San Francisco Motorcycle Club - Est. 1904
- Thread starter SFMCjohn
- Start date
SFMCjohn
13
Thanks, G, and sorry I missed you at the
club ... we're you dropping off CityBike?
see you in
Fouts Springs!
arty
SFMCjohn
13
Thanks, Simon! :thumbup
Have a great time working AFM
races this season ... :ride
hope to see
you soon,
-- John A
SFMCjohn
13
SFMC at the 2016 Sonora Rally ...
youtu.be/mGJsBT0K1Ro
SFMC life-member Bicycle Phil Bowman
will be carrying on the San Francisco Motorcycle Club
racing tradition--which began in 1905 with
a race to Daly City when Mission Street was still mostly
a dirt road--by starting the 2016 Sonora Rally
tomorrow, 4/4/16, on his KTM rally-raid racebike
in the dunes of Sonora, Mexico ... :ride
Phil tells me there should be a link
to live scoring/timing on the
2016 Sonora Rally website, here:
http://sonorarally.com/index.htmlhttp://sonorarally.com/index.html
A description of what North American Rally racing is about:
"A taste of Dakar:
Sonora Rally is modeled after the
granddaddy of rally events, Dakar
If you've ever wondered what Dakar is like,
Sonora Rally is designed to give you a taste,
albeit a gnarly taste. We’ve pulled out all the stops,
and are creating stages that will challenge even
the most experienced off-road racers.
That doesn’t mean just cool, wild, and crazy terrain.
It also means challenging navigation.
In line with true cross-country rally, no GPS tracks will be
provided or allowed, no maps are provided or allowed,
and there is no pre-running.
It’s you, your vehicle, the roadbook,
your navigation, and the desert unknown.
To win in this rally it will take savvy navigation,
precise driving, serious guts, and care for your machine, . . .
for four days straight. With the bikes,
that all has to be packaged in one person, an ironman rider!"
Good luck, Phil!arty
youtu.be/mGJsBT0K1Ro
SFMC life-member Bicycle Phil Bowman
will be carrying on the San Francisco Motorcycle Club
racing tradition--which began in 1905 with
a race to Daly City when Mission Street was still mostly
a dirt road--by starting the 2016 Sonora Rally
tomorrow, 4/4/16, on his KTM rally-raid racebike
in the dunes of Sonora, Mexico ... :ride
Phil tells me there should be a link
to live scoring/timing on the
2016 Sonora Rally website, here:
http://sonorarally.com/index.htmlhttp://sonorarally.com/index.html
A description of what North American Rally racing is about:
"A taste of Dakar:
Sonora Rally is modeled after the
granddaddy of rally events, Dakar
If you've ever wondered what Dakar is like,
Sonora Rally is designed to give you a taste,
albeit a gnarly taste. We’ve pulled out all the stops,
and are creating stages that will challenge even
the most experienced off-road racers.
That doesn’t mean just cool, wild, and crazy terrain.
It also means challenging navigation.
In line with true cross-country rally, no GPS tracks will be
provided or allowed, no maps are provided or allowed,
and there is no pre-running.
It’s you, your vehicle, the roadbook,
your navigation, and the desert unknown.
To win in this rally it will take savvy navigation,
precise driving, serious guts, and care for your machine, . . .
for four days straight. With the bikes,
that all has to be packaged in one person, an ironman rider!"
Good luck, Phil!
arty
Last edited:
SFMCjohn
13
Historic Landmark status for Hap Jones ...?
We're having fun with the city,
helping a couple of motorcycle enthusiasts
and San Francisco history buffs--Larisa Pedroncelli
and Kelly Hill--apply for historic landmark status for
Hap Jones's old Indian, Norton and BSA motorcycle
dealership at
245 Valencia Street ...
If you like seeing sausage being made,
the Historic Commission is
having the third meeting on the issue
on Wednesday, 4/5/2016
at City Hall, Room 400, at 12:30 PM ... :laughing
Here is a link to a lot of motorcycling history
made right here in San Francisco:
http://commissions.sfplanning.org/hpcpackets/2015-004228DES_HPC_040616.pdf
It makes for interesting reading
because the argument about whether
the location is worthy goes back
and forth ... Hollister, Marlon Brando and
outlaw motorcycle clubs are all trotted out ... :ride
I've included a letter here that our club
historian, Brian Holm, wrote in
reply to the developer's opposition
to historic designation for the
address:
San Francisco Motorcycle Club, Inc.
