Red Wazp
Super Member
Having grown up in Minnesota with real winters with temps well below zero to be able to ride a motorcycle on Christmas Day would be the impossible dream.
Now having lived in Northern California Gold Country foothills for 30 years I have gotten used to Christmas weather of rain or snow or perfect clear sky with temps in the 60's. Today was one of those perfect days so this morning while my wife was kicking back and my teenage boys were sleeping it was time to ride!
I am very fortunate to live where twisty roads are the norm so after a couple cups of Joe I threw on the Cycleport gear and fired up the Red Wazp. Man those 2Bros CF cannons just purr, so I idled out the drive and down the short street figuring I'd be good- nice and quiet. Once I pulled out on the highway I nailed it, so much for being nice. You guys know what fun it is to ride the 6, I just couldn't help it.
Now within 10 minutes I'm riding on McCourtney Rd. a nice twisty road with sweet hills and valleys (their ain't no flatland round here) and some tight 25 mph corners.
Being Christmas Day traffic was real light by Ca standards and the French Roast was kicking in I shifted down to 2nd gear. I may be a porker but I was haulin' the bacon if you know what I mean. Well after a bit the road started to open up and I got to thinking I'd better chill out and dropped back to 55 just before Highway Patrol car comes over the hill. WHEW- that was close. A few checks of the mirror and he was gone, he should have been home with his family.
I continued on to Indian Springs road where I picked up the pace through some nice rollers in the road, the kind with a sharp drop where it is easy to carry the front tire in 2nd or 3rd. By this time I have dropped from 2,850' elevation at home to 1,400 feet on Pleasant Valley Rd. Time to mellow out as this road goes near some residential areas. Soon I was past all that and with a right on Bitney Springs Rd. it was time to really enjoy 2nd gear again up a nice newly paved road. Yep the deer alerts.. I mean the 2Bros were singing and the Pirelli's were sticking like glue. Unfortunately part of this road goes though some heavy shade where it was damp and sand is used in the frosty areas. Now it's time to go up a few gears and a soft throttle hand for a few miles.
Once on Newtown Rd I started to think about the thread I read this morning about in 4th gear the tach and the speed match up. (4k rpm is 40 mph or 5k is 50 mph). Well sure enough it is, I guess I have never been in 4th long enough to measure this.
It was time to get on Hwy 49 and head for home. With traffic so light I decided to run her up to redline in 1st and 2nd as I jumped on 49, fun ain't it? During this ride I did throw in a generous amount of throttle blips and assorted hooligan acts for our frozen in members. At no time did I take for granted the green grass and sunshine.
Back home by noon with enough time for a bath, wax and chain lube before back to the Battery tender. Now it was time to clean up, grab the family and head down to Sacramento for dinner with my brother and his family. What a great Christmas, Family and riding....SWEET.
PS Google Map these roads for a street view cause I was having too much fun to take pics.:Flash:
Now having lived in Northern California Gold Country foothills for 30 years I have gotten used to Christmas weather of rain or snow or perfect clear sky with temps in the 60's. Today was one of those perfect days so this morning while my wife was kicking back and my teenage boys were sleeping it was time to ride!
I am very fortunate to live where twisty roads are the norm so after a couple cups of Joe I threw on the Cycleport gear and fired up the Red Wazp. Man those 2Bros CF cannons just purr, so I idled out the drive and down the short street figuring I'd be good- nice and quiet. Once I pulled out on the highway I nailed it, so much for being nice. You guys know what fun it is to ride the 6, I just couldn't help it.
Now within 10 minutes I'm riding on McCourtney Rd. a nice twisty road with sweet hills and valleys (their ain't no flatland round here) and some tight 25 mph corners.
Being Christmas Day traffic was real light by Ca standards and the French Roast was kicking in I shifted down to 2nd gear. I may be a porker but I was haulin' the bacon if you know what I mean. Well after a bit the road started to open up and I got to thinking I'd better chill out and dropped back to 55 just before Highway Patrol car comes over the hill. WHEW- that was close. A few checks of the mirror and he was gone, he should have been home with his family.
I continued on to Indian Springs road where I picked up the pace through some nice rollers in the road, the kind with a sharp drop where it is easy to carry the front tire in 2nd or 3rd. By this time I have dropped from 2,850' elevation at home to 1,400 feet on Pleasant Valley Rd. Time to mellow out as this road goes near some residential areas. Soon I was past all that and with a right on Bitney Springs Rd. it was time to really enjoy 2nd gear again up a nice newly paved road. Yep the deer alerts.. I mean the 2Bros were singing and the Pirelli's were sticking like glue. Unfortunately part of this road goes though some heavy shade where it was damp and sand is used in the frosty areas. Now it's time to go up a few gears and a soft throttle hand for a few miles.
Once on Newtown Rd I started to think about the thread I read this morning about in 4th gear the tach and the speed match up. (4k rpm is 40 mph or 5k is 50 mph). Well sure enough it is, I guess I have never been in 4th long enough to measure this.
It was time to get on Hwy 49 and head for home. With traffic so light I decided to run her up to redline in 1st and 2nd as I jumped on 49, fun ain't it? During this ride I did throw in a generous amount of throttle blips and assorted hooligan acts for our frozen in members. At no time did I take for granted the green grass and sunshine.
Back home by noon with enough time for a bath, wax and chain lube before back to the Battery tender. Now it was time to clean up, grab the family and head down to Sacramento for dinner with my brother and his family. What a great Christmas, Family and riding....SWEET.
PS Google Map these roads for a street view cause I was having too much fun to take pics.:Flash:
