Long Way X-Cross

Long Way X-Cross Long Way X-Cross. An adventure inspired by Ewen McGregor & Charley Boorman in The Long Way Around & The Long Way Down.

Their adventures were brilliantly chronicled in the amazing documentaries as they traveled the world on their motorcycles. With their inspiration, I now set out on my own adventure to criss cross the country.

12/13/2018

Getting ready to ride across the country.

3000 Miles in Oregon, Utah, Idaho, Oregon, California, Nevada
08/08/2016

3000 Miles in Oregon, Utah, Idaho, Oregon, California, Nevada

2000 Miles Utah, Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona
08/08/2016

2000 Miles Utah, Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona

04/05/2016

  Over twenty-two hundred miles on the bike and it just turned April, no wonder I stopped posting to this blog…   Death Valley was the test trip, the shake out....

I never owned a BMW GS before so as you can imagine there is a great deal to learn about the bike. The learning curve is...
02/01/2016

I never owned a BMW GS before so as you can imagine there is a great deal to learn about the bike. The learning curve is really steep at first, I learned a great deal on the very first day. When I purchased the bike the owner followed me home so he could give me a ride back and I could retrieve my car, I had to pull over after the first corner to ask him how to cancel out the turn signal. The button to cancel the turn signals is on the left and works for both left and right. This is a BMW deal.

I had many questions about the bike, how to change the oil, the plugs, where is the air filter, the battery, etc. I rode down to the BMW dealer to have one of the guys look at the bike, it is kind of awkward going back to the dealer and saying, “hey look at my new bike that I did not buy from you”. The salesman was cool about it, he had owned the same bike years earlier, he even explained some of the features and tried to help me with a few things. He was concerned about the ABS braking system then shrugged it off saying that the indicator bulb could be burned out.

The service manager suggested that I get the bike in as soon as I could because the 1150s have issues with the ABS system and if it were to fail it would be very expensive. I asked him how expensive and he told me it would cost more than I had paid for the bike. That is when I started to worry. I am a good judge of character and I really liked the guy that sold me the bike. He is a mechanic and from what I could tell was a straight shooter. He had kept the bike well maintained and even replaced the alternator belt as well as putting a brand new set of Shinko Trail Master tires on the bike. I was certain that he did not sell me a bike that was not safe and needed a costly repair.

I became more and more concerned about the brakes as I learned more about the bike, the bike was not making the servo noise when the brakes were applied, there was tape residue over the brake failure light and I found a short wire jumper that could be used to reset the warning indicators in the tool kit. I was nervous about the brakes and I wanted to make sure there were no issues with the ABS system. I began reading as much as I could on the system, asking questions and even tested the brakes to the best of my abilities.

I really like this bike! The BMW R1150 GS is the best bike I have ever ridden, it is amazingly smooth, well balanced and a dream to ride. The engine and transmission are built like a tank, she is tough and yet very responsive. The breaks are fantastic, the front brakes drop the nose down and she smoothly comes to a stop the rear ones dig in well and it takes a lot of break before she skids, when she does she slides well balanced and is easy to control. I am still curious about the ABS system not working as she should, there are no indicator lights, no servo noise, no response that the system is working.

Adventure rider.com is the best forum for adventure riders and bikes that there is. The members or “Inmates” are experienced and extremely helpful. Within a few minutes of posting my concerns there were quite a few people posting and trying to help me with my dilemma. After an hour or so of discussing the ABS braking system on BMWs and watching several you tube videos I decided to go out into the garage and see if I could shine a flashlight up under the gas tank and see the ABS components. It was possible that the system had been bypassed after all even BMW put a switch on the handle bars to do the very same thing. I was surprised to see a cavernous space under the tank, all of the ABS components were gone. An ABS-ectomy had been performed.

The ABS issue was resolved; my bike would brake like any other bike without ABS brakes. Since there were issues with BMWs ABS system, its effectiveness and the huge cost of repairing it I was ecstatic to determine that I did not have anything to worry about. My mind then turned to who had removed the system and if it was done correctly. I decided to follow up on the bikes maintenance history and rode over to the workshop that was recommended to me by mike when he sold me the bike.

Bavarian Motor Cycle Workshop sits unobtrusively off of 300 west in downtown Salt Lake City. The tiny parking lot is large enough for their company van a car and several motorcycles. As I opened the double doors and walked in I was amazed at the spotless shop with several shiny adventure bikes nestled into the tidy work area. There stood two smiling faced men standing in front of a gallery of certificates hanging on the wall behind them. It appeared that there was every possible certificate signifying every possible certification from every possible motorcycle manufacturer.

