| Author | Message | ||
     Blake |
Oh FYI, FB... that topic called "Tail Sections"? It was created with you in mind. Sporty Eric has fallen of the literary wagon, Rocket is conjuring up his next contribution, I'm trying to clean house in the Knowledge Vault, Court is saving his stories for the, ahem, "tell all book", Eeeeek is busy with SacBORG, Arvel is busy entrepreneurializing, Galen is in Winter hibernation mode, V2Win (John Calhoun) is planning his next Iron Butt adventure... So it's up to you FB (does that stand for FireBolt now  )! This one will get moved to the Tail Section too. It's too good to lose. | ||
| FB |
the trophy FMJ alludes to was given at Blue Groove/Northwest. during the seemingly never-ending rider's meting (ya know, for a guy who professes not to care for public speaking i can sure stretch a simple rider's meeting into an all-day sucker, can't i? :-), i told the 120 Hooligans in attendance to be calm and be cool, as there was no reward for getting there first. i lied. Fireman Jim owns the inaugural "Rides Like Ferris" trophy............on account of he does!  | ||
| FB |
and FMJ, thanks for the heads-up on your potential surplus parts. if the price is anywhere near as right as the turn-signals from your S2 i'm runnin' (and, now that i think of it, i've got your stock headers as well...), you'll be demanding equal riding time | ||
| FB |
AW, i remember reading somwhere else on BADWEB your description of a stock Blast: ANNOYING the one i rode thru Death Valley with Joe Peralta fit that description to a tee. i really wanted to like the thing, but everytime i asked it to party on, it would just piss me off again. i'd like to ride one that had the butt-plug removed, i bet it's a tunnafunn so big plans for BVille? hmmmmmmmm...........uh, are we allowed to play "20 Questions"??? and about my alleged gift of writing: i'm lucky in that i can often put into words the incredible high i get from riding a motorcycle. to blatantly steal someone else's words, riding takes me right to the edge of magic. and speaking of gifts, i wouldn't mind having a couple of yours. no, no, not your Buells. those aren't gifts........they're rewards Ferris | ||
| Ferris |
so Blake, now that all your Tale Section "regulars" are busy elsewhere, you're gonna settle for me? jus' kidding, jus' kidding :-) i REALLY have to work to find the time to surf BADWEB these days (altho keep fingers crossed, a sick co-worker hopes to be back in action next Monday, which will cut my daily drive from 500 miles down to about 300), and i confess to not ever having checked out TS. i'll see what i can do :-) oh.................the past couple of years "FB" has stood mostly for Fu*king Bastard  FB | ||
| FB |
a couple more anecdotes from this weekend: anyone else besides me get a perverse pleasure from trying to guess how a rider you've just met for the first time actually rides? are they slow? fast? loose? nice 'n precise? when me and Burt (sorry, goofed before, it's not Bert) and Barb left Cheryl's Diner on Sunday, i asked them to take point, so's i could sit back and assess their style. needn't have worried. Burt's been in the wind as long as me, and he hustled their Triumph Sprint ST (955 cc, three cylinders, obviously a big-rig-load of torque) along in quite Ferris-like fashion. almost too Ferris-like. just as we crested a sharp hill on the south shore of Lake Isabella, at a couple of RCH's over 80-miles-per, a California Highway Patrol cruiser crested the very same damn hill going the other way. screwed, blue'd, and tattoo'd, we were. more... | ||
| FB |
even though it was only a fraction of a second before the black-and-white disappeared over the crest, it was still enough time for it's brake lights to come on and glow a VERY ominous red. my only hope at this point was that Burt, being a former cop, had some sort of "Get Out of Jail Free" card. (i've been saved on several occasions by being in the company of a rider who has, um, connections. in fact, FMJ and a certain banzai-ride to the east coast comes immediately to mind.....:-) well, we never got the honor of meeting this particular enforcer of the much-too-slow-speed-limit-for-motorcycles, and i can only assume that they assumed that we'd run, or... ...maybe they just figured that we, being on bikes on such a fabulous SoVeryCal day, deserved to be doing 80-plus when everyone else was only going 45. in any event, we dropped anchor and backed 'em off to the relative safety of nickel-nickel. at least, that's our story Ferris | ||
| FB |
boys, it's NOT my fault! really, i'm innocent. ok, ok, here's the deal......... i set out this morning about ten, with every intention of doing s'more scouting for the Cal GP. it was way cold last night, but the temp had already climbed up into light-jacket territory, and it's promising to be one of those days :-) while at the Bank of America ATM in Lake Isabella waiting for a fresh $20 to emerge, i spied a small fleet of flashy sportbikes across the street at the Texaco. "Run, Ferris, runnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! sigh. too late. like an interstellar tractor-beam they were, and before you could say "Kawabunga!" i was asking them which way they were headed. more.......... | ||
