FIRST PERSON/OPINION Via e-mail: MOTO GP OR BUST – MY TRIP TO LAGUNA SECA AND BACK 7/18 – 7/26, 2006 By Henry Avello WERA #490 Expert Hoover, Alabama PLANNING AND PREPARATION I flew out to the 2005 Moto GP races and rented a car to get around. I had a great experience and decided I would make this event a yearly must do. But cage driving was a total pain around Monterey, California because of major gridlock everywhere. With lane splitting in action I saw that riding a bike was the way to go. So from that time the seed was planted to ride my sport-touring bike, a 1991 Honda CBR1000F with over 44,000 miles on it, out to California. When I heard that LT Snyder, Greg Calhoun and others were going to ride from Alabama I hooked up with them. The plan was to ride with Calhoun and Scott Armstrong from Birmingham then meet up with LT and Brad Gaines somewhere in Colorado. Calhoun had arranged for us to stay at his friend’s beach house in Monterey for free! Since I had absolutely no experience with very long trips my plan was just to follow Calhoun’s lead. During the weeks approaching the trip I got lots of advice from well-meaning Floribama Riders. Most centered around getting into shape, getting needed gear and enduring riding through the western deserts. I pretty much had all the gear I thought I would need but I still purchased a used Fieldsheer mesh jacket, Capilene® undershirt and socks. I already had a Camelback hydration system that would come into good use. Everyone told me, the trip would take three full days of at least 12 hrs in the saddle to get there, then three for the return trip. That would give me three days in and around Laguna Seca. You know, looking at a map, it just didn’t seem to be THAT far – ha! I started getting psyched. PROBLEMS BEFORE WE START Due to a family illness Calhoun cancelled the week before we were to leave. Scott, who had been somewhat vacillating about going, also backed out. That left just me. Well, not to be deterred I prepared myself mentally for the solo ride. Now I would have to “plan” my trip. So two nights before departure I rounded up a 10-year-old map of the USA and a couple of other old maps. Then I Googled a trip route and printed that out. All set! With Calhoun’s cancellation I had no place to stay. So I made a few phone calls and e-mails and found some “possibilities” for cheap accommodations. But just in case Bill Edwards loaned me his two-man tent, so at worst I could find a place to camp–better than sleeping under a park bench, I say. My employer also decided to have a business meeting the Tuesday I was leaving and I felt it necessary to attend. I was really anxious to get going so I don’t really remember much of what was said at the meeting. I rushed home as soon as it was over, finished loading the bike, hooked up the Passport, got geared up and I was gone on my adventure! But instead of leaving at 6:00 a.m. as planned, I didn’t leave Birmingham till 11:00 a.m. Ugh! THE TRIP OUT Once on I-20 I set the Throttlemeister to 95 mph. Other than the heat, the first day was uneventful. The temperature was in the 96-98 range. I had three jugs of bottled water that I would pour over me at every gas stop. The evaporation kept me cool as I rode along. On the Interstate I was maintaining between 95 to 105 mph as much as possible slowing down only for construction sites or when my radar detector went off. I was using the Legal Speeding in-helmet warning system. It worked real well, sending the radar alert signal wirelessly to an LED in my helmet, placed out of my line of sight. I highly recommend this device. I made really good time through Mississippi and Louisiana. In Monroe, LA I stopped to look up an old business colleague. Caught him at home but he had a prior engagement and we couldn’t hook up. Passing Barksdale AFB I caught glimpses of an Air Force B-52 Stratofortress doing maneuvers. The thing looked huge as it flew over the trees at a couple thousand feet altitude. “Lumbering” is a better word than flying. It sure looked slow. It was getting dark as I approached Grand Prairie, Texas. I continued on to Ft. Worth in hopes of finding a Holiday Inn that had a room but the whole of the Dallas – Ft. Worth area motels were booked by convention-goers so I continued westward till I landed in Weatherford, Texas for the night. It was 11:30 p.m. and I was beat. I hit the road early on Wednesday, determined to get a full day’s riding in before dark. Again I kept it between 96 and 105 mph as much as possible. Past Abilene I turned northwest on Hwy 84 towards Lubbock. That stretch between Abilene and Clovis, New Mexico is a miserable and desolate one. Even Lubbock wasn’t too impressive. The temperatures continued to be in the high 90s and I was using up my water jugs and my Camelback capacity just as it was time to fill up again. I got on I-40 in Santa