Here it is December 29, 2011 and I have not made any blog entries since January. When I started this blog thing it was an experiment in blogging itself. Conclusion? It seems a lot like homework. Facebook has a very fleeting disposable feel to it. Just quick comments with a limited useful life. Blogging on the other hand feels like it should require a more refined expression of carefully considered thoughts. Something that can stand the test of time. And so it is likely this is the last entry for this blog. No one is really interested so why bother.
The last year has not been as empty as these missives might lead one to believe. In the spring we took a trip to Steamboat Springs with Bill and Dixie. The bike held up just fine. I even ran the tank down to nearly the last drop due to a mental hiccup calculating distances and fuel milage. Just outside of Steamboat I pumped 5.2 gallons into a 5 gallon tank. We stayed in a nice B&B on the east side of town and were able to walk most places. One night we went to the rodeo. All in all a great time plus my back presented no real problems.
The second trip was a long weekend ride to Aspen in the fall. The first night 6 of us on 4 bikes met at our cabin in Fairplay. Next day it was on to Buenavista. The idea was we would head over Independence Pass toward Aspen. At some point we would turn around based on the condition of my back. We ended up riding all the way to Aspen then back to Fairplay where we spent the night. Things likely would have been fine if the trip stopped there. But the next day we still had to return to Longmont. While not debilitating, I was in a good bit of pain for the next month. The only problem with the bike was the loss of the parking break. My suspicion is that the break cable end has popped free while going up the rough road to the cabin.
I think I have determined that I am capable of multi-day trips as long as I get off frequently and at no point exceed 4 hours in the saddle. This plan will be put to the test next summer as I am planning a week long trip around Colorado.
I got a Garman Zumo 650 GPS. Can-Am sells a mount that integrates this unit with the rest of the communication system on the bike. I plan on installing this next spring. However there is still the issue of helmet speakers. Bluetooth is out but I have a plan. I got the parts to build a cable that converts the 5 pin DIN on the bike to 1/8th inch phone. The first version will be speaker only but will allow me to plug in a set of ear buds. If this works I will then get a bluetooth ready helmet like the Schubarth C3. I can then plug a bluetooth adapter into the bike. This gets me everything except two way CB and cell phone. What I do get is AM/FM/weather radio, iPod, XM, gps and CB receive. The sticking point is left, right, and mic grounds are separate on the bike but will need to be combined on the 1/8th inch phone plug. Hopefully this will not be a problem. If it is I will have to return to a wired setup which means hacking up my helmet.
