2009-11-30T09:43:00.000-08:00

Outside IHOP in Santa Clara we have Stupor, Ellen, Cass (who was Eddie Kieger's SBU CO), Geo, Grumbler, Road Rage Bob & Fred. JW was dumping out the contents of his bladder behind a cage. Using a combo of slab & backroads, we headed north to Redding.

We were participating in the annual DDMR usually hosted by our genial host in Lincoln, Steve Smead, who is seen here on his Trident 900 at Mike Plant's former digs in Redding. Sad to say, he ruined the outsides of his shoes after 300 miles of peg-scratching that day and then his mirror fell off.

Lined out in front of Mike Plant's erstwhile Redding home one can see Stupor's sled, Hesh, George, Grumbler, Dr. Steve & MikeO with the eye-poking apehangers. Rest of herd was on other side. We hit the road and had breakfast in Hayfork out on Hwy 3. Returned to Lincoln via Red Bluff. There's some e-mail comments of that ride below the photo credit.

Three months later, in September of 1997, a bunch of us rode on this mountain loop from San Jose to Markleeville via Ebbetts Pass. Out front we have JW, Grumbler, BC, Stupor's SO, Stupor & Randy Bert. Not seen are Road Rage Bob, Steve and Hesh who're inside eyeballing all the bras hanging on the ceiling inside the Cutthroat Saloon. We then rode to Lincoln via Mormon Emigrant Trail for the Beer BBQ.

OBTW, special thanks to 'Surfer Bill' Henley for all the piccies on this here page.

1997 DDMR COMMENTS

Thanks especially to Grumbler, Mike, Steve for everything.

let's not wait a year for the next event.

George
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In a rare moment of clarity this morning, I realized that the DDMR list
is more or less private as compared to the other list. That is, they are
different, and not everyone on the other list was invited to go on the
DDMR only those serious canyon riders (hehe) - is that right Grumbler?

Therefore, before I posted my public thanks to Steve, Mike and
Grumbler, I thought it best to find a copy of the DDMR list and
post only to them - or else we'll be answering all kinds of
questions. Tell me, someone, am I off base here?

Anyway - thanks to those already mentioned plus those who helped
with my shifting and speedo macarena fix - Dave, bobc, and JW,
and thanks for use of the tools to Mike.

BTW, JW and Dr. Steve - what happened to youse guys - decide on
a beer or something?

Most excellent weekend. Most excellent ride. Most excellent friends.

Everybody get home ok?

Ride Fast and Enjoy the Pot Holes...

bc
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We were hanging at the back, when you all jumped off on 4 east. We
were on the outside lane and missed the exit. Could have jamed the
brakes and cut in, but decided forget it and just took 4 to 680 and
blasted home. Would have been much closer for Steve that way
anyway. Tried to way at somebody, but no one looked. I s'pose
you all took the Byron Hwy?

Hey, I'm getting this getting lost down to second nature!

Yes, had a good time, thanks to all the hospitality of Steve
and Mike, and Grumbler for organizing! Thanks dudes.

See ya,

JW
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Wow, can't believe how well everything went, it is truly a credit to
Grumbler, Mike, and Steve. My hat's off to you guys, excellent excellent
job. I had a great time. I'm sorry I didn't find a dead skunk to tie wrap
onto the back of my bike, that was the only letdown of the entire trip....
We will need to start looking for dead skunks earlier in the run.... next
time Ya get caught frigging one dead skunk..... Heading home on
Mines Road was an excellent ending to the weekend.

My Award Nominations:

Iron Butt1: Mike on the 600, excellent job dude, you have my respect.
(Yea Right... Like thats something special) Anyway, good job.

Iron Butt2: All of you assholes that ride soft tails. =8^) I can't believe
they sell as many of them as they do. I guess the theory of not letting
people take test rides before they buy is a good theory. Yea I know
vibration is a FEATURE.

