You're pictures are great as usual, but I always appreciate the write up and history lesson that comes with so many of them!
45 Days on a Gen3 Hayabusa - 2023 Pashnit Touring
- Thread starter pashnit
- Start date
Northern California Coast Motorcycle Tour
Alcatraz Island out there in San Francisco Bay
Meeting early in Sausalito.
The meet spot is a little less than 3 hours from me, so it's on the Busa at 4 am and ride the 120 miles to the meet spot while I watch the sun come up while on the Hayabusa. First light when I finally get to the meet spot a little early.
Golden Gate Bridge, that's San Francisco over there across the bay.
Alcatraz Island out there in San Francisco Bay
Meeting early in Sausalito.
The meet spot is a little less than 3 hours from me, so it's on the Busa at 4 am and ride the 120 miles to the meet spot while I watch the sun come up while on the Hayabusa. First light when I finally get to the meet spot a little early.
Golden Gate Bridge, that's San Francisco over there across the bay.
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Northern California Motorcycle Tour
I have been running this same motorcycle tour for 20 years. This group was the 20th anniversary ride of this same tour.
The very first Pashnit Motorcycle Tour of Northern California was in May 2004. There were just 5 of us that first ride. Me, my lawyer who helped set everything up, and three other guys from BARF (San Francisco-based Bay Area Rider's Forum) who signed up. I had no idea how to get a new tour business started in 2004 or how to find people that would pay me to organize motorcycle tours. That seems crazy when you can just do it yourself.
I just announced it in an open motorcycle riders discussion forum - hey, I'm doing this. And, a couple of people showed up.
That seems like a lifetime ago. And, it was. My oldest was barely a toddler, and now she’s almost done with college.
One of the fellas crashed three times that first weekend of the first year 20 years ago. He crashed on Highway 1 before lunch on the first day.
Slow speed into the ditch on one of the left-hander hairpins. Another that afternoon after lunch. Yup, he crashed twice in the same day!
Then the next day, a third crash on Highway 3-Hayfork Pass in the s-curves on the summit. Each time he dusted himself off, luckily no damage to him or the bike, and got back on. His get-offs were low speed, and it was a small cruiser with crash bars so zero fairings to scratch up. I was so green at running motorcycle tours, I didn't know that was possible. I had a lot to learn.
The very first motorcycle tour group I ever did in 2004
20 Years ago, first Pashnit Motorcycle Tour.
A younger 32 yr old version of self on that very first tour, I had just bought the '00 Hayabusa only months early & was so excited to be riding this thing coming off my ZX-11D. Loved it from day one, here we are 20 years later on the same bike.
20 years later, we’re meeting at the same place, same cafe, in Sausalito, just around the corner from the Golden Gate Bridge. 18 people signed up and 13 made it for the 20th anniversary ride with almost all familiar faces. Five of the riders in our group had also ridden this same tour one year prior on the same weekend in August 365 days ago. Four riders had ridden this same tour three years in a row. Dmitry, who rode up from Southern California, was riding this tour for the fourth year in a row. Northern California is a place you can go over and over to ride, and it never gets old. Very few people, small towns, and it's all mountainous terrain equals endless curves.
Just chillin' at the cafe waiting for everyone to arrive. The guys all know each other & ridden together before so a great chance to relax and catch up. But I did have two new riders. One guy was local and other guy was wandering around the country boondocking in his RV with a bike on the back. He opted to sign up for this tour while wandering around the country in the RV.
First time I've seen a HD Pan America 1250, cool looking bike. Bill is local to the Bay Area and active duty officer in the Coast Guard. He was convinced by his coworker to come one of these rides. He had never done sport-touring before and wasn't quite sure how he would handle a 300-mile day.
I have been running this same motorcycle tour for 20 years. This group was the 20th anniversary ride of this same tour.
The very first Pashnit Motorcycle Tour of Northern California was in May 2004. There were just 5 of us that first ride. Me, my lawyer who helped set everything up, and three other guys from BARF (San Francisco-based Bay Area Rider's Forum) who signed up. I had no idea how to get a new tour business started in 2004 or how to find people that would pay me to organize motorcycle tours. That seems crazy when you can just do it yourself.
I just announced it in an open motorcycle riders discussion forum - hey, I'm doing this. And, a couple of people showed up.
