Thu, 26 April 2007  This Episode-Keith Code takes over Road Show and Shatters Myths.
For those in the know, Keith Code needs no introduction. A champion motorcycle racer in his own right, he has also trained dozens of yesterday's and today's champion road racers. He is famous as the founder and director of Super Bike School, which is like the holy grail of riding training. Also, a best selling author of "Twist of The Wrist" and "Twist of the Wrist 2" , he has passed his knowledge on to countless riders. Several months ago, Code was kind enough to join us on Road Show and invite our listeners to submit their riding questions. They did and this week he answered them. I know I for one was shocked! For the most part ,everything I had been taught about riding to date was wrong, and this weekend I had a chance to go out and try Keith's methods for myself. And, of course, he was right. Here at Road Show Central, we try to keep our Podcasts limited to 20 minutes so we dispensed with our regular features and just let Keith talk. It was worth it. Listen to this week's podcast and hear for yourself! Also visit Keith's website for some awesome information.
. The 576 foot tall Morro Rock is the undeniable centerpiece of Morro Bay and the surrounding area. What is little known about this ancient volcanic plug is its relationship to the geology of the rest of the surrounding area. In fact, Morro Rock is the last link in a chain of volcanic plugs known as the Nine Sisters.
Morro Rock as seen from Morro Bay State Park
Below is a map of the Nine Sisters Chain, which I have also included above should you care to see it bigger.
The Nine Sisters are an awesome sight and a great view of them can be had from Los Osos Valley Road. In the early morning picture below, I just happened to catch four of them peeking out from the marine layer hanging in the valley.
Four of the Nine Sisters seen from Santa Rosa Creek Road But I digress. A great place to start this ride is at the Morro Bay State Park Museum of Natural History. From the road, it does not look like much, however they have recently completed a 3 million dollar restoration and upgrade, making it a most impressive place to visit. Entry fees are $2 for adults and free to children 16 and under. The Museum is open from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm every day of the year except Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day. For more information visit (http://www.ccnha.org/museum.html). The Museum overlooks Morro Bay, which is both a State and National Estuary. The museum is located at the exit of Morro Bay State Park. Travel south on State Park Road, bear west on Main Street, then north on Embarcadero. Many of the Central Coast's finest restaurants line The Embarcadero. The Otter Rock Cafe (885 Embarcadero, 805-772-1420) overlooks the harbor and has a full bar, live entertainment and good food. For more elegant dining, Dorn's Original Breakers Cafe (801 Market St., 805-772 -4415) is just the ticket. If you are an early bird you can catch the freshest Cinnamon buns and and Coffee at a little place called Crill's. It's located near the northern end of the ebarcadero and has a nice out door deck with tables so you can enjoy the ocean while you eat their wares. If a casual lunch is more your style, there is the ever-popular Giovanni's, where you order your seafood and burgers from a take-out window and, once again, dine on a patio overlooking over the bay. A complete list can be found at (www.morrobay.org) Other things to do include visiting the many shops and galleries, as well as the aquarium. The Morro Bay Aquarium is open every day of the year and the admission is reasonable: Children ages 1-4: Free; Children ages 5-11: $1.00, ages 12 and over $2.00. Group rates are available for schools or other qualified groups. www.morrobay.com/MorroBayAquarium). For about 50 cents you can even buy some fish to feed the seals. (These are injured ones, unable to survive in the wild. They'll even do some tricks for you.) Another interesting activity, if you are so inclined is the one-hour bay cruise on the Tiger-Folly II. They can be contacted at (weekdays 805-772-2257, weekends 805-772-2255). As you near the north end of The Embarcadero, make a U-turn on Front Street, then head east on Harbor, which turns into Morro Bay Drive. At the intersection of Highway 1 turn north, then east on on Highway 41 SR41 is a tasty treat of a road best enjoyed early in the morning before it fills with day tourists and local traffic. The wall of granite that runs along side the highway is kept intact by the root system of the diverse population of trees on the ocean side of the mountain. Thus, with a clear, smooth road ahead, the bike can be dropped into its voluptuous curves with as much throttle as one cares to apply. Be sure to dress in layers because the temperatures vary widely due to the climb in elevation, the close proximity to the ocean, and shade cast by the mountain. Upon reaching the town of Atascadero, turn north onto US 101 towards Paso Robles. Take the Spring Street exit which travels north through a busy part of downtown Paso Robles. At Sixth Street, turn west and get ready for a little residential neighborhood maneuvering. After a slight jog to the north, turn west onto Pacific Street, which becomes Peachy Canyon Road and heads out of town. Peachy Canyon Road takes the rider past orchards and stands of oak. It is a relatively gentle, serpentine road through low rolling hills textured with vineyards, wineries, and farmhouses.  