Stand by Me, the film (A trip to Brownsville, Oregon)

Posted on November 26, 2011 by cesardagord

I had talked with Doug and Annie about a possible ride this Saturday, November 26.  I had checked the weather forecast several days before and this day kept coming up as the only dry day of the holiday or even the week.  I drove back from Portland yesterday (Friday), after spending a very nice Thanksgiving holiday with Sierk, Jennifer and little Atticus and other few good friends. And this morning Ken called after talking with Doug and Annie.  We had a plan.

Nice days are for riding. The bike is ready. November 26th, 2011.

Whenever I’m out for a ride I know not everything in the ride will necessarily go according to plan. I always hope for good things, of course.  I know that at a minimum I will be at some point on a nice road and I will have a great time behind the handlebars. No matter what. The plan was to ride to Marcola and meet Ken at the Tipi Village. We would watch the Football game (the civil war) for a while, have lunch with Ken, and from there Ken would join us for a short ride in the area close to the Tipi Village.

Lowell Covered Bridge, off Hwy 58. Oregon. November 26th, 2011

We took the long way to Ken’s house to avoid the Football traffic and to add some fun miles to the mix.

What a nice day! Have a said this before? Dexter Lake, Oregon. November 26th, 2011

When you ride with Doug you have to get used to frequent stops to check maps. And very frequently you will need to turn around because he has made a wrong turn at some point.

Checking the maps. One more time. Dexter Lake, November 26th, 2011

You know, it is part of the fun, and sometimes those wrong turns take us to great roads we would have never ridden if it weren’t for that wrong turn. That was the case for this short hop on the wrong turn that is depicted on the video below. If you are patient to watch this video to the last minutes, you will be able to see, on record, how things happen. And how Annie and I had fun in the process.

After the unplanned detour Annie takes over the lead position and eventually we made it to the Tipi Village without any further problems.  I like crossing the creek on that bridge (last minute of this two-minute video).

Great place to park the bike (picture below). Last year (2010) this creek was teeming with Salmon, a rare occurrence these days in such a small creek this far from the Ocean.

Tiger by the creek. Tipi Village, OR. November 26th, 2011

This place is quiet in the winter, with the Tipis sans canvas and trees without leaves. During the summer almost every weekend this place is busy with tourists spending the night at the retreat, or wedding celebrations, retreats, parties. Sometimes we luck out and there is one weekend free during the summer for us regular folk to enjoy as well. Check their site: The Tipi Village Retreat.

The Tipi Village in the Fall. November 2011

We watched the Football Game and ate great food and talked about rides. Overall, a very nice and mellow gathering.

Great food, great company. November 26th, 2011

Once it was clear there was only one possible outcome for that game, the Ducks easily proving their point, we decided to go for a ride. Ken was talking about Brownsville and this Café, called the Corner Café, that he was recently thinking it would be a great point for us to ride to and use as a meeting point during the summer.  However, he added, the Café had burned, as of a couple of weeks past. We all thought it would be a great idea to ride to Brownsville and check it out. In a few minutes we were riding. I enjoy following Ken, he rides on a speed that matches what I can comfortably ride without having to push. And he is good about keeping the speeds down on the straights.

My idea of a great riding pace is the one that is just fast enough to have fun at curves, without necessarily needing to excessively use the brakes to set the bike up for the corner.  A slow corner entry allows for beginning acceleration before the apex to set the chassis up and then you can hear the nice engine notes along the way (slow in, fast out, SIFO).  That is, once I feel the corner is under control, I can turn the wick a bit and have the most fun at it. Once coming out of the corner, still leaning, I may need to get on more power for the next gear up, or two, but keeping a steady, reasonable, and safe speed on the straights until the next curve when the process is repeated: slow down, downshift once or twice if needed and be ready to be on the gas before the apex if possible, or when the corner is under control. Far from the limit, I know, but it sure is fun where it counts on my bank. And safe. Now, when I follow Doug is another story. That guy is fast and smooth at it! I don’t keep up with him, that guy is too fast. But I will catch up with him when he stops to check his map.

We made it to Brownsville and to the burned Corner Café, right next door to the Blue Point diner.  More on the Blue Point diner later.

Brownsville with the Cafe on the right. Oregon. November 26, 2011

We parked the bikes and went for a walk around town for a bit. Ken at some point mentioned that this town was the Castle Rock of “Stand by Me.”  I confess I was a bit skeptical about this story. It has been a long time since I saw this movie a last time. Funny that I was saying this right here, with this view for a background.

Annie, Doug and Ken. Friends. Brownsville, OR. November 26th, 2011

We went to an antique store just across the street, always an interesting adventure. Check this Sinclair Motor oil advertisement and their marketing theme: “mellowed 100 million years.” I have a feeling no oil company would approach their marketing with this angle today.

Mellowing 100 Million Years...

Outside views are great when framed by the items for sale on window shelves.

What about an old "bomb" or "torpedo"?

I asked Ken once again about Stand by Me. I had seen this movie several times. It is a classic for one thing. For another, it was a story I had known from the book “The Body” of Stephen King as well. The book and the movie had touched me on my understanding of friendship, what I know of friendship. Ken confirms the story again and points out some of the areas of the city that are scenes of the movie.

The picture below is the first scene at street level, when Richard Dreyfus is narrating: “I was 12 going on 13 the first time I saw a dead human being. It happened in the summer of 1959 – a long time ago, but only if you measure in terms of years. I was living in a small town in Oregon called Castle Rock; there were only twelve hundred and eighty-one people, but to me it was the whole world.”

