Part 2.
Our initiation into riding in America, and the International BSA Rally.
28 April 2014
Christchurch New Zealand to Los Angeles California. Depart from Christchurch amidst steady rain. All 9 local guys arrive at the check-in at roughly the same time. Cool. Allan and Beth have decided to fly direct to San Fran in a few days time, so that will make it easier to transport whatever we must up there with only 6 bikes in LA.
Good flight to Auckland. We walk to the international terminal in a 14 degree cool breeze, then we mosey through to the departure lounge and meet Steve and Andi within minutes. We are 11 for LA.!
Some of these people are meeting for the first time. Some are discovering that they knew each other years ago.!
Long 12 hour stint to LA - no sleep for me and Air New Zealand seem to have got a bit stingey with the wine. Boo hiss. Slight delay getting through customs, but everyone friendly to us and we give off the fun vibes :)
Flyaway bus to Van Nuys where John French picks us up in the Chevy van. Until the first words leave his mouth, I have no idea that he is British! The things that emails do not tell you. We Check in to the Valley Inn in Mission Hills, and sit around chatting with John for a bit.
We then drive to his home and see 6 of our bikes for the first time. And our trailer. All brilliant. John's home is a revelation - reminds me of 'the cave' a bit. There are bikes in most rooms, and an attached well-equipped workshop. I had not realised that he works from home - mostly repairing Ducatis - but British stuff too. He certainly is the perfect man for the job even though we did not know who we were dealing with in the beginning. He just sounded like a decent chap.!
I drive the van back to the Hotel - kinda tricky learning both van and right side of road skills. Trick is knowing where you are going. Unfortunately - we don't. Tomorrow we will do paperwork, prepare bikes - hopefully check out the bike gear shops. Woot.!
Stay tuned groovers.
29 April 2014
Los Angeles California. Our first full day in LA. Busy day. After free breakfast at the hotel - better than we expected - we have a van-cramming session. Yes - we can fit 11 people in an 8 seater.! As an added bonus, the rear windows are tinted so nobody can see that we are overloaded and underbelted. Steve has brought a GPS with him. It belongs to a friend who visited America some years back. Should be a very handy item - and has been installed in the van. We head off to John's where 3 elect to stay and help with bike preparation - the others set off to try and achieve a coup with the paperwork at the dreaded DMV. Changing the van ownership suddenly requires a smog test, but the place is just over the road and it flies through. Just another $50 to the general bill. Sharing all the van costs 14 ways makes it seem minimal. Everything is going how they would like it to and the group get to share lunch. You CAN find HEALTHY food in America.!
Most of the happy crew at 'Egg Plantation'. With John's help, us other 3 set about cleaning bikes - straightening bent things, pushing them from one end of the property to the other up and down ramps, and on to the work platform where their oils, filters and brake fluids are duly changed. Sucks to be us...lol. Only Brent's 1050 Sprint missing here as it is still in process.
Thomas cleans up his panniers while Tom gets acquainted with the Sprint handbook.
When the van returns late afternoon we abandon John and head off to 'Cycle Gear' Canoga Park to furnish ourselves with the missing helmets, jackets and pants we had decided not to bring from NZ. It takes some time - is probably the most gruelling part of the day for most - but we do it. Back to the Valley Inn to unload - decide to drive down the road and reward ourselves with a nice meal. L'Affaire gets the vote, and we enjoy a beautiful french menu which will probably see us come back again tomorrow night. Sue and I test our proposed plan to share a main course as we hear the servings are big over here - and we do not wish to return home any bigger than we are.! Perfect amount - and with a salad - but foregoing the expensive wine - we manage a combined bill of only $25. That - is sustainable. Best meal I have had in America so far. Wish we had this restaurant in Christchurch.!
30 April 2014
Los Angeles California. Our first ride.
Our morning is filled with last minute arrangements - phones, banks, luggage. Our 3 nights in LA only yield 2 full days of course, and we have been on the go for every second. Perhaps this stage could have been prolonged a little to ease the pace - but it has sure made us hit the ground running - everyone is all fired up.!
In the afternoon we head over to John's - resplendent in our new bike gear - eager to test ride some bikes. As yet we have not fired one in anger. As it happens, there are some fairly deserted roads in the hills within a mile of John's house, so we will head straight there. John has continued working on our bikes this morning and all but Ann's bike are ready. It has leaking fork seals and John is waiting for some to arrive. So Ann rides with Brent. I take Gary's bike on the way out, and at a point we consider halfway, we swap to the van and Tom takes the bike. He roars off and Steve takes chase. The rest of us follow the suggested roads and find ourselves heading back to John's with no further sightings of either of them. Oh well - they're big boys. Sue gets her first mirror shot.
We do not get to view this photo straight away, but it sets the scene for many others like it over the next few months. So cool to see our guys on bikes in America. We are rookies here - new to these bikes and new to the rules of the road - including our conversion to the right. We have a way to go - but we are going to enjoy one hell of a time doing it.!
Tom and Steve turn up some time later. They got so enthused roaring around on their new steeds that they forgot any idea of a map. They sussed it out together and found their way back. The beginnings of good skills.
We take our leave and head back to our motel. Some bikes come with us so their luggage can be sorted at the motel. We shall all return here in the morning and begin our big trip. Woohoo. Hopefully, Ann's bike will be sorted.!
We return to the French Restaurant - this time with John and friend Ali. Great meal and excellent conversation. Our first chance to grill a few locals about life in California. As everything is new to us we are eager to soak up all we can in quick time. Some of this is self-preservation - we need to know the do's and don'ts - but we are curious too about their lives versus our own. So far - we are winning. Lovely evening and shape of things to come.
