Eleanor at 200,000 miles. It's complicated.

Well, it happened. Finally.

On February 5, 2018, Eleanor, my 2007 Yamaha FJR1300, reached another milestone in its journeys on the paved roadways of this world. Hitting any mileage mark at any point is an accomplishment, but when it's something that only happens every hundred thousand miles, it's a moment that will be hard to replicate again for a long time and with another motorcycle.

Unfortunately, the celebration was a bit short-lived. On the morning of February 7th, Eleanor was sidelined on my way to work due to a hydraulic fluid leak, preventing me from using my clutch and halting her progress at 200,087 miles on the odometer. As result, she was towed back to my regular mechanic, which at the time of the publishing of this post, she has remained. Originally, I was planning to drop her off for a full valve adjustment as part of major service. To add to the fun, I had the luck of being caught behind a major backlog of repair jobs in front of mine, and two of them were complete engine rebuilds! However, the end of this nearly three-month wait for her return to her parking spot at my house is imminent, and I look forward to putting miles back on her.

It has seemed like an eternity without her here, further compounded with what had transpired in between then and now in both my personal and professional world. These last several months have been a series of transitions from one chapter of my life to another. In some ways, I am glad that Eleanor wasn't with me to witness many of these moments as they just seemed to pile up in an overwhelming succession. Still though, even with one of my most beloved companions down for the count, it has allowed me to recollect and reflect on moving forward and onto greater things. Hell, even returning to even write this is an accomplishment in itself. I would attribute that to special moments that have helped me find clarity and safety to refresh and reload, and for that, I will be forever grateful.

My new reality is not unfamiliar, but aspects of it are in places that I had hoped to not revisit again. But now, I look at these new scenarios with a different set of eyes and a much larger sense of hope. What is clear now is that I am meant for something else and that I am deserving of so much more than what has been dealt to me. Regardless of what the future holds in the next several months, I will be more than okay.

I will end this post with the beginning "ramble test" episode of my vlog that I had filmed with my GoPro on the way to Silverado, CA, on February 4. This was the day before Eleanor's odometer flipped and shot with her windshield actually wiped down properly. My plan is to start doing these as a series with a more structured outline of discussion, but it'll be a little while until I can revisit this side project. Anyway, enjoy.

My first foray into motorcycle vlogging. (Sorry about the dirty windshield.)

I picked up a GoPro Hero 5 Black as a personal gift to myself after switching jobs back in September, and since then I have been thinking of ways to use this little camera on my motorcycle. So far, I've tried a helmet mount, but I received too much wind buffeting and resistance at freeway speeds. In later tests, I went with a RAM mount setup since I already have five RAM balls spread out along my handlebars. Another perk of opting to place the camera on my bike instead of my helmet was that I could plug the camera into my built-in USB-C power cable that's usually reserved for my Google Pixel XL smartphone. This means that I can record extremely long videos without worrying about the camera going out on me.

This is one of a couple configurations I can use when mounting the GoPro to my FJR1300. My RAM Cup Holder would normally be in the spot where the GoPro is hanging from. However, I do have the option of taking the RAM X-Grip (left), moving it to the lower ball, and mounting the camera on the left side of the bars. It doesn't affect my ability to use my handlebars in either place. Of course, your configuration will vary depending on the model of your motorcycle.

After a few months of messing with the camera by itself, I picked up the GoPro 3.5mm Mic Adapter and a basic lavalier microphone to start recording narrations while I was riding. My biggest challenge in the setup was the location of the mic inside my helmet. In the first sample video, I had the lavalier clipped to the bottom fabric lip of my full-face helmet pointing up toward my face. This limited the microphone's usefulness to speeds below 55MPH, and I could imagine that threshold to have been lower if I didn't have a significant windshield on my motorcycle. I also had the microphone setting on the GoPro set to "Standard Mic+" which I found to be unnecessary because the sound was peaking and cracking, even at slow speeds.


In the second video, I adjusted the lavalier mic so that it was nested behind my helmet's rubber breath guard. I also returned the GoPro mic settings back to "Standard." That worked out perfectly and the mic sound was clear at all speeds, even during the short moment when I raised my face shield to scratch my nose. So for now, that microphone positioning will be my go-to when recording my voice with the camera on.

(Top) Lavalier microphone. (Bottom) Microphone for my Sena SMH10 headset. There is no interference or feedback between the two microphones despite their close proximity to each other.