First scene of "Castle Rock" in Stand by Me. Borwnsville, OR, 2011.

Then the camera pans clockwise and shows the street exactly where we had parked the bikes, as the camera follows Gordie Lachance on his walk through town to meet his friends.

The Castle Rock of "Stanbd by Me". Brownsville, OR, November 26th, 2011

At the side of the burned Café is the Blue Point Diner I mentioned earlier. It is where, in the alley on the back of the diner, Chris Chambers showed Gordie Lachance the gun, saying it was discharged. And you know the story, Gordie fires the gun and it happened that it was loaded.

The Blue Point Diner, Brownsville, OR. November 26th, 2011

There, on the other side of town, is the green bridge they crossed on foot when returning from their adventure and they arrive back in “Castle Rock.”

Way down there is the green bridge of the film. Brownsville, OR. November 2011.

The story is supposed to have happened on labor day weekend, September 1959.  It was filmed in 1984 or 1985 (film is dated as 1986).  So they were filming here about 26 years ago. I was surprised about how everything is mostly as it were on the film.They must have a strong sense of community here, preserving their town, I think. There is a wake planned for the  Corner Café. I wish there was a way to bring it back. Ken described it as a great place for a Sunday brunch. And now that I’ve gotten to know this town and its connection to “Castle Rock”, I think coming here once or twice a year would be a nice idea.

A Wake for the Corner Café. Brownsville, OR.

As we were walking back to the bikes, these two cute girls performed for us. And then they wished us “good luck.”  I guess it worked as we all got back to our homes safely. If that was what they meant. It was another nice touch to this ride.

Performing Girls. Brownsville, OR. November 26th, 2011.

It was getting dark quickly. We said our good-byes to Ken and found our way back to Eugene.

Train Tracks. Somewhere north of Eugene in Oregon. November 26th, 2011

It was dark when I got home. We said our good-byes and we all commented on how nice a ride it was.  I would add that this was a great day!

147 miles. Not bad at all for this late in November.

When I set out for this ride, I was not expecting to see such a nice town as Brownsville is, nor to know about its connection to Stand by Me.  At the end of the film, Richard Dreyfus character, remembering his old friends and his time in Castle Rock, writes this final sentence: “I never had any friends later on like the ones I had when I was twelve. Jesus, does anyone?”

I guess this statement above could be an old maxim. What I know is that I had heard it before from the father of my friends João and Luís Müller.  When their grandfather died, me and a couple of other close friends of theirs, packed in a car with João and Luís and went to the funeral that was 30km away, two towns up from Porto Alegre on Hwy 116. We packed a bottle of whiskey and a deck of cards. At night, we sneaked out of the funeral room, went to the room next door, still in the funeral home compound, settled around a coffin table and played cards while enjoying the whiskey. At some point his father, the late Dr. Oswaldo Müller, came in to this room and saw us huddled under the dim light around the improvised table.  I thought we were going to get scolded. Instead he mentioned something I will never forget. He said how nice it was that we were all together, and that friends and friendship like the one we had would be hard to find later on in our lives. And he was right. And we knew he was right then. And we haven’t forgotten those words, as we still talk about that moment every now and then. I felt proud to be part of that moment. And not because of that, or not only because of that, João and Luís are still great friends of mine today, despite that we live thousands of miles apart.

Bottom line, I’m very appreciative of all my friends, new and old, never taking them for granted. Perhaps I don’t have too many friends, but I’m extremely lucky for having the few great friends I have.  And I’m also lucky that I can keep close contact with these very friends I’ve made from the time when I was twelve and even before that time.  Even if I don’t see them as often as I would like to, I often think about them. In the last couple of years, and especially this year, I have been fortunate enough to have had a chance to spend quality time with almost all of them, be them in Brazil or Italy or the United States.  This year, as in other times in the past, I felt a need to see them, spend time with them, and let them know how important it was for me to be with them during those rare times when we have a chance to be together. And I do the same to the friends that live closer to me here in Oregon.

And now, this short ride brought all of them close to me on a very special way. Once I parked the bike and settled back home from the ride, I wanted to see the movie again. I checked Netflix and they did not have this movie on instant view. For what exactly do I pay $7.99 a month? I checked Amazon.com and they had the movie for instant viewing. I paid $2.99 for an instant view of the film, expensive as it could be, the moment was there for me to see this movie again. It was great to view the scenes and hear the stories once again and know I had just been on the area it was filmed.

A special moment it was. All in all, a great day. The ride was great, the surprise was phenomenal, and the opportunity it gave me to see that film again on an appropriate context was more than what I could had possibly bargained.  It served to remind me of how fortunate I am for I have what matters most in life and to let you know here that I’m thankful for that.

Cesar

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It’s cold but it is not raining

Posted on November 20, 2011 by cesardagord

This is it. It is Sunday and it is not raining, so it should be good enough for a ride. Let’s take the Tiger out for a stretch.

Tiger ready for the action. November 20, 2011

The idea is just to ride in the area, a couple of hours or so, going north on the Willamette valley.  I stopped on the same vineyard I stopped last week when I took the Dakar on a similar ride. Notice the difference on one week – less color, less leafs.

One weel later, less color and less leafs on the vinyard. Benton County, OR. November 20, 2011

I continue the ride, went past Monroe and looped back south via Alpine.  It was getting cold. This bike has no heated grips.

