DAY #3....SALEM, MISSOURI TO BIXBY, MISSOURI TO HUTCHINSON, KANSAS...OR 464 MILES AFTER LUNCH (992 MILES)

WAKING UP THIS MORNING TO SUNNY SKIES AND NO WIND WAS JUST WHAT THE DOCTOR ORDERED. IT WAS AN ABSOLUTE BEAUTIFUL DAY, EVEN THOUGH THERE WAS FROST ON THE BIKES FIRST THING THIS MORNING.
THE EVENT WAS IN A VERY UNIQUE LOCATION, AS THEY ALL ARE, WITH ABOUT 20 IN ATTENDANCE. SEVERAL OF THE BIKES WERE VERY UNIQUE ALSO, ALL BEING FOUR STROKE SINGLES OF COURSE. THOSE THAT MISSED THIS EVENT DIDN'T GET TO SEE THESE BIKES, BUT ALSO MISSED THE RENEWING OF FRIENDSHIPS FROM THE PAST YEARS.

AND.....YOU ALSO MISSED GETTING TO SEE ME HARD AT WORK, DOING....WHATEVER IT IS THAT I DO.

ALL IN ALL IT WAS A GREAT TRIP, MAYBE A BIT SHORT, BUT GREAT NONETHELESS.
I HAD SEVERAL FIRSTS ON THIS TRIP. THIS WAS THE FIRST TIME I EVER HAD TO RUN HEAT EVERY DAY I WAS ON THE ROAD, AND MOST OF THE TIME, ALL DAY LONG.
I RIDE WITH WOODEN BEADS ON THE SEAT FOR COMFORT. THESE ARE NOT ONLY COMFORTABLE TO SIT ON (MY OPINION) BUT THEY ALSO ALLOW AIR TO CIRCULATE BETWEEN YOU AND THE SEAT. I HAD TO REMOVE THESE THE FIRST DAY ON THE ROAD, AS THEY WERE WORKING SO GOOD, THEY WERE COOLING BODY PARTS I DIDN'T WANT TO COOL.
IT WAS GREAT TO SEE EVERYONE AGAIN. I'LL SEE YOU ALL AT THE NEXT THUMPERCAFE, THIS TIME IN THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO, IN JULY.

MOTOR MIKE

DAY #2....EL DORADO SPRINGS, MISSOURI TO BIXBY, MO. TO AN ALPHABET LOOP TO SALEM, MISSOURI...280 MILES (528)

HERE'S LOOKING AT YOU FROM BIXBY, MISSOURI.

IT'S HARD TO BELIEVE WHAT 10* WARMER TEMPS AND SUNSHINE WILL DO FOR COMFORT. WHEN WE WOKE UP THIS MORNING IN EL DORADO SPRINGS, MISSOURI, THE SUN WAS SHINING BRIGHTLY AND IT WAS 31*. WE STOPPED BY EL DORADO CYCLE ON OUR WAY OUT OF TOWN, WHICH ALLOWED THE TEMP TO RISE A LITTLE BEFORE WE HIT THE ROAD.

RIDING EAST ON HIGHWAY 32, IT WAS MUCH MORE COMFORTABLE TODAY THAN YESTERDAY. WITH THE 50* TEMPS AND THE ADRENALINE OF RIDING THE ROLLER COASTER TWISTIES, I HAD TO TURN MY HEAT DOWN ON THE HEATED GEAR.

THIS AFTERNOON WE VISITED THE BIXBY GENERAL STORE, THE SITE OF TOMORROWS THUMPERCAFE, AND THEN RODE A LOOP ON SOME ALPHABET ROADS.

BACK IN SALEM, MISSOURI FOR THE NIGHT, WE'LL BE BACK IN BIXBY IN THE MORNING FOR OUR EVENT. SATURDAY AFTERNOON I START MY TREK HOME. THIS IS A SHORTER TRIP THAN I'M ACCUSTOMED TO, AS I ONLY HAVE 459 MILES TO RIDE TOMORROW  AFTERNOON TO SLEEP IN MY OWN BED ON SATURDAY NIGHT.

STAY TUNED FOR THE THUMPERCAFE REPORT........

MOTOR MIKE

DAY #1....THUMPERVILLE (HUTCHINSON) TO EL DORADO SPRINGS, MISSOURI....248 MILES

REFERENCING THE PICTURES BELOW, THIS IS WHAT THUMPERVILLE LOOKED LIKE EXACTLY ONE WEEK AGO TODAY.

IT WAS A LOT BETTER A WEEK LATER, BUT WE STILL WAITED UNTIL AFTER LUNCH TODAY, HOPING TO NOT CATCH UP WITH THE WEATHER WE HAD YESTERDAY, AND MAYBE WARM UP A LITTLE. BUT...IT WAS 38* AND THE WIND WAS GUSTING TO 35 MPH. NOTHING TO WORRY ABOUT THOUGH......BEFORE THE RIDING DAY WAS OVER, IT WARMED UP TO A BALMY 40*. NEEDLESS TO SAY, I WAS REALLY GLAD I HAD HEATED CLOTHING TODAY.
I'VE ALWAYS TOLD MYSELF THAT THE OUTSIDE TEMPS AND MY COMFORT LEVEL WERE JUST A MINDSET, SO I STARTED THINKING ABOUT LAST SUMMER COMING HOME FROM IDAHO AND HOW HOT IT WAS, THINKING IT WOULD MAKE ME WARMER.
SURE ENOUGH.........IT DIDN'T WORK.
ALL IN ALL WE HAD A GREAT DAY OF RIDING. AND ONE POSITIVE.......ABSOLUTELY NO BUGS.
TOMORROW WE HEAD TOWARDS SALEM, MISSOURI, IN WHAT LOOKS LIKE ANOTHER COOL DAY.
TALK TO YOU FRIDAY NIGHT.

MOTOR MIKE