Big Bike

On the way to Moss Landing, CA there is a little shop on the side of the road where I always see bikers stop. They sell motorcycle gear, leathers, etc. Out front there are now three huge sculptures of motorcycles made of scrap metal and other creative junk. I like this one the best.

New Blog Post--At Last

For all of you who have wondered what happened to me since my last blog post, I thought I would give you a personal update. I have been unemployed for 2 1/2 years and during that time decided to go back to school to train for a new career. I have just completed my education and recieved an Associate's degree, finishing with a 4.0 GPA. (Even bikers can be intelligent!) While in school I had no free time, even for riding. Currently I am spending several hours a day actively looking for employment. The weather here in Santa Cruz has been perfect for riding, so until I am working I plan to spend alot of time on the road, going to the beach, and just enjoying all this area has to offer. Back in the saddle again...

Parking Phobia

Last Sunday was the 4th Annual Bikes on the Bay in Capitola. It was a small but awesome vintage motorcycle show in the parking lot of the Capitola Mall. I met Willy D, Carol, B.B. and Dave there and we had a great time hanging out for a little while.

As I prepared to ride to the Mall to meet them, I realized I had a huge problem. It's been creeping up on me for some time, but I had no idea it was this bad. I have developed a parking phobia. This also crosses over to my car, but I won't cover that here.

Almost every time I ride or even think of riding somewhere, the thought starts haunting me. What is the parking situation? Is it on a slope? Will the street be so narrow that I can't turn around? Will I be able to get out of the parking spot?

I know that I can back into any space, but sometimes even that is a little difficult. This problem is keeping me from venturing out to places unknown when I am by myself. As I prepared to ride to the Mall, the panic and dread hit me. Of course, once I got there I found a nice spot in the parking lot, which is partially sloped in most directions. I was a little nervous I wouldn't be able to get out of the spot, since I had gone into it forward.

I had absolutely no trouble and rolled right out of the spot. What was I afraid of? That is usually the case so I don't know where this is coming from; although I have had trouble once or twice rolling my heavy bike backwards out of a sloped spot. I am not that tall so it is always a challenge, even though my bike is pretty low. It is just getting leverage that gives me a problem. I really want to overcome this, so I will be working on it by going lots of places that I am unfamiliar with.

Is this just a 'girl' problem or does anyone else experience this?

4th Annual Bikes on the Bay

Sunday, June 28 is the upcoming 4th Annual Bikes on the Bay vintage motorcycle show at the Capitola Mall near Santa Cruz, CA.

The 4th Annual Capitola/Soquel Vintage Motorcycle Show is held in the parking lot of the Mall located on 41st Ave, Capitola. Aside from the vintage cycles there is entertainment, food, swap meet, vendors, etc. The show draws local families as well as lots of bikers who appreciate the oldies.

The show runs from 9am to 4pm on Sunday, June 28th so if you're in the Monterey Bay area that day ride on over to beautiful Capitola and have some fun.

It's Ride to Work Day!

For those of you who have a job, you probably already ride to work whenever the weather cooperates. If you don't, today is a day to get out there and join together with riders everywhere who are using their motorcycles for daily transportation.

It takes a little planning and organization if you take items to work with you. Once you find a place to carry everything, (laptop, lunch, extra clothes to change into once you arrive, if needed)
you will find a routine that is quick, comfortable, and a great way to begin your workday.

From Wikipedia:
Ride To Work is a Minnesota-based charitable organization devoted to increasing awareness of motorcycling as a transportation alternative, mainly through the annual Ride to Work Day. The organization was incorporated in 2000 by Andy Goldfine, the owner of Aerostich.
Ride to Work Day started in 1992 as an informal event, before Ride To Work existed. In 2009, Ride to Work Day will be on June 15.
According to a 2006 statement to the National Transportation Safety Board by Goldfine, Ride to Work Day is the largest motorcycle event by number of participants. Ride to Work Day is also run in other countries including the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Israel, Turkey, Ecuador and the Philippines. In the United Kingdom, the Motorcycle Industry Association runs the event alongside National Motorcycle Week.

This year the day was moved up from July. It will from now on be the 3rd Monday in June. This was decided partly because the weather in most parts of the world is milder in June than July, and I guess Europeans are on summer holiday in July so aren't riding to work then.

I, for one, won't be working today. Still looking. I will be riding today, though aimlessly with no destination. That's the best kind of riding, right?

