee, to know the truth..

The FJR is such a rocking good motobike.. This 150k+ motobike ran another 600 miles today some well over a buck30 for extended time.. And she rails in the corners too. I have a story about this a bit later..

Finally, Wall, SD.. My stomach wasn't right all day today, feeling grumpy.. I stopped at a Subway and took time to rehydrate and eat.

After lunch, went to see the famous Wall Drug Store.. Across the street is this..

TaaDAA, the Wall Drug Store..

Sturgis special boots on sale.. Fairlaner?

Evil pyscho LSD induced pix of ??

About now I realize what the entire Wall Drug thing truly is.. a TOURIST TRAP.

Shameless exploitation of Doggies..

Across the street.

Time to get out of Wall.

This pix for my Kool-Aid drinking bud Jack..

Passed this dude in 2nd gear - Really.

Approaching Mt. Rushmore.

Perhaps my favorite pix of the entire trip..

Can you name the Presidents?

The amphitheatre below..

Who ARE these guys, and why are they so important? I want to PhotoShop a pix of Tim in here, just because..

The guy who 'defaced' the mountain.. I crack me up..

Now, I'm feeling some pressure to put some miles down. I bought a can of SeaFoam and put 1/2 into the main tank, the other 1/2 into the Aux tank. Then hit the road..

Approaching Sturgis.. so many signs catering to the HD Poser crowd..

At this point, blindly following the GPS - a mistake as it turns out later..

What the headlights see.

Snow fences in Wyoming.

 

This cross spooked me - really. In the middle of no-where, tilting, who? Why? Pretty cool.

Yaaaawn.. At least it is FAST..

 

Need an oil change?

 

Nice guy - waved, smiled, *tried* to keep up..

 

I can't imagine a major Interstate being closed.. but these signs are at EVERY on-ramp..

Can't afford a 35k camper? Build your own like this guy..

Approaching the end of today's ride. I have a gut feeling I need to check a real paper map get the big pix of where I am and need to be. Damn good thing too.. I need to head west now, not North. Otherwise, this CBA doode would be invading Ignacio and WarChild, and I sure don't want to embarrass them, LOL.

The resting place for tonight...

--Some fun pix taken with the GoPro - out of order, but who cares?

By mistake this pix taken.. but I like it because it shows my very arthritic and ugly left hand. I fear that someday it will become so bad I may not be able to ride. For now though, as long and often as I can, I will be on a motobike, seeing new places, meeting new people. I love to ride, it's my core.

 

That is all for tonight - once again making this RR is cutting into sleep and the next day's ride. So be it, I'll pay the price.

2011-08-25 NERDS Sheridan, WY to Twin Falls ID via Yellowstone Park