Lapchik's '25 GT

[Lapchik]

I gave myself a week before the grand tour starts to get my bike updated and repaired. "Oh no, gotta hurry or we'll loose the shop and the TV show!"

Most of this is stuff I could have done over the winter, but it has been below freezing for 2 months. It was finally above freezing today so I went out and started on it. That table in the back of the garage is full of stuff that needs to go on the bike.

I started with a thermostat gasket and removing the handlebars which are bent. While I'm in there I'm going to grease the steering bearings, but my 3D printer doesn't print anything strong enough to remove that nut so I'm going to have to build a socket because I'm not paying $120 for something I'll probably only use once.

I was going to do tires today, but my bucket of lube is frozen solid.

Chain, sprockets, tires front and rear, I should probably grease the swing arm bushings/bearings, remove gas tank and put bed liner on it, check valves, spark plugs, refill coolant, run power to new GPS, put it all back together again with new handlebars and grips. Carry tools around for about the first three or four rides to make sure I get all the controls back in the right spot. I also need to build a new luggage rack, but that can wait.

There is still two feet of snow everywhere and I don't know how long it's going to be just a couple degrees above freezing, so it's not like I'm going very far anytime soon.

[Lapchik]

Here's the plan for the year. Anything with an alien head icon in it is a motorcycle route, and those aliens are GT spots. Some of these routes are solo bike runs, and the others [basically anything without alien icons] is a kids/car trip. Note the NW Iowa nebula point, the "Mom and Dad's free room, board, and childcare services motel"

[Lapchik]

Well this pretty much guarantees I won't start the Grand tour on day one of the event. While adjusting the valves, I found that the intake valve rocker arm shaft was cracked. Good thing I found it now, before that little chip went into the engine. Parts are on order, but even expedited shipping won't get it here before the weekend.

[BkerChuck]

Bummer but good catch! Was it already broken or were you just fortunate enough to see the crack line?

Weather permitting I'll be out bright and early Saturday morning.

[theemightyorbit]

Are rocker shaft fractures a problem with your Honda model?

At least you caught it before calamity...

Gonna be 28° here Sat. morning, not much warmer than that Sunday, then rain and prior obligations all next week means my bonii-heavy first ride ain't gonna happen for at least a week.

[Lapchik]

Issues of any kind with this bike are unheard of, other than the OEM seat being universally hated.

[DownUnder]

Good catch. I guess they don't make them like they used to.
After a week of good weather, Cyclone Alfred is now forming off the Queensland coast, and while we won't be directly impacted here in Sydney, we will "enjoy" some rain for most of next week.
May be we could ask the RM to re-schedule the GT for 07-March till 07-Oct ??

[Lapchik]

Traditionally it's been March - September to be done in time for the end of year banquet, but since we don't do rider of the year/trophy anymore maybe we could make it Jan1-Dec 31 in future events.

[Lapchik]

Backordered from Honda, unknown ETA. Cool. Got a whole cylinder head on eBay for $70, only $20 more than just the new parts from Honda.

[Cruzin]

(02-27-2025 11:55 PM)Lapchik Wrote:  Traditionally it's been March - September to be done in time for the end of year banquet, but since we don't do rider of the year/trophy anymore maybe we could make it Jan1-Dec 31 in future events.

good idea

[LSGiant]

Dates in the last few years have been set by the persons willing to be Rally Master. We still have an end of year banquet / meeting and it is nice to have the event wrapped up by then

[Lapchik]

I got my used parts in, and finished putting the bike back together with a few upgrades for this year. I'm not completely sold on the Garmin Zumo XT, but it does have some nice features that my Montana did not. I very much do not like the apps and Garmin explore part of it though. After a very difficult couple days with my daughter, she decided she was done having mental health issues just in time to go to a friend's birthday party, so I took my son out for a couple geocaches and a Grand Tour stop. We were planning a couple more of each, but he was getting cold so we shortened the trip from 50 miles down to 40. He also went with me last year, very early and in cold weather, to get the first GT of the year.

I've eaten here before, and it's decent. Nothing to rave about. The electrical outlets by all the tables did not have covers on them last time I was inside.

Leaf Valley, MN



Videos:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-fk2G_7ZfaM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vPWcY2rKY_8

[DDQ]

This one confuses me. Leaf Valley is not a "town", so are you counting it for Garfield (it's address)?

[DownUnder]

Ah, yes the perennial challenge of "what is a town".

Google Maps seems to think that Leaf Valley, MN is a town, the US Census Bureau records the population there (555 people in 2023), and the Leaf Valley Town Hall is across the road from the tavern.

Granted, it's not your typical town, but I'm OK with it. Unfortunately, I'm not the RM.

[Lapchik]

(03-10-2025 09:29 AM)DDQ Wrote:  This one confuses me. Leaf Valley is not a "town", so are you counting it for Garfield (it's address)?

