Mount Veeder Road

.....The weather has improved since I rode Cavedale Rd., surprise, surprise, the killer storm did not happen and the drought has not yet evaporated all the lakes and streams in Northern California. I promised that I would get to Napa and ride the Mt. Veeder Rd.
.....Marie and I started by heading to the town of Sonoma for breakfast. Then we went over Trinity Rd. toward the City of Napa. The photo is at the turn off for the Mt. Veeder Rd.. I found the road smoother and wider than Cavedale Rd., and a very beautiful ride. The road does not follow the ridge as much but follows a clear stream.







The road drops into Napa where we caught the Silverado Trail and rode through the Napa Valley Wine Country to the town of Calistoga. After lunch in Calistoga, we went back toward Napa and at Saint Helena turn west on Spring Mountain Hwy.
.....The round trip was about 125 miles, it was a beautiful day and great ride.

The M Gene

There is a family in England known as the KE family, they have a language problem. Most of the family cannot speak, scientists say the impairment is genetic. The human genome has been mapped, so the specific genetic abnormality can be found by comparing DNA from the KE family to the map of the human genome. Find the gene that's different and bingo, there's the faulty gene, which the guys with the lab coat gene named FOXP2. It seems that the FOXP2 gene allows connections in the brain that make language.
.....You see where I'm going, the motorcycle gene, it has got to be there. It's hiding in the human genome like thousands, maybe millions of traits and connections. So how would we find it? We could apply for a grant, get some of those guys with the lab coat gene and do a study. Its really simple, get some people who could care less about motorcycles and compare their genes with those who eat, breath and live motorcycles. We could easily locate the motorcycle gene, but why bother?
.....The problem is that here we are with our oversize brains, thinking we are in control of ourselves, we think we will just figure it out and make it work. Most people believe that they could play the violin if they just put their minds to it, but you probably need the violin gene. It turns out that who you are, what you can or can't do, is written in your genes. Without the gene your brain doesn't make the connections. It seems that we couldn't even talk unless it is in our genes.
.....So if you have the motorcycle gene or even enjoy motorcycles, you probably have the M gene and your brain is happily making connections.

Cavedale Road Ride

It has been raining nearly every day. The news has been reporting on mudslides, drownings and assorted liquid mayhem all the while telling us that we are in a terrible drought. So when we had a break between severe thirst and drowning, I took off. Aimless as usual, I had lunch in Santa Rosa and headed east on Hwy 12 toward Sonoma.

When I came to Trinity Road, I decided to take the windy road over the mountain to the Napa Valley. Near the top of the grade I saw Cavedale Road and the sign that said, "Winding one lane road next 7 miles." Now we're talking my language. Finding a new road practically in your backyard is too good to be true, but true it is! This turned out to be one of the most beautiful and interesting rides in Sonoma County. .
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I started down the road not knowing where it would come out. The road actually loops back onto Hwy 12, but along the way there are great views of the Sonoma Valley and San Francisco Bay. I've seen The Bay from a lot of places but this was a very unique angle. Along the way I passed a hole in the side of the road, maybe the cave of Cavedale? At the end of the road there is a plaque giving the names of people who donated to get the road built in 1915.

















While doing some research on Cavedale Road I found some local lore that there was a high class brothel high up in the canyon and money was raised to pave the road to the resort. I also learned about another back country road that is nearby called Veeder Mountain Road, which I plan to ride soon, that is if this killer storm gets over before the drought.

Tour of California, 2009

My daughter Lee and I went to watch the 2009 Amgen Tour of California. The day was dark and very rainy and we stopped on a hill just outside of Calistoga to watch the race. There were some nice motorcycles, mostly BMW's. The California Highway Patrol, on their big BMW's, roared around, closing the road for the racers. There were lots of camera crews riding two up with odd antennas attached. I didn't see any Harley Davidsons. The Beemers are really quiet, I think that the whole event would have been well served to hear some Harleys. Race Marshals were riding various motorcycles making sure all the rules were being followed. I saw a KTM and an Aprilia but mostly the ubiquitous BMW's,

I also saw some bicycles.

Ducati Monster, '07 vs '09

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2009











I saw a new 2009 Ducati Monster at the dealer and was somewhat disappointed. What Ducati did was move everything out of sight. That big radiator, gone, the cool oil cooler, gone!

