Another nice day for a ride in Iowa

[rjs987]

Rode over to the county assessors office today to pickup my new custom personalized plate for the AK 550. As usually happens this trip would be 27.4 miles if I took the direct route. Instead my AK "forced" me to make it 56 miles. 
Only one photo. You can tell from this pic that I really need to wash the AK but just haven't had the time or the weather to do it just yet so I won't post a better pic until I do.
The lighting was distorting the color and reflecting badly here so I'll just have to get to washing the bike and take another better photo.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/JNkLneuGGq9NpvqRA

[Neil955i]

Cool plate Bob!  Would cost you high 4 figures here in the UK!

[rjs987]

Only a one time $60 fee and an annual $15 registration here. Some US states cost more every year.

[rjs987]

Rode to my grandson's middle school concert tonight. Took the shorter faster route to get there due to time. Concert was good. Traveled just over 46 miles tonight taking the longer way home.

Oh, and here is that plate after I gave my bike its bi-annual washing...
https://photos.app.goo.gl/7dMti29cNG7kTJgu9
https://photos.app.goo.gl/g7g7w2wYAYneghVm9

[rjs987]

Replaced the license plate frame. I tried a silicone plate frame/cover as shown in my previous post, but that was a little too flimsy for my taste and the bezel was not wide enough to completely cover the white border around the edges of the custom plate. I returned that one and bought a metal one that has a wider bezel. Not sure it's aluminum but maybe... or maybe painted lightweight cast metal. Was cheap enough so if rust starts to show I can replace it easily. Looks much better I think.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/kVWXbAHCbkK8ucpM9

[rjs987]

Another really nice day. Sunny and around 90F.
Needed to go shopping so off I go on the AK. Ended up with just over 29 miles for a 3 mile shopping trip.
Had to get several bundles of yard waste bags and a few other groceries (on sale you know). The yard waste bags got strapped on the passenger seat and the rest went under the seat.
Just bringing home the bacon. No... really... bacon was on sale. 

[Neil955i]

Another really nice day. Sunny and around 90F.
Needed to go shopping so off I go on the AK. Ended up with just over 29 miles for a 3 mile shopping trip.
Had to get several bundles of yard waste bags and a few other groceries (on sale you know). The yard waste bags got strapped on the passenger seat and the rest went under the seat.
Just bringing home the bacon. No... really... bacon was on sale. 

Story of my life on two wheels, right there!

[rjs987]

The ride will come starting tomorrow early morning and continuing daily through Sunday.

Tonight I packed the AK 550 tonight. Will be riding off in the early AM to my Wisconsin riding/camping event with the ST-Owners guys. Needed to re-figure how to strap the bags on since this is the first time I'm using my new big (blue) dry bag and also, as a result of fitting a bit more in that big bag, I also reduced the number of dry bags by one.
Hmmmm, everything is blue now! 

EVERYTHING that goes inside the tent is now in that big dry bag. Clothes, sleeping bag and mattress, and even the camp chair are in it. The longer dry bag on top is my new Nemo tent and all that goes with that. The shorter dry bag on top is now stuff I might need to get to on the road... rain suit, water bottles, extra Rok straps, bungee net, first aid kit, extra gloves and liners. I also threw in a few things I forgot to pack under the seat before I started strapping the bags on top. As you can see I needed that luggage rack to support the rear of the dry bag yet no excessive weight on it (looks bent in the photo but that's the normal shape). I decided a few years ago that I really didn't want to travel with a bag in the step through since that was one of my primary goals going to a super scooter in the first place... being able to easily "step through" to get on. Plus the gas cap is behind the cover just in front of the nose of the seat and I also don't want to have to move anything to add gas.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/7eCMq8hxQiNnx4jY8

[NorWeWa]

Neil, you have a fun and safe trip.  Big load there !

Art 

[rjs987]

Actually I now have a smaller load than it was before... but just by a little. OK, not really smaller but not as tall nor as many dry bags.

Had a great trip that lasted from Wednesday until today. Most of those attending this time were riding BMW bikes... including the event sponsor who just recently sold his ST1300 to buy a BMW r1250rt. I rode the only "scooter" but most of the guys there know I can more than keep up in the group rides. But I generally ride solo or with one or two others who choose to tag along on my own routes. We had some riders show up from Texas and Arkansas and Florida and Tennessee as well as from IL, IN, OH, IA, and WI and MN. 15 riders in all.

On my way to the event there was a lot of road construction on my route. Ended up taking C and then 133 to Lone Rock (instead of my usual highway 60 from Prairie du Chien). On highway C I saw the rump of a deer going into the brush on my right and then a few miles later there was a very young bambi standing in the middle of my lane. I stopped quickly and tapped on the horn and bambi finally decided it was time to move... looked right, then turned and ran left and up the hill into the brush. I kept looking for mama but she was nowhere to be seen.

