Hope some of you guys got out on your VFRs today.

Norcalboy got it right, it was a beautiful day to ride today, so I took the VFR out to Napa Valley area. Left Castro Valley around 11 AM and rode up I-80 to Suisun Valley Road to start the real ride. While it was sunny all the way up to Red Top Road, suddenly the skies got dark and cloudy and the temps dropped from 60 deg. to 50...brrrr; it was getting cold as all I was wearing under my Dainese jacket was a thin Under Armor Cold Gear shirt. Time to get off and add some layers and warm up a bit. Got off at Suisun Valley Road in Cordelia to fuel up and have a hot chocolate at Starbucks to warm up a bit. Hung out in Starbucks for about 45 mins. reading (editing slightly) Reg71's nice Penske shock install Wiki article. By then the sun had come out, so it was time to suit up and roll out. I pulled on another layer of polypro, and the electric vest. Rolled out to Suisun Valley Road to Wooden Valley. This road has recently been completely repaved, so it is as smooth as glass with a nice surface, though it was still damp in place where the road was in shadow. Really glad to have the electric vest on now, as while it was sunny, it was cold with air temps at 52 deg. Rode Wooden Vly Rd to the intersection of Hwy 121, then hooked a right and rode 121 to the Corners at the intersection of Hwys 121/128. Stopped and took a shot of the bike:



Two other riders were there, one guy on a GS, and the other on a black ZX14. The ZX rider said he used to have a '98 VFR, which he said he loved, but was now riding the ZX14. Said he really like the bike, but that his back paid the price when getting off the bike. I guess he should have kept his VFR! :wink:

Mounted up and rode west on 128, past Nichelini Winery, and down to Lake Hennessey on Sage Canyon Rd. Rode out to the Silverado Trail, and then into St. Helena. Stopped at Giuni's Italian Deli and got a Black Forest Ham and Provolone sandwich on an onion roll with Giuni Juice...mmmm. Rode over to the Coffee Roastery and had my sandwich and an iced tea while i surfed the net a bit.

Rode out at 4PM to head home. The mustard is out now in the Napa Valley, so I stopped and took this nice photo of the bike with the mustard.



Went back out the way I came in, Sage Canyon to 128, 121 and Wooden Valley. The road was still damp in places on Sage, so discretion was the better part of valor on a road I usually romp on, the V4 making nice growling sounds as a background to the tunes from the iPod. I was impressed with how well the stock suspension worked, even with a laptop and case in the Top Case, the bike handled really nicely. Got home around 5:30 just as it was getting dark.

All in all, it was beautiful day out, and once again, I thoroughly enjoyed riding the VFR.

Hope some of the rest of you got out today, and if so, will put up a ride report to add to this thread.

 

wimp:tongue:

I got out to ride saturday for a few hours.. Longjohns, jeans, sweatshirt,leather Jacket/gloves & helment.. air temp...........38* (max):smile:

 

Hee hee! Yeah, we're wimps here in CA, but everybody gets used to where they live, I guess.

38! Yowch!

So, what you guys in the Midwest to do keep the bottom of your chin from freezing when it's that cold? That's the part of me that gets the coldest in lower temperatures.

 

my shoei helment has a "chin guard" that helps


its my ring & pinky fingers that get cold

 

My Arai has one too, but it seems to help only to a certain extent. I know of some friends who wear a Shampa balaclava.

 

Nice. It just so happened to be nice enough up here in Wa. state that I too got a chance to get out for a while. Ride was a bit brisk, but at least it was dry, all thou the roads where Mmm sandy in a lot of places, so no knee dragging today. When I left it was 46, but when I got home, I was wondering why my toes where feeling a bit odd LOL was 36. damn it felt great to get out, even thou it was limited.

 

Glad you were able to get out, I am sure we have all been feeling like prisoners a bit lately ('cept for those in Oz! :wink

 

Oh, fine. While you are all out enjoying yourselves, I'm picking up tree limbs and blowing off the roof and decks and wheel-barrowing storm debris off to other locations. Boo-hoo, snivel, whine and wimper...

I'm envious. Maybe Monday...

 

Nice story. Good pics. Thanks for sharing. Some Cali warmth would be wonderful right now.
Go up to about 50 in Seattle today. Was out and about for about 3 hours, when all said and done.

 

I went to visit a friend in another town about an hour away and the temp gage on the bike never went north of 39 degrees. I was not quite fully dressed for the occasion and my feet were somewhat frozen by the time I got there. The afternoon ride home was much warmer and more enjoyable.

Wish I would have had the views you had on your ride.

 

This NorthEast corner of Cali is socked in at the moment, clear out into Nev. The fog was thick and temps in the 20s made snow on the ground. Supposed to be in the 40s this week. I'll go out if the roads dry up. I use an under armour neck gaitor to suppliment my chin guard. That 1/2 inch between the jacket and chin guard sure gets cold.

 

Reg71,
That sounds great; I'd be happy to meet you guys in the Hollister area some time in the near future. Let's pick a day when it's going to be reasonably warm! :wink: Maybe we will get a warm spell in February! Maybe I can corral some VFR Norcal guys like Ron (Norcalboy) or some VFR owners from BARF (none of whom I know). My understanding is there are some nice roads that could be ridden around Hollister as well, but I don't know them. Maybe we could do some cafe hopping. Also, I think CART may be doing a test session on a weekend in March that should be free for spectators at Laguna. We could meet up there as well, hang out and maybe ride Laureles Grade to Carmel Valley and thereabouts.

 

You guys are killing me since I cant ride for another 12-15 days.. accident at work /stitches in my hand and thumb . I want to ride so bad .. I just go out to the garage and start the VFR up and let her run a few minutes and rev it up a few times.

Gotta love that V4 sound.

 

Didn't ride the VFR or the sprint Saturday, but I took out the Hawk for a good 4 hr cruise.
I think the high was 30F, & left the house @ 19 or 20F.
Saw about 8 other bikes out as well.
So as long as you don't cut the corners to tight into the pushed aside snow, it was pretty normal riding.

Got to admit it cracks me up when people look @ me & there eyes go bug eyed & then shake there head in disbelief

 

I was out with the BARF Berryessa ride ride on Sunday. Yes, it was a great day.

 

Rode some over the weekend and it wasn't bad. Actually rode to work yesterday. It was 23 when I left home and if I calculated the windchill right that puts it at about 0 degrees at 60 mph. My boss came in today and said, "I see you drove your truck today and not your bike." I told him I try not to do something stupid more than once a week

 

I rode to work today- I think the news said 18 at 6am when I left. The dash said 22. It was cold but I was in waterproof riding pants and coat with warm winter gloves and my Turtle fur Balaclava. It was all worth it tonight when I left work and it was 42. I had me an awesome 100 mile commute home even though I only live 20 miles away. Found a new hilly twisty road with near new asphalt. I love riding when it is cold just for the looks people give you. :loco:

 

I prefer to refer to it as "the ass of granite" since I didn't get the license plate or certificate. Apparently there's no prize for 6,604 miles in 10 days.

Be that as it may, I'm in. Feb I'm out of town the weekend of the 9th/10th and March is pretty open.