The Delta Dual-Sport Ride
(that's Dikes AND Ferries!)

March 4, 2007

Sunday morning was clear & cool, with a mid-day forecast of 70 degrees.  Craig, Laurel, Doug, Gino, & guest Greg Leopold met for breakfast at the Country Waffles in Clayton.  I had Sherry's great pancakes at home, and joined the others for the riders meeting. Told the story of pre-riding this route on Friday;

"Smelled gasoline every time I slowed down.  Fuel gauge dropping much faster than usual.  Found gas dripping down the right side of the engine the third time I looked on Grand Island.  FREAKED-OUT visualizing the Iron-Butt Caponord that burned to the ground in the Bristlecone Pines, and Colin Edwards baling off the blazing-fireball Aprilia Cube in Germany! AAACK!!!  Motorcycling is not supposed to be THIS exciting!  Considered my options many times...

I very anxiously rode it straight home (50+ more miles), mentally READY to bale at the first signs of excessive heat or FLAMES!  Spent Saturday replacing all the plastic oem fuel fittings (again) & high-pressure fuel-injection hoses.  Used the good metal fittings I had bought for the NEXT service."

Back to our ride... Handed out the route map (magenta route to lunch, orange route afterwards) & reminded everyone that the levee roads on the islands can be dangerously rough and there will be gravel sections.  Pick your lines carefully & stand on the pegs when appropriate.  Even Gino, with the '86 BMW K75 with the <clue sinister soundtrack> old BMW saddlebags, said OK with a smile. Also explained the CLOSED ROAD gate we were going to "not notice" on Empire Mine Road.  Greg said, "The ride leader gets the ticket, right?"  I whispered, "sure."  ;-)

Rode out Marsh Creek Road (my old twisty commute route) at a nice pace. Turned left on Deer Creek Road and ran its curves over the ridges to Empire Mine Rd.  Darted between the bicycle-access posts & waved at the bike riders watching us INVADE their new, special, private domain!  (Note: Antioch incorporated the area after the last of the farmers left recently and CLOSED the road to all motorized vehicles to keep the local teenagers with cars out.  Once the kids found the abandoned area, it became party central.  Now its a "bike & hiking trail".)  It has sweet, tight little curves that they'll have to pry out of my dead throttle hand...

Popped in to Antioch near the new bike trail with a BIG smiles on our faces!  Innocently rode through town just like the law-abiding citizens our momma's wished we were.  On to Hwy-4, the Antioch Bridge, and the Delta!

Sherman Island Road was one of the roughest paved roads in California, twenty-five years ago.  There has been NO road maintenance.  There are semi-paved whoops on this levee road. A couple of sections with curves weren't as bad.  We all survived the first island & stopped at the day-use park on Hwy-160 for a potty break.

One island done, five more to go!

Greg's new toy was beautiful ... and the WRONG bike for this ride!

Next was Rio Vista & Hwy-84 to the south Ryer Island Ferry.  The north end of Ryer Island is good pavement, curves, & more delta scenery.  Then we took the other Ryer Island Ferry over to Grand Island.

Circled the lower end of Grand Island, crossed over to Andrus Island & circled it, almost twice.  WOW, we're making good time and a little a head of schedule.  We rode up to the little Main Street of Locke and took a break.  Walked by the interesting little shops.  Stopped in at "Al the Wops" for a beverage & some socializin'.  No one appeared interested in lunch; a steak sandwich with peanut butter & marmalade on the side.  Forgot to pull the camera out.

Next we headed towards Tyler Island and everyone's favorite road sign;

Race Track Road is THAT-A-WAY!!!

The Tyler Island levee, where still paved, is in pretty bad condition.  The long gravel section was amazingly smooth.  As we crossed the last rough paved section to get to the Tyler Island bridge, Geno reached back to check the lid on the left saddlebag.  It sometimes opens.  It wasn't there.  He looked and the whole bag wasn't there either.  He slowed & checked the right saddlebag.  OOPS!!!  It was gone too!  As we disappeared towards the bridge, Geno turned around & started back looking for the escaped saddlebags.

We waited at the bridge for a couple of minutes & Craig offered to ride back & check on Geno.  After several more minutes, I asked the rest of them to please wait at the bridge for someone to return, and I started back around the island too.  Got half way around the dirt section & no Geno, but met Craig coming back. We stop & talk.  No signs of Geno.  Hmmm...  Craig continues back to the bridge to see if Geno circled around the island clockwise, while I continued searching counter-clockwise.

Just as I get back to the rough pavement before the gravel, I see Geno coming towards me slowly.  We stop & he tells me about escaped saddlebags.  He had just found the right bag, as it had tumbled down the "island" side of the levee.  He was now slowly going along the "waterway" side for the escaped left-side bag.  We both were hoping it floats.

Craig came around one last time & I sent him to collect the others & take 'em to the lunch spot in Isleton, about 6 miles away.  Geno & I finished the slow pass looking for a floater.  It didn't. I'm afraid Dave Jones has a new addition to his collection.

Lunch was at the River's Edge Cafe, 7 Main St, Isleton.  Clay, a friend of Craig & Greg had opened this little place with his wife a couple of years ago.  Clay has his old restored Ural Sidehack sitting in the middle of the dining area.  COOL!!!  Lunch was outstanding.  Geno & I shared a piece of key-lime pie.  Excellent!  This is definitely the best non-seafood place in Isleton.

Greg, Craig, & Laurel headed towards other late-afternoon commitments, while Doug, Geno, & I continued the ride.  Out to Brannon Island, we rode by Moore's Riverboat Restaurant and continued on to Twitchell Island.  Crossed Hwy-12 next, rode past Foster's Big Horn in Rio Vista, and then out Montezuma Hills Road.  :-)  Saved the best for last.  What a great little curvy road over these beautiful green hills.

Finished up the ride with a beverage at the old infamous Thompson's Corner Bar in Cordelia.  Still has a large collection of bras pinned to the ceiling & the decoupage Playboy centerfolds on the walls.  I was a bit amazed it wasn't filled with bikers.

Another great ride.  Need to remember to get the camera out more often.

Catfish ...

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