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Mines and Mt Hamilton Roads: The Official Thread

redtail said:
Agreed.

For a road like Morgan Territory, few vehicles could ever keep up with a sumo, IMHO. But on more open roads, a car will have an advantage in the corners due to not having to worry as much about debris and having twice the contact patches, both in size and number.

I had a Toyota catch up to me in Berryessa when there was a construction stop when I was on my '13 ZX14r. I could lose him easily in the straights but that car dove into corners (using both lanes at times) a lot deeper than I was comfortable given the road conditions. (debris, tar snakes, etc) I felt it prudent to just pull over and let him pass since I had nothing to prove and more to lose.
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Yep, or another example: going up the front side of Hamilton.

If you're staying in your lane, there's a lot of really narrow stuff that severely limits the lines a car can take. A supermoto has significantly better power to weight, enough suspension travel to soak up the road, and is much narrower so there are more line choices.
 
Junkie said:
Yep, or another example: going up the front side of Hamilton.

If you're staying in your lane, there's a lot of really narrow stuff that severely limits the lines a car can take. A supermoto has significantly better power to weight, enough suspension travel to soak up the road, and is much narrower so there are more line choices.
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We did a ride up the front side last summer, where Cookie Monster showed up in an E36 BMW and proceeded to stomp the entire group. I think KTMKen may have been able to keep up with him...

But yeah, if someone shows up on my tail who I didn't just pass, I'm letting them by at the first opportunity - moto, car, or bicycle. Keeping faster traffic stuck behind you is a recipe for being the recipient of a pass you might not be comfortable with, a la kpke.
 
ScottRNelson said:
You would have to be insane to take a fast pace on that road - anywhere along it - in any sort of vehicle. Too many blind corners that aren't wide enough for two cars at the same time and a tight squeeze with a car and a motorcycle. If you encounter some F-350 Dualie hauling a four "passenger" horse trailer coming the other way you don't want to be going fast. And I've met more than one of those up there.
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I understand what you're saying Scott and I agree that you can not maintain a fast pace in all areas of that road.

But I've ridden that road a billion times, I've come to learn the areas where I can see ahead of me, such as a downhill into a sharp turn where you can see the turn entry and exit as well as across the ravine to the road on the other side. I know the blind areas, blind turns and keep as far to the right as I can and slow the pace. I've been able to anticipate encounters with PU's/trailers long before I get to them.

I never wick it up when the sightlines do not allow, but an experienced Morgan Territory rider can enjoy that road, especially on a sumo.
 
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ScottRNelson said:
You would have to be insane to take a fast pace on that road - anywhere along it - in any sort of vehicle. Too many blind corners that aren't wide enough for two cars at the same time and a tight squeeze with a car and a motorcycle. If you encounter some F-350 Dualie hauling a four "passenger" horse trailer coming the other way you don't want to be going fast. And I've met more than one of those up there.
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I agree... insanity on that road.. you'd probably hit Something/Somebody:thumbup
had my fair share of horse trucks, bicyclists, and runners out there.
 
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SuperMotoD said:
I've had BMW M3 , Porsche 911 GTS , Subaru WRX try to keep up with me on mines rd neither could keep the pace of the S1000XR to the junction but Thunder hill race way probably get my ass whooped.
So what cars have I owned ? Those guys .LOl
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As stated you just haven't run into a fast driver. They are rare, very rare but they are out there.
 
sckego said:
We did a ride up the front side last summer, where Cookie Monster showed up in an E36 BMW and proceeded to stomp the entire group. I think KTMKen may have been able to keep up with him...

But yeah, if someone shows up on my tail who I didn't just pass, I'm letting them by at the first opportunity - moto, car, or bicycle. Keeping faster traffic stuck behind you is a recipe for being the recipient of a pass you might not be comfortable with, a la kpke.
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Was he staying on his side of the road? There are quite a few places on the front side where that's difficult to do in a car at any speed.
 
jwb said:
The only really fast driver on Mines is that UPS guy. Maniac.
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:laughing True!

But, I trust him on the road more than some of the locals and the bull that "owns" a portion of that road.
 
Junkie said:
Was he staying on his side of the road? There are quite a few places on the front side where that's difficult to do in a car at any speed.
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From what I saw, yes. I've found that fast drivers tend to be much better at staying their side of the road than slow drivers. It's the ones who are crawling along at 15mph who are usually completely in the wrong lane around blind corners.
 
jwb said:
The only really fast driver on Mines is that UPS guy. Maniac.
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I've seen some PGE trucks up there hauling ass as well. Those big work trucks that take up pretty much an entire lane... He was dropping outside wheels into the gravel pretty regularly, but never violating the yellow. :thumbup
 
Good discussion fellas. :cool

Not that I’m the even close to being the quickest up there (nor will I ever be), I really wasn't expecting the SUV to keep up. I let faster bikes/riders by all the time, but I don't think I've ever been overtaken by a car like that.

Lesson learned for me, pull over much sooner next time. Better safe than sorry. That was a bit too spooky.

See you at The Junction next Saturday or Sunday.:thumbup


Hmmm, on second thought, the lunch I had that day at The Junction was grease overload and it's quite possible this slowed me down. They made me some deep-fried chicken bits with skin on them (and fries). OMG were they good. I usually have a Cuban sandwich but felt like something nasty greasy. Try them out sometime!:laughing
 
Junkie said:
A supermoto has significantly better power to weight, enough suspension travel to soak up the road, and is much narrower so there are more line choices.
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How in the hell is a supermoto narrower than any other motorcycle?
If anything it is wider with 31" MX bars.


sckego said:
We did a ride up the front side last summer, where Cookie Monster showed up in an E36 BMW and proceeded to stomp the entire group. I think KTMKen may have been able to keep up with him...
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I think Cookie was in his Miata? Or maybe you are talking about a different time? He was able to keep up with us going up the lower section of Hamilton, but the tighter stuff we gained a bit of ground...

jwb said:
The only really fast driver on Mines is that UPS guy. Maniac.
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You should check out the FedEx driver in the smaller commercial van. Might as well be an F1 car... I've followed him at 80mph+ apexing corners WFO. :rofl
There is also a bone stock 1st generation Cummins out there that averages 80mph through the corners, staying completely in his lane. It's fook'n impressive.
 
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FreeRyde said:
I think Cookie was in his Miata? Or maybe you are talking about a different time? He was able to keep up with us going up the lower section of Hamilton, but the tighter stuff we gained a bit of ground...
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shit, you're right. There's another fast mf'er up there with a BMW, too...
 
This was back on 8/5/17, on San Antonio Valley Rd, at the bridge on the back side of Mt Ham. After the light turned green they had about 30 seconds head start, wasn't long. I figured I'd catch them down the road, but, no, didn't see any them again until the Junction. It would've been fun to see them drive.

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deer,turkeys,a couple of bulls walking around on mines,and goats now on del puerto.missed one by inches.lots of deer on mines-saw around 1/2 dozen at around 2 pm on friday.mines and del puerto are clean and the weather is perfect.
 
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