50cc in October?

[Andrew]

50cc in October?  Bad time of year?  Weather??
Well I got some time off (2 weeks) in mid October and was thinking about a 50cc. I was planning on the ride before the summer but family matters came up.
 The shift bid just got posted and as it turns out I got the two weeks I put in for (low seniority=vacation time no one else wanted) When I told the wife about the vacation time she asked me if thats when I was going to do "the ride" I responded with "OK, let me look into it"
  So what say you fellow ST-Ners?  
  Am I nuts (wait I know the answer to that )
  Can it be done at that time of year and what kind of weather should I expect?
  I am not adverse to riding in the rain, (lightening whats another story.)
  Heat? as long as it is below boiling I am OK.  
  Cold I can handle, well anything above 32' (something about ice that gives me the willies)

[county]

Why not?  Sounds like as good a time as any and better than July or January.

[jalan]

I rode to San Antonio and few years ago in mid-October. The desert was warm, but not hot.  A little chilly at night, but not too bad. I'd say the weather was as nice as it ever is there. I'd defintely bring an electric vest.

San Antonio was, I think, 90F and 374% humidity. Or there abouts.

[mike goodwin]

Actually October would be pretty pleasant.
My figuring would be around the second week of October.
Cool mornings and evenings and not blazing hot afternoons(generally),which aint too bad once you hit the west Texas thru Yuma part of the ride.
The only issue is you will be riding in darkness more than you would be in April or May.
What coast were you thinking of starting from??

Fwiw i did my 50cc the third week of April in 2003.
Crossed the continent twice in a week and never even had a drop of rain.
Perfect weather.

Actually i have been thinking of doing another 50cc or possibly a 100cc.

County..get on that BlackBird and do one.

[Andrew]

 

What coast were you thinking of starting from??

Starting from the West.

[Specter]

Probably the best month to do it. My favorite rides have been in October.

Positives:
Mild weather in most places
No tourist traffic

Negatives

Short days/long nights (11-1/2 hours of daylight at Los Angeles Latitude)
More stupid deer. They will be in the rut, with thoughts of love clouding their judgment
Increased possibility of snow/ice

Your route will make a difference. Doing an I-10 blast should be no problem. Farther north, passes risk snow and freezing.  I've had snow in southern CA passes, icing conditions on I-80 near Truckee and hail in New Mexico.

Another pointless adventure is in my plans for this October as well, I just don't know what it is yet

[Andrew]

There are no pointless adventures, the adventure is the point

[mike goodwin]

Andrew...Contact before you leave as i live in Houston and would be possibly available if you ran into some sort of trouble.

[Andrew]

 

Andrew...Contact before you leave as i live in Houston and would be possibly available if you ran into some sort of trouble.

Shall do, and Thanks ahead of time

[Slonishku]

I'll be doing one in November if I get back from Afghanistan in time, starting from San Diego. Planning on it being rather cool.

[Pelagic]

There are no pointless adventures, the adventure is the point

 
Couldn't agree more!

My only suggestion would be to work your timetable so that you get through west Texas in the daylight hours. I did a 50CC in middle april and it was 37 freakin' degrees at about 3am. NOT a great time!! I was prepared for cold but that was more than I was expecting. The altitude and a clear night just let all that global warming disappear right into the night sky. BBRRrrrrrrr!!!!

Good luck, be safe, have a grand time!
Cheers
Jim

[Lawn Dart]

Andrew:  have fun!!!

Are you starting from NorCal, or heading South for the traditional startpoint in San Diego?  If you start from SoCal, here's a link that's absolutely PRICELESS.

http://www.teamconsulting.com/MTF100CCCweather.htm

Obviously the "House of K" is open to you as a starting point.  

[Slonishku]

How much time would you guesstimate a start from the House of K adds over a San Diego start?

[OrangeSVS]

I can't comment because I have no idea what the weather is like on "the Far Side of Endorn's Moon".  If that is near Alaska, it will probably be too cold.  If it is closer to Miami, it may be very warm.  

HTH.    


Edit to add:  Maybe you should've posted this in a regional forum since it is location-specific.  That way those of us who don't know you and don't know where you are won't be opening this thread.

[Lawn Dart]

How much time would you guesstimate a start from the House of K adds over a San Diego start?

Starting from my house (Actually, Huntington beach) as opposed to San Diego is about 45 miles, IIRC.

[Andrew]

Thanks for the Link BMW-K   very useful

I may take you up on "the house of K" as I plan on a southern route. (the long 10) Was planning on a hotel close to the pier, but 45 miles ain't to far.