Night all.
1 May 2014
Los Angeles California to Taft California.
After our brief test ride yesterday, we are as ready as we can be to depart. This morning we pack our gear and load vast amounts of stuff into the van. Around to John's to square him up and thank him for all the excellent work. We could never have achieved all this without him. We lurk about while the finishing touches are completed - including some hasty repairs to the lights on the trailer. There is always another thing..
Everything seems to be ready. Tom and Helen will drive the van today - Sue and I on Gary's bike - we will swap tomorrow. We assemble in front of John's garage for the pre blast-off photo. Excitement is rising.
Then we're away. Van in front with the gps and we hit the freeway to leave LA. And we hit another freeway to leave LA. And we hit the Ventura freeway to leave LA. Sheesh - it seems to takes hours. Mile after mile of lane changing while trucks and cars merge into our lanes and hide the van from view. Rather frenetic - but we hang together and eventually see a sign that says 'freeway ends'. We are expiring in the heat. We have a supply of water in the van, and decide that a 1 hour water stop protocol may be wise to prevent dehydration.
We stop for lunch at Mira Monte near Ojai and enjoy fruit and pour copious quantities of water down dry throats. Refreshed we gas up and head for Taft. Oh joy - we find ourselves heading up into the hills on a cool piece of road that just keeps climbing. Tom pulls over in the van and lets us all go on ahead with the assurance that there are no major turnoffs for 20 odd miles. A couple of bikes come past with riders tapping their helmets - meaning cops ahead. We keep it canny until two marked cars go by - the second waving to us, then we open it up a bit and enjoy this super twisty mountain. We stop for some water and Brent takes this photo.
The bike in the foreground is Gary's. We will take it to San Fran and leave it at Brent's place so that it is well placed for Gary to collect when he gets here. I will ride it today, and Tom will ride it tomorrow. Off again and even more thrills as we crest the top and race down some beautiful bends with no nasty surprise corners. It takes 20 odd miles to get back down to the flat and reach Taft. The landscape is surreal - vast spaces with little greenery - boarded up shops and houses in Maricopa - the nodding donkeys along the petroleum road - houses with yards that look like engineering shops - so many images we have seen of America now stunning us with their sheer size of scale. This place feels slightly hellish - stinking hot and a strong smell of sulphur..
Taft appears like an oasis, and we gas up ready to push on - but the heat has taken it's toll, and it is decided it is best to stay here the night. A pleasant old gent passing by offers his best recommendation of motel, so we go straight there and book in. The relief of showering in air conditioned rooms revives us all, and after a stroll down the street we head to the 'family restaurant' next door for a meal. Typical American Diner style with the most friendly and efficient waitresses. Food is great and cheap. Two mains for $20... and... we all share Brent's hot fudge sundae..
Tomorrow - Paso Robles and beyond.
2 May 2014
Taft California to Petaluma California.
Wow.! What a day this is. All of the crew have been fully on deck from dawn til dusk since we arrived in America - sorting machines, documents, missing hardware, american phones, bike clothing, helmets, finances - there has not been a minute wasted.
Throughout this time, nobody has complained - except me probably - and everyone has made the utmost effort to be accommodating and pleasant - despite the rather uncomfortable heat. These are the best people in the world - and they are here with me - living my dream. What more could I ask.?
Well - today I unwittingly do ask for more. A lot more. We have a 12 hour day on the road. Not just any road. Every road that you ever thought looked daunting - we hit it today. It is stupendous. From our early morning start - up at sunrise - breakfast at 06.15 - on the road by 0700 - heading for the best bike road in the world (cheers John..), and then having the whole plot torpedoed by various misunderstandings. Mostly between me and the GPS.! My day to drive the van - and the van GPS is the last word on where the hell we are going - but today it has us tearing around in ever diminishing circles until we totally give up any plan of going where we intend - and take the direct route to Petaluma instead.
So it is - we end up on the I-5 from near Bakersfield to Petaluma virtually non-stop. Through the dustbowl of California - weaving our way across broken highways that would have even Canterbury motorists gasping. Not only are the road surfaces complete with holes that could swallow half a motorcycle - but we hit them at 65-70mph. Large trucks passing by in the only other lane make it impossible for van or trailer to swerve to avoid the holes. The lanes are very narrow on American highways.!
Still learning to cope with the idiosyncracies of traffic behaviour in North America, we are totally tossed in at the deep end - and with a deadline to meet we have little choice other than to just bite the bullet and plough on.
Life in the van is quite complex. There are four of us in here today - with one bike on the trailer behind us. Our job is to decipher the route and monitor the bikes behind so that nobody gets lost or stranded - so it is all eyes on the flock and on the radar. As driver, I am totally involved in trying to maintain some decent forward velocity - in this case 60-70mph, aware that this exceeds the speed limit for trailers by 5-15mph, but still has us being blitzed by all manner of other traffic from semi-trailers to flying nuns.
Where possible, the bikes are given the all-clear to go on ahead when the route is clear enough that no riders will bark up the wrong tree. Or offramp. Due to our lack of road maps with adequate detail this has been a difficult task to date, but today Steve tracked down two maps which make life a bit less uncertain. Once again - our time has been so fully mortgaged that we have not been able to do this earlier. Nor have we found time to visit a supermarket to obtain various necessary items - such as padlocks for the trailer - or tiedowns for bikes thereon. We bought one set at an over-premium price and elected to avoid paying further ransom and getting some elsewhere. Yet to happen. Current set now fully engaged mooring one Ducati to the trailer due to a slight rider illness problem that we suspect is mostly due to some rather extreme weather in the States right now, which has inflicted strong winds on LA - liberally peppering all and sundry with airborne debris - giving rise to sinus and allergy problems for anyone susceptible. These are the unforseeable events that will cause us to become increasingly adaptable to our new climate.