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.

I'm Another Statistic

There have been alot of changes in my life in the last 6 months. One of them is that I have found myself blogging less and less because it requires me to stay inside on the computer (I don't have a laptop) when I really want to be out in the sun, walking on the beach or riding my motorcycle on unfamiliar roads.

I moved to Santa Cruz, CA and have a new job which I really love. Until today..... I was laid off as well as a few others. The company is small and so it was a big impact on the number of people still employed there. The downtrodden economy has affected orders for our equipment, so it was necessary to downsize, for now. If orders do pick up in the near future I am assured that they will call me back to work. For now, I am another statistic.

I don't know what the future holds for me. Today, I want to continue living in Santa Cruz and see if there is another job out there for me locally. I did take a quick look at Craigslist and was amazed at the scarcity of job postings, compared to 5 months ago when I was actively looking.

I apologize in advance if I don't post as frequently as in the past. On the other hand, I guess I will have alot of free time on my hands for a while. Sounds like alot of daytime rides in the near future. This unemployed business might not be so bad after all.......

My First Ride to Pescadero

When I first arrived in Santa Cruz the weather was warm compared to the Seattle area I had left behind. One of the sunny weekends my brother decided to ride with me north up Hiway 1 to Pescadero. The town is a tiny crossroads a couple of miles inland from the Pacific Ocean. I found out later that the town has a wonderful bakery that produces artichoke bread, which has artichoke hearts throughout the bread. Now, as a native Californian, I grew up eating artichokes and have always had an emotional attachment to anything artichoke. I will go back one day specifically to find the heavenly bread.

We started out making our way up Hiway 1 by passing through the town of Santa Cruz. Once you head up the coast the towns are few and far between. It is the loveliest stretch of coastline I have ever ridden on, although the Oregon Coast was just as gorgeous.

We stopped and rode up alot of side roads off of the Hiway. My brother has covered all of them on his motorcycles over the years. This day he was riding his '69 Honda.

We stopped at ano nuevo lighthouse for a moment. The iceplant covering the tops of the cliffs is a sight to behold. When it blooms it is a sea of hot-pink flowers.

We continued our round trip back towards Santa Cruz and stopped for a last look at Greyhound Rock. This particular day there were minus tides, which means the sea was much further out than usual. This made the Rock accessable and you can see there are a few people who made it to the top. Any other day you cannot reach Greyhound rock.

It was a fun day of warm temps and comfortable riding. Next time I go north will be heading to Half Moon Bay. I am hoping B.B., Dave, Willy D. and Carol can go along for the ride. As soon as things dry out and warm up again, we are off.

This coastal living is good for the soul.

Since I've Been In Santa Cruz.....

Since I arrived in Santa Cruz around Thanksgiving time I have been nothing but busy. I began a new job, which I liked from day one. I am starting to like it more each day and becoming more sure that I am doing good work and more comfortable with all the new people I work with.

I've always liked to take a little walk after eating lunch during my work day. The second week on my new job I was out for a walk and not paying attention to where I was stepping. I stumbled and fell face down on the sidewalk which seemed unavoidable at that moment. I really banged myself up and had to go back to work with blood running down my face and a stupid look on it as well.

I lived with this colorful eye for 3 weeks!


Living near the beach lends to lots of outdoor activity and exciting sight-filled walks. There is always something to see that is new or unusual.

I was finally pleased when my husband, 2 cats and my motorcycle arrived just before Christmas in a moving truck. All made the trip safely amid heavy snow storms between Seattle and Santa Cruz. Things are good.


Here is my Vulcan safe and sound in her new little garage.

Now that the Vulcan is here and the weather has been unseasonably warm (sorry everyone in the freezing climates) I have been riding to work a little and every weekend I'm on the road. There are endless places to go and new roads to discover. Stay tuned.

Biker Bloggers Meet-up in Salinas

To break out of my self-imposed temporary blog retirement, I contacted B.B. and decided to ride to Salinas this weekend and find Dave's coffee shop since I was only 45 minutes away and had been dying to meet them for a while. The weather here in Santa Cruz has been record-breaking warm the past week. I had to ride.

We arranged to meet at the shop and I found out that Willy D and his wife Carol would also be there. I was excited as I started out that morning, not sure of where I was going and remembering that Salinas had already had 6 murders this year. I didn't want to end up in the wrong part of town.

