2023 Michigan here we come.
Day 1.
Friday. 4th August 2023
Started the day at 6am packing the bike and checking
everything worked. Met up with Bobby on the freeway near his home. It was
raining so I put on the wet weather gear and prepared for a miserable ride at
74 miles per hour (120kmh) Luckily it cleared and the next two hundred miles
went quickly. We had lunch in Fredonia, NY just west of Buffalo with our other
four riders from the local area. (Deak,
Dilli, Rage and J Dog. – nicknames are used to protect the innocent.)
We then rode towards Cleveland, Ohio and switched to local roads with thousands
of traffic lights and numerous changes of speed limits. (yes - I have been told
not to exaggerate a million times.)
Arrived in Cleveland after 364 miles (586Km) at around 6pm.
Very humid. Two gas (petrol) stops on the way. Parking turned out to be an issue.
Supposedly there was only valet parking but we are certain that the valets could not
ride so we parked the bikes ourselves. The valet gave us a hard time but all was sorted the next day. Dinner was at a
very nice sports bar with the normal conversations about previous trips. i.e. riding north towards snow, polar bears etc
Day 2.
Saturday. 5th August 2023
We all had a good sleep-in because the boys (except for myself ) went to the Rock and Roll hall of fame. I had to write up the blog and enter my
bike data. Today we rode just 179 miles (288 Km) to Ann Arbor Michigan.
The drama of the day was getting our bikes out of the parking garage. We parked there yesterday and the attendant told us motorbikes were not allowed but she let us stay. She said the valet parker at the hotel would let us in to the garage today as they were closed on the weekend. The valet guy said he would not do it but we talked the hotel manager into making him comply. Well, we got into the parking garage but could not get out! The exit machine was not working properly but we finally got out five of the six bikes but Bobby was stuck. The valet guy wanted to get out with a car behind him but he would not swipe his pass key to let Bobby out. He even threatened Bobby with the cops. Bobby had to slip him fifty dollars and then we were all free.
The day had nice rides with generally nice roads, We had a very nice dinner at a restaurant next to the hotel. A few years ago Mike W left his gas cap at a gas (petrol) station and he quickly realized his mistake and quickly had another rider recovered it. Yes - he was given grief about his loss. Today, the infallible Bobby left his gas cap but did not realize the error until a long while after leaving the station. Today we have to find a Harley dealer to buy a new gas cap. (His Harley has a gas cap and a lid so it is easy to close the lid without the cap.)
Quote: One of us was asking who had packed their hand guns. There were a few and one rider said he only had his hunting knife. The quote was "Great. We will shoot them and then you can gut them"
Day 3.
Sunday. 6th August 2023
We awoke to heavy rain and a coolish day. We rode 343 miles (552km) and it rained for 6 hours and only the last two were dry. Everything is wet. The boots, sox, jeans and shirt. Michigan drivers are very good by merging easily and staying back behind the pack. Down south they push in when they can and ride close behind until they are warned by a very handsome guy on the best looking bike.
We were at a gas station and this woman came over to admire the bikes. When asked what bike she liked the best she gave all the bikes name. The blue boy, the spider etc. Mine was the Duke because it is so "traditional" She did not really pick a winner but Bobby claimed the victory. She was very animated compared to her sedate partner. He was local and she was originally from Panama or Ecuador.
Dinner was at yet another sports bar that was within walking distance from the hotel. Mackinaw City is the southside of the famous Mackinaw bridge and we will cross it tomorrow. Yes the the different spelling is correct. There is an island call Mackinaw and the town wanted a different spelling to differentiate it from the island. The town is a ferry port and there are lots and lots of tourists.
Day 4.
Monday. 7th August 2023
What a great day - very sunny and rode 277 miles (446 Km) We started off crossing the Mackinac Bridge and back. The bridge that was opened in 1950 and is the fifth longest suspension bridge in the world at five miles long. It connects the upper and lower peninsular of the U.S. state of Michigan. It spans the straights of Mackinac, a body of water connecting lake Michigan and Lake Huron. The bridge has four lanes. Two are concrete and two are mainly metal grids. Bikes do not like metal grids and heaven help it if you have to use your brakes. Unfortunately the cement lane on the return crossing were mainly closed for construction and we had to ride on the metal grid.
We then rode down the West Coast of Michigan and rode the famous "road of trees" which is a narrow tree tunneled road for twenty miles. (see the photograph way down in the introduction.) Beautiful houses on one side and below the cliffs to views of Lake Michigan on the other. The rest of the day we had a great mixture of fast highways and country roads,
We have arrived tonight in Muskegon and tomorrow we take a two and a half ferry ride over to Milwaukee, Illinoi where the Harley Museum is located.
Yesterday I wrote that Bobby had lost his gas cap. Well - we called into the local Harley dealer and purchased a new cap. All is well with the world.
