First Ride

[NobleHops]

Fabulous trip - I'll try to make a mini trip report and link to the photos if I don't run out of time.

Steve, mounting this was comical - if it was on the centerstand (a job in itself) I could just climb on horse-style, but if it was on the sidestand I would start about three feet away, swing my right leg like a pendulum once, get it onto the seat and make a mighty hop with the other leg to relocate my ass there. I was loaded a little heavily as I was also moving luggage and tools and other bike stuff up to SFO.

This gnarly bike is the one I call the Warthog. It is totally homely, has some broken plastics and dents and warts, and I keep spitting off the pannier lis and getting them run over, etc. But it is awesome functionally - has a great motor and once I jacked up the rear end and got it sprung correctly for my weight and load, it handles and steers a lot like my GS, which to say, excellent. It has sported me about the western USA to the tune of 20,000 miles so far, and it has been some of my very best touring.

N.

[bikeymikey748]

You know, Nils, these photos and reports of your rides to sunny/exotic places is really starting to get annoying .
Here in 'The Great White North' we are presently enjoying high winds and ice pellets. Hell, my furnace keeps kicking in!
Besides, who goes to Death Valley, and only posts one picture? I mean, really ?
If I am to live vicarously through your exploits, I gotta say, one photo just won't cut it.
I am envious....and....
More please.

[NobleHops]

You know, Nils, these photos and reports of your rides to sunny/exotic places is really starting to get annoying .
Here in 'The Great White North' we are presently enjoying high winds and ice pellets. Hell, my furnace keeps kicking in!
Besides, who goes to Death Valley, and only posts one picture? I mean, really ?
If I am to live vicarously through your exploits, I gotta say, one photo just won't cut it.
I am envious....and....
More please.

Careful what you wish for

So on a fairly spur-of-the-moment basis, it suddenly became the best idea to go out west and take myself on a roadtrip. So I packed up my shit and flew out to Tucson where the Warthog has been for a couple of years, and rode it to San Francisco, via Death Valley, Morro Bay, Big Sur, Santa Cruz, Rt. 9 and finally Skyline Blvd.

Had a great visit with some friends, and a ton of good 'helmet time'. Packed up and pickled the bike as best I could and it's napping on a Battery Tender at Dubbleju, where it will get a little bit of maintenance. An unexpectedly awesome trip - I had fantastic weather, met a ton of great folks, and had great visits with friends.

My route:

http://maps.google.com/maps?saddr=Tucson,+AZ&daddr=Globe,+AZ+to:Goodyear,+AZ+to:kingman,+az+to:I-15+S+to:Badwater,+CA+to:Olancha,+CA+to:Lake+Isabella,+CA+to:Bakersfield,+CA+to:Morro+Bay,+CA+to:Carmel,+CA+to:Santa+Cruz,+CA+to:Boulder+Creek,+CA+to:10600+Skyline+Boulevard,+Redwood+City,+CA+94062+(Skylawn+Memorial+Park)+to:Oakland,+CA+to:Mount+Hamilton,+CA+to:37.4982,-121.5366+to:Livermore,+CA+to:Sunol+Regional+Wilderness,+Geary+Road,+Sunol,+CA+to:Oakland,+CA+to:San+Rafael,+CA+to:Point+Reyes+Station,+CA+to:Novato,+CA+to:San+Francisco,+CA&hl=en&ll=37.169072,-121.190186&spn=2.831884,5.795288&sll=38.009148,-122.12677&sspn=1.400117,2.897644&geocode=FS-q6wEdcWVj-Skr7SwLQWXWhjEVxxZNOC3Dcw%3BFS6O_QEdPohl-Sl_ANnWFZ4phzHVr57EafGghg%3BFU5n_gEduoxN-Skdt6HfZTorhzH6U_mFj3qyZw%3BFcPyGAIdcrAz-Sk1YJMAE9zNgDFgpQT_vM-spg%3BFfAMGgId_tAU-Q%3BFVjSKAIdYkoK-Sn96j7hER_HgDEViwBVJewp-w%3BFRueKQIdOF33-CkpJONXWWHAgDE5jMPAxK67Sg%3BFdl8HwIdSz7w-Cll07vwr8_BgDHhUbqbKFbPlw%3BFezAGwIdKOvn-CkNy5S5yGvqgDHIdP6YCQw2WQ%3BFa-jGwIdE_rL-CmTqrW5C-HsgDEMl4HBGeIbqg%3BFefJLQIdKJm7-ClT7Be3FeaNgDEcVFHKpivC0g%3BFSUuNAIdNPW5-ClJ1TZ8G0SOgDGF-dcqSxDKUg%3BFap_NgIdNZC4-Cn9WNvMEU-OgDEFCwQpg0kxBA%3BFacfPAIdh820-CE43bbCmWDyAimvhmjWRHWPgDEprqIgCn38Hw%3BFUzZQAIddkq2-CkD7aooi32FgDFnk3U11RW0cQ%3BFbvKOQIdBuC_-CnrsZWMbiqOgDGkMTbxkdpmBA%3BFVgtPAIdqH_B-Cm1xtNrByyQgDGeXldT_BFEOA%3BFdL6PgIdt_e9-ClxIFo4huWPgDFx2GvLMSLTmA%3BFfZbPAIduQu9-CF_4V5f4kbGOg%3BFUzZQAIddkq2-CkD7aooi32FgDFnk3U11RW0cQ%3BFR9uQwId8VKy-Ckvegk2Z5eFgDFUJuLmIE0Bvg%3BFWHjRAIdaB2u-CkrkbSqiM-FgDGooGwrQgEVjA%3BFRx5RQIdGbyx-CmNnqRZ37uFgDFJuHPGZxS3BQ%3BFVJmQAIdKAe0-CkhAGkAbZqFgDH_rXbwZxNQSg&oq=s&mra=ls&via=16&t=m&z=8

Photos:

http://noblehops.smugmug.com/Motorcycles/ArizonagtSFO-Moto-Trip-2012/22502587_7K27r6

Mike, a set or two of those photos are intended to be stitched together into a panorama, may try to do that tonight.

N.

[steve murdoch icoa #5322]

Thanks for posting the great pics, Nils.
Amazing the beauty even in a desert.

[bikeymikey748]

Thanks, Nils. You hit this one right 'out of the park'! So many types of roads/scenery. Hey, I'll bet the temps in the desert were tolerable this time of year. I remember, a few years ago, ROASTING between Barstow & Vegas in late August. Steve's right, there's just something about the desert. Seems you got to cover a lot of different ground in one trip, good on ya!
Great photos, really captured the trip, I thought.
I looked up that Dubbleju place you mentioned ( the last few photos were of this, no?) . Wild, what a place, only in Cali
"Where are you off to next", he inquired expectantly.
Man, all this vicarious travel really wears a body out....'Nite John-boy, er...Nils.

[Kool_Biker]

Thanks for the great pics and map Nils!
Certainly one of the best parts of the US I have ever had the privilege of visiting.
Whets my appetite for this coming Summer!
Aris

[NobleHops]

Hey, glad you guys enjoyed that. Did I send the link to the South Africa trip report? Need to finish that.

Next? Hmmm. I have clients out in the Bay Area and so hopefully I'll get a chance to return there over the summer for more riding. Don't really have a big ride planned next, although my homies and I were talking about possibly doing Nepal with Edelweiss before too long...

N.