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Tourer
Posts: 550
Tacoma, WA | I have enjoyed the rides folks have posted on here , so I thought I would write about the one that I took Friday with my Dad, and my Uncle.
First off, they live about 3.5 hours from me, and we do rides like this when I have a Friday off, just to meet up, ride some, and have a bit of conversation over a cholesterol burger.
The day started off warm, and sunny, forecast to be unseasonably warm....I took this with a grain of salt, considering that less than a month ago we had snow showers... We were to meet up at 12:00 noon, in a small town called Morton, in the Cascade mountains. I headed South, out of the city of Tacoma, and on down to HWY 7, towards the GREEN mountainside. There was little traffic, and that was a good sign for the day, as I made good time, rolling on the throttle here and there just to feel the breeze. I got to the foothills, and shifted down for some 30, 25, and 20 mile per hour twisties that signalled the ascent towards a small town called Elbe. There were some great scenic views on the way, like the Alder lake dam
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v240/metalguy/IMG_0997.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v240/metalguy/IMG_0999.jpg
and just some great scenery
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v240/metalguy/IMG_1001.jpg
But some of the best were the CORNERS!!
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v240/metalguy/IMG_1000.jpg
The rest of the trip through Elbe, and on to Morton was uneventful, except when I slowed for the town's speed limit of 25MPH, I felt the heat of the engine! Wow! I thought, "Now why is there so much??? Well, looking at the temp (ambient) told me why: 92 degrees! ANY bike sheds massive amounts of heat at that temp! Duh. Well, I rolled into Morton at 12, and sat to enjoy a cold pop, waiting for my Dad. I had several folks ask me about the bike, and comment on its style, and percieved comfort. They rolled in about 12:30, and we had a good visit for a few, then headed back to Elbe to eat a "Scale shack" Burger. Smiles all around! It was only 86 degrees there!!!
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v240/metalguy/IMG_0994.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v240/metalguy/IMG_0996.jpg
(My 75 year old Goldwing riding Dad is the guy on the left!
I am the guy below on the left!!!
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v240/metalguy/IMG_0992.jpg
Anywho, we had some good food, and had to part ways. I took a couple of short videos of a bit of the road:
http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v240/metalguy/?action=view¤...
http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v240/metalguy/?action=view¤...
I tell ya, this is one great bike. Well, I hope you like it. I sure did!!!
------Metalguy
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Visionary
Posts: 8144
New Bohemia, VA | Thanks for sharing MetalGuy. It is great that you and your dad and your uncle get out and ride together. Good for you. The better half and I took about a 4 hour ride today, it was such a nice day here too as well. | |
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Tourer
Posts: 332
Dale, Indiana | Good video metalguy.
Got the feeling I was there thanks to Vision transmission and motor sounds.
Wife and I took a short cruise today.
Made 3 stops and drew people at all of them.
Did have to disconnect and reconnect the battery once since all the electronics died at one of the stops.
More riding tomorrow before dropping the bike off at the dealer.
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Tourer
Posts: 320
Savannah, GA -Year round riding!! Yay! | Oh, Metalguy... you're killing me! Twisties? Changes in altitude? What is this? Here is what I did today..... http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&hl=en&geocode=2006946682914... Beautiful day for it, 82 degrees, but flat, straight and boring compared to yours!!! (Thanks for posting. Now I'm really jonesing for our trip to the North Carolina mountains next month!!) | |
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Visionary
Posts: 8144
New Bohemia, VA |
Okay GAtrixieGirl you had to start it. To see the ride the wife and took, check out the link.
View Larger Map
Edited by varyder 2008-05-17 11:28 PM
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Visionary
Posts: 1324
So Cal | Nice writeup metalguy. Your dad doesnt look his age. Hope you inherited some of his genes.
Ga, Va even the concrete jungle is a fun ride on a Vision! | |
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Tourer
Posts: 320
Savannah, GA -Year round riding!! Yay! | You're killing me, Chris.....you're killing me.... 
