Post Scooter Cannonball Run thoughts

Well, I've had my time to unpack and unwind from the Scooter Cannonball Run 2008, and tomorrow it's back to the grind once again. I still haven't had time to go through my pictures and upload them, but I'll get to them soon. In the meantime, I have some thoughts to share about the Cannonball, in case anyone would be interested.

First of all, I'm doubly convinced that there's never enough preparation you can do in regard to navigation, and I still didn't do nearly enough for this Cannonball, which cost me quite a bit, especially on day two. Next time I'm definitely getting a GPS, I just hope that they'll make one by then that I actually like. Once again, I didn't use a GPS for this Cannonball, although my iPhone frequently did come in handy. For the most part though, I navigated using a paper scroll with the directions on it, which was mounted on my mirror post inside a plastic box which is used for enduro races. That way, I could see the directions and scroll through them as I worked my way through the route each day. However, I should have prepared my route sheets before the Cannonball started and had them all ready to go on day 1, it was a real pain to find printers along the route, when I had to make my route sheets as I went. A few times I had to re-write them by hand, which was harder to read while riding. I do like the setup though, so I may well use it for other rides.

Another subject is tires. The Heidenau K58 rear tire on my Vespa wore through within 2000 miles, which is 2 to 3 times faster than I had anticipated. I suspect that the compound of the tire is softer and designed for cold, wet conditions, so it's not as able to withstand the heat and friction of long distance, high speed, high temperature riding, such as through the Nevada and Utah deserts. Also, the large grooves in the tread pattern translated into a higher pressure per square inch where the tire met the road, which would have generated more friction and heat as a result, which contributed to wearing down the tire faster. And last but not least, the extra weight of carrying a spare tank also took a toll, especially because it was set so far back, behind the rear wheel, increasing the downward force on the rear tire. By the time I got to Fort Scott, KS, it was just about fully bald down the center of the tread, so I had to swap it out for my spare, but that one was well used and probably had only 1000 miles or so left on it, so it was unlikely that I'd be able to finish the Cannonball without buying yet another tire. Luckily, Vespa St. Louis had a Sava 130 in stock, so I mounted that one on my rear wheel - at least it wasn't a Cheng Shin! ;) It did fine for the rest of the trip, so that worked out well. What I should have done was mount a set of Heidenau K61 street tires, 130 front and 140 rear, as well as carry a backup set of a K58 140 rear and K66 130 front in the support truck, in case of rain. It's easier to change both wheels with tires already mounted, than it is to change a tire on just one rim, while on the road. Plus it's extra insurance, since it's feasible to run a 130 on both the front and rear, so the second spare could also serve as an additional backup for the rear, in case it may be needed.

The belt and variator are another subject that has been of concern to me. Next time, I'm definitely starting with a fresh belt and carrying an additional new spare belt with me, along with a variator tool and torque wrench. That way, I can be fully self-sufficient in case of a belt or variator failure on the road. It was definitely a good thing that I had my J. Costa variator with me as a spare this time, since my Polini had begun to self-destruct by the time I got to Garden City, KS, which was maybe 2000 miles since it had been installed. The rollers were totally flat as well, since they're made of a very soft material. This particular variator is apparently designated as "for race use only", and it certainly would appear that it isn't cut out for long, grueling road rides. The J. Costa is infinitely more durable and the slider weights are much more long-lived, so it's far better suited for a long-distance ride like the Cannonball.

The oil pan gasket was another common are of trouble during this Cannonball, at least four bikes had problems with them. This gasket is made out of a very flimsy, thin strip of paper, with a thin bead of silicone along the middle of the strip on either side. Theoretically, this should create a very good seal between the aluminum surfaces of the oil pan and the engine case. However, in real world practice, this gasket is very easily distorted and is prone to tearing. According to Rolf, those gaskets used to be made of a much thicker, sturdier gasket material, so that they would keep their original shape and maintain a good seal. I think I might write to Piaggio to share my thoughts on this one, in the hope that they might be willing to change the design to make it more reliable.

I was very happy with my Corbin seat, it did a great job of taking care of my backside, although I think I might add a thin layer of cushioning or possibly gel, to help soften it up a bit and keep the bumps in the road from being quite so jarring. The stock Vespa suspension just doesn't do that great of a job, and unfortunately Fournales does not make a set of air shocks for the GTS yet - I sure hope they have plans to produce them though, that would be a huge seller for them. The modified Fournales P200 front shock that Rolf installed on my bike performed terrifically, and I really wished I had a set for the back to match.