I'm sure the '09 Duc has these things and there is some evidence that they exist. I suspect the radiator(s) reside in the little black plastic box that is located just below the red trellis portion of the frame.

This bike was a "naked" bike, that means that nothing was hidden behind body work. By hiding all the components Ducati has made a different bike and to my mind, not as attractive.

Carquinez Strait

I took a little ride to San Pablo to have lunch with an old friend. The weather was fine and cool and I left early, so I would have a little time to take a little ride around, maybe have a look see.

The Carquinez Strait is the final part of the Sacramento River where it flows into San Francisco Bay. There are two bridges on Hwy 80 that cross the Sacramento near the town of Crockett. The new suspension bridge, the Al Zampa Memorial Bridge, carries southbound traffic and the older steel truss bridge handles northbound traffic.

I got off the freeway and took a photo at the C&H sugar plant which is just up stream of the bridges. I rode though the town of Crockett, keeping as near the river and in the industrial area as much as possible.

I happened onto a road called Carquinez Scenic Drive. I don't think I saw another car on the road. I rode down to a sleepy little town called Port Costa, then along the scenic drive to Hwy 4. I stayed on Hwy 4 until it crosses Hwy 80 and becomes San Pablo Ave.

It was good to see my old friend, we had a late lunch and talked till dark. It was a cold ride home but I didn't stop to put on warmer clothes. It was one of those times when the cold felt invigorating.

My Uncle Jack's Side Hack

The photo of the Moto Guzzi in the previous post reminded me of my Uncle Jack. My Uncle Jack lives in Fresno. In the late 60's, early 70's, we used to ride dirt bikes. I had the DT1, 250cc Enduro, my Dad had the AT1, 125cc Enduro and my brother had his Yamaha Trailmaster 100. Jack had a Yamaha 175 Enduro and a couple of Yamaha 90's, which had the gold gas tank just like the DT1.

Jack also had a Moto Guzzi, which I never saw, but I certainly heard about. I suspect it was an Eldorado model, which were made from 1971 to 1974. Jack and his wife Shirley had a terrible accident on the 'Guzzi. They had a front tire blow out. Jack struggled for control, but hit a telephone pole. Jack was hurt but Shirley was hurt worse. They survived but Shirley still suffers.

On a visit in 2002, Jack was just about to sell the side hack thats in the photos. I think it was very cool so when I ran across the photos, I had to show them. I've also got some old film photos of us all riding the dirt bikes, I'll scan them soon and get them onto the blog.

Two Cool Bikes

Here are two very cool bikes I saw in Sonoma this morning. The first if a 850 Eldorado, Moto Guzzi. These were made between 1971 and 1974. The second bike is a Harley Davidson Sportster with a side car.

Ray’s Motorcycle Diary Anniversary

This is the one year anniversary of this blog. When I first started this blog I envisioned it as a real diary. I thought I would write about every time I got on a motorcycle. That idea cooled quickly. I found that I wanted to write about special rides and ideas.
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Riding a motorcycle changes your perception. Motion, time, distances are all subtly altered. Riding a motorcycle lets the rider experience the world in a way that is very different, sometimes mystical and ethereal, sometimes just fun transportation.
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I haven’t had anyone give feedback for some time. I hope someone is reading this blog out there. I would appreciate some help with ideas to make the blog better, so please give some feedback. I hope that if you do read my blog you have enjoyed what I have written.

You can email me at radford@pacbell.net

Summer in January

This week the weather had been warmer so when Greg said he had business in the town of Martinez, the Contra Costa County Seat, we decided to ride the bikes. Greg would have taken the Ducati but a flat tire put the Duc out of commission. Greg rode his 1973 BMW 75/5. This bike is a classic and runs like a top.
The weather was so warm and beautiful that Greg called it, "Summer in January."













We pulled into Martinez and parked near the court house. Near where we parked was the car pictured. It is clear from the perforations in the sheet metal around the front tire, that the driver was unable to stop, perhaps his brakes had failed. Lucky for him, someone, possibly a helpful peace officer, assisted by shooting out the tire.
Anyway it was a great ride. Martinez is intriguingly different. It's an industrial area on the Sacramento River and the location of huge oil refineries. I'll get back to the area and take more pictures.

