A 600 mile test run through the Sawtooth Mountains, along the Salmon River, barren high winds high desert, and across the Craters of the Moon. One of the most beautiful stretches of highway in the USA. The old Silver Wing is purring like a kitten. The long haul begins tomorrow.

This is how it was supposed to happen: Randy finds me a workable motorcycle. I fly into Boise, one way ticket. We spend a couple days tuning up the bikes, then hop in Randy’s Eurovan and head to the mountains for a week of backpacking above the treeline. Return to Boise. Fire up the bikes. Head for the ocean.

This is how it happened: Randy found me a motorcycle. After many days of perusing Craig’s List Boise, and after Rand has gone out to test a few options, we settle on a 1981 Honda GL500 Silver Wing with “no issues”. Listed at $800. Randy talks the guy down to $675. It sounds like it’s just what I need: not pretty, but an affordable reliable mid-weight touring bike that, with a little love and luck, should get me around the Southwest and back to Mpls comfortably.

I wire Randy the money. He overnights the title. I take a Basic Rider Course at Century College, which allows me to get my Minnesota motorcycle license in spite of the state shutdown. Everything is coming together nicely.  Continue reading →