The Kiwi's Southern Wander

[Kiwi Vagabond]

Hi all,

Well I've embarked on the first of what I hope is many sport tour rides. The '01 SV650s is doing the job so far and Ive got her pretty well packed down.

The first night was spent in a pretty but windy coastside spot between SF and Davenport. It rained... and the tent leaked... If I'm being honest it didn't even try to stop the rain getting through. So this morning's first jaunt was to a laundromat in Santa Cruz to dry everything. EVERYTHING! Then a tent shop

Lunch was at Pizza My Heart in Santa Cruz. Wow! That is some gooooooood Pizza - best served with a pint of Lagunitas if you were passing through the city, I would definitely recommend you check it out, followed by the creamery across the road of course.

The next jump was to Monterey through foggy skies as I make my way south where I'm in a hostel to recoup and get the plan back on track. The Monterey aquarium is a budget-blower but a must see. The jellyfish under blacklights are possibly the best bit, but shouldn't really be singled out because the whole thing is class-A!

The plan for the next few days is a work in progress so stay tuned folks. Looks like I'm coming into some twisties so we'll give the fully loaded SV it's best test yet.

 

[rodr]

Visiting from NZ? For how long?

 

[ThumperX]

Awesome Campbell!!! FWIW that tent found it's way to us via Lefty about a hundred years ago. My guess is that Ant poked a bunch of holes in it before Lefty gave it to me

Do you want me to post the pictures over here from the other thread?

 

[veefereefer]

Have a great trip and post pics if you can

 

[Lunch Box]

Subscribed and excited to follow your journey!

 

[Hoho]

Ooooh...

 

[Kiwi Vagabond]

Visiting from NZ? For how long?

Hi there! Yup, I'm here for another 4 weeks or so.

 

[matt1216]

Hey man, met you at the pig and whistle, have a great ride!

 

[Kiwi Vagabond]

Awesome Campbell!!! FWIW that tent found it's way to us via Lefty about a hundred years ago. My guess is that Ant poked a bunch of holes in it before Lefty gave it to me

Do you want me to post the pictures over here from the other thread?

Yeah it might be easier to do from your end? Um, I'm just gonna choose a few choice-as ones (maybe like 1 a day) and post em up when I can from now on.

 

[ThumperX]

This is day 1
I think the one riding down the street would make a great avatar

We sent him on his way yesterday March 5th at about 12:30
Here are a few pictures:

The bike 2001 SV650S

checking maps, gear, and bike one final time

suiting up

checking mileage

There he goes

Man oh Man, wish this was me arty

 

[ThumperX]

So while we wait for updates from our Kiwi Vagabond, Some pictures of the bike.

When my sister said her daughter's boyfriend wanted to tour the US on a motorcycle and asked "could I help?" my first reaction was to blow it off.

After meeting the young man in question and watching him ride my opinion went from meh to we got to help this lad.

So enters an acquaintance's long neglected SV650S. Purchased new, hardly ridden, but regularly towed to the shop for servicing this poor bike was in dire need of a cleaning.

As with all new 2 wheeled pals all bikes go through the deep clean and examination process.

Unfortunately I was at work when he pulled the carbs so no documentation :{

 

[ThumperX]

Next came the test ride, still a bit of hesitation so we opted to introduce a little sea foam.

One thing we forgot to do was clean the fork tubes and polish off the surface rust :|

Again BARF delivers. MotoJen and her SP Pat (ZoomSplat?) to the rescue with the proper tool and know how.

Thank you Tokyo Moto for stocking Gen 1 SV parts arty

Forks removed and disassembled.

 

[Nemo Brinker]

Awesome. Love the bike hovering off the forklift!

 

[ThumperX]

All bikes get strung up around here. It's how we assess them

Hope he send in some pictures soon.

 

[Lunch Box]

That reminds me that I should probably tear into my dirt bike forks some time soon. Not sure why, but suspension is my least favorite thing on which to work.

 

[CrazyGenius]

Good to hear back from you about Day 1 Campbell !!

Isn't the Monterey Aquarium so very cool !! I love the big tank and the circular jelly fish tank upstairs.

More please !

 

[Kiwi Vagabond]

So more you want? More you shall have!

We rejoin the story in Monterey where I had spent a night at the HI hostel. It was a really cool place with some neat and odd people, and a pancake breakfast haha. great stuff! Anyway, off to Carmel in the morning to investigate the town and beach. TBH I didn't spent long there because I was too excited for the next stage, Big Sur!!!*

Now Big Sur needs no introduction to all Californians, but to my Kiwi's tuning in, it is a ribbon of road sandwiched between the Los Padres National Park and the Pacific Ocean. It is long, twisty, has sheer cliffs, redwoods and about a couple hundred photo ops.

I might get ThumperX to upload the photos because it's a mission from an iPad.

I got into Morro Bay in the mid avo and soon found out that yes, campgrounds are way too expensive for what they are. I ended up staying at an RV park...

The next day's ride was a fairly uneventful affair. Out of Morro Bay down the coast, through the farming area of Lompoc beside some sort of NASA installation (can anyone tell me what that would be?) and further down the coast to Santa Barbara. Spent a night in the new (not leaky) tent in the National Forest. Quite cool to see deer wandering through the camp in the evening and to be woken by the crows.

Today deserves a post all of its own! Wait on.

 

[SD Hornet]

Whatcha do today? How 'bout a hint? Did you go North, or South?

Vandenberg is the NASA installation near Lompoc.

 

[ThumperX]

Working on pics but it will take a bit.

 

[ThumperX]

A few teasers:
Spent one night here in Sausalito.

loaded up and ready...almost

Bean Hollow State Beach

more bean hollow and the odd geological feature Tafoni {Yes, I isisted he see this )