2008 VELOCETTE SUMMER RALLY - The Ride, Part 3

I hadn't been to the top of Mt Shasta for years, so included a picnic at 8500' in our Thursday agenda. It was an easy 75 mile ride on quiet roads to the mountain, but some of us needed to do a little maintenance in the morning, so the lax schedule was welcome; that's Don Danmeier (president of the BSA club) taking care of his unique blue Venom.


Once again Norlene provided our high-altitude picnic, which really made for a dramatic lunch spot, overlooking the valley below. We were high above any smoke, but the lowlands were fairly well covered, so the usual crystalline visibility from up high was obscured. The final 6,000' of Mt Shasta towered above us as we ate at picnic tables seemingly at the edge of the world.

Our progress to the top, and down again, was spotted from millions of butterflies which had recently hatched. It was bizarre to ride through huge clouds of lovely Painted Ladies - when I first saw them along the road it was cheery, like seeing pretty flowers in bloom, but as I soon began to kill them by the hundreds with my body, helmet, and motorcycle, I felt a combination of horror and humor. It was also terribly distracting as we wound our way to the top, and many riders mentioned the challenge of ignoring the butterflies and keeping their eyes on the route.

Panther Meadows sit at tree-line, with clumps of mountain heather and wildflowers carpeting the terrain while small streams of snowmelt wind through. These meadows are held sacred by the local tribes, and make a perfect spot to listen to the breeze and the butterflies (yes, it's so quiet you can hear them crisply flapping their wings). Lanora Cox (editor of Fishtail West) thinks its a nice place as well.

It's 14 miles all downhill from the top of the mountain, and I love a good engines-off race. Jeff and Lanora were game too - those black specks on the video are suicidal butterflies! We were doing about 50+mph on the straight bits...

The Callahan-Gazelle road proved the be lovely and fast, but on the return high marks were awarded Forest Road 17, which paralleled C-G road, but wound over a dramatic mountain pass with deep canyons. 17 has no lines or guard rails, and is basically one lane, with only moderately bad pavement (nothing like as bad as Alderpoint or Mattole roads). It's my feeling that the narrower the road, the fewer lines, and the less marked the transition from pavement to vegetation, the greater the experience of intimacy with nature.

But at the end of the day, intimacy with a beer was just about perfect, and as mentioned the town of Callahan hides a perfect wild-west bar amongst abandoned hotel and bank buildings. The upper pic shows a few of the expats joining our rally - Dai Gibbison (Velo Tech forum guru, from London), Cheryl and Neville Mickelson (classic sidecar racing champion in New Zealand), and Graeme Glover from Australia.

2008 VELOCETTE SUMMER RALLY - The Ride, Part 2

After two 'loop' days which ended up back at the Benbow, Wednesday we ventured deeper into the wild heart of California. Our first challenge was Alderpoint Road, which heads northeast out of Garberville for 50 miles, eventually landing at Hwy 36. The surface is in very poor condition, and I think the locals prefer it thus, as it keeps tourists at bay - and motorcycle speeds distinctly down.

Barring the bumps, Alderpoint rewards exploration with breathtaking views of the inland Coastal Range, and passes through two tiny hamlets which haven't seem much progress in 40 years. The houses in Blocksburg are very close to the road, common in extremely rural areas, as the road used to be a horse trail. The first time I rode through here, perhaps 20 years ago, a laundry line fluttered white sheets from a house, while a girl of 8 or 9 wearing an old-fashioned gingham dress was spinning around in the sun, and I wondered if I was glimpsing a previous century.


But, we had come this way to visit Mike Cook as well, and completely inundated him and Bonnie with visitors. Mike was happy to have a task at hand, as Pete's '38 MSS had broken a sidecar strut - too many bumps! Being used to taking care of his own motorcycles, Mike had everything on hand needed to re-tube and weld up the break, and Pete's bike was soon repaired.


We had another casualty of the 'road disintegration blues', Bill Getty's Venom began to handle strangely a few miles after leaving Alderpoint Rd, and on stopping for lunch in Mad River, was mildly amused to find his frame had a 3" gap between the headstock and front downtube! By luck, the local towing company, headquarted several feet from the Mad River cafe (see pix below), was owned by a drag-racing enthusiast who built his own chassis, and was also well-equipped to repair the Venom frame. This took a bit more time than Pete's sidecar tube, as quite a few parts had to be removed from the bike to access the frame. The details of the fix are painful - the lower tubes were pried apart using blocks of wood and a jack, then a smaller tube was pounded into the headstock lug, slipped into the lower frame tube, and pinned at the top with a bolt, and spot welded at the bottom through holes in the tube. The new inner couldn't simply be welded to the headstock as Velocette frames are pinned, then hearth-brazed together ('sif-bronze welding'); thus there is brass contamination on the lugs and tubing where they join.

