| Author | Message | ||
     Ferris |
just got down outta the mountains, and tomorrow is screwed. can't think of a better way to put it. it's snow mixed with heavy rain here at Lake Isabella, at 2500 feet; at 4000 feet there's snow on the sides of the road; at 6000 feet there's two inches of snow on the road; and the Western Divide Highway tops out at 7200 feet. oh, and it's STILL snowing up there. hard. didn't make it up to Sequoia/Kings Canyon (couldn't), but i bet it's even worse up there. damn it................... FB  | ||
| Jima4media |
Thankfully, the Cali Riders missed the bad weather today in the central valley and the mountains of northern California. Three tornadoes in the central valley. Along with sleet, hail, rain, rain and more cold rain. Did I mention the snow? Weather Radar shows much improved conditions for the rest of the week. Great riding weather. I hope to join you guys outside of Yosemite. Jim Armstrong X-2.5 | ||
| Ferris |
Snow, ice, and freezing rain forced major alterations to the ride yesterday, and entire sections of the preferred route -- including Lower Kern River Canyon, Upper Kern River Canyon, Mountain 99, Mountain 50, the Western Divide Highway, the Mighty 190, 155/Alta Sierra, and ALL of the Generals Highway thru Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks -- had to be bypassed in the interest of safety. in spite of this.......it was an forgettably glorious day of riding, with the greatest bunch of Hooligans anyone could ever hope to call friends! stay tuned... FB  | ||
| Ferris |
um, that's unforgettably...  (sorry, i'm still high from yesterday) | ||
| Toyracer |
Shooter and I will see you guys(and gals?) on the ride Saturday. We'll be headed the other direction! South from Eureka on 101 and then on 1 to Fort Brag. Will wave at all we see. And stop if we see others stopped. Have fun!  | ||
| Jima4media |
Modesto Buell Report - Great evening of Jambalaya, Camraderie, and Beer. Dyno shootout in the parking lot was a good time. Lots of pictures coming soon, including a nice looking chart of Reg Kittrell's Firebolt. BTW, Battle2Win will be going to press on Friday of this week. Jim X-2.5 | ||
| Rdrage |
Ferris, It was a GLORIOUS DAY!!! It was great riding with you and the rest of the group. My little mud bath put a damper on my morning but the rest of the day was AWESOME!!! Juan V. | ||
| Eeeeek |
Epic. EPIC!!!! Nothing quite like keeping hard on the rear tires of Ferris and FiremanJim. I'm back out the door for more! Type when I get back. Vik | ||
| Ferris |
RoadRage'r, glad your low-slide wasn't any worse than it was, and i am SO proud of how everyone banded together to get you and your bike back on the road. in fact, a memory of Tuesday that i'll always cherish is the camaraderie that we all shared throughout the day. most of us had never met one another before, and there are STILL people who signed up for my "guide" services that i don't know their names, but what an awesome group of individuals, thru thick and thin! Eeeeek'ster, it's been a LONG time since i've had so much fun on a scooter, and ripping up Deer Creek Road with FMJ, you, Cap'n America and the boys in tow was very nearly orgasmic. speaking of the patriotic X1, i hear the good Captain had a shunt of his own??? keep the reports coming as best you can, troops, i am STILL buzzin' from the other day FB | ||
| Ferris |
ps: i agree, Tuesday WAS epic! | ||
| Blake |
For a cut'n paste hampered friend...
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| Eeeeek |
Horse shit! Who said that? We were riding like idiots before we hooked up with Ferris. I'm in Oregon now relaxing at Snail's amazing place (320 wooded acres on the Oregon Coast). I'll be back in Sac on Tuesday. Vik | ||
| Ferris |
Vik, take my friend's e-mail to me above for what it is, light-hearted, wry humor aimed at bringing a smile to a fellow rider's face. i did not ask his permission to have Blake post it, which i SHOULD have, but i'm assuming he would have said yes. and at NO time, in my opinion, on Tuesday's Sierra assault did we ride like idiots. fast when appropriate, however? most certainly please say hi to Mr. and Mrs. Snail for me, they are great folks who do indeed live in a fairyland setting high on top of Mount Buellsa. ride to lean, FB | ||
| S3dave |
Hello Ferris, got home this morning..did the Eureka to Kelowna thing in one go..bike was running awesome and there are lots of expresso stands along the way. Mucho thanks for getting me started the right way on the whole CA adventure! I met some awesome people, made some new friends, saw the Roy Rogers museum and had the best motorcycle riding in my entire life. Day after day of great twistys, local guys showing us around, well organized event, good food at the dealers, great meal at the end, and on and on... I really regret missing the Tuesday ride w/ you, as you may have heard my Buell was in the shop Monday in Victorville (how weird). But I would have been at Denny's for 0600!!! Now that I know CA is only a day away I will have to try to hook up again. Oh yeah the side trip to Willow on Sat was GREAT!!! | ||
| Firemanjim |
S-3 Dave,what a man --all the way in one day!!Dave it was excellent meeting and riding with you.Have to do it again--maybe your direction.And Vik is way right,we actually rode slower with Ferris than we did the rest of our ride.Ferris was always on the lookout for everyone on that ride. | ||