Day 5.
Tuesday. 8th August 2023
The shortest day riding ever. 8 miles. (13Km) The jet boat ferry from Muskegon, Michigan to Milwaukee Wisconsin, takes two and a half hours and is 80 miles (129Km) wide. The lake today was calm but apparently the week before there were seven foot waves and everyone on the boat was sick. All our bikes were tied down so they would not move and as we were about to leave, I was paged and told that one bike need to be properly secured. I thought I had done a good job and I had even practiced the tie-down before I left home. Bobby joined me and we went below deck. The deck hand mentioned a red bike so I was confused. As it turned out all six bikes were registered in my name and it was Bobby's bike that needed an extra tie down. A slightly red face was seen.
One of the ship's crew was very friendly by explaining docking procedures, explaining the charting and telling stories on past trips. We arrived in Milwaukee and rode a few miles to the Harley Museum and stayed at a hotel nearby we have stayed at a few years ago called The Iron Horse. The dinner in the hotel was the worst food I have had in years. Apparently the head chef was not working. An ice cream at a nearby at a street stall was perfect.
Long ride tomorrow with a big chance of rain.
Day 6.
Wednesday. 9th August 2023
Wisconsen to Champaign. 289 miles (465Km) Wet most of the way. Miles and miles of corn and Soybean. Very flat countryside. As I said, the drivers in Michigan were very polite. In Illinois they are not as good. Arrived at the hotel with wet jeans and wet boots. Did a load of clothes to mainly dry them out. Dinner was pizza and we ordered twice as much as we needed to make sure there was enough. The staff were treated to their own party!
Day 7.
Thursday. 10th August 2023
Champagne Il To Dayton OH 249 miles (401Km). A day of highway. The speed limit was mostly 70 mph (113 km/h) but we reached speeds of 90mph (145km.h) when overtaking. Lots of trucks compared to up north. Lots of time one truck will try and overtake another and they drive neck and neck and hold up a lot of traffic. The area was very flat with a lot more buildings and smaller towns. We visited Indianapolis Speedway in Indiana with a visit to the museum which was in the middle of the track. We also rode a trolly car for one lap and stopped at the start/finish line where they have a small slip of the original brick track. Apparently it has been a tradition that the winner always kisses the bricks at the end of the race. I bent over whilst the other five kneeling to pretended to kiss the bricks.
The kissing photo. One rider just bent over.
Day 8.
Friday. 11th August 2023
Dayton Ohio to Greensburg, Pennsylvania. 235 miles (378 Km) The last sleep. All the hotels have been middle of the road hotels and have been much the same. After each ride the boys would hang out in an area with chairs at night to smoke cigars and drink bourbon whiskey. Yours truly would normally be the first to retire as I tend to wake up early to update the bike data and write the blog. I'm sharing a room with Deak as I have done for a number of years. Today's ride was a mixture of highway and local roads with speed limits around 65mph (105kph). On the highways the three lanes had cars and trucks coming up the righthand side at 70mph (112kph) and the left lane closer to 80mph (129kph). Often big trucks would overtake other trucks and the run head and head for miles because they could not increase their speed. We would overtake them but on a down hill stretch they would overtakeus again. We had only one incident where an idiot dived into our group, then pulled out and did it again and then took off at 80 mph (129kph) or 90mph. (145kph)
Dinner tonight was down a steep hill from the hotel. The hotel manager drove us down and picked us up from a very ordinary Chinese dinner.
Day 9.
Saturday. 12th August 2023
Greensburg, Pennsylvania to Home. 408 miles (657 kl). A long ride for just two of us. The four Buffalo boys left early and arrived home around lunchtime. Bobby and myself arrive around five pm. Mainly highway with light traffic. It was supposed to rain all day but no rain at all.
Total miles = 2,437miles (3,922 Kl)
Original estimate = 2,175 miles (3,500Kl) Did not include searching for
hotels or the ferry day (8 miles)
8 days riding at an average of 305 miles (491 kl) per day
16 fill ups. 57.09 US gallons (216 litres) Average mpg 42.7 Cost = 11 cents per
mile
Total gas cost $265.56 Average cost per US gallon $4.655
Gas (petrol) ranged from US$4.26 up to US $5.00 per US gallon
2023 Wild
Hogs trip has been announced!
This year we are once again heading North (ish) this year. We
are off to Michigan and Illinois on August 4th for nine days. It has
been mentioned by one of the group, who likes warmer weather, that we are going
further north on this trip than we were on our Nova Scotia trip in 2014. In
fact, Prince Edward Island is 46.25 degrees north latitude and Mackinac Island
at the very top of Michigan and our planned most northerly point is just 45.85
degrees.
This time we have had very little discussion this time on
polar bears, snow tires etc. compared to Nova Scotia but if we get any rain
there will be lots of bitching. I believe that we have had more rain on our
southerly rides than we had heading north!
