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Late and not very good ride report (Riding in America)

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haroman666
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PostPosted: 23:33 - 09 Apr 2017    Post subject: Late and not very good ride report (Riding in America) Reply with quote

As the title says, this is a late and not very good ride report.
Late because these 2 rides happened in 2014 and 2015 and not very good, because... well... My documentation of the rides was poor and the rides themselves were average at best. That's a lie actually, I had a whale of a time on both, they were awesome!

Small back story to how I ended up doing these rides: I worked at a summer camp in Pennsylvania as the Dirt Bike instructor. I got the job having never ridden a dirt bike in my life but I showed them that I ride motorbikes and mountain bikes and if you were to put the two in an unprotected one night stand, you'd vaguely get dirt bikes. I also mentioned I had a degree in Motorsport Technology which somehow qualified me further (don't think bernoulli's equation or use of CAD came of any help at any point but hey-ho).

Here's 3 of the 7 bikes under my instruction.
https://i1247.photobucket.com/albums/gg630/haroman6661/P1010125_zpsa7s8vbmq.jpg

Anyway, not the part of my trips that I was intending on talking about.
Following 8 weeks at summer camp, I had 30 days of visa left to explore the great USofA. (This happened both 2014 and 2015 from June to Sept)

2014 Trip:

Having explored New York for a week, I flew to Vegas. 3 days into Vegas I was due to pick up a rental Harley Davidson 883 Sportster from Eaglerider. It also happened to be my 23rd birthday, the day I picked it up.

My plan was a 3 day rental. One day to ride 220miles east to Williams, AZ. One day to ride 90 miles up to the South Rim of the Grand Canyon, explore, return to Williams. And then one day to return to Vegas. That was my plan.

So I tried to walk from my hotel to the rental place, but it turns out they don't build the infrastructure with walking in mind on that particular route. The path literally ended and I'd have had to cross a busy highway to continue. So I went to the nearest hotel to get a taxi.

Turned up, and as you can imagine there were a horrendous number of various Harleys all lined up:
https://i1247.photobucket.com/albums/gg630/haroman6661/DSCN0070_zps86i4hgqy.jpg

They checked my booking and whatnot, took copies of my licence and then took me out to the bike and gave me the whole this is this and that is that tour of the bike. Boring but also helpful because it would have taken me ages to find where to put the key... Side of the headstock.

Anyway, I head off out of Vegas, with a fresh new facial haircut, a sick set of shades, a wicked leather jacket and fucking Harley Davidson motherfuggerrrrrrs!

https://scontent.flhr4-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t31.0-8/906377_10153209619355288_5077106518830190849_o.jpg?oh=00a0e4628f12dbd999f601ecea69c4d3&oe=5998DA15

I went straight to the Hoover Dam, to see if Megatron was there (He wasn't, something about destroying the Autobots or whatever).

https://i1247.photobucket.com/albums/gg630/haroman6661/DSCN0082_zpshjxibax4.jpg

https://i1247.photobucket.com/albums/gg630/haroman6661/DSCN0084_zpsnqrg6fes.jpg

I stopped for fuel at some point between the Hoover Dam and the following picture at this place called "Bullets and Burgers". I'd seen it advertised in Vegas and you could pay a fuck load of money to shoot guns and eat a burger. It was attached to a gas station, and I just so happened to stop here.
I hadn't got enough money or interest to fire any guns or eat any burgers so I filled up and went on my way. I also stopped here for fuel on the return journey 2 days later.
Fast forward 7 days, when I'm in LA, I wake up in my hostel, sit down for some breakfast and reading the paper I see about a guy getting shot by a 9 year old at this Bullets and Burgers place.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shooting_of_Charles_Vacca
I just thought it was a bit mad that I had been there days prior.

So... Stopped off about 100 miles in for a heart attack:

https://i1247.photobucket.com/albums/gg630/haroman6661/DSCN0096_zps3au1u4ud.jpg

At this point, I thought "Why fill up now? I just got fuel about 70 miles ago."

I wish I had.

