The FZ6 Pony Express - route & riders & comments

[rider1a]

The 2009 FZ6 Pony Express

The bag will "wander" from the Maine to the California coast. There is a listing of riders and states to be covered below. The only rule for routing is it has to move in a general westerly direction with one or more riders joining in. If there are large gaps in volunteer riders between one state and another, it will have to wait until someone picks up the slack. Each rider has the responsibility of arranging and meeting the next person in line for the bag's handoff and posting the information on this site.

Please include pictures and trip comments also on this thread so others may enjoy a virtual trip too!

FZ6 Pony Express Committed Riders

gpd211 - southern half of ohio and indiana (southern half)
dark_isz - North Carolina
Have2BeFree - upstate NY to VT/NH/PA/MA/NJ
chuckfz6ryder - Massachusetts
shaggystyle - Southern Indiana through KY
afpreppie04 - New Mexico
MarinaFazer - Southern California (Los angeles to santa barbara or san luis obispo)
scottsst - Washington
teeter - VA, WV
opds9091 - Florida
doc_simple - Oregon
CCHOUSEKY - help Shaggy out with the Kentucky leg.
agmom98 - UT in May, IN an surrounding states in June, TN and surrounding states in July
Wanderingpie - Oregon
Norm - NE MA
oogie - Ga.,Tenn.,Al., Fl.
Donnie869 - I could help "opds9091" with Florida.
rider1a - I can take the bag from somewhere in Texas to New Mexico.
mpb218 - Eastern CT here, I could get any state around me, RI is close.
ant_mb - I'm available for NJ, Eastern PA and some of DE.
scottsst - Oregon or Idaho/Utah.
mglowe - I will gladly do Iowa and Missouri to start with.
krid80 - I could go to the Illinois Indiana border or the Illinois/Kentucky or Missouri/Arkansas or etc.
shreveport1 - I could pick it up somewhere around Vicksburg Missisippi,and bring across Louisiana to Waskom Tx.
chunkygoat - I would so be in. I'm in eastern pa so i could cover anywhere from PA to delaware, jersey, new york, and or maryland.
Gosling1 - I can also do some in the Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi area.
ANLR21 - I'm in, can help with PA/DE/NJ
teeter - I'm still up or covering Virginia.
RaVzTeR - I would like to offer my services, wouldn't mind covering any of the Southern PA, MD, DC, NOVA.

The only rules:

Those taking the bag should have donated money to the charitable causes mentioned below. The amount you personally dontate or raise is based your individual choice/effort. You're on the honor system.

Suggested non-profit groups

Cancer Research Foundation
Susan B. Kohmen Foundation (for breast cancer)
Arthritis Foundation
Make a Wish Foundation
Alzheimer's Foundation
Shriner's Hospital
St. Jude's Childrens Hospital
Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation (PBTF) Ride-4-Kids

My preference is for the PBTF since they often are involved with various motorcycle fund-raising efforts and have an excellent cause too. I guess each person could select one of the above groups and make their check(s) payable to the above organization.

There will be no money or donation slips included in the bag. The bag (picture of actual bag) will be symbolic and people are free to add any reasonable "goody" they see fit for general use. I included in the bag a CD-ROM version of Unbuntu Linux and a Van Halen #1 music disk for those who need a little motivation before starting the ride each day.

The first leg of the journey will have Maycyn riding from southwest harbor to Lubec Maine most likely on early May. She will then be taking the bag from southwest harbor, Maine to Scotia NY on May 15th. The bag will be passed to Have2BeFree on May 16th. The rider taking the bag after Have2BeFree is ant_mb and is tentatively scheduled for Saturday May 23rd.

I look forward to the upcoming posts.

Happy Trails,

Fred Brown

 

[Maycyn]

So the big start of this trip for us is tomorrow morning! We'll be leaving at around 4:00am EST from Southwest Harbor, ME and arriving in Scotia, NY that afternoon. I've included a few of these pictures in the bag along with a map of my section of the trip. I'm planning on taking some pictures of handing off the bag and adding those in as well. It should be quite the album by the time it makes it across the country!

This is West Quoddy Head Light.

No, I didn't realize until I got home that you couldn't see the bag!

