Oil Change Time

November 27, 2022

Hitting the 20,000-mile mark was not just a riding milestone, it also marks the time for the next oil change.  I needed to warm up the engine and rather than idling it, I took a short ride out west, very short.  I rode to the end of Rimrock Road, at the intersection with 70th Street.  It was a bit chilly, about 42 degrees, but a winter jacket and liner with winter gloves made it manageable.

The oil change was smooth and simple as I didn’t have to change the filter which the book says to do every other time.  I’d kicked on the heater in the garage and took mine time, fiddling with other stuff out there while the oil drained.  There are always tools to be put away and drawers and cabinets to be sorted.

That done, I put the bike away in the other garage but will hopefully get it out once or twice more before winter settles in.  After all, I rode to Red Lodge for lunch the first week of December last year.

A Milestone - 20,000 miles

November 25, 2022

It’s been almost a month since I’ve had the bike out for a ride but it wasn’t because I didn’t want to.  We had a pretty good snowstorm which was followed by a few weeks of frigid temperatures so the snow and ice stuck around.  The week of Thanksgiving saw a warm up which was great for the RunTurkeyRun! we are involved with putting on as it melted most of the snow off the streets making running lots safer.  The warming continued to Friday and with dry streets it was time to rude.

A few months ago at the Scrub Run, I’d talked to a fellow runner, Bob, and we discovered that we both had Yamaha bikes and loved to ride.  We’d left it with that we’d have to get together and ride sometime.  Then at this week’s Turkey Run, we chatted briefly and mentioned that Friday looked pretty good but made no plans.  About midday Friday I decided to gear up and get the bike out just as the phone rang.  It was Bob who said he had just gassed up and was ready to ride.  I said I’d meet him at the gas station at Zimmerman and Grand, grabbed my helmet and went over there, topped up, and waited.

What a beautiful day.  It’s in the low-50s with only a light breeze.

Bob showed up on his Yamaha Tenere and we chatted and compared bikes before deciding where to go.  Bob told me to lead and we headed out Grand to the west and worked our way to Buffalo Trail and took it south to Laurel.  We encountered some wind from the west but it wasn’t too bad.  We passed through Laurel and once out of town onto Highway 212.  Not far after that I turned us left and we took the old highway which I figured would be less windy.  It was and we got back on the new road just a mile or two from Rockvale where we turned south.

I wanted to check out the progress on CarHenge in Edgar so we made that detour and stopped for some photos.

On to Fromberg and when we got there we turned east and went to the Fromberg-Bridger Road.  This is a nice, paved backroad that run past miles of farmland with nice views of the mountains to the west.  We stopped for a photo opportunity along the way.

We continued on to Bridger and this was the only place where there were still patches of snow on the road.  These were easily avoided and we turned south on the main highway and headed back to Fromberg.  I was keeping my eye on my odometer and when we got to the closed Bridger Rest Area I had to pull over for picture time.

Yes, it just turned 20,000 miles.  I bought the bike in April 2021 and didn’t ride it much for the first month as I had to get a helmet first and the riding I did do was slow maneuvers through the neighborhood.  Then I didn’t ride it much last winter for 3-4 months followed by 6 weeks off last summer while I recovered from surgery.  (The surgery was NOT related to motorcycle riding.). I figure that leaves about 14 months of riding or 1,428 miles per month.  There were two long rides in there, the trip of August 2021 which was almost 7,000 miles and the September 2022 ride that was just under 3,000 miles.  I guess that means that I racked up the remaining 10,000 miles on day rides.

Yes, I like riding.

Bob took the lead the rest of the way back, sticking to the new portion of Hwy 212, then grabbing the slab back to Billings before cruising through the roundabouts on Shilo.  It was great day.

104 miles for the day.

A Ride to the Bair Family Museum

October 28, 2022

After a bit of snow last Sunday, our weather has improved and we have temperatures in the mid-50s and no precipitation so I planned to get the bike out for another ride.  I had attended an art thing at MSUB a week or two ago and they had some prints of French painting from the Bair Family Museum who has the originals.  I’ve known about the Bair Family for years since their name is attached to so many things around here due to their philanthropy but I was sketchy on the details.  I figured that their home museum in Martinsdale, about 120 miles away, would make a good destination.

I got going about 11am and after starting the bike, which I knew was very low on gas, I noticed that the gas gauge was flashing.  No problem as I am head to the gas station but as soon as I got going, the information on part of my dashboard went blank.  I got gas and when I started it up it was still blank.

I stopped and posted a query to our FJR group and continued on my way.  About 3 miles later the information reappeared.  OK, I guess this is something.

The ride to Broadview was windy.  A cross wind coming from the left.  I hoped it wasn’t going to be like this all day.

I stopped in Lavina and checked the group feedback and was told that this is a feature and what happens when the bike is very low on gas.  Well, it wasn’t THAT low as it only took 4.4 gallons in its 6.5 gallons tank, but when I had first fired up the bike it was on its side stand and the lean might have made the fuel sender think it was lower than it was.  It’s fine now.

While I was in Lavina, why not a few photos?

I turned west on Hwy 12 and headed toward Harlowton.  Now I had a strong headwind.  I checked on my dash panel where it shows me my current miles-per-gallon and I was getting in the low 30s.  I average 54 MPG so this shows what a wind will do.

I made a quick stop at the Harlowton rest area.  Snow on the mountains in the background.

It was about 30 miles to Martinsdale from here and it was a nice ride.  It goes through lots of farm land and a huge Hutterite Colorny.  I turned south on Hwy 294 and a mile and half later I arrived.

I first went through the museum to see the painting, Native American works, and some photography.  

The have quite a few C.M. Russell works.

I went out to the lobby to join the guided tour.  It was small group, me, 2 people from Helena, and the tur guide.  The guide walked us over to the house and gave us a detailed history of the family.  Once inside, she provided lots more information and explained the sources and background on the pieces there.  I won’t repeat that here but here’s an assortment of photos.

We went to the barn next.  It’s been converted to displays, restrooms, and a gift shop.

It was getting late as I’d been there over 2 hours and I had at least a 2 hour ride back home.  I headed out but stopped for a photo or two before I got back on Hwy 12.

About halfway back to Harlowton, time for a few photos.

Since I’d brought along an empty growler, I stopped at Galley’s Brewing in Harlowton for a fill.  And, what the heck, I can make time for a quick IPA.

Getting near Billings I had to stop for another picture of two.

I should mention that the wind had not abated on this return trip but it was behind me.  My miles-per-gallon increased to about 66.  I got home just after dark.  A great day.

236.8 miles