We have instigated hourly stops so the riders can top up their fluids - the heat can be a tiresome enemy even though it makes high speed riding a less chilling affair than it does at home. Managing to get a van and trailer, plus 5 or 6 motorbikes off the freeway makes for some interesting events - and the freeways themselves can catch you out bigtime if you are not wide awake. Lanes that once promised to lead you to salvation can suddenly hijack you into an exit you really can't afford to take - so last-minute course corrections have been a common occurence for all the drivers who have yet given the van a shot. No doubt we will learn to master the art - but the rest of the motoring public here have much more experience than we yet do. Much respect then that they do not often become annoyed by our antics - more just allowing us to learn from our own mistakes while giving us a wide berth. Huge volumes of everyday traffic have learned methods of coping in the most expeditious fashion. Unfortunately - a load of adventurous Kiwis just got dumped in their unsuspecting midst..!
I could go on for hours - as that is what today did - but I shall rein my bright images and simply mention this. Today this vagabond crew did achieve the superhuman. On new machines - still mostly unknown - in weird road conditions - over many more miles than we would tend to attempt at home - amidst colossal traffic - with little idea of direction - they not only stood up to the rigours with courage - make no mistake - it took a lot - but they did it with style. At every stop they checked in with the van crew and each other - made light of the discomfort, and helped to boost each other's spirits. I would like to claim them as 'my' crew - but we are all equals here, and we rely on each other a lot. You can rely on these guys to the limit. I am proud and humbled. Love you guys.!
Heading north from Taft. Shame was - we should have been heading northwest. The GPS kept telling me to turn right, when I knew we should be heading more to the left of our current course. No alternative roads presented themselves, and there were no signs mentioning any of the places we wanted to be going..
Mirror shot. Bikes in the heat. While we are in air conditioned coolness, these guys are out there in near 40 degree air..
One of the few stops - we are keeping the pace up. The rally begins tomorrow and we are expected to be registering this afternoon. Nothing like a deadline to motivate people.! This is just a stop on the side of the Interstate - they resemble small shopping malls mostly. Find the shady spot..
Some evidence to the right of that shot which suggests some local drivers may be more like the kind we have at home. Our stops are mostly to drink water, or to fuel up. This is Brent indicating that he thinks it is fuel time. Unfortunately - knowing someone needs to stop makes no difference to the fact that there might not be an exit for another 5 miles..
We meet the first cattle yards. These are grain fed cattle. They get to stand around in muddy fields and eat lots of grain. Like - really lots. It obviously does not agree with their innards because the smell is vile. It permeates the van and takes miles to leave. Despite the aircon we wind all the windows down for a mile..
There is no shelter out here. While we have passed many miles of green crops, they can only exist where water is available, and there is increasingly less of that. This is the fifth year of drought, and already much of the growing area has reverted to dust. I am not sure what I thought this countryside would look like - but I hardly thought desert. It looked like that around LA, and it still does, even though we are getting close to San Fran, and it is the first day of spring. Steve and Andi are demonstrating our approach to riding in this heat though - not worth the risk of not having your right gear on. We see Harley riders in tee shirts and open helmets doing 80mph - ok for them - we still have 10,000+ miles to run..
As we approach the greater San Fran area the traffic increases and we are once again dependent on the errant GPS, but we now have a map to back us up. We skirt around the inland edge of the mayhem and make a final stop in Castro Valley. We are not entirely sure how far there is to go, but the GPS reckons about an hour. We hope so. The terrain has begun to change to something resembling green, and the air feels a tad more friendly. Perhaps we will find a more accomodating landscape at Petaluma.
After a brief refresh we head on. We are on a freeway in a built-up area, but we have no appreciation of where we are in relation to anything else. We have some freeway numbers to follow and we just keep our eyes peeled for them. The GPS is much happier here in the jungle, and gives us warning of impending lane changes - which is most beneficial as the bikes are blindly following our lead. We reach our first toll booth on the approach to the Richmond bridge, and take the cash lane. There is a cash kitty in the van for all van running costs, so Sue jumps out and pays for everyone. Each bike still has to wait its turn to proceed, and we muddle our way through. Heading toward the bridge is a revelation. It is an old but magnificent structure, and quite a climb. Our direction traffic goes on the top, while the opposing traffic has its own lanes underneath us. Very cool thing. This is more like it. For a brief moment the aches and worries are left behind as we gaze at this awesome man-made structure. At the highest point we are several hundred feet above San Francisco Bay.
We roll down off the bridge into San Rafael, and follow our noses northwards through Novato - a name I am familiar with as the place where I send our BSA club magazines each issue to the Northern California club who are hosts of this rally. I guess this is my first vague feeling of connection with this place. The final stetches are getting very busy with after-work traffic, but it is definitely green here, and almost resembles something akin to our own countryside. I am feeling much happier with that thought and the fact that we are nearly there. No doubt there are 7 bikers back there who feel the same but much more strongly. They have coped so well with 500 odd miles in extreme heat and anxious conditions. This scenery must be immensely reassuring..
We reach Petaluma and find our motel without too much trouble. It looks very nice, and there are a few BSA's in evidence. As this will now be our home for over a week, we are very pleased with the amenities and the rooms. Our reservations have been successful and we are given rooms close to each other. We find some parking and unload the van. Everyone is greatly relieved to be here and in one piece, although most are pretty exhausted. Adrenalin helps a great deal, but when you relax, it hits you fast. We are too late to attempt any visit to the rally site. Tomorrow our BSA Rally begins. More will be revealed.
