I left home near Grass Valley Calif. about 8:00 in the morning and headed through Auburn and down the American River Canyon and up the other side through the tiny 'town' of Cool. Comfortably cool air and nice scenery along HWY 49 and met up with an old friend i used to go racing with. It was his idea to meet at the Coloma Club for breakfast, then his plan was to just see where the road would go. We took the Marshall Grade road up to Georgetown and then south down the hill to Placerville.
The roads in the foothills of the Sierra Mountains are notoriously twisty and winding, and the elevation is constantly changing, both up and down, and the new spring growth on the trees makes them look very healthy. We seem to be coming out of a severe drought and many Ponderosa pines have been weakened and attacked by bark beeetles, many have been killed. So among the healthy stands of trees occasionally you can see one or two brown ones, and sometimes a stand of fifteen or twenty or even more. It makes a contrast between the bright green new growth standing side by side.
From Placerville we took the Cedar Ravine road south and eventually connected to the Omo Ranch road, which took us up to about 3600' (1000 meters+or-). The trees along the ridge form a high canopy over the forest floor, and the ground cover (mountain misery) is blooming, also lots of ceanothus is also in full bloom, so significant pollen in the air right now. We connected to the main road down the hill to Sutter Creek and rejoined HWY 49 which we followed through the small town of Plymouth on our way back to the Coloma Club for a beer about 3:30. Lots of back roads, wonderful spring time scenery, and not a lot of traffic. An hour or so later I was safely home. It was a good day.
Wonderfully written fret nut. I may never get to those spots but feel as if I have. Sounds like a great day with a friend on bikes. Thanks for sharing.
Took my little RZ for a little test run this afternoon. I had just gotten it road ready after some fairly major chassis and brake upgrades. Blew a lot of 2-stroke smoke at first but it cleared out. The new four piston caliper brakes felt great. I think it had been nearly two months since I had ridden and it felt good. Now to get the Vision running so I can put some paint on the RZ. It is a US model in red, white and blue with a blue Canadian front fender. Very trailer park chic. I have to paint it or get a mullet.
Quote from: Walt_M. on May 22, 2016, 08:37:20 PM
I have to paint it or get a mullet.
Both fine choices, that will be a difficult decision.
Nothing like 2 stroke smoke, glad to hear it's amongst the living. Walt, when are you going to get a camera? I want to see before and after paint pics. :)
I have several cameras, just photo post challenged. I had a photo bucket account but I was never able to post from it. Are you really sure you want to see the before photo? The whole bike is original paint and has a patina.
Patina is good. Yes, there is value to seeing the originals. It established the starting point as well as provides a more dramatic juxtaposition to progress.
Took the RZ for another ride today. I found some EBC brake pads for the Vision, from my RZ calipers so I am in the middle of a pad swap for cheap. So the RZ is it, blue fender be damned. I just love that bike. The 4 piston caliper front brakes are amazing and the riding position is more upright than the Vision. Got some country two lane, interstate, stop and go then turns and up and down and home. Only 35 miles but the longest ride since my knee surgery and I am happy.
It sounds like a good day, Walt. I'm cheering for you!
Another ride starting from the Coloma Club (breakfast). Filled up fuel after breakfast and again took the Marshall Grade Rd. up to Georgetown. Last time there we turned right on the main street, but this time we went straight across it and on up and over the mountains past Stumpy Meadows and connected with Ice House Rd. and turned south to connect with Highway 50. Down the hill a bit we turned of onto the Mormon Emigrant Rd. and followed it to Highway 88, then down to the Omo Ranch Rd. and back through Placerville to the Coloma Club in Coloma (for a beer). The loop from the Coloma Club and back was about 155 miles.
The road from Georgetown up and over the 'top of the world' is generally very clean and smooth, though there are quite a few logging trucks hauling timber out of the mountains. Last year there was a big forest fire in part of this area and they are salvaging some of the damaged and dead trees, and cutting fire breaks for future fire containment in the healthy forest, so there is occasionally debris on the road surface. It helps to keep your eyes open (always) and be observant. Other than that, the scenery in the high Sierra Mountains is REALLY nice.
One of my riding buddies who is still working the daily grind explained that taking a day off to go riding like this is therapeutic, like a mental enema. I gotta say, it was a very nice ride in the cool of the high country. I don't know the maximum elevation on our ride but I did see a sign on our way back down that stated 6,000 ft.
You've inspired me. I haven't gotten many rides in this season and I miss it. I just called a riding buddy and we're going for a ride in about an hour. :)
Clear out some cobwebs and roll up some miles. If you are fortunate to have pleasant scenery so much the better.
