Bandit Alley

REGIONAL FORUMS => PACIFIC NORTHWEST U.S. => Topic started by: Bobcat on September 10, 2005, 02:35:46 AM

Title: Slow in here...
Post by: Bobcat on September 10, 2005, 02:35:46 AM
Did everybody winterize their bikes already?

If you still have fluids in yours, and it's not up on blocks, are y'all up for a ride? Paul, I know you have some free time. :wink:

How about 20 to Winthrop, 97 to Wenatchee, over Blewitt, and home on 90? Any other ideas?
Title: Slow in here...
Post by: Red01 on September 11, 2005, 07:02:23 AM
LOTS of free time, but trying to keep the spending to an absolute minimum because I don't know how long it'll be until my next paycheck... and $150/week strike pay doesn't go very far.

Yes, I have money set aside for this sort of thing, but it may have to last a while. I heard rumors from friends in management that this could be a long one.

...now if you're buyin' - I'm so there!
Otherwise, I'm at home doing fun things like cleaning moss from the roof.
Title: ride
Post by: tacoman on September 19, 2005, 02:59:11 PM
I've been wanting to get out for a ride for a long time.  My last ride of any mileage was St Helens.  It was a busy summer though.  I hope the weather holds in Oct. as things are calming down.  Funny thing on this strike compared to the past ones, hardly anything on the news.  I drove past a Boeing plant in Auburn Friday and not a soul around.  Years back it was all over the place.  I suppose between HQ being in Chicago and thinned ranks, the rally cry doesn't have the volume it once had.
Title: Slow in here...
Post by: Red01 on September 19, 2005, 08:46:15 PM
And the news has to tell us about the latest Katrina development... it seems nothing else is newsworthy right now if it isn't related to Katrina... even on the local news.
Title: strike
Post by: tacoman on September 20, 2005, 02:13:44 PM
Thats true, but before you could not drive thru Auburn during the strike without seeing people on every corner with signs.  Of course, Auburn got thinned out pretty good over the years with layoffs and a lot of their buildings got sold off.
Title: Slow in here...
Post by: Red01 on September 20, 2005, 03:11:37 PM
A lot of Auburn was sold-off & outsourced. Like Spokane & Wichita.
I figure it's just a matter of time until they outsource everything but the Engineering dept... they've made it known they'd like to be a design bureau - like the Russians do it. I'm just hoping to last long enough to retire.

Maybe this should be in the strike thread.  :wink:
Title: strike
Post by: tacoman on September 21, 2005, 03:09:02 PM
Maybe this could be moved.  I think all will be outsourced soon.  The Tacoma News Tribune has been running some real eye opening stories on China.  This is where all these jobs are going.  The China thing is a thread all its own though.
Title: Slow in here...
Post by: Red01 on September 21, 2005, 06:47:26 PM
Believe me, I know about China... Boeing's Modification Center that used to be in Wichita is now in China.
Title: when ?
Post by: hector29 on September 21, 2005, 10:28:28 PM
when is this eastern washington ride?
if im free i will go hehe
Title: ride
Post by: tacoman on September 22, 2005, 05:47:23 PM
Back to our original topic, my weekends are pretty much free.  The weather is turning real nice this fall, hope it stays.  Except for when the sun sets now, cold fast!  I went to the Puyallup Fair last night in a T shirt and shorts.  Froze my a_ _ off.  Thank goodness for all the fireplace salesmen, they keep the woodstoves cranked up.
Title: Slow in here...
Post by: Red01 on September 23, 2005, 06:56:20 AM
That's what heated liners are for, Taco.  :duh:
Title: Slow in here...
Post by: Bobcat on September 23, 2005, 06:18:44 PM
Headed up Mt. Baker tomorrow with Bulldog.

http://www.maximum-suzuki.com/ibf/index.php?showtopic=45670
Title: Slow in here...
Post by: Red01 on September 24, 2005, 06:14:53 AM
DAMMIT!

I've gotta go to Monroe... supposed to be there by 10. :roll:
Then come home and hang out with the wife since she's leaving on Monday.

And for some odd reason, I have to log into MS everytime I go to a new page.  :boohoo:
Title: Slow in here...
Post by: Red01 on September 25, 2005, 04:31:21 PM
Anyone available for a weekday ride in Western WA?
Title: Slow in here...
Post by: Red01 on September 27, 2005, 09:44:54 PM
Since there was no response, I went to Mt. Baker yesterday by myself.