There was a thought that we should shortcut through Canada
but there was a concern that one of the Wild Hogs would not be able to travel
through Canada because of a minor driving infraction a few years ago.
This year’s trip will be around 2,190 miles (3,524 kilometers)
with a daily average of riding of averaging 274 miles (441 kilometers) per day. Below is the summary of our previous trips
for comparison and also my two solo trips that I have ridden without the Wild Hogs group.
Once again the Buffalo boys in the group get a break of two
half days less than the Syracuse boys who have to ride the extra 168 miles (270
Km) both ways and spend a total of five hours of riding. Luckily the Syracuse
riders are great riders for the long haul.
The trip plan for this year.
2023 Wild Hog’s trip Part 1 and end with a ferry ride across Lake Michigan.
2023 Wild Hog’s Trip Part 2
Bike Preparation
This year my bike has had the front forks fully serviced and
upgraded as well as a new brake light, new spotlights and indicators. Also a
full service and new tires. (tyres.) I had a small crack in the plastic lens on
the old brake light and could not get a replacement so the whole unit had to be
replaced. My rear tire lasted approximately 7,418 miles (11,938 Km) and the
front tire lasted 18,407 miles (29,623Km) . There was still a lot of miles left
on both tires but it is better to be safe than sorry. When I ride around near home
I only ride when it is dry but on these longer trips there is a good chance of
rain. (particularly when we ride south.) My father always said “just worry
about brakes and tires. The rest does not matter.”
At the most northerly
part of the trip we reach the famous Mackinaw bridge. We might cross the bridge
and back depending on weather because if there is any wind it tends to be
difficult. Also the top part of the bridge has metal grid on two of the four
lanes which is a little scary and insane if it rains. The
length of the bridge's main span is 3,800 feet (1,158 m), which makes it
the third-longest suspension span in the United States and 27th longest suspension span worldwide. It is also one of the world's longest bridges overall.
On the North West side of Michigan there is the well known road
called the “The Tunnel of Trees” The ride is twenty miles long (32 Km) and is
considered a must ride on many motorbike web sites.
We plan to take the ferry between Muskegon Michigan and Milwaukee Illinois on the Lake Express that covers the 85 miles (137Km) in two and a half hours.
In Milwaukee Illinois we will visit the Harley museum. A number of the Wild Hogs have been there before and we are sure the Honda riders will also find it fascinating. I don’t think the Honda riders are allowed to park near the Harley museum but we can always give them a lift.
Accommodation for the night is next door at the Iron Horse hotel where we have stayed before in 2011. Its relatively expensive but the parking lot has special covered spots for motorbikes with wash stations, cleaning cloths etc. The hotel rooms have special boot storage and helmet racks.
I have already started the quote pages.
As always these quotes are reasonably accurate to a large
degree and corrections are happily accepted but totally ignored.
Tug
to the Hogs:
My daughter became engaged last night. When I asked when she was getting married
she said it would be in August. I said "have a great time. I will be
riding with the Wild Hogs and you know how much they love having me on the
ride. "
Tug
to Dilli
“Dilli’s wife is the official Hog's advisor on all things including proper and
ethical use of Honda tape, brake repairs on a Ducati, battery replacement and
UHaul discount rates.”
Tug
to Hogs: “You
will note from the itinerary that Bobby has planned a ferry trip this year and
you will have to tie your bike down during the cruise. Bobby will be giving
lessons on how to ties down before we go, after all Bobby has had more
experience with tie downs than any other Hog - Counting three times at least
(Nova Scotia, Arizona or some other state nearby for a replacement relay and of
course the famous Ducati haul.)”
Trips over the years
Competition with big prizes – Who said these quotes you definitely don’t hear on a Hogs trip.
“Keep riding. I don’t need to pee for at least another
hundred miles” ………………
“Can we stop at Waffle King for both lunch and dinner”
………………………………
“Yes. I can fix your brakes. I have had a lot of experience”
……………………….
“Yes Tug, you can book the accommodation for the next trip”
…………………………
“That joke was very funny Tug” ………………………………..
“Let’s eat here even though they don’t serve Bud Light”
(Looking at Waffle King) ……………….
“My wife will solve that mechanical issue” ……………..
“Lets go via ?????? (zip line, waterfall, gorilla on the
pole, large cow, chicken etc.). on this
trip”……………..
“Let me show you how to put down the kick stand and avoid my
father hitting me” ………………
“Naturally I have the telephone number for the VIP UHaul
customers only on speed dial but I won’t need to use it this trip” …………………..
“No - I don’t need to buy a new expensive battery for at
least another hundred miles” ………………….
“I don’t need a new jacket - I have enough jackets at home
already” …………………………
“I still don’t have enough Honda tape for the next trip”
…………………………….
