Thanks, for the reply. I live up at Lake Conroe so not to far from you and have really enjoyed the people I have me met on this site. I would like to here more about the 2 bikes and what your thoughts are. Thank,Terry
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My Easter Weekend Ride!
- Thread starter Duke
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GHT
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The Three Wheeler is:
February 20, 2007 BRP has unveiled its first "on-road" vehicle, the 2008 Can-Am Spyder roadster. This three-wheel vehicle, with two wheels in the front and one in the rear, offers a completely new and stunning look. Powered by a proven 990cc V Twin engine designed and manufactured by BRP-Rotax, Spyder roadster, with its unique Y-architecture, can be described as part motorcycle and part convertible sports car. Later this year twelve selected American states and four Canadian provinces will offer Can-Am Spyder roadsters through BRP's existing dealer network, followed by France and Spain in early 2008. BRP will then expand its Can-Am Spyder offer to more North American states, Canadian provinces, Europe and other countries, and expects to be present worldwide within three to four years.
"Our Can-Am Spyder roadster is the next dimension in open-road riding. A true paradigm shift, the Spyder roadster offers a balance of performance and peace of mind with features like the Vehicle Stability System (VSS), engineered in conjunction with Bosch†, which includes anti-lock brakes, traction control and stability control systems," said José Boisjoli, president and CEO, BRP.
BRP's reputation was built on its ability to innovate and design products for powersports enthusiasts. After more than five years of research, the Can-Am Spyder roadster is now delivering on the company's promise to offer a complete line of recreational motorized products in four segments: on snow, on water, as well as both off and on road.
While confirming that the Can-Am Spyder roadsters would be assembled in Valcourt, Boisjoli added: "This is a historic event for BRP, particularly for our Valcourt and Austrian employees, as it confirms the strategic role of BRP's Québec manufacturing facilities for assembling complex and sophisticated vehicles, and BRP-Rotax's leadership in engine development. With Can-Am Spyder, we are redefining the roadster category by bringing the powersports experience to the road through this new generation of vehicles. BRP is entering a new era that will provide growth opportunities for our company worldwide and potentially create new jobs,'' he concluded.
Plans are to start manufacturing units by fall 2007 with a progressive ramp-up of the production over the next three years to meet market demand.
"This event also marks BRP's first truly global launch," said Chris Dawson, vice-president, Strategic planning & Head of Can-Am Spyder Program. "In 2007, BRP will deploy the first phase of its go-to-market strategy: twelve selected American states and four Canadian provinces will offer Can-Am Spyder roadsters through BRP's existing dealer network, followed by France and Spain in early 2008. In its second phase, BRP will expand its Can-Am Spyder offer to more North American states, Canadian provinces, Europe and other countries, and expects to be present worldwide within three to four years," he concluded.
February 20, 2007 BRP has unveiled its first "on-road" vehicle, the 2008 Can-Am Spyder roadster. This three-wheel vehicle, with two wheels in the front and one in the rear, offers a completely new and stunning look. Powered by a proven 990cc V Twin engine designed and manufactured by BRP-Rotax, Spyder roadster, with its unique Y-architecture, can be described as part motorcycle and part convertible sports car. Later this year twelve selected American states and four Canadian provinces will offer Can-Am Spyder roadsters through BRP's existing dealer network, followed by France and Spain in early 2008. BRP will then expand its Can-Am Spyder offer to more North American states, Canadian provinces, Europe and other countries, and expects to be present worldwide within three to four years.
"Our Can-Am Spyder roadster is the next dimension in open-road riding. A true paradigm shift, the Spyder roadster offers a balance of performance and peace of mind with features like the Vehicle Stability System (VSS), engineered in conjunction with Bosch†, which includes anti-lock brakes, traction control and stability control systems," said José Boisjoli, president and CEO, BRP.
BRP's reputation was built on its ability to innovate and design products for powersports enthusiasts. After more than five years of research, the Can-Am Spyder roadster is now delivering on the company's promise to offer a complete line of recreational motorized products in four segments: on snow, on water, as well as both off and on road.
