We finally rolled into Yuma around 6:00pm Friday for the Yuma Prison Run. My wife and I rode the Ultra. We left Temecula, CA around 12:00pm...
We finally rolled into Yuma around 6:00pm Friday for the Yuma Prison Run. My wife and I rode the Ultra.
We left Temecula, CA around 12:00pm with two other riders, Doc and Mary. We took highway 79 south to Warner Springs, then headed east on the S2 to Interstate 8, into Yuma.
What a great ride!
The temperature was perfect for riding, and skies were clear. It got a little warm, but as long as we were riding, it felt great.
While riding on I-8, Doc waved me up and seemed to ask me if we ought to stop in El Centro for gas. I nodded yes. However, when we got into El Centro, he didn't pull off, and just kept going down the freeway. I guess I interpreted his question wrong; it's hard to hear what someone is saying when you're riding bikes. The rest of us followed him on, thinking we'd find another gas station.
But there were no other gas stations!
As the needle on my gas gauge hover over the "E", I decided to slow it down to 70mph and try to milk the fuel for as long as I could stretch it out. We had another 30 miles to go to the next gas. That would put me at 190 miles total riding on the Ultra, with the wife on the back, and with bags and tour pak completely full. I wasn't sure I was going to make it.
Apparently, Mary didn't make it. She was riding behind me, and when I looked in my rear view mirror, she was gone. I knew if I stopped and turned around I'd be stranding myself, so I kept going. Doc slowed down enough to ask me where Mary was, and I said I didn't know. He figured it out, and sped up to find the next gas station to get a gas can and fill up, and go back for her.
Eventually, it all worked out. Doc got Mary some extra gas. I was able to make it to the gas station at 192 miles on the odometer. My wife and I waited for them to arrive at the gas station, and then we just laughed about it.
With all that aside, we were glad to get into Yuma before dark.
So how do things look at the Yuma Fairgrounds?
Well, lots of people and lots of bikes. Almost all Harleys. Honda Goldwings seem to make up the larger contingency of metric bikes. Just about all the vendors are selling clothes, leathers, pins, and patches. No bike parts.
Lots of MC clubs here, lots of Christian bike clubs, lots of three-piece patch clubs. I saw quite a few HA "hang-arounds" and prospects. In fact, I'd say there are more people here associated with a club, then there are non-clubbers.
Food and beer here is CHEAP! I bought a double burger, large coke, and potato chips, for $5.00. A can of Budweiser is $1.50. They'll sell you a plastic bag filled with ice and six cans of beer for $8.00.
Lots of people dancing out by the concert stage. Lots of drunks flopping about by the band area too.
There are plenty of tents erected at the fairgrounds, but it's not really a big "tent city" here. We saw lots more bikes parked in front of motels and hotels. I wouldn't blame them, the local military here have been flying their helicopters, AWACS and C-130s over the fairgrounds almost every 10 minutes. Pretty damn noisy!
Around 10:30pm, some more folks from our riding club showed up. They left late, and I guess it was really cold riding along the I-8 in the evening. Good thing we decided to ride during the day; much more fun that way.
Tomorrow (actually today, Saturday) is the parade of bikes rolling from the fairgrounds to the prison. I'll tell you all about it, then.
Read About Day 2, The Main Event.
Read About Day 3, Ride Back Home.
Photos of the Event posted here.
We left Temecula, CA around 12:00pm with two other riders, Doc and Mary. We took highway 79 south to Warner Springs, then headed east on the S2 to Interstate 8, into Yuma.
What a great ride!
The temperature was perfect for riding, and skies were clear. It got a little warm, but as long as we were riding, it felt great.
While riding on I-8, Doc waved me up and seemed to ask me if we ought to stop in El Centro for gas. I nodded yes. However, when we got into El Centro, he didn't pull off, and just kept going down the freeway. I guess I interpreted his question wrong; it's hard to hear what someone is saying when you're riding bikes. The rest of us followed him on, thinking we'd find another gas station.
But there were no other gas stations!
As the needle on my gas gauge hover over the "E", I decided to slow it down to 70mph and try to milk the fuel for as long as I could stretch it out. We had another 30 miles to go to the next gas. That would put me at 190 miles total riding on the Ultra, with the wife on the back, and with bags and tour pak completely full. I wasn't sure I was going to make it.
Apparently, Mary didn't make it. She was riding behind me, and when I looked in my rear view mirror, she was gone. I knew if I stopped and turned around I'd be stranding myself, so I kept going. Doc slowed down enough to ask me where Mary was, and I said I didn't know. He figured it out, and sped up to find the next gas station to get a gas can and fill up, and go back for her.
Eventually, it all worked out. Doc got Mary some extra gas. I was able to make it to the gas station at 192 miles on the odometer. My wife and I waited for them to arrive at the gas station, and then we just laughed about it.
With all that aside, we were glad to get into Yuma before dark.
So how do things look at the Yuma Fairgrounds?
Well, lots of people and lots of bikes. Almost all Harleys. Honda Goldwings seem to make up the larger contingency of metric bikes. Just about all the vendors are selling clothes, leathers, pins, and patches. No bike parts.
Lots of MC clubs here, lots of Christian bike clubs, lots of three-piece patch clubs. I saw quite a few HA "hang-arounds" and prospects. In fact, I'd say there are more people here associated with a club, then there are non-clubbers.
Food and beer here is CHEAP! I bought a double burger, large coke, and potato chips, for $5.00. A can of Budweiser is $1.50. They'll sell you a plastic bag filled with ice and six cans of beer for $8.00.
Lots of people dancing out by the concert stage. Lots of drunks flopping about by the band area too.
There are plenty of tents erected at the fairgrounds, but it's not really a big "tent city" here. We saw lots more bikes parked in front of motels and hotels. I wouldn't blame them, the local military here have been flying their helicopters, AWACS and C-130s over the fairgrounds almost every 10 minutes. Pretty damn noisy!
Around 10:30pm, some more folks from our riding club showed up. They left late, and I guess it was really cold riding along the I-8 in the evening. Good thing we decided to ride during the day; much more fun that way.
Tomorrow (actually today, Saturday) is the parade of bikes rolling from the fairgrounds to the prison. I'll tell you all about it, then.
Read About Day 2, The Main Event.
Read About Day 3, Ride Back Home.
Photos of the Event posted here.
