CSC Blog

More good stuff, folks….our bikes are moving out sharply and we’ve brought another shipment of the Genuine scooters onto the showroom floor.

That pistachio green Buddy 125 is looking good…you gotta love that color.  Genuine calls this color sea foam green, but every time I look at that bike I feel like having a bowl of pistachio ice cream.

The weather is good out here in southern California.  It’s not too hot and not too cold.  That’s going to change in bit, especially when the time changes next month.   But right now it’s perfect riding weather, both for motorcycles and for bicycles.   I cranked out a quick 27 miles on my mid-1980s classic green Bianchi bicycle over the weekend, and I may do the same tomorrow afternoon.   Bianchi is the oldest bicycle company in the world, and as it turns out, for a while they were also making motorcycles.  I have a picture of one I saw in a museum a few years ago, and if I think of it, I’ll post it for you later.  It’s the same classy color as their Celeste green bicycles, and that color is pretty close to the Genuine pistachio green you see above.

I had my iPhone with me today when I stopped by the factory (I left my Nikon at home today), and I grabbed a couple of other fun shots…check out this one with a couple of our Military Series bikes, Steve’s personal P-51, and bunch of Genuine Buddies and Blurs in the background…

The guy across the way from us who rented the new hangar looks like he has an interesting business…he’s been having a bunch of wrecked airplanes coming in and today he took delivery on a wrecked helicopter…

There’s got to be a story behind each one of those wrecks; I’ll bet it would be interesting to hear each of them.

Speaking of wrecks, one of my Cal Poly students showed me his severely abraded riding jacket an hour or so ago…his Suzuki DR400 went into a severe tank slapper and down he went on the 91 Freeway in traffic.   He was tooling along about 75 miles per hour when it happened, and he walked away from it completely unhurt.  Lucky guy, but his gear played a major role.   There’s a message there, folks.   The acronym is ATGATT (all the gear, all the time).  It’s the only way I ride.

Here’s one more photo I grabbed with my iPhone last night.  I think this is a Chevy (if I’m wrong, let me know).   If I owned this truck I’d leave it just like it is.  It’s classy and cool.

I’m sure glad the election is almost here.  I am getting so tired of the political phone calls that interrupt our evenings.  I keep telling whoever calls me that I was going to vote for their guy, but with their annoying phone calls they made me change my mind and now I’m voting for the other guy.  It makes me feel good, but it hasn’t slowed down the phone calls at all.  I think the important thing this time (as is the case every time) is to vote.   If you don’t, it’s a vote for the other guy.

That’s all for now, folks.   Talk to you later.

Just a few today, folks…

First, take a look at Rosalie’s new custom 250 P-51, all decked out in our Greaser motif with lots of options (including a slick billet front wheel)…

And here’s another cool one…our good buddy Bruce is selling one of his two 150cc CSC motorcycles so that he can buy a new 250cc P-51.   We have it on consignment for him, and Bruce put a lot of love into this one.  It’s our former Rock Star bike (if you search on that term you’ll see it pop up here on the blog).  Bruce bought about a year ago and had it custom painted with a really cool metalflake and pin-stripe theme…

The Rock Star is one of the fastest 150cc bikes we’ve ever done…it really moves out.   And it’s here, for sale.   Aluminum wheels, spotlights, and lots of chrome.  It’s a heck of a deal.

Lots of people are moving motorcycles to make room for new additions.   Steve’s Pro-One operation sells pre-owned bikes, and even TK is getting into the act.   TK has his Kawi ZX-14 on the floor, and it’s awesome…

Here’s another cool shot…my buddy John was changing the tire on a Kawi in the shop today, and we got into an interesting discussion about whether it was a 600 or a 650.   When we read the manufacturer’s sticker, it turned out to be a 250!

And here are two or three fun photos…we went to a pizza party at our neighbor’s place (Martha and Ed’s) Sunday night, and I thought I’d show some of the cool stuff there…

That’s it for now…it’s another beautiful southern California day, and I’m getting out on my California Scooter for a ride this afternoon!

