Couple Day Trips, Breaking In The New FJ-09

[michael]

I have been riding my new 2015 Yamaha FJ-09 on some familiar roads to break it in. I live in Angels Camp, California, which is where Highways 4 and 49 intersect, in the Sierra Nevada foothills, Gold Country.
 
Tuesday I took Highway 49 out of Angels Camp down to Mariposa... through that wonderful "Little Dragon" section of 49... what a great place to scrub in the tires and get the feeling for the handling of a new bike. Chickenstrips are pretty much gone now . After Mariposa, backtracked a little to Bear Creek Road, over through Hornitos, then Hornitos Road to La Grange Road, to Highway 108, to Jamestown, then Rawhide Road back to 49 and back to Angels Camp.
 
Wednesday stayed a little more local... Angels Camp over Highway 4 to Rock Creek Road in Copperopolis, out Rock Creek past Salt Springs Reservoir (which actually has some water in it!!!), to Milton Road toward Valley Springs. Took 26 ti Silver Rapids Road out to New Hogan Reservoir where the water level is getting better too, then on into Valley Springs. Highway 26 to Highway 12, back to Highway 49 in San Andreas, then on back to Angels Camp on Highway 49.
 
The bike performed great, (except the overly harsh suspension, and I am working with Matt on solving that one), and it is remarkably fast. What a glorious couple days for motorcycle riding! Everywhere I went the hills were green, lots of creeks flowing, cattle, horses and sheep grazing, blue skies, puffy white clouds, sunny, mid 60s temps and almost no traffic.
 
Days like those are what motorcycles are all about for me.

[redfjniner]

I will be in the area in June. Incline Village. Maybe we could determine a meeting point and do a small ride (putt) of 150 miles or so. Then ride back home. This depends on whether I have riding buddies come with me to Incline as I have already made plans for 5 days of riding. If they don't come, I'm open.

[michael]

I'd like that, although I have strange days off. I work from home Thu-Sun 4x10 and then have Mon/Tue/Wed as days off. If I can arrange it, I would join you.

[michael]

BTW, In June, my favorite thing is to be running the passes. There will be lots of snow up there this year but by June the roads should be clear and the passes open. Several great ones south of Tahoe, Carson Pass over Highway 88, Ebbetts Pass over Highway 4, Sonora Pass over Highway 108, and Tioga Pass on Highway 120 (Yosemite High Country). All of them run through absolutely gorgeous country and great twisty motorcycle roads. I live in Angels Camp at the foot of Highway 4, so that is the one I ride the most often, but I love them all.

[ULEWZ]

Michael, I did an FJR trip/gathering to Sparks NV 2 years and had a blast with those passes. Seems we need to schedule a meet on this forum in your area. You game?

[michael]

I am kind of gun shy about group rides, having had one friend killed during a group ride I was on. I was the first one to get to him. Sad day.
 
So group rides with people I don't know scare me more. I have spent lots of hours on the side of the road waiting for ambulances and helicopters during group rides, usually for people I did not know. I have led group rides and acted as sweeper on group rides. Done LOTS of them, and testosterone has a tendency to ramp up the pace.
 
Some of those passes, in particular Ebbetts and Sonora, have stretches of fairly treacherous tight corners, no centerline, no guardrails, and several thousand foot dropoffs on one side.  Not a place for the unskilled and incautious.
 
On the other hand, if it is a bunch of responsible riders, preferably older ones, I might be interested.

[panooch]

You have some really nice riding all around you Michael, that's for sure. I'm just south of you in Clovis. Coulterville to Mariposa over Little Dragon is a fantastic, though technical ride. Even more so going the opposite direction. With the recent tar strips across the lanes, it might just be a grand prize winner.
 
I've ridden four of the five passes in CA. Definitely agree with you, three of them are not to be messed with. There's no help for miles and a small oops would cost a rider more then they'd bargained for. Maybe consider Tioga 120 which is scenic and not technical.
 
As a suggestion, Yosemite Valley and over Tioga Pass Hwy 120, all posted 35 mph and patrolled by Yogi. Its Yosemite National Park and gorgeous, everybody slows down. Riders from down south could meet in Oakhurst and head into the park from the southern entrance. Maybe have some meet and greets, a few laughs, riding story or two and head over to Lee Vining. Have a bite in Lee Vining, then those heading to Tahoe/Incline could stay on 395 north. About 150 miles up through Minden NV to Incline. Others could take the challenge and go over Sonora or Ebbett's Pass. Probably not the best idea for too much distance with either of those passes towards the end of the day IMO. Too technical when your tired. I imagine you've done a couple of those passes in one day living in Angel's Camp. It was over 400 miles for me.

