Ray's Motorcycle Diary

Hatt's San Quentin Toy Run 2011

2011-12-11T10:31:00.000-08:00

I can't believe its December already, time for Hatt's San Quentin Toy Run. The weather was great this year, its usually cold and rainy this time of year. The good weather brought out some nice machinery.

A Vincent masquerading as a Norton.

I love that front drum brake.

We delivered our toys to San Quentin Village, Santa takes over from there.

After our first stop at San Quentin, we headed out on a tour of Marin County. Next stop was Peri's in Fairfax. Then after a stop at San Geronimo Valley, we headed for great mexican food at Los Guitaros in Novato. It was a great December ride, t-shirt weather most of the day and I won a couple of sweat shirts in the raffle.

Pat's Chopper

2011-11-29T08:44:00.000-08:00

I've started looking for a bike to put together for next years Stampede. I found this little Yamaha XJ-750 on S.F. Craig's List. I rode over to South San Francisco to take a look. I met Sal who greeted me llike an old friend. Sal said that the bike belongs to his wife, Patricia, but she is ready for a bike with shock absorbers.

Sal's garage has a lot of character and is one of those places where people, like me, like to hang around. So over a cup of coffee, we talked motorcycles. Sal has a soft spot for 500cc singles, SR an XT Yamahas. I spied an XT with a polished aluminium tank in a corner of the garage.

Pat's chopper is a little small for my idea of a Stampede bike. But if anyone is interested, drop me an email and I'll hook you up with Sal. He makes good coffee.

Oh yea, Sal, those cigs are gonna kill ya!

I call it, The Compassionate Medical Motorcycle Act

2011-10-25T06:52:00.000-07:00

TRADE PROP 215 BLUE DREAM MEDS FOR RELIABLE MOTORCYCLE (san jose south)___________________________________
Date: 2011-10-24, 9:38PM PDT
Reply to: sale-@craigslist.org [Errors when replying to ads?]
____________________________________
I have some extra prop 215 blue dream meds, also have Haze\ Skunk. Both are 100% Organic. Great taste and smell. I am a valid CA.MM.card holder and you must be as well. I am looking to trade for a reliable motorcycle to get around town. I am open to make and model but reliabilaty and overall condition of bike is the most important factor. If you are interested in this trade then please hit me up, Thanks
JAY     (408) 555-0100    Please no texts, Thanks
_____________________________________
When I read Jay's add on SF Bay Area's, Craig's List, my heart went out to him. Poor, brave Jay, gravely ill but still willing to do without some of his much needed medication in order to secure two wheeled transportation.
Yet there are millions of Californians, who, like Jay are forced to forgo much need medication in order to secure basic transportation. I call on the California Legislature to ignore the cost, as they have done so many times in the past, and immediately pass legislation to provide two wheeled transportation to those unfortunate Californians who are being forced to ride partially medicated.
In a state where we have so much, surely no one should be forced to ride less than fully medicated!

Scars on Scars

2011-10-14T21:31:00.000-07:00

1972 BMW R75/5 Kick Start Lever

We have a match.

Leg

Chilly Billy Memorial Run 2011

2011-10-04T22:40:00.000-07:00

After weeks of perfect weather the Rip City Riders, 6th annual Chilly Billy Memorial Run began under cloudy, threatening skys. Attendance for the poker run seemed good, Rip City Riders gave ride pins to the first 700 riders.

Marie and I signed up for the poker run at Michael's Harley Davidson. Then we hit the Redwood Cafe in Cotati where me met our friends for breakfast. Rocky was riding his wife's V-Rod, because of a slight malfunction of his own bike and Lance was on his Suzuki Hayabusa after a major malfunction of his Electra Glide. So, after coffee we headed north on Highway 101 to River Road.

River Road follows the Russian River and it's a good ride but heavy traffic and bicycles made sightseeing a passenger activity. Our first stop was at the Rio Nido road house, a good choice as there was plenty of parking. I drew a six of diamonds, not a great start for a poker hand.

Our next stop was at The Blue Heron in Duncan Mills, after I drew my card my poker hand was pretty well shot and the people in the bar showed no sympathy. After leaving Duncan Mills it was a few miles to Highway 1, then south to Bodega Bay and east to Petaluma.

We arrived at the Petaluma fairgrounds and the weather was warming. There were a lot of people there. The local newspaper said that 10,000 people showed up for the bike show, car show, vendors, food and of maybe a cocktail.

If they could find the bar.

I really liked this sweet little Triumph. Simple and clean, I couldn't stop staring at it.

The Rip City Riders put on a great show. This was the 6th annual Chilly Billy Memorial run and the event gets bigger and better every year. Everyone had a great time, and funds were raised for two local carities, Zero Breast Cancer and Mentor Me Petaluma.

Famous Road Signs

2011-09-25T01:02:00.000-07:00

Zzyzx Road is on Highway 15 near Baker, California. I had a theory about what a Zzyzx was but I was wrong.

The Town of Locke

2011-08-24T23:14:00.000-07:00

The town of Locke, in the Sacramento Delta, was built by the Chinese. If you look up information about the town, you will find that it was founded in 1915 by Chinese businessmen after a fire in the Chinese section of nearby Walnut Grove. In 1934 Al Admai opened a restaurant called Al's Place, later called Al the Wops, and Al only served steaks.

If you dig a little deeper into Locke's history you will find that Locke in the 1920's and 1930's was a rockin' town with Opium dens, gambling parlors, and of course girls. I have good information that Al Adami served more than steak. In the back room Al's "Ladies" were busy. Locke's close proximity to Sacramento, the State Capitol, gave our lawmakers a much needed break from the rigors of their lawmaking duties. The only door bell in town was wired to the gambling parlor to warn if the Sheriff came into town.

Now Locke is pretty tame but it's a fine ride to good destination where you can get a good meal but it sure would be interesting to see it back when.

The Real McCoy and the J-Mack

2011-08-01T09:05:00.000-07:00

Lee and I took a ride to the town of Locke for lunch at Ed the Wop's. Locke is on one of the hundreds of "islands" in the Sacramento River Delta. There are several ways to get to Locke, I like to go by way of the Real McCoy and the J-Mack.

From Rio Vista on Hwy 12, we turned north along the main shipping channel. After a few miles on the levee, we took the car ferry called the Real McCoy across Cache Slough to Ryer Island.

We rode around Ryer Island to a smaller ferry named the J-Mack on Steamboat Slough. The J-Mack is one of the last operating cable ferries. A cable ferry pulls itself along a cable that is fixed between the banks of the river. The ferries are free and even though the rides are short they are a lot of fun.

Stampede News

2011-06-30T08:56:00.000-07:00

I have just learned some news from the Stampede, it looks like Charlie The Nomad came in first. Chris Price came in second. It looks like 14 riders finished the race, 26 started. Weather caused problems this year, the riders had to dodge thunderstorms and tornadoes.

El Nomads bike was obviously well prepared. I think the engine is a late 70's Kawasaki 900 with a truly unique exhaust system.

Jim's KZ750 at the Stampede

2011-06-28T13:57:00.000-07:00

I talked to Jim who had ridden from Alberta Canada to compete in the Stampede. Jim calls his Kawasaki KZ750, "Calamity Ensues" after the two female devils on the tank. Get it? Calamity and Sue, yes, Canadian humor.

Jim's bike had developed a intake manifold leak so he was in the motel parking lot with the carbs off using a little RTV to seal things up.

Jim took time from his repairs to talk with me and that's no small thing with the start of the race just hours away.
By now the Stampede is over, and though I don't know how anyone did, I hope Jim did well and had a good time.

The Brits Take on The Stampede

2011-06-24T14:12:00.000-07:00

This is the sixth Stampede and there has never been a British bike entered, until now. This year with the Stampede off the Interstates, three Brit bikes, Norton, BSA and Triumph, stepped up to the challenge.

1970 BSA A65 Lightening #2

#5 1979 Triumph Bonneville

Stampede 2011

2011-06-19T23:36:00.000-07:00

The Stampede 6 is underway. The Stampede is a race for hardtail choppers. No windshields or fairings, no hard saddle bags and no rubber mounted engines are allowed. This year the Stampede started at South Lake Tahoe, California and will finish at the Greenleafe Inn in Pine Bluff, North Carolina. As I write this entry the 26 riders who started are about half way across the country.

The course is not revealed until the evening before the race. It was known that this year the course would avoid the interstate highways. It was to be two lane highway most of the way. I snapped a photo over some one's shoulder as the course sheets were passed out.

The race follows Highway 50, the Loneliest Highway in America, for 3100 miles then turns south to finish at Greenleafe Inn.
The people who are riding in the Stampede come from all over, and they rode their bikes to get to the starting line. You won't find any trailers hidden in the neighborhood.

I've got a load of photos and as soon as I can I'll post more.

Honda CL-77

2011-06-02T16:59:00.000-07:00

We hear about barn finds all the time, but the real gold is in garages. So when I'm in the neighborhoods I'm checking out garages for interesting machinery. If you leave your garage door open, I'll take a peek.
I was really surprised to see a Honda Scrambler in a garage just around the corner from my house. Since I'm not shy, so I stopped and knocked on the door. I met Spence, who turned out to be a really nice guy. He was happy to show me his 1977 Honda 305 Scrambler.