| FB |
lessee........not one but two TL1000R Suzooks, both with high-zoot carbon-fiber everywhere, an equally spiffy and loud CBR929RR, and a crash-damaged but road-worthy YZF-R6. and darned if they weren't headed down-canyon, just like me. i'm barely five minutes from home, and already i could see where this particular day was headed :-) Yellow TLR-boy says he wants to stop somewhere on the down-run, in a scenic spot overlooking the river, and shoot pix of us dragging parts. i heard the words, "Hey dude, works for me!" come out of my mouth. so off we went (impressively conservatively at first, i thought), but lo, it wasn't long before we were--each in our own various manner and style--breaking the damn law. heavy sigh. i wish i had some control over this stuff :-( more... | ||
| FB |
when we got the photo op out of the way, i started laughing. "Wuzzup?", asks CBR-boy with a grin. you know, i said, it's a pretty bizarre sensation, after you've tossed out the laundry and dropped out of warp--at this point feeling like you're just crawling along--to look down at the how-big-is-the-ticket-gonna-be gauge and realize you're still doing a hundred! CBR-boy laughed knowingly :-) we sat there for a few minutes, basking in the gloriousness of the day, each of us expressing, in one way or another, our sincere and heartfelt thankfulness for being Americans and having the freedom to ride, for being sportbikers in such a golden age of high-performance motorcycles, and.....for being Californians and having the ability to ride, on an early-March day, over endless twisty roads in the ever-present CA sun as i've tried to illustrate already, it was one of those days. more... | ||
| FB |
Yellow TLR-boy told of a Sunday visit to the Rock Store a month or so ago. the place was packed with bikes, he said, and who should be sitting next to him? Arnold Schwarzeneggar. i asked TLR-boy if Arnold was wolfing down a greasy cheeseburger like he was, and he said, "Nah, he was just having water." :-) well, it became time to continue our journey down the Kern River, and for my partners it sounded like everyone was reaching the end of their riding day, as each of them had their own plans as to how and when they were going to peel off from the group down below. so off we went, and soon me and Yellow TLR-boy had left the others behind (probably stuck behind a friggin' Whinerbago). we.......flat.......ripped. TLR-boy had me on some of the corners. he seemed just a tad more comfortable on the edge, whereas i wasn't dressed to fall down, and wasn't at all anxious to attempt to sail across the Kern River to the other canyon wall if i made a mistake. on what few straights there are on this stretch of 178, tho, the VFR more than made up ground, and the sound of six cylinders of high-zoot-scoot echoed off the steep granite walls in a symphony of mechanical mayhem :-) at the bottom, TLR-boy signaled to pull over and wait for his brethren, while i whooshed by on his left with the biggest thumbs-up and a-ok i could muster with gloved hands. mmm-mmm-mmm-mmm-mmm-mmm-good!!!!!!!!!!!! more... | ||
| FB |
ok, so NOW i can get back to my recon chores, right? NOT so fast, Castrol-breath! whilst fueling up on the northern outskirts of Bakersfield, ready to begin my ascent back into the Sierras, a pickup truck pulls in at the next pump to get gas. but, instead of fueling up, the lone male occupant walks right up to the Viffer and asks how i like the new '02-model Interceptor. sure as the world, i've unwittingly run into another sportbike rider. Ed is his name, and he owns a 900SS Ducati. why you drivin' and not ridin' on such a fabulous day?, i asked. "Um, well, last weekend I converted the Duc into an ultra-light up above Lake Isabella and sailed it into a tree." geez, i said. it was then that i noticed that he was holding his right arm unaturally still and close to his body. "I'm ok", Ed said, "but the bike's a mess, still in impound actually, and of course i had just put about three grand's worth of carbon-fiber and trick exhaust into it." anyway, Ducati Ed and i shot the shite for probably almost an hour when it was all said and done, and we agreed to keep in touch via e-mail, and when he's back carvin' the wind again we're gonna hook up and ride. (i promised to teach him the difference between motorcycles and airplanes :-) well, by now the day has started to get away from me (but it's NOT my fault, remember??!!?? :-) not to worry, i'll be back in the hills in a jiffy, and then let the CAL GP scouting begin! more... | ||
| FB |