Rosa, New Mexico and continued towards Albuquerque, where I planned to stop for the night. Instead, when I got to Albuquerque I was still feeling pretty good but was pretty hungry so I stopped to eat at a Tex-Mex place and after a fine meal and a big Margarita I continued westward. It was 10:30 pm when I reached Gallup, New Mexico and a Holiday Inn where I stopped for the night. Thursday morning I was up early to get an early start. As I was loading the bike and checking it over I noticed my chain was sagging A LOT! So out came the tool roll and after a few minutes maintenance I could not get the slack out of the chain; it was stretched beyond use. I quickly called my pal Bob Nagel and solicited his help in finding a motorcycle dealership on my westward route that had the necessary 114-link 530 O-ring chain in stock and could do the service while I waited. After hanging up I took off and limped west. A half-hour later Bob had found a dealership in Flagstaff, Arizona and they would be waiting on me. Thanks Bro!! I found Northland Motorsports, a multi-line dealership at 10:30 a.m. Three hours later I was back on the road with a new chain! While I hated the delay, it could have been a lot worse, possibly being stranded in the middle of nowhere. About 30 minutes west of Flagstaff I rode into a very mean thunderstorm with lightning strikes all around me, sideways blowing rain, drenching water and lots of hydroplaning. I slowed down to 70 and just kept on going. As I endured the torrent I started feeling pretty proud of how tough I was. That was until I ran up on a Harley rider, all decked out in his chaps and leather vest with his colors emblazoned. Just a beanie helmet and goggles. No faceshield. No rain suit. No rain boots. Now that guy really WAS hardcore. I drove out of it after a half hour and I put the hammer down, keeping the speed up over 110 mph for a l-o-n-g way. I was running out of gas when I reached the Lake Havasu City exit. There I pulled into the Love’s Truck Stop and filled up and had a late lunch. The ambient temperature was 118 degrees F! By now I was carrying six water jugs and using every last drop between gas stops. Although I was ignorant of it at the time, this became a fortuitous stop as there were no gas stations west for over 80 miles and surely I would have run out of gas in the desert. Several people came up to me to tell me how sorry they felt for me that I was on a bike. “Why are they saying that to me?” I thought to myself. Yes, I was unaware I was about to drop into the Mojave Desert! To add insult to injury, while traversing this hellish terrain, I was overtaken by a sure-nuff sand storm and later got caught up in some nasty side winds that would try to push the wheels out from under me! Garry Davis warned me about these and about the rolling tumbleweeds that would try to hit the bike. He was right when he said they didn’t have much mass and it would be alright to run right over them. Those side winds were somewhat unnerving as they would strike without warning and really push me off my trajectory. When they came I would just hunker down in a racer’s crouch and keep going at speed, never slowing down. Yeee haw! About 4-½ hours later I had crossed the desert and I arrived in Bakersfield, California for the night. It was almost 10:00 p.m. when I found the Holiday Inn and after a long shower went right to bed as I was pretty stressed out from the day’s adversities. The ride over the Tehachapi Mountains into Bakersfield had been breath-taking with a little added glamour from the setting sun which turned the skies all shades of orange and purple. That was the highlight of the trip thus far! I had made arrangements to meet up with Rino Ricci, a Ducati.net member, at 7:00 a.m. for our ride together up the Pacific Coast Highway to Monterey. Friday morning I was at the appointed gas station by 7:00 a.m. and Rino was already there. After a brief introduction we took off, with Rino leading the way on his yellow 748 with me in tow. Once we got away from Bakersfield on Highway 58 into the hills the roads became twisty and the ride became very enjoyable. The hills were covered with tall dried out grass giving them a golden hue, spotted with dark green bushy trees. All very different from what I’m used to seeing east of the Mississippi. At Morro Bay we turned north on Highway 1, the Pacific Coast Highway and stopped in Cambria for breakfast. This was a picturesque little town akin to Helen, Georgia. From there the road and its vistas of the Pacific Ocean and the rocky shorelines were very beautiful and memorable. We stopped at several viewing spots just so I could take it all in. The Hearst Castle and Ragged Point were pretty cool stops. Actually, the whole trip into Monterey was filled with sensory overloads. Very nice! In Monterey, Rino split off into town to