Love to all our friends.
3 May 2014
Our first morning in Petaluma, the Rally opens, we collect bikes from Alameda.
The breakfast here leaves our LA motel for dead. Bacon, eggs, sausages, yoghurt, fruit, fruit juice that even tastes like it owes something to an actual fruit. Whacko-the-diddle-o. We shall maximise this for a week then.!
After breakfast the crew line up to wave off Di and her pilot Thomas - the BSA club captain and longer associate of Andy than the rest of us. How fitting.
We all get to register at the rally site this morning, amidst a huge throng of busy bikes and riders preparing for the opening ride out. It will be a big parade into the centre of Petaluma where the official gestures will be made to launch the event proper. We get reunited with Beth and meet her host and our wonderful ally - Brent Lenehan. Brent is astride his amazing Magni Rocket 3 - sounding like a racetrack refugee. We also meet Lois and Eddie the dog - so we transport them in the van downtown with us, where the mayor of Petaluma is opening the rally. I figure it is already open by the time we get there, and a bajillion bikes are parked around the sides of walnut square. More BSA's here than I have seen in my whole life - and they are all out on one day together. Around 80% of the total production of various British marques were exported to America, so there are more here than the rest of the planet put together - or at least there were. By the look of the riders, a lot have owned these bikes for many a decade.
We chat with Brent and hatch a plan to retrieve our bikes that are stashed in his garage in Alameda - just across the bay from San Fran city, nestled against the city of Oakland. We will follow Brent's van back there this afternoon. After the usual sociable manoeuvres in the square - where Thomas and Marian are greeted by numerous acquaintances from rallies past, we head back to our motel to gather riding gear and sort out who wants to join our foray into the big smoke. Some are still at the rally anyway, but Brent will ride Gary's bike in so it can be stored at Brent's. We head south along the route we arrived on, and over the Richmond bridge once again. Just past there - everything stops. 5 lanes going nowhere. Word arrives via the radio in Brent's van that a car is overturned and there has been a shooting. Absolutely nothing to be done, but crawl stop, crawl stop for what seems hours. Life is semi-comfortable in the van, but our Brent S is stuck on a bike, so he spends the time paddling back and forth talking through the windows of the two vans. Even after we get off the freeway, traffic is gridlocked for 10 blocks - and this is Saturday.! Freeway mayhem can take a big slice out of your day.!
Finally make it to Brent's and meet our new bike - nice dark green - panniers and original Triumph liner bags. Everything looks in pretty good order. The other bikes are elsewhere at Brent L's workshop cum mancave, so we head around there after getting all the papers. As soon as I start our bike, it seems there is a lot of mechanical noise coming from the engine - mostly in the cylinder head area. I am quite alarmed - it seems much different to all the others. It rides ok and does all it should - but there is also a bad vibration and harshness that the other 955's do not have. Bother. At the workshop I proceed to mount the new numberplate - but find the brackets missing from the rear mudguard - so have to drill holes in the plate to match what is in the guard. The gearchange feels squiffy, and I find the shift mechanism on the gearbox is slogged out - creating about an inch of play at the gearlever. How appropriate that the mechanic should get the bike that needs repairs.! Nothing I can do but make what repairs are possible and see what transpires. Whip the lever off and run a hacksaw down the pinch gap - drill out the bolt hole and throw it back on. All sweet there then. Check the coolant header tank to find it empty. Oil is about right level but very black looking. Top up the coolant and am relieved to find it is only the header tank that is empty. Mostly the bike looks original and tidy, although there is evidence of the bodywork having been recently removed - as this bike was written off in a carpark accident when a vehicle knocked it over and smashed the fairings. Whoever put it back together has put a few things in the wrong place. As the speedo has been replaced, there is no way of knowing how many miles it has covered. You could say I am mildly concerned. Yeah - right. Oh well - lets head for home and see what gives.
Tom has collected his blue 955, and Brent S is now riding one of Allan and Beth's 1050's back so Beth can have her first ride at the rally run tomorrow. Steve and Thomas are in the van and set a blistering pace back to Petaluma. Damn. This bike really flies.! Having only ridden Gary's bike, and kept a level head in order to preserve it - now I am on our bike, so I can begin to test the limits a bit. As we roar up the Richmond bridge, I look at the speedo. We are doing 90mph - in city traffic - in San Francisco.!! Shit.! I zig-zag through the lanes of traffic with the other two bikes, dodging the lane changers who are constantly forcing themselves between us and the van. Only the van crew have time to actually decide where we are going, so we don't lose sight of the van.! In a clear space I shoot up the left side of the van at around 100mph and brake immediately outside Steve's window. He looks startled - but I just grin and give him the finger. Thomas is already doing the same in my direction. Hahaha. If this thing doesn't break - I'll probably marry it.! WooooHooo.!
Apart from getting separated at an impromptu fuel stop in Novato when Brent suddenly finds the 1050 had hardly any gas, and then Steve makes his first mistake by exiting left from the gas station - to be confronted by 3 lanes of oncoming traffic - the trip home is very windy and strangely enough - cold. First time I have been cold in the USA. Seems there may be times when you put the liner in your jacket.!
We park them all up and go for dinner. There will be a 100 mile run tomorrow - we'll see if our machine can handle it.! Is Mr Green brilliant - or buggered.?
4 May 2014
Petaluma - the first run of the rally.
