Ride report for April 3rd ride.

Well hello everyone and happy spring to all and Daylight Savings time!

Oh, where does the time go these days! Our April 3rd ride was an interesting mix of pleasure and mishap.

We gathered at the Corners around 10A.M. Let’s see, nineteen bikes gathered at the start of the ride. Two riders decided to pass on the ride, one due to an over used front tire and the other rider decided to hit the coastline. Don from the Nor Cal group split us into two groups: (A) fast and (B) not so fast. George led the fast group on his Sprint ST with 11 bikes in the group. Sam our only non-Triumph picked up the chaser mode on a Norton! The second group was lead by Mike on his Blue Bonnie and Don road in the rear as the Chaser.

After hob-knobbing around the bikes to admire some pretties in the group (Don’s Café modified Adventurer to mention one of them) Nice….kid, we headed off looking for the pleasant twisties up ahead of us. We had to cross perhaps seven little streams (paved I believed). Some of us weren’t too sure how that is done, although after getting my feet wet once, they went up on the tank crossing the other six streams. George stopped at a clearing where there was an old Cinnabar mine that was mined for gold a long time ago. He explained the mine to us as we waited for the second group of riders to come along. Alas, Mike strides up to us letting us know that on the Tigers was having a hissy- fit about getting its paws wet and decided not to start after crossing the stream. Chris’s Silver Tiger was now having difficulty with low rpm’s. Chris continued to limp his fussy cat along the ride.

When we re-grouped at a Shell station, Douglas on the BRG ST, realized he had lost his wallet somewhere along the way. Considering that the only place we had really stopped was the corners, he headed back that way and left the group.

From here, we headed north on Hwy 53, then turned onto Hwy 20 to ride more sweepers. Things were looking good, nice roads, hawks in the sky and a fun group of riders. At some point, Sam the Chaser on the Norton decided to pass leader, not too sure why this was, anyway, I noticed the bag he had strapped on his bike was coming loose from his seat and started to go after him in the passing lane. Scott saw what was happening as well and took over the chase from me but we couldn’t catch him in time. His bag was already hanging and bouncing from his rear tire to the group and about the time Scott was behind him everything let loose out of the bag. Scott backed off, but not before a part grazed his helmet and I saw wrenched bouncing towards me as well. George was in the right lane and I’m sure he didn’t see the screwdriver coming towards his bike. As we continued along and now Sam was out of sight, George’s ST started smoking something awful. Yup, you guessed it, stabbed by the screwdriver the ST was. George miraculously was able to pull over when he figured out it was his bike emitting the smoke. Pulling off the road with oil just gushing from his bike and the entire front end covered in oil, this man is one talented rider. We couldn’t figure out how he didn’t go down after a good look at his bike. The second group showed up soon and stared wide eyes in amazement at the bike.

Sam returned a little while later, realizing that something was wrong. I think he felt as though he was about to be lynched (being on a Norton and all), but accidents happen… don’t they????

Only one of our phones had service (so much for the range they talk about with cell phones) and the tow service was called for George’s poor ST. Chris also called for service because his Tigger had still not gotten over getting her feet wet.

The rest of us decided to continue the ride. This left George, Chris and Sam to wait for their tow. We headed for the Cache Creek Indian Casino for lunch but that didn’t happen due to there being too many people there. We didn’t account to the Social Security Checks that were cashed just recently, so the place was mobbed. We rode to winters and had lunch at the Putah Creek Café, where the ride ended.

On a happy note…. Douglas found his wallet at the Corners store, Chris’s finicky Tiger was diagnosed with a wet air filter and Tiger pawed out of there, and Sam didn’t get Lynched and he and George are working together to get the ST sorted out.

Now…That’s a happy ending folks….

Until next month, ride safe and watch those Norton as they pass you. Hee hee.

Next meeting: April 28th at the Englander in San Leandro

Pack leader,