Somewhere between Territorial Rd and Alpine Rd. Benton County, OR, November 20, 2011

A quick stop for a photo, it was wet everywhere out of the main roads.

Quick stop on the way back home. Territorial Hwy. November 20, 2011

And that was it, about 70-80 miles later I was back home. It was nice to walk back inside the house and find it warm!

Back home! November 20, 2011

That was all folks!

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Let’s check the fall colors out there

Posted on November 12, 2011 by cesardagord

This time of the year I start count downs.  There is a count down for December 21st, the winter solstice, after when I will enjoy days getting longer. And the count down to Spring, and the return of sunny and warm days.  But that doesn’t mean there isn’t beauty to be seen and experienced this time of the year in this area.  And the bikes need to have  their juices flowing. And the bikes and I need to have our batteries re-charged. Riding is the best way of maintaining the bikes and the rider in top shape. So I take the bikes out for short rides whenever is possible, when there is a break in the rain.

The BMW Dakar on a nice dirt road. Benton County, Oregon, November 12th, 2011

So I took the Dakar out for a spin towards parts north of Eugene this Saturday. I was not planning on getting on any dirt roads, but could not resist the calling when I found a new road for me, McFarland Rd.

Fall colors. McFarland Rd, Benton Co. Oregon. November 12th, 2011

It was a short ride. The tires were new and I had not ridden this bike since my failed attempt to go to the Steens back in early September.  Good time to be reacquainted with it. I was also trying a new windshield. I’m about giving up trying to find anything that will work.

Nice gravel roads. Benton County, OR. November 12th, 2011

A very nice ride under threatening skies.  Oregon’s main source of income comes from agriculture products: grapes and wine, grass seeds, flowers, forestry products, beef, and dairy among the many products that make Oregon run. Here I stopped by a dairy farm along the way.

Dairy Farm, Benton County, Oregon, November 12th, 2011

And I stopped by another farm to photograph vines, where grapes have all been picked already, and now the leaves are turning and soon them and their colors will all be gone.

Grape vines getting ready for the winter. Benton County, OR, November 12th, 2011

Colors everywhere. Christmas trees anyone?

Gray skies, colored vegetation. Benton County, November 12th, 2011

And I soon was back home. About 80 miles or so.

Back home. Eugene, November 12th, 2011

That was it. A short but sweet ride where I got the chance to slide the bike around  a couple of gravel corners. The tires, Heidenau K60’s, are approved for dirty jobs. And I was really glad I took this bike out for a spin.

Cesar

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The Bikes of my Life

Posted on November 5, 2011 by cesardagord

It all started with a Honda XL250 (the red one on the photo below).

Within a month of ownership I took it on a ride sponsored by a local Honda dealer.  The ride leader took me and a group of local riders through single track trails on the hills around Porto Alegre, in the southern most state of Brazil (Rio Grande do Sul).  I was simply ecstatic about how easily the bike conquered all sorts of terrains.  I could not believe how much fun it was to ride steep and narrow trails with a motorized vehicle. When I got home, I parked the bike in the garage and stared at it for several minutes.  It had dirt, dust, and dried up mud all over. I wanted to bring my sleeping bag and spend the night with it in the garage. It was a bonding experience, the idea that the machine was my buddy, my ticket to adventure, going with me, taking me through challenging terrain. It started there and the idea of adventure and riding stays on my imagination through today.

A couple of months later I entered an enduro race.  A total newbie, not even with the proper riding equipment, or appropriate knobby tires. Out of the 90 entrants, I finished 30th. Not bad at all.  I rode this bike for a few thousand miles after that. A few years later I sold it when I was about to move to the United States to start my graduate studies in Ohio.

When I moved to Ohio, the motorcycle scene did not entice me to go and buy a motorcycle.  Winters were cold, the Ohio landscape was not that enticing for the kind of riding I like, there weren’t too many gravel and dirt roads on open fields and big sky landscapes. And my priority was graduate school.

In 2005 I started playing around with the idea of moving to Oregon.  Months before I got the job that afforded my move I was already dreaming about riding on the high desert of eastern Oregon. I had flown over the area on work related trips, I had seen the landscape from far above. I registered on the ADV Rider website and read the many stories of riders and their riding adventures across the empty spaces of the western USA.  I started researching enduro bikes and came across a few models in the 650 cc range that looked interesting.  The candidates were the KLR 650, the Honda XR650, and the BMW F650GS.

I arrived in Oregon in November 2005.  In February of 2006 I had a house with a garage to store the bike, and not a month after that I had acquired a 2006 BMW F650GS Dakar.  Here she is, March 2006, just out of the box.

It is a great bike for not only round the world travel, but also mid range adventure rides, mixing paved and non-paved roads. It has been great for trips to eastern Oregon and neighboring states. Here is a photo of the bike in the Black Rock desert, in Nevada, June 2006.

Although this bike was great, I really felt it being heavy and a bit too large for more spirited riding on dirt roads. I missed my little Honda 250 of years past. It was nimble and the rider/bike relationship seemed more symbiotic. But the 650 is a great all around bike, here she is at Roman Nose Mt., in Oregon.

It rides really well on all types of terrain. Here is what it feels like, video of a ride on Old Stagecoach Rd., also in Oregon.

