Rustic Roads in Central Wisconsin

If you read my 20 May post, you know all about Wisconsin's Rustic Roads. The thunderstorms that came up on my ride in May chased me away from one of them, so I made plans to get back to it this month. As long as I was making the trip, I found two other roads within striking distance.

The morning weather forecast showed rain showers to the west of Green Bay, so I left anticipating some wet riding. In order to get to the area where the Rustic Roads were I stayed on US 29, a 70 mile per hour four lane. At my first stop, in Shawano County, it looked pretty dark to the west. Checking the radar I only saw a few spots of rain and as I passed through Wausau the clouds cleared and the sun began to peek through.

My first goal was Rustic Road 73, which is located south of the little town of Curtiss. Following County E south, number 73 veers off the to west. It is a 2.5 ride over gravel through good old Wisconsin farm country. The most scenic part of the ride is an old bridge over a double set of railroad tracks. There is one intersection that is not marked, so it is important to study the map of the route or you could miss it.

Satisfied with grabbing my first Rustic Road of the day, I found a Kwik Trip and took a break. A Kona coffee and raspberry filled Danish was just enough to get me back on the trail. My plan was to go back east on 29 and north on Highway 13 out of Abbotsford. This would lead me to County D and Rustic Road 1.

By now the sun was shining brightly and the ride up 13 was as enjoyable as any ride this summer. The two lane is smooth as an opal and gently winds its way through woods and farmland. I passed through a couple of small towns before reaching Medford and crossing Highway 64. After another fifteen blissful miles I came to the small town of Westboro and the junction with County D. Turning right, the road winds through the little burg. Several miles past Westboro Rustic Road 1 leads off to the east.

This road is  gravel and five miles long. It passes through woodlands and a small lake. The area is known for hiking trails and the National Ice Age Trail is nearby. It connects with other hiking trails in central Wisconsin, but there were no hikers around on the day I visited. Some of the Rustic Roads in this area are approved for ATVs and I saw several of those during my ride.

I was getting hungry for lunch, but I had one more Rustic Road on the list. A better map recon and a belief in the "bridge out" signs would have saved me some time, but I made it to RR 78 soon after midday. This road mixes blacktop with gravel over a course of four miles. This ride involves a couple of unmarked turns and I was tempted to stop a couple of young ATV riders for guidance. But following what seemed to be the natural curves proved correct and I ended up back a little north of County E, which I had departed to ride Rustic Road 78.

Having successfully ridden the three roads and documented my accomplishment, I was ready to find lunch. I rode back down to Highway 64 and rode east toward Merrill. I was pretty confident that I would locate a McDonald's, but it wasn't until I was on the east end of town that I spotted the golden arches. After a predictably tasty Big Mac meal I mounted the big boxer and headed for home.

I decided to eschew the big slab as long as I could and followed Highway 64 all the way to Mountain. To be completely honest, I had ridden my Harley Davidson up through Mountain a week or so earlier. On that ride I noticed an ice cream sign at the junction of Highways 32 and 64. As long as I had the opportunity to ride past again I was not going to miss the ice cream again. A double vanilla and chocolate twist from a disinterested waitress was just what I needed to complete the last 60 miles of my ride.

An hour or so later I was parking the GSA in my garage. I had a feeling of accomplishment while realizing that I have still ridden less than half of the state's Rustic Roads. It is all the more reason to keep my unstoppable BMW GSA and plan more rides.

The Race of Gentlemen at the Harley Museum

The Harley Davidson Museum has become one of Wisconsin's most well known and popular attractions. Opened in 2008, it has brought visitors from around the world to the Milwaukee area. Many of those visitors are motorcycle riders, but many more come to learn the history of this iconic motorcycle. While strolling around the museum it is common to see families in shorts and flip flops mingling with bikers in leather, boots and do-rags.

As a Harley Owners Group member I receive free admission, so I have been there many times. I go once in January or February to get little mid-winter motorcycle buzz and then ride my Harley down once in the summer. Yesterday was the summer trip.