Well I did but it was a shorter than expected ride. I was turned around early on by cooling issues. :(
I guess we'll see you in the TECH TALK section. What part of the cooling system do you suspect?
Hi Mike, I was up in that same area today. Started on Salmon falls road to 49, and Marshal grade road to George town then down into the canyon to Rock creek road to Mosquito ridge road. Stopped at the Starbucks in Placerville. Then to Plymouth on 49 to Larobe road and back home. I'm sure you've been on all of those roads at one time or another.
Yes, Ken. I'm familiar with those roads. This was my first time over the road out of Georgetown that we took. It puts you on top of the world it seems. In my way of thinking Salmon Falls rd. is too much work for the amount of fun you can have, plus it is seriously watched by the Highway Patrol, or at least it used to be.
I'm currently riding a KLR650 and enjoying it, but just wait til I get my Vision going. 8)
Unless you work over the suspension on your Vision, you're probably better off on the KLR.
I installed a rear shock from a Triumph TT600, and am considering some cartridge system for the front. Besides, we really aren't going nearly as fast as we used to. On the last ride I drug one foot peg once. we used to drag them rather regularly. In the mean time I am trying to figure out mounting some other carburetors to the XZ. Also in the meantime I am enjoying the KLR.
Another ride today. This time we met in Auburn at the Denny's diner on Auburn Ravine Rd for breakfast, then up the remnants of old Highway 40 to Donner Summit just above Soda Springs. Currently I-80 rerouts and replaces Highway 40 over Donner Summit, but we rode over the old route of the Historic Highway 40, part of the Lincoln Highway system. The section from Donner Lake to the summit has been used for timed hill climbs in years past, and we rode down and back up that section while marveling at the rugged landscape and enjoying the clean cool air.
Back over the summit we went to the 'town' of Soda Springs where my brother gassed up and we all visited the facilities. Then we took the Soda Springs road south, hoping to arrive at Robinson flat and on back home via Foresthill. Many of the old forestry roads have been paved but not this one until you get to Robinson Flat. So, for nearly 30 miles we rode over dirt road with a few challenging sections. Realize it is hunting season, so the area is crawling with pickups filled with camo clad hunters looking for a place to set up camp. The road is well traveled and very dusty, strewn with rocks, a few very small water crossings, and one hellacious sand section. It's only a couple hundred feet long but deep and very soft. I got dirty in the process and managed to trap my left foot under the bike. You can't lift a 400 pound bike off yourself when you are under it. I managed to wiggle around and free my foot but needed help to pick up my bike.
I have been reading some stuff about taking trips on bikes and the list of articles that might come in handy 'just in case': tire levers, air pump, extra tubes, patch kit, etc., etc. I was thinking about this while riding over the rocky sections, hoping I wouldn't hit a big rock and get a pinched tube or bent rim. It all went pretty well but the thoughts did leave a mark in my 'judgement' concerning future trips. We were traveling 'bare' in this regard.
Lots of great scenery, and the air is very clean and fresh when not following too closely to another vehicle. A dust mask might be a good idea if going that way again.
Once we hit the paved road at Robinson Flat we sailed on down the mountain to Foresthill, where we stopped for a 'breather' and discussion. The rest of the ride home was nice but unremarkable. It was a good day.
That 30 mile section - and specifically the deep sand - sounds like a fun adventure. And by "fun adventure" I mean only in retrospect when the story is told years later. :)
Quote from: fret nut on September 25, 2016, 01:09:33 AM
I have been reading some stuff about taking trips on bikes and the list of articles that might come in handy 'just in case': tire levers, air pump, extra tubes, patch kit, etc., etc. I was thinking about this while riding over the rocky sections, hoping I wouldn't hit a big rock and get a pinched tube or bent rim. It all went pretty well but the thoughts did leave a mark in my 'judgement' concerning future trips. We were traveling 'bare' in this regard.
I don't even know how to fix a flat in a tubeless tyre. Another thing I need to learn
To fix a flat in a tubeless tire you need to carry a tube. Otherwise it is nearly impossible to seat the bead of the tubless tire. Not so hard with a tube.
And yet another nice ride yesterday! Four of us left the Denny's Diner in Newcastle about 10:00 am and wandered north through the foothills and angled down toward the valley floor and crossed the dam at the Camp Far West reservoir and rode on up to Marysville and across the Sacramento River, through Yuba City and west on Highway 20 for a few miles to the turnoff for Sutter. Sutter is a small town that seems lost in the 1950s, and is nestled near the south eastern foot of the Sutter buttes. We have done this ride before but had not measured the distance around the Buttes, so this time we did and found it's 42 miles to go from Sutter, around the Buttes, and back to Sutter. Fortunately there is a pretty good Mexican grill (restaurant and bar) where we filled up with a nice meal and a Mexican beer.