It is a courageous bike, facing all sorts of terrain. Photo of the bike after descending from Nelson Mountain, also in Oregon:

But the idea of finding that more symbiotic relationship persisted. In 2008 I read about this new offering from Yamaha. A 250 enduro, water-cooled and fuel injected bike.  Light and powerful enough, almost double the HP of my beloved Honda XL250. So In 2009, in the middle of the housing bubble, prices down low, I acquired the Yamaha WR250R for a good reduced  price. Here she is, at the local Yamaha dealer, the day I brought here home.

The WR250R is perfect for rougher terrain.  It is lighter and more nimble than the 650 and the suspension is fully adjustable, front and back.

It is a “point-and-shoot” motorcycle. Here she is.  Below, the WR250R with the Oregon’s Steens Mountain on the background.

And this is what it feels like when riding it.

This Yamaha is simply a blast to ride. But now I was ready to move to the other side of the spectrum. I had two bikes that did well on dirt.  The Dakar can do well on paved roads as well. It has that endurance quality, cruise at 65-75 mph and it will go forever and will do better than 60mpg.  But I wanted something more street biased. More powerful and more comfortable for longer rides on paved roads.  When I heard about the Triumph 800XC I thought it was the perfect fit. It looks like an enduro bike, but it has a great street motor. I test rode it and a month later I ordered one.

It is the largest of the three. Although it will ride well on gravel roads, it feels a lot better on paved roads.  Here she is, partially out of the box in July 8, 2011.

At one of the local wineries.

On the Oregon coast.

Here it is what it feels like riding it on a dirt road.

So what is next? Do I need another bike? At first I thought no. Now I think, yes! But I want to keep the number of bikes to three. Something is going to go. The Dakar is the candidate to go and in its place I will get something different… (to be continued).

And this something different has arrived. From this:

My three bikes in July 2011.

I went to this:

My three bikes in May 2012

Now I have a more balanced set of bikes. The WR250R is my bike to be used on dirt rides. It does that very well.  My Triumph Tiger 800XC will be used for touring, which it also does very well.  And the new comer, the Ducati Streetfighter 848 will be my machine for the Oregon twisties.

First ride on the Ducati Streetfighter 848, May 11, 2012

This bike is a beauty.

Ducati Streetfighter 848 with the Pacific Ocean in the background

This seems to be a nice composition of bikes for what we get in Oregon.  What is next? For now, enjoy these bikes as much as possible.

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A Trip to Borgo Panigale to Visit DUCATI

Posted on October 26, 2011 by cesardagord

One has to be lucky to have an opportunity like this.  I’ve always liked visiting factories and plants of anything, from soybean oil plants to tractor plants, such as I have visited in school and college days.  But to visit a motorcycle factory, well that is special. Now add to it that we are talking here about Ducati and it makes it even more special. Yes, I am lucky.

The Ducati Plant in Borgo Panigale, Bologna, Italy. October 26th, 2011

Let’s backtrack a little here. I was visiting my dear friend Flora in Lucca, and it was from there that I took a train to spend an afternoon at the Ducati plant with my friends Doug and Annie, who had rented an apartment in Bologna in October.

Lucca’s train station. Lucca, October 26th, 2011

Just as a side bar, I love the train system in Europe.  You are here and you are there, you go everywhere and most of the time, on schedule. I met Doug and Annie at the train station in Bologna, we had a nice lunch accompanied by a bottle of Brunello the Montepulciano at their apartment in Bologna and then we set off to get a public transit bus to Borgo Panigale, where we exited at the Ducati station.  The day before I had called Ducati and had made a reservation for the “English” tour.  They took my first name (no last names for things like this) making it for a nice and warm informality.  We arrived half an hour early at the plant, and we met Donatella (on the left), the factory tour guide, taking the “Italian” group for their tour. The tour consists of a museum and factory tour, a total of one hour.  We would start our tour at the Ducati museum.

Donatella (left) organizing the factory tour. Borgo Panigale, October 26th, 2011

Starting with the museum, a bit of history about Ducati.  Although “electronics” is a more modern name for such products, that’s how I can best describe how the Ducati company started: they made radios.  This is what you get from Wikipedia: “In 1926, three brothers, Adriano, Marcello and Bruno Ducati, founded Societa Scientifica Radio Brevetti Ducati in Bologna to produce vacuum tubes, condensers and other radio components, becoming successful enough by 1935 to construct a new factory in the Borgo Panigale area of the city. Production was maintained during World War II, despite the Ducati factory being a repeated target for Allied bombing”. After the war, with no transportation available, and expensive gasoline, Ducati started making small motors to be adapted to or installed in bicycles. That was the “Cucciolo” (puppy dog in English) as shown by our first Museum guide, Maria.

Maria presenting the Cucciolo, first production cycle motor by Ducati. Borgo Panigale, October 26th, 2011

Ducati sold thousands of these little motors.  This motor was not developed by Ducati, but Ducati produced a cucciolo based motorcycle, in 1950. And the rest is history. Or the rest of the history. Or the important part of the history as that was the basis, the foundation for what we now know as Ducati. The museum shows motorcycles from all eras of Ducati. You can see an Elephant from the time Cagiva owned Ducati in the 80’s and 90’s.

1989-90 Cagiva Marathon. Winner Paris Dakar, 1990.

This bike above could as well be the very bike that Orioli took to victory in 1990.  The Paris Dakar, which now runs on other locations of the world due to security threats in its original location,  is the race founded by Thierry Sabine.  After an ordeal in the desert in 1977 when Thierry almost died, he wanted to share with others his sense of adventure. He called it “A challenge for those who go. A dream for those who stay behind.”