Established 1904
2194 Folsom Street
San Francisco, CA 94110
San Francisco Historic Preservation Commission Members,
Thank you for the opportunity to provide another perspective on the reports pending committee review, and to further inform you of the relevance of motorcycling, motorcyclists, and, in particular, Loren “Hap” Jones to the history of both our city and our sport.
While we may have made some inroads in increasing your awareness of the prominence of Loren “Hap” Jones in the community, motorcycle sport, and the motorcycling industry, it seems that other questions have been raised with regard to the relevance of motorcycle culture, of the central place of San Francisco within it, and the significance of other locales.
Relevance of a Subculture
First, with regard to the relevance of motorcycle culture to the history of the city, and the impact of San Francisco motorcyclists on the industry, please resist the impulse to leap to the conclusion that modern notions of marketing are the only criterion by which to determine the relevance of any group to our shared history. Are we an Irish, Hispanic, or Italian city; a Catholic or Judaic city, a carpenter’s or a fire fighters city? You likely would not choose to brand our city in any of those singular terms, but I’m certain that you appreciate the contributions of each of those identities to our communal legacy. In that vein, please consider the following facts regarding San Francisco motorcyclists and motorcycling culture:
• The first parade of motor vehicles in the city took place on Van Ness Avenue in 1900, it was led by three pioneering motorcyclists including Laura Small and Frank Carroll.
• The California Motorcycle Company began production of one of the earliest mass-produced motorcycles in North America, in 1901, on the 2200 block of Folsom Street.
• The first motor vehicle of any kind to cross the United States, in 1903, was one of those locally manufactured “California Motorcycles” and piloted by city resident George Wyman.
• Preceding the American Motorcyclist Association by 21 years was the Federation of American Motorcyclists (FAM), founded in New York City in 1903. Present, and appointed Vice Chairman for all motorcycling competition west of the Mississippi, was San Franciscan Charles Clay Hopkins.
• A winner of the inaugural FAM competition (a race between Springfield, MA and New York City) was O.L. Pickard of San Francisco.
• Some of the earliest motorcycle and automobile races in the west were organized by San Francisco’s motorcyclists on the Ingleside track (now Urbano Drive, that mile-long oval that houses the massive sundial). These events featured local racers in addition to the legendary Barney Oldfield.
• Within days of the 1906 earthquake and fire, San Francisco motorcyclists volunteered to carry supplies within the city and up and down the peninsula to San Jose. Defying the devastation, San Francisco motorcyclists held their next road run within a month of the tragedy.
• In June 1906, the motorcyclists of San Francisco banded together and rebuilt the Indian Motorcycle dealership at 459 Gough Street in just 10 days, signaling the rebirth of that industry in the city.
• Competition and record setting hill climbing events were conducted on Bernal Hill, Yerba Buena Park, Hayes Street Hill, Twin Peaks, and Vallejo Street in Pacific Heights between 1904 and 1914.
• In 1909 your motorcycling community volunteered to manage traffic during the first Fiesta de Portola; an event that signaled the return of the city from ruin and laid the groundwork to secure the Panama Pacific International Exhibition (PPIE) in 1915. They served again at the 1913 Fiesta, seen by some to be a dry run for the PPIE.
• Today you’ll find us martialing traffic for the San Francisco Marathon.
• The Western Federation of Motorcyclists was founded in San Francisco in 1912, it sponsored all west coast competition for the next 17 years.
• At the PPIE motorcyclist and famed aviator Lincoln Beachey thrilled and terrified hundreds of thousands of spectators, and ultimately lost his life in the waters of the Bay.
• Also for the PPIE, August Chelini, a San Francisco motorcyclist, rode the final leg of the 32-day cross-country motorcycle relay on the new Lincoln Highway, carrying dispatches from President Wilson (with only one of two cylinders functioning, and under a hail of gunfire from an uninformed Hayward policeman.)
• The first “Honor Roll” of motorcyclists volunteering for duty in the armed forces, prior to World War I, was created in San Francisco; this is a tradition emulated by motorcycle clubs nationwide to this day.
• Throughout the 1920s and 30s events on “Hill 57” and other areas of Mt. San Bruno provided entertainment for tens of thousands of city residents, and made legends of people like “Windy” Lindstrom and Dudley “Red” Perkins.
• Ezra Ehrhardt, a CHP Officer, a member of San Francisco Motorcycle Club (SFMC) and Lodi Motorcycle Club, former City Councilman and Mayor of Lodi, was considered in the Top 10 of American Hot Rodder Legends. He was in the first group inducted into the National Roadster Hall of Fame, on February 22, 1960. In the 1950s he pioneered the CHP motorcycle Safety Education Section.
