Ride to Laguna Seca with Dad

[lazyeye]

Lets set the wayback machine for 2010. I was a new rider and was avidly reading motorcycle forums looking for items of interest to my new obsession. One trip report stood out above all the rest though and the idea took hold like a cancer; a story of a group of friends riding sportbikes through many of the destination highways in the NorthWest on the way to MotoGP in Laguna Seca.

 

Every year I had a different excuse, no time off from work, my bike wasn't reliable enough, or other obligations. This year though everything fell into place and when my friends asked me if I wanted to go I said an emphatic "yes!". MotoGP doesn't come to Laguna Seca anymore, but World SuperBike and MotoAmerica fill that gap. Early in the year I booked the motel and bought the tickets along with purchasing a beautiful leftover 2014 Honda Interceptor Deluxe. For months I poured over different possible routes to choose the best highways that Northern California has to offer.

 

 

Basically the plan was to leave after work Tuesday the 5th and slab it down to southern Oregon to meet my dad (2014 FJR1300). Wednesday the 6th we would slab down to Highway 89 and ride through Lassen Park, then into Red Bluff for the night. Thursday the 7th we planned to ride Ca-36 to the coast, then down the coast to Windsor for the night. Friday we would get the photo OP at the Golden Gate Bridge, ride Ca-84, eat at Alice's Restaurant, and ride the rest of the way to Salinas near Mazda Raceway where we would stay for the weekend.

 

My slab ride down was uneventful as always, barely making it through the mountains with light left in the sky. I arrived at my parents house, did chain maintenance, and went to bed.

Pictured: Dad and I with our expensive hats, and the motorcycles that came with them.

 

Wednesday morning my Mom rode with us out to our first fuel stop on her Kawasaki Vulcan 500, we all said our goodbyes and departed. This was the first trip we had taken using Sena headsets, and we spent most of the first day getting to know the technology. Unfortunately my helmet is too noisy to comfortably wear without earplugs, but with earplugs in I can't hear the Sena. A Catch-22 that gave me problems throughout the trip.

 

Through Weed California we encountered our first road construction delay. While waiting in the heat on hot bikes we remembered that California allows lane splitting. Thus we lane split for the first time in California until we were past the construction zone and once again rode in freedom from the crowd. By Mt Shasta city we were Beary Hungry and stopped for lunch at the Black Bear Diner.

 

Highway 89 out towards Lassen is a pretty mountain highway, more curvy than twisty, and often more straight than curvy. The views are great though. We hit our second bought of road construction half an hour into the ride, but due to my constant passing of other vehicles we were at the front of the line of traffic that got stopped, and got to wait in the shade while talking with the flagger about the local area.

 

Near Lassen we visited a Vista Point that offered a lackluster Vista due to the trees. But it was a good opportunity to drink water and stretch.

 

Lassen park itself sits on Highway 89 and 44. To ride 89 all the way through the park requires that you pay $15 for a motorcycle pass although Dad got in for free as a senior.

 

Was $15 worth it? Absolutely. The road through Lassen was fun and twisty, and I got to take pictures like this.

and this

 

Below the summit there's a nice little meadow with a stream running through it. While trying to take a good picture of the meadow a couple from Colorado with a Ural and sidecar in their trailer stopped and talked to my Dad. You meet the nicest people on a Honda.

 

 

Highway 89 is definitely worth riding. It climbs all the way to 8000 feet, where there's a trailhead to climb the rest of the way to the peak, then descends past a beautiful blue glacier lake and into the forest. We continued onto Highway 36 towards Red Bluff. This section of highway is fast, curvy, and fun. As we dropped into the valley the temperatures rose from a chilly 55 at the peak gradually towards 90 and I was thankful for my mesh jacket.

 

After getting slightly lost, then completely failing at getting my phone to talk to my Sena headset to guide me, we found our Hotel and checked in. I chugged the bottle of water they gave me at the check in counter, then they told us we could park our bikes right outside the main lobby under the carport overhang.

