California Mid-Coast Rally

[3Phase]

A Slideshow!


Everything is looking rosey for the rally!

Starring:

3Phase and his indefatigable XS1100G!
BlkMage and his classic XS1100... Katana 600!
DiverRay with Planedick's XS1100SF!
E.Liberty and the most intransigent, indestructable XS1100SF!


As always, my bike Columbo asked for, "Just one more thing!" before the ride.
No matter, the broken ignition switch hot wire connection and a torn horn connector were easily spliced and soldered in the parking lot at the motel.

E.Liberty has no second gear on his SF but he had no problem leading the entire ride with just four gears.



We started the ride after breakfast in Scott's Valley and went up to Big Basin, then up and along the ridge to Alice's Restaurant.

View east from the ridge overlooking the San Fransisco Bay


Alice's Restaurant



After some drinks and snacks we rode down the mountains to the Pacific Coast Highway and stopped at the
Pigeon Point Lighthouse



The next stop was back in Santa Cruz where we took the pause that refreshes at
a local brew pub


A pleasant surprise at the winery just across the way from the pub was seeing an old
Indian and a Vespa sharing a cosy nook in between casks of wine


After the ride, E.Liberty and Gypsy were fantastic hosts.
Thank you, both of you!

The next day everyone met in Soquel for breakfast, then went over to DiverRay's house and we said our farewells.
BlkMage went back to Nevada and I got to ride an XS11 in fine fettle down PCH from Carmel to San Luis Obispo.

I, uh, sort of forgot to take any pictures during the ride down PCH so I took one of the
sun setting on a church in San Luis Obispo


After getting fuel and checking the milage I discovered I had only obtained 36 MPG riding from Carmel to SLO.
This was down significantly from 38 MPG the day before on the ridge ride. Oh well!

I had a lot of fun. We have to do this again!


Regards,

Scott

I don't know, maybe it was the roses

[Jerry]

Thanks...

...for the photos. Nice to view when you have met some of the people. I hopwe to make it next year, if there is an event in the works!

[Wildkat]

Great pics!

I love the lighthouse shot... but all of them were super...

Really makes me miss that area that much more... and to be able to ride it? I'm envious...


Sounds like a good time was had by all...

[Special Ed]

The Central Coast Rally was a huge success. Well, that is to say it was a very successful small rally. Besides Ray and I, only two other riders showed up: but what we lacked in numbers was made up in miles ridden to get here! James, AKA Blkmdg, rode down from Reno on a newfangled 600 Yamaha, but we let him ride with us anyway. After all it was an air-cooled transverse four cylinder double overhead-cam built by Yamaha. And it only had two wheels, so... Scot, AKA 3phase, lives in Simi Valley in Southern California, but actually rode from Arizona to get here! Seems he went there to help a friend put an engine in a truck, then rode up here for the rally. The dude has sole!

We met Sunday morning at the Scots Valley Diner: chosen for it's location and the fact that it needs the business, and wasn't likely to have a long wait to get a table, like the more popular restaurants on a holiday.

I had the pleasure of playing "Fearless Leader" and Ray rode "tail," with James and Scot stuck in between. We took them on back roads through "Cops Valley" (AKA Scots Valley,) over to Hwy. 9 and up through Ben Lomond, Brookdale, and my current home, Boulder Creek. All the time I regretted not being able to point out all the local "Points of Interest," such as the historic restored "Cathouse," or the small but important ecological preserve along the way, or the infamous Brookdale Lodge. We went up 236, AKA Big Basin Way, to the Big Basin Visitors Center, where we stopped for a 15 minute "smoke break." Although Scot was the only smoker, all we could find were 15 minute parking spots since it was a very busy day at the Park, and all the longer parking spots were taken.. This , by the way, is the oldest State Park in California. The visitors Center features a section of a Redwood tree with points on the growth rings that go back to 500 years pre-B.C.

