On Wednesday, July 13th, 2016, I’ll be starting off on a 6,000 mile motorcycle ride. In 12 days, I’ll ride from Atlanta GA to British Columbia and back again — with about 1,000 miles of touring occurring in BC and Alberta.
About 5,000 miles of this riding will be alone — from Georgia to Idaho outbound and then from Kelowna BC on the way back. I’ll meet up with a half dozen other riders in Sandpoint ID on July 18th, most of whom had the good sense to ship their bikes or rent a machine in Seattle.
I’m excited and a little nervous. I doubt I’ve ever ridden more than 1,000 miles in one trip, so this is a big (and likely foolish) step. However, I’m very well-equipped, I’ve got a bike that’s called a “Victory Cross Country Tour,” and I’m fit.
No telling what I’ll see and feel over the next couple of weeks. In any case, it will be an adventure.
#biketour2016
The Misadventures of Ian Heller 
July 16, 2016 at 4:34 pm
We will be in Couer de Lane at the same time. Maybe we can meet in Sandpoint. That would be fun. Let us know
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July 17, 2016 at 2:16 am
Hey Barb! Great to hear from you. I’m in Missoula right now and I’m riding to my sister’s house in Spokane in the morning to have breakfast with her and her family. That means I’m going right through Coeur d’Alene!
It would be great to meet for coffee if you know of a place — hopefully close to the interstate. Any suggestions?
You can reach me at 404 556 2219 or 720 470 0806. I hope we get a chance to catch up!
Ian
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July 17, 2016 at 2:48 pm
Hi Ian,
We are in Seattle now and will be heading towards Spokane and Coeur d’Alene later this morning Think we’ll be in Spokane between 3 and 5p today. We will call you to see where you are and your direction later on this morning. My call is 303-875-1913.
Hope it works for rendezvous.
Barbara
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July 18, 2016 at 4:44 pm
Hi Ian. I am enjoying reading about your travels. Burnham would be proud! I am interested in some of the details of your trip. What bike are you riding, how long have you owned it, and was it purchased with a trip like this in mind? Humbling experiences like running out of gas, and then ingenuity to find a way to get rolling again are part of this great adventure. I am interested in hearing how in the world a you ran dry. Not sure if you remember some of the classic Dick Van Dyke show episodes. But for some reason, your experiences bring back images of Rob Petrie coming into his house and grousing to Laura about his new mid life crisis foreign convertible running out of gas, because the gas gage had the audacity of being correct! No gas left in that foreign sports car when it is on empty. He sold it immediately! Can’t wait to hear your story. TV
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July 22, 2016 at 5:47 am
Hey Tom,
Sorry for the delayed reply; I’ve been busy!
My bike is a 2014 Victory Cross Country Tour. I’ve owned it since March of 2014; it’s made by Polaris in Iowa.
I ran out of gas because I got stuck in construction traffic for about 35 minutes. I only went about a mile during that time but couldn’t shut off the engine because we kept moving at a near-walking pace. I knew I was getting low but since motorcycles have small gas tanks relative to cars, there’s little margin for error — my bike holds 5.9 gallons and I was planning on stopping at the next station when I ran into the delay.
Also, my bike’s gas gauge isn’t very accurate; this is generally a problem on motorcycles and a well-known problem on mine. However, when you’re trying to make a lot of miles, gassing up with 30 minutes of fuel left (which was my plan) is pretty typical and would have left me with more than half a gallon in the tank, which is enough under normal circumstances.
I don’t remember the Dick Van Dyke episode but it sounds like his convertible had a problem I wish my bike shared — an accurate gas gauge!
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July 20, 2016 at 3:32 pm
Ian
What a wonderful , exciting and memorable trip for you!!! I wish for a safe, fun and very enjoyable adventure for you.
Take care Brother!
JJ
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July 21, 2016 at 4:00 am
Thanks JJ! Just wrapped up a spectacular day of riding in the Canadian Rockies and heading back towards Atlanta in the morning. Thank you for the kind wishes, my friend, and see you in a couple of weeks!
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