Paolo Pirozzi’s Lidia. The Multistrada that went around the world in 2010. Borgo Panigale, October 2011

Another interesting enduro bike is Paolo Pirozzi’s Lidia. This 2010 Multistrada (above) was taken around the world in 2010.  He was sponsored by the Desmo Owners Clubs around the world.  He came by Eugene in end of October, 2010.  I was on a work trip out of town, so I missed the action. This trip was part of the several initial promotions by Ducati when this excellent bike was first launched.  The Desmo Owners club gives me an opportunity to talk about the desmo word. It is short for desmodromic. It is a valve management system invented by Ducatu engineers and is without a doubt synonimous with Ducati. Below is an animation of the desmodromic valve management system.

The museum includes a showcase of the desmodromic system.  Continuing the tour, Ilaria showed us the various motorcycles from the early 50’s and on.

Nice displays.

Ducati museum displays

And the more recent bikes.

Super Bikes

GP Bikes.

GP Bikes

Unfortunately we were not allowed to take pictures during the factory tour.  My impressions as we walked around the many work stations and assembly lines are that they are organized, but definitely not fanatic about organization. They are organized Italian style. It definitely does not show a teutonic organization or a Japanese efficiency. I actually like it. Most of the components arrive pre-assembled.  Engines are assembled in the plant, and cam shafts are machined on site.  Frames come from subsidiaries in Italy.  Other specialized components such as brakes and other electronic systems also arrive from external suppliers. And that is the case for all vehicle manufacturers these days. Final assembly, mostly plastics, are added outside of this location, on some transition area where bikes are organized for final shipment.

As you walk past people on their stations, they are very friendly and you walk away with a feeling that they are proud of their bikes, their work.  No robots onsite, Donatella proudly said. In Approximate numbers, they have 500 people on the floor, 300 on the administration, marketing and R&D, and 150 on the GP bikes.  And they know each other, like a family.

The evening before the trip to Bologna I had a glass of wine with my friend Vitorio in Lucca and when I told him I was going to visit the Ducati plant he mentioned the name of an old friend of his that works there, friends from the time Vittorio went to elementary school.  During the tour I had a chance to meet Vitorio’s friend. Donatella, the factory tour, kept telling me we would walk by his station and she would let me know who he was. In the end, he was not there. So at the front gate, before leaving I made a final try, checked with the front guards. They took me in their office, checked the directory, got his Ducati mobile number (they all have an individual mobile, plant number), the guard “dialed” it for me and gave me the phone. Not five minutes later and Franco was out by the gate and we were talking.

Next time I will spend more time in Borgo Panigale to know more about this operation. Maybe next time I will be riding a Ducati. And yes, we arrived there too early to see their newest bike, three weeks more precisely, so we missed the 1199 Panigale, Ducati’s new superbike. It will be on display at the EICMA show. After the EICMA official release of this bike, I’ve heard, visitors will have a chance to see it being assembled in one of their lines during a factory tour.

EDIT: The 1199 Panigale was voted the most beautiful bike at the EICMA 2011 show.

Cesar

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Lincoln City: Back to the Oregon Coast

Posted on September 18, 2011 by cesardagord

My dear friends from the north had rented a house in Lincoln City. A house by the Ocean, you say? Great food? Nice conversations? OK, let’s go. But the weatherman had other plans. See, September has arrived in Oregon and now we can’t count on 100% blue skies day after day any more.  Still, I packed the Tiger instead of the old Audi. I like this picture.

Orange and Blue and other colors in between. September 17th, 2011

The Tiger was ready.

Ready to go! September 17th, 2011

Since the weather seemed to be changing for the worse, I tried to get there on the most straight line I could find. But did manage to find a dirt road I had never seen before, as part of a Park, the Finley National Wildlife Refuge.  I rode through it and made a note about it: good place to try some speed on gravel roads.

10 minutes topped on the way there. The time to fill the tank. September 17th, 2011

Not too much in terms of rain. I got there in 2 and a half hours. Great house, just by the ocean.

Just by the Ocean, Lincoln City. September 17th.

And it even had a garage where I parked the bike.

A garage for the Tiger. Lincoln City, September 17th, 2011

Among other things, Oysters for dinner.

Oysters. September 17th, 2011

A glimpse of sunset colors through the clouds.

Sunset. Lincoln City, September 17th, 2011

It was good to be with friends.

Friends. Lincoln City. September 17th, 2011

The next day it rained in the morning. At times, it rained a lot and I was glad I had the bike in the garage and I could load it in the dry.  After all kids (well, the boys) had a chance to sit on the bike, and I loaded it, the rains had slowed down to a a few sprinkles here and there.  I decided to go. And took every detour I had not explored yet between Lincoln City and Newport.

Rocky Creek (Ben Jones) Bridge. Oregon. September 18th, 2011

One-way road. The old 101.

Otter Rock Loop. Oregon, September 18th, 2011

And this is the view from there.

Nice view of the Oregon coast line. September 18th, 2011

I also stopped at the Devil’s Punchbowl.

View of the coast from Devil's Punchbowl. Oregon. September 18th, 2011

And this is it. I suppose.

Devil's Punchbowl. Oregon. September 18th, 2011

Surfers.

Surfers, at the Devil's Punchbowl area. Oregon. September 18th, 2011

I also checked the Yakina lighthouse. Had to pay three dollars to get in the park.

Yakina Lighthouse. Oregon, September 18th, 2011

A whale in the distance.

Whales traveling south. Oregon, September 18th, 2011

Once I got to Newport I took Hwy 20 east and went to find the Finley Wildlife Refuge.

