The All-Combined West Coast FZ6-Forum Ride

[Stevenator]

This ride looks awesome! :thumbup:
I have a couple buddies that live in Portland... I could ride down from Everett (north of Seattle) and meet up with you guys there! The plan you have for WA is a decent one, if you would want to streatch it out a little bit I suggest taking a right at Elbe after leaving Mt.St. Hellens and going around the backside of Mt. Rainier via 123 and 410. I did that ride a couple times last summer and it is beautiful. Then between Enumclaw and Everett is pretty much nothing as far as good easily accessable roads, unless you head back toward the mountains.

If i can't make it "for work reasons" then the least I can do is throw you a lil BBQ or something. I litterally live 1 mile, or 4lights and 1 turn off of I5 at exit 183.

 

[VEGASRIDER]

We should head up the 101 all the way up Cal and Oregon. The coastline is incredible. Scenic level is epic. We can cut over to Portland around Lincoln City or even sooner if we really need to slab it. I-5 between the border of Northern Cal and Seattle is BORING!

 

[oso2k]

We should head up the 101 all the way up Cal and Oregon. The coastline is incredible. Scenic level is epic. We can cut over to Portland around Lincoln City or even sooner if we really need to slab it. I-5 between the border of Northern Cal and Seattle is BORING!

You could say the I-5 until you go South to Disneyland is boring (and full of traffic). After that, you get pretty South OC and then San Diego.

 

[lonesoldier84]

The inland stuff looks twistier on google maps. Scenery is important, but not at the expense of:

"omg left turn omg right turn omg left turn omfg right turn omfg another right turn omg left turn omg left turn omfg right turn omg left turn omg right turn omg left turn omfg right turn omfg another right turn omg left turn omg left turn omfg right turn omg left turn omg right turn omg left turn omfg right turn omfg another right turn omg left turn omg left turn omfg right turn omg left turn omg right turn omg left turn omfg right turn omfg another right turn omg left turn omg left turn omfg right turn"

lol

That highway 101 looks ok in some places, but seems pretty straight.

Also, the population will be more heavy the closer you get to the coast, is it not? The inland highways should have less traffic?

I like roads where not many people go.

 

[krid80]

That would have me leaving from near San Fransisco on the top of the 6th heading in a general north-easterly direction. That would leave the 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th for the rest of California all the way to the Oregon border.

And, any input is helpful. Thanks Lefty.

Leaving San Francisco on the morning of the 6th would be PERFECT with my schedule and actually put me home on the 10th which is my real goal.

My route

 

[krid80]

That highway 101 looks ok in some places, but seems pretty straight.

Also, the population will be more heavy the closer you get to the coast, is it not? The inland highways should have less traffic?

I like roads where not many people go.

look at hwy 1 on the coast :thumbup:

 

[lonesoldier84]

HWY 1 looks a bit less windy than the stuff inland too.

This branches off from HWY1 and I just had to share this, WOW:

WOWOWOWOW

 

[lonesoldier84]

As for what to do, we can all link up again somewhere in central or northern California if you guys want to do the coast-line. I just feel there might be too much traffic, even if the roads would be alright.

I'm game to go through the Santa Cruz mountains though.

 

[krid80]

HWY 1 looks a bit less windy than the stuff inland too.

This branches off from HWY1 and I just had to share this, WOW:

WOWOWOWOW

According to what I am seeing on Pashnit, that road is pretty scary (narrow with cliffs, no guard rails and gravel in spots). no thanks.

I have found that a motorcycle loaded to the gunwhales with gear is not exactly fun to rip through tight mountain passes.

 

[lonesoldier84]

This is another type of route that looks good to me. Leaves the ability to spot a good random road that didn't make it on any maps to make the cross-over to the east. I like not having a 100% pre-determined travel plan.

And I like narrow passes that scare the poodles out of me. Reminds me I'm still alive! Don't get me wrong, I don't go railing into them at unsafe speeds and account for what I can't see.....but nothing beats taking a breather in the middle of nowhere sitting down with your feet outstretched over one of those cliffs with no guard-rail.

Besides, wouldn't you rather have death assured as you fly over a cliff rather than being mangled on one of those nasty guardrails?!?

