2k Mile Calif Road Trip

[SDMAX]

San Diego BMW club went north last week to area around Porterville, CA; most went home on Sunday; I went north, through Sequoia parks, Yosemite, Tioga Pass (usually closed in winter due to snow); then north to Reno; then back down on Hwy 49 in California to Angel's Camp and then slab home.

My 2007 R1200R has just over 21K miles and performed flawlessly; didn't use any oil; did look to run as much as two bars over mid on the temp gauge although it has generally always run one bar over mid; it was near a hundred degrees outside and had slow traffic in the national parks where it might have been three bars over mid.

I had a Givi 55 top case and a leather cyclegear bag that might look like a tank bag mounted vertically in front of the Givi.

I have the Don C block and the tallest California Scientific windshield; and throttlemeister.

Had a really super time. This bike just hauls. It feels light and perfect to me. I don't really want an RT and I have never imbibed the cool aide for the 1200 GS. Actually the more I ride the R12 the more sense it makes to me. A lot of the local club guys are really into geared up GS bikes. I think the roadster is more suited to me and I hope never to even have to experience a fire road. There is plenty of great paved two lane out there.

Besides really loving the bike, I found a lot of California to love. It is an amazing state to ride. Just wanted to share my good time. Best to the list. John

[M249Joe]

Sounds like a great time. Defiantly great bike.

While I wouldn't want to live in the Peoples Republic of California, I would like to ride there some time....

[Bamblys]

Good on you!
I had a nice trip planned this weekend to Tail Of The Dragon. But i sprained my neck sleeping tonight and I cant even make me a cup of coffee. So I'm stuck at home.

[BoxerSteve]

Had a really super time. This bike just hauls. It feels light and perfect to me. I don't really want an RT and I have never imbibed the cool aide for the 1200 GS. Actually the more I ride the R12 the more sense it makes to me. A lot of the local club guys are really into geared up GS bikes. I think the roadster is more suited to me and I hope never to even have to experience a fire road. There is plenty of great paved two lane out there.

I bought a GS recently and love it. But still ride the R1200R and still love it too.

You are missing out by sticking only to pavement. There is a whole world of dirt roads out there just waiting to be explored. Roads that are much less crowded with soccer moms in their soccer mom minivans texting on their soccer mom cellphones. Roads that lead to spectacular places that have not yet been overrun with hordes of cagers. Roads that offer adventure and solitude.

And, you don't need a GS to explore most of those roads, an R1200R would do just fine. The GS inspires a lot of confidence for off the pavement though.

[SF_Hooligan]

Sounds like a great time. Defiantly great bike.

While I wouldn't want to live in the Peoples Republic of California, I would like to ride there some time....

On the other hand, I'd hate to live somewhere where my "riding" is a bunch of straight lines, and there's no lane splitting allowed.

I bought a GS recently and love it. But still ride the R1200R and still love it too.

You are missing out by sticking only to pavement. There is a whole world of dirt roads out there just waiting to be explored. Roads that are much less crowded with soccer moms in their soccer mom minivans texting on their soccer mom cellphones. Roads that lead to spectacular places that have not yet been overrun with hordes of cagers. Roads that offer adventure and solitude.

And, you don't need a GS to explore most of those roads, an R1200R would do just fine. The GS inspires a lot of confidence for off the pavement though.

This is exactly right. I've done a fair amount of off-roading on my R1200R (although I'm no Lost Rider) and it does just fine. The only reason I'd get a GS is that it's already ugly, so I wouldn't care if I drop it now and then.

[BoxerSteve]

Besides really loving the bike, I found a lot of California to love. It is an amazing state to ride.

Sounds like a great ride. There is a lot of very nice country in CA. I'd love to ride the PCH (among others).

I've done a fair amount of off-roading on my R1200R (although I'm no Lost Rider) and it does just fine. The only reason I'd get a GS is that it's already ugly, so I wouldn't care if I drop it now and then.

I thought the GS was ugly too for a while, but it grows on you. And as overpriced as they are, I will be bummed the first time I drop it.

[SDMAX]

Ok, the GS bikes are cool. I admit it....I've only been seriously riding a few years and am now 65 and I just don't like a lot of
bouncing around...bought the Triumph 800 ABS and not 800 XC for the same reason; the roadie version has a smaller front wheel and different suspension and suits me better than the Triumph 800 XC which I did rent and put some serious road miles on up in Alaska with my son....

So now I've seen the pictures of the 2013 BMW GS with what looks to be a metric ton of improvements. They turn that into a roadster and I"d have to be seriously looking at that....in the second year of production, of course...so looks as if I am safe for a while.

BTW, I have the same black and white tiles in my man cave garage as Harry C....AND, in a few weeks we are doing a car ride through the Hamptons and intend to stop at the Billy Joel Motorcycle Museum in Oyster Bay.

These motorcycle bikes make life rock.

[NakedRider]

Did you hit Porterville Rd out of Quincy? Nice road but you have to watch for gravel at times. Also 49 rocks but I think it would be in the opposite direction you were heading. Sounds like you had fun, however.

[SDMAX]

I had read a motorcycle article that said North to South on 49 was best....Didn't get a picture of the sign but I did start at the very top of HWY 49 at its intersection with HWY 70. I had gotten there by going north from Reno on 395 and west on 70. I think the article was right. Beautiful farm land at start of 49, then as it started to get motorcycle interesting, 49 followed the Yuba River and was as good as it gets.

This was for about 100 miles; along the way at Downieville was about the middle of the best part. Once I hit Grass Valley there wasn't much to recommend the rest of the ride to Angel's Camp. I should have bailed out and headed toward the coast. It had really warmed up by then and was sort of like riding into a hair dryer.

I had seen a nice section of HWY 49 South to North on my way up from Porterville to Oakhurst where I spent the night, and then continued north on 49 for a about 30 miles before heading right at Mariposa into Yosemite via 140 along a truly beautiful section following the Merced river to El Portal and then into Yosemite, back out and over the 120 Tioga Pass to Lee Vining where I picked up 395 north to Reno.

If you ever do Yosemite, don't miss going into the area via 140; there is a shorter route via 41 but you miss the route along the Merced River.

I travel with the world's most basic GPS, Nuvi 260 or something; Ram mount; very compact. The club riders all have ZUMO big ass Garmins with routing ability; since I usually just follow them, I've avoided going that installation. I think I'm going to have to upgrade at some point. I am certain they took me on Quincy out of Porterville as I saw a lot riding with my San Diego BMW club out of Porterville including the stuff around 190 and routes with no names, just forest roads; but I tell you what; 155 from Lake Isabella back to Porterville, by myself, at the end of the day...rocked my world; as did the previous section along the Kern river on 190. This, after I had separated from the group ride following lunch.

I would be remiss if I did not credit a fellow club rider, Gene, who stayed behind the big group and gave me a tutorial on leaning more and looking further across the corners. Something clicked and I then had about 1200 perfectly engineered curves to practice on up to lunch and then back on the 190 and 155 day.
So the take away for me was getting on the road for multiple days....felt like Jack Reacher in the Lee Child's series....bought two T shirts for 5 bucks at some gas station when I ran out of clean clothes....as I had not decided to go rogue and not go back to San Diego until the day the club started heading home....Second thing. That R12 is one totally amazing bike. Fully perfect. John

[xprof]

Amen, brother John!