Author Topic: The Great Lakes Spline Tour 2020  (Read 6316 times)

Offline alexg

  • ^ Proficient Motobricker
  • Posts: 202
The Great Lakes Spline Tour 2020
« on: November 16, 2019, 08:51:14 PM »
Hello:
So, who, where, and when is up to it.

My dream: Ann Arbor, Port Huron, Tobermory, White Fish Falls, S S Marie, Thunder Bay, Duluth, Apostle Islands, Porcupine Mountains, Munising, Traverse City, Detroit.
About 2000 miles, no oil change & no spline lubing in between.

We have to hurry up, only about 9 months away.

Looking for riding partners, ideas, critiques, ....
  • Michigan
  • '93 K75S, 1975 BMW R75/6 & 1984 Yamaha RZ350
Alex G.

Offline Past-my-Prime

  • ^ SuperNatural Motobricker
  • Posts: 557
  • All of us are better when we're loved.
Re: The Great Lakes Spline Tour 2020
« Reply #1 on: November 16, 2019, 11:30:07 PM »
If you'll bear with me. . . and a Thunder Bay stop is mandatory!

I'm trying to get my around Lake Superior 2019 photos posted (wish me luck).

Lake Superior over 3 1/2  days is too little time.

I've got a nice lawn for tenting. . . . . 
  • North Shore of Lake Superior (in my garage)
  • BRICK: 1989 K75 RT - Rocinante; NON-BRICK: 2007 F650 GS Dakar - Betty Blue

Offline caveman

  • ^ Proficient Motobricker
  • Posts: 211
Re: The Great Lakes Spline Tour 2020
« Reply #2 on: November 17, 2019, 07:58:32 AM »
I would be in for it.
  • Kennerdell, PA.
  • 87 K100RT, 88 K100LT

Offline The Mighty Gryphon

  • Administrator
  • ^ Quintessential Motobricker
  • Posts: 6719
Re: The Great Lakes Spline Tour 2020
« Reply #3 on: November 17, 2019, 08:09:08 AM »
Not sure about camping.  At my age, wherever i sleep on the ground will probably be where i spend the rest of my life.  I have a hard time getting out of a regular bed in the morning.
  • In my garage in Marilla, NY
  • '91K100RS White/Blue
Current:
'91 K100RS16V "Moby Brick Too"

Past:
'94 K75RT "Ilsa, She Wolf of the SS"
'92 K100RS16V "Moby Brick" (RIP, deceased in a vehicular assault)
'94 K75S Special Edition Dakar Yellow "Cheetos"
'89 K100RS Special Edition "Special Ed"

Offline volador

  • ^ Quintessential Motobricker
  • Posts: 1165
  • NEEDS MORE CHROME
Re: The Great Lakes Spline Tour 2020
« Reply #4 on: November 17, 2019, 08:45:19 AM »
Not sure about camping.  At my age, wherever i sleep on the ground will probably be where i spend the rest of my life.  I have a hard time getting out of a regular bed in the morning.

Camping motobrickr's will require a mobile masseuse support unit
May I recommend a Lagavulin 16, a mature flavor profile, with a depth to rival a good Macallan.

Tally Ho and keep the shiny side up!
  • NYC NY
  • 1991 K100RS 1993 K75S ABS
5 BOROUGHS SISYPHEAN SOCIETY  MAINTAINING THE OBSESSION

Offline alexg

  • ^ Proficient Motobricker
  • Posts: 202
Re: The Great Lakes Spline Tour 2020
« Reply #5 on: November 17, 2019, 06:10:47 PM »
So far Past-my-prime partially and Caveman. The Mighty does not want to camp, which is fine but requires a more planning.

Proposed date would be mid September: Kids in school, roads a lot clearer of tourists, more spaces open at campground/side road hotels, and most importantly, NO bugs. We might get rain though.

Any opinions?

  • Michigan
  • '93 K75S, 1975 BMW R75/6 & 1984 Yamaha RZ350
Alex G.