Following the truckstop heart attack, I was due to hit the interstate (I looked at the map after the trip was over and realised I missed a huge chunk of old Route 66 by going on the interstate. I was too focused on the Grand Canyon part to realise!). I was expecting the interstate to be like any other motorway really... Fairly regular services or junctions and turnoff for towns where I could get fuel.
Turns out that particular interstate, I40, was as baron as the brain of Paris Hilton. Nothing, for miles. I started to get fairly worried i'd run out of fuel (no gauge, just a trip counter). So I took a random turn off in the hope I might find some civilisation, and therefore fuel. As luck would have it, I found myself in a little old R66 town with a rustic get up:

https://i1247.photobucket.com/albums/gg630/haroman6661/DSCN0102_zpsavcyuotz.jpg

It was a pretty nice town, but I didn't stay long. I was concerned with getting to my destination at the time I'd quoted to the hostel owners.

The rest of the ride was pretty uneventful. Just plenty of sunshine (and a little bit of rain, oh no, wasn't expecting this!) and plenty of wide tarmac for me to tear up. Turns out Harleys do do triple figures. But by the time you get there, your neck is so tense you feel like you're crushing your own vertebrae with your neck muscles.

I get to Williams, I get to my hostel and then I spent some of the remaining hours of daylight exploring the town on the bike. I didn't need to be on the bike as the entire town could be walked end to end in a brisk 30mins. But I had't paid astronomical rental fees to leave the bike parked up.

Shameless pose in front of the sign.

https://i1247.photobucket.com/albums/gg630/haroman6661/DSCN0136_zpsxwhyr09v.jpg

I then return to the hostel and I'm greeted with a trio of travelling brits. Remember it's also my birthday still at this point... We proceeded to play poker and drink. And then hit the town like it's fucking Camden highstreet!
Yyyyyeeeeeeeeah... It's quite a quiet little town!! There was only 2 or 3 bars open at this time of night. But never-the-less I had an absolute ball and my 23rd birthday is quite simply one of the best I've ever had.

So... Following morning I wake to an absolute fucking monsoon.
I still try and man it out and begin my ride to the Grand Canyon.
I got 3 miles out of town and realised that a piss-pot helmet with aviator shades over the top of my glasses is not adequate eyewear for torrential rain. I did scour the town for ways to protect myself (waterproof trousers, scarf, gloves and nearly $300 on a full-face helmet). Despite my efforts, it really was raining to hard for me push through.

https://scontent.flhr4-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t31.0-8/10533901_10153212058050288_5163304816796239779_o.jpg?oh=46606b106941ad8973185613377937ed&oe=598A13DE

So I hired the last car at the only car rental place in town!
And then I drove through some of the most horrendous weather I think i've ever encountered. Very very glad I didn't persist with the bike! I also encountered 2 roundabouts!!! Right next to each other they were. I went mad! "I've not seen these in bloody months!"

I get to the edge of the Grand Canyon national park and this bunch of mad fuckers had gone for it. Ballzy.

https://i1247.photobucket.com/albums/gg630/haroman6661/DSCN0143_zps0pluphf3.jpg

After all this effort, I get to the south rim visitor center area, park up and march excitedly towards the view point at that area. And what was I greeted with...

https://i1247.photobucket.com/albums/gg630/haroman6661/DSCN0147_zps51shh1qm.jpg

Probably the most disappointing moment in my entire life. I'd heard so much about how breath taking the view is and that it's an absolute wondrous place to be.
What do I get... Fog. Fucking fog.

Regardless I persisted along the road that follows the south rim and I did finally get to see some brilliant views.

https://i1247.photobucket.com/albums/gg630/haroman6661/DSCN0217_zpspkojgacx.jpg

I continued my drive all the way aloing the south rim and then I headed south to Flagstaff to then make a return in a westerly direction back to Williams.

https://i1247.photobucket.com/albums/gg630/haroman6661/DSCN0218_zpsd1pbqvsk.jpg

Another night on the beers with the british lads and then the return journey to Vegas the following day:

https://i1247.photobucket.com/albums/gg630/haroman6661/DSCN0225_zpsxgdekgrj.jpg

https://i1247.photobucket.com/albums/gg630/haroman6661/DSCN0229_zpsltdgtvz9.jpg

It was fairly uneventful on the way back. A bit of rain. In fact another monsoon when I was coming into Vegas. Took refuge under a bridge and another guy pulled up and we chatted for a while.
The roads get super slippery in the rain over there, because it rains one in a blue moon, all the shite on the road is washed everywhere and it ends up as slick as Michael Jackson's dance moves.

