Sport Touring 1098 Style

[Bong]

A group of fellow Seattle area riders and I recently took a 5 day ride with no particular destination in mind other than heading south. Normally I would not undertake this type of riding with a superbike, but since I managed to rig up a tail bag and custom tank bag I gave it a go.

Packing light was key and getting the radar detector was must do.







I met up with my riding buddies and we set sail for Eugene via the twistiest route we could find on the map. Here we are with Mt Rainier in the background, FR25 south of Randle was shut down for repairs so we detoured to Chinook Pass to Yakima. Then down to Goldendale, Glenwood and White Salmon. It was so nice to be on side roads and not droning on the freeway

[Bong]

Once into Oregon we rode down the east side of Mt Hood, then veered off into the woods, literally, on FR42/46. These paved roads are barely one lane wide and wind thru the forest like someone's private drive. Here are some sample pics to show how narrow these roads were









We had to vigilant for wildlife and oncoming traffic, but I stopped every now and then to take a few pics of the vistas from up in the hills.

[Bong]

On the way to Eugene we made the decision to try out FR11, aka Quartzville Road. A develish winding road starting out narrow and full of surprises in the middle of the turns.



The guys on MTS's were having a blast while I worked hard to keep them in sight. Definitely not made for superbikes...



Here's the group taking a break halfway thru FR11







The second half of FR11 turned out to be made up of sweepers, lots of them and in perfect road conditions! I thoroughly enjoyed this part and didn't stop to take any pics

[Bill_Anderson]

You and your fantourage may have hit the last of our good weather. We are looking at rain and possible snow in the Cascade passes for the start of our four day PNW Roadriders' Annual Autumn Adventure to Eastern Oregon and Northern Idaho over Columbus Day weekend.

Please give the folks added details about that nifty tail bag you found for your 1098s.

[Bong]

Day 2: Eugene, OR ---> Ashland, OR 353 Miles

We hit the road at sunrise and were greeted with a cool 41 degree ambient air temp. Glad the Gerbing heated jacket was wired up on the 1098, wish I had brought along my heated gloves though!

Just 5 minutes into our ride and we were already on nice twisty roads branching off Hwy26, on our way to Cougar Reservoir and the famous Aufderheide Drive.

Here are more pics from day 2.



Lined up in the middle of the Cougar Reservoir Dam



View from the top of the dam looking down



An early morning shadow along the Aufderheide Drive



We ran across this nice covered bridge at the end of the loop





One of the riders in our group thought it might be fun to see how far he could launch off the ramp of the bridge



Here's a short video of the run, he cleared at least half the bridge!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FmVNUPHJMXE

[Bong]

On the way to Crater Lake we road thru a forest fire





Once inside the park we were treated with some fantastic views of a crystal clear blue lake!







The local critters were pretty friendly too





The roads winding around the lake were pretty nice, just have to pay attention as the drop off is pretty steep in some areas!

[Bong]

Day 3: Ashland, OR to Willow Creek, CA 370 miles

Now it was time to play in our favorite Northern California roads, so many nice twisties you could spend a week playing in the hills. Hwys 3, 36, 299 and 96 were all in the cards.



The group in front of a clouded over Mt Shasta



Here are some examples of how nice the roads are in Northern Cali







The group taking a break at the Hwy 3 / 36 interchange



And the group posing on the Cali coastline

[Bong]

Day 4: Willow Creek, CA to Newport, OR 360 miles

This is what the bike was looking like after 3 days on the road...



...so I gave her a pre-dawn bath and she looked presentable once again!




Heading north from Willow Creek on Hwy 96 was just plain awesome. Everything from tight switchbacks to wide open sweepers. What a great way to start your day! At Happy Camp we stopped for breakfast before heading up and over to Oregon again. Here's a local admiring a pair of beauties!





Breakfast at the Saloon



After breakfast it was time for more twisties and the roads didn't disappoint. We stopped at the CA/OR border and one of the riders had an electrical glitch on his CBR1100XX. We traced it to a stator/rectifier issue and we elected to swap batteries with the RC51 and turn the lights off. He managed to get home with this method.

[Bong]

Day 5: Newport, OR to Seattle, WA 300 Miles

We start the last day of our ride in clear, 33 degree temps. (Brrrrrrrr!!!!) Again was nice to have heated gear wired up on the duc.



The group warming up in Tillamook, OR after having just ridden in near freezing temperatures!



Here what the front tire of the BMW K1100RS after having just trying to keep up with the ducs the last 4 days!



We still managed to hit as many side roads and tiwsty bits before getting back on I5 for the last 120 miles back home. The group had one last lunch get together before splitting up.



Overall the 1098 really well on this road trip, very comfortable and blast to ride in the twisties! Highly recommended for those on the fence sport touring with a superbike.

Also, the tail bag is designed for the Hypermotard and I added some buckles to loop around the tail seat. It stayed put the entire trip and was perfect for this application!

Thanks for taking the time to read this report.

[milznmilz]

Bong --

As Bill said, 'youda man!' Your trip and your bike are exactly the mix I'd have in a perfect world. Thanks for showing the way, I really think you're onto something......