Bill and riding buddy Mark Hoyer (of Cycle World - this year without a press entourage) didn't leave Mad River until 9:30pm - and it was still a 3.5 hour ride to Etna, our destination. Their journey must have been epic - riding in the dark over 150 miles of relentlessly twisty mountain roads, using Lucas 6v headlamps. Cojones. The only saving grace, according to Mark - he couldn't see the deer coming, so didn't have time to be scared when they continually leapt across his path!

Hwy 36 began a stretch of true motorcyclists paradise, with smooth paving and 170 miles of beautiful bends. Our speed was kept down a bit when we began to encounter smoke soon after Mad River, which eventually became so thick it reduced visibility for riding quickly. Several large forest fires were growing near our path, but fortunately not near enough to close the roads - yet. The town of Hayfork, on Hwy 3, was particularly smoky, and the outskirts were being evacuated soon after we left. We almost lost one of our members, Kevin B, as he had a near-fatal encounter with a bee, as he's deadly allergic. Fortunately, he was stung just a few hundred yards from an ambulance depot, and was only unconscious for a few minutes...! As his wife Melissa was driving our chase truck, by 7pm I began to worry that it was so late, and was lucky to reach her by cell. 'Don't worry, we're just leaving the emergency room' was not reassuring! I felt like a mother hen all evening, until the last of the flock arrived at 12:30am. Luckily Kim and Kimberly felt like staying up late and drinking, so I wasn't waiting alone.

How do you feed 70 hungry motorcyclists in the tiny town of Etna, on the night when the local restaurant is closed? Call 1.800.Norlene. Not only did she cook for all of us, the food was excellent - her famous 'garbage can' turkey and beef, plus several salads etc, it was terrific - thanks again Norlene. Afterwards, there was plenty of time to tell lies about the day's adventures, like this gang of old friends. A keg of Gold Ale (delicious - not as hoppy as the usual CA microbrew, but malty like English beers) from the Etna Brewing Company made for a relaxing evening.

"EASY RIDER San Remo, Italy, Jun 17 After dining with friends, Keanu Reeves dodges overeager fans on his motorcycle"

Photo taken from July 7, 2008 People magazine.

My post title quote came directly from their photo.

I first of all must say, I did not even know Keanu was a biker.

Secondly, I think he looks like a total F'n dork in the suit with helmet and bike. Maybe that's why it looks like some of the girls in the back ground are laughing at him.

I know, I know, giddy with exitement. (BARF).

Thirdly.... Don't get me wrong here. I own a Sportster, and love Sportsters, but for a star of his calibur, a "stock" Sporty???? WTF???

I saw this and thought it was interesting.

Just food for thought.

A Visit to Orange County Choppers - Road Trip

The regular monthly gathering of Chapter NJ-F (F Troop) of the Gold Wing Road Riders Association (GWRRA) was held at the Empire Diner in Freehold, NJ on July 27, 2008. After the gathering, many members and guests rode to the Orange County Choppers (OCC) headquarters in Newburgh, NY.

We rode in three groups, each with a leader and drag rider. Most members communicated via CBs to keep the groups together and informed.

I had seen the guys from OCC in June, 2004 when I was at the Americade Rally in Lake George, NY. At that time they were becoming well known through their TV show, American Chopper.

The motorcycle community was split as to whether they were amateurs who got lucky or genuine biker craftsmen who knew how to create a masterpiece chopper. I think that most were amazed that they caught on so fast and made a bundle of money doing what backyard mechanics had already been doing for 30 years.

Sometimes when I attend a motorcycle rally, something unexpected happens. At Americade 2004, I found out that the Orange County Chopper (OCC) cast from the Discovery Channel's American Chopper (now on The Learning Channel), was going to be in the area. This was not an official Americade event. It was thought up by the town fathers of Bolton Landing, a town 10 miles north of Lake George. They felt that they needed to do something to attract some of the 60,000 or so Americaders and get them to spend some money in their town. Turns out that a few emails and a phone call did the trick and the whole cast of Orange County Choppers (OCC) showed up for a 4-day run to meet with their fans and sell a few autographed T-shirts.