| S3dave |
Hey FJM, I really think it was the expresso..BTW I love those S2's, had great time following Gordon around!! How much did you say you stole your new one for??? You bet about Ferris, he is the tour leader man!!!, looked after us well. I should get over to Dealy's in Van, or at least join their Brag group, we could probably put together a ride . Their are some fine ballet halls out here!!! | ||
| Ferris |
i am SO confused! after years of diligent practice and self-denial i earn a well-deserved rep for being the fast guy, now i got people telling me they slowed DOWN when i was calling the shots--SHEESH!!! S3Dave, you are nothing but a stud, dude, nothing but a hard-ridin' Canuck with a Binford Model #1A wheelbarrow to carry your, um, jewels around in! sure enjoyed your sense of humor (sorry, humour), your Canadian accent (yeah, i know, WE have the accents :-), and.....if it wasn't for the fact we had a "foreigner" along up on Big Pines Road, i do believe CHP Officer Matthew S. Gibbs, Lancaster, CA, mighta thought twice about letting us go with only a verbal warning ride for Dad, Ferris | ||
| Bonkurbuell |
Great Ride!!!! I joined up in Fresno, and made it to Eureka. Sunday I took Hwy 36 from Eureka to Red Bluff. What an awesome road! 130 miles of twisties, mostly 3rd and 4th gear. Ground down my stock foot pegs a bit more - and I was taking it easy riding alone... As to riding too fast in the Sierras - we all ride at our own pace. Those that didn't feel comfortable keeping up with the "A" pack didn't have to. I was on their tails, and ended up picking up Captain America's bike off him. I'm glad that riders of similar abilities paired up for groups. I couldn't have handled not jamming through the twisties with the SacBorg misfits! Kurt in Sac | ||
| Racerboy |
I think everyone has been keeping their heads down due to what is being related regarding the Bantz family tragedy but John and I would appreciate a day by day account from someone who did the entire tour...Then we can cry some more...The roads, parties, sights, weather (seems I heard somewhere that you had some), "Oh Shit!" moments, etc...Did you ride Mosquito Ridge into or out of Tahoe?...I take it that everyone is safe and that Leslie can now sleep through the night again...I kiddingly call her "Mother Hen" as she worries so much about our safety...She doesn't show it, but that's her number 1... Jerry, thanks again for your heroic efforts on our behalf... I just finished mapping out a ride to Hill City SD to pick up a bud and then on to the Chief Joseph Highway, Beartooth Pass and Glacier...Returning to Hill City and then home...Probably will do it around the 4th of July... See Ya! Bob | ||
| Ferris |
Racerboy, i wouldn't call what i did heroic, altho there was a fair amount of effort involved. (not to worry, this effort, which entailed MUCH preliminary riding thru the Sierras, wasn't exactly drudgery ) i, too, am looking forward to some ride reports, and i've put together an outline of the GP and of Day Three, with the intent of spinning a readable yarn outta the deal. nice to hear from you, remember you guys are welcome here anytime in case one of your Iron Butt adventures brings you thru the neighborhood. ride to lean, FB | ||
| Sparky |
FB, howdy. I'm glad you're doing a recap of Day 3. Your impromptu assortment of backroad twisties when Sherrif Billy Bob John-Man tried to keep us out of the Sequoias did more than save the day, it had me smilin' & giggling so much I thought my face was gonna break! Sooo, if you can remember the names of those roads, especially the one with the perfectly radiused curves (Dry Creek Rd?) before we stopped to take a breather at a wye -- that was the best damn road I've ridden since doing the switchbacks up 74 to Idyllwild, I'd 'preciate it. I've got a ride report coming & a few good shots of the entire trip that I'll scan and post thanks to wife/navigator/snapshooter, Jen. Thanks for the ride, man. It was good seeing your smiling face again. Sparky 96S1, 98S3 | ||
| Ferris |
Sparky, not sure i want the name of that road to get out, it's almost too good to share. will send you the poop via e-mail, k? thanks for the nice words, and for helping to make that day so great! ride to lean, FB | ||
| Ferris |
confession Sparky: earlier i was overcome by blind greed and MAY have come off as a little stingy to anyone wondering what road had you salivating so thru your faceport. i'm not usually this way (well, let's just say i'm trying to be better...), so here 'tis for you and anyone else who wants to smile and giggle 'til your face is gonna break: one way or t'other, get thy bad self to Lemon Cove, CA on Hwy 198 (curling around on Yokohl Valley Road from Springville ain't a bad way to go), then head west on 216 for JUST an eyeblink or two, then turn right (north) JUST after the bridge onto Dry Creek Rd/J21. i prefer it from this direction, south to north, because of presentation (and the fact that in the truly gnarly stuff you're going uphill), and by the time you've got your rhythm and timing down, this road is ready to see exactly what you're made of. as i said to the group during the stop (what a riot that was, EVERYBODY was levitating at that point!), "Not bad for an 'alternate' route, eh?" anytime you wanna beat on that road s'more, ping me and i'd be happy to join you. too much, after all, is just enough FB | ||