The 305 Scrambler, designated the CL-77, was produced between 1965 and 1968. There were about 64,000 bikes produced during that time.

The 305 Scrambler had up swept side pipes for more ground clearance that ended in a stylish muffler. Most people removed the muffler and either put a baffle in each pipe or put on a set of "Snuff-or-Nots." Here's a photo from the Internet that should explain Snuff-or-Nots. I think the muffler looks very stylish especially when compared to the really ugly black box on the later CL-350. Spence says he plans to restore the bike and has been collecting correct parts. He also plans an electronic ignition upgrade. The bike only has 12600 miles on the clock and has a nice patina. I urged Spence bring the bike back to stock and clean it without removing the patina of age that it has earned.

Gordon Shuffles the Deck

2011-04-30T14:50:00.000-07:00

XLCR-Out

My Friend Gordon send some photos of his new bikes. He sold his '77 XLCR, and bought a '75 Sportster XLCH which he turned into a (Then Came) Bronson bike.

XLCH-In, but changed

to a Bronson bike.

Gordon sold an Enfield, of which I don't have a photo and bought a '71 Triumph Daytona 500.

Enfield-Out Triumph-In

I think Gordon's latest adjustment to his collection is the sale of his XR883 in favor of XR1200X, which Gordon tells me he is going to set up for the track.

XR883-Out

XR1200X-In

While some eschew possessions in their search for perfection. Gordon nears that state of contentment as he continues to shuffle the deck in the eternal struggle to find motorcycling perfection.

Electra Glide in Motion

2011-04-16T20:54:00.000-07:00

Hill Climb

2011-04-13T10:50:00.000-07:00

When my friend Dale called to see if I wanted to go to a hill climb, I fired up the bike and headed out. The event was held at an off road RV park in Carnegie, California. Carnegie is located east of Livermore, off of Hwy 580, and about 100 miles from home.

The first thing you need for a hill climb is a hill. The hill never looks very steep when looking up from the bottom. However that is an illusion, the hill is very steep. Occasionally one of the course workers will slip, then slide 10 or 20 yards down the hill. You can tell how far they slide by the yard markers along the course.

Next you need some bikes to blast up the hill. There are many different classes, from stock to highly modified. There were a couple of nicely prepared Harleys.

Some bikes use knobbies, some paddle track tires and some used chains, a lot like snow chains. Some used paddle track tires and chains.

There were all kinds of engines allowed in the different classes. Some large engines like the Harleys and some multi cylinder engines and some classes ran regular dirt bike engines.

To have a hill climb you have to have people. Not just racers but spectators. This is the heart of the sport. It's as much fun to people watch as it is to watch the races blasting up the hill.

This could be the happiest kid in the world.

I really enjoyed the day. I sat in the crowd and oohed and aahed with everyone as the racers blasted up the hill, sometimes making it to the top and sometimes not. I wandered around the pits looking at the machinery, I people watched, I got sunburned, it was a great day.

Death Valley

2011-03-23T00:34:00.000-07:00

Death Valley is not called the valley of death for nothing. In summer you can feel the hand of death on your shoulder. With the summer temperatures, a mechanical breakdown is no inconvenience, it's a life or death crisis. In winter death may not be so close, just don't do anything stupid.

We stayed at Stovepipe Wells Inn, which is about at sea level. Furnace Creek is about thirty miles away and is 190 feet below sea level. From Stovepipe Wells we took side trips around the valley.

Scotty's Castle is about forty five miles from Stovepipe Wells. Scotty's Castle was built by a Chicago millionaire named Albert Johnson. In winter you can see the full beauty that Johnson saw, I doubt he was there much in summer it's just too hot.

We also took a side trip to Ubehebe Crater. It's a volcanic crater and one of the windiest places I've been. It's near a place called The Race Track, where rocks move across a dry lake bed leaving tracks. No one has ever seen these rocks move or filmed them, so while there are theories, no one really knows.

I think that Death Vally is most beautiful at dawn and sunset.

Wildrose Canyon

2011-03-15T10:06:00.000-07:00

We turned from Panamint Valley into Wildrose Canyon, which is a gravel road. At the top of the canyon we decided to take a side trip to the Charcoal Kilns.

After leaving Panamint Valley the road starts to climb. The gravel road to the Charcoal Kilns climbs steeply and the charcoal kilns are at about 6800 ft.. The road was closed just past the kilns due to snow but goes to Telescope Peak (11331 ft).

The Charcoal Kilns were built in 1867 to provide charcoal for the mines and smelters in Death Valley. To make charcoal, the kilns were filled with Pinion Pine logs which were then set on fire and closed up to cut off the oxygen.

The kilns were only used for 3 years and then abandoned.

We left the Charcoal Kilns and headed back down the mountain to Highway 190. The Electra Glide breathed a sigh of relief now that it was back on pavement. We headed over Towne Pass (4956 ft.) and into Death Valley.

Panamint Valley Roads

2011-03-12T08:14:00.000-08:00

After leaving Tehachappi, we rode through Trona, the town that, but for the mineral wealth of the Searles Dry Lake, would be a ghost town. Trona is the name of the town and the mineral that is mined there, Trona Na3H(CO3)2·H2O or trisodium hydrogendicarbonate dihydrate. I feel smarter just saying this stuff.

After leaving Trona, we head over a pass at Pioneer Point and down into Panamint Valley, this is where the wild burros live after they escaped from mining trisodium whachmacallit over in Trona.

If you love long, straight roads that head to a vanishing point, I recomend the panamint valley it has the best.

Looking South.....

Looking North.

Death Valley Trip

2011-03-09T21:14:00.000-08:00

Winter is a great time to visit Death Valley. Getting there is the challenge, it is cold most everywhere else in the state. Crossing the Sierra Nevada Mountains in winter is a real challenge on a motorcycle. The two all season passes, Donner and Carson, lead to Highway 395. 395 runs along the eastern side of the Sierras and at high elevations, so that's a really cold ride.

The only real route is down Highway 5, then east over Tehachapi Pass. The ride is about 365 miles from home to the town of Tehachapi. We left in the afternoon and got into Tehachapi around midnight, when we arrived at our motel the temperature was a chilly 27 degrees.

You can see, in addition to the heavy leathers, there are power cords dangling. Hell yeah, we got electrics!.

Real Old School

2011-01-24T22:28:00.000-08:00

My friend Ryan is going old school. He bought a high wheel bicycle. It's a reproduction of the style of bikes that were first produced about 1870. The high wheelers were almost gone by 1890, when they were replaced by the modern style bicycle, called the Safety Bicycle.

The photos show Ryan riding the high wheeler. Many of our common phrases come from the nineteenth century and the phrase associated with the high wheel bike is "taking a header." During the heyday of these bikes many people died taking a header.

So the bikes were almost gone by 1890, but "almost gone" is not gone. And certainly not forgotten. High wheelers are still made, and still ridden, real old school.

Torq-Thrust Motorcycle Wheels

2011-01-09T00:17:00.000-08:00

At the Full Throttle Saloon in Sturgis last summer, I saw this bike with a Torq-Thrust car wheel. American Racing first started making this wheel around 1963 and it was one of the most popular wheels ever made, but it is a car wheel.

After I took these two photos I must have gotten distracted or something, because I didn't walk over to the bike and see how the owner adapted this wheel to his motorcycle. I wish I had taken some closeups or at least looked at the other side of the bike.

Anyway this wheel looks great on the bike and represents mechanical genius.

Hatt's San Quentin Toy Run 2010

2010-12-15T21:46:00.000-08:00

Ho Ho Ho, its December, time to go on Hatt’s San Quentin Toy Run and visit Santa Claus. Santa is there and some of his helpers, we have presents for the good girls and boys. The weather outside is frightful but it’s still delightful.

First stop is Pier 15 in San Rafael, a new starting place but a good one. Pier 15 is on the Bay, tide is high, but tis the season for high tides. It’s a little rainy but tis the season for rainy, it’s freaking December isn’t it.

Next stop is San Quentin Village where we drop off the toys for the kids. We’ve all brought some toys but there are a couple of extra pickups trucks full of toys too, everyone grabs a few extra toys to put under the tree. I feel good that Hatt and his people have come up with so much for the kids and I know that this is going to be one of the best SQ Toy runs ever.

We then ride to San Geronimo Valley Golf Course, a brilliant choice, the back bar windows look onto some beautiful forest scenery.

Then on to the Rancho Nicasio Bar and Restaurant another good choice. This year we bypass Pt. Reyes Station, with the filthy Western Bar and old, whiny, town bitches.

Our last stop is Los Guitaros Restaurant in Novato. The food was delicious. Really good. Great choice for a last stop, Bret. Much better than in years past. I also had some good luck. I won the low hand of the poker run. This was the best San Quentin Toy Run yet.

