Broke the 500 mile mark....

mic214 · 02-02-2009, 01:26 AM

Here in Northern California, we have had a bit of a minor "Heat wave" for the last couple of weeks, which is unusual for this time of year. The temps have been in the 70's to the 80's. So with the weather being so great, I have been out on several more "Training rides". I was fortunate to spend three days in a row taking the bike out for some nice rides with my friends. On Saturday, January 17th, I road with my "Harley friends" that I have mentioned before in previous posts. They have been kind enough to take me under their wing and show me the ropes of riding bikes. This trip was from the Santa Rosa area (North of San Francisco) up to Cloverdale and then out to the coastal town of Mendocino.

This was my first trip out on a major highway (HWY 101) and after the initial panic of merging onto a three lane freeway at 65+ mph, I unclenched my butt cheeks and broke the seal from the seat! The ride through Santa Rosa was kind of nerve wracking as there were a lot of cars out, changing lanes, merging on and off the highway, which eventually went from three lanes down to two. Once outside of town, the traffic eased up and it was a very nice ride to Cloverdale, where we then took Highway 128 out to the coast. This is a two lane country road that twists and turns it's way through the California Redwoods on the way to the Pacific Ocean. The ride was fantastic as we maintained a steady pace between 35 to 45 mph. There were a few spots, deep in the shade of the redwood groves, that things got pretty cold and everything fogged up on me. My helmet, windshield and both mirrors! Thankfully we got out into the sunshine and everything cleared up, but that was a weird experience to have everything suddenly go "White" on me!

Once we arrived in the town of Mendocino, we had lunch at one of the local restaurants that overlooked the Pacific Ocean. There were a few other bikers out there and we parked in a line with the 10 or so other motorcycles, mostly Harleys and Hondas. After lunch we took some pictures out at the cliffs overlooking the ocean and then took off head back home. This time we went up to the town of Fort Bragg and took Highway 20 (Lots more twists and turns) back to Highway 101 and the town of Willits, where we picked up Highway 101 again for the trip south back home. Around the town of Ukiah the sun went down and I had my first experience riding at night (And on a highway!). I had no problems as we were riding in a staggered formation and I was in rear following their lead. All in all, I ended up doing 275 miles round trip.....my longest ride yet! I felt really good about my performance on the ride. I kept up with them for the most part, but there was a couple of times that they had to wait up for me as we went through all of the twistys (Some of them were hairpin 15-20 mph turns that were pretty tight).

Sundays ride (Jan 18th) was with a gal friend of mine that I took the MSF course with. She has a Honda Rebel 250. We did a nice cruise out to the town of Marshall, which is located on Tomales bay. The road we took was practically deserted and that made riding very relaxing. Again, lots of twists and turns and a few cold spots in the shade, but we both took our time and cruised at 35+ mph all the way out and back. This ride measured out at 65 miles round trip for me.

Monday's ride (Jan 19th) was back over to Napa and up through the wine country to Calistoga. I hooked up with a couple of other friends who both ride Harley Road Kings. Man, those bikes are BIG! Again, the weather was amazing (Low 70's). We cruised up Highway 29, which is two lanes in each direction and has a speed limit of 60mph. Once in the heart of the wine country the highway goes down to two lanes in each direction and the speed limit varies from 45 to 55 mph. Upon reaching Calistoga, we stopped for lunch at Busters' BBQ.......the Tri-Tip Sandwich was outstanding (As usual!). After lunch, we parted ways as my friends live up in Lake County. I took Silverado Trail back down the valley and then cut over to Highway 29 and back over the hills to my place. For me, this trip totaled 115 miles round trip.

So after all is said and done, I ended up putting 455 miles on my bike over that three days. My hands were a little bit sore (From the death grip I had on the handle bars!!), as well as my butt (From clenching the seat) & thighs (From trying to re-form the tank to them!)..........actually by then end of the three days, I felt pretty good about myself and even more with my bike. Although I did find myself still unconsciously tensing up at times, but I was able to remember to breath and relax and enjoy just the ride.

This week, my lovely bride surprised me with a nice set of River Road saddlebags! The previous owner already had the bike set up for saddlebags. He had re-located the tail lights to the license plate frame and he also installed saddlebag racks as well. I threw them on today and took a quick run out to the coast to the Tomales Bay/Dillon's Beach area. (A 30 minute ride for me). With the saddlebags on, my V-Star 650 Custom doesn't look so naked now. The ride out to the coast is a two lane country road with a few twistys. Traffic was very light, as most folks were probably at home getting ready to watch the Super Bowl (I had taped it to watch later with my son!).