While confirming that the Can-Am Spyder roadsters would be assembled in Valcourt, Boisjoli added: "This is a historic event for BRP, particularly for our Valcourt and Austrian employees, as it confirms the strategic role of BRP's Québec manufacturing facilities for assembling complex and sophisticated vehicles, and BRP-Rotax's leadership in engine development. With Can-Am Spyder, we are redefining the roadster category by bringing the powersports experience to the road through this new generation of vehicles. BRP is entering a new era that will provide growth opportunities for our company worldwide and potentially create new jobs,'' he concluded.
Plans are to start manufacturing units by fall 2007 with a progressive ramp-up of the production over the next three years to meet market demand.
"This event also marks BRP's first truly global launch," said Chris Dawson, vice-president, Strategic planning & Head of Can-Am Spyder Program. "In 2007, BRP will deploy the first phase of its go-to-market strategy: twelve selected American states and four Canadian provinces will offer Can-Am Spyder roadsters through BRP's existing dealer network, followed by France and Spain in early 2008. In its second phase, BRP will expand its Can-Am Spyder offer to more North American states, Canadian provinces, Europe and other countries, and expects to be present worldwide within three to four years," he concluded.
Duke, That was a great report.
I went to Oregon via Glacier National Park last year with the intent to ride down 101 for a couple days and then cut home. Well after a half day in the rain and not being able to see more than a 100 yards or so out into the ocean and with rain in the forecast for the next 2 days, I cut and made for Texas.
My hope is to make a run up 101 this year.
The Wing is nice for eating up the miles listening to the MP3 player and maybe chatting with a buddy on the CB.
Except for the Honda headset cable that connects the helmet gismo to the Wing console, I can't think of anything "Goldwing" that I am not happy with. The cable is made by J & M according to Honda Specs and is designed to be disconnected from the console rather than from the helmet. Try to imagine a 2' piece of cable dangling from a helmet when not riding....
Looks like you had a great time. Now, get that Wing and
!
I went to Oregon via Glacier National Park last year with the intent to ride down 101 for a couple days and then cut home. Well after a half day in the rain and not being able to see more than a 100 yards or so out into the ocean and with rain in the forecast for the next 2 days, I cut and made for Texas.
My hope is to make a run up 101 this year.
The Wing is nice for eating up the miles listening to the MP3 player and maybe chatting with a buddy on the CB.
Except for the Honda headset cable that connects the helmet gismo to the Wing console, I can't think of anything "Goldwing" that I am not happy with. The cable is made by J & M according to Honda Specs and is designed to be disconnected from the console rather than from the helmet. Try to imagine a 2' piece of cable dangling from a helmet when not riding....
Looks like you had a great time. Now, get that Wing and
!
Duke
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- Duke
Lets see now. Where did I leave off... oh yeah... I was having BNG at Harris Ranch and remembering my younger years at NAS Lemoore.
Well I finish my biscuits and gravy and continue my travel west bound on HWY 198.
As I exit Coalinga, CA I see a sign that gives me Goosebumps, and makes me smile a little bigger.
Have I mentioned already that it was a PERFECT DAY TO RIDE! Check out the sky!
I am climbing in elevation, and starting to get into the hills.
And the road is getting much better!
I believe that this area was called Paradise Valley... It looked to me to be a great place to have a cattle ranch.
Well my ride on 198 comes to an end as HWY 198 does not go any further. I am now just to the west of HWY 101 and am going to take the most direct route available to HWY 1, the Coast Hwy!
The roads are getting smaller, which is fine, and I eventually get to Hunter Liggett Army Base.
Not the most spectacular front gate I have ever seen on a military base, but at least here they permitted me to drive on base. I only had to show my current Insurance, License (with M endorsement - they checked!), and registration.
Guard - State your purpose for coming on base!
Me - (as I point to my GPS on the dash) I am following my map to the coast, sir.
Guard - No problem, its a great riding road on a bike, you are going to like it. License/registration and insurance please.
Very pleasant Active Duty Army Spec from San Antonio that rides too. I tell him about TWT and I eventually depart.
The roads on the base were top notch. You just had to be mindful of the 40 MPH speed limit.
