Musing on a Journey
Posted: Thu May 11, 2017 1:33 pm
Life's funny and I've found myself in a place where I have nothing but time and freedom with no responsibilities on the horizon and no one holding me back. I would guess that there won't come a better time in life to hit the road and be gone as long as the feeling carries me.
So, fellas, the only predicament I face is the selection of a steed from the stable. Once that decision is made, then it's just a matter of prepping the right bike for the journey. I live in Western PA and haven't settled on a route, but would like to eventually see the Pacific ocean and perhaps make my way up north to Alaska.
While I have a lot of options, I don't think the R67 is quite suited to the task in her current tick and I'm not in the position to have her ready in the next few months. The R60/2 has a fresh rebuild on the motor and an original transmission and final drive. The US bars on this one make it a good option and the Earles front end is just so solid. Another option is my 1968 R69US. I love this bike and have put about 3k miles on it in the past year. It's just about original, aside from a 1st over piston job done about a decade ago. She's got 20k on the clock, a big comfy Meier wide bench and cravens. The euro bars and US forks make for a slightly less comfortable touring position, but this could be swapped out for a US bar as I've got one in the shed with controls and cables all ready to bolt on. The R69S has a bit more power which is noticeable but the /2 seems to be capable of higher average speeds. That said, I don't intend to be scooting with any kind of intensity. Secondary roads only. The /2 has an old set of Cravens which I've never installed but are in good shape and a Wixom fairing that I removed immediately upon purchase. I don't know that I'd want a fairing, as they tend to bother me and spoil the simplicity of the bike. I've also got a nicely tuned, low mileage R100RS, but I really don't enjoy this bike all that much, particularly when compared to her older sisters.
I guess if I had my choice, it'd be a hoot to take the R67, I've only put about 100 miles on her, but the riding position is what I would call "perfect." That said, she's got half hubs, no rear brake light, no turn signals and she's never been cracked front to back. Currently sporting 21k on the original functioning clock.
Of course I ain't even considering my R27 and while I've got some more modern bikes, I'd much rather give this a go on something pre 70's. So what do you fellas think? Ideas? Tips? Suggestions. Let me have it.
Chris
So, fellas, the only predicament I face is the selection of a steed from the stable. Once that decision is made, then it's just a matter of prepping the right bike for the journey. I live in Western PA and haven't settled on a route, but would like to eventually see the Pacific ocean and perhaps make my way up north to Alaska.
While I have a lot of options, I don't think the R67 is quite suited to the task in her current tick and I'm not in the position to have her ready in the next few months. The R60/2 has a fresh rebuild on the motor and an original transmission and final drive. The US bars on this one make it a good option and the Earles front end is just so solid. Another option is my 1968 R69US. I love this bike and have put about 3k miles on it in the past year. It's just about original, aside from a 1st over piston job done about a decade ago. She's got 20k on the clock, a big comfy Meier wide bench and cravens. The euro bars and US forks make for a slightly less comfortable touring position, but this could be swapped out for a US bar as I've got one in the shed with controls and cables all ready to bolt on. The R69S has a bit more power which is noticeable but the /2 seems to be capable of higher average speeds. That said, I don't intend to be scooting with any kind of intensity. Secondary roads only. The /2 has an old set of Cravens which I've never installed but are in good shape and a Wixom fairing that I removed immediately upon purchase. I don't know that I'd want a fairing, as they tend to bother me and spoil the simplicity of the bike. I've also got a nicely tuned, low mileage R100RS, but I really don't enjoy this bike all that much, particularly when compared to her older sisters.
I guess if I had my choice, it'd be a hoot to take the R67, I've only put about 100 miles on her, but the riding position is what I would call "perfect." That said, she's got half hubs, no rear brake light, no turn signals and she's never been cracked front to back. Currently sporting 21k on the original functioning clock.
Of course I ain't even considering my R27 and while I've got some more modern bikes, I'd much rather give this a go on something pre 70's. So what do you fellas think? Ideas? Tips? Suggestions. Let me have it.
Chris