RedTwinDiary Chapter 3

Considering last night's incessant rain, I figured today wouldn't pan out
for taking another ride on the RedTwin.
So I got up and went helmet shopping, finding a nice new helmet. Yellow
Arai, as a reminder of Joey. My old Shoei is getting stinky, and my old Arai
died while saving my life.
http://colevalley.net/vtr_deer/

But by 9:30 or so this AM, I was convinced I wouldn't get drenched if I
headed up the coast on a "bakery run" (the other reason for riding in Marin
county on weekends).
I packed my small collection of suspension tools into the Aerostich
then....finished gearing up, gassed up, and headed north, over the majestic
Golden Gate Bridge then over Mount Tamalpais to the coast road ( recently
regraded and repaved, thank you Caltrans!) through Stinson Beach then around
the Bolinas Lagoon where a kingfisher watched me roar by.
Then through the dark eucalyptus zipgyzaggyness of Thirteen Turns out on to
the oak and savannah pastures where a 250 lb buck nearly pulverized me a
couple years back.
http://colevalley.net/five_twenty/
Finally rolling in to Point Reyes Station where I was hoping to see some of
my weekend AM associates hanging out and talking bikes at the Bovine Bakery.
Well , dang, I'd just have to enjoy my jalapeno scone all by myself since
the place was deserted save a few moon unitized local Marinites just back
from a harmonic convergence in a hot tub.
There were dozens of those "other bikers", all spandexed up like middle aged
superheros with weird shoes and zotto sunglasses.
I lingered on my scone till it was evident I wasn't impressing anyone with
my RedTwin in that place.

I spun up the highway along the bay thoroughly enjoying those luscious
switch backs to the banality of Tomales where I got a proper ovation from
the Tomales Bakery staff.( They are mostly Italian after all).
Everyone approved greatly of my new riding companion, and that even got me a
complimentary cheese twist and a fresh cuppa joe before I got back to
serious road roaring and got a little more acquainted with the RedTwin.
Still more of hose spandex superheros and no motorcyclists in sight...
Impressions of RedTwin:
It reminds me a lot of my VTR, but as if it married my little 851 for it's
plush yet unnervable suspension, and "big ass" planted-ness.
It needs a bit more muscling about at turning points, but won't break a
line till you're ready to make the next transition.
Solid is a good word for it.
The motor is not strange to me at all, having been aboard a few big twins
for many miles. It has some snap for a twin though , not a lunging, catching
up kind of twin either. The gears above 3 are still a mystery though as I
only once need to shift that high between home and out there.
It may not be the right tool to make a cross continental trip, but that
wasn't the idea for me anyway. (Can you say BMW?)
I already signed up for a track day this coming March, and I really can't
wait to get out somewhere where the turns are really w i d e.
I'm quite happy to have made the deal for it, and no regrets about letting
the R1 go. It's with someone who has an affinity for inline 4's, and I am
glad to be back to two cylinders.
I suppose it's going to rain tomorrow though, the little drops are already
pattering my windows.
But maybe it'll just blow through...

--
Jim S.
Ducati 916
BMW R1100RS

"Jim S." <idunno DeleteThis @youdunno.either> wrote in message
news:hYGdnbtYs5FfbwbanZ2dnUVZ_hGdnZ2d@comcast.com...
> Considering last night's incessant rain, I figured today wouldn't pan out
> for taking another ride on the RedTwin.
> So I got up and went helmet shopping, finding a nice new helmet. Yellow
> Arai, as a reminder of Joey. My old Shoei is getting stinky, and my old
> Arai died while saving my life.
> http://colevalley.net/vtr_deer/
>
> But by 9:30 or so this AM, I was convinced I wouldn't get drenched if I
> headed up the coast on a "bakery run" (the other reason for riding in
> Marin county on weekends).
> I packed my small collection of suspension tools into the Aerostich
> then....finished gearing up, gassed up, and headed north, over the
> majestic Golden Gate Bridge then over Mount Tamalpais to the coast road
> ( recently regraded and repaved, thank you Caltrans!) through Stinson
> Beach then around the Bolinas Lagoon where a kingfisher watched me roar
> by.
> Then through the dark eucalyptus zipgyzaggyness of Thirteen Turns out on
> to the oak and savannah pastures where a 250 lb buck nearly pulverized me
> a couple years back.
> http://colevalley.net/five_twenty/
> Finally rolling in to Point Reyes Station where I was hoping to see some
> of my weekend AM associates hanging out and talking bikes at the Bovine
> Bakery.
> Well , dang, I'd just have to enjoy my jalapeno scone all by myself since
> the place was deserted save a few moon unitized local Marinites just back
> from a harmonic convergence in a hot tub.
> There were dozens of those "other bikers", all spandexed up like middle
> aged superheros with weird shoes and zotto sunglasses.
> I lingered on my scone till it was evident I wasn't impressing anyone with
> my RedTwin in that place.
>
> I spun up the highway along the bay thoroughly enjoying those luscious
> switch backs to the banality of Tomales where I got a proper ovation from
> the Tomales Bakery staff.( They are mostly Italian after all).
> Everyone approved greatly of my new riding companion, and that even got me
> a complimentary cheese twist and a fresh cuppa joe before I got back to
> serious road roaring and got a little more acquainted with the RedTwin.
> Still more of hose spandex superheros and no motorcyclists in sight...
> Impressions of RedTwin:
> It reminds me a lot of my VTR, but as if it married my little 851 for
> it's plush yet unnervable suspension, and "big ass" planted-ness.
> It needs a bit more muscling about at turning points, but won't break a
> line till you're ready to make the next transition.
> Solid is a good word for it.
> The motor is not strange to me at all, having been aboard a few big twins
> for many miles. It has some snap for a twin though , not a lunging,
> catching up kind of twin either. The gears above 3 are still a mystery
> though as I only once need to shift that high between home and out there.
> It may not be the right tool to make a cross continental trip, but that
> wasn't the idea for me anyway. (Can you say BMW?)
> I already signed up for a track day this coming March, and I really can't
> wait to get out somewhere where the turns are really w i d e.
> I'm quite happy to have made the deal for it, and no regrets about letting
> the R1 go. It's with someone who has an affinity for inline 4's, and I am
> glad to be back to two cylinders.
> I suppose it's going to rain tomorrow though, the little drops are already
> pattering my windows.
> But maybe it'll just blow through...
>
> --
> Jim S.
> Ducati 916
> BMW R1100RS


No snip. Bravo!!! Best motorcycle post in while.

I've only been to Stinson Beach once. NoCal is the best place I've ever
lived.

And you are not helping me resist the urge/lust/desire/bad decision to buy a
Duc.