• Guy Mallory Root, a CHP officer and SFMC member was the son of Herbert Guy Root and Sophia Schell Root - who met serving refugees in the aftermath of the 1906 Earthquake.
• And yes, much of this is the work of the San Francisco Motorcycle Club, whose longest continuously active member in 112 years of San Francisco history was Hap Jones.
• Only one wall of the storied San Francisco Motorcycle Club is dedicated to the history and contributions of a single member. That would be Hap Jones.
Hollister? Read On.
I will make only minor mention of the embarrassingly poor example used to suggest that other California cities are more prominent in the history of motorcycling than San Francisco, the events at Hollister CA, in 1947. Based upon a single (and later admittedly) sensationalized newspaper account, and then the publication in Life magazine of (proven to be) staged photos of biker bacchanalia, Hollister ’47 become the titillating touchstone that is the image of hooligan biker. Not a contribution at all, a prejudice- inspiring fantasy that has saddled all motorcyclists for 70 years. It’s worth noting that Hollister is anexcellent place to ride, and home to one of the best off-road vehicle recreation areas in northern California.
What else you should know is that the event in 1947 was actually quite legitimate, and included competitions and exhibitions featuring hundreds of skilled (and sober) riders from all over the state. The trophy for “Best Uniformed Group” was awarded to the contingent from San Francisco; a contingent led by Hap Jones.
The Independent Motorcycle Parts and Accessories Industry
Hap Jones created a retail and wholesale industry that today is dominated by companies like Parts Unlimited and others. One of the largest and most successful of these is Tucker Rocky of Ft. Worth Texas, which owns twenty-four prominent brands recognized as leaders nationwide by retailers and consumers in all areas of the sport. What did Tucker Rocky, a prominent competitor, think of Hap Jones? Enough to award him the first designation as “Friend to the Motorcycle Industry”.
A Footnote on the Dudley Perkins Award
We’ve already brought it to your attention that Hap was a recipient of the AMA’s highest award. Before writing him off as an “also-ran”, you might note and recognize the names of a few other recipients:
• Soichiro Honda
• John Harley
• William S. Harley
• Dick Mann
Please consider this inside view, and collection of real facts, when determining whether 235 Valencia is associated with the life of a significant person in our past. Never doubt that motorcycling has a place in our city’s history, that our city is prominent in motorcycling, and that Hap Jones led in both.
Sincerely,
Brian Holm
Chair of the Library Committee and Historian
San Francisco Motorcycle Club
We're having fun with the city,
helping a couple of motorcycle enthusiasts
and San Francisco history buffs--Larisa Pedroncelli
and Kelly Hill--apply for historic landmark status for
Hap Jones's old Indian, Norton and BSA motorcycle
dealership at
245 Valencia Street ...
If you like seeing sausage being made,
the Historic Commission is
having the third meeting on the issue
on Wednesday, 4/5/2016
at City Hall, Room 400, at 12:30 PM ... :laughing
Here is a link to a lot of motorcycling history
made right here in San Francisco:
http://commissions.sfplanning.org/hpcpackets/2015-004228DES_HPC_040616.pdf
It makes for interesting reading
because the argument about whether
the location is worthy goes back
and forth ... Hollister, Marlon Brando and
outlaw motorcycle clubs are all trotted out ... :ride
I've included a letter here that our club
historian, Brian Holm, wrote in
reply to the developer's opposition
to historic designation for the
address:
San Francisco Motorcycle Club, Inc.
Established 1904
2194 Folsom Street
San Francisco, CA 94110
San Francisco Historic Preservation Commission Members,
Thank you for the opportunity to provide another perspective on the reports pending committee review, and to further inform you of the relevance of motorcycling, motorcyclists, and, in particular, Loren “Hap” Jones to the history of both our city and our sport.
While we may have made some inroads in increasing your awareness of the prominence of Loren “Hap” Jones in the community, motorcycle sport, and the motorcycling industry, it seems that other questions have been raised with regard to the relevance of motorcycle culture, of the central place of San Francisco within it, and the significance of other locales.
Relevance of a Subculture
First, with regard to the relevance of motorcycle culture to the history of the city, and the impact of San Francisco motorcyclists on the industry, please resist the impulse to leap to the conclusion that modern notions of marketing are the only criterion by which to determine the relevance of any group to our shared history. Are we an Irish, Hispanic, or Italian city; a Catholic or Judaic city, a carpenter’s or a fire fighters city? You likely would not choose to brand our city in any of those singular terms, but I’m certain that you appreciate the contributions of each of those identities to our communal legacy. In that vein, please consider the following facts regarding San Francisco motorcyclists and motorcycling culture:
• The first parade of motor vehicles in the city took place on Van Ness Avenue in 1900, it was led by three pioneering motorcyclists including Laura Small and Frank Carroll.