Finley National Wildlife Refuge. Oregon, September 2011

Great place to see birds. I did not stop.

Wildlife Refuge. Oregon, September 2011

But I took it easy, not to disturb the birds, nor the bird watchers.  Here is a short video of the action.

I exited the park on Hwy 99W and went south towards Monroe. I never stopped in Monroe in the past,  this time I decided to take a picture.

Traffic Jam in Monroe, OR. September 18th, 2011

From there, in no time I was home.

Stats for the weekend. September 17 and 18th, 2011

Total for this weekend: 238 miles (383 km).  It is always a pleasure to rack miles on this nice, smooth bike. And this ride could had been the last warm ride of the year. From now on, rain and cold.  Time to start talking about things other than motorcycles, ride when there is a break in the weather, and start counting the days for the Winter solstice and then Spring.

Thank you for reading.

Cesar

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The trip that did not happen

Posted on September 11, 2011 by cesardagord

I organized a couple of days off from work to go to the Steens Mountain and meet a few friends there. To accomplish this task, that was the plan: on Saturday I would prep the bike and gear. And on Sunday, September 11th, I would ride the 350+ miles to get there (560+ km) using the same route I had used last year.  On Monday I would do a couple of rides there. Tuesday I would take a shorter route back home, about 300 miles. Tight schedule, I know, but work schedules have been tight this year. The bike of choice: the BMW F650GS Dakar. I had been to the Steens Mountain in June 2006 on this bike and also last year at this exact time of the year, I was at the Steens with the WR250R (both the 2006 and 2010 reports are posted on this site). I was looking forward to being there again for the beauty of the location and for meeting the friends that would be there.

Bike is ready! September 11th, 2011

Sunday at 6am the bike was ready and loaded. I really like the Giant Loop bag. It fits the Dakar or the Tiger. Easy to install, steady and light. At 7am I was starting the Dakar motor and riding away for the long ride that would take me to get there.  The plan: 105 to 126 to 242, to 20 to 97 to China Hat, to Christmas Valley, to Fandango Rd, to Sheep Rock Rd, to Hogback Rd and from there a straight line east towards Frenchglen via Rock Creek rd and a little stretch on 205.  All familiar territory for me.

I love Porto Alegre. September 11th, 2011

As I approached Lawrence St from 5th Ave to get to 105, the sun showed up.

Sun rise. September 11th, 2011

This photo reminds me that I have to adjust the clock in the Dakar. It was  just past 7am at this time.

GPS all set. September 11th, 2011

By the the time I got on the freeway I started to get on the zone. On all my trips, it takes a few miles on the road for the relaxation to set in, and then I’m on some sort of adventure mode. Worrisome thoughts disappear, the expectation of what comes after the next curve, or mountain, takes over. Everything becomes fluid. And the bike was running great, the temperature was comfortable, just slightly cold. I thought about adding a layer, but I knew that as soon as the sun was out it would warm up, so I did not bother. The bike had brand new Haidenau K60 tires, front and back. So I was taking it easy, running in the tires.  As the time and miles passed, I was getting more and more in the zone. I was feeling absolutely fantastic, looking ahead for a great few days of riding! I could see myself arriving on the Page Springs campsite mid afternoon, my only concern was to find cold beer. I knew the guy on the campsite just next to Page Springs sold beer, but last year his refrigerator was not cooling them enough. But destine had a other plans. Warm beer preoccupations disappeared.  Once I turned from 126 to Hwy 242, towards the fun Mckenzie pass road, I felt the front end of the bike was soft and dragging. I looked down and there it was: a flat front tire!

Falt front tire. Hwy 242, Oregon. September 11th, 2011

I parked the bike with the rear facing the log, got all my tools out, tied the rear down to the log so the front tire was up in the air (front tire was up in the air, not depicted on this picture).  I could not see anything that could have created a puncture from the outside.

Getting ready to fix the tire. September 11th, 2011

Got all my tools out, spare tube, I was all set to fix it. And then it downed on me.  I did not bring the torx key to remove the front wheel.  Bummer!  I tried green slime, but the tire was still not holding air.

Where is the torx key?

It was still early in the morning, no one was passing by. As time went by I decided to call AAA.  Even if someone stopped to help, I would be embarking on a trip to lonely places in the desert, without the torx key and by that time having already used up the spare front tube, if I had another front tire flat it would be trouble – especially not knowing what caused it. Something on the wheel? Add to it that all bike shops are closed on Sundays.  And mostly closed on Mondays as well. And the time that something happened it could put me be on the high desert isolation too late on the day.  Even though I had the spot satellite with me, if something happened later in the day, and considering the time it would take time for the help to arrive, I could as well sleep in the middle of nowhere.  I could take a more traveled route, as an alternative. Bottom line is that I convinced myself that this was it. The ride was jinxed. I repacked the bike and waited for the tow truck to take the bike back home.

Bike repacked. September 11th, 2011

In less than 2 hours the bike was in the tow truck.  By this time many motorcyclists were riding by and I was now on the fence about my decision. I could possibly change my decision, borrow tools and fix it. But I went home and used my time off to take care of other issues that had been lagging behind.

Bike on the tow truck. September 11th, 2011

It was an adventure after all. A short one, 60 miles, but an adventure nonetheless.

