Aquarium of the Pacific

Honda Shadow vs. Harley Davidson Sportster

So a couple weeks back I decided to rent a Honda Shadow to see how it stacked up against the Harley Davidson Sportster. First, I looked at the specs. The Shadow is 30 lbs lighter than the Sportster, so I thought it might feel a little bit more nimble. However, the Sportster has some advantages; its engine is 17% bigger and it has electronic fuel injection and dual disc brakes (the Shadow uses a single carb and has a rear drum brake). Features aside, the ride is what really matters.

I took the surface streets from LAX through Hollywood and Glendale then on to the Angeles Crest Highway. As I wound up the curves the air got colder and colder. By the time I hit the Red Box station there was snow on the ground and the road was covered in sand and rock, but the view from the Mt. Wilson Observatory was incredible.

After a long day of riding, I have to say the Sportster outperformed the Shadow hands down. The Sportster’s low, narrow frame gives a solid, responsive feel where the wider Shadow felt loose in the corners. The shifts on the Shadow were sloppy and it was an endless ordeal to find neutral. Lastly, the controls on the Sportster were much more refined than the Shadow’s, especially the Sportster's auto-cancelling turn signals. Both bikes start at around $7k, but the Sportster is definitely the better value.


FOLLOWUP:


After writing this article, I went on to buy a Harley-Davidson Sportster; the Iron 883. At 883cc's, this is Harley's smallest engine, but it's still 134cc's bigger than the Honda Shadow and has a base price that's $250 less. Honda has stepped up their game and added fuel injection, but they still use drum brakes in the back. After putting about 3,000 miles on my Harley, I'm quite pleased with my decision. The Harley has held up well and performs great, even when riding with my wife on the back. Neither bike is really designed for long-haul touring (for that, consider a bigger and heavier bike), but for tearing up the mountain roads of Southern California, I couldn't be happier.

Valentine’s Day in SF and Harleys in the Hills

So for Valentine’s Day, Sophia and I went up to San Francisco. The weather was wet and cold, but we had a great time nonetheless.

On Saturday we arrived at the Orchard Hotel, took a cable car to Pier 39, and warmed up with an amazing lunch of clam chowder and fish and chips at Alioto’s, a restaurant on the pier that’s been in the same Italian family since 1925. Then we walked through little Italy and Chinatown before grabbing a quiet dinner near our hotel. The next day we headed back to Pier 39 and took the ferry to Sausalito, a sleepy little bayside town dotted with quaint cafes, art galleries, and boutiques. After a lazy afternoon of shopping and tea, we returned to the city and took a cab to the Coit Tower, a 200+ foot observation tower with spectacular views of the city. That night, we had dinner with friends at Morton’s. Their Cajun rib eye steak is incredible. Monday morning we grabbed breakfast with Sophia’s friend at Taylor’s Refresher, a simple and delicious burger joint in the Ferry Building. We spent the afternoon with my Aunt and Uncle sipping Rosé wine and watching the sun set over the city. It was a fantastic trip.

This weekend we took it easy. Since I just got my motorcycle license, I decided to rent a Harley Sportster from Eagle Rider and check out the canyons. Starting out near LAX, I cruised up the PCH to Topanga Canyon and Sherman Oaks. After a light lunch with Sophia, I headed out again, blasting through Beverly Glen to Mulholland Drive, Coldwater Canyon, Sunset, and then back home via Beverly Glen.

That night we went to a birthday dinner at Chaya in Beverly Hills. It was good, but a bit pretentious for my tastes.

Sunday morning, I woke up ready to ride. After breakfast I headed up Beverly Glen, cut over to Sepulveda via Mulholland, and then cruised down Sunset to the PCH. It’s amazing driving up the PCH with the ocean by your side and the wind in your face as you carve through the curves. I took a break in Malibu and rode to the upper reaches of the Pepperdine campus, where you can see the curvature of the earth over an endless expanse of ocean. After taking in the views, I snaked up Malibu Creek Canyon, hitting 70+ mph before circling back to the PCH via Old Topanga Canyon. Cruising back to Santa Monica, I passed a Ford GT, one of the most incredible cars ever built, and a couple Rolls Royces. The Sportster was smooth, responsive, and got a lot of attention. I’m really starting to get hooked on bikes.