• The California Motorcycle Company began production of one of the earliest mass-produced motorcycles in North America, in 1901, on the 2200 block of Folsom Street.
• The first motor vehicle of any kind to cross the United States, in 1903, was one of those locally manufactured “California Motorcycles” and piloted by city resident George Wyman.
• Preceding the American Motorcyclist Association by 21 years was the Federation of American Motorcyclists (FAM), founded in New York City in 1903. Present, and appointed Vice Chairman for all motorcycling competition west of the Mississippi, was San Franciscan Charles Clay Hopkins.
• A winner of the inaugural FAM competition (a race between Springfield, MA and New York City) was O.L. Pickard of San Francisco.
• Some of the earliest motorcycle and automobile races in the west were organized by San Francisco’s motorcyclists on the Ingleside track (now Urbano Drive, that mile-long oval that houses the massive sundial). These events featured local racers in addition to the legendary Barney Oldfield.
• Within days of the 1906 earthquake and fire, San Francisco motorcyclists volunteered to carry supplies within the city and up and down the peninsula to San Jose. Defying the devastation, San Francisco motorcyclists held their next road run within a month of the tragedy.
• In June 1906, the motorcyclists of San Francisco banded together and rebuilt the Indian Motorcycle dealership at 459 Gough Street in just 10 days, signaling the rebirth of that industry in the city.
• Competition and record setting hill climbing events were conducted on Bernal Hill, Yerba Buena Park, Hayes Street Hill, Twin Peaks, and Vallejo Street in Pacific Heights between 1904 and 1914.
• In 1909 your motorcycling community volunteered to manage traffic during the first Fiesta de Portola; an event that signaled the return of the city from ruin and laid the groundwork to secure the Panama Pacific International Exhibition (PPIE) in 1915. They served again at the 1913 Fiesta, seen by some to be a dry run for the PPIE.
• Today you’ll find us martialing traffic for the San Francisco Marathon.
• The Western Federation of Motorcyclists was founded in San Francisco in 1912, it sponsored all west coast competition for the next 17 years.
• At the PPIE motorcyclist and famed aviator Lincoln Beachey thrilled and terrified hundreds of thousands of spectators, and ultimately lost his life in the waters of the Bay.
• Also for the PPIE, August Chelini, a San Francisco motorcyclist, rode the final leg of the 32-day cross-country motorcycle relay on the new Lincoln Highway, carrying dispatches from President Wilson (with only one of two cylinders functioning, and under a hail of gunfire from an uninformed Hayward policeman.)
• The first “Honor Roll” of motorcyclists volunteering for duty in the armed forces, prior to World War I, was created in San Francisco; this is a tradition emulated by motorcycle clubs nationwide to this day.
• Throughout the 1920s and 30s events on “Hill 57” and other areas of Mt. San Bruno provided entertainment for tens of thousands of city residents, and made legends of people like “Windy” Lindstrom and Dudley “Red” Perkins.
• Ezra Ehrhardt, a CHP Officer, a member of San Francisco Motorcycle Club (SFMC) and Lodi Motorcycle Club, former City Councilman and Mayor of Lodi, was considered in the Top 10 of American Hot Rodder Legends. He was in the first group inducted into the National Roadster Hall of Fame, on February 22, 1960. In the 1950s he pioneered the CHP motorcycle Safety Education Section.
• Guy Mallory Root, a CHP officer and SFMC member was the son of Herbert Guy Root and Sophia Schell Root - who met serving refugees in the aftermath of the 1906 Earthquake.
• And yes, much of this is the work of the San Francisco Motorcycle Club, whose longest continuously active member in 112 years of San Francisco history was Hap Jones.
• Only one wall of the storied San Francisco Motorcycle Club is dedicated to the history and contributions of a single member. That would be Hap Jones.
Hollister? Read On.
I will make only minor mention of the embarrassingly poor example used to suggest that other California cities are more prominent in the history of motorcycling than San Francisco, the events at Hollister CA, in 1947. Based upon a single (and later admittedly) sensationalized newspaper account, and then the publication in Life magazine of (proven to be) staged photos of biker bacchanalia, Hollister ’47 become the titillating touchstone that is the image of hooligan biker. Not a contribution at all, a prejudice- inspiring fantasy that has saddled all motorcyclists for 70 years. It’s worth noting that Hollister is anexcellent place to ride, and home to one of the best off-road vehicle recreation areas in northern California.