I made it out to the coast and stopped at an overlook that offered a great view of the entrance to Tomales Bay. There were quite a few other riders at the overlook on a mixture of cruisers and street bikes, so I had a chance to check out some other bikes to see how other folks had theirs set up. This is a very beautiful area and the weather today was fantastic. I cruised around Dillion's Beach for a bit and then took the route, south down Highway 1, to the town of Marshall, stopping to snap a few pictures on the way.

From Marshall, I made my way back home on the route that I had taken before a couple of weeks ago. Again, this road was basically deserted, so I took my time and enjoyed a nice, leisurely ride back home. Todays ride was about 65 miles round trip. So that, coupled with a few trips I have made just around town, has added up to about 550 miles that I have been able to put in over the last couple of weeks.

Ride safe all!

hsartteacher · 02-02-2009, 06:11 AM

what a beautiful ride!! Wow I wish I could ride out there (kinda far from Miami). Congratulations on your progress... keep it up and enjoy the rides!

blueskies · 02-02-2009, 02:37 PM

Great post and pictures. I'm in South California right now, but will be moving back home to the Bay Area in a few months. Looks like I have some nice rides to look forward to.

Chuck289 · 02-02-2009, 08:15 PM

Ya the weather has been great this week. I tried to ride when I had time. Nice pictures.

RonK · 02-03-2009, 12:21 AM

--
Mic...,
See, you could die tomorrow. You've been to heaven!

RonK

Goliath616 · 02-03-2009, 01:06 AM

nice ride pics Mic, that bike does look good with the bags on

wutzcrack3n · 02-03-2009, 12:08 PM

awesome riding weather, one day i would like to get out there for a ride,maybe when i retire and kiddo is off to college

Nitelord · 02-03-2009, 12:10 PM

Mic, I love the scenery shots. Thanks for sharing your pix.

Dodsfall · 02-03-2009, 02:42 PM

I think you may have a promising career in photography.

Those look like great rides.

mic214 · 02-04-2009, 02:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RonK

--
Mic...,
See, you could die tomorrow. You've been to heaven!

RonK

Ha, ha, ha.....That is so true......but I'd prefer to hold off on the "Dying" part for a bit.....I have a few more rides I would like to go on first

!

Thanks for all the kind comments. I am really enjoying my bike and I look forward to adding a few more "Mods" to it. Nothing really outrageous, just a pair of floorboards and a set of engine guards for now. I will eventually want to swap out the factory exhaust system for one that is a little more "Rumbly" sounding.....nothing that will set of car alarms, make small children cry or upset the neighbors, but something with a little more authority would be nice!

I agree, that the saddlebags really do look pretty good and give the bike a more "Complete' look. I am also looking to add a tail bag on the Sissy bar to allow me to carry a little more gear. One of my Harley friends has the Kuryakyn Mini Grantour bag for her bike and it looks like it fit my bike nicely.

This portion of Northern California offers so much in the way of diverse areas to ride in. You can go from the narrow, twisty coastal route of Highway 1, to the rolling hills of the wine country, to the the flat, straight and open spaces of Highway 5 to the high mountain roads of the Sierras within a few hours. I hope to add a trip to each location over the next year or so

!

Ride safe all!

Mick

Archangel · 02-04-2009, 09:35 PM

Great pics mic214

By the way what kind of jacket do you have?

mic214 · 02-04-2009, 10:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Archangel

Great pics mic214

By the way what kind of jacket do you have?

Archangel,

Thanks! My little Nikon Coolpix camera works pretty well even with me being extremely "Photographically challenged"

!

I am pretty happy with my jacket, which is a basic "Tourmaster Jett Series 2". I bought it (And my HJC helmet) the day before I got my bike, so I was in a hurry and didn't really get a chance to shop around for gear.

This jacket was one of the few the local shop had that fit me. It seems they had a run on average sized guys buying jackets, so their inventory was kind of limited. My jacket is waterproof, has the removable CE armor, has zippered vents and a removable, quilted liner. All of the silver you see is reflective. As I recall, I paid around $125.00 for it.

Mick

Archangel · 02-05-2009, 06:31 PM

I asked because it looks like mine from a distance but I have a Nitro.
I had the same problem as you my size is a hard one to fit the arms were to long or to short on every jacket I tried on I settled on the Nitro because of features and price $125.00 as well It is waterproof has reflective strips ce armor in the back elbows and shoulders and has a removable insulated liner as well as venting under the arms.

mic214 · 02-05-2009, 07:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Archangel

I asked because it looks like mine from a distance but I have a Nitro.
I had the same problem as you my size is a hard one to fit the arms were to long or to short on every jacket I tried on I settled on the Nitro because of features and price $125.00 as well It is waterproof has reflective strips ce armor in the back elbows and shoulders and has a removable insulated liner as well as venting under the arms.

