new sealed battery from yuasa

[bmrbill]

Has it already been two weeks? Wow. The bike was loaded up Saturday morning. (June 29) My AMA card still hadn't showed up in the mail. With no center stand or AMA card, I was hoping I had paid my dues to the gods of flat tires and other breakdowns. Saturday took me from Livermore, CA to Ridgecrest. I spent two nights camped out in the Mojave desert outside of town. After an unseasonably cold start to the summer here in Livermore, it was nice to finally defrost. I think it was 103 in the shade. YES! If you've never seen a high desert sunrise and/or sunset, you don't know what you are missing. I had almost forgotten how spectacular they are. Spent Sunday with friends watching Brazil beat Germany in the final game of the World Cup. Monday morning took me through Barstow and other parts of route 66. I was heading towards Lake Mead. Near the top of 15, I decided I hadn't had enough of the Mojave. So I took a right turn to Cima. That was a bad time to hit reserve. I didn't take into account that I was pushing a 7% or 8% grade with a light headwind. The Mojave preserve was the worth the risk. I made it back to $2.50 gas without walking. I hit Henderson during the hottest part of the day. It was 117 if I remember. Even though I had taken many water breaks, I was more dehydrated than I realized. I went ahead and checked into a hotel in Henderson. One with a pool and a functional ice machine. The next morning I continued to Lake Mead. I bought a National Park pass at the entrance. The ride through Lake Mead park was hot and a little humid. Just enough to make me drowsy. Two things happened that woke me up. The first was coming around a blind corner and almost hitting a wild burro. The second was when I stopped on the side of the road where this nice cement shoulder/apron was. As I looked up at the overcast sky, I realized I had stopped in a flash flood runoff area. And it was flash flood weather. It wasn't raining, but discretion dictated that I get back on the bike and go, NOW. Now that I was fully awake, it was on to Zion. Highway 9 through the park is open, but if you want to see the whole thing by road, you have to take a park shuttle. Zion was amazing. Don't believe the pictures or descriptions. Just go and see for yourself. After Zion it was down to Fredonia and another hotel. I turned on TLC in time to watch a program on the building of the Boulder (Hoover) dam. It was strangely appropriate. Wednesday I was off to see the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. The next day I read a quote that I will most likely butcher. Something about "words cannot warn you and time cannot prepare you for the view from the North Rim." I didn't even bother to take pictures. Who would belive it? I was looking at it and I didn't believe it. After two hours at Bright Angel point, I had to see more. So I headed up to Imperial Point. I never made it. About halfway there it began to snow and rain. The rain wasn't so bad, but I left my snow chains at home. I decided that Utah was a better place to be. So out of the park and through a lightning storm I rode, looking for better weather. I made Bryce Canyon around 6pm. I could have ended my trip right there. I am so sorry I missed the CMC this year. Having had my first taste of Utah, I won't miss next year's event. I'm serious, I'm considering writing the Utah Highway department. They need to post signs. Something like, "Warning. Breathtaking view around every corner. Drive with caution." They really should warn people. I hiked a few miles of the Rim Trail in Bryce before it became obvious that the ankle I broke in last September's KLR -vs- wild pig, was not fully healed. So I saw as much as I could on two wheels. Including the Dixie National Forest right outside the park. The washboard road out to Tropic resevoir about tore the handlebars out of my hands at 25mph. The same washboard at 40-50mph was smooth as silk. The 4th of July celebration at Bryce consisted of one of the rangers reciting the Declaration of Independence from memory, with historical and political commentary. It started with a singing of our National Anthem. There weren't too many dry eyes in the house. Friday, July 5th, I decided to head back west. I had already been overwhelmed with scenery for days on end, and my ankle was throbbing. My plan was to make the California border before night fall. I split between Bryce and Zion and took 14 over to Cedar City. Then across Nevada on 375. I had to stop for the obligatory Alien Burger in Rachel, NV, on my way to Tonapah. By the time I hit California, the sun was still high in the sky. I figured I would at least hit Lee Vining before calling it a night. But it wasn't really that late by the time I hit Lee Vining. I figured I could make Yosemite easily. Actually, I figured I could make it through the park before sundown. So I just kept on going. Maybe it was the fact I was on 120. I don't know. But I've always considered 120 as being just down the road. So my reverse logic dictated that if I were on 120, then home was just down the road. So I just kept on going. I spent 4 riding days getting to Bryce, and 1 day getting back. The trip was about 2000 miles total. The last day was around 850 miles with the stock saddle. Animal encounters... wild burro in Lake Mead deer in Grand Canyon deer on Mines Road 5 miles from home were the worst. Idiot encounters... not all of the california plates were idiots, but almost all the idiots had california plates. Accessories I appreciated the most... SeaLine dry bags during the snow LoobMan chain oiler Waterproof gloves and boots Rainsuit National Park Pass Bandana (everything from cleaning face shield to preventing sunburn) Most memorable people... The Canadian on his R65. He was making a movie of his trip. He had a camera mount on his handlebars. We swapped stories about snow and hail in the high country. Emily. About 6 years old. She was absolutely fascinated by, and determined to catch, the chipmunk that came to every vacated table at the Bryce canyon general store looking for scraps. I was her extra eyes. She waved a big good-bye from the back seat of her grandparent's car. All of the foreigners who seemed to think I was a tour guide for the USA. I think maybe motorcycles cross a lot of cultural barriers. All in all it was a great trip. If you've ever considered motorcycle camping, there is no time like the present. And there is no better bike than the one you have right now. Oh yeah, the second week... just lazy R&R for me and the KLR. Bill A15

[akohler883]

Just thought that i would let you guys know that Yuasa now makes a sealed AGM replacement battery for the YB14L-A2.....it is called the YTX14AHL-BS. Some of you might remember the YMF14L-2 from years ago....this battery has been improved upon, and re-released as the YTX14AHL-BS. If you have any questions, you can contact me direct at kohlera@...