We slept in a little today, not sure if we were that tired from yesterday’s ride, or if the time zone change threw us off. Not that it matters why. It was in the 90’s yesterday and my oil pressure was getting scary low, so I decided to watch it closely today. There is a Harley dealer just east of where we spent the night, so I figured if it acted up at all in the morning, I’d pull in and get some fresh oil. Temps were in the high 70’s when we pulled out, and the pressure ran low from the start (yes, I checked the level and looked for signs of leakage), so I wheeled into Barnett’s (the world’s largest they say) Harley Davidson. They recommended straight 60 weight for the heat down this way, so I had them dump the 20 - 50 and go with the heavy stuff. My bike likes me for that! So we didn’t really get on the road till noon.
The wind was out of the southwest, so we pretty much had a tail wind all day again today. From El Paso to Fort Stockton the scenery was pretty much like yesterday, wide, sparse, arid valleys surrounded by mountain scenes in the distance. The only break in the monotony was when you got to a small mountain range and cut through the pass to the next valley. Riding through the barren terrain makes one wonder what hardships the settlers must have faced passing through and learning the land. East of Fort Stockton, we moved into higher ground, so it cooled off a bit and things were much greener and more pleasing to the eye. We fell in with a group of bikers and rode with them for about 20 miles till it was time for a gas stop. It was nice riding with a group for a while. It looks like Texas is taking the lead on wind energy. We saw a gazillion giant windmills in several huge farms. We also were right next to a couple blades on a semi in a rest area. Those puppies are ginormous when right next to you. We’d have gotten a pic, but he was pulling out right when we got off the bike. The 80 mph speed limit? Looks good, but I didn’t want the engine exposed to the extra heat of necessary revs with the oil pressure situation. Even with the 60 weight, the heat stressed the oil and kept the pressure lower than I liked.
We finally rode into Ozona, TX about 7:00 local time. It’s a quiet little town and welcome to our eyes. It’s just a short little 210 mile jaunt from here into San Antonio tomorrow. We ate dinner at the Cafe Next Door. Yes, I capitalized that as it’s the name of the joint. A cozy little diner in a cozy little town.
Today’s numbers: 365 miles ridden; 51 mpg; and 45 mpg.[gallery]
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Bummer about the oil…that was fresh oil too! Maybe it’s your bike.
Don’t envy that trip across Texas - at a fuel stop we made once on one of our trips arcoss that state, when asked how he was, Roy says to the attendant “not bad for the middle of no-where.” At which he responds, “Hell, Texas is everywhere.” (Be sure to drop the ‘y’ when you read it) By the 3rd day we believed him! Big and boring!
Take care you guys, say hi to Jason for us!
Be sure to warm that bike up really good if you get a cool morning. 60 weight is HEAVY! I usually run 1 quart of Lucas oil stabilizer to 3 quarts 20-50, and it’s worked well for me with now almost 85,000 miles on the clock. I also have an oil cooler. Might be something to consider, especially if you plan on more riding in the south or out west. Keep on rolling, bro!
Oh, I like Tim’s idea about meeting up to come back into town, keep us posted!