Every year on Easter Sunday, hours before the sun has risen, motorcyclist from all over the bay area don warm clothing, start their bikes, and head for Mount Tamalpais. I’ve made the Easter ride every other year for the past ten years. For each motorcyclist, the experience is different and personal. The following is my account of what happened during the Easter of 2005.
Preparation for the ride began on Friday morning. My bike is a 1971 Kawasaki H1, a bike known better for it’s uncontrollable excessive speed than for reliability. On Saturday I was supposed to be finishing painting it in Easter theme, pastel purple, a white bunny, and lots of yellow chicks, but as usual I was instead wrenching and fabricating, making pieces for a bike that can no longer be fitted with genuine factory original parts. By Saturday afternoon the bike had a new used exhaust with custom made hangers, timing set, new plugs, carbs cleaned and synced. The H1 ran better than I’ve ever known it to run. I’m no genius of a mechanic, just lucky this time. Time for a nap.
4:00 am the alarm sounds. I have ten minutes to get to Zeitgeist to hook up with some other riders. Thirty minutes later I’m out the door, donned in leathers and carrying a thermos of terribly strong coffee. To my surprise the bike starts on the first kick and I keep it taching over by pressing the “S” lever when the R’s begin to fall. The Kawasaki triple is a little loud, sounding a bit like three chain saws all sawing together. Out of consideration of the neighbors, I walk the idling bike down the road... waiting for it to warm up. Before I started the H-1, I heard a couple other motorcycles in the distance likely heading to Mt. Tam, but now that the triple is running, all I hear is the gorgeous terrible tone of it’s three cylinders. After a minute of warming up, I hop on and baby the bike to the Zeitgeist as it finishes getting up to operating temp. There are a couple motorcyclists there, but my friends have already taken off, so off to Mt. Tam on my own!
It’s not yet early dawn, riding down Franklin I hook up with a crowd of about 15 other motorcyclists. We ride through Cow Hollow, across the Golden Gate Bridge, through the Marin tunnel, and then take the Highway 1 exit where we congregate with about 100 other motorcyclists. It is still not yet early dawn. The time to ascend Mt. Tam has long passed, but I wait in the gas station parking lot for other riders to get on the way. I don’t like riding in a pack on windy narrow roads, especially on my H1. After most have taken off, I take off as well, beginning my ascent of Mt. Tam. The sky is just now starting to lighten on the East horizon. As I ascend, most of my consciousness is absorbed riding the Kawasaki triple, but I notice that over the Pacific is a blanket of clouds, over the bay is crystal clear air, lights sparkling from Oakland, Treasure Island, and San Francisco. Halfway up Mt. Tam I see crimson from the East. Has the sun yet broken the horizon?
The ride up is relaxing, I trail some slower riders and signal a few others to pass. I’m part of a long procession of bikes. Along the way I pass a few bikes not destined to make it to the top. Finally I arrive and motor through a crowd of a couple hundred motorcyclists and find a parking spot next to a beezer (BSA). Yup, the sun rose. For me, the ride is more about being in the company of “others.” People who are “other” than “normal.” Someone who would polish the engine case and tank of a K100 is an “other.” Another “other” rode an 1950’s Indian, not an easy thing to do. The troubles I have with the H1 are nothing compared to what this owner must face. Motoguzzi, Cogiva, Aprilia, BMW, BSA, Norton, Yamaha, Honda, Suzuki, dirt, street, race, cruise... not quite every bike represented, but almost as good as visiting the Guggenheim motorcycle exhibit now on display in Las Vegas.
Special Thanks to: The State Park Rangers, thanks for waking up every Easter morning! Thanks for taking care of our state parks. Mt. Tam. is only one of several special public treasures. Thanks! Also, thanks to all who rode safely and respectfully. And thanks to those serving coffee and other goodies! You all rock!