| Dino |
Sparky: Don't think we've been formally introduced though we rode together on Day 3. I was on the red Katana. I've been a friend of Ferris long enough to have enjoyed two interviews with John Law in his company. In other words, we practically just met. Although I live in Tulare County, I hadn't ridden the road you mentioned before. I gave it a B+ ... but maybe I'll rate it higher after I take another look without the distraction of a group ride. Thing is, we were in the immediate neighborhood of some serious A+ roads. We didn't ride them that day either because of the weather or because they weren't convenient for the route. If you decide to come back over to sample some of these and you can't get Ferris out and about (sometimes he gets moody and you just can't get him on a bike  ) I'd be happy to substitute. Dino Dave | ||
| Pappadog |
Hey this is FredX1 the persona I take on whenever I get away from the wife and kids. I rode with the SacBorg "rat pack" and learned more about how to lean and ride smoothly. I rode from Eureka CA. May 15 to Sacremento then pushed hard to Oceanside CA, to have my cherry 2001 X1 oil changed. Left Eureka with 1400 miles on it. I met Jerry (S1 White W/cartoon characters) on it. He lead the Strip Poker run in San Diego. Popped my poker run cherry correctly. In Oceanside I also met the legend Jack. Guy rides like he is 23 years old with the wizdom of Yoda. I rode the X1 custom black w/ graphite gray racing stripe. I took notes on the ride and lots 'o' video. I want to know someting that Vik, FMJ, or Dave can answer. When I returned Capt. America and Photo-Fuell dude to the Best Western in Eureka, what was the hubbub with the three police cars. Disturbing the peace maybe? I am also compiling the photos to make a journal on-line. My DSL was installed today so I am putting the video and my pictures up by this weekend. Waiting for the CD from Victor(Los Angeles) w/ Black 2000 X1. Still need some from FMJ, Jack, Vik and Eric(trick yellow X1 super detailed paint) Eric has the picture of Capt. America, Tom, Fred, and Dave on stage singing at the casio across the street from CalNeva. | ||
| Eeeeek |
Fred: Got yer phone messig, jes didn't get 'round to ringin' yer back. Seriously, after you dropped us off from the club, we hung out in the parking lot. The security guy at the hotel called the cops saying a car had just dropped a few people off by the bikes and they were mulling around. The cops simply showed up to see if we should be there or if we had bad intentions for the bikes. Pretty cool, if you ask me. They didn't hassles us at all and actually apologized for the inconvenience! Vik | ||
| Ferris |
Dino: damn good thing i wasn't woofin' a beer during your "In other words, we practically just met" comment above, 'cause i woulda certainly spewed it outta my nose all over the monitor! good to see you've come over to the Dark Side and got yourself all registered on here and such, pretty soon i'll be expectin' to see your Katana parked outside Fresno Buell while you try and swing a screamin' deal on a new Buell. BTW, while it's cool and all when we're ridin' together to actually SEE some of the scenery i normally miss out on, i'm wondering: does your S'zook actually have a 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, or 6th gear? just curious, is all................. ride to lean, FB  | ||
| Sparky |
Glad to virtually meet ya, Dino. It's always great riding with someone who knows the local roads and rides well enough to inspire me to ride better. Yea, I'd like to ride the area again, especially M99, M50 & Western Divide Hwy. I swear I'll do it one day -- without snow, right Ferris? Anybody else up for a victory lap? Kudos and raspberries to Redwood HD/Buell. The good news is they replaced my shot front wheel bearings around 9:30 am Sunday and by 11 I was on the road. The bad news is they (inadvertantly?) screwed up the installation and now the new bearings & my speedo are shot. There's more but it's probably coincidental and not worth mentioning here. I found all this out this morning when I went to get my new bubble-free gas tank installed at Bartels'. The new Buell trained mechanic there investigated the noise & fixed all the problems with new parts. I guess I'm glad that Redwood attempted to fix the bike. I might not have made the 700+ miles to get home otherwise, but I wish ALL Buell dealers had at least the same level of training/expertise that Kurt, the Buell tech at Bartels' has. Sparky 96S1, 98S3 | ||
| Dino |
Ferris: Well, if you'd go a little faster I might actually need to use those other gears. But seriously folks, riding from 1970 'til 2002 sans FB on 7 bikes, the number of roadside discussions with men in blue...ZERO. After one week with FB...TWO. An aside to FMJ & S3Dave...I'll keep an ear cocked and let you know when you guys come off the San Bernardino County CHP office's most wanted list. Dino | ||
| Racerboy |
Heard it on the grapevine today (Tat) that there was a bit of a citation harvest on the last day of the rally...Good to see so willing a contribution to the local communities...This is really ironic in that seven (if memory serves) DC BRAGerts got papered the last day of the Deal's Gap rally and we had had none up until then...So it's good to see you guys keeping the tradition going...But, John and I would have loved to have been in that good company... See Ya! Bob |
