It was raining in LA, but at 6,000 feet up on Angeles Crest Highway, where a few hardy souls completed the traditional New Year's Eve morning ride to the rustic Newcomb's Ranch restaurant, the rain turned to snow.
It was funny at first. We all laughed about it. I got out my camera and grabbed some shots of my black Hayabusa with snow settling into the nooks and crannies of the tank bag and fairing.
But we also hurried to get our wet riding gear back on and start down the hill before the road got slick.
Too late! It was just wet in front of the restaurant, but beginning about 100 yards down the road, the snow was sticking and we picked our way carefully downhill in wet snow up to an inch deep.
We were six riders, among a larger loose-knit group of riders that rallies around the LABiker.org site. We made it four or five miles, when rounding a medium tight, well-banked turn at about 20 mph, the 2nd bike, a ZX7, lost it, swerved one way, then the other and then was on his side sliding into the uphill traffic lane. I was about 50 feet behind him, tried to brake and the next instant was on the ground. Same for the Kawi Concourse and Suz SV650 trailing me.
Nobody was hurt (although now several hours later, my wrist hurts). One by one we got the bikes back up and over to the shoulder. Fortunately the cage behind us got stopped and stayed there, blinkers flashing to warn oncoming cars. Two fast uphill cars merely dodged the downed ZX7 by driving onto the shoulder without seeming to slow.
The Busa has a cracked and badly scratched right fairing panel, a scratched Two Brothers can and a scratched bar end. The mirror folded in and seems to have suffered no damage, nor did the windscreen or nose fairing or either brake lever.
The ZX7 front brake lever broke off, and fairing was scratched. The Concourse, which fell to the left, lost its hard luggage on that side and some cosmetic damage. The SV650 suffered badly bent bars, but was rideable.
After gathering our wits we took off again, more slowly, but hadn't gone more than a mile before two bikes went down - the Concourse again, breaking off its left footpeg, bracket and all, and a Triumph Speed Triple that escaped the first time. It lost a turn signal and bent the gear shift into an initially inoperable position. This time I got the Busa stopped upright, albeit with a fair amount of skidding.
We were still in the snow and it was still snowing and if we could have called a tow truck we would have. But we couldn't and eventally got the bikes down the next half mile out of the snow and finished a wet but otherwise uneventful ride.
And I was on my way to work. I thought I'd play a little hooky and take the long way in to the office this morning, figuring I'd be here about noon. It was 3pm. instead. I've got all my gear laid out trying to get it dry for the ride home.
Oh, by the way, Happy New Year everybody.
It was funny at first. We all laughed about it. I got out my camera and grabbed some shots of my black Hayabusa with snow settling into the nooks and crannies of the tank bag and fairing.
But we also hurried to get our wet riding gear back on and start down the hill before the road got slick.
Too late! It was just wet in front of the restaurant, but beginning about 100 yards down the road, the snow was sticking and we picked our way carefully downhill in wet snow up to an inch deep.
We were six riders, among a larger loose-knit group of riders that rallies around the LABiker.org site. We made it four or five miles, when rounding a medium tight, well-banked turn at about 20 mph, the 2nd bike, a ZX7, lost it, swerved one way, then the other and then was on his side sliding into the uphill traffic lane. I was about 50 feet behind him, tried to brake and the next instant was on the ground. Same for the Kawi Concourse and Suz SV650 trailing me.
Nobody was hurt (although now several hours later, my wrist hurts). One by one we got the bikes back up and over to the shoulder. Fortunately the cage behind us got stopped and stayed there, blinkers flashing to warn oncoming cars. Two fast uphill cars merely dodged the downed ZX7 by driving onto the shoulder without seeming to slow.
The Busa has a cracked and badly scratched right fairing panel, a scratched Two Brothers can and a scratched bar end. The mirror folded in and seems to have suffered no damage, nor did the windscreen or nose fairing or either brake lever.
The ZX7 front brake lever broke off, and fairing was scratched. The Concourse, which fell to the left, lost its hard luggage on that side and some cosmetic damage. The SV650 suffered badly bent bars, but was rideable.
After gathering our wits we took off again, more slowly, but hadn't gone more than a mile before two bikes went down - the Concourse again, breaking off its left footpeg, bracket and all, and a Triumph Speed Triple that escaped the first time. It lost a turn signal and bent the gear shift into an initially inoperable position. This time I got the Busa stopped upright, albeit with a fair amount of skidding.
We were still in the snow and it was still snowing and if we could have called a tow truck we would have. But we couldn't and eventally got the bikes down the next half mile out of the snow and finished a wet but otherwise uneventful ride.
And I was on my way to work. I thought I'd play a little hooky and take the long way in to the office this morning, figuring I'd be here about noon. It was 3pm. instead. I've got all my gear laid out trying to get it dry for the ride home.
Oh, by the way, Happy New Year everybody.