P.O.S.: This gotts to go to Steve and his P.O.S. Triumph. The only bike
that actually, almost shed parts. It don't matter that it runs excellent,
handles great, wrecks shoes, wheelies, looks and sounds great, it still
almost shed a horn. P.O.S.

Best Drunk: Gotta go to George on Friday night.
Best Looking: Gotta go to George on Friday night.
Best Uglyist: Hard to pick a winner in this category, we were all bad off.
Best Fart: Gotta be me, outside that breakfast place in Lincolin, I coulda
played IndaGodaDavita, long version.

Mr. Innocent: Chris on the BMW. Kinda quiet guy, humble enough to
not tell us all we ain't shit. BMW with enough miles on it to have
gone to Marz and back. Cob webbs on the dash plate was a good
touch... The boy can ride, the boy can ride. Even if I had a new
Honda Vtwin I'm not sure I would want to TRY to keep up. Your
bike needs new heads... You scraped them off!

Best dudes in the world for throwing this run: Grumbler, Mike, & Steve,
You guys take a blow job out of petty cash, you earned it.

Favorite parts of the ride:
Route: Cordelia-Suisan Valley Rd-Wooden Valley
Rd-121-128-Pope Valley Rd-Butts Canyon
Rd-29-53-20-Williams
Route: Redding-299-Douglas City
Route: Douglas City-3-Peanut-36-Red Bluff

OK Back to work,
Stupor
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Well, I did sumpthin' I've been rather proud not to have as part of
my rep up to now... I bailed.

My biz trip kept me until Friday and having missed 10% of my
daughter's life because of it, I decided to stay home Saturday.

Then some drunk fool calls at 2:00 am Sunday morn to curse at me...
but that was on my business line and we all slept through it. Hehe,
if ya called on the right line I mighta had to stay up with a baby for
the rest of the night.

Grumbler, I hope Ganzelli's gave you the message. And I sent an
email to Mike's place Sat morn and called Steve's place Sun Morn,
but I may have been following all your fumes by then.

Aw well, I guess I'll set up a Mt. Aukum Classic for next spring to
try and make up for it.

-RB
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Dave:
>Iron Butt1: Mike on the 600, excellent job dude, you have my
respect. >(Yea Right... Like thats something special)

Yeah. From a guy that can't remember names. ;^) That was Jeff
on the "anti-Christ"...

see ya,

JW
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Best Manly Fire,

Hey!, jumped any fires lately?

I can just hear some other'rs now, "WHAT RUN?"

Who melted the bottom of my boots? ;-)

Grumbler was that "everyman for himself" on the way back? !-O

That was the best time ever...with that much fun, I'd hate to
wait a whole year...thanks to Mike, Steve, and Grumbler.

Surfer Bill
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At 9:25 AM -0800 6/30/97, Stupor wrote:
> Wow,
> Can't believe how well everything went, it is truly a credit

Yes, it sure did and it sure is...

>Ya get caught .....

MacGregor the skunk...

>Heading home on Mines Road was an excellent ending to the
weekend.

The sweepers on Vasco at 85 was mega-kewl....

>Mr. Innocent: Chris on the BMW. Kinda quiet guy, humble
enough to not >tell us all we ain't shit.

>Your bike needs new
>heads... You scraped them off!

Was that his name? Chris? Thought it was just Hesh... oh well...
You got that right, there, Big Dave. He would just kinda cruise
along behind me for a while, then I could see that he was getting
a bit bored and I would wave him by and zoooom, he was gone,
and around the next three of us, too. I was impressed...

>Favorite parts of the ride:

agreed with all - I thought 32 was way kewl...enjoyed 160 on the
way home, too.

Something most of youse guys missed, but surfer and MikeO will
remember - the three of us were taking the back roads thru Livermore
over to rte 84 to get to the Sunol Lounge, Bill in the lead, Mike to
the right and back about three feet, and me behind surfer. I'm cruising
along, enjoying the ride, figuring I'll just follow surfer wherever he
goes. Suddenly surfer realizes he's missed the turn - I'm thinking he
saw a deer or something and lookin around to see what's up - surfer's
on the brakes hard - Mike's got his rear tire locked up tight, and I'm
headin between 'em - wonderin' if there's something I'm gonna hit, but
I don't see nothin' - we all got stopped, still in formation, and did
the u-turn and just kinda chuckled.... no harm done... prolly looked
pretty kewl to anyone watching...

bc
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Uh, yah, that was the right turn instead of going to the VA hospital...
usually I get lost in there...when I heard Mike on the brakes I let
up giving him some more room and passing the turn...guess my
cruising speed was turned up a little...:-)
-bill
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I broke the front master cylinder a while ago and only have one screw
holding the whole assembly to the handle bars. I'm really afraid to
apply anything close to maximum pressure to the brake lever. I might
end up with no screws holding the master cyliner to the handle bars
==8^O

Not to mention I wasn't paying attention when Bill hit the brakes.
I can't tell ya how thankful I am that Bill noticed my lack of
braking and decided to go straight. I'd also like to thank
Grumbler for the last minute reminder, Mike & Steve for
the hospitality, Stupor Dave for the FXR ride, and everyone
for a great weekend.

Later... MikeO
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Thanks to all - this is a great group/ride. Something I look forward
to every year. Even more so now. 5 years ago I took rides like this
several times a month.. Between work, new SO, and a house project,
I don't get out doing the fun stuff as much anymore.. (oh that's
gonna change though - we've had "that little talk" ..)

Hey thanks also for your generousity - $229 in the kitty in Dave's
name - pretty damn good. In '95, we raised $95. Last year we had
$170. In '95/'96 I doubled the contribution to Make a Wish in
Dave's name.

This year I'm a little tight, but will kick in enuff to match the
'96 total. Thanks again folks.

I realize many of you hadn't met/ridden w/ Dave - so I'll take a
moment.. I met Dave in the late 80s at work. We were friends at
work cause we both liked bikes.., but we never really got together
outside of work. In '90 or so, he hooked me up w/ grumbler whom he
met through the net I guess. I got to know grumbler through email
and in '92 we organized a weekend ride with us plus one of Dave's
friends (Pablo for anyone who knows him). The emphasis was one
eating a bunch of killer northern CA hwy miles, riding hard,
having fun w/ good company, and swilling suds and such
afterwards (things haven't changed much) and this became
an annual late June event.

In '94, Dave started getting sick. The '94 ride was his last real
ride on the FJ. A month later he was off the bike and in bed. By
spring '95, he quit chemo and faced death .. Last time I saw him
in May of that year he was still talking about trading in the FJ
for a new 900.., and getting back on the bike.., but I and those
there knew it was the last time we'd see him. He died 7/10. We
had the ride in Sept of that year and grumbler then dubbed it
with the apt title - DDMR.

Grumbler and I are going to get an album together of '92-'97 DDMR
rides for display at future events.. Send grumbler any particularly
good photos..

Dave liked Make a Wish and asked that any $$ spent on flowers for his
funeral instead be donated there. Speaks for his character me thinks -
why waste money on cliches that die then mean nothing when you
could instead contribute to an event of a lifetime for a dying kid.
BTW, Make a Wish (you all probably already know this) uses
contributions to take terminally ill kids on once in a lifetime
trips - like Disneyland, etc..). Even though he's gone he still
makes a difference in the lives of kids who need it most. Dave
was a good rider, loved bikes, loved his family, worked hard, all
around quality guy. I'm sure he eyes the ride and the friends
that gather each year w/ a smile..

Sniffle sniffle. OK now I'll recap some of my highlights from
last w/e..:

Chico to RedBluff Fri afternoon - blasting by 3 cars near the ton
then back to 70 and 10 seconds later a CHP passes by. Whew. 10
minutes later another one this time having just slowed to about
65. Whew. Dammit Dave you get in front! I'm not the f'in bait!

Sat morning leaving Mike's place starting the XT - hey Hesh get
off there you're not even getting a sputter .. brapp brapp brapp
... OK he's started thumpers before.

299 just east of Whiskytown - after breaking in the Trump peg
feelers w/ Hesh, stopped at that real cold spot coming down the
hill to put on my gloves (yes $3.00 garden gloves - Dave used to
give me a lot of shit about that) .. 10 feet to the right of where
I stopped lies the freshly dead Bambi. George I suppose that sight
was for you.. Coulda still got some fresh backstraps off er..

3 between 299 and Hayfork - killer road! No cars. Raming speed!

The Hayfork Cafe - Ol' Tyler at the cafe bar w/ arms bigger than
my thighs. Whispering to his buddy - "lookie Elmo, them city boze
got perdy mouths..". Do da do do do do do da do.... hee heee ...
wheeeeee! Squeeeeel like a pig boah!

3 between Tyler's resort and 36 - killer twisties w/ a little gravel.
Hesh points down as if to say - watch out, slow down, there's gravel
there. Then he proceeds faster..

3 between Tyler's resort and 36 - Putting faith in Hesh that he picks
a gravel free line. Hey my toes are getting cold..? These shoes had a
90 day warrenty.. really I'm just a little pigeon toed - these shoes
are defective..!

36 at Platina - Pathetic wheelie attempts on the Trump. Man this here
street bike just don't do that like the ol' motoXers did..

36 to Red Bluff - Better looking power wheelies off the rises :-)
Getting air with Hesh over one perfectly timed rise. Damn good fun.
A little air on a street bike feels like 20' up on a dirt bike.

36 to Mineral - Grumbler slow down! The Wing feels like your riding
on it, not in it. Feels huge. But my butt likes it.

32 down to Chico - Dr. Steve pointing to the chuckle hole - and me
following his finger in it. Duh time for a beer. Just missing
pulling out to pass on a double yellow rise .. and the Sherrif
whizzing by .. The ticket gods were with me.

Chico - Trump horn falls off. Right mirror bends in w/ speeds past
80. Now Dave before you hand off the POS award, consider catching
air on the FXR and see if all the parts are there when you land
:-p ..

SN brewery - why the hell did the babe waitress take the dern
picture. Shit next time one of us uglies to take it and get her
on someone's lap. Next time..

Wheatland - duh.. where's JW? No BFD, he's probably just broke
down 60 miles back in Chico ;-/..

Laura was pissed at me cause I told her 2 dozen mole burritos.
Well hell it warnt enuff. Sorry - next time she saze she'll
make 3 dozen and have beef and pork in addition to chicken.

Dr. Steve - saying to Laura it was nice to see her again after
last year. Ooof! :-/ Yeah she's a little sensitive about that.
.. Me squirming behind her trying to hand wave Steve what was up..
Oh well. No damage done - she's a little sensitive bout past girls
but she got over it. And Steve you recovered quite nicely I might
add :-).

Me trying to keep Laura warm getting her close to the fire, but
keeping her out of range of dirty jokes.. OK time for bed :-) ..
Next time, she'll either have more of her friends there (sure
you all won't mind) or she'll take a hiatus for the eve.. I would
have liked to socialize a little more .. but wanted her to meet
yawl as well so she'll let me play again unsupervised. You know
the deal.. Oh well, next time I'll make up for the lost time.

Me coming in to the house at around midnight to get my longjohns
and grumbler snoring in bed ... and me half drunk trying my damndest
to get the jonnies outta the dresser w/o waking him. Then walking out
the door realizing WTF am I being so quiet! He can hear Jeff's XT but
not my drunken noises..

Hey Geo thanks for the Eye of the Hawk - swilling one as I type.

