DK's Definitive Ride Report - Some of the Best Scenic Roads Out West - Tons of Photo'

Day 6-

Today we left out of Dodge City, headed for Alamosa, or further, we'll see how it works out.

[img]http://www.dkcustomproducts.com/image/2018_Definitive_RideReport/Day-6-Alamosa/1-Leaving%20Dodge%20City.jpg[/img]

It's cloudy, in the mid 70's, which is WAY MORE BETTER than yesterday afternoon in the high 90's. No rain, but plenty of long straight road.

[img]http://www.dkcustomproducts.com/image/2018_Definitive_RideReport/Day-6-Alamosa/2-long%20straight%20road.jpg[/img]

This is a huge feed lot...what is in the photo below is less than 10% of how big it is.

[img]http://www.dkcustomproducts.com/image/2018_Definitive_RideReport/Day-6-Alamosa/3-Huge%20Feed%20Lot.jpg[/img]

The props on the wind generators are Humongous! There was a lot filled with them. We would have had to leave the road to get the entire length of one in a photo-

[img]http://www.dkcustomproducts.com/image/2018_Definitive_RideReport/Day-6-Alamosa/4-Wind%20generator%20prop.jpg[/img]

Mary in the Mirror as I am passing some slow pokes.

[img]http://www.dkcustomproducts.com/image/2018_Definitive_RideReport/Day-6-Alamosa/5-MiM%20Passing.jpg[/img]

Morning clouds burned off and we have a lot of blue sky. Mary took a lot of cloud pics today!

[img]http://www.dkcustomproducts.com/image/2018_Definitive_RideReport/Day-6-Alamosa/6-straight%20cloud%2070mph.jpg[/img]

The route we're taking today is the 400, to the 50, to the 10, to the 160.

Here we are leaving Kansas...

[img]http://www.dkcustomproducts.com/image/2018_Definitive_RideReport/Day-6-Alamosa/7-Leaving%20Kansas.jpg[/img]

...crossing into Colorful Colorado. BUT, it's the same as Kansas for quite a while....

[img]http://www.dkcustomproducts.com/image/2018_Definitive_RideReport/Day-6-Alamosa/8-but%20it%20looks%20the%20same.jpg[/img]

...except for more tar snakes. Yep, Mary was bored of cloud pics and started taking photos of the road. lol

[img]http://www.dkcustomproducts.com/image/2018_Definitive_RideReport/Day-6-Alamosa/9-more%20tar%20snakes.jpg[/img]

We are now on the 10...rain off in the distance, which would be welcome. It has climbed into high 80's.

[img]http://www.dkcustomproducts.com/image/2018_Definitive_RideReport/Day-6-Alamosa/10-clouds%20rain%20distance.jpg[/img]

The rest of the report on the ride toward Alamosa will be continued when I have some time.

Kevin

[QUOTE=DK Custom Products;581680]Got 40.2 mpg, averaging 65 mph, and that including crossing 3 passes. Two of them in the 9000's and the other was Monarch Pass at 11,300.

Ended up at the same altitude we started...and, no I did not turn off the engine going down any of the hills. :laugh:

Also, there was no significant wind, tail or head. Still gotta run some more with it, in some hot weather, but it is looking pretty good![/QUOTE]

Really? You didn't do your coast? ... you are mellowing out ... LOL

I was surprised when that tune "seemed" to be better than my old Tri tune. When I got my old Tri tune, Dyno Jet was still working on their tunes for the wet heads, so it makes sense their newer tunes are much better. Your kind of confirming what I thought. I'd been interested in your future experiences with it. The cool thing is it "travels" well from two to three wheels because of the "0" in the speedometer calibration. Just out of curiosity, how did the speedo cal seem? Or could you even tell?

Just for the group, this tune was made by dyno jet and I did some auto tuning in various conditions. It has "0" in the speedo pulse area, so it doesn't override the speedometer settings in the ECM (If you try to put any number in there with winpv, you can only put numbers 900 or greater and once you change it, you can't go back to 0, you can guess how I know), so the Harley calibration is what you see. After all my efforts to get the speedo right on my old tune, this one seems to be almost dead on out of the box, which means that at least on my bike, Harley got it right.