The road in was a breeze, but the road out was a bit of an adventure: 1.5 lanes, no center stripe, and I earned my title of "Fearless Leader," since I was the first bike that oncoming cars encountered as they came around the narrow curves, preparing them for the riders who followed!

After we got back onto Why 9, we were treated to 45 to 60 MPH curves for 6 to 7 miles until we stopped at the intersection of Hwy 9 and Hwy 35, AKA Skyline Drive. There is a rest stop here that is a popular biker stop in it's own right, but being the Fearless Leader, I decided that we simply couldn't take in all that this area had to offer and opted to continue on, onward to Alice"s Restaurant! There was a "Look Out" pull off about halfway up Skyline Drive where we pulled off. Ray entertained us by pointing out things like the Moffett Field zeppelin hanger, the San Jose Air Port, and "over there is Hayward, where MRO lives." When I got home I found a message on my cell phone from MRO wondering where we were and what we were doing. What a bummer. If you had called before 10:00 MRO, we could have met up at Alice's! On we road to Alice's, meeting along the way many sportbike riders apparently trying out for the Century Club. Once there we actually managed to find a table among the many riders on all makes new and old who make this a destination, or stop, on any weekend. The burgers are all named after different makes of bikes. We were unanimous in our opinion that we didn't care for the "Yamaha" burger: it was one of two that had chicken for the meat. Was this some kinda message? You callin' us "chicken" Alice? We passed on food:after all it had only been two hours since brunch.

We departed from Alice's and charged down Hwy. 84 through La Honda and its infamous biker bar (the name of which escapes me at the moment,) a very pleasant 2 lane black-top with swooping 45 to 60 mph curves. Instead of continuing to Hwy 101, we turned off just past La Honda and got on Piscadero Rd., which we took to 101..It was just a short jog down 101 to the Pidgeon Point Lighthouse where we stopped to visit the little museum and puruse the daguerreotype photos. It was very blustery, with 25 to 30 mph gust, but refreshingly cool. I had to add a layer of gear to stay comfortable. By this time it was about 4:00, we hadn't eaten since brunch, so it was decided to skip a part of the ride and jam down 101 into Santa Cruz. There was one little side trip that we were agreed we could make.

Bam! Down 101 at 75 mph more or less, (mostly more,) past a beach where the kite boarders were having fun. These are the water version of the sport-biker knee dragging squid's! We turned off on "Swanton Road," a little side road that more or less parallels Hwy. 1 for some 10 miles or so. It is a simi private road that runs through Swanton Ranch. It is an almost 2 lane road that looks smooth enough for the most part, but was in fact paved over a very marginal roadbed that allowed the Macadam to sink here and there into some most entertaining motocross like "whoop-de-dooes." Out on 101. At last, no curves! Straightline, 5000 RPM into Santa Cruz where we made a little side trip to visit the Santa Cruz Brewery tasting room. We took a ride along West Cliff Drive to view the ocean, surfers, and persons of ambiguous sexuality, and then headed for the Santa Cruz Diner for a welcome meal.
I was very dissappointed that the Central Valley riders, and the San Diego riders couldn't make it, but Ray and I are already plotting a ride for October. Your suggestions are welcomed. Stay tuned!
E.Liberty
P.S Man. Scot, yer fast! I didn't even know you were taking pictures but I am so very glad you did! Any time, mi casa, su casa!

[BlkMage]

Such a great ride...thanks Scott for the pics, will be forwarding a link to my girlfriend ASAP. And Ed, I really hate to do this, but the Kat isn't Yamaha, it's a Suzuki.

And of course, kudos to Ray for being an awesome host and letting me borrow a net for the ride home. It REALLY helped.

And once I get those new bags in this Thursday, I'll be more than ready for another ride! Here's to hoping I'll be back down in October.

[Wayne]

Nice picts. Thanks for sharin' Scott.
Looks like an awsome time.

Cheers,

[Special Ed]

adendum

Hey James, you should feel flatered that I mistook yer bike fera Yamaha! Otherwise, Scot's post proves the saying: "brevity is the sole of wit" Next time, fewer words, more pictures! Maybe by then I'll have a newer computer that will alow me to down load my pics straight into my computer so that I can post them faster. I forgot to mention one of the highlights of the ride. One can hardly ride 10 miles around here without passing through a unique mini-ecosystem: a fact that even 40 years away from the Great Plains of West Texas still amuses me.!
E.Liberty

[3Phase]

Thank you, Kat, and Wayne! Man, I need to move or quite leaving town for so long!

BlkMage, it was good to meet you and maybe we can go riding next time I'm out in Las Vegas if I can pry you away from aggregating that aggravating aggregate.

Jerry, you were missed along with Soccer4m, MTD (Motorcycle Test Dummy), Reffi, LoHo, MRO and the rest.

DiverRay, I thought you had a '79 SF, not an F! Anyway, it was good to see you and your family again and I'm getting back to work on that idea for the amp boost for stock XS charging systems. Oh, and congrats again on your Midnight Special!

Ed, you wrote a much better ride report than I could ever have hoped to write. You and Ray know the area far better than I, even though I used to live in Salinas (yet another microclimate!). I still have the route maps you printed for us but, honestly, I was lost two stop signs after leaving Scott's Valley!


Since getting back it's been non-stop catchup:
Unpack bike
Order new rear tire from dealer! (arrives next week...)
Adjust clutch
Change oil and filter
Install new irridium spark plugs
Donate blood
Fix buddy's brakes on his Toyota Tacoma
Rearrange boxes in attic and under stairs
Take out trash, recycleables and yard waste
Mow lawn
Newly-repaired mower blows piston and spits rings and oil and smoke all over lawn
Find Sears mower warranty paperwork again
Clean 'fridge and fix water dispenser before going to Sears
Someone steals blown-up mower from driveway
Read backlog of snail mail
Discover bike insurance was cancelled Aug 31st because agent forgot to send his copy of paperwork
D.M.V. says bike registration due next month
Notice stating T.V. set dropped off for repair is repaired
Go to lawnmower shop to get new mower
Go to insurance agent and have insurance reinstated
Go to D.M.V. and register bike for next year
Go to pick up T.V.
Wait while shop trys to find where they stashed my T.V.
Stop by buddy's place and look through piles of stuff for a missing spare rack of carbs for his CB900
Put new tag on my bike
Catch up on e-mail, newsgroups, and websites
Now it's time to go pick all of the ripe grapes and figs in the back yard.

I should have just stayed in Santa Cruz! <laughing> At least I can say: BTDTGTTS!






Regards,

Scott

[DiverRay]

Hi All!!,
I'm just going to post a few pictures from MY camera. Not much to say, as I live and RIDE in paradise, and the pictures will prove it!!
Here is Waddell Creek, a well known spot for the "kite boarders"
[IMG][/IMG]
The view from Highway 35, Skyline Road.
[IMG][/IMG]
Three of the wild foursome!!!
[IMG][/IMG]
E.Liberty and BlkMadge, AKA James, "the kid"
[IMG][/IMG]

[BlkMage]

Re: adendum

Originally posted by E.Liberty
Maybe by then I'll have a newer computer that will alow me to down load my pics straight into my computer so that I can post them faster.

And maybe by then I'll actually HAVE a camera. Kinda sounds strange coming from such a nerd...

Originally posted by E.Liberty
you should feel flatered that I mistook yer bike fera Yamaha!

Never said I wasn't. But when the choice is between the Katana and the R6 (us kids and our darn new-fangled bikes...), I'd take the Katana anytime. More comfortable for the 300 mile ride down there and looks better with my new saddlebags mounted.

And speaking of, since I have those now, next time we meet you can have your net back Ray. Thanks again for it!

[Pat Kelly]

I was almost there (Monday). I delivered at 4:00am in Oakland then headed north on 101 to Ronhert Park. Holiday with almost no traffic. A nice drive even on 18 wheels instead of 2.