Yep, that’s the Hell’s Loop Endurance Rally, and I’m in it next month. The 25th, to be exact. I had a blast in that event last year, and you can bet I’m in it again this year.  I’m going to be running it on the Baja Blaster (just like last year).

The Hell’s Loop ride was a lot of fun in one of the most scenic places on earth.  If you want to enter (and I think you should) you can sign up for it here.

Alan Spears is the guy who put the event together, and he always does a great job. Don’t be scared by the organized event aspect of it…this is basically a 400-mile fun run through an amazing area.   It’s not a race, or maybe it is…but how fast can you go on a 150? I’m in, and I hope to see you there, too.

More good news…I got a couple more emails from our good buddy Howard, who is now in Colorado on his California Scooter. What an epic ride!

Howard was passing through the Garden of the Gods yesterday, just outside of Colorado Springs.  It’s a great shot of a great guy and a great bike!

And one last cool shot I’ll post on the blog today…I grabbed this one with my i-Phone on the Cal Poly campus a day or two ago….

That bike is a Ducati 748. I like the color and I like the style, and I think of all the Ducatis ever made, this is the prettiest one.

The Ducks usually make a lot of noise…the high performance models (like the 748 shown above) have dry clutches, and they rattle around a lot when the bike is in neutral.  When I see a Ducati rider on an idling bike, I always like to tell them it sounds like there’s something wrong with the clutch.  I usually get a tolerant smile (they hear that one a lot, I’ll bet).

Motorcycle riders tend to have personalities that are pretty easy to identify by the kind of bike they ride, and you can usually have a bit of fun teasing them. Here’s a sampling of the comments and questions I’ll usually ask based on the bike…

For Gold Wing riders:  Where do you keep your bowling ball?

For BMW riders:  Excuse me…can you tell me where the nearest Charles Schwab office is?

For Harley riders (especially if they’re on a chromed-out new bike):   Wow, what a cool motorcycle…is it the new Kawasaki?   (Use this one with caution…I came pretty close to losing a couple of teeth one time when I asked that question…you have to choose who you ask this question carefully.)

For Triumph riders:  It sounds like your engine’s only hitting on three cylinders…

For KLR riders:  So how long has it been since you washed your bike?  (If you ride a KLR, you will absolutely get that one.)

There’s probably a few more, but I need another cup of coffee before I’m wide awake. If I think of any more I’ll post them later.

Later, folks.  Ride safe.

You guys and gals have heard me bragging about our So Cal weather a lot, but one of the things we don’t get to see are the leaves turning colors as winter approaches.  My good buddy Carl lives in the St. Louis area, and he sent this great photo to me late last night…

Carl shot that photo through a screen from his porch, and it looks really cool (it’s almost a PhotoShop effect).  I like it a lot.  I’ll bet the scenery riding through that part of the country is just awesome right now.   Enjoy it while you can, folks…it’s going to be cold soon enough!

Carl, thanks much, enjoy the colors, and ride safe!

My good buddy Bruce, another Cal Poly Pomona rider, sent this photo of his Cal Scooter at work.   Like yours truly, Bruce is a rider, and he commutes to work on his CSC motorcycle…

Thanks for the photo, Bruce.   I’ll see you around campus!

One of our best buddies and most valued resources is Richard Cerullo.  He’s the guy who’s in charge at Cerullo Seats.   Richard’s shop is just a hop away from us over in Pomona, and if you’ve get a custom seat on your CSC motorcycle, Richard is the guy who built it.

Most of Richard’s business is providing original equipment seating for several of the ATV companies, and Cerullo Seats does a lot of custom automotive work, too.  Cerullo Seats is a company that’s been around for years meeting the needs of custom car builders, hot rodders, and many others.   Richard used to make van seats for all the van converters in So Cal, and his company has provided custom seats for many of the trend setting vehicles coming from the So Cal custom scene.  One of his current offerings is the Cerullo sport seat, which is a pretty cool high performance street car bucket.  Fascinating stuff.