My ride took me through fields of artichokes, which is one of the most beautiful sights there is. The central coast of California grows much of the nations strawberries, brussel sprouts, leeks, and many artichokes. It was a lovely sight to see fertile black soil plowed in rows for as far as you can see, ready for the next crop to be sewn.

I did get lost as I got into Salinas, so Dave and Willy D came and found me, then escorted me back to the coffee shop.


The girls were waiting to ride so we started out towards Monterey.


It was a very fun ride, and it seemed like I was riding with people I already knew. They were all very comfortable and fun to talk to. We ended up going along the coastline to Pacific Grove, and then back towards Salinas for another coffee drink. I loved it!


By the time I was ready to head back to Santa Cruz, the group decided they hadn't had enough riding for the day. Everyone rode together back to Santa Cruz to my exit off the hiway, then they gassed up and turned back towards home. My total miles for the day on the Vulcan were 129.

It was a memorable day and real pleasure to meet everyone. As B.B. said, it seemed like we were old friends in a way. I had enjoyed Dave's humor on his blog, and was not disappointed that he was a very funny guy. B.B was real down to earth and fun. Willy D. and his wife Carol were so cool I felt like I'd always known them. We plan to ride again and I look forward to spending more time on the road with all of them.

New Helmets Rock

Before I left Seattle I ordered a new full face helmet for my son. He only had a half-helmet and was getting quite chilly on his rides to work and on weekend rides.

This helmet was found at Riders Discount's selection of Shoei Helmets. The prices were excellent and shipping was prompt, and free! The helmet I got him was the Shoei RF-1000.

Here is a review of some of its features:

Clean classic lines,very low key

Looks good on a lot of different bikes

Cool vents on back that are easy to open and close

Really nice sturdy opening mechanism for the visor

Very light, easy on the neck and back

Foam extremely comfortable

Fogs up a little bit at stops

Visibility is good in all directions

Nifty bag and extra pieces for nose and neck

He is very pleased with the helmet, and as his mother I think he is much safer with the full-face helmet. The road noise is also cut down considerably.

I would recommend checking out Riders Discount for a large selection of jackets, helmets, boots, and other gear at discount prices. They carry all the major brands and have a good selection of street and off-road gear.

I would definately go back to this website when I'm looking for more motorcycle gear, and can you ever have too much?

Landed in Santa Cruz

We had a great car ride down to Santa Cruz coming from Seattle. We took two days and spent the night in Weed, CA. At the College of the Siskiyous was a Disc Golf course that my son had always wanted to play. So we went out early, found the course and ran through the woods playing disc golf in the 36 degree morning air.

We arrived in Santa Cruz safely and I have not been able to connect to internet so far. Will blog more when I do.

It has been lovely weather so far, with a warm sunny day for Thanksgiving and too much turkey.

My Last Days in Seattle

Saturday the sun broke out and the rain quit for a few days. We had to get out for one last weekend ride. We got a call from our friend in West Seattle and decided to make that our destination for the day.

It had rained for a couple of weeks straight, and not just that misty Seattle rain. It had been a downpour every day and dark and dreary on top of that. Saturday was dry, warm and sunny.

We took the interstate over to West Seattle, which is a completely seperate town from Seattle. It is a lovely place with a small town feel, awesome views back towards the City and also views across the water to several islands.

Once we arrived at our friend's, we decided to stretch and take a nice walk down the hill to a wooded park with nice pathways and views through the trees. This park eventually ends at the Vashon Ferry dock.


We all had a nice walk, which did us all good to get outdoors and move around. We tend to be lazy sometimes and don't get enough healthy exercise.


We rode back home just before dark, which nowadays is close to 4:30pm. It was great to be out again on the road, even though it was getting chilly by the time we got home.


Today I had some last minute errands to run and the sun was out again. The rain is threatening to come back tomorrow and not end anytime soon. It was my last time to ride in the Seattle area before I leave for California.

I got the bike out and took off for the Post Office, a snack, and then just to ride. The sun felt warm and the wind lovely on my face. I thoroughly savored every moment of my ride, knowing it would be the last for quite a while. I had so much work to do at home getting ready for my trip that I couldn't stay out as long as I would have liked. I was very happy that I got one last ride in.

As I rode home and parked the Vulcan for the last time, I had a moment of sadness. She will be joining me in California as soon as possible, but not soon enough for me.

