Khunajawdge
Toto El Mundo!
Here’s a fragmented report of the Beat the 4th Ride conducted on Wednesday, June 29, thru Friday, July 1, 2011.
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
It began when I met my ride buddies in Paso Robles at Rudy’s place after an overnight drizzle of rain. Robert, Rudy and I departed at 10:00AM over damp roads, but clearing skies, temps in the low 60’s, to head east on Highway 46 to a rendezvous with Barrie, Bob, Don, and Dave at the intersection of I 5 and 46 at Lost Hills. As it turned out Barrie’s group caught up with us when we made a premature pit stop on 46. The Barrie group hailed from Santa Margarita/58/33 on this ride. Nearly as soon as we all left Lost Hills together on a mix of bike makes, hunger struck our small band of 3, so we fragment off at a roadside eatery in Wasco.
Barrie’s group of 4 continues on 46 where they will turn onto 65, then 155 for a ride over the foothills toward Wofford Heights and Kernville. The meet up point for the evening will be Johnny McNally’s Steak House around 10 miles up the Kern River Canyon from downtown Kernville. Barrie et al, would be staying in McNally’s cabins while our small pod would encamp at the Fairview State campground.
After a hearty lunch at La Cabinita~, we headed out to follow in the track of the previous riders over the final bit of the central valley. It was just after noon and the temps had climbed to the mid seventies. Highway 155 was a hoot and just a primer of what would be a leaned over/twisty ride for the next 2 days. We stopped at the summit of 155 for a couple of photos.
I had failed to top off my gas tank in lost Hills on the (new to me) '02 Suzuki V-Strom DL 1000
This is the bike that I had chosen for this ride (leaving the FJR at home), but ran out of gas 4 miles from the base of 155 in Wofford Heights. 5.5 gallon tank, and just over 206 miles on the ODO. I was heading downhill when the motor sputtered out, so I hauled in the clutch and coasted into the Standard station at the base of 155 under No power. Had to roll through the stop sign to keep momentum to reach a pump, but there were no cars in sight. After I get fuel and somehow we have lost Rudy, Robert and I arrive here;
… and Robert and I set up camp on the edge of the Kern river around 4:00PM
Rudy decides to join us again as he had made a wrong turn at the base of 155 and ended up in Lake Isabella = Oops!
Meanwhile, Barrie/Don/Bob/Dave had headed out for an afternoon ride up to the top of Sherman Pass which had just opened for the first time this season on Monday June 27. When they return we meet for steaks at McNally’s at around 7:00PM.
If you want to see where Barrie’s camera was, then you must visit his photos at; Kodak File
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Barrie and all check in with us at the campsite as he and the rest are heading to Springville on 190 for Breakfast then start home. Rudy, Robert, and I bid adieu to them as we are headed for breakfast in Kernville then up Sherman Pass to see the summit, and here we are;
Oh hey, that’s Mt. Whitney ober dere!
After that stop we rode back down the mountain and headed north on 190 toward Springville ourselves. What a convoluted twisty route that 190 is heading to Springville. I’m so glad I was on the Suzuki as most of this ride of 28 miles or so was in second gear. The temperature was in the high 80’s and the FJR would have been putting out some serious heat. I am going to keep this Suzuki for rides like this where I need to drone on for hours in lower gears, plus with the extra front fork travel it just soaks up potholes. Being a lighter steed by 100lbs or so, it throws from side to side much more flickably in the tight twisties. Our goal was to fish at recently stocked Balch Lake Park 26 miles north of Springville. It looked like this;
Friday, July 1, 2011
…wish we had caught these, but my wife was smart enough to go the fish market and buy them. Had them for dinner when I got home. :clapping:
All in All it was a great Beat the 4th Ride. We beat the heat following a storm in to the southern Sierras, and got out before the crowds arrived. I’d say it was “Made in the Shade”. Over 700 miles RT and not much over 3 tanks of fuel on the Zook. Doesn't seem to be scrubbing off rubber as fast as the FJR either. I think it's a keeper, and it sounds like this (after the peashooter mod similar to the Trooper mod) when under decel = a rat-a-tat-tat! :thumbsupsmileyanim:
Have a good summer everybody, and Ride Safe!
