Where did you ride your Super X today?

[Jumper]

Gotta say... The thin white walls look good!
Jumper

[Donkey Hotey]

Thanks for noticing. Those are the new Dunlop American Elites. In the past, the only narrow whitewall I could still find was the Dunlop D402 tires. They happened to also have Harley Davidson embossed on the sidewall. Dunlop got smart and made some more agnostic tires for the rest of us.

I wanted just a hint of white, to pick up the white on the tank logo but not so much that it was the first thing you noticed.

[Donkey Hotey]

It's winter, with all the normal cold and rain that comes with it. We've still had some warm days sneak in. If it gets out of the low 50s and the sun is out, I'm game for a short ride.

Predictably: 738 is closest to the door and has a windshield so she was the choice last Saturday afternoon. We did a short 100 miles of general meandering through the local forest and mountains. The picture is from Pine Canyon Road, looking out across Antelope Valley, toward the Tehachapi Mountains and the Mojave wind farm in the upper right distance (that's where they grow wind to keep us cool during the summer).

A sharp eye will notice that she still has her stock plastic air cleaner housing. Yes, that means the stock throttle body bracket is still in there too--after 10K miles! I have no clue how or why this one survived but it has.

[Donkey Hotey]

Another mildly rideable day and another 250 miles on Babe. Rode one of my lazy routes along the San Andreas Fault, out to the Cuyama valley. From there, the plan was to turn south on Hwy 33. After surviving a chains checkpoint (on a 50+ degree, dry day!) we were eventually thwarted by a closed California highway 33.

The first shot is one of my favorite picture spots, crossing this last little valley that literally flanks the San Andreas fault (the ravine on the other side of the hill). The second is further west, also on Hudson Ranch Road, overlooking the farms of the Cuyama Valley and the wrinkled hills of the Temblor range (part of the fault).

After the road closure was discovered, it was back through the San Joaquin Valley where it was very hazy and cold. First half of the ride: good. Return: just okay.

[rt66john]

Finally got out a couple of Saturdays ago.  Took a ride along Route 66 in IL. 

First pic is outside a burger / hot dog joint in Wilmington.  The second is a few miles down the road at another hot dog / burger / ice cream joint in Braidwood.  The third is of an old cinder block two-cell jail in Gardner.

[wytfut]

Thought for sure John u we're gonna say 3rd burger......

[franknsr]

First pic is outside a burger / hot dog joint in Wilmington. 

The Launching Pad! Is that place open again by chance?

[rt66john]

First pic is outside a burger / hot dog joint in Wilmington. 

The Launching Pad! Is that place open again by chance?

Yes.  It's under new ownership.  They had their grand opening this past weekend.

[rt66john]

ABATE of IL held it's annual Freedom Rally this past Sunday.  I rode #2016 from Joliet to Springfield and back on a gorgeous Sunday; 350-ish miles.

[Donkey Hotey]

Damn! A picture thread and no recent pictures. Well, time to catch up.

A couple of weeks back, Babe (738) was out for a nice afternoon 300 mile ride. Victory Jon of Highwayphotos.net was at his usual spot on Mulholland Highway. I've decided to get a photo of every one of my bikes, sooner or later so there we are, enjoying the Saturday afternoon.

[Donkey Hotey]

A friend told me that night that he was going to ride up Angeles Crest Highway for breakfast and to check out the bikes; was I interested? Beulah (333) hadn't been out in awhile and needed fresh gas so off we went.

Unfortunately, her day ended on a tow truck. The clear fuel hose on the pump assembly cracked open and spewed all of her fuel pressure back into the tank. It was still a good morning for her and this prompted me to remove the tank and finally get around to finishing the paint touch-up I've been working on.

[Donkey Hotey]

Having not bought a bike in almost a year, I did the only logical thing: drove 2,100 miles to Wisconsin to adopt a green / oyster 2000. That's the color I walked into the dealer wanting back in 2000, before ending up with my red / oyster (which I don't regret). Nonetheless, the green is pretty and she was worth every mile to retrieve her.

And after 19 years of personal ownership, the factory in Belle Plaine was a must-see on the route home. My original plans had me getting there late in the day on Sunday for sunset shots but, time caught up to me and it became an overnight stay.

Nobody batted an eye as I unloaded the trailer on the lawn behind the building. A few knowingly waved. A local cop drove up as I was parked in the no-parking zone at the corner of the property for one last shot of my van, trailer and bike. She also waved and smiled.

A fine job on that building Dan. As you said in your book, it looks more expensive than it probably was but, those were brilliant choices on the gingerbread and details to dress it up. Oh, what could have been...

[Donkey Hotey]

Her next stop was a short one in Beulah, Wyoming for a burger and fries at Gregg Forsberg's 333 saloon. An inquiry as to the possible whereabouts of Beulah's crate end turned out to be fruitless but, it was a nice stop nonetheless. I spotted her old license plate nailed to a beam above the bar.

The next stop for her was Cody, Wyoming, to ride Chief Joseph Scenic Byway and Beartooth Highway between Cooke City and Red Lodge, Montana. If there is a better motorcycle road on this planet, I haven't seen it. Somehow, I got two, back-to-back days of warmth and sunshine. Even cresting Beartooth pass above 10K feet, it was still t-shirt weather. I've now crossed that road off the bucket list but, I will return.

On this ride, 1940 found her own name (as they all do). The recurring theme driving across the country was stopping over and over at Sinclair gas stations where I was greeted by their smiling green dinosaur. Since this one is green and got her fill-up in Red Lodge, Montana at a Sinclair station, the name seemed fitting.

[Donkey Hotey]

A glance at a map of Wyoming will show that the two roads I just mentioned are outside the north-east entrance to Yellowstone National Park. Not having ever been in my life, this was to be my chance. The next day, I rolled out of Cody before dawn, bound for Chief Joseph and Beartooth one more time, before going into Yellowstone for the day.

It was a typical day in Yellowstone: distracted drivers, traffic and awful smells belching out of the earth. Nonetheless, Sinclair was a fine ride and we didn't return to Cody until after 9:00 PM. It was quite the day.

[Donkey Hotey]

Upon returning home to southern California, Sinclair needed one last ride to round out the week of goodness. I took my usual loop of So Cal bike haunts: Newcomb's Ranch (Angeles Crest Highway) for lunch, The Rock Store (Mulholland Highway) for a Gatorade, up Pacific Coast Highway to Highway 33 through Ojai and up to Lockwood Valley. In all, Sinclair came up 30 miles shy of an even thousand miles in seven days.