To return home we took Highway 20 toward Grass Valley which is mainly flat and straight on the valley floor but begins to rise and fall as it winds up into the foothills. It is a pretty nice road now, but 30 years ago and before it was a narrow and rough road with frequent tight turns up in the hills, so it is much improved and a joy to ride if there is no traffic in the way. All in all it was a very pleasant way to spend a few hours on a beautiful sunny day. It was raining two days ago and will again tonight, so we were fortunate to catch the break in the weather.
Well, Friday! We again had breakfast at the Coloma Club in Coloma. Coloma is famous for being the spot where Johan Sutter had a water powered lumber mill operated by John Marshall, and it was John Marshall that found gold right there in the river. This started the gold rush of 1849. It is mostly a state park now, but just north out of 'town' just across the river is where the Coloma Club and a few other businesses are situated. Again we took the Marshall grade up to Georgetown and on east to Icehouse Rd. and back down Hwy. 50 to Placerville where we went on some back roads that lead back to Coloma and the Coloma Club for an afternoon refreshment. Three of us this day, which to my mind is about the best number for a group ride. Two works very well also. Two KLR 650s and a Ducati Panigale this time.
Going over the same route might seem like a boring activity but the road changes through the seasons and depending on the level of activity of the loggers. I think it's rather like practicing yoga, where you do the same exercises or poses every time and like my friend, Rick, says, "it like a mental enema" and clears out your mind. Rick was in the Army in Viet Nam back when that was happening and has a significant dose of PTSD, so these rides are very welcome therapy for him especially but for me too.
Chilly beginning to the day at 9:00am. Frozen bird bath and animal water pans as I started my KLR650 to let it warm up. But when I put it in gear the engine went dark. After a few attempts to get on my way and each time the gear lever is engaged the engine dies. I had read about the side stand safety lock outs on many bikes and made a little 'jumper' to eliminate the safety switch, and things looked up from there. Into gear and on my way in the frosty morning. My finger tips got pretty cold by the time I was going up the American River Canyon section of Hwy 49 on my way to meet up with my friends, Rick and Joe at the Coloma Club, our frequent meeting place. After a leisurely breakfast and warm up time we set off toward Pilot Hill and the Salmon Falls road. On through ElDorado Hills and Latrobe and up through Plymouth where we got on Hwy 49 headed north. Rick is familiar with that area so he led us through Shingle Springs and back to the Coloma Club for some refreshment about 1:30.
After breakfast our ride was quite enjoyable, as the day had warmed up some and was no longer biting like an ice pick. It was a very good day. ;)
Sometimes the plunger on those safety switches get sluggish - especially in cooler weather.
Yeah, I think some WD-40 should be in order. Old dirty chain goo can drip on that mechanism and dry up, so now I am armed with the knowledge to deal with the problem. 8)
I was out for alittle ride today after coffee with a friend at the Peet's in Eldorado hills. Salmon Falls road over to 49, then down into the Auburn Canyon to Auburn. Then to Loomis and some back roads home. Only about 60 miles, but the sun was out and the road was callin. Not on my Vision today, I was on a 68 BSA 441 Shooting Star. Nope, I didn't have to call the sag wagon. That old BSA really enjoys the back roads.
Nice use of the day, Ken. I'm envious as I spent the morning with a chain saw and a big old oak tree that blew down a couple years ago. I saw it when it was freshly down a couple years ago and meant to get up the hill to it to cut it up for firewood, but other things just seem to take priority as we go through our days and months. I did get up to check it out a few months after it came down, and found a stripped carcass of a deer on the ground between the two large trunks (we have mountain lions around here). Two years later the bones are still mostly there but scattered around now. My saw just barely gets through the lower part of the trunk (saw has 16" bar). The wood is dry mostly, and the bugs have made their appearance, though not as much as I had feared. Around here oak doesn'r last very long once it's juices stop flowing, as the bugs move in and bring fungus with them. It's the fungus that really destroys the wood and makes it all punky. You can't drive to where the tree is, so I cut rounds off and let them roll down the hill, where I have to find them and round them up to where i can drive my lawn tractor/mower and trailer to pick them up and move them to where they get split and stacked. It's a lot of physical work but I'm too cheap to get a pellet stove, and we have twenty acres of woods to supply us with firewood. It's nice that the poison oak hasn't leaved out yet.