Wisconsin has received a lot of rain this summer, but yesterday was dry. As I rolled onto Interstate 43 south, the sun was shining and it was a comfortable 70 degrees. I had not filled the tank after my last ride, so I stopped in Manitowoc for a fill up and my daily banana snack. Road construction between Manitowoc and Sheboygan slowed the pace, so I was thankful that I was not on anyone's schedule but my own. Once south of Sheboygan it was a easy cruise into Milwaukee and the Harley Davidson Museum parking lot.

The Garage is a separate building from the rest of the museum and houses special exhibits. In June of this year an exhibit titled "The Race of Gentlemen" opened. It closes in September, so I was happy that I was able to work in this trip.

The Race of Gentlemen, or TROG, as it is known, is an event held each June on the beach in New Jersey. It is for cars built in the 1930's and for motorcycles built prior to 1947. The organizers insist on the authenticity of all parts, although the vehicles can be modified. The event itself is not a recreation, but an entirely new concept developed by a group of old car buffs about twelve years ago.

This group was interested in the car racing culture that developed in Southern California after World War II. Returning service members modified motorcycles and cars and raced them in the desert around Carlsbad. These WW II veterans and their vehicles were the inspiration for the group that began TROG. The connection between the veterans and the current racers is explained in great detail within the exhibit.

The Harley Davidson Museum managed to collect an interesting sample of vehicles for this temporary exhibit. The Number 4 Horseshoe Tavern roadster was recreated by a father and son team after finding a picture of the car a a rally in the late 1940's. The 1931 Model A they built eventually raced against another car that had the original Horseshoe Tavern engine installed in it.

Among the motorcycles, my favorite was a WLA bobber. These vehicles all have stories that are as interesting to read as the bikes and cars are enjoyable to look at. This bobber was built by a young man who had to overcome some adversity in his life. The bike project helped him get through it and he rode the old WLA 500 miles to participate in TROG.

If you are interested in taking in this excellent exhibit you have to hurry as it will close September 4, 2017.

Shuttles and Flats

After about a twelve year hiatus in which the Indy Car series went through several major changes it returned to Road America in June of 2016. It arrived at Road America for the 2017 season late last month. The track officials were ready for a big crowd and I was ready for a busy weekend driving a spectator shuttle around the huge grounds.

Road America is referred to as the National Park of Speed for good reason. The track itself is just over four miles long and it is spread over 700 acres of the Kettle Moraine in east central Wisconsin. Spectators can choose to walk the hilly grounds and many do. But there are several options available if you would rather ride. Cars are allowed into or near most of the popular viewing areas. If race fans have planned ahead and are willing to pay, they will have a golf cart rented and waiting for them when they arrive. But many fans choose to walk until they cannot anymore and those are my customers.

The shuttles take spectators on a route around the inside part of the track where only authorized vehicle are allowed. They also bring fans to some of the best vantage points to watch the races. Most of these are near one of the fourteen turns on the race track. In addition, the shuttle routes take riders into the paddock area and to the newly renovated Road America shop. The shop itself is worth the trip to the track. It would rival any store in Door County for the number of items and art work you can peruse. Instead of barns and sailboats, these items all revolve around racing at Road America.

I worked Friday, Saturday and Sunday on race weekend and rode my BMW R1200 GSA to Elkhart Lake each day. The big panniers allow me to carry rain gear, snacks, a lunch, extra water and anything else I might need when working outside for eight to ten hours. The weather was a little cool, but still great for motorcycle riding and open wheel car racing. I rode through a little rain on the way home on Sunday, but otherwise the weekend was dry.

When I got home Sunday night I put the bike in the garage and did not get back on it until Thursday morning. I had just pulled out of the driveway when the red light on the dash starting flashing and the Tire Pressure Monitoring System light was on. A closer look alerted me to the fact that my rear tire only had seventeen pounds of pressure. I nursed the bike around the block and put it back in the garage. I needed to be somewhere, so I closed the door and took my truck.

When I got home I put the bike on the centerstand and spun the wheel. It did not take long to identify the problem. There was a nail embedded in the tire tread. A call to my BMW dealer confirmed that their recommendation was a new tire rather than a plug. They had a Metzeler Tourance Next in the correct size in stock, so I was able to make an appointment for late Friday afternoon. It seemed that the tire held air pretty well, so I filled it and marked the time.