I grew up in Lynchburg, VA. I wish I had went front seat when I lived up there. We periodically go to visit my parents up there and ride the mountains. This is one of my favorite day loops:
View Larger Map | |
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Tourer
Posts: 320
Savannah, GA -Year round riding!! Yay! | "Here, here!" to that, CJ. Even the long flat roads of the salt marshes are exciting on a Vision. Don't get me wrong, I love the area I live in. I just jones for some twisties every now and then. I haven't had any since last year. I'm getting twitchy.... (Thanks, metalguy, for posting the pics and videos. Do you know how many times I have watched those videos now? I've been leaning on the couch, making floorboard scraping sounds....)  | |
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Cruiser
Posts: 88
Billings, MT | Okay, you all started this. I got to take copilot out with me today. first real road trip for her in 3 years!
I decide on a quick ride for her. http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&hl=en&geocode=&saddr=Billings,+mt&daddr=lovell,+wy+to:greybull,wy+to:shell,+wy+to:ranchester,wy+to:crow+agency,+mt+to:billings,mt&mra=pi&mrcr=5&dirflg=h&sll=45.135555,-107.869263&sspn=2.371534,5.339355&ie=UTF8&z=8 We left town at 1:30 pm, 88 degrees, went up some 6000 feet, down some 30 degrees, down 6000 feet, up 30 degrees, got back home at 6:45 pm. Damn the Vision is awesome!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Passing cars two up at 90+ is something we are not accustomed to doing, my old bike was only 600cc and 45 hp! | |
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Iron Butt
Posts: 732
Western WA | Isn't that an awesome ride Metalguy? That is one of our favorites!
We played hookey on Thursday, left early that morning and dropped down to Tacoma with the intent of continuing south and west to Ocean Shores for lunch. When we got to Aberdeen the day was so nice and the bike was so great that I asked the wife if she felt like a little longer ride, and she said she was. I said, "Like maybe a really long ride?" She said she was up for anything so I took her at her word.
We wound up doing the Hwy 101 loop around the Olympic Peninsula. Stopped at the Hoh Rain Forest, the beach at Klaloch and didn't get home until about 10:30 that night. All in all about 14 hours.
Did I mention we LOVE the Vision? | |
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Tourer
Posts: 550
Tacoma, WA | Breaker, It is one of my favorite rides, yes. I also enjoy Mt. Saint Helens, too, and continuing down to the Columbia.
Gagirltrixie, That was my first attempt at trying to video while riding....keep in mind that I had the camera in one hand, and the other one on the handlebar......I was taking the corners fairly slowly. Fun ride, fer sure! Breaker, I would like to do the 101 peninsula loop. Have yet to do that one. I am also waiting for chinook pass to open, as that is a wonderful ride!-----Metalguy | |
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Cruiser
Posts: 235
Evergreen, CO | Metalguy -
Since you said you have ridden Mt St Helens, did you ride the east side, west side, or both? I'm planning a trip there in early August, and am wondering if you have a recommendation as to which side is the better one to take?
Baddog69 -
Have you ridden Beartooth Hwy (south of Red Lodge) yet? I've been over it in a car a number of times, and once on my old Harley a number of years ago. Planning to ride this one also this summer. It is one of the greatest roads I've ever been on, and am GREATLY looking forward to it. | |
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Iron Butt
Posts: 732
Western WA | Metalguy -
Take the run up to Crystal Mountain if you get a chance before the pass opens. No skiers above Greenwater because the Mtn. is closed - just smooth open road.
space cowboy -
I can't answer for Metalguy, but I've ridden both (although not on the Vision - should be doing that in a couple of weeks). The west side it incredibly engineered, smooth, sweeping curves and great scenery. The east side, (Windy Ridge), is chock full of twisties, narrow, and not maintained the best in the world. Big potholes, rocks on the road, no guardrails but SPECTACULAR scenery. If you ride that side, do it fairly early in the morning - like before 11 AM - on a weekday. Otherwise you get a lot of tourists stopping on blind curves and sport bike packs blasting by you. But it is well worth the visit.
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Tourer
Posts: 550
Tacoma, WA | Space Cowboy - nope, never did the west side, but I LOVED the East side! It was cold as hell when I did it, and it was on my chopped Honda, so I am sure i will enjoy it more on my Vision! I am from Yakima originally, so I am a bit biased toward the "dry" side of the state. -----Metalguy | |
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Tourer
Posts: 537
, FL United States | I live in flat FL. Nice of little back roads here. I can not wait until Nov when we go back to the Smokys on vacation. | |
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Friday mountain ride