OK OrangeSVS how about "the land of fruits and nuts," the Golden State, or as our governator says KalEfornia    YA the Left coast

[OrangeSVS]

Thanks for the Link BMW-K   very useful

I may take you up on "the house of K" as I plan on a southern route. (the long 10) Was planning on a hotel close to the pier, but 45 miles ain't to far.



OK OrangeSVS how about "the land of fruits and nuts," the Golden State, or as our governator says KalEfornia    YA the Left coast

Cool.  Now I can throw my two cents in...  

You're in Southern California, so it won't be snowing.  So yeah, it'll be great riding weather in October.

[Justin]

I've ridden cross country in late November, a little snow in PA (not even sticking) was the worst I ran into. Chilly nights on the plains, no prob, had heated gear... pulled over in Nebraska, and he wasn't happy after following me for 20 minutes to catch up  . Great ride, I prefer riding in cold weather over hot any day!

[Andrew]

OK so 4 days till departure (one day to get to SoCal)
Bike is ready, all maintenance up to date,
I-pod loaded with books and tunes
gear ready (almost packed)

I am getting rather antsy.

 "Bound to cover a little more ground"  

[Lawn Dart]

You do understand that your GS will now be jealous that the Feejer got picked for this ride.  

I would highly recommend giving that GS a bit of attention when you get back!

[Explorer]

Good luck Buddy Oh have some fun while your at it  

[mike goodwin]

Good luck Andrew.
If possible give us your departure time and place.
DonT be surprised if the HOV lanes on I-10 thru Houston are closed due to some weird construction that they have been doing so they can charge us for using the damn thing or some such.
Anyway it looks as if you will be departing during the weekend so you should not have any real issues here.
If you have any questions about Texas such as fuel or motels please get in touch with me.

[Specter]

Good luck and have fun!  Can't wait to hear about it when you get back.

[Andrew]

Good luck Andrew.
If possible give us your departure time and place.
DonT be surprised if the HOV lanes on I-10 thru Houston are closed due to some weird construction that they have been doing so they can charge us for using the damn thing or some such.
Anyway it looks as if you will be departing during the weekend so you should not have any real issues here.
If you have any questions about Texas such as fuel or motels please get in touch with me.

Ok Mike please tell me of the gas/fuel, As I understand it the fuel supply to the gas stations is back up (fuel shortages due to the hurricane and subsequent refinery shut downs)  This is something that has got me thinking, am I doing a Herculean challenge?

BMW-K and Ksann I reread your trip reports (some good stuff there thanks )
   After reading I have decided to leave on the trip eastward at a much earlier time than previously planned. I normally wake up at O'dark thirty (between 4 & 5) so 5 AM seems like a good time to be off (beat the morning rush as well as set up for the coming nights rest art a reasonable hour)

  Off to get the new tires spooned on tomorrow, then only two more days of work to go

[Slonishku]

Good luck, Amigo. I look forward to hearing about your adventure!

[mike goodwin]

Andrew i dont think you will have any fuel issues as everything is some what back to normal here.
Do you have a fuel cell or are you just using the bikes fuel tank??
What sort of mileages are you trying to attain between fillups??
When i did my 50cc i was on my 01 Bandit 1200s that had a 5.3 gallon tank and was averaging around a 170 miles between fuel stops.
How far are you trying to go on day one??
Make reservations at a motel ahead of time!!!!!
After all it is the weekend you will be traveling.
If you are stopping in Texas for your first days rest let me know where and i will dig up a phone number of a place to sleep for you if you need it.

Looks like great weather,at least around here it's been absolutely gorgeous for two straight weeks.
Of course i cant enjoy it as i have been working seven days a week and will be doing so for the next two weeks no thanks to that bastard Ike.
I'm jealous.

[BigLou71]

Good luck.  a 50cc is on my list of things to do.... soon.  

[mike goodwin]

Good luck.  a 50cc is on my list of things to do.... soon.  

It's a great ride Lou.

[torags v2]

 

Starting from the West.

My time to cross country is early March, I like to go to bikeweek. The weather from the CA border (on Rt 10) to Houston is about 30 degrees at nite. It's almost 1000 miles. I figure you have to leave San Diego about midnight to get thru that section during daylight hours. The weather warms closer to the Gulf.

I've had two 50CC attempts. My first attempt was without a heated liner (STUPID!) and I lost my key (always take another ignition key); took me 66 hours from SF. I had to end riding early and start after sunrise because of 29 degree temps.

The second one I had a Widder vest (better), but even then I had to slow to 75 during 30 degree temps at nite. Then I hit a deer carcus at 1am in west Texas and blew the trip.

