Sturgis Rally 2008

Sturgis 2008 is all but a memory as I sit down Sunday afternoon to write this blog of a venture that added close to 2500 miles to my odometer. CDogg and I headed to South Dakota seven days ago at 4:00 AM and by 4:50 we found ourselves battling horizontal rains, straight line winds and numerous bolts of lighting. We were forced to hunker down just north of Madison for an unexpected early breakfast. About 45 minutes later we were suited in raingear and headed to our overnight stop in Mitchell, South Dakota. Other than fuel stops and one stop in Albert Lea, Minnesota at the Harley-Davison dealership we drove straight to Days Inn. We got to Mitchell earlier than planned and made a quick run to the Corn Palace to see what this year’s theme was. To my surprise it was about Heroes. There was a mural on law enforcement, the military, Teachers and those working in the Healthcare Professions. What no fire fighters?! Mitchell also is home to Klock Werks who make the Flare Windshield. After approximately 530 miles we both deserved some cold refreshments, especially since we knew no more riding was going to take place that day.

Tuesday we left as soon as we saw we had spent the same night with the Hells Angels. Actually, they were polite and easy to talk to. They had joined together for what they called a group meeting? When we got to Chamberlain we exited I-90 and headed north on Highway 50 along the Missouri River to Highway 34 then 14 and eventually back to I-90. If you head to Sturgis, do yourself a favor and take this route. It was very scenic and it follows the Missouri River all the way. Once back on I-90 we headed to the Badlands. As you exit Cactus Flat, make sure you stop at the BP Service Station. We did this in 2006 and planned on doing it again this year. Buffalo Burgers, chips and a soda was $5! You get plenty to eat while still having souvenir money left for the Rally! This is a great time to socialize with other biking enthusiasts. We met two couples from Eastern Iowa, Duane, his wife and another couple. Their photos can be seen later in this article by clicking on the PHOTO link and then typing "chrome" as the password. We hope to see them again, possibly on our 6th Annual Mystery Ride in September. The Badlands Park Pass went up to $10 from $5 in 2006. None-the-less, it is a must see and ride adventure! If you are “iffy” on your Iron Horse because of all the curves, then the Badlands, Needles Highway, Iron Mountain Road, the Canyons, Pigtails, well let’s just say, South Dakota is not for you. After the Badlands, we stopped in Wall to shop and get ice cream. Do yourself a favor, if you are hunting for a deal, Wall Drug is the place to spend some money. The bargains are better than anywhere else during the Rally.

Once we left Wall Drug we headed north to Black Hills Harley-Davidson in Rapid City. This is where I met Steve from Wizard Custom Painting and later dropped a few hundred bucks to have my Harley personalized. Marc and I also purchased EZUP Center Stands for the big touring bikes. Yeah, I spent much more than I had planned, but then again it’s Sturgis and I have a whole year to save! Later Tuesday evening the clouds moved in and as we left Rapid City we knew once again we would need to find shelter from the storm. The weather report called for golf ball size hail, two inches of rain and strong winds. We exited I-90 on the west end of Sturgis and held up at McDonalds for over an hour eating and drinking lots of coffee. On our ride to Spearfish afterwards, the sunset was simply brilliant. We checked into Black Hills University at Spearfish, for $80 per night, you get a dorm room that measures 15x15, hot showers, an air-conditioned lobby with 52” HD Flat Screen TV, coffee every morning and for just $6 all you can eat breakfast! We stayed here in 2006 and said back then that we would do it again!

Wednesday morning we headed to Spearfish Canyon, then Needles Highway, Iron Mountain Road and the Pigtails. You need to bring your “A” Game for this ride. I saw many riders braking late into turns, obviously going too fast into them. After this we needed a break to relax as the ride was tiring. Rapid City Civic Center hosts the HOG Hospitality stop every year and here you can get your “free” event pin if you are a HOG Member. Since Marc in a new member, he needed to experience this for the first time of many more to come. We grabbed lunch at the Civic Center, nothing really note worthy though.