What else you should know is that the event in 1947 was actually quite legitimate, and included competitions and exhibitions featuring hundreds of skilled (and sober) riders from all over the state. The trophy for “Best Uniformed Group” was awarded to the contingent from San Francisco; a contingent led by Hap Jones.
The Independent Motorcycle Parts and Accessories Industry
Hap Jones created a retail and wholesale industry that today is dominated by companies like Parts Unlimited and others. One of the largest and most successful of these is Tucker Rocky of Ft. Worth Texas, which owns twenty-four prominent brands recognized as leaders nationwide by retailers and consumers in all areas of the sport. What did Tucker Rocky, a prominent competitor, think of Hap Jones? Enough to award him the first designation as “Friend to the Motorcycle Industry”.
A Footnote on the Dudley Perkins Award
We’ve already brought it to your attention that Hap was a recipient of the AMA’s highest award. Before writing him off as an “also-ran”, you might note and recognize the names of a few other recipients:
• Soichiro Honda
• John Harley
• William S. Harley
• Dick Mann
Please consider this inside view, and collection of real facts, when determining whether 235 Valencia is associated with the life of a significant person in our past. Never doubt that motorcycling has a place in our city’s history, that our city is prominent in motorcycling, and that Hap Jones led in both.
Sincerely,
Brian Holm
Chair of the Library Committee and Historian
San Francisco Motorcycle Club
Last edited:
SFMCJohn, this brought back a memory.
• Ezra Ehrhardt, a CHP Officer, a member of San Francisco Motorcycle Club (SFMC) and Lodi Motorcycle Club, former City Councilman and Mayor of Lodi, was considered in the Top 10 of American Hot Rodder Legends. He was in the first group inducted into the National Roadster Hall of Fame, on February 22, 1960. In the 1950s he pioneered the CHP motorcycle Safety Education Section.
I knew Ezra, he was a good friend of my dad's. Junior High School I missed the bus and walked slowly to school with two friends from the wrong side of town. We were breaking bottles in the roadside ditches and a CHP showed up. He knew the two friends were trouble from an earlier experience. He drove us to school went in and got the boys dean who said take them to juvenile hall. Got to juvie and he asked our names, then said are you related to Max Harr and I said that was my brother. He said your dad too. I was told to get back in the car as he took my friends into juvie. This was the day I met Ezra and found out there are no door handles in the back of CHP cars. I asked where we were going and he said be quite. Turned into the County Corporation Yard where my dad was a mechanic. Ezra went in the got my dad. I sat on a round 5 gal can next to my dads tool box all day. Every mechanic in the shop told me kid you are going to get it when you get home. Damn that was a long day.
Ezra was a special person.
• Ezra Ehrhardt, a CHP Officer, a member of San Francisco Motorcycle Club (SFMC) and Lodi Motorcycle Club, former City Councilman and Mayor of Lodi, was considered in the Top 10 of American Hot Rodder Legends. He was in the first group inducted into the National Roadster Hall of Fame, on February 22, 1960. In the 1950s he pioneered the CHP motorcycle Safety Education Section.
I knew Ezra, he was a good friend of my dad's. Junior High School I missed the bus and walked slowly to school with two friends from the wrong side of town. We were breaking bottles in the roadside ditches and a CHP showed up. He knew the two friends were trouble from an earlier experience. He drove us to school went in and got the boys dean who said take them to juvenile hall. Got to juvie and he asked our names, then said are you related to Max Harr and I said that was my brother. He said your dad too. I was told to get back in the car as he took my friends into juvie. This was the day I met Ezra and found out there are no door handles in the back of CHP cars. I asked where we were going and he said be quite. Turned into the County Corporation Yard where my dad was a mechanic. Ezra went in the got my dad. I sat on a round 5 gal can next to my dads tool box all day. Every mechanic in the shop told me kid you are going to get it when you get home. Damn that was a long day.
Ezra was a special person.
SFMCjohn
13
Hey Bill,
What a great memory of Ezra! :thumbup
We've learned a bunch about people
like Ezra from this project ... :ride
see you soon,
-- John A
SFMCjohn
13
Sonora Rally Race Report ...
