Topic: RIDERS......**-POST LOGS HERE-**....Rider Logs Only - PLEASE DON'T POST COMMENTS

[j4hfr34k]

My wife and I had planned on leaving Friday morning, Apr. 15th to head up to Birmingham to meet everyone at Barbers that evening but due to the weather, it messed those plans up for us because of the direction we would have been coming from would have put us in the rain almost the whole way so we thought it be best that we just wait until Saturday and meet up with the guys in Jackson, MS.  Good thing we waited because we had some golfball size hail here at our house and got some pics of it next to my 530 o-ring chain.

While we was waiting for Saturday to get here, we was double checking everything on the bike to make sure things were in order and ready to go. Everything checked out. Keep in mind, this is our first bike trip so we was excited but yet a little nervous because it was just us riding alone the whole time.  A little after lunch, we started off on our trip to Jackson, which is about 85 miles north of our house. We made it there on one full tank of gas so this told me the bike isn’t going to be doing as good on gas as I had hoped.  Filled the tank up, then off the capitol to meet John, Kirk, and Jason.

We met up with them and it was a nice visit. We enjoyed getting to see the others bikes and getting to meet new people. We received the banner, book, and Godzilla and off we went west to Vicksburg, MS about 45 miles away. We made it there with no problems at all. This is the furthest my bike had ever been at one time and I was really impressed with it. Our plans was to try to get a good pic of the old bridge there that goes across the MS river but we didn’t have much luck with that and it was also starting to get late and we still had another 95 miles to go before we got to where we was planning on staying for the night so we just headed on over to LA that was only a mile or two away. Stopped and let Godzilla look around and had a bite to eat or tried too.

Jumped on our bike, and headed up 65 after stopping in Tallullah, LA for a bite to eat at Subway. We made up about 50 miles to Lake Providence, LA when I tried to pull over in a Dollar General parking lot to check my gauges since I had no lights on them and it was dark. The bike had started missing some and when I pulled into the parking lot, the bike died. Tried to crank it back and the battery was completely dead so it would not even kick start. Here it is about 8:30pm Saturday night and we still had another 2 hrs to go to our hotel and the battery was dead. This is a very small town to there wasn’t any Walmarts, AutoZones, etc. We asked everyone that came in and out if they had any jumper cables to help boost us off. No luck. Went in the store to try to buy some….nope because they didn’t have any and the store was about to close any minute at 9pm. We tried calling the police dept to see if a deputy could come by and help us out but they said their deputies do not carry that kind of stuff in their cars and that we needed to call 911! What the heck! I wasn’t going to call 911 because of a dead battery. So I decided to call the Sheriffs dept and they told me the same thing that they don’t have anyone that can help us either. OMG What do you do when the law can’t help you out. Anyway, luckily one of the ladies that worked there was kind enough to wait around because she had called someone to come bring us some jumper cables to boost us off so we could be on our way. Id say about 10pm we had someone that boosted us off and we on our way again.

We had about 40 more miles to go to Lake Village, AR and all we had to do was stay straight north up 65 the whole way. We was about 5 miles from where we had just gotten boosted off and I noticed the lights on the bike getting really dim and we following a SUV that had good lights but someone from the sheriff’s office happened to be sitting on the side of the road and said he saw a bike following a vehicle and it had no lights at all so he pulled us over which at that time my bike had died because the battery was dead again. We explained to the deputy what all we had just went through and was trying to make it to the nearest Walmart to buy a charger or battery or something and we just needed boosted off. What do you know….he had a battery pack and everything and was able to boost us off even though we was told they didn’t and couldn’t help us. We sat there about 15 minutes letting it charge up some and talked with the man. He was a really nice older guy and he had offered to follow us until we made it to the next county safely with no problems. We got on the bike and made it about 1 mile and dead again. We charged the battery some more and this time a little longer so by now it is about 11pm and we are about 30-40 minutes from our hotel. Walmart is about 10 miles away so the officer offered this time for us to follow him and he let my wife ride with him since it was getting cool out. Now this was the first time I had ever had a police escort and he was driving about 75-80mph and me right behind him until my bike died again. My wife told me that he said he was just trying to hurry up and get us to Walmart before the battery died. He ended up going out of his county and brought us all the way to Walmart. We bought a battery and had to walk back to our bike about .2 miles up the road with all our bags, helmets and stuff from walmart to a little convenient store where the bike was. Got to the store and started putting the acid in the battery and realized it wouldn’t work on my bike but it was all that Walmart had. It was now about 1am and I had to put old battery back on it and pack new one back up so I could try to take it back to walmart. Got the battery on and then had to get someone to try to boost us again. By this time it was late and we found a hotel about 1 mile up the road so we decided to just push the bike to the hotel for the night after bringing the battery back to walmart because it wasn’t the right kind and bought a battery charger to charge ours all night.

Made it to the hotel at 2:30am, plugged battery up and charged it all night hoping this would work so we could make it to Little Rock Sunday morning to meet up with Radam and Coke around noon that day. We got to bed about 5am and was up at about 8am to look bike over and see if the battery had worked. We decided to stop at O’Reilly and let them charge the battery so we had to wait another 30 minutes for that and by this time we had talked to Coke and Radam and decided to try to meet in Pine Bluff instead since we was getting delayed. Got battery charged and back on bike and it seemed to be doing good so we headed off up 65 again from Oak Grove, LA where Walmart and the hotel was. We had 115 miles ahead of us so off we went. We got about 30 miles to Eudora, AR in the middle of no town, stores, etc. No vehicles would stop for about 1 hr. Even a guy on a Harley passed and just waved and kept going. Didn’t stop to see if everything was ok or nothing. We hooked the battery charger we had bought up  to the batter but it was almost drained but we was desperate to try anything. It was about 1pm no shade and it was hot on the road and seemed to be no hope of getting help. After trying to charge battery for about an hr, we put it back on and tried to head back to Oak Grove because that was the closest Auto Zone and Walmart around and we was going to just buy a new battery but no one around had the battery I needed but many thanks to Coke and Radam for stopping in Pine Bluff and buying us a battery and then driving further than they had planned to come meet us to help us out.

While waiting for them, we had to get back to the town and off the side of the road. We put battery back on and made it about 10 miles to a house and my wife suggested that I go ask and see if they might could help boost us off so we could make it to town. She noticed the name on the mailbox was “Hendrix” and asked if they may be related to Jimi Hendrix lol but they wasn’t because I asked. The man was so nice that he offered for us to come up to his house and sit inside for an hour or so while we plugged the battery up to a good charger. We stayed there and talked and visited with him and his wife. After a little while, we thought we would try to head toward Walmart and wait for Coke and Radam to get there with the battery. The bike ended up making it about 10 more miles so we was slowly getting there but still had another 10 miles to go. Luckily this time we didn’t have to wait long because a couple from Transylvania, LA stopped and helped us out and followed us all the way to Walmart (where they happened to be going as well) and we made it to the gas pumps in front of Walmart before it died so decided to go ahead and get gas so I didn’t have to worry about that later. From there pushed the bike to Walmart and waited inside for Coke and Radam with the new battery.

Sitting inside, we heard their bikes as they drove up and went outside to meet them and talk a little bit and handed Godzilla off and the other stuff and got the new battery. It was about 5pm and we knew we had to charge the battery for about 5-7 hrs so decided to stay at the same hotel up the road again instead of trying to head back home. Got Coke to jump us off so we could make it a mile up the road to the hotel . Got there and then they was off on their way to AR and us off to charge the battery and just relax since there wasn’t anything else we could do. We charged the battery all night and got up Monday morning and put it on and was on our way back home in MS. We had a 3-1/2 hr drive. The new battery made it about 45 minutes from our house and it was dead. We stopped at a truckstop charged it for about an hour and made it another 15 minutes. We was so ready to get home. We stopped again and charged it for another 30 minutes and I took the fuse out to the headlights and unhooked tail lights and blinkers in hopes of the battery lasting long until we at least made it home. We got about 5 miles from the house and dead again. Had my mother in law come jump us off and follow us to the house. We got home about 530pm Monday.

Overall we had a great trip except for the battery on the bike. This being our first bike trip it was very interesting and challenging. We will post the pics we have once we get them resized and stuff. All in all we had a total of 112 Zilla miles from Jackson, MS to Oak Grove, LA via I20 and US 65.

[CBGhia]

Well, here is my tale.  I don't have pictures for everything because I relied on my cell phone and due to a small mishap, the charger did not work the whole time. 

I picked up Godzilla in Denison, TX on Monday 4/18.  I hadn't planned on picking him up, but due to circumstances, I had to roll out to get him.  I want everyone to know that prior to this trip, my bike had never done more than 100 miles in a single day.  Right around 100, but never more.  I rode just over 200 miles to get G and bring him back to Ft Worth. 
G slept in a bit the next morning, I was already up and about.  I remembered that I had a tail box from a 750 up in the attic that I hadn't yet put on my dads bike.  It was bright blue, and I couldn't handle the color so I grabbed some flat black paint and went to town.  That’s when G woke up and came outside.