Peachy Canyon Road The pavement is in good shape with traffic consisting of the occasional resident and local vineyard workers. There are a few large, and numerous small wineries in the hills of San Luis Obispo county. Many of them only accessible through back roads like Peachy Canyon Road. There are frequent signs and arrows along the route pointing to the entrance to these small operations where you can sample their wares, and perhaps take home some of the local nectar. Peachy Canyon Road comes to an abrupt end with the appearance of giant yellow Cal-Trans signs indicating a tee intersection. Turn south on Vineyard and continue down the hill toward SR46. Just before reaching the intersection with SR46, turn northwest onto Jack Creek Road, dropping back into the Valley for a bit more fun. Jack Creek Road is only a couple of miles long and a little rough, but an enjoyable alternative to the multi-lane highway it parallels.  Jack Creek Road At the end of the road, take SR46 west, for a very brief stretch of slab, then turn south west onto York Mountain Road. York Mountain Road is a must see little bypass along SR46 which most tourists do not even notice. Of all the roads on the loop, the riparian woods are at their deepest here and the surroundings transport the rider into an enchanted forest. Deciduous, broadleaf hardwoods and other trees native to the area form a dense canopy. Even in the winter months, when devoid of leaves, their branches are dripping with grey-green moss, giving them an eerie, almost sinister, quality. The road is narrow but not too rough and there is not another soul to be seen. At the end of the road, head west, once again on SR46, this time turning north onto Santa Rosa Creek Road. Santa Rosa Creek Road is 16 miles of pothole-dodging excitement. It opens with a steep ascent and sharp corners, then levels off somewhat, presenting the rider with an elongated set of switchbacks in the company of some intimidating drop offs.  Santa Rosa Creek Road There are no railings or safety devices here, just rolling pasture land with the occasional vineyard. After bumping and dodging along for four and a half miles, a stunning view of the ocean briefly appears. Just past this location is an extremely long and steep switchback. There is a turnout at this location providing a great opportunity for some nice pictures. The view lasts for a few curves then disappears again as the tortuous descent continues. At the bottom of the road, it becomes very narrow making it necessary at times to dodge into the oncoming lane to avoid ruts big enough to bend rims. Very little traffic frequents this road; however, use caution, as there are residents in the area and large, carelessly driven, SUVs appear to be the vehicle of choice. Throughout the day, work vehicles may be present but their road manners tend to be better than those of the local populace. Before long, the road widens and the familiar yellow line is once again present, indicating the arrival to the town of Cambria. Historically, this area was once part of the lands of the Mission San Miguel one of the 21 missions that were built throughout western California. Main Street was once part of SR1 until the tourist trade to Hearst Castle clogged the streets of downtown so badly, they had a bypass built. This is a nice place to stop and stretch the legs or perhaps have a snack at one of the many establishments that line the street. After passing through Cambria, turn south onto SR1 and enjoy the brief, but beautiful ride along the Pacific coastline. Then turn east on SR46. SR46 serves as the main tourist artery between the central coast communities of Cambria, Cayucos, Harmony, and Morro Bay and the inland. Fortunately, the designers had the foresight to make it a broad four-lane freeway and rarely is it unpleasantly clogged. Still, it is a straight piece of thoroughfare, making the turn south onto Old Creek Road a welcome escape. Turning south on Old Creek Road, the rider immediately drops into an extended section of eight percent downgrade. Unlike other back roads on this ride, which are used mainly by the local business owners and Sunday tourist drivers, Old Creek Road is a working commuter artery with a lot of high speed traffic. These cagers are intent on getting to wherever they are going, so even traveling at motorcycle speeds, do not be shocked if something as big as a dually passes like the bike was standing still. As Old Creek Road levels out, it widens and passes Whale Rock Reservoir.  Old Creek Road This is a surprisingly large body of water with a dam that, from the perspective of the road, appears to be spilling directly into the ocean. Due to the large expanse of water, the wind picks up considerably in that area. After a mild decent to the bottom of this road, turn south on SR1 for the final leg of the loop. Usually SR1 is consistent in providing fine views of the coast, however this particular section ducks inland briefly as it makes its way back to Morro Bay. Take the Main Street exit and continue south, bearing west. Turn downhill onto Harbor which will take you back to The Embarcadero to enjoy a sunset dinner by the ocean. And just a side note..if you feel a little more adventurous you can always go father north, up Highway One for some amazing views. I added a short video of that ride just for fun. BMWeerman out... Subscribe to Road Show by e-mail and never miss and episode or click on one of the following links to add content to your favorite reader.
