I just got back from a 1500 mile trip through the coast and around northernish-California. This was my gear:
Nelson Rig seat bag (bought on close out)
Teknic tank bag (donated by a friend)
A-Stars Alpha touring boots (waterproof)
First Gear overpants
Scorpion leather jacket
Scorpion EXO 700 helmet
Cortech Latigo and Scarab gloves
Camelback H.A.W.G
JVC "marshmallow" foam earphones
Generic waterproof oversuit
We broke the trip into 5 days. On day one, we did about 150 miles of highway, and the rest on twisty roads. The highlight was highway 1 between Cambria and Carmel. I felt pretty beat by the end, the crosswinds, minimal wind protection and bumpy freeways not helping.
Day 2 took us through San Francisco, the Golden Gate and more of the 1. Around the town of Tamalpais the tarmac was perfect, and so was the layout of the road. At some point my exuberance almost got the best of me: on a super long, 270 degree sweeper, I dove in so hard until my front tire lost grip. I stood it up, and decided that there was no need to be a hero. We cut across inland and rode around Lake Barryesa. The roads in and out to the lake were awesome. The area around the lake was a beat up single lane. After the lake, we took 22 to the 5, and got to Chico in sweltering heat. We cooled down at the Sierra Nevada Brewery.
Day 3 started with some drama. My bike wouldn't start, the battery was almost dry! After some water fed in with a red party cup, we swapped the trickle charge terminals and jump started it from another bike. We took some roads and finally made it to our destination: Hwy 36. You know that you're in for a treat when the sign says "Curves ahead 140 miles"
We were in for a special treat, the 36 has pretty much everything. Rollercoaster sections with crests in between curves that encourage massive wheelies, long sweepers that can be taken flat out, tighter turns at the end of long straights that have you banging down 3 and 4 gears, incredible views, wood sections that make you feel like a Jedi riding through Endor on a speeder, tight technical 1st gear turns. The road has something for everyone. After the 36 we rode through the Avenue of the Giants, next to the massive redwood trees. Talk about feeling insignificant. We ended up riding the 1 to the coast, through a heavily wooded area, and then next to the beach to Fort Bragg. We celebrated with some pizza and beer.
Day 4 was supposed to be easy. We left Ft. Bragg, and down the coast on the 1. About an hour in, it started raining hard. Now, I have no doubts about my abilities or the capability of Pilot Road tires, but it was hard work. On the tighter sections I found myself wishing for either more torque or more steering lock. The guys on V-stroms (and the Harley FXR) had an easier time. Eventually it cleared up, and we decided to head to the Point Reyes lighthouse. We rode almost all the way only to find out the last mile of the road was closed. On the way back, my bike started to cut out on some corners: eventually i was able to determine some sort of glitch happens at 6600rpm. I rode around the problem either in higher or lower gears, with my hand on the clutch ready to react. We rode through SF again, on to Alice's on Skyline Blvd. After some late lunch, we rode down the coast to Santa Cruz, where we got pummeled by incredibly nasty crosswinds. I spent about 30 miles in full tuck bracing myself against the tank.
On day 5 we decided to not go down the coast. The winds were too strong, and that section is usually closed during strong rains. So we chased the storm south on the 101 and managed to stay dry. Easiest 200 miles I've ever rode.
So that was my trip. Most of today was spent diagnosing my electrical issues (turned out to be overcharging, due to poor connections.) If I were to do it again, I'd soften up the bike a little, Re-foam the seat, and get a bigger windscreen. Or maybe I'd get a V-strom! I gotta say, when the riding got sporty, the Kat had more in her while the other guys were tying themselves into knots trying to get their bikes turned/stopped.
Behold the humble rig
Nelson Rig seat bag (bought on close out)
Teknic tank bag (donated by a friend)
A-Stars Alpha touring boots (waterproof)
First Gear overpants
Scorpion leather jacket
Scorpion EXO 700 helmet
Cortech Latigo and Scarab gloves
Camelback H.A.W.G
JVC "marshmallow" foam earphones
Generic waterproof oversuit
We broke the trip into 5 days. On day one, we did about 150 miles of highway, and the rest on twisty roads. The highlight was highway 1 between Cambria and Carmel. I felt pretty beat by the end, the crosswinds, minimal wind protection and bumpy freeways not helping.
Day 2 took us through San Francisco, the Golden Gate and more of the 1. Around the town of Tamalpais the tarmac was perfect, and so was the layout of the road. At some point my exuberance almost got the best of me: on a super long, 270 degree sweeper, I dove in so hard until my front tire lost grip. I stood it up, and decided that there was no need to be a hero. We cut across inland and rode around Lake Barryesa. The roads in and out to the lake were awesome. The area around the lake was a beat up single lane. After the lake, we took 22 to the 5, and got to Chico in sweltering heat. We cooled down at the Sierra Nevada Brewery.
Day 3 started with some drama. My bike wouldn't start, the battery was almost dry! After some water fed in with a red party cup, we swapped the trickle charge terminals and jump started it from another bike. We took some roads and finally made it to our destination: Hwy 36. You know that you're in for a treat when the sign says "Curves ahead 140 miles"
We were in for a special treat, the 36 has pretty much everything. Rollercoaster sections with crests in between curves that encourage massive wheelies, long sweepers that can be taken flat out, tighter turns at the end of long straights that have you banging down 3 and 4 gears, incredible views, wood sections that make you feel like a Jedi riding through Endor on a speeder, tight technical 1st gear turns. The road has something for everyone. After the 36 we rode through the Avenue of the Giants, next to the massive redwood trees. Talk about feeling insignificant. We ended up riding the 1 to the coast, through a heavily wooded area, and then next to the beach to Fort Bragg. We celebrated with some pizza and beer.
Day 4 was supposed to be easy. We left Ft. Bragg, and down the coast on the 1. About an hour in, it started raining hard. Now, I have no doubts about my abilities or the capability of Pilot Road tires, but it was hard work. On the tighter sections I found myself wishing for either more torque or more steering lock. The guys on V-stroms (and the Harley FXR) had an easier time. Eventually it cleared up, and we decided to head to the Point Reyes lighthouse. We rode almost all the way only to find out the last mile of the road was closed. On the way back, my bike started to cut out on some corners: eventually i was able to determine some sort of glitch happens at 6600rpm. I rode around the problem either in higher or lower gears, with my hand on the clutch ready to react. We rode through SF again, on to Alice's on Skyline Blvd. After some late lunch, we rode down the coast to Santa Cruz, where we got pummeled by incredibly nasty crosswinds. I spent about 30 miles in full tuck bracing myself against the tank.
On day 5 we decided to not go down the coast. The winds were too strong, and that section is usually closed during strong rains. So we chased the storm south on the 101 and managed to stay dry. Easiest 200 miles I've ever rode.
So that was my trip. Most of today was spent diagnosing my electrical issues (turned out to be overcharging, due to poor connections.) If I were to do it again, I'd soften up the bike a little, Re-foam the seat, and get a bigger windscreen. Or maybe I'd get a V-strom! I gotta say, when the riding got sporty, the Kat had more in her while the other guys were tying themselves into knots trying to get their bikes turned/stopped.
Behold the humble rig
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