2019 RTE at Pink's Hot Dogs

[Texas T]

I've been derelict in my forum duties and failed to post this up sooner. If I forget in the future, remember that it's always held the same weekend as the big motorcycle show in Long Beach. If you don't know about this event, just search through this forum for other threads/photos about Pink's.

Here's the info as posted by Dean last week. Please note the last part about this being the first time a themed certificate will be available for a ride-in to Pink's.


Bite the Wieeenie RTE

Yes, it’s that time again. "Bite the Wieeenie" at Pink’s in Los Angeles, Nov 23, 2019. Hard to believe we have had 18 of these epicurean bombardment Ride-To Eats!

This is the weekend before Thanksgiving Holidays AND it coincides with the Progressive International Motorcycle Show (IMS) in Long Beach, CA (link). On Saturday, Nov 23, 2019, 9:30am-8:00pm, attend the largest motorcycle show on the west coast and at 9PM ride over to Pinks to “Bite The Wieenie”. It’s approximately 33 miles (1+ hours in LA traffic).

PINK'S - HOME OF THE WORLD'S BEST CHILI DOG
Pink's is an honest-to-god Hollywood icon, sub-cultural gathering spot and has been a bonus location for numerous motorcycle rallies. The establishment now knows we are coming and have been extremely welcoming to a parking lot packed with Iron Butt equipped motorcycles. And the possible 1-hour+ wait at midnight for a $4.50 chili dog is a unique experience. Jacked up pickups, Porsches, pimpmobiles, and junkers all share a miniscule parking lot while stretch limos and Hummers circle the block while their contents wait in the 1-hour+ line. Besides us LDRiders with ATGATT, it would not be unusual to see unique body piercing, facial tattoos, the best body modifications that money can buy, spikes and dreadlocks, prom dresses, grunge street wear and barefoot surfers standing in line.

HOT DOG MENU
If you're into hot dogs . . . check this amazing menu out.
http://www.pinkshollywood.com/menu/ (link)
The top of the line gastrointestinal bomb is the " LA Chargers Dog”--Two 9″ stretch dogs in one bun topped with mustard, chili, nacho cheese, French-fries and a side of onion rings!!!!!!!! Make a list so when you get to the front of the line, you don't start stuttering, mumbling or talking pig latin.

AMAZING EASTERN ATTENDANCE
Over the past decade, we have riders from the south-eastern US, the eastern seaboard, and Canada. Besides riding a 1,000 TO 2,000+ miles for a hot dog they come to experience California’s "Lane Splitting." It’s the most fun you can have with your butt in a continuous maximus sphincter pucker mode!!!!

WHEN
Saturday, Nov 23, 2019
Official Agenda +/- 60 minutes
10:00 PM - Tire kickin', tall tails, and flat out lies
11:00 PM - Line standing and general whining
12:00 midnight - Hot dog mass consumption

ADDRESS / GPS
Pinks (World Famous Hot Dogs)
709 North La Brea
Los Angeles, CA
(323) 931-4223
http://www.pinkshollywood.com/ (link)
GPS Coordinates:
N 34° 5.0516
W 118° 20.7945
Hours: Friday + Saturday – Closes at 3:00 AM

MAKE IT OFFICIAL
For the first time we’ll offer an official Iron Butt Association SaddleSore 1000 certificate for Bite the Wieeenie!
http://www.ironbutt.com/themerides/ssseries/ (link)
http://www.ironbutt.com/themerides/ssseries/application1000v2.pdf (link)
It's a perfect Saddlesore Ride (1,000 miles in 24-hours) for riders from WA, ID, MT, WY, SD, CO, OK, NM, TX. Leave at midnight Saturday morning, ride 1,000 miles, arrive at Pink's within 24-hours later to get your witness signatures. There will be dozens of witnesses on hand between 9PM – 12PM midnight. If you do circular or dog-leg route make sure you get a computer printed printout at the various corner/turn point with date, time & location to submit with your application. FINALLY, YOU MUST SIGN-IN ON THE OFFICIAL “BITE THE WIEEENIE” ROSTER.

Dean Tanji
dtanji@gmail.com

 

[Texas T]

Tracker for this weekend: https://spotwalla.com/tripViewer.php?id=20fd75dd88946300c5&hoursPast=0&showAll=yes

It won't be live until 8-9 am on Saturday morning (my time) and it will be a very basic "out and back" ride side since SWMBO is riding pillion. If I were solo I'd detour through the mountains SW of Palm Springs for a couple of hours, but...

