WhiteS2k

Weather is good, and I've done too many drives out to the coast already. So today, I decide to take a drive up to Mt. Hamilton (from the San Jose side at Alum Rock). It was a very exciting drive. I saw a silverstone pull into the parking lot just when I was leaving. We waved.

As far as the drive is concerned, it is 2nd gear most of the way, with lots of hair-pin turns. Unfortunately, there is also a lot of gravel (fallen rocks) on the road surface, so made the driving more stressful. The way up was fun, with the right side falling off at the edge of the road and no guard-rails.

The way down, I got behind a Pontiac with a big block V8 right after I crossed the bridge. I followed him a while and it was clear that he was more interested in showing off to his girlfriend than letting me pass, so I stay back a distance behind him. He likes to ride his brakes, taking some hair-pins at a almost a stop. So at every tight turn, I was right behind him, then I'll let him go for a while until the next tight turn. I am sure he saw the grin on my face in his mirror.

One thing is that the road condition is not very good. There were many bad pot holes at the edge of the road. I hit a couple of then on the inside turns. Definitely not a road for any kind of speed or spirited driving.

It was not until I got back that I re-read some of the posts regarding fix-it tickets for no front plates. I was lucky that I did not see any UC police at the top.

scottrnelson

The good part of that drive is from the top of the mountain to the Junction, then down Del Puerto Canyon to I-5 or down Mines Road to Livermore (or both).

I probably would have used VTEC to get by the Pontiac on the first straight. That's when it's an advantage to be on a motorcycle. All the gravel and stuff on the road gives the advantage back to the S2000 though. See earlier thread.

WhiteS2k

Unfortunately there was no "straight" in any parts of the road. It was double solid line all the way from the bottom to the observatories, no place to pass unless the slow car pulls off the road to let others pass. Many considerate drivers would do that, but not all of them.

scottrnelson

I've never let a little yellow line hold me back.

If you can see far enough to get by and be back in your lane before someone coming the other way can come around the corner and get to the same point, you have enough room.

Still, better safe than sorry. I would at least have driven behind the car the whole way with the high beams on.