Here's the lavalier mic's clip from the outside. I can't see it when I'm riding, but I do admit that it is a tad bit goofy to look at from this angle.

So here's the second test that confirmed my theory about microphone positioning. I will have to find better times to do my recordings because heading eastbound in the morning and westbound after work will put me directly into the sun's path. However, I am pleased with these first trials. Next task: clean my windshield!

NorCal Revisited Part 1: Riding through the broiler.

I had a chance to escape from Los Angeles life for a while, so I jumped on a very much repaired Eleanor and headed up north to the Bay Area to recharge myself. However, to pull that off, she and I had to blast through a little bit of hell...more like 430 miles of it.

My return up to Northern California will be the first time I've done so since 2011. As I progressed through this trip, I was able to revise a few stories and memories that had stemmed back to 2007 and a previous life.

The traffic wasn't anything unexpected leaving LA on the 405 North. Temperatures on I-5 started off nice in the 70s, but as soon as I reached the Grapevine region, it had suddenly risen to the 90s, forcing me to pull out the evaporative cooling vest to supplement my Fly Racing Flux Air Mesh jacket that I had chosen to take up with me instead of my standard Aerostitch Roadcrafter jacket. To top off the set was my Camelback Rogue 70oz Hydration Pack filled with ice water. There was no logical way that I could survive the temperatures with my standard, in-town gear, so out came the hot weather accessories.

The ride up was hot and uneventful. Eleanor had no issue blasting past the trucks and the cars, maintaining constant speed the whole time. I was really happy with my shorter Cee Bailey windshield that I had replaced my old one with, and its additional thickness and weight kept it from flopping around in the gusts. I only stopped a few times to get gas, soak my cooling vest, and refill my Camelbak. However, I did take one special break in Gustine/Santa Nella, CA to Pea Soup Andersen's to revise a memory from a previous journey to the location in Buellton. Thanks to that trip, I now have officially been to both locations in California!

Hot soup during this time of the day? If it's split pea soup, hell yes!

Exterior of Pea Soup Anderson's in Santa Nella/Gustine, CA.

I made it to my first stop, Dharma Trading Company in Petaluma, CA, by around 2 PM (I had started riding around 6:30 AM.) to visit my friend and pick up the key for my lodging. She had kept a sign that I had sent to her a couple years back that was passed on to me by another friend. Considering that she works for a dye company, it was so fitting that she had this displayed prominently in her office.

I was zonked after that 430-mile ride, so I had a fried chicken sandwich at the nearby Pub Republic before heading back to the house, unloading my gear, and relaxing.

Once my friend came home from work, we walked through Downtown Petaluma and had some Mexican food. Honestly, the food was pretty forgettable as the shrimp did not have to be that salty at all. But we did stop by a 7-11 to get Lotto tickets and an It's-It ice cream treat. This is one of those regional things that I had heard of but did not get the chance to try until now. I think it will be slightly mandatory for me to have at least one of these every time I come up to visit. Besides, every good motorcycle ride has to end in ice cream. That's a very well-known unwritten rule!

The next day required me to take care of business and get some grad school homework over with. Read on...

Happy 10th Birthday, Eleanor!

This is how Eleanor, my 2007 Yamaha FJR1300AWC and my long-time companion on many a journey, started her 10th year of operation...by not operating very well at all! (Cameo by my cousin who took me home after my tow.)

Eleanor officially turned ten years old on April 26, 2017. This is a testament to both the stubbornness and longevity of this bike and its owner. However, the last couple years have slowed her down a bit as the combination of the road salt of the Midwest, mileage, and having endured every rideable weather condition imaginable in all that time caught up with her. Her electrical connections have required some rehab and cleaning, and every now and then, those issues reappear and deem her unsafe to operate on the street.

Case in point, her headlights stopped functioning on April 25 as I was leaving from my class that night at CSULB. I made it down one exit on the 405 North before I pulled off and hung out at a gas station and a donut shop for about three hours while I waited for a tow truck to transport Eleanor back to Pacific Motorsports in Harbor City. Allow me to explain my difficulties.

I swear, I still love Eleanor. But dammit why is she such a diva?! 😂😢😭 The lady at the gas station is nice, though. #technicaldifficulties #motorcycleproblems #waitingforatowtruck #itsonlyTuesday #post1500

A post shared by Christine (@twowheeledtourist) on Apr 25, 2017 at 9:06pm PDT

Now, I will say that this long span of time being stranded did allow me to broadcast a couple Facebook Live posts and reconnect with a few friends online that I hadn't spoken to in years. When the first tow truck arrived an hour later, I had to decline it because the person showed up without a flatbed vehicle. The second driver, Matt from SoCal Moto Transport, brought the appropriate equipment and vehicle and performed a flawless transport of both her and me back to Harbor City.

