Killtimer
12-26-2004, 11:37 AM
Not for the faint of heart, but first some background.
In '99 another couple joined my wife and I in the California wine country for a week long wine and food M/C holiday. Barry riding a BMW RT and myself on an ST1100 had taken the previous week to meander down the coast to Santa Rosa. The wives had flown in to San Francisco, met us, and we were on our second day of touring, fully loaded two up. After lunch in Geyserville the girls mentioned that they'd like to see the coast before we headed inland to Napa. Our local wind country map showed this squiggly little line that appeared to be the shortest route. Seemingly hours of continual butt clench later we arrived at Stewart Point, Barry white as a ghost and shaking. It seems that a RT with an almost empty tank, pillion and loaded top box is verrrrrry light in the front. Every time he'd get on the throttle to exit an uphill switch back the front wheel would come up and he'd find himself looking at an unguarded drop off or rock wall. Some of this road is a narrow single lane that cuts through the heart of the mountains and red woods. A better write up (from Pashnit of course) here (http://www.pashnit.com/roads/cal/SkaggsSpringRd.htm) A great ride if you're running empty. :eek:
Steve
In '99 another couple joined my wife and I in the California wine country for a week long wine and food M/C holiday. Barry riding a BMW RT and myself on an ST1100 had taken the previous week to meander down the coast to Santa Rosa. The wives had flown in to San Francisco, met us, and we were on our second day of touring, fully loaded two up. After lunch in Geyserville the girls mentioned that they'd like to see the coast before we headed inland to Napa. Our local wind country map showed this squiggly little line that appeared to be the shortest route. Seemingly hours of continual butt clench later we arrived at Stewart Point, Barry white as a ghost and shaking. It seems that a RT with an almost empty tank, pillion and loaded top box is verrrrrry light in the front. Every time he'd get on the throttle to exit an uphill switch back the front wheel would come up and he'd find himself looking at an unguarded drop off or rock wall. Some of this road is a narrow single lane that cuts through the heart of the mountains and red woods. A better write up (from Pashnit of course) here (http://www.pashnit.com/roads/cal/SkaggsSpringRd.htm) A great ride if you're running empty. :eek:
Steve