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
It began when I met my ride buddies in Paso Robles at Rudy’s place after an overnight drizzle of rain. Robert, Rudy and I departed at 10:00AM over damp roads, but clearing skies, temps in the low 60’s, to head east on Highway 46 to a rendezvous with Barrie, Bob, Don, and Dave at the intersection of I 5 and 46 at Lost Hills. As it turned out Barrie’s group caught up with us when we made a premature pit stop on 46. The Barrie group hailed from Santa Margarita/58/33 on this ride. Nearly as soon as we all left Lost Hills together on a mix of bike makes, hunger struck our small band of 3, so we fragment off at a roadside eatery in Wasco.
Barrie’s group of 4 continues on 46 where they will turn onto 65, then 155 for a ride over the foothills toward Wofford Heights and Kernville. The meet up point for the evening will be Johnny McNally’s Steak House around 10 miles up the Kern River Canyon from downtown Kernville. Barrie et al, would be staying in McNally’s cabins while our small pod would encamp at the Fairview State campground.
After a hearty lunch at La Cabinita~, we headed out to follow in the track of the previous riders over the final bit of the central valley. It was just after noon and the temps had climbed to the mid seventies. Highway 155 was a hoot and just a primer of what would be a leaned over/twisty ride for the next 2 days. We stopped at the summit of 155 for a couple of photos.
I had failed to top off my gas tank in lost Hills on the (new to me) '02 Suzuki V-Strom DL 1000
This is the bike that I had chosen for this ride (leaving the FJR at home), but ran out of gas 4 miles from the base of 155 in Wofford Heights. 5.5 gallon tank, and just over 206 miles on the ODO. I was heading downhill when the motor sputtered out, so I hauled in the clutch and coasted into the Standard station at the base of 155 under No power. Had to roll through the stop sign to keep momentum to reach a pump, but there were no cars in sight. After I get fuel and somehow we have lost Rudy, Robert and I arrive here;
… and Robert and I set up camp on the edge of the Kern river around 4:00PM
Rudy decides to join us again as he had made a wrong turn at the base of 155 and ended up in Lake Isabella = Oops!
Meanwhile, Barrie/Don/Bob/Dave had headed out for an afternoon ride up to the top of Sherman Pass which had just opened for the first time this season on Monday June 27. When they return we meet for steaks at McNally’s at around 7:00PM.
If you want to see where Barrie’s camera was, then you must visit his photos at; Kodak File
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Barrie and all check in with us at the campsite as he and the rest are heading to Springville on 190 for Breakfast then start home. Rudy, Robert, and I bid adieu to them as we are headed for breakfast in Kernville then up Sherman Pass to see the summit, and here we are;
Oh hey, that’s Mt. Whitney ober dere!
After that stop we rode back down the mountain and headed north on 190 toward Springville ourselves. What a convoluted twisty route that 190 is heading to Springville. I’m so glad I was on the Suzuki as most of this ride of 28 miles or so was in second gear. The temperature was in the high 80’s and the FJR would have been putting out some serious heat. I am going to keep this Suzuki for rides like this where I need to drone on for hours in lower gears, plus with the extra front fork travel it just soaks up potholes. Being a lighter steed by 100lbs or so, it throws from side to side much more flickably in the tight twisties. Our goal was to fish at recently stocked Balch Lake Park 26 miles north of Springville. It looked like this;
Friday, July 1, 2011
…wish we had caught these, but my wife was smart enough to go the fish market and buy them. Had them for dinner when I got home. :clapping:
All in All it was a great Beat the 4th Ride. We beat the heat following a storm in to the southern Sierras, and got out before the crowds arrived. I’d say it was “Made in the Shade”. Over 700 miles RT and not much over 3 tanks of fuel on the Zook. Doesn't seem to be scrubbing off rubber as fast as the FJR either. I think it's a keeper, and it sounds like this (after the peashooter mod similar to the Trooper mod) when under decel = a rat-a-tat-tat! :thumbsupsmileyanim:
Have a good summer everybody, and Ride Safe!
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