Offline stokester

  • ^ SuperNatural Motobricker
  • Posts: 830
Re: The Great Lakes Spline Tour 2020
« Reply #6 on: November 17, 2019, 06:31:51 PM »
Keep up the thread, I'm looking at a trip next year to Wisconsin to visit family and may be able to connect.

Guess I'll need to update my passport if I plan to travel to the Great White North!
  • Yorktown Virginia
  • '94 K75S Dakar Yellow - '93 K75S Seiden Blau - '91 R100RT Bermuda Blue- '78 R100S Smoke Red

Offline Past-my-Prime

  • ^ SuperNatural Motobricker
  • Posts: 557
  • All of us are better when we're loved.
Re: The Great Lakes Spline Tour 2020
« Reply #7 on: November 17, 2019, 09:17:31 PM »
This is a small example of my August 2019 tour. Spoiler Alert: the last photo is my splines when I got home and decided it had become time to check them!!  :hide

Bike Packed up (mostly) and ready to go (parked in the garage).



I worked the Wednesday and left after work. Fortunately in August, the sun is still out at 10 PM in this part of the world.

I'm an hour up the highway, just filled up the tank, about to cross the Nipigon Bridge.



A little pull-off near Kama Bay (the northernmost part of Lake Superior)



A hint of the weather to expect (perfect!)



This trip worked out great, as I could mix business with pleasure for the first two days. Meetings along the north shore. 

Nice and comfy in my friend's Garage in Marathon.  It POURED rain as only Lake Superior can produce and I slept very comfortably indoors.



Where you stop to pick up things you recognize you forgot: Canadian Tire! (Tent pegs, camping gas, flashlight batteries, bungee cord)



Roads in northern Ontario were pretty clear. But I'm getting closer to the goose!!



The goose!!!!!



There must be BIG MOOSE around.  Not usually in the daytime however. . .



In terms of other 2-wheelers, I saw mostly HDs.  I guess when you ride one, it helps to have your own support crew along?



Uh-Oh, looks like this might be coming my way!  (It didn't)



Crossed at Sault Ste. Marie (bridge in my mirror). Border guard asked if I was bringing any Cannabis products?  Nope.



Traveling on your own, sometimes you are the ONLY ONE there.



Set up at the nicely appointed Macinak Campground:



Good use of the Iconic 22 L:



Dining "in style"



The big bridge which at one point was the longest suspension bridge or something like that:



So I spent my second night in a tent - very comfortably.  The new Thermarests are 100% improvement of the "self-deflating" style (thanks for the term Martin!



  • North Shore of Lake Superior (in my garage)
  • BRICK: 1989 K75 RT - Rocinante; NON-BRICK: 2007 F650 GS Dakar - Betty Blue

Offline Past-my-Prime

  • ^ SuperNatural Motobricker
  • Posts: 557
  • All of us are better when we're loved.
Re: The Great Lakes Spline Tour 2020
« Reply #8 on: November 17, 2019, 09:34:45 PM »
OK, Day two (well, second full day, now Friday:

North shore of Lake Michigan also quite beautiful:



But again, not a lot of other vehicles out:



I cut across the U.P. to Munising, once again, big water:



This looks like a nice spot for lunch:



I visited Marquette as well and bough a book by one of my favorite authors, Jim Harrison. Then back across the U.P. via Gladstone and Escanaba and slept at an old friend's place near Powers.  His neighbor had piles of homing pigeons, that circled and circled overhead:



I was getting some weird vibrations from my rear end. So in case it was something simple I checked my lube:



Looks good to me!

What about the gearbox?





Also good!

Well I'm not going to check my spline by the side of the road. . . onwards!!

Went through Iron Mountain, Iron Wood, Iron River, Iron  . . . . I don't know there were a bunch of Irons.



I'm trying to find the irony here.

I'm pretty sure this is Ashland. Where I had lunch.  After a  B E A U T I F U L drive up about 200 odd miles of highway 2 -- all 2-lane -- through the various Irons:



Yup, lunch time:





Gassing up in Duluth, having decided it's too early in the day to call it quits.



