| Author | Message | ||
     Ezblast  |
There are a lot of Blastards here in Cali and yet very few of us have met one another in person. Here is your opportunity to get a good set of rides in, meet the folk/friends you have been conversing with over the net and share riding stories, and enjoy the sharing of a passion we all have in common - Buell. Last years ride was a lot of fun and the roads and folk where awesome! Truely an adventure you'll remember! The twisties are calling your name - can you think of more fun filled reply?! Heres your chance to compare notes and make friends, and this is California after all - a place known for great roads - our mission is to find them! Bring your ride, make some friends and enjoy a great time! San Louis Obispo is the meeting point - join us - Ed, Scott, Erik, James, Eric, Saro and Lotti, Ryan and his lovely significant - the origionals plus already! So join us in some fun and create some memories to recall. Let the ride To SLO Part Deux Begin! Disclaimer: This ride is in no way associated with Buell, the BADWEB, or any of its organizers. This is a voluntary gathering of fans of the Buell Blast. No one is leagally responsible for another on this ride or gathering - we all agree that we are responsible adults in charge of our own behavior, and that a safe and sober ride is our own responsibility and expected of us. Housing, feeding, and personal care is each our own responsiblity. Showing up for this voluntary event will be a sign of accord of the above statement and will be taken as acceptance of such. That said: Please make sure your bike is in good working order, that you are in good working order, and that you are prepared for any contingencies that may occur (a cell phone and Brag Roadside Assistance Membership would be a great idea, any tools you feel you'll need, etc.). I will reserve a small block of rooms (8 rooms are reserved at the Travel Lodge - 1825 Monterey St., (805)543-5110), however, such rooms will be shared (unless you bring your significant other - that counts as sharing - ;0)) and any other lodging arrangements will be your own responsibility - so if you want your own room - you'll need to arrange such. The Idea and goal of this event is to meet and share a little time together having fun and enjoying a ride! Each of us may participate as much or little as they please, however, thanks to those participating so far it looks to be a promising start to a fun event! Hope to see you there and remember - ride your own ride! Got Thump?! Just Blasting on the Dark side! EZ  | ||
| Charlieboy6649  |
Slaughter, How much does the track day go for? I couldn't find pricing on the Willow Springs web page. Looks like it hasn't been updated since last year. Thanks. | ||
| Slaughter  |
Charlie, I forgot that the first track day requires joining the Club so that makes it a little more expensive the first day out. I'll go check to see if I can find a link to the forms. You can call the office at (661) 256-1234 if we strike out here. By the way, if you do come out, we are always there on Saturday, Sunday but Friday is a hit and miss - I live locally and can usually make it up every Friday. If you do come out, Fridays really are a fun track day and you can pit with the others of us out there. You won't have to bring any tools either, we've got you covered. | ||
| Slaughter |
Well - I forget about costs and such - licensed racers get the track for $100 Here's your costs: $50 Annual Membership http://www.willowspringsraceway.com/clubs/wsmc/forms/2005-WSMC-SportLicense-fill -in.pdf Introductory Track School -- required if you don't have previous track day experience - (call the office for clarification if you already have track or race experience) - it is a really great intro to Willow if you haven't been on the track before. http://www.willowspringsraceway.com/clubs/wsmc/forms/IntroSchoolForm.htm $130 - Track Day Entry Form: http://www.willowspringsraceway.com/clubs/wsmc/forms/SportRidersForm.htm I guess this means the first track day there is going to set you back $230 - after that, it's $130 per day. I took the new racer school at first thinking that I'd just take advantage of the licensed racer discounts offered at most performance shops and most track days - PLUS you can practice on Saturday for only $70!! - then I got bit by the racing bug... New Racer's School is $110 (you get a full day of instruction on and off the track) - as a racer though, you will have to pay the annual fee of $120 - and not the $50 for Sport Rider http://www.willowspringsraceway.com/clubs/wsmc/forms/NewRacerForm.htm There are some riders who get their licenses and rarely (if ever) race - they just come to Friday practice for $100 and Saturday for $70. There's no requirement that you actually RACE. By the way, if you are in Race practice, they'll let you run the Buell with the middleweight bikes. Trust me, practicing the Buell on the track with the guys on the litrebikes is an interesting experience not for the faint of heart. I've been passed in turn 8, leaned over at maybe 130 and passed on the outside by somebody doing maybe 150+. Feeling their wake hit you at that speed can be unsettling! (Message edited by slaughter on January 09, 2005) | ||
