What I learned on the 4 Corners Tour by Ed Tudor - 2008 (While Ed didn't complete the ride his write up may help some of you contemplating doing the ride) I live on the island of Saipan in the Central Pacific. It is 17 miles long by 6 miles wide, so I've already done the 4 Corners of Saipan.... It took me 45 minutes.I thought it would be a hoot to do the 4 Corners of the US, and decided that September would be the perfect time; not too hot, not too cold. I noticed that the 4 Corners finishers for the last 2 years had ridden very late model bikes so I decided to take my '83 Moto Guzzi California 2. It is a very robust motorcycle, and truly a "big bike". It is purely mechanical with 2 carbs, and not a trace of computerization. I can fix anything that breaks and that's always a good thing on an "endurance" tour. I picked my bike up from one of my gear head friends (Larry Mansfield) in Delta, PA, on Sunday morning the 31st of August, and headed out (still jet lagged from the flight in from Saipan My wife, Susan (She Who Shall Be Obeyed) had suggested that I get a GPS for the trip, so it was my exclusive navigator. I set it and off I went; no plans, no maps, just the GPS. Somehow I ended up going through New York City, plus other unplanned sidetracks but the shakedown cruise for the bike and me went smoothly.  It took me 2 days to ride the 800 miles to Madawaska but the weather was good, and the bike performed as any venerable bike should. I averaged around 36 mpg, @ 70 mph. I was expecting better mileage, but then I was carrying way-too-much gear …. See Lesson#3. I pushed off from Madawaska on the morning of the 3rd headed for the Canadian Border down the street. I had brought a tent and a sleeping bag with every intention of camping out on my way through Canada, and had wondered whether I should bring a pistol just in case a bear wandered into my campsite (I did this trip solo). I decided not to bring a firearm, but when asked at the border whether I had a firearm with me I replied in the negative but in a conversational manner discussed the pro's and con's of bringing one to ward off bears. Lesson number 1: the answer to this question is NO! Nothing else is appropriate. Think of the Canadian border as a very large airport. No jokes, no discussions....just NO I didn't bring any firearms!!!! I ended up being searched, and all of my way- too-much baggage was taken off the bike and examined very closely. They found nothing in my baggage but did find evidence of a prior conviction for Assault and Battery when they checked my "rap" sheet ... as God is my witness I thought you had to hit someone to be convicted of that, and who knew that shoving someone was an offense..... I thought it was a form of non-verbal communication! They immediately produced a paper rejecting me from Canada, which I signed and now have framed and hanging in my office. I am persona-non-grata for 3 more years, which I find a little amusing, although it does cramp my style a bit. No more carefree riding through Canada for a while. This begs the question, "How can anyone be refused entry into Canada"?!! I travel all over the world and have never been refused entry into another country - this including Vietnam in the 60's (although despite rumors to the contrary, I never "visited" Laos.... as far as you know!). If I was a draft dodger they would have allowed me to come in and bought me a Big Mac and a Super sized drink just to show how empathetic and tolerant they are. So, Lesson #2 Don't ask to ride through Canada if you have any convictions that are less than 10 years old; this includes DUI's! Of course, if you pay attention to Lesson #1 you may slip by on Lesson #2. I can't swear to it but if my answer to the firearms question has been in keeping with Lesson #1, they probably wouldn't have searched me, and my history, and my baggage. Someone should try it one out. Of course the black leathers and doo rag didn't help my appearance as a mild mannered, tax paying, peaceful American Citizen, who wouldn't hurt a fly, much less speed or in general be a scofflaw. Having no other options, I had to backtrack on my previous route through New York and points west. This proved to be a real challenge since the best routes to Upstate New York go through... . you guessed it....Canada! I had to outsmart the GPS by punching in Bangor, Maine, and then hanging a right on Rt 2. Beautiful ride through New Hampshire, and Vermont by the way.  