Coming into the clubhouse turn
Sep. 4th, 2010 07:56 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
pecuniumWendover... glyeagh.
There was no wind yesterday. The High Plains had that tang which they, and the crystalline dawn of the high desert, have. Sharp, and clean and bit of cold. So it was smooth sailing to Utah, mostly. The adventure was gas. I was going to stop and get some. The offramp was being worked on, and looked like a dirt filled construction pit. I hesitated, and was almost lost.
I'd planned that stop, and was coming up on the reserve fuel. When the light comes on (BMW doesn't make me suffer the pangs of switching to a reserve tank... which is good; I'll never have the engine crap out in the middle of a pass while I still have a gallon of gas in the bike) I have about 40 mile to go.
It came on when the nearest posted gas was 35 miles away. Since I'd had to get some 89 octane at the last real fill-up, and the wind had me running at about 33 mpg, I was really glad to see a station 15 miles sooner. Turns out I'd've made it (running the numbers I could have pushed that tank to about 213, and the posted gas was at 208... a bit close, but I filled up at 181).
Salt Lake City was a zoo, and I missed my turn to 215, so I lost about forty minutes. I crossed the Bonneville Salt Flats in the setting sun. I really need to come back when there is light. I also treated that road (straight, as a rule, empty and in good condition) as an invitation to run the bike fast. I didn't, quite, make it to Nevada before the sun set, but I was checked in well before the gloaming ended.
Supper in a casino (depressing. The last time I stopped in one, it was sort of entertaining to watch the players, not so last night), and then to bed. Today I am going to get breakfast in the Casino (which will be faster, now I know where they have hidden the restaurant) and then to Reno, at least.
There was no wind yesterday. The High Plains had that tang which they, and the crystalline dawn of the high desert, have. Sharp, and clean and bit of cold. So it was smooth sailing to Utah, mostly. The adventure was gas. I was going to stop and get some. The offramp was being worked on, and looked like a dirt filled construction pit. I hesitated, and was almost lost.
I'd planned that stop, and was coming up on the reserve fuel. When the light comes on (BMW doesn't make me suffer the pangs of switching to a reserve tank... which is good; I'll never have the engine crap out in the middle of a pass while I still have a gallon of gas in the bike) I have about 40 mile to go.
It came on when the nearest posted gas was 35 miles away. Since I'd had to get some 89 octane at the last real fill-up, and the wind had me running at about 33 mpg, I was really glad to see a station 15 miles sooner. Turns out I'd've made it (running the numbers I could have pushed that tank to about 213, and the posted gas was at 208... a bit close, but I filled up at 181).
Salt Lake City was a zoo, and I missed my turn to 215, so I lost about forty minutes. I crossed the Bonneville Salt Flats in the setting sun. I really need to come back when there is light. I also treated that road (straight, as a rule, empty and in good condition) as an invitation to run the bike fast. I didn't, quite, make it to Nevada before the sun set, but I was checked in well before the gloaming ended.
Supper in a casino (depressing. The last time I stopped in one, it was sort of entertaining to watch the players, not so last night), and then to bed. Today I am going to get breakfast in the Casino (which will be faster, now I know where they have hidden the restaurant) and then to Reno, at least.
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no subject
Date: 2010-09-04 04:09 pm (UTC)Who's the band?
no subject
Date: 2010-09-05 06:10 am (UTC)As to the bike, I took it as fast as I thought safe, for the fading light. Today I wasn't able to take it quite that fast, because the air was moving and the gear made the back end unstable. Sadness.
no subject
Date: 2010-09-05 09:30 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-09-04 02:43 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-09-05 09:47 pm (UTC)