More on the Stampede

2010-12-07T08:20:00.000-08:00

     Twenty six people started the 2010 Stampede. These are the finishing times as near as I can tell. Wess said, "There's a ton of stories surrounding most of these people and the ride. I've been riding motorcycles for over 40 years and without exception, these are the most dedicated motorcycle people I have ever met. Most I've known for a few years through the Smoke Out West, but until I rode up in North Carolina I really didn't get it. Now I do."
     I've read a few of the stories but for the most part this race is unknown, run by anonymous people who do it for reasons that are kept to themselves.

1st      Charlie The Nomad                                  50:00
2         Mr. Miyagi                                               53:03
3         Buck Blankenbaker (aka – Sharkboy)        66:00
4         Medusa Mike                                          68:44
5        Grampaw
6         Jim Snell                                                75:03
7         Wes Keysor                                            76:23
8         Eric Barnett                                            77:32
9         Nick Robinson                                         77:53
10      Andrew Jaramillo                                     78:54
11      Mack                                                    83:39
12       F. Bomb                                                  89:20
13      Dan Coen                                                90:30
14       Jason (The Canuck)                               99:26
15       Friesz                                                    100:53
16       John Dollar                                            102:03
17       Fred (Quang tri)                                     107:25
18       El Butche                                              141:48
19-26 DNF

The Stampede

2010-12-05T20:14:00.000-08:00

     The Stampede is a cross country race for choppers. The rules are simple: rigid frames (no rear suspension), no windshields, no fairings, no hard saddlebags, no rubber mounted engines, no chase vehicles. I've been fascinated since I first heard about the Stampede a couple of years ago.
     Wes lives in Tuscon, Arizona but I usually run into him at the Laughlin River Run and this year at Sturgis. When I learned he did the Stampede this year and finished 7th, I wanted to know more.
     Wes' time for the 3050 miles from Santa Monica, California to Rockingham, North Carolina was 76 hours and 23 minutes. Wes sent me the photos and comments below.

Santa Monica Pier @ 0600 - F-Bomb & Friend. F-Bombs girl friend, Lori, was killed last year during the race. She was hit by a semi in AZ. Shes remembered as the Queen of the Stampede.

Santa Monica Pier @ 0600 - Miyagi. Finished 2nd.

Santa Monica Pier - Booze Fighter Mack - Riding a strutted Sportster with questionable license and registration. Finished 11.

Santa Monica Pier @ 0600.

Santa Monica Pier @ 0600 - Sharkboy, Snell, Wes.

Santa Monica Pier @ 0600

Hotel in Santa Monica. Two days before the race the courtyard of this little motel in old Santa Monica was taken over. The manager finally went ape-shit. I negotiated a peace arrangement and we moved the bikes to a lot behind the motel. This was a good example of life-style clash. Keep in mind these guys were doing repairs to their bikes, everyone, with the exception of Snell, had ridden between 400 and 3000 miles just to get to the start.

Leaving for Santa Monica, Tucson @ 0300.

North Carolina, 3048 miles later.

Another California Bun Burner Gold

2010-11-03T17:23:00.000-07:00

I checked the list of Iron Butt Association Cerified Rides and they had finally updated the list, http://www.ironbutt.com/rides/RidesLogin.cfm . I was surprised to find that someone else had completed a 1500 mile in 24 hour ride completely within California.

Brook Rice completed his Bun Burner Gold on June 26. With a little research, I was able to contact him. He sent me the link for his ride report. http://www.sport-touring.net/forums/index.php?PHPSESSID=ltf9311pcdi8dbvurthc33iit6&topic=54362.0

He also sent these photos of himself on his Ducati Multistrada 1100s.

Chilly Billy Memorial Run

2010-10-04T15:49:00.000-07:00

This was the 5th annual Chilly Billy Poker Run. I've got to say that it was a lot of fun. The Rip City Riders Motorcycle Club sponsored the event raising money for Hospice by the Bay.

The Poker run started at the local Harley dealer in Cotati, California. The weather was overcast and cool, I was really surprised when I looked out and it was raining. It rained for about 15 minutes, stopped and didn't rain again. By afternoon the weather was clear and hot.

One of the stops on the poker run was at Pt.Reyes Station in Marin County.

Last year the run ended up at Penngrove City Park. This year the run ended up at the Petaluma Fairgrounds. Several hundred bikes showed up, as well as custom cars and vendors. The Raffle bike was a 2011 Street Glide, in denim black. I sure would have liked to win that bike.

There were a lot of cool bikes, not all Harley's.

In search of the bar

I would say that Rip City Riders hit a home run this year. The food was good, there were plenty of vendors, the car and bike shows had really nice machinery, add in a large turnout of really nice people and I would say I'm already looking forward to the 6th annual CB run next year.

Gordon's XLCR's

2010-09-30T17:04:00.000-07:00

     A few weeks ago I met an old friend at Penngrove Motorcycle Company. I hadn't seen Gordon in quite a few years. We're at a custom motorcycle shop so we're not there for groceries. Turns out that Gordon has been working on a pair of XLCR's. The one on the left is a 1978 model and the one on the right is a '77

     The XLCR is the coolest sportster ever made. They were only made in 1977 and 1978 (nine were made in 1979 count that year if you wish). They couldn't compete with the Japanese sport bikes of the same era, and those were the ....ah....aah.....hum, well there's the point, the XLCR was a classic the day it was built and has stood the test of time.

Gordon told me that he is selling the '77 and it is on ebay right now. Gordon maybe you don't need two XLCR's, but then again they aren't making any new ones.

1977

1978

Honda 305 Scrambler

2010-09-29T08:44:00.000-07:00

I spotted Peter's CL77 in the parking lot just off Virgina St., in Reno. The Honda CL77 was called the 305 Scrambler. These bikes were built from 1965 to 1968. The 305's had a muffler that both pipes went into, everyone I knew took off the muffler.

These bikes, and the earlier 250, the CL72 (1962-1965), with their up swept exhausts, really started the dirt bike craze. I remember that a lot of high school girls had burn marks on their legs from those exhausts pipes.

Nice Bike Peter

Street Vibrations 2010

2010-09-28T23:08:00.000-07:00

This Year

This year Street Vibrations was a disappointment. There was really nothing happening that you couldn't do on a regular weekday for half the price. Virgina Street was blocked off but most vendors stayed away, if you wanted to walk down the middle of the street you were welcome to do so, whoo hoo. Yet the Reno hotels jacked up their rates as did the bars. So attention Reno, next year go ahead and jack your hotel prices, charge ten bucks for a beer if you want to, because I won't be there.

Last year

Notice any difference between this year's photo and last year's photo?

More Unfortunate Names

2010-09-28T20:34:00.000-07:00

Please not, a "Cup-a-Joe,"

Did You Ever Have the Feelin' You Was Being Watched?

2010-09-27T15:57:00.000-07:00

...Seems everywhere I look I see a camera looking at me. I know that there is no expectation of privacy in a public place, but who told who that it was OK to put up cameras and watch us.
...What I mean is, did the State Legislature tell Cal Trans to put up cameras? Did the Highway Patrol have them put up? FBI, CIA, DEA, ATF, NSA, NASA, who?
...I know that there was no ballot measure asking citizens if they wanted to be watched every moment of their lives.

Cheap technoglogy is putting cameras in the few places the Government missed.

This camera is on the ceiling of the Bucket o' Blood Saloon in Virgina City, Nevada.

This one's next to the bra at Thompson's Corner, Suisun.City, California.

Now I think I'm getting paranoid.

Unfortunate Names

2010-09-23T13:07:00.000-07:00

I remember a wine that had an unfortunate name. It was called "Windbreak." It was reported to be a very good wine but sold poorly, probably due to the name.
Riding in the Sonoma Valley I saw another candidate. Cepage, makes one wonder just where it seeped from.

The Bike Obelisk

2010-09-23T12:54:00.000-07:00

I rode into Santa Rosa to take a look at the Bike Obelisk. A new public art work that had just been installed. I've got to say I think I like it.

The articles I read about it were quick to point out that no good bicycles were used in the construction of the obelisk. We in the San Francisco Bay area have some particularly obnoxious bicyclists, so my opinion of a good bicycle and a no good bicycle may be quite different.

The Loneliest Road in America

2010-09-22T18:04:00.000-07:00

Hwy 50, the loneliest road in America. I love it, not much traffic and while not as dramatic as Southern Utah, the vistas are still grand.

We left Grand Junction headed west and for Ely, about 500 miles, a long day in the saddle.

We pulled into Elk Flat campground after dark and set up camp by moonlight.

The next day we had another 500 mile day, but arrived home happy after a great trip.

Not Rockies, Rocks

2010-09-21T20:13:00.000-07:00

West of Grand Junction lies Utah and some of the most incredible country that exists. The weather really warms, but the beauty will take your breath away. The rock formations change by the mile. I just don't have words to describe the beauty. You could take a movie of this ride and any frame would make a great photograph.

The Grand Junction HD Economic Stimulus Plan

2010-09-21T18:36:00.000-07:00

Doesn't look like much of a stimulus plan does it?

.
.

