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| From the Rider’s
Seat By Roy Hooper We've had great turnouts for our first 2 rides of 2008 with 15 bikes, some with passengers, showing up for each of the rides. Some of the riders went on their first ride with us in January and enjoyed it enough to return for the February ride. It was good to see our Members welcome the new riders and mix with them during our stops and lunch break. Two great things that I really like about our Club is that we get to see a wide variety of brand bikes and the people that ride them. This is what makes our Club tick. We've got some nice roads planned for our next rides- For March we are heading to Tehachapi and in April we will get to see the Nojoqui Falls. Our rides are geared for all types of bikes and during parts of the rides we even split up in 2 groups to keep everyone happy. See you at Carl's Jr.! CCR January Ride By Roy Hooper 11 bikes left the Carl's Jr. at 9am after our pre-ride talk and there were 4 more bikes at the Fillmore Burger King as we headed to West Palmdale through the scenic Leona Valley. This sure beats taking I-5 and Hwy. 14. We had a Mexican lunch in Palmdale and we also plugged a tire of one of our riders. Then back on the twisties again as we headed to Valencia for our last break stop before we headed home. CCR February Ride Bill Quan Memorial Ride #1 By Jerry Purdy [Thanks to Jerry for volunteering to write about the ride.] I carefully checked the tires, made sure Mieko's electric jacket control was in place, and started cleaning up the bike. It would be the first time I rode with Cal Coast for a long time, and I didn't plan to win the "Rat Bike" award with my new-to-me BMW. The 2005 LT is a very big bike, well over 800 pounds, with a nasty reputation for low speed (parking lot speed) instability. I've been practicing, but the rain and having had it for only a month are working against me. It's not a matter of IF I drop it. It's strictly a matter of WHO IS WATCHING WHEN I DO IT! We were ready for very cold weather. Even in summer the ride up the coast to Santa Barbara and over the pass gets cold. (Continued) |
(Continued) We tested our cold weather mettle when we rode the bike home from Las Vegas in 40 degree weather, and I was ready for it this time. With all the storage on this bike, I had extra sweaters, gloves, scarves, balaclava, etc. So naturally, it was a warm, sunny day. Mid 60's on the coast, mid 70's inland. But I get ahead of myself. We stopped at Jack In The Box, force of habit. Someone swung by (sorry, I didn't notice who) and we moved on up to Carl's. It was great seeing some old friends and meeting new friends. And it was great seeing the new mix of bikes. A couple of Concours, several BMW's, Rick Bell's new Kawasaki, Honda's, and of course, a handful of FJR's. And at Santa Barbara we picked up a Victory Vision. Quite a mix. The ride up the coast started in multiple groups as usual. It is very difficult to get the entire group through lights and up to speed on the freeway. But once we started, we came together pretty well. Ride leader Tim was waiting in SB, and we soon got on the road and headed north over the 154. I've been this way several times before, but never when it was this warm and clear this early. No fog, no wind, just a clean, smooth ride. Just what the doctor ordered for me to settle in on the LT and get comfortable. We turned up Foxen Canyon, and I was pleasantly surprised at the road repairs they have done. I expected more gravel, more pot holes, more bumps. but it was smooth, and really pretty. As we switched around to move up Tepusquet, the road got tighter and narrower. Ideal for the sport bikes up front, good for the bigger bikes in the middle, a bit tight for me and my luxury liner. The center line disappeared, and I often wondered who was coming around the next curve. While the line was still there a farmer in a Ford truck, arm stuck straight out the window, came around a corner about 3 feet on my side of the line. Where would the next farmer be going around the next curve? So I took it easy, working my lines to try to keep max visibility around the curves. I didn't have to beat anybody, didn't have to prove that my bike was as fast as a 600 whatever. Just make it smooth, brake early and often, keep the RPMs up going out of the curves, and keep Mieko comfortable. And by the end of the run, when it started to straighten out a little, I was still upright, hadn't hit anything, and Mieko was not banging me on the head for scaring her. I WIN! (Continued) |
(Continued) Taking the 166 across to Cuyama for lunch is always a good ride. You get behind a slow mover and wait. Let other people pass in the no passing zones. (Shame on some of you!) And then when it opens up, lot's of straight clear road, you run the GPS speed up to 101. And with the new bike, smooth and solid at speed, again no slap on the head. I LIKE this bike. Lunch in Cuyama gave us all a chance to meet and visit. It's always good to meet new people, learn other's experience's and goals. It was fun. And then we started south on the 33 to head home. The 33 was wet and dirty at the top. Snow everywhere, lot's of people playing in the snow, cars parked all over. I got into a group of 4 riders that weren't in a hurry, and together we coasted along. Not overly slow, not overly fast, just enough to feel the bike work gently beneath me. Trail the linked brakes deep into a curve, power out, keep the RPMs up, stay to the left on the right sweepers so you maintain maximum visibility around the curve, right side for the left turns. Always look ahead and see what is coming, look through the turns and the bike will follow, etc. Watch for the gravel, the water, the rocks. I got into a reasonable rhythm, and it was fun. I enjoy riding with Cal Coast. Riding in a group takes off a lot of the pressure to find a spot, build a route, worry about conditions. And there is always someplace new to see, a new way to get there. I don't think anyone expected the beautiful green valley on Tepusquet. Last time through here it was brown and dry. This time you could have been in New England in the spring. We enjoyed the ride, andwe look forward to the next time we can get together. CCR ------------------------- No one got last issue's FREE LUNCH question. This issue’s question pertains to our February ride to Cuyama- How did Highway 33 get its number destination? The first Member to email me at  will get a free lunch on the next Club ride they attend. UPDATE- Jerry Purdy sent in the right answer: They named it 33 because it was built in 1933.
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