Captain America Bike

Day 2: Easy Rider Tour – Death Valley to Barstow

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Furnace Creek Ranch
Morning view – Furnace Creek.

A bit of a late start this morning, but no big deal.   We had a short day.    I enjoyed Furnace Creek Ranch.   Nice accomodations, and the weather was cooler here than other times I’d been to death valley.   Around 100 degrees.   Normally, this place is a blast furnace.   We mounted up, got gas, and explored Death Valley.

I used to ride to this area on a friday night, after work.   I’d forgotten how much I missed the desert.      It’s open, wide open and rugged.   The desert gets in your soul somehow.

We rode up to Zabriskie Point, and took a few pictures.     Apparently, Zabriskie point was also a  counterculture film about America in the sixties.    One I need to check out.

 

Zabriskie Point
Pete, taking pictures of the ladies. Thats how Pete Rolls.
IMG_1697
Brandon, in his natural habitat. Brandon is a good egg.
Captain America Death Valley Easy Rider Tour
John, and the Captain.

We left Zabriskie Point and headed the 16 miles to to Badwater Basin, the lowest point in the US.    I’ve been to death Valley a bunch, but I’d never been here.

My bike was starting to stretch her legs.    Really enjoyable ride.

Badwater Basin, Death Valley CA
Badwater Basin, Death Valley CA – About 3/4 of the way up that hill is sea level.

From there we pressed on.    More open road.   I was really enjoying this ride.

 

Heading out of Death Valley
Heading out of Death Valley
Coyotes
Coyotes

The Aussies taught me a new word.   “crack a ton”, means break 100 MPH.    I likey.

We rode to Shoshone, California, got gas and had lunch at the Crowbar Cafe and Saloon.   There’s not much in Shoshone, and I’m not quite sure the crowbar was ready for all of us to show up.

Crowbar Cafe and Saloon- Shoshone CA
Crowbar Cafe and Saloon- Shoshone CA

Then on to Baker.   Cooled off at the Mad Greek, got an ice cream, then headed into Barstow.

We got into Barstow in the late afternoon.   The Motel there had lost the ability to program keys, and the pool was out.   Not that big of a deal.    The nice thing, is the train behind the Motel only raged past every 30 minutes or so.    It was kind of funny.    I think EagleRider thought more about it than we did.

I stayed in that night, doing some work.   The Whitehursts from the UK got married that night.    At least I think.

 

Day Two:   201 Miles


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EagleRider’s Easy Rider Movie Inaugural Motorcycle Tour – Riding the Route from the Movie Easy Rider

2 Comments / Easy Rider, Random Thoughts / /

 

Day 0:   EagleRider Offices, El Segundo CA

Flew into LA a couple of days before, and the next day headed over to EagleRider for a meeting about the trip.   Met the EagleRider crew, and talked about the route.

I’ll admit, I had no idea what to expect.   I just saw a group of people from the UK, Switzerland, Brazil, New Jersey, Belgium and Australia.   Just names on paper.    Could be good or bad, and I had no idea.      I was  ready to ride and I’d figure it out as I went along.   Met Steve, our tour guide for the first time.    He seemed professional and pretty easy going.   In the end, my instincts weren’t wrong.      Brandon was on his first run with EagleRider on the chase vehicle, and felt we were both kind of in the same boat in a way.    We spent the morning getting a few things ready, checking out a few locations, having some lunch and shooting the shit.    We drove over to LAX to find a spot to park the bikes for our first stop, just as a plane was coming in right over our heads, just like in the movie.

Easy Rider LAX

 

A Good omen.    The first of a few on this trip.   It was starting to feel  like I’d finally gotten here.

We headed back to EagleRider to get ready for everyone to arrive and get everything ready.     We spent some time loading Captain America, a spare bike, and double checking equipment and tools.    I paid attention and tried to learn a thing.   Getting a feel for this tour, and how EagleRider works.

Easy Rider Tour
Easy Rider Tour Signage.   EagleRider did this right.  Official Tour of the Movie.    No one else can claim that.

I knew they’d built the bikes for this ride, but I’d never seen them up close.  I am not gonna lie – I had a woody.

Captain America Bike
First thing you notice on the Captain America BIke
Captain America Bike
Pretty damn nice job methinks
Billy Bike - Easy Rider
The Billy Bike
Easy Rider Billy Bike
Another Shot

Beautiful  bikes.     EagleRider did a good job.

About the bikes:  no, they’re not hardcore original.    Even Peter Fonda didn’t ride the whole route on a hardtail.   They’re softails, and V-twin engines.    They’re made to  ride.     They look pretty damn good.

Got to drive the EagleRider van to pick  people up.   They launched a whole lotta tours that day, so it was kinda hectic.   The focus for them is customer experience.    In my 2 weeks, it showed over and over.

 When everything was somewhat settled,  they gave me my bike for this trip.   2013 Street Glide.   Six speed, 103.     11 miles on her.

2013 Street Glide
2013 Street Glide. My bike for this ride.

We all got our bikes going, headed to the hotel.   Then dinner, at Gene Simmons Rock and Brews.      Pretty Cool Place.  Conversation was good, and we were all looking forward to tomorrows ride I think.

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Everyone was a stranger at that point.    That  would change.    In the morning, we’d  ride.   Quick Easy Rider stop at LAX, then on to Death Valley where the movie really starts.

 

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