I talked him in to riding with me and we hit the road. 





I know that in some states, you don't fry things the way we do, but you need to try a fried pie.  And I'm not taking about the crap from Hostess, I mean a fresh made fried pie, I like Pecan myself. 

Prior to leaving, I rigged up a cigarette lighter power outlet so that I could charge my phone in route.  I have the HTC Thunderbolt and while the download speeds are amazing, the battery life is not.  Well, while not charging it, the cord slipped out of my tank bag and beat itself to death on the ground and my exhaust.


We stopped to see Sam Houston.  G thinks he measured up just fine. 



He also said that this is what happens when you mess with Godzilla


It seems the Huntsville police are very nice folks!


Finally got to Houston and met up with Chris and Robyn.  Robyn is Chris' old lady and one hell of an artist.  She also rides, but not a SOHC4 and was too busy to roll with us this week.  This is the hood of a VW she is working on, it’s her car, but she does this #$%* for a living!  How cool is that!?


We checked out The Orange Show.  That is one crazy ass place!





Chris took me to Ace Motorworks owned by another SOHC4 owner Reagan.  He has a rockin' rat chopper that you will see later.
They had set up a welcome party there at Ace, they were expecting more folks from DFW, but good times none the less.
Reagan's bike club was there as well as a few members of another Motorcycle club called the Banditos.  I hear they have a reputation, but I don't know anything about that.   This is where I met Anthony, Tom and Reagan for the first time.  We partied until the wee hours, not bad for a Tuesday night. Excuse the pictures, my phone would not use the flash due to the low battery. 





He thought he was big enough to fit this vintage Bell.



Wandering around the shop.

He tried to eat this bike, but I stopped him.  Just because it ins't a Honda does not mean it gets destroyed.


On Wednesday, Chris, Anthony, Reagan, Tom and I all met up and rode to Austin.  Prior to the meet-up, we had a few issues.  First I tried to check my tire pressure and then my tire just kept leaking air.  Crap!  I didn't bring a tire valve puller, and we were not at Chris' house.  I borrowed Robyn's car and followed Chris to his place to get the valve puller while he got packed up.  Turns out that the Dynabeads I had forgotten I put in there 2 years ago were blocking the valve. F#ck Dynabeads, cuz it happened again a short time later with the other tire. 
Meanwhile, Chris puts a vented cap on his oil tank and ends up shooting oil all over his bike and himself.  So we were a little late rolling out to Austin.   I think we took a slightly jacked up route because it took us forever to get there.

[CBGhia]

Along the way, we stopped at a BBQ joint.


G tried to intimidate the deer on the walls.


Once we finally rolled into Austin, we found a good spot and chilled waiting for Aaron, Gordon and Cole.

Here is Reagans chopper I mentioned earlier.  I have always hated those seats, but I love this bike for some reason.


Once they arrived, we looked like a proper group of bikes.



Then it was off to meet Steve so he could lead us to the campsite in Lago Vista.  Damn that was a nice campsite.  We stayed up well into the night talking and telling stories.  Tom had everyone cracking up.  Here is how it looked come dawn.


We had a little breakfast provided by Steve (thank you again for that!), and headed for a ride through the hill country.  After a quick ride to Marble Falls on some of the best roads Texas has to offer, the group had to part ways.  Gordon, Tom and I kept going west while the others headed back through those sweet ass roads. 

Gordon left the group in Llano and headed back to DFW and Tom and I kept moving toward the handoff in Big Spring.   Along the way we saw windfarms and oil pumps.





We camped Thursday night at a rockin little RV park that had a small indoor pool, a room with a TV and clean bathrooms.  They included 2 pancakes and coffee for breakfast all for $15 for both of us.  We spend breakfast hanging out with some old Vets and trading war stories (I'm a vet, too). 
Tom and I breaking camp.


Then it was off to Lamesa to shorten the trip for Justin by 50 miles or so. 
You may not know why it was so hard to find people to run this part of the leg, but this picture speaks volumes.  Nobody lives out here!


Thats cotton in the field, by the way.


We met Justin and talked for a few.  I really wish we would have had more time to talk and hang out, but we were already running a few hours late and had some serious miles to lay down before evening.  Tom was getting back to a girl in Austin he had been texting all trip and I was already a day latter getting home then I told my wife I was going to be. 



Sandy, my wife, really was a trooper.  She didn't hassle me too much, and I know she was worried about me riding all alone on that old bike.  I didn't tell her that I would be riding to Houston alone.  I was supposed to be riding down with some Dallas folks, and I wasn't going to tell her any different until after I was there.  She worries enough. 

Well, Anthony told me that my sidecover was loose and I was going to lose it, but I didn't listen.  That sidecover made it over 1100 miles and it left me somewhere between Lamesa and the first gas stop on the way home. Oh well, I had been wanting to clear out that area for a cleaner look anyway, now I guess I have to.


Well, that is my story.  I am sure others on this ride with me will have their own version of events.   

[motocyconomad]

3 days with Godzilla on the road with the 1978 CB750k .... this

bike is a back up I bought so I could have an extra frame and

motor and have a clean stocker I have another 78 750k but I

broke that motor so "the ebay bike" was the only option at this

point it had been running pretty good for a few weeks to work and

back and around town. She got new BT45 Battleaxe rubbers and

some real good love from George he gave her a chain from his

bike and got her fired up after all those years in an Ohio barn.  I

took off the rest of the week after Monday for the ride.

   Not really knowing how far I'd go.

Tuesday .......

comes I run around getting last minute stuff done ...I wanted to

ride north and ride with (CBgia) Joe into town but he was fast and

I wasn't so I just went to the party at Ace motorworks. It was a fun

party and a cool shop, never knew it was there.Didn't get a

chance to take Godzilla to the boobie bar and the stripper

bailed...oh well.             Wensday.....................

 Next day I went down to I-10 to wait for everyone

and I needed a camera. Finally, everyone gets to me(almost beer

time for me!11:30) and we head off west I-10 normaly to go to

Austin I take 290 we took some long route that took hours

it's usually 2.5 to 3 hours.  Anyway we get to that gas station and

meet the Austin folks, get supplies and get out to Lago Vista set

up camp and party at the campground they had the nicest

showers ever in a campground super clean hot hot water and

marble walls big changing area. 420 day. If you sleep before

Godzilla he'll drink all your beers, that dude is an alcoholic. I had

to stay up and be funny to keep an eye on that guy drinking up all

my lonestars. I was recoving from a poop gone bad at the gas

station ... lets just say its hard to walk around a gas station

bathroom with pants  pulled down and riding boots on trying to

clean myself up with wet paper towels but I got it solved , it did

get scary though ... glad no one walked in during that #$%*ty

episode. Everyone thinks its funny I warp my cell phone in

aluminum foil because I dont want to send or recieve everything

all the time. What?   







         Thursday........

 well in the morning all but like 3 beers are gone Godzilla dont

text or leave beer ... We ate breakfast tacos drank OJ and got

rolling leaving Reagan and the chopper at the site. We stopped

for coffee (this hot MILF totally wanted some action her kid took
the photo out side lago donut) then hit the twisty roads they are
awesome reminded me of Vashon Island or

central Washington state back roads pretty fun pretty fun. Then

we broke off and it was just Gordon Joe and Me then just me and
Joe. The whole day before this song kept playing in my head
about "speeding my young life away" and another that goes "i
knew there was somthing strange about this ride". Now the Beast
rides atop mine. We hit the winds and the strait loooong drone.
Wind whipped the #$%* outta me. It would steal rpm/mph at every
gust making me think the bike was giving up! keeping me
listening to its suble flucuations reminding me that the bike is fine
your just paradoid roll more gas GENTLY gently you haven't rode
a long way in a while your just tripping out fear and loathing in
west texas nothingness. We stopped and ate mex in San Angelo
it was good. Way out on those strait streaches suicidal sparrows

dart out  cross the road a few got within 10 yards, and at 75-80

that could be bad.

The plains have eyes type of lonesomeness out here.. now I

keep singing "they maybe from Waco or out in Lampasses but

one thing for certain they all got great asses" and thinking about

the girl waiting in Austin and how fast I could start back. We

made Big Spring in pretty good time it was towards the end of the

day we cruzed around the free park and went back down the road

to the RV/camp park they had a indoor pool and a little living

room so I went to town on the bike in my swimtrunks and flipflops

got ice/water/smokes then swam it started to sprinkle and I

thought we would have to go to the hotel but it stopped I didnt

bring a tarp for the hammock and Joe didn't have a fly cover for

the tent, so its good for us it stopped. We drank some beer and

watched hockey till the ol boy saw the beer and ice in the sink,

then I turned my saddle bag into a cooler. It still had ice the next

day! He was cool about it. But they shut TV off at 9pm. so then

back to keep and eye on the beer monster. I sat for a bit then

went to hammock for the night.   