Stats for the day. 60 miles not counting the tow truck trip. 🙂

As a very small consolation prize I took the bike back to the shop where this tire was installed and they fixed it for free. They showed me the tube and the location of the very small hole. It does not seem like it was the result of an installation problem. It was not coming from an external tire perforation either, I had checked that, they confirmed it. Strange.  That was it for this trip. Next year there will be more riding towards that area. After all, the Steens Mountain is not going anywhere.

Cesar

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Ducati Hypermotard 1100 evo SP – test and review

Posted on September 9, 2011 by cesardagord

Hold the presses. This bike deserves your attention! Bikes come in several shapes and styles. You know the cruisers, the sport bikes, the touring bikes, my beloved enduro bikes (or adventure touring, dual sport bikes), the dirt bikes and possibly others. The motard style is the result of riders modifying their dirt bikes and turning them into street bikes. Mostly driven by the results of changing the front wheel from a 21 inch to a 17 inch.

Ducati Hypermotard 1100 evo SP. September 9th, 2011

Eventually, manufacturers caught on with the movement and started making their own modified versions.  As I was photographing the bike in my office’s parking lot, someone walked by and mentioned: “I didn’t know Ducati made dirt bikes.” Well, in the case of Ducati, this bike was born as a motard, by-passing any dirt orientation. But it makes me think what it would be like to reverse this bike, in this case, turn it into a dirt bike.  But I digress. Or I dream.

Once again the European Motorcycles of Western Oregon gave me a chance to test one of their Ducatis, and this time it was this wonderful Hypermotard.

Hypermotard, Ducati's motard style bike. September 9th, 2011

And this version is the good version. The top of the line 1100 evo SP.

1100 evo SP. September 9th, 2011

I did not get to bring my helmet-cam for this ride.  But using my regular camera’s video, here you get to sample the sweet sound of the motor. This bike has an air cooled L-twin motor, the Desmodue Evoluzione. It is a light motor, plenty of torque at the low end. Plenty of power for such a light weight bike (377 lbs dry). This is what this motor sounds.

Doesn’t it sound great? Well, it sounds so much better when you ride it, and rev it appropriately. The shape, the sounds, the power, the motor dynamics, and the ergonomics make this bike a total hooligan machine.

Ducati Hypermotard. September 9th, 2011

The dashboard shows only basic information. And what has become typical of the current Ducati vintage, all you get are digital displays.

Basic information, in super motard fashion. September 9th, 2011

Work obligations did not allow me the time to take this bike on the open roads and stretch its legs. My ride was short, from the Ducati dealer to my office and back. So how to describe the riding experience? When sitting on it, and you really sit ON it, you realize the looks match the ergos. It has ergos similar to that of a dirt bike. It is tall, you sit somewhat upright. I felt at home on this bike. It reminded me of my WR250R. Except when you press the start and the sweet L-twin motor comes to live. And if that is not enough, a gradual roll of the the throttle and this bike shows you what it is made off.  The Ducati heritage is there.  As you put it in motion it quickly shows you that it is more than ready for action.  Like I’ve gotten to know about Ducatis, it always asks for more.

Hypermotard. September 9th, 2011

This motor has a deeper tone than the other two Ducatis I tested (the Multistrada 1200 and the Monster 696).  And it shows its low end power very clearly. The bike has that flickable attitude that is exacerbated on tall and light bikes.  It was such a pleasure to ride those few miles! I would like to test it out on the open road and see how this torque and lightness, suspension travel and tallness would translate into handling.

The Ducati Hypermotard. September 2011

Meanwhile, I have to admit I was surprised by what this bike could deliver. The super motard style had never called my attention before. But the opportunity to ride this bike has opened my perspective on the possibilities this type of bike can deliver. It is not a practical motorcycle by any stretch of imagination.  But it certainly is fun. And I’m yet to discover how much more fun it can be.

After delivering the bike back to the Ducati dealer and I picked my Dakar to go home, I was in shock by how anemic my bike’s 650 motor felt. Instead of riding a bike, I should had driven to the test ride, so I did not feel that disappointing experience when climbing back on my F650GS Dakar.

Go test it. You won’t be disappointed. The question you will have at the end of the ride will be perhaps similar to mine: what do I do with such a bike? How can I find excuses to justify such a purchase?

Thanks for reading.

Cesar

Specifications for the bike tested:

Model: Ducati Hypermotard 1100 Evo SP

Year: 2010

Category: Super motard

Displacement:1078.00 ccm

Engine type: V2, four-stroke

Power: 95.00 HP (69.3 kW)) @ 7500 RPMTorque:10.50 Nm (1.1 kgf-m or 7.7 ft.lbs) @ 10500 RPMCompression:11.3:1Bore x stroke:98.0 x 71.5 mm (3.9 x 2.8 inches)

Fuel system: Injection. Siemens electronic fuel injection, 45mm throttle body

Fuel control: Desmodromic valve control

Cooling system: Air

Gearbox: 6-speed

Final drive: Chain

Clutch: Dry multiplate with hydraulic control

Driveline: Front sprocket 15, Rear sprocket 41

Exhaust system: Lightweight 2-1-2 system with catalytic converter with twin lambda probes.

Frame type: Tubular steel Trellis frame

Weight: 377 lbs. (dry)

Rake (fork angle): 24.0°

Front suspension: Marzocchi 50mm fully adjustable usd forks with DLC

Front suspension travel: 165 mm (6.5 inches)

Rear suspension: Progressive linkage with fully adjustable Ohlins monoshock. Aluminium single-sided swingarm

Rear suspension travel: 141 mm (5.6 inches)

Front tire dimensions: 120/70-17

Rear tire dimensions: 180/55-17

Front brakes: Double disc

Front brakes diameter: 305 mm (12.0 inches)

Rear brakes: Single disc

Rear brakes diameter: 245 mm (9.6 inches)Physical measures and capacities

Seat height: 875 mm (34.4 inches) If adjustable, lowest setting.

