My Excuse for Missing SDAC 2013

[johnl]

MotoMelee, a 750 mile, three day motorcycle trip, 70 plus riders all on pre- 1971 bikes, except for my "cheater, my old '73 Norton 750 Commando. Two of the days were in the rain but great roads, old roads, most of them pre-bulldozer, paved logging and mining and ranch roads. Tight, suspension challenging, elevation changes, spectacular views.

BTW, that Norton seat is a POS.

Began on Friday with a ride over much of the route of the famous San Francisco "Sunday Morning Ride to Alice's Restaurant" - CA's Hwy 35 and Hwy 9 to a motel in the city for a Friday night stay over and reception at the San Francisco Motorcycle Club, established 1904.

Then Saturday AM from the harbor's old fort - The Presidio - we went out over the Golden Gate Bridge and on via Trinity Road (a tight up and down button hooked little b**ch, tunnels of oak trees - loved it) which emerged into the green of Napa and wine country, then north into the hills to Clear Lake for lunch and on via dry country ranch roads and the Central Valley for a stay in the I-5 town of Redbluff.

Then Sunday AM, back toward the coast and into redwood country, cathedrals of redwoods, Hwy 36 the longest ridge-top road anywhere they say, and more, such as "Tin Barn Road" (another spectacular road - see first pic) and others that I can't remember without looking at a map. Then over more mountains to the wet fog of the coast, PCH/Hwy 1 way north of San Francisco, for an overnight in the old logging and salmon port of Fort Bragg.

That night, at a fancy dinner house, I hate to admit that I paid $8 for an appetizer consisting of two quarters (one half) of one 1" diameter scallop; each quarter of that one half scallop was placed at the end of a bed of watercress spread on a really neat 4"x8" rectangular plate. Oh, to be fair, I should say that I also got one half of one - in season - strawberry. Each scallop quarter was neatly nestled up against a quarter of that one half of that one sour strawberry ! I guessed that they needed the other half for someone else.

Then Monday AM back inland for another day of play to finish in the city for a Monday night banquet and trophies.

Website for the ride -
http://www.motomelee.com/history.html
My Photobucket pics from the ride -
http://s814.photobucket.com/user/xba...src=wap&page=1

[Vigo]

Wow, that sounds like a lot of fun.

But damn, im 28 and i still dont know if my achin back could handle 3 days on a motorcycle..

[BIGBRUDDA]

Not just 3 days on a motorcycle VIGO. 3 days on a 73 NORTON! Yo a betta man than I John!
Now go sit on a bag-o-ice.

[168glhs1986]

Not exactly the appetizer the turbo mopar crew was indulging in at the local steak n shake but then again, we aint in Napa either. At least the strawberry was "in season". Haha love that part.

Hopefully you can make it next year but it sounds like your cheater bike is now accepted and it will be difficult to tear you away from the Moto Melee. Good times indeed.

[johnl]

Yeah, my butt recovered and I'm regular again. LOL I'm thinkin maybe a 350cc 1970 Yamaha R5 would make a good choice for a "legal" ride because I've got a lot of time on those and know how to tune them for tight roads. Maybe an RD front end to get the disc and maybe some 400 parts . . . .