Bikes along the Road...

This one I spotted when we pulled into the Wildflower Bread Company cafe in Sedona the other day.

I've only ever seen these Boss Hoss bikes in photographs. Never on the road. They've always made me wonder how they handled.

Think about it for a second... A V-Twin... and most all motorcycle motors... the rotaion of the engine is pretty much inline with the bike...

This Chevy V8 is spinnin' cross ways...

Years ago I'd built a hot rod chevy pickup. The 350 V8 motor in that thing was close to 400 HP. If I blipped the throttle on that truck, the whole rig rocked. SO... I always thought with these Boss Hoss motorcycles... blip the throttle and the scooter's likely to throw itself on the ground! :)

As luck would have it, I managed to find us a table right beside the guy... who appeared to be about my age an' not much bigger... who was ridin' this Beast of a Motorcycle.

He told me that he'd had an old BMW bike with that opposed motor that torqued the bike more than this big American Iron brute. The fella swore it wasn't much and he didn't even notice it...

Whatever, the bike is an Awesome machine... it's pretty intimidating to look at... I thought my 113 cubic inch Raider was a big bike... not so much... 350+- Chevy cubes kinda takes that prize don't it! :)

Only thing I can say is... at 1200#'s or so, 350ci +- and 445hp!!!... The Boss Hoss is juuuuuuust a bit more bike than I wanna Horse around! :)

Grab Your Handles and Ride
Brian

On the Arizona Road

We're camped in a dispersed camp spot a stones throw east of Cottonwood in the Verde Valley.

Sonja carried me up Hwy 260 past the town yesterday to turn off onto Arizona 89A and climb up into the Black Hills to the west.

*Climbing 89A toward Jerome, Arizona*

A few miles of Arizona two lane takes you to the one time copper mining town of Jerome.

Time it right and it'd be a good place for a late breakfast, lunch or you could put up for the night in the Jerome Hotel which sits just about the highest building on the hill.

Take care riding through the town. I was standing on the dirt, taking this pic of the town when an impatient scooter driver goosed his worn Honda to squirt around a slow car. Trouble is... he crossed the solid yellow two stripe die-rectly in front of the town's Black and White that lay hidden behind a collection of parked cars along the shoulder... OOPS

They've got a "noise ordinance" too... so keep your rpm down and you'll have no difficulties.

The streets are narrow and busy with cagers throwing doors open, tight corners and roads coming in from odd angles all over... don't be in a hurry... best to stop and take a stroll around anyhoo. ;)

Up above town as you leave going west rises the Black Hills and Mingus Mtn. A sweet ride.

In the summer there's a campground up on top. Keep going and you come down into Prescott and its storied whiskey row. 

I had to turn around at the top and roll back to camp for an appointment to do some 4 wheel tourista stuff in the afternoon with herself.

On the way back down... I tried to do some video hand holding my Nikon...

... uh... rolling along that winding road, twisting the throttle with one hand and gripping the camera with the other does NOT make for good video! :) I REALLY need to get that stolen helmet cam replaced!

Arizona 89A would be a fine road to film a ride over.

If you're riding from Phoenix to Flagstaff... I'd recommend you get off of that damned four lane slab. Cut over to the west on 169 at Cordes Junction. Turn right onto 69 at Dewey and roll up through Prescott. Find 89A and come over the mountain from the SW.

After you come down through Jerome and Cottonwood, stay on 89A up through Sedona and Oak Creek Canyon and on to Flagstaff. A whole lot better ride than the tedium of an interstate.

Fact is, I'd stay in the area a few days. There's roads to ride, and sights to see for several day trips using Prescott, Jerome, Cottonwood,  or Sedona as a base.

If I'm ever able to wrangle the thing together... this is an area I'd really like to consider for a comfortable camp for drifting bikers...

Grab Your Handles and Ride
Brian