Trip to Sisters, Oregon

September 10th marked my first trip over the Cascade mountains to visit my friends in Sisters, Oregon, Tamra and Gary. She has been asking me to come and visit, so I made arrangements to go September 10-12. We all had a good time and it was a huge blessing to have sometime away from home. I never really have seen Sisters, but to have such great tour guides, I got to see some great places such as the Dee Wright Observatory.

My journey of course took a little preparation before I ventured off. One of the biggest issues is gas stops. My Honda Shadow has a 2.9 gallon tank with a 0.9 reserve tank, so I usually keep it at 100 mile mark between filling up the bike. I also wanted to do a loop around, so it was either head towards the Santiam Pass or over Mt. Hood. At the last minute I selected heading over the Santiam Pass. I spent the morning getting what few clothes I could pack and finishing up last minute details. Once that was done I went to get my bike from a friends garage and bring it to y place. I then loaded up the saddle bags and secured my pack on my back. This was now the time to roll. I headed to the I-5 on ramp and once on the freeway I decided follow through on my recent thought. Go to Woodburn, head to Silverton and veer south on the Cascade Highway SE to Stayton. It was a peaceful ride down and once in Stayton, I filled up with gas for my trek to Sisters. From Stayton it is about 94 miles give or take and I probably could have made it on the 2.9 gallon, leaving my reserve for an emergency. But better safe than sorry. The next stop was Mill Creek where there was just one station, therefore topping off the tank.

Long time coming

Over one year ago, I took my first ride to the beach. It was a big deal for me in that I love the Oregon coast and I love riding a motorcycle. Then I stopped writing about my journeys. I have taken many a good rides since, even giving a shot on very cold days. In October of 2009 I went back to the coast, Tillamook and visited some friends.

Then winter hit and as I said, my rides were few. Some got me only 1/2 mile and then I turned back. We had a very wet spring and many weekends I sat there watching it rain only to dry on Wednesday, while I am at work. When we did get dry and fairly warm days, I hit the road. I was not baby sitting my grandson as much and we are still under-employed, so off I have gone.

I have explored some back roads of Washington state up around the Battle Ground area and beyond. The only down side with many of these trips is that I have to spend sometime on I-5 freeway and north of Vancouver the speed limit it 70 mph. Now my little baby is only a 600cc bike, not made for those speeds. She handles well on the back roads and plotting out back road trips can be tough. I have at least managed to go a little ways north of Vader, Washington. It is my goal to go to the Hood Canal area and maybe Port Townsend. However that would cost some over night stays and money is tight right now.

My longest day trip for 2010 is the trip I took to Florence, Oregon down highway 99. I started as early as I could and headed towards Albany to get to 99E. I cut off at Monroe and headed to Mapleton. My bike has a 2.9 gallon tank and I can get about 120 miles between fill-ups, but I never challenge it on the open road. The sign said that Florence was 65 miles away and that would put me right at 100 miles on my odometer. So off I went, hoping there would be no challenges such as slow traffic. I was blessed and rolled into Florence just as it flipped to 100. I then headed north on highway 101 but that proved to be a challenge because of the strong winds. My goal was to head to Newport, but exhausted, I cut off at Waldport and came into Corvallis. I loved the ride and look forward to more.

A month ago I rode to Lincoln City and went to Newport. I discover the back road to Toledo and got a few great pictures along the way.

Observations of “Sons of Anarchy”

I recently rented season 1 of “Sons of Anarchy” from Netflix and have gotten addicted to the show. It was compared as the motorcycle version of “The Sopranos” of which I could never get excited about. Did the motorcycle part draw me in or was it a west coast version of “The Sopranos?” Either case, I am hooked. But being the typical engineer, I caught things in the show that don’t make sense. Not that it down plays in any such manner, but they are things that I notice that could have been done better or maybe they just go unnoticed by the general view public.

One thing that I have seen over and over is the loose fitting helmets, especially full faced helmets. Not that they should be difficult to take off and put on, but they go on too easy on this show and others. To top it off, they never strap the helmets on. This is also true with the half helmets that the others wear. Understanding that many states do not have a helmet law, and many motorcyclist do not like wearing helmets, the portrayal should be close to accurate. Maybe it is just me.

