Eclipocalypse!

This is for the discussion of Motorcycling. The art, the science, the theory of all things related to our favorite sport... riding motorcycles.
User avatar
melville
Posts: 1785
Joined: Tue Aug 03, 2010 8:32 am

Eclipocalypse!

Post by melville »

So I've had this bag for a while:

Image

I got it NOS from Duane, and Eclipse also made some interesting bicycle bags BITD. I figured it was time to take the Eclipse bag to an actual eclipse. Here it is, loaded up on Ernst at sunrise:

Image

The sun's coming through red here not just for sunrise, but for all the smoke from the fires in NorCal and SoOre. Yes, my moto lives away from home now. I ride my bicycle to ride my moto as there's no parking at the storage facility.

I went north on 101 through a whole lotta smoke. It's not typical for it to be so smoky on the coast. In Gold Beach, I thought the eclipse came a day early, it was so dark.

Things cleared up north of Coos Bay, though. Here's a generic Oregon Coast pic:

Image

I was pretty hungry in Florence. Thankfully, a meal was ready to hand:

Image

Image

Image

Yes, right next to the gun shop. I'll leave off here for now.
Call me Mel. Some years ago- never mind how long precisely- having little or no money in my purse, and nothing particular to interest me at home, I thought I would ride about a little and see the other parts of the world.
User avatar
Zombie Master
Posts: 8813
Joined: Sun Aug 22, 2010 12:21 am
Location: Vancouver Island BC Canada

Re: Eclipocalypse!

Post by Zombie Master »

I love Florence Oregon! The sand dunes are so much fun to run around in. I had one of those Eclipse tank bags for decades. Was state of the are back in the 70's.
Last edited by Zombie Master on Sat Aug 26, 2017 10:56 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Any and all disclaimers may apply
User avatar
enigmaT120
Posts: 3570
Joined: Tue Aug 03, 2010 12:25 am
Location: Falls City, OR

Re: Eclipocalypse!

Post by enigmaT120 »

Where did you go? When I saw the first burrito picture I thought you had messed up, as it was not yet half-eaten.

As I predicted, I saw the eclipse in Albany from the parking lot of the food processor where I make my war profits.
Ed Miller
'81 R65
'70 Bonneville
Falls City, OR

"Gasoline makes people stupid." -- Chuey
"I'll believe corporations are people when the State of Texas executes one." Bumper sticker
Rob
Posts: 3083
Joined: Thu Feb 13, 2014 2:05 am

Re: Eclipocalypse!

Post by Rob »

Slow down, ZM, don't sprain a finger! :)

I have only been to Florence, Italy. :(

I, too, had an Eclipse bag for a long time. Best bag going. Mine was state of the art, though. ;)
Rob V
User avatar
melville
Posts: 1785
Joined: Tue Aug 03, 2010 8:32 am

Re: Eclipocalypse!

Post by melville »

From Florence I continued north on 101 where I found myself in my first experience of Eclipocalypse traffic. It was like everyone from Eugene was headed to Newport. Thankfully, I turned off at Waldport onto Oregon 34 and had no traffic the whole length of it, except for one quickly dispatched Rialta RV. Oregon 34 is my new favorite road. A couple turns later and I was at enigmaT120's beautiful house and property in Falls City.

Ed and Gael were great--they served me dinner and breakfast and Gael took me to the neighbor's house for an eclipse viewing party (Ed had to work). Here's a couple minutes of totality:

Image

Image

Image
Call me Mel. Some years ago- never mind how long precisely- having little or no money in my purse, and nothing particular to interest me at home, I thought I would ride about a little and see the other parts of the world.
User avatar
Zombie Master
Posts: 8813
Joined: Sun Aug 22, 2010 12:21 am
Location: Vancouver Island BC Canada

Re: Eclipocalypse!

Post by Zombie Master »

Any and all disclaimers may apply
User avatar
Zombie Master
Posts: 8813
Joined: Sun Aug 22, 2010 12:21 am
Location: Vancouver Island BC Canada

Re: Eclipocalypse!