SANTA CRUZ HARLEY-DAVIDSON RIDES INTO SUNSET

I came across this article yesterday in the Santa Cruz Sentinel. It caught my eye and filled me with a sense of fear that it is only a glimpse of things to come.

A long standing Harley-Davidson dealer closed its doors this week because they couldn't make enough profit to pay the rent. That is a sad state of affairs. Because of the economic downturn people consider motorcycles as a luxury item. They are not selling anywhere.

Check out the Santa Cruz Sentinel article. It will give you a wake up call...

Vulcan In For Scheduled Maintenance

Since I am getting ready to move to California, I am beginning to find an urgency to wrap up loose ends before I leave. My time here in Seattle is running out and I am working right up until the week I leave.

Today I decided to take my '07 Vulcan in for it's scheduled 4000 mile maintenance. I have 4300 miles on it so far. The oil needed to be changed and a good overall check. I will be leaving the bike in Seattle for now, so I wanted it to be sweet and ready to ride when it finally moves down to CA. Hopefully I won't be without it for too long.

I can't say enough good things about the Lynnwood Cycle Barn. They have recently downsized their shop and moved into a smaller facility that is shared with the Seattle Harley-Davidson. I guess motorcycle sales have dropped off like all other businesses, so it was a necessary move.
Even so, this is a slow time of year for their service department and they got me right in when I called.

I dropped the bike off around noon, and just got a call that it is ready for me to pick up. It had only been 3 hours since I left it. The problem is that the rains have started and don't look like they will end for a few days. I think I will bite the bullet and put on my rain gear. I would rather pick up the Vulcan and have it sitting safely in my garage than in their shop.

So off I go to pick up my Vulcan. I have become attached to it and will be sad to leave it even for a short while. My husband has promised to ride it often enough to keep her in good shape.

After I move I will be living close to my brother, who has a nice Kawi Ninja. That should be fun to get the occasional ride fix out of my system!

Moving to Santa Cruz, CA

After 5 years of trying to find a job and relocate back to northern California, I finally have landed a job in Santa Cruz. This is a beach community on the north part of the Monterey Bay. I will be making scientific metrology equipment, which is a welcome change from making ultrasonic devices for 20 years. I'm very excited to learn something new.

I grew up in the Silicon Valley and left there several times, only to feel the pull back home eventually. This time I am moving back to be nearer my elderly parents, brother, and many old friends.

I won't be able to take my motorcycle at first, which is going to kill me. But I'll be busy with a new job and staying with a friend in the beginning, until I can find an affordable place to live. Then my husband will bring the bike, and alot of stuff down that I'll need to set up house. He has a stable, good paying job in the Seattle area, so will stay there until the stock market comes back a little and job market is such that he can find something in California.

It will be quite an adjustment for us both, but worth it in the end. I'll miss my bike most of all! (just kidding Dave)

I'll be going from a winter like this.....

To winter skies like this......

I'll move just before Thanksgiving and start the job Dec. 1. I will try to keep up the blogging as long as I have internet connection. There may be a slight lag, but I'll warn you ahead of time.

I'm finally going home to stay this time.

A Chance to Win Your Own Customized Harley

Those of you who LOVE the Harleys are going to have a chance of a lifetime to build your own fantasy Harley Davidsen and have a chance to actually win your design!

From Harley Davidsen:

In the "Build It to and Win It" sweepstakes, contestants can customize a Harley-Davidson 2009 model and enter it to win the bike they designed. Using the Genuine Motor Accessories Customizer, anyone can choose a Harley-Davidson model and then select from hundreds of custom options, including Color Shop custom paint sets, Screamin’ Eagle performance components, hand and foot controls, custom front end parts and decorative collections, and place them on a virtual motorcycle. As the bike is created, each new component appears on a picture of the virtual motorcycle, so a customizer can see exactly what the finished custom Harley-Davidson will look like. After customizing, the bikes can then be saved in a personal profile "Garage," along with a convenient, printable list of each component with its part number and price.

A contestant can customize, save and enter up to ten 2009 models between Oct. 15 - Nov. 6 and each will be entered to win. Representatives from the company will randomly select one bike, which will be awarded to the Grand Prize winner after the Nov. 6 deadline.

More details on the contest are available here:
www.harley-davidson.com/customizer

So put your thinking caps on and start dreaming!!!

It's Time for Change

Both presidential candidates are for 'change'. The climate is changing. The financial system is changing. Those of us with money tied up in the stock market, whether it be in a 401K or other savings vehicle, are seeing a big change for the worse.

