One thing I really appreciate about touring in the USA is all the convenient places you can stop. Lowes, Super 8, food places, etc all near highways or even in small towns is fantastic. Believe me, it is something I miss when driving in Asia. Also, I really enjoy riding in bad weather when I can. I learn everything about my riding skills, tires, gear, bike, etc. Plus my confidence increases. Some guys will not ride in bad weather when the forecast calls for rain, but I say do it.
Haha love it. Sometimes you just gotta have an adventure. I once went on a 4 day backpacking trip on the Appalachian trail, in the smokies, over Christmas. Fun times :)
I've gotta comment here..speaking of potholes, I'm up in St.Paul Minnesota we speak of two seasons - Winter and Pothole Season. When I had my '86 FJ1200 I used to travel to up to Thunder Bay Ontario from the 1st of July and spend the Fourth there - coming back on the 5th or 6th. I recall one year coming home I had an unobstructed trip from Canada to the Twin Cities at an average of ~85mph. What a Joy! Until roughly 12 miles north of the Cities I ran into a section of highway that had heaved due to the super hot summer that year..I didn't see it until I was airborne! I shot off that ''ramp' of tar so fast it seemed I was in the air for at least 5 seconds..Thank goodness the open end of the road wasn't on my side. You just never know what you'll find on a trip!
Welcome to a regular Autumnal riding day in England, it's fun isn't it. Okay it's fun before you hit 30 something years of age. I moved to America to get away from it. At near 50 I can look back on those kinds of daily rides with fondness, and also with no wish to repeat them. Lol, nice video series boss!
I do understand the weather / road stress situation. I found myself in snow once on a hill after going around a curve and was in it. My motorcycle & me weighed 1,160 lbs and there was no way I could stop or turn around. I had to keep going and over the summit of 6000 plus feet. Never do I want to do that again. Glad you made it safe.
Bummer about the weather. I have been caught in bad weather in the past and it can be quite tense and painful. I can't imagine how rough it is at a higher altitude and colder weather. Hope you get better weather soon so you can keep going on your trip. There is too much to see.
I fully believe that the Blue Ridge Parkway from Blowing Rock, NC down to Cherokee is the most beautiful drive in the country, but it's stressful as all get out when the weather turns sour. I-26 out of Unicoi, Tennessee down to Buckner Gap and Wolf Laurel is also pretty amazing if you ever get the chance to return!
Hi from good old wet UK lol. Just watched the previous video and wondered if you managed to fix it up as planned with just new screws and super glue to get you going? I'm thinking of getting one of these bikes , just worried about the weight if I drop it, seeing manage to pick it up ok at least gives me hope lol. Wondering about gen 2 Vs gen 3, gen 3 has a recall on gearbox and does that make it less desirable I wonder..
I been there in bad weather fog we saw 3 ft in front only the lead bike had to find the lines.i follow his brake lights.we had to stop break into a cabin shelter as the wind ripped over top of mts in nc.never again it was dangerous.didnt have clothes warm enough.u had better clothes be safe.nice to see ur trip I did in 1979.skyline drive is federal park NC is state I thought.maybe why roads very in condition. Use to be 5.oo in va.higher now hear.
Man I love cigar obsession videos and just started checking out these videos but I'm sorry there is a lot of complaining. I understand that you are by no means a squid but it mite just be you are not use to the mountains or rain. I live in nc by the parkway and ride the trail tip to tip often in almost all weather but snow with pretty much bare bones (no shield or gps, skid lid, bag, tent, leathers, wallet) and always have a great time! Don't mean to be rude but enjoy the ride we are out there to lose problems not find them, shit happens😉.
As you experienced, weather predictions are not always reflective of the overall road and riding conditions facing a motorcyclist...particularly in the mountains. lt happens on the best planned motorcycle trips, one must therefore modify his or her riding plan accordingly which you did and are doing; applaud the approach.
You mention wet leaves? I rode the dragon as a through route to Knoxville last fall with a buddy. Slicker than owl $&/+!! Cold and wet too. The were 8 bikes there, 6 beamer, 2 harleys. Could feel the front sliding out on every turn!