The Teutuls: Paul Sr, Paul Jr, and Mikey have to choose carefully their visits to rallies to allow them time to build the theme bikes required on their TV show. They skipped Laconia that year and instead did Bolton Landing where they brought 20 of their most popular theme bikes. Here's a picture of Paul Jr signing my OCC T-shirt. My wife, Jane, stood in a long line to get these shirts signed.

The Teutuls were just getting started then. They still had a small shop but millions of fans were watching them on TV every week to see that next theme bike being built and to hear the yelling and screaming as Paul Sr and Paul Jr clashed.

Years passed and they built a bigger and bigger reputation. Now they were in a huge building in Newburgh, NY that contained a showroom of their merchandise and products. Tucked in the back of the building is a small factory where their choppers are built in the glare of TV lights and multiple cameras taping everything going on in the creative process including the antics of the Teutuls and their employees.

Many motorcyclists now visit the facility. It's almost a motorcycle mecca. In fact, our group from New Jersey was only a small part of the riders present that day.

I took a few pictures of the new digs for OCC. The place is quite impressive. I have written descriptions and captions for each picture. Take a look.

If you'd like to know more about choppers, take a look at my Choppers article, my Chopper Gallery, and my Choppers subject. I also wrote a book review, Orange County Choppers: The Tale of the Teutuls - A Motorcycle Book Review.

If you decide to take a trip to Orange County Choppers, you won't be disappointed. Just don't expect to see any of the Teutuls there on Sunday, the day we chose to visit.

First picture ©2008 Jane Ann Kern; second picture ©2004 Walter F. Kern

Your speed...

Click on the picture to enlarge it.



Thanks to those of you participated in my scientific study from the "How Fast Did You Say?" post on thursday July 24th!
http://01mrmotorcycle.blogspot.com/2008/07/how-fast-did-you-say.html

LOL!

Wednesday, March 19 2008 02:53 PM
Subject: Base Weblog
I'm a BADDD GIRL!
Went to visit my bike yesterday at the shop. Seems I am sooo very bad on my engines. I had a top end done in '06 on this bike...it needs another one...new cylinders, pistons, lapped valves, new valve guide seals, the lifters were still good after all. (Have Jim's lifters in there...best thing I ever did...)The front wheel now sports the Metzler I so love...(and can afford, Avons are my first love...) The new speedo gear is installed...that is gonna be strange...knowing how fast I am going for sure...rather than a general acknowledgement by RPM's and gear I'm in. The carb has been rebuilt, the pipes are on order, as is the bracket that holds them on, the guy is gonna get me a "take off" to replace the mirror that has the stripped screw that holds the mirror in one place...whhhooo-hooo! LSS...you will be glad to hear I now have the brake light switch replaced...brake light now goes off and on as it should...Went to visit my bike yesterday at the shop. Seems I am sooo very bad on my engines. I had a top end done in '06 on this bike...it needs another one...new cylinders, pistons, lapped valves, new valve guide seals, the lifters were still good after all. (Have Jim's lifters in there...best thing I ever did...)The front wheel now sports the Metzler I so love...(and can afford, Avons are my first love...) The new speedo gear is installed...that is gonna be strange...knowing how fast I am going for sure...rather than a general acknowledgement by RPM's and gear I'm in. The carb has been rebuilt, the pipes are on order, as is the bracket that holds them on, the guy is gonna get me a "take off" to replace the mirror that has the stripped screw that holds the mirror in one place...whhhooo-hooo! LSS...you will be glad to hear I now have the brake light switch replaced...brake light now goes off and on as it should...[IMG]http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t191/chesshirecatm/HDteardown002.jpg[/IMG]

Another good day down!
04/08/08OK now, I have finished the garden for Mom...another good deed down and dirty!Finished up yesterday at 1.30pm. Fixed lunch for Mom and me, then showered and changed clothes for a good ride! Put on 112 miles yesterday...face is kinda wind burned...but it does feel good!Headed up Hiway 91 north to Shady Valley...and Hiway 421. I have only been east on 421 from Shady Valley...the second have, (or first half, depending on which direction your coming from,) of "The Snake." A great local road that many say compares to "The Dragon." I must tell you, I like it better than The Dragon. Anyway, I headed west on 421 to compleate the 2nd half of The Snake, and found it a very pleasent ride indeed!