That seems like a lifetime ago. And, it was. My oldest was barely a toddler, and now she’s almost done with college.
One of the fellas crashed three times that first weekend of the first year 20 years ago. He crashed on Highway 1 before lunch on the first day.
Slow speed into the ditch on one of the left-hander hairpins. Another that afternoon after lunch. Yup, he crashed twice in the same day!
Then the next day, a third crash on Highway 3-Hayfork Pass in the s-curves on the summit. Each time he dusted himself off, luckily no damage to him or the bike, and got back on. His get-offs were low speed, and it was a small cruiser with crash bars so zero fairings to scratch up. I was so green at running motorcycle tours, I didn't know that was possible. I had a lot to learn.
The very first motorcycle tour group I ever did in 2004
20 Years ago, first Pashnit Motorcycle Tour.
A younger 32 yr old version of self on that very first tour, I had just bought the '00 Hayabusa only months early & was so excited to be riding this thing coming off my ZX-11D. Loved it from day one, here we are 20 years later on the same bike.
20 years later, we’re meeting at the same place, same cafe, in Sausalito, just around the corner from the Golden Gate Bridge. 18 people signed up and 13 made it for the 20th anniversary ride with almost all familiar faces. Five of the riders in our group had also ridden this same tour one year prior on the same weekend in August 365 days ago. Four riders had ridden this same tour three years in a row. Dmitry, who rode up from Southern California, was riding this tour for the fourth year in a row. Northern California is a place you can go over and over to ride, and it never gets old. Very few people, small towns, and it's all mountainous terrain equals endless curves.
Just chillin' at the cafe waiting for everyone to arrive. The guys all know each other & ridden together before so a great chance to relax and catch up. But I did have two new riders. One guy was local and other guy was wandering around the country boondocking in his RV with a bike on the back. He opted to sign up for this tour while wandering around the country in the RV.
First time I've seen a HD Pan America 1250, cool looking bike. Bill is local to the Bay Area and active duty officer in the Coast Guard. He was convinced by his coworker to come one of these rides. He had never done sport-touring before and wasn't quite sure how he would handle a 300-mile day.
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This is Paul, he lives just up the road, he's not on the tour roster, but knew we were going to be at this meet spot & decided to stop by, he's been on a bunch of Pashnit Tours through the years.
We've been meeting at the same address for 20 years
My buddy Marco has also been on a lot of Pashnit Tours through the years, his brother, Laurent, who's also on this tour on his Suzuki GSX-S 1000GT, also lives in the Bay Area and they both come ride together on a lot of Pashnit Tours together. This is the guy that punctured his radiator in Death Valley and fixed the leaking radiator with chewing gum. And it worked. He was able to ride home.
Marco is originally from France but just started a brand new touring company in 2023 offering organized motorcycle tours in Portugal. Ever want to tour around Portugal, gotta check this out:
www.marcmotorcycletouring.com
Yes, it worked. Chewing gum. Death Valley, middle of nowhere.
We've been meeting at the same address for 20 years
My buddy Marco has also been on a lot of Pashnit Tours through the years, his brother, Laurent, who's also on this tour on his Suzuki GSX-S 1000GT, also lives in the Bay Area and they both come ride together on a lot of Pashnit Tours together. This is the guy that punctured his radiator in Death Valley and fixed the leaking radiator with chewing gum. And it worked. He was able to ride home.
Marco is originally from France but just started a brand new touring company in 2023 offering organized motorcycle tours in Portugal. Ever want to tour around Portugal, gotta check this out:
Marc motorcycle touring
Guided motorcycle tour through the countryside of Portugal. Expect beautiful views, hearty meals, and good laughs throughout. There will be multiple stops at interesting locations. . Hotels are all 4-star or 4 star equivalent. Prices start at $4500.
www.marcmotorcycletouring.com
Yes, it worked. Chewing gum. Death Valley, middle of nowhere.
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Inspecting the Z900. He likes it.
Luc has 7 bikes in his garage & just rotates through his bikes for these motorcycle tours, all licensed & plated, all showroom condition. You see Luc in a lot of these photos, because he signs up for nearly every tour I offer. He signed up for all 17 tours in 2024 also.