Yeah, it is a little large in the torso for me, but I needed that to get the proper length for the arms. It is a very warm jacket, so I only just recently put the liner back in it for the winter time, but I find that I still need to open the vents at times to cool off. I have a pair of leather chaps, but I am thinking some sort of armored riding pants or maybe the Kevlar lined Levi's might be a good investment too....

FlyBy · 02-06-2009, 01:20 PM

Beautiful pics and a very nice ride too..... a good weather .. a bike and lots of fuel.. what else you need in life

mic214 · 02-06-2009, 01:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FlyBy

Beautiful pics and a very nice ride too..... a good weather .. a bike and lots of fuel.. what else you need in life

You said it.....I wouldn't need much else at all

!!!!

Dar · 02-11-2009, 12:36 AM

Smooth cruiser. We have nice weather down here in Hawaii too!

02-02-2009, 01:26 AM	#1
mic214 Verified Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Northern Calif... Posts: 31	Broke the 500 mile mark.... Here in Northern California, we have had a bit of a minor "Heat wave" for the last couple of weeks, which is unusual for this time of year. The temps have been in the 70's to the 80's. So with the weather being so great, I have been out on several more "Training rides". I was fortunate to spend three days in a row taking the bike out for some nice rides with my friends. On Saturday, January 17th, I road with my "Harley friends" that I have mentioned before in previous posts. They have been kind enough to take me under their wing and show me the ropes of riding bikes. This trip was from the Santa Rosa area (North of San Francisco) up to Cloverdale and then out to the coastal town of Mendocino. This was my first trip out on a major highway (HWY 101) and after the initial panic of merging onto a three lane freeway at 65+ mph, I unclenched my butt cheeks and broke the seal from the seat! The ride through Santa Rosa was kind of nerve wracking as there were a lot of cars out, changing lanes, merging on and off the highway, which eventually went from three lanes down to two. Once outside of town, the traffic eased up and it was a very nice ride to Cloverdale, where we then took Highway 128 out to the coast. This is a two lane country road that twists and turns it's way through the California Redwoods on the way to the Pacific Ocean. The ride was fantastic as we maintained a steady pace between 35 to 45 mph. There were a few spots, deep in the shade of the redwood groves, that things got pretty cold and everything fogged up on me. My helmet, windshield and both mirrors! Thankfully we got out into the sunshine and everything cleared up, but that was a weird experience to have everything suddenly go "White" on me! Once we arrived in the town of Mendocino, we had lunch at one of the local restaurants that overlooked the Pacific Ocean. There were a few other bikers out there and we parked in a line with the 10 or so other motorcycles, mostly Harleys and Hondas. After lunch we took some pictures out at the cliffs overlooking the ocean and then took off head back home. This time we went up to the town of Fort Bragg and took Highway 20 (Lots more twists and turns) back to Highway 101 and the town of Willits, where we picked up Highway 101 again for the trip south back home. Around the town of Ukiah the sun went down and I had my first experience riding at night (And on a highway!). I had no problems as we were riding in a staggered formation and I was in rear following their lead. All in all, I ended up doing 275 miles round trip.....my longest ride yet! I felt really good about my performance on the ride. I kept up with them for the most part, but there was a couple of times that they had to wait up for me as we went through all of the twistys (Some of them were hairpin 15-20 mph turns that were pretty tight). Sundays ride (Jan 18th) was with a gal friend of mine that I took the MSF course with. She has a Honda Rebel 250. We did a nice cruise out to the town of Marshall, which is located on Tomales bay. The road we took was practically deserted and that made riding very relaxing. Again, lots of twists and turns and a few cold spots in the shade, but we both took our time and cruised at 35+ mph all the way out and back. This ride measured out at 65 miles round trip for me. Monday's ride (Jan 19th) was back over to Napa and up through the wine country to Calistoga. I hooked up with a couple of other friends who both ride Harley Road Kings. Man, those bikes are BIG! Again, the weather was amazing (Low 70's). We cruised up Highway 29, which is two lanes in each direction and has a speed limit of 60mph. Once in the heart of the wine country the highway goes down to two lanes in each direction and the speed limit varies from 45 to 55 mph. Upon reaching Calistoga, we stopped for lunch at Busters' BBQ.......the Tri-Tip Sandwich was outstanding (As usual!). After lunch, we parted ways as my friends live up in Lake County. I took Silverado Trail back down the valley and then cut over to Highway 29 and back over the hills to my place. For me, this trip totaled 115 miles round trip. So after all is said and done, I ended up putting 455 miles on my bike over that three days. My hands were a little bit sore (From the death grip I had on the handle bars!!), as well as my butt (From clenching the seat) & thighs (From trying to re-form the tank to them!)..........actually by then end of the three days, I felt pretty good about myself and even more with my bike. Although I did find myself still unconsciously tensing up at times, but I was able to remember to breath and relax and enjoy just the ride. This week, my lovely bride surprised me with a nice set of River Road saddlebags! The previous owner already had the bike set up for saddlebags. He had re-located the tail lights to the license plate frame and he also installed saddlebag racks as well. I threw them on today and took a quick run out to the coast to the Tomales Bay/Dillon's Beach area. (A 30 minute ride for me). With the saddlebags on, my V-Star 650 Custom doesn't look so naked now. The ride out to the coast is a two lane country road with a few twistys. Traffic was very light, as most folks were probably at home getting ready to watch the Super Bowl (I had taped it to watch later with my son!). I made it out to the coast and stopped at an overlook that offered a great view of the entrance to Tomales Bay. There were quite a few other riders at the overlook on a mixture of cruisers and street bikes, so I had a chance to check out some other bikes to see how other folks had theirs set up. This is a very beautiful area and the weather today was fantastic. I cruised around Dillion's Beach for a bit and then took the route, south down Highway 1, to the town of Marshall, stopping to snap a few pictures on the way. From Marshall, I made my way back home on the route that I had taken before a couple of weeks ago. Again, this road was basically deserted, so I took my time and enjoyed a nice, leisurely ride back home. Todays ride was about 65 miles round trip. So that, coupled with a few trips I have made just around town, has added up to about 550 miles that I have been able to put in over the last couple of weeks. Ride safe all! __________________ 2007 Yamaha V-Star 650 Custom