Switchbacks, nice winding roads with somewhat interesting sceanery. I wasn't too happy with it's origins though...as the ride ends (when heading west) at Bristol TN. I really don't care for that town....It was in my plan to follow 421 west through Bristol and into VA. then see where it leads from there, but what a pain in the arse...the road ends, then you pick it up after getting lost in a bad section of town a few miles later...at one point, I decided not to slow down for a stop sign...yeah, I'm not one to tempt evil demons when I don't have to. The section of town was that bad.Once I got out of town...421 disappeared again. Screw this...I pick another likely looking road to meander...and I am glad I did. I found a little two lane road Hiway 58, and headed west again. This put me in VA. and I am gonna tell ya...it's a differient country! This is farm land...with huge boulders buried under mounds of soil...with only their heads poking up from the ground, the cow paths pick their way around these "upcroppings" of stone...and the contrast between the white of the boulders, and the emerald green of the super moistened ground from all our recent rains was just damn breath taking. I wish there was a decent place to pull over and simply admire the view, take pictures and what not, but that was not to be...the side of the road featured sharp drop offs from the heavy rains....creating thier own gutters...very dangerous...not for the two wheeled motor conveyence what so ever! The only thing I would take off the road is a farm tractor! So there are no pictures of this VA. wonderland. Next time I go...I figure, I will slow down...and do a fine look out for an egress point...as well as a good re-entry point...I really want to get some pictures of what I saw here!eventully 58 will take you to a point where you will join up with Webb City...and that is where I had to turn off to return home. Jeff, (my lord and master,) was to be home around 4 pm, and I had promised to be home no later than 4.30 PM...he told me he would call out the troops to look for me if I wasn't home by 5.30! Lord that man knows me too well!I jumped on I-26 for about 5 miles, then got off at Kingsport, which is just north of Johnson City...and took Roan Ave. into the city. I kept her at 45mph and below until hit I-26...then took her up to 55 MPH for the five miles I was on 26. I was really a good girl...didn't get over zealous yet! I have discovered something else that really pissed me off. When I took the bike into the shop, I told them I wanted the breather rerouted. I insisted on it. When the bike was done, and I picked her up, I noticed there wasn't a charge for the rerouting kit, I inquried about it...and they said, with the work we have done with your bike, this should take care of the problem. I told em..."I have had this bike for four years, got it with 1200 miles on it. It blew oil out the air cleaner back then when it was almost fricken brand new...nothing you do will make this any better...I wanted this rerouted. They told me to take it home and try it anyway. Well, here we are at 180 miles into the break in...and the filter is clogged with oil, and is dripping down onto the cases and my leg...just like always. So, yeah, I'm pissed, cuz now I will have to pay AGAIN for them to take off the carb and install the damn rerouter...RAT BASTARDS! Now I like my mechanic, and it's not his fault it wasn't done. The service writer did not include that on the WO....and since they write all this shit in a computor now...and not on hard copy in front of you when you are there telling em what you want done...then it don't get done! Since this is the first time I have encountered a shop who don't write hard copies in front of ya...I didn't know any better. Well, I do now! The Rat Bastards.OK done for now...

Getting lost...again

I went for a ride yesterday. Many of you already know, for me, getting out for a couple of hours to ride is now a luxury. I hadn't intended to be gone 4 1/2 hours. It was only gonna be around a 70 mile loop ride I discovered last year, and had only been on that one time. I left with good intentions this morning, to be the "good girl" and return home a little after the noon hour...still in plenty of time to fix lunch for my Mom, and spend some time with her working in the yard. Ah well, the road is paved with good intentions!

Leaving out of the house this morning at 11.30 AM, my intention was to ride to the pinnacle of Roan Mountain, where the North Carolina and TN. state lines collide. Ride down the NC side, into Bakersville, head west to Erin TN. and back home.

My sister and her new squeeze are riding...and I offered to show them some great roads. Diane, is a widow of 9 months, and after some time searching, has found a man who is fun, interesting, active, splits his time between Florida and TN., works for himself and actually has investments, likes to flip properties...hell the list goes on.

My sister has never been on the back of a bike, and her squeeze went down to Florida, and brought back his motorcycle. Diane went for her first ride last weekend and spent the day riding The Snake and spending time at the Shady Valley Country Store. A huge gathering place for local bikers. She loved it. Anyway, I told her I wanted to show them this loop ride this coming weekend, and I thought I should refresh my memory of the road before taking them. As I said, I had good intentions.

