May 2019 California on my Cooley

[trevor]

I have been putting off the details of my annual May trip to California....have lots of great pics to post.

This year we had 13 riders...from as far as Ontario...so I'll start with a photo of my bike packed and ready to travel 5750kms...

[Rob S.]

3500 miles...yikes!

Still, better on a sport bike than a tourer.

(I'm sure you take it around the block a few times just to check the weight distribution and handling before leaving.)

[trevor]

I have rode to California in May for the last 5 years....I did it by myself one year riding on to Vegas for my brother in laws wedding..It grew this year to 13 riders....my OCD kicked in and I organized the route, booked all the hotels and even breakfast places as well as dinner...So we had quite the motley crew for this trip...the bikes

2012 BMW K1300R ridden by my cousin from Ontario
1992 Yamaha FJ1200 (Terry form Ontario)
1979 Honda 750k (Gary from Revelstoke BC)
1982 Honda 900F Supersport (Dave Vancouver)
2003 BMW R1100S (Shaun...Victoria)
2015 BMW GS1200 (Greg Victoria)
1983 Suzuki GS1100ES (Rob-AZR Victoria)
1992 Kawasaki ZX-11
2018 Can-am Spyder (Rick from Ontario)
2015 Kawasaki Vulcan (Guy from Ontario)
2004 Kawasaki Concours (Tom from Ontario)
2016 Aprilia (Kerry from Kelowna BC)
1980 Suzuki GS1000S...Me

7 of us started out from the island here...three guys from the mainland met us the first day and three guys from Obtario set out 4 days earlier trucking their bikes to Dakota then riding for 3 days to meet us on our second day.

Ok enough talk...

Day 1 Ellensburg WA. about 500kms

At the ferry...getting off the the Island!



This was a stop just before Leavonworth at Grants Pass...



Multi meter out on the first night...lol



We tried to lock the bikes up most nights...lol



Day 2 Klamath Falls Or 730km day

breakfast in Yakima Wa







My buddy Gary and his old Honda...Gary and I go back almost 40 years...He used to race AMA sidecars...he was the monkey...raced Daytona, Laguna...raced the same weekends as Wes, Freddie and Eddie...and all the other legends.

[GSXR7ED]

Nice trip bio, Trevor. I'll be going to SoCal next month to visit my Mom. Flying from Philly to Ontario, CA.

You've got your annual trip down-packed. Glad to see you are living it up!

Ed

[trevor]

Day 3 Bridgeport Ca. 715kms

We had sunny weather everyday except two days on the way home we had rain...Bridgeport was cold in the morning at -3...frost on our seats lol...



Tulelake Ca for breakfast...this is really in the middle of nowhere...the poor woman working there was by herself...so my buddy Kent jumped right in and helped serve of breakfast...he worked in restaruants and bars to get his pilots license ...he's now a pilot with WestJet... this was fun.





Our motel for the night...



Day 4 to Kernville Ca via Death Valley 677kms

This was taken outside Bridgeport..maybe 30 or 40kms beautiful!



7 Ontario boys in our 50s and 60s we grew up together and here we are all these years later in Death Valley...







This is just outside Kernville...Lake Isabella

[trevor]

Day 5 Ventura Ca..500kms via Newcombs Ranch, The Rock Store and famous Mulholland Drive....incredible roads!

Newcombs Ranch



So we are sitting at the famous Rock Store when we hear..."Which one of you guys is Trevor Franklin"? Lol...and it's George Beavers....A guy I got to know on facebook because of our mutual relationship with Wes Cooley....George also brought Wes out to an event he was putting on...and George had made up shirts to raise money for him just like I did...and as luck would have it I was wearing the on George had made up....lol





So much fun...



Day 6 Monterey....great breakfast in Ojai...That's AZR



33 north out of Ojai is an amazing road...co many elevations...no traffic at all

[Burque73]

Great pics, Trevor.

I recognize Lake Isabella. My kids live in Ridgecrest and when we visit we drive up to Kernville occasionally.

Thanks for posting.

[trevor]

Great pics, Trevor.

I recognize Lake Isabella. My kids live in Ridgecrest and when we visit we drive up to Kernville occasionally.

Thanks for posting.

I have lots more to post...just tired tonight...lol...This is the second time in the last two years I have stayed in Kernville...it's beautiful isn't it? And how about Bodfish road? Wow....

[trevor]

Day 6 we headed to Monterey where I booked us in for two days...nice to hang out for an extra day...and I have stayed at the Lone Oak lodge a few times...great spot!
This is a first...others working on Rob's bike instead of him working on someone else's bike...lol..It was fun watching Rob have to bump start his bike at The Rock Store though...lol





We had so much fun on this trip...the evenings at our hotels were awesome! Good bunch of guys!



Yes we spent a lot of money....but as my good friend Gee Da Bee says..."Trevor, that's why we work and it's why we go back to work"..lol



My buddy Rob was up to no good...lol



So I had a little surprise for the guys...two years ago when I entered my bike at The Quail Motorcycle Gathering we went to visit http://www.mototalbott.com/
I found out that they would be closed on the dates we would be there....so months ago I contacted Robb Talbott the owner and told him about us Canadians coming his way and how special it would be to see his museum....he didn't hesitate ...he said I will personally give your group a private tour...He said he remembered my Cooley from two years ago at the Quail and even sent me a pic he had taken of me and my bike on stage...lol
Robb is of the Talbott Clothiers company...very high end clothing...in the 80s and 90s I even used to sell his bow ties...he also started Talbott vineyards back in the 70s....needless to say Robb has done very well for himself...https://www.latimes.com/business/aut...nap-story.html



More to come....

[GSXR7ED]

Great post/updates! Thanks Trevor!!!

Ed

EDIT: Happy Father's Day!

[trevor]

The museum...



"Barn find" wall outside...waiting to be restored

[trevor]

More...



One of Robb's first projects...notice the "dove tail" rims

[trevor]

More...

[trevor]

After the museum it was off to Laguna Seca....



The famous "corkscrew"





Then I had made reservations at a seafood restaurant I went to a couple of years ago...on the pier in Cannery Row...

Uber



The restaurant is down the step to the water level



What a great dinner and time had...



Our waitress was awesome...when we sat down she said "ok boys, this is how this is going down tonight...there will be one bill...I will divide it by the number of you here and you will each pay that amount on your credit cards with tip included at 20%..."....lol yes ma'am!



Needless to say we ate and drank like kings! Lol

[limeex2]

What a great trip and crew. Its always interesting pulling into places with that many bikes. It's fun to see the look of fear from a bunch of bikers, then the huge smiles when you leave after dinners, stories and a nice tip. When I traveled on my Cooley, to this day it was probably one of the most comfy bikes I have ever spent time on. Perfect seat, low bars but not to low, plenty of leg room, little fairing to cut the wind. Why don't they make seats like that any more?....