Frank Gaylor Rides the TAT 2016

As this is my first post, and I’m new to this blogging stuff, I would like to take this opportunity to thank my wife for putting up with my wish to ride the Trans America Trail (TAT). She has graciously given me a “kitchen pass” for a month to do this trip and has been putting up with me the last few months as I have begun to prepare the bike.  I would also like to thank my beautiful loving daughters for their concerns for me in attempting this endeavor as an “old man”(not their words, but I am what I am), and their contribution of a new helmet.

Today was rather uneventful in the overall scheme of things.  Spent time reviewing parts lists to determine what farkles that I need to prepare the bike for the trip and placed orders with TourTech, Twisted Throttle, ADV Motorrad, and Competition Accessories.  I have spent more time and money on this bike than I had anticipated, and I’m not done yet. Orders still need to be placed with Ted Porters Beemer Shop, and Eurocycles of Tampa Bay, and I’m sure there will be another round of parts ordered from the sources I’ve already listed.  In essence, I’m taking a box stock BMW F650GS to the next level and making it a more off-road oriented motorcycle than it is now. 

Understand that the BMWF650 is a wonderful bike, but it leans more towards the street than the trail.  To that end, I had Woody’s Wheel Works in Colorado lace up some beautiful wheels for the bike and she now has a 21inch front and 18inch rear wheel shod with Heidenau tires with heavy duty enduro tubes. 

She’s sporting new brakes, chain, sprockets, taillight, windscreen, new Two Brothers M2 exhaust and several other parts.

I would also like to take this opportunity to thank Joe DeMoss for all of his assistance in ordering parts at Eurocycles of Tampa bay, and for his assistance in helping me work on the bike.  Thank you Joe!

Today I also drug out my old two man Hillary dome tent and set it up for the first time in more years than I care to recount.  It will have to be replaced as the shock cords in the tent poles no longer have any elasticity, and I’m not so sure that the fabric it’s self would last one night out on the trail if a stiff breeze were to come up.

Well, that’s all for now, I’m waiting of the USPS and UPS to deliver some parts so I can continue on with preparing the F650 for the TAT.

And in case you're wondering about the TAT, go to the below link.   The TAT is the red dotted line from NC to OR...

http://www.transamtrail.com/

All ya’ll have a good day, and stay tuned for more of my ramblings as I ride the F650 on the TAT.