We got some pretty decent Mexican food, drank way too much Dos Equis Amber, then went to bed. The next morning we talked to a Canadian gentleman with a Sprint ST who like us was on his way to Highway 36 and on to Laguna Seca. You meet the nicest people on a Honda.

 

There's a sign at the entrance to Highway 36 that most riders should have seen at one point or another. It advises curvy roads for the next 140 miles, countless sportbike riders have posed with it over the years. Dad and I wanted to get the photo-op there, but its gone. CalTrans put up a new boring text only sign a few yards ahead of where it was and removed it. I even made Dad follow me on a side trip on the way home to hunt for the sign, but its gone.

 

Photo Op aside Highway 36 to the coast lives up to all the hype. This was the piece de resistance of the trip. Ca-36 is the kind of road that defines sport riding. The beginning on the east side starts with some basic back and forth 35-45mph marked corners then turns into a roller coaster of up and down side to side as you enter the rolling hills. Farther on the road starts climbing into the mountains and you get to do some serious canyon carving.

 

Along the top of the mountains is a beautiful section of S corners that seems to last forever before the road descends down to the junction with highway 3. Further along the road follows a river before climbing into the coastal range. Just past Mad River CalTrans has repaved the road, but didn't see fit to paint a center stripe yet. Going through the corners and through the up and down I had to stick to the fog lane, as oncoming trucks with trailers were taking up the whole lane. The section through the coastal range is in bad shape and was a bit tiring to ride. While waiting for Dad near the end I talked with a gentleman from Canada on a Star cruiser about routes and which roads we had gone through. You meet the nicest people on a Honda.

 

After Bridgeville the road is still fun but the traffic picks up from all the camp sites in the area. If I was planning to do an out and back from Red Bluff, I would probably turn around here and head back. Regarding gasoline availability and the mythic "gas gap" on 36, I'm pleased to say it isn't so. Gas is available at Mad River, Platina, and maybe some of the other little towns along the way, just remember to bring a bottle of octane booster if your bike needs it. Personally the Interceptor gets great mileage (even at a sporty pace), can drink regular if need be, and has a 5.2 gallon tank.

 

After 36, 101 was slow and crowded. There were quite a few RVs and other traffic. We ran across more road construction and had to go bumper to bumper, as there wasn't enough room to split lanes. Towards wine country traffic picked up and congealed, our last hour on the road was fairly miserable dealing with rush hour and trying to find our hotel. The temperature had come up quite a bit from the Fortuna area and we shed layers. Once again the people at Holiday Inn Express gave us premium parking spots, this time in their secure parking structure.

 

The intent of the next morning was to get a Photo Op at the Golden Gate Bridge. The commute down 101 during rush hour traffic was a harrowing combination of 80+ mph and bumper to bumper rush hour traffic.  Make no mistake, I've dragged knee at near 100mph with nothing between me and the ground but 3mm of leather and thermoplastic, but this was scarier. After getting lost once we found the viewpoint and discovered the whole bay was locked in with fog.

 

Following the direction my phone was relaying through my headset I got lost just past the bridge because I doubted the GPS directing me to get off 101 South, then get onto 101 North. As it turns out you have to take a circuitous route off/on/off the highway, then follow surface streets all the way through the city to get to a freeway. I've had enough of San Francisco for a lifetime and I only spent an hour driving through it. After the crush of surface streets the wide open 280 Freeway was a welcome relief. Traffic was moving freely out of the city and in a short time we arrived at CA-84.

 

La Honda road starts out slow, stop and go through a small town, then it climbs the hill which would be really fun had we not been trapped behind a handful of slow trucks. The road come to a fork where you'll find Alice's Restaurant (not THE Alice's, but named after it). The parking lot was fairly full of nice bikes, many loaded with luggage presumably for the trip to Laguna Seca.

 

Talking to the waitress at Alice's we learned that on a typical weekend, the entire parking area and most of the shoulders around Alice's are packed with bikes. Keeping with my motto of "You meet the nicest people on a Honda" I talked to some of the other riders and swapped route information.