All of this brings to light that the weather is also changing and it 's time to dig out the winter riding gear. I didn't want to think about it yet, as it is only early October. I can't fight it any more.

Our weather in Seattle has cooled off drastically this past 2 weeks. The mornings are around 40 degrees. The days have been lucky to reach 55 degrees. It will only get worse from now on.

This weekend promises to have a day or two of riding weather. I will dig out my winter liner for my leather jacket and zip it in. I will dig out my winter warm gloves and start wearing them, although keeping my lighter one's handy if the day warms up as I ride. And I really dread going back to the full-face helmet. It's been a joy to ride all summer with a half-helmet, but now it is too chilly for that, so back to the full enclosure. I will also need to wear chaps at all times, just for warmth.

It takes me a little mental preparation to get ready for winter riding. Once I get out there and adjust to the proper gear for the cold, I do feel like a rarity on the road. Not many others are out on motorcycles in the winter, but when you do pass another bike there is always a common wave. Not many of us are that devoted, so I do feel a kinship with others I pass on those cold mornings on the way to work.

Does anyone else ride in the winter and have to mentally prepare in the fall?

Love My Rippin-Kitten T-shirt

My newest favorite tee is the new original design by Rippin-Kitten. I ordered through Pay Pal and Liz shipped the shirt out immediately. It arrived two days later, and it even had to travel across the entire U.S. I was pleasantly surprised that the shipment also included a cool Rippin-Kitten.com sticker as well.

I ordered my normal adult size and the shirt seemed quite large when I tried it on. I washed it and it did shrink the slightest bit, so I am happy that after a couple of washings it should fit just the way I like. The price is very reasonable and also makes a great gift.

Get your own Rippin-Kitten tee-shirt while they last and you, too, can have a cool original shirt.

Made It To Oyster Run '08

Against my better judgement we decided to go to the Oyster Run in Anacortes, WA on Sunday. It is the largest one day gathering of motorcyclists in the Western U.S. This year they expected over 30,000 bikes to attend. I estimate there were more......

We got up early and expected to get going by 9 am. From 7 o'clock on you could hear the drone of motorcycles off in the distance going up I-5. By the time we left home and merged onto I-5 heading North it was a sight to see. What a thrill it was to be on a 3 lane interstate surrounded by hundreds of motorcyclists in every lane, with only an occasional car squeezed in between the crowd. All you could see ahead or in your mirrors were motorcycles. I have never seen anything like it and it was an emotional and exhilerating experience.

We stopped about 30 miles north of home to drop in and see my son, who had a group of many friends who were gathering to go also. The gas stations in his town were filling up with hundreds of bikers meeting up. Nate and his friends were going to breakfast so we headed to the Oyster Run without them and said we would meet up later. We never found them at the event. We did, however, run into the friend who had sold Dave the Victory. What were the chances of that?

We went off of the interstate and headed towards Anacortes on the back roads which were scenic and rural. It was a clear blue day which turned out to be warm and sunny. As we neared the town of Anacortes traffic came to a halt. We crept into town inch by inch. That is when the fun ended for me. By the time we parked my clutch hand had a full cramp.

The event was interesting, with local vendors and bike builders etc. All the biker groups were there wearing their colors, but no incidents as far as I know. Everyone was happy to be there and appreciating looking at the motorcycles. We walked around in shoulder to shoulder crowds and made our way up the entire street and back the other side. There was one group doing a scheduled stunt show but we didn't wait to see it. Otherwise, it was just a large gathering. After I saw about the thousandth bike they all started looking the same.




Here is a lineup of Big Dog bikes.

Not sure what this was but when it was revved it was so loud people were covering their ears!

How's this for a motorcycle cover?


I liked this biker gorilla.

They said this bike was on Biker Build-off. They were giving it away.

As we tried to leave town the traffic was even worse than coming in. There were several directions to go but all were creeping or stopped. We headed east and found a back road with only a few bikers on it. It was a long ride home and I was very tired by the time we arrived. All day we only went a total of 155 miles, but rode for about 6 hours. My left hand turned purple from clutching. I guess I'm not as tough as I think sometimes.

I don't think I would ever attempt to go to the Oyster Run again, because it really had nothing to offer me. Crowds like that aren't my thing. I'm glad for the experience, though, and got my first bike event pin.