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RAT Riot
- Subject: RAT Riot
- From: Paul Master <master@xxxxxxx>
- Date: Mon, 27 Sep 1999 09:35:43 -0700
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The California RAT Riot happened over the weekend, I went down early
Saturday and left after dinner, but had a good time. Met some really nice
folks, on some REALLY nice bikes. I would guess about 40 Triumphs in all,
plus a Beemer and a couple of Hondas. It was really fascinating to see the
bikes roll in, every one different than the next. I seriously doubt that two
bikes were exactly the same, some personal touch or other, from pipes, to
seats, to paint jobs, .... Quite a strong contingent up from the LA area, at
least 10 that I met, and I didn't meet everyone.
The buzz up to Fremont Peak was OK, for the most part. The things I didn't
like were; too many stops (seemed like every 15 minutes), too much sand in
corners, a bit too much speed heading out of town. We rode from the Sea
Cliff Hotel in Aptos over to Santa Cruz BMW/Triumph (gorgeous new facility)
where we picked up a few more riders and broke into three groups. Then
headed down towards the Peak. We stopped a couple of times to gather people
back up after that, and once more just before the ascent. It seemed like we
were constantly stopping. And the instructions to wait at every intersection
for the person following, so no one would get lost, were promptly forgotten
(so I heard later) as people were guessing which way to go. Some guessed
right, others didn't. My bicycle computer recorded just over a ton heading
out of Watsonville, which I thought was slightly mad, even though the road
could handle it, we buzzed past quite a bit of traffic.
Going up to the peak was definitely fun, for all save one of us. I didn't
get his name, but we chatted a bit later down by the demo truck. But
apparently this guy on a Daytona overcooked a corner, or ran into some sand,
(the stories varied a little bit), resulting in his going down, breaking off
the mirror and trashing the right side fairing, belly pan, and road rash on
the knee. Much to his credit, he finished the ride to the top. I later heard
that this was his first bike (A Daytona??). On the way back down, taken at
much more sedate pace, still saw some sliding around in the corners on the
muck. I was following an Adventurer (I think) and he really got out of
shape, but saved it, fortunately. Then down Hwy 101 a little bit, and then
some sweepers back to Watsonville, where the dealership is located.
Had a very nice lunch (Ostrich Burgers), pasta and fruit salads. Chatted
with a couple over from Modesto (Mike and Sunny on a Daytona) and another up
from LA (Don and Sanda-he rides a personalized Thunderbird, his wife says he
never stops chroming things :-} ) I was of course gushing about the ST. Then
back to the hotel for demos.
I signed up for a ride on the Thunderbird and the Speed Triple. While
awaiting our turn, I struck up a conversation with Jon and Katie (Trident).
Jon was working his way through the lineup, and he rode the Trophy then the
ST. Jon had ridden all the other models at previous events, I told him he
saved the best for last. I also warned Don and Jon that after riding the ST,
they would probably end up owning one.
The wife (or girlfriend) of the unfortunate Daytona rider, as we came into
the parking lot after the demo ride, had to stop suddenly when the ride
leader had to stop for a car pulling out of the lot. She dropped it, but was
not hurt. A couple of nicks in the Tiger paint, scratch on the mirror. Talk
about your "lousy day", but they took it all very well, stayed through
dinner. Deserves at least an attaboy & attagirl.
I didn't really like the Thunderbird that much. It was essentially what I
had just sold to make way for Flash (my red ST). No power, no brakes, too
upright (bumps go straight up the spine). I mean, I would rather own one
than not ride, but I have been dragged into the benefits of new technology,
and I think I am here to stay.
I went over to talk to Don after he rode the ST. Huge grin, "Wow!" So I
think Don is rethinking his choice of mounts (although he so much (time as
well as dinero)invested in his TBird, he will probably keep it too :-)
Power, brakes, well you already know. My two words for the experience of
riding an ST "effortless grace"!
Jon said the Trophy was very nice, handled much better than he thought it
would, it looks so massive. But after we got back from the last ride of the
day, me on S3, Jon on ST. Glazed eyes, huge smile, "Instant Lust" was his
comment. I asked how Katie (his pillion) felt, Jon said she wanted one even
sooner than he did. I think she made up her mind scooting down the highway,
the twisties just confirmed it.
My thoughts on the Speed Triple? Like an uncomfortable ST, brick hard seat,
great brakes, great acceleration (just a bit more than the ST), no fairing,
less instruments, more aggressive riding position. Fun for short blasts.
Mostly I just confirmed the "rightness of the ST for me". I couldn't be
happier with my choice.
I had about a three hour wait between the end of the demo's and dinner, so a
small group formed and we chatted away. Dinner was very good, followed by a
raffle. Lots of caps, key fobs, some Ts, a back pack, and a rainsuit. {We
were hoping someone would win the Silver Daytona (Yeah, right)}.