    Friday...............on

Next day we see the hand off is late so

we head north to meet him in Lamesa. We stopped at the

Wallmart (not much else around) up on the north side of

town i drank the 2 beers I still had in the saddle bag whilst we

waited. The hand off went down. Mission A-#$%*in-complished we

would have hung out more but the day slips by fast, hell I would

have gone even more west but I was ready for R&R in Austin at

this stage. Me and Joe rolled back towards Big Spring till we split

we said good bye and good luck and droned on after that I just

rolled as fast as I could to Austin somehow blasting down 71 I'd

missed the twisty roads but made it back by night fall. Shower

wash clothes went out with my girl on the bike for dinner and

spent the rest of the weekend with her in Austin seeing the stuff I

never see when I come out because I always just skate my

friends farm. It was cool I left Austin about 6pm Sunday and

drank a beer at Jimbos in Hockley @about 9pm watched the

Blackhawks beat the Canucks and  then rolled those last 30

miles in to my own bed.

[climbingaz]

My two cents:

Although I was very excited to participate in the Rally, I’ve got to admit the last few days of planning before our scheduled handoff was nerve-racking!  What I originally thought was going to be a leisurely ride out to Duncan, AZ turned out to be all-day burn to New Mexico and back.  But thankfully Scott (scottly), David (RAFster122S) and Justin (jcarthel) stepped up big time to help me make it all happen.

Scott rode down from Humboldt, AZ on Saturday night (4/23) to crash at my place in Tempe, AZ.  Because we had close to 600 miles to go in ONE DAY, I decided it best to trailer my bike out to the handoff and ride back home.  So early Sunday morning (4/24) we loaded my bike in a trailer and hit the road at 6am sharp.  Because we were under a time crunch, we decided to just book it down the I-10 to Willcox, AZ where we picked up David who tagged along with us to the handoff in Lordsburg, NM.

On the road we had good communication with Justin who started his journey from Lubbock, TX a couple days earlier.  I was able to get Justin to meet us in Lordsburg, NM instead of Las Cruces and he willingly obliged.  THANKS JUSTIN!!  Lordsburg is a very small town so it wasn’t difficult to pick a place to meet.  So we pulled into a restaurant parking lot, pulled the bike off the trailer and waited patiently for Justin to arrive.  I’d guess it was only 30 minutes before we heard the unmistakable sound of a Honda CB750 motoring up the road and pull into the gas station across the street.

Scott couldn’t contain himself and ran across the street to greet Justin.  David and I soon followed.

From left to right: David (RAFster122S), Scott (scottly) and Justin (jcarthel) filling up his tank.

After filling up his tank, Justin was ready to fill up his belly but not before taking a look at each others bikes and pulling out Big G for us.







Then we pulled out the banner for a few more pictures before getting some grub.

Me holding Big G with Justin steadying the banner in the 35mph wind gusts.

David above with Scott holding the banner.

After a good lunch and even better stories, it was about time to get going, but not before Justin scarfed down a huge milk shake w/ requisite cherry on top.

[climbingaz]

After a few more rounds of stories and reminiscing, I got on my bike and hit the road for the Arizona border about 50 miles away.



With a little coaxing, I had talked David into throwing his gear in the back of my truck even though he didn’t have his bike running in time for the rally.  I’ll be damned if I was going to let him just sit in the truck the whole day and not get an opportunity to put in a few miles for the rally.  I appreciated all his support during the planning and insisted he ride my bike for at least a few miles.  Unfortunately I don’t think he appreciated my bike’s seat and handlebars as much as I appreciated his help!

Problem was he couldn’t turn the damn handlebars from side to side because they smacked his knees.  Not a good thing considering the strong wind gusts we were fighting.
But I give David credit!  He did ride an SOHC in the rally even if it was just for a short distance. 

After passing the key back to me, we motored on down the road back to Willcox where we dropped David off for the day and he continued on home to Sierra Vista, AZ about an hour south.  After getting off my bike, I noticed a fresh coating of oil all over the right side of my bike…not a bunch, but enough to be alarming.


Big G immediately went looking for more suitable transportation, but all he could find was the SlumberParty!


After Big G realized his reputation could be at stake, he reluctantly decided to jump back on my bike after I assured him it was just a small leak from the tachometer housing on the valve cover and nothing to worry about. 

Not wanting to cover my 274 miles all on the interstate, we decided to back-track a few miles and hit 191 north to the town of Safford.  With daylight burning quickly, we pushed on to Globe before stopping for a quick break and gas.




Just after 7pm, I rolled wearily into my garage and was soon greeted by my wife and two sons who had gone over to Grandma’s for the day.  Big G and my older son hit it off immediately.

[climbingaz]

And after a few minutes checking out his spark plugs, Scott was preparing for his journey 90 miles north to Humboldt, AZ where Big G would crash for the night.


If you ever get the chance to see Scott’s bike in person, man you are in for a treat!  The thing is freakin’ awesome….a totally custom Seeley 836!  I swear…if Satan ever rode a SOHC, I have no doubt this would have been his bike!  The thing just sounds EVIL, plain and simple!
Here is a quick video clip:



And with that, Scott took off.  I went in the house, grabbed a beer, popped some Tylenol, kissed my wife and kids goodnight and crashed.  It was a long, crazy day, but well worth it!  I hope everyone else has an equally positive experience on their leg of the rally.

Good luck guys!!

[scottly]

Just a pic for now: The hand-off to Sean at 29 Palms.
From left to right: Chopper Jim, me, Sean, and KayJohn.

[kayjohn]

4/25/11 met up with scottly in Seligman Az. around 12:30. Unloaded four of the five Denver's and geared up to take on the first 90 miles of our leg. I must have been too busy making sure all the bikes were ready because I missed getting some pics with my camera. maybe scottly got a few.I did get shots on the way though.

First stop on historic Rt 66, Grand Canyon Caverens for fuel, especially for Woody riding my KZ1000. He ran out just as we turned off.  Topped off the other bikes and let GZ spend some quality time with one of his relatives while we looked for something good to eat. no luck. 




Off to our next stop looking for food. Truxton. Hmmm, Gas n Grub's deli is gone! just Gas and Snacks. topped off with fuel before Woody ran out again.lol
Next stop was to be the General Store in Hackberry. Ken leading the pack had other ideas. next stop, Valley Vista. another topping off of fuel and a shakeoff of the buzz of riding into a 20 to 30 mile headwinds all afternoon. 14 more miles and last stop Kingman. Put all the bikes in the show room for the night and went next door to the world famous Mr Dz's for pizza and plan the next days leg.

.



Then the wife and I brought scottly to the house for some shut eye.




4/26/11  Day two.
scottly and I got to the shop about 7:40. chopperjim and Ken were chompin at the bit to get going. loaded the truck with supplies and two choppers. headed out around 9:00 with scottly and GZ running down I-40 to the 95 Lake Havasu turn off.



pulled into LOVE's Truck Stop. As we're topping off the truck,unloading our chops, loading scottly's bike we lost track of GZ. Found him out in the desert causing trouble.



Made him sit in time out while we finished and then loaded him on my bike.



ready to roll.


A quick stop at London Bridge.


After a fuel and lunch stop in Parker we cross over to Ca.



heading west past Videl Junction on a long stretch of nothing but desert. thinking how COOL it is to be riding with my bro. on two original Denver's choppers on a road that these bikes traveled many times back in the early 80s. ( Denver had a trailer on the river in Parker and he and the guys would ride from San Bernardino on weekends to party on the river.)
Perfect weather with the wind to our backs.





Another fuel stop in the middle of no mans land. GZ helping out this time and a hand off to chopperjim.



We met up with Sean in Twentynine Palms around 3:00... kicked back for awhile topped off with fuel and did the hand off to Sean.

[scottly]

The relay from my point of view:
Saturday found me still putting the finishing touches on my bike. After bolting the seat and tail section on, I discovered my brake light wasn't working. Finally managed to get the switch adjusted, and it was time for a test ride. I pulled out on the street, tested the brakes, and rolled the throttle on. CRAP!!! I hadn't tightened the handlebars!!!! Back to the shop, tightened the bars and adjusted the brake lever. What else had I missed??? Took a short ride down the highway, and all seemed well, so I pulled into the gas station and put 4 1/4 gallons in. It turns out the tank is bigger than I thought! Went home, took a shower, strapped on my back-pack, and hit the road about 6 PM. I had hoped to get to Shawn's by 6:30, before dark, but it was not in the cards..

After a blast down I-17 and the 101, at speeds of 70-80 MPH+, I got to Tempe a bit before 8:00. I pulled over a couple of blocks off the freeway to check the directions, then when I went to start the bike, the motor was very hot, and hard to kick. It had felt lean while on the high-speed blast, and I got caught at a long red light just off the freeway. Shawn came to the rescue with the trailer, and towed the bike to his place a few blocks away.