La Mediterranee

We finally got some nice weather. At night it is still freezing but during the day it was warmer and clear. Marie and I decided to go for a short ride on my bide. We thought we would take a ride, perhaps to Sonoma for coffee or Novato for a salad.

After some thought we decide to go to La Mediterranee in Berkeley. I have been going to this restaurant for close to thirty years and it hasn't changed much in all that time. La Mediterranee has middle eastern food. I like Chicken Calicia, shredded chicken with almonds , chick peas, currants and cinnamon and wrapped in philo dough. Its served with hummus and salad with feta cheese.
We started out on a short ride and ended up taking a long ride. We got home late and it was cold, but we had great food, a good day.

Looking Into the New Year

I like sitting by the door at Ernie's and watching the sunset.

Merry Christmas

...and on earth peace, goodwill toward men.

Cold Night in Bridgeport

This morning I was out in the cold. It was 27 degrees Fahrenheit and I was in a nice warm car. I was turning from Petaluma Hill Road onto East Cotati Ave., on my way for a hot cup of coffee. That’s when I saw a guy on an Electra Glide heading in the other direction. I knew he was cold and I began to reflect on times when I have been riding in the cold.
The attached photo is in Bridgeport, California. Bridgeport is on Hwy 395, which runs through some of the most beautiful and wild territory these United States. It’s harsh country and sparsely populated.

My friend Greg and I arrived about midnight and the temperature was in the high twenties. As you can see from the photo I did not have a very warm jacket and you can tell from the color of my nose that I am cold.

Oddly enough this photo was taken outside of a bar.

San Quentin Toy Run, The Little Girl

As we walked to the toy drop off, I saw her; she was about four or five years old. She saw the box I was carrying, which had a princess outfit in it. I can still see the look on her face, she imagined herself a princess wearing the shimmery dress and the tiara and shoes with diamonds and rubies. She imagined herself special and wonderful.
Her mother saw this too and knew that she would not be a princess. Her mother knew that her daughter’s life would be very different than the dreams of a little girl. Her mother picked her up and turned her away to distract her from the coming disappointment.
I was supposed to take the presents to the community center where the presents would be distributed to the children. So I did not walk over to the little girl and give it to her. I didn’t think fast enough. I didn’t think well enough and the opportunity was gone. Why didn’t I just walk over and say, “This is for you.”

Waking Up the Sleepy Twin Cam

I just finished an installation of S&S Cycles’ gear drive cam shafts on my 2004 Electra Glide Standard. So far I am highly pleased with the results. The engine which was a little sleepy has had a wakeup call. Acceleration is up and the exhaust note is much crisper.
Harley Davidson’s Twin Cam engine was introduced for the 1999 model year. As the name implies, the engine has two cams with two lobes each, the earlier Evolution engine has a single cam with four lobes.
The Twin Cam engine uses chains to drive the cams. Think bicycle chain, on a bicycle the chain droops and when you start to pedal, the chain snaps tight. The action is the same on the chains driving the cams, so Harley Davidson added little nylon pads that are spring loaded and push on the chains to keep them taunt. This system is not the best for accurate cam timing.
The tensioner pads are also a weak point in the system. The nylon pads wear as the chains run over them and it is nearly impossible to tell how much they are worn without pulling the engine apart. Allowing the tensioner to wear out means metal on metal contact and metal particles inside the engine, not good.
S&S Cycle manufactures a gear drive replacement for Harley Davidson’s Twin Cam engines. The gear drive replacement provides increased performance by more precise cam timing and by eliminating much of the parasitic drag that is part and parcel of the old chain system.
The replacement cams, which because they are gear driven run backwards as compared to chain driven cams, are ground with a slightly higher lift and longer duration. This appears to me to move torque further up in the RPM band where it is most appreciated. With increased performance and no worries about tension pad debris or metal shavings contaminating the oil, I think this was money well spent.

Harley Davidson should have done gear drive cams in the first place.

More Hatt's Toy Run

We left the 881, and headed for San Quentin where we dropped off our toys.

Then we headed west to the Woodacre and the Papermill Creek Saloon.

As the fog receeded we arrived in Point Reyes Station.

We ended at The Viking in Novato. Barbeque, music, cold beer. We partied till late, the fog was rolling back in and it was getting cold. We bundled up, defrosted our glasses and headed for home.