I did take a fuck load more pictures but I can't really be bothered to upload them. And they're probably less than amusing to look at anyway.

I shall call it a night now, and follow up with the trip of 2015 (San Fran to LA) tomorrow.
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Enduro Numpty
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PostPosted: 06:18 - 10 Apr 2017    Post subject: Reply with quote

A good report and I look forward to the next one.
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haroman666
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PostPosted: 00:03 - 12 Apr 2017    Post subject: Reply with quote

Trip number 2. 2015. San Francisco to LA.

Again this followed 8 weeks of being a dirt bike instructor at the summer camp. Literally the easiest money i've ever made by the way. Fucking about on dirt bikes in the sun all day every day? Hell yeah I could do that for a living!

I had just spent a week and a half with my Dad and Brother in San Fran, seeing all the tourist stuff that you'd exect also visiting Yosemite (Pronounced Yoh-Sem-It-Ee) for 3 days. Just before the 3 day trip out to Yosemite I went to the San Francisco Eaglerider to see what bikes they had for hire.
I was on a vaguely tight budget. I had enough money for whatever but I was also spending 10 days in Mexico the following week or so, so had to factor that in.
Turns out they pretty much had minimal availability (so I would recommend booking in advance, as I had done with the Vegas trip) and I ended up with a Streetglide. 1.7L or sheer underpowered, overweight awesomeness.
Seriously, how do they get such little power out of such huge displacement?!?!
https://scontent.flhr4-2.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t31.0-8/11888631_10154067325240288_2957096962534634141_o.jpg?oh=929b7b3e9084837c24f36db1a80b31c5&oe=594E46E0

Now the price, as I recall, was bloody ridiculous. On account of having to pay a large fee to rent from San Fran and leave it in LA. So for a 2 day rental, I paid... something like $500. Madness. But it was worth it. Wish I had that money to spunk on a 2 day roadtrip these days!

As before I went to pick the bike up on the morning of day 1. Quite early as I recall, must have left at 8:30am, got a bus to somewhere near the place and then walked a bit. Once again, I found myself having to navigate my way under sliproads for the highway and stuff instead of there being a decent footpath the whole way. I mean, this is not far from the main buzz of San Fran for christs sake!

Usual paperwork check, walk around the bike, blah blah blah. Seemed a little more nonchalant about it in comparison to Vegas.
I had paid to rent a jacket like last time, and I was smart and picked a fullface helmet! Only they didn't have any jackets... So I was jeans, hoody, helmet and set.

https://i1247.photobucket.com/albums/gg630/haroman6661/WP_20150904_001_zps7oqc6kbt.jpg

On the way out of San Fran I had to navigate some pretty busy highway, as it was probably the tail end of rush hour at this point. So the initial getting acquainted with the bike was sped up and condensed to a sort of "If you can't handle it now, lay the fucker down and start walking" style teaching. The only thing I really had to get used to was the immense weight, making sure I put my feet down next to the footboards and not still on them, and changing radio station to something decent without entering the rear of the cars in front.
Yeah, that's right... It's only bloody got a radio built in to the dash! (A novelty quite short lived)

Once I had got on to the road I was after, Route 1, the traffic levels went from super busy to basically nothing. Which was when I really started to appreciate the ride I was embarking on. I had the sea to my right, various non-noteworthy land sights on the left and a nicely flowing strip of tarmac ahead.

First stop was 30 miles down from San Fran in a small place called Half Moon Bay. I'd not eaten an adequate breakfast so I got a coffee and some food, whatever it may have been, sat outside in the late morning sun and stared at the bike.