San Francisco Motorcycle Club life-member
and KTM-mounted rally-raid racer, 2013 Brazil-based dos Sertoes Rally finisher,
Rally Management Services rally racing instructor
and 2016 Dakar RMS mechanic/support guru veteran,
"Bicycle" Phil Bowman,
submitted this race report about his successful completion
of the 2016 Sonora Rally, part of the Dakar Challenge series,
in which the winner is awarded a free entry into the 2017 Dakar rally:
"12th place overall after 4 days of racing,
approx 1000 miles of sand and more sand.
"In the photo the racer is at km204.3, compass heading 22deg.
As you can see in the roadbook instructions @ km203.7
the racer is to travel on a heading of 4deg for 1.9km,
bringing the racer to km205.6, at which point racer changes
direction of travel to maintain heading of 298deg.
"Also you see that the current heading of 22deg needs to
be adjusted back to 4deg by veering left to stay on course.
"Given that racer is stopped in this photo,
veering left would be impossible because their
is zero traction available to propel bike/rider
mass up a dune from a dead start.
"So the best we can do here is to veer right to
descend so as to cross dune ridge visible in the
center right portion of photo. Then at first available
opportunity veer left to regain the 4deg heading. Fun stuff.
"The dune fields were spectacular.
Up to 70 miles each day were spent
navigating through the dunes ...
no roads/no trails, just follow a compass heading.
"It is very difficult to maintain a direct straight
line of travel through the dune fields.
The best one can do is to minimize the off-heading
variance and then to constantly hone back in on the correct heading.
"Bouncing around in the sand,
taking little detours to get around obstacles,
and occasionally going around the largest of the
sand mountains adds on extra km which have to be
accounted for when figuring out distances to next entry in the roadbook.
"And with all that you have good rally racing.
Riding in the dunes is just part of the challenge.
Managing the roadbook and staying on course is the
other part of the challenge. When nav is easy and
conditions allow you go fast, when nav is difficult the
racer has to back off a bit to stay on course.
Phil@Sonora Rally
"In the upper right quadrant of this photo
you can see some dune mountains in the distance.
"Each day the roadbook would take us 30-60km
from the start line to the dunes. Most of the 30-60km
was high speed double track.
On these desert tracks I can avg about 40mph.
Which means a fair amount of time spent in the 60-65 mph range.
"At the upper end it's very difficult to read the roadbook,
the bike is quite active bouncing around,
everything
is
shaking,
and its all I can do to
just
hang
on. :ride
"Speeds are slower in the dunes.
The above picture is of
Matthews bike at Glamis a few days before the rally
(the $2150 Sonora Rally includes a rally navigation
school the day before the event and RMS offered
a two-day rally navigation school at Glamis Dunes in the days just
before the event)."
Rally on!
"Bicycle" Phil Bowman
San Francisco Motorcycle Club life-member
and KTM-mounted rally-raid racer, 2013 Brazil-based dos Sertoes Rally finisher,
Rally Management Services rally racing instructor
and 2016 Dakar RMS mechanic/support guru veteran,
"Bicycle" Phil Bowman,
submitted this race report about his successful completion
of the 2016 Sonora Rally, part of the Dakar Challenge series,
in which the winner is awarded a free entry into the 2017 Dakar rally:
"12th place overall after 4 days of racing,
approx 1000 miles of sand and more sand.
"In the photo the racer is at km204.3, compass heading 22deg.
As you can see in the roadbook instructions @ km203.7
the racer is to travel on a heading of 4deg for 1.9km,
bringing the racer to km205.6, at which point racer changes
direction of travel to maintain heading of 298deg.
"Also you see that the current heading of 22deg needs to
be adjusted back to 4deg by veering left to stay on course.
"Given that racer is stopped in this photo,
veering left would be impossible because their
is zero traction available to propel bike/rider
mass up a dune from a dead start.
"So the best we can do here is to veer right to
descend so as to cross dune ridge visible in the
center right portion of photo. Then at first available
opportunity veer left to regain the 4deg heading. Fun stuff.
"The dune fields were spectacular.
Up to 70 miles each day were spent
navigating through the dunes ...
no roads/no trails, just follow a compass heading.
"It is very difficult to maintain a direct straight
line of travel through the dune fields.
The best one can do is to minimize the off-heading
variance and then to constantly hone back in on the correct heading.
"Bouncing around in the sand,
taking little detours to get around obstacles,
and occasionally going around the largest of the
sand mountains adds on extra km which have to be
accounted for when figuring out distances to next entry in the roadbook.
"And with all that you have good rally racing.
Riding in the dunes is just part of the challenge.
Managing the roadbook and staying on course is the
other part of the challenge. When nav is easy and
conditions allow you go fast, when nav is difficult the
racer has to back off a bit to stay on course.