This will be 112 miles of Sonoma countryside and the scenic coastal route called highway 1 to Fort Ross. Liftoff is to be 0930 hours, so we head for breakfast at 0830. The usual scrambled eggs, toast, bacon and sausage for me - with black coffee. The bananas here are just perfect, and the orange juice brilliant. I guess that figures seeing we are in California. We also take a yoghurt back to our room for a healthy afternoon reviver. This is called maximising the free breakfast.! Everyone rolls up in their bike gear - today for the first time - everyone will be on bikes, and the van will be idle. Nutritional requirements met, we prepare to ride to the rally site, which is only 1 mile further out of town.
The departure is staggered - for once we all know the route so there is no need for formation flying. Actually - having done same, I can say that travelling as a group on San Fran and LA freeways is in many ways as nerve wracking. You can not let your attention wander for an instant. With unfamiliar bikes, the act of looking down to see where the indicator button is can be enough to cause a collision with the next bike should they suddenly need to brake for another lane-changer, so you learn to do it all by braille - or you ride for some miles with your indicator on...
Today is a much more relaxed affair. We tootle down to the campground site and find a park well away from the BSA groups - lest we upset their delicate sensibilities. In just a few minutes, the increasing roar of 50 air-cooled engines alerts us to one of two things. Either the run is starting, or it's Pearl Harbour all over again. We wait for a polite eternity then attach ourselves to the rear of the mob - although it is impossible to tell where the rear is, as there is just a constant and neverending stream of motorbikes. We must look pretty out of place here, with our faired bikes and our modern bike clothing. Most of this lot are wearing leather gear that looks as if it was dredged up from a lake somewhere - much like our stuff at home. They also have pudding-basin helmets, and strange footwear once worn by Alexander the Great. Interesting to see. While many of the bikes are shiny and well cared for, as many again are ancient devices with bits held together by wire and sealing wax. Often it seems impossible that the apparently decrepit riders might be able to coax any sign of life from within, but they fire up with barks and gasps and wheezes like a scene from Harry Potter. It is an art form and a most amusing sight to behold. You really have to be there. We spy one old single cylinder example which has several large cans attached to it's nether regions, plus the world's second largest pipe wrench lashed to the top of the cans. Either the old chap is expecting trouble of major proportions, or he just gave up his job on the Alaska pipeline.
Back to the hunt. The road surface on many of the roads we have travelled thus far leaves a lot to be desired. The heat and the sheer volume of traffic have succeeded even if the budget cuts had not - and our passage is marked by many swerves and clenching of buttocks as some unavoidable obstacle suddenly appears in one's path. Now that obstacle is a slow BSA, but we swallow our pride and let them stay in front - and even pass us in order to take their position in the main group. I must say the noise is delightful, and the occasional bike is giving off the unmistakable aroma of Castrol 'R' - aaaah that takes you back.
We buzz along through redwood forests and tiny hamlets - speed limit 25mph here and there - and the riders dutifully obey. Considering these are the remnants of the hoodlums who rode British bikes in the 60's and 70's they have become rather law-abiding. I can't help comparing the current state of forward progress to the manic speeds we were achieving on the city freeways less than 24 hours ago - now here we are in the countryside and lucky to be making 50mph or less. I think they have it the wrong way round.
Occidental is a lovely little hamlet where we make our first stop, overflowing carpark and riders all trying to catch up with folk they last saw at a similar event years ago. I just wander around looking at the bikes. More roaring of engines and gnashing of gears and they are off again - swallowed up by the forest within seconds of leaving the carpark. We are bolder this time and move off towards the front of the group - but all are spaced out a bit and we seldom see more than two other bikes in view as we weave our way around tight bends amongst the huge trees. Some miles later we pop out into the open and get a grand view of hills and valleys - not unlike scenery you would see in NZ - but just more of it. Soon after that we catch our first glimpse of the sea - a fairly vertical coastline with the highway along cliffs and rising and falling with the terrain. The final descent to the highway is down a very steep and narrow track - so narrow that you forget it is a two way road until a car appears.
Once on the highway we roll along a bit quicker as the curves and scenery lure us on. A lovely little dodge hither thither and yon until we reach a seaside spot called Jenner. A good pause here for a chat, then on again around very high cliffs until we reach Fort Ross. Not sure what is here, as we roll in and park - only to be moved on by a warden wearing appropriate labels so we don't argue. Oh well - no food here anyway, so straight back to Jenner to find sustenance. As my fuel gauge has suddenly become interested in dropping off the radar it will also be a stop for gas. I have no idea how much fuel this tank may accommodate, but I suspect it will be significant. I am thus prepared for quite a large handing over of cash - seeing as how my Trident at home can easily swallow $30 worth in one go. I seem to put an awful lot of fuel in, for which I am charged a mere $12. Wow. This is a very good start. I am liking America more by the day. We pause here and there for a few photos along the clifftops. Red has gone pink..
Jenner's food outlets seem inundated, so we move along. I find a place that looks interesting at Bodega Bay, and park up. The place had been deserted, but the moment we park, flocks of other bikes decide this must be the place as well. Result is our food takes a very long time to appear - but it is a nice spot to sit in the sun. It is quite chilly out here today, with a stiff breeze that has obviously just travelled some distance over the ocean, so we have refitted the liners to our gear - removed in the LA heat. It does the job - but sitting in the sun has the effect of creating a bit of an internal sauna situation. Hard to find a happy medium. We strike up a conversation with a young chap who has a motorbike shop in California - but is emigrating to New Zealand. He used to work in Las Vegas. We pump each other for data. Vegas sounds like a fairly hostile environment in the summer heat. "When you pull up you can't put your feet down, or your boots will melt to the tarmac.." Noice.!
Next stop will be home, and so it is that we form our own group and head back to town line astern. With no old farts to slow us, we cruise along at about 60mph and find ourselves in downtown Petaluma in short time. Brent knows the way back to the Quality Inn, so we just follow him - Sue taking photos on the move.
