http://www.indybmw.com/ Dave's site about motorcyles in general, BMW's in particular IndyBMW.com, companion site to DaveDaniel.net and DaveDaniel.com Dave Daniel (mailto:ddaniel@splintershop.com) The ride started mid-morning after finishing up a batch of fresh beef jerky and a number of other pre-ride tasks. The sun was gracing us after an early argument with some clouds, but the temperature was still down in the low 30’s. After topping off the tank in Fishers, I headed onto the interstate for the run to Nashville. About an hour into the ride, the clouds had returned, along with an increase of humidity. The temperature was still in the 30’s and I was starting to get uncomfortably chilled. Experience tells me to stop and get the electrics on, otherwise the distraction could cause an accident. A stop at a rest park gave me a chance to change to the electric jacket liner (imagine wearing an electric blanket) and to put on my balaclava. Yes, recall that I am bald and a helmet really doesn’t afford much warmth. Heading on south towards Louisville didn’t improve the weather any. And, the comfort of warmth from the balaclava has been replaced by a searing pain from a seam between my forehead and the helmet. This obviously wasn’t made for motorcycling (the balaclava, not the helmet). A short stop for a gas fill and a quick snack of ham and jerky, along with removing the head covering, and I was back on the road to play with the trucks. I made an interesting observation of something that was happening on a very regular basis; as I approach cars or trucks, they miraculously move over to the other lane and let me easily pass. I suspect that my yellow/black coat, my yellow helmet, and all the lights on the front get their attention (as well as the quick approach). I even think some thought the popo were after them. Southern Indiana is obviously a haven for wild turkeys, as the fields on each side of the highway were filled with them. The males were busy showing off their plumage for the ladies while they were busy gorging beans and corn left over from the fall harvest. Ah spring has sprung and the sap is flowing. Midway through Kentucky, between Elizabethtown and Bowling Green, the sun finally won the battle and the temperatures started rising. A group of corvettes heading to the museum in Bowling Green were using me as a slalom pole, weaving in and out around me. I’m not used to being the focus of traffic mischief, as that’s usually my game, but it was fun to watch it all unfold. I had the last laugh as a group of Kentucky’s finest had them all pulled over at the BG exit (yay!). Heading on south, no longer hampered by wayward Chevrolets, I hit the Tennessee state line with the temp around 60 with a really stiff and gusty wind. A quick romp through Nashville highway construction and traffic brought me to my evening stopping point about a half-hour south west of town. Around 350 miles for the day, it’s time to let my bike grace the front door of the Hampton inn (they’re always nice about letting me park under the canopy). And surprise, surprise, the underbrush is leafing out and the ornamental trees are in full blossom. I’m just a few miles from the northern terminus of the Natchez Trace Parkway. The plan is to get on the parkway and put in another 350 to 400 miles to drive through springtime to Jackson, MS. Of course, that will be after a big breakfast to get me going. Once I get back, I’ll upload images and edit the ride report. Meanwhile, trust me, it’s beautiful out here. http://www.indybmw.com/content/content1.asp?Pointer=Tours&ID=325 2010-03-29 Articles Dave Daniel (mailto:ddaniel@splintershop.com) I've got a two-week window to fit in the first major road trip in a couple of years. Between work demands, work travel, and family health issues, I just haven't had the luxury to get out for major miles. The 2007 trip-pair of the BMW-MOA West Bend rally and the BMW-RA Asheville rally were the last significant travels made on the bike. So now the opportunity presents itself for a solo road trip to anywhere I think I'd like to go. Since it's early spring, I'm going to take the long anticipated motorcycle trip to visit family in New Orleans. However, this won't be a "hop on the slab for major miles in a day, trip." I am very excited to continue my quest to explore more of America's Byways as this trip will include all 440 miles of the Natchez Trace Parkway. According to the National Scenic Byways program; the U.S. Department of Transportation recognizes certain roads as All-American Roads or National Scenic Byways based on one or more archeological, cultural, historic, natural, recreational and scenic qualities. The Natchez Trace Parkway runs from just south of