He has already covered the trip to/from NM. I left Tempe about 9:15 PM, after checking the plugs, adjusting the mixture screws richer, and adjusting the headlight, which was set for spotting owls! Traffic was light, and I did the 100 miles back to Humboldt with no problems, getting home just before 11:00.

Monday, I jettisoned about 10 pounds worth of tools from my backpack, as the weight hanging from my shoulders was quite uncomfortable, and set out for Seligman, a distance of only 90 miles. Once past Paulden, Hwy 89 undulates and winds though a juniper forest, and with no pressure, was a very enjoyable ride. After meeting up with KayJohn and crew in Seligman, we proceeded on to Kingman at a leisurely pace on Rt 66. Monday was the best day for me; no pressure, just riding for the fun of it, with new friends.

The Denver's chops are rolling works of art; while we were in 29 Palms, people kept coming up to admire them and ask questions. We left later than planned, and were going to escort Sean as far as Victorville, but it was obvious we were holding him back, so we said good-bye, and watched him speed off towards Rosamond. What a trooper!!!
We loaded up the chops and drove back to Kingman, getting there about 11:00 PM (?).

Wednesday, I set out for home, taking a route I had never been before: hwy 93 to 97 to 96. Even though it took much longer, it was well worth it! There wasn't a level, straight stretch longer than 100 yards on hwy 97, and the scenery was awesome. I plan to go there again.

Thanks to Shawn and KayJohn for giving me a place to sleep. It was great meeting everyone, and making new friends. Looking forward to next year!!!! 

Scott 


Shawn somewhere west of Globe on hwy 60, late afternoon, 4-24
Stop at "The Lemon Aid Stand" for a hose-clamp to re-install Jim's errant pod. 4-26

[Mooshie]

Sean is still on the road (picked up Matt at Morro Bay and off they went to meet up with the San Francisco group) so I am going to post the Rosamond to SLO ride (as I had Godzilla) and when he gets done with his California marathon he will post the Joshua Tree to Rosamond debacle of wind, cold, and lost in the desert....
I began my ride (as the first solo women to carry Godzilla) on Wednesday from Santa Barbara, CA to Rosamond to meet up with Godzilla and Sean at Rosamond.  127 miles later, and of course being wind blown the entire way, I meet up with the "boys."  Here is Godzilla waiting for the day to begin:



By 11am we met up with Jay, Pat, and Justin/Dustin (Sean can't decide what to call him) at APE.  We got a lovely tour while Godzilla messed around with the displays:



After a very insightful tour (where I only understood 1/3 of the discussion) everyone mapped out our route to SLO (that's Jay on the left and Pat on the right):



Jay escorted us to the Willow track in his Corvette and there we met Chris (who with Jay arranged to allow us to ride in circles-Thanks to both of you).  Now I need to say that in April of 2010 I went and watched the vintage moto- racers really cruise around this 2.5 mile track and thought then it would be an amazing ride.  In one of the races there was one girl (who was of course holding everyone up with her turns)...Now it was my turn to give it a whirl with no one to hold up....That dot next to the arrow is me!



The shadow on top of the image is Jay's thumb...but otherwise this is Sean and I ready to ride



Here is Chris at Willow who worried about our safety



That track was amazing....Now others may say I went slowly....but I say I was just enjoying the ride....

One last picture in front of APE and it was time to load Godzilla onto my bike for the 197 miles to SLO:



Here he is with our NEW hot off the presses, just in time for my leg, SOHC patch:



And tucked into my saddlebag



Off to the 138, which was of course windy...but no cross winds.  Then onto the 5N for what seemed like an eternity.  Gusts, cross winds and all the rest blew me into the lane to my left as we transitioned from 138 to 5 (Sean never swayed from his line) and then 8 miles of self talk, holding the bars like an egg, dodging a multitude of trucks, and clutching the gas tank with my knees we made it to the Frazier exit.  I think Godzilla was beginning to distrust my riding ability after the 5N debacle but he calmed down once we got into the twisties on 166.
A quick photo opportunity on 166 (which sparkles like glitter in the sun light...it is both beautiful and distracting)


Sean and our hero...


Me


The rest of the ride was a pleasure.  Not too hot, not too cold, and no traffic to speak of for the entire journey.  I insisted on following Sean (I figured if his bike wasn't wobbling then mine would not wobble either...if he can do it so can I) and almost to the 101 Sean became aerobic.  It first began with simple S's down the newly paved road then quickly turned into a yoga session.  I watched as his legs went up behind him and rested gracefully on his seat then he arched his back.  I couldn't believe he was exercising...I was simply trying to remain upright.  Even Godzilla was impressed.

We made it to SLO around 5:30PM and met up with Matt around 7PM.  A quick dinner (there is no eating on the road when Sean is in the mix) and a restful night sleep. 

On 4/28/11 we left to meet Matt at Morro Bay so Sean again took over Godzilla and we rode the 15 miles.  Matt had some throttle cable issues and was late so we killed some time with photos:







Once Matt arrived we did the formal handoff and signing of the banner....





And there ends my story.....Thank you to everyone for making this a reality and sign me up for 2012...

[scondon]

I have 5 days of riding to post, and it may take a couple days to get it done. For the sake of continuity I have started another thread and am linking it here. Entry begins just after Scottly(AZ) and before Mooshie(CA)

http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php?topic=88285.0

when Jerry gets back from his leg I'll see if he can merge this linked thread in so we're all on the same page(s)

[fatmatt650]

Left the house around 9:30 am wednesday, 4/27, awesome weather -

I live right off highway 1 so I made a right and headed south towards Monterey. Halfway between Santa Cruz and Monterey I found a Godzilla sized bike -

Stopped for gas in Monterey and double checked my paperwork because you need to show proper I.D. and vehicle registration to get onto the army base at Fort Hunter-Ligget which lies right in the middle of my planned route. I remember putting it in my jacket but somehow, it's not there. Minor panic time. If I can't get on the base I have to backtrack about a hundred miles to get to the 101 to go around it. Fudge it. I decide to go for it and see what happens. After some epic riding through the Big Sur area on 1 and then 2500 ft of climbing some of the funnest, tightest twisties I've ever seen I stopped to repack my stuff and look around  -


Got to the army base and the guard shack was deserted! Thank God!
After another hour or so of truly phenomenal riding through the backroads of southern California and dodging at least 5 suicidal squirrels and two deer I realized that not all roads on the map are paved. I've never done any dirt biking before but I was down for a challenge. -

I got some funny looks from a few guys in a jacked up Toyota but the road wasn't too bad. A few deep ruts to cross and some seriously steep switchbacks, I just took it slow and steady. Even had a water crossing -

When I got to the top of the mountain the view was breathtaking, rolling hills all the way out to the Pacific -

Finally got out to the 1 again and stopped to see where Sean and Lisa were at. Turns out Sean had just called a few minutes before to let me know they were at the motel in San Luis Obispo. I motored on down and met up w/ them around 7:30 for a much needed beer and some tasty fish and chips. Sean shares my love of jalapeno poppers and hot sauce. The restaurant had some pretty darn tasty poppers, aoli and cream cheese filled and dipped in honey mustard sauce, mmmmmm. Afterwards they retired to the hotel and I headed back out to the coast to camp out at the Montana de Oro state park. Here's a shot of camp the next morning -

Couldn't see anything riding in at night but the campground is right by a really awesome beach in a little cove w/ caves in the cliffs around it, gotta go back someday.
After a wrong turn that sent me back into SLO and about a half hour of running down dead end streets my throttle cable fell off. Good times. I finally met up w/ Sean (Scondon) and Lisa (Mooshie), you'd think Morro rock would be easier to find. We took some photos, made the hand-off, re-adjusted my cable and off we went.
I got a text that I swore said Hwy 1 was open but after we headed up the one and encountered the road closure signs we figured that wasn't right. I showed the text to Sean and he informed that I am, in fact, retarded. It said IS hwy 1 open, not hwy 1 is OPEN the way i read it. I guess I just wanted it to be true.
As we hopped off the 1 onto 46 i switched over to reserve tank. This is the first journey on this bike for me except for one ride to Santa Cruz and back and a bunch of back and forths to home and work, I'd never used reserve before but figured I had at least a gallon so the 22 miles to SLO shouldn't be a problem. Turns out I've got 10 miles on reserve. Sean loaned me a couple pints of gas out of his tank and off we went. Refilled in SLO and off we went up the 101 for a few exits to get us back the the army base and back the to 1. Sean broke his tailpipe bracket along the way, Godzilla patiently waited -

Just as we pulled onto base my clutch lever fell off. Luckily Sean saw it fall and picked it up. I pulled one of the rear master cylinder bolts and used it to secure the lever.
On the way through Fort Hunter-Ligget Godzillas' violent nature got the best of him and he had fun crushing tanks and causing general mayhem -