Beth did very well today on her first outing on a strange bike. She will gain more confidence with every ride now, and we will be able to shepherd her when we do battle with the freeways next. There is no other way than to just do it - we look forward to the time when we can say we have mastered the art.
Cheers - Kilroy.
5 May 2014
Petaluma - Windsor - Petaluma
Today is declared a day off. We have not stopped for a minute since we arrived in the US of A - so this will be a catch-up day. Having said that - we have been trying to catch up since day one anyway.! One of the main reasons for this break in proceedings is that we need to find parts for the bikes, but due to the sheer scale of this place - we can only achieve about two things per day - due to the logistics of having to travel to the required places. Today we will head out past Santa Rosa to Windsor - where there is a BMW/Triumph dealership - so we can hopefully purchase said parts. We also need tools to make these repairs, and also to do some maintenance on the van itself. Brent and Tom will ride their bikes so that we will have seats for everyone else in the van. The van is quite capacious as an 8 seater - but a tad intimate with 12 aboard. It looks like this inside..
In this photo, the centre row of seats is not visible as we fold it down to allow egress to the back row where Sue is seated. Both rows are designed for 3 people. Today we have 4 on each row. To accomodate 12 - the cushions you see in the luggage area are used by 2 on the floor back there. It's not too bad as long as the aircon is running.!
As if to insult us - we run foul of the Monday thing. We have already discovered that many shops do not open until 10am, but with Saturday trading - many do not open Monday at all. One of them is the Windsor BMW/Triumph dealership. Assorted foul words. We motor back to the Shiloh road shopping centre where the Home Depot promises to supply the tools we need - plus some extra keys for the van.
Having rounded up tools and various other bits of hardware from an auto supply outfit, there is just one more important place we absolutely have to visit - WALMART.!
We buy our engine oils, hand cleaners, funnel blah blah from here. We also find bottled water - a 24 bottle pack for $2.68 - and wine. You can actually buy a bottle of wine from Walmart for $1.47 - only problem is - you can't drink it. Don't ask me how I know. However, a $6.99 bottle can be quite presentable. As can a bottle of Jim Beam for $12.17!
With our purchases stowed, we return to Petaluma and a local shopping centre where they have a Radio Shack. These are the electronic stuff outlets. My particular need is a GPS that can operate on the bike. I have been looking for one that has a headphone socket - but none seem to do so. Models specifically designed for bikes are expensive, whereas a reasonable quality Garmin can be had for $100. Solution is a bluetooth model for $129 plus a bluetooth headset for $29. I do not need to see the map - I just need the voice instructions so I may navigate around the big city freeway madness independent of the van. Deal done. Cheeses and dips and crackers have been acquired, so we agree to meet in the foyer in an hour or so to sample the wines we have found. In the interim we begin getting our hands dirty on the bikes - oiling chains, tightening loose bits and loosening tight ones. Shed time.! In the carpark of course. My bike has a wiring loom running through the stowage area under the seat - which obviously is not right - so I remove the rear bodywork and put it all where it should be - having several examples nearby to copy. Much gear is stowed in the trailer toolbox as we clean up, then off to the foyer to join the rest. The wine works a treat, and we have a bit of a glow on by the time the cheeses have surrendered.
Several of the group decide to move from here to the bar in the casino next door. I think that sounds like a good plan. Arrive home much later and much worse for wear. Bother.
Sleep is most welcome tonight.
6 May 2014
Petaluma - San Fran - Alameda - Petaluma - Sonoma - Petaluma.
Today is to be another logistics day for me. I am feeling quite a long way from my brightest when I wake, but there is no time to waste on any day, and there are plans afoot. Most will attend the Tuesday ride to Sonoma where the big lineup of rally bikes will take place. Steve and Andi are going to ride the Wednesday run route as we will all be doing the Winery tour on Wednesday. You should have seen that coming.! Sue, Beth and I will be making the run to Mos Isely - errr, sorry - San Fran. We will not be going into the city - but to nearby Alameda where Brent lives. Due to unforseens - we have the keys to the bike Allan will be needing to ride when he arrives on Friday. We also have his panniers. All of this plus a few items from others need to be moved to Brent's - and today will be the last opportunity. This will also be a good chance to test the new GPS. In the time we have here it is simply not possible to get to grips with the route into the city - so a GPS seems to be a necessity for us - and even then, the driver is totally involved in just trying to get to the correct lane before the window closes and you enter the wrong freeway. Guess what.? Yup. It took us a bit too long to figure it out. The GPS gave directions to a turn that did not exist. It was my fault initially - I left a lane change too late, found a truck blocking my way into the lane I wanted, and in no time we were on the wrong course. No problem - the GPS recalculated and as we approached the toll area for the Oakland bridge it steered us to the right into a separate lane, with instructions to take the next turn left. There isn't one, and we are suddenly back on the same freeway heading into downtown San Fran, having skipped the tolls. That later cost me a ticket for $29. It seems we used a lane reserved for traffic which enjoys immunity to tolls. Off we go to San Fran city. Railroaded.!
The new Oakland bridge is quite beautiful, and we enjoy a fabulous view of the city and surroundings as we drop irrevocably into the midst of the city central. It only takes us one block to complete an about-face, and then we head back over the bridge and into Alameda. We enjoy one more impossible direction before realising that the maps in the new GPS are so out of date, that the freeways we are using do not exist for it. The helpful device is attempting to steer us along roads now defunct. When I connected it to my netbook it was suggested that I download the updated maps for North America - but it was several Gigabytes which would take many hours on the limited free internet service we have here - so I had skipped it. It is now obvious that it will have to be done. We complete our task and head back out to Petaluma. Traffic density is still manageable and we race back with no delays. Back in time for lunch. Next job is to return to the bike shop for the necessary parts if they can supply them. We head back to Windsor. The van is sure earning it's keep.
