tel
Well-known member
Back home from the Cal 24. For me one of the toughest 24 hours on a motorcycle.
I didn't want to blast up I5 and go to Portland and chose to do the thread bonuses, thinking wrongly that I could also pick up some of the bigger other bonuses. Obviously miscalculated the distance.
The thread bonuses started at 60 points and you got double for each one you added, up to a max of 7 bonuses. So the 7th bonus was worth as much as all the other six together, (do the math). Each of the bonuses was a muffler man.
Started easy, with the first bonus in San Jose, just a few miles from the start.
The rider in the picture is Ken Meese the eventual winner, whose ride was just nuts, 1,575 miles.
Off then to number 2, the weather was a little cold and some sprinkles of rain.
Hayward
Now the rally really got going with the long ride up 101 to Willits. I was lucky twice on the ride by being slowed by a cage just as we came across a CHP shooting at me. Could this be my lucky day? Find out later the answer was not what I was hoping. Lots of Harleys on the road, there was a big meet in the Redwoods. Came across one couple, the rider on the right looked like a female (sort of) from the back. Had her legs at right angles to the bike, I mean truly at right angles. Saw the 2 long pony tails as I got closer, so threw a glance at the biker chick. Yikes! A no. 10 skanky. Yuk! Did the wave anyway, hey, I didn't have to sleep with it.
Willets
Backtracked down to route 20 and crossed through Clearlake to I5 and then north. Next muffler man was in Hat Creek, north of Lassen Nat. Park. Twisties from I5 to route 44 were fun. The weather at the higher elevations deteriorated, with intermittent showers, but not too bad.
Hat Creek
Now it was back down I5, to south of Sacramento, a place called Jackson. Picked up the muffler man and decided to seek other bonuses in the area.
Here is the only other picture bonus I snatched.
The bell at the foundry in Sutter Creek
From there I went to Ione for a "count the mail boxes" bonus. That's where things went wrong. I was turning around looking for the mail boxes and dropped the bike. That's the trouble with being a short arse. Had to remove the side bag and rear trunk to get the thing upright. Not one sole came to help. Bastids. Not too much damage, just a few rally scratches and a bent HID light bracket. Blew off the bonus as a bad omen.
So, very peeved, I set off for Merced for Muffler man no. 6 in Merced. It was midnight by the time a got there and all the drunks were about. I'm heading down main street, 4 lanes, and I notice 2 headlights coming towards me. Split second I'm thinking, "is this a one way street?" Nope, damn mofo was driving on the wrong side of the road. Didn't move either, yours truly had to take evasive action.
Picked up the picture and got out of there pronto.
Merced. Another riders (no. 28) was there. Can't remember his name. Always fun to bump into a fellow competitor, especially late at night. Nice to know you're not alone.
Bet you guys can't wait to see the next muffler man eh?
Last one was in Bakersfield. Long frigging way. I think 240 odd miles. I was getting tired and really needed a stop (other then gas), so I planned a late night Denny's experience as soon as I was headed back to base. When I was about 20 miles from the bonus I plugged in the rally hotel in the GPS to see how long to get back and was surprised when it said I only had an hour to spare and here's me heading in the wrong direction. Damn, I was looking forward to Dennys' (pretty sad eh?). I wicked it up a tad and picked up the last bonus
Bakersfield.
GPS said I would arrive back with 40 minutes to spare. Sounds like a piece of cake. But I'd been on the bike now for a long time and was really in need of a break. Crossed over to I5 on rte 46 and then started the haul up I5. I find it very difficult, riding a freeway, when you should be asleep. I slowly beat the GPS and got to 50 minutes to spare. So, I stopped for a well needed nap in a parking lot by a closed fast food joint. Set the screaming meanie, but woke within 10 or 15 minutes before it went off. Set off for the final run to San Jose, with 15 minutes to spare.
Ended up in 8th place (same as last year). Would have been 7th and beaten Jerry, if I had remembered to call in at the right time that I wouldn't make the second checkpoint.
Other than Jerry, the top 6 all went to Portland. Meesyboy completed a phenomenal ride, that man is a machine. He did 300 more miles then I did. That's at least 4 hours ahead of me. Go figure.
Thanks to Tom, Mark and all the helpers for a very well run and efficient event. Always fun to see old friends and make new ones.
Last picture was a cafe in Tres Pinos at the start of Airline Hwy (rte 25). Good food. If you haven't ridden this road, just go do it, so so sweet! One of the great ones.
