Sorry! No photos for this thread. I was just having too much fun.
Friday was such a GORGEOUS day in Central California that I just had to go take a short ride. Since I've only had my Raven S-10 for a week, I chose a route I was quite familiar with that I knew would test the bike well. I rode 83 miles in just under an hour and 40 minutes.
Yokohl Valley road is the short, goaty, twisty way to get from Visalia to the little town of Springville in the Sierra Nevada foothills. There's a good burger place there with great real ice cream shakes. After turning south off CA198, Yokohl Valley Road becomes a 2-lane going for a few miles over a few whoops. Then it narrows and the road maintenance deteriorates for the next 17 miles or so.
There are patches on top of patches, potholes, hairpins, blown sand, rocks, dips, bumps, and all other manner of road aberrations to keep you paying attention as you climb over a range of foothills. I have ridden this road many times on my ST1300 and the Wee-Strom because it's so much fun and it keeps my skills sharp.
The Super Tenere was outstanding! As soon as I turned off the highway, I switched to "S" mode. Yes! What a difference! As I rode I noticed that not only could I go a lot faster on this road than I could with the other bikes, the suspension was able to absorb much more than the other bikes. There is an entry to one left-hander where the pavement has about a 4-inch dip right on the way to the turn-in point. On the other bikes I would always just head for the center of the pavement to avoid the dip and slop the apex. Not this time! The S-10 absorbed the dip and took the curve like there was nothing there. I think I love this bike! I had the traction control set at 1, and I felt it a couple of times. What I'm really thankful for is the times I know it must have been working, but I didn't feel a thing.
Once I reached the far end of Yokohl Valley Road, I took a right and headed into Springville at (more or less) the speed limit. From there it was CA190 to Frazier Valley Road through Strathmore to CA65 and back to CA198 via Spruce on the outskirts of Exeter. It was a great afternoon ride, zero calorie intake, and a pegged fun meter.
If there's anyone out there who would like to ride with me sometime, just PM me.
Friday was such a GORGEOUS day in Central California that I just had to go take a short ride. Since I've only had my Raven S-10 for a week, I chose a route I was quite familiar with that I knew would test the bike well. I rode 83 miles in just under an hour and 40 minutes.
Yokohl Valley road is the short, goaty, twisty way to get from Visalia to the little town of Springville in the Sierra Nevada foothills. There's a good burger place there with great real ice cream shakes. After turning south off CA198, Yokohl Valley Road becomes a 2-lane going for a few miles over a few whoops. Then it narrows and the road maintenance deteriorates for the next 17 miles or so.
There are patches on top of patches, potholes, hairpins, blown sand, rocks, dips, bumps, and all other manner of road aberrations to keep you paying attention as you climb over a range of foothills. I have ridden this road many times on my ST1300 and the Wee-Strom because it's so much fun and it keeps my skills sharp.
The Super Tenere was outstanding! As soon as I turned off the highway, I switched to "S" mode. Yes! What a difference! As I rode I noticed that not only could I go a lot faster on this road than I could with the other bikes, the suspension was able to absorb much more than the other bikes. There is an entry to one left-hander where the pavement has about a 4-inch dip right on the way to the turn-in point. On the other bikes I would always just head for the center of the pavement to avoid the dip and slop the apex. Not this time! The S-10 absorbed the dip and took the curve like there was nothing there. I think I love this bike! I had the traction control set at 1, and I felt it a couple of times. What I'm really thankful for is the times I know it must have been working, but I didn't feel a thing.
Once I reached the far end of Yokohl Valley Road, I took a right and headed into Springville at (more or less) the speed limit. From there it was CA190 to Frazier Valley Road through Strathmore to CA65 and back to CA198 via Spruce on the outskirts of Exeter. It was a great afternoon ride, zero calorie intake, and a pegged fun meter.
If there's anyone out there who would like to ride with me sometime, just PM me.
