Wednesday, June 10, 2009

The Victory Arrives in Santa Cruz

Special Note: I promised my son that I would write a new post since I haven't been updating for quite some time. I knew I was disappointing some of my regular readers, but when my son asked me "what's up with your blog, Mom?" I felt really bad. While I promised him a couple of weeks ago, it has taken me this long to actually do it. Nate has grown into a wonderful person and a thinking, responsible adult. I am really proud of him and can't let him down. So this is for you, Nate.

I've been living in Santa Cruz since November and was without my Vulcan until late December. I've ridden alone since then, aside from a couple of rides with my brother and with my Salinas friends. On Memorial Day weekend Dave decided he would ride the Victory from Seattle to Santa Cruz and leave it down here. That way when he is here a couple of times a month we can go for rides together and enjoy exploring the lovely California roads.

According to Dave, the ride south was alot of fun but mostly uneventful. I guess that's a good thing when your bike doesn't let you down. He rode I-5 most of the way, which climbs across the Siskeyous and is a straight ride towards San Francisco. He rode 600 miles the first day and stopped in Anderson, CA for the night. The next day was 300 miles and he arrived here around 1:30 pm. The weather was good all the way through Washington and Oregon, with a few sprinkles as he passed into California. From there on it was great. I felt a little jealous as he kept calling to check in with me along the way. It sounded so fun!!

After riding all that time, the next day he was ready to ride again. We rode down the coast on Highway 1 from Santa Cruz to Big Sur. I can't even describe the scenery as we passed through Monterey and down along the coast south of there. There were no photos taken as it is a winding, 2 lane road with no guardrails to protect you from falling down giant cliffs to the sea.

It was great riding together once again and was another gorgeous day.

This is the famous Bixby Bridge that you may have seen on TV and in movies. This is the landmark bridge near Big Sur.



I can't wait to ride further south one day to explore Hearst Castle, Pismo Beach and other destinations I've never been.

Once Dave got the Victory to California, he looked up to see where the nearest dealer is in case he needs work or parts. THERE ARE NONE. The nearest 'dealer' is in Danville, about 100 miles away. If anyone in the Monterey area, San Jose area, or Santa Cruz area knows of anyone who works on Victory motorcycles, please let me know. I guess there aren't many other Victorys around here so Dave should be getting some good attention when he rides.

16 comments:

Anonymous said...

Classic Shots, love that coastline.

Ride on,
Torch

Mr. Motorcycle said...

I only live about 10 minutes away from a Victory dealer, but being in Minnesota can be of no help here.

The photos you posted have some breathtaking views. Nice.

"Joker" said...

Nice to hear from you Becky; I'm glad all's well. I think that's a great idea for him to leave the bike down with you so you guys can ride together on his visits. No doubt you have plenty of scenery to explore out there and now you can do it together.

As far as dlr support goes, that's an issue most folks don't consider when they buy a bike. The competition may make decent scoots for less money, but I doubt they'll ever be able to offer the dealer and service support that H-D does. I actually never thought much about it myself until I read Road Grits Dave's post about his first trip to Sturgis on a metric cruiser. He couldn't even find a damn lightbulb without a hassle.

But, I'd like to think you can find an Indy someplace out there that will work on a Vic. If I were you I'd look for a place that does a bike night near you and ride down there to see if there are any Victory owners among the crowd and chat them up for a lead on where they get their wrenching done.

Have a nice summer and try not to be a stranger :)

Dean "D-Day" said...

Glad to see that Nate got on your case about posting. You always have some of the most beautiful pictures and you didn't disappoint us this time either. Good to hear from you.

Jovita @ Inky Impressions said...

Beauty photos. I wished I rode back then when we lived in California, maybe one day I'll take a trip back on motorcycle.

That's great that you and Dave will be adventuring when he visits. Ride Safe ;)

Willy D said...

Looks like we need to plan a ride soon.
I know a few folks. I’ll make some inquires about Victorys and let you know.

Biker T-Shirts said...

I love your blog - some lovely pictures! We don't get views quite like that here in the UK.

Chessie (Chesshirecat) said...

great to see your riding...and your friend is riding w/you when he comes to visit!
CA. is one hell of a state to explore! YOU GO!

Willy D said...

I checked with a few Victory riders. For general service needs they said James at Hole In The Wall Cycles is who they use. 411 Front St., Salinas (831) 424-5890. For any warranty or stick Victory issue, it’s Arlen Ness in Dublin, Ca.

Becky said...

Thanks for checking on that Willy D. I'll pass the info along to Dave. Are there alot of Victory riders around? Have fun on your road trip and best of luck to all of you!

Bikerchickz

Willy D said...

There’s about half a dozen or so around here. You might also check with Cycle Imagery for basic service. I believe they’re in Santa Cruz somewhere and I’ve never heard anything bad about them.

B.B. said...

Yeah, I'm so glad the Victory is here! I've been thinking about you, glad you decided to post, finally. :)
Ry is leaving on Thursday for his dads, and then we are leaving for AZ on FRiday, I will call you when we get back so we can get together for a ride.

mq01 said...

hey there, great blog!! i love your pics!! willy d is right on, victory factory/dealer stuff is ness. but the listing in danville is incorrect, its dublin (i know, not much closer, lol). let me know if you ever come out this way. im a former ness girl, lol, and i live close by. maybe we can ride...

Becky said...

mq01: Send me an email and let me know where you are. Or maybe you can make it over to Santa Cruz.

B.B.: I'll be watching for your posts on the trip, and we definately have to meet up later so I can hear all about it. Be safe.

Bikerchickz

unicorn said...

wow...excited....

Amit Ahuja said...

The places are awesome here....got attracted to them....