Here's the story, my front tire was starting to show some serious wear. The tire was not new at the start of our trip and nearly three weeks of riding two up with all our gear on windy mountain roads had seriously worn the tire. The next Harley Davidson shop would be in Reno, 700 or more miles away, and through some harsh landscape as well. So I went to Grand Junction Harley Davidson.
.
Things were not smooth from the start. I run Dunlop 402 PT tires, the parts guy was not sure if he could sell me one because the police use them. After he determined that it was not a crime to buy a tire in Colorado, he told me to be sure to arrive early at the service department as it was first come first served. I said, "I'm here now can't you put me on the list." He said, "That's service, this is parts, Come back tomorrow."
.

The next day I'm there at dawn, when they open I'm there. When I come back to pick up the bike, the Service Rep that I had been dealing with sees me and slips away. I suddenly get nervous thinking maybe I'm about to get hit. I've seen The Godfather so I know.

The new Service Rep is a tall serious looking guy, who frowns a lot, he was the hit man. He said, "We've had a problem with your bike, have you repainted the fairing?" "It must have had a stone chip." "After all the bike has 67K miles." He said some paint came off the fairing while they were washing it and it is all my fault. He offers me $15 off the price of the tire to compensate me and to allow me to paint the bike and maybe have dinner at the Ritz. Really.

Turns out the guy who washed the bike, used a pressure washer and blew the paint off the fairing. I finally talked to the owner and I settled for far less than I should have, oh well, stupid me.

So that's the economic stimulus plan. I stay at a hotel and get a tire in Colorado, have paint work done in California, spread money around, stimulate the economy, everybody, wins sort of.

Oh yea, one more thing.

Why would a Harley Davidson Dealer even own a pressure washer?

Our Last Day in the Rockies

2010-09-19T23:12:00.000-07:00

After our night in the tent during the storm, we dried and packed our stuff and headed over Slumgullion Pass and on to Lake City. We continued north bound on Hwy 149 then west on Hwy 50 till we caught Hwy 92.

Hwy 92 goes along the east side of the Black Canyon of the Gunnison. We rolled on and on, I didn't want to ever stop. Beautiful views good road meandering through the Colorado High Country.

When we got to Delta, Colorado, we decided we hadn't had enough high mountain country, so we headed into the Grand Mesa National Forrest.

Hwy 65 drops off the mesa into the canyon along Plateau Creek. The road winds like a snake along the floor of the canyon. We hit Hwy 70 and Plateau Creek hit the Colorado River. We rode along the Colorado River to Grand Junction Colorado. Our time in the Rocky Mountains was over.

The Nights Storm

2010-09-19T22:56:00.000-07:00

When we got into Lake City, we saw that the nights storm kicked some butt.

La Veta, Del Norte and The Storm

2010-09-16T15:44:00.000-07:00

We left La Veta and headed for Del Norte, Colorado. Marie's roots go way back in Del Norte, although there are no family living there now. Her family lived in and around Del Norte in the 1890's. We did some research on the families at the museum and the cemetery. Marie and her mother were both baptised at the local church.

We stopped by Skaff's supermarket in Del Norte for food for dinner, just as we were getting on the bike to leave, a mini-tornado started trying to blow us over. It was all I could do to hold up the bike and as I tried to get the kick stand down, the wind took my hat and blew it high into the sky. Before long my hat was just a dot almost lost in the sky. I figured I would never see it again. The wind blew some shingles off the house next to the parking lot before it went on.

Del Norte is on Hwy 160 and our plan was to go west to hwy 149 and turn into the high country. Del Norte is at an elevation of 7874 ft., but the mountains around are still way higher.

We turned on to Hwy 149 at the town of South Fork and went through Creed, an old mining town. We were getting tired and hungry and were looking for a campground. We stopped at Silver Thread Campground (9500 ft. Elev.) because we were hungry, tired and there were some really dark clouds ahead.

We ate a leisurely dinner and put up the tent. By the time the tent was up and everything all cozy, it started to rain. About ten minutes later, the thunder storm let loose. Flash, one-one-thousand, two-one-thousand, thr-BOOOOM. We listened to the storm, until we fell asleep.

La Veta, Colorado

2010-09-15T17:57:00.000-07:00

We put Denver in the rear view and headed south on Hwy 25. We passed through Colorado Springs and Pueblo, then turned at Walsenburg and went west to La Veta. We stayed with Marie's cousin, and we liked the area so much we decided to stay a couple of days.

We took a side trip on Hwy 12 over La Veta Pass (elev. 9413 ft.) through the small towns of Cuchara, Vigil, Weston, Segundo and Cokedale. A feature of the area is rock walls called dikes that radiate out from a central hub like a wheel. The theory is that rising lava lifted the ground but did not erupt. Molten rock then flowed into the cracks of the lifted ground and solidified into the rock walls.

The road is good and views panoramic.

We started seeing black rock strata on road cuts. We thought it might be coal, but we are Californians and weren't sure. Then we came to Cokedale and it all became clear. It was coal and they mined it around here at one time. Coke ovens, last used in the 1940's, were still there. Coal is baked in ovens at very high temperature, impurities are driven off and Coke is the result. Coke is then used in blast furnaces to make steel (so now you know and stop smirking).

The City of Trinidad was built with red brick and the older part of the city even has red brick paved streets. Trinidad is on Hwy 25 and we headed north, through Walseburg and to back to La Veta.

The Ute Indians had a unique name for the mountains above La Vita. They called the mountains
"Huajatolla" pronounced "Wah-ah-TOY-ah." In the Ute language Wuajatolla means "world class tits." The mountains are now called the east and west Spanish Peaks. I like the Ute name better.

You're Just Llike California Now

2010-09-15T11:21:00.000-07:00

.....I lived in Denver in 1972 for a year. It was a much smaller town then. I remember there was a popular bumper sticker that said, “DON’T CALIFORNICATE COLORADO.” I think the meaning is clear. I’ve been to Denver and I’ve got to say that while most of Colorado is just fine, Denver has been thoroughly and willingly Californiacated.
.....Denver has become like any large California city. For Example Hwy 70 from Hwy 40. traffic was berserk; the aggressive meanness de rigueur. Heading down a 6% grade into Denver I saw 16-17 year old girls driving at absurdly high speeds, while texting. I’m sure that if they killed a motorcyclist they would call, text and even go on Facebook to tell all their friends how traumatized they were. .....

Berthoud Pass

2010-09-12T19:49:00.000-07:00

On the way to Denver we went over the Berthoud Pass. We turned onto Hwy 40 at Vernal Utah and continued into the Rocky Mountains, over Berthoud Pass and on to Denver, Colorado.
The road going up Berthoud Pass was a lot of fun as it was wide with great sweeping switchbacks. The scenery is beautiful with heavily forested mountains to the rocky timberline.

The pass is a high one, and the bike was running a little sluggishly. The exhaust sound was muffled and not crisp, but we had no real problems with altitude the entire trip.

We stopped on the summit of the pass to take some photos and to soak in the views and while we were there a group of Swedish riders stopped to do the same. I asked if they had shipped their bikes and they said they had rented, and that renting in the US was much cheaper. They were interested in my Harley. They said that there were Harleys in Sweden but they were very expensive, still there is that Harley mystique that attracts people.

Matt, Stacey and their KTM 900

2010-09-11T20:48:00.000-07:00

One of the things I like most is meeting new people. Mat and Stacey camped next to us in Craig, Colorado.

Their gear was remarkably similar to ours. We both had a small two person tent, with a rain fly, which we both had to put up during the night as there was a little rain.

There were a few differences, Matt and Stacey were riding a KTM 900 Adventure.

Good Eats in Craig, Colorado

2010-09-10T23:26:00.000-07:00

We stayed the night in Craig, Colorado. Someone suggested we try Cugino's Restaurant. We were promised good Italian food, and we weren't disappointed. The food was great and the service was excellent. We had three dollar margaritas that were delicious and stout. We left full and happy. Too bad this little gem of a restaurant is over 1000 miles away from home.

Jackson Hole ,Wyoming to Craig ,Colorado

2010-09-10T15:43:00.000-07:00

We left Jackson Hole and went south along the Hobart River. Beautiful high country that eventually became sandy plains. I had to keep an eye out for antelope. We had only one slightly close call when a small antelope ran out in front of us. We stayed in Little America on Hwy 80 near Green River.

The next morning we headed south into the Flaming Gorge.

We stopped by the dam and took the tour. You know we had to ride over the dam before we left.

Of course there is NO FISHING below the dam.

We went on to Vernal Utah and took Hwy 40, which was practically deserted. We stopped for the night in Craig, Colorado.

Over the Beartooth Pass

2010-09-08T20:25:00.000-07:00

We left Sturgis, headed for the Bear Tooth Pass. The road leads northwest through the town of Spearfish and Belle Fourche, which I am told is pronounced "Bell Foush." It seems that Midwesterners don't go for no high falutin' foreign pronunciation. The Capitol City of South Dakota is Pierre, pronounced "Pier."

This is Indian Country and goes through the Southern Cheyenne and Crow Indian Reservations. Off to the southwest there was a huge storm raging.

We saw constant bolts of lightning and the sky was black, but we had good luck. Every time we were about to enter the storm, the road turned and we avoided rain for the most part until we reached Red Lodge, Montana.

