Union City, TN to home Friday, August 13
It seemed kind of funny I would be riding the worst day of the entire trip on Friday the 13th. Haven’t you heard that Friday the 13th is supposed to be good luck for left handed people? I got through the last day without being so frightened I was shaking, but spent most of the day somewhat alarmed due to the heat.
I was again on the road before first light (5:45) and was into Arkansas by 8:00 and through Little Rock by 10:00. That still left me five hours to get home and it was already insufferably hot.
This was the most brutal day I have ever spent on a motorcycle. When I started the day at 5:45 I was able to ride until a needed fuel. For the rest of the day I had to stop about every 90 minutes to re-wet my cooling vest and get more cold water. Stopping that often was delaying me so I would hit Dallas during Friday afternoon traffic, but I didn’t have any choice.
I stopped looking at the thermometer when it read 110. I simply didn’t want to know. I was having to ride with my knees fanned out to minimize the burning from the engine heat. The heat from the pavement and motorcycle was so extreme my feet hurt. I have good touring boots — it was just that hot.
It’s the first time on the motorcycle that I was having to fight getting light headed from heat. Soaking the vest in a bag full of ice water, filling a bandana with ice and tying it around my neck to cool the blood flowing to my head, pouring ice water all over the mesh jacket and pants, filling my water reservoir with ice to cool me on the inside. None of this was enough to combat the excessive heat. Maybe it wouldn’t have been such a big deal if I was doing less mileage each day, but when I’m doing 600-700 mile days I feel I really need to take care of myself in order to safely ride.
Up until the last day I had found it more comfortable to ride with my visor cracked open a little to let fresh air flow through. The last day the blast of heat hurt, so I rode home with the visor closed except when I was drinking water (I have a 55 oz. Camelbak on top of my tank bag).
This may be silly but I feel the last miles are perhaps the most dangerous of the trip. I’m at my most tired for the trip, I’m back in familiar territory and may let my guard down, so I am the most careful and the most vigilant as I approach home. Add the fatigue from the heat and Friday afternoon traffic to the mix and I was really being careful.
I was able to cut across Dallas with only minor slow downs and safely pulled into the garage and put the side stand down. Does anyone else feel that intense satisfaction and gratitude when returning from a very long journey and safely returning home? I feel it each time both me and the motorcycle are back safely in the garage.
As for heat damage — once again the top of my boots blistered both legs and the inside of my right leg is moderately cooked from the heat coming off the engine. I stayed hydrated, so the rest of my body did okay. As far as the motorcycle — I am surprised the tires didn’t melt right off the wheels, but I guess she’s tougher than I am. I pulled off the tank bag when I got home and it was so hot it hurt to hold it and I didn’t want to bring it into the house that hot so it’s out on the work bench cooling off.
Me? I’m in the house cooling off. I may not leave for a while…
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