Once in New York I vectored to a friends house in the Finger Lake region. This part of the adventure was actually a good thing and that brings me to.... Lesson #3 - Pack light. Bring a camera, 2 pairs of Jeans, no underwear (they bunch up on guys, can't say about the ladies), 5 tee shirts (1 long sleeve), 5 pairs of heavy socks, leathers, boots, and don't forget the kilt for those occasional nights on the town. Depending on the time of year you might bring wool long johns, glove liners and a balaclava (very handy along the Northern route) .... And don't forget the rain suit and a few tools (unless you are a rider only and not a rider and a fixer). If you're not a fixer leave the tools to save the weight. I was able to drop off the duffle that contained all of the extra stuff I should never have brought in the first place … mostly warm clothes for the Canadian trip, tent, sleeping bag, etc etc etc. (and if anyone in the Canadian Border Police is reading this … no firearms). I also left a new pair of BMW "transition" boots - way too painful to wear for very long as it turned out. Lesson 4 - the lighter the bike the better the gas mileage, and the easier the handling. If in doubt leave it behind. Lesson 5 - If your idea of "roughing it" is Motel 6 - leave the camping gear. Lesson 6 - There are a lot of $44/night motels, and most serve breakfast and early AM coffee. I recommend Lesson #6 very highly. Lesson 7 - Once you enter New Jersey the Toll Booths come fast and furious. Take $40 in ones and fives and keep it in an easy to get at pocket or tank bag. It cost nearly $40 for me to go from PA to ME, and then back to New York and on to Chicago via Rt 90E. The tolls cease once you hit Chicago. Lesson 8- Definitely go from East to West if possible. I had 2 - 800 mile days and several 500 and 600 miles days. I usually left around 8:00 AM and rode until I ran out of daylight, which would come sometimes occur around 8:30 PM. The sun just never seemed to set. The weather was mostly excellent and sure enough you ride THROUGH the weather, not WITH the weather. Rain rarely lasted more than 1-2 hours, and you could watch yourself outrunning weather heads. Very nice, and very fun. Lesson 9 - Go 100 miles and GET OFF THE BIKE! Even the most comfortable bike will wear you out if you stay on it too long and you'll be riding for 2-3 weeks. Slow and steady wins the race! This also adds an unhurried sense to your efforts and is good for the soul. At about 3800 miles I noticed both tires needed replacing. I had expected this since they weren't new; just not so soon. At the same time my alternator rotor decided to pack it in around Custer, Montana. I visited Little Big Horn Battlefield anyway, but took the precaution of parking the bike on a hill, and sure enough I had to roll-start the bike due to a dead battery.  Fortunately, I had brought along a trickle charger, and was downwind from the only BMW dealer in Montana. Guzzi's use the same alternator as the R bikes. Big Sky BMW, in Missoula, actually had a rebuilt rotor on the shelf. The alternator was fixed quickly and the correct tires were found the next day. As the day was coming to a close I stayed the night, and left around 5:30 AM to try to make up a little time. Here is where the long johns, balaclava and glove liners came in handy…. that and the rain suit for a windbreaker. None-the-less, leaving the mountains and cold of Montana and Idaho for the warmth of Oregon was a bit of a chill. I'm still thawing out! I was able to make another 800 mile day from Missoula, to Coeur de lain to Spokane and on to Blaine.  After doing my duty in Blaine with a visit to the Post Office, and a fill up of gas and coffee, I made it South to Lacey, A, for a rendezvous with my wife Susan. I spent the night and headed toward San Ysidro in the morning with a stop in Redding, CA. There is a breathtaking view of Mount Shasta along the way. Top of the world Ma! Heading down Rt 5 S I started falling asleep on the bike (very bad thing to do), so I pulled over, took a nap, and when I got back on the bike I had only 4th gear. No warning, no noise, no nothing .... just 4th gear. I went another 20 miles to a gas station with a mechanic, and drained the transmission oil and refilled with fresh. It didn't smell very healthy but no big chunks of gearing were found. I set out again while I weighed my chances of getting to San Ysidro, and through the Hurricane that was visiting Houston with only 4th gear. San Ysidro possibly, Key west not bloody likely! Discretion being the better part of valor, I left the bike with a mechanic South of Fresno, who gave me a lift to the airport and off I went to meet my wife in Marathon, FL. We drove our 1967 Alfa Romeo Duetto to Key West for a picture at the Buoy and finished up our vacation in Silver Spring, MD with family and friends. 
To make things perfectly clear, this disqualified me from the list of finishers….. although I think getting there in a vintage Alfa should count for something!!! The Guzzi will be shipped out to Saipan so I can rebuild the transmission and to get ready for next year. I may have learned my final lesson to forget about using "newer bikes" for this challenging adventure and to stick instead with my older, trusty, '76 Moto Guzzi Convert (automatic transmission). It is after all, "All about the Ride". All in all I had a ball. I learned a lot, and got to hone my tenacity and creativity skills, as well as my long distance riding skills. I learned a lot of lessons, which may or may not help others (especially the no underwear, and bring at least 1 kilt part). It was an outstanding success, measured by the fact that I lost total track of time.... Couldn't remember the day or the month after 4 days into the ride. Very relaxing! I can't wait to get at it next year. |