Spamalittle does Murca

[Spamalittle]

Now that my post-holiday blues have abated slightly since I’ve returned from the proverbial a trip of a lifetime I thought I’d share a few pics of my recent Murca tour. I realise I should probably post this in Show & Tell but really, who actually looks in there?

Anyway as with most great ideas the trip began back in 2010, in the pub - way before myself and the OH could even ride a motorbike. Admittedly besides learning to ride, all we did in those five years was talk about the trip, sink some more beers, and maybe squirrel away a few bob every now and again. The planning actually only took a couple of months and off we jaunted at the end of September for a three-week adventure.

Our ‘self-guided’ tour of the South West started in LA before taking us to Las Vegas, Hoover Dam, Grand Canyon, Sedona, Bryce Canyon and Zion National Park (Utah), Yosemite, San Francisco and finally one last blast down the coast to LA. All told we were on the bikes for 17 days, covered 2800 miles and explored the better part of 4 states. As a special Brucie bonus we only blew up one Harley which was quite the surprise as we expected to get through a few of those.

So we picked up our bikes from Eagle Rider in LA and off we trotted. The OH was on a Harley Sportster 1200 and I was on a new 2015 Indian Scout (inb4 cruiser fagwittery - facing 400 mile days we opted for more comfort and less sciatica. Plus, Murca).

Eagle Rider in LA. Mostly HDs but a fair whack of Japanese bikes with a sprinkling of BMWs too.

https://i.imgur.com/eTXkCMAl.jpg

En route to Vegas

https://i.imgur.com/faugoD6l.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/oGmBzvvl.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/VB2iLJYl.jpg

Covered about 150 miles of Route 66 between Vegas and the Grand Canyon – definitely worth the side trip which got us off the interstate for a couple of hours and onto some roads with actual bends.

https://i.imgur.com/vwcahgRl.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/mtg7OEIl.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/U9DvbNbl.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/XfnKaZ0l.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/8rOpNBpl.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/JN81PERl.jpg

Arizona: the Grand Canyon, Sedona & Horseshoe Bend. Just unbelievable scenery.

https://i.imgur.com/ytfIbnwl.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/R3ReopUl.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/17V6Kqol.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/1iOjpLHl.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/Yvewy0rl.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/NZbnU1zl.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/NZtZFPrl.jpg


On the way to Sedona – spotted this under the Indian...

https://i.imgur.com/ooBmg7Ol.jpg

And because we still had 2000 miles worth of trip to go we nipped into the nearest Eagle Rider franchise which was handily just south of the Grand Canyon in Flagstaff where they swapped it for – Eee Gads – a Harley Fatboy.

https://i.imgur.com/hGgs1Pul.jpg

And within 40 miles I did this to it…

https://i.imgur.com/h8oyW6al.jpg

Coated from head to foot in oil, I moseyed back to Flagstaff and politely asked for my Indian back. I’ll take a wee coolant leak over that fecking Harley any day. And so we were off again headed up to Utah.

https://i.imgur.com/PPefRyhl.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/BaWu0H2l.jpg

Before heading back across the Extra Terrestrial Highway and deserts of Nevada to Yosemite. No petrol stations (or even any other traffic) for about 200 miles so jerry can was essential.

https://i.imgur.com/B5hWnMUl.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/0pDr2dtl.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/Ww4cN3sl.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/JveI49zl.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/2AQDt4Gl.jpg

Yosemite…
https://i.imgur.com/k4YT9pJl.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/fkSQFOMl.jpg

Didn’t take any pics of the bikes in and around San Francisco but, just because we were there, here’s a bridge, an old prison and an aerial display team that welcomed our arrival.

https://i.imgur.com/Jv4lEUhl.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/8iqlKSvl.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/f6c0jGyl.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/lr5uJ2Fl.jpg

After San Francisco it was back to LA to say a tearful goodbye to Batshit Suzie (the Sportster - don't ask) and Psycho (the Indian, so named as a result of her homicidal propensities owing to slightly dodgy ride by wire function).

https://i.imgur.com/0ybgYnhl.jpg

And that was that. We moped off to the hotel to have a farewell bourbon(s) and hopped a plane back to miserable Blighty. I really fecking hope I don’t have to wait another five years to do that again. The trip exceeded all of our expectations, and some we didn’t even know we had, cruisers notwithstanding.
____________________
Story so far: RV125 VanVan > SV650 > Indian Scout > Triumph Thruxton, SV650 (again) & CG125