Went on another tour...

[kawasakifreak77]

Hey guys. Went to Cali for a few days last week. I have witnessed motorcycle heaven.... I rode like a brain dead lunatic for days on end. I lane split at twice the traffic's speed inches from cages & crashed Bonnie going about 80 through a beautiful mountain pass. Partied like there was no tomorrow. Made friends that seem like they'll be with me a lifetime. Saw the Pacific (Bonnie's been sea to shining sea now) Stayed with another amazing woman, ate out at a wonderful (meaning very expensive, lol) place in Morro Bay, drank champagne. I hit a snake, a skunk, crossed the continental divide (Monarch Pass, 11,312 feet) with snow & ice & nuts still on the ground, barely above freezing. I got caught in a wicked hail storm 70 miles from nothing in any direction in Nevada on Highway 50... That road in spring will make a man out of you! I came into Needles Ca leaving out, it was 110 degrees & gas was $5.09 a gallon. Arizona & New Mexico were like riding in an oven with a sand blaster pointed at your face, 60 mph gusts, couldn't see five feet in front of you at times.

Here's a link to the madness with a few people I know, good vids on the second page.

zx6r.com/motorcycle-talk/15289-go-west-young-man.html

Here's some pics....

This is NOT the way your bike should look the night before you leave!



I haven't gotten a good grasp on this camping out thing...



You think this is going to stop me...?



nuts no.



Scenery.



Junk.



Sunset near the Co Ut line.



Don't slip....



I cruised around 120 mph for an hour along this. Saw NOTHING.



Ely Nevada, right after I got hailed on.



After killing twisties with a guy I met on my way to Nova Scotia last year... NO CHICKEN STRIPS!



New leathers. Wine country in Cali.



Miles upon miles of this.



Right after I layed her over... Laughing like a nutjob!



Fixing the rad.



On the water, Morro Bay, Ca. Toasting another incredible journey with my amazing riding friend.



Safety first....



Didn't see this coming!



Our weaponry.



Jackassery in the local airport, picking up a friend. & no, we somehow didn't get arrested.



Leaving Bakersfield.



There wasn't much to see along the way back. Tourist trap hell. I made 1365 miles in 45.5 hours.... Cracking a beer when I got back.



I'm a better man now. A better motorcyclist. It was the most amazing tour yet.

See ya'll on June 17th!

[verticaltwin]

Sounds like a blast!! Glad you made it back mostly in one piece...

Needles, CA, huh? I used to have to travel there working on hospital equipment... talk about desolate... but I love that part of the world. Last time I went there was in a 2 1/2 ton truck that was overheating, so we had to run the heater on full blast in the 110 - 115 degree heat!

[tudorpilot]

Damn Ray,,,,, You're a badass. That's all there is to it.

Trips like that are a blast. Good stories for the nursing home, you know. Just think, there was people sitting at home watching tv while you were out living life to its fullest.

That's what's great about this country,,,,,and motorcycles,,,, Freedom, total freedom!!!

Josh

[kawasakifreak77]

Sounds like a bit of an adventure there Kyle!

Josh, when I pass you I'll be a badass, lol! (So not happening) & TV...? What's that, lol!

Anyways, I've already got another one in the works, bigger than this & Nova Scotia combined. Just getting a rough idear formed, gonna be a few months before it fruitions.

So on the 6R forum I frequent, we have a deal where we do non motorcycle things in full gear...





Waiting on our flight to the Isle of Man...



Leading the pack of hooligans.



Taking my awesome friend's first gen 636!



Mcguyvering nuts.



My skidmark!



Making our buddy from the airport ride bitch, we locked him out of the cage. His gear got held up in secruity.

[tsmiley98]

Ray, that looks like a pretty awwesome trip. Glad you are out roaming the country having a good time instead of being a couch potatoe. I worked all of my younger years, this looks way funner... See you at Clay Center..

[verticaltwin]

Yeah, I always wanted to do a long trip like that too... Canadian Rockies or something. I don't think I could carry enough spares and tools to get the old Triumph that far... lol! Two more years till my youngest kiddos graduate! ;D

I'll bet you got some crazy looks in full gear in the airport. Surprising that you guys didn't get hassled in this day and age!

(TJ - Sent you a pm)

[kawasakifreak77]

That's what I think I'm gonna do next Kyle. I'm trying to track down the lost Canadian side of my family, in Alberta I've heard. Then I wanna ride to Vancouver & do a burn down the west coast at light speed to earn myself an Ironbutt.

I honestly can't believe we didn't get arrested in the airport... My buddy tried to load himself into a baggage Xray thingy & someone said something to the effect of,

'His plane lands in 20 minutes.... We need to NOT get arrested for 20 minutes... This will be hard!'

Jun 2, 2011 23:58:18 GMT -5 tsmiley98 said:

Ray, that looks like a pretty awwesome trip. Glad you are out roaming the country having a good time instead of being a couch potatoe. I worked all of my younger years, this looks way funner... See you at Clay Center..

Thanks man! I fully intend on using up my youth riding like a self destructive psychopath, killing braincells, seeing as much of the world as possible & meeting the ladies..!

Clay Center..?

This was somewhere in Utah I think. About the only time going out I remember it being remotely warm, which means it wasn't very warm, lol!



It's a long, painful story but I promised a friend once that I'd ride to the biggest mountain I could find & take a picture of it for her. She's long gone, but I kept my word.



I was in summer gear & a windbreaker. I don't think I've been so cold before in my life.

I talked to someone headed east. They told me I was insane if I kept going west.



About ten minutes later I was sliding across hail, feet on the ground with the bars at full lock. How I survived, I'll never know.

Eureka Nevada. I don't think I've ever wanted a coffee so bad in my life.



The decent into Austin. Effing knarly.



Yeah right. I don't think there's a cop in this whole state.



South Lake Tahoe, right about the Cali line.



First time I saw the pacific I tried sneaking down this little access road... Let's just say I wasn't supposed to be there...



Alice's restaurant, south of gay bay. A must ride to destination, some of the wickedest roads I've ever tore up in any direction around. The burger was frickin' AMAZING, the fries.... Eh, not so much.



My skid mark!



There's very few spots on her now that AREN'T rashed, lol!



Morro Rock.



My buddy Pat.



That guy can ride like the wind. First (only so far) street rider I've seen drag ELBOW. I could barely keep him in sight when he turned it up to eleven.

My wonderful tour guide.



& the rest of us getting tanked right along with her!



& I mean trashed!



Next morning. Industrial strength pain killers & black coffee so thick you could stand a post in it!



Dual sporting near Barstow. This was the desert!



Gas more expensive than Canada!



Wherever 'Corky' may roam. It's from our Champagne bottle in Morro Bay.



Oh frickin' joy... I'm hoping you can sense the sarcasm there.



I freakin' love my life.

[cherrypicker]

I'm feeling like a wimp now.......I've yet to even attempt to make the ride to Springfield LOL