Here's Eleanor being lifted onto her throne like the #diva she is. #HappyBirthday you crazy #motorcycle. Towing provided by @socalmototransport. #Yamaha #FJR1300 #roadsideassistance

A post shared by Christine (@twowheeledtourist) on Apr 25, 2017 at 11:35pm PDT

I referenced some posts from this time last year, and not surprisingly, Eleanor encountered the exact same issue with her headlights and spent her 9th birthday at the dealership as well. It's pretty obvious that I need a more permanent solution to this repair. However, that engine still runs as strong as the day I bought her from Long Beach Yamaha (now Del Amo Motorsports Long Beach) ten years ago.

4/26/07...Happy 9th birthday, Eleanor! You get to spend it with Uncle Robert at Pacific Yamaha in #HarborCity because your headlights decided to stop working on Sunday. I'll eat a cupcake on your behalf. #happybirthday #sadface #partyfoul #Yamaha #FJR1300 #motorcycle #companion #blowoutthecandles #itsjustafleshwound

A post shared by Christine (@twowheeledtourist) on Apr 26, 2016 at 10:44am PDT

I wonder if Eleanor has just become a diva in her old age or likes facials, but regardless of the reason, it's been a bit inconvenient to have her unavailable to use for my random video shoots or for those moments when I want to go far but reduce the amount of dead dinosaur juice that I want to burn. My solution, a new addition to my vehicle fleet, will be introduced in another post. I'm still unwilling to give up on my old friend, but my very busy life meant that some issues had to be rectified. I'm very confident that she'll be back to somewhat normal; I just have to wait a little longer.

Enjoy your facial, you silly bike.

It's been a long ten years, Eleanor, but we made it this far! She hit the 190k mile mark on our way home from Pacific Palisades. Her engine is still strong and kicking! Hoping to make it to 200k by the end of 2018. #Yamaha #FJR1300 #mileagequeen #Torrance

A post shared by Christine (@twowheeledtourist) on Apr 24, 2017 at 11:11pm PDT

Insta-farkle: 1" RAM mount "built-in" for the Yamaha FJR1300

Even after six years of owning Eleanor, my 2007 Yamaha FJR1300A I still don't know everything about her. However, it does help that I work for a motorcycle store that gives me a lot of products to ponder over and experiment on her. In this thought experiment, I came up with this idea from the plethora of RAM Mounts at my disposal.

Anyway, for those of you that own a Yamaha FJR1300 (all years), have you wondered about that random hole that sits on the left side of the handlebars next to your clutch's master cylinder? Yamaha did us riders a favor for aesthetics and put a plastic plug there to hide it. But of course being my curious self, I removed it and exposed what looked like a 10mm hole with coarse threading. After looking through a few screw-on style RAM mounts, I discovered that a RAM-B-349U (RAM M10 X 1.25 Pitch Male Thread with 1" Ball) and a little blue Loctite is a perfect fit for that hole!

Sometimes I wonder if Yamaha did this on purpose.

That is disturbing and beautifully functional.

For this thought experiment, I installed my Sony Webbie HD MHS-CM1 compact high-definition camera attached to a medium double-ball arm (RAM-B-201U), pointing inward. As you can see from the photo below, the arm is hovering over the clutch's master cylinder reservoir. The camera itself is mounted on a RAM-B-202AU (RAM 2.5" Round Base (AMPs Hole Pattern), 1" Ball & 1/4"-20 Threaded Male Post for Cameras).

Side view of the mounted camera.

Front view of the mounted camera. Of course, the camera can be tilted/adjusted as needed.

With the camera adjusted to be straight when the bike is upright, this device just barely clears the windshield when the bars are at full lock. Considering this is a taller unit than a lot of the newer "action sports" cameras, there would probably be more success with a GoPro Hero, Liquid Image, Venom, Contour, etc.

Here is the full handlebar lock video test of the mounted camera.