Made it home after 500 miles almost all 2 lane highway my last day:



And the next weekend, I checked my splines:



I guess I'm just lucky!!
  • North Shore of Lake Superior (in my garage)
  • BRICK: 1989 K75 RT - Rocinante; NON-BRICK: 2007 F650 GS Dakar - Betty Blue

Offline Past-my-Prime

  • ^ SuperNatural Motobricker
  • Posts: 557
  • All of us are better when we're loved.
Re: The Great Lakes Spline Tour 2020
« Reply #9 on: November 17, 2019, 09:40:10 PM »
I could edit and fix my spelling mistakes but hell with it.

Having some nice Lagavulin 16 instead.

  • North Shore of Lake Superior (in my garage)
  • BRICK: 1989 K75 RT - Rocinante; NON-BRICK: 2007 F650 GS Dakar - Betty Blue

Offline Rcgreaves

  • ^ SuperNatural Motobricker
  • Posts: 973
  • "I'd rather be flying, but this will do nicely"
Re: The Great Lakes Spline Tour 2020
« Reply #10 on: December 13, 2019, 09:42:06 PM »
I’ve been jones-ing for just such a ride.  I want to ride the ferry to Michigan meet up in MI  then break off south at Duluth .  Thanks for the pics.  Concerning the splines.  That’s not luck.. You have lived well...
  • Livingston in Southwest WI. USA-"With the good earth all around."
  • 94' K75S, 85' GL1200 Aspencade, 96' VFR750F, 01' GL1800. Restoring: 95' K1100RS, 83' R80RT NEW: Motorvation Formula II
Doing “better than I deserve"

Offline alexg

  • ^ Proficient Motobricker
  • Posts: 202
Re: The Great Lakes Spline Tour 2020
« Reply #11 on: December 14, 2019, 03:19:40 AM »
Sorry I have not been too responsive. In China now on business, one month and change from retirement. Will organize a mailing list after the holidays are over. It seems that we might have group of four or five so far!
  • Michigan
  • '93 K75S, 1975 BMW R75/6 & 1984 Yamaha RZ350
Alex G.

Offline Past-my-Prime

  • ^ SuperNatural Motobricker
  • Posts: 557
  • All of us are better when we're loved.
Re: The Great Lakes Spline Tour 2020
« Reply #12 on: March 05, 2020, 12:01:20 AM »
I'm ready for another drive around the big lake.  Maybe counter-clockwise this time.

August is best month for it. And I want to take my time.

New DS/FD are on their way and I've got a bit more maintenance to finalize on Rocinante.
  • North Shore of Lake Superior (in my garage)
  • BRICK: 1989 K75 RT - Rocinante; NON-BRICK: 2007 F650 GS Dakar - Betty Blue

Offline Laitch

  • Faster than a speeding pullet
  • Administrator
  • ^ Quintessential Motobricker
  • Posts: 10715
Re: The Great Lakes Spline Tour 2020
« Reply #13 on: March 05, 2020, 06:17:34 AM »
Will organize a mailing list after the holidays are over. It seems that we might have group of four or five so far!
I'm interested too. Please put me on the list.
  • Along the Ridley in Vermont.
  • 1995 K75 89,000 miles

Offline herseyb

  • ^ Proficient Motobricker
  • Posts: 366
Re: The Great Lakes Spline Tour 2020
« Reply #14 on: March 05, 2020, 09:12:04 AM »
I have had this route in the back of my head for a couple years....



Manatoulin island is gorgeous and you can take a ferry across to it and skip the georgian bay.

 3,500 miles - maybe 15 days to make it fun?
  • Brooklyn
  • '93 K1100RS

Offline Rcgreaves

  • ^ SuperNatural Motobricker
  • Posts: 973
  • "I'd rather be flying, but this will do nicely"
Re: The Great Lakes Spline Tour 2020
« Reply #15 on: May 14, 2020, 01:44:03 PM »
  • Livingston in Southwest WI. USA-"With the good earth all around."
  • 94' K75S, 85' GL1200 Aspencade, 96' VFR750F, 01' GL1800. Restoring: 95' K1100RS, 83' R80RT NEW: Motorvation Formula II
Doing “better than I deserve"

Tags: