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A Ride Up, A Ride Down

Godfrey

High Miler
GT Famiglia
Joined
Oct 1, 2017
Messages
869
Location
San Francisco Bay Area
{Okay, smooth. No freak outs. No mistakes. Use the throttle, use the throttle, hands off the brakes. You want to be THERE, turn HERE NOW, let the corner carry you throught, AGAIN, AGAIN... Ah, that's it. Just keep ready. Touch the rear brake, power up. SMooth, smoother, ah again, shift up, roll it on, shift down, let the engine braking slow you just enough ... power on, smooth SMOOTH. Yeah, that's the way ... OOPS, dumb: reach OVER the brake lever with the whole hand. Never mind, just keep going. SMOOTH, revs up, revs down, squeeze the throttle...}

I took Racer on my old Sunday Morning Ride ... up through Los Gatos onto Hwy 9, up the wigglies to Skyline, along Skyline to Alice's. Somewhere around Redwood Gulch on the way, the low fuel light came on. I love the feature on this bike that when low fuel comes on, the odometer switches automatically to a TRIP FUEL gauge and starts informing you how far you've gone since the nominal low fuel point. I know there's another gallon and some in the tank at that point, so I know I have about 40-45 miles before he'll run dry.

I also knew from long experience that from that point to Alice's Restaurant (and a gas pump) is somewhere around 17-18 miles so there was nothing to worry about. :)

Today's ride was concentrating not on being fast but on being smooth. Uphill wigglies are different and easier to be smooth on than downhill wigglies, for me anyway. So I wasn't looking to go outrageous speeds, just to maintain consistent, clean, smooth speed at whatever was comfortable. Relearn how to use the throttle ... remember how to keep the revs up where the engine is useful in both directions, power through corners, etc. It went well going up, and I maintained the same modest pace and idea all the way down Skyline to
Alice's. 17.8 miles since low fuel warning, no sweat. Top up the tank, take a few photos of Racer, across the street and park. Nice Norton Burger, and I shard the table with another older guy—nice conversation.


Light L16
ISO 100 @ f/15 @ 1/340 @ 52mm

And then home: Down 84 from the top is tight and twisty all the way to Woodside. There were a bunch of cars behind me as I started ...

{Don't think of the cars or bikes behind you. SMOOTH, keep the revs up, roll the throttle on, roll the throttle off, TURN HARD HERE, carry it through, flip to the other side, power on... }

Over and over again through the wonderful wigglies, down the hill. No tension in my arms, just light control on the bars. Racer performs this dance beautifully, sensuously: the engine management system is just right and responds to all my inputs with consistent, easy, linear changes as I turn the throttle. It'll lean far further than I'm brave enough to push it just yet.

I pass the Portola Valley Road turn off and glance in my mirrors. Hmm. Where did all those cars go? Just before I go out of sight, I see the one that was right behind me come round the corner. Wow ... Was I really going that fast? I thought I was crawling. Doesn't matter.

Through Woodside, south on 280, and I let Racer spin up to 6000+ through second, third, fourth, then a little less in fifth, then to 4200 in sixth. 80-82 mph. Jeez, and this is supposed to be a slow bike? Maybe it is, but it's fast enough for me—and it sounds so amazing when you rev it out! Shades of the LeMans V but more a baritone than a deep bass. Cruise settles in at 70-75 with traffic all the way back down to Hwy 85, then head north to Sunnyvale and stop to buy a couple of little bits at the Ducati dealer (cable stays ... the Scrambler had nice cable stays on the handlebars and I need a couple for another use). Then wiggle around to Central Expwy and thence home.

Satori. 75 miles, a nice little wiggle and some highway blasting. Lovely day. Happy.

I changed, pulled out the bicycle, and headed off for coffee in downtown San Jose. I should head home now, the sun is going down. :)

G

No matter where you go, go there on a Guzzi.
 
Sounds like a pleasant ride. I wish I could do the same but unfortunately that won't happen for another 3 months or so. -24 degrees C here.
 
I'm with Raven on both points, tho, as I'm a bit to the south, I'll get out some sooner.

Oh, and my reports generally have that "shift" word sprinkled a bit with fewer "f's" in them as I scream in my helmet from theory meeting reality. :rofl:

The vehicles I don't even try to shake on back roads here are ancient Dodge Neons -- the W.V. Official Sate People's Car -- often with a space-saver tire, and driven by madmen (or madwomen) smoking on cigs and jabbering (illegally) on cell phones (... they obviously don't have Verizon).

Seriously, I have learned never to challenge locals on roads they have driven on since they were15 (or earlier ;)). What their cars lack in skid-pad performance, they make up for with experience and (almost) enviable abandon. Add empty W.V. school busses at end of run to that list. :whew:

Seriously, envy you in that ride. Helps get me through the winter.

I spent my day cleaning up the house -- Kathi's been gone but a day or so, and it's already shamefully messy -- and in the Moto Grappa just putzing and taking off Norge's wheels for reshoeing. Sure hope no earth tremors. :eek:

UNADJUSTEDNONRAW thumb 5a2f

Best,

Bill
 
I'm with Raven on both points, tho, as I'm a bit to the south, I'll get out some sooner.

Oh, and my reports generally have that "shift" word sprinkled a bit with fewer "f's" in them as I scream in my helmet from theory meeting reality. :rofl:

The vehicles I don't even try to shake on back roads here are ancient Dodge Neons -- the W.V. Official Sate People's Car -- often with a space-saver tire, and driven by madmen (or madwomen) smoking on cigs and jabbering (illegally) on cell phones (... they obviously don't have Verizon).

Seriously, I have learned never to challenge locals on roads they have driven on since they were15 (or earlier ;)). What their cars lack in skid-pad performance, they make up for with experience and (almost) enviable abandon. Add empty W.V. school busses at end of run to that list. :whew:

Seriously, envy you in that ride. Helps get me through the winter.

I spent my day cleaning up the house -- Kathi's been gone but a day or so, and it's already shamefully messy -- and in the Moto Grappa just putzing and taking off Norge's wheels for reshoeing. Sure hope no earth tremors. :eek:

View attachment 14245

Best,

Bill
No booze bottles yet?
 
Funny thing, I was out on my Racer too, our routes overlapped.

Here is a pic of these local roads:
Racer in Redwoods


I am almost at 300 miles on mine. And 10 day forecast is sunny and highs in the 70s!
 
Great!
You picked up your Racer at just the right time... The weather has been superb for riding! :D

If I didn't also have the commitment to do 10-15 miles per day on the bicycle, and all the other stuff I'm booked for, I'd be putting a lot more miles on Racer. But ... such is life and time. Every moment is good.

onwards!
 
Already, that's it.

One more post about weather out there, and I'll hire a Samoan marksman to mash you flat. :mask:

Here's my tomorrow:

Screen Shot 2018 02 03 at 171829

At least I can putz in the Moto Grappa with -- to ease the pain of what's happening outside -- some some corn that escaped becoming ethanol. :clap:

UNADJUSTEDNONRAW thumb 4fec

Bill
 
Already, that's it.

One more post about weather out there, and I'll hire a Samoan marksman to mash you flat. :mask:

...

hmm. I'll have to call my friend Joanne. She's a marksman and teaches the USGS-approved courses, sponsored by the US Dept of Parks and Recreation, for field researchers on self-protection in wilderness environments. She's wickedly, deadly accurate with a rifle... :D

I'd like to tell you just how lovely a day it is here today, but that will probably distress you so I'll not mention it.
 
Whew, kind of hot on my ride up to Lick Observatory today ...

Perhaps.

Mais la vengeance est un met que l'on doit manger froid.

:giggle:

Seriously, hard not to envy you all out there.

I'll likely not get a ride in this month, but, in March, if a warm day follows a rain hard enough to wash the brine, cinders, and worse off the roads here, I'll try. Interestingly, such brief warm spells usually get smacked into submission by the heaviest snowfalls, sometimes even in early April.

But then, sweet spring. In the meantime, I'll get mine ready for the road with tightened fasteners, fresh fluids, tires, etc.

Life is good.

Bill
 
that lift looks much more substantial than a Harbor freight lift. Is it? I don't mind the price difference but the freight is a killer on it.

Not if you send your spousal unit over in the truck to pick it up. :inlove:

Seriously, there is (well, was) a dealer in Greer, S.C., when I got mine (while still living in Georgia. Surprised not one now near you in Atlanta or Arizona.

Kathi was a sweetheart and went over to get it. WAY cheaper than freight ... well, except in the IOU. :giggle::makeup:

Bill

P.S. Going down in a few mins to see if I can reinstall the rear wheel without having Norge do an Olympic class 203C. :cry:
 
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