The next day I checked the tire and it had only leaked about six pounds of pressure in fourteen hours. So before I left for the ten mile ride to the dealership I filled the tire. According to the monitor it did not lose any pressure on the ride. An hour later I had a new tire mounted and was ready to ride again.

Two Days on Wisconsin's Rustic Roads

Motorcycle riding is often thought of as a "the journey is the reward" type of activity. The romantic notion of just getting on the bike and riding is part of the lore and legend of biking. But sometimes there is no destination and the journey truly is the reward. This week I spent a couple of days traveling some of the most scenic roads my home state has to offer.

Wisconsin has designated over one hundred of its roads as Rustic Roads. They vary in length and surface, but all have been deemed rustic due to their unique topography or historical significance. After I got my BMW GSA in 2012, I began seeking them out and keeping track of the ones I have ridden. Within the first three years I had ridden all of them within a day's ride of home. After a two year hiatus, I decided I needed to schedule a two day trip to ride some that are a little farther afield.

The Wisconsin Department of Transportation publishes a booklet that describes each of the Rustic Roads and includes a map of each one. The state is divided into four sections and they are listed by county. I selected seven in the southwest region of the state that are located in four adjoining counties. I would begin with a Rustic Road in Jackson County and the others were in Trempeleau, La Crosse, and Vernon Counties.

The range of weather possibilities in May in Wisconsin is quite large, but there appeared to be a two day window of opportunity this week. So on Monday I loaded the bike and got an early start. It was only about 58 degrees when I left, but the forecast in the western part of the state was for the high 70's and a chance of thunderstorms.

It took about three hours of riding west on US Highway 54 to reach Rustic Road 54. It runs south from 54 to Interstate 94 in Millston. At each road I take a picture of my bike in front of the official Rustic Road sign and then post it on the advrider.com website. There is a thread on the site named Rustic Road Century where riders post photos. After taking the picture and eating a quick snack I headed south on North Settlement Road. It was paved and an easy ride to the interstate. I was planning to ride seven Rustic Roads that day and was happy to get the first one in the hopper.

The end came out right at the interstate and I went northwest toward the Black River Falls exit that would put me back on 54 west. Rustic Road 91 is in Trempeleau County and is a short five mile loop. While stopping to get the picture, a red county truck parked right behind me. Once underway, I found that it was paved even though the booklet listed it as unpaved. After about a mile I saw another county truck on the side of the road. At this point the surface turned to gravel and went steeply downhill. I am not very experienced riding on unpaved surfaces, so I descended slowly. A couple of deer peeked out to see what was making all the noise in their forest as I picked my way along the gravel trail. Soon Highway 54 appeared and I was back on the asphalt. I knew there would be more gravel in my future, so I was glad to have navigated this one successfully.

The weather was still surprisingly beautiful. The forecast had been for some thunderstorms, but none seemed to be in the offing. I turned south on US Highway 53 and entered La Crosse County. After riding Rustic Road 64, a paved loop off of 53, I rode south to take US Highway 16 east to the little town of West Salem. My map reconnaissance was not as thorough as it should have been however, and I ended up riding through a good portion of La Crosse as the temperature began to rise. I followed the 16 east signs and was soon on my way out of town.

Just as I entered West Salem I found myself passing Veterans Memorial Park and stopped there to eat the lunch I had brought along. It felt good to take off my helmet and jacket as it was now well over 70 degrees. After lunch I switched out my gloves for a lighter pair and took the liner out of my Olympia AST jacket. I was not sure how I was going to get from West Salem to the next Rustic Road, so I spent some time studying the map before I left the park. After a nice break I went off in search of number 31. It was easy to find and it led me through some streets in West Salem where there are a few historically noteworthy homes. Leaving West Salem on County Road M, I realized I was more than halfway to my goal for the day.