Thursday, we headed back to Black Hills HD for the custom painting, then to Piedmont for the Top 50 Custom Bike Show. Ridley also showed their Custom “automatic” transmission bikes. There was even a bike builder from Watertown, WI! We had met a State Trooper on Tuesday named “JD” who had told us about his Uncle owning a bar north of Sturgis on Highway 79. JD said every year his Uncle roasts 14 or more hogs and offers a free barbeque lunch for the bikers! We had to drive through downtown Sturgis to get to Drag Pipe Saloon, so this was one time we went through Sturgis, the only other time was when we came back through after lunch! On our way to Drag Pipe Saloon we passed Bear Butte (El. 4422), this site was as amazing as Devils Tower in WY. After lunch we stopped at Full Throttle Saloon which is east of Sturgis and south of Bear Butte. Full Throttle is a venue you just gotta see. There are at least 10 places to buy drinks, if you are one of the less fortunate one’s that didn’t get free drinks from the many bar-maids.

Friday we decided to take I-90 to Rapid City, and then the Black Hills back roads of Icebox, Boulder, Vanocker and Nemo Canyons. This provided to some a challenge of 96 miles of twisting turns. The roads led from Rapid City to Deadwood. We spent about three hours in Deadwood simply watching people. Plan on getting there before 10 AM, at that time the Main Street opens for motorcycle parking anywhere the curb is painted “yellow” but only on the west side. We found a bench and parked our backsides there for the duration, except when we got up to grab lunch at Bully’s. Bully’s is an old casino, hotel and restaurant that provides free coffee and ice water. Lunch consisted of a polish sausage, brat or hotdog, chips and soda for $3! As you can see, if you shop for a bargain for lunch, you can find one. When we left Deadwood, we headed west to Lead and onto Spearfish Canyon for a ride going to opposite way from what was experienced on Wednesday. It was a totally different feeling! You must do the Canyon in each direction. Since our laundry was done Thursday evening, when we got back we packed, headed to Spearfish’s Sports Bar one more time and then went to see “The Dark Night”.

Saturday morning we got started by 5:00 AM and drove as far as Chamberlain for breakfast at McDonalds. It was a 4 ½ hour ride and once there, we were in Central Standard Time, so it was now 10:30 AM. Our evening reservations were at Albert Lea, MN at a Super 8 on Main Street. We arrived in Albert Lea at 3:20 and decided because the weather had been perfect, to ride all the way back to Watertown. We arrived back in Watertown at 10:12 PM Saturday evening after traveling 848+ miles in 16 hours! I wouldn’t recommend it as it was a very long day. Here's to the many rider's we met along the way, thanks for making the memories! To Duane, his wife and their friends from Iowa, make sure you checkout Shutterfly for your pics! Join us if you can for the September 27 & 28 "Mystery Ride" our 6th Annual! Enjoy the PHOTOS and remember to type “chrome” as the password for the Shutterfly photos. Remember to leave your comments within the blog site! It's always great hearing from others! Stay safe, ride free and sober.

J&P Open House 2008

Friday morning started out sunny and in the upper 60's to low 70's. We rode 20 minutes southwest and by the time we reached Cambridge we were forced to stop and change into rain gear. On our journey to Dickeyville to see the Grotto Shine we were in and out of our rain gear a few times. As long as you are prepared to ride in rain with proper attire this type of weather offered no surprises. By the time we crossed into Iowa there were few clouds in the sky and once again we found ourselves riding in fewer articles of clothing. Ever take a photo of yourself looking into a gazing ball?

