Death Valley Day 2 – February 19, 2018

This was the first touring trip with Dexter, 2005 Harley-Davidson Ultra Classic.

I rode from Beatty, Nevada back to Death Valley coming in from Amargosa Valley and was planning on riding up to Dantes View, however the road to Dantes View was closed. 

I then rode down to Furnace Creek and headed to Artists Circle and Badwater, also in Death Valley.  From there I rode to Baker, California and stopped at the fantastic The Mad Greek and rode back to Lake Elsinore, California.

 SNOW

It was a chilly 35° F when I rolled out of Beatty, Nevada.  I encountered snow twice on this trip, first time it was snowing (though most were evaporating before hitting the ground) near Dantes View and I ran into more light snow while fueling up in Shoshone, California.  This snow was making it to the ground but was not accumulating much (thank God).

It was well after dark when I arrived home in Lake Elsinore at around 9:08 PM and a chilly 39° F.  I remember riding over Cajon Pass on Interstate 15 and the wind was quite fierce through the pass.  I had to slow my speed down to about 50 (and less at times) and was really working hard to keep Dexter, 2005 Harley-Davidson Ultra Classic) in the lane as the strong winds were pushing me all over the road.

Dexter Issues

While Dexter, my 2005 Harley-Davidson Ultra Classic, did not have any breakdowns on this trip, I could hear allot of clatter in the engine, especially when letting off the throttle. In this video, you can hear the unsettling engine noise. I purchased Dexter on November 25, 2017. At the time of the this trip, My first touring trip with Dexter, I had only owned him for about 3 months.

I dropped off Dexter at Temecula Harley-Davidson on March 17, 2018. On March 23, 2018 I was informed that the engine was shot and advised a replacement engine from Harley-Davidson (actually less expensive than to rebuild). So, with 41,593 miles, Dexter received a new engine for about $6,500 total cost. I picked up Dexter from Temecula Harley-Davidson on April 28, 2018 and embarked on my California Loop 2018 Motorcycle Touring trip on May 26, 2018

I traded Dexter in at Atlanta Harley-Davidson on October 17, 2025 to purchase Bruce, my 2025 Harley-Davidson Pan America 1250 Special. Bruce’s Odometer at time of trade in was 81,495 miles with 39,902 miles on second engine.