The weather was now looking more threatening, so I decided to take what appeared to be the shortest, although more convoluted route, to Rustic Road 26. This proved to be a very good decision as the first route I contemplated would have taken at least another 30 minutes. Raindrops were falling as I took the picture at number 26. This beautiful route wound southeast of La Crosse and over Brinkman's Ridge. This provided a good view of the surrounding area and I took a picture from the top of the ridge.

Rustic Road 26 dropped me out on US Highway 14/61 and I had two more Rustic Roads to ride. As I motored toward Ontario the rainfall increased in intensity. Fortunately, I was on good highways and the traffic was light. I passed a few Amish buggies and usually exchanged a wave. The horses were getting wet, but those buggies seemed to be keeping their passengers pretty dry. By this time I was looking for some gas, but discovered that some of the little towns in the area do not have stations. There was no fuel to be had in Ontario, so I continued south on Wisconsin Highway 131 to the start of Rustic Road 56.

The paved Road winds its way through some beautiful contoured farmland. It was a little difficult to really appreciate it as the rain continued, although a little more lightly. There was no signpost at the north end of the Road, so I took this picture at the south end. I continued south on 131 hoping that La Farge would have a gas station where I could fill up before taking on my last Rustic Road of the day.

La Farge offered a Gulf station, but they did not have any high octane gas, which my motorcycle requires. I was not in danger of running out, so I moved on. Rustic Road 55 is off of 131 also and has paved and gravel portions. I was feeling better riding on the gravel and enjoyed this short three mile ride. Turning onto Wisconsin Highway 82 east, I was on my way to my overnight accommodations in Mauston.

The route to Mauston led through Hillsboro and I stopped at the Kwik Trip there to fill my tank. I enjoyed a cup of coffee and thought back over the many sights I had seen. The rain had stopped, but it was still threatening, so I mounted back up and rode north and east toward Elroy. The town is the home of Wisconsin's former Governor Tommy Thompson and this is proclaimed by a big sign as you enter. The highway leads right down the main street and it seemed that there were a lot of boarded up storefronts.

After a steak dinner Monday night and good night's sleep I was on my way by 8:30 Tuesday morning. I had plans to ride the two Rustic Roads in Clark County. This would mean about an hour's ride north on I-94 and then a short ride up US Highway 27 to the little town of Humbird.

The sun was out and temperature was about 70 degrees. It looked a little dark to the north, but it was difficult to tell how far north the clouds were. Mostly I was thinking about my destination, Rustic Road 76. This was to be a nine mile ride on all gravel. It had rained hard all through the southwestern part of the state the night before and I didn't know what kind of shape this road would be in.

Turning east on County B in Humbird, I rode through deep woods while keeping a sharp eye out for the now familiar brown and gold signs. Once I made the turn south onto Rustic Road 76, I saw that it was as advertised. A narrow corridor of wet gravel stretched out before me. I took the necessary photograph and gingerly started out. There was a sandy patch about a half mile in that tried to wash out my front wheel, but I kept on. Following the sign, I turned east at Sand Road and found a bridge over Five Mile Creek. South of the bridge I crossed is an abandoned trestle bridge that made a nice spot for a picture and a break. The last couple of miles went north on Columbia Road, and I came out on US Highway 10.

My plan was to ride County Roads K and P up to Rustic Road 73, which is just south of US Highway 29. But the road was closed on K at the little town of Loyal, and the detour went back west. It was looking pretty dark in that direction, so I stopped to check the radar using my smartphone. The radar confirmed what I was seeing and I decided to leave RR 73 for another day. I went back south to 10 and went east toward Waupaca. I turned onto highway 54 in Waupaca and retraced the route I had ridden the previous morning. The rain stayed to the north and the ride home was windy but dry. The two days of riding had garnered eight Rustic Roads and put about 640 wonderful miles on my BMW.

Once I got home and entered the eight newly ridden Rustic Roads into my notebook I noted that I have now ridden 39 of the 100 plus roads. It seems like a daunting task to ride them all, but I am never in need of a destination when it's time to ride.

NWTC Car Show and Swap Meet

The Northeast Wisconsin Technical College (NWTC) Car Show and Swap Meet was held on May 17th under sunny but cool skies. This is the 31st year for the show held on the campus of NWTC. The event is organized by the NWTC Auto Club and the proceeds are used to benefit the students and the club's service learning projects.

