crossing Lake Michigan on a Goldwing

[hoganJr]

I've had the '91 on the road for several weeks now, working out some minor issues. Lately I took a couple of 200 to 300 mile rides just to make sure everything was good. It's truly an amazing machine!
I told my wife I would take her on the bike to visit our son in Madison, Wisconsin and she marked a date on the calendar. I only knew of two ways to get from Indianapolis to Madison. One way involves the Chicago metro area and toll roads. The other way involves a couple of long interstate stretches across Illinois. A friend at work suggested a third option: ride to Muskegon, Michigan and take the "Lake Express" ferry across the lake to Milwaukee. That seemed like an excellent suggestion and my wife got excited about it, so we booked our passage for Friday morning, August 16th.
Thursday morning we loaded up some gear in the large cargo areas of the GL1500 and headed for Muskegon. I had contacted Cyborg a few days beforehand to get any advice he had on taking the bike on the ferry. He referred me to gregforesi, who had done the crossing. Everything about strapping the bikes down went just as greg said it would and I was grateful for his advice. Made me feel like I knew what to expect and what I was doing when I got there.
One of the highlights of our trip was meeting Cyborg for dinner Thursday night. Brenda and I really hated to part company with him that night. He is an amazing and inspirational man. A genuine gentleman.
Friday morning we boarded the boat and enjoyed an amazing ride. The weather was perfect. The lake was calm. We spent the whole 2-1/2 hours on deck in the sunshine. We disembarked in Milwaukee, got some lunch and back on the highway to Madison.
Saturday we met up with our son, who rides an '85 V45 Magna, and rode a couple hundred miles through the scenic hills and curves west and north of Madison. Before he left home he always followed me and got a little frustrated by my pace in the hills and curves. Saturday he lead and his mom got a real kick out of how he hotrods around on his bike. It was Brenda's first time watching him ride from behind and she really enjoyed it.
We hung out with our son and a bunch of his friends at a party that afternoon and into the evening. Again, the weather was perfect and the bike ran like a top.
Sunday we got up and met our son at his church, then geared up and headed for home. There's a long stretch of interstate south of Rockford, Illinois with no gas stations, but the '91 has a comfortable range of 200 miles, so no worries. I found myself riding faster than I had ever ridden before for extended periods, but I was still getting passed every time I backed off into the righthand lane, so I kept moving right along. The bike felt good under me and there was very little wind so I burned a little extra gas, but made good time. The '91 has cruise control and I used it occasionally, but I don't like it.
15 miles into Indiana and I got off the interstate and cruised along on US136 all the way to Indianapolis. It dumps you out on surface streets right at The Motor Speedway.
Got home just as night fell. Never used my rain gear or long johns the whole way. The only regret is that I took very few pictures (and none of the bike).
This is the sunrise over Lake Muskegon from our hotel room Friday morning.

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This is my wife, Brenda, with the Shoreline Hotel in the background

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The Lake Express starts the day in Milwaukee and is heading into the dock at the Muskegon terminal

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Pretty breezy on deck

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Her and me

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[CYBORG]

I was thinking about you two just today, and wondering how the trip went. glad it was a good one. i also enjoyed our dinner thursday evening, and almost wished i was going with you on the ferry. glad it all went well. call me up anytime you are in town. make time for the submarine next time

[Sagebrush]

He is an amazing and inspirational man.

Can't possibly be the same Cyborg I know

The '91 has cruise control and I used it occasionally, but I don't like it.

As you become familiar and more comfortable with this feature, believe me, you'll come to love it.

make time for the submarine next time

I agree wholeheartedly with this statement for obvious reasons, check out my avatar It's one of the very few museum boats that went unmodified from its WWII configuration. The added bonus is, at least the time I visited it, there was a tour guide that pointed out all the internal features. Most museum ships are self guided and as a result you miss a lot. Its located only a block from the ferry docks.

Very happy you and the wife had a great maiden voyage on your 1500. Its truly a two up touring wonder.

[brokentoe]

That's a great report hoganjr. I felt like I was along with you in some familiar places.

[CYBORG]

Dean, they do have a tour guide, and he is very knowledgeable. the last time i did the tour they had a guy there running up the engines. an extra bonus

[hoganJr]

That's a great report hoganjr. I felt like I was along with you in some familiar places.

thanks brokentoe, we have good motorcycle roads in Indiana, I'm discovering more all the time. Brenda was so reluctant for our "micro-vacation" to end, and getting off I-74 and taking US136 into Indianapolis was a way to extend it.
In Crawfordsville, at the gas station, a young man on an old, ratty Suzuki crotch rocket was filling his tank. The bike had a paper plate so I told him it looked like he just got a new bike and we talked for a minute about that. I asked him where to get ice cream in Crawfordsville and he directed me to the "Dairy-licious". We found a walk-up ice cream store and got coney-dogs and chocolate cones dipped in chocolate and ate next door at the little park. I could go on about how fun and stimulating it is to ride through the countryside and cruise through small towns along the way and count hawks and eat ice cream , but you know about all that.

hoganJr

[Whiskerfish]

The 1500 is a mileage eating machine. Also agree with Dean on the cruise control. After a while they are very nice!!

[joedrum]

cool Hogan ... nice time it looked.....it was great meeting you at my place ...

[hoganJr]

The 1500 is a mileage eating machine. Also agree with Dean on the cruise control. After a while they are very nice!!

I was very pleased and even a little surprised at how far we travelled on Sunday, especially since we didn't hit the road until after noon and were home by nightfall.
I used the cruise control to give my hand a rest occasionally. The thing I don't like is that seems to drop a couple mph when you release the throttle and then accelerate to pick it back up. I'm probably being overly critical or just need to master the coordination of the switch and throttle.

[Sagebrush]

There is a gain adjustment on the CC to eliminate the hesitation. If you had an 1800 I could tell you right where to go to adjust it but I don't know where its located on the 1500.

[Oldewing]

the control on my 1100 is WOT...............don't use it much

[hoganJr]

There is a gain adjustment on the CC to eliminate the hesitation. If you had an 1800 I could tell you right where to go to adjust it but I don't know where its located on the 1500.

Sagebrush, that's good information! I'm on it. Thanks.

I actually took a picture of the submarine as we cruised through the channel to enter Lake Michigan, but I cut off the front of the submarine (it is very long) so it's not a good pic.

hoganJr

[hoganJr]

cool Hogan ... nice time it looked.....it was great meeting you at my place ...

jd: I enjoyed meeting you all as well. I just wish somebody could have witnessed me riding to the top of your driveway and back down again! I shudder every time I think about how that could have ended.
Quite a collection of bikes at your place.
I'm eager to make that Bedford-to-Shoals run on US50 again!

hoganJr

[joedrum]

yep the dragon is safe road compared to that shoals road hard to find a 200yd run anywhere

[twostrokenut]

Wow beautiful foggy sunrise!