After a good nights sleep, we had coffee and visited Bone Daddy Custom Cycles. I don't know about any custom cycles, but they have a cool logo. Marie bought a t-shirt.

The Beartooth Pass is often called the most beautiful drive in America. The highway goes through the Beartooth and Absaroka mountains. While I love Hwy 395 along the Eastern High Sierra Mountains, there is no arguing that this highway is beautiful. The Beartooth is truly magnificent, the views are amazing, the valley is huge and the clouds, which were threatening rain, added drama.

At the overlook there was a dog that seemed fascinated by the view. He put his front feet on the wall and just seemed to take in the view. Even his owner was surprised how captivated he was by the view.

After we left the overlook for the pass, it started to rain then sleet. The sleet started to build up on the road but stayed slushy. It was cold and I was glad when we got to Cooke City where we had lunch and watched he rain come down from a cozy log cabin restaurant. I had blown a fuse by trying to plug an inverter to my cigarette lighter plug and the instruments weren't working. I replaced the fuse and all was good.

It rained all the way through Yellowstone National Park and all the way to Jackson Hole, Wyoming, where we spent the night.

Trailers in the Black Hills

2010-09-08T19:34:00.000-07:00

There were trailers hidden all over the Black Hills.

This guys t-shirt says it all.

Sturgis - The Bikes

2010-08-28T09:19:00.000-07:00

Harley Engine Development, Exclusive Photos

2010-08-25T17:57:00.000-07:00

Seen at Sturgis this year during field testing, this experimental drive system is rumored to transfer vibrations into forward momentum. However, there has been some concern about meeting federal noise limitations.

Note: Analysis by RMD staff experts indicate that Harley Davidson is testing a new tuned exhaust system.

Full Throttle Saloon

2010-08-24T23:23:00.001-07:00

We found a nice shady table at one of the bars. It was a great spot to have a beer, talk, listen to the band and watch the world go by.

My Cabin in the Black Hills

2010-08-24T07:14:00.000-07:00

I found the best place to stay in the Black Hills, and I'm keeping it a secret. No one even started a motorcycle before 9am. The restaurant was good. My cabin was comfortable and cozy. There was even a stream behind the cabin.

Sturgis 2010, I Love this Place

2010-08-13T07:53:00.001-07:00

This is my first Sturgis trip. From the moment I arrived I had a smile on my face. I expected the Black Hills to be like the California hills, dry and hot. I found green, cool hills. well paved roads filled with bikes, and really nice people.

Baby Needs New Boots

2010-07-02T19:41:00.001-07:00

While doing some maintenance I found a rear shock absorber boot had torn. The bike has just over 60,000 miles and things are starting to wear out, so I check things often. Naturally, the local HD Dealership told me to buy new shocks because they don't sell the boots separately from the shock.

A few days later I stopped in at Xtreme Custom Iron, in Rohnert Park, California. It was the first time I had been in the shop but the owner Doran Benson treated me like a king.
He showed me around the store and work area. When he said that he had lots of take off parts, I mentioned that I could use a shock absorber boot, he pulled one off an blown shock and gave it to me.
I put the replacement boot on and found a really nice shop with good people.

It's Not Brain Surgery

2010-06-23T20:44:00.000-07:00

I had never pulled off the fairing before. The Batwing fairing looks solid and substantial, it is neither. I figured that the fairing was like the skull and contained the brains of the bike. I thought that maybe opening up the fairing might be something better left to, a doctor maybe, or a real mechanic. But when the oil pressure gauge light burned out I scrubbed up for surgery.

It turns out that pulling the fairing apart is easy. The windshield comes off with three bolts, then four bolts hold on the fairing. The headlight is part of the fairing and simply unplugs.

The gauge light bulb replacement was straightforward, pop out the plug from the back of the gauge, insert the bulb and pop it back in, easy.

Then I saw the broken stiffening bracket. The bracket is clearly badly designed, so I replaced both sides. This brings me to one of my main beefs with the Motor Company.

Harley Davidson has been building the Electra Glide for over forty years. You would think they would know everything there is to know about how to build an Electra Glide. Then why would you find things like this spindly, poorly designed bracket on a bike that has been in production for so long?

You can see the old style bracket and the new beefier bracket. Below you can see where the bracket installs on the inner fairing,

It's not brain surgery.

Are you listening Milwaukee.

Cushman Riders Descend on Town of Sturgis

2010-06-18T17:44:00.000-07:00

Associated Press - June 17, 2010 6:15 AM ET
STURGIS, S.D. (AP) - There's a roar of a different color reverberating through Sturgis this week. Instead of riding on Harley Davidsons, more than 1,000 people are cruising around town on Cushman Motor Scooters. The Cushman scooter started production in 1936, but club member Carl Redman says it took a little while for the craze to set in. The company quit making the scooter in 1965.

When I heard that Cushman riders were having their rally in Sturgis, I imagined what the streets would look like lined with Cushmen, er, Cushmans, whatever. So I went to a web cam that features Sturgis in real time.

What would the streets would look like lined with... shall we say "industrial vehicles?" The turnout appeared to be slightly overestimated. The street seemed to be lined with ones of scoots, while twos cruised the boulevard. Maybe the bars are all packed and the industrial vehicles are parked out back.

Ok, ok, I thought I would have a little fun with the scooter guys. But the fact is that I think Cushman scooters are cool, and I doubt that they care what I think anyway, but if I had a Cushman I'd be at the Cushman Rally. I would also bet that if the Sturgis Harley Rally was limited to those bikes made from 1936 to 1965, there would be far fewer in attendance.

The Bridges of Highway 5

2010-06-17T23:00:00.001-07:00

Highway 5 runs through California, Oregon and Washington. All the way from Mexico to Canada, but the section between Buttonwillow and Redding is where these bridges are located. There are several dozen bridges, each several miles apart, that allow county roads to cross the highway.
The country is open and treeless, the bridges nondescript. And that is why you will find a California Highway Patrolman under or behind several of these bridges. The question is; which ones?

1500 Miles in 24 Hours

2010-06-12T14:28:00.000-07:00

I just finished a 1500 mile in 24 hour ride. The 1500 miles in 24 hours was tough. You have to keep moving, no stops other than gas or you won't make it in time. I did a 1000 in 24 in February but the 1500 was a lot harder.

I left at 5:45 PM from Healdsburg, California and after a long circle trip through the desert, ended at 4:45 PM, 23 hours later in Redding, California. I did the whole ride within California.

It seemed that every Highway Patrolman in the CHP was on duty on HWY 101. It was dark, with no moon and quite cold, but I was able to keep a good pace anyway.

Part of my plan was to go through Los Angles early in the morning to avoid the heavy traffic. I also wanted to get to Blythe before the sun cane up to avoid riding right into the sun and to have the sun at my back on the trip to Bakersfield. The plan worked well and I arrived in Blythe just before dawn. The sun came up on my right as I arrived in Needles.

The only other drama occurred on Hwy 5 just north of Sacramento. I needed gas and tried to refuel in the town of Woodland. I wasted a ton of time in a maze of badly designed streets, intersections and heavy traffic. I left Woodland without getting gas. I rode to Zamora and the engine stopped when I hit the brakes at the end of the off ramp. Fortunately, even though there was almost no gas in the tank, it had just sloshed away from the pickup and there was enough gas to restart the engine and get to the gas station.

Back on Hwy 5, I was worrying and doing all kinds of mental calculations to see if I could get to Redding on time. There were no traffic tie ups and I made it with about an hour to spare. I went well over 1500 miles because I wanted a good cushion because I know my "Certified" Harley Davidson speedometer is off by quite a bit.
I'm getting my paperwork in order to submit to the Iron Butt Association. I checked their website and didn't find anyone else who had done the 1500 miles completely within California. That would be pretty cool if it is so.

This was a tough ride, but I learned a few things. Even though I sometimes get a backache going for coffee in the morning I can go a long ways too. I think it is how you set your mind. I'm learning a lot about my mind. But I guess that's what life is all about.

Stupid Tech Tips

2010-06-06T19:50:00.000-07:00

This is a really simple tip, because I'm a really simple guy.
Just mould a sheet of aluminium foil around the new oil filter then slip it under the old oil filter. Turn the old filter loose and let the dirty oil drain into your pan.
You could buy a plastic version for twenty bucks and clean it after each use, but this is better. Just crumple the foil and toss it.

This trick works on my '04, but when I helped my friend do an oil change on his '07 we found that the Motor Company had changed the casting to give more clearance for the crank position sensor. The foil could not be pushed completely under the filter resulting in a puddle of oil on the garage floor. So check first.

Harley Davidson Rules the Night

2010-05-31T12:10:00.000-07:00

The weather has been warming and the rain has gone away. So on a perfect night my friend Greg and I decided to take a ride to Sonoma. Greg said he was taking his Ducati, but I wasn't surprised when he showed up on his Road Glide.

IBA Certified

2010-05-24T16:46:00.000-07:00

The certificate finally came and I hung it in my garage right next to my autographed photo of Craig Breedlove. I may not have gone 600 mph but I feel like I accomplished something.