| Charlieboy6649 |
I can bet. The cost is similar for Firebird in Phoenix. The reason I ask is my bro-in-law just bought a 9R. He lives near your area in Bloomington. If I ever come up that way to see him, I'll definitely consider hooking up with you guys for a track day / hangin' for the races... Thanks much for the info!  I'll pass it along to him as well. I don't think he owns a puter so don't know if he'll be on BWB... | ||
| Al_lighton  |
I just bought tickets for the BRAG Laguna Seca package for Reindog and myself. Up bright and early to make sure I snagged a couple of the 75 slots. Had to wait a while on hold, so I bet others were snatching them up to. The package is for three days (Fri-Sun), so the tentative plan will be for Reindog and I to leave SD early on Thursday, connect with any other like minded folks in LA, do as many twisties as we can on the way up, and spend Thursday night in San Luis Obispo. Becasue of my roached bearing and late start last year, I spent Thursday night at SLO. SLO is great fun on Thursday Eve as they have a street fair every Thursday night in the downtown area. It's only a short 2 hour hop to the track on Friday morning, and you can go the back way in thru Carmel Valley to make that 2 hour hop great fun, or alternately, do the Big sur route if it's not socked in. Nice to have a last night in a hotel bed instead of camping anyway. Al | ||
| Slaughter |
Al we got up early today too andscored a couple tix. Last year to Laguna, we did the overnight stay in SLO with a short run to Laguna Friday AM. Nice ride (except the fog but what the heck) | ||
| Sparky  |
FYI, Ortega Hwy 74 is closed at San Antonio Pkwy in Capistrano but CalTrans Road Conditions says a detour is available. So, I don't know what this will do to those going to Hell's Kitchen from the coast. | ||
| Al_lighton |
Daryl is right. Apparently the mudslides are causing major problems on the Ortega Highway. However, I talked to Hells Kitchen, , they are open today and will be tomorrow. Should be a beautiful day to ride tomorrow. Hells Kitchen informed me that all's clear coming from the Lake Elsinore direction. SO - come to the first BRAG meeting/ride on Sunday, January 16, Hells Kitchen, 11:00 AM arrive, 12:00 noon meeting start. But plan your ride to there with the knowledge that Route 74 (Ortega Highway) will likely be closed from 0.9 MI east of San Juan Capistrano to the Orange/Riverside county line, which is southwest of Hells Kitchen. There is an unnamed detour available, per the department of transportation website, but I would suggest coming from the Lake Elsinore direction if at all possible. Here's the address in case you want to do a Mapquest: 32685 Ortega Hwy Lake Elsinore, CA 92530-6560 to get your bearings. No official ride afterwards, but we'll go somewhere. I'd planned on Killen trail, but it may be a bit exciting down there due to storm destruction. I'm still up for surveying the destruction, but we'll figure it out at the meeting. I'll bring general maps for planning. Call me on my cell if needed- 760-685-3583 Al | ||
| Sandblast  |
One Sandblast en route to Hells kitchen, see you in a hour and a half. | ||
| Jprovo  |
I'm on my way also, see you all down there. | ||
| Slaughter |
Watta weekend! Glendale HD/Buell saw the pits PACKED with Buells and enthusiastic suppoeters of the Golden State BRAG group. Glendale had 4 guys doing New Racer School and competing in their first Novice races on Sunday. EVERYBODY kept the shiny side up, rubber down. Bartels was there as always with Jeff Ecklund, Eric Pinson and Buck Blair - and LOADS of mutual support. We've now reached critical mass. Pics to follow before long. I'm sloooowly coming up to speed on the XB but still can't hold the clutch in (still have a fresh skin graft and stitches holding the Teflon fingernail into my fingertip) so have to start in neutral and when the green flag drops, bang it into gear and drop the clutch and race without the clutch - except downshifting in Turns 1, 3 and 9. I found I could put my left hand into a latex glove (to keep the stitches and teflon from snagging), shake baby powder into the leather glove so I could slide my hand in without hurting too badly. Sometimes you just gotta do what you just gotta do    Top 5 Results from my classes: FORMULA 50: 1. David Molitor (Suz GSX-R1000) 2. Thomas Kuhlman (Hon) 3. Jeff Rheaume (Suz GSX-R1000) 4. Wayne Petersen (Yam) 5. Steve Slaughter (Buell) Battle Of The Twins (BOTT) HEAVYWEIGHT: 1. Kenny Kopecky (Duc 999R) 2. Thomas Kuhlmann (Hon) 3. Charles Baird (Duc) 4. Eric Pinson (H-D) 5. Steve Slaughter (Buell) Props to Glendale HD/Buell for picking up the sponsorship of the Middleweight Twins class this year! (unfortunately, I had my butt handed to me and finished waaay down in the standings in BOTT Middleweight. The Middleweight Twins class is now officially the Harley-Davidson/Buell of Glendale BOTT Middleweight. Buck Blair (6th - Bartels) is an up and coming roadracer. He's been a champion Speedway racer for a couple years now and this is his 3rd month trying his hand at road racing for Bartels. Eric Pinson is fast as usual. He's still running Jody Hendley's Sportster and not doing badly at all! Jeff Ecklund had a mechanical DNF H-D/BUELL OF GLENDALE BOTT MIDDLEWEIGHT: 1. Kenny Kopecky (Duc 749R) 2. Richy Headley (Duc 749R) 3. Eric Pinson (H-D) 4. Kenneth Ritchie (Suz SV650) 5. Kurt Whittington (Suz SV650) 6. Buck Blair (Buell) The Bartels guys are showing up, kicking a** and taking names. More details to follow. (Message edited by slaughter on January 17, 2005) | ||
| Ebear  |
SCAB Meeting on the ODD month....This is Hell's Kitchen on the Infamous Ortega Highway...Great place to meet,in fact next odd month we'll be here too!!     | ||
| Timbo  |
Steve, What happened?!? I didn't know you were hurt. I feel kinda out of touch. Good to see you had the cajones to go out and race anyway. Ebear, Great to see those familiar faces in your pics. Man, now I really feel out of touch. Sheesh. | ||
| Al_lighton |
The first ODD month SCAB/BRAG meeting at Hells Kitchen couldn't have happened on a more beautiful SoCal day. Temps were in the 70's, sky was blue. the new format where we have the Odd month meeting at weekend ride destination instead of a weekday evening restaraunt is going to be a good thing. Unfortunately for this ride, the weather of the past week really did a number on the local roads. Couser Canyon and Rice Canyon were a muddy mess, and Deluz road, Killen Trail, Ortega Hiway were all closed do to flooding and damage. Reindog and I did Killen trail on the way to the meeting to scope it out. It was closed, but we went around the road block anyway. Halfway down,we found why they closed it:   The water was about 1.5 feet deep on the left side, and about 10 inches on the right. It looks harmless enough in this picture, but the water was flowing very fast. We crossed on the left, fearing the current would pull us downstream as we crossed. It was like a bow wave over the front of the bike. We made it to the second road block from the other way, had to lift the rears of the S3's to get them by that one. Then we ran into a ranger. We waved to him, he waved for us to come over to get our ticket. We waved again and kept going, pretending not to notice his wave wasn't a friendly one  thankfully, he didn't dig out the radio, because there was only one way out on that road. A couple more shots of Hell's Kitchen   The gang (or part of them, anyway)  Eric is always taking pictures. So he's not usually in them. So he gets this one all to himself.  The condiments are served from a coffin with self opening top (have to grap the skull for it to open)  Place was cool, food was so-so, watiress was nice and friendly. Unfortunately, the din of the thousand harleys made it mighty hard to have a good meeting. Next time, we'll meet either indoors or out back where we can hear each other. As a result of the road closures and the inability to hear, the ride after the meeting was not well planned. We went down to the Deluz road area and stayed on the high roads to Fallbrook. Scott and Eric cut off somewhere along the way as it was going away from their ultimate destinations. We'll do the normal SCAB meting on the first thursday of February (the 3rd) at Knowlwoods, located on Imperial at La Palma. We'll do the next odd month ride/meeting back at Hells Kitchen on March 6th, so that we can do Killen trail the way we were supposed to this time. Future announcements will go only to the mail list that is being assembled. If you haven't given Barbara Beauchamp or me your contact info, you won't get the mails, so please send me your info if you want to be included. I'll usually post happenings here too. Al (Message edited by al_lighton on January 18, 2005) | ||
| Jerry_haughton  |
...Then we ran into a ranger. We waved to him, he waved for us to come over to get our ticket. We waved again and kept going, pretending not to notice his wave wasn't a friendly one. classic! nice pix and report, wish we lived a WEE bit closer... Slaughter, WTF? get well soon. | ||
| Slaughter |