There were certificates commemorating 400,000 miles of riding BMWs, thank you letters from customers and certifications hanging on the wall that would make a lawyer jealous. I had a hard time focusing on the two smiling faces at first as I tried to look at the walls behind them like I would look at an art covered wall in a gallery. “How can we help you” they asked in a friendly manner, it was like I had just met up with two old friends. The guys at the workshop were just that, what a relief it was to find people that were extremely well qualified and excited to help.
It was like going to a Veterinarian that knows your dog better than you do. They remembered my bike, they entered the VIN into their computer and printed out a list of everything that they had worked on. In January of 2012 they had performed the ABS-ectomy, the procedure was done correctly and they used all OEM parts. My bike was safe and well taken care of. It was at this point in time that I named her the “Beast”.

Looking at the Klymit Insulated Static V Luxe pad for my trip. It is as comfortable as a home matress!
01/08/2016

Looking at the Klymit Insulated Static V Luxe pad for my trip. It is as comfortable as a home matress!

Huge Cudos to Recreation outlet for offering quqlity products at affordable prices! My tent, sleeping bag, drybags, soft...
01/04/2016

Huge Cudos to Recreation outlet for offering quqlity products at affordable prices! My tent, sleeping bag, drybags, soft luggage, etc etc.

01/04/2016

On your mark, get set, go! For me, the hardest part of writing a novel is the beginning, just as a story ends with “The End” mine should begin with “On your mark, get set go!” There, the hardest part is over. My last novel, some sixty thousand words, lies in dust covered book bag waiting for those final few words, waiting for a finial brilliant conclusion before the words, “The End”. As difficult as I find it to conclude my first book I also struggle with the task of beginning this one but alas I have begun.

The Long Way X-Cross is a dream, an adventure of a lifetime. With only one lifetime to give circumstance or be it fate has brought me to where I am today. I stand at the beginning of a new chapter in life one where I have the means and hopefully the ability to crisscross the country on a motorcycle. A dream shared by thousands attempted by hundreds and chronicled by a few. My personal inspiration lies with two incredible individuals who shared their dream by documenting their adventure in the Documentary “The Long Way Around”.

Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman rode around the world from London England to New York City, going east, a trip over twenty four thousand miles long. The Television documentary allowed them to share their adventure inspiring millions while it became a means to complete their dream. I am missing two things that they had the ability to produce a documentary that financed their adventure and a friend that shares the same passion and lust for adventure. In the show, Ewan said that “not everyone is given a motorbike to ride around the world on” however it is friendship with Charley that is his greatest gift. Hindered in a way by not having a free motorcycle for my adventure or a good friend to share it with I set out with an excitement like I have never known before.

I married my lifelong friend, her enthusiasm and encouragement for my trip has been refreshing. Teresa had put the stop to another dream of mine, for some odd reason she was not supportive of me sailing around the world. I really liked the idea, I planned and worked towards the voyage in every way that I could. I purchased, rebuilt and sailed many sailboats, trained off of the coast of California and pursued it with a passion. I was so passionate and so convicted that it most likely scared her. I was destined to leave, a scary thought for any spouce.

Not everyone wants to sit on a motorcycle for a cross country trip, especially one that is eleven thousand miles long. I believe it is the plan to fly Teresa to the end points, Key West, Quebec City, San Diego, and Victoria British Columbia that appeals to her. I am not leaving I am just taking a different route. Unlike the wilds of the open ocean I will never be more than a few miles from a Wal-Mart at any time. I suspect that she is comforted by that. So am I.

So the cat is out of the bag, so to speak, I have begun my adventure by having a dream, made the first steps by deciding on the destinations and committed to the whole thing by buying a motorcycle and the supplies necessary for the trip. In reading the book “The Long Way Around” by Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman, I was surprised to find out that a trip could take years of preparation, choosing the routs, the logistics, finances, etc. I have opted for the “Captain Ron” approach and will simply plan a spontaneous adventure. If I get lost or need help I can always just pull over and ask for directions...

I am planning a cross country adventure to keep me busy when I retire from The Ogden Fire department. This page will all...
01/02/2016

I am planning a cross country adventure to keep me busy when I retire from The Ogden Fire department. This page will allow me to keep up with friends and chronicle my planning and preperation for the trip.

I hope to stay intouch as I travel the country and camp with friends and relatives alond the way.

Recreation outlet backpacking gear to save weight.
01/02/2016

Recreation outlet backpacking gear to save weight.

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3160 S State St
South Salt Lake, UT
84115

Telephone

801 824-6059

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