Me and Sean -

After the base it was back down my new favorite road - Nacemiento-Fergusson rd. for more twisty fun and some jaw dropping views of the Pacific then burning up the 1 through some serious gusting winds to meet up with the rest of the Bay Area crew who'd been patiently waiting for about 4 hours at Santa Cruz wharf. -



Greggo checking out 'Zilla w/ his new belt on. -

More beer and poppers, introductions all around and off we went for a burn up through the mountains to Alices' Restaurant.
The ride up to Skyline was a blast! Rte. 9 to Bear Creek rd.(awesome, well paved twistyness!) to Skyline. Skyline got brutally cold on our underdressed fingers and bodies, Alices' was a shining beacon of warmth. Almost took out a couple wild turkeys on the way there.
Gemini signing the banner -

Loyd (Twotired) -

New member, Joe, being attacked -

Joe and Loyd filling up -

Domer -

Godzilla time-traveled back to the eighties to see what the gas prices were like -

Godzilla ordered fried Mothra and was so upset to discover that you can't actually get anything you want at Alices' Restaurant that he decided to simply level the place beneath his mighty foot. -

Afterward, I split from the group at 92 and headed back home for a night in my own bed.
Woke up to more excellent weather -

Jetted across the Bay Bridge and met Sean at his house -

Looks like Sean left a piece of his bike on the road -

A quick spare and off we go -

After some serious dusty, windy central valley back highways we met up w/ Mr. Breeze aka Fred and wet our whistles at a funky little biker bar -


Heading onward and upward we said our goodbyes to the Central Valley -

Finally hit some fun twisty stuff in the Sierras'. Got cold pretty quick, though, as the elevation increased. We stopped to layer up, I tried to get the sign in the background warning that chains may be necessary but the camera wouldn't capture it. -

The highest pass was over 8,500 feet. Views were spectacular! Snow covered everything. At one point the snow banks were at least 20 feet high and overhanging the road. Temps were near freezing and signs warned of avalanche danger. The danger definitely felt real. It was far to cold to operate a camera so you'll have to use your imagination. My throttle cable popped off again.
After we descended into NV the roads suddenly got better and the gas got cheaper and better quality. Stopping to figure out where the hell we are. -

We finally dragged into Fernly just before dark and soon learned that Greg (Offreen) was on track and going to meet us soon thanks to a change in the weather. We sat around and chatted for a few minutes and then hit the beds after a hard days riding.
The next morning I was tightening my chain(again) and found another bolt rattled loose -

Fred "fixed" his wasted throttle grip that was giving him so much pain the day before. -

Godzilla looks hungry. Note the frost on the saddle. -

Freds' Kerker emblem rattled off. -

While tightening my chain I realized it was at its limit and could not tighten anymore. What do y'all think? Still have some life in it? -

Yuuuuup. Mmmmmmhhhhm. -

Greg wonders if Godzilla is a boy or a girl. -

Godzilla wants coffee NOW! -

In his continual search for cheaper gas Godzilla travels back to 1930's Fernly, NV -

Godzilla would like more eggs, please. -

Though he doesn't usually gamble, Godzilla decided to try his luck just this once. -

The traditional banner shot. Heavy on the F's here. -

Godzillas got his chips cashed in. -

Mr. Breeze handing off the heavy weight of responsibility to Offreen. -

Hmmmm. Potatoes you say? -

Godzilla likes the F's -

Sean and Greg having a little Brokeback moment. -

Godzilla is a huge fan of the Windjammer. -

In search of the elusive 630 chain. Super nice folks, didn't have it but pointed us in the right direction. -

Michaels Powersports in Carson City didn't have it either but they called up Reno and verified that they had it. If you're ever in the area, Michael's is the place to go! The guys in the Reno store hooked it up! They gave me a 20 percent discount on the chain and installed it while we waited despite the fact they were booked solid for the day! They even threw in a new caliper bolt. -

Thought about borrowing this for the ride back over the mountains. -

Now that's a cafe racer! -

After leaving Reno we headed back the same way came into CA, switched to 88 for the Central Valley and then burned up the slab on 99 to 205 to home.
Got back Just in time for a beautiful sunset! -



No matter how fun the trip, there's no place like home! -


One lucky bastard drinking another. -

The end of a successful day. -

About 350 miles carrying Godzilla, 666 miles riding on the relay and a grand total of 1,388 round trip miles.

[scottly]

GREAT post, Matt!!!!

[mrbreeze]

Awesome write up Matt!! Totally great ridin' with you and Sean although ya guys left me for dead so many times!!!!  I was glad you got the chain replaced cause everytime we gotta green light and you took off...........I cringed!!!  You guys totally cooked goin' home......good times man and we'll have to do it again up to Alice's

[ofreen]

April 29 - 

The trip got off to a slow start as US95 was closed due to snow.  There is an infamous hill on the Oregon side of the line that had a couple of semis jack-knifed and blocking the road.  The road cam at Jordan Valley showed low visibility with snow covering the road.  The forecast wasn't favorable.  So I bided my time. 



As it turned out, by 2 PM things improved, so I hit the road.  The road was clear, just cold and windy.  There were a few snow squalls on the way, but the road was OK.  Some shots along US95 in Oregon. –





I got into Fernley about 9 pm.  Sean, Fred and Matt were already settled in, having beat me there by a couple of hours.  Noticing 3 old Hondas parked together, I alerted them to my presence by applying the front brake as I pulled into a parking spot.  The new Honda pads obliged with a nice 125 decibel squeal that could only mean another SOHC4 had arrived.  After introductions, it was time to go get something to eat, then crash. 

April 30 -

After Breakfast in the morning, we did the hand off –





It was great to meet Fred, Sean, and Matt.  Thanks again guys for being willing to hang out in Fernley another day in case I was delayed.  Much appreciated.

After loading all my crap on the bike I then set out for US50.  It didn’t take too long get away from the city.  Things thin out rapidly east of Fallon.  Here’s a place called Sand Mountain, used as a OHV recreation area maintained by BLM. 


After that, the country opens up –






At Eastgate, I turned off on NV722.  That road goes over a different pass on the way to Austin.  It is a great road.  I was the only one on it –



Next up was Austin, NV.  It is a old mining town built on a hill.  The climb out of town is a very entertaining bunch of switchbacks –





Back on the road heading toward Eureka.-





A typical Nevada rest area.  No infrared sensing toilets here –



Eureka! –





The 75 mile leg to Ely was next.  It was starting to get pretty cold, so I just got it done and didn’t stop for pics.  Another awesome stretch, though.  Godzilla and I stayed at the Motel 6 rather than tenting it, since it was forecast to get down to 18 that night. Besides, it started snowing after we got there.  So I wimped out.  It was one of the better smelling Motel 6’s I’ve been in.  Godzilla wanted to check out the brothels, but I told him he was on his own.  I don’t know what he ended up doing and am not all that curious.

May 1 - All I know was he was back and ready to go in the morning.  We hung around until the temp got up to freezing and took off.  Back on the road again –



Godzilla checking out the west side of Wheeler Peak, highest peak in Nevada, but only the second highest point.



Later on from the east side –



Godzilla had never seen a homemade stop sign quite like this one near Baker, NV –



The mayor’s house in Baker –



Roadside art near Baker –





We took the Wheeler Peak scenic drive in Great Basin National Park.  The road was still closed above 9000 feet, but still spectacular.  Highly recommended, Great Basin NP is my favorite national park –



After that, it was into Utah.

May 1 -

After leaving Great Basin NP, I gassed up at Border.  There are two places to get gas between Ely and Delta, a distance of some 150 miles.  One at Border on the state line, and another in Baker, NV.  After Border, it is a 90 mile stretch to the next town.  The road is mostly straight so you have plenty of time to enjoy the scenery.



Sevier Lake, dry most of the time -


Snow showers on the menu today too -


Another Eureka, this time Eureka, Utah -




Very scenic from Eureka on the way to Goshen. 




These tracks don't get used much -



It starts to get civilized after Elberta and Goshen.  I hit I-15 at Santaquin and rode up to Springville where I got a motel.

May 2 -

I talked to Jerry around 9:30 am.  He, Terry, Craig and Steve were in Green River, UT, about 2 hours away.  After eating a couple of automatically cooked motel waffles, I rode up Highway 6 and waited for them on top of the hill near Thistle.  I sat down on a plastic tub lid I found beside the road and leaned against the bike to read the free newspaper from the motel.  I was interested to read that our Special Forces had taken out Bin Laden.  Here I thought he was already dead years ago.  I didn't have long to chew on that before I spied 4 dim headlights in the distance.  I figured 4 dim headlights = 4 old Japanese motorcycles and it turned out I was right.


We rode down the hill to the outskirts of Spanish Fork, gassed up and went into a greasy spoon for lunch. 


After that, it was time for the Godzilla hand-off -



Godzilla didn't seem to mind leaving me.  He #$%*ed about the cold the entire trip, so maybe he figured he'd be better off with the Colorado team.  The joke may have been on him, as I don't think it was all that tropical for them, either.


