7 Weeks And Counting Till Take Off

It's been a busy few weeks since my last post so let's get right to it: First and foremost I need to thank Brad Holzhauer, owner of St Charles Harley-Davidson. He has agreed to be a sponsor of me for the Hoka Hey Challenge. St Charles Harley-Davidson will get my bike, (Little Brother), ready for the run, including complete service and new tires, installation of the required tracking device along with a donation for expenses and more. Thank You very much Brad! A special thanks to the service department and Tom Plager for making sure I'm ready to roll. Thank you to all my co-workers and friends at the dealership for your support and encouragement also.

If there is anyone out there or you know a company or an organization that would like to have their name on my bike for the challenge and the possible opportunity to be seen on the Discovery Channel and other exposure both locally and nationally let me know. All and any donations and help would be appreciated. Thank you!

The bike has just been dyno tuned and set up for optimal gas mileage. Actually de-tuned I guess you could say but I'm happy with the way it runs and may just leave it as is after I get back.  Next will be the installation of the tracking device, bag guards, cup holders and various other items to make the strapping down of gear easier and safer. Service and tires will be closer to leaving time.

I've been putting my lists together of things I need to do and get. I've taken inventory of and checked condition of my tool pouch and tire repair kit. The CO2 cartridges used to fill a tire just don't look as reliable as I'd like so I will be hunting down an appropriate sized 12 volt air pump. I've gone through my survival gear and have my first aid kit stocked and ready with plenty of sun screen, chap stick, eye drops, insect & snake bite goodies as well as all the bandages, splints, creams, scissors, tweezers, smelling salts & cleaning solutions one can cram into a 4" X 6" canvas bag. The survival gear includes the obvious such as sleeping gear and bedroll, tent, tarp, canteens, bandannas, waterproof matches and fire starters as well.  Other obvious items include extra gloves, glasses, bungee cords, compass, flashlights, batteries, cell phone charger, tire gauges, oil, cleaners, rags, personal items and my Boy Scout Handbook (lol) . I'm not quite sure where I will put it all or if I'll need it all but that's me.
Happy Trails & Hoka Hey!