It has a town hall and city limit signs. Census reported population. Could call it Millerville, which is 4 miles closer than Garfield. Could use a microscope and a dictionary to figure out hamlet vs village vs town vs city but that's no fun.

Feel free to examine Long Beach, MN also. It's the Captain's picture below. Just west of Glenwood, population of 300-400 with its own mayor.

Went out for a ride with my daughter after work today. Just a couple stops, and one geocache. I have only eaten at Captains, and the only thing worse than the service was the food. I hear good things about Herby's, which is where everyone went after Corral in Nelson burned down.







Video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UF_7Y5mcsU4

[Lapchik]

Only 45 miles today, and only 47 degrees. Saving my 150-200 mile after work routes for better weather.

I haven't been to State Street before. Chets is very hit or miss, or so I'm told. I've only ever been there on miss days. They are claimed to have great chicken, though I have only ever tasted something akin to the National Lampoon Christmas Vacation turkey.

Before people start thinking I'm too negative (lost more than one relationship that way...) I'll explain the rubric against which I judge restaurants. I'm really not that picky, and I'm by no stretch of the imagination any sort of chef. I just think that a business that relies on people coming in and coming back for food should make a decent product. When the same Cisco truck supplies half the places here, you have to try to screw up. It doesn't even have to be above average fare, it just has to not be bad to make me happy. Service for me is pretty minimal: take the order, bring it out, maybe one drink refill, and the bill. I don't make special requests or complain about the presentation. Again, I'm pretty easy to please. It's rare to see meals under $20 around here in the lakes vacation district of Minnesota, and one of the local (not very fancy) restaurants was even brazen enough to put at the bottom of their bills "suggested tips, 20% - 30% - 40%". You have to do something pretty damn special to warrant a 40% tip, and with absolutely everything getting more expensive I'm not sure that insane request is going to keep people coming back for a luxury item like eating out. I don't see it as very responsible to drop over $150 to take my two kids on a night out, so that restaurant won't be seeing me again. The theme this year takes me to the lower end of the food chain as it were, but that suits my budget and me just fine. These smaller, older places won't turn you away for showing up in bug splattered motorcycle gear, which did happen to me once in Fargo. That's how you know it's time to throw the 'stich in some Tech Wash.

Two of my three favorite places in the area don't qualify for the GT this year, being in Alexandria: BNC's Cafe (formerly Jan's Place) and Interlachen Inn. The third one is Minnewaska Inn near Long Beach/Glenwood, but it doesn't really meet the spirit of the theme and there are better theme appropriate options for both of those towns nearby.

[theemightyorbit]

Grain Belt signs from my youth.

Pretty cool!

I've got plans to visit little crossroad hamlets, too.

CDP works for me.

[Lapchik]

Nordeast is my favorite beer. Just don't get that or the regular Premium in an aluminum can, because it will taste like metal. Glass only!

On sale, off sale, on/off sale was confusing to me when I first moved here. For the uninitiated, it's where you can drink it. On site, off site, or drink there and grab one for the road. I don't think Minnesota issues "whiskey" plates anymore, but when I first moved here the black text on all white plates starting with W were pretty prevalent.

We didn't have any of that in Iowa. Might explain why Iowa gravel roads are paved with crushed Keystones and PBRs. I used to pick up empties on my moped on the way to and from school, and then turn them in for the deposit at Wal-Mart to buy quicksilver oil and get prepaid gas cards.

[BkerChuck]

I never knew about the on/off sale stuff before. That's almost as bad as our laws regarding alcohol in PA.

Growing up and living in PA as I have, I've gotten used to the oddities that are PA liquor laws. Beer, for most of my life was sold at beer distributors, and only sold in cases or kegs. Wine and hard liquor meant going to a state store which is a state owned and operated liquor store. No competition, so prices were the same at every state store and selection was limited to what the state agency decided they wanted to offer. If you wanted to purchase just a 6 pack of beer that meant going to a bar and paying bar prices. You were also limited to no more than 2 6 packs to go.

Over the years small vineyards managed to get laws amended allowing them to sell bottled wine on premises to go. More recently convenience stores have pushed the state to permit them to sell beer in 6 packs and singles like most surrounding states had been doing for generations. Spirits are still handled by the state store system and still limited to what brands the state agency decides to offer. What I usually like to drink is not offered in PA any more forcing me to cross the line into Maryland in order to get what I want. PA also has very high pricing on most alcohol and high state taxes on it. There is even still a tax on alcohol in PA that dates back to the Johnstown Flood of 1889!

[Lapchik]

In Alexandria the city owns two liquor stores, but I don't think they are all that way. I'm pretty sure Cashwise Liquor is owned by Coburns, a local grocery chain.

You can't throw a rock around here without hitting two microbreweries and a lake. In a 40 mile radius of my house, there are 16 microbreweries, 5 vineyards, and 5 distilleries. And that's not counting all the people doing it in their garage.