The view from pretty much anywhere in Iowa.
Despite Ray Liotta's famous question in Field of Dreams, Iowa in July will never be confused with heaven. But regardless of the weather, the FZ1 and I depart for the Corn State bright and early tomorrow.
The eastbound route covers US 12 from Lewiston to Missoula (a favorite ride), south through Yellowstone and the Tetons, and over the Rockies via Steamboat Springs, Granby, and Estes Park (thanks to National Motorcycle Examiner Ken Bingenheimer for some extraordinary routing).
Then the fun's over, with a long, straight, flat slog across Nebraska and Iowa to the metropolis of Sabula, Iowa's Only Island City. City of 712. 711 before my mother-in-law moved there.
I've done my share of long rides but this is the first time I'm riding my lily white Washington ass into the midwest summer heat.
Sitting on top of a searing hot 1000cc power plant in that wet, sticky, furnace of a climate is daunting, and to a Northwesterner, downright frightening. So I ebayed my old helmets, extra parts, and garage permajunk to fund some new gear for seriously hot weather. Here's my strategy:
Wear white after Memorial Day. Black leather, black fabric, black metal, it's all a big heat sink. When selecting a textile mesh jacket (Fieldsheer High Temp) I opted for silver, as I did with mesh gloves (Yoshimura SCS).
Over/under. The thought of wearing heavy, 600 denier pants or jeans with no armor... just throw me under the bus now. An alternative is body armor from Icon and Rockgardn. Under my normal jeans will be knee, shin, hip, and tail bone armor. Coverage is good. Hopefully, this theory will not be tested for impact and might be a little cooler.
Department of Proctology. My posterior will be nattily dressed in UnderArmor wicking briefs atop a BeadRider beaded seat. No monkey butt here.
Vested interest. The centerpiece of this setup is an evaporative cooling vest. Soak it in water for a while, put it on under a jacket, and you become a human swamp cooler. The evaporation is supposed to last for several hours, providing cooling sensations even in desert-quality heat.
I plan to file frequent ride reports so check back for the chilling success or burning failure of my desperate plans to stay cool.
Check out other Motorcycle Examiners:
- Extended test ride - Can Am Spyder: Final Impressions and Evaluations - Baltimore Motorcycle Travel Examiner
- Sportbikers and ABATE: Can the twain meet? - National Motorcycle Examiner
- Vacationing in a tight economy - National Motorcycle Travel Examiner
- The smartest $25 upgrade - DC Motorcycle Examiner
- Motorcycle debates: helmets, riding gear, mufflers, lane splitting and stunting - Baltimore Motorcycle Travel Examiner
- Taking the danger out of motorcycling - Orlando Motorcycle Examiner
- Riding Solo to the Top of the World - DC Motorcycle Travel Examiner
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