Nashville, TN, 440 miles south to Natchez, MS. There are plenty of sites devoted to the Trace parkway, so I'll only say that it is a two-lane speed-limited stroll through some fantastic country and history. Via the parkway, the trip from Indy to New Orleans is expected to be close to 1,000 miles. I haven't decided if the southbound leg will be a two day or three day trip - it will likely depend on how often I stop to take pictures. View Larger Map The plan is to stay in the New Orleans area through the following weekend until the next good weather window hits. I have no desire to travel two days in foul weather at this time of year. I had originally considered heading further south, after a few days in New Orleans, to Key West, but really feel an additional 1,100 miles from New Orleans to the end of the earth followed by 1,400 miles back home just might be too much. But who knows…it might just happen. If I don't head to the keys, I'll make a two-day return to Indy. I won't be in any particular hurry, but I'll have to remind myself about the relative cost/day of motorcycle travel. Look for daily logbook entries as I head south. As always, I'll have full computer, phone, internet and photo upload capabilities wherever I can access the mobile network. Let's hear it for technology, eh? I've got two days to put the final plans together and to get ready for the trip. I plan on leaving Monday, Mar 29th, hoping the spring breakers will have already found their roost for the week. Here's to safe travels and good weather…and to a lovely lady that taps me on the shoulder to do these kinds of things! http://www.indybmw.com/content/content1.asp?Pointer=Tours&ID=323 2010-03-26 Articles Dave Daniel (mailto:ddaniel@splintershop.com) I know my solo travels cause concern for family members that want to know I'm doing ok, or simply need to know where I'm at. Since I carry a GPS on the motorcyle, thoughts were it would be a simple task to post the current coordinates on a website for viewing by anyone with the proper URL. After researching it a bit more, I discovered a group of smartphone applications that provide the means to send the data and post it on web sites. Since I had already hacked my Verizon HTC Diamond to enable the GPS (Verizon prevents users from doing this to be able to charge for their GPS software), the task was reduced to loading and configuring software and setting up the website. Since I wanted a free service, it came down to two providers. The market leader, Instamapper, didn't have a native app for Windows Mobile-based phones. So, they were out. Another, TrackR had the Windows Mobile app, and website for viewing. It's not clear whether TrackR is the best choice, but it does work as advertised. The main disadvantage is that TrackR doesn't seem to know about Facebook or other social networking sites, making it difficult if not impossible to integrate the maps into your favorite site. In fact, you currently must use their site to display your track. Another disadvantage with TrackR is when you restart the app, the previous tracks are lost unless you've have saved your track via the website. While this isn't necessarily difficult via your phone's web browser, you are still going to lose tracks when you don't realize the app has failed and restarted. Instamapper can be configured to concatenate new data onto an existing track. Both apps can limit track viewing to a controlled list of people, but I choose to just leave it wide open. Here are some things to consider before using tracking software: - Network connectivity means phone usage - Network usage means battery consumption - Network usage can be expensive unless you have an unlimited plan - Make sure your wife knows where you plan to go :) If you want to see what the tracks look like, you might be able to find one at my Trackr Live Tracking http://www.indybmw.com/content/content1.asp?Pointer=Gear&ID=324 2010-03-18 Articles Dave Daniel (mailto:ddaniel@splintershop.com) The past two weeks have presented ample opportunities for rides, but today was one of the best yet. Temperatures ranging from 60 to 72 and a perfectly sunny day made really difficult to stay focused on work. Thank goodness that a lunch appointment with a business colleague gave me the excuse to get out. Eight miles to get there, and 52 miles to get back home :) I got back out around dusk for a brisk ride on one of my favorite loops; ride down Fall Creek to I-465, a quick cloverleaf reverse to north I-465, up I-69 to 238, and Olio Road back home. It's kind of my quick-fix ride. Not especially long, but has some reasonable twisties along the river, some fast highway sprints, and a couple of high-speed 360's. The fun was somewhat tempered