Street Vibrations is a 4-day event that brings two-wheel enthusiasts from all parts of the country to show-off customs, parade the vendor booths and enjoy the entertainment. Oh did I mention the local rides? Yes, there are plenty from Virginia City to Lake Tahoe as well as the various poker runs.
The weather (mid-90’s) really made for a positive experience this year. Our entourage spent time riding out the Virginia City loop, but mostly we stayed in downtown to mingle with the crowds, talk motorcycles with riders and vendors and take in all that the casinos had to offer up in terms of entertainment. The vendor booths were busy with crowds most all day long. Of course there was the monster jump at the Grand Sierra Resort by Ryan Capes who broke the (ramp-to-ramp) record on a motorcycle.
Left Of Center
And there were lots of bands with some top tier talent, but I enjoyed the non-headliners more. There was Saddle Tramps on the Jagermeister Super Stage and most notable was Left of Center who played the Brew Brothers pub at Silver Legacy on back to back nights. Our group also caught a comedy club act in the Catch A Rising Star lounge which made the $15 per ticket expense seem like a bargain after all the craps table losses!
The motorcycle festival didn’t pass without incidents, however. There were several motorcycle accidents including one fatality which I posted previously HERE. In fact, on our ride back from Virginia City we came upon a motorcyclist who lost control and struck a wall on Griner’s Bend, a sharp curve at the south side of Virginia City on State Route 342. In addition, Police reported there were 72 arrests made at Street Vibrations even though it was considered one of the more peaceful events! Most of the arrests were alcohol related, including 23 for public intoxication. The police also issued 77 traffic citations and responded to six reports of stolen motorcycles. It was a busy weekend for LEO, but what I most appreciated was the lack of SWAT teams armed with semi-automatic rifles marching in Virginia City and other areas.
Back to the rally. I missed the roller derby battle between the Rose City Rollers and the Battle Born Derby Demons, but you have to make a call since you can’t take it all in! The sponsors brought back the firework display which had disappointed many last year when it was cancelled. And then there was the tattoo expo which put body art on display and inspired one of the posse to get inked. A big shout out to Randy Burke, owner of Road Shows who puts on Street Vibrations because it was a great event and the rally was kept fresh with some new activities.
Posse Dinner
On Sunday morning we were up early because it was all about miles and putting on as many of the 546 miles we needed to do before the heat baked the day. From Susanville we took CA-44 through Lassen National Forest. We headed up toward Old Station and then took CA-89 toward the town of Mount Shasta. I like riding this route. The road is good and traffic is moving fast for a two-lane road. It has a varied and interesting scenery. About 60 miles south of Mount Shasta there was a forest fire in early August that raged through the area. I believe it was the Hat Creek Complex. More photos HERE. We didn’t know it at the time, but there was another forest fire filling the air with smoke. A thin layer at first, but it increased through-out the day. It was from the Boze fire, an 11,000-acre fire near Tiller, OR and with the southerly trade winds blowing it meant we rode in it nearly all day long!
We entered the Northern Sierra Nevada Mountains, rolled onto I-5 and pressed on through beautiful scenery. Arriving at the Oregon border we crossed the 4300 foot mark at the Siskiyou Summit which is the highest point on I-5. We then dropped down in the Rogue River valley through Ashland, Medford and Grants Pass. Occasionally, I’d catch a whiff of toasted brake lingering in the air, proof that not everyone enjoyed the ride as much as we were! We traversed the three passes of the Umpqua Valley and after Roseburg it was back to rolling hills. We continued to deal with forest fire smoke. There was a small mechanical delay which baling wire fixed in short order with a shift linkage, but otherwise we were all about miles and stops were limited to fast food and fuel. It took just under 12 hours to make the trip home.
It was a good and safe Street Vibrations trip!
Road Trippn’ to Street Vibrations 2009 — Part 1 HERE; Part 2 HERE.
Northwest Harley Blog 