But I do want to mention that I don't want anyone to spend their vacation time in any way other than how they will enjoy it. We can always branch out and meet up at predetermined places further down the trip. I like riding solo now and again anyways. That's part of the reason I'm heading out as well, to get away from every person and every thing.

I'd love to have the group out riding though, and want to get in a ton of miles with you guys, but branching apart now and again might not be a bad thing. There will be tons of oppportunities to have the paths cross again as we zig-zag north through California.

P.S. Best thing about the murderous roads? There usually isn't much traffic on them

P.P.S. It is worth mentioning I am probably going to try to find some nasty gravel roads along the way. Not sure when or where, but somewhere, and some of the time. Love being lost! Something very liberating about it.

 

[lonesoldier84]

I have found that a motorcycle loaded to the gunwhales with gear is not exactly fun to rip through tight mountain passes.

Note to self: Pack light. Wash underwear with water from puddles so there will be no need to pack a second pair.

 

[krid80]

Updated my route to move from the 101 to hwy 1. Looking at streetview, the road along the ocean is BEAUTIFUL. That, and I love the salty air smell in my helmet.

Last year I rode this route which took me on the beach from New Orleans to Panama City. AND IT ROCKED!

 

[lonesoldier84]

Yeah, going that far south and west makes no sense NOT to be on an ocean-view road for at least a decent stretch of it.

I'm sure we can link up for that leg before I branch back inland.

As for the other route.....thats out east silly rider.

 

[krid80]

Yeah, going that far south and west makes no sense NOT to be on an ocean-view road for at least a decent stretch of it.

I'm sure we can link up for that leg before I branch back inland.

As for the other route.....thats out east silly rider.

Yeah, that was posted just to show relevance. I have ridden the coast and it RAWKS

 

[Norbert]

Note to self: Pack light. Wash underwear with water from puddles so there will be no need to pack a second pair.

Wear synthetics! They dry very quickly. Cotton sucks.

 

[oso2k]

I'm posting a total of 50 mins of vid of the Angeles Forest/Angeles Crest Route. Here are the first 30:

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gUaWBd1kuho]YouTube - RideToWork20090715.01.m4v[/ame]


[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-UKSOwqoiL8]YouTube - RideToWork20090715.02.m4v[/ame]


[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jLvwq9yRJH8]YouTube - RideToWork20090715.03.m4v[/ame]

 

[Lefty]

Note to self: Pack light. Wash underwear with water from puddles so there will be no need to pack a second pair.

Wolfpacks don't need underwear.

 

[MarinaFazer]

opcorn:

ps: you're actually shooting yourself in the foot if you don't take Highway 1 from San Luis Obispo - north....PLUS, when you get to Monterey, it's only a 10 minute side trip to...............................LAGUNA SECA - track of infamy.

pps: Subscribing because if my school schedule allows it, I'll ride from LA - north perhaps to MoBay with the gf as her mom lives there.

 

[oso2k]

More vids

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JnFz2plSWT0]YouTube - RideToWork20090715.04.m4v[/ame]


[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b0gpctyaR0o]YouTube - RideToWork20090715.05.m4v[/ame]

 

[discgolfdude]

The inland stuff looks twistier on google maps. Scenery is important, but not at the expense of:

"omg left turn omg right turn omg left turn omfg right turn omfg another right turn omg left turn omg left turn omfg right turn omg left turn omg right turn omg left turn omfg right turn omfg another right turn omg left turn omg left turn omfg right turn omg left turn omg right turn omg left turn omfg right turn omfg another right turn omg left turn omg left turn omfg right turn omg left turn omg right turn omg left turn omfg right turn omfg another right turn omg left turn omg left turn omfg right turn"

lol

That highway 101 looks ok in some places, but seems pretty straight.

Also, the population will be more heavy the closer you get to the coast, is it not? The inland highways should have less traffic?

I like roads where not many people go.

This may be true in CA, but in OR and WA it isn't true about the heavy population off 101. 101 can be really twisty up on the WA peninsula, but isn't really populated all that much. The I-5 corridor is really populated from Olympia north past Seattle, and really heavy traffic too at times. Riding from Portland over to 101 would be ok, but it's a straight shot, if you take hwy 26. A more scenic and curvy way would be to take hwy 30 to Astoria, and go north from there.