 

Ca-84 to the coast from Alice's is a fun road, unfortunately I was stuck in traffic for most of it. By the time I broke free it was only a few miles to the coast. This time we were on Highway 1 down into Santa Cruz. After Santa Cruz we had to lane split for about ten miles to clear the traffic jam. With me in the lead and a group of Harleys from Georgia in the tail we ran down the canyon of moving steel. Like Luke Skywalker said about the Death Star trench "it'll be just like beggar's canyon back home". Dad has said that getting to lane split was one of the highlights of the trip. I put it a different way, its great that we could lane split, its awful that we had to.

 

In an effort to avoid the traffic delays ahead that my maps application indicated, we cut over on 152 towards Gilroy. The road was fun up to the top of the hill, then we hit a construction delay and lost the time we would have gained just going through the delay on 1. By the time we got to Gilroy it was rush hour and Highway 101 was stop and go. Frustrated and hot we split lanes once more towards Salinas. The traffic was intermittently bad the whole way and we arrived in the late evening.

 

Fortunately our reservation was solid and check in was easy. Looking around the parking lot I saw quite a few sport and sport touring bikes, probably all here for the races. After dinner Dad set about finding people to talk to among the race crowd and I played cards with my friends from Southern Oregon who had caged down, Travis and Ashleigh.

 

Saturday, my first day at Laguna Seca, I rode with my friends Travis and Ashleigh to the track. Dad was going to go exploring instead of watching the races with me.

 

The racing wasn't due to start until 2:30pm. The morning had various warm up and practice runs going though to break the silence. The Mazda Raceway infield is full of vendors and activities to while away the time and separate you from your cash. Victory, Suzuki, Yamaha, Honda, and Ducati have a full factory presence with all their latest bikes. Ducati island stands apart as the pinnacle of high priced L-Twin red performance, although due to the drought it isn't much of an island.

 

Things to do in between races: buy souvenirs, eat/drink, drive a Land Rover over some obstacles, drive a VR Mazda racecar at the Mazda venue, pose on the lean demo bike, ride a VR motorcycle at the Tissot venue, go see all the race winning bikes that are displayed around the infield, see how many free samples of El Jefe Tequila you can get, talk to the CHP, go to the paddock and try to "run into" racers, race go karts, watch the stunt show, watch the mini-moto kids exhibition, and feed the geese.

At the TOBC Racing trailer a little blond girl came out and gave us tote bags and stickers. She then told us that if we wanted autographs from her dad he would be back after racing. This was one of those moments where you remember that entire families work and travel with the racers to help support them. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After the stunt show the kids from the M1Mini GP showed off their skills running drills around cones.

 

 

 

 

Wait a second, did I come here for the motorcycle carnival or for racing?

 

The first race of Saturday was the WSBK race at 2:30pm. My friends and I decided to watch from the grandstands. Before the race their was a performance by a Brazillian samba dance troupe, presentation of colors and singing of the national anthem, then we got down to business.

 

 

Unfortunately for shooting photos we were protected by several fences. The race was exciting and loud. From the grandstands we could watch the whole race via the jumbotron, instead of just the few seconds every two minutes when racers were passing by our sector. The two factory Ducatis crashed out and American Nicky Hayden secured a spot on the podium.

 

 

 

 

This superfan was seated in front of me:

 

After the race we hung around the Honda pavilion waiting for Nicky and Michael Vandermark for the autograph session. As the line gradually formed and the Honda employees put out ropes to direct the line I had one of those "you meet the nicest people on a Honda" moments. It struck me that I was having conversations with the people all around me as if they were long lost friends. Everyone there was there for the same reason, we're all race fans, we're mostly all riders, we have so much in common we just automatically clicked. One of the women in line had no problem giving me her email address so I could send her pics I had snapped of her and the Honda racers, even though she had just met me an hour earlier.

 

My friend Travis got a toy of Nicky's 2006 MotoGP winning bike signed, Ashleigh got a framed poster of Nicky's 2016 Sepang Race 2 win signed, and I got a flag of the Hayden brothers signed.

 

 

The last race of the day was the KTM RC390 MotoAmerica race. The bikes were slower, but the battles into turns were more vicious. It makes me want one for the track. The racers in the 390 cup are all late teenagers, the future of racing from all over the globe.