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Sun, 15 April 2007  This Episode-Nik Boseley of Boz Adventure Tours.BMWeerman discusses hearing protection. The Wrench Wench keeps you informed on important legislation. Nik Boseley has one of those great motorcycle travel stories about losing your job, selling your stuff and just hitting the road. Now that he has returned he has set up a unique motorcycle touring service. BozAdventureTours will plan your trip as much or as little as you like and provide as much or as little support as you would like on the road. His business caters to people who do not like to travel in groups and would like to do some world traveling, but because of time constraints can not do all the planning themselves. I think it is an extraordinary idea! Mr. Boseley is also on the cusp of having a book published about his adventures and we will keep you updated on that. To find out more about Boz Adventure Tours follow the link below. www.bozadventuretours.com To read his blog follow this link: www.thedailyadventuresofboz Before I go on to talk about this weeks podcast I need to address some old business. The Wrench Wench aka Cam's Girl aka Patti has a new personal blog posted at: http://people.bakersfield.com/home/User/camsgirl Last week I promised you more from BMWeermans Wild Kingdom. Since it has been two weeks since The Wrench Wench (aka Cams Girl) had her knee surgery she decided to ride along on my bike. Not wanting to risk further injury, ever again, she purchased a set of "Bionic Knees" which are the latest and greatest in street bike knee protection from Alpinestars.      We made it to Taft and then she started knocking on my helmet telling me to pull over. Unfortunately she was in a lot of pain and we had to turn back. I was going to go back by myself, but by the time we got her situated at home the window of opportunity to go had closed. Closed that is based on the satellite radar. So Wild Kingdom is on hold until I can get out there which, based on the weather, may be tomorrow. But, I did put a little video together from last weeks shoot if you want to get a little better view of Soda Lake. Also some more developments from last week. Last week we had biker cartoonist Rob Campbell who works under the pen name Rupert Piston on the show ,and if you have not visited his site I would recommend it. His cartoons and animations are very entertaining. And, he has kept a very detailed blog of his process and progress which I have found fascinating to read through. You can check it out at: www.cartoonthunder.com "My goal is to have something that would interest motorcyclists of all ages and also be OK to watch with your grandkids or kids." Campbell explained to me. To this end he has created a cast of characters that do just that. There is Mac and Retro, the one-eyed talking choppers and their owners Shorty and Noodles. These characters are the stars of Cartoon Thunder, but their is also a cast of other characters you just need to meet for yourself.. ------------------------------------------------- ----------------------
OK...New business.
Coming up this week on Road Show. I am very excited to be interviewing Richard Wilbur tomorrow. Richard Wilbur or "Indy Harley" as he is known is the Indiana State Captain and Mid-West Regional Captain for the Patriot Guard Riders. For those of you who may not be familiar with the PGR they started forming groups in 2005 in opposition to Fred Phelps and the Westboro Baptist Church. Mr. Phelps and his misguided followers had begun showing up at the funerals of soldiers who had fallen in Iraq and creating ugly protests. Using legal and non-violent means the PGR in cooperation with law enforcement have made it their mission to create a shield between the grieving families of fallen soldiers and the zealots who would desecrate their memory. I am going to break journalistic protocol here and just say that, whether or not you agree with the war, what person in their right mind would purposely show up AT A FUNERAL and add to the families pain?!?!? That is just insane. For more information on the PGR you can visit: www.patriotguard.org Just so you can get an idea why the work the PGR does is so important here is a video of Fred Phelps who is clearly not sane ... Be warned it is hard to stomach! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e647x8xFKTs Ok this is what REALLY happened on Road Show this week! As I stated in my previous blog post the centerpiece of Road Show this week was going to be Richard Wilbur of the Patriot Guard Riders. The arranged time for the interview was 11AM this morning and I was cozily whiling away the time typing on my laptop when an e-mail popped up from Mr. Wilbur informing me I had missed the interview. Hellooo...can you say time zone difference BMWeerman....duh! Since we try to update the podcast every 10 days at the very most and it has been 14 days since an update I was in a panic. I put out a few frantic e-mails and had the very good fortune to get a response from one Nik Boseley form the UK. A world rider and unique travel advisor who agreed to an interview on the spot. A Bit From BMWeerman's Wild Kingdom
Location: highway 58/elkhorn road, , Ca On a whim last Sunday I took the faithful iron steed out for a half days drive to Carrizzo Plain National Monument. I have driven by the exit numerous times on the way to Morro Bay and decided to just go check it out. By way if you have never taken the 33 to 58 tp 41 route to Morro Bay you are missing out on a beautiful trip. Here are a few pix of 58
The Carizzo Plain lies directly on top of the San Andreas fault, and although I did not have time that day to do all the exploring I wanted, I bought some maps and will be out there again next weekend and bring in a more completer report.