Mike's Suzuki Savage

2010-05-14T22:35:00.000-07:00

I stopped to see if there was anything I could do. His name is Mike and he said he just got his Suzuki Savage running. I think this is a cool little bike and no matter what direction Mike takes it, it should turn out should be a good alternative to the more expensive HD's.

Mike's got a lot of ideas. I think he's got a great start. I especially like the fishtail exhaust.

Lake Berryessa Spillway

2010-05-13T14:06:00.000-07:00

Its been a very wet winter. All the reservoirs are above 100% capacity, so I thought of the Lake Berryessa spillway, called the Morning Glory Spillway. My friends Ryan, who just sold his hot rod Nightster and Greg, who just got his Road King, rode with me to see if the spillway was in action.

The Morning Glory Spillway is one of the most..., well I really don't have words to describe it. My Daughter, Lee, thought it looked so scary that she said she wouldn't swim anywhere in whole lake.

I've never seen the spillway working, so we took a ride to see for ourselves. The photo below came from the internet.

Too bad, the water just wasn't high enough to crest the spillway, but you can still see the size of this thing. One day I hope to see it in action.

How to Keep Your Motorcycle Clean

2010-05-06T15:36:00.000-07:00

When I pulled into Laughlin my bike was dirty from the rain and road. I noticed that there were very few other dirty bikes. Did they all pull into town and hit the car wash? I don't think so, they trailered.

I was all set to blast these poseurs as sissies, but I'm glad I took time to think things over. After all shouldn't motorcycling be an all inclusive sport? Shouldn't there be room for everyone. After all there are sport bikes, antique bikes, dirt bikes, European bikes, choppers, bobbers and more. Why should anyone look down on those who get their pleasure by trailering their bike to an event and pretending they rode there?
...So from now on when I see a bike with, maybe, 4000 miles on the clock and the owner says he has been to Laughlin, Sturgis, and where ever, I'll just accept that he enjoys motorcycling in a different way than I do.

Planet of the Apes

2010-05-04T20:24:00.000-07:00

The Apes were the dominant species in Laughlin. Seems they are taking over, must be evolution. Survival of the coolest.

Nice Bike

2010-05-04T17:36:00.000-07:00

...I spotted this really nice hardtail in one of the casino parking lots in Laughlin and pointed my camrea. The owner, who was sitting on the bike, saw me about to take a picture and jumped off and started backing away so that I could get a photo of his bike. I told him to stay in the photo. I think the people are just as interesting as the bikes.

Nice bike, Nice guy!

The Odd, The Unusual, The Different, I Love 'em

2010-04-27T19:50:00.000-07:00

Here's the bike that Harley would probably have built if the economy hadn't tanked, a touring VRod.

The ratiest of he rats and a three wheel scooter thingy, and also a really nice Honda dream, they all brighten the day.

The pointy tail lights of the '59 Caddy are as American as it gets and somehow look right at home on a Harley.

Leaving For Laughlin 2010

2010-04-27T13:38:00.000-07:00

We left for Laughlin with blue sky overhead but rain clouds all around. We managed to ride under the blue sky until we reached Stockton. The rain clouds closed and it rained. In fact it poured, and it poured on and off all day.

It was raining so hard that we were having trouble seeing so we stopped at Kettleman City on Hwy 5 and took a room.

The next day there were still rain clouds all around but we managed to ride between them and stay dry. We left Hwy 5 and went East through Bakersfield and over the Tehachappi Mountains to Barstow.

There are two ways to go to Laughlin from Barstow, we took Hwy 40 and cut off on an old section of Route 66 to Hwy 95, then cut off to Laughlin.

Our friends Rocky and Patty arrived a day later. They took the other route from Barstow, Hwy 15 to Nipton Rd., and through Searchlight Nevada to Hwy 95. Around Nipton they got snow and some stories to tell.

Don't Buy Cheap Tools

2010-04-27T08:43:00.000-07:00

Cheap tools are really much more expensive than quality tools. They break right in the middle of the job. You have to travel to buy a replacement. Then you buy the tool you should have bought in the first place.

Sportster Hardbags

2010-04-06T08:23:00.001-07:00

...I put a set of hardbags on Marie's Sportster. I think they look pretty good. Although they are a little small, they will give her a place to put her jacket, gloves, purse, etc..

Life and Death in the Old West

2010-03-25T16:22:00.000-07:00

Calistoga sure doesn't look like the old west anymore. There are wineries, vineyards and restaurants. Mercedes-Benz and BMW's seem to be the primary mode of travel, but there was a time when Calistoga was part of the old west.

...One of my favorite rides is the Silverado Trail from Napa to Calistoga. After a great spring ride, Marie and I stopped at Buster's Barbeque for lunch. After lunch we stopped at the Pioneer Cemetery, just west of Calistoga on Hwy 28. We located the grave marker of Bud Philpott. Here is the Tombstone Epitaph newspaper article from March 16, 1881.

At about 11 o'clock last night, Marshal Williams received a telegram from Benson stating that the Kinnear & Company's coach, carrying Wells Fargo & Co.'s treasure, had been stopped near Contention and "Budd Philpott, the driver, killed and one passenger mortally wounded. Almost immediately afterward A.C. Cowan, Wells Fargo & Co.'s agent at Contention City, rode into this city, bringing a portion of the details of the affair. In a few minutes after his arrival, Williams, the Earp brothers, and several other brave, determined men were in the saddle, well armed, en route to the scene of the murderous affray.

...From telegrams received from Benson at the Epitaph office, the following particulars were gathered.As the stage was going up a small incline about 200 yards this side of Drew's Station and about a mile the other side of Contention City, a man stepped into the road from the east side and called out "Hold!" At the same moment a number of men--believed to have been eight--made their appearance, and a shot was fired from the same side of the road, instantly followed by another. One of these shots struck "Bud" Philpott, the driver, who fell heavily forward between the wheelers, carrying the reins with him. The horses immediately sprang into a dead run. Meanwhile, Bob Paul, Wells Fargo & Co.'s messenger, one of the bravest and coolest men who ever sat on a box seat, was ready with his gun and answered back shot for shot before the frightened horses had whirled the coach out of range.

...It was fully a mile before the team could be brought to a stand, when it was discovered that one of the shots had mortally wounded a passenger on the coach named Peter Roerig. As soon as the coach could be stopped, Paul secured the reins and drove rapidly to Benson, and immediately started back for the scene of the murder. At Benson a telegraph was sent to the Epitaph office, stating that Roering could not possibly live. There were eight passengers on the coach, and they all united in praise of Mr. Paul's bravery and presence of mind.

...At Drews Station the firing and rapid whirling by of the coach sent the men at the station to the scene of the tragedy, when they found poor "Bud" lying in the road, and by the bright moonlight saw the murderers fleeing rapidly from the place. A messenger was at once dispatched to inform agent Cowan of the circumstances, and within twenty minutes after the news arrived Mr. Cowan had dispatched nearly thirty well-armed volunteers after the scoundrels. He then rode rapidly into Tombstone, when the party above mentioned started out to aid in the pursuit. This, with Mr. Paul's party, makes three bodies of determined men who are in hot chase, and Mr. Cowan stated to an Epitaph reporter that it is almost impossible for the murderous gang to escape, as the pursuers are close at their heels and have moonlight in their favor. Should the road-agents be caught they will meet with the short shift which they deserve.

..."Bud", the murdered driver, whose real name is Eli P. Philpott, was one of the most widely known stage-drivers on the Coast. For years he has borne a high reputation as a skilful handler of the "ribbons," won on the principal stage lines in California, and during a year's residence in Arizona, most of the latter time in the employ of Kinnears (formerly Walker & Co.'s) line. He will be sincerely mourned, not only by hosts of personal friends, but by thousands of passengers who have ridden on the box seat with him and been captivated by his simple manners and frank, manly ways. It was a rare treat to "make the trip" with him, for his memory was rich in reminiscences of the "old stage days" in California, and when he so willed he could keep a companion's attention riveted by his quaint, droll conversation. He has a wife and young family at Calistoga, California, who had the tenderest place in his big heart. And now there is another little home in the world which has been desolated and despoiled by the ruthless bullet. There is something inexpressibly sad in the sudden death of such outwardly rough, but inwardly brave, true hearted men, and no better representation of this class could be found than the man whom the murderers last night sent unwarned to his last home. He was proud and fond of his team and the big new coach on which he met his death as if they were human, and the horses aways seemed to know when "Bud" was at the other end of the lines.

...Posses headed by U.S. Deputy Marshal Virgil Earp and Sheriff Johnny Behan failed to find the perpetrators. Bud Philpott had a further brush with fame, as Tombstone's Dr. George Goodfellow inspected his remains, made a report at the inquest and billed the county $100.00.

Mr. Desmo Cuts a Long Deal

2010-03-23T00:09:00.000-07:00

...My friend Greg, who owns a Ducati Monster and has been thoroughly desmodromic, had developed a need for pushrods, probably something having to do with approaching old age. Maybe he is one of those rare motorcyclists that can recognize the beauty of both the Ducati and the Harley Davidson, but it's probably just old age.