Hey Bryan, Always enjoy your videos. I just bought a GoPro Hero 4 and I'm curious about your setup for recording audio with the GoPro? Do you run a lapel mic into your helmet? If so, how do you keep the camera dry during weather like you just rode in? Also, your camera mount on the front of your helmet looks slick. I'm running a Schuberth C3 Pro helmet. It's a 'flip up' type and the front of the helmet is curved so much that the GoPro adhesive mount doesn't match the curve of the helmet very well. Any details you could share would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
Love your channel and your bike. I'm considering the FJR myself. Just wondering what GPS app you use? Is it a third party app or just Apple maps? Thanks.
Never wear cotton when it's likely to get wet unless your in the Pacific as you will get colder the longer you endure it.Thanks for the vid for sharing.
Welcome to the wonderful world of long haul rides with often unpredictable weather and circumstances. On our long haul 2 - 3,000 mi rides, we often experience adverse conditions including snow, ice, and extremely high winds at the 8 - 10,000' elevations; ie Utah ride this May. In July last year, we got caught in a huge snowstorm in the mountains near Tehachapi ---- no choice but to continue and ride as safe as possible since many peeps only have a limited amount of time off from work. But the worse was a 9 hr desert ride a couple years ago in Oct from Albuquerque to AZ (5,000') in 40 deg weather and torrential rain that came in a day early with NO RAIN GEAR ---- stupid us...... just wanted to get off the bike in the desert and die! LOL Another good video --- thanks
First off,that's the typeOf riding you gonna remember for the rest of your life ,gotta give u propsFor riding in that shit ,but after all you are a Michigan boy,u got my 2 thumbs up
I think you need to improve your wet riding skills getting so tense on a bike is the worst thing you can do to the point where you have to take tablets when you get off.you have to remember you only used about 10% of that bikes capability those conditions are just the norm for some of us. I think you dropping the bike took your confidence.500 ml in the wet is worth 5000 in the sun.ps I do enjoy your videos
Just got around to seeing this. This is why I would never live/ride east of the Mississippi river. Other than a few great roads the rest is flat and boring and the weather blows. Give me the desert southwest/California and even the rocky mountains any day. And yes.. riding in those conditions is just not worth it. I've been caught in my bike a couple of times like that and I've pulled it off the road, got a room and waited it out. It's not ideal but riding in that stuff is dangerous and no fun at all.
I'm shocked by your decision making process to even have started out in those conditions. You rode in highly dangerous conditions, for 6 hours, that was completely unnecessary. Common Sense equation = Hotel Room vs Hospital Room Glad to see you made it in one piece. I enjoy watching your videos, so please don't do that again.
+Richard Frazer I don't know where you live or ride, but the conditions for the first couple hours were fine to ride in, just annoying rain. If you think that was dangerous, well, don't know what to tell you, I'm not a 'fair weather rider' and neither are a lot of others. By the time it got bad, I was already up there and it was equally bad going back somewhere vs going forward somewhere.
+Richard Frazer I wouldn't say they are highly dangerous, your grip in the rain is not as bad as people think providing your tyres are ok, I think it's 10-15% less, that is fine. Snow and ice however, yes, that is crazy to ride in. I've ridden in heavy rain in the passes of the Lake District, England (single track, sheer drops either side of the road, mountains etc.) with supercorsa road legal slicks basically, and it's shocking how well good rubber can grip in the wet providing your tyres are warm.
+codtide Maybe you need to watch the end of the video again, where he evaluates the ride. Just because you can ride in bad conditions, does not mean that you should. Riding ego shouldn't be part of the equation. We are all supposed to be responsible and safe riders. To do that we need to be constantly evaluating the roadway conditions. I'm a retired police officer with many years of riding experience. I've investigated far too many serious and/or fatal motorcycle accidents where weather & roadway conditions were factors. Many of these tragedies could have been avoided by the rider recognizing when the wiser decision is to park your bike. It's a very thin line between being a confident rider vs being over confident.