Richard and Steve are good friends who go way back, and it’s easy to understand why.  Both guys like to have a good time and they both enjoy a good joke.   (I told Richard one of my favorite jokes yesterday and he really liked it.)  Ask Richard or Steve about any of their fishing trips when you have time (a lot of time), and you’ll be in for a good story or two (or three, or four, or…well, you get the idea).

I had a pretty good time with Richard when we visited his factory and I liked hanging out there.  The upholstery materials and the aroma brought back a lot of memories (my father was an upholsterer and so was Richard’s).   Interesting stuff and it made for a great conversation.   Another thing I like about Richard…he always laughs at all of my jokes.  He either has a keen sense of humor or he’s really polite (I think both).

If you take a look at the fringed seat on my California Scooter (it’s in the blog one or two entries down), I think you’ll agree it complements the bike’s look.   It’s one of Richard’s.   If you want one, give us a call and he’ll do one for you, too.

This one is spoken for, folks.  It’s going to Gunnar in Norway, and I was lucky enough to grab a shot today when the rain stopped…

Gunnar’s new CSC has some nice custom touches…wire wheels, blacked-out luggage rack, and custom paint in what is rapidly becoming my favorite color.

We’ve got only two of the new 250cc CSC motorcycles left until the next batch, so if you don’t want to wait several more weeks until the next production lot, give us a call!

Gasoline prices are sure getting my attention.  I went to Rhode Island last week on another secret mission, and from the time I left until the time I returned home, gasoline in the Peoples Republik of Kalifornia shot up about $.80 a gallon.  In two days!

To me, the solution to this unbridled thievery is obvious…let’s see…Door Number 1 is a turbocharged Subie WRX that gets 18 mpg on a good day, and Door Number 2 is my CSC that gets over 90 mpg pretty much all the time.

Hmmmm……

Yep, I’m a CSC commuter…and that’s my bike on the Cal Poly campus very early this morning.  I get there early, which explains why there weren’t more bikes in the parking lot yet (the parking lot is packed with motorcycles right now, but most kids were still asleep when I shot this photo).  I grabbed a quick shot with my i-Phone this morning, and then I was off to class.   That’s a pretty cool XS-650 Yamaha right behind the Baja Blaster.    I used to have one of those, and I can tell you that the Baja Blaster is more fun.  There are other CSC motorcycles here at Cal Poly, too.  I may grab a shot or two as I spot them around campus.

More cool stuff…that low slung building on the left side of the photo (the one behind the three palm trees) used to be the stables.   W.K. Kellogg (the cereal magnate) donated the land to Cal Poly.   The University property used to be Kellogg’s winter home.   Kellogg’s only stipulation in donating the land was that the University care for his herd of Arabian horses in perpetuity.   The descendants of those original horses still run through the Cal Poly property, and they’re beautiful.  The former stables you see in the photo above are offices now…but don’t worry about the Arabians…the horses have even better digs elsewhere on campus.

One last thought…if you ride your California Scooter to work, send me a photo of it and I’ll post it here!

I received an email from my good buddy Bib over at the SoCal Norton Club earlier today.  I’ve never owned a Norton, but I sure like looking at them and it sounds like these guys had a whale of a ride on their classic machines.  Check out the recap Bib sent to me…

Sorry to have taken so long to get back to you. Frankly, we’ve been a bit pre-occupied with the Route 66 Ride from St. Louis to Pasadena. And, to tell you the truth, I wasn’t sure we could pull it off ……but we did.

Thirty-five riders, well over 70,000 cumulative miles, 7 states, no accidents, no tickets, one Band-Aid from the medical kit and hundreds of great stories. You should have been there!

Yes, we had a few breakdowns, mainly electrical stuff easily (?) corrected in the evening in nearly every case. And, we had 33 running bikes on our return to California! Indeed, of the 27 bikes we shipped to St. Louis, only one was in the chase truck – a Norton P-11 on its first real outing since being put back together last year.