A shot of my somewhat busy cockpit. Other accessories here include two RAM Motorcycle Brake/Clutch Reservoir Base with (2 Quantity) 1" Balls (RAM-B-309-2U), Garmin Zumo 550 with Touratech locking bracket, a RAM X-Grip phone mount, RAM Drink Cup Holder (RAM-B-132BU). That brings a total of FIVE mounting options in front of me! The RAM Antenna Adapter Plate (RAM-344U) on the left behind the GPS once held my XM Radio antenna and will now hold my E-ZPass with a little industrial Velcro. 

A few final thoughts...
- Make sure the mounted devices clear the windshield and front panel at full handlebar lock. The restriction of your motorcycle's range of motion is just downright dangerous and not recommended.
- This would be a great alternative for those who only want one ball and doesn't want to install the Brake/Clutch Reservoir Base.
- Theoretically, the long arm could work if it was sticking out away from the bike, but I have not tried this with the long 6" (RAM-B-201U-C) arm option. However, both the short 2.38" (RAM-B-201U-A) and medium 3.69" (RAM-B-201U) arms will clear the windshield.
- What else can be mounted there? Perhaps a spotlight? Radar detector or SPOT GPS Tracker with an X-Grip pointed upward? Or for humor for the firearms enthusiasts out there, a cross-draw or left-handed draw pistol mount?

Strange(r) uses for an FJR1300 (a.k.a. Pickup truck? I don't need no stinkin' pickup truck!)

It is normal for someone to ask me, considering the amount of miles on my FJR1300's odometer, "Where have you been with that bike?"

I wish someone would ask me, "What have you done with that bike?"

Sometimes, the most interesting adventures my motorcycle are experiences that don't rely on the number of miles to be memorable, but what has been done with that machine in short distances.

In a 2010 blog post here on Two-Wheeled Tourist, I featured one of Eleanor's "hidden" talents, her ability to pull a trailer and carry large objects. (Click here to read "I rode my bike to trailer week"). This weekend, I get to add an additional ability to her résumé: tree removal and landscaping.

Matt borrowed my bike on Friday to tow our old 1986 Honda Aero 50 two-stroke scooter to work via trailer to hand it over to its new owner - here's an older photo of the same task for reference.

Later that day, he utilized the bike to transport a 300lb. dead tree stump to the back of a building after initially extracting it from the front lawn by using the bike to yank it from the earth. With a tow strap tied to the FJR's trailer hitch and the other end on the clump of organic mass, Matt dragged the object successfully across the parking lot.

I'll let the video do all the talking. Enjoy. And nice work, Eleanor.

How to put 100,000 miles on a single motorcycle, Christine style.

In February 2006 I was in the showroom of Out the Door Motorsports in Los Angeles waiting for the service department to finish prepping my brand new yellow 2005 Suzuki SV650N so I could ride it home that day. While I was killing time in the showroom, out of the corner of my eye I saw a shiny silver 2006 Yamaha FJR1300A on display.

I immediately fell in love with its contours and its sleek design. That sport-touring motorcycle captured my imagination and I dreamed of the places I could go and sights I could see with a powerful, mile-eating machine like that. After reading its specs and realizing that it was a 1300cc, 147HP monster with luggage, I thought to myself, "There is no way I'd be able to ever ride that kind of bike."

My first [documented] Iron Butt SaddleSore 1000

On August 21 I completed my first [documented] Iron Butt SaddleSore 1000. By definition this is a journey of 1000 miles in 24 hours or less. The first time I rode a thousand miles in under 24 hours was from Roswell, NM to LAX. However, this 17-hour ride was not officially documented per the requirements of the Iron Butt Association, the governing body that sanctions these long-distance motorcycle rides. I figured I might as well make it "official" and go for it.

The route I took is below. I took a circular route starting and ending in Lewis Center, OH by way of Spartanburg, SC. As with any long distance ride this one had a few obstacles to deal with, the most annoying being rain. I was in the middle of a constant downpour for three of the seven states I cross (NC, SC, WV) and as I rode into the evening hours the deluges affected my visibility to the point that getting down the highway required every ounce of willpower and concentration I could muster.


View Larger Map

Now my route for this SaddleSore 1000 was not the easiest one to ride by far. However, it was very scenic and, when combined with the light misty rains that dotted North Carolina and a couple other places, hauntingly beautiful. Of course, one easy way out was "slabbing" I-70 West toward St. Louis, MO, turning right back around and heading straight to Columbus. But I couldn't pass up the opportunity to finally add North and South Carolina to my list of crossed states, now bringing the total to 39. I look forward to the day I can return and enjoy more of these states and not be on such a severe time crunch.

