Ride from SF to LA on 5

I'm heading to LA taking Rt 5 real soon. I got two questions for those
who've done it

1) Are there any stretches along the way that I should have a full tank of
gas before entering?

2) Are there any areas where I should avoid triple digit speed if I don't
want to be a star in a high speed chase special news report.

 

What's your range? My current ride has about 80 miles and 5 isn't a
problem, though a bit of a stretch at the south end of the Valley. I
had a bike with a 60 mile range and that was much more problematic.

The posted limit is 70 mph. Trucks tend to travel a bit slower than
that, cars a bit faster. As there are two lanes in each direction and
you will find few if any stretches where you can set your own pace
unimpeded, going faster than that is going to involve a lot more work
and attention on your part. If you could average 90 mph, you'd save 40
minutes over averaging 75 mph. And if range is an issue, it becomes
much more of one at higher speeds.

Rte 5 tends to be hot at this time of year, with temps consistently in
the upper 90s at best. Make sure you stay hydrated. And be prepared
for LA drivers -- in my experience they are more aggressive than Bay Areans.

Rich, Urban Biker

 

["Followup-To:" header set to ba.motorcycles.]

The longest stretch I recall between overpass outposts is 40-50 miles.
There's usually a warning sign just prior to the next "last chance" offramp.

You'll be lucky to find anyplace you can attain "triple digit" speeds, as I5
is rapidly approaching commute load traffic levels.

nb

 

Wow, I just rode up from So Cal last Monday -- I took Hwy 33 up DON'T
RIDE 33 NOW - there was so much construction I wound up at a standstill
3 times (once for nearly 30 minutes)!! I know you're taking I5 down but
if you are tempted, resist temptation.

WARNING: don't do > 90mph on I-5 ... cars get pulled over all the time.
Keeping up with traffic doesn't help either, cops pull over 8 to 10
cars at a time (I was caught in one of those, but they let me go because
I had a Ford Ranger: the cops didn't believe it could exceed 70mph

My advice is get a desert jacket, a camelback and go to Auto Club and
pick up the _Coast & Valley, Bay Area to Southern California_ map. It
has the roads and a Route Mileage Guide which indicates mileage between
stops on the major NS highways. I'll list the relevant I5 info for you
(starting at Sacrmento where Mile=0)

Southbound Stop/Junction
Cumulative Mi
0 Sacramento, US-50
46 Stockton, SR-4
58 Manteca, SR-120
72 Rest Stop
115 SR-152
132 Rest Stop
185 SR-198
199 Rest Stop
211 Kettleman City, SR-41
242 SR-46
261 Rest Stop
264 Buttonwillow, SR-58
301 SR-99
315 Rest Stop
323 ST-138
351 Santa Clarita, SR-126 (Magic Mountain
360 SR-14
364 San Fernando, I405

 

What's your range on a single tank? There are service stations, well
marked, at various points. It shouldn't be much of a problem.

You definitely want to have a full tank from not very far north of
Tejon Pass ("the grapevine"). I usually fill up near Buttonwillow, but
you could get off of 5 and run into Bakersfield if you are willing to
trade some time for cheaper gas.

In general, it's patrolled from the air, as well as by a few cars. If
you aren't going very much faster than the rest of the traffic, they
will pay you no attention. Traffic tends to move fast, though, because
most of I-5 is boring. Really, really boring.

Side note: Sometimes there are gusting crosswinds. These can be
annoying. I've seen a gust lift a bed liner out of a pickup truck and
drop it in a field alongside the freeway, so be aware of that sort of
hazard if you pick a windy day.

Al Moore
DoD 734

 

Is there some reason why you want to take I5? Are you in a hurry?
There are much more scenic and fun routes between the Bay Area and
LA, such as highway 1. Even 101 is more interesting than I5...

-Keith

 

My only I-5 experiences are from Seattle down to the BA. Oregon is
notorious for stopping MC's on I-5. I've seen a couple of power rangers up
against the armco handcuffed, while waiting for their bikes to be towed.

I agree with the others above, why superslab it, unless you don't have time.

When I picked up my Speed Triple from Larry, I took I-5 almost exclusively,
and it sucked, but I flew down on a friday night, and had to be back at work
mon. morning.

Stay off the superslab if possible.

 

If you do I-5, I'd opt for doing it in the really early am (maybe leave at
4am with breakfast stop somewhere) as the afternoon temps are 100-110
degrees out there -- or better. Mornings are around 70 degrees but climb
badly by 10 am or so and truck exhaust is miserable. Get good earplugs as
the wind howl will make you deaf by arrival if you need to run 80mph+ pacing
traffic.

Oh, trucks like to run 70mph or better very early in the am too and they
seem to get really miffed at motorcycles who have high output lamps
(damhik!). They know the Leo's shift change and there is one of their
outposts near Stockdale Hwy south of Buttonwillow and the plane isn't out at
night.

Oh, traffic construction sucks around the Magic Mountain area (Santa
Clarita) as the commuters are going into LA to work at rush hour. The am
rush (5:30-9am) really does suck and I've had what should be a two hour
commute turn into 6 hours far too often lately.

B~

 

That's something I wouldn't worry about even on my VTR with its crappy 95
mile (on a good day) range.

I'm of two minds on this one. It's the triple digit folks that enable
people like me to go 80-90 mph the entire way without a problem. Yes, there
are always enough of them that I can count on someone passing me if I slow
down to a miserly 80 mph crawl. I want to tell you: No! Go as fast as you
want the whole way and tell all your friends to do it, too! I-5 is probably
the boringest road in all of California, and I want to get where I'm going
as fast as possible the one or two times a year I *must* drive it (I
wouldn't waste a motorcycle ride on it), and personally benefit from all the
people who think it's a racetrack.

