As The Story Goes... 1st OFFICIAL SoCal HOON(aFriends) Ride

[Kris]

June 2002

 

The Hoon(aFriends) ride... SoCal

 

Kris says to self, "Want to play with some of your SoCal friends?" So starts the planning of the Hoon(afriends) ride.

 

Saturday, June 22nd rolls around and I find myself heading out of Mountain View at 7:04am, pointing the RS southwest towards route 1. It's downright chilly, overcast, and damp... in June?

 

Route 1 is covered in clouds and drippy mist from Santa Cruz to Hearst Castle. It's only after Hearst Castle that I see sunlight, and NO clouds... Ride fast, so that those ugly clouds won't follow me.

 

 

As always, route 1 is pure joy to ride, best in the early morning before the cars wake up and start heading along the route. Even better on cloudy days when passengers in those cars decide it won't be pretty enough to see the coast. The ride through Big Sur was quiet, few cars, fewer spectators hanging out on the sides of the road looking at the scenery.

 

 

Morro Bay comes into view, and I now know that the first part of my journey south is closing. It's now time to head due east for a while. Excited? YES. I turn onto route 41 over to Atascadero, where I'll fuel up before hitting one of my all-time-favorite roads.

 

Route 58 from Santa Margarita to McKittrick , a total of 70 miles, this road is heavenly on the RS. The pavement is still in great condition and the traffic is so very light. The first section, which I rarely get to ride, is invigorating, it starts me thinking about what Sunday's ride with Dick and friends will be like.

 

Then comes the "middle section", where there's room to stretch the legs and allow the bike to reach triple digits. I used to ride the RT through this section at 100-126mph... I find myself hitting an occasional 100... 110... a quick 120.

 

Why don't I ride this bike as fast? I ask myself.

 

Quickly approaching the last section of 58, the furthest east before reaching McKittrick. The last 5 miles are superb riding... superb. I ride east, then back the 5 miles west, and then back east again. I saw 3 cars the entire time. The road was all mine.

 

As I turn onto route 33 south, I'm all smiles. The RS and I danced through that section of road in the same way I had done with the RT so many times before.

 

Route 33 turns into a twisty, mountainous heaven when you reach the Los Padres National Forest. I'm hot, been riding some 300+ miles, and had determined long before the trip started that my goal was to be smooth and have fun. Through the forest I spent more time taking in the fire damage. Really focusing on how fire travels, you could definitely see its path and direction. It always amazes me. Is a forest fire good or bad? I can't answer that. Interesting, for sure.

 

 

 

After I hit Ojai it's time to head for Dick's house in Lake Elizabeth... ready for good conversation and Mexican food. After dinner, I'm done, find myself unable to hold up my end of this conversation and have to retire for some sleep.

 

Sunday:

Up at 6:15a, out of the house within 60 minutes. Down San Fransquito Canyon, another fire ravaged area... the road is amazing, the damage is wide... I'm shocked.

 

Dick brings me into LA through Hollywood. Shows me some of the history of the town, cool homes, awesome neighborhoods.

 

We run to the approved gas station for the start of our "Sunday Hoon Ride", where I take a glorious shower in Chevron's finest 91 octane. Thank goodness for glasses... or it would have been in my eyes too. Needless to say, I smelled like gas the entire day, and I stayed away from Dick every time he'd light a cigarette.

 

Everyone gathered at the Griffith Park Observatory, of course Sock Monkey (wearing his sunglasses) demanded the most attention... typical. I swear that monkey couldn't stand on his own... been sipping the tequila well before 9am!

 

 

 

 

Once we depart, and all the way till lunch, I can't even begin to tell you what roads we traveled. I recognized some from when Dick had taken me on them before... but all you really need to know is that they were awesome. Jim Shoop and I paired off and rode well in the middle of the pack, we had agreed that today's mission was to have fun, not to break any speed records.

 

Jim, I'll ride with you any day. Our pace was perfect.

 

 

 

 

Hundreds of corners later, we arrive for lunch in some town, on some mountain, with a bunch of people in it... like I cared what the name of the town really was. I was too engrossed in my BBQ Pork sandwich and determining the route for home.

 

 

 

Oh darned. We have to ride back down this road with all those twisty corners on it? Okay. Fine.

 

Going down was as awesome as going up. Jim and I turn off towards 138 and head into the desert heat, getting in line with the Sunday traffic heading back to LA. Once on 14, we can stretch our legs and increase the pace a bit, but there's a Champagne 2002 Toyota Camry so close to my tailpipe that I'm sure she's going to hit me. I'm doing 90. She's obviously in a rush, but does she really have to take me with her? I give her a few taps on the tail light, a couple nasty looks... and I'm feeling road rage at its finest building up.

 

Jim and I weave through 14, up the 5, and across 126... me, headed to Ventura (and beyond) and Jim heading to Newbury Park. We stop in Fillmore for a soda and departing words... great weekend.

 

Now I head into the sunset the same way I had left sunrise the day earlier. Alone.