Cass - thanks for the down south perspective. I love that place..
Was cool to meet/talk to a native .. makes me want to go back ..
anyone up for a Cajun/Nawlins tour soon? (I'm dead serious..)

BC gets the grungiest dirtbag award Sun morning at breakfast :-)

Jeff gets the most bodacious combustion noise - that's right a dern
far east bike amidst all that barking americun iron.. When I was on
the hotel (Wing) between Red Bluff and Mineral inhaling exhaust notes
and fumes during the 80 mph pases, the exhaust note that stood
above the others (in terms of audibility, not quality :-) ) in the
quiet Wing turbulence bubble was the 6000 rpm single trapp wail of
the 600.. Viva la thumper!

Hey I was disappointed w/ Lincoln Cafe. They normally have killer
breakfasts. But the service sucked and my food did too. Next time
we head somewhere else. Laura's brother's friend is a killer cook
and has a Mex restaurant in Rocklin so mebbie next time we'll try
that.

Next time - I like George's suggestion to do it again. DDMR is an
annual thing, but I'd love to host a fall ride - could take off Sat
morning from Redding and Bay Area and meet near Sac then ride all
day and party in Lincoln and off Sunday. Laura and I prommise enuff
burritos to stuff your gutz and another keg of course. I thought the
beer was so so.., but am glad other's liked it. Next time I'll get
an ale. Hey you a-holes didn't finish it. We sat out Sunday afternoon
and I thought I'd have one last beer ... seven later ... was a little
pasty at working this morning. Those kegs are bottom-less pits. Maybe
next time we can camp out at my property (and flog the TS-100 through
the ravines :-) ).

Thanks for a great ride. Never ceases to amaze me how fast Softtails
can go in the right hands. I'm really impressed at Mike's ability to
throw one through the twisties w/ bars high enuff to poke your eyes
out w/ the ends if you don't watch where your walking in the lot..

That's enuff rambling.. Keep the ass-end pitched,

Steve
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Thanks everyone!

Had a blast. Great trip report there Steve. I bet you could
sell that shoe design to some of these Johny Rocket folks...

HIghlights... Let's see the ride... The food. The beer.
Watchin Hesh go screaming, (quietly) by and then go sailing
thru the turn with a little daylight under them cylinders...
I coulda used about 1/2 that much extra lean on 3 after I
blasted by Mikes friend on the shadow... Should have never
mentioned not touching the floorboards at breakfast as I
dragged em like a Racer drags his knee... Only louder...
Wish I could follow him thru more than 1 or 2 turns... :-/
Speaking of dragging... Dr Steve has been working on clearancing
his ride so he can lean further and further... I'm impressed.
Maybe it's the oil on the parts letting em slide gently thru
the turns, or maybe the earplugs. :-)

Steves wheelies in Platina were not as smooth as I remember
but when he hopped the rear tire off the ground with the front
pointed at the sky I was impressed... Kaskey's wheelie into
the SNevada brewery parking lot was real graceful... uh if you
think legs flying thru the air is graceful... I think the taillight
kept him from flippin... Fork seals? What fork seals? ...
I was especially impressed with Dave Karakis as he was so fast I
never saw him once... :-) Hey George, that blue suppository
is supposed to be able to stop on a dime not in the intersection...
That trunk was a killer beer cooler I must say. And lest I forget,
MITM has the keeper of the Fire and the great stump burning, but
other has FIREWALKERS. :-)

Special thanks to Mike and Steve for the hospitality.
Thanks to Grumbler for only getting us lost a little this year.
Oh yeah. Has anybody seen JW?

See ya'll next year, er, time...

Thanks Dave Day.

later!
bobc
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At 8:33 AM -0800 7/1/97, Fred wrote:

>Anybody know total mileage from our area?

340 + 330 + 160 = 830 miles

bc
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Hayfork/Red Bluff Loop - June 1997