I am not sure of the main purpose of this base but it sure does have a whole bunch of construction and heavy haul trucks.
Then a little further down the road another large parking area (depot?)
Just a pic of the main base complex. Signs posed the way to the PX and BOQ and BEQ's and Chapel.
A little further up past the main post area, there was an old historic mission on a hill side. "Mission San Antonio". It looked as if there was a giant easter egg hunt taking place on the lawn, if you look close you might see some little kids running around.
I realize that I have passed up the road I was looking for and turn around. I should have turned left before the main base area on my now ranked #1 road in California. Nacimiento-Furgesson Rd! You can see it meandering off to the left in the below picture.
On this stretch of road you are still on the base and there are signs everywhere saying to stay on the road, "LIVE FIRE RANGE"... I believe the signs too.
Neat valley that has old tanks at various distances.
Just over the hill from this valley you exit the base and are now in a national forest park road, still making my way west to the coast.
Now you will have to forgive me. I tended to only take pictures when the road straightened out a little bit. But for the last several miles I have been grinding my pegs off the bike at 20 MPH on some of the tightest switchbacks I have ever ridden.
Yes... This is one of the most entertaining roads I have ever ridden. And eventually you break through the forest and are greeted to a most scenic vista.
I keep making my way down the VERY STEAP and curvy road towards HWY 1, and come around a sharp and blind corner to be rewarded with this view.
I wind on down and turn north on HWY 1 towards Monterey.
And the gratuitous bike shot!
Still on the coast heading north.
I don't know what this flower/bush is but it thought it was interesting.
A couple of more miles up the road towards Big Sur, looking south.
Watch that first step... the cliffs are pretty steep around here.
I continue on to Monterey and make my way to Coast Guard Jetty. This is where I used to teach scuba and come to recreational dive.
I leave the jetty park and make the turn towards this historic strip:
It is now well after lunch time (just shy of 14:00 hrs), and I stop at one of those memorable restaurants that just sticks in your head for years and years.
They serve a very good chowder in a sour dough bread bowl. It is awesome and if your ever in Monterey, I recommend it for one of your meals!
I decide that instead of staying the night here, I am going to run back to Visalia and after I finish lunch I hit the road. I take 1 to the 101 out of Monterey and then take 101 back down to 198..
Not too many pictures, but there are a couple of things that caught my eye....
1. The view of the coast side of the hills was nicer
2. I found the vineyard of the wine that I drink the most of around the house.
3. Just because the GL1800 is an old mans bike does not mean you are invisible to radar detectors
Its only a 75 in a 65... (I SWEAR I THOUGHT IT WAS A 70MPH ZONE). But I was speeding all the same. Oh Well...
I am now on 198 heading east and with the afternoon sun behind me it has really highlighted the wild flowers blooming on the hillsides.
I thought that this was a very nice ranch house along the road side.
And a couple of more hillsides brightly colored with wild flowers.
I am back in Coalinga now and am back to the straight as an arrow section of 198 back to Visalia. But I stop to take one last picture on this Saturday.
I just thought that the color's complimented each other well.
Well this completes Saturdays ride, I will start working on Sundays ride up to Yosemite NP.
Stay tuned!
Well I finish my biscuits and gravy and continue my travel west bound on HWY 198.
As I exit Coalinga, CA I see a sign that gives me Goosebumps, and makes me smile a little bigger.
Have I mentioned already that it was a PERFECT DAY TO RIDE! Check out the sky!
I am climbing in elevation, and starting to get into the hills.
And the road is getting much better!
I believe that this area was called Paradise Valley... It looked to me to be a great place to have a cattle ranch.
Well my ride on 198 comes to an end as HWY 198 does not go any further. I am now just to the west of HWY 101 and am going to take the most direct route available to HWY 1, the Coast Hwy!
The roads are getting smaller, which is fine, and I eventually get to Hunter Liggett Army Base.
Not the most spectacular front gate I have ever seen on a military base, but at least here they permitted me to drive on base. I only had to show my current Insurance, License (with M endorsement - they checked!), and registration.
Guard - State your purpose for coming on base!