.....Greg had been looking for a Road Glide, but when he found a really good deal on a Street Glide, he bought the bike. It was a beautiful 2007 Street Glide with only 8,000 miles on the clock, but he still really wanted a Road Glide.

.....It's a big world, somewhere out there is a guy, a mirror image of Greg, who has a Road Glide but really wanted a Street Glide. Call it fate, call it predestination, call it Craig's List, sure enough there's a guy in Salinas with a 2007 Road Glide with 4000 miles that wanted to trade for Street Glide.

.....They met at the San Jose Harley dealers parking lot, traded bikes and went home happy.

An Odd Corner of My Back Yard

2010-03-15T21:34:00.000-07:00

...I live in the California Wine Country and I keep searching for new rides and places the I haven't been. I found myself at the south eastern corner of the Carneros Viticultural Region. The Carneros wine growing area is cooler because of fog and wind coming off the San Francisco Bay and is known for some great Pinots and Chardonnays. I have a favorite Carneros Zin. Anyway here are a couple of photos of the south east corner of Los Carneros, which is officially the west bank of the Napa River and the Southern Pacific Rail Road tracks. Sure doesn't look like one of the greatest wine growing regions of the world, but it is.

1000 Miles in 24 Hours

2010-02-12T16:16:00.000-08:00

.....I had been thinking about riding a thousand miles in under twenty-four hours since winter started. I tried to plan my route to avoid ice and stay out of big cities during rush hours. I figured that it would be good to have a full moon for traveling at night, unfortunately there was only a sliver of moon and it came up just before dawn.
.....My route was east to Sacramento, South to Bakersfield, East over the Tehachapi Mountains to Barstow, then South to San Barnardio, West to Ventura and North on Hwy 101 to home. According to Map Quest a distance of just under 1100 miles.

I got my first receipt at 0152 hours and left for Scaramento. There was heavy fog but it didn't last. There was very little traffic on Hwy 80, that was part of the plan. I made good time and made the turn south on Hwy 5, then stopped for gas at Florin Rd., time 0331.

.....The next gas stop was at Santa Nella at 0505. California's Central Valley can be really cold during the winter and by the time I reached Kettleman City 0645 for my next gas stop I was chilled. I was also getting really sleepy, so I got a cup of hot coffee and that helped both the chill and the drowsiness.
.....I stopped in East Bakersfield for breakfast at 0831 hrs., and while I ate, I repaired the plug on my Widder Electric Chaps. When I left I felt refreshed and a lot warmer. It was a good thing that I repaired the electric chaps, because the Tehachapi Mountains were covered with snow and it was even colder as I went up the mountains.

.....I was glad I had planned to be the mountains during the day as there was no ice on the road. I pulled into the Town of Tehachapi at 0923 for gas. It must have snowed recently as there was snow on many of the roofs and on cars that were driving around.

.....It was cold, damn cold! It's hard to take photos when you are trying to make time and even harder in cold weather gear. I did take a couple of photos in Tehachapi.

From Tehachapi, Hwy 58 continues through the mountains, past Mojave and Boron, to my next stop at Barstow. It was good to be on the desert even thought it was still cold. The desert in winter is beautiful. There was a misty rain, just enough to wet the windshield. I saw another motorcycle, a two up Harley, headed to where I just been. This was the first other bike I had seen so far. I arrived in Barstow for gas at 1053.
.....From Barstow I headed to San Bernardino, then west on the 210. I stopped for gas in La Verne at 1215 hrs. L.A. was warmer, I saw a sign that said 61 degrees. I also saw a lot of people riding in t-shirts, but I kept my heavy gear on and just kept going. I started to get drowsy again around Santa Barbara, so I stopped for gas (1417 hrs.) at Goleta and had a Coke. That seemed to wake me up and I had no more problems with fatigue.
.....The 400 or so miles left seemed like a long way, it turned out to be fairly easy. I stopped for gas at 1630 hrs in San Miguel and again in Gilroy at 1824 hrs. My final gas stop was in my home town at 2104 hrs. I asked a local Police Officer to sign my end form for the Iron Butt Association, then rode home and fell asleep in front of the television.
.....The total trip took just over 18 hrs and was just under 1100 miles. I submitted the documentation to the IBA. Believe me I do not have an iron butt or an iron back, but both held up better than I expected.

Arachnoid

2010-02-02T13:50:00.000-08:00

...I saw this CanAm Spyder on Hwy 1 between Monterey and Morro Bay. Hwy 1 is plagued by rock slides and we were both stopped by a flagman. I spoke briefly to the rider, who gave me his card. He is Robert Naquin and he has written about his travels on the Spyder for the CanAm website.

http://spyder.brp.com/en-US/Share/Community/Road-Trips/RoadTrips

Hot Rod Nightster

2010-01-14T21:08:00.000-08:00

...The Nightster is a hot rod right from the factory, but some people think that is not good enough. My friend Ryan is one of those who thinks that when a bike leaves the factory, it's just raw material wishing to be something better. Witness his sweet little Nightster, he took off that cheap looking plastic and hid the wires underneath the tank where they belong.

Drag bars and short pipes change the whole character of the bike. Is it a cafe race, is it a drag bike, who knows, who cares? It's a hot rod.

And what's the best place to photograph a black hot rod sportster, in its natural habitat, of course, under the neon lights.

A New Link

2009-12-14T11:00:00.000-08:00

I'm adding a new link for "Ride the Machine."

I'm still working my way through the hundreds of moto images that run from the ridiculous to the sublime.

Images are from "Ride the Machine"

Hatt's San Quentin Toy Run 2009

2009-12-08T17:37:00.000-08:00

...Attendance was down at this years San Quentin Toy Run. It seemed to me that there was only about half as many people as last year. I can understand why, the weather was very cold and threatening rain. Maybe that's why Santa is not looking too happy.

...The ride starts at Pete's 881 Club in San Rafael . You will have to admit that Pete's has some pretty impressive art on their walls.

...From Pete's art gallery, ah, bar, the ride goes to San Quentin Village just outside of San Quentin Prison, where we dropped off our toys for the children of those behind the wall. The route was slightly changed from last year, so the next stop was The Silver Peso in Larkspur. It started to rain while I was enjoying a beer at The Peso, most of the people jumped on their bikes and split at the first raindrop. By the time I finished and got ready to go, the rain had stopped.

...It was a dry but cool ride to the Pepper Mill Creek Saloon in Forrest Knolls. This year the ride skipped The Western Saloon in Pt. Reyes, no loss, maybe it was cleaning day at the Western, naw. The ride to The Viking Tavern in Novato was cold, very cold. The hot food and propane heaters by the picnic tables felt good.

...When I left for home it was starting to rain and rained hard on Hwy 101 by the Novato Dumps. Luckily it stopped and I was able to make it home mostly dry.

...There were some really nice bikes at this years event. I really liked this old Enfield with a sidecar filled with toys.

The beauty and style of this Ariel Square Four was a knockout.

And a Hatt's motorcycle run would not be complete without a knuckle head.

My New Helmet

2009-11-19T20:27:00.000-08:00

.....I'm sure that there are a lot of motorcyclists that don't remember the older helmets. At anything above 65 miles an hour they had so much lift that the chin strap just about choked you out.

.....The last full coverage helmet I owned was a Shoei Z-100. It had a little chin spoiler that helped to hold the helmet down at higher speeds. I wore it a while ago and my friends laughed at me, I guess they would really yuck it up if I pulled out my old Bell Star. Anyway it is amazing how far helmets have come, they are cooler in summer, lighter and they don't lift at speed.

.....It's winter or just about and I need a little extra protection so I got a ZOX Genessis SVS. I liked the price and the internal visor that flips down eliminating the need to wear sunglasses. I intend to use this helmet mostly when it is really cold.

.....So how does this helmet work? Well I would say that most of the criticisms of the helmet are true. The chin bar is close, it doesn't bother me but it is close. The helmet is noisy on my Electra Glide. I will have to wear earplugs, something I should be doing anyway. It doesn't seem to be so loud on a sport bike. I was riding my friend Greg's Ducati and it was no louder than an Arai, but on the Harley it was loud.

.....So what' the good side? The helmet is inexpensive, it fits very comfortably and the visor systems works very well.

The Motorcycle that Inspired a Butter Keeper?

2009-11-08T11:17:00.000-08:00

Sometimes the oddest things will start me thinking of motorcycles, I don't need much inspiration to start daydreaming, but I don't think anyone who has seen a Suzuki RE5 Rotary will deny the resemblance to the butter tray in my refrigerator.

There it is, the butter keeper instrument nacelle, sitting right on top on the headlight.

This bike was produced from 1974 to 1976. People who bought this bike liked it, most everyone else on the planet thought it was strange. I knew a guy who had one of these, he didn't think it was strange at all. I remember he must have painted the tank a half dozen times, but he was fine with the instrument nacelle. I personally don't think the bike is that strange (except for the instrument nacelle), but then I like strange bikes.
The bike sold poorly. Suzuki put standard style instruments on the motorcycle but sales did not improve and the bike was discontinued.

