Category: Events

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As things stand, we are on for the 10th Coast to Coast. YES!

When:

Sunrise – 4:50am

April 30, 2022

Added caution and some changes due to the lingering plague do need to be taken into consideration in a few key areas.

1. Meeting

2. Routes

3. Overnighting

4. The Ride

5. Final Words

MEETING

Our typical event involves the gathering of a large number of riders, many shaking of hands, some brotherly hugs, close proximity talking, drinking and eating. There are varying opinions and levels of caution amongst the Twistybutts on how best to conduct oneself at present and that is cool but we can all agree that we are there for the ride so let’s focus on that.

* Respect each other’s choice to distance and wear a mask whenever gathered. *

For those preferring to completely avoid mass gathering and the potential for ‘an accident’ or those who refuse to wear a mask, let’s talk routes.

ROUTES

The typical Coast to Coast route will be available for those wanting to run that route. The start will still be somewhere on the Sagami Bay coast. It is always great to see everyone each year and the steeds gathered for the ride out. A highlight on the riding calendar!

However, things are a little different this time round for many and it would be great to see that lead to some alternate routes with various start and end locations befitting everyone’s circumstances. So feel free to do your own thing. Especially if:

  • you don’t want to join a large gathering.
  • you want to start closer to home, finish somewhere other than Joetsu or run an alternate route.
  • you are too far away but still want to do a Coast to Coast.

We can use SNS to share our various rides and unique sites and challenges. Be great to see all the photos and read the tales from the road.

Here are some possibilities…

Plenty of twisties and touges needing dusting off all over Japan! Grab your local wingmen and make it happen.

OVERNIGHTING

Focusing on the riding and with a number of Twistybutts offering various preferences for hotels, camping and day trips, there is no official Twistybutt Hotel this year. Sad yes. End of the world, no.

The Ride

The origin of the C2C was in taking on an epic riding challenge aboard road ready steeds and enjoying the camaraderie of like minded riders through changeable weather over winding passes and all the while bettering yourself as a rider without running out of fuel! That hasn’t changed.

Let’s all get out for a Coast to Coast Twistyfest, round a lot of rubber, sharpen our riding skills and get to know our bikes better.

Looking forward to seeing the adventures via SNS.

FINAL WORD

All riders need consider their responsibilities to society and the potential spreading of unnecessary suffering. This goes for the various non-riders you’ll meet on your adventure as much as your fellow riders.

Be respectful and don’t be offended if you aren’t greeted as warmly as you greet others or expect. It’s not your backyard. Enjoy your ride, help make others similarly so and avoid anything that erodes that.

Finally, make your salutations to the riding gods for fine skies and to keep the roads and borders open!

WHAT IS THE COAST TO COAST TWISTYBUTT?

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POSTPONED – Until further notice…

Too much uncertainty around restrictions to go ahead with this at this point in time.
We’re all getting tired of the waiting game but gotta keep our hopes up for a gathering of the Twistybutts sooner rather than later. Hang in there all.

So, who’s keen for trying the Coast to Coast #10 on September 19, 2021? Yup, this September.

It’s still warm but cool on the Peaks and most mountain passes are open. There is a chance of typhoons scuppering things and we’ll have to deal with that. If we start the salutations to the weather and road Gods now, we oughta have a good shot at a green light.

As to the State of Emergency, that’s out of our hands and will be dealt with as the restrictions dictate. In any case, social distancing and respect for local covid concerns along our route needs to be a top priority.

Anyway, if you’re keen, pencil it in and let’s see if we can’t have a ride to see out the warmer weather.

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This is a good warning for those springing back onto their bikes after little to no riding throughout the winter. If crash reports make you weak at the knees take a seat now.
After a few months of rebuilding the Triumph Street Triple, I took it out for a twisty road shakedown last Saturday night. Over the preceding months, it had scored LED headlights, Street triple R suspension front and back, Street Triple R radial calipers, R1 master cylinder with new lines, the ever pesky crank position sensor was changed along with the alternator and a few cosmetics like bar end mirrors, tail tidy, titanium bolts here and there. Oh, and the Zard mufflers were back on. It

WAS a sweet package.

From here on, the black witch will be called ‘the striple’.

The striple had gotten a highway shakedown on the previous Wednesday through the snow out and back to the HMS rider training and performed flawlessly.

This time, we took the route I’ve done a thousand times down the coast with a local mate who’s also a bike mechanic and who’d done the lion’s share of the rebuild. The bike was performing well and the conditions were nice. Nothing odd or strange other than an occasional front end twitch.
On the second leg of twisties heading south out of Yugawara toward Atami, in a tightening left corner which I didn’t quite see well enough(see below for details), the front tyre suddenly washed out sending us sailing across the corner.