Here is a map of the area...the red circle indicates the location from where I took the following pix.
I also put a pic of the map in the other photo section so you can see it larger if you want.
Just a small portion of Soda Lake.
Another view of Soda Lake (I have got to get a wide angle lens!)
Be warned though it is a bit of a hike!
And I even made a new friend. I will be back next week with the rest of the story. Until then Beemerman's Wild Kingdom ...out Subscribe to Road Show by e-mail and never miss and episode or click on one of the following links to add content to your favorite reader.
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Sat, 31 March 2007  This Episdode-Rupert Piston--biker cartoonist, animator, and creator of the website (www.cartoonthunder.com) joins us for a discussion about life, the universe, and everything. -News from the AMA. Given renewed energy by the recent clearing of the record of scumbag former congressman Bill Jankalow, the AMA continues its Justice For All campaign. To find out how you can get involved or help go to their weblink: www.amadirectlink.com.justice -Ghetto Garage-Now that riding season is here, Beemerman shares some tips for those of you who have had your bikes in storage for a while. More information and great tech tips can be found at: http://www.motorcyclecruiser
I rarely get stirred up by politics because there are so many other, more interesting, things to think about but this one has me in a state of - "Say What?!" According to the American Motorcycle Association (AMA), former South Dakota Governor Bill Jankolow sped through a stop sign in 2003 and killed motorcyclist Randy Scott. Jankolow was convicted by a jury of second degree manslaughter but Judge Rodney Steele issued a "suspended imposition of sentence" which is nothing less than a free pass for a felony. Jankolow served only probation and that was cleared in January meaning he walks with a clean record and his license to practice law intact. Again, "Say What?'" Other outrageous stories recently reported by the AMA: A woman in Kansas turns her SUV in front of a motorcycle a kills rider and passenger. The accident is ruled her fault but she only pays a $60 fine and $117 in court costs. A man in Wisconsin makes an illegal left turn in front of a motorcycle. He is cited for failure to yield and pays less than $200. A woman in Michigan pulls away from a stop sign in front of a motorcyclist already in the intersection. She is charged with negligent homicide but faces only probation. Outraged by these incidents the AMA, following the example of MADD has instituted the Justice for All campaign. According to AMA spokesman Bill Kresnak: "The idea is not to turn drivers into criminals over simple mistakes, but to allow for great penalties where someone's actions constitutes reckless disregard for the safety of others." This includes, of course, motorcyclists themselves. For more information or to find out how you can get involved go to:
3.24.07-3.25.07
I last left you at Lake Berryessa watching Hawks. But there were still miles and miles to go that day. Overall this was turning out to be a long but very enjoyable ride compared to some of the suicide missions Friction Zone has sent me on. Most of the roads were series of high-speed sweeper and carvable twisties with very few sharp corners or hair-pins. And, almost all smoothly paved.
Sweet! This is that special time of year when the meadows and the lower ranges of the California mountains turn that special shade of green that no matter what I do I cannot capture with a camera. I've been trying to think of how to describe it-like a glowing luminescnence almost. The special coloring lasts only a week or two so now is the time to get out and see it. ==================== Again jump forward many, many miles. The last part of the ride took me back to The Delta region. Along highway 12 there is a ten mile scenic loop passing through a number of picturesque boating resorts. I has checked out the loop the day before entering from the western entrance which is very straightforward. This time I approached the loop from the eastern entrance, which, is to say the least, a bit confusing. Taking a wrong turn I soon found myself very lots amon the maze of small, rough levee roads. The GPS kept showing me the right way to go, but I couldn't go that way. AARRRGH. Eventually I found my way out and I must say the scenic loop if very interesting. Most of the buildings are built on stilts.
Seems like a good idea to me! Yesterday I made the long drive home and it looks like I will be grounded from long trips for a while as my medical leave ended today and I started back to work at my "real" with a new assignment. But will probably be doing Kings Canyon over Easter and going to Mexico in October. Take Care.