So there are two disincentives to that section for nite riding.

I'm going to try again in 09.

October is fine, just plan for weather (cold & rain) as a priority with big city traffic avoidance secondary.



 

[Andrew]

"i dont think you will have any fuel issues as everything is some what back to normal here."
Thanks for relieving my stress on the fuel availability Mike

"fuel cell or are you just using the bikes fuel tank??"
I am using the stock fuel tank (6.1 gal) and carrying along a small fuel can (3gal) just in case.

"What sort of mileages?"
Normally on the slab with the C/C set at or around 65 mph I can squeeze out 45 to 50, that puts me in the 225 to 250 (maybe less depending o headwind) with a nice cushion to spare.

"How far are you trying to go on day one??"
First day ??? Junction TX is the mid way, but I may stop at Ft Stockton depending on how I feel. I am considering Ft Stockton to avoid going through the mountains at night, lots of deer this time of year (well maybe they are a year round issue but if I can avoid Bambie why not)

I will be heading out on Monday morning, Originally the plan was to wait until the morning rush had subsided (10/11 AM) but that puts me in TX at the wrong time. Being that I normally wake up all toooo early, I am now planning on hitting the road at around 4 AM. This way if I am lucky I should be in Ft Stockton around midnight (TX time) I have my fingers crossed on that one. Also with 6 hours sleep that puts me back on the road at dawn (or there about)

Today is going to go real fast (lots to do) Friday and Saturday well they are work days so I know they will fly by, heck that puts me on the road even sooner

[mike goodwin]

Hmm....Well i guess you leave when you leave but leaving on a Sat. morning would make life much,much better because there will be no big city work day traffic(think Houston).
Are you leaving from San Diego??
The reason i ask is because as i type this i am looking at my 50cc log sheet and the distance from the all night fuel station in Ozona Texas(Town and Country store) which is 110 miles east of Ft.Stockton is 1,077 miles from the Shell station on Voltaire street in S.D.
So FT.Stockton is only 967 miles from the Pacific.
Not far enough for day one without making a herculean ride on day two which will have you doing a near BB1500 Gold at 1398 miles.
I did my first leg from Jax Beach Shell station to Ozona Tx. which was 1300 miles.
Made day two much easier especially after 6 hours of sleep in Ozona.

About the deer.
Actually from Van Horn on to San Antonio you should keep a very wary eye open but the deer really get thick from Ft.Stockton to San Antonio.
Remember Texas has a 65 mph night time speed limit so you wont be over driving your headlights but beware as Texas has recently started patrolling west Texas much more than the days of past.
Oh yea,Texas will last you for 878 miles.

Andrew...I edited the mileages i mentioned earlier as i was to fast with my fuzzy math.

[ksann]

COME ON Andrew!!!!!!





(dang, if I can do it, you will have absolutely no problem)




ken

[mike goodwin]

Well i guess he's on the road by now.
Anyone know exactly where his departure was from??

[Lawn Dart]

Andrew stopped by last night for a brief spot of dinner.  The Rider left to bed down in San Diego and by now, should be some 3 hours into his Journey.


Gooooo Andrew!

[mike goodwin]

Andrew stopped by last night for a brief spot of dinner.  The Rider left to bed down in San Diego and by now, should be some 3 hours into his Journey.


Gooooo Andrew!

Now we know!!
He must be almost in Yuma by now.
Go Andrew!!

BMW-K...Did he indicate where he was going to stop for rest tonight??

[county]

Go Andrew....go.

[mike goodwin]

Andrew i hope you have a good rainsuit because it's raining pretty good here this morning.
Good luck.

[ksann]

Andrew i hope you have a good rainsuit because it's raining pretty good here this morning.
Good luck.

'stich, so he now has a wet crotch, actually, that fits into TMI.




Go Andrew........



ken

[mike goodwin]

'stich, so he now has a wet crotch, actually, that fits into TMI.




Go Andrew........



ken

My stich dont leak.
Go Andrew.

If he made it to at least Ozona Texas yesterday he is probably between San Antonio and Houston right now.
I hope so because or freeway traffic gets a might bit busy around 3:00 P.M. cst.
And it's 1:00 p.m. as i type this.

[greench440]

Shouldn't he be there by now?  Andrew hope you made, don't keep us hanging.  

[ksann]

Shouldn't he be there by now?  Andrew hope you made, don't keep us hanging.  

Agreed, don't do that to us, unfair.......


Tell us all about your trip.






ken

[Andrew]

Hi everyone

Here goes a quick run down.
   