Then I got a few email addresses, bundled up, and rode home. My longest day
so far, 275 miles. Met some great folks and future riding buddies. Had to
add some water, as the radiator is not scheduled to get fixed for another
couple of weeks. But other than that, much fun! It was kind of a long day,
since I was up at 4AM to watch F1 qualifying live from Germany (love that
SpeedVision), then got home safely right around 11PM, then up again at
4:30AM to see the actual race. All I can say is, incredible. SO much
happened in qualifying and the race, I think it was the craziest F1 weekend
I've ever seen.
I'll be doing more of these rides in the future. Hopefully Jeanne will get
the hang of things and start joining me. We did go for a short putt over to
the nephew's to say Happy Birthday. A new seat will, I hope, make the
difference :-}
See you on the road or the next event.
Paul Master - Customer Service Manager
CSC Financial Services, 300 Lakeside Drive, Oakland, CA 94612-3540
Ph (510) 645-3456; Fax (510) 465-4580; Cell (510) 710-7709
email master@xxxxxxx <mailto:master@xxxxxxx>
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<DIV><SPAN class=830293214-27091999><FONT color=#000000 face=Arial size=2>The
California RAT Riot happened over the weekend, I went down early Saturday and
left after dinner, but had a good time. Met some really nice folks, on some
REALLY nice bikes. I would guess about 40 Triumphs in all, plus a Beemer and a
couple of Hondas. It was really fascinating to see the bikes roll in, every one
different than the next. I seriously doubt that two bikes were exactly the same,
some personal touch or other, from pipes, to seats, to paint jobs, .... Quite a
strong contingent up from the LA area, at least 10 that I met, and I didn't meet
everyone.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=830293214-27091999><FONT color=#000000 face=Arial
size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=830293214-27091999><FONT color=#000000 face=Arial size=2>The
buzz up to Fremont Peak was OK, for the most part. The things I didn't like
were; too many stops (seemed like every 15 minutes), too much sand in corners, a
bit too much speed heading out of town. We rode from the Sea Cliff Hotel in
Aptos over to Santa Cruz BMW/Triumph (gorgeous new facility) where we picked up
a few more riders and broke into three groups. Then headed down towards the
Peak. We stopped a couple of times to gather people back up after that, and once
more just before the ascent. It seemed like we were constantly stopping. And the
instructions to wait at every intersection for the person following, so no one
would get lost, were promptly forgotten (so I heard later) as people were
guessing which way to go. Some guessed right, others didn't. My bicycle computer
recorded just over a ton heading out of Watsonville, which I thought was
slightly mad, even though the road could handle it, we buzzed past quite a bit
of traffic.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=830293214-27091999><FONT color=#000000 face=Arial
size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=830293214-27091999><FONT color=#000000 face=Arial size=2>Going
up to the peak was definitely fun, for all save one of us. I didn't get his
name, but we chatted a bit later down by the demo truck. But apparently this guy
on a Daytona overcooked a corner, or ran into some sand, (the stories varied a
little bit), resulting in his going down, breaking off the mirror and trashing
the right side fairing, belly pan, and road rash on the knee. Much to his
credit, he finished the ride to the top. I later heard that this was his first
bike (A Daytona??). On the way back down, taken at much more sedate pace, still
saw some sliding around in the corners on the muck. I was following an
Adventurer (I think) and he really got out of shape, but saved it, fortunately.
Then down Hwy 101 a little bit, and then some sweepers back to Watsonville,
where the dealership is located.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=830293214-27091999><FONT color=#000000 face=Arial
size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=830293214-27091999><FONT color=#000000 face=Arial size=2>Had a
very nice lunch (Ostrich Burgers), pasta and fruit salads. Chatted with a couple
over from Modesto (Mike and Sunny on a Daytona) and another up from LA (Don and
Sanda-he rides a personalized Thunderbird, his wife says he never stops chroming
things :-} ) I was of course gushing about the ST. Then back to the hotel for
demos.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=830293214-27091999><FONT color=#000000 face=Arial
size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=830293214-27091999><FONT color=#000000 face=Arial
size=2></FONT></SPAN><SPAN class=830293214-27091999><FONT color=#000000
face=Arial size=2>I signed up for a ride on the Thunderbird and the Speed
Triple. While awaiting our turn, I struck up a conversation with Jon and Katie
(Trident). Jon was working his way through the lineup, and he rode the Trophy
then the ST. Jon had ridden all the other models at previous events, I told him
he saved the best for last. I also warned Don and Jon that after riding the ST,
they would probably end up owning one. </FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=830293214-27091999><FONT color=#000000 face=Arial
size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=830293214-27091999><FONT color=#000000 face=Arial size=2>The
wife (or girlfriend) of the unfortunate Daytona rider, as we came into the
parking lot after the demo ride, had to stop suddenly when the ride leader had
to stop for a car pulling out of the lot. She dropped it, but was not hurt. A
couple of nicks in the Tiger paint, scratch on the mirror. Talk about your
"lousy day", but they took it all very well, stayed through dinner.
