Dash is finally getting fixed

Well getting ready to get fixed. Took a bunch of extraneous pieces off and goodness are they filthy.

Here is the before picture of the exhaust

Now here they are a few days later all clean and shiny (well as shiny as I’m going to get them 😄)

That was at least 7,500 miles of baked on oil from the USA Tour oil deluge and some 35,000 miles before the tour.

Next the frame will need a good cleaning and Rick bought me special paint so we can touch up his frame.

Last thing is to get his engine rebuilt.

The time change had us all a little bit later

Well, maybe not all of us but Rick and I for certain. We were literally the last to breakfast.

A late picture from the night before.

Birthday girl 2nd from left.

We eventually split into 2 groups. I of course stayed with my moto husband.

As he often says I have no idea of geography so basically we rode a bunch of roads. Again mainly twisty with some nice S turns, sweepers, and a few hair pins.  Apparently even Rick didn’t know where we were.  According to him “somewhere off Caliente-Bodfish Road.

The first picture is for Rick. He actually pointed it out so I had no recourse but to stop and accommodate

On my hike back to the bike some donkeys came over to say hello. Everyone insisted it was because they thought I was going to feed them. I knew it was because they loved me ❤️

Here is a picture Rick took of Kathy and I riding up to meet the group.

As we rode toward the Rock Inn (Raquel’s first visit) we stopped at the Tehachapi Loop. These tracks were built in 1876 and are 28 miles of a literal loop with a bunch of tunnels through hard rock. It is supposedly one of seven wonders of the railroad world. They say when the trains come you can see them loop onto one another where the tail meets the head.

And they weren’t kidding! We waited for about 15 minutes and it was worth every second

If you look on the left side you can see the second train coming around the first

Late addition to the loop pics. Here is a panoramic taken by Dean. He climbed the highest hill so he could capture the full scale of the trains and us doing our best to capture pieces

Those are for you Bear!

Off we went on our way toward the Rock Inn where I would separate and head on home

Cows were all over the road and this was the only one that would face me and pose.  Riding this road was a slalom around cow “pies” which added a certain level of skill to the twisties.

Once at our destination we said our final goodbyes and a quick picture of Raquel across the street from the infamous Rock Inn

I will get a better picture next time of you Raquel. I was in a hurry (ha ha)

All in all a quick 624 mile trip. I am liking Raquel more and more. But she is no Dash.

On our way to Kernville

It was an early morning launch and a tad chilly. But overall it could have been far colder.

We were picking up people all along the way until we ended up with this crowd

The first photo of the day was this (which I must say does not truly represent the beauty of the ride – this picture is far more beautiful).  Rick has informed me that this is at Jackson Lake.  Rick likes to stop there because across the street are the Forest Service restrooms.  Apparently I am not the only one that has to stop for restroom breaks every hour.

The ride was filled with reminiscences, lots of sweepers and a few hairpins

I have been desperately trying to capture these windmills in the way I envision. This is not it but I am going to keep trying

This is the trains that ride alongside most of my rides. Can’t get enough

This was what the ride mostly looked like

Now it’s off to drink and eat and enjoy the company of friends who I have not seen for so long but seems like we never separated!

a picture that Walt took when I challenged him to a group pic with a selfie…damn if he didn’t pull it off

Riding to meet up with Rickina

It was an uneventful day, which actually is pretty good when riding. No close calls, no missed turns (okay one missed turn).

Rick and I met up at his second home which is Bert’s Megamall. A world of motorcycles and more motorcycles and oversized actions figures and animals.

Apparently Rick really liked this dragon!

After Rick was done with this display of love we rode off to meet up with some twisties.

I haven’t ridden in so long it was good to get some practice in for tomorrow’s ride.

Here is the beginning of our ride on Foothill Rd to Glendora mountain and then Glendora ridge road. Nice easy twisties with some hairpins

Everything eventually turns black and white in Riverside

After our practice run we went to Rick’s second favorite stop…Chaparral motorsports

And that is only one side of the place.

Tomorrow Kernville.