   I left SD at aprox 5:05 AM MONDAY, had a nice ride, almost ran down a deer in TX(I was warned of the deer in the hill country) , got the bike washed several times AS I ROAD, passed up my hotel and could not find another till LA. Yep road straight from SD to Louisiana   OK so I may be nuts Stranger thing is that I only slept for 3 hours then awoke and could not go back to sleep.  Got the bike washed again, or lets put it this way WATER WATER SOMEONE PLEASE TURN OFF THE FIRE HOSE although the lightening sure is cool to look at and a bit scary. Meet a real nice LEO (no KSANN I did not get pulled over) Arrived in Jacksonville Beach FL at 11:17 PST, total elapsed time of  41 hours 56 minuets  
road all over looking for a hotel (the Days inn is not near the beach) and went too sleep

I will do a write up when I get home.

I am off to see a fireman now

P.S. no wet crotch (two peace stitch)

[mike goodwin]

 
Good going Andrew.
I sure am curious what time you got into La. because from the S.D to Anahuac Tx. is a little over 1500 miles.
So perhaps you nailed yourself a BB1500 Gold on the ride.
Weather is positively beautiful here today so your return ride should be really nice.
Cant wait to hear the tale of the deer encounter.
Congratulations mate.

P.S. My Stich is a two piece as well.

[greench440]

 

[Andrew]

Just had the Fire Dept. Captain sign the paperwork,
Sitting back and having a coffee, at harbucks.
I just went through the clothes I packed NO FUXKING SWIN SUIT  Well I guess I can wade in the ocean, was planning on a swim O Well.


The Captain asked me what I am going to do now. Funny thing is I had to think about it  I said "Think I will go for a ride" He looked at me as if I just said something very strange. (maybe I did  )  Help I think I have a problem

 "perhaps you nailed yourself a BB1500 Gold on the ride."
Maybe    When I got back on the bike it said there was less than 800 miles to go (I think)
Will work it out when I get home.

[ksann]

Congrats!!!!



We need to hear some goood stories now, come on....






ken

[Lawn Dart]

 

What else can I say?  

WELL DONE!  

[Explorer]

Way to go you mile muncher I hope you have a nice relaxed ride home.
Oh ya! Congratulations

[torags v2]

Congratulations Andrew... way to go....

 

[Specter]

 :thumbsup:Congrats!!

Lightning scares the crap outa me, unless its way behind me.  Good job - take your time coming back and find some good greasy spoons

[Andrew]

Defiantly taking my time on the way home, found my way to Key West yesterday

[bluepoof]

Go Andrew! I love Key West.  Hope the weather is holding out for you.  

[Andrew]

Good to be home, even if I had to strap a battery to the back seat to get me home (lost the stator today on the east side of 108)

[bluepoof]

(lost the stator today on the east side of 108)

[Andrew]

WOW Blue that was a fast reply  

I will tell all in a ride report, short story = The bike started to cut out just as I passed the army outpost on 108 (marines training center or something like that) The stator died (no more charging sys or very little of it) I did a quick diagnosis disconnected  the headlights and bump started it and road west, holding the RPM at/or around 6k until I got to Oakearst and bought a battery and jumper cables, strapped them down and continued home    Riding in the dark with no head lights over 108 ain't for the thin skinned  

[ksann]

Dang. lucky that this happened while almost home, not half way through your 50cc.





Glad you made it Andrew.



ken

[greench440]

You should be able to scrape up a stock stator over at fjrforum.com.  They had a group buy for high capacity stators a while back so there should be lots of peeps with their stock ones gathering dust.

Or you could get the high capacity model.

[Andrew]

You should be able to scrape up a stock stator over at fjrforum.com.  They had a group buy for high capacity stators a while back so there should be lots of peeps with their stock ones gathering dust.

Or you could get the high capacity model.

ordered another high capacity one this morning
think I am going to take a few pics of the bike tomorrow then (please forgive me) wash it.
Then maybe start on a ride report

[mike goodwin]

What bike did you do the 50cc on???
I thought you were on the BMW.
And most BMW's have really good alternators.

[Andrew]

I  took the FJR, I still do not trust the GS that and the FJR has a real good custom seat

[mike goodwin]

How many miles is on the FJR Andrew??

Are you concerned about the BMW's final drive??

[Andrew]

THe FJR had 60k when I left home and 67k now.

Yes I do not trust the final drive, the electronics, the fuel pump and well the list could go on for a while
THe FJR is just set up for long distance much better than the GS. Set aside the charging sys, but that will be taken care of by next week.

[2wTraveler]

I'd say go for it! You have now inspired me to look into doing one of these...