so the Sierra foothills above Bakersfield are somewhat unknown to me, which is why i was up here sniffin' around in the first place. i ended up hanging a right off of Granite Road (veddy, veddy nice :-) onto Round Mountain Road, just to see what there was to see. slick country, chock full of green rolling hills and not a soul in sight. well, except for the paintball range i rode past. looked like a tournament or something was in progress. there were easily hundreds of cars, out in the middle of nowhere. nobody shot at me, for which i was grateful :-) soon i started climbing, and still not a sign of civilization. nothing but green hills and wildflowers. oh, and the occasional LARGE contented cow :-) as i climbed, this road suddenly came back to me. i realized i had done the other end of Round Mountain one day last year, but turned back when the pavement turned to gravel. (i HATE riding on dirt roads!!!!!!!!!) but today, i sucked it up and soldiered on, at a maddengly slow clip to try and keep the wheels clean. shortly after i began my descent (back on pavement again), the last--and by far the most major--of this days's distractions presented itself. more... | ||
| V2win |
FB, you and Bob are going to get along great. He too can talk way into the night, long after I have crawled into my tent. Go ahead, Im enjoying the story.  | ||
| FB |
um, V2Win, me and big, mondo wheelies have NOT gotten along in the past... i shall, however, continue my story :-) so i'm working my way down off of Round Mountain--over the river and thru the woods, so to speak--when what should i spy thru a cut in the hills but none other than Ming Lake. not sure why i was so surprised. i mean, the lake was right where it was supposed to be. i guess it was the suddenness of the sighting, and the deep, azure blue of the water contrasting against the vibrant green of the hillsides. (geez, Ferris, get TO it, wouldya????!!!!???) well, i HAD to stop. i had the world to myself, the sun as shining, and i was ready to become as one with nature. after the bike quieted down, and after i got my helmet off...i...heard...this...wonderful...noise. Lake Ming, for those of you who don't know, is the local home of (drum-roll please!) drag-boat racing, and the sound i was hearing was the sound of fire and fury on the water :-) the hill i was sitting on, all carpeted in green, was about 3/4 mile fom the lake, and about six or seven hundred feet above. the view was incredible. i'd heard there was regular drag-boat racing on Ming, but for some dumb reason i've never come down and taken it in. not today, Buckwheat, here i am! pretty bitchin' from my vantage point, far enough away that the boats moved (quickly!) for several second before i heard the resultant sound, which echoed thru the hills in a most intoxicating way. and the word "sound" doesn't do it justice, no sir. ever been to an NHRA drag race? same deal here, bubba, all rappetty-rappetty-rappetty-rappetty, big cams on expensive fuel. i was, shall we say, entranced :-) more... | ||
| FB |
it wasn't long before i had to have more, which meant, in this case, getting much, much closer to the action. as a bonus, Round Mountain Road from here on down is THE BOMB, as the pavement gets wider (thank goodness) and smoother the closer you get to Bakersfield. after a short stint on China Grade Loop (yes! yes!), and a slow cruise thru Hart Park (mandated by at least four thousand and seventy-two Kern Co. Sheriff's cars patrolling the neighborhood), a left/right puts you in very close proximity of Ming Lake. holy smokes, i was NOT prepared. the place was packed! and not just with boats (man, i'll get to them in a minute), but with people (many of which were hard-bodies sporting the latest in short-shorts and bikini-tops--God, i LOVE California!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!) i idled down the "return road", where the haul-vehicles and trailers head up to the other end of the course after dropping the boats in the water by the starting line. wow. wow. just wow. i think the word i'm looking for is "incongruous", the constrast between all the trick drag-boats and equipment (including mega-dollar big rigs and motorhomes) and the golf course and mega-dollar homes that border Lake Ming. i stopped next to the fence and got the attention of one of the racers waiting in line to launch his boat. dude, i'm new to this whole scene, i said. like, do you race a 1/4-mile, just like the pavement guys? "Yeah buddy!", came the cheerful reply. ok then, the fastest boat here today, what'll it do in the quarter? "Oh, about five seconds at about two-forty." if it wasn't for my Arai, my jaw would have dropped right to the ground. more... | ||
| Ralph |
Ferris, it's so good to have you back. bighairyralph | ||
| FB |
