{Okay, smooth. No freak outs. No mistakes. Use the throttle, use the throttle, hands off the brakes. You want to be THERE, turn HERE NOW, let the corner carry you throught, AGAIN, AGAIN... Ah, that's it. Just keep ready. Touch the rear brake, power up. SMooth, smoother, ah again, shift up, roll it on, shift down, let the engine braking slow you just enough ... power on, smooth SMOOTH. Yeah, that's the way ... OOPS, dumb: reach OVER the brake lever with the whole hand. Never mind, just keep going. SMOOTH, revs up, revs down, squeeze the throttle...}
I took Racer on my old Sunday Morning Ride ... up through Los Gatos onto Hwy 9, up the wigglies to Skyline, along Skyline to Alice's. Somewhere around Redwood Gulch on the way, the low fuel light came on. I love the feature on this bike that when low fuel comes on, the odometer switches automatically to a TRIP FUEL gauge and starts informing you how far you've gone since the nominal low fuel point. I know there's another gallon and some in the tank at that point, so I know I have about 40-45 miles before he'll run dry.
I also knew from long experience that from that point to Alice's Restaurant (and a gas pump) is somewhere around 17-18 miles so there was nothing to worry about.
Today's ride was concentrating not on being fast but on being smooth. Uphill wigglies are different and easier to be smooth on than downhill wigglies, for me anyway. So I wasn't looking to go outrageous speeds, just to maintain consistent, clean, smooth speed at whatever was comfortable. Relearn how to use the throttle ... remember how to keep the revs up where the engine is useful in both directions, power through corners, etc. It went well going up, and I maintained the same modest pace and idea all the way down Skyline to
Alice's. 17.8 miles since low fuel warning, no sweat. Top up the tank, take a few photos of Racer, across the street and park. Nice Norton Burger, and I shard the table with another older guy—nice conversation.
And then home: Down 84 from the top is tight and twisty all the way to Woodside. There were a bunch of cars behind me as I started ...
{Don't think of the cars or bikes behind you. SMOOTH, keep the revs up, roll the throttle on, roll the throttle off, TURN HARD HERE, carry it through, flip to the other side, power on... }
Over and over again through the wonderful wigglies, down the hill. No tension in my arms, just light control on the bars. Racer performs this dance beautifully, sensuously: the engine management system is just right and responds to all my inputs with consistent, easy, linear changes as I turn the throttle. It'll lean far further than I'm brave enough to push it just yet.
I pass the Portola Valley Road turn off and glance in my mirrors. Hmm. Where did all those cars go? Just before I go out of sight, I see the one that was right behind me come round the corner. Wow ... Was I really going that fast? I thought I was crawling. Doesn't matter.
Through Woodside, south on 280, and I let Racer spin up to 6000+ through second, third, fourth, then a little less in fifth, then to 4200 in sixth. 80-82 mph. Jeez, and this is supposed to be a slow bike? Maybe it is, but it's fast enough for me—and it sounds so amazing when you rev it out! Shades of the LeMans V but more a baritone than a deep bass. Cruise settles in at 70-75 with traffic all the way back down to Hwy 85, then head north to Sunnyvale and stop to buy a couple of little bits at the Ducati dealer (cable stays ... the Scrambler had nice cable stays on the handlebars and I need a couple for another use). Then wiggle around to Central Expwy and thence home.
Satori. 75 miles, a nice little wiggle and some highway blasting. Lovely day. Happy.
I changed, pulled out the bicycle, and headed off for coffee in downtown San Jose. I should head home now, the sun is going down.
G
—
No matter where you go, go there on a Guzzi.
I took Racer on my old Sunday Morning Ride ... up through Los Gatos onto Hwy 9, up the wigglies to Skyline, along Skyline to Alice's. Somewhere around Redwood Gulch on the way, the low fuel light came on. I love the feature on this bike that when low fuel comes on, the odometer switches automatically to a TRIP FUEL gauge and starts informing you how far you've gone since the nominal low fuel point. I know there's another gallon and some in the tank at that point, so I know I have about 40-45 miles before he'll run dry.
I also knew from long experience that from that point to Alice's Restaurant (and a gas pump) is somewhere around 17-18 miles so there was nothing to worry about.
Today's ride was concentrating not on being fast but on being smooth. Uphill wigglies are different and easier to be smooth on than downhill wigglies, for me anyway. So I wasn't looking to go outrageous speeds, just to maintain consistent, clean, smooth speed at whatever was comfortable. Relearn how to use the throttle ... remember how to keep the revs up where the engine is useful in both directions, power through corners, etc. It went well going up, and I maintained the same modest pace and idea all the way down Skyline to
Alice's. 17.8 miles since low fuel warning, no sweat. Top up the tank, take a few photos of Racer, across the street and park. Nice Norton Burger, and I shard the table with another older guy—nice conversation.
And then home: Down 84 from the top is tight and twisty all the way to Woodside. There were a bunch of cars behind me as I started ...
{Don't think of the cars or bikes behind you. SMOOTH, keep the revs up, roll the throttle on, roll the throttle off, TURN HARD HERE, carry it through, flip to the other side, power on... }
Over and over again through the wonderful wigglies, down the hill. No tension in my arms, just light control on the bars. Racer performs this dance beautifully, sensuously: the engine management system is just right and responds to all my inputs with consistent, easy, linear changes as I turn the throttle. It'll lean far further than I'm brave enough to push it just yet.
I pass the Portola Valley Road turn off and glance in my mirrors. Hmm. Where did all those cars go? Just before I go out of sight, I see the one that was right behind me come round the corner. Wow ... Was I really going that fast? I thought I was crawling. Doesn't matter.
Through Woodside, south on 280, and I let Racer spin up to 6000+ through second, third, fourth, then a little less in fifth, then to 4200 in sixth. 80-82 mph. Jeez, and this is supposed to be a slow bike? Maybe it is, but it's fast enough for me—and it sounds so amazing when you rev it out! Shades of the LeMans V but more a baritone than a deep bass. Cruise settles in at 70-75 with traffic all the way back down to Hwy 85, then head north to Sunnyvale and stop to buy a couple of little bits at the Ducati dealer (cable stays ... the Scrambler had nice cable stays on the handlebars and I need a couple for another use). Then wiggle around to Central Expwy and thence home.
Satori. 75 miles, a nice little wiggle and some highway blasting. Lovely day. Happy.
I changed, pulled out the bicycle, and headed off for coffee in downtown San Jose. I should head home now, the sun is going down.
G
—
No matter where you go, go there on a Guzzi.