BSA International Rally
Two days after the All British Rally in April, Jen and I found ourselves with a few other BSA club members on a Qantas flight bound for LA: final destination Petaluma (just north of San Francisco). I had shipped my B66 to LA with Bikes Abroad and it couldn’t have worked better. All the paperwork was done and the people were really helpful, the bike came out of the crate easily and fired up first shot. We left the depot around 10:30am and although being after peak hour, the freeway system combined with riding on the wrong side of the road didn’t allow for a very relaxing ride until we had cleared LA and started going up the coast road to San Francisco. This road is best described as being a 500-mile version of Victoria’s Great Ocean Road. During our three-day cruise up the coast the only other BSAs we saw were two Bantams and a B33 outfit from England. It was almost a case of tortoise and hare as we came across each other a couple of times on the way to the rally. The rally was being held at the KOA camping ground and RV Park in Petaluma. Leaving San Francisco and heading north to Petaluma was easy but where was the park? We shouldn’t have worried because there were BSAs everywhere. In fact, by the end of registration on Friday there were nearly 400. In all the Australian team to the international rally numbered 19, not all were riding – some borrowed, some bought and I took my own. From an outsider’s view the rally was brilliantly organised and went off without a hitch. The only problem I could see was how the Australians will do better in 2018. The Victorian club ran the International rally in 2001 and it was considered one of the best of the period, but now the Americans have lifted the bar so high it will be a bit of a challenge. During the seven days of the rally there were six official rides and events on in the evening. One particular ride, for a small bunch of us that became separated from the main group, turned out to be absolutely fantastic. I was leading a small group not knowing or caring where we were going when coming into the town of Nappa I spotted in the main street on display a radial aircraft engine. Needless to say I instantly pulled up and flagged down those following. The more we looked the more we saw – there was even one hanging out of the back of a VW Beetle and it ran. The piece de resistance however was a 28 cylinder Pratt and Whitney “corncob” engine (four banks of nine cylinders) sitting on a trailer chained to the office wall. And the best bit was a sign saying “I’ll run it for 100 bucks”. Needless to say we whipped around the hat and fifteen minutes later she fired up. What an experience! I reckon we could have made a profit if we whipped the hat around all those who gathered in the main street to watch. The chap who ran the show could see we were very enthusiastic so without asking or charging he started up a few more: wow!
The evening talks started with the California Highway Patrol (handy information) then none other than Jeff Smith, Jim Rice and Dick Mann; a true once in a lifetime opportunity. The night between the highway patrol guys and Jeff Smith we had a rather quirky little event called a “prince of darkness” ride. This was in effect a twenty-mile dash
through the countryside after dark in order to prove how reliable Lucas electrics are, and much to our amazement Jen and I managed second place. I am rather chuffed to say it wasn’t the only prize we picked up: the B66 won the ‘most exotic bike at the rally’ award. The Americans, Europeans and Kiwis were really impressed but not so much the English. I suspect it’s the Americans’ love of the V-twins that swung things our way.
After a very short seven days the rally ended and it was time to begin our own after-rally ride. We spent our first night fairly high up in Yosemite Park. The official campground is nestled between these massive rock outcrops many hundreds of feet high. If we thought this visit impressive we only had to wait for the following day crossing the Tioga Pass at 10,000 feet with snow all around and very little vegetation – the view was spectacular. As we descended and approached the desert country of Nevada the wind started to pick up and we started to wonder where we would stay that evening. At times as far as the eye could see both in front and behind the road was straight and uninhabited; not even fences, just wind and dust. Eventually we came across this little one-horse town of Dyer and the general store proprietor also owned a few cabins for rent. We decided to stay and by the time we had signed up the wind outside had turned into a full-on gale; one that would darn near blow you over. I chained the bike to the protected side of a cabin to stop it from being blown over and sand blasted. Morning came, the wind died down and we dusted off the bike and headed to Vegas for a couple of days of R&R. Circus, Circus, the casino at the top of the strip was our destination: cheap accommodation and cheap food and if, like us, you don’t go near slot machines, it stays that way! Las Vegas is a hoot. It’s all fake but it’s worth a look. Then, from the unreal of Vegas to the spectacular Grand Canyon in Arizona via the sometimes corny but nevertheless interesting Route 66. Photos just can’t do the canyon justice. You would think it would be hard to match the splendour of the canyon but a day’s ride to the north puts you in Utah and Monument Valley, equally as magnificent as the Grand Canyon, just different. Sometimes in the most unexpected places, strange things happen. A day out of Monument Valley whilst descending a long hill I spotted quite a flock (I think that’s the right word) of old Harleys and Indians and in amongst the group was Peter Arundel and his daughter along with a pile of other Australian Indian enthusiasts who had just raced and beaten the American Harley riders in their 5 yearly inter-country Great Race. I only found this when Jen and I bumped into Peter and his daughter a few days later at LAX also heading to our next destination of Cancun on the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico. The trip back to LA from Monument Valley wasn’t too bad except for the day we crossed the 150-mile Mojave Desert in 100 degrees F heat and the last half into a strong head wind.
Two days later the bike was packed back into its crate in LA and we were on a plane to Cancun for nine days in a hire car touring the ruins and caves of the Yucatan Peninsula: Jen’s part of the holiday. In all we covered just on 3,000 miles (4,800km) and had a really great time on the bike. We met a lot of wonderful people, many of whom I hope will come to our BSA International Rally which will be held somewhere (the BSA club has a shortlist of places) in Victoria in 2018. It’s not that far away so finish off the bikes and come along.