Showing posts with label San Francisco. Show all posts
Showing posts with label San Francisco. Show all posts

Adventures on a Motorcycle

"It's not an adventure until something goes wrong"

That could be a good sum up of the course that Pete Young and other participants of the Cannonball Run have just been in.

Nowadays, ultra sophisticated technical and security means, involved in most of the human experiences get the concept of unforeseen or withdraw for wound or mechanical problems almost inexistant and nearly impossible.

The Participants of the Cannonball, all of them involved in modern life, dared defy time crossing the USA at an average speed of 40mph on machines nearly a hundred years old, usually exposed in museums.

Their driving, very technical, cannot be improvised and you have to know how to save them and listen to them if you wish to reach the end.



Despite that, at the very fist leg, various failures but especially engines ones have been massive. Some, like Pete, could repair during sleepless nights in improbables workshops with tools of ancient times, while others were forced to give up.... just like years ago!




It means that each participant has a perfect knowledge of his machine and that mutual aid has a huge role to play between them.


I'm sure that those difficults moments have created real friendship.


Thanks to Kevin Bean're for the photos


There is also a real concept of travel and discovery, a trail of 3500 miles at slow motion, on straight roads of several dozen of miles leaves alone with your reflections...



For all those reasons, I would qualify the first (but not last, I hope) edition of the "Motorcycle Cannonball Run" a BIG human adventure

Thumbs up guys!



Photos by Michael Lichter


.
"It's not an adventure until something goes wrong"

That could be a good sum up of the course that Pete Young and other participants of the Cannonball Run have just been in.

Nowadays, ultra sophisticated technical and security means, involved in most of the human experiences get the concept of unforeseen or withdraw for wound or mechanical problems almost inexistant and nearly impossible.

The Participants of the Cannonball, all of them involved in modern life, dared defy time crossing the USA at an average speed of 40mph on machines nearly a hundred years old, usually exposed in museums.

Their driving, very technical, cannot be improvised and you have to know how to save them and listen to them if you wish to reach the end.



Despite that, at the very fist leg, various failures but especially engines ones have been massive. Some, like Pete, could repair during sleepless nights in improbables workshops with tools of ancient times, while others were forced to give up.... just like years ago!




It means that each participant has a perfect knowledge of his machine and that mutual aid has a huge role to play between them.


I'm sure that those difficults moments have created real friendship.


Thanks to Kevin Bean're for the photos


There is also a real concept of travel and discovery, a trail of 3500 miles at slow motion, on straight roads of several dozen of miles leaves alone with your reflections...



For all those reasons, I would qualify the first (but not last, I hope) edition of the "Motorcycle Cannonball Run" a BIG human adventure

Thumbs up guys!



Photos by Michael Lichter


.

In search of clichés (from my youth)

.


I dreamed of this trip for twenty years, when our friend Jean Claude Barrois offered me this winter to experience the wild adventure. It took no more than a dinner to find the good deal between us, his objective was clear: participate to the Bonneville Speedweek with his 1926 Rudge Bitza.
After several months of preparation the bike was ready, and his journey booked.




For us, the choice of vehicle was important because we were six.
The itinerary, departing from Los Angeles would lead us to traverse a large loop of several thousands of miles through the "Bonneville Salt Flats" before returning to the starting point. We opted for a 40 feet RV, kind of large boat with wheels, and modern version of the Winnebago.


Two days in The middle of nowhere (Imperial Sand Dunes AZ.) with an electric failure and 122°F



We went through Arizona, Utah, Nevada and California.

The hundreds of films I've seen since my childhood have left an indelible mark with legendary names as Yuma, Arizona, Tucson, Flagstaff or Monument Valley, Grand Canyon etc. ...
All reminded me one or more films...

Saguaro Park near Tucson



Galaxy Diner Flagstaff


Grand Canyon at 6pm

Monument Valley at 7pm (Happy hour )



"Stagecoach" John Ford 1939

One landscape will highlight in my memory: Monument Valley, its minimalism and majesty, are beyond anything I could imagine. Immensity of panorama is the most striking thing to my European eyes.

The Great Salt Lake and its "wildlife" has been one of the highlights of this journey.
In a next trip I hope to have the entire week on the site ...


After the storm ( Bonneville Utah)

We crossed Nevada by an incredible road : "The Highway 50" aka the loneliest Highway is difficult to imagine as wilderness areas...


Between Eureka and Austin NV.

I have a special affection with San Francisco, she represents everything I love: Geographical situation, between water with the bay and ocean and mountains wildlife in the streets, despite all it's a lively town.

Haight Street


Ocean Beach 8pm


And finally, the coastal road between San Francisco and Los Angeles: Highway One: Big Sur was a wild moment of this trip.
Better not fail there !

Bixby Bridge 1932 ( remember "Play misty for me" with Clint Eastwood)



Time will be long, before next trip...


.
.


I dreamed of this trip for twenty years, when our friend Jean Claude Barrois offered me this winter to experience the wild adventure. It took no more than a dinner to find the good deal between us, his objective was clear: participate to the Bonneville Speedweek with his 1926 Rudge Bitza.
After several months of preparation the bike was ready, and his journey booked.




For us, the choice of vehicle was important because we were six.
The itinerary, departing from Los Angeles would lead us to traverse a large loop of several thousands of miles through the "Bonneville Salt Flats" before returning to the starting point. We opted for a 40 feet RV, kind of large boat with wheels, and modern version of the Winnebago.


Two days in The middle of nowhere (Imperial Sand Dunes AZ.) with an electric failure and 122°F



We went through Arizona, Utah, Nevada and California.

The hundreds of films I've seen since my childhood have left an indelible mark with legendary names as Yuma, Arizona, Tucson, Flagstaff or Monument Valley, Grand Canyon etc. ...
All reminded me one or more films...

Saguaro Park near Tucson



Galaxy Diner Flagstaff


Grand Canyon at 6pm

Monument Valley at 7pm (Happy hour )



"Stagecoach" John Ford 1939

One landscape will highlight in my memory: Monument Valley, its minimalism and majesty, are beyond anything I could imagine. Immensity of panorama is the most striking thing to my European eyes.

The Great Salt Lake and its "wildlife" has been one of the highlights of this journey.
In a next trip I hope to have the entire week on the site ...


After the storm ( Bonneville Utah)

We crossed Nevada by an incredible road : "The Highway 50" aka the loneliest Highway is difficult to imagine as wilderness areas...


Between Eureka and Austin NV.

I have a special affection with San Francisco, she represents everything I love: Geographical situation, between water with the bay and ocean and mountains wildlife in the streets, despite all it's a lively town.

Haight Street


Ocean Beach 8pm


And finally, the coastal road between San Francisco and Los Angeles: Highway One: Big Sur was a wild moment of this trip.
Better not fail there !

Bixby Bridge 1932 ( remember "Play misty for me" with Clint Eastwood)



Time will be long, before next trip...


.
top