But the kinder thing to do is to tell you to stick to about what the rest of
traffic is doing (it'll probably be around 80) and you'll make good time and
probably avoid tickets. Just keep looking in your mirrors and check
overpasses and such for the traditional CHP black and whites but also their
new all white Camaros (or whatever they are) with the tiny LED light rack
that you barely notice. They have positioned a lot of their fleet of these
"stealth" vehicles on I-5. Oh, and look up from time to time for the planes.

 

There is a last stop, restaurants and gas stations just before
you go from the valley floor to the mountains..very
abrupt...called the 'grapevine' gas is scarce on that steep
mountainous stretch... get gas there for sure. Otherwise its
not too bad for gas down i5...dont let it get below a 35 mile
cruizing range though at any point..it can be 25 miles between
stations.. sometimes a little more.


Watch for dust storms as you approach the mountains on the
south end of the valley.. if you are running K and N's the
sand will take out yer motor. Look at the weather report...if
it says winds i the bakersfield area thats not good for
blowing sand..

On i5 you can probably stay with the flow of traffic and be
fine...it flows at 75 to 85 mph... the wide open stretches are
not heavily staked out from what I have seen.. You should be
OK... boosting it in a few spots. i5 has some whoop de do
pavement in sections about mid way though calif.. not the most
pleasant experience.

Its a long super slab. Look at highway 99 for more back
roads interest. and its smoother...or the coast highway for a
very nice ride and a lot more gas stations...5 is largely a
shooting gallery for trucks. Personally Id take highway 1 the
entire way... a vastly better ride.


Phil Scott

 

All I can say is the (5) is a big bore!!! take PCH.... It's a lot nicer in
the summer months....

 

Last august, someone I know really really well (who wasn't me, no sir)
drove "the 5" (wtf is with the SoCal "the" instead of "I" or
Interstate?) in a small moving truck - cube truck.

Dull dull dull dull and fast. Lots of people going > 90. But
really really boring. Waste of rubber if you're on a fun ride.
In a truck, it was fine. We had an iPod and a boombox (truck had
the Delco AM special).

So if you have a couple more hrs to give it, then take a route
that's not a chore.

(oh, and camelbacks RULE. Wish I had one when I was driving
cross country on my 'zuki in the mid 80s.)

 

I don't know where everyone is doing 70 or 80 or 90. I had to go to
Bakersfield a couple months ago in my cage. Hadn't been down I5 in eons, so
I gave it a try.

Leaving Livermore at about 1 in the afternoon on a Tues, I found myself
making pretty good time on 580 where it turns South to hook-up with I5.
Well, that was short lived. Not to long after getting on I5, traffic
started getting considerably heavier. In no time I was doing your basic two
lane two-step. Left lane to pass, right lane to let others pass. No one
was doing 80, let alone 90. Another 30 miles and it was a 65mph parking
lot. Both lanes bunching up behind a slow poke doing 60 and trying to get
around then jumping free for a hundred yards to end up in the back of the
next pack of cars. It's was no different for the next 150 miles (longest no
gas stretch, 38 miles). This was typical BA speed-limit commute traffic
....minus 2 lanes. Everyone on each others ass jockeying for every extra
inch. Screw that. I tucked into a spot in the right lane and kicked back.

I don't know when it is so free of traffic one can do 90 or triple digits.
Perhaps during the Conan O'brien Show. I came back on 99. Less crowded.
And it has a Big Orange!

nb

 

Yep, I grew up peering over the window sill of my dad's car during the
family's trips up and down 99. Saw a lotta Big Oranges. This one is bigger
than most. Been there since '54. They do a killer rootbeer float.

<http://www.lukecole.com/Roadside Attractions/World's Largest/MammothOrange.htm

Of course, someone in the govt is fscking with them.

<http://nepa.fhwa.dot.gov/ReNepa/ReNepa.nsf/0/8A0CBDD15A045A6F85256C7D00744431?OpenDocument

.....but they're still there as of a couple mos ago.

nb

 

I'll add, check your tires too. Seems the heat off the pavement on I-5
really takes the rubber off sticky compound tires -- fast!

Riding two up, I needed to go off into Fresno once to get tires. That sucked
on a Saturday as they stuck me for $450 mounted. They also fed me the
"Won't mix brands line" so I ended up with two tires even though the front
was okay. Otherwise, they wouldn't do the job. That entire trip sucked as
did the summer heat when we got outta there.

Okay. Fresno sucks too. Potholes get a shiny and slick steel plate tossed
over them. City road maintenance leaves a lot to be desired.

B~

 

So Cal says "The 5" because it is short for "The God-damned, Fucking,
Traffic-Jammed, Potholed, Piece-of-shit 5"

I am glad I could clear that up

JGB

 

<http://www.lukecole.com/Roadside Attractions/World's Largest/MammothOra
nge.htm

I remember seeing more of them, too, when I was a kid, and stopping once
or twice. My mom tells me stories about stopping at the "Mammoth Orange"
places when she was a kid, and I also remember the root beer floats. I
really wish we had more of them left. The one in the picture, near Madera,
is the last one, I think. 99 is by far the more interesting, albeit slower,
way to get to SoCal.

 

I yank the wheel in the parking lot (center stands *are* handy for this,
but the tire place I go has a coupla crappy bike stands you can borrow),
and have them just spoon the rubber onto the rim and balance them. they
aren't going to give you NEARLY as much lip, or charge you NEARLY as much
for the privilege if you do so. at the local tire place, doing so costs
me $15/wheel...

 

and look out for the pavement with bigger whoopsie-dos than the Giant
Dipper...