@@gustavthegreat2811 He is in the states on the blue ridge. If you actually watch the video you will see the weather and the roads are bloody aweful,very British
@@gustavthegreat2811 ok, so I meant English roads. The roads he is riding are in an appalling condition and are exactly like the vast majority of roads in the UK. The weather is also pretty similar to the weather we have over here in the UK on most days,although our weather is normally a bit worse. This is pretty normal riding for us over the other side of the pond. The raju isn't really as bad as we get here but it is so much like a normal ride in the country side over in the UK that I just had to pass comment on it
Haha love it. Sometimes you just gotta have an adventure. I once went on a 4 day backpacking trip on the Appalachian trail, in the smokies, over Christmas. Fun times :)
One thing I really appreciate about touring in the USA is all the convenient places you can stop. Lowes, Super 8, food places, etc all near highways or even in small towns is fantastic. Believe me, it is something I miss when driving in Asia. Also, I really enjoy riding in bad weather when I can. I learn everything about my riding skills, tires, gear, bike, etc. Plus my confidence increases. Some guys will not ride in bad weather when the forecast calls for rain, but I say do it.
I was up there around a month before you (Sept 2015) and the weather was absolutely awesome. Nice temperature, no rain, and sunny.
I'm in Spring hill FL. Great videos man, I always ride the Blue Ridge.
Haha love it. Sometimes you just gotta have an adventure. I once went on a 4 day backpacking trip on the Appalachian trail, in the smokies, over Christmas. Fun times :)
I've gotta comment here..speaking of potholes, I'm up in St.Paul Minnesota we speak of two seasons - Winter and Pothole Season. When I had my '86 FJ1200 I used to travel to up to Thunder Bay Ontario from the 1st of July and spend the Fourth there - coming back on the 5th or 6th. I recall one year coming home I had an unobstructed trip from Canada to the Twin Cities at an average of ~85mph. What a Joy! Until roughly 12 miles north of the Cities I ran into a section of highway that had heaved due to the super hot summer that year..I didn't see it until I was airborne! I shot off that ''ramp' of tar so fast it seemed I was in the air for at least 5 seconds..Thank goodness the open end of the road wasn't on my side. You just never know what you'll find on a trip!
Welcome to a regular Autumnal riding day in England, it's fun isn't it. Okay it's fun before you hit 30 something years of age. I moved to America to get away from it. At near 50 I can look back on those kinds of daily rides with fondness, and also with no wish to repeat them. Lol, nice video series boss!
I do understand the weather / road stress situation. I found myself in snow once on a hill after going around a curve and was in it. My motorcycle & me weighed 1,160 lbs and there was no way I could stop or turn around. I had to keep going and over the summit of 6000 plus feet. Never do I want to do that again. Glad you made it safe.
The adjustable windshield.. Priceless!!
Bummer about the weather. I have been caught in bad weather in the past and it can be quite tense and painful. I can't imagine how rough it is at a higher altitude and colder weather. Hope you get better weather soon so you can keep going on your trip. There is too much to see.
We're loading our Goldwing on the auto train the 23rd to go ride the parkway and home to Winterhaven fl!
I fully believe that the Blue Ridge Parkway from Blowing Rock, NC down to Cherokee is the most beautiful drive in the country, but it's stressful as all get out when the weather turns sour. I-26 out of Unicoi, Tennessee down to Buckner Gap and Wolf Laurel is also pretty amazing if you ever get the chance to return!
Hi from good old wet UK lol.
Just watched the previous video and wondered if you managed to fix it up as planned with just new screws and super glue to get you going?
I'm thinking of getting one of these bikes , just worried about the weight if I drop it, seeing manage to pick it up ok at least gives me hope lol.
Wondering about gen 2 Vs gen 3, gen 3 has a recall on gearbox and does that make it less desirable I wonder..
