www.laspeedgarage.com

Sunday AM - ride leaves at 10 from Hansen Dam

Then there is a possible destination - AHRMA racing at Willow Springs.

Thanks for the info about the Sun, 04-27 ride. They meet at 9 and ride out at 10, per the web site and they allege a new route, but, they do not disclose what it might be. The ride poster says that all British bikes are welcome, so perhaps they are discouraging the participation of non-Brit bikes? If I had a Brit bike, I would no doubt appreciate the rides that the Norton and BSA clubs put on. But, I got rid of my, purchased new, 1967 BSA Lightning Rocket, in 1968, by trading it in on a new 1968 Suzuki 500 Titan twin, and, I have not had a Brit bike since. I did have a Cortina for a bit after that, and, it was not a bad car, but, I did not keep it long so who knows how reliable it might have been? Anyway, it has been my repeated experience that the vintage club runs are basically run at a parade pace if a person is riding a modern motorcycle, and riding slowly is really no fun at all on a supermoto. And, the ride organizers do not hide the fact that they do not appreciate people running at a good pace on their ride. Of course, BSA riders (and other makes such as Royal Enfield and Norton) consider it a major success if their bike finishes the ride under its own power.

You are welcome, any time.

I must say though, that in its day, that Titan was a heavy cranked pipe dragging sled but I have to admit that it makes an excellent parade bike. Then, there's many a well ridden Brit bike on these rides that can keep pace with my DRZ eating Norton.

Besides Frank Forster is riding his Commando down from San Francisco today.

He called from Ventura an hour ago, and we are going to the Mullin Bugatti Museum in Oxnard tomorrow morning, by way of the Malibu/Mulholland down to county line. Then on Sunday we will do the BSA ride, and we may well go out to Willow to walk the pits at the AHRMA races.

I have never heard that ride organizers don't appreciate people running at a good pace; that said, I admit that I have heard of some few individuals that so complain.

xbacksideslider wrote:You are welcome, any time.

I must say though, that in its day, that Titan was a heavy cranked pipe dragging sled but I have to admit that it makes an excellent parade bike. Then, there's many a well ridden Brit bike on these rides that can keep pace with my DRZ eating Norton.

Besides Frank Forster is riding his Commando down from San Francisco today.

He called from Ventura an hour ago, and we are going to the Mullin Bugatti Museum in Oxnard tomorrow morning, by way of the Malibu/Mulholland down to county line. Then on Sunday we will do the BSA ride, and we may well go out to Willow to walk the pits at the AHRMA races.

I have never heard that ride organizers don't appreciate people running at a good pace; that said, I admit that I have heard of some few individuals that so complain.

The first year Titans were different than all the rest that followed. They had more radically ported cylinders and bigger carbs and, with a bit of shortened gearing, they were pretty potent. I had a new one in '68 and then, years later, I got a used one and they were both quite capable, although the brakes would go away under very hard use as the two stroke had no engine braking to speak of and they did drag stuff, but, that never bothered me. Some years later, I picked up a new, mucn later Titan, and I was very disappointed with the detuned engine and the entire feel of the bike. But that first year, they were very capable. Of course, the Honda 750 Four came out about then and the BSA and Triumph Triples (which, when they were right, ran very strong), and then the Kawi Triple, etc., so the Titan had a very short time when it could challenge almost anything on the street.

I also admit that there are a number of vintage bikes that can dust a DR-Z over large portions of the ride route that they generally pick since the DR-Z is too underpowered, and short geared, to match the open highway pace of even my brother's Velocette Endurance, let alone his Thruxton. But, I seem to remember a video, or videos, of a certain Norton, that was not exactly slaying DR-Z's. Beware the GoPro!

As for Frank? I hear that he has reformed and that he no longer is the maniac on the street that he once was. But, he too has way too powerful and fast a bike for DR-Z's. Not that it matters, since the ride is a Brit bike ride, and best suited for such machines. Hopefully the weather will cooperate as well, since it actually has been raining this evening where I am and the streets are wet.

Oh Man. Is that THIS weekend? I wanna play.

My brother will be there with his 1952 Velocette 350 MAC along with his friend Bob, who will have one of his various Brit bikes, such as his Vincent, or his old Triumph Triple Trident. I considered making it but, it is early in the morning and I am too elderly and infirm to arise at the hour necessary to get there on time. As well, although the 350, ridig, MAC, can get along fairly quickly for a 14 HP machine, it is still an antique, and its pace will be languid. I could lurk around and slay Nortons and other weak Brit sisters, but, then, it would not be a group ride with my bro....

So who got up early to make it?


Ride Report?

Not me. It was still a somewhat cold outside when I got up at 10AM. I did get a message from my brother on my machine about the ride route and it was sort of a backward run of the Mikedbike sports bike runs. They were using both Scrambles and the Mexican restaurant in Leona Valley as the food stops and then returning via Spunky and Bouquet, etc. It might have been a nice ride on the return portion but, I got the secret route info too late to rouse myself and roll out to do an ambush at the restaurants.

Shoot, heck!! If I knew what the route was I might have gone !!!!!

mikedbike2002 wrote:Shoot, heck!! If I knew what the route was I might have gone !!!!!

I thought the same thing. Too bad that they had to keep it a secret. But, I guess it turned out OK since my brother called me a bit ago and said that Bob's Vincent only made it up to the start of the Forest Hwy and then the drive gear on the new magneto that the Vincent owner just put on the bike started to slip and spin on the shaft and the Vincent was done for the day. So, my brother had to ride his reliable 1952 Velocette back to Hansen Dam and get the truck and their ride was over for the day. Too bad since they never got to the better roads for less powerful bikes.