Just got Paid to make Palomares, Pinehurst, Niles Canyon, 84E to Mines Rd. Run! 100 miles 5 hours.

Got last minute call to shoot an MGA car purchase for “Dusty Cars” during rush hour, so I plotted beautiful canyon back road burner trip! Left at 4:40 pm back to Oakland 9:50pm. 100 Miles, and two hour shoot on site. Niles Canyon is just gorgeous! Also 84E out of Sunol into S. Livermore was pretty epic up the mountain vista there.

MGA car is in upper middle left corner of farm shot. Farmer, George there, was the seller. Motor and trans removed an in creepy cool shed, like “Evil Dead 2” stuff. Cool.

So I did have to strap about 6 lbs of the camera and wireless microphone to get it to the shoot. Shot whole thing hand held. Fun run, but late back and late dinner. Pretty tiring run after editing most of day. But very pretty ride!


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Palomares Canyon & Lake Chabot / Pinehurst 100 miles 4 bikes!

Just rode 100 miles with closest friends this past weekend. My best friend flew in and rented Ducati Multistrada, My girlfriend went two up with me on Green Magic – Kawasaki ZX6-E Ninja, Harley 1200 sportster, and ’78 Hondamatic 400A.

Oakland Lake Merritt to Montclair. Meet friends, check out gear and bikes. Load out.

Skyline past Observatory. Great road! Down Redwood and into Castro Valley. Down to Hayward and Buffalo Bills for lunch. Sneaky side roads that are fast parallel roads to 580 East to cute old town of Sunol, and great old historic Union Pacific train pulled in. Just before Sunol swapped with Ducati rider and my girlfriend and I did an accidental wheelie in 2nd gear (just for a second). (also my first wheelie ever).

On to Niles Canyon Road and then up Palomares past two small vineyards. I hopped on the Harley for the first time here and it was fun and rumbly. It was hot all day 85 degrees and sweating if in the sun and not riding.

Then off to a friends BBQ / birthday party on way back in Moraga. Happy 40th Karthik! Got home late again but a great fun day of 100 miles and everyone was safe and happy and bikes all worked great!


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Lake Chabot loop with Bailey and Ducati Multistrada

After we both changed the coolant on Green Magic, we picked up rental 2013 Ducati Multistrada 1200cc bike for 1 day rental.

Since we got it early on Sat before 5pm, of course we’re going riding!

Very fun and fast for me 44 mile turn turn turn ride with a walk in between at lovely Lake Chabot.


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Changed and flushed coolant on bike for 1st time 43,950

Quite happy about it, the week prior I had discovered no coolant visible under rad. cap, and overflow reservoir was so dirty it looked like none in there as well. So had been freaking out that I’d been driving with very little to no coolant. Never had a leak since August 2012, so I started to also worry about fun things like a blown head gasket.

Anyway, All is well! There was coolant in there, maybe 1/2 to 2/3 of what it should be and looked ok, so out with the old and in with the Prestone Ethylene Glycol! Now I can dare to rev that motor and ride again!

 

In fact, I’m heading right out after it’s all done!


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Oh damn! I just fixed my clutch 43,935 miles

Yup, i finally ‘loosened’ clutch cable adjustment instead of where it was when I bought it, or let tightening it which I tried before and was an utter failure. I can rev past 6,000 rpms now!  Hit 8K + doing loop around Lake Merritt just now, not planning to hit 14K anytime soon, especially as I discovered no coolant in the thermostat / cap area. But great development! Thought I was going to have to replace the clutch next.


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