Thankfully no cars were coming in the opposite direction and it was a low speed spill. It was quick enough though, in combination with the short distance to a nasty curb on the outside of the corner, to pretty much destroy the delicate triumph’s peripherals.

Headlight stay broken, both wheels bent, rear subframe broken, seat torn up, tank dented and scratched, front rotors bent and various cosmetics decimated by that nasty non-slip red grip paint that sliding bikes just seem to skate across. Great for gripping weighted rubber, not sliding plastics and metals 😦

I fell on my left shoulder which jammed the elbow into the ribs while my helmet lightly kissed the tarmac with its visor, rolled onto my back then onto my left side and then slid to a halt on my belly but not before I collided with something or hyper-extended my ankle. But, once the sliding stopped and I had checked all limbs and digits were operational, I got to my feet and dusted myself off. Didn’t feel bad at the time and was soon helping my mate get the bike off the road.

The two bent rims made that a haul. That’s when I noticed the growing pain in my ankle. But the BMW Streetguard suit had done it’s job saving me from any open contact with the road. Not a scratch on me despite sliding across what amounts to a vast swathe of sandpaper!

A wrecker was called to haul the striple away and I hobbled off to get myself looked at.

Getting dropped off after the haul back.

Went for a few X-rays to be sure and my steel girder like superstructure had survived unscathed again. Hurt to walk though… Doc said it was probably just a severe impact strain and that all the bones were still intact and where they were supposed to be. Good, good, good!

Something he didn’t diagnose was my bruised pride and confusion at what exactly had happened.

In hindsight, there are a few things that combined to cause it, I think.

1. A big one, older unused tyres. I didn’t replace them despite recommendations.

2. Forks, although rebuilt, they weren’t pristine to start with and I’d had some concern over their slight stiction.

3. The corner was striped with balding sandgritt paint. Tyres don’t like that. Not to mention the tectonic rift in the middle of the lane.
4. My eyesight is not what it used to be.
5. The new LED headlights had a narrow horizontal beam pattern and are very bright white at 6500k. Bright white destroys night vision which is essential when a narrow horizontal beam banks into a corner leaving voids.
I’m leaning towards 1+3 following 4+5 reducing my preparedness.

And in the light of day, the striple was found to be an absolute mess! It’s no longer for this world.

T

Thank you to:
Sanekatasan for his invaluable assistance. Pre and post crash.

BMW Streetguard for saving my skin and bones, again.

Modern medicine for limiting my pain.

Important note:
After a crash, GO SEE a DOCTOR and be very descriptive about what happened, what hurts and the damage to your riding gear. It’s always better to err on the side of caution by getting your sorry bag of bones checked out. Such a sudden stop can cause damage that doesn’t strike until later. Also, get there asap! Best stay ahead of injuries and get it over and done with before the aches and pains reduce you to a whining sofa surfer.

* I hope that my crash will encourage you to check your equipment and prepare adequately before hitting the road.

Be prepared and ride safe!

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5 days of all-day touring deep into the Japanese mountains.

Over 5 days we potentially have 2000+km of twisting winding and undulating roads to scout out and get lost in. Also, there is great riding and many sights to see in the area so feel free to go free-range if that’s your thing. Or, if you do want to split off mid day and find your own way or head back to base for a rest, go for it! We’ll be meeting back at base every night for a feed and festivities.

Schedule

Departing April 30 4:50 am from Sagami Bay on the Pacific Coast!

April 30 – Full 500+km of twisting and winding all the way from the Pacific coast to the Sea of Japan.

May 1 – Riding the long way down into Naganao to set up a base for 3 nights. @400km

May 2 to 4 – Riding long daily loops out through the mountains of Niigata, Nagano, Gunma and Yamanashi. @400km/day

Accomodation
April 30 – Hotel in Joetsu. Exact location and price to be decided. Will depend on numbers and availibility. Budget 6-8000yen.

May 1 to 3 – Cabins near Ueda, Nagano. 8 person cabin with kitchen, shower and toilet. Futons for sleeping. 3500yen/night + bedding. The cabin grounds has an adjacent campground for those wanting to tent. Onsen facilities are also on the grounds with views of Mt. Asama from the outdoor baths!

Joining up

Reply here to register your interest. First in get the choice of spots in the cabins.

Note

For the 500km run on day 1, April 30, we won’t be dawdling or sightseeing. So, if you’ve not done a coast to coast Twistybutt before, please join us in Joetsu that evening or the following day in Nagano.