In its first few years the show used only a small portion of the campus' parking area but it has steadily grown. It now features over 800 cars, trucks and motorcycles. Food and beverages are available, but the lines are long. The swap meet part of the show is pretty small and seems to be sort of an afterthought. I think if they decided not to offer it very few people would notice.

I always consider this show the unofficial kickoff of car show season. The exhibitors come from mainly Wisconsin and Upper Michigan, but there are many fine examples of automotive excellence. The cars are not arranged by category, but the owners seem to organize themselves when they can.

One group of young enthusiasts were proudly displaying their "Fast and Furious" type of cars. There were well tuned Honda Sis and a fast looking Toyota FRS. One of the cars had a high powered audio system that was being demonstrated to the joy of some and dismay of others. One of my favorite Japanese offerings was a Subaru WRX Sti. This car took part in the exhaust competition in the four cylinder category.

The majority of the cars in the show were of domestic origin. There were the old Chevys, Fords and Dodges along with a few nice Cadillacs and Plymouths. There was a small group of owners of the discontinued Pontiac G8. There were about six of them and looking at those cars one wonders how Pontiac ever went out of production.

There were not many old Corvettes, but a good number of C6 and C7 models. Newer Mustangs and Camaros were plentiful. One car I had hoped to see but did not was Ford Mustang Boss 302 that was in production in 2012 and 2013. There was a nice green late model Mustang that excelled in the eight cylinder exhaust contest.

There were a few motorcycles on display. A couple were very highly customized, but most were pretty ordinary. This show does not cater to motorcycles, so it doesn't draw very many of them. The two most noticeable bikes had the usual big tricycle front wheel and the stretched bags

There is a dedicated group of bicyclists in the Green Bay area and some of them are trying to get bicycles into the show as a new category. It hasn't happened yet, but a few bike owners brought their human powered vehicles out for the day. One of them is a more customized version of my Schwinn Typhoon that I wrote about a few months ago. It is owned by the gentleman who worked on my bike at Pete's Garage on Broadway in Green Bay.

Over the course of a couple of hours I took a good tour of the grounds, listened to the exhaust competition, and went back to see a few favorite cars. It was an outstanding way to begin the car show season for 2017.

My BMW GSA's Most Excellent Week in the Shop

Since my last post early this month the weather has not been very kind to riders of two wheeled vehicles. If it has not been cold it has been raining. The only motorcycle riding I have done has been running a few errands and fulfilling my caregiving responsibilities for my dad. I have gotten out on my bicycle a few times, but those have been cold and windy rides.

When I wrote in early April I noted that I had made an appointment to get the 24,000 mile service done on the GSA. I brought it in on the morning of April 4th and my wife picked me up in her Camry. The quote for the service and the installation of new Metzeler Tournance Next tires was just over $1000.00. We were not even home when my cell phone rang. The BMW technician had found a leaking cam chain tensioner bolt gasket. The gasket itself cost $1.50, but installing it would involve one and a half hours of labor at $95.00 per hour. This was the beginning of a long week of phone calls with Tytler's Cycle.

The bike was supposed to be ready for pickup the next day. I had agreed to volunteer at the library book sale that morning and figured to get the bike that afternoon. At about 9:30 that morning Tytler was calling again. The battery in my bike had been on the charger all night and was still not fully charged. The service representative said I needed a new one. He said the battery they recommend cost $150.00 The battery was the original and had lasted through five riding seasons, so it was reasonable to expect that it needed to be replaced. In truth, the bike started very hard on its first start this spring and seemed to struggle at times when I pressed the starter button.

So now the bill has increased at least $300.00. Later that afternoon I noticed Tytler's number coming up on my cell phone again. With much trepidation I answered. This time the service rep reported that the new battery they had intended to install in my GSA was defective and they would have to order a new one. At least this call did not cost me any more money.