Deserves at least an attaboy & attagirl.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=830293214-27091999><FONT color=#000000 face=Arial
size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=830293214-27091999><FONT color=#000000 face=Arial size=2>I
didn't really like the Thunderbird that much. It was essentially what I had just
sold to make way for Flash (my red ST). No power, no brakes, too upright (bumps
go straight up the spine). I mean, I would rather own one than not ride, but I
have been dragged into the benefits of new technology, and I think I am here to
stay.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=830293214-27091999><FONT color=#000000 face=Arial
size=2></FONT></SPAN><SPAN class=830293214-27091999><FONT color=#000000
face=Arial size=2>I went over to talk to Don after he rode the ST. Huge grin,
"Wow!" So I think Don is rethinking his choice of mounts
(although he so much (time as well as dinero)invested in his TBird, he will
probably keep it too :-) Power, brakes, well you already know. My two
words for the experience of riding an ST "effortless
grace"!</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=830293214-27091999><FONT color=#000000 face=Arial
size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=830293214-27091999><FONT color=#000000 face=Arial size=2>Jon
said the Trophy was very nice, handled much better than he thought it would, it
looks so massive. But after we got back from the last ride of the day, me on S3,
Jon on ST. Glazed eyes, huge smile, "Instant Lust" was his comment. I
asked how Katie (his pillion) felt, Jon said she wanted one even sooner than he
did. I think she made up her mind scooting down the highway, the twisties just
confirmed it.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=830293214-27091999><FONT color=#000000 face=Arial
size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=830293214-27091999><FONT color=#000000 face=Arial size=2>My
thoughts on the Speed Triple? Like an uncomfortable ST, brick hard seat, great
brakes, great acceleration (just a bit more than the ST), no fairing, less
instruments, more aggressive riding position. Fun for short blasts. Mostly I
just confirmed the "rightness of the ST for me". I couldn't be happier
with my choice.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=830293214-27091999><FONT color=#000000 face=Arial
size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=830293214-27091999><FONT color=#000000 face=Arial size=2>I had
about a three hour wait between the end of the demo's and dinner, so a small
group formed and we chatted away. Dinner was very good, followed by a raffle.
Lots of caps, key fobs, some Ts, a back pack, and a rainsuit. {We were hoping
someone would win the Silver Daytona (Yeah, right)}.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=830293214-27091999><FONT color=#000000 face=Arial
size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=830293214-27091999><FONT color=#000000 face=Arial size=2>Then I
got a few email addresses, bundled up, and rode home. My longest day so far, 275
miles. Met some great folks and future riding buddies. Had to add some water, as
the radiator is not scheduled to get fixed for another couple of weeks. But
other than that, much fun! It was kind of a long day, since I was up at 4AM to
watch F1 qualifying live from Germany (love that SpeedVision), then got home
safely right around 11PM, then up again at 4:30AM to see the actual race. All I
can say is, incredible. SO much happened in qualifying and the race, I think it
was the craziest F1 weekend I've ever seen.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=830293214-27091999><FONT color=#000000 face=Arial
size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=830293214-27091999><FONT color=#000000 face=Arial size=2>I'll
be doing more of these rides in the future. Hopefully Jeanne will get the hang
of things and start joining me. We did go for a short putt over to the nephew's
to say Happy Birthday. A new seat will, I hope, make the difference
:-}</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=830293214-27091999><FONT color=#000000 face=Arial
size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=830293214-27091999><FONT color=#000000 face=Arial size=2>See
you on the road or the next event.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=830293214-27091999><FONT color=#000000 face=Arial
size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#000000 face=""><FONT size=1><FONT face=Arial>Paul Master -
Customer Service Manager</FONT></FONT></FONT><FONT face=Arial><FONT
size=1></FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#000000 face=""><FONT size=1><FONT face=Arial><FONT
color=#ff0000>CSC</FONT> Financial Services, 300 Lakeside Drive, Oakland, CA
94612-3540</FONT></FONT></FONT><FONT face=Arial><FONT
size=1></FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#000000 face=Arial size=1>Ph (510) 645-3456; Fax (510)
465-4580; Cell (510) 710-7709</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#000000 face=Arial size=1>email <A
href="mailto:master@xxxxxxx";>master@xxxxxxx</A></FONT></DIV></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV></BODY></HTML>
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