4th Annual Chilly Billy Memorial Run

2009-10-18T21:53:00.000-07:00

...The poker run is called the Chilly Billy Memorial Poker Run. It is sponsored by the local chapter of the Rip City Riders, a motorcycle club whose mission to do good deeds. This run was to benefit the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.
...The weather was a little overcast and cool, but the name of the run has nothing to do with the weather. The ride is in memory of William Walsh also known as "Chilly Billy." Walsh was one of the founders of Rip City Riders.

...The ride started at our local Harley Davidson dealer and went to the town of Windsor. The next leg was a long loop through Callisotga, St. Helena and back through Santa Rosa. The leg ended in the City of Sonoma, on the square at Steiner's Bar.

...The run ended in Penngrove City Park. Where there was a small car and bike show, also food and music. They raffled of a new Dyna, but I had no luck. A lot of people showed up for the run, the Rip City Riders raised a lot of money for the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation. Everybody had a great time, what's better than that?

The Ride Home

2009-10-01T21:11:00.001-07:00

When we left Reno on Friday afternoon, we headed south through Carson City. Just south of Carson City and just south of Hwy 50 West, we took Jack's Valley Rd.. Jack's Valley runs right at the edge of the Mountains. It is a great road with the Sierras rising from the roadside.

...The road goes through the little town of Genoa and hits Hwy 207, the Kingsbury Grade at Mottsville. The Kingsbury grade is a great motorcycle road with sweeping curves and beautiful views of the valley. Hwy 207 reconnects with Hwy 50 at Lake Tahoe and we went west on 50 toward Sacramento.

...While we were stopped for a cold beverage and a break, I was checking the map for a way around Sacramento. We were going to be in Sacramento at about 6:00 PM, during the worst of the Friday Commute and Hwy 80 would not only be the usual crappy road, but would be jam packed and hotter that the hinges of hell. A good Samaritan, seeing that I was checking the map, asked if we were lost.

...When I told him that I was looking for a route around Sacramento and Hwy 80, he suggested taking the Prairie City exit and taking Grant Line Rd.. So we skipped Sacramento and Hwy 80 traffic jams and ended up taking Hwy 12 back through Rio Vista.

...We rode into a brilliant red sunset after a great days ride, what could be better.

Street Vibrations

2009-09-27T22:40:00.000-07:00

Street Vibrations started September 23 and ran through September 27th. Since I had not been to the event before, I had no idea what to expect. They closed Virginia Street, which is the main street, for about six blocks for vendors, food and music. There is also a convention center on the next block that had more vendors.

Marie has now been riding long enough that she knows where her bike could be improved. We visited the Progressive Suspension booth. A set of shocks and fork springs will probably be in store for her sportster.
...We also visited the Mustang Seat booth. They were very helpful and Marie was able to bring her bike into the booth and try on a solo seat with a back rest.

Unfortunately we had to be back by Saturday, so after checking out of our hotel on Friday we went over to the Reno Harley Dealer. Harley had their test ride program in full swing and there were lots of vendors and food.
...There was a great rat bike parked on the street, and I snapped a photo. The bike had an Illinois plate and we wondered if the guy had really ridden that far, I'll bet he probably did.

On the way out of town we passed hundreds of bikes heading to Reno for Saturday and Sunday. We had a great time and next year we will plan to stay longer.

The Ride to Street Vibrations

2009-09-27T21:16:00.001-07:00

...I have never been to Street Vibrations before. So we made reservations and headed to Reno. We took Hwy 88 over Carson Pass, the same route that we took to Laughlin in the Spring. The photos were taken at the same place, but the middle photo, the one with the snow, was taken in the spring on the run to Laughlin.

...Instead of going south over Monitor Pass, we stayed on Hwy 88 to Minden, Nevada and turned north on Hwy 395. We stopped in Carson City briefly, then arrived in Reno about 6:30 PM on Wednesday.

Garage Culture

2009-08-03T23:59:00.000-07:00

...I've been enjoying my garage more lately. I really like how the afternoon sun shines in the door and keeps the place warm. I like to work on a project or after I clean up I might just sit and read. My garage is really small, just a two car. I have to pull one of the cars out have any room to work at all. Still there is room for the two cars, two motorcycles, a bunch of tools and a lot of other stuff, if I keep everything fairly well organized.
..The thing I enjoy the most is when friends come by and sit awhile.

Sherri and Gary Leave for Stugis

2009-07-31T10:55:00.000-07:00

My friends Sherri and Gary are off to Sturgis. We rode with them over Ebbits Pass to Carson City where they caught Highway 50. The road over Ebbits Pass is Highway 4. Highway 4 is good road from where they close the road for the winter, near Lake Alpine to the turn off for Monitor Pass, but only about a lane and half wide. This means taking the far outside on blind curves, which is not a problem but still makes you jump when a car comes around the corner.

Marie and I took Highway 395 north to Reno then took Highway 80 home.

Blacked Out Rear Bumper

2009-07-29T16:22:00.000-07:00

I was washing the bike when I found that the rear bumper was broken. The piece was probably cracked a couple of years ago when I was hit from behind while sitting a stoplight by a homeless cranker. He had been living in his car and had deferred out the brake maintenance in favor of his favorite recreational substance. No license, no brakes, no insurance, no problem.

After the crash, I replaced the rear fender and a few other parts but not the rear bumper. When I found the bumper had finally broken, I called my local HD dealer and ordered the part. The part was $117 and would arrive in about 5 days.

The next day Marie and I were going for a little ride with our friends, Gary and Sherri, so I decided to weld it up. Here you see the results. I did a little grinding on the welds, primered and painted and voila.

I like the look so well that I canceled the order on the new chrome piece.

How to - Electra Glilde Rear Brake

2009-07-22T13:59:00.000-07:00

...I have not replaced the rear brake pads myself before. I hope this helps someone to take on the job and save a little money. It's really easy, so welcome to my garage and lets do a rear brake pad replacement on my '04 Electra Glide Standard.
First take off the right side saddlebag. Then, using a 1/4 in 12 point socket, loosen the two pad pins, but don't take them out.
Also take the cap off the rear master cylinder, which is located near the rear brake pedal. Use a phillips screwdriver.

Using a putty knife push the inner pistons back. Watch out that Master cylinder do does not overflow. (The photo shows the outside pistons being pushed back.)

Pull out the two pad pins until the rear pad falls out and put the new one in. Push the pad pins back in and pump the brake. The reason for doing one side at a time is to keep the anti-rattle spring from falling out.

Use the puddy knife and push the outside pistons back and while making sure the inside pads stay in place, pull the pad pins, drop out the old outside pad and slide in the new pad. Put the pad pins back in and torque them to 190 in lbs.. Put the master cylinder cap back on and you are done.

Famous Road Signs

2009-07-17T16:31:00.000-07:00

There are a lot of famous road signs. This particular road sign is just south of Monterey on California's Hwy 1. I've seen this road sign on motorcycle sites all over the Internet, it promises 74 miles of the twisty roads motorcyclists love, but for those of you who are curious, here's a side you may not have seen. I do this as a public service.

Street Fighter

2009-07-16T13:46:00.000-07:00

.....While my friend Scott and I were out wandering around, when we met this guy with his old Triumph Street Fighter.
.....We were heading south on Skyline Drive which is a great road along the ridge of the Santa Cruz Mountains. On Skyline Drive you see hot rods and sports cars but mostly motorcycles, all kinds of motorcycles. Alice's is a good place to stop for a cold drink and a bite to eat, but mostly it is a great place to spot cool motorcycles.
.....This guy says his bike is a lot of work to keep running but it is obvious that he is proud of his vision of what a motorcycle should be.

The Really Big Noise During the Night

2009-06-02T16:19:00.000-07:00

Last night about 2:30 AM, I heard an engine at high rev's then within about a second I heard a crash.

This morning when I went out front there was a really long oil slick, with expensive looking aluminium ground into the pavement.

Then I saw a 2005 Suzuki GSX-R in front of my neighbors house. It was a little ground down on the left side. I talked to the bike's owner, who had just bought the bike, and let an acquaintance ride it. The guy crashed just out of the driveway and slid the bike on its side for the next 94 ft.. The frame was bent and the bike totaled.

Education is always expensive.

BMW R1200C

2009-05-25T01:26:00.000-07:00

I love strange and unusual motorcycles. I think this BMW qualifies. These photos are of two R1200C Montana's. BMW built the R1200C's from 1997 to 2000. They built about 40,000 R1200C motorcycles.
BMW called the front suspension Telelever, which is also called Saxon-Motodd.
The bike has some interesting parts like a tubular single sided swing arm that houses the drive shaft. Brembo brakes with anti-lock. All the good stuff wrapped in a very unusual motorcycle designed as a "cruiser" style with forward foot pegs and high handlebars.
I look at this bike over and over and still cant figure it.

Moto Gussi V50 Mk2

2009-05-14T22:55:00.000-07:00

I saw this Moto Guzzi in the Town of Sonoma the other day. It's a strange thing but I see a lot of interesting bikes in Sonoma. This bike is a V50 Mk 2, which I think was made between 1979 and 1981.
This bike spoke to me from the first instant that I saw it. What it said is that with some cleaning, polishing and a little paint it would be a very cool motorcycle.