My advice to people who want a great running Harley (or any other bike the PV supports) and have a Power Vision, start with a tune that is as close as you can get for your configuration (headers, slip ons, air cleaner, etc), and do a couple 20-30 minute auto tune runs in various conditions (city, highway, etc) to "dial it in" to your ride. Dyno Jet spends lots of time and money dialing in their tunes to the "canned bikes" with various exhaust headers, slip ons , air cleaner's and engine mods. When you auto tune, [B]YOU[/B] dial it in to your bike and it's supper easy.

I don't know about other retailers (I've only bought 2 PV's from DK Custom Products), but, when you purchase a PV, they ask about your make, model, year, configuration and your PV comes loaded with tunes that are based on that info. You pick the closest tune to your config. It's gonna be good from that point, but, it's great when you dial it in.

The PV also allows you to manually adjust lots of stuff in the tunes with a windows based computer and their winpv software. Should be noted, you should be careful with this if you're a novice, you can mess stuff up ... LOL. There is so much info available with the PV mounted, that you can troubleshoot and monitor your bikes performance.

Is the PV pricey? Maybe, but, compared to buying a tuner, having someone "dyno tune" your bike, not really.

Disclaimer: I know I sound like a commercial for the PV, but, I have no affiliation with Dyno Jet or DK Custom Products. Just someone that has enjoyed two great running Harleys thanks to the PV, Dyno Jet and DK Custom Products.

Sorry for the detour, now back to Kevin and Mary's wild ride ... LOL

It will probably be day after tomorrow before I can update the Ride Report again. Rode over 10 hours today and spending time charging batteries and uploading videos and pics. Tomorrow is another 10+ hour day.

Been doing some great riding and seeing amazing sights!

Kevin

Looking forward to seeing more pics of your ride! Ride safe!

[QUOTE=FuzzyWuzHe;581719]Really? You didn't do your coast? ... you are mellowing out ... LOL

I was surprised when that tune "seemed" to be better than my old Tri tune. When I got my old Tri tune, Dyno Jet was still working on their tunes for the wet heads, so it makes sense their newer tunes are much better. Your kind of confirming what I thought. I'd been interested in your future experiences with it. The cool thing is it "travels" well from two to three wheels because of the "0" in the speedometer calibration. Just out of curiosity, how did the speedo cal seem? Or could you even tell?

Just for the group, this tune was made by dyno jet and I did some auto tuning in various conditions. It has "0" in the speedo pulse area, so it doesn't override the speedometer settings in the ECM (If you try to put any number in there with winpv, you can only put numbers 900 or greater and once you change it, you can't go back to 0, you can guess how I know), so the Harley calibration is what you see. After all my efforts to get the speedo right on my old tune, this one seems to be almost dead on out of the box, which means that at least on my bike, Harley got it right.

My advice to people who want a great running Harley (or any other bike the PV supports) and have a Power Vision, start with a tune that is as close as you can get for your configuration (headers, slip ons, air cleaner, etc), and do a couple 20-30 minute auto tune runs in various conditions (city, highway, etc) to "dial it in" to your ride. Dyno Jet spends lots of time and money dialing in their tunes to the "canned bikes" with various exhaust headers, slip ons , air cleaner's and engine mods. When you auto tune, [B]YOU[/B] dial it in to your bike and it's supper easy.

I don't know about other retailers (I've only bought 2 PV's from DK Custom Products), but, when you purchase a PV, they ask about your make, model, year, configuration and your PV comes loaded with tunes that are based on that info. You pick the closest tune to your config. It's gonna be good from that point, but, it's great when you dial it in.

The PV also allows you to manually adjust lots of stuff in the tunes with a windows based computer and their winpv software. Should be noted, you should be careful with this if you're a novice, you can mess stuff up ... LOL. There is so much info available with the PV mounted, that you can troubleshoot and monitor your bikes performance.

Is the PV pricey? Maybe, but, compared to buying a tuner, having someone "dyno tune" your bike, not really.

Disclaimer: I know I sound like a commercial for the PV, but, I have no affiliation with Dyno Jet or DK Custom Products. Just someone that has enjoyed two great running Harleys thanks to the PV, Dyno Jet and DK Custom Products.

Sorry for the detour, now back to Kevin and Mary's wild ride ... LOL[/QUOTE]

Hey Fuzzy, nope, no coasting that day....but I did coast a bit yesterday thru a little park area.