My bike is no different than many of the bikes on the show, you need time to warm the carb up. Yet they jump on their bike and go. Oh sure, the show would drag on forever if we had to sit and wait for the bike to warm. So maybe it is something to accept on the show, just as we accept the fake town of Charming, CA.

As I said, it does not stop me from watching the show, but it is one of those things one notices when they strap up all the time and so on.

Second ride to the beach and other tales.

Working backwards on these tales.

Last Friday I rode out to Westport to take the ferry across to Cathlamette, Washington. From there I was planning to head to Longview, Washington and home. I started around 1o am with a side trip to see my daughter in Gresham. But when I got there I had to change plans because it was an unscheduled stop. Darn, I wanted to see that little grandson. So off I went through St Johns and up to St Helens and then Westport. I got to the ferry around 1:30 pm. The trip up to this point was uneventful other than a few crazy young girls and their poor driving skills. While waiting for the ferry another biker and his lady friend pulled up. He was on a Harley Road King and they were two up. Funny, some Harley people do all the Harley gear; their jacket, helmets, etc. We talked a bit and then borded the ferry once it arrived. Once in Cathlamette, I decided to snack a bit. I rode down this one road there which apparent few go down. I think that is where I picked up some glass. I headed off to Longview after the snack. Along the way my ride started to feel “mushy.” When I got over the Lewis and Clark bridge, I stopped in Rainier, Oregon to look at my tire. I sort of felt I could atl least make it to St Helens and then phone for help. Alas, two mile out I stopped and called for help. While waiting and all, I had several bikers pull up and stop and see if all was ok. You sure don’t get that with cars…sorry, cagers. The truck arrived and I was off to St Helens. According to the driver there was suppose to be a Harley shop that could help me. He drove up some country but we were getting furhter from town. Soon we came to the address but no sign to say this was the place. So back into town we went and up to the Honda dealership. I got there just in time to put my bike in their garage for repair the next day. Being that I was only 45 minutes from home, I called a friend to come and get me and went back Monday to get the bike.

Monday, the same friend drove me out to get my bike. We went and got some eats and played pool while waiting for it to cool a little. It was near 100 degrees that day. By 7 pm it still was hot. So we departed and I went to get gas. Upon leaving the station, I noticed that my speedometer was not working at all. I tried to see if it was a loose wire, but alas no. I rode on home being that there was nothing to do now about it. I called the dealership the next day and arranged to go out later that week to fix the problem. I scheduled Thrusday but emergences kept me in the office.

Friday I was able to get out. We don’t work Fridays at this point in order to save everyones job. I got some breakfast along the way, pulled into the dealership and got my speedometer fixed. He said he had put the cable in wrong the first time. It was nice to have it all back in order again. I went out highway 30 to Astoria. I was tempted again to cross the ferry and ride the Washington side to Astoria, but was afriad of bad luck possiblities. So I stayed on 30. Once in Astoria I headed south on 101. I made a few stops for pictures and what nots, but was getting hungry. So I set my mind to the Pelican Pub in Pacific City. I went through Tillamook and got off 101 to head along the Three Capes route. They start at Cape Mears then Cape Lookout and end with Cape Kiwanda. I bypassed Cape Mears, being that the rode is very rough. Along the way I pulled into Whelan Island just south of Cape Lookout. As I headed out I came to the stop sign. It was on a slight hill so I knew I better be sure to let the clutch out slow. Pop. It got away from me and I killed the engine, just like the old days of driving a manual cage. Being that I had my front tire turned a bit and I was on an incline, the bike started to go down to the ground.I had both hands on the bars and had slowed its motion to the ground. It never fully hit the gorund and I “manhandled” it back up. So I guess I can say I have now dropped it. They say once you have done it it won’t happen again. We shall see, being that another friend has dropped three times in the past two years. And he is an experinced rider.

My First Trip to the Beach

Some of the reason I rode so much during the colder months was not just because love to ride, but I wanted to get comfortable riding. I still have a long ways to go but I was ready to ride to the beach. I had a men’s retreat over the weekend and this is what I planned to ride to. It is held had Tillamook every 6 months and the weather was looking good for the weekend. In fact, Sunday was to be in the 80′s.