A very big thanks to the Colorado crew for pushing through some lousy conditions to make the rendezvous.  Much appreciated and it was a pleasure meeting you guys.

After that was the ride home.  I got home about midnight after crossing a cold front near Glenn's Ferry, ID.  But that is another story.

[apex_seeking]

My day started out good. I planned on meeting Jerry and Terry(CB650) at Terry's place around 12:00. We had kept an eye on the weather and decided that we had a window. A small one but just big enough for our SOHC's to make it to Grand Junction in one piece. I packed my things and said goodbye to the wife and kids.


I arrived at Terry's house and we gathered our selves for what ended up being a journey to remember.


We stopped in Silverthorne to gas up and the snow was starting to fall. I geared up with some wet weather gear and tried to get my mind around what I was about to do. I was heading to Vail pass on a 35 year old bike, and it's really, really cold.....and snowing.

After a few miles, and lots of snow, Terry pulled over to see if we were still up for this or if we should turn around. At this point, all I could see was Jerry's taillight. My visor was freezing over as fast as I could wipe it off. So my thoughts were "HELL YEAH LET'S GO BACK!!!" but there was no way I was going to wuss out on this one.

We pushed onward and hit the pass with little fanfare. But the excitement of our accomplishment didn't get missed by us! I was greeted by Terry running over to us with a "F&$% YEAH! We did it!" And my camera was too cold to snap a shot so the iPhone can out.

Notice the iced over caliper and fender? Our pants and boots looked like that, too.


We got over the pass and booked it for warmer ground. We got to Grand Junction around 5:00. Steve (GJSteve) rode out to meet us and we headed back to his place for a wonderful rib dinner and a place to crash. (Thanks again, Steve!)

The next morning was brisk but looking much nicer than the previous day.


We had to wash the magchloride off the bikes from going over the pass.

My bike was a little water logged and didn't want to start, but a little dry time and a kick on the "manual" starter, she was good to go.

The ride to meet up with Greg (Ofreen) was a great one. Warmer weather and blue skies.



We had lunch with Greg and talked about the bikes and our rides up to this point. Greg really racked up the miles. Hats off to ya, man! The hand off was made and we headed back west.



We saw this in Vernal, Utah and knew that we had to get a pic!


We spent the night in Dinosaur, Colorado, a fitting place for Godzilla to stay. The accommodations were...interesting. And the 6:00am wake up call from the tractor trailer parked in front of our windows was not on our greeting pamphlet. But that's life. And so we headed out.


Jerry's bike was having a few issues and we stopped to take a look at it, among other things.


The snow at Rabbit Ears pass was something to behold. I love the fact that here in Colorado, we can do things like this




Then it was on to Berthoud Pass. Now that was sketchy! Switch backs with runoff and gravel. I have to admit, I felt a little over my head.

This was the road out of the rest area.


The rest was all down hill, literally. We gassed up at Idaho Springs, Took 119 into Golden, snapped a few shots of Godzilla admiring the work of Coors. And headed home.

I managed to get 1002 miles after rolling into my driveway. Seeing the trip roll over was pretty satisfying, but not as satisfying as giving my boys a big hug and the wife a kiss. I know, "ahhhhh!", whatever.


I'm sure Jerry and Terry will add to this but I have to say, these guys were awesome to ride with. It's a shame more guys couldn't make it out. Maybe next year!

[theofam]

Yesterday was the first day I was able to get my 750K8 running.  I put 40 miles on Paddy running errands around town, so I figured, what better time to buzz down to Colorado Springs to pick up GeeZee?

I called Jerry.  He was great to talk to.  He has done so much to coordinate this Relay/Rally and said he has the most fun seeing all of us getting bikes roadworthy, meeting one another and, of course, the pics!  Thanks, Jerry.  You've done a great job!

With the  look from my wife last night, I told her I was riding to the Springs to get GeeZee.  Thankfully, I had a skosh more faith in Paddy than she did.  Jerry's borrowing a CB650 from, well, "CB650" a.k.a. Terry.  Close to home, the 650's petcock started leaking, so I told Jerry I'd go to the local salvage yard and pick up a used petcock.  They had boxes full of them, but told me without one to compare it to, it'd be hopeless.  More on this later.

So, I saddled up at about 10:30am headed for Colorado Springs.  When I got to Jerry's, look who was waiting for me!  Looked like he was coming off a bender.


And look what he has waiting for the 650's petcock when Jerry gets home!

Jerry, I hid them and some wintergreen oil behind the vase.  Hopefully, they'll fix the petcock, since I wasn't able to locate another one for you.

GeeZee's got springs for legs.  He jumped up on Jerry's porch railing and told me he wanted to go "there," to Pikes Peak:


I didn't even have to tell GeeZee what to do.  I think the rest of you have trained him well.  He jumped up by the instrument cluster and let me zip tie him in for the ride.  The tripometer read 119 when we left:


After gaining entrance to the Pikes Peak Highway, I had to take a quick break.  Man, did Smokey keep his eye on GeeZee!  One errant breath, and Smokey knew the entire mountain would be aflame.


I tried to tell him it wasn't really Big Foot, but he wanted to pick a fight with the sign!


As we neared Crystal Reservoir, GeeZee got my attention.  He wanted to take a dip.  I didn't have a towel for him coming out of the depths, so I apologize for the shot:


Pikes Peak summits at 14,110 feet.  Today, it was 12,500.  I couldn't get past the park ranger who had closed the road for construction. 


Oh well, I think I can say with a straight face this is the highest GeeZee has been!


To prove we hit the altitude (sorry for my moronic finger in the pic).  GeeZee was astride the sign:


A couple photos of the scenery:



On the way down, GeeZee was famished, so, he ate one of Santa's unsuspecting reindeer:

Bad boy, GeeZee!!

Then, it was off to Garden of the Gods to show GeeZee some of Mother Nature's beauty.


He thought it was nonsense.  All he wanted to do was knock over Balanced Rock:


Then, it was a sprint home to pick up my kids from school.  The ending tripometer was:

242-119=121 miles with my new best buddy!

My daughter is out of school tomorrow. I think we'll spend the day running GeeZee around Denver!

[theofam]

This AM GeeZee got going bright and early with a workout:


And a cup of go-go juice:


He and I enlisted my daughter to serve as photographer, for we had a big day planned!


First, we were off to meet the mighty Hondaman!  I know, I couldn't believe it either.  I have often wondered if he actually existed, or if the avatar was a simple front for some supercomputer Honda had programmed housing all knowledge on CBs.  But, lo and behold, the dude exists - Mark Paris, ladies and gentlemen!!


To meet Hondaman, I had traveled from tripometer


to


for a total of 27 miles.

I was honored to make this handoff:


And it wasn't long before GeeZee was ready to go!


We were in Golden, Colo., so Mark took us up Lookout Mountain for a great pic:


GeeZee just wanted to stomp on cars and check out the senior coeds each taking home a white rock from the Colorado School of Mines "M" on the mountainside:


He got in 11 fantastic, sunny-Colorado miles before he needed to head back to work.  Everyone should be able to do this at least once.  As I chased Hondaman back to his office, I thought, "I'm riding with possibly the pre-eminent mind of Honda CBs, if not worldwide, certainly in the U.S.!"  That's trippy!

We bid our farewells, and my daughter, who had been a great sport up to that point, was getting dehydrated - dizzy and flushed cheeks.  So, we pulled up a shade tree with some water and Funyuns.


Some moments are priceless, like when she said, "Dad, I really like taking motorcycle trips.  But, my favorite part is when we take a break and hang out."  How cool is that?!

Next, we were off for Brett_Bike to get some seat time with GeeZee.  Months ago, I saw a rockin' 500 parked at the local salvage yard where I've spent many days searching for parts.  I had to know who owned it, so I stood next to it until the owner returned.  Well, it turned out it was Brett, a fellow SOHC4 member!  He's a very cool guy.

We pulled into Brett's work, and the tripometer read:


So, 22 more miles with GeeZee.

Brett heard us pull up, and came out to welcome us:


I chased him out to a cool spot in the Cherry Creek State Park, where my daughter again showed off her mad photog skills:


We grabbed some lunch with Brett:


Then we checked the tripometer: Brett_Bike logged 6 miles, and we parted ways.

It was a quick 9 miles home.  Six hours, and one very tired daughter later, we were home!


The day couldn't have been better - I got to meet Hondaman, hung out with Brett for awhile, and spent quality time with my daughter.  Everyone should be so lucky.  Total GeeZee miles for me today = 27 + 22 + 9 = 58.

[theofam]

GeeZee slept in the garage on the bike last night.  I couldn't handle two mornings of all the cleanup around the house.

He and I headed out for a handoff to CB650 (Terry).  I got out of my neighborhood and thought I'd first go over to an exotic car meet that my dad was checking out.  Figured some pics of GeeZee with Lambos and Ferraris would be cool for us to see when . . . pop . . . not a big POP . . . just . . . pop.  My throttle started spinning on the handlebar.  Bummer, throttle cable probably broke.  So, I pushed Paddy home 1/4 mile and popped off the right switch.