Hey - it aint too terribly bad. I got to go out to play. With a mob now, it's a fun corner out at Willow Springs every 3rd weekend! Here's the list of racers - alphabetically - by Name/Shop: Buck Blair/Bartels Jim Chaconis/Glendale Jeff Ecklund/Bartels Fread Finnerty/San Diego Tim Hurley/Glendale Chris Matty/Glendale Patrick McGinley/Glendale Eric Pinson/Bartels Steve Slaughter/Glendale Chris Uettwiller/Glendale Mario Vendini/Glendale Come on out! (Message edited by slaughter on January 20, 2005) | ||
| Timbo |
What, no Ernie Snair? | ||
| Usroute66  |
Al, Hell's Kitchen was a good place, but I bet on a warm day that place will be swarming like bees with...Harleys. Regardless, I like the location and getting there is half the fun. Even if the food was so-so (and I liked my salad), the coffin condiment bar was great! That was the best condiment bar I have ever seen. They had three grades of salsa (like 87, 89 and 91..super hot)and a lot of other crap you could just pile on your food. Yes, I decided to return to LA as it seemed I would end up in San Diego before it was over, and Ebear followed. Not that is a bad thing...remember, I want to do that ride to the Candy Store again, which is down on the 8 Fwy. That was an awesome ride. The best I think I have ever done with Jerry Johnson. Scott | ||
| Court |
Ebear: Cool pics...and a fond reminder of the S-1 Lighting intro and the nasty wheelie show for the two bus loads of tourists. Keep'em coming...and tell Jerry Johnson "hello". Court | ||
| Slaughter |
What, no Ernie Snair? Timbo - if I understand it, Ernie isn't allowed to race as a condition of his employment. Kinda funny 'cos when I bought my first Buell from him, he was nursing fresh busted hands from a racing get-off. Now that Mario is a licensed racer, wonder if he'll cut Ernie some slack? Heck with 11 racers, we must have had 2 dozen people in the pits - plus those who rode out to just hang out. Kinda cool!} | ||
| Ebear |
Thanks Court!!Now...wait a minute...Wasn't that the intro where somebody wheelied the S1 out into the crowd and pitched it to the earth???...I'm STILL waiting for THAT story!!!..I'll tell Jerr Howdy for ya..!  | ||
| Ebear |
OH Yeah..Scott!Doesn't those pics of Al's look alot like the raging streams I took you through??? And bearly(sic)a whine from you!...I think your ready for that Dirt bike!! | ||
| Jprovo |
Steve, That injury looks far too painfull, I hope that you heal well and heal soon. That's got to be a tough injury. On another note, sorry that I missed Willow, I wanted to get over there to spectate, but instead, I managed to get Karen out of the house and head over to Hells Kitchen to meet the guys. I really want to start roadracing, but funds are just too tight right now. I've got two non-running bikes at the moment with the top ends off on both the Buell and the ATK. Hopefuly I can get enough funds together to do a couple of track days at the end of the year. Do you really think that we should make an all-Blast race class at Willow? Or should we just get try to get a group that can run in the 500 singles and formula race? James | ||
| Usroute66 |
LOL....I think not! | ||
| Slaughter |
Check the results in the Singles classes. Until the Motards start coming out - sometimes the fields are only 2 or 3!! Kinda cool to be on the podium just by finishing! The other thing is once you get your race license, Saturday practice is the best deal in track days anywhere - $70 for all day! - no requirement that you race on Sunday. There's a few folks that rarely race but do practice days for the experience. The Blasts can't run competitively with most singles BUT would create a de-facto class of their own. The guys winning singles are going through a half dozen engines a year - or more (Message edited by slaughter on January 21, 2005) | ||
| Hutch |
Slaughter I have pushed Buck's speedway bike a few times . He is a Damn good racer on anything on wheels. next time tell him Daryl said hi. | ||
| Slaughter |
Sure will. Buck really hadn't done much in the way of road racing but after a few practice sessions - it was bye bye! | ||
| Matty  |
Quick reminder! The Golden state BRAG club is having it's first meeting of the year this coming Saturday from 11:30 till 2-ish. We have a couple very special guest speakers and ride info for this years activities. Grub will be served at 12:30 =) Meeting is at Harley-Davidson/Buell of Glendale 3717 San Fernando Road glendale, CA. 91204 | ||
| Slaughter |
Matty! You missed one CRITICAL point: FREE GRUB will be served! Let Candice and Tim know if you are to be on the eats list at 2whlnut at sbcglobal dot net (I'm still trying to juggle schedule to be there) (Message edited by slaughter on January 26, 2005) (Message edited by slaughter on January 26, 2005) |