Phil@Sonora Rally
"In the upper right quadrant of this photo
you can see some dune mountains in the distance.
"Each day the roadbook would take us 30-60km
from the start line to the dunes. Most of the 30-60km
was high speed double track.
On these desert tracks I can avg about 40mph.
Which means a fair amount of time spent in the 60-65 mph range.
"At the upper end it's very difficult to read the roadbook,
the bike is quite active bouncing around,
everything
is
shaking,
and its all I can do to
just
hang
on. :ride
"Speeds are slower in the dunes.
The above picture is of
Matthews bike at Glamis a few days before the rally
(the $2150 Sonora Rally includes a rally navigation
school the day before the event and RMS offered
a two-day rally navigation school at Glamis Dunes in the days just
before the event)."
Rally on!
"Bicycle" Phil Bowman
Last edited:
SFMCjohn
13
youtu.be/RZdm4wnpCrw
... helicopter footage (yes they had
a helicopter!) clip from the 2016 Sonora Rally ...
SFMCjohn
13
Hey ThumperX,
Thanks for reading and
posting ... Phil's rally career
started with a KLR and
a Doc Wong dirt clinic ... :laughing
People interested in the Dakar
who live on the west coast and
who want to try road book navigation
style racing are really lucky
with regard to how accessible
such an experience is ... :thumbup
see you in
the bivouac,
-- SFMCjohn
SFMCjohn
13
MotoGP at the SFMC, 6/26, 4pm ...
Hi Vintage Cafe,
Here's some tangible proof that the SFMC has made
progress ... Ace Cafe Rob is back with his merry crew
to watch MotoGP at the SFMC ...
In addition to a new foundation, we upgraded to a digital
projector!arty
I'll be hosting tomorrow, and should have the door
at 18th Street and Folsom open just after 3pm ...
Vintage Cafe content: stay connected to the days when
Zeitgeist was still a dive bar, and when you could hang out
with motorcycle people in the Ace Cafe, a motorcycle bar owned
by a real motorcycle person ... :laughing
Here's Ace Cafe Rob's invitation to you:
"Race fans!
SFMC is ready to go again as hosts for the MotoGP Show after their
flooding/renovation.
OK, it ain't The Ace but it remains a wonderful venue to share the
exciting 2016 Moto3/2/GP Season..
I can't find the emails dialoging the efforts and will to return to
the SFMC but suffice to say that the members are welcoming us back to
the refurbished clubhouse for the show with aplomb! "Officer I
didn't/couldn't buy a drink"
Usual times:
4pm Moto3
5pm Moto2
6pm MotoGP
Huge thanks to those that kept our community going are to be (as my
Dad used to say) "mentioned in dispatches"
MotoTireGuy Robby's Temple of Tubes: http://www.mototireguy.com/
All your leather needs: kskin69@gmail.com
As you may know. Those guys are quietly awesome.
Pre -race MotoGeekStuff;:https://motomatters.com/analysis/2016/06/23/2016_assen_motogp_thursday_round_up.html
Rossi stuff: https://youtu.be/UADBZPp35VU
See you Sunday at you personal best.
$1 extra on bevvies supports the Kiddie Racing!
BYOBuffet
Thanks to Abby
And why not?
Here's some more Rory:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bz97I-mcUUs"
see you at the SFMC,
An AMA sweater club
for San Francisco
motorcycle
people! :thumbup
-- SFMCjohn
Hi Vintage Cafe,
Here's some tangible proof that the SFMC has made
progress ... Ace Cafe Rob is back with his merry crew
to watch MotoGP at the SFMC ...
In addition to a new foundation, we upgraded to a digital
projector!
artyI'll be hosting tomorrow, and should have the door
at 18th Street and Folsom open just after 3pm ...
Vintage Cafe content: stay connected to the days when
Zeitgeist was still a dive bar, and when you could hang out
with motorcycle people in the Ace Cafe, a motorcycle bar owned
by a real motorcycle person ... :laughing
Here's Ace Cafe Rob's invitation to you:
"Race fans!
SFMC is ready to go again as hosts for the MotoGP Show after their
flooding/renovation.
OK, it ain't The Ace but it remains a wonderful venue to share the
exciting 2016 Moto3/2/GP Season..