After dropping off the rental, Sophia and I grabbed lunch at Royal/T, a tea shop/art gallery where Japanese girls in French maid costumes serve sweet teas and finger sandwiches. It felt like a little bit of Tokyo and was so much fun we had to head over to Giant Robot for more anime action. Another great weekend!

Surfing with sharks and riding Harleys

Saturday I went surfing for the first time in months, but right when I stepped in the water I spotted two leopard sharks hanging out about 15 feet offshore. These guys average about 4-5 feet long, so it's a bit freaky when they're right next to you. However, they're totally harmless and generally try to avoid people, so I just kept on surfing.

On Sunday my brother and I rented some Harleys and cruised around the Temecula wine country. I got a Softail Deluxe, which is a 1500cc bike weighing in at 700 pounds. It was my first time on a Harley, but I was suprised by how easy it was to ride. The power was readily available at low RPMs, but not overwhelming. Shifts were solid with a reassuring clank and the cornering was smooth. I only had two complaints; the vibrations got distracting at 60+ mph and the weight of the bike made for a long stopping distance (I locked up the front wheel and skidded a bit when a light went red on me). That said, the vibration would probably be less of an issue on the Dyna bikes, since they have rubber motor mounts. Stopping distance is down to rider experience. All in all, it was a great day and I can't wait to ride a Harley again.

My Year in Hollywood

For some reason my little apartment in Hollywood never had a recycling bin, so I just started saving up my wine bottles under the kitchen sink. A year later and I'm moving again, so now I have seventy empty bottles to get rid of. So that's what I've been doing all year...

Anyways, I haven't written in forever so now I'll try to catch up. After Christmas in Vegas, Sophi and I had a pretty quiet and relaxed new year's. The next day when we went to get breakfast, I found that my car was blocked in by a silver Camry I hadn't seen before. As the day went on I started asking around to see whose it was, but no luck. Finally I tried the car doors and started rummaging through the glove box to find the owner. I turned up a name and number so I called the girl; turns out it was a single mom whose car was stolen several days before and abandoned in my parking lot. She only lived a half mile away, so we picked her up, took her to her car, and helped her get situated. She was super happy to have her car back, so that totally made my day.

The following weekend I convinced Sophi to go mountain biking down Mt. Wilson. It's kind of a huge ordeal, but so worth it. You have to take two cars, park one by the entrance to Mallard Canyon in Altadena, drive the other with the bikes up the Angeles Crest Highway to Mt. Wilson, bike down to the first car, then drive back to Mt. Wilson to pick up the second car. You end up driving 75 miles in total, but the trail takes you 10 miles though the Angeles Forest, descending 3,700 feet as it winds through several incredible panoramic vistas with views of all of Los Angeles. It’s a really amazing ride. So Sophi and I make our way to Mt. Wilson and start out on the trail. At first it was rough. We were blasted by freezing winds and had to stop to walk our bikes through long patches of snow and ice. However, once we got on the south side of the hill it was sunny, warm, and enjoyable. We cruised down the gravel road, stopped by the Alpine Tavern, and coasted through the evergreen forests. Three miles in though, I asked Sophi if she had the keys to her car at the bottom. Nope. So, we had to split up. Sophi rode the remaining seven miles down to her car while I hiked back through the snow and ice to get to my car. Not quite how I planned for things to go, but it was a great time nonetheless.

Last weekend I moved to my new place in Sherman Oaks. I love it here. It’s so much quieter than Hollywood and my place is huge. I can walk to a ton of great restaurants and my commute is a bit shorter too. So happy. I’ve also started a motorcycle class so I can get my license. I have one class left, then I can start renting bikes and riding with my brother. Can’t wait to tear up some asphalt on a Harley.