Napa Spring run, 17th Feb.

[OrangevaleFJR]

First I want to say thanks to Dave for putting this ride on and it was great seeing those familiar faces and many more new ones. This ride was blessed with great weather, roads, and riders. This was the first year I was able to make this run. The only regret I have is it was cut short for me and ds_928 as we and the last half of the first group got seperated from the brisk front half and our half group missed the turn off at 175 I think. Uh Dave, remember us newer/older guys? :lol: The riders in front of me and ds_928 did some passing manouvers that we didn't want to repeat so we got stuck behind some traffic and for a brief moment I noticed to my left the fuel cell of an early FJR in a pullout on the opposite side of the road but it was too late to stop and no place to turn around as the road was one twisty cork screw all the way down to highway 29. I believe the same road Orangevale took and turned around and went back up on. I wasn't about to go back up that ugly hill and we were about as far away from the lunch stop as one could get. So at 11:15 ds_928 and I decided that by the time we would get to the eatery the group would be long gone and the chances of meeting up with anyone would be slim to none so as Danny termed, we decided to "call it a day" and I had to agree. Nice to get to meet you Danny and also JB. Strange and disapointing but just getting out on the bike and testing out some new farkles was good. And the new seat earned the stamp of approval after many long hours of testing different foams and fabricating. No butt burn whatsoever! Lesson learned was get a GPS or tankbag with a map window and highlighted map and ride your own ride. Trying to keep up can be hazardous to your health. Duh? It was fun but short. <>< :huh:

I got your voice mail...the next day I never even looked at my cell phone all day. Hopefully some of the pics Sherri took while we zipped by you guys will show up.

 

[HYCLE]

First I want to say thanks to Dave for putting this ride on and it was great seeing those familiar faces and many more new ones. This ride was blessed with great weather, roads, and riders. This was the first year I was able to make this run. The only regret I have is it was cut short for me and ds_928 as we and the last half of the first group got seperated from the brisk front half and our half group missed the turn off at 175 I think. Uh Dave, remember us newer/older guys? :lol: The riders in front of me and ds_928 did some passing manouvers that we didn't want to repeat so we got stuck behind some traffic and for a brief moment I noticed to my left the fuel cell of an early FJR in a pullout on the opposite side of the road but it was too late to stop and no place to turn around as the road was one twisty cork screw all the way down to highway 29. I believe the same road Orangevale took and turned around and went back up on. I wasn't about to go back up that ugly hill and we were about as far away from the lunch stop as one could get. So at 11:15 ds_928 and I decided that by the time we would get to the eatery the group would be long gone and the chances of meeting up with anyone would be slim to none so as Danny termed, we decided to "call it a day" and I had to agree. Nice to get to meet you Danny and also JB. Strange and disapointing but just getting out on the bike and testing out some new farkles was good. And the new seat earned the stamp of approval after many long hours of testing different foams and fabricating. No butt burn whatsoever! Lesson learned was get a GPS or tankbag with a map window and highlighted map and ride your own ride. Trying to keep up can be hazardous to your health. Duh? It was fun but short. <>< :huh:

I was part of that lost group, and lost my nerve on one corner ending up over the double yellow line. Then I let the guy behind me pass just before we all got stuck behind a tanker truck doing 20mph. I was two cars back of the group when the tanker pulled out and I could never get passed the cars safely. By the time I got to Calistoga there were no bikes in sight and it was time for me to call it a day anyway.

Thanks for the fun morning and I am looking forward to next time.

Who was taking pictures as they passed us before Middleton? Did you get a picture of the calf on the wrong side of the fence?

Mike Whalen

stock 2005 fjr

soon to get training wheels

 

[OrangevaleFJR]

Who was taking pictures as they passed us before Middleton? Did you get a picture of the calf on the wrong side of the fence?
Mike Whalen

stock 2005 fjr

soon to get training wheels

That was Sherri, my wife. We had borrowed the camera from Jeff so I won't be sure what pictures we got until we get a CD from him.

That calf on the wrong side of the fence was more scared than we were. I really should have stopped and got it on the right side of the fence. That thing was hugging the fence when we rode by and didn't look very happy about having really fast, funny sounding FJRs zipping by him.

 

[Yamalude]

I left with the first group of riders and was bring up the rear. Did anyriders in the second group see that black angus calf standing along the fence heading down popevalley road? It started to move a little bit when I went by like it was going to come on the road but it stayed and a lit tle further down the road its mom was trying to ;opcate it and comming to the fence in a hurried manner. It is obvious that everyone made it by alright. I thought maybe the second group would have an early lunch that being a barbaque style lunch.

fun time fun ride and fun people weekend rider

I almost hit that dam Black Angus calf heading down pope valley road. Danny (ds_928) and I left the morning meeting place in between the 1st and 2nd groups (late visit to the rest room), with the intention of catching-up with the first group.

I see the first group ahead and accelerate down that nice straight next to the pasture land on Pope Valley Road. Just as I reach about 90MPH, the calf darts out in front of me about 100 yards ahead and proceeds to run left and right, left and right. Two massive counter steering inputs later (while on the brakes) and I have arced around it. It really put my heart up into my mouth as it was a close call.

Luckily for Danny, he saw my maneuvers and slowed way down and got by it without any problems.