But then regular riders ask, "How do you do a thousand miles in a day?" It's a lot of miles but it's not so bad with some proper riding conditioning. If you're considering attempting one of these Iron Butt runs, here are some pointers I'd suggest.

Prepping Yourself
1. Learn to manage the miles. Building up the tolerance to do those distances takes practice and time. Ride. Ride everywhere. Ride in adverse conditions and to different destinations. Did I mention ride?

2. Hydrate. Drinks lots of water before, during, and after your ride. Get a Camelback or other hydration system that's easy to access while you're tooling down the road.

3. Snack a lot, big meal later. You won't have much time to eat, but get something in you. Energy bars and bananas are great. Increase protein intake and decrease carbs - those will only make you drowsier.

4. Wear the proper riding gear. Develop a system of equipment to combat any weather or temperature situation. Try accessories such as heated gear, soakable cooling vests, and packable rain suits.

Prepping Your Bike
1. As you practice doing the miles, reflect on your personal comfort needs. Do I need a new seat, sheepskin, gel pad? Would a cruise control aid/device come in handy? Are my handlebars, foot controls, etc. ergonomically sound? Do I need to change/remove/upgrade my windshield? The list goes on and on. Multitudes of motorcycle accessories are available to adjust your motorcycle to suit your style. A little research goes a long way.

2. Complete essential and major services before you take off. Do that oil change. Lube that chain. Perform that major service interval. Change the tires if they're almost worn out. Your bike will perform at its best when it gets its necessary TLC.

3. Learn your bike's quirks. That two wheeled machine between your legs is a friend you'll learn to know intimately. Take time to do research and learn its special needs. The less you learn the hard way the better.

And finally...what kind of motorcycle should I use?
The "best" motorcycle for an Iron Butt depends on the rider and the type of roads to be crossed. For riding interstates for prolonged periods of time, a larger engine displacement bike would be ideal because of the lower revs the bike needs to maintain those higher speeds. Additionally, a heavier bike with a fairing and windshield would cut down on the fatigue caused by wind blast. Larger bikes also equate to larger gas tanks so you'll be minimizing the amount of stops to get from point to point.

In this case, my FJR1300 has been my weapon of choice as well as that of many an Iron Butt participant because of its smoothness at higher speeds, generous wind protection, luggage room, and versatility to accommodate many types of riders. There are many bikes out there that are designed to do the miles; the challenge is to find the one that's right for you.

For more tips and tricks on surviving the long haul, Iron Butt Association has a wonderful "Archive of Wisdom" @ http://www.ironbutt.com/tech/aowprintout.cfm.

Eleanor hits 90,000 miles...a retrospective.

It's an achievement that most motorcycles will never see, and I'm glad that I've been able to accomplish it on Eleanor. It took 1201 days (3 years, 3 months, 14 days) for Eleanor and me to hit the big 90k mark. Looking forward for many more to go!

Here's some of the dates and locations where we've hit some interesting numbers:

Mile 1: Los Angeles, CA (April 26, 2007) - she was delivered to me at work and I rode her right out of the parking lot
Mile 10000: Minneapolis, MN (July 13, 2007)
Mile 20000: San Francisco, CA (December 25, 2007) - my first big ride with Matt
Mile 33333: La Habra, CA (June 3, 2008)
Mile 54321: Irvine, CA (February, 15, 2009)
Mile 85000: Niagara Falls, ON, Canada (May 31, 2010)
Mile 90000: Westerville, OH (August 8, 2010)

Here's some other fun milestones to add.
States crossed: 37 (still missing Wisconsin - will be crossed in 10/10, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Montana, Oregon, Washington, Alaska, Hawaii - might be a challenge)
Countries visited: 2 (United States and Canada)
# of Women On Wheels® International Ride-Ins: 3 (2007 - Springfield, MO, 2009 - Kerville, TX, 2010 - Stratton, VT)
Longest Round-trip Ride: 6200 miles (LA/Columbus/Kerville, TX/Roswell, NM/LAX)
Longest Single-day Ride: 1004 miles (Roswell, NM to LAX)
Miles Matt and I have been together: 70,000

Now, it hasn't been all sunny days and roses with her. She's had a few electrical issues but have long been corrected. Her engine is still running happy and strong and that's what matters. So far she's on the standard oil change and visual checkup regimen.

Eleanor's still gearing for a lot more adventures with me. One of my ultimate goals is to hit Alaska with her...at the rate I'm going it sounds like a possibility!