Its going to be fun, I guarantee it will be at least funny.

[Suzsmokeyallan]

Sadly the time has come to move one of the Buffalos to a different home, I'm not selling it but rather riding it a few thousand miles to a new location. The plan is to ride the Buffalo thats based in Calgary to Florida sometime in the summer of 2017. So far I believe I have convinced "two poor victims", also riding Buffalos, to join me on this epic cross country journey.
One plan is to go a somwhat scenic route of sorts that will take me south into Montana and then meet the other riders where we will ride east through Wyoming and then southbound through South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Missouri, Tennessee, Alabama and finally Florida etc.
A photo op at every state line is on the cards and maybe we can even get a classic bike mag interested in putting up the story as an article. As the new year starts plans will be on the way to sort out the details.
See,,, it sounds like loads of fun already.

[jabcb]

Plan well & have fun.
Here is a link to a 2010 Motorcycle Classics article about a long-distance GT750 trip:
http://www.motorcycleclassics.com/class ... geContent1

[Alan H]

Better arrange a gel seat then Allan, or case harden your current sitting equipment!

[rngdng]

That article is Allen Wood, we know him well.....Ironbutt Allen.



Lane

[Suzsmokeyallan]

In that trip that Allen Wood made in the summer of 2009 he came up to Calgary to see me as well and spend some time. Maybe hes willing to try it again now hes got a Buffalo back in his herd of bikes,,LOL.

Actually Alan H I find the Buffalo seat really comfy as it is, no issues cranking out the miles at all without any help from extra padding..



Heres Allen Wood and myself at the southern end of Hwy 40 near the viewpoint of Mount Armstrong during a ride out to that area. Its hard to believe I've had this buffalo almost ten years already.

[Suzsmokeyallan]

We completed the trip in the middle of August and it was a lengthy one. The one way ride from Calgary Alberta to Miami Florida was close to approx 4000 miles. Taking in the route I went from Alberta into Montana, then Wyoming to South Dakota, back to Wyoming then Nebraska. From Nebraska its back into Wyoming and then into Colorado. From Colorado its into Kansas and then Oklahoma and Texas; then Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and finally Florida.
Photos to come shortly.

[Evans Ward]

Can't wait to see all the pics and read about the interesting encounters from the big trip! Glad all of you had a safe trip.

[Alan H]

Wondered why you'd been so quiet Allan. Hope the seat was soft enough and you're walking ok now!

[rngdng]

I wish I didn't have to work every day........

[Suzsmokeyallan]

The trip was a fun event, we saw a lot of real estate and camped most nights at decent places along the way. Kansas was super flat and Oklahoma was hot and so not the best places to ride through.
We did an all nighter into Texas, through Louisiana and arrived into Mississippi during the early morning.
Who needs a windscreen on a Buffalo, I was determined to do it on a stock bike with low bars, sadly my seat sponge is not what it was and so a repro one is on order to firm it back up.

[Suzsmokeyallan]

Heres the post with photos about the trip in four parts.

http://www.kettleclinic.co.uk/kcforum/v ... 17&t=10207" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; Part 1

http://www.kettleclinic.co.uk/kcforum/v ... 17&t=10208" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; Part 2

http://www.kettleclinic.co.uk/kcforum/v ... 17&t=10209" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; Part 3

http://www.kettleclinic.co.uk/kcforum/v ... 17&t=10210" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; Part 4

[garry55]

That's one hell of a road trip - thanks for sharing

[Madbuffalo]

I had the privilege of joining Allan (Suzsmokeyallan) and Allen (h2okettle, AKA Iron Butt Allen) on this adventure, together with my good friend Jason, who also happens to be a talented photographer as the pictures show. Our leg of the journey began in Grand Rapids, MI, heading North into the upper peninsula then West through Wisconsin, Minnesota, North Dakota & Montana where we met up with the group (on their way from Alberta down to Florida). Over the next couple days we rode together back through Montana, then Wyoming & South Dakota before Jason & I split off for home via Chicago.

Just North of the Mackinac Bridge


Pulling into a full campground our 1st night the owner was kind enough to let us pitch tents in the baseball field, then in the morning insisted on doing a photo session with our bikes and ended up posting a story about our trip on the campground's facebook page. Good guy. The 'coffin' tents and cooking equipment are a result of Jason's hiking experience and were a welcome change from my usual go-to road trip meals (banana & peanut butter sandwiches).


2nd night at Indian Mounds Resort in Ashby, Minnesota. Again full so we were placed in a grassy spot immediately at water's edge. Truly a hidden paradise in the middle of nowhere.



The badlands inside Theodore Roosevelt National Park. Jason's Bonneville is vintage-inspired and it was fun each time someone stopped him to say they had one just like that in the '60's, though he always found a kind way to mention it was really an '02.


Our 3rd night outside Wolf Point, MT, a rough town. Arriving after dark it wasn't until morning we realized the building we camped next to had been abandoned for years. We were taken back by the poorness of most of Montana; with sporadic Native American reservations that more resembled ghost towns separated by large expanses of wasteland and few work opportunities.


Entering the Rocky Mountains at Glacier National Park in Western Montana.



The following 2 nights were spent at this mountainside cabin (a welcome reprieve from the tents) while we explored Glacier.


A very cold swim in the mountain snow fed Lake McDonald


Hiking deeper into the mountains




Scenic 'Avalanche Lake'



Riding up "Going to the Sun Road" toward the pass


Near Logan Pass


The morning after meeting up with the group: Jason photographing followed by Allen on his RD350LC, Allan on his '76 GT750, and me on my '75 GT750. I was quite impressed by how well Allen's small-displacement Yamaha did all loaded up going through the mountains, not to mention it carried him all the way from Florida to Montana and back!





Entering Mt. Rushmore, where we separating from the group to head for home


All said and done Jason & I covered 4,300 miles on our old bikes over 9 days. His used a lot of oil & mine needed occasional points/condensers work but it was all part of the experience. A few hundred miles from home the old buffalo's right cylinder began intermittantlly cutting out and when it became unbearable I reached down, removed the plug cap, and rode the remaining 100 miles on 2 cylinders. Investigating the cause will be a winter project but reconnecting the cap once home the bike immediately fired up on all 3. I am continually amazed by what the old GT's can do.

The trip was a once in a lifetime opportunity and I'm glad to have had the pleasure of time spent with friends.

[Suzsmokeyallan]

And what a fun trip it was too. Having you and Jason along for a short part of it was great. Thanks for those extra photos Josh I did not have them in my files.