 

That night we got back to the motel and collapsed from exhaustion. I went with Dad to the diner next to the motel for dinner, then went to bed after talking bikes with some random people we met in the parking lot. You meet the nicest people on a Honda. This was a scene that played itself out again and again throughout our travels, we would meet some people and talk about bikes, where we've been, where we're going, and other motorcycle nonsense.

 

Dad's exploration of the area had been fruitless, revealing more bad traffic than fun roads and interesting views. He had however interacted with the people at the motel with a Tour group from Israel. Apparently he'd taken a picture of a middle aged woman on his bike for her friends back home, much to the chagrin of her husband.

 

Sunday at the races I rode instead of caging with my friends. I arrived early and was able to park my bike under a tree.

Bike Parking

The racing on Sunday started early at 9:30am. I watched the MotoAmerica 600CC SuperSport/SuperStock races from the Andretti hairpin. After the first race we amused ourselves souvenir hunting and watching practice laps. 

 

Between races I walked to the CHP booth to ask a very important question of the officers. I went in and said "I'm from Oregon, so please excuse the dumb question. What is the proper way to lane split in California?" The officer didn't want to come straight out and say it, but I weasiled out of him that there isn't a law codifying it yet, so as long as you aren't breaking other laws while doing it, you can do it. He said that they aren't allowed to publish their lane splitting tip sheet online anymore due to a lawsuit, but he happily gave me a printout on the subject. I thanked him for his time and left.

 

It occurred to me throughout the weekend that watching racing in person is a totally different experience from watching it on TV or a stream on the internet. When watching from the comfort of my home I miss out on the experience of everything else the track and venue have to offer but I get to see the entire race; every corner, every pass, and every overtake. In person you get to watch one straightaway and one corner at a time, so you have downtime for a minute or two after the bikes pass until they make it around the corner again.

 

The WSBK race in the afternoon went as expected with Kawasaki and Ducati leading, Honda picking up fourth and fifth places.

 

 

 

 

 

After the WSBK race I elected to leave. I needed to get north and wanted to avoid as much traffic as possible. Leaving Laguna Seca I was amazed at the orderly traffic direction by the Sheriffs who had stopped traffic on Highway 68 next to the exit so that the flood of bikes could all exit onto the highway in both directions. The ride out of Salinas went smoothly with only a slight traffic slowdown. I cut over at Highway 156 towards Hollister to get over to I-5 quicker which turned out to be a mistake. Traffic slowed to a crawl near Hollister due to a badly placed stoplight in the middle of nowhere. This was another opportunity to lane split or cook in my gear. Past that it was bumper to bumper at freeway speeds all the way to the interstate. 

 

At the In N Out at Santa Nella I had a few of those "you meet the nicest people on a Honda" moments. As I was waiting for my food a gentleman from Portland introduced himself and sat down next to me. He had been at the races as well and in fact rode the same bike as my dad. We talked about the races and bikes while eating an early dinner. I saw other people wearing Laguna Seca merch and motorcycle paraphernalia come and go during dinner, and I got a "I know we're both enthusiasts" nod from a woman wearing Kawasaki gear.

 

From Santa Nella it was a fast straight shot up the freeway past Stockton, Sacremento, and nowhere to get to Williams where my Dad had already checked into our Hotel. Once again we were given covered parking spots next to the lobby. There were a few other bikes in the parking lot but I didn't find the owners. Dad had talked briefly to a man with a CBR1000RR in a van who was going to Thunderhill the next day. We turned in early.

 

The next morning we battled a headwind up I-5 to Red Bluff to hunt the sign that isn't there, then continued on to Redding and out 299. There we hit the worst of the road construction of the whole trip. CalTrans has ripped up the entire road going up Buckhorn grade to straighten (boo) and widen (yay) it. We had to ride uphill the whole grade on dirt/gravel/shale. My bike is not made for that, it was miserable. The downhill was fine and I made haste out to Weaverville. 299 is a fast and curvy road, I love it when I'm not stuck behind someone.