I made arrangements to have a friend take my stuff down in his car and waited for morning. Morning came and the ground was wet and raining on and off. I waited and watched the weather report online. It said it would dry up around 10:30 am and it started to. So I packed some personal stuff in my saddle bags and off I went.

I rode through Beaverton to Hillsboro, then up to Banks where I stopped for a quick bite for lunch. Then I hopped on to Highway 6 to Tillamook. I have driven this many times, but like any ride on a bike, the road seems different. I kept up to speed for the most part but took the corners easy. When I had vehicles on my tail I found a place to pull off to let them pass. I encountered some drizzle but nothing to slow me down.

I rolled into town around 12:30 and got settled. Over the time of the weekend I met the two others guys who rode there too. They had left at 7:30 am so they were soaked by the time they arrived. One of the guys owns a white Harley Soft Tail and the others bike is a Yamaha Warrior. Saturday night they asked if I wanted to do a short night ride. So we rode to the Air Museum and it was a cold ride.

The day of our departure, I rode back to town with them and they placed me in the middle. Now I had to keep up constantly. I did stay within my limits when it came to curves. But it was my first group ride and fun. We parted ways near Banks and as we merged with Highway 26, 10 other bikes joined us. Woohoo.

My overall experience? Very satisfying.

Lately….

The weather in Oregon has finally started to show signs of getting warmer, but that does not excuse the rain in my book. In January I had bought a new rear tire for my bike and was waiting for the right time to install it. Tentatively I wanted to ride my bike to the next men’s retreat I have coming up, but the forecast a week out is like dart board weather forecasting. I waiting and seeing.

After my tire was replaced, the mechanic told me that the tire for the first 100 miles will be a little slippery. Well I could not have that looming over me, so off I went. I headed through town with the aim to get to Multnomah Falls. As with every trip, I got to goof around in various parking lots and just enjoy the ride. My route took me to Stark Street which passes by my friend Randy’s church in Troutdale. There I played around the parking lot but then I was off to Multnomah Falls.

When I got to Multnomah Falls, I was starting to get hungry. Yikes, $11 burgers is not in my budget at this time. So I headed towards town and ate cheaper. Then the back roads to Sandy and home.

One thing I have noticed since I started riding. My first 10 minutes of every ride are just a little awkward, almost like I am coming to terms with the centrifugal motion of the bike. The machine beneath  is bringing me up to speed with its language. Once we are speaking the same language the free flow motion starts to get easier. Admittedly I have not achieved and the skills and ability that many seasoned riders have, but for me, this is my motion. There is sheer delight to cruise at speed on two wheels and when you attempt a curve or three, there is such joy. It is nerve racking to have someone on your tail, impatient as you practice, but I generally try to find a place to pull over and let them zoom off.

The other thing I experience is, well I am not sure how to describe it. I remember when we would go to Spokane to visit grandma. The drive was a long one and the anticapation of coming home would hit as we passed the Dalles. With each little increase of trees only signaled the reality of being closer to home. Well it is the opposite with starting to head home on my bike. It is like we want to continue exploring, checking out the next corner or hill. I had these same feelings when I was younger on my bicycle but this time I did not have to pedal home, exhausted.

So I will sit here, waiting for one great weekend!

My Latest Journey – super slabs and going fast…

I like to challenge myself. Getting a motorcycle was indeed a challenge, especially at my age. So some of my challenge was to find weekends to ride. Since January 2009 every weekend has had its difficulties. However in March I have had two weekends of 57 degree weather and sunshine. Both times I attempted to go to the Columbia River Gorge. Two weeks ago I made it as far as Corbett but turned around and went to Sandy via a twisty road. I went slow, but did not keep any traffic delayed. Well the one exception was the two street bike riders, but they left me in the dust. That was a challenge because I have driven that road many times. It was so different on a bike.

So now I can say that I have accomplished riding on the freeway aka super slab. I realize this is a rather boring accomplishment, being that its a thing where you get on and just ride. You watch people merging and keep an eye on who is behind you. I rode some back roads from Tualatin to West Linn. From West Linn, I caught the freeway and headed north on I-205. The round trip was nearly 22 miles. It may not seem like a lot but considering the fact I have only riden from one exit to the next three times prior, this was a big step. Once I got to Fairview, I headed towards Bridal Vail Falls. I spent a little time there and then I was off to catch the freeway back into town.

