A proper British Motorcycle comes on Ojai ride

[Thruxton71]

Okay, this is not a story about my Velocettes, it is a story about how I should have picked a Velo to ride this morning instead of my trusty and comfortable DRZ-SM. Never the less, it was a significant ride.

It is July 4th, and it seems that most of the riders that show up at 7am at the Shell station across from Von's were out of town or simply not interested. When I blew in to gas up there were two other people, one, the Miata, and two, a rider on a 1966 650 SS Norton Dominator (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norton_650SS). What!!!

I had encountered this rider several months ago at a So Cal BSA club ride from Moorpark to Ojai, and found that they lived in Ojai and had a lively interest in owning and riding British motorcycles. Of course I told them about our regular Sunday ride, and was hoping to see them soon.

Carburetors. Those torture devices from Amal that mix the fuel and air for our beloved bikes, are to blame to the rider's lack of attendance. There are a few people who bore and sleeve these back to better than new, and his went off to Lund (http://www.amalsleeve.com/) for a refresh. Yes, you can buy new ones, but that is just not the same as keeping your originals.

After fueling up and checking the horizon for any more riders, we were off up 33, destined to stop at Lynn's leap and head back down, covering the best section (IMHO) of the road, twice.

We rode out of the fog, so thick that I was wiping my shield with my glove to be able to see, until we got past Friend's ranch, when the skies opened and the road was dry and clean. I have raved about this ride so many times, I will not repeat, but there was one Hallelujah moment and that was finding that the ever present stop light from Hell has been disabled, and the repair section of the road now endures two way traffic. It is a major change in how one takes on the road, and how the zen of flowing up and down is effected. What an improvement!! Welcome back, road.

Stopping at Lynn's leap (actually, just before it on a paved lookout), we looked out to a sea of fog, a few features rising out, like islands in a sea of grey (They well may have been islands, as on a clear day you can see members of the Channel Islands easily). After taking it all in, and wondering where the Miata went, we headed back down the road, and it was a great run, with no traffic and no stops! I consider it a good day if I can get all the way back into Ojai without touching my brakes, and the DRZ has just enough engine braking to let that happen.

Breakfast at Don Lalos (https://www.yelp.com/biz/don-lalos-mexican-food-ojai), then a visit to my very low budget and messy Velocette collection, then back to the real world.

A great day in Ojai.