Ken came out from Salt Lake City, Utah for this ride. He was pretty excited. He puts his bike in the back of his Sprinter van and commutes the 800 miles from Salt Lake City to San Francisco, unloads the bike, leaves the Sprinter van with family in the Bay Area, and joins the group. We've been riding together for 15 years. Ken is not only one of my most senior alumni, but he's also my oldest rider in the group, 78 and no plans to slow down this guy. And that smile...
Dmitry rode up from Los Angeles on his GSA. 7 hour ride to get here.
My buddy Xavier lives in downtown San Francisco, he rode a couple miles on the Triumph. He also has a BMW RT, he uses that if we travel big mileage, for the local stuff like this ride, he takes the Triumph.
Everyone is from all over.
Luc has 7 bikes in his garage & just rotates through his bikes for these motorcycle tours, all licensed & plated, all showroom condition. You see Luc in a lot of these photos, because he signs up for nearly every tour I offer. He signed up for all 17 tours in 2024 also.
Ken came out from Salt Lake City, Utah for this ride. He was pretty excited. He puts his bike in the back of his Sprinter van and commutes the 800 miles from Salt Lake City to San Francisco, unloads the bike, leaves the Sprinter van with family in the Bay Area, and joins the group. We've been riding together for 15 years. Ken is not only one of my most senior alumni, but he's also my oldest rider in the group, 78 and no plans to slow down this guy. And that smile...
Dmitry rode up from Los Angeles on his GSA. 7 hour ride to get here.
My buddy Xavier lives in downtown San Francisco, he rode a couple miles on the Triumph. He also has a BMW RT, he uses that if we travel big mileage, for the local stuff like this ride, he takes the Triumph.
Everyone is from all over.
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Danny lives just up the street. He could walk to the meet spot. He's also the youngest in the group.
We give him a hard time a lot because for every tour he seems to buy a new bike. This time he showed up on a Ducati Street Fighter. Didn't you have a different bike on the last ride. Uh yeah, he says. I traded it in on this Street Fighter. Love the color!
Our meet spot in Sausalito is right on San Francisco Bay. Cool view for sure. No sun though, marine layer fog above us.
We give him a hard time a lot because for every tour he seems to buy a new bike. This time he showed up on a Ducati Street Fighter. Didn't you have a different bike on the last ride. Uh yeah, he says. I traded it in on this Street Fighter. Love the color!
Our meet spot in Sausalito is right on San Francisco Bay. Cool view for sure. No sun though, marine layer fog above us.
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They have that look. Let's get this show on the road.
Laurent has the new Suzuki GSX-S 1000GT, love the color of that bike. Three of our guys have bought that bike.
Twisty stuff is just a few miles away & we're headed up to Bolinas Ridge & Mount Tamalpais.
This is our destination: Bolinas Ridge - Ridgecrest Blvd | California Motorcycle Roads
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Bolinas Ridge is a coastal ridgeline due north of San Francisco. Whether you get sun or heavy fog is a matter of chance, and the time of year. It's August, and that means heavy fog. You can't see anything. And we're riding mountain roads with huge drop-offs & zero guard rails. Now normally, we ride through a heavy layer of fog and pop out above the marine layer looking down on a layer of cotton candy fog sitting atop the ocean. Not today. Higher we went, thicker it got until visibility dropped to 20-30 feet, if that. The riders can only follow the taillight in front of them.
Can't see anything! Speeds go way down and it's follow the taillight in front of you.
Our usual stop atop the ridge was bypassed due to the zero visibility and instead dropping off the ridge to Lake Alpine to check out one of the first reservoirs built in California dating to 1917.
The Relive shows the route, but not the crazy thick fog
The Relive shows the route, but not the crazy thick fog
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No fog, this is what we should be seeing atop Bolinas Ridge. Super cool place.
www.pashnit.com
Bolinas Ridge - Ridgecrest Blvd | California Motorcycle Roads | Pashnit
Ride Bolinas Ridge to Mount Tamalpais | California Motorcycle Rides
www.pashnit.com
Same road.
But today, no escaping the marine layer but to drop down in elevation under the layer.
In the redwood forest, it's raining. The leaves of the redwoods are designed to condense the fog into water droplets allowing the redwoods to 'feed' themselves with the coastal fog
But today, no escaping the marine layer but to drop down in elevation under the layer.
In the redwood forest, it's raining. The leaves of the redwoods are designed to condense the fog into water droplets allowing the redwoods to 'feed' themselves with the coastal fog
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