 

At lunch we talked with a trio of Canadian gentlemen that were riding the same direction as us. You know what I'm about to say. You meet the nicest people on a Honda.

 

According to CalTrans we were supposed to be in for a five mile single lane stretch of highway that washed out during the winter. For once the report was wrong and it had already been repaired. I had a nearly clear ride all the way out Highway 3. Near Weaverville 3 is all up and down, side to side, with a fair amount of tar snakes preventing full speed, it is fun nonetheless. Past Trinity Center the highway is miles of wide open sweepers through the valley, crossing the Trinity river occasionally. The sweepers give way to tight corners as you start climbing Scott Mountain. The climb up Scott mountain has a lot of tight switchbacks, but the pavement is in good shape and you can really dig into the corners.

 

In November of 2014 I took a photo of my CBR near the top of Scott mountain.

I made it my mission to re-create the photo with the Interceptor.

That'll do nicely. While at the photo spot, my dad caught up and I got some action shots of him going around the corner.

 

 

 

 

The descent down the North side of Scott Mountain is in bad shape. Once at the bottom you ride into the town of Callahan then a lot of nothing through farmland. The road is in good shape and curvy. After Fort Jones 3 climbs into the hills for one last canyon carving session before leading into Yreka.

 

That's where the interesting part of the ride ends. We slabbed it through the pass back into Oregon, I said goodbye to Dad in Ashland and raced as fast as reasonable on public roads to get home via the slab. After California, Oregon drivers seem incredibly slow. The left lane campers blocking passing are my pet peeve, second only to the cars blind merging into my lane. My mileage for the last day was 520, Williams, CA to Corvallis, OR.

 

Will I do this trip again? Yes. I'm already looking at different routes. My bike could use a custom seat and taller windscreen, but otherwise is a great sport touring bike. I'd like to run it with a group that rides the same pace as me, but managing a group is harder than herding cats.

 

Until next time, you meet the nicest people on a Honda.

[Marsman99]

Good read, thanks Lazyeye.

[BusyLittleShop]

Great narrative and photos... that's a memorable adventure you and your Dad experienced that will last a life... too bad I missed greeting you when you shot Marv's ZX7R and my RC45 on display at Law Tigers...

[lazyeye]

BusyLittleShop,
Its not like everyone wanders around with their internet name on the shirts. Oh wait, I did. :D

 

Every time I saw a VFR on the trip I wanted to find the rider and ask them if they're on this board. At the Laurels Inn I saw a Plasti-dipped black 2002-2009 with Blue panniers, from Arizona. I never spotted the rider though.

[Mikey]

Awesome trip that certainly created great memories!

[northwood]

Hey lazyeye!  I chatted with your dad outside the hotel in Williams, probably right before you got there.  I was with my dad in a white van with a CBR1000RR in back, we stayed the night to go to Thunderhill the next day.  Just talking to your pops, it sounded like a great adventure.  Glad you shared your ride!  It was nice chatting with your dad.  My pops and I were tuckered out from driving all day and not much sleep the night before, otherwise we would have stayed up and chatted.  

 

Granted, I had some a-hole lady keep me up late being loud doing a business skype outside our door on a freaking ipad.

[lazyeye]

Small world Northwood! I remember the same skypeing A-Hoe, Haha!

[AJS]

What a small world. Did you happen to notice the matte black VFR that spent the nights in the same motel parking lot next to a BMW R1200RT? That was my daughter and I. We rode up from Phoenix. I've got a bunch of pics from the race that look very similar to yours :) 

[RVFR]

Nice write up I like reading these sort of adventures, It brings back great times doing the same. Thanks for sharing.

[AJS]

On July 14, 2016 at 2:21 PM, lazyeye said:

 

 

 

Every time I saw a VFR on the trip I wanted to find the rider and ask them if they're on this board. At the Laurels Inn I saw a Plasti-dipped black 2002-2009 with Blue panniers, from Arizona. I never spotted the rider though.

That was an 04 and t's my daughters (I was riding the RT). Not Plasti-dipped, original color, they called it Asphalt. Panniers were a Craigslist buy from a RWB model.