Saw 2 cranes in the field across from the campsite. Saw 4 cranes on the shoulder of the road on the ride back from Baraboo Friday. I led a few others who didn't want to follow the larger group ride to meet up with them at the lunch stop in Baraboo.

The ride home was without issue. Had a strong headwind the first half of the trip but that was less the second half. I did feel a bit of a mist for about 5 miles but then the sun came out. Left at 7:35 am and arrived home at 1:40 pm with a lunch/gas stop in Cedar Rapids, IA. 757 miles total. New tent worked out great. Weather was great. Wind on Thursday kept all the blood suckers away. Not too hot overall, but a little cool one day and night. No rain. Can't get much better than that. Averaged around 55-56 mpg with a high about 62 mpg and low just over 50 mpg (65+ mph with heavy headwind coming home).

Really liked having that awning on the front of the tent. I put it down at night to close the front and add some privacy and put it back up in the morning.

Here are a few photos:
https://photos.app.goo.gl/uVR2QTTbtKWufifD7

[NorWeWa]

I'm out at one of my favorite stops for coffee. taking it easy with a full cup on the front bench, and a fellow sits down and introduces himself.  He's out here from Iowa.  I have to say you meet nice people riding a scooter.  And I would add you meet some nice people from Iowa.  We talked for about 30 minutes or more.  Seems he just sold his scooter, and talking with me may have look to replace the one he sold. 
My rides are pretty tame, but sure do mean a lot to me. 

Art 

[rjs987]

Well, THAT worked out...
My wife takes only her slim wallet when she goes walking. Sometimes when she on an errand she takes a small clutch with the wallet inside. Sometimes when shopping she takes her purse with the wallet inside... with a lot of other stuff (reminds me of what we all stuff into the storage of our bikes when we ride). Earlier today she went walking, then took the car in for some maintenance. After lunch she took off to go shopping... and forgot to take her wallet in the clutch. So she called me asking what to do. Can't go to the bank to get money without proof of ID. Nor the ATM either. So it was decided I would take the wallet to her. She suggested another bike ride.

Rode my AK 4.5 miles to where she was so she could go spend more money. Then another 30 miles to get home. 
It was sunny, no clouds, and 91F. Comfortable with all the vents open as long as I was moving along.

[rjs987]

Rode to my son's house this morning 22 miles away. My grandson is home recovering from another knee surgery (he has needed several surgeries on his leg due to a growth deficiency).
Needed to stop on the way home for gas since it was on reserve and I'll be riding there again tomorrow. Ended up with almost 49 miles total today.

I rode between the rain drops... well, actually between the rain storms... But I stayed dry in any case... relatively dry. Humidity was high for here at around 93% when I rode up there with actual temps around 82F. I did a repair to their garage door trim that was not fitting right and even though it was before 10 am I was dripping wet before I finished. I should have worn a swim suit.

Coming home the actual temps were not as high as expected due to the storms at around 87-89F but the humidity was still up there. Was OK as long as I kept moving.

Put in just 2.97 gallons of gas and calculated that tank to give me just over 58 mpg. 174 miles on that tank.

[rjs987]

Did it again today...
Rode up to my son's house to watch over 2 big dogs and my Grandson. He's on a series of meds to be given on a schedule during the day so that's what I was there for.
Temps going up were just over 80F and humidity has been high for a few days. But most of my jacket vents stayed closed and I was comfortable.
Riding home after 5:30 was a bit warmer. Temps were 98F and heat index at 114F most of the ride home. Dew point was around 75%. In the middle of the ride home for maybe 5 miles temps dropped about 8 deg per the temp reading on the dash, but it was 98F at the beginning and at the end of the ride every where else. All vents were open on the ride home.
Total miles today ended up being only about 46 miles.

[rjs987]

Just short ride today. Was a cool 53F this afternoon when I needed to take an Amazon return to the UPS Store. Then off on the long way home for a total of just over 17 miles. Wanted to do a check ride to verify the oil level after more than just running at idle for 10 minutes and also to make sure there would be no issues after replacing the CVT belt. All went well and the oil level was just more than the mid-point on the dip stick after parking and waiting 4-5 minutes in the garage. No weird noises or performance issues that would indicate something was put together wrong so now I'm ready for some cooler/colder weather riding... well, other than that the front tire will need to be replaced soon.

I still see enough tread left to think maybe another 1500-2000 miles before I need to do that. If I get a lot of miles between now and March then I'll be attempting to replace the tire in a cold garage. Not ideal. I usually don't ride a lot of miles during winter months so I might possibly be able to hold off until March or early April. Not the best idea to ride in the cold on worn tires but there's just too much tread to want to replace that front tire just yet. Maybe it will work to hang the new tire close to the front of my parabolic heater that I use in the garage to warm it up. Don't know if I can get away with putting the new tire in the oven. SWMBO might complain more than it would be worth.