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Saddlesore 2000.
Performance? This can be a difficult term to relate. So when folks ask how does this trailer perform it can be difficult to make clear. So what I
decided to do was to pull the UNIGO TRAILER 2178 miles in less than 48 hours
to do some real world long term testing in the shortest time possible. In the
end my speculations were addressed and the the results were interesting.
2178 miles in less that 48 hours.
Beginning at 10 AM Tuesday Morning April 16th, I met Mr. Boyd Young, a past rider in the 1995 and 1997 Iron Butt Rally (around the USA in 11 days riding 11,000 plus miles). Boyd signed my witness forms and I was off at 10:03 Central Time. The destination Fort Collins, Colo. The purpose of the trip was to check out the UNIGO's PERFORMANCE under extreme conditions and show it to a couple of prospective buyers.
My travels took me by way of Oklahoma City, OK, Amarillo, TX, Tucumcari, NM., Santa Rosa, NM and US Hwy 84 to pick up I25. Pueblo, CO. 10:27 Mountain Time and Motel 6. 920 miles 13 hours 24 minutes. Up at 4:15 and on the road again. Unigo pulling straight and true. Colorado Springs, Fog and heavy mist, not bad but it soon turned to ice and I had to stop to wait for daylight so that I could see again. Denver Traffic flowed smoothly. Arrived at Fort Collins 7:20 AM Mountain Time 22 hours 17minutes 1082 miles.
I met with
the two prospective buyers at the Thunder Mountain Harley Davidson Dealership at 9 AM. After demo-ing
the trailer, I was on my way back south at 10 AM. The weather was fair
so I left off my electric vest, and extra cold weather gear. Big mistake! At the Palmer Divide the temp dropped 20 degrees, it was most likely the ice on all the trees. Stopped for gas, put on all that cold weather stuff, continued south. Raton NM. Stopped for Gas, eats and a little rest. At this point I’m not sure that this whole thing is a good idea. (What’s the quickest way home??). Well I thought just one more gas stop. Dumas, TX 6:29 Central. Things feel a little better. One more gas stop, Saye, OK 9:18 Central, I don’t know but, I felt pretty good. On to Oklahoma City and Motel 6.11:22. Up at 4:30 AM on the road at 4:45. Refreshed, on to my finish in Paris, AR and the Hannigan Fairing factory. Total of 2178 miles in 47 hours 45 minute.
The Saddlesore 2000 was great fun. The UNIGO pulled straight and true the complete trip. Averaged 41.6 mpg, about my overall fuel average. The only things that were a little difficult was losing my sheep skin some place in New Mexico. Poking out my right glasses lens, again some place in New Mexico (squinted a lot after that) and the little bit of ice around Colorado Springs, going and coming.
The hardest part of the trip was probably talking myself into getting
back on the bike at Raton, NM.
I hope soon to get my run certified by the Iron Butt Association; so all this stuff can be official. And I can have one more tale to tell my four Grandkids.
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