Blake B. of San Francisco has a passion for tinkering, trading, collecting, and riding motorcycles. A LOT of them. While cruising, he's looking for more than the ultimate route—he's seeking a glimpse of a mysterious, seven-foot tall, hairy, red-eyed human-like creature. Intrigued? Read on to find out if he has had any luck.
Tell us about your riding experience. How long have you been riding, and how many bikes have you owned? How did you first become interested in riding?
My first college roommate was my best friend since middle school. One day he brought home a '79 Honda CX500 and needed help tinkering on it. That was enough to get me hooked on bikes. I quickly traded some junk for an old '85 Honda Ascot VT500. It was all trades and tinkering for a few years. I amassed quite the junk collection that way.
I've owned (not necessarily gotten to ride): '85 Honda VT500, '78 Honda CB550, '76 Honda CB750, '86 Kawasaki KZ1000, Police Special Honda Spree 50, Kawasaki Ninja 600 (I think, I just needed a master cylinder and had to trade for entire bike), '79 Honda CX500, '07 Ducati S2R 1000 (FAVORITE BIKE EVER, 26,000 miles in traffic), '16 KTM Super Duke 1290R (available for rent on Twisted Road). Some were just parts, some I've put thousands of miles on; each one has a story.
What moto trips have you taken (long or short). Where did you go, stay and explore? Tell us some highlights.
The majority of my riding miles are commute miles—I actually enjoy dancing through traffic while all the cars are stopped, it's like a technical slalom (lane sharing, aka lane splitting, is legal in California and I'm so thankful for it). In terms of trips, I've only done a few >100 mile days. The longest is probably San Francisco, CA to Bradley, CA on to Fort John Hunter Liggett for a music festival. It was great fun strapping a bunch of camping and rave gear on my Super Duke and blasting down the 101.
Tell us some more about you - where do you live? What kind of work do you do?
I live near the beach in San Francisco and I'm a software engineer.
What are your hobbies - what do you enjoy doing when you're not riding?
I set myself the challenge to MAED (Make Art Every Day). Usually that's drawing or painting, but sometimes it's karaoke, or working on my own software projects. I just released a "sticker pack" of flirty Bigfoot cartoons, called "Sensual Sasquatch"
Tell us about your experiences with Twisted Road - as either an owner, as a rider, or both. What do you enjoy most about being part of our community?
My Twisted Road history is limited to only my experiences as an owner, and the vast majority have been positive. I really enjoy meeting people from all over and hearing about their adventures, seeing the differences in their level of stoke before and after their rides, and offering suggestions as to where they should explore on their trips. I hope to be a renter someday, but I need to figure out the logistics of traveling with riding gear.
What are your favorite rides near your hometown?
There is a post-script in Hunter S. Thompson's book from when he rode with the Hell's Angels where he describes a motorcycle ride that starts at the windmill in Golden Gate Park and goes along the PCH down to Pismo Beach, CA. I grew up going to Pismo with my family so the route covers, not only the physical terrain of California's Central Coast, but also connects my current neighborhood to my childhood vacation spot.
Living on Highway-1, its hard to go wrong. Riding north to Fort Ross is gorgeous, riding South to Alice's Roadhouse, swinging through Half Moon Bay is another unbeatable jaunt; even just making the loop and hitting all the bridges in the Bay is a fun urban ride (and a great way to rack up bridge tolls).
What location is on your moto trip bucket list?
I find the enjoyment of a ride to be equal measures piloting the machine and the discoveries made with the freedom to stop for any reason. With that in mind, I'd love to explore the Puget Sound area on a GT bike of some kind, blast around the streets of Paris or Berlin on an electric scooter, or explore S.E. Asia in a tuk-tuk.
Check out Blake's Bike Available For Rent on Twisted Road:
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