I been there in bad weather fog we saw 3 ft in front only the lead bike had to find the lines.i follow his brake lights.we had to stop break into a cabin shelter as the wind ripped over top of mts in nc.never again it was dangerous.didnt have clothes warm enough.u had better clothes be safe.nice to see ur trip I did in 1979.skyline drive is federal park NC is state I thought.maybe why roads very in condition. Use to be 5.oo in va.higher now hear.
Looks like a great trip even with the event.
Man I love cigar obsession videos and just started checking out these videos but I'm sorry there is a lot of complaining. I understand that you are by no means a squid but it mite just be you are not use to the mountains or rain. I
live in nc by the parkway and ride the trail tip to tip often in almost all weather but snow with pretty much bare bones (no shield or gps, skid lid, bag, tent, leathers, wallet) and always have a great time! Don't mean to be rude but enjoy the ride we are out there to lose problems not find them, shit happens😉.
+swm5455 Thanks for the opinion ;) of course I'm not used to it - I live in FL :)
Good to see you again 😀💪🏻
As you experienced, weather predictions are not always reflective of the overall road and riding conditions facing a motorcyclist...particularly in the mountains.
lt happens on the best planned motorcycle trips, one must therefore modify his or her riding plan accordingly which you did and are doing; applaud the approach.
You mention wet leaves? I rode the dragon as a through route to Knoxville last fall with a buddy. Slicker than owl $&/+!! Cold and wet too. The were 8 bikes there, 6 beamer, 2 harleys. Could feel the front sliding out on every turn!
Hey Bryan,
Always enjoy your videos. I just bought a GoPro Hero 4 and I'm curious about your setup for recording audio with the GoPro? Do you run a lapel mic into your helmet? If so, how do you keep the camera dry during weather like you just rode in? Also, your camera mount on the front of your helmet looks slick. I'm running a Schuberth C3 Pro helmet. It's a 'flip up' type and the front of the helmet is curved so much that the GoPro adhesive mount doesn't match the curve of the helmet very well. Any details you could share would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks!
Check out the how to playlist everything is covered
Local dealer here in Maine has a 2014 model. So.. Watching some of your videos of your bike..
Hats off to you Bryan for riding through that garbage.
That wind and rain you're talking about that's a normal day in Scotland
Love your channel and your bike. I'm considering the FJR myself. Just wondering what GPS app you use? Is it a third party app or just Apple maps? Thanks.
Tomtom
+Randy Smith i use google Maps,
Never wear cotton when it's likely to get wet unless your in the Pacific as you will get colder the longer you endure it.Thanks for the vid for sharing.
This is an average day in Scotland during the summer.
Welcome to the wonderful world of long haul rides with often unpredictable weather and circumstances. On our long haul 2 - 3,000 mi rides, we often experience adverse conditions including snow, ice, and extremely high winds at the 8 - 10,000' elevations; ie Utah ride this May. In July last year, we got caught in a huge snowstorm in the mountains near Tehachapi ---- no choice but to continue and ride as safe as possible since many peeps only have a limited amount of time off from work. But the worse was a 9 hr desert ride a couple years ago in Oct from Albuquerque to AZ (5,000') in 40 deg weather and torrential rain that came in a day early with NO RAIN GEAR ---- stupid us...... just wanted to get off the bike in the desert and die! LOL Another good video --- thanks
+J-Man LOL you know exactly how it felt :)
First off,that's the typeOf riding you gonna remember for the rest of your life ,gotta give u propsFor riding in that shit ,but after all you are a Michigan boy,u got my 2 thumbs up
+Trukerinfulleffect YEP in the end it was a fun adventure and I'll be back :)
I think you need to improve your wet riding skills getting so tense on a bike is the worst thing you can do to the point where you have to take tablets when you get off.you have to remember you only used about 10% of that bikes capability those conditions are just the norm for some of us. I think you dropping the bike took your confidence.500 ml in the wet is worth 5000 in the sun.ps I do enjoy your videos
I wanna come on your next Trip, I never did a Road trip on a bike yet..
Shame about the weather you are right you should have called a weather rest day. You probably needed a break anyway. Have fun.
do you have cruise control?
You mentioned you had heaters on. Is it the grips that are heated?