The next day was Thursday and I did not hear anything from the dealer. I was happy to let them keep the bike and make sure all was right. After lunch on Friday I called and Aaron, the service writer, said the bike was ready. He said the bill was $1405.00, which was somewhat less than I had feared it might be. I had found a $50.00 service coupon on the BMW Motorrad website and after he applied that I was down to $1355.00 including the tax. I drove my Tacoma out there, picked up the bike and went for a little test ride. When I got home and reviewed the bill I noticed that the battery cost $50.00 less than I was quoted, so that was a pleasant surprise.

About two days later I got an email from Tytler's informing me that I had earned enough points to qualify for $60.00 in gift cards that could be used in their store. I did not have the oil and filter changed during this appointment as I had done it myself about 2200 miles earlier. So now with the gift cards I will have almost enough money to buy the four quarts of synthetic oil and a filter I will need to make the change.

The service was not inexpensive and the week was rather stressful, but in the end I was happy with the experience. The dealership was fair and made the repairs that were necessary. These bikes are expensive to purchase and it is important that they be maintained correctly from a safety as well as a longevity standpoint. I have no intentions of buying another new BMW motorcycle, so this is money well spent.

Now I just need some decent riding weather to enjoy my refreshed BMW R1200 GSA.

A Ride to Sand Country

The day dawned clear and cold with the promise of an afternoon warm up. After getting a few little jobs done around the house and eating a good lunch I went up to the man cave to get out the big German beast.

Before donning my riding gear I disconnected the charger and walked the bike into the sunshine. It always warms the seat enough to make me forget that BMW did not offer heated seats on the 2011 model GSAs. My plan was to make a stop at my dealer to schedule the 24,000 mile service and then take that trip to Waupaca. The sand country of Waushara County is usually the warmest part of the state, so my early spring and late fall rides will tend to go in that direction.

The Beemer started right up and soon I was cruising into Tytler's Cycle in De Pere. I talked to the service representative about what needed to be done to the bike. Frustratingly for me, BMW does not publish a maintenance schedule in their owner's manuals. It is possible to find schedules online, but it still ends up being a discussion with the service department as to what needs to be done at the recommended 6000 mile service intervals. Once we had that part of the work scheduled we took a look at my Metzeler Tourance Next tires. They have 12,000 miles on them and appeared to have a bit of life left. But after he checked them with the depth gauge we decided that they will be replaced next week. I cannot complain about getting that many miles out of a set of bike tires and the dealer will put Tourance Nexts on again.

Before leaving I stopped in the showroom. Tytler is a Victory dealer  and they have a few left in stock. My salesman said there are discounts available and people are interested in buying them. It was announced in January that Victory motorcycles will no longer be manufactured by Polaris and some buyers see it as an opportunity that won't come again. Polaris has promised to provide parts and service for ten years, so that gives new owners a certain sense of comfort, I suppose.

Once back outside I suited up and headed south on I 41. The mid day traffic moved smoothly and it was easy to keep a 70 mile per hour pace without a lot of lane changing. There is a big flyover under construction near Neenah, but otherwise the ride to Oshkosh was uneventful. I turned west on State Highway 21 and felt the wind from the north become a crosswind.

After passing through Omro and Redgranite I saw a sign for Lake Alpine County Park. Turning right, I went less than a mile before pulling into an empty parking lot. Late March and mid-week there was no one around to enjoy the beautiful setting. The lake was deep blue and it was easy to imagine the this as a great place for a summer picnic.

Back on the bike, I made a gas and beverage stop at the Kwik Trip in Wautoma. The place was busy, but they always have enough checkouts open to live up to the name on the building. When I pulled back out onto 21 the dash on my bike showed 58 degrees, about 10 more than it was back in Green Bay. The bright sunshine felt wonderful as I powered north onto State Highway 22 in Wautoma.

I instinctively slowed to the posted speed limit in Wild Rose and continued on toward Waupaca. It was getting progressively cooler as I got further north and the late afternoon sun began to slant. I had enjoyed the ride and kept the boxer engine purring north and east until I arrived back in the garage. The odometer indicated a ride of about 180 miles. Almost unbelievably more snow is forecast, so the bike is under cover until further notice.