A Fall Ride through Northern California - A Motorcycle Tour

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Fall Ride through Northern California
A Pashnit Motorcycle Tour

You've probably heard me say this if you've hung around the pashnit realm long enough, but I've often regarded taking a motorcycle journey akin to stepping into another world. One separate from our own day to day routine of work, kids, spouses, the usual sorts of things we both take for granted and come to appreciate over time.

But it's that moment you fire up the motorcycle all packed, at 5 am in the morning, then roll out onto the road to head off for the horizon that you get to step into that netherworld of motorcycle travel. A world where passing motorcyclists wave to one another and smile to themselves. A world inbetween actual reality- one where you get to escape all that. Just you, the motorcycle, and a good road. What more could you ever want?

Great folks, good times, great roads!!

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While the last Pashnit Motorcycle Tour of the Sierra Nevada Mountains was dominated by Harley Davidson motorycles- this one was all about sport-bikes. No ryhme or reason, just how it goes. Riders were as varied as always.

Eric is a web designer who is responsible for the pashnittours.com website. About 3 years ago, Eric contacted me & asked if I ever need any web design help, to let him know. Seems he and I have been working together for 3 years now, and this was the first time we'd actually met in person.

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Eric's Honda CBR 1000. Likey? Me too! Eric had just added a Jardine carbon fiber slip-on can. Sounded great when he fired that thing up. Undertail exhausts are very cool!!

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Mark was the IT guy from Davis that works with maps, websites, and all manner of IT goodies. He came to Davis to go to school, then never left. Mark also has a cruiser in the stable. Two bikes are always better than one. He'd used the Pashnit site to explore in all directions around his home. Plus following our tour, he had planned an additional several days of riding. This was sort of like his kick-off to his motorcycle vacation!

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Mark's ZZR

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Ayumi has come a long way, from Japan, and has been riding for over 10 years with several different motorcycles, both in Japan and here in the states. She's a registered nurse by trade, but when riding her brand new GSXR 1000, you'd never guess. When you look at this bike, you'd never know it was a 1000. It looked like a 600, and was tiny. Ayumi mentioned that when she was out bike shopping, it was smaller than the 600 & 750 oddly enough.

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David hails from the California Foothills, and has been riding for well over 30 years. He came on the ever-popular SV650, which has developed such a devout following. Of all the interesting jobs riders have had that I've ridden with, David's is a cartographer, as in map maker. Seems he has a rather storied job history, and at one time his only job was as a chain installer (think snowing and mountain passes). Dave is also a Vietnam vet and served in combat during a tour in Vietnam from '69-'70.



David along Highway 1

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Stephen rolled on down from Oregon to join the tour, and added even more credence to the adage that you can tour on anything. His ride was an '82 Yamaha Seca 650, (same bike used in the Cycle World $1000/1000 Mile Tour in April) leaving his Ducati 900SS at home for this particular ride. The one thing that surprised me was how fast he was on this 20+ year old bike. Don't get sucked in by the thought that you need a fast bike to go fast. Not neccesarily.



Stephen's general philosophy on life.

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His Yamaha Seca 650

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Hugh also rode along with us on Saturday. Our local rider there in Fortuna, Hugh came on his Harley. He just needed an excuse to go riding, and we happened to be in the neighborhood. And riding right past his house. Don't need any better excuse than that.



Your Pashnit Tour Guide Okay, now that you've met everyone- let's ride !!!