Needs a life
Full throttle!
Posts: One MEEEEEELLION
posted March 28, 2004 04:58 PM
My riding impression - Zhooligan memorial ride Ok, now I'm still breaking the bike in, so no hyperspeed blasts, didn't break 70 mph all day.
I don't count curves. I traveled several roads that were very twisty, and a couple that were extremely twisty, but they were all strung together with some long straight stretches.
That being said, I had a great time and I'll try to describe some of the experiences I had today, tho I'm no RedElk.
I had set up the route for the memorial ride, and designed it as a good mix of twisties and straights. Nothing at too hellacious of a pace, since there would be a mix of riders.
The first leg of the route was mostly along the shoreline around Port Orchard, and was very slow. The 10R really rewards you for smoothness with the throttle. And if you're not smooth, it'll let ya know.
After getting through downtown P.O, we were able to travel along the waterfront towards the Southworth ferry. Traffic precluded any kind of a brisk pace, but the 10R felt absolutely rock solid and took 15mph corners at any speed that I wanted to go. We had to tiptoe past a state patrol who was on duty, and I motioned for everyone to take it easy as we prowled past a County Sheriff's house (car present in driveway). After that, we were able to follow the sweeping undulations of Long Lake Road as is traveled along the eastern shoreline. Then it was a quick scoot over to Olalla Valley road. I motioned the fast guys past and continued along at 4krpm. OV road has some nice sweepers at the end of it before dumping down to the first stop of the ride, a small exxon station. After checking in at the stop, we turned onto Burley Olalla and made our way towards WA 16. Once again fairly gentle sweepers. Nice way to warm up for the twistier stuff.
After crossing 16 (you'd love this, no light, just scoot across both directions of traffic) I gathered everyone back up at Bethel Burley road. If I could have gotten everyone to turn their motors off, you could have prolly hear banjos playing.
Bethel Burley does have a purpose, actually. It let us get to WA 302 without going onto WA 16. All the state patrol camp out on WA 16, so I try to avoid it if possible.
Whoo-hoo! Ah yes, Burley, WA...What a lovely ... place... Take a right and ride a neat old bridge over the bay, really really pretty. Most of the ride so far has kept the riders within 1/2 mile of some body of water, but this is the prettiest so far.
WA 302 heads west out to the water. We're out on the west side of the Kitsap peninsula now. There's a little bit of traffic, and the road's twisty enough where you have to pay attention to it. Lotsa megabuck waterfront properties here, but even they can't hide the Olympic Mountians looming above the Hood Canal waterfront. Still a lot of snow on them in March, and the wind coming off the water is fairly brisk, even if our pace isn't.
302 eventually dumps us onto WA 3. We go north just a bit and work our way over to roads to the west of WA 3. Second stop is coming up, so we get over to it and check in. Now the twisty stuff starts. Turning around, we head back to Bear Creek - Dewatto road. Ah, nice 'n smooth, awesome pavement, tight stuff and big sweepers all mixed together. It's like someone laid out their favorite road...And then forgot about it. Very little traffic, lots of room to pass. The fast guys blast past again, and I have fun just being smooth as possible through the curves.
Now it starts getting nasty...As we transition from Mason back to Kitsap county, the road goes from smooth pavement to rough stuff. And the road gets twistier through the woods. This lasts until the road comes to a T, and we turn right onto Dewatto. Dewatto is some sadists idea of a road. Humping, snaking and doing everything but turning back on itself, it's a lane and a half of nasty old pavement. Water, gravel and dead leaves abound. Trees loom from the sides of the road...If this thing was in Middle Earth, someone just built a road through Fangorn Forest.
There's one point, where you have to pitch it in to a hard right that is blind and goes downhill. If you keep your head up, you are rewarded with the sight of the bikes 80 feet ahead of you layed over to the left going over another blind curve. Kinda hard to get your head around, as they are going almost completely the opposite direction you are and they are less than a 100 feet away.
All good things (and not so good) comne to an end, and Dewatto works it's way down to the shoreline and you are on Seabeck Highway. There's actually room to stretch out, and once again, the fast guys blast off for the stratosphere. It's mostly a drone at this point, as Seabeck is never really that twisty. There is a litle bit of fun as you come into Bremerton, the road does about five nice sweepers as it falls down off of Gold Mountain to the city limits by Kitsap Lake. Fill up at the last checkpoint and go back to the dealership for the barbecue.
Needs a life
Full throttle!
Posts: One MEEEEEELLION
posted March 28, 2004 05:01 PM
Now for the bike - Absolutely rock solid stable. I could pick any speed ( up to 64 mph due to breakin) and just tip it into the corner. The chassis never gave a wiggle the whole ride, and I coudl pick ANYWHERE I wanted to go. Having rode a GSXR1K in the past, it's *more better* than that. The bike is comfortable for trips like this too, no cramps, no numbness. The motor smooths out after 3K rpm, and it's kind of fun to short shift through five gears before you hit sixty. Man, that's a close ratio tranny! Gotta love it. ____________
82 Gpz750, 84 Ninja 900, 2000 ZX12R (Muzzy Big Bore Kit), *another* 2000 ZX12R (Muzzy custom stroke crank 1341cc motor), 2004 ZZR1200, 2005 ZX10R, 2007 ZX14, 2008 Concours 14, 2014 Versys 650, 2014 Yamaha WR450F, 2015 Ninja H2
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posted March 28, 2004 04:58 PM
OV road has some nice sweepers at the end of it before dumping down to the first stop of the ride, a small exxon station. After checking in at the stop, we turned onto Burley Olalla and made our way towards WA 16. Once again fairly gentle sweepers. Nice way to warm up for the twistier stuff.