A little stop no far into Route 1 saw me nearly properly drop the bike for the first time. Dusty ground under foot nearly had me!
https://i1247.photobucket.com/albums/gg630/haroman6661/DSCN1869_zpsm1maiuun.jpg

From there, some more fairly uneventful but very pleasant riding further south. It was around this time that I lost the radio. No signal to be found on any frequency anywhere. And it's not even like I could enjoy the thunder of the exhausts because that noise was blocked by the hug panniers that sit above them.
So it was just me and the wind noise and my out-loud musings.

I pressed on through Santa Cruz, and on to Monterey. It's all too easy to see something, be it a cafe, a nice view or an attraction to visit and to stop and get stuck in. Monterey was the first one that I caved in on as it was super interesting, with its fishing/seaside town get up and a pretty buzzing vibe. I wasn't too sure where to park, but I saw some other Harleys parked on the main high street and squeezed in the middle of them.

https://i1247.photobucket.com/albums/gg630/haroman6661/DSCN1874_zpscamc2jre.jpg

I walked around for about an hour, and had myself a breadbowl with clam chowder. Proper bloody good! Definitely recommend!

Not my picture, but this is what you get:
https://nwpassages.files.wordpress.com/2011/04/clam-chowder.jpg

Leaving Monterey, I could have taken a direct route back onto Route 1 and continued south, however I thought I would follow the local roads round the coastline to see... well just to see it really.

https://i1247.photobucket.com/albums/gg630/haroman6661/DSCN1877_zpsdnlnfxft.jpg

After slowly following the road round I found the beginning of a toll road called 17 mile drive. However I was watching the wallet and also watching the clock so opted to turn around and head back to Route 1 to continue south.

I soon came to Big Sur, which is a slightly forested area of the coastline and it was probably the best part of the day's riding. HUGE fuck off trees lined the roads which got much windier and fun. The roads also got much thinner, almost down to a UK A-road width. Again, I could have stopped on many occasion but I would have spent far too long not going very far.
It was around this area that I stopped for fuel and the price was much much more expensive. Where I had been paying around $3 for a gallon, it was about $4.50+ a gallon. So still cheap compared to UK prices, but after 2.5 months in the US I was acclimatized to their prices by that point so was a little miffed. Would advise filling up in Santa Cruz or Monterey Thumbs Up

Behind me was a sheer cliff face down to the sea:
https://i1247.photobucket.com/albums/gg630/haroman6661/DSCN1880_zpsoncna3hr.jpg

The ride continued and the roads became slightly more generic, however the views remained stunning:
https://scontent.flhr4-2.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t31.0-8/10900095_10154082378540288_114366522593945443_o.jpg?oh=c3e85d76751f6c405bd37dcb1044beed&oe=599ACC5B

At some point late afternoon I roll into San Luis Obispo where I was booked into a Hostel for the night. I checked in, dumped my shit and after 280miles of riding I decided to walk into town for steak and beer. And that is precisely what I had.
Only I ended up having a huge amount of beer.
Following my steak meal, I went into a bar with nothing more than the intention of have a couple of pints, relaxing and then heading home for bed.
What actually happened is I instantly got chatting at the bar, due to someone picking up on my accent, and she invited me back to her table where there were a few other people. A couple of hours passed with plenty of great conversation, finding out about each others lives, telling my current travelling story etc etc. Soon a few of them left leaving only a couple of people. We continued to drink and have mad fun. We began to go play with my accent, see what reaction we could get and at some point I recall taking one of the guy's picture with his head in the cleavage of a nice lady.

https://i1247.photobucket.com/albums/gg630/haroman6661/WP_20150905_004_zpsekgr8fkk.jpg

Once the bar had kicked people out, I was invited to a hike across town for the "best burrito this side of the mexican border". Obviously after several pints, you don't turn that kinda shit down.
45minutes we were walking. 45 damn minutes. In the opposite direction of my Hostel aswell.
Burritos were good though. The LONG walk back to the hostel was not.

Following morning I struggled to emerge from my bed. But I dragged myself out, had a conversation with a guy in the hostel also riding the coastal road, only in the other direction. I bid my farewells to people and began my day's riding.