[michael]

I agree that Tioga Pass through Tuolumne Meadows and past Tenaya Lake is an absolutely gorgeous ride.  It is also the highest of the passes mentioned.
 
That said, it is by far my least favorite.  Last year I rode it a couple times.  Both times it was clogged with traffic.  Even the places that are posted with the blazing fast 35MPH speed limit are bogged down with rented RVs going 22MPH because the driver is unfamiliar with the vehicle and gawking at the scenery.  There is no place to park if you want to stop and take pictures, the roadside parking is all clogged with cars, campers and RVs.  People stroll across the road, oblivious to traffic.
 
There are lines you have to wait in to get in, and lines you have to wait in to get out.  For all this, you get to also pay a $20 per motorcycle access fee.  I have a lifetime Senior Pass so I don't have to pay, but even so, I avoid the place.
 
I ride the mountains on my motorcycle to get AWAY from people.  The fewer of them I see in a day, the better I like the day.  I think perhaps for folks who have never seen the area it is probably a good choice as long as you don't mind the crowds, but not for me.

[michael]

I often ride three or four passes in a day, ie: up highway 4 over Pacific Grade Summit and Ebbett's Pass, short jaunt on 89 to Markleeville for breakfast, backtrack on 89 and over Monitor Pass, down to 395, south on 395 to 108, over 108 and Sonora Pass, pick up 49 in Sonora, and ride 49 back to Angels Camp.
 
It is a long day, but I usually start early in the morning and get home late in the afternoon, covered with bug goo and having ridden a whole lotta miles of the country I love.

[panooch]

I agree that Tioga Pass through Tuolumne Meadows and past Tenaya Lake is an absolutely gorgeous ride.  It is also the highest of the passes mentioned. 
That said, it is by far my least favorite.  Last year I rode it a couple times.  Both times it was clogged with traffic.  Even the places that are posted with the blazing fast 35MPH speed limit are bogged down with rented RVs going 22MPH because the driver is unfamiliar with the vehicle and gawking at the scenery.  There is no place to park if you want to stop and take pictures, the roadside parking is all clogged with cars, campers and RVs.  People stroll across the road, oblivious to traffic.
 
There are lines you have to wait in to get in, and lines you have to wait in to get out.  For all this, you get to also pay a $20 per motorcycle access fee.  I have a lifetime Senior Pass so I don't have to pay, but even so, I avoid the place.
 
I ride the mountains on my motorcycle to get AWAY from people.  The fewer of them I see in a day, the better I like the day.  I think perhaps for folks who have never seen the area it is probably a good choice as long as you don't mind the crowds, but not for me.

Yes, it is congested. I've lucked out a couple times. But the one time you get caught up in it leaves a lasting impression I suppose. Grew up in Jackson Wyoming and never did get used to the summers when traffic flow was over the top. I have the foothills in my backyard now and ride mostly weekdays. Easy to stay away from traffic in my area also.  
I road, ah I think it was Ebbett's Pass one time and a motor home, over sized for the road, missed or ignored all the length limit signs and got stuck going around a shear cliff corner. Cars backed up going both directions. Sure glad I was on two wheels that day. Was able to get through and around them though barely. ST1300 ABS which was heavy and a bit wide, still fun though. That dude must have ended up backing that thing out of there, probably quite a few miles. No place to turn it around that I saw. Felt good throttling out of that mess.
 

[redfjniner]

One day way back in 2004 I came up on this big rig trying to get out of a situation on the east side of Sanora:
 
 

Did a little off road and rode around it.
 
 

That all happened before the police came.  Cars followed me around the truck.  

[michael]

I have seen those jack knifed trucks on Sonora Pass too. Dunno why those guys think they can take a rig like that over such narrow pavement and switchbacks.

[michael]

For any of you who have not ridden Ebbett's and Monitor Passes, here are part 1, 2, 3, and 4 of a trip I did last October on my KTM 690 Enduro:
 
Ebbett's Pass part 1:

 
Ebbett's Pass part 2:

 
Ebbett's Pass part 3, and on into Markleeville:

 
Markleeville over Monitor Pass:

 
Enjoy. It will be a few months before those rides are available again!
 

[redfjniner]

I think that monitor pass is one of the most fun and remote areas to ride and definitely my favorite when I travel to Lake Tahoe. Here is my monitor pass video I made years back, brief but fun:
 
Watch in YouTube [click YouTube button lower right] to get the annotations.
 

Monitor pass is also my favorite of the ones noted above.  I did it 4 times last year (newer road surfacing) and only road to the top of Ebberts once.  My attention has moved over towards Quincy the last couple years and Bucks Lake Road and La Porte-Quincy Road, with Bucks Lake the favorite of those two.

[panooch]

Thanks for the videos guys. I hope to add the passes to my ride list this summer.