Staying in Ontario so we'll ride in to LA after sunset and fight that horrendous LA traffic, but at least I can lane split on I-10. We'll come back to the hotel after the event, sleep until we wake up, have breakfast, and then head back home.

It will be mid-40s tomorrow morning so a bit nippy of a ride. Layers and heated gear is all set.

 

[Janet]

I forgot about this,..... Darn.

 

[Splash]

Brian that must be a heck of a great Dog. It would take a lot more than that to make me consider a ride into LA.

 

[Texas T]

This year's commute from Ontario to Hollywood was by far the easiest I've ever ridden since I started going in 2010. There was the typical slowdown on the 101 right in the middle of downtown, but I never put a foot down. A Sportster went by me lane splitting, but the lanes in the downtown area are just too darn narrow for me to comfortably split on the Wing, two-up. The foot traffic at Pink's was also the lightest I've ever seen with periods of time with no one waiting in line; perhaps that's because we took up so many parking spaces.

Our first trip in 2010.

Representing the away team with three stickers and one banner. The same banner I used in 2010. The back of it is signed by all those in attendance at the Hutto Pie Run in Sept of 2010 when we rode in from Phoenix, earning Brenda her first SaddleSore certification.

Some of the bikes in attendance. 59 riders were there from: Hermosillo, Mexico, TX, AZ, Michigan, Colorado, Missouri, Nevada, Utah, Idaho, and of course... California. My friend Alex now lives in Hermosillo and rode 1,026 miles to be there. Jim Saul of Albuq rode there, got dinner, and rode home, attaining a 2KSS (2,000+ miles in under 48 hours). My friend and neighbor Marc (2 time IBR finisher) who first introduced me to Pink's, rode in with his wife Dee to get her first SS.

Wendy Crockett, the first woman to ever win the Iron Butt Rally was there in attendance with her husband and daughter. I got to meet Wendy and Mike during my first ride to PInk's and being the newbie that I was back then, I was amazed that someone could ride a motorcycle for 11 days straight, and ride roughly 1,000 miles for each of those days. They are waiting for her mom to have and recover from a kidney transplant, and then they will be heading to South America for a six month adventure. You can read about it here: https://thirdwheeladventures.com/
Wendy was also one of the featured riders at the Long Beach International Motorcycle Show earlier that day. Are they a motorcycle family? Their daughter is named Montessa... so what do you think?

Danny Dossman of Texas (world traveler) was there, as was Tim Masterson - head honcho of the George Wyman Memorial Project. George was the first hard core rider to take a motorized vehicle from San Francisco to New York City, and he chose to do it on a motorcycle. If you look at the stickers on my trunk, just to the right of the big oval 344 you'll see a small white/green vertical sticker. I'm one of the sponsors of Tim's project to install plaques across the country at places where George overnighted in his 1903 endeavour.

My bike is bottom right center with the yellow shoulders of my jacket visible on top of the windshield. Alex's Concours is to the left in the photo with his yellow jacket visible. My friend Jason Jenkins from Vegas is on the Harley to the left of Alex. Danny BMW is to the right of my Wing, and Tim's BMW is directly behind my Wing. You can't tell from the photo, but Tim runs a FLIR on his bike. You can review his videos at: https://www.youtube.com/user/hardtxrider/videos Tim had just arrived from Wilmington NC from where he did a 40/40; riding I-40 from one end to the other (Barstow CA) in under 40 hours, and then he rode down to LA to join us at Pink's. He also has the distinction of being the only person we're aware of to do a flat repair in the Pink's parking lot.

Tim on the ground, Danny holding the light, and Mark supervising the tire plugging.

Tim and Danny. Tim is retired Army Sgt Major. I don't know what Danny does/did, but he does ride places like Russia and China with the likes of Mike Kneebone, president of the Iron Butt Assoc.

Mark (formerly from Chicago) eating a Chicago Dog, and Alex from Mexico about to wolf down some monster creation. I don't think he had eaten since breakfast in Tucson.

See those footprints on the ground? I've been there when the line extended all the way back into the parking lot. People can easily wait up to an hour to get a dog.