02-02-2009, 06:11 AM	#2
hsartteacher I Ride Like A Girl Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Miami, FL Posts: 1,526	what a beautiful ride!! Wow I wish I could ride out there (kinda far from Miami). Congratulations on your progress... keep it up and enjoy the rides! __________________ Yes, that's my bike. Thank you. Why, yes, I DO ride it all by myself. To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.

02-03-2009, 12:21 AM	#5
RonK Famous Person Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Grand Junction, CO and western AZ Posts: 3,782	-- Mic..., See, you could die tomorrow. You've been to heaven! RonK __________________ I've no idea what path in life I'm on or where it goes, so I'm not sure I'll know when I arrive.

02-03-2009, 01:06 AM	#6
Goliath616 Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Over here Posts: 4,204	nice ride pics Mic, that bike does look good with the bags on __________________ '08 Yamaha Road Star To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.

02-03-2009, 12:10 PM	#8
Nitelord Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Pottstown, PA Posts: 1,676	Mic, I love the scenery shots. Thanks for sharing your pix. __________________ 2004 Honda Shadow Spirit 1100 To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.

02-02-2009, 02:37 PM	#3
blueskies MCnoob Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Goleta, CA Posts: 74	Great post and pictures. I'm in South California right now, but will be moving back home to the Bay Area in a few months. Looks like I have some nice rides to look forward to.

02-02-2009, 08:15 PM	#4
Chuck289 too slow Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: SF Bay, California Posts: 440	Ya the weather has been great this week. I tried to ride when I had time. Nice pictures.

02-03-2009, 12:08 PM	#7
wutzcrack3n Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Texas Posts: 1,046	awesome riding weather, one day i would like to get out there for a ride,maybe when i retire and kiddo is off to college

02-03-2009, 02:42 PM	#9
Dodsfall Administrator Join Date: May 2008 Location: Illinois, USA Posts: 15,929	I think you may have a promising career in photography. Those look like great rides. __________________ 2008 XL1200R To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.

02-04-2009, 09:35 PM	#11
Archangel Angel's Realm Where Evil Fears To Tread Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Jeffersonville IN. Posts: 2,020	Great pics mic214 By the way what kind of jacket do you have? __________________ A> <A

02-05-2009, 06:31 PM	#13
Archangel Angel's Realm Where Evil Fears To Tread Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Jeffersonville IN. Posts: 2,020	I asked because it looks like mine from a distance but I have a Nitro. I had the same problem as you my size is a hard one to fit the arms were to long or to short on every jacket I tried on I settled on the Nitro because of features and price $125.00 as well It is waterproof has reflective strips ce armor in the back elbows and shoulders and has a removable insulated liner as well as venting under the arms. __________________ A> <A

02-06-2009, 01:20 PM	#15
FlyBy Motorcycling Unplugged !! Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Edmonds, WA Posts: 1,263	Beautiful pics and a very nice ride too..... a good weather .. a bike and lots of fuel.. what else you need in life __________________ kawasaki zx6r

02-11-2009, 12:36 AM	#17
Dar Newbie Join Date: Feb 2009 Posts: 3	Smooth cruiser. We have nice weather down here in Hawaii too!

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