I didn't make that mistake again!

Bass Harbor Head Light here on Mount Desert Island.

My dog is very upset he can't come too

Here is my route. I can't wait to see what comes next when I get home from my trip next month! Good luck to everyone else!

from:Quoddy Head Rd to:42.964463,-72.070312 to:Collins St - Google Maps

 

[rider1a]

So the big start of this trip for us is tomorrow morning! We'll be leaving at around 4:00am EST from Southwest Harbor, ME and arriving in Scotia, NY that afternoon. [/url]

Careful about the deer at that time of night. At least in Texas, that time of the morning, they like to be next to the road for some reason.

Looking forward to the rest of the story.

Be Safe,

Fred

 

[Nelly]

A very big thanks to all of you who have participated with this thread.
I am looking forward to the evolving story.

Nelly:thumbup:

 

[detpilot]

So it won't go through Michigan?

 

[The Toecutter]

I'll be ready to run my leg when it get's here.....this is COOL!!!!:rockon:

 

[lytehouse]

Ride Safe Sara......looking foward to pictures :rockon:

 

[ant_mb]

I'll be picking it up from Have2BeFree around 11-12 on the 23rd in Mahwah, NJ, and delivering it to RaVzTeR on the 24th at 11am in Elkton, MD.

I'll post routes once I have them so that anyone that once too can ride along.

 

[opds9091]

I'm not sure what i am excited about more, the RC or the PONY EXPRESS!!!!!!!!!!

 

[stryken]

This is incredibly cool!!!:thumbup:

I would encourage everyone who is a part to do what Maycyn did with the Google maps link. It really helps visualize the trip and make it more for everyone. Thanks Maycyn!!

 

[rider1a]

So it won't go through Michigan?

Not on this specific trip. We have a loose but dedicated confederation of riders on the east coast including Florida, the gulf region and into Texas. From New Mexico to California, is where we might need some more volunteers.

Of course, once we hit the California coast, we could always head back to New England through the northern US/ Canadian border if we get enough riders to complete the loop.

Fred Brown

 

[kustom17]

Of course, once we hit the California coast, we could always head back to New England through the northern US/ Canadian border if we get enough riders to complete the loop.

Fred Brown

forget that, once you hit california it's coming here to hawaii !!!!!

i mean... if someone wants to fly it over here. As of right now, no bridges from CA to HI

 

[Maycyn]

Here we go! It's 3:30 am here. See you tomorrow Have2BeFree! After I pass the bag, I'm headed on my own trip on the FZ6 to California! Thanks and Good luck everyone!:rockon:

 

[somedayrider]

this sounds dumb but what bike was next to maycyns in the picture?the orange one (sorry for getting of topic just looked cool) good luck on your trip!

 

[rider1a]

this sounds dumb but what bike was next to maycyns in the picture?the orange one (sorry for getting of topic just looked cool) good luck on your trip!

The venerable Suzuki SV650. A very popular nimble sport bike especially with the track riding crowd. It has basically the same bullet-proof V-Twin engine as the Suzuki V-Strom 650. They also make a SV1000 for a little more torque.

Fred

 

[somedayrider]

i thought it was but didnt remember that color

 

[Maycyn]

Made it safe to Scotia! And the bike next to mine is my boyfriends SV1000, not the 650. :thumbup:

 

[somedayrider]

o ok i cant tell the difference between 650and 1000 but thanks for telling me maybe i can stop wondering completly now

 

[Have2BeFree]

I received the bag from Maycyn today at freedom park in Scotia, NY (pics posted below - I am on the left). It's a cool and very windy day here in upstate NY! I will post more pics of the bag in this area this week.

View attachment 16675

View attachment 16676



I will be passing the bag to ant_mb next Saturday (5/23).

 

[rider1a]

Made it safe to Scotia! And the bike next to mine is my boyfriends SV1000, not the 650. :thumbup:

I assumed wrong. The SV1000 has a dual exhaust and the 650 is single. From the front they look about the same. I think the 1000 engine looks a little larger.

Anyway, congratulations on the first part of the Pony Express ride but actually it is just the start of a US cross-country trip for you. I bet your ride-trip will have lots of pictures and corresponding stories to share with us folks.

Fred