'Buck America' ride

[buck]

Hey Nomad boys and girls,

I'm headed to Bend, Oregon from Chapel Hill, NC beginning June 16. I meet my daughter every year in Bend for the Cascade Runoff (June 28), which is a weekend of triathlons and running events and this is my first year riding instead of flying. My ultimate goal on the trip is to renew old friendships along the way and meet new friends. I'm traveling solo, and will camp mostly and motel as necessary. Once in Oregon, I will ride for two weeks with brother and friends and leave the Nomad in Oregon and return in the fall for more riding.

I'd really welcome meeting riders along the way for coffee and/or join me for a few hours or a few days. I'm headed through central Tenn., southern Missouri, southern Kansas and into Colorado south of Denver. Plan to spend a few days riding the great Colorado country and into northern Utah. Then through western WY into Idaho and finally beautiful Oregon.

I plan to carry the laptop will update my progress. Hope to meet some of you along the way. Buck

[audiogooroo]

Colorado South of Denver? That's me! :)
Let us know when your in the area and I'm sure the Colorado contingent will meet up with you. (if I'm not out on the road working) We'll work out a ride or at least have a meal and a beer.

[buck]

Thanks..will do. Should be around the weekend June 21st. Buck

[audiogooroo]

Weekend of the June 21st? I'll be at the Western Rally in Mesquite!
Maybe Ells, Dan Lund or Waterman will be around.

[buck]

Yea, I looked up the dates after I emailed you. I suspect that may be the case with others as well. If I had planned better, I may have been able to make a rally along the way. Have fun. Love that bi-color green on the Nomad with the whitewalls. The first Nomad I rode was the '99 red/red with the whitewalls. Buck

[Idaho]

Hey Buck,

I too will be in Mesquite for the Western Rally but if you are near Pocatello in SE Idaho other than that weekend give me a shout. I'll PM you with my phone number

[buck]

After 4 great days of riding I hit a large piece of metal in the road at 70 mph. A cager cut me off, then slowed down in front of me and by the time I was off throttle she passed over the metal debris and I hit it and it went under the bike and demolished the radiator and the regulator. The metal hit the car behind me and shredded their rear tire. So I'm temporarily stranded in Ponca City OK. The guys at Wheelsport (Suzuki/Kawa dealer) are terrific. They stayed open late while I was being towed in and are taking the radiator and regulator off a crated 08 Nomad to fix mine. They came in at 6:00 am and started on the repairs, so I should be back the road, hopefully by noon.

Two separate cars, both riders, stopped and one of them hauled me and gear into town to the dealer then hauled me to the Holiday Inn, where we enjoyed a few well deserved cold ones. Riders are a great community of folks.

Buck

[jmorrow]

Oh man.....Sorry to hear that. Hope your back on the road soon.

[ells]

Hey Buck,

Glad it was no worse. Be sure to let us know when your passing through Colorado, although wife and I head out on five day trip to South Dakota leaving the Tueasday. I got stranded on a trip last year too, just a blown tire but a bike shop in Carbondale Colo ( indy called Shadowshot) saved the day similar to what you describe, trailered me in Saturday evening (about 70 miles) and came in early on Sunday morning just to get me back on the road, all at a very reasonable cost. Amazing the great people you can encounter when you're having trouble.

Ride safe

[buck]

Made it out of Ponca City OK in just under 24 hrs., with an empty wallet but the Nomad running great again. Now in Lake City, Co. Weather is stormy and it's Sunday afternoon, so I've stopped at motel for hot shower and will head north tomorrow. You guys in Colorado have beautiful country to ride in. Rode over Cordova Pass on Hwy 12 out of Trinidad and it was a great ride. Buck

[kawgirl]

Sorry to hear of your troubles Buck. I sure am glad you're back up and running.

Yeah, that's an expensive repair alright. One of the first things I bought my Nomad was a heavy gage chromed steel radiator grille to save it from stuff like that. I don't know if it would have helped in your case though. That sounds like a nasty piece of debris there.

[buck]

Buck America tour complete. 5000 miles and 21 days from N.C. to Klamath Falls Or. What a great trip, what a great country!!
Will leave Nomad in Oregon and fly back to NC for birth of my first grandchild. Would prefer to ride back, but out of time. Maybe this fall or next spring.

Had a minor fuel injection issue, yet unresolved, which I will document in Blowndodge's Garage for assistance. Other than that, the Nomad performed great. Buck

[dantama]

I hope you are going to post a slide show of photos from your trip. I've wanted to do such a trip, I went on a 3,800 mile trip once, but only got to the Mississippi river from Utah. By map miles I could have been in Boston though.

Perhaps next time I buy a Nomad I'll buy it on the East coast and ride home with it?

[buck]

Will post pictures when I get my laptop back. It has travel fatigue from coffee spilled on the keyboard and being dropped by folks shipping it back to me. Have som OK pics but the memories are great! Buck