Last year at Spearfish, there were about 6 or 8 NT's there. And 1 FJR.
Hope to see more of both this year. And on the basis of my first rally, :tent6: is the way to go.
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I'm Only Looking...
- Thread starter Phil Tarman
- Start date
Hope to see more of both this year. And on the basis of my first rally, :tent6: is the way to go.
OP
OP
Seems like we had about 10 or 12 NTs in '13...and one FJR.
This has been an interesting thread for me. After a couple of weeks of going back and forth and back and forth, I've decided to keep my NT. My wife has been extremely supportive of whatever decision I make. When I think of what I really want to do, the NT makes more sense. To equip the FJ09 the way that I would want, it would be an extra 8-9K with my NT as a trade in. If I really wanted the FJ, I could afford it relatively easily. I'd like to do more longer trips as I enjoyed my trip to Glacier National Park this summer. Riding with three guys with the big BMWs (three 1200s and one 1150) I could keep up pretty well. With $8000 or so, I was aware that I really could take longer trips and still have cash left over for quite a while. I think I had 'bike lust' for a while. Over the weekend I attempted to go up to Hurricane Ridge in Washington State. The roads were free of ice and snow, but the roads had been heavily graveled. I made it up about half way and turned around as I was slipping often and it wasn't much fun. Coming back into the garage at home, my bike was filthy BUT there was no issue with the drive train/shaft. I know if I had a chain bike, I'd be spending some time simply cleaning the chain of the gravel and lubricating it again. Not the worst thing, but the NT really is a more user friendly bike. Thanks for all of the input. I doubt if I will be going to Spearfish as I may be going down Hiway 1 to California this summer instead.
Terry
Terry
I almost said "a dozen NT's". Then I started playing back my mental memories and I could distinctly remember only 8 or so. I could very well have undercounted.
But when you start getting, there are three things that start to go: your eyesight, your hearing, and . . . I forget.
we had 14, here is a picture with 13 lined up, but one NT rider had to leave early. Don't remember who that was. 
OP
OP
Terry, sorry you won't be at Spearfish, but I can assure you that riding US-1 is a pretty good ride. Rick and I got very frustrated with tourists after we left Seaside. Finally, at Hebo, we abandoned 1 and took OR-22 over to Salem and then I-5 down to Yreka, CA. From Yreka, we took CA-96over through Happy Camp until we got CA-299 and took it over to Eureka, then stayed on 101 till we got to Legget, then got back on 1 till we got San Francisco. We got back on 1 at Monterrey and stayed on it till we swapped 1 for CA-154. It was a great ride.
I'd had seen CA-96 from the air when I was working in the oilfield in '79 and would fly myself up I-5 to Eugene to call on a customer. From 8500 feet in a Cessna 172, 99 looked like a road I really wanted to drive. When I started riding a motorcycle 20 years later, I put it on my bucket list of roads I needed to ride. It lived up to all my expectations! The NT worked perfectly on that road!
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Thanks Phil, I haven't planned a trip down Hiway 1 yet, but I will save your post as it sounds like a better ride. BTW, how are you doing with you move and your step down in your work?
Terry
Terry
Have been on ca1 twice now. First time sourh of Monterey it was too foggy to see the water. So second time went later in the day and it was beautiful. If you can go on a weekday. We did first part on a sunday and it was horrible.
The northern part of the PCH between Leggett and San Fran. has more twist and turns in it. The southern half from San Fran to Morro Bay is a more gentle ride with long sweeping Vistas. Gets a bit crowded in Monterey Area. (I have family there) I have ridden it mutipul times and am still enamored with the ride. Plan on taking two or more days for the ride and make sure you take your time and stop at the things along the route. Also you might want to take a slight detour to Alice's Restaurant 
on SkyLine Blvd just north of Santa Cruse at Woodside. Cool Place. http://www.alicesrestaurant.com/ .On your way south if you jog over to Hollister you could take a tour through the Corbin Motorcycle seat factory.
(I think they still give tours) http://corbin.com/california.shtml It is a great ride and lots to see. Just remember to keep your eyes on the road and take your time. O I forgot there is/was a great restaurant in Big Sur called Big Sur River Inn. 
. Have fun and enjoy your self but most of all be safe.
on SkyLine Blvd just north of Santa Cruse at Woodside. Cool Place. http://www.alicesrestaurant.com/ .On your way south if you jog over to Hollister you could take a tour through the Corbin Motorcycle seat factory.(I think they still give tours) http://corbin.com/california.shtml It is a great ride and lots to see. Just remember to keep your eyes on the road and take your time. O I forgot there is/was a great restaurant in Big Sur called Big Sur River Inn. . Have fun and enjoy your self but most of all be safe.
