Earlier today, I stumbled upon a group of motorcyclists at a 76 gas station on the corner of Blossom Hill Blvd. and Almaden Expressway. One of them was nice enough to take a few minutes from his thrill-seeking schedule to share his riding experience with the Bright Side:
We are at the 76 gas station, about to go on a ride with some friends. What is our itinerary?
The itinerary is to go South on Almaden Road.
To the reservoir?
Yes, we are going to go past Uvas and Callero (reservoirs.)
So, is this because of the view or is the road really good over there?
The road is not straight, so the twist is kind of what we want. It’s definitely fun down there, kind of peaceful, you get a lot of nice scenery and usually not too many crazy drivers.
Alright, where else do you like to go around San Jose?
Mt. Hamilton is a nice place. Bear Creek Road, Highway 9, Highway 35, wherever the round isn’t strait—we’re all about that.
That’s cool. And what kind of bike do you have?
I have a 2005 Kawasaki Ninja 636.
Ok, So do you like to take it anywhere else outside of San Jose?
Around San Jose there are a lot of back roads that are really nice, but we also like to hit roads around Livermore and others out in that area – East Bay.
How about road trips? Do you like to take your bike to Tahoe or down south?
(Laughs) I have a sports bike, so at the moment no, but definitely in the future. Probably next September we’re planning on going down to some street bike races.
Ok, so then do you have your own motorcyclists community around here?
Couple friends that ride, and whoever else wants to tag along. So yeah.
I noticed that you’re wearing your leather jacket. Seeing as you like to keep it safe, how do you feel about people wearing t-shirts and little gear when riding?
Definitely not a good idea, I kind of value my skin. If something happens, there’s too many crazy drivers out there to not be prepared.
So if someone started to get into riding, what would be your advice for a new rider?
Keep your eyes open, and you’ve got to ride with a mindset that everyone is out to get you because in a sense they are since they’re not looking for you.
That’s good advice too for drivers who aren’t aware of motorcyclists. Well thank you for contributing.
You’re very welcome!
I later went down McKee road myself. Below is a photo of the road taken from Country View drive.
And here is the 2005 Kawasaki Ninja 636:
Penned by Alina K. A. 