Let's see, what else is there... there were a couple of things that I really began to appreciate during the ride, which apparently are difficult to find outside of California: fresh spinach, toilet seat covers, smoke-free bars and restaurants, a distinct lack of rednecks, to name a few. I did miss having Internet connectivity some of the time, although I was usually too busy to worry about it. AT&T's service proved to be pretty consistently awful throughout the west, although it did get better from St. Louis eastward. One of the most glaring screw-ups was the fact that in at least two or three places we stayed, the AT&T towers provided a time signal in CDT, when we were still in PDT or MDT. How lame is that? I can't wait until the iPhone is available on other carriers in 2010, so I can drop AT&T and their pathetic excuse for a cell phone network.

Also, I was very impressed by how many of the roads, even in far out of the way places of the country, are maintained in such great condition compared to our roads here in California. We have some serious problems if we can't keep our roads in better shape than Massachusetts or New York, when we almost never have to deal with snow, salt or ice. Even worse, California has the highest gas taxes of just about any state in the nation, which are supposed to be used for road maintenance, yet these funds are continually diverted to the general fund or other pet projects that have nothing to do with transportation year after year, and the resulting road maintenance shortfall takes its toll on our tires, suspension and spines day after day. What do we have to do, to hold our government's feet to the fire, to ensure that this money is used for its intended purpose???

Well, I think that pretty well covers most of the thoughts I've had about the Cannonball, aside from the fact that it was am amazing, grueling and fantastic adventure, and such an amazing way to see this country, from one coast to another. I definitely plan to be there again in 2010, wherever the route may take us!

Ready, steady...

I'm all packed, loaded up, in San Francisco, and ready to leave in less than 7 hours. The past few days have been just a whirlwind of wrenching, planning, packing and preparing, but now I feel like I'm all set. It's weird though, it doesn't quite feel like the Cannonball yet. Once we meet up in the morning though and everyone's chomping at the bit, I'm sure it'll be a different story. But for now, it's time for me to get some much needed rest. More to come tomorrow!

Welcome to my blog!

Greetings to all and welcome to my blog! I've decided to start a new blog to chronicle my adventures on the Scooter Cannonball Run 2008, which starts two days from now, as well my ongoing scooter pursuits in general. The Cannonball is a cross-country endurance ride undertaken by twenty three of us, riding scooters from coast to coast, from the Pacific at Ocean Beach in San Francisco, CA to the Atlantic at Ocean City, MD. Our journey will take 10 days, riding roughly 300 to 400 miles per day in some of the most remote areas of the heartland of America. We'll climb from sea level to more than 11,000 feet, through scorching desert valleys and over frigid mountaintops. The 2006 Cannonball was an epic journey and this ride certainly will be no less.

Hopefully the weather will be as good as one could hope for, but I won't be a bit surprised to see some inclement conditions along the way. I am very glad to hear that tropical depression Hannah has dissipated over the Atlantic and now poses no threat. At the moment, Ike is throwing a weak punch at western Cuba, and then will meander across the Gulf, reaching the coast of Texas by Saturday. Hopefully we'll be far enough north of that storm going through Colorado, Kansas and Mississippi, that we'll miss it when it reaches the US. I'll be keeping my fingers crossed, but I have my rainsuit and wet bag ready to go in the event they're needed.

I still have a good bit of organizing and packing to do, Wednesday will be very busy for me. Tuesday evening I'll be taking care of the last few things I need to do on my bike, then making a quick stop at the pub for a bite and a pint, then head home to prepare to leave for San Francisco the next day. Wish me luck and safe travels, without any deer, turkeys (either aviary or human), jackrabbits, jackasses (either equine or human), wash outs, wipeouts, road closures, snowstorms, low sides, high sides, or any other adverse encounters during my journey. As always, I plan to ride safely out there and be as prepared as possible for whatever may come throughout the journey.

I'm fully confident in my bike and I am really looking forward to this ride. Some roads will be very challenging and demanding, but others will be absolutely stunningly beautiful and breathtaking. That's what makes the Cannonball both a grueling and amazing ride that forces you out of your comfort zone and rewards you with the thrill of the experiences and adventures you have along the way.

The thing that I enjoyed the most about the last Cannonball was the sense of freedom I felt while riding through the wide open spaces of this magnificent land. To some people, the song "America the Beautiful" may just be a bunch of words, but I've seen it with my own eyes, I've been surrounded by it, in all its glory. There is so much awe-inspiring scenery throughout this country, most people have no idea - and what I've seen of it has barely even scratched the surface! I love to see how different the geology is in different parts of the country. So far, my favorite has been western Wyoming, although Utah was pretty amazing too. This time we'll be going through Utah and Colorado, so there will undoubtedly be some incredible sights along our route on days 3 and 4.

I'll post more updates as I have the opportunity, at least once per day. Stay tuned!

In the meantime, here are a few shots of my bike, all ready for the ride: