45 Days on a Gen3 Hayabusa - 2023 Pashnit Touring

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Riding The Little Dragon - Highway 49

Hwy 49 The Little Dragon | California Motorcycle Roads | Pashnit.com

Best Central California Motorcycle Rides - Highway 49 The Little Dragon

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No guard rails anywhere, and it's a long way down into the canyon

 

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Hwy 49 The Little Dragon | California Motorcycle Roads | Pashnit.com

Best Central California Motorcycle Rides - Highway 49 The Little Dragon

www.pashnit.com

 

[WuzzaCBXRider]

When I rode the other day I turned right (west) on Rd 415 in Coarsegold to Raymond and then north on 600 or 800? which turns into Ben Hur Rd as I cross into Mariposa County. I headed north to 49 into Mariposa then Cathey’s Valley, Hornitos and so on. Nice riding areas for sure. Nice pics again

Tim, you went in the right month, all green! My favorite color. This what it looked like the other day.

 

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Northern California Race Tour

Seeing another Gen3 Hayabusa like mine is rare.

It's an unusual motorcycle, especially set up for sport-touring & travel. So, it was a treat when Chris signed up for a Pashnit Motorcycle Tour and listed Hayabusa as the bike. The name sounded familiar, Chris has been a member of the Pashnit.com site for 20 years, we've exchanged emails before, and like me, he's been on a Hayabusa for 20 years. The name just sounded familiar because I even did his financials and refinanced his mortgage back in my loan officer days 15+ years ago in 2005. A lifetime ago.

We're headed to our playground - Northern California is utopia for bikers. Endless twisty, endless mountain roads, no people, very little other traffic, AND endless twisty road. But the season of closed roads continues. We're just going to have to work with what we have available and make the best of it.

 

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Taking the kids to the Marshall Gold Discovery site, this is where the 1850s gold rush started

 

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Recent flooding here was impressive

Pretty sure this was just 'suggestion closed'

 

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Suggestion

 

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1915 Coloma bridge still in daily use - single lane

 

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Single lane Bane Rd - thankfully did not meet any other traffic. Long way down into the canyon

 

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Small town of Placerville is the center of activity in this region of the Sierra Foothills

The Placerville Courthouse was built in 1861 & still in daily operation. I go here to do my Jury Duty.

Starkes Grade to Pollock Pines

 

[pashnit]

There's a trick we learned when everything was closed for Covid. I never stopped doing tours during covid, but all the restaurants were closed. The simple solution was to get deli sandwiches at the local grocery store and go find a mountain top. I think Chris agrees.

Headed for our mountain top

 

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Found our mountain top, Crystal Range in the distance.

The 6500 ft Big Hill Fire lookout is the only fire lookout with a paved road to the top.

Not a bad view for lunch

 

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Union Valley Reservoir

 

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Fire lookout out isn't open yet to walk up there, we'll be back later in the year

 

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