Socal Angeles Crest Ride - & my 1st riding ticket

[socalrob]

Was about 105 degrees F. today. Got a late start for a ride up Angeles Crest Highway to Nucomb's Ranch. I know there are always LEO on the Crest, but with a carefull watch of thumbs up or down its still possible to get a spirited ride in. I've been doing it all the time over the last 18 months, with never a problem.

I get to Nucomb's at 11:28, & they had just switched to lunch, which was not happy as I like an egg Mcnucomb W/ bacon. Oh well.

I did see a young guy on a yellow K1200R (black & yellow), which I'm looking to be my next bike, if I think I can avoid speeding on it. The kid has had the bike 3 days, its his first ever street bike. He hasn't even ridden dirt bikes in years. Oh my, I'm not sure I'd want to be his insurer. He did say that he really had to pull her up to wheelie. The bike looked just fantastik, I was in lust.

After a bit I take a ride another 10 miles or so up the mountain, & turn around & head back. I slide by Nucomb's at what I thought was a mellow pace, the limit is 55mph. A mile or so further I see what looks like a tourer bike coming towards me (I'm 47, so maybe the eyesights not as sharpe) & right at the time a realize its the LEO (on his CHP R1200RT), his lights are on and I've had it.

I pull off, discreetly pull the wire on my Ipod, & go for my wallet at the same time he goes for his pad. Says I was going 72 in a 55. I say, how about a warning. He says "you know better". I take the ticket, its removable by traffic school. I just posted somewhere here a month or so ago saying I have never had a speeding ticket. 2 weeks ago I got a speeding ticket in Denver (no points or report on Cali license, but cost $160.) I guess I'm going to go alot slower for the next 18 months.

The officer & I had a good conversation, if there was no enforcement on the crest I would not ride it. There have only been 2 riders killed on it this year, in part due to the enforcement. The officer did recognize me as a regular rider. The fact that I live right at the bottom of the hill may have helped his attitude towards me. The crest & Ortega Highway in San Diego are the 2 deadliest roads in Cali for riders. He did tell me that the enforcement speed on Upper Big Tujunga Cyn Rd (AKA as "nine mile road"), which is posted at 45 or 50mph, is really 55, which is nice to know as that road is really pretty wide open.

At home the wife was ok with the ticket, to her its better than a crash. To me also, I guess.

What ticks me off was that I wasn't pushing it at the time, just got a bit lax on looking for the thumbs up.

My new mantra: "watch the speed, watch the speed".

I'm sure a new K1200R would help me do that.

[BobFV1]

Rob - sorry to hear about this, man. I don't know why the LEO couldn't cut a 47 year old BMW rider a break. I am the same age as you and was pulled over on a mountain road a few weeks ago and talked my way out of it (being former law enforcement REALLY HELPS with that). Am about to depart on a 3000 mile or so trip and will be concentrating on "speed limit plus 9" throughout the trip.

Ride safe, sorry about your performance award.

[DJ Downunder]

Bugger!...I know all too well how you feel...down here 72 in a 55 would mean 3 points and a $300 fine...at least.

I've gotta do the go slow for a while thing too....that'll teach me.

DJ

[Boxerboy]

Socalrob... don't you hate that!

Where DJ and myself come from we have to watch speed limit + 1...+3 if we're lucky.

That's not so easy with these German speedos and inherent inaccuracy.

[fnfalman]

socalrob,

I wonder if that was the infamous Officer Stout who haunts the bikers that visit Angeles Crest Highway? I haven't the pleasure to run into this guy yet but I've heard horror stories about him chickensh*t everything when he writes you a ticket PLUS a sermon worthy of the Reverend Al Sharpton.

I rarely ever go to ACH because of too strict law enforcement AND because of the damn squids doing 100+MPH on those long sweepers, flying off the cliff or smashing into the mountainside or crossing the double yellow lines. Not to mention the sports car wannabes (Mustangs, riced out Honda Civics and Dodge Neons) crossing the double yellow trying to "take a corner". Or the massive SUVs and pickup trucks that cross the DY because they are so damn huge.

[socalrob]

Yep, it was Officer Stout.

Actually was not a bad sort, but then again I'm 47 on a BMW & not a young squid. He told me a number of sport bikers are taking their license plates off, they tell him they fall off, he says they never seem to fall off cruisers.

I havn't seen any car cross the double yellow in over a year, maybe 60 or 70 trips up the crest. I did get passed by a sport biker a few months ago, he was doing maybe 100-120mph, fast enough I didn't see him till he was past, which did piss me off.

IMO the enforcement is needed to keep things sane. I'm glad its not my job.

Stout says that the state may put him on a Harley, in which case he figures guys on CB350's will be outrunning him. I tend to think the ticket is better than jail.

After my ticket I just cruised down the hill at the speed limit, & got passed by 2 vespas.

[BobFV1]

Rob -I'm in SoCal spending the long weekend and took my RT up Topanga Canyon today for a little lunch. Two CHP cruisers right in the city of Topanga just making traffic stop after traffic stop. Never used to be this way - not when I grew up here in the West San Fernando Valley of LA - I used to ride my unlicensed and un-streetlegal dirt bike 10 miles up Topanga Canyon to an illegal dirt track, where I would engage in illegal racing. Never saw a single cop. This was in the early 1970's - how times change.

[beekstersocal]

great story rob. just goes to show ya we live in a perfect area to ride motorcycles year round but even that has its limits