check into his hotel and I headed to the track. This year there is a motorcycle-only entrance which made getting into the track very easy and QUICK. Practice was still going on. The track was packed with spectators but many were starting to leave as it was mid-afternoon. The parking areas were packed with bikes of all kinds. I hung out till dusk then headed over to The Hill House where a bunch of Ducati.net guys were staying and the promise of floor space accommodations. As it was, I lucked out and got a nice cushy couch assignment from George Betzhold for the weekend. Thanks George! I settled in for the night, had dinner and home-brewed beer all night. Don’t remember when I actually got to bed but it was late. Saturday I went to the track early and stayed till dusk. Had a great time watching the practices, qualifying and the races from different vantage points. Toured the vendor village and purchased most of my souvenirs. For the evening, I was back at Hill House for more food, drink and merriment! On a last-minute whim, Lloyd Horton had notified me he was coming out and would be arriving in the afternoon. I was really fired up about that because I would now have an FBR bud to hang with. Sure enough, he was already there and mixing it with the gang. I had a hankering to see a West Coast Sunset so I tried to get a group to join me but they were too busy drinking. I ended up riding to Carmel By The Sea and sat on the sand along with 100 other sun-worshippers and watched the sunset. Afterwards I stayed and smoked a fine cigar till after it was dark. Then I returned to Hill House and joined the goodfellas. Again, I can’t remember when I dozed off but it was late. What goes on in California must stay in California! On Sunday, Lloyd and I were off to the track early. With his big “frame” riding bitch it really bottomed out my shock–Lloyd either needs to lose some weight or I have to buy a new shock! We spent the morning doing what fans do then settled into our grandstand seats for the Moto GP race. What can I say? It was fantastic! Afterwards we got in among the masses and just circulated around to watch the other races from different vantage points. This was Lloyd’s first time at Laguna Seca so we had to spend a lot of time at the Corkscrew. It was just great hanging out with Lloyd and hearing him comment on the riders, bikes, teams, history of the world. Again, it was late when we left the track and headed back to Hill House. There we joined in the merriment, already in progress. Towards the end of the evening I spent some time planning my return trip to Birmingham. I was hoping to find a somewhat direct route whereby I could avoid a desert but it was not to be. Alas I decided to return basically the same way I came out except to cross the Mojave earlier and beat the high temps. So I would leave Salinas at 5:00 a.m., get through Bakersfield by 10 or 10:30 a.m. and get through the desert by 2:00 p.m. Once the plan was in place, I loaded up as much as possible and went off to my couch. I had so much stuff to bring back that it all wouldn’t fit on the bike. George was kind enough to offer to ship it to me once he got home. So I packed a box full of stuff for him. Thanks again George! As planned, after a shower and loading was finished, I and the CBR were on the road at 5:00 a.m. It was still dark and the worry of hitting deer or some other wildlife on the winding roads kept my speeds down. From Salinas I headed east on twisty roads that I had no idea where they would end up. As luck would have it and with a little help from locals I found Highway 101. Once I got on the Parkway, it was hammer down baby! The sun was just rising and life was good. By now my body was acclimated to long stints in the saddle and I was feeling very good. I made a quick breakfast stop at the McDonald’s in Paso Robles. Then took 46 east to Lost Hills, I-5 to Highway 58 East through Bakersfield, back over the Tehachapi Mountains and into the Mojave Desert. It was around 10:00 a.m. and it was already HOT – so much for my plan… There was a lot of construction on I-40 east of Bartow. During one of the slow sections I asked a road worker about the temperature. He said it was 120 degrees ambient with the road surface being 162 degrees F. No wonder my legs were cooked pink that evening! Regardless, I had no problems getting through the hottest part of the trip, drinking lots of cool water and dowsing myself at every gas stop. That night I ended up back at the Gallup Holiday Inn by 9:00 p.m. Tuesday was more of the same. When I got on the road I felt I could ride for 20 hrs. I started entertaining the idea of making it back to Birmingham in two days! So I pushed pretty hard. Now let me tell you something about some truckers. It seems that when they see in their rear view mirrors that a motorcycle is coming up on them