New Years Day Tortilla Flats ride

eskasteve

eskasteve

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This is also posted on the discussions forum.
Here in the Phoenix area we have a very unofficial "official" New Years Day ride out to Tortilla Flats. No sponsors, so no liability. A lot of riders meet at various locations so that they can enjoy the ride with like minded friends. This will be the first year that I ride the Commando for this "event" so in preparation I pulled it out of its parking space and into my detailing station. This is actually my wife's parking spot in the garage but "detailing station" sounds so much more refined. While squatting down to start the aluminum polishing process I felt quite a bit of discomfort around my mid section. My wife was scooting through the garage just as I was wondering what in the heck happened to my pants to cause such an issue. "Well I see that your holiday gluttony has caught up with you once again" she smirked. How could that be? I made sure that every helping of turkey, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, and dressing (stuffing to some of you) was totally encased in a double dollop of gravy. My reasoning is that gravy acts like Teflon on calories allowing them to pass completely through the digestive tract without sticking. My wife said that such justification is delusional. Whatever! I dug out my buffet pants with the extra piece of expandable elastic in the waste and all was once again well in my world. Oh yeah, the purpose of this long winded post is to let those that might be in The Valley to head on out and have a look see.
Hope to see you there. I'll be the one on the red Commando nattily dressed in my tan buffet pants​
 
I used to live in Phoenix and did the Tortilla Flats ride. I stopped when a local shop posted it and all sorts of people who had new bikes and no riding skill were endangering other riders by passing on blind hills and curves. The last time I went I was following a car from Iowa (Idiots Out Wandering Around)who stopped at the top of the last hill going into Tortilla flats to look at something on the lake. I was going to fast to stop and had to pass them on a hill, yes my bad but I didn't expect them to stop in the middle of the road with no place to pull over. Don't forget the people towing boats going wide on corners. Anyone going please be very careful.

John in Texas
 
Probably no boats this year as the weather has been wet and cold. May not go myself if things don't improve. Thanks for the Iowa acronym.
 
N0rt0nelectr@ said:
I used to live in Phoenix and did the Tortilla Flats ride. I stopped when a local shop posted it and all sorts of people who had new bikes and no riding skill were endangering other riders by passing on blind hills and curves. The last time I went I was following a car from Iowa (Idiots Out Wandering Around)who stopped at the top of the last hill going into Tortilla flats to look at something on the lake. I was going to fast to stop and had to pass them on a hill, yes my bad but I didn't expect them to stop in the middle of the road with no place to pull over. Don't forget the people towing boats going wide on corners. Anyone going please be very careful.

John in Texas
Click to expand...
Do the IOWA-ANIANS stop because they are landlubbers and lakes are magical to them.

John - not in Texas
 
It does get very crowded at times. Thank goodness that the road out there was completely resurfaced this past summer. The crowds are kind of what makes it fun. Last year a group of 2 Vincent twins and a single cylinder Comet pulled in followed by 2 Ariel Square 4s. Lots of the usual mundane modern stuff but also plenty of cool old and rare bikes to ogle at. I'm trying to talk a friend of mine into riding one of his rotary Hercules or his Yankee 500 but he seems set on taking his 360cc Pursang powered Bultaco Metralla if he gets over the flu in time.
 
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I got up this morning and it's 40 degrees and pouring rain. Not going to Tortilla Flats today. I"d feel like I was back in Washington State except that we have a much dryer rain here in AZ.
 
I bet the road is still narrow? You going to the swap meet at MMI?
John in Texas
 
Doubt if I'll go to the swap meet as I always seem to buy more useless crap at events like that. If I do go I'll take the Norton as it has nowhere to haul any treasures home.
Yes, the road is still narrow. The DOT did widen some of the pullouts and tried to address some of the erosion issues. We rode on out the first week after the construction was complete and found it much nicer to navigate. The skateboarders and inline skaters would refer to it as "Black Powder". I'm glad that they didn't change the character of the road.
 
I know that they probably won't ever pave it all the way to the dam but that would be fun.
John in Texas
 
Last fall we did the drive from Tortilla Flats to the dam in our new truck. Afterwards my wife informed me that there is no way that she will ever do that road again regardless of what we're driving or even if it's paved. If the ADOT paves that section of the road how many sport bike accidents do you suppose would happen per year?
 
I remember going to across the dam before the bridge was built from Globe and then on up to Payson and then on to Christopher Creek for lunch. An all day ride but a lot of fun.
I expect that road would be like riding the dragon if were ever to be paved!

John in Texas
 
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