Does anyone ride anymore?

[Tetge]

A few years back there were frequent rides but now it seems that no one is riding. I guess that the supermoto craze has died out, and that the CHP has made some of the ride routes uncomfortable. I would not know where to search for cruiser type riders to roll with even if I could take the heat from this years heat wave and if I could withstand the vibrations of the KTM. Would cruiser riders welcome a KTM on their ride? I have no floorboards or stereo or CB or luggage capacity. Don't know if I would fit in?

I could go ride with my brother's crew but he has not been riding much since his total knee replacement as it is taking its time to rehab. And, Ojai is so far away that I'd need to truck the KTM there as it would shake me to jelly to ride it any distance at all. They do ride at a nice a languid pace, since one has to be kind to antique Brit bikes. But, nothing wrong with a nice easy pace as it is relaxing and stress free.

So, I guess it is time to consider hanging up my helmet and calling it a day. Looking back, it has been a good 50+ years. There were huge stretches of open unrestricted desert, and few double yellow lines, and no radar or max enforcement, and no helmet laws, etc. A strong case could be made that those were the best motoring years ever, and, most machines were considered high performance if they could do the ton. Now, they do the ton in first gear but the opportunities to use the performance on public roads without risking severe legal penalties are ever decreasing. Perhaps that is why there are no rides anymore other than screaming pace lines of sports bikes all kitted up and semi racing?

[jhwalker]

Ride down here. By the time you get here I will be riding again. You will be complete jelly
It is cool at this altitude. Today it is 74 in the shade. At night we are sleeping with a blanket and a quilt.

[Tetge]

We had a break in the hot weather today and it only got up to around 95*. So, I finished my change the handlebar grips project. And, of course, I learned that KTM has a clever way of putting the throttle tube side hand grip on that doesn't take any glue, so the grip can come off easily. Of course, I only ascertained this after I cut the stock grip off and ruined it, and, naturally, my new grip in no way accommodated the KTM system. But, with some effort I sort of made the new part work, I think.

In any case, I added air to both tires, as they always leak some pressure over weeks time, and then I took about a 40 mile test ride and got numbed up good by the shaker, but the engine ran nicely and it shifted correctly and sounded good. Now it is back in the garage but, it got good and warmed up and presumably the battery is now fully charged, so I can leave it there for a bit without concern about how seldom it gets ridden.

And the grips now match and are both a sort of light blue/gray color. Before there was one OEM black grip and one of the new ones and it was like wearing two different color shoes. Not cool at all if one is riding a fine, ready to race, European machine.

[xjrguy]

My Concours 14 is collecting dust

[mikedbike2002]

I ride almost every week end with a very active group. I am sponsoring a ride this Sunday. we are meeting at 9am at the Shell station on Rt66 & Lonehill in Glendora. Will be going up to ride Glendora Mountain Road then west on Eastfork road and rght on Azusa Cyn to Crystal Lake. should be about 20 bikes. I'll be on my KTM exc500 that I just spent $1,600 on suspension mods at Race Tech in Corona. Your welcome to come along. Probably not
close enough to you but just in case.

[Tetge]

Thanks for the offer Mike, but, it is too far to ride on the shaker given that it numbs my hands quickly on the freeway or on a steady highway. I also geared it really short after I discovered that it was not going to work for me as a longer distance ride, so it really is wound too tight on the freeway due to the high speeds that folks run on freeways these days. But, the gearing works fine around town and on tighter canyon roads where speeds are not constant and really not all that high. So, I leave it short geared as I like the punch, being a drag racer at heart.

[jhwalker]

I ride almost every week end with a very active group. I am sponsoring a ride this Sunday. we are meeting at 9am at the Shell station on Rt66 & Lonehill in Glendora. Will be going up to ride Glendora Mountain Road then west on Eastfork road and rght on Azusa Cyn to Crystal Lake. should be about 20 bikes. I'll be on my KTM exc500 that I just spent $1,600 on suspension mods at Race Tech in Corona. Your welcome to come along. Probably not
close enough to you but just in case.

Just a little too far for me -- 2000+ miles. but intereating...

[Tetge]

I actually looked at a map, see the attached pic of the Shell station, before I said it was too far. In fact, it is 88 miles to the Shell station and perhaps 30 more to Crystal Lake. I am sure that the roads to the lake and back are quite interesting but I can not imagine what a 250 mile day on my KTM would feel like since a 30-40 mile stretch is tough. The traditional Mike breakfast ride actually had stops at the 7-11, and a fuel stop at the 14 freeway, and then a stop for breakfast in Leona Valley, where they used to have beer and wine to medicate with, so it was not a long blast on various freeways, which is no fun on any bike.

But, it is nice to see that some are still out there riding.