The “finishers” included: 19 Nortons (16 Commandos, 1 Dominator, 1 Atlas and a G-15 Matchless); 6 Triumphs including one 2003 Hinckley; 3 BSAs, (2 A65 models and a ’68 Rocket Three); 2 BMWs ( a ’51 and a ’61); a Vincent Rapide (?); a Hillman/Enfield/Norton “special”; and one Honda, a CB1100F.

There were several other DNF bikes – 2 Commandos and 2 Triumphs – which were privately hauled to St. Louis. Essentially, all four of them were ‘museum floor, fresh”, brought along as spares. We were never able to get them running properly and, in effect, they were non-starters rather than non-finishers. Another Commando, perhaps the last pre-Superblend ’72 Combat, hadn’t been ridden in several years, had a history of seizures and went on a chase truck back to Colorado on Day 1.

We averaged about 250 – 300 miles a day, mostly on old Route 66. Rain and hail just east of Albuquerque where we spent a down day and then rain again on our way to Gallop. Generally great weather everywhere else. Small towns and a local parade in Missouri, on hill country two-lanes; a several mile stretch of dirt road near Galena, Kansas where  the gravel shoulders were smoother than the old highway; long stretches of abandoned 1930-1940 era four-lanes across Oklahoma including an eerily deserted 20 miles from Sayre to the Texas state line. Erick, OK, a town on hard times, had streets named after two local boys who “made good”, Sheb Woolley and Roger Miller!

Wide open vistas the rest of the way, the Big Texan and Cadillac Ranch, Indian (?) curio shops, long abandoned motels and entrepreneurial dreams. Some riders took side trips to Clovis and Fort Sumner, NM to visit Billy the Kid’s gravesite and, later, to Sedona, AZ. We celebrated a ceremonial “last supper” in Kingman in the Andy Devine Room at the  Danbar Steakhouse where we came up with the idea to “do Route 66” about a year and a half ago! Temperatures in the low 100s from Needles to Barstow, a last night in Victorville then Cajon Pass (or Angeles Crest) back to Lucky Baldwin’s in Pasadena. Too much traffic into Santa Monica, although several hard core souls went on to the pier to complete their own obligations to the ride.

Photos and video? Check out Socal Norton on Facebook. And, please get into checking that regularly for ride updates, meetings, Café Sundays, etc.

All in all, 2012 has been a spectacular year for the club. We had record turnouts for many of our rides including the New Year’s Eve Run for the Roses which was featured in Classic Bike (February) and, over 150 bikes in the Ojai Pilgrimage. Overall attendance exceeded 2000 participants and, including the Route 66 Ride,  total routes exceeded 4000 miles! We even had our first two event weekend as Chris Hovland kept up our tradition in the Sierras leading 15 riders from Mariposa to Bridgeport and back via Yosemite on the same weekend as we started the Route 66 Ride. Well done lads!

Upcoming Fall/Winter Rides include: Hansen Dam All British, November 4; Temecula/ Mt. Palomar, December 2; Run for the Roses, December 31; and our annual Café 50s/Rock Store ride, January 13. See Calendar for details.

Our full 2013 ride schedule will be available at Hansen Dam. It will include our usual mix of rides throughout California, other events and Café Sundays. We will be returning to Death Valley in April, after a 2 year break, and we’re adding 2 other rides – a Bay Area//Wine Country/Mendocino and back to San Francisco loop, and a 1600 mile “Keep the Water on Your Right” adventure from Seattle to L.A., probably in September. We are also considering a New Orleans/Gulf Coast/Texas Hill Country route in 2014 using Haulbikes to transport out bikes to the starting points.

Keep on Norton and come along for the adventure with one of the country’s most active riding clubs, whatever you ride.

Bib, that’s a whale of a story!  Thanks very much for sending it!

My new scooter buddy Eric posted this on Facebook earlier today, and I knew I had to share it here…

And here’s another cool one I found after watching the one above…do you remember Adam (played by Pernell Roberts) on Bonanza?