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The Big Sur Inn was still there last spring when we went through.
OP
OP
Terry, the move has gone well and we're almost through with the inevitable fix-up projects that go with moving into a "new" previously-owned home. A guy's here now working on a door and another guy's coming Monday to re-repair the dishwasher he repaired last week. Other than some light fixture and electrical outlet installations in the basement that won't happen for a few months, that does it. At least for now.
As far as the step-down from work, I started a new job this week. I'm the flex-time backup chaplain for the Hospice and Palliative Care of Northern Colorado. I'll be backing up the full-time chaplain and I don't have to work if I've got other plans. They know I'll be doing some traveling and won't always be available, but the pay's enough to cover some of that travel.
OP
OP
Terry, I forgot to mention the Ragged Point Inn and Restaurant on US-1. It's about 50 miles south of Big Sur. It's beautifully landscaped, a really good restaurant and looked like it would be a great place to spend a night and some down time.
Rick and I were on the clock for my Four Corners Ride when we were there, so we only spent a couple of hours walking around and eating a relaxing meal. It was a high point for me.
Rick and I were on the clock for my Four Corners Ride when we were there, so we only spent a couple of hours walking around and eating a relaxing meal. It was a high point for me.
This is terrific information and I'm planning on going. Phil, good for you to keep your skills as a chaplain active, but not full time. Thanks all.
Terry
Terry
Just printed out this page and will start my planning. Is May a good time to go down PCH?
Terry
Terry
junglejim
Site Supporter
Me too. My buddy Mitch and I are riding out to CA in late summer and we will sure benefit from the tips posted above. We probably won't leave till the last week in Aug and will l hope to ride at least two weeks. We don't have an exact route yet and probably won't till the wheels are turning. The general plan is to go to the Black Hills first, then CO and west to CA, OR, and WA. I'm retired and he has over 4 weeks of vacation saved up (but his wife has claimed a couple of them). I hope to hit the higher traffic areas (CA) AFTER Labor Day in hopes that a lot of tourists would be home by then.
Thanks, Phil, Charlie, and Chuck
Thanks, Phil, Charlie, and Chuck
May would be a little chilly in the morning with some morning fog but will burn off and warm up. Remember one is on the coast and it is a lot cooler there than inland.
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OP
OP
And, as Mark Twain once said, "The coldest winter I ever spent was in June in San Francisco."
Back in '78, my family and I flew to San Francisco on Memorial Day Weekend to look at Santa Rosa, Cloverdale, and Healdsburg as possible places to live if I took a promotion with my company in the oilfield. We spent a day looking up north of San Francisco and then spent the weekend in "the City." We were coming from Corpus Christi, TX, and were totally unprepared for how cold it was along the coast in northern California. Even though it warms up quickly when you get away from the water, it'll be cold along US1 in May.
Back in '78, my family and I flew to San Francisco on Memorial Day Weekend to look at Santa Rosa, Cloverdale, and Healdsburg as possible places to live if I took a promotion with my company in the oilfield. We spent a day looking up north of San Francisco and then spent the weekend in "the City." We were coming from Corpus Christi, TX, and were totally unprepared for how cold it was along the coast in northern California. Even though it warms up quickly when you get away from the water, it'll be cold along US1 in May.
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junglejim
Site Supporter
Do you mean CA 99 or CA 96????
OP
OP
Oops! Thanks! State highway numbers are really small sometimes in MS Streets & Trips. I meant CA96. I'll go back and change it in the first post in which I mentioned it.
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OP
OP
Kinda' sorta' back to the original core-subject of this thread -- not so much that I'm looking but more what it is that makes us happy with our motorcycles. I was reading an interesting article on Motocycle Online (http://www.motorcycle.com/features/head-shake-wisdom-robert-m-pirsig.html) when I came across this quote from Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: "“The test of the machine is the satisfaction it gives you. There isn’t any other test. If the machine produces tranquility it’s right. If it disturbs you it’s wrong until either the machine or your mind is changed.” – R. Pirsig
Another great quote from Pirsig is this one: "The real cycle you're working on is a cycle called yourself."
At the stage of my life where I am now, the NT helps me work on myself as well as anything I can imagine. It produces tranquility for me. It's right.
Another great quote from Pirsig is this one: "The real cycle you're working on is a cycle called yourself."
At the stage of my life where I am now, the NT helps me work on myself as well as anything I can imagine. It produces tranquility for me. It's right.