Post by Zombie Master »

WTF is it with tank bag manufacturers, that they don't make tank bags waterproof, but they include a rain cover that takes up half the space of the tank bag?
Any and all disclaimers may apply
User avatar
melville
Posts: 1785
Joined: Tue Aug 03, 2010 8:32 am

Re: Eclipocalypse!

Post by melville »

We pick this up where I experienced the traffic Eclipocalypse. After the sun came back, we left the viewing party and I got into my gear and on the bike. I got outta town and southbound as quickly as I could. Oregon 99W was moving right along until about 10 miles outside of Junction City, when it all came to a stop. The road did have a substantial shoulder and I rode that for quite a ways until I found the cause of the obstruction which was a bridge under construction with flagged traffic. Once past that, traffic was heavy, but moving.

Against my usual preferences, I took I-5 from Eugene south. There were no delays until somewhere around Central Point. There had been a crash on the highway and traffic was backed up like this for a few miles:

Image

Note that all the license plates you can see are CA plates. For this reason I just pretended I was still in CA and filtered my way along for a couple miles. I took the pic just as the crash was cleared--in the previous mile I'd gone by some people who had lawn chairs out on the road. I got two pieces of guff on the way. One was a guy in a lawn chair who said, "That's not cool." Actually, it is cool--keeps me from cooking my air-cooled bike. The other was a guy with a Honda VFR with CA plates who waved me down to tell me that "They'll bust you for splitting in Oregon." I said, "Thanks" and continued on. Quite seriously, the last time I was pipped for a mover was in 1985. I'm looking forward to my next ticket. For all those of you who are with the "That's not cool" guy, please have yourself a read:

http://newatlas.com/motorcycle-lane-spl ... rch/34425/

Once past the obstructions I made my goal of Ashland and got a nice room at the Palm Motel. She told me they'd had a cancellation just five minutes before from someone who was stuck in Eclipocalypse traffic somewhere in Eastern Oregon. The time I saved with splitting got me a room!

After a shower, I headed out for a yoga class. She says her background is in Iyengar and the class was a bit different than what I usually experience. Her style was such that I kept expecting her to say "Simon Says Downward Dog." A good class nonetheless.

I'd picked out a taqueria on Google when I was planning the trip but it appears Ashland is a bit too upscale to support one, as it was closed when I went by. So I went instead to a more formal place, La Casa Del Pueblo, and got this:

Image

Image

Yes, that's a margarita. I was a pedestrian. Here's how it looks in the dark:

Image

After that, it was back to the Palm for a great night's sleep.
Call me Mel. Some years ago- never mind how long precisely- having little or no money in my purse, and nothing particular to interest me at home, I thought I would ride about a little and see the other parts of the world.
User avatar
enigmaT120
Posts: 3570
Joined: Tue Aug 03, 2010 12:25 am
Location: Falls City, OR

Re: Eclipocalypse!

Post by enigmaT120 »

It was good to meet a real Boxerworks person, you're the first one I've met. I should have met ZM at Redmond though, but didn't. And that's good hot sauce, thanks.

I seem to always get stuck behind RVs on 34 but when I don't, it's a great road. I like the sweepers on Kings Valley highway too, the one that heads north. Oh, and yeah the scenery. When I look.

How long do they hold the poses in Iyengar? I never heard of that one before. The main reason I need my dvd for yoga is that I would never hold poses long enough if left to my own devices.
Ed Miller
'81 R65
'70 Bonneville
Falls City, OR

"Gasoline makes people stupid." -- Chuey
"I'll believe corporations are people when the State of Texas executes one." Bumper sticker
Wobbly
Posts: 300
Joined: Mon Aug 07, 2017 8:48 pm

Re: Eclipocalypse!

Post by Wobbly »

I bought my Eclipse bag in 1976 and strapped it to an R60/6. Great bag! My current Cortech bags are just marginally better, and definitely not worth the extra $.

We viewed the solar version from Franklin, NC. Thankfully, we were able to stay around Franklin for several more days while the worst of the traffic died down.
After 20 years as a professional bike mechanic and 30 years as an engineer I know just enough to be dangerous !
Post Reply