Great advice on the PV tunes. I am really impressed with the one I got from you. In the past I have not been overly impressed with the canned Dynojet tunes...but this one (I realize you did some auto-tuning) is really good! Seems like they've upped their game on the canned tunes!

On the speedo calibration, I left it at zero, and it is within 1 mph of several tests I've done.

[QUOTE=ol' school;582185]Looking forward to seeing more pics of your ride! Ride safe![/QUOTE]

Thank you. Lots more to come!

Kevin

Day 6 Concluded-

The photo's cannot convey what we encountered on the long straight (sometimes flat, sometimes up & sometimes down hill) of the 10 today...

[img]http://www.dkcustomproducts.com/image/2018_Definitive_RideReport/Day-6-Alamosa/11-windy%20road.jpg[/img]

...I do not close my modular helmet unless it is raining VERY hard, or it's in the low 30's or lower. But today I had to. The temps climbed to 95, and the cross wind was a steady 40 mph, gusting up to 50 mph...

[img]http://www.dkcustomproducts.com/image/2018_Definitive_RideReport/Day-6-Alamosa/12-Pic%20of%20KiM%20so%20windy.jpg[/img]

Mary in the mirror. I had the cruise set at 68 mph, and DOWNHILL I had to downshift to 5th just to maintain that speed against the wind. WOW.

[img]http://www.dkcustomproducts.com/image/2018_Definitive_RideReport/Day-6-Alamosa/13-MIM%20Big%20Wind.jpg[/img]

Looking back, uphill, on the 10...

[img]http://www.dkcustomproducts.com/image/2018_Definitive_RideReport/Day-6-Alamosa/14-A%20look%20back.jpg[/img]

...that was a brutal 70 miles from La Junta to Walensburg. We've done it before, but never with that strong of a cross wind.

By the time we got to Walensburg, which is sort of a foothill town, the wind had died down. As we rolled thru town, this deer crossed the road in front of us and was going thru the yards in this neighborhood.

[img]http://www.dkcustomproducts.com/image/2018_Definitive_RideReport/Day-6-Alamosa/15-Foothill%20Town%20Walsenburg.jpg[/img]

Leaving Walensburg we have our first mountains...Yeah!!! La Veta Pass of 9413 foot elevation...

[img]http://www.dkcustomproducts.com/image/2018_Definitive_RideReport/Day-6-Alamosa/16-La%20Veta%20Pass%209413.jpg[/img]

...it was great to get into some curvy roads, and a bit cooler weather.

[img]http://www.dkcustomproducts.com/image/2018_Definitive_RideReport/Day-6-Alamosa/17-La%20Veta%20Pass.jpg[/img]

It was definitely a fun road, and a sharp contrast to what we've been traveling the last two days.

[img]http://www.dkcustomproducts.com/image/2018_Definitive_RideReport/Day-6-Alamosa/18-Fun%20Road.jpg[/img]

After crossing the pass there is 20 miles or so of flat, high desert road before reaching Alamosa. This pic is looking back at the mountains we just crossed.

[img]http://www.dkcustomproducts.com/image/2018_Definitive_RideReport/Day-6-Alamosa/19-21%20miles%20between%20mountains%20Alamosa.jpg[/img]

Earlier we thought about going further than Alamosa, but after that ride on the 10, we were ready to stop. So Alamosa it is.

[img]http://www.dkcustomproducts.com/image/2018_Definitive_RideReport/Day-6-Alamosa/20-Alamosa.jpg[/img]

Tomorrow we head up the Million Dollar Highway for Silverton!

Kevin

As always, great report and wonderful pics.

Great Pictures as always. please... travel safe Fred

Great Pictures! Always look forward to your ride reports. Where are you coming thru in Idaho? We live in Nampa which is just west of Meridian (where Trent is) and Boise. We moved here from North Dakota (hence the DakotaTG moniker) in Sept. 2017 and love it here. Many great places to ride.

Have a safe trip and enjoy!

[QUOTE=FuzzyWuzHe;582757]As always, great report and wonderful pics.[/QUOTE]

Thanks man. Can't believe we did not take a single photo all day in Ouray!!!

[QUOTE=Fearless;583015]Great Pictures as always. please... travel safe Fred[/QUOTE]

Thank you, and thank you!!!

