sportrides
Well-known member
I did a SS1000 last Friday. Trying to keep with one certified ride per month for as long as I can keep it up. I didn’t have time to do anything longer as I wanted to be home that evening. I planned a route and got the C14 (what a helluva bike BTW) ready to go a couple of days prior. Planned to go down Hwy 99, Hwy 58 across Tehachapi, onto Hwy 14, up the 395 to Carson City, and then Hwy 50 into Silver Springs for a simple out and back. No worries I thought. Pretty straight forward route.
I made good time until about 10 am and that is when I hit heavy construction, tourists, delays, and busy towns. This started just around Walker Canyon on the 395. Crap, I was doing so well. Then it took me over 4 hours to go 200 miles. I called Greg for a reroute and he made a suggestion to continue on the 50 into Fallon, down to Tonopah, then south on 95 to a road called 266 that takes you to the 168. That will eventually dump you into 395 and Big Pine. Well, I thought I guess I’ll give it a try. In the back of my mind I was wondering what type of road the 266 and 168 would be…if it was a paved road at all. I probably could have turned around in Tonopah and gone back to Bishop and did the whole ride in less time, but more miles. But I chose to try the “new” route and got to ride a very fun road!
I swear on a Friday north of the Mammoth region on the 395 south of and through Carson City into Fallon there is a disproportionate amount of trucks, motorhomes, idiots, and every type of slow driver that I’ve ever seen (alright a little dramatic, but it was ridiculous). The thought of going back that same route was not too appealing to me.
So into Tonopah from Fallon was smooth sailing. Tonopah to 266 cutoff was also smooth miles. Got on the 266 and apparently they had a rain storm in the area a few days previous or something like that and there was a lot of dirt on the road. Nothing crazy, but enough to make the speeds kinda slow. At this point I realized that I had about 100 miles to go to get to Hwy 395. This was supposed to be a quick 14 hour out and back or so. Hwy 266 and 168 are a very fun road of twisties and elevation changes, but not what one would call a very fast road at all. The pavement was pretty good and most of the corners had great site lines with very few decreasing radius turns and I was loving it, but not making great time. I just settled in to a nice rhythm accepting that I was going to be doing an 18 hour SS1000 and relaxed.
Got to Hwy 395 and gassed up in Big Pine then Tehachapi and rode up Hwy 99 to Visalia. Ended up being about 1,130 miles. Pulled into the garage, got a late dinner and went to bed!
I made good time until about 10 am and that is when I hit heavy construction, tourists, delays, and busy towns. This started just around Walker Canyon on the 395. Crap, I was doing so well. Then it took me over 4 hours to go 200 miles. I called Greg for a reroute and he made a suggestion to continue on the 50 into Fallon, down to Tonopah, then south on 95 to a road called 266 that takes you to the 168. That will eventually dump you into 395 and Big Pine. Well, I thought I guess I’ll give it a try. In the back of my mind I was wondering what type of road the 266 and 168 would be…if it was a paved road at all. I probably could have turned around in Tonopah and gone back to Bishop and did the whole ride in less time, but more miles. But I chose to try the “new” route and got to ride a very fun road!
I swear on a Friday north of the Mammoth region on the 395 south of and through Carson City into Fallon there is a disproportionate amount of trucks, motorhomes, idiots, and every type of slow driver that I’ve ever seen (alright a little dramatic, but it was ridiculous). The thought of going back that same route was not too appealing to me.
So into Tonopah from Fallon was smooth sailing. Tonopah to 266 cutoff was also smooth miles. Got on the 266 and apparently they had a rain storm in the area a few days previous or something like that and there was a lot of dirt on the road. Nothing crazy, but enough to make the speeds kinda slow. At this point I realized that I had about 100 miles to go to get to Hwy 395. This was supposed to be a quick 14 hour out and back or so. Hwy 266 and 168 are a very fun road of twisties and elevation changes, but not what one would call a very fast road at all. The pavement was pretty good and most of the corners had great site lines with very few decreasing radius turns and I was loving it, but not making great time. I just settled in to a nice rhythm accepting that I was going to be doing an 18 hour SS1000 and relaxed.
Got to Hwy 395 and gassed up in Big Pine then Tehachapi and rode up Hwy 99 to Visalia. Ended up being about 1,130 miles. Pulled into the garage, got a late dinner and went to bed!