 

I like riding alone. I enjoy riding with friends. Mostly, I enjoy riding with friends that know how to ride together, yet ride alone. We all have our own journey to complete and typically riding with a group distracts us from those personal journeys.

 

Five hours and twenty minutes after my departing hug with Jim Shoop... I'm pulling into the driveway and shutting down the PIAAs. How many miles exactly? I don't know. I can't remember what the odo said when I left... was it 5300, 5400? Well, there's 6500 on there now!!

 

Oh yeah. And I answered why I can't ride the RS as fast and furious as the RT. The RT places you away from many of the effects of riding a motorcycle. There's a larger nose, you're further away from the front of the moto, etc. On the RS, the visual effects of speed are much more apparent. Every place I look... I can see speed. I can feel speed. I can hear speed. Therefore, I ride within my comfort of speed.

 

kris

[ChrisNYC]

Nice pictures and story Kris. I didn't get to ride all of those roads when I was out there a few summers ago, only CA 1, some of 101, etc. I hope to get back out west next spring/summer. You make it sound so good.

 

(ps.... you mentioned mexican food with RD ... thanks for the idea, I know what's for dinner tonight )

 

------------------

Chris (aka Tender Vittles),

Little KZ400 in the Big Apple

Black Boxer RT for Everywhere Else, such as...

What I did on my summer vacation 2002

[Spike]

Is that Laney in the last picture ? What the hell is she doing with her foot ? Tell me shes not demonstrating the proper use of chop sticks pleease !! *snicker*

 

-- Spike

[russell_bynum]

In reply to:

---

 

Is that Laney in the last picture ? What the hell is she doing with her foot ? Tell me shes not demonstrating the proper use of chop sticks pleease !! *snicker*

---

 

You are exactly correct. Then she started doing stuff that was really funny.

[Laney]

You are exactly correct. Then she started doing stuff that was really funny. color=blue>

 

...and fortunately, none of that really funny stuff was caught on camera !!!

 

Kris -- it was great to see you again, special cologne and all.

 

Love your pictures... You made me wonder why I didn't get up early the day before, and ride up north to ride down with you -- that's pretty nice stuff on the way from you to us!

 

 

[Jim Shoop]

It was truly a glorious day to ride and enjoy the 'bruddah (and sista) hood' that this BBS has blessed us with! Other than the ERC in Santa Maria, I hadn't had the chance to ride with these friends since Redmond far, far too long ago. Family obligations ... no ... family priorities ... and work obligations have severely curtailed my chances to ride and party with these fine folks so Hoon Day was especially sweet for me!

 

Kris - Your words and images are as wonderful as your adventurous spirit. I truly enjoy riding with you as well ... our riding goals are pretty much in tune but as soon as you find yourself as one with that new KRS, I'm sure I'll only be able to catch glimpses of you in the distance

 

While I doubt I can make the investment in time to improve as fast as Russell and the other Jedi Knights, I do appreicate the opportunity to ride in their and Master Yoda's presence. Hoon Day offered me a chance to rekindle both these friendships and my passion to ride ....

 

So many thanks to Kris, Dick and the rest of the crew! I'll be seeing you all in Gunnison!

[90%angel]

Fabulous pix Kris! Glad I got to see you for a little while! What an awesome day!

 

I hope none of you caught the cold I was coming down with that day! I am still trying to shake the darn thing.

 

Sorry if any of you did catch it! Nah, you're all too fast to let a cold catch up with ya!

[algover]

Nice account and pictures, Kris, as usual. That brought back some memories - I know a lot of those roads. A long time ago - maybe in a previous life? - I had an apartment just a couple of miles from Griffith Park. A quick run up throught the Park with the squids was a regular thing. That lunch picture, if I had to make a wild guess, it would be Wrightwood. Naw, that was long ago. It probably doesn't look now anything like I remember it.

 

Thanks for the story and for triggering some pleasant memories.

[rdfrantz]

Huzah!! Peter. That IS Wrightwood.

 

Fortunately, SOME things don't change rapidly. Wrightwood appears much as it did in 1970. At least it's center does. Outlying housing has expanded, but I doubt that's 40% larger than in those days.

 

The Park is no longer a haven for Motorcyclists. They were chased out during the 80's. However, a small bunch usually shows up at the Observatory each Sunday morning. Many are Originals too, so it's a fun meeting. The Big Three, hang-outs that is, still persist: Newcomb's Ranch on The Crest; The Rock Store; And The Rock In out by me in Lake Hughes.

 

Our route out to Wrightwood was a Traditional one too. But, it was The Back Way, through the northern San Gabriel Foothills: Little Tujunga, Soledad Canyon, Mt. Emma Rd, Ft. Tejon/Jackson Lake Rd. All well paved, very lightly traveled, and even more fun than The Old Days, because we've ALL got better bikes. Come join us some time. It's a great blend of the Old and the New.

[Frank Cloud]

Awesome Shots!

 

Man you guys and gal make me jealous!