And if you haven't been there, yes, it really is this tiny. The entire cooking/prep area is what you see plus maybe another six feet to the right. Everything behind that wall is seating and a little bit of storage.

An example of some of the massive dogs you can get.

Track of Bill Norris who also rode a SS2K to eat a dog.

Bite the Weenie RTE

SS2000 to Pink's Hot Dogs and back for IBA Certification

spotwalla.com

Is it crazy to ride all that way just to eat a hot dog? Yep. But do we do it for the dogs or to be with "people like us"? I think it's a little of both. You hang out with like-minded people, you do dumb things like ride all that way just to eat something and then turn around and go back home. We are the hard core .01% of those that actually ride long distances on a bike which is probably 1% or less of the entire motorcycling community.

Will I do it again next year?

Absolutely.

 

[StromXTc]

I'm constantly fascinated at how the satellite Tracker app works. This time I noticed that you parked in the Portico of the hotel (seemed to me). Interesting, it looks like the attendance was down this year as you mentioned.

 

[Splash]

Tim is basically my neighbor, about 10 miles and Danny what can I say. Those are the ones that make the rest of us IBA members look like slackers.

Right now I wouldn’t ride anywhere to eat anything. I’ve started chemo and it’s kicking my butt. The side effects are tough but what would I expect from something labeled Chernobyl Cocktail. Been spending some time as I can unfarkling my 2004 wing and reinstalling on the 15.

 

[Texas T]

I'm constantly fascinated at how the satellite Tracker app works. This time I noticed that you parked in the Portico of the hotel (seemed to me).

When we arrived we parked in the 1st handicap spot to the left of the entrance. When we returned all the handicap spots were taken so I parked under the tree on the right hand side of the entrance. They never said a word to me. Over the years I've only had one hotel tell me I couldn't park under cover, and that was when it was pouring down rain in Texas during my 50CC.

 

[Texas T]

Tim is basically my neighbor, about 10 miles and Danny what can I say. Those are the ones that make the rest of us IBA members look like slackers.

Right now I wouldn’t ride anywhere to eat anything. I’ve started chemo and it’s kicking my butt. The side effects are tough but what would I expect from something labeled Chernobyl Cocktail. Been spending some time as I can unfarkling my 2004 wing and reinstalling on the 15.

Are there are other IBA members that even make them look like slackers. I'm comfortable being low man on the totem pole, because at least I'm on the pole and not just watching it from afar.

Best wishes on the chemo results. I don't envy you one bit, but I'm sure it beats the alternative from 20+ years ago. When my dad died of cancer in '71 there wasn't much they could do for him.

How well do you know Danny? I assume he's retired?

 

[Splash]

I just know him from a couple of rallies. We’re not big buddies. He’s an intense rider, lol. I’m pretty sure his philosophy is, DON’T STOP.

You’re right, there are some that make them look like underachievers, if that’s possible.

I agree, I enjoy being on the pole, even if it’s near the bottom. I’m headed out today with my new wing to see just how bad I’m being affected. Between trips to Houston and feeling like dog ...., I think I’ve put less than a 1000 miles down since the Big as Texas Party at the end of September.

 

[Texas T]

Good looking bike. Manual or electric Windbender?

 

[Splash]

Manual. I think I have moved up once from the sweet spot, in a pretty severe rain. It came off my 2004. I can’t go back to anything similar to stock.

 

[Texas T]

My mistake was getting the tinted version. I could no longer write my instructions on the inside of the shield in grease pencil. But it was used and I got it for a good price.

 

[Splash]

I started using a yellow duct tape to write on. I tested it on an old windshield, stuck good, peels off good and leaves very little residue which cleans off easily. I sit down with an indelible marker, write my notes, score the tape and apply.

Brian I think you stated you like cockpit photos, here’s one.

 

[Texas T]

Cute cup holder.

What's the gizmo hanging from the windshield?

 

[Splash]

Oops. That should have been removed be the photos. Can’t really say. A friend is attempting to downsize some existing tech.

 

[Texas T]

Oops. That should have been removed be the photos. Can’t really say. A friend is attempting to downsize some existing tech.

Nothing like making me even more curious!

 

[bikerbill]

Brian,

I'm sorry that I missed ya at Pink's. Hidalgo was parked just behind your Wing. She's the black bike with a suit draped over the windshield.