Terry
I didn't want to blast up I5 and go to Portland and chose to do the thread bonuses, thinking wrongly that I could also pick up some of the bigger other bonuses. Obviously miscalculated the distance.
The thread bonuses started at 60 points and you got double for each one you added, up to a max of 7 bonuses. So the 7th bonus was worth as much as all the other six together, (do the math). Each of the bonuses was a muffler man.
Started easy, with the first bonus in San Jose, just a few miles from the start.
The rider in the picture is Ken Meese the eventual winner, whose ride was just nuts, 1,575 miles.
Off then to number 2, the weather was a little cold and some sprinkles of rain.
Hayward
Now the rally really got going with the long ride up 101 to Willits. I was lucky twice on the ride by being slowed by a cage just as we came across a CHP shooting at me. Could this be my lucky day? Find out later the answer was not what I was hoping. Lots of Harleys on the road, there was a big meet in the Redwoods. Came across one couple, the rider on the right looked like a female (sort of) from the back. Had her legs at right angles to the bike, I mean truly at right angles. Saw the 2 long pony tails as I got closer, so threw a glance at the biker chick. Yikes! A no. 10 skanky. Yuk! Did the wave anyway, hey, I didn't have to sleep with it.
Willets
Backtracked down to route 20 and crossed through Clearlake to I5 and then north. Next muffler man was in Hat Creek, north of Lassen Nat. Park. Twisties from I5 to route 44 were fun. The weather at the higher elevations deteriorated, with intermittent showers, but not too bad.
Hat Creek
Now it was back down I5, to south of Sacramento, a place called Jackson. Picked up the muffler man and decided to seek other bonuses in the area.
Here is the only other picture bonus I snatched.
The bell at the foundry in Sutter Creek
From there I went to Ione for a "count the mail boxes" bonus. That's where things went wrong. I was turning around looking for the mail boxes and dropped the bike. That's the trouble with being a short arse. Had to remove the side bag and rear trunk to get the thing upright. Not one sole came to help. Bastids. Not too much damage, just a few rally scratches and a bent HID light bracket. Blew off the bonus as a bad omen.
So, very peeved, I set off for Merced for Muffler man no. 6 in Merced. It was midnight by the time a got there and all the drunks were about. I'm heading down main street, 4 lanes, and I notice 2 headlights coming towards me. Split second I'm thinking, "is this a one way street?" Nope, damn mofo was driving on the wrong side of the road. Didn't move either, yours truly had to take evasive action.
Picked up the picture and got out of there pronto.
Merced. Another riders (no. 28) was there. Can't remember his name. Always fun to bump into a fellow competitor, especially late at night. Nice to know you're not alone.
Bet you guys can't wait to see the next muffler man eh?
Last one was in Bakersfield. Long frigging way. I think 240 odd miles. I was getting tired and really needed a stop (other then gas), so I planned a late night Denny's experience as soon as I was headed back to base. When I was about 20 miles from the bonus I plugged in the rally hotel in the GPS to see how long to get back and was surprised when it said I only had an hour to spare and here's me heading in the wrong direction. Damn, I was looking forward to Dennys' (pretty sad eh?). I wicked it up a tad and picked up the last bonus
Bakersfield.
GPS said I would arrive back with 40 minutes to spare. Sounds like a piece of cake. But I'd been on the bike now for a long time and was really in need of a break. Crossed over to I5 on rte 46 and then started the haul up I5. I find it very difficult, riding a freeway, when you should be asleep. I slowly beat the GPS and got to 50 minutes to spare. So, I stopped for a well needed nap in a parking lot by a closed fast food joint. Set the screaming meanie, but woke within 10 or 15 minutes before it went off. Set off for the final run to San Jose, with 15 minutes to spare.
Ended up in 8th place (same as last year). Would have been 7th and beaten Jerry, if I had remembered to call in at the right time that I wouldn't make the second checkpoint.
Other than Jerry, the top 6 all went to Portland. Meesyboy completed a phenomenal ride, that man is a machine. He did 300 more miles then I did. That's at least 4 hours ahead of me. Go figure.
Thanks to Tom, Mark and all the helpers for a very well run and efficient event. Always fun to see old friends and make new ones.
Last picture was a cafe in Tres Pinos at the start of Airline Hwy (rte 25). Good food. If you haven't ridden this road, just go do it, so so sweet! One of the great ones.
Terry
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