Yep
What an experience!
i hate the roads here and the weather sucks. i also Been working on getting a Motorcycle for my self to ride.
It sucks you had the crap weather through that section..it's the best part of the BRP imo.
Fantastic thanks
How do you take out the wind nouse
You place your mic right so you don't have any.
I know it might be against motel policy but I think if I could manage, I'd bring the bike into my room, if on the ground floor.
Your gloves look like summer ones,
A little scratch here and there is nothing :)
Just got around to seeing this. This is why I would never live/ride east of the Mississippi river. Other than a few great roads the rest is flat and boring and the weather blows. Give me the desert southwest/California and even the rocky mountains any day. And yes.. riding in those conditions is just not worth it. I've been caught in my bike a couple of times like that and I've pulled it off the road, got a room and waited it out. It's not ideal but riding in that stuff is dangerous and no fun at all.
Days like that make me wonder why I keep doing it!
Nah... Days like those make you proud of how hard you are and appreciate the nicer days. Rock on! :)
Very true, very true! Can't wait till summer.
Not fun! Why ride in the rain if you don't have to.
Yes mate England is shite it rains almost all the time here.
I'm watching this in 2024 you saw the price of a pump $10 for 5 gallons $2 a gallon😊😊😊😊
I'm shocked by your decision making process to even have started out in those conditions. You rode in highly dangerous conditions, for 6 hours, that was completely unnecessary. Common Sense equation = Hotel Room vs Hospital Room
Glad to see you made it in one piece. I enjoy watching your videos, so please don't do that again.
+Richard Frazer I don't know where you live or ride, but the conditions for the first couple hours were fine to ride in, just annoying rain. If you think that was dangerous, well, don't know what to tell you, I'm not a 'fair weather rider' and neither are a lot of others. By the time it got bad, I was already up there and it was equally bad going back somewhere vs going forward somewhere.
+Richard Frazer I wouldn't say they are highly dangerous, your grip in the rain is not as bad as people think providing your tyres are ok, I think it's 10-15% less, that is fine. Snow and ice however, yes, that is crazy to ride in. I've ridden in heavy rain in the passes of the Lake District, England (single track, sheer drops either side of the road, mountains etc.) with supercorsa road legal slicks basically, and it's shocking how well good rubber can grip in the wet providing your tyres are warm.
+codtide Maybe you need to watch the end of the video again, where he evaluates the ride. Just because you can ride in bad conditions, does not mean that you should. Riding ego shouldn't be part of the equation. We are all supposed to be responsible and safe riders. To do that we need to be constantly evaluating the roadway conditions. I'm a retired police officer with many years of riding experience. I've investigated far too many serious and/or fatal motorcycle accidents where weather & roadway conditions were factors. Many of these tragedies could have been avoided by the rider recognizing when the wiser decision is to park your bike. It's a very thin line between being a confident rider vs being over confident.
Thanks for being an example of exactly what I'm talking about with over confidence & ego making your decisions.
+Crana Yes, rain is fine to ride in for the most part but hit wet leaves at the wrong angle and you're going down my friend!
Noise
English weather and English roads lol.
@@gustavthegreat2811 He is in the states on the blue ridge. If you actually watch the video you will see the weather and the roads are bloody aweful,very British
@@gustavthegreat2811 I know. They are in the states as i already said
@@gustavthegreat2811 I did indeed, and I meant every word. Perhaps you should switch your humour head on
@@gustavthegreat2811 ok, so I meant English roads.
The roads he is riding are in an appalling condition and are exactly like the vast majority of roads in the UK. The weather is also pretty similar to the weather we have over here in the UK on most days,although our weather is normally a bit worse. This is pretty normal riding for us over the other side of the pond.
The raju isn't really as bad as we get here but it is so much like a normal ride in the country side over in the UK that I just had to pass comment on it
I am certain that Michelin invented the Road 5's just for European weather
Haha love it. Sometimes you just gotta have an adventure. I once went on a 4 day backpacking trip on the Appalachian trail, in the smokies, over Christmas. Fun times :)