We saw many motorcycles in Iowa and even more the closer we got to Anamosa and our final destination for two nights, Cedar Rapids. We wondered if all these motorcycles were going to J&P Cycles 29th Annual Open House. This question was answered on Saturday when thousands, possibly as many if not more than 20,000 motorcycling enthusiasts met on the hollowed grounds of one of the biggest providers of after-market cycle parts. We all had photos taken with Michele Smith of American Thunder TV/Speed Vision, along with John Parham (J&P Cycles) and Jeff "Motorman" Palladino. The girls spent their time completing one of many different Bingo cards to be completed for prize drawings. The motorcycle safety presentation by Palladino was fantastic. I was so impressed that I purchased all three of his videos and will use them in the classroom. The stunt team this year was so much better than last, but then again last year the course was wet as it had rained. J&P Cycle fed the hungry crowd again this year with a free lunch! Water was also supplied free of charge throughout the entire day.

Marc and I talked about this event being on our yearly "riding adventures". If you have ever thought about attending this annual event, stop thinking about it and DO IT! You will not be disappointed. When we left the event, the wind was so strong we fought our way back to Cedar Rapids Holiday Inn Express. We estimated the wind speeds to be in excess of 50 mph! These were cross winds all the way back and our gas mileage suffered. This ride was Marc and Chris's first "long ride" on their 2002 Harley-Davidson Ultra Classic (last year Marc made it solo on his 2003 Honda Shadow). Each time Chris was asked how she liked the Ultra, she answered with a wide smile and said, "Wonderful." For many more photos go to Shutterfly and remember the password is always, "chrome".

Our trip ended with a stop in Galena, Illinois for a bite to eat a Gobbies. Marc and I had decided last year that we would share our hamburgers with our wives since trying to eat one by yourself can be a chore. The burgers are about as big as Marc's new Harley-Davidson coffee mug!

In all, we were able to dodge many of the storms that had passed through. Rain gear was worn and taken off more times then I can remember, but at least we were prepared just in case. Both couples were hooked up to intercom systems which made communication as easy as back in the day when we were still newlyweds! We logged over 570 miles and had no surprises. As they say, "Any ride is a good ride!" Thanks again to John Parham for hosting another enjoyable Open House at J&P Cycle! Be sure to place your Vote on the Poll Question below!

2008 FLHTCUI Ultra

2008 Harley-Davidson FLHTCUI Ultra Classic
ABS & Security System

You ask, "So how is the new 2008 Ultra Classic?" Here are a few things I have noticed so far. Overall I am pleased with the many changes over my 2000 Suede Green/Vivid Black Ultra Classic. Biggest disappointment has been the gas mileage, or lack of anywhere close to where the motor company says it should be. Biggest smile on my face, you guessed it, the bigger motor and 6-speed tranny. Below are simply my viewpoints. You got to go out and drive one yourself! Be careful, you just might bring one home for good!

Electronic Throttle Control – does not hold a true idle speed. Idle fluctuates from around 1100 rpm to just under 2000 rpm. Was told by Service Writer at a Harley-Davidson Dealership the company is aware of this and is working on a downloadable program to correct it. Service Writer showed me how to “boot” the ETC by having the Engine Cutoff Switch set to run, and then turn the ignition switch to start, let the electronic fuel injection run, while counting to 10. Turn ignition off, wait a second, then turn ignition on again, wait for fuel injection while counting to 10. Do this 5 times and then start the engine. Service Writer had to attempt to start engine 3-4 times before it fired up. Motor ran a little lower rpm at that time, but the very next day idle speed increase again. If you roll-off the throttle from the “off position” the idle speed in rpm drops a few hundred. This roll off is the same as you would do to cancel the cruise control. Most of the time, the idle is around the 1300+ range rpm. The ETC remembers the rider's hand pressure just prior to shutting down. Make sure you let the motor idle down to normal idle speed prior to turning the engine off. When starting do not touch the throttle as this might change the idle speed, not that you would want to touch a fuel injected motor's throttle when starting.

