Three roads and a Velocette Endurance

[Thruxton71]

Last Sunday was the annual BSA club ride out of Frazier Park. In prior years I have ridden out to Frazier Park to see them off in the Morning, then ridden back to Ojai. This involves running Lockwood Valley road in two directions, and returning over 33, a good ride, or, as I have done for a couple of years, riding the course backwards, up into Pine Mountain, down Hudson Ranch road, Left on 166, and back on 33 to Ojai. Maybe stop at the lunch area and kick tires.
This year I had a different plan. The Lunch has been moved to the Cuyama Buckhorn Inn (https://www.cuyamabuckhorn.com/) an old watering hole that has new owners and is trying to reach a new and hip clientele. So hip, in fact, that they had an option to pre-order and pre-pay the lunch meal on their web site, which I bought into as part of my plan. Leave Ojai, ride over 33, lunch with the group, and finish the route in the proper direction, ending up in Frazier Park and riding home via Lockwood Valley and 33.
For this ambitious plan to work, I abandoned the 1952 MAC, and took instead the 1966 Velocette Endurance, which was, at the time, as close to a modern Super Moto model that the Velocette factory ever produced. A 500 single in the standard swing arm frame with a scrambler tank and alloy mudguards high above the wheels (so as not to be clogged with mud). Of course, with a low fishtail muffler and otherwise standard street fitment, using it off road would be a questionable decision. The best part of the set up, however, was the Venom engine which was the highest state of tune for that capacity motor from Velocette until they introduced the Thruxton. For general use, many people prefer the 'stock' Venom over the more temperamental Thruxton as a daily rider. I can only agree, as my Thruxton has never run as well as my Endurance, and is no where as comfortable.
I met up with the usual gang at 7am, but not on my bike, as to reach the lunch spot at 11:45 (the time I said I would pick up my order) I didn't need to leave early. Oh, I had plenty of time. I could pick up an LA times, go to Von's and so some shopping, and fuss around in the Garage moving bikes around to extract the Endurance from the corner. Then, a quick check over, air up the tires, and most importantly, adjust the handlebars. Anyone following my dumb stories may recall that I was having trouble with the bike equivalent of heel and toe shifting. Well, I figured it out finally. I had my almost flat bars rotated too far forward, and while I cannot really explain it, rotating them backward fixed the problem. Wonders never cease. Oh Oh.. look at the clock.. after suiting up and otherwise prepping, I was starting to run late!!! Then, the Gas station was packed, although I had a nice conversation with a Harley rider about the Velo, so I did my part to educate the masses.
I didn't get out and on the road till 10:30, maybe later. How was I going to hit the 11:45 meal time?
Time to reach into the Venom engine and urge it up and over 33. All was going very well, the traffic split like the red sea, until I reached the light from Hell. I must of just missed it as it was a long wait. Of course I got to the front with some Harley's and left first when the green came. And here is good news. The cones routed me to the NEW section of road. Yes... they are almost ready to open the damn thing to two way traffic.
I flogged the Endurance up and over 33, and when I got down to the intersection of Lockwood Canyon and 33, where I was supposed to stop and chat it up with the group, including my T100R, I instead waved and twisted the throttle more. Rude, I suppose, but I had a date with a Club Sandwich and some fries.
Now I was in the ride, as I found out by overtaking groups of polite Triumph and Norton riders who were obeying the posted speed limit. The obviously has timed their lunch better than I.
Now, if you have ever ridden a Venom, you should know that they have what is referred to as an '8' cam. Velocette in their infinite wisdom fitted the Venom motor with cam timing derived from their racing efforts. As a result it can be a little peaky, as in it comes into it's own at higher revs. This has been a problem in the past, as high revs make the crank flex, and due to a very fragile primary case side crankcase, the crank can flex so much that it cracks the case around the primary side main, which pushes it out. I have seen this happen, it is not myth. The Thruxton build supposedly has heat treated cases to address this problem.
Of course, with a peaky power delivery, one is tempted to keep the revs in the band if one is in a hurry. However, I tried to resist the temptation, all the while trying to keep my date with my meal. On top of this, there was a nasty head wind. But the Endurance soldiered on, never missing a beat.
Turn left onto 166, and slow down. This road is patrolled heavily and even a meal isn't worth a speeding ticket in the middle of nowhere. I slotted in behind a local in a cage and matched their pace. I blew into the Buckhorn almost on time, and my food was in my hands within minutes. Wow. And they have cleaned the place up, but the bar still looks dangerous to me. The eating area is very nice, and they have homemade pies. I asked the server if their pies are as good a Vickie's at "The Place" and she said, and I quote "I can't say that." So, I skipped the pie.
Now that I didn't miss my meal, I could relax into the rest of the ride. I gassed up and fell in behind some of the sane riders, following them up 166 to Hudson Ranch road. After a few miles I eased past them, as it is really a nice ride, and with a little horsepower, quite fun on a Velocette. Once again, I was newly impressed with the dual personality of the Endurace, mellow toque at low revs, and once you get the revs up, a different engine all together. There was a Husky 700 rider somewhere ahead of me, but I never saw him. I was on my own, really enjoying a wonderful road, all the way into Pine Mountain. It was there that I found the traditional spot to buy gas was shut down! It it a REALLY good thing I gassed up in Cuyama, even though the quality of their premium is suspect.
Down to Frazier Park, on Cuddy Valley road (and yes, there is still a single track in the dirt next to the road where, on a prior ride, brakelate decided that was a better way down the hill), to a friendly Gas station. Waving good bye to a couple riders I had lunch with, I returned to 33 on Lockwood valley road, great road Number 3 of this ride. I was all by myself with a full tank and enough knowledge of the road so I could enjoy it at a mellow pace. This is not a road to push on, unless you have a death wish. After 25 miles of sandy hair pins and rough road I returned to 33, great road #1 in my set, and headed back to Ojai. Once again traffic was not a huge problem, and the light from Hell spared me following a pack of cages down the twisty section.
All in all, a wonderful day of riding on some of the best roads in the area. Lucky, I am, to be so close to them.

Ojai signing off .