Road trip 1

["Cuadra" <cuadra@domain.elided>]

Fifth gear is total overkill but what the hell. Nary a cracker in sight. The
tachometer reads 5000 rpm. 110 miles per hour on this smooth desert road
north of Mojave. Creosote bushes, which probably comprise the greatest
percentage of biomass in southeastern California, blow past me like
thousands of tumbling dome tents. The suspension finally comes in on its
own. The harshness and overdamping I experience on the Bay Area concrete
grid quickly disappears. The front end is compliant, supple. The rear
doesn't bounce. Do I worry about overheating? No.  Don't these engines have
fins on them? I read something about an oil cooler, too.

I slow down in China Lake/Ridgecrest. This is a Navy town about 175 miles
from the Pacific Ocean. I pull over to check out a small squadron of
dilapidated Saab Draken and Mirage F1 jets. The Swedes are neutral and the
French pulled out of NATO's military  branch in 1966 -- what the hell are
they doing here? 

An hour later I finally begin the descent into Death Valley. I begin to
downshift the clunky Italian tranny. All is serene as a blast of
furnance-hot air hits my perspiring body. I pull into the gas station and
fork over $2.10 for 89 octane gas. Damn, the Moto Guzzi isn't going to like
this.

What? You thought I was driving the Alfa?

Paul cuadra@domain.elided
164 LS 5-speed
Moto Guzzi Sport 

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