GeeZee sarcastically said, "Let me guess, when you put the bike back together you only replaced the push cable?"  I sheepishly nodded in agreement.


I immediately called our local salvage yard/old bike parts place called Steele's Cycle.  They had a replacement cable.  So, GeeZee and I hopped in the car and off we went!


GeeZee hopped atop Steele's to scout food.  He still raves about the reindeer he ate a few days earlier.  He wouldn't stop eyeing the yard's pit bull.


We got back home and he timed me to see how long it would take to lube the new cable and swap it out.  41 minutes.


Then, we were off to see CB650/Terry for the handoff.  I knew I was in the right place when I saw the 650 under cover.


Mileage was:


for another 22 GeeZee miles!

I had a fantastic time over the past three days with GeeZee.  It was certainly a privilege to share in this experience with the rest of you!

[ofreen]

The rest of my ride report across Nevada and Utah is here -

http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php?topic=88434.new#new

[Jerry Rxman Griffin aka MuthaF'er]

I could start off by saying little did we know what we were about to get into or perhaps just get on your bike and ride but we had been following the weather reports all week long and it kept going downhill  This after all is the Continental Divide we're talking about. Eisenhower Tunnel. Vail Pass. One foot of snow Friday night. Lighter snow Saturday night.  It was 20⁰ Sunday morning when I was supposed to head out. From my perspective as being the originator of this amazing ride there was really no way I could NOT pick up Godzilla on the appointed day. What's a little snow in Colorado?! ALOT! After what the previous riders had been through this seemed minor on paper but major in the eyes of the Weather Channel. We had received many well wishes for our safety and many thoughts that perhaps we shouldn't attempt this, BUT Godzilla waits for no man! 

Awakening Sunday morning, 7am seemed very early. 28⁰ at my house in Colorado Springs with a slight overcast. Time to check weather reports and PMs. Mixed bag. CDOT cameras surely are lying. Looks good up to Idaho Springs but that's just the real beginning. Vail Pass camera does not give a good picture of the road condition. Apex_Seeking (Craig) PMs saying let's ride. CB650 (Terry) is more hesitant. Bike is pretty much ready to go. Screw it, let's ride. I'm layered up with ski wear. I tip off the guys that I'm heading out from Colorado Springs and will be at Terry's at 10am. Meet me there. I'm on the road. The first 70 miles on an untested new to Terry loaner 1982 CB650  that he has so graciously allowed me to ride.



An F'N COLD (or so I thought at that point) hour later I arrive at Terry's on the north side of Denver. Excited but chilly. Terry is stirring. He just got off his 4th 12 hour overnight shift and managed to get 2 hours sleep. We begin to get our stuff in order and here comes a SOHC4. Craig has showed up on his nice cafe'd 550. We had never met until this point. Chatted a little. I wait for Craig to get layered up but it turns out he IS fully layered, at least with as much as he has. Hoodie with a leather riding jacket and lined jeans. Says he does have a rain suit but he'll be fine. I'm thinking this young guy is either crazy or just a bad ass.



It's noon and time to ride. Gas 'em up and hit I-70. We have to hit the warmer afternoon time slot window of opportunity that MAY allow us to get across the Divide. All depends but we won't know if we don't try. Cruising along fine. I ask Terry to lead since he's a year round rider, I ride the middle and Craig in the rear. It turns out this is Craig's first real road trip so that's cool. We gain elevation and lose temperature. Idaho Springs is just ahead. Passing through we spot 3 Big Horn sheep grazing on the roadside. Then we see our first snow fall! Is this an Oh #$%* moment? Naw, keep on riding. It clears. We're nearing the Eisenhower Tunnel at 11,158' in elevation. Those slight flurries begin to turn into some REAL flurries. Is this a harbinger of things to come I'm thinking?! Screw it, keep riding. Craig is still hanging in but I'd bet he's cold now. I'm thinking he probably wishes he'd put that extra layer of his rain suit on. Emerging on the other side of the 1.7 mile long tunnel I'm expecting it to be real #$%* and it's a long downhill slope. Surprised, we see nice clear skies with no snow coming down on this side! Whew! It's downhill into Dillon where we can gas up and warm up.

We pull into the convenience store. The thermometer there says 37⁰. Sure seems colder but we've decended a few thousand feet. Craig is now cold and out comes his rain suit. Take a break, grab some snacks and a drink. We're warming up so it's time to get back on. That tunnel was our first real test. Up next is the bigger obstacle we've been overwhelmed with - Vail Pass. Past Frisco. Not sooo bad. Next up is Copper Mountain. Now it's beginning to get dicey at best. The snow is coming down. We're starting to see some tracks on the road. Terry is putting down one outrigger to judge the condition of the roadway. This happens a few times then down go both feet! We're now riding much slower and in car's tracks. He pulls over and asks if we should turn back. I'm thinking wait a minute, this is the year round rider. Oh #$%*! We are near Vail Pass and then it's all downhill and warmer. I stutter and stammer and try to convince them we can do it as long as we're careful and take or time. I really didn't know what to expect but I knew we wouldn't get across if we didn't try! Press on guys! Ahead is an overpass with nothing but snow covering our path. No tire tracks to help us. We slow to a crawl and out come both legs. Piece of cake (yeah right)  We're close. Keep moving. FINALLY, there is a rest stop ahead. Wooohooooo - Vail Pass!! Terry jumps off. Yells. Screams. Cussing with joy. WE MADE IT  Then he says he never rides in #$%* like this. Glad he didn't tell me before 







Windshields are nice to a certain point, that being until you can't see through them due to ice!





Sure wish I was able to get a picture of the bikes beside that guy on the snowmobile! Elation over let's get to lower elevation and warmer temperatures. We ride on knowing we were still with the living  Barely moving fingers and toes tell us to pull over for a quick rest.



No more stopping for pictures until Grand Junction. The snow disappears and Glenwood Canyon appears. This is a wonderful ride even if it is on the slab! 12 miles of fabulous canyon cut by the Colorado River on a practice run to the Grand Canyon. Many days you can accompany the California Zephyr train through the canyon. Always a fun ride! Ahead is the Palisades area where many fruits and vegetables are grown. This leads you out of the mountains and into a desert setting that will soon be Grand Junction. Exit 37 here we come. We pull over and give our new but still unknown best friend GJ Steve a call. Come get us!!



A few minutes later we greet Steve who is riding a really nice 1980 CB900 Custom.



We have been rescued  We head to his place for a well earned good night's sleep! Getting our priorites straight we do first things first 



We learn that Steve has prepared for us a nice dinner of spare ribs. That and a hot shower and it just doesn't get any better. I like to fall asleep quickly so I don't hear anyone snore. I sure as hell don't snore, do I guys    Tomorrow is another day. GODZILLA AWAITS!

[Jerry Rxman Griffin aka MuthaF'er]

After a great night sleep and thawing out from the deep freeze, Team Frozen Tundra awakens to the aroma of Steve's most excellent hospitality  Biscuits and gravy with sausage await. What a way to kick off the day's festivities. Once that's consumed, we finish getting ready and head out the door to our awaiting bikes, dirty cold awaiting bikes. First sight shows frost all over them. Damned if it isn't cold again and it's 7am!    Crank those babies up and let 'em warm up some except mine has been finicky on cold starts even in my warmer garage at home. Here we are in the drive way. Terry's 650 ride fires right up. I wonder what the difference is??! First order of business, Terry calls for a car wash to get the snow melt magnesium chloride solution off the aluminum. Did I mention it's cold AND early?!    OK, let's do it.





Terry is hosing down the bikes. Craig and I are standing outside the bay. What do I say to Craig at this point?! Yep, you got it - "I hope they all start after the washing!" Boy, did I ever jinx us! Thankfully Craig has a great battery as he cranks like a mofo but just won't start. Keep trying. Scratch heads in wonderment. WTF?! Remove points cover and it's dry. WTF?! Someone suggests kicking it. Why would that work when it won't start with the electric starter?! Son of a #$%* - it fired! I still don't understand that. We may find a clue later in the ride. Whew  Time for gas and the highway!! We're headed west on I-70 with Craig in the lead. It's his territory and this is his first section. Craig likes to get that 10 speed in high gear and roll 70 to 75mph. Utah is on the horizon and our first of few scenic stops. Guess we don't stop as often for sight seeing when it's cold! 



