Sat trip to ACH and some fun in the end

[Soaring]

Hey guys! Just came from my second trip to Angeles Crest and loved every moment of it, especially passing the altitudes where the fog starts and then where it ends... looks so cool! anyway, got some pics here if anyone's interested (although there's no comparison between pics and what I actually saw today...)

http://ravichev.com/102205w/

so I had some good time there and made it back home safely.. and just when I started to park my GS in the backyeard there's this huge pickup truck entering the gate with two bulky (compared to slim poor me ) latino guys in it... so living in Downtown LA.... I started to go through my memory trying to see if I cut off someone on my way home... prayed and said goodbye to my GS just in case...

well, as it happened those guys were just in love with my bike ...well one of them. The guy just came from Guatemala I think and back home he had a red/white GS and so he offered me to sell my bike... offer was dismissed at once but they left me their phone number and I promised to call them if I find a GS sold in the vicinity. So after having some laughs and after I promissed them never to trade my Suzuki for a Kawa bike the guys left... and still inspired by the meeting here I am keeping my promise. So if you guys know about a GS being sold (esp red/white one) let me know... and there'll be another happy GS owner  

In fact the guy loves GS to the extent that, seeing me before, he was scouting the area looking for me, today they just happened to be on a car to catch up with me

[starwalt]

Sounds like a great time. And nice pics. I remember the fog coming off the ocean around San Fran. It is hard to describe and pictures just don't do it justice.

I hope you keep the GS out of sight. Just be sure that your "friends" weren't trolling and looking for an easy bike to boost. That's not usually a crook's style, but there are some slick operators out there.

Locks (and fences and doors) keep honest people honest.

[Soaring]

well, I am the kind of guy who strongly believes people are good untill proven otherwise but if proven otherwise they just cease to exist for me anyways, I think these guys were quite strightforward talking to me in the daytime and leaving their phone numbers with me... looks too complicated to me, they could have just come in the night and try to steal it, much easier... but thanks for the reminder, I probably WILL think more about how secure my bike is just sitting there... although kinda hidden between two buildings, but then again anyone can see me coming/leaving..

what would be your advise on securing it? it sits next to the tree, but I was told that all these cables that you strap your bike to something with are easily cut, so I don't know if it's worth investing in it.

[JCH]

I am in downtown LA as well.  What cross streets are you at?

Considered hitting the crest today but woke up to rain. Decided to drink beer and watch usc instead

[Soaring]

rain? I left around 10 there were drops of liquid in the air but barely noticable and definitely no rain and in fact no clouds at all after 10 min into ACH

Anywas, I am right at the intersection of 10 and 110 (not at the intersection itself of course   but almost there). I am a student at USC. And I know that indestructibleguy also  goes to SC, but not sure if he lives around here.

How experienced are you? Cause I am just starting and doing highways at 60-70 and crest at 30-50. If you think that is not too slow for you, next time we could go together. Coming the Newcomb's Ranch, I kinda felt lonely with my tiny GS among all those BMW monsters

[Soaring]

It is hard to describe and pictures just don't do it justice.

+1 actually with the fog thing you at least need a video cause it the slow movement of the whole thing that is so crazy

[Soaring]

JCH: just noticed you are on SV... I guess I AM kinda slow for your taste

[starwalt]

...what would be your advise on securing it? it sits next to the tree, but I was told that all these cables that you strap your bike to something with are easily cut, so I don't know if it's worth investing in it.

I am not a city dweller so the turf will dictate the kind of defense you would use. A professional and determined thief will plan the event based on your patterns and opportunity. I too tend to trust people, but motorcycles are very tempting for the casual thief. The parts sell so easy on ebay and elsewhere.

If you cannot remove the bike from the outside (garage, shed, etc) I would recommend trying to camouflage it to be less noticeable. Your bike is the twin of my 90 project and my coworker's 90. I think it is one of the best classic colors next to the black/red 89. Anything that will make the bike less noticeable will keep it out of the eye of the "snatch and grab" crowd.

On the other hand, the GS gets so little respect, a pro probably won't bother with anything less than a gixxer, busa, or red honda!  :lol:

[Soaring]

If you cannot remove the bike from the outside (garage, shed, etc) I would recommend trying to camouflage it to be less noticeable.

Well, all I can do is park it behind one of the buildings in our complex and keep it under cover and that's what I do. (cover also helps protect from the crap that is constantly dripping from the trees

Your bike is the twin of my 90 project and my coworker's 90. I think it is one of the best classic colors next to the black/red 89.

No question about that I think it's THE best color scheme and I don't know what I'll do when it will be time for me to move to the next bike... the only thing that comforts me is that unless the bike dies on me that day is somewhere far beyond my imagination although some people try to make do with purple ones :mrgreen:

On the other hand, the GS gets so little respect, a pro probably won't bother with anything less than a gixxer, busa, or red honda!  :lol:

+1, felt so miserable and insignificant today among all those BMW giants  :lol:

[starwalt]

+1, felt so miserable and insignificant today among all those BMW giants  :lol:

Yes, but those Bimmers, nice that they are, are about 10 times the price of the old GS's. They are just different bikes. No need to feel inadequate if you are having fun and enjoying the day.