rather rapidly, they wait till the last minute and move over into the fast lane so now there are two semi rigs traveling slowly and blocking the Interstate. This causes the rapidly approaching motorcyclist to slam on the brakes and become highly irritated. After a few incidents of this I tried a new technique that worked really well although I don’t recommend it. If the trucker did pull out and block the fast lane I would maintain my speed and simply “lane-split” the two rigs at 100 mph, flipping them the bird as I went by. This would give me a lot of pleasure and a great sense of accomplishment. But it would soon be followed with a “what the hell did you just do… are you crazy?” thought. This recrimination would soon vanish and I would be ready for the next episode. The only nagging thought was “what if those truckers radio ahead and the next pair are waiting to ambush me as I slip between them?” Luckily that never happened. {Another cool technique is to pass them on the right shoulder but you already know that one!} Just east of Albuquerque I ran into another huge thunderstorm: High winds, a deluge of rain and pelting hail. It came up so fast I didn’t have time to stop to put the rain gear on–I had to stop under an overpass to wait the worst out, and by that time I was drenched. After a 20-minute wait I was off and running again. Riding through Oklahoma really sucked. What an ugly state! It was getting dark by the time I reached Fort Smith, Arkansas. Still feeling good I pushed on but by the time I got through Little Rock, I was fading fast. Eventually I stopped for the night near Forrest City. I got up around 9:00 a.m. on Wednesday, the last day of my trip. After a good breakfast I was on the road again but this time I backed down the pace and rode it home without incident. The new Interstate between Memphis and Birmingham, Corridor X, still under construction, will really cut the time down between the two cities once it’s completed. I was home. Hey, no remorse, no regrets; just once around – do it. My Personal Product Reviews By Henry Avello 1991 Honda CBR1000F w/ 50k miles – What can I say about my 2-up bike. This thing has simply been bullet-proof. And it still looks great after these many years. That’s why I love Hondas! Go buy you one! Escort Passport 8500 X50 radar detector – Highly recommended. Worked very well. Plenty of warnings; no tickets. www.escortradar.com Legal Speeding Enterprises – www.legalspeeding.com Helmet Assisted Radar Detection (H.A.R.D.) consisting of a wireless transmitter plugged into the Passport’s power input and a helmet-mounted receiver with an L.E.D. light place in your peripheral vision out of your main field of view. This system worked very well and gave me instant warning of radar without having to take my eyes off the road. SJL Products, Inc. – www.motorcycleradar.com Radar detector mounting system comprised of an O-ring supported stem mount adjustable platform inserted into the CBR’s 19mm steering stem hole. Only available with a stem that is 5.75-inches long. I would have preferred an 8-inch high ste because with the shorter stem the radar detector was hidden by my large tank bag. Also purchased a small Velcro security strap to insure the detector wouldn’t fly off in case of a crash or problem. Still it worked quite well. Camelback Hydration System – I stopped at every gas stop and filled the bladder up with ice and water. Except for going through the desert, it lasted me well through to the next gas stop even in 100-degree temperatures. Couldn’t have done this trip without it so I recommend it highly. You don’t have to restrict it to just water either. www.camelback.com Tourmaster 21 liter expandable tank bag – www.tourmaster.com The one I have has a 3-point strap tie-down system and is over six years old and still works great. I had it full to the max. Easy to get things in and out off while on the move. RKA soft saddle bags – These are also several years old. They pack a ton of stuff, fit good on the bike, are easy to mount and remove. There’s an inner bag for your stuff that you can take in and out while still leaving the outer bags on the bike. Spray them every couple of years with water-proofing and you’re good to go in wet weather. I packed way too much stuff. Fieldsheer Mesh Jacket – Very ventilated and light weight. Just glad I didn’t touch the pavement with it! I still like my perforated Vanson leather jacket best but I thought black leather would be a little too hot for this trip. Draggin’ Jeans – Kevlar reinforced with their KE armor knee pads. Very comfortable. Didn’t have to try out their abrasion resistance! Draggin’ Shirt – Kevlar long-sleeve undershirt. Provided protection and warmth when crossing the mountains, as the temperature dropped. Cool-looking yellow mesh. Never put it to the test but it gave me a certain confidence.