2010 69 Mile Ride

This year was the 3rd annual 69 Mile Ride, hosted by Max Schaaf.   Starting from Remedy Coffee in Oakland, we rode through the Caldecott tunnel, out Bear Creek Road to Port Costa.  A quiet little town, Port Costa is at the dead end of a road, along the Carquinez Strait, and is home to many interesting people and interesting things.  Rumors of the hotel across the way being a cat house were spread by some guys who might or might not know the truth.

Sarah’s bike parked by the flowers.  Scott Pommier has done some better photos of her bike here.

Dr. Sprocket’s sportster.  The tank was painted back in the 1960’s or early 70’s in EssEf.  Rich had Max resurrect it by spraying 50 coats of clear over the old cracking paint. The old faults are visible, along with the crazy airbrush strokes and spatters.

A three-fer.  From the top:  Honda CL 450 (?), Triumph tracker, Honda Superhawk.  All three from SF, each with loads of hand made details.

Have you ever seen a Jawa bobber?

Hammer and sickle on the gas tank cap.

David Allan Coe is not a bike builder.

Bruce at HOBO SF’s Triumph 500.  Dry weight is 240lbs.  I’ve ridden with this bike for 3 weekends in a row now on the 49 Mile Ride, All Brit Ride and Max’s 69 ride. and I can’t get enough of it.  It is beautiful, ridden hard, and has more power than the gearbox mainshaft can handle.

Rider’s view of the Honda special.  Tank is from something Italian I think.  Handmade rear seat hump?

Just don’t put your foot down in that puddle.

Two Hondas at opposite ends of a spectrum.  One restored Dream, one chopper 750/4.

Dr. Sprocket, Pete and Francisco.

The walk-up Post Office of Port Costa, CA.

Some of the random junk inside the Warehouse Bar in Port Costa.  What a place.  Filled with stuff, a surely bartender, not much food while we were there except shrimp cocktails, hundreds of import beers in the bottle, a stuffed grizzly bear, a patio above the water, random Victorian furniture, a 2nd hand shop back by the washrooms, full kitchen with good chili, and probably a few ghosts.

Jeff Scott, esquire.

Velocette, BSA, HD

Zepplin air cleaner, Moon Eyes oil pressure gage.

Max’s Bike.  The exhaust pipes have round beads or corrugations.  He found some industrial scrap with the shape, but they were too small in diameter.  He took four of them, cut them into 2/3s of the diameter, the welded them up to make two good parts.  A very nice set of pipes, made by a guy who knows what looks good and knows how to do it.

Roadside adjustment of the clutch on the Excelsior.  I can’t figure out what happened to that little hammer!  I pulled it out of my tool kit and the head is all cockeyed, with a good crease in the neck.  never loan out your tools.   Photo by Jeff Scott.

Francisco on the ride home, coming through Tilden Park.  I snapped this one blind, over my shoulder at 35mph in the twisties.  We didn’t have time to stop and play with the steam trains, but I highly recommend it.

SF Bay viewed from Tilden Park above Oakland and Berkeley.  Downtown SF is directly under the sun, the Golden Gate Bride is on the right.  Yerba Buena Island and Treasure Island in the middle of the bay.  The Bay Bridge is in the foreground, going to Yerba Buena Island.   Alcatraz is just in front of the GG bridge, while Angel Island is the larger one further to the right.