h2o_boy
Junior Member
Short backstory - I was searching for parts for my FZ6 and ran accross a deal to good for me to pass up. So I bought the bike and flew to Albuquerque to get it. My family was meeting in Phoenix for the holidays anyway so this was the perfect way for me to get there. I had also taken off the following week from work already so everything just fell into place for me to make a nice trip out of this.
I had been wanting to ride up HWY 1 and 101 for awhile so I jumped at it. Even if it wasn't the best time of year for it, how bad could it be?
I had 8 days worth of riding planned out and little over 1 day with family in Phoenix. I also planned on making it to SF area for New Years eve. I have an uncle in San Jose whom I hadn't seen in awhile so I was hoping to hang with him. I was going to be camping (yes camping:Flip the nights I wasn't staying with family.
Ok lets start this off.
I arrived in ABQ around 3:15 on the 26th. The guy I bought the bike from picked me up from the airport and took me to my new bike (aka his house).
I got a great deal on the bike because it had been laid down and the plastics were distroyed. FZ6 plastics are easy. I had bought a whole headlight- cowling assembly and had shipped it to his house. Even after the cost of pastics and my flight, this bike cost less than half of my previous FZ6 which I bought 2 mo earlier. I already had the title and bill of sale in hand which had his current address. I expected at worse for assembly to take 2 hrs.
I was a little off after about an hour ride north to his house and assembling the bike I got on the road close to 8 pm.
It was after dark and it was friggin COLD (28 deg). There was also a storm right where I had planned on camping that night. Instead of riding for 2.5 hrs and camping I decided to get a hotel in ABQ and start early the next day when the sun was out.
Alarm goes off at 6 am. It's 21deg and still dark. I set the alarm for 7 and go back to bed.
Alarm goes off again. At least the sun is up this time. After eating breakfast and packing up, it's time to hit the road.
:banghead::rant:battery doesnt' have enough juice in this cold to get the bike started :banghead::rant:
Not to worry, the battery is easily accessible right under the gas tank. Well to get under the tank I have to remove parts of the cowling also. To get to my tools I have to unpack all of my crap that I just spent 15 min getting on the bike while freezing my nuts off :spank: (they have since reappeared so no worries)
I get the battery exposed and get a jump. It starts right up. I am now debating with myself as to whether I want to drive straight to a cycle shop and get a new battery or just risk it till I get to Phoenix (thats my destination today and the battery will be warm). Getting a new battery is the wiser choice, so I opt to risk it and just go. I don't want to reassemble the dissassemble the bike 2 more times while my nuts are gone. Have I mentioned that it was cold?
Off I go heading south towards Las Cruces then to Tucson and final destination Phoenix. Yeah thats about how exciting that ride was. 3 roads all straight, 1 had a slight bend over a couple hundred miles. Don't wanna get to crazy.
That was the longest ride of my life(at this point in time, read on). Literally and figuratively. Over 560 miles and 8.5 hrs according to google.
In PHX I spend time with the Family, change the oil/filter and go with synth. I also perform the dual headlight mod. I got tired of explaining that the FZ6 came stock with only 1 head light on and the 2nd wasn't burned out.
I also got a HUGE relief when my uncle from the LA area said they were headed home the same time I was planning on leaving and not spending new years in Vegas.
ME: "U-haul? Yes I would like to rent a trailer"
I was so NOT looking forward to the super slab ride from Phoenix to LA. If I thought the 3 roads from ABQ to PHX was bad. PHX to LA was going to be worse. 1 road and no turns.
We need grub for the road. In-N-Out here we come.
On the Super Slab
I had been wanting to ride up HWY 1 and 101 for awhile so I jumped at it. Even if it wasn't the best time of year for it, how bad could it be?
I had 8 days worth of riding planned out and little over 1 day with family in Phoenix. I also planned on making it to SF area for New Years eve. I have an uncle in San Jose whom I hadn't seen in awhile so I was hoping to hang with him. I was going to be camping (yes camping:Flip the nights I wasn't staying with family.
Ok lets start this off.
I arrived in ABQ around 3:15 on the 26th. The guy I bought the bike from picked me up from the airport and took me to my new bike (aka his house).
I got a great deal on the bike because it had been laid down and the plastics were distroyed. FZ6 plastics are easy. I had bought a whole headlight- cowling assembly and had shipped it to his house. Even after the cost of pastics and my flight, this bike cost less than half of my previous FZ6 which I bought 2 mo earlier. I already had the title and bill of sale in hand which had his current address. I expected at worse for assembly to take 2 hrs.
I was a little off after about an hour ride north to his house and assembling the bike I got on the road close to 8 pm.
It was after dark and it was friggin COLD (28 deg). There was also a storm right where I had planned on camping that night. Instead of riding for 2.5 hrs and camping I decided to get a hotel in ABQ and start early the next day when the sun was out.
Alarm goes off at 6 am. It's 21deg and still dark. I set the alarm for 7 and go back to bed.
Alarm goes off again. At least the sun is up this time. After eating breakfast and packing up, it's time to hit the road.
:banghead::rant:battery doesnt' have enough juice in this cold to get the bike started :banghead::rant:
Not to worry, the battery is easily accessible right under the gas tank. Well to get under the tank I have to remove parts of the cowling also. To get to my tools I have to unpack all of my crap that I just spent 15 min getting on the bike while freezing my nuts off :spank: (they have since reappeared so no worries)
I get the battery exposed and get a jump. It starts right up. I am now debating with myself as to whether I want to drive straight to a cycle shop and get a new battery or just risk it till I get to Phoenix (thats my destination today and the battery will be warm). Getting a new battery is the wiser choice, so I opt to risk it and just go. I don't want to reassemble the dissassemble the bike 2 more times while my nuts are gone. Have I mentioned that it was cold?
Off I go heading south towards Las Cruces then to Tucson and final destination Phoenix. Yeah thats about how exciting that ride was. 3 roads all straight, 1 had a slight bend over a couple hundred miles. Don't wanna get to crazy.
That was the longest ride of my life(at this point in time, read on). Literally and figuratively. Over 560 miles and 8.5 hrs according to google.
In PHX I spend time with the Family, change the oil/filter and go with synth. I also perform the dual headlight mod. I got tired of explaining that the FZ6 came stock with only 1 head light on and the 2nd wasn't burned out.
I also got a HUGE relief when my uncle from the LA area said they were headed home the same time I was planning on leaving and not spending new years in Vegas.
ME: "U-haul? Yes I would like to rent a trailer"
I was so NOT looking forward to the super slab ride from Phoenix to LA. If I thought the 3 roads from ABQ to PHX was bad. PHX to LA was going to be worse. 1 road and no turns.
We need grub for the road. In-N-Out here we come.
On the Super Slab