Black Friday Ride

[BassCliff]

Hi,

The last video from yesterday is up, Black Friday Ride 2011 - Part 2: Glendora Ridge Road: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hbkBqy-fGVo


Thank you for your indulgence,

BassCliff

[Redman]

Hi,

The last video from yesterday is up, Black Friday Ride 2011 - Part 2: Glendora Ridge Road: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hbkBqy-fGVo


Thank you for your indulgence,

BassCliff

Thanks. Enjoyed that.

GRR. Wow!
And that was, what, only 2 cars along the way.

.

[7981GS]

FANTASTIC ROAD!!!
Differing radius turns, rock slides, road work patches, potholes and virtually NO traffic at all, what better place to ride is there???
Meaning no disrespect to Mr. Ian on the DOT shod knobbies and high CG KLR...
After watching all three video's and having ridden with Mr. Cliff,
I must say that the pace would have been a bit more spirited had Mr. Cliff been the lead bike.

Daniel

[BassCliff]

Hi Dave,

GRR. Wow!
And that was, what, only 2 cars along the way.

Yes, there was a lot of traffic up there yesterday.

But seriously, there are normally very few cars up there. The road is a lot of fun until someone goes off a cliff.

After watching all three video's and having ridden with Mr. Cliff, I must say that the pace would have been a bit more spirited had Mr. Cliff been the lead bike.

Hey Daniel, I didn't even scrape anything on that ride.

Because of the conditions we kept a "fun" pace. Plus, the camera always subtracts 10 mph. It was a good ride............


Thank you for your indulgence,

BassCliff

[IanF]

Speed vs. Safety

If Cliff rode his normal pace he would have been alone in less than a minute! I don't know how he does it. It's not the bike, it's the rider. I think it's the size 13 curb feelers he runs just over his footpegs. I've heard it said many times by riders faster than I that a good DS or SM bike with the right tires and the right rider will spank a sportbike in the tight twisties, so to the gentleman who tried to attribute my slow pace to the high CofG and tires on my KLR, thanks, but I ain't buying it. I'm old and slow and my technique is a mix of Keith Code for street riding and the School of Pain Avoidance. In a nutshell: Don't ride faster than you can see to stop in. Even if you know the road there may be an obstacle, patch of gravel etc. so diving into a blind right hander you know you can take at 40mph is not allowed. That patch of gravel will put you right into oncoming traffic or over the cliff on the road we were on. Slow in, fast out. Enter safe and exit as quickly as you can get the power down. If you want to carry high corner speeds a track day is really the only safe way to do it. That's my story and I'm stickin' to it. Haven't wadded up any of my bikes lately or put myself in the hospital. There was a story circulating a few years back about a man who tried to ride a KLR to the tip of South America, but an encounter with a Mexican burro ended the adventure and made a paraplegic out of him. I for one want to remain ambulatory for as long as possible and that tale serves to remind me when riding to keep safety first and foremost in my mind and keep my quest for adrenaline in check.

Ok, Soapbox=off. You may now enjoy the rest of your day

[IanF]

KLR vs. GS450

Ok, pumped my tires up to 34/38psi, went up GMR today on the GS450 and pushed the little bike as hard as I dared. Wasn't much faster than Friday. Corner entry speed on these mountain roads remains a function of the amount of risk the rider is willing to accept. To punctuate my earlier post there was a wrecking crew today pulling a large SUV back onto the road after it
went over the side. Somebody rolled and wadded up a $40k vehicle. It'll need a new roof and glass all around if it isn't totaled.

Still old, slow and ambulatory,

icf

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