Today the Triumph shop is open. The spares guy checks his computer. Most of what I want is not in stock. It has to be shipped from Georgia.! However - they can have them here by Thursday. That could just work. Brent needs a front disk - but they are only supplied as a pair and will cost the princely sum of around $650. Ouch.! Parts are very expensive. Toms and my bikes both need a small part of the gearshift mechanism replaced - looks like a $20 bit. $95 each and they don't have any.! Actually - they do have one - and he duly presents it. We have to have them, so I order the other, plus a couple of special 'shear' bolts for holding Thomas ignition switch in place - also an outrageous cost. There must be alternative suppliers but we have no time. The parts guy takes my number and promises to call me as soon as the bits arrive. They have no tank bags - so we track down a business that makes such things and go there. Nobody home. Kind of erratic a lot of businesses here. Back to Walmart for a $12 bottle of Jim Beam. Might be safer than the wine. Back to Petaluma by 5pm.
The crew are all back and have a plan to visit a farmer's market at Sonoma having been told about it while there today. Thomas and Marian and Steve are going to the rally site, so the rest of us pile in the van and head east. Sonoma is a beautiful little town with a large garden square at the top of the main street. We find it packed with happy people - a band playing, loads of food and fruit stalls, plus a selection of other stuff - all very tasty. The fruit is just fantastic, and we buy peaches, apricots, nectarines, cherries, almonds. There is a chocolate stall and I must tell you about it. The guy gets his cocoa beans from Venezuela. If any part of your chocolate making process involves a machine - the law demands that you put preservatives and other substances in it - so he doesn't. End result is that the chocolate has only a 3 day shelf life - but it is simply the best chocolate you ever tasted. It will not make it anywhere near 3 days.! All of the produce at this market is just the best. The crowd look happy and mostly healthy - I guess that is what you expect at a Farmer's market. Severe contrast with the Walmart customers, many of whom look very unwell, or morbidly obese - or both.
We head home as the sun is setting, pleased to have been able to absorb this small immersion into the local culture. It was similar to visiting the Lyttelton market - only in warmer weather and in a rural backdrop - and in California of course. I liked the 'look' of the people we saw today. They seemed much happier than the city folk we have mostly mixed with - and the small towns around here are just beautiful to look at. Unfortunately, Sue's camera packed a sad when we got there and we could not take any photos. Luckily enough it responds to having it's battery terminals cleaned when we get home - so small disaster averted. You will have to make do with my description instead. If I were coming to live in America - this is the best place I have seen to be so far.
Catch you on the flipside...
7 May 2014
Petaluma - Francis Ford Coppola Winery - Healdsburg - Sbragia Family Estate Vineyard - Petaluma.
Wednesday means the rally wine tour. Whooo. We are to be lined up by 0845 - so a 7.30 start at breakfast. An early text tells us it is now a 10am start - so we now have an extra hour to fill. Great. Gives me time to fit my new gearchange bit, adjust the height of the gearlever and the footbrake, and alter the position of the front brake lever. Every control on the bike is adjustable to suit your personal geometry. When you change gear you are either raising or lowering the gearlever using the side of your foot. If the end of the lever is positioned so that you move your ankle an equal distance up or down to achieve this, then gearchanging is a breeze. Often it seems the previous owner was only 3 feet tall by the position of the lever - or maybe wore platform boots - so it is wise to adjust each riders pedals to best suit that rider on that bike. It also positions the rear brake lever in the best place to achieve quick braking without having to lift your foot off the pegs - so I consider it something very necessary. So that is what I do. I also check Tom's bike by having him sit on it. One of the areas prone to a lot of discomfort when riding long distances is the wrists. When you reach out and grab the clutch or front brake levers, your wrist is forced to adopt an angle to the rest of your forearm - depending on the angle that lever happens to be above or below the horizontal. Operating either lever several hundred times at an awkward angle can really make your wrist complain. I rotate them so my hand lies flat across the lever with my wrist straight. These little things can make all the difference in the world to your comfort level - and thus your ability to concentrate on the job in hand. We really need to concentrate. Especially at speed in lane 3 of 5.!
Work complete, I clean up and join the group at the van for our short drive to the rally site. We are then loaded into 2 enormous coaches and driven off into the green Sonoma countryside. Lots of leafy lanes either side of the freeway, and after 30 minutes or so, we are threading our way down such a thoroughfare to arrive at a very imposing set of large buildings heralding our first winery. This is the Francis Ford Coppola winery - he of movie directing fame. We get the spiel and cut straight to the tasting. Good oh then. A bubbly to start, then a couple of reds. This is at 11 am. I guess it must be 5pm somewhere - so I'm in. We sit about in a lovely courtyard in the sun. We gaze at the splendour that millions can buy, then troop back to our buses with slightly thinner blood.
Next stop will be Healdsburg for lunch. Never heard of it. During the years I have been planning this trip, I have become familiar with many names of places in California - but never this one. In our media age, I always consider it a good thing to go to a place you've not heard of. It means nothing bad has happened there yet. Indeed - this is a magic little Burgh. We park alongside the town square, with towering redwoods. The main street is a beautiful sight with trees and pretty shops. We have a map showing possible lunch venues - but something catches my eye. A Brewery. My son and I enjoy visiting Pomeroys in Christchurch, and sampling their craft beers. He would approve. So it is we come to the Bear Republic Brewing Co.