[QUOTE=DakotaTG;583272]Great Pictures! Always look forward to your ride reports. Where are you coming thru in Idaho? We live in Nampa which is just west of Meridian (where Trent is) and Boise. We moved here from North Dakota (hence the DakotaTG moniker) in Sept. 2017 and love it here. Many great places to ride.

Have a safe trip and enjoy![/QUOTE]

Thank you! Shoot me an email at [email]Kevin@DKCustomProducts.com[/email]

Kevin

[QUOTE=DK Custom Products;583322]Thanks man. Can't believe we did not take a single photo all day in Ouray!!!Kevin[/QUOTE]

I know ... I was in the dog house for that ... we did talk about it but with the rain ... we didn't get any.

Always enjoy your ride reports and pictures...Enjoy the ride....

Day 7-

Today we're leaving Alamosa, and have reservations in Silverton, at the Triangle Motel.* Not a lot of miles, but some absolutely beautiful country, and great riding.* Mary took over 400 photos, and 98% of them are phenomenal.* I am going to try and pare it down to 40.

I took this first photo...not all the stuff we're carrying, but what we brought into the room last night....all packed up this morning, ready to go back in the trunk and Tour-Pak.

[img]http://www.dkcustomproducts.com/image/2018_Definitive_RideReport/Day-7-Silverton/1-ready%20to%20load%20the%20trike.jpg[/img]

Leaving Alamosa, a cloud pic and a Drive-in.* We don't have drive-in movies in our part of the world, so always interesting to see one.

[img]http://www.dkcustomproducts.com/image/2018_Definitive_RideReport/Day-7-Silverton/2-Leaving%20Alamosa%20Drive%20in.jpg[/img]

Another cloud pic as we head toward Wolf Creek Pass.* It's our first pass of the trip, and at 10,857 feet, we're looking forward to it.

[img]http://www.dkcustomproducts.com/image/2018_Definitive_RideReport/Day-7-Silverton/3-Cloud%20pic%20as%20head%20toward%20wcp.jpg[/img]

Passed by an entire line of old trains.

[img]http://www.dkcustomproducts.com/image/2018_Definitive_RideReport/Day-7-Silverton/5-old%20trains.jpg[/img]

On the way to Wolf Creek Pass...

[img]http://www.dkcustomproducts.com/image/2018_Definitive_RideReport/Day-7-Silverton/6-%20on%20way%20to%20wcp.jpg[/img]*

...heading up.* This is why we ride thru long, straight, flat, hot, windy roads....to get to places like this.

[img]http://www.dkcustomproducts.com/image/2018_Definitive_RideReport/Day-7-Silverton/7-Beautiful%20countryside.jpg[/img]

Wolf Creek running along the side of the road.

[img]http://www.dkcustomproducts.com/image/2018_Definitive_RideReport/Day-7-Silverton/8-River%20alongside.jpg[/img]

Coming up on a tunnel...that's a lot of rock up there.

[img]http://www.dkcustomproducts.com/image/2018_Definitive_RideReport/Day-7-Silverton/9-tunnel%20of%20wcp.jpg[/img]

Coming up on another tunnel....

[img]http://www.dkcustomproducts.com/image/2018_Definitive_RideReport/Day-7-Silverton/10-Another%20Tunnel%20First%20Snow.jpg[/img]

...and coming out of that tunnel, what a view!

[img]http://www.dkcustomproducts.com/image/2018_Definitive_RideReport/Day-7-Silverton/11-Coming%20out%20of%20tunnel%20more%20snow.jpg[/img]

​​​​​​​More in next post.

Kevin

Day 7 Continued-

Here we are approaching the summit of Wolf Creek Pass...

[img]http://www.dkcustomproducts.com/image/2018_Definitive_RideReport/Day-7-Silverton/12-approaching%20summit.jpg[/img]

...so many good photos of the climb up, but I just can't post them all.* Here we are starting down.* Looking back, uphill-

[img]http://www.dkcustomproducts.com/image/2018_Definitive_RideReport/Day-7-Silverton/13-looking%20back%20uphill.jpg[/img]

There are some nice curves on both sides of the pass.

[img]http://www.dkcustomproducts.com/image/2018_Definitive_RideReport/Day-7-Silverton/14-Curvy%20going%20down.jpg[/img]

One of thousands of amazing views today-

[img]http://www.dkcustomproducts.com/image/2018_Definitive_RideReport/Day-7-Silverton/15-one%20of%20a%20thousand.jpg[/img]

After reaching the bottom, we pass thru Pagosa Springs.* Very cool town.

