What New Roads For 2014?

[Mel]

Hey guys,

Ran into GM tonight in Best Buy and got to chat for a bit. I told him I would post something up to keep the forum active in these winter months. I'm used to talking about motorcycles all year and not this seasonal crap !

So this thread is about what new roads do you hope to be able to ride this coming season that you have not been on before?

Most of you know that I'm a goat road fanatic so I want to check out some more goat roads south of Placerville between 50 and 88. Some of these would be N. South Rd, Caldor Logging Rd, Cat Creek Rd, Panther Creek Rd, and Salt Springs Rd.

I'm also hoping to find more guys to ride with that enjoy the goat roads and maybe even convince a few of you regulars to put some more time in on the goats !

I've been thinking of starting a thread titled something like Goat Road Tutorial giving some tips for riding the goats at a spirited pace. I don't have all the answers, but hopefully I can pass on some techniques I have learned in the past 40 plus years of attacking the goat roads!

Mel 

[dub]

You lead, I'll follow.

[Mel]

Looking forward to it Wiles! You're one of the few guys that enjoys a goat road !

Mel

[Mel]

Here's one of the roads I grew up on back home in the Santa Cruz mountains...Highland/Eureka Canyon Rd !

[GreenMachine]

But it's not possible to drag knee on any of them safely.  They are either too BBB (bone breaking bumpy) or covered with a fine layer of dirt, that one false move could put an otherwise safe ride, in jeopardy.  
 

There are several smooth roads worth looking into over by Lake Berryessa.  I've seen some of the SCR crews' videos on a couple of them.  And the 2013 SSA Memorial Day "Oregon or Bust" ride crew did take in a couple of the other not-so-smooth roads around Lake Berryessa last year.  Of course, holiday traffic and enforcement didn't make the experience worth reliving.  Which reminds me.  I have hours of raw video from that ride that needs to be edited into a Blu-Ray.  

[GreenMachine]

What might also be fun, would be to throw together a ride compilation video from this past year.  Reminiscing through some of the pictures brings back a lot of fond memories.  Everything from Dub getting us in trouble in Markleeville for crowding merchant parking  ,  to Jimbo & BigCat giving their approval after a leg on Monitor, to moments like this:



We covered a lot of territory and took it all in.  Not a dull moment to be found!

[dub]

But it's not possible to drag knee on any public roadway safely.

Fixed it for you.

[Mel]

Yeah GM, safety first !

[GreenMachine]

Safety is first and conventional wisdom would agree your perception, which is why I'm still mastering Brian's technique of riding slower and slower with my knee on the ground.  Down now to 18 MPH on the left side going down Washington road, outside Nevada City. 

It once took lots of speed to touch down, but those days are distance memories.  20 MPH corners taken at 34 MPH are like taking candy from a baby.  And I'm getting slower and slower on my right side as well. 

Mel.  You watch.  I'll have you touching down effortlessly too.  Just ride behind Brian and watch what he does. 

Better get some sliders!

[dub]

Safety is first and conventional wisdom would agree your perception, which is why I'm still mastering Brian's technique of riding slower and slower with my knee on the ground.  Down now to 18 MPH on the left side going down Washington road, outside Nevada City.

Why?

[Mel]

Dub I see we are on the same page ! GM I don't think I'll be gettin' my knee down anytime soon. To me, dragging knee just for fun is the same as doing wheelies. You forget I'm an old guy and already been through my knee dragging and wheelie days long ago. If I wanted to drag knee or wheelie for fun, I still got the skills, just not the desire anymore. I do get a kick out of following you and Brian though and watching you guys have fun putting the knees down. Now days I pretty much concentrate on techniques and lines to get me through the corners safely at a spirited pace. I ride at a spirited, but conservative pace with you guys, but if you ever want to bump it up, this old man still has a little left in the tank...trust me !

Mel 

[GreenMachine]

Safety is first and conventional wisdom would agree your perception, which is why I'm still mastering Brian's technique of riding slower and slower with my knee on the ground.  Down now to 18 MPH on the left side going down Washington road, outside Nevada City.

Why?

For the love of riding and control of the machine. 

Call me a rebel. 

[GreenMachine]

Dub I see we are on the same page ! GM I don't think I'll be gettin' my knee down anytime soon. To me, dragging knee just for fun is the same as doing wheelies. You forget I'm an old guy and already been through my knee dragging and wheelie days long ago. If I wanted to drag knee or wheelie for fun, I still got the skills, just not the desire anymore. I do get a kick out of following you and Brian though and watching you guys have fun putting the knees down. Now days I pretty much concentrate on techniques and lines to get me through the corners safely at a spirited pace. I ride at a spirited, but conservative pace with you guys, but if you ever want to bump it up, this old man still has a little left in the tank...trust me !

Mel 

What, you're not in your 50s anymore?  Too old to enjoy riding? 

I think you're still somehow missing what I'm saying.  What's clear to me is that I ride slower and safer with my knee on the ground and the idea is to keep attempting slower and slower speeds while doing so.

We already know you're super skilled and fast, Mel.  No sense in offering challenges.  You win.  I concede the victory to you already.

[Mel]

GM,

Never too old to enjoy riding! One of the reasons though that I bought the FZ6 is to keep my old hooligan ways in check. If I had something like the new KTM 1290 Super Duke I would be in big trouble because I wouldn't be able to resist the temptation to revert to my hooligan past !

I just like messing with ya! I know you're having a great time getting the knee down and nothing wrong with that, especially the part about feeling more in control with the bike.

I think you totally misunderstood my statement about pace. I would never put out challenges like that. What I meant is that I know how sometimes while leading a group it is difficult to gauge the pace that the others want to ride at. That's why I hate leading and would much rather follow, and to me it's much more fun to watch someone from behind. I just wanted you to know that you don't have to hold back if I'm behind you and feel free to run whatever pace you feel like. Trust me, I never ride over my limits so no worries about me trying to keep up if the pace is too fast.

Mel

[dub]

For the love of riding and control of the machine.

Call me a rebel. 

I wasn't asking why you like doing it, I was asking why you think it's safer.

What's clear to me is that I ride slower and safer with my knee on the ground and the idea is to keep attempting slower and slower speeds while doing so.

Why?

If you are dragging your knee it means that either you are a) carrying a lot of lean angle, which we know isn't the case because you are talking about speeds upwards of 34 mph in which case the bike would just fall over or b) you are hanging off the bike excessively to be able to reach the ground.

How is hanging off the bike so excessively the safest way to negotiate a corner?





PS, I know you are a safe, competent rider. I'm just arguing with you because it's nice to see a little discussion of riding technique on this forum for once.