With that I am getting addicted to enjoying moving fast, safely.

Cold Rides

The calendar still shows that it is indeed winter still. In past years, the weather around here has been mild, but do to global warming we are colder than normal and has made many rides a challenge. Last weekend it was in the upper 40′s but this weekend is pushing upper 30′s and that is when it reaches to the bone in chill factorization.

Of Late…

When daylight savings time ended my riding we reserved to weekends only. They too were limiting with colder weather setting in and I was not prepared for the snow. In fact I cursed the very ground the snow landed on but it did not help it go away. So for two solid weeks we had the worst snow in Portland since 1968. A total of 18 inches fell in our area so all I could do was go sit on my bike and run it for 10 minutes just to make my baby feel wanted.

Every weekend I would check the weather and see what the next weekend had in store for my baby and me. And to that, Fridays have opened as possible ride days. The economy has forced our office to try the 4-day work week and reduction in pay instead of letting a couple of us go. So the last two Fridays have found me on the streets riding around. But the thermometer read mid to upper 30′s and it was too cold to have any kind of extended ride. But yesterday was interesting to say the least. Around 3:30 pm I decided to head home and I was in my old neighborhood of Parkrose. The trip was slow because it was quitting time for many and the temperature was dropping and the wind was increasing. But by the time I got to Oregon City, I ran into a little diddy. I ran out of gas. It is a rarity to have a gas gage on a motorcycle, you have to somewhat rely on tripping your mileage. I figured I had enough to get me to home, but I remember having a little trouble filling up last time. I wasn’t sure if it was completely full. Well I pulled over, switched to reserve and limped to the nearest gas station. I filled it up, adjusted the switch and took off. Now mind you, this switch has three stops. It is like a wing nut, one wing is labeled on and the reserve, while the center position is off. I mistakenly, I found out later, had set it to off. So as I buzzed off from the gas station up main street Oregon City, my bike sputtered off. I empty portion of my brain thought the bike was having issues and I was gonna have to call for help. I pushed the bike over to the side and then it dawned me, once again, I had the switch in the wrong position, off. I positioned it to the on position and buzzed away once more. But it had gotten even colder, now that I was closer to the Willamette River. I was happy to get home.

One thing I have found after a cold ride is that it takes longer to warm up and it is a deeper cold. I had a hat on and a fleece jacket with the heat turned up higher than normal. Since then things have returned to normal. But that will not stop my next cold ride. And I need to place into my memory the fuel switch settings.

I have to talk about my bike now.

My first bike ever.

On June 1st, I passed the Team Oregon class and was able to transfer that passing grade as an endorsement on my license. In the class, we had range riding (parking lot to be exact) and I learned on a Kawasaki 125cc. It was such a small bike and the brake pedal was very difficult to use. The first day it did rain but I was ready to quit for some reason. But I stuck with it and went the second day. To challenge myself even further, it was raining the second day. Despite the rain, I passed, as did my friend from work.

I was anxious to ride. I was fortunate to ride my friends bikes a couple of times. But it was not satisfying. Money was an issue and I did try to get a loan or two, but some black marks still haunted me a little. I prayed as well about being able to get a bike one day.

Then it happened. One Saturday morning in September, the 13th, I was feeling like visiting a dealership in Hillsboro to look at bikes. They always have a large selection of used bikes and sitting there was this Honda Shadow. It was a 2003 Honda Shadow VLX, pearl blue with saddle bags, wind shield and sissy bar. The sales person asked if I was interested and I played cool and said sort of. I told him that I had some black marks on my credit and that I just figure that I won’t be able to get a loan. After some playing with numbers, I was signing a loan for the used bike. One of the guys rode it home for me and I took him back to work. But wow, my first bike.

I rode it over to my old roommates to finish watching a game with his friends. While we were sitting there, he asked, “Ok, truthfully, whose bike!” “Mine!” I said…the game paused and out we went to look her over.

I have never had so much fun in all my life. My only regret is that I wish I had it sooner. But I got the spring to look towards.