The long and winding road (courtesy of the Beatles  ) I-70 in eastern Utah



Quick break and we're back on the road. Next stop is gas in Green River, UT. About half way to Godzilla. EXCEPT, my unknown loaner bike that seemed ready has other ideas. 15 miles from Green River it starts to run out of gas BUT it's not even far enough to reserve. Again, WTF?! Switch it over and it's still acting up! Oh NO! It's touch and go. Switch it back to main and it's managing. We pull into the gas stop. I'm thinking the tank has more crud that's clogging the fuel filter in the tank. Should we take it off and clean the screen? Terry says let's keep rolling and work on it if it REALLY needs it. It's cold and I'm hoping we're not pulled over on a mountain pass messing with it. I alert Ofreen (Greg) as to the happenings and he'll be waiting for us in an opportune spot. We're half way to Godzilla and in a few miles we're off the slab and onto US6. Desert and mountains. Nice riding road. We ride through Price and Carbondale. Up ahead is another mountain pass - Soldier Summit at 7477'. Yeah it's cold but it's a scenic ride so that makes it worthwhile. We have another 30+ miles at this point. On the way up we passed US191 which will be our eventual scenic afternoon ride to US40. I encounter my first kamakaze bird. He bounces off my headlight and misses the guys behind me. Pressing on towards Spanish Fork on a nice 4 lane UPHILL section the bike starts to play out again. I'm jacking around with the throttle and petcock and damn near overlook the other biker on the side of the road. Damned if that guy waving isn't riding a 750F! It's Ofreen  AND GODZILLA!



My first real look at Big G! Up until now he was just a figment of my warped imagination



We head up to gas and a restaurant to warm up, get something to eat and perform the official ceremony.  It was great to finally meet Greg too!





Godzilla muttered something to the affect of "Dad" and took an immediate liking to me. Couldn't hardly get rid of him.



It's now official and Greg is relieved of his duty.



It's time to put in more miles as we bid adieu to Ofreen and his monumental effort to dodge an Oregon snow storm and ride the Nevada desert by himself on a 130,000+ mile 75 CB750F. We double back to pick up US191 which is dotted as a scenic road. The dots turn out to be correct too! What a nice ride. Pretty much out there by ourselves following a canyon up and over more snow covered passes. We were having so much fun I didn't pull over for any pictures! Up ahead lies US40 at Duchesne. We head east on US40 with a possible stop at Vernal, UT near Dinosaur National Park for the evening. Ahead we spot one of the locals.



It's now decided that there is no more fitting place to stop for the night other than Dinosaur, CO up ahead.





We manage to find the only local accomodations  for the night and it has 4 beds for $65. jackpot! 



Terry kicks back a little then heads for a 30 pack.



We get settled in and scavenge for food and alcohol. The bar was closed but the restaurant was open.



Godzilla is in his element in Dinosaur and decides to make out at the table with a local. Glad somebody got lucky!



Great chicken fried steak! Now it's time to play "Let's See Who Snores The Best"! I was told I may have won that contest
but they could provide no proof! That's OK because I always sleep good after a great day on the road!

   

[Jerry Rxman Griffin aka MuthaF'er]

After a great night's sleep and fearful that he may be leaving behind a broken heart and some eggs Big G determines he'd better get the hell outta Dinosaur (just like he did last night  ). We stop for the pictures and gas before hitting the road. Big G attempts to ride that CB900 but we remind him that is NOT a SOHC4! He was confused by all the PBR's the night before.



He makes one more attempt at a Triceretop showing off that big piston of his 



Rally up the bikes for a photo op then hit the highway.





At this point Steve must say goodbye to Big G and hit a different highway for a nice ride back to Grand Junction. It was great Steve! Thanks for everything.



At this point I have carried Big G for the first 180 miles of Team Frozen Tundra's adventure and Terry takes over. US40 is a really nice wide open road with mountains and rolling hills. MANY antelope all along the way. I have determined that antelope must be THE smartest wild animal going! After all, who has even seen road kill antelope?! Ahead is Steamboat Springs but not before the loaner wants to stop again. Let her sit and she'll always take off again?! Go figure. We roll through Kremmling and Granby and head toward Winter Park but not before crossing Rabbit Ears Pass.







Up next is Winter Park



It's time for a hand off of Godzilla to rookie rider Craig after Terry has carried him from Dinosaur. We stop at WalMart for more zip ties. Craig turns his front end and it dies. Not the first time either but it's worse. Leaving walMart it does this for the FINAL time and will not start again. It seems that Terry could have been a juvenile offender as he knows the perfect solution. Cut off that faulty ignition switch and hot wire it!





Once we depart Winter Park we have one more major pass to cross - Berthoud Pass - before heading into Denver. I have pictures somewhere but it's just more very tall snow banks and you're probably bored with that by now. We stop off at Kermit's Bar on the way back to celebrate a little then cruise through Golden so Big G can have a cold fresh one. It's at this point we must plot out a route that will get Craig an additional 15 miles to hit the magic 1000 mile mark. Mission accomplished. We're at Terry's now. I grab Big G for the last 70 miles to Colorado Springs and arrive just before night fall. Mission accomplished!! What an amazing journey. We made it! 

 

 

[Jerry Rxman Griffin aka MuthaF'er]

It was really great hosting Big G in the Springs! What a significant opportunity for me and the family. He's really a great guest.

Big G amazes my daughter Alyssa.



He and Dandy Girl get acquainted.



He gives Dandy a big hug.



Time to find Harley the kittie.



He's heard about Pikes Peak and wants to see it for himself. I've promised him a ride to the top. I think by now he's getting a little VERY tired of all the snow!





Now that we're safely at my place we must turn our attention to the fuel delivery issue. As I've mentioned earlier the  unknown CB650 has been having fuel starvation issues. Terry and I spent a good part of one day going over various aspects of the bike beforehand to put her on the road. The tank was one place we turned. It looked fairly clean and mostly rust free. We flush it out several times and filter the gas. We find a few flakes and a minor amount of fine dust like particulate matter. We replace the inline filter. I thought we reinstalled an in-tank filter. It should be good to go. Terry is concerned with the vacuum operated fuel shut off as he's had problems with them in the past but we leave it intact as it appears to be opening and closing the fuel supply. As I first found out in Utah, the bike starts fuel starvation around 70-80 miles. Reserve doesn't help this. My assumption is that we didn't get all that fine particulate matter and now it's clogging the in-tank filter. So first order of business is to remove that filter and clean it and I should be good to go. WRONG - it is not there! So that can NOT be an issue. #$%*! Off comes the petcock for a take apart and cleaning. This is what Big G and I found.



An unknown substance. Looked like thin rubber that had come apart and been detroyed by fuel. First thought would be a tank liner but there was none that I could see. WTF?!Throughout the petcock. OK fine, that had to be the problem. Clean it up and put it back together. I gotta ride it to Topeka, KS. Sonofa#$%*! The petcock now leaks! Now I can not get it to quit after numerous attempts over a 4 hour period. Panic sets in!! At this point I have to find a solution. I can't ride with a leaking petcock and Big G is in Colorado Springs. No more SOHC4 riders to help out from here. My Harley is back from the shop for repairs from the slight mishap I had in Florida but we all know the rules and I, especially the originator, can NOT break the rules. WTF can I do now? To the rescue comes TheOFam, Sean! He hits up a local yard and grabs a couple rubber seals for the inside of the previously rivited petcock. Unknown it either will fit. He's riding from Denver to rescue me and Godzilla! I have to leave town for work so Big G waits out front for him.  Sean grabs Big G, leaves the parts and heads out to complete the promise I made, ride Pikes Peak. On the way he tours a local attraction called Garden of the Gods and Godzilla scaled Balanced Rock. Sean has posted his travels previously so I hope you've seen those. He did some serious traveling and visiting along Colorado's Front Range over a few days. I owe Sean big time. When Sean completed his journeys he met up with CB650/Terry to deliver Godzilla for the trip eastward as I will meet up with him then head into Kansas.

At this point I'm relieved but still have the petcock issue to deal with. I'm 150 miles away at work and will only have a few hours late Saturday afternoon to work on the bike and that's working around the pending divorce and a "spouse" still at the house that has an attitude about my biking. Getting home around 4pm I retire to the safe confines of my garage and begin the ardous task of trying to get the loaner CB650 rideable. It just isn't going to cooperate. My Harley looks good sitting there. Godzilla is in good hands so the Relay will not be broken. Around 10pm i throw in the towel after doing everything within my powers and PM Terry the unfortunate news. He's finishing his last 12 hour overnight shift. I hit the sack and wake up around 7am. He has sent a last ditch idea - Hylomar! WTF is Hylomar I ask and where do I find it? In his saddlebags of course! Silly me  Never used it and didn't know what it is. I apply it liberally to the guts of the petcock being careful not to clog up the openings. I WILL BE DIPPED IN #$%*!! That FN petcock is not leaking! I shoulda know when I saw Permatex on the tube it'd work. As the old saying goes "If you can't fix it, Permatex it". I call Terry with the present unbelieveable good news. He had a backup plan too. Send 78 K550 aka Paul along with another tank and petcock. I gotta say again that Terry is one helluva guy! I tell him to send Paul down anyway as I'd like to have company on the 90 miles we need to cover until our meeting. You never know what to expect!  Paul pulls in around 1pm on his new Goldwing. The ride is on again!! Whew 





Final preparations and we hit the road to Godzilla!