When we first talked about this trip, my initial comment was "I don't know how many 500mi days I can put together. Turns out; around 1880 mi total. At Seymour IN I headed south to Nashville and Phil, of course, continues west "on schedule".
Ron and Guy, its been a while. It took me about a year and a half to get in good riding condition. The Scrambler was light enough, quick enough, low enough but with 5" of suspension: all the things I needed/wanted. I love the thing, but its not the ideal coast to coast ride. It has been flawless.
I use the rear brake much like I have for decades: low speed and parking lot. At speed I use front brake and rear engine braking. Linked brakes would be OK, but I don't think it would make much difference for me. Left leg amputee riders can get power shifters. If its something a fellow really wants to do, there's not much of anything that can't be overcome.
If you want a little more detail and some video of UP, take a look at my little blog:
http://aldntn.bravejournal.com