by the annual spring fling by the Indiana State Police to help meet their sagging revenue quota. No stops or tickets for me, but they were thick. Tomorrow should be more of the same (weather, not radar traps, I hope).....Enjoy! http://www.indybmw.com/content/content1.asp?Pointer=Tours&ID=322 2009-04-17 Articles Dave Daniel (mailto:ddaniel@splintershop.com) 6AM, Sun breaking over the horizon. Cool, clear skies. The goal for the week is to take in what is arguably described as the best motorcycle touring roads in the country; the Cherohala Skyway, the Dragon at Deal's Gap, and the Foothills Parkway. The fourth, the Blue Ridge Parkway, would hopefully come tomorrow. I was concerned about the possibility of washing from the rain last night, but the roads proved to be in extremely good condition. After a brief fueling stop in Tellico Plains, a left off of highway 68 onto highway 165 and I was on the Skyway. Starting out at an elevation of 930 feet, I was in for 36 miles of mountain sweepers and twisties, and a climb to over 5300 feet above sea level. I had the road to myself, with no traffic at all and could push Milla as hard as I wanted into the turns. I found myself mixing up casual touring with some peg-scraping, but easily managed to stay within range of the 45mph speed limit. Readers beware, this is a potentially dangerous road with medical help over an hour away. After about 20 miles, I found myself eating brunch at the Santeelah Gap at 5377 feet. It was starting to warm up, so I pulled off the sweatshirt I had on under my jacket and enjoyed watching the hawks sweep through the clouds. While riding the Skyway, I discovered I had a preference for right-hand roads, where the high-ground is on the right side of the road. Paying attention to it, I noted that I was fixating on the outside hazards rather than looking through the turn. After correcting for the problem, I found myself smoother and quicker on both road types, with both road types being extremely enjoyable. http://www.indybmw.com/content/content1.asp?Pointer=Tours&ID=320 2007-06-05 Articles Dave Daniel (mailto:ddaniel@splintershop.com) "Happy Birthday, Erica! It's finally road trip time. The 2007 BMW Motorcycle Owner's Association national rally is scheduled for the end of the week in Asheville, North Carolina - right in the middle of the Smokey Mountains. While the rally itself isn't that important to me, it's an excellent time to ride in the area of the rally, as there will be plenty of company and available help from like-minded riders. I've planned out to spend much of the week riding around the Smokey Mountains. I've got some set goals while I'm on the road, but it doesn't include any type of firm schedule. And, riding alone gives me as much freedom to venture wherever I please. After a relaxing weekend that included a birthday celebration, bike preparation and packing, I woke up at my normal go-to-work time to start the trip. My ride setup for today would be my mesh jacket and pants, riding boots, Nolan flip helmet, my Steve Held touring gloves, and the necessary camelback water backpack. My Garmin 376C will provide directions and map info, along with XM music entertainment and weather radar. This would be the first trip to try out a small cooler in the top box, filled with some frozen drinks, sandwiches, and some jerky. Even though southern Indiana and Kentucky offer some great twistie runs, Day 1 would be a nondescript day of slabbing 450 miles from home to Athens, Tennessee. I made my lunch stop at the rest park in Jelico, Tennessee, which is at the Kentucky/Tennessee border. The park turns out to be the complusory stop for cruiser riders to dig out their head gear for the helmet-required trip through Tennessee. It made for an amusing lunch. One pair pulled in, he in a t-shirt, she in a tank top. He looked over at me, attired in full ATTGAT, saying ""man, dressed like that, it looks like you're going to be hot."" My reply, joking with him was ""yeah, dressed like that, looks like you're going to be dead."" His lady immediately swatted him to underscore my comment. Sorry, man. I ended up at the Athens, Tennessee Hampton Inn. Athens is located about halfway between Knoxville and Chattanooga. The inn stafff was very considerate, allowing me to park Milla under the entrance canopy. By the end of the night, there were 10 bikes snuggled together to stay dry in the approaching storms."450 miles, Avg 47.7mpg http://www.indybmw.com/content/content1.asp?Pointer=Tours&ID=319 2007-06-04 Articles Dave Daniel (mailto:ddaniel@splintershop.com) Rally Photo Gallery http://www.indybmw.com/content/content1.asp?Pointer=Tours&ID=318 2007-06-03 Articles Dave Daniel (mailto:ddaniel@splintershop.com)