[img]http://www.dkcustomproducts.com/image/2018_Definitive_RideReport/Day-7-Silverton/16-Passing%20thru%20Pagosa%20Springs.jpg[/img]

We stopped at Durgango HD, but they were closed.* Took a few minutes to change batteries in the camera and the video camera....and also put on our electric jackets.* We are headed up the Million Dollar Highway, and it will be chilly up there.

[img]http://www.dkcustomproducts.com/image/2018_Definitive_RideReport/Day-7-Silverton/17-Closed%20changed%20batteries.jpg[/img]

We're on the 550 now (aka Million Dollar Highway), absolutely beautiful, and very nice that there are very few other vehicles on the road.

[img]http://www.dkcustomproducts.com/image/2018_Definitive_RideReport/Day-7-Silverton/18-headed%20up%20550%20very%20little%20traffic.jpg[/img]

Lot's of curves!!!!!

[img]http://www.dkcustomproducts.com/image/2018_Definitive_RideReport/Day-7-Silverton/19-lots%20of%20curves.jpg[/img]

Spectacular views!!!!

[img]http://www.dkcustomproducts.com/image/2018_Definitive_RideReport/Day-7-Silverton/20-Amazing%20views.jpg[/img]

And more curves with amazing views.* Great combination!

[img]http://www.dkcustomproducts.com/image/2018_Definitive_RideReport/Day-7-Silverton/21-and%20more%20curves.jpg[/img]

I will finish the ride to Silverton as time allows.

​​​​​​​

Kevin

Very nice thank you for the ride...please ride safe, be alert and enjoy the trip. :good: Fred/Jeanne

[QUOTE=Fearless;583410]Very nice thank you for the ride...please ride safe, be alert and enjoy the trip. :good: Fred/Jeanne[/QUOTE]

Thank you Fred! :)

Kevin

[U]Wolfe Creek Pass way upon the great divide

Truchin on down the other side.

The song takes a lot of liberty

It's a long way from the bottom of the pass to downtown Pagoda Springs[/U]

What year is your trike and is that your first Triglide?

[QUOTE=gfaltersack;583685]What year is your trike and is that your first Triglide?[/QUOTE]

Kevin currently has a 2014, but, I believe his last one was a 2011.

Day 7 Continued-

The road up to Silverton is....

[img]http://www.dkcustomproducts.com/image/2018_Definitive_RideReport/Day-7a-Silverton/22-View.jpg[/img]

...just a lot of fun...

[img]http://www.dkcustomproducts.com/image/2018_Definitive_RideReport/Day-7a-Silverton/23-fun%20road.jpg[/img]

...with lots of curves.

[img]http://www.dkcustomproducts.com/image/2018_Definitive_RideReport/Day-7a-Silverton/24%20sharp%20curves.jpg[/img]

The views are hard to beat too.* Here we are pulling into a stop at the summit of Molas Pass.* 10,910 feet elevation.

[img]http://www.dkcustomproducts.com/image/2018_Definitive_RideReport/Day-7a-Silverton/25-pulling%20into%20Molas%20Pass.jpg[/img]

Mary at Molas Pass.

[img]http://www.dkcustomproducts.com/image/2018_Definitive_RideReport/Day-7a-Silverton/26-Mary%20Molas%20Pass.jpg[/img]

Back on the road...

[img]http://www.dkcustomproducts.com/image/2018_Definitive_RideReport/Day-7a-Silverton/27-past%20Molas%20Pass.jpg[/img]

...headed down the other side of the pass.* If you ever get a chance to ride the Million Dollar Highway, it truly is a fun riding road, and absolutely beautiful.* I've cut hundreds of pics out, all really great, simply can't put them all in here.* Ride it, if you can.

[img]http://www.dkcustomproducts.com/image/2018_Definitive_RideReport/Day-7a-Silverton/28-Getting%20close%20to%20Silverton.jpg[/img]

Riding down into the Historic Town of Silverton.**

[img]http://www.dkcustomproducts.com/image/2018_Definitive_RideReport/Day-7a-Silverton/29-Silverton.jpg[/img]

We're staying the night here.* We've visited before.* They have a super interesting museum.* But we've never stayed before.

​​​​​​​Concluded in the next post.

Kevin