Me - (as I point to my GPS on the dash) I am following my map to the coast, sir.
Guard - No problem, its a great riding road on a bike, you are going to like it. License/registration and insurance please.
Very pleasant Active Duty Army Spec from San Antonio that rides too. I tell him about TWT and I eventually depart.
The roads on the base were top notch. You just had to be mindful of the 40 MPH speed limit.
I am not sure of the main purpose of this base but it sure does have a whole bunch of construction and heavy haul trucks.
Then a little further down the road another large parking area (depot?)
Just a pic of the main base complex. Signs posed the way to the PX and BOQ and BEQ's and Chapel.
A little further up past the main post area, there was an old historic mission on a hill side. "Mission San Antonio". It looked as if there was a giant easter egg hunt taking place on the lawn, if you look close you might see some little kids running around.
I realize that I have passed up the road I was looking for and turn around. I should have turned left before the main base area on my now ranked #1 road in California. Nacimiento-Furgesson Rd! You can see it meandering off to the left in the below picture.
On this stretch of road you are still on the base and there are signs everywhere saying to stay on the road, "LIVE FIRE RANGE"... I believe the signs too.
Neat valley that has old tanks at various distances.
Just over the hill from this valley you exit the base and are now in a national forest park road, still making my way west to the coast.
Now you will have to forgive me. I tended to only take pictures when the road straightened out a little bit. But for the last several miles I have been grinding my pegs off the bike at 20 MPH on some of the tightest switchbacks I have ever ridden.
Yes... This is one of the most entertaining roads I have ever ridden. And eventually you break through the forest and are greeted to a most scenic vista.
I keep making my way down the VERY STEAP and curvy road towards HWY 1, and come around a sharp and blind corner to be rewarded with this view.
I wind on down and turn north on HWY 1 towards Monterey.
And the gratuitous bike shot!
Still on the coast heading north.
I don't know what this flower/bush is but it thought it was interesting.
A couple of more miles up the road towards Big Sur, looking south.
Watch that first step... the cliffs are pretty steep around here.
I continue on to Monterey and make my way to Coast Guard Jetty. This is where I used to teach scuba and come to recreational dive.
I leave the jetty park and make the turn towards this historic strip:
It is now well after lunch time (just shy of 14:00 hrs), and I stop at one of those memorable restaurants that just sticks in your head for years and years.
They serve a very good chowder in a sour dough bread bowl. It is awesome and if your ever in Monterey, I recommend it for one of your meals!
I decide that instead of staying the night here, I am going to run back to Visalia and after I finish lunch I hit the road. I take 1 to the 101 out of Monterey and then take 101 back down to 198..
Not too many pictures, but there are a couple of things that caught my eye....
1. The view of the coast side of the hills was nicer
2. I found the vineyard of the wine that I drink the most of around the house.
3. Just because the GL1800 is an old mans bike does not mean you are invisible to radar detectors
Its only a 75 in a 65... (I SWEAR I THOUGHT IT WAS A 70MPH ZONE). But I was speeding all the same. Oh Well...
I am now on 198 heading east and with the afternoon sun behind me it has really highlighted the wild flowers blooming on the hillsides.
I thought that this was a very nice ranch house along the road side.
And a couple of more hillsides brightly colored with wild flowers.
I am back in Coalinga now and am back to the straight as an arrow section of 198 back to Visalia. But I stop to take one last picture on this Saturday.
I just thought that the color's complimented each other well.
Well this completes Saturdays ride, I will start working on Sundays ride up to Yosemite NP.
Stay tuned!
Last edited:
skup
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I am headed to Vegas and than on to California for a 3 week trip Monday. I will be doing some of the same roads in California. I thought the Yosemite rout would be still closed with snow.
Duke
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Badger pass / Glacier Point is still closed (well was 2 weeks ago).
Coming in from the east on 120, I am not too sure about about but I doubt if it poses too much of a problem. I am putting my yosemite report together now and you will see alot of snow, but the roads are clear.
skup
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- Joined
- Feb 14, 2008
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- Skupnjak
I was hoping to go through Badger Pass coming from Vegas on 395 but the Yosemite web page sais it is still closed.