well, any thought i had of doing my "chores" today went right out the porthole, as i burned the next coupla hours getting the fast-boat thing all over me. i opted not to buy a pit-pass (fifteen bucks--ouch!)(altho it woulda been worth it for the a'la skimpy fashion show...), but the lake and surrounding park is situated such that you can get great shots of the action without ponying precious gas money. fuckin-A (can we cuss here, Blake?), these damn boats are AWESOME! the top-fuelers sound just like John Force or Kenny Bernstein getting ready to launch at Pomona. the trickest units i saw in the pits had enclosed driver cells and canopies that look like they just came off an F-16 the Air Force parted out, along with twin-parachutes on the back! geez-o-pete, this was good stuff, and the rest of the day--as far as recon work was concerned--was a total write-off at this point. i hope you understand. if it's any consolation, the only thing remaining for me--after getting my fix of the floater-brigade--was a hyperactive romp up the Kern Canyon. as was the case last Sunday after my Burt'nBarb ride, today i had the intense, nearly sensual pleasure of riding home uphill, INTO the mountains, while all the tourists lemmings drove downhill, OUT OF the mountains. i will try (i REALLY will) to do a better job next time of scouting out roads for you boys. but today just wasn't my fault ride to lean, Ferris | ||
| FB |
thank you, bighairyone, 'tis great to be back | ||
| Blake |
No fuckin cussing damn it! | ||
| V2win |
FB, I was in the "racing" business for 26 years. I sponsored an unblown hydo for a while but most of my work was in drag cars. Those boat guys just didn't live long enough for me. They are craaazzzy. | ||
| FB |
i'll tell ya what, V2win, the WHOLE enchilada was crazy! not sure what cave i've been in all my life, as i can remember hanging pix of drag-racing stars on my bedroom walls when i was a kid back in the 60's (remind me to tell you guys about "meeting" Don Prudhomme a few years ago :-), but i was just absolutely clueless as to the intensity of the going-insanely-fast-on-the-water deal. the guys i talked to in my post above were runnin' 8's at about 130, and seemed almost apologetic about their boat after describing the top-fuelers. i stoked their fire, however, when i very sincerely said that THEY were insane, too! :-) and, like i said before, the California Girl thing was in full-bloom, too ride to lean, Ferris | ||
| Blake |
FB I'm sending you an el-cheapo digicam so you can post pics next time. Ping me with your address. | ||
| FB |
geez, you want pix, too? um, should i concentrate on the CalGirl thing (which would, certainly, be my pleasure :-), or do you want the full-meal-deal? FB | ||
| Blake |
I'll leave that decision up to YOU!  | ||
| FB |
you wanna have a great time? go to Sturgis (Laughlin, Daytona, Laconia, etc.) with ANYTHING that resembles a press pass (those "generic" plastic pit-pass holders that you can buy at any moto event work well) hanging from your belt, and a couple of matching 35-mm cameras in hand, preferably ones with longish lenses to heighten the effect of "professionalism". the girls (and, sadly, sometimes the guys...) will do almost ANYTHING for you if they think there's a chance they'll make the pages of a national moto magazine. someday i'll show you how i know this to be true ride to lean, Ferris | ||
| FB |
ps to Racerboy, re: the VFR "accessory" photo you e-mailed me... ...um, perhaps my local Honda dealer isn't as progressive as yours, or, perhaps, this particular item was on backorder when i was last in. can i order her.....er, i mean, the ACCESSORY thru the mail??? FB ;-) | ||
| FB |
hmmmmm, my wife and daughter are out of town all day, and my son works from 8 'til 5--seems like the makings of a great (read: no guilt) day of recon riding in the Sierras. but dang it, as the sun came up this morning and chased away the dark i can actually see a few puffy white clouds in the sky (this is my current definition of Pretty Severe Weather). well, i'll have to watch the forecast pretty closely--if it's not going to get above 65 or so the recon work may have to wait for a bit..... .....yeah, right!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! back later, Ferris | ||
| Brentx1 |
I got the OK from the wife to go to California for the ride. Boy am I excited. The problem I have is that I won't be able to do the entire ride. I am planning to have my bike shipped to Modesto and ride to Tahoe with the group. This shipping thing is a bi&*$. I'm coming from Chicago, hope to see some of you there. | ||
| FB |
Racerboy and V2win: well, thought i'd shot myself in the tinkle with a large-caliber hollow-point, bragging as i did in this morning's post about our weather :-) by the time i rolled out of the garage for today's recon riding, some dark, scuddy clouds were marching in (the outer fringe of all the crap that's making our brethren up in the Pacific Northwet so frikkin' miserable), bringing some cold, blustery winds along for company. wasn't sure how far out i'd get, but set out anyway, first stop Kernville via the longggg way around Lake Isabella, to check into lodging options for the GP. no dice, the L.I. fishing derby takes place the weekend you guys get here, and the place is already booked solid. not to worry, i always have contingency plans :-) and, as a bonus for keeping a stiff upper lip, the scud blew out as fast as it blew in, and by the time i hung a right on 155 to climb up to Alta Sierra, the skies were clear and blue again, and.....would stay that way for the remainder of the day (sorry, i just live here :-) more... |