With just under 700 miles on the bike, gas mileage while running it on the highway at speeds between 65-70 in 6th gear have been averaging under 40 mpg. At 70 mph the tachometer is reading around 2500-2600 rpm. My question is whether or not this bike will eventually obtain the almost 54 mpg highway rating Harley-Davidson claims in their advertising. • The low fuel light came on for the first time the other day when my remaining miles on the odometer read 35 miles. I was told that when this occurs you should start looking for a gas station. The remaining miles gauge automatically comes on no matter if you had the trip meter showing or the total miles. This feature is nice and reminds you to head for fuel. As I got into town, the “LO” showed on the gauge, indicating less than 10 miles remaining in the tank until empty, or so I was told by the salesman. When I reached the gas station, I filled up with 5 gallons. I thought the tank was a 6 gallon tank! I figured out my mileage per gallon and got in the upper 30’s. I would guess that 85% of this tank was used on I-94 at highway speeds under 70 mph in 6th gear. I hope after an extended break-in period better gas mileage is on the horizon.

Brakes are fantastic, much better than my 2000 Ultra Classic. I ordered the Ultra with the ABS and have had an occasion to use this option while teaching a Skilled Rider’s Course in the rain. The brakes made the bike stop in a short period of time and a straight line. This option is worth the $750+.

Since I’ve never hard a security system on a motorcycle, the jury is still out on whether this was money well spent. However, the dealership where I purchased the motorcycle threw this option in, so why not take it!

Radio is fantastic! Eighty watts of mind blowing tunes for the long haul is something you’ll have to experience yourself. Have an Ipod? Leave it at home. The radio plays mp3 music, so take your iTunes and convert to mp3 songs, then load a CD with 120+ songs. This will keep you in music for over 8 hours! Concerned about the CD player skipping? Don’t be, not once has a song skipped while riding on I-94 with all the pot holes and bumps of the Wisconsin highway system.

I wish Harley-Davidson would abandon the Dunlop stock tires and replace with Metzlers. I know the Dunlop’s might last a thousand miles longer, but the Metzler having a softer and stickier tread handles the road better and I feel safer with them. As soon as I have ridden the life out of my Dunlop’s, Metzler’s will be my new lifeline.

Harley-Davidson opted to omit passenger grab bars back in 2005 (I think). In place of grab bars, a strap has been installed. This strap I feel is useless and offers absolutely nothing. My wife felt more comfortable with the grab bars and I used them at times to secure luggage that was placed there.

When I saw the Airfoil Luggage Rack introduced in 2008 for the Tour Pak and the optional light kit, I immediately had to have it! With the option light kit that works as a running and brake light it offers additional rear lights to the already lit up rear end.

A few years back Harley-Davidson introduced lowers with vents that could be opened or closed. Though I wasn’t too impressed at how cheap they seemed to be made (not a Harley-Davidson trademark), on my 2008 they are a welcome addition on those hot days. The addition of the Batwing vents that can be pivoted to provide more airflow to rider and passenger is a great standard feature.

6-speed transmission with the bigger 96 cubic inch, 1584cc motor really comes to play on the open road highway systems. My 2000 Ultra at a speed of 68 mph was pushing the rpm’s to just a tad under 3000. With the new motor and 6-speed gearbox, I don’t see 3000 rpm’s until I am almost at 82 mph and this is not the typical speed I cruise at. Now I can easily cruise at highway speeds and know that the motor is basically resting! At 70 mph, the rpm’s were around 25-2600.

For more information on the 2008 Harley-Davidson Touring Models, "A sweet way to ride" go to Glenn G's blog.

Read the comparison made between the Ultra Classic and Victory's new entry into the world of American made touring models with the Vision in the article from Motorcycle-USA.

Updates (June 26, 2008)! It has been just over one month since I took delivery on my new '08 Ultra Classic. I had the 1,000 mile service done six days ago. Capital City Harley-Davidson in Madison, WI updated the ETC (electronic Throttle Control) with an updated software program from the Motor Company. This will cure the uneven idles I had been getting, but have changed the way I turn the bike off, waiting for it to idle down first. I had the dealership replace all fluids with synthetic, a bit more expensive, but in the long run might give me less troubles. Now for the real good part, remember me complaining about gas mileage? Well this last tank 202.4 miles and just a tad over 4 gallons for an average of 50.44 mpg! That's all for now. Keep riding and checking back for new articles.