<![CDATA[Pashnit Motorcycle Forum - United States - Road Trips & Pics, pics, pics]]>

Blew into Los Gatos, Ca on Sunday and spent 3 days readying the bike (service and installed heated grips) and 5 days spending time with family and friends. Some would say I was fortunate to arrive during a heat wave, but having just spent several weeks riding Europe in such conditions, more 100F was not needed.

Off with the KTM on Friday with Chick (daughter’s boyfriend) on his VFR. Destination is Los Gatos to Quincy, Ca. Then Quincy to Fortuna = first 2 days of a 30 day / 7000 miles journey of the West.

Chick

An hour of uneventful motorway got us from Los Gatos over the Benitez Bridge to Suisun Valley Road (Napa vino country) where the fun begins with another half hour to Lake Berryessa (Spanish Flat). I was low on petrol at that point and looking for a ‘gas station’ thinking Berryessa is major boating lake and surely there’s a petrol station somewhere. If in doubt, ask the locals and nearest on our route was in Pope Valley.

This meant altering the route slightly, backtracking a few miles then heading up 128, but didn’t mind much because I’d read that Pope Valley is mighty fine ride. Pope Valley and no petrol = ask again and sure enough 6 miles southwest is a Chevron station in Angwin. Up the hill, 6 hairpins, 12 sweepers, over the top, 2 hairpins and 8 more sweepers = Voila, petrol! 6 miles of sheer bliss (and 6 miles return) meant a delightful road find that almost brought a tear to ‘me one good eye, Har, Har.’

Passed by Clear Lake to Hwy 20 and 162 leading to Oroville (arrow straight stuff). Oroville is really where my journey begins and the 162 to Quincy.

As pleasant as riding California’s wine country back roads is, the 162 from Oroville to Quincy was not only the highlight of the day, this road is the finest sweeper road I’ve ever ridden. The Oberalp pass out of Andermatt has always been my favourite fast sweeper but the Oroville to Quincy nails what sweepers is all about. 70 miles of it and its smoooooth tarmac with no traffic. Google maps projects the 70 miles to take 2 hours but they don’t reckon on motorbikes and it take less than an hour. There are many 25 mile/hour corner signs and after the first 3 taken at 45 mph I realised that the suggested corner speed can easily be doubled and taken comfortably at 60 mph. Numerous 35 and 40 mph signs are all taken at 70 and 80. No cars, no trucks, no LEO on the day and after 10 minutes I was thinking 1098, 1098, 1098…but even on a supermoto it’s a fabulous, quick travel.

What an absolute superb road with the only 2 hazards – one being a well sign posted truck pull out where the road is dirty for a half mile and second, your right hand.

One of the problems with California riding is that the mountains don’t lend themselves to photos. It’s too forested for vistas and with a sweeper type road with turns being long and distant, the camera only captures the beginning of the turn rather a series. Too bad because all I can do is tell you about it. Besides, I was having too much fun to stop.

Quincy – Small town in timber country

Quality movies in Quincy!

Heat wave over (temporarily) and Quincy north on 89 was cool and wet. Lassen National Park was socked in solid and snowing over the pass = didn’t see a damn thing. Shame.

However, this was my first full Hwy 36 from Red Bluff to Fortuna. Wow, what a road. 36 has everything a biker could hope for except hairpins (although there are some too) and panoramic photos. Famous for its 140 miles of twisties, undulating over rolling golden foothills with blind rises and huge dips with sharp turns then climbs over the coastal range, a short section of one lane tight corners and empties thorough a curvy, shadowy redwood forest.

Spent the night in Ferndale (near Fortuna). The town is like an immaculate museum. Very, very good eats at the Ivanhoe Hotel.

Even the public toilets are quaint

Being spoiled for choice, I was almost, but not quite bitching about the KTM ride position on Monday and Tuesday. I’d just spent 8 weeks on a 1098S and actually stopped when taking off on it for the first time in a year to look down so see where the damn foot pegs are. Also needed adjusting to such a severe upright position with the body and mind tuned for the 1098. After a week, the KTM still remains slightly unnatural (but getting better) whereas last year it was as perfect as a bike could be. Such is ‘memory’. The bike is also much less planted on fast sweepers when there’s a dip in the road that is probably down to the long suspension travel - even though the suspension correctly set up for me.

After two good days of riding Chick buggered off back to Los Gatos on Sunday while I continued north to Oregon. I thought my front tyre would last until Yakima, WA but isn’t to be. Gotta change it tomorrow in Medford, Oregon. I had all week to do so in LG.

Hwy 96 = a visual spectacular. The hwy follows the Klamath River giving one a feast of visuals. There are a couple of twisty ‘technical’ bits as some people like to call it, but mostly – ho hum lets go a steady 70mph and see all the sights. Stop for lunch anywhere along the way = grab a burger or french dip – not great, but it fills the hole.

Hwy 299 west of Willow Creek

Hwy 96 (Bigfoot Scenic Highway) Pretty much follows the Klamath River and this is what you get the whole way.

Some very nice sections on 96

Back road from Seiad Valley, CA to Medford, OR = this takes awhile and not sign posted!

Right, Medford = tomorrow a tyre and get on the road. Crater Lake coming up, 138 to Steamboat, north to Oakridge! Looking forward it!

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps/ms?hl=...424ab1ee89&z=7