Wheelbase: 1,465 mm (57.7 inches)

Fuel capacity: 12.40 litres (3.28 gallons)Other specifications

Starter: Electric

Instruments: Digital unit with displays for

Factory warranty: 2 years unlimited mileage

Color options: Corse red (red/black), Corse white (red/black)

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McKenzie Pass

Posted on September 5, 2011 by cesardagord

Making the McKenzie pass a riding destination is not a difficult decision to make. You will see what I mean by this when you see the videos I share on this report.  My dear riding friends called me for a ride, and the destination was the McKenzie. The hot summer day in Eugene took me to setting up the bike in the shade of the umbrellas.

Setting the bike up for the ride under the umbrellas. Eugene, September 5th, 2011

We collected everyone and our small group stops for a rest in McKenzie Bridge. A varied set of bikes: 950 KTM, 225 Yamaha, BMW R100 roadster, and my Tiger 800 XC.

Break in Mckenzie Bridge, Oregon. September 5th, 2011

What makes McKenzie pass interesting is the number of curves on the way to the pass.

Hwy 242. Oregon, September 5th, 2011

It is one of those roads that explains what people mean when they say riding a motorcycle is like “flying close to the ground.” Here is a video, that shows it. On the video I’m following my friend Ken on his BMW R100 roadster.

Even when I watch this video it gives me the sensation of flying. But when riding it, well, it is just really great. This bike only helps by delivering such a smooth acceleration. We got to the top. Where I said hello to the three sisters.

The three sisters as viewed from Mckenzie pass, Oregon. September 5th, 2011

The bike and the Sisters.

The bike and the Sisters. September 5th, 2011

The weather was changing. We heard some thunder to the east. Anyway, it was time to turn around and head back home.

Thunder on the east. September 5th, 2011

If you liked the previous video, here it is the same stretch of road, now coming down from the pass, backtracking on our own steps.

And I made it home.

Back home. September 5th, 2011

Stats for the day.

Stats for September 5th, 2011

167 miles, 267 km. Not bad for a “ride in the park”.

Cesar

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Praire Mountain, Oregon.

Posted on September 4, 2011 by cesardagord

Where is that 250? In the back of the garage? Since the trip to the Death Valley in March this bike has been sitting quietly at a corner of the garage. I took it out, lubricated the chain, checked pressure in the tires, checked the oil.

Basic maintanance on the 250. September 4, 2011

Everything checked good, let’s go! But where? First thought was to go to my regular dirt hangouts off of Simonsen Rd. Instead, I decided to try Praire Mountain. And I was surprised by how nice the High Pass Rd is. It is the road that goes along the Praire Mountain, an east-west elevation in the Oregon Coastal Range.  Both the paved and non-paved portions of it are nice.

High Pass Rd. Praire Mountain, Oregon. September 4, 2011

The little Yamaha thrives on small dirt roads.

WR250R on Praire Mt. Oregon, September 4th, 2011

At a certain point the roads looked semi-abandoned. And this was just 20-odd miles from my house. I was glad to have the spot-tracker with me.

Narrow roads. Praire Mt. Oregon. September 4th, 2011

I had forgotten how much fun this little bike is!

Fun ended on a closed gate. I was not able to reach, from this road, the Praire Mt lookout.

Gate closed on the way to Praire Mt lookout. September 4th, 2011

There is another way to reach the lookout, via Hwy. 36.  In fact, I hear High Pass rd and Hwy 36 (Low pass rd) were the two options to go from Eugene to the coast.  The newer highway, Hwy 126, trumps both of them as the main route to the coast.

Here is a video of my return back home, following the exact route I used on the way to the closed gate.

I stopped for this picture, nice views, looking northeast, on that area.

View from High Pass rd. September 4th, 2011

An continued climbing this road.

High Pass Rd. September 4th, 2011

Not far from this point I came across a car with three people and a complete arsenal.

Guns... High Pass rd. September 4th, 2011

I try to be as nice as possible.  I would prefer people were not target practicing on public land.

Guns... High Pass Rd. September 4th, 2011

It is not an out law type of thing.  But it carries its dangers to people like me, who are traveling on these roads.  And these guns are, some of them, more than a hunters rifle. They can be sophisticated war type machines.

Guns... High Pass rd. September, 4th, 2011

It is frequent to hear guns being discharged, it is frequent to see practice targets left behind, spent cartridges, and well, other trash some people leave behind, including beer cans. Who knows, right? If people drink and shoot… Whenever I’m riding on these areas, I’m always conscious of this type of danger.

Descending the Praire Mt area, this is the view towards the east. September 4th, 2011

Soon after this area I hit pavement again.  There are a few wineries in this area, along with houses and farms.  Beautiful area, nice road to ride.  I had also forgotten how nice this little bike behaves on pavement.  It just doesn’t have the legs of the Dakar and the Tiger.  But it is fun nonetheless. Check how beautiful this area is on this video.

And I made it home soon after.  I did not realize how close my house is from this area.  The round trip was 75 miles.

Stats for the day. September 4th, 2011

All in all, it was good to get reacquainted with this little but fun machine.

Cesar

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