Bat mobile ready for another trip. This time 2015 Horizons Unlimited Rally at Mariposa fairgrounds near Yosemite National Park.
I wanted to take the NC700x on this trip as I had already put about 6000 miles on the RX3 this summer. The Rx3 would of done the trip just fine but I was feeling pressed about maybe having to "freight train" it back home on the interstate and the NC is great for "packing the mail, pony express style" when you need to.
So after going through some forest fires, HEAT and some of the most desolate places I've been to on hwy 395, Lake Tahoe was a pretty sight.
The only mechanical troubles I had where here when I kicked up a pipe or bar in a construction zone along the lake and took out the oil filter. Stopped to check and oil was coming out from slit in filter. A nice local gave me a ride 2-3 miles back into town and I was able to get a new filter at auto parts store. Very common Honda, Kawasaki and car filter. Told the counter guy my plight and he said he lived by where my bike was and could give me a lift back to it after he got off work in 1 1/2 hours. On the way he stopped at his home and got a drain pan to catch the oil and stayed with me till it was fixed. Fired it up after putting new filter on and the filter didn't leak. Now the oil came out of a small hole the bar poked in the clutch cover side case. Not a big one but enough to keep me from going any where. On this trip I threw in a tube of that tootsie-roll type epoxy that looks like tootsie-roll with filling in it. You cut a chunk off and knead it in your moistened hands till it is mixed good then stick it on the hole like a wad of chewing gun. After 30-45 minutes it hardened enough to start motor and no oil came out. What a life saver. never thought a road bike would need a skid plate but this trip convinced me and now both bikes have skid plates on them and I will carry the tootsie-roll on all my trips now. Too late in the day to continue on as it was dark so I headed back into town and got a room for the night. This put me a day late getting down to the rally. But still part of the adventure and got an education to boot on fixing oil leaks.
From beautiful mountain greenery at Tahoe to desolation water starvation in California along hwy 42.
This road was great fun with all the twisties (hwy42) but you can die out here, hot, desolate and not much traffic.
finally made it to Mariposa. rj, Dan, Ryan and Matt from CSC. Joe Berk photo with a fisheye lens. Makes us all look so tall, dark and handsome don't you think.
Overlooking the Yosemite Valley. Can you see me now?
East side of Tioga Pass. Came down the road you can barely see at the top. Then had lunch at a little convienence berg before turning around and riding it back to camp. Fun
Came home through Mt Lassen Volcano National Park
I'm going to post this part now before the computer monster eats it and I loose it all again. I'll post more pics of people and the rally later , rj