I'd be willing to bet that most of the Bimmer pilots don't work on their bike anyway. Would I buy one? Sure! There's a sweet (but odd looking) F650CS at a Suz dealership about 30 minutes away. $6.5k and I could take it home. Alas, with a daughter in college, I am reduced to fixing up...in the words of Srinath..."busted ass POS" bikes.  :lol:

Oh, and my wife says she gets new carpet in the house before I get a new bike.   Yes, dear. :kiss:

[JCH]

I would say I am in the middle of the spectrum. Not slow, but not daredevil either.   Sounds like I am above your speed tho  

I grad from usc a few years back.  I hope you're having a good time there!

[NiceGuysFinishLast]

just a thought, add a disc lock to your bike? Possibly one w/ a motion activated alarm?

[leo]

Just wondering, but if those guys weren't latino, but just white guys would this thread be about bike security?  :dunno:

[starwalt]

Just wondering, but if those guys weren't latino, but just white guys would this thread be about bike security?  :dunno:

I make no distinction of race when it comes to criminals. Period.

Unfortunately in many societies today, there are those who want to polarize people according to color.    If you reread my posts, you will notice there was nothing said about the color of skin. Our friend Soaring is a student and lives in a large city. Although the fellows that he met were probably OK, it is the peripheral contacts that often provide larcenous intrusion.

They may mention the bike to someone, who tells someone else, and so on. From that, some of them may come by to visit and see the bike thus providing more information to the field. Organized vehicle thieves or gangs don't care how they get their information. If there is a market for a vehicle or its parts, they will persue the target. Why do you think that bikes and cars in magazines usually have their tags covered or masked out?

Last year while in Cleveland, OH I stopped at a large dealership to look at bikes. On display was a pristine Honda RC30. It belonged to the parts manager. It was absolutely beautiful and nearly perfect. I asked if I could return and photograph it the next weekend. They said yes. When I returned and started setting up my tripod and camera, some other riders were watching me set up. They were white guys, I was a white guy, the parts manager was a white guy. I noticed them taking him aside and having intimate conversation. Prior to shooting, the owner said he was uncomfortable with me taking pictures that would show the rear of the bike with the license plate! One of the riders was a cop and told the owner that thieves track vehicles via the plates. Did I start complaining about discrimination? They didn't know me, of course not! They would have reacted the same regardless of the color of my skin. I replied, "No problem, why don't we cover the tag up with a piece of paper?"

I now have a nice set of RC30 pictures, several with the parts manager in them and his tag covered up. Everybody wins!

Let's not be so sensitive to skin color when it comes to motorcycle security.  

Thieves only see green (and I don't mean Kawasaki) or whatever the color of the base currency of the reader's country is.

[Soaring]

Just wondering, but if those guys weren't latino, but just white guys would this thread be about bike security?  :dunno:

I don't think it's about latino per se (in fact I love these guys they have fun all the time... life is always good) In fact I am the last one to think they meant harm... after the first shock of course To me it was just a big surprise to see those guys barging in after me and I was not THAT concerned... but you know these storytellers...  :mrgreen: In the end we all had a lot of fun  

But on the other side my university sends these security alerts every week listing all the crimes in the vicinity and 99% of suspects are latino or black... facts of life.. statistics is a stubborn thing  :dunno:

[roguegeek]

OMG Soaring! I effing passed you up there. You were coming down on a red GS riding behind another bike and I was going up on a black GS. We passed each other maybe 4 mile down away from the resturant. We waved at each other and as soon as you passed, I was like, "was that anther GS?!" I was ready to turn my ass around and catch up just to see if you were someone on the board. In fact, I was about to post up here asking if there was anyone up on ACH riding a red GS.

Any of this coming back to ya?

[Soaring]

Oh, man, that is so sad, I could have had company there At this point, though, my skill level only allows me to count the number of wheels on a vehicle and as long as it's <4 and I feel advnturous enough to take my hand off the handlebar I wave  :mrgreen: but distinguishing between the bikes at this point is beyond me (esp. that the only one I would recognize is GS anyway ), all my thoughts belong to the road in front of me... And if as you say there was another bike in front of me which means that he just passed me which means all I could think of was whether there'll be enough space for both of us in the lane while he was passing... well, you get the picture and since you passed me on my way down I probably already had my shot of adrenalin for the day and was thinking only about a safe trip home not to mention that my stupid helmet still gives me headache after about an hour of riding...

so, sorry I cannot remember the details but it feels good to be noticed by brothers in arms we could definitely ride together some time soon... or since I am so slow at this point at least meet at the restaurant  

[Soaring]

on the other hand, now that I am trying to recall, I think I DO remember you... the bike DID look familiar!   but then again safe trip home at that point was my top priority  

[roguegeek]

It's not like I'm blowing through those roads at 100 mph. I'm sure whatever the level of skill there is, the company is worth having instead up there. I'm up there every Saturday and Sunday morning. Let me know if ya ever feel like grouping together before heading up.

[Soaring]

school kinda sucks at this point (it was supposed to be my last year, so my professors want to see some action out there ) so I don't do both Sun and Sat, but I hope I will still be able to afford to go riding at least one day/weekend.. not sure about this week though because of the halloween thing, but the weekend after I am all for it, I'm gonna pm you with my contacts and let's see what happens.