It seems a popular spot with quite a few patrons - mostly at the bar - eyes on the tv. This is what they have to offer. The first figures are percentage alcohol. Serious beer made here.
You already know - I choose the Racer 5 IPA. Large or small.? I ask for large. Ryan brings it along..
Holy bat crapman - that is one hell of a beer. 35 ounces to be precise. A tankard of ale. And Sue already looks impatient to be elsewhere. Gulp. Many gulps. Many gulps after that and I am done. A nice drop. The couple next ask where we are heading. A wine tasting. That should go well. Indeed it shall - but lunch first. Eschewing the pub lunch menu, we head further along the friendly street and spot the Cafe Lucia. Hmmm. Portugese. Worth a crack Nigel. We cruise along the alley to said establishment to find we are the only customers. They have fish and chips with salad - so we order one between us. They bring rolls and adorn our table. About now I discover my wallet is missing. Sense of panic is replaced by logical reasoning. Must have left it at the bar. Sue waits while I trot back. Sure did - waitress hands it back intact. Love these guys.! Back to Portugal to find a free appetiser has been delivered. Cannot pronounce it - but it is very nice. Food arrives and it is simply brilliant. Just enough for us both and it tastes as good as it looks. We are then given a small Portugese treat - a sort of truffle with coconut inside pineapple - a whole new experience. Our charming waitress brings the bill - $15 all up including the tip. This is very sustainable.!
Inner persons satisfied, we head back to the bus - most happy with our experience of this lovely little town. Add this as a notable stop along our way. More leafy lanes and a freeway later we arrive at winery 2. Magnificent surroundings once again - it seems you cannot just have a winery - it has to be a Chateau. We are able to gaze down narrow green valleys from our lofty position in the wine tastery - sipping our trial whites and reds. I for one drink a fair amount of wine at home, but I have never bothered to turn it into an artform. I do however, immediately discover the change in flavours between NZ and Californian wines. Despite the lengths that these people go to in order to elicit the best performance from their vines, the flavours are very faint and shallow compared to your average NZ or Australian wine. Not a brag - just an observation. Shared by all of us. Once again we feel that little burst of both pride and gratitude that we are Kiwis. How very lucky we are for both that - and the fact that we can come here and compare notes. Love this country. Love ours better. All is as it should be. All things considered, this is a pretty relaxed group of travellers here..
In the evening we all attend the dinner/dance. We arrive at the perfect time - all seated and rarin to eat. We even find a whole group of seats designed to suit our needs. We eat, drink, chat, mingle, dance. Not bad for a band of weary travellers who have wine tasted (and beer tasted..) hard all day. We listen to the speeches and clap our way into the annals of BSA International Rally history. We were here. So was Kilroy...
This was quite an outstanding day.
8 May 2014
Petaluma - Windsor - Petaluma - Rohnert Park - Petaluma.
Final day of the rally. Also final day of bike preparation. I am feeling the stress. Two bikes need oil and filter changes, one needs a repair to the ignition/steering lock. The van is going next door for oil change and service - as we simply do not have the tools. Besides this, I need to ride out to Windsor to collect the spares from the Triumph shop, and our new GPS will not talk to it's bluetooth headset. No thoughts of joining the rally crew for me then. The reason I need a GPS on my bike is because tomorrow Sue and I will ride into San Fran to meet up with Allan, who arrived from NZ last night. His bike is waiting with Brent Lenehan, and he also needs to buy riding gear in the morning. It would be stupendously difficult to ride out of San Fran on a new bike with no navigation capabilities - so we intend to provide same - plus some moral support. Until now we have simply followed the van - where a crew of at least two have managed to be pathfinders - no such luxury when alone on a bike.
As Windsor is quite a way out, I elect to do that first. The parts I had ordered are there, plus I am able to buy a luggage key blank for Tom, and a pair of foam grips for our bike to make gripping the throttle a bit easier. Back to Petaluma and in to the Radio Shack in town. The shop guy can not get the bluetooth to work either - so suggests a workaround in the form of a small amplifier with a headphone. He doesn't have one but the Rohnert Park shop does. Off we go there - halfway back to Windsor. They are slightly bemused, but assure me that the amplifier would be pretty hopeless. They arrange for me to go back to the Petaluma shop and return the whole caboodle. Which I do. Also buy some socks next door. So - deadline tomorrow - no GPS - bother. Do the only sensible thing. Buy a map of San Fran. Turns out it does not really give enough detail to even attempt memorising a route to Alameda.!
Meanwhile - Tom has completed his own oil and filter change - with only a modicum of environmental damage - and the whole crew has gone off to the final rally event - the barbecue. As it is now raining, I give up any hope of changing my oil, and instead ride off to the barbecue too.
We dine well, drink wine, say farewells, ride home in the rain. I met another TOL acquaintance - 'DWR' from North Carolina. He has a Rocket 3 and brought it all the way across to California to the rally. That certainly shows dedication. It is a strange and rather unique thing in my experience, that this family of BSA owners worldwide has such a strong bond, and great loyalty to a marque that vanished from the showrooms over 40 years ago. There is no other owners group that I have seen who manage this degree of fellowship. Well done BSA owners, well done the Northern California BSAOC. A rally to remember - and my first rally abroad. Brilliant stuff.
Back at the Inn we prepare for the morning departure. It has been a haven for us this last week - and a handy location from which to attend the rally and explore Sonoma County in general. Chez us, Petaluma.
We drink the last of the wine as we pack everything into seemingly impossibly small spaces. We google-map the freeway numbers into and out of Alameda - all the way to Sonora - our proposed stop tomorrow night. From there we will be able to mount an assault on Yosemite National Park come Saturday. Lookin good folks.