MOTO MEETO

Remember last year? I put a hole in my right piston on my ’73 CL350 and spent the year slowly getting back on the road. I have my good pal Joe T. to thank for not only keeping me on track, but being there to make sure things were right, and pitching in with rebuilding the head. Woulda taken me a week, him, minutes. Well, I’m here to tell you she did absolutely fine, carting this mule all over the gorgeous Ashland hills, making sure I made it back every one of the three nights and heading out again the following mornin’. There was a bit of a scare on that monstrous 5 climb, but we’ll forget about that.

The rides are some kind of glorious. The kind that make you dream when you see them every once in a while in a movie or on your YouTubes while tuning out your boss. There’s no doubt the Ponderosa gang might be hauling along or maybe inviting you in for a cold one, which is pretty much how it felt when we pulled into Callahan’s on day one. A frosty and a burger makes you feel reaaaaal good after a long haul, given you have enough room left to fit in your gear and haul yourself back out. It’s easy to get a little in your own head when you’re having a killer roll through forests and prairies while friends are buzzing all around you. Don’t hesitate on them long hills. Hug that tank if you gotta and give it all she’s got, ’cause it looks short but sure is a long stairway. Then when you get there, you can feel your steed give a little cough and grunt and head downhill like it’s made of glass.

Top of mt. ashland. perfect spot for a cheese wheel toss.

Now don’t go thinking the SOTT is a three-day hi-dee-ho ride. You gotta be sure your machine’s got what it takes, and you can take what it makes. The roads are long. Some of ’em seemed twice as long as Head Honcho Mike warned us about: be ready for 100 miles with no gas stations. You don’t want to end up on the sag wagon, though you’ll be glad if you have to. You shoulda seen how some of these contraptions were prepped, ready for the moment the machine would start gaspin’ for a drop. Heck, I had a siphon swirled onto my seat that got used five or six times, and I was one of ’em! All that aside, sometimes you get to a spot that only the angels visit, like Crater Lake. And the toilet nearby. Both were a sight for sore eyes, though I was sore after using the toilet. Joe and me got a cool shot at the crater and we headed back out. And if you didn’t know, that was one of the gas-em-up places.

getting roostered helping a fella out. Photo by the fella

Some corners seemed to creep up on you in the most beautiful places, and on one uphill we had a get-off. The fella shook it off and rode on. Somewhere in the distance, a bike was leaning over and another fella jumped to grab it, taking a low-grade tumble, but enough to blow himself up into the Hulk with this inflatable inner-tube safety gizmo. I heard he had a hard time getting his helmet off due to the pressure! Heroes were all around us. As the gallons sucked by, we’d eventually find ourselves back at the motel with the other fellas, enjoying a cold brew at the salt swimming pool in the middle of the parking lot. I imagine it’s salty since I never saw anyone shower before getting in.

The first evening before the ride, we had a delish dinner setup by Flip Burgers at the motel. Catered, tasty burgers of your likin’, homemade chips and drinks. Everyone got cool swag: shirt, mug, flask or water bottle, stickers, and a sweet haulin’ bag. Second night we was on our own. Many dudes went to Omar’s, others wherever, but we all gathered back at the cabana to one-up each other on riding and fixing things. Night three was a BBQ at our host Mike’s pad, and what a party. Food, drinks, and cool people. And the last night was a smokin’ banquet, complete with awards, accolades, mentions, and tasty grub at a pizza pub.

Every time I’m there, I’m super excited and deal with whatever issues come up, so I’m a step ahead. Sometimes I forget I’m in God’s country having a complete blast and that I should savor it. But like a tasty steak, I chew, savor, chew, savor, and then it’s gone. I sit back and smile. It’s later when I think, Wow. Someone went so far out of their way to put this together for others to enjoy, and they did a fantastic job.

And I gotta end it there.

Mike, Becky, the chase crew, the scouting crew, the locating crew, and countless others got together, joined minds, and gave their free time so a bunch of us could go disappear into Southern Oregon for a few days and have this spectacular time.

That’s a pretty damn good thing. It’s very generous.

Thanks, organizers.

And thanks, fellow riders. Each one of you is a hoot and a sweetheart.

My soul is full.

Howdy all! How about a bit of a change this month? Let's catch up at the Dixon Fairgrounds and check out some cool bikes and the swap meet. The Fort Sutter chapter of the AMCA is hosting its national swap meet and motorcycle show. There'll be plenty to see and, with any luck, a few moto treasures to take home.

You can either meet us at the Dixon Fairgrounds, or join the ride over from West Sac. We'll cross the Yolo Causeway and take a more scenic route into Dixon after the freeway.

Riders: Meet at the Chevron ExtraMile, 4800 W. Capitol Ave., West Sacramento at 8am.
We leave at 8:30 AM sharp.

Drivers: Meet at the Dixon Fairgrounds, 655 S 1st St, Dixon, CA 95620. Gates open shortly after 8:00 AM. Ideally, everyone will be at the fairgrounds by 9:00 AM.

Looking forward to a fine ride, good company, and perhaps finding a few moto jewels along the way!