(http://www.triumphrat.net/albums/album680/adn.jpg)

FANTASTIC!!!

I think I've found a new favorite road. And the ability to link up to several other great roads nearby is a plus.

Matt, I saw the spot where the Gixxer kid took flight from this earth.
I hope he died of a heart atteck before he hit.
Title: Slow in here...
Post by: Bobcat on September 28, 2005, 01:16:25 AM
It's really a nice road, isn't it? I was soured on it after last spring, when Jeff and I were up there and everything was torn up. What a difference smooth pavement makes.

I wish you could have come with us, but I'm sure traffic was better during the middle of the week. We had to put up with some pylons on the way up.

That corner that kid blew was a doozy. Still can't figure out exactly how it happened, since it's not like the sight line was obstructed.
Title: Slow in here...
Post by: Red01 on September 28, 2005, 03:27:50 AM
I didn't see any skid marks when I was there, just the damaged rock wall and the "POI" (point of impact) paint mark on the road in front of the wall. I assume he blew the corner coming down, not up, right?

Man, that's a big drop... maybe 150'?  I know some corners could be worse, but dead is dead no matter if its 150' or 1000'.
Title: Slow in here...
Post by: Red01 on September 28, 2005, 03:29:50 AM
Looks like I'll probably be back @ work on Friday.  See the Boeing Strike thread in Off Topic for more details.

 :bigok:
Title: ride
Post by: tacoman on September 28, 2005, 05:39:08 PM
Looked like a cool ride.  I'd like to ride up there some time.  Weekdays are tough and I would be in the thick of commuter traffic, very dangerous.  Who was this Gixxer kid? Did he take a corner too hot and become Evel Knievel?
Title: Slow in here...
Post by: Red01 on September 28, 2005, 06:37:32 PM
Come up on a weekend then. :bigok:
Looks like my weekday oppurtunities are gonna be gone by Friday anyway.
Matt & I can show you some nice roads up here and even put you up for a night, if you wanna make a long day of it and not drone home late.


Yup, some kid blew a tight switchback. The only thing on the edge of the road was a short rock wall. He hit the wall right at an edge where it changed from ~24" high to ~12". On the other side of the wall was a cliff and it was probably 100-150' down before you'd hit anything. The difference is Evel lived thru his jumps. this kid didn't make it, and it's easy to see why. It didn't even look like he tried to make the turn. Probably too hot, stood it up trying to slow and target fixated.  
Unfortunately, he'll never make that mistake again. :sad:
Title: Slow in here...
Post by: Red01 on September 28, 2005, 09:53:14 PM
Tacoman, did you see the thread at STN on Mt. Baker Hwy?

If not Click here. (http://www.sport-touring.net/forums/showthread.php?t=70987)

That's where the twisty road pic came from, and there's more good photos in the thread. My wife is out of town and has the camera, so I couldn't take my own.
Title: Slow in here...
Post by: Bobcat on September 29, 2005, 02:02:30 AM
Quote from: "Red01"
I didn't see any skid marks when I was there, just the damaged rock wall and the "POI" (point of impact) paint mark on the road in front of the wall. I assume he blew the corner coming down, not up, right?

Man, that's a big drop... maybe 150'?  I know some corners could be worse, but dead is dead no matter if its 150' or 1000'.


Nope, going up. That's what so weird about the whole thing. There's paint marks on the road leading up to the POI arrow that start probably 150' before the turn. The skid mark is still there, but barely visible.
Title: Slow in here...
Post by: Red01 on September 29, 2005, 04:36:11 AM
I guess I missed seeing those marks.

Wow! Going uphill...  :roll:
The guy must've looked like your avatar.
Title: ride
Post by: tacoman on September 29, 2005, 02:04:00 PM
Thanks for the invite :grin: I do want to ride up there.  My wife's cousin owns a restaurant in Glacier, I think thats right in the area.  Nasty crash, poor kid.  Bikes aren't like video games, you don't have a reset button.  I can't imagine how he felt.  I've been too hot in a corner and drifted into the other lane a couple times, bad feeling.  We'll have to watch the weather and see how the coming weekends are.
Title: Slow in here...
Post by: Red01 on September 30, 2005, 08:58:42 PM
Glacier is ON the Mt. Baker Hwy... the road is it's best just after you head out (east) of town.
Title: ride
Post by: tacoman on October 03, 2005, 03:16:33 PM
Ok, I'd like to get 1 more good ride in before the weather turns.  Have to start watching the forecasts.