Cameron
3.24.07 I woke up at six this morning, an unusual occurrence, as I usually am awake by 4:30 or so. The Road Show Beemer was totally encrusted with bugs from driving across the farmland yesterday evening. It took quite a while to get her even halfway presentable. There is something about bug guts that defies removal. Almost as if by being so small and vulnerable in life, they have their revenge in death. The official review ride started in Isleton (the s is silent I learned). A very intriguing town, unfortunately there was only time to pass through. Heading north along the canals the next stop was town along the way was Hyde, again a very intriguing place with an art store I badly wanted to visit-again, no time. The activity in the canals was much different today than it was when we were here last week. Today was a weekend day and the pleasure craft were out in force. I went further north today that I had last week. There was considerable difference in character the further north I went. In places, the road is densely lined with trees which bend over the road forming a complete arch.  I just noted the presence of mostly pleasure craft in the water today but I also saw this boat in the water this morning.  I am guessing it was the coast guard because that is one mighty impressive gun! About 30 miles up the road one has to leave the levee road and perform a bit of maneuvering through West Sacramento. Kind of nice and open in Tacky sort of way, however, the developers are moving in fast. The nature of the road changes drastically once past west Sacramento, not only in scenery but also in road quality. The environs in this area are much more spacious on the road side of the river. Most of the trees are gone and it is mostly tilled earth and new crops at this time of year. On the other side of the river, instead of the occasional small town or marina, enormous houses on major plots of land begin to show up. Very impressive and I can only imagine what real estate like that is worth. The next move caught me by surprise. When I was planning the route this morning I could not find a pen to write down my ride note for the top of the tank bag, so I spoke them into the little digital recorder I always carry. The information I had at the time said the next turn would be on State Route 16 (SR16) Sparing you the boring details it did not quite work out like that although I did head in the right direction. After an interminable, stop light ridden drive through Woodland I did find myself on SR16. Some of you may know that section of I5 between Stockton and Sacramento where the freeway is built, for lack of a better word, on stilts. Interestingly SR16 parallels I5 between the suspended freeway and the suspended railroad. Like driving in the bottom of a river. When the New Orleans levees gave way I felt bad for the people but was critical of them saying, "Didn't they know...why would they live below the water line....oooops!  And above yet another drawbridge. Although to get a clear shot I had to trespass (a little) into the backyard of the local yacht club and saw this.....  BUSTED! --------------------- Jump forward many mile to Lake Berryessa where I stopped to chat it up with a group of motorcyclists hanging out at a scenic veiwpoint. One of the locals had come up to watch a family of Hawks he has been watching on top of a PG&E Pole. I got some pretty cool shots with the long lens.  I'm going to post some more in the photo folder because they deserve to be seen bigger. Bike is warming up outside so I'll check in later
3.23.07 Today�s ride report. Got up at 5:30 this morning, opened the �fridge and it was devoid of any caffeinated beverages-not good! Weather.com predicted a very warm day but when I went out to the garage to warm up the bike, it was darn chilly out there. And, it still smells like Moly-Lube out there even though it has been months since the last clutch job. Nevertheless, got the cold weather gear on and had rubber on the road by 6:30. A nearby mini-mart provided a tank of gas and some badly needed legal addictive stimulants (caffeine). Many people do not think so, but for me traveling up the Highway 99 corridor is always inspiring considering the importance of the agricultural industry to the rest of the world that takes place there. It sure smells funny though. I decided to base this ride out of Stockton because the last time something similar was written up based around Lake Berryessa the lake was approached from the north, so I decided to sneak up on it from the south. The first hotel I approached had a huge blue and white freeway banner announcing an attractive price and free internet. Those are my two must haves in a motel. Turns out when I showed up that was not the price and the internet was only in the lobby. I HATE it when they do that. Fortunately, just down the freeway a few exits was a hotel that met the requirements AND actually did what they said they were going to do. The typical procedure when Patti and are traveling together after a five hour ride we crash at the hotel and do the assignment the next day. Somehow the room just seemed to depressing without my partner and I didn�t seem any fun and I wasn�t really all that tired so I decided to start working. Not having a real plan, it seemed like a good idea to find Lake Berryessa at least. Doh! The first move was to head east on State Route 12 Below are a couple of the larger drawbridges on SR12 near Stockton   Then, as seen below, SR12 has its not so great moments as well.  Just before turning north on Highway 121 the road passes through Suisan City, home of Travis AFB. Parked on the Tarmac shimmering in the distance are dozens of primer grey jets drooping under the weight of the enormous engines on their wings. Lie great birds of prey they fill the air 24 hours a day.  Finally I turned north and was actually on my way to the lake. Many, many miles of roads like this made it all worth it.  Unfortunately by this time I was racing daylight to get out of the mountains before dark. Once back in the flatlands and consulting a map I found a route back to the hotel through the backroads and got a couple of cool shots. Sunset or SR113   Good night for now, I'll be back tommorow with another report. Our favorite links. Please e-mail us with your comments or sugguestions at: Subscribe to Road Show by e-mail and never miss and episode.
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