First ride in several months for me. 4 bikes today, 2 KLR 650s, V-Strom 650, and a Ducati Panigale. We took the "regular" ride again, Coloma Club, up and over the Marshall Rd through Georgetown and on east to the Icehouse Rd. The roads are pretty clear currently, with only a few places where there is dirt on the pavement. You have to keep your eyes open because trucks or equipment may appear just about anywhere moving logs. Today the weekend campers were getting an early start finding a place to camp or put a boat in water. It was a little warm today but up in the high country it seems to always be nice in hot weather. Our route only goes up to a bit over 4,000ft (1300M) but there are places along the way that seem to be on the top of the world. Temperature rise is noticeable as we descend altitude. It was a good day. 8)
Heading out again on Thursday, Oct. 15 to the Coloma Club again. We will meet there about 9:00 and have breakfast before we take off for the ride. I have a container of water and a air pump(hopefully not needed) and extra gloves in my bag. We usually have a water stop after a few hours, then either head back to the Coloma Club or home, depending on the time of day. My dog is used to being fed around 2:00 - 3:00pm, so I aim to be home by that time, definitely before dark. Night vision on a motorcycle is less than good for me, so I head home in the early afternoon time.
What a wonderful day! Dry, sunny, not hot, and not many vehicles on the roads. Today we spent a few hours wandering through the foothills as the countryside takes on the Fall colors. There are a lot of roads in the foothills and most of them are nicely paved, though there are some rough roads and also some dirt/rocky roads if you know where to look. Home by 3:00, and no damage done.
Just thinking about our annual Geezer Ride (mid Oct.) and having uneasy thoughts about the regular route as some of it is currently within the Caldor Fire perimeter. Hopefully the fire will be out before long. We need rain before I will go on that route, as the fire equipment will have tracked significant dirt and debris on the road. A good rain can wash the roadway clean but after a burn the rain can also wash mud across the pavement or cause slumps as banks and roads can collapse. Burnt areas don't hold the water very well so most of it runs off causing erosion and carrying the soil downhill.
Reading over some old posts on this thread make me lament the fact that I live in a city where those sorts of roads are non-existent. My last three outings on the V have been spent largely waiting for traffic, road construction, red lights, and draw bridges. In the heat, watching the temp gauge creep up, never to a point where it was alarming but my gas gauge was creeping down and had to use reserve yesterday. Anyway hope to get out onto a country road this fall, despite having to ride 25 miles just to get to one!
Brian, I empathize with you, as I have lived in urban settings in the past, but have been here in the foothills since '80. I much prefer the 'out of town' setting, however, our usual meeting place for beginning a ride is 30+ miles from here. I am not complaining, as the ride to get there is mostly out in the open countryside, and scenic.
I am chipping away bit by bit at getting my XZ functional and on the road. It is still a way off but getting closer. The journey continues.
Aiming for our annual Geezer Ride on Friday. Not sure where we will go this time, will figure it out over breakfast, and it will be a good day.
Yep. Another nice ride for the geezer crew. Four of us this time. Again we met at the Coloma Club for breakfast, then went north on HWY 49 to the bottom of the canyon at the confluence of the North Fork and Middle Fork of the American River, turned right, and up the old road to Foresthill. We followed the road through the small town of Foresthill and on up the ridge to Robinson Flat campground where we turned around and rode back to Foresthill. There are places along that road that seem to be "on top of the world", with views that cause one to ponder. The Sierra mountains are a magnificent area to experience, especially on a motorcycle. I have been on that road many times and it usually seems to have something new to offer, and always helps with the appreciation of how grand Nature is. Clear skies and clean roads made a very enjoyable outing today.
Another Geezer Ride today going familiar places but not our usual longer ride this time as there have been some forest fires in this region and at least one is still burning. So we had a leisurely breakfast at the Coloma Club again after which we rode up to Georgetown and visited an art gallery where my brother had seen some leather sculpture previously. It was interesting and the town was quiet. Normally we would have gone east on the Wentworth Springs Rd. and over to Icehouse Rd., but the recent fires have left debris and dirt on the road as fire crews moved equipment in and out again, and now the continued logging to salvage what they can from the remains of the burned areas. The roads will be in better shape after a few rains unless we get so much that it causes other problems like slumps and mud flows. So we just split up and went our separate ways home from Georgetown. The weather was a bit cool but not at all cold, but it will be cold before long, as summer has slipped away again. We can try again next year. It is time to brush out my chimney pipe before having the first fire of the new season. Also have to finish filling the wood shed so I will have dry wood when the storms arrive.