Michael

 

[ds_928]

First, let me say as a newbie to the board and the FJR, that although I didn't complete the ride I did have a fantastic day out, met some new folks and was able (thanks to Hans) to put faces to the handles. Many, thanks to Highlander for doing such a great job of setting this up, as someone else said earlier...it's no mean feat!

First I want to say thanks to Dave for putting this ride on and it was great seeing those familiar faces and many more new ones. This ride was blessed with great weather, roads, and riders. This was the first year I was able to make this run. The only regret I have is it was cut short for me and ds_928 as we and the last half of the first group got seperated from the brisk front half and our half group missed the turn off at 175 I think. Uh Dave, remember us newer/older guys? :lol: The riders in front of me and ds_928 did some passing manouvers that we didn't want to repeat so we got stuck behind some traffic and for a brief moment I noticed to my left the fuel cell of an early FJR in a pullout on the opposite side of the road but it was too late to stop and no place to turn around as the road was one twisty cork screw all the way down to highway 29. I believe the same road Orangevale took and turned around and went back up on. I wasn't about to go back up that ugly hill and we were about as far away from the lunch stop as one could get. So at 11:15 ds_928 and I decided that by the time we would get to the eatery the group would be long gone and the chances of meeting up with anyone would be slim to none so as Danny termed, we decided to "call it a day" and I had to agree. Nice to get to meet you Danny and also JB. Strange and disapointing but just getting out on the bike and testing out some new farkles was good. And the new seat earned the stamp of approval after many long hours of testing different foams and fabricating. No butt burn whatsoever! Lesson learned was get a GPS or tankbag with a map window and highlighted map and ride your own ride. Trying to keep up can be hazardous to your health. Duh? It was fun but short. <>< :huh:

I was part of that lost group, and lost my nerve on one corner ending up over the double yellow line. Then I let the guy behind me pass just before we all got stuck behind a tanker truck doing 20mph. I was two cars back of the group when the tanker pulled out and I could never get passed the cars safely. By the time I got to Calistoga there were no bikes in sight and it was time for me to call it a day anyway.

Thanks for the fun morning and I am looking forward to next time.

Who was taking pictures as they passed us before Middleton? Did you get a picture of the calf on the wrong side of the fence?

Mike Whalen

stock 2005 fjr

soon to get training wheels

Even though I had the GPS (new farkle...Bluestreak, thanks for sending me the route) and it told me to turn right at Middletown I was at the back of the group and as I approached the lights they turned green and everyone else when straight on (although I did see one other bike indicating right)...I was hoping that someone up front knew a shortcut...

I chatted with Hycle (great story behind the handle) and painman in Calistoga before calling it a day and heading home...none the less it was a great day out and I was able to earn some much needed brownie points from the wife after being away most of the week and then expected to be away all day Saturday by arriving home early that afternoon...always good to have those points in the bank...espeically when it's farkle time

I left with the first group of riders and was bring up the rear. Did anyriders in the second group see that black angus calf standing along the fence heading down popevalley road? It started to move a little bit when I went by like it was going to come on the road but it stayed and a lit tle further down the road its mom was trying to ;opcate it and comming to the fence in a hurried manner. It is obvious that everyone made it by alright. I thought maybe the second group would have an early lunch that being a barbaque style lunch.

fun time fun ride and fun people weekend rider

I almost hit that dam Black Angus calf heading down pope valley road. Danny (ds_928) and I left the morning meeting place in between the 1st and 2nd groups (late visit to the rest room), with the intention of catching-up with the first group.

I see the first group ahead and accelerate down that nice straight next to the pasture land on Pope Valley Road. Just as I reach about 90MPH, the calf darts out in front of me about 100 yards ahead and proceeds to run left and right, left and right. Two massive counter steering inputs later (while on the brakes) and I have arced around it. It really put my heart up into my mouth as it was a close call.

Luckily for Danny, he saw my maneuvers and slowed way down and got by it without any problems.

Michael

Yep, I had the best seat in the house for a great lesson in counter steering...yamalude did an excellent job of avoiding a startled and seeming mad cow charging around the road doing it’s best impression of the running of the bulls

Here's photo with the majorty of the group before we set off...

 

[madmike2]

Man, I gots tuh tellya thet its maighty hard tuh git yoosed tuh seein them Highlanders on a Bleu byke. I'se lookin' et thet pitcher en koodent figger wye Dave wuz doin' stuff wit dat thar Bleu byke cuz I bin lookin' fer thuh Grey wun. heh-heh-heh-heh-heh. :lol:

 

[OrangevaleFJR]

Man, I gots tuh tellya thet its maighty hard tuh git yoosed tuh seein them Highlanders on a Bleu byke. I'se lookin' et thet pitcher en koodent figger wye Dave wuz doin' stuff wit dat thar Bleu byke cuz I bin lookin' fer thuh Grey wun. heh-heh-heh-heh-heh. :lol:

Do you have some kind of translation software to feed normal English through to get this stuff, or are you just getting good at this stuff. Keep this up and I'll invent a game like scrabble, call it babble and get your dikshunerry.

 

[madmike2]

Wail, AH wuz in the milly-tary wif and yoosed tew werk wif summa them'all good ol' boys en ah kindy gotch mahseff yoosed toit. Uh corse, ah've layberred to raze et tew en art form, don'tcha noe. Then agin, thars alluz lissenin' to them'all Nascar innerviews.