Once arriving at Bakersville, I made the Westerly turn on another State Road, followed that...until I nearly T-boned a jackass who thought it feasible to make a turn in front of me at some town named "Loafers Den" or something like that...I'm sure I looked like Mr. Bill as I was standing on both brakes trying to avoid the collision. In his defense though...he realized in time he had fucked up, readjusted his maneuver to avoid me...(bless the angel who was riding with me,)after that, I also realized it wasn't the same road I remembered from the first time. Once that realization set in...I said to hell with it...take some good looking side roads! I veered right onto a road named Jack's Creek Road. I couldn't rightly say which direction I was headed in...once in the mountains, I get all topsy turvy with absolutely no sense of direction.

Jacks' Creek Road is a great little ride...about 25 miles of riding next to a creek with all the great views one encounters as they ride the hills of North Carolina next to a winding creek.

I spotted deer...(Three of em jumped into the road ahead of me...such fine looking animals! Long and sleek, graceful as they bounded across the road...two of them looking at me as they leaped...) Very cool.
But as I kept going on Jack's Creek Road, I realized the miles were mounting, and no gas stops to be seen.

I was at the sixty mile mark of my ride, and I was beginning to worry abit. I hate knocking on the door of farmers, begging for a gallon of gas! As it turns out, riding the roads of the mountains and hills, your not twisting the throttle as full open as you would (and do) on the straight highways and roads of the flat lands. I can get about 90 miles to the tank and not hit reserve before I fill up. That's exactly what happened this time as well. at the end of Jack's Creek Road, I found US 19E. I'm still in North Carolina, but I know if I head north on 19E, I will eventually end up on the other side of town from my home. So I jump on 19E, go north for less than a mile, find a gas station and fill up. 1.83 gallons, and 94 miles on the odometer. Whew...my angel again be praised!

Now I've never been this far south on 19E...and in fact I didn't even know where the heck I was. But 19E turned out to be a great road for motorcycling...including the rain clouds that popped up and bounced along side the mountain I was traversing. The shower popped up, small drops at first, enlarging to pea size as I moved up the side of the mountain. I was completely soaked in minutes, but it was all good. Rain seems to wash the cares of the past from me. I like it just fine, sometimes I liken the event to being scrubbed with sandpaper...at least the part of me that harbors all the evil shit that hides within...the places that even a good long ride can't get at! This rain shower did just that for me.

I did stop at a gas station/ auto repair station. There I sat in the rain, next to another HD that had been parked near the turn in (I suspect the owner was a mech. who worked in the auto shop, because I could see him peering out at me as I switched my smokes and my cell from my bra to my purse.) I'm sure he believed I was there to get out of the rain...must of surprised him as I just sat on my bike doing the transfer thing in the rain, then started her up again, and moved on out into the traffic and the rain. Shortly after that little stop, I arrived at the peak of the mountain, and started down the other side. No rain here, and I began to dry out as I reached the lower elevations.

The road narrowed, became less dense with traffic, and soon became twisty...as I again started ascending in elevation, crossing another mountain. I traveled on 19E for another 90 miles, before coming to Elizabethan TN. and another five miles to home. Except for gas stops, two smoke breaks, and the rain stop...it was all riding. It was only 164 miles, it took 4 1/2 hours, and when I returned home I had the best feeling of contentment I have had in a long time. Mom...who rode for years before her health declined, understood. She took care of herself, and I was damn happy to come home and find her exhausted from her own day! I so love getting lost, I love the rain, and I love coming home again. Chessie

Star Wars...... Weekend review

Star Wars stole the day.

There are Trekies, and there are Star Wars nuts.

My son is a Star wars nut. He has Star Wars collectibles, and ALL of the movies. He's got multiple sets, special editions and so on. Although I don't really get it, I did enjoy the movies, and I can appreciate them.
When my son found out that the Science Museum here was having a Star Wars exhibit, he was dying to go. So, Mrs. M. and myself got tix to go and brought the young ens with.

We started out with an Omni theatre movie about movie magic, and technology, primarily based on star Wars, but not exclusively. Got to see ton's of stuff blow up. That was cool. The movie screen is Ginormous, and round so you feel like you are watching everything around you literally.
Kinda can make you motion sick if you aren't careful.
Then we went onto the exhibit portion where they had actual characters, costumes, and real props used in the Star Wars movies.

All in all, we had a great time. I especially like spending time with my family doing stuff like this, even if I'm not the Star Wars freak that my son is. I know it made his Universe, at least for one day anyway.

Here is a mix of photos that I took of things I thought were cool. I didn't want to post them all, as I took a ton of them, and barely caught everything they had.

Excuse some of the quality. I had to shoot through glass.





























































USE THE fORCE!