The roads were not very noteworthy for a fair time here. You're taken in land a little way and it's generally pretty flat and baron. I did stop at one point to have a play in the dust on the bike. Turns out they have clutches that are either super inadequate or they're special slipper clutch type things because when you dump it, in first gear, on the dirt, the clutch slips and then you experience a whole load of disappointment. There were no wheelspins or wheelies to be had that day.

I'll briefly note that I stopped in Santa Barbara for a leg stretch and whatnot. Literally just sat on the beach for 30 mins and then left.

Again, for the next few miles there wasn't much worth talking about.
Until I got to Malibu. You could tell there was a bit of a buzz around the area. Beautiful place. But the big buzz was plenty of bikes and fast cars rolling around and this is where I decided to pull off Route 1 into the mountains and have some proper fun.
This was by far and large the best part of the journey.
The Latigo Canyon Road was probably one of the best roads I've ever ridden. I urge you to go have a look on google maps.
And that linked up with the oh-so-famous Mullholland Highway.
See video of Mullholland HERE
I do have a video of the Latigo Canyon road but the lense was all steamed up so it's a bit of a tough watch.

Latigo:
https://i1247.photobucket.com/albums/gg630/haroman6661/DSCN1897_zps0bpecolb.jpg

Mullholland:
https://i1247.photobucket.com/albums/gg630/haroman6661/DSCN1899_zpsuzkp9ecs.jpg

Following my fun on the twisty roads, I resumed Route 1 south into LA where the traffic got ridiculous. However using my london commuting skills and knowledge that filtering is legal in Cali, I proceed to see how far I could push the boundaries of the Harley's usability.
It's shit in traffic. Really shit.
BUT, the radio started working again by this point so I went full poser mode, cranked up the volume and cruised into Venice with some mad swagger.
Dropped the bike off the following morning and slept the entire day!

Thanks for reading. I appreciate it's not super exciting, it's not exactly Ewan McGregor going across the arse end of nowhere. But I had a little experience that will hopefully give others something to read and decide on whether doing the whole rent a bike abroad thing is worth it.

It is. Do it.
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Analogkid
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PostPosted: 12:42 - 12 Apr 2017    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thanks, I enjoyed reading that, it's something my wife and I intend to do (Route 66) before we shuffle off this mortal coil.
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Bosseyed-Beaver
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PostPosted: 14:06 - 12 Apr 2017    Post subject: Reply with quote

loved reading that. Seeing you on a Harley in front of the Route 66 sign has made me very jealous! Something I really want to do at some point!
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derillius24
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PostPosted: 14:10 - 12 Apr 2017    Post subject: Reply with quote

Interesting read. Thanks Thumbs Up
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Matt B
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PostPosted: 16:11 - 12 Apr 2017    Post subject: Reply with quote

Nice one, and thanks for writing it up Thumbs Up

Amazing how much you seem to suit a Harley...
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haroman666
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PostPosted: 16:17 - 12 Apr 2017    Post subject: Reply with quote

Matt B wrote:
Nice one, and thanks for writing it up Thumbs Up


Pleasure Thumbs Up

Quote:
Amazing how much you seem to suit a Harley...


Steady on now. Hand
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myvision
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PostPosted: 16:59 - 12 Apr 2017    Post subject: Reply with quote

Nice good read.
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Lupo
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PostPosted: 00:20 - 13 Apr 2017    Post subject: Reply with quote

Very nice read and pictures, thanks for sharing it.
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grr666
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PostPosted: 08:42 - 13 Apr 2017    Post subject: Reply with quote

Did 66 over 3 weeks for my honeymoon. Did it in a Dodge charger and swapped that for a Mustang in Vegas.
Some of your pics really take me back. Nice write up. Thumbs Up
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Pigeon
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PostPosted: 02:08 - 14 Apr 2017    Post subject: Reply with quote

haroman666 wrote:
Matt B wrote:
Nice one, and thanks for writing it up Thumbs Up


Pleasure Thumbs Up

Quote:
Amazing how much you seem to suit a Harley...


Steady on now. Hand


To be fair, Matt is bang on. You look like Hunter S Thompson in every pic!

Frickin legend! The writeup, the pics, WOW, incredible. Thanks for such a visual and mental journey!

Bloody loved it!!

Cool
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