digitalMoto.net

Hours at the office a memory, I headed to North Plains for a 90 mile commute home. I traveled to the farthest points on Skyline where the gravel starts then back to Thompson. The corners flowed. Everything clicked. I figured out why the front end was wandering. Groves in the pavement. I learned that drifting out on a corner exit smoothed out my lines. The changes to the settings made a huge difference. The bike had previously unknown stability. I could dive into a corner faster than I ever could on my other bikes and it was a thoughtless process. The bike just flowed into every bend. And I wasn’t trying to push. I wasn’t pushing. It just worked. Once I dropped down into the city on Cornell/Lovejoy, I decided to head north to cross the St Johns bridge, which is my usual route home. Once I got near the bridge, I kept going and looped around Sauvie Island. I had to score fuel in Linnton. The KTM got 39 mpg since my last fill-up. Not bad considering I took two runs down Skyline and commuting is never easy on the gas mileage. I cruised over St Johns Bridge, rolled behind the airport and home.

Once I got home, another 1/2 turn to the fork preload.

I think I’ve found my rhythm. Now it’s time to make a few final adjustments.

Google maps says it is a 92 mile loop, but I think it’s actually a tad shorter because I can’t map a u-turn very well. It is close, but not quite right. Here’s the map.

Here is a turn by turn route:

1. North on Shute Rd from Evergreen.
2. Left/west on West Union to North Plains.
3. Right/North on NW Shadybrook Rd.
4. Right/East on NW Jackson School Rd.
5. Left/East on NW Mason Rd.
6. Left/East on NW Jackson Quarry Rd.
7. Left/East on Helvetia Rd.
8. Left/North on NW Logie Trail.
9. Left/North on NW Skyline Blvd.
10. U-turn at Dixie Mountain Rd.
11. Left/East on Thompson Rd.
12. Left/East on NW Cornell Rd.
13. Left/North on NW 25th Ave.
14. Right/East on NW Vaughn St.
15. Left/North on NW 24th Ave.
16. Right/East on NW Nicolai St.
17. Left/Northwest on Hwy 30.
18. Right/East on NW Sauvie Island Rd.
19. Left/South on NW Gillihan Rd.
20. Left/West on NW Reader Rd.
21. Left/South on NW Sauvie Island Rd.
22. Right/South on Hwy 30.
23. Bank right onto NW Bridge Ave.
24. Left/East on NW St Johns Bridge.
25. Left/Northwest on N Edison St.
26. Right/Northeast on N St Louis Ave.
27. Left/East on N North Portland Rd. (no that’s not a typo)
28. Left/Southeast on N Swift Hwy.
29. N Swift Hwy turns into Marine Drive.
30. Stay on Marine Drive.
31. Left/South on NE 122nd Ave then home.

Rain is forecast for tonight. So it might be a while before I get another chance to play.