I can't find the emails dialoging the efforts and will to return to
the SFMC but suffice to say that the members are welcoming us back to
the refurbished clubhouse for the show with aplomb! "Officer I
didn't/couldn't buy a drink"
Usual times:
4pm Moto3
5pm Moto2
6pm MotoGP
Huge thanks to those that kept our community going are to be (as my
Dad used to say) "mentioned in dispatches"
MotoTireGuy Robby's Temple of Tubes: http://www.mototireguy.com/
All your leather needs: kskin69@gmail.com
As you may know. Those guys are quietly awesome.
Pre -race MotoGeekStuff;:https://motomatters.com/analysis/2016/06/23/2016_assen_motogp_thursday_round_up.html
Rossi stuff: https://youtu.be/UADBZPp35VU
See you Sunday at you personal best.
$1 extra on bevvies supports the Kiddie Racing!
BYOBuffet
Thanks to Abby
And why not?
Here's some more Rory:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bz97I-mcUUs"
see you at the SFMC,
An AMA sweater club
for San Francisco
motorcycle
people! :thumbup
-- SFMCjohn
SFMCjohn
13
SFMC Homecoming, Saturday, July 30, 2016 ...
The San Francisco Motorcycle Club
is having a homecoming party on
Saturday, July 30th, 2016,
to celebrate our return to the vintage
clubhouse at 18th Street and Folsom Street
after 18 months of renovations ...
There will be an open house from noon until 6 pm,
and a party from 8 pm to midnight ... :ride
Live music, three vintage bikes in the clubhouse,
and at least a couple of vintage bikes out front ...
BARF Vintage Cafe-ers, BARF-ers and motorcyclists
welcome ... come see how motorcycle people
in San Francisco found out what was going
on before computers and the internet ... :laughingarty
see you at the
fountain, :thumbup
-- SFMCjohn
The San Francisco Motorcycle Club
is having a homecoming party on
Saturday, July 30th, 2016,
to celebrate our return to the vintage
clubhouse at 18th Street and Folsom Street
after 18 months of renovations ...
There will be an open house from noon until 6 pm,
and a party from 8 pm to midnight ... :ride
Live music, three vintage bikes in the clubhouse,
and at least a couple of vintage bikes out front ...
BARF Vintage Cafe-ers, BARF-ers and motorcyclists
welcome ... come see how motorcycle people
in San Francisco found out what was going
on before computers and the internet ... :laughing
artysee you at the
fountain, :thumbup
-- SFMCjohn
Last edited:
65_ dreamer
Well-known member
Thanks for the invite, John. Sounds like fun! Hope I can make it at some point. Would love to see the clubhouse again.
SFMCjohn
13
Hey Akiko! :ride
Always wonderful to see you at the club or at
one of the many vintage events/rallies that
we're blessed with in this part of the world ... :thumbup
We will have over 100 years worth of scrapbooks
and photo albums out during the open house,
from noon to 6pm on 7/30 ...
As you know, you and everyone reading this
are also welcome to swing by the SFMC on any
Thursday night (except Thanksgiving, ha) ...
The door to the club is usually open around 7pm
for our regular weekly meeting, and you can always
park right in front with everyone else ...
Anyway, if you can't make this event, we're always
planning another MotoGP event on MotoGP Sundays
from 3 pm to 7 pm or some other party ...
artysee you soon,
looking forward to
hearing more about
your 2016 Moto Melee ... :teeth
-- John A.
SFMCjohn
13
The San Francisco Motorcycle Club
is having a homecoming party on
Saturday, July 30th, 2016,
to celebrate our return to the vintage
clubhouse at 18th Street and Folsom Street
after 18 months of renovations ...
There will be an open house from noon until 6 pm,
and a party from 8 pm to midnight ... :ride
Live music, three vintage bikes in the clubhouse,
and at least a couple of vintage bikes out front ...
BARF Vintage Cafe-ers, BARF-ers and motorcyclists
welcome ... come see how motorcycle people
in San Francisco found out what was going
on before computers and the internet ... :laughing
see you at the
fountain, :thumbup
-- SFMCjohn
This Saturday, tomorrow! :ride
18th Street and Folsom Street ...
arty
65_ dreamer
Well-known member
You can add another vintage bike out front. Heading up this afternoon with a few other to take a look at those photo albums and scrap books. Look forward to seeing you again, John!
Heading up this afternoon with a few other to take a look at those photo albums and scrap books. Look forward to seeing you again, John!
SFMCjohn
13
You can add another vintage bike out front.
Hey Akiko!
I'm going to miss you
because I'm only going in
order to get out on the
dance floor after the
band begins at 8pm ...
arty... hope you're back on the 350 ...
super-pleased you'll have a chance
to see the clubhouse in all it's
renovated glory and to check out
the scrapbooks! :cool
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