Coast to Coast (and back) on a Panigale

Been meaning to duplicate the post of my trip so far on this forum, but didn't realize just how long it takes to do a blow-by-blow account. If anyone's interested, my LA and beyond trip report can be found HERE.

Twitter feed HERE

Best pic that sums up my trip so far?

Very cool report so far! I'll keep watching...btw, I'm finding the pani to be very comfortable on longer rides too, altho maybe not coast to coast..lol. Good luck and be careful!

That is an awersome pic.

Is that the salt flats in Utah? Sweet pic!

Sweet pic!!!

This is amazing!! Keep it coming. Love that pic.

I have not yet read this blog, but surely it must be untrue. By now the Panni would have caught fire, not started, blacked out, fallen apart due to a faulty suspension bolt, given you hemorrhoids due to the tough seat, sprung an oil leak etc etc.

All in jest by the way.

Marcbc said:

I have not yet read this blog, but surely it must be untrue. By now the Panni would have caught fire, not started, blacked out, fallen apart due to a faulty suspension bolt, given you hemorrhoids due to the tough seat, sprung an oil leak etc etc.

All in jest by the way.

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Nice.

What a trip this is going to be. Hopefully it cools off for you as you head east.

Marcbc said:

I have not yet read this blog, but surely it must be untrue. By now the Panni would have caught fire, not started, blacked out, fallen apart due to a faulty suspension bolt, given you hemorrhoids due to the tough seat, sprung an oil leak etc etc.

All in jest by the way.

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Lol! You forgot the crispy fried thighs and melted twig n berries...

Going to start reading the blog in a minute, but just wanted to say....awesome pic!!

Outstanding story thus far.

I was a victim of the "planned but never gotten to ride into the heartlands". I had just finished up at NYU and was about to start my residency at NYU Medical Center in the next 4 weeks. My plan was to take my first chopper as far as 1/2 my money would take me in two weeks and then start my way back east on an unplanned route.

2 weeks before I was to leave, I was playing softball on one of the hospital teams. Was on first base (on a black top city school "field"). Got caught off base during a dropped pop up and had to tag up and dash for second. While chopping my steps to stop at the base, I thought I tripped and fell. Tried to get up and my leg would not extend. I had torn the inferior tendon of my patella (knee cap). Thing rolled up into my thigh! The end of your knee looks like a chicken bone leg joint without that cap there!

8 weeks of crutches later with a Zimmer cast after surgery and the next 6 years during that residency came and went and I never did get to take "the ride". Now a total of 20 years later... Still no ride (family, career, obligations; as you said)

I envy you and am living vicariously through your story!

Ride safe, Bro!! It's not a suicide, it's a re-birth!

RSR racer said:

Outstanding story thus far.

I was a victim of the "planned but never gotten to ride into the heartlands". I had just finished up at NYU and was about to start my residency at NYU Medical Center in the next 4 weeks. My plan was to take my first chopper as far as 1/2 my money would take me in two weeks and then start my way back east on an unplanned route.

2 weeks before I was to leave, I was playing softball on one of the hospital teams. Was on first base (on a black top city school "field"). Got caught off base during a dropped pop up and had to tag up and dash for second. While chopping my steps to stop at the base, I thought I tripped and fell. Tried to get up and my leg would not extend. I had torn the inferior tendon of my patella (knee cap). Thing rolled up into my thigh! The end of your knee looks like a chicken bone leg joint without that cap there!

8 weeks of crutches later with a Zimmer cast after surgery and the next 6 years during that residency came and went and I never did get to take "the ride". Now a total of 20 years later... Still no ride (family, career, obligations; as you said)

I envy you and am living vicariously through your story!

Ride safe, Bro!! It's not a suicide, it's a re-birth!

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showed the thread to the wife, she said - you gotta do this while we're here (5yr work visa)! gotta plan some weeks off in the next few years...

Updating the report is no small amount of work. Thanks everyone for the comments. I've just passed 3K miles and am currently in beautiful Boulder Colorado. Every leg of the journey out of CA has had its share of weather, traffic and more weather issues. Easiest way to track the Panigale through the us is through Twitter....taking pics and hitting a button on an iPhone is effortless, but of course isn't a 'full' report. I'm new to all this--both in terms of social media AND sharing my life with the world (which still feels a bit odd). But as long as everyone is enjoying it then I'll keep it up.

Also, the Panigale has been AWESOME. The heat is the big problem, but the extra heat cooking your bum after clouds piss all over you is definitely a plus. And yesterday (I'll get to it in the Ride Report) I hit the absolute worst traffic ever in Colorado on 70--it put anything I ever went through in LA to shame. The CBR 954 that had been stuck next to me (lane splitting is not legal in CO like it is in CA) ended up blowing coolant out of the bottom of his motor as his temps climbed to 268. The Duc never saw more than 222 deg.

Also, since 600 miles I've only had to add about 4 oz of oil (granted the dealer overfilled it at the first maintenance).

Hot starting is an issue, but it's an issue easily solved with cranking the throttle 1/10th of a turn while hitting the starter button.

Hopefully I can get some Ti Wrap and cool the headers off a little.

And yes--the top pic above is Bonneville Salt Flats.

RSR racer said:

Outstanding story thus far.

I was a victim of the "planned but never gotten to ride into the heartlands". I had just finished up at NYU and was about to start my residency at NYU Medical Center in the next 4 weeks. My plan was to take my first chopper as far as 1/2 my money would take me in two weeks and then start my way back east on an unplanned route.

2 weeks before I was to leave, I was playing softball on one of the hospital teams. Was on first base (on a black top city school "field"). Got caught off base during a dropped pop up and had to tag up and dash for second. While chopping my steps to stop at the base, I thought I tripped and fell. Tried to get up and my leg would not extend. I had torn the inferior tendon of my patella (knee cap). Thing rolled up into my thigh! The end of your knee looks like a chicken bone leg joint without that cap there!

8 weeks of crutches later with a Zimmer cast after surgery and the next 6 years during that residency came and went and I never did get to take "the ride". Now a total of 20 years later... Still no ride (family, career, obligations; as you said)

I envy you and am living vicariously through your story!

Ride safe, Bro!! It's not a suicide, it's a re-birth!

Click to expand...

This is a ride that I'd wanted to do since I had my first bike (20 years ago). Life gets into the way. Gotta wrestle what we want out of it before it ends! Even just one week on the road feels like 10.