While driving home today, I caught up to wonderful white horse (and my horse I mean sports car).  It was a very seldom seen 997 based Porsche GT2.  It was an amazing looking machine.   Seeing it, and thinking about the Porsche’s I’d owned..  would I re-purchase (yes.. a 996TT is on my active TO-DO list).   Then I started to think about the cars I’ve owned, and which, if any models I’d bought more than once, as well as which brands I seem to purchase most.    So.. here is the what the mental exercise that occupied my commute home, netted:

6 Mercedes-Benz
5 Ford
3 Dodge
2 Porsche
1 Jeep
1 Toyota
1 Mazda
1 Cadillac

I’ve probably forgotten 1 or two in there, somewhere.   So..  I was a little shocked at how many Fords I’ve owned over the years.  And that soon had me thinking about of all those vehicles, were any a re-purchase, replacing a vehicle with same or similar, or even buying the same basic model some years down the road.  A pattern there was pretty clear.

At the top of the chart is Mercedes-Benz.  Of those they consist of 3 different models, so there were clear cases of re-purchase.  The interesting part (to me) was that in those cases years often elapsed between a ‘return’ to the model in question.

The largest of the pool is the classic W124 E-Class sedans  (’88-’94).   Of that body, I first bought a 260E, the base model E-class available in that year.   I kept it until it was replaced with an ML320 SUV.  A few years later another W124 was purchased a 300E.  They are just great driving cars.   A couple of years after that, I caught a break!  The chance to purchase the flagship W124.  The uber-sedan. The fastest production car that year.  The 300HP 500E (also a W124 body that was highly modified by, of all companies, Porsche).  Sadly the 500’s had a serious wiring issue in the engine compartment, and I decided to sell it off.   I was without a Benz for the first time in over 10 years.

I started to dabble in Porsches next, buying a pair of wonderful 911 varient (964 and 993).  Great cars, but commuting in one seemed like work far benieth the cast of a Porsche.  So it was traded (+ cash in my pocket) for a Mercedes CLK430 (#5).  As fast as the Porsches but a more ‘civilized’ unit for daily commuting.    Eventually, as the economy started to turn, I unloaded the 2nd Porsche, before the values totally tanked, trading it for another Mercedes, this time, another V8, but of the ML variety, an ML430 (MBZ #6).

In the end, I’d re-purchased the W124 twice, and clearly went on the hunt for an ML that I wanted (V8 for towing, I’d become a big fan of the 24 valve little V8 from my time in the CLK) and finally located one north of Seattle.

It was the perfect day for a ride.  Only the 5th nice Memorial Day in 20 years here, and the first in full Memorial Day weekend of good weather since….   yes, this is true..  1969!     Can’t squander such opportunity.

5 of us met in Silverdale to nail down the specifics of the ride.

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After a short discussion, and admission by myself that I’d neglected to check the fuel load on the Duc before arriving.. I was elected ‘leader’ to Belfair where we’d fuel up at the Shell Station.

Waiting until 11:30, and seeing no others appear, I lift off the beast and directed the crew out to SR3.  It’s sometimes tough to gauge what level of hooliganism one can expect to have supported, when riding with a group of people, 75% of you’ve never met before.   So, that in mind, and the fact the Police were out *everwhere* I kept it pretty sedate.

Reaching the wonderul town of Gorst, Washington:

View Larger Map From Gorst I directed the group Southwest along the Old Belfair Highway.   Original intent was to follow this bypass around the ‘freeway’ (clogged by weekend RV’s) directly to Belfair.   Along the way I decided a quick detour up the hill and back down was in order, so we made a hard right, just outsite Belfair past the Gas Station / Espresso Stand and General Store near Bear Creek.

Up the hill was looking very good, until.. we encountered some weekend borrior hauling a massive trailer up the hill.   I made short work of it, but a couple of people could not make it around.   Once up the hill, we headed back down onto NE North Shore Road, through the ORV park (the paved part of the park) and into…   TRAFFIC!   Oh not, all that is unholy was before us.  An endless stream of people clogging up our return to the original route.   After what seemed like a loooong time in stop/go traffic, we reached Belfair, only to find that the Shell Gas station had closed down (for good by the look of it).  Not all was lost, since the Safeway there also serves a healthy hearty helping of fuel:

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At this point I turned the reins over to DatCat for the rest of the day. She directed us south along 106 to Highway 101, finally arriving to the headwaters of the ‘Good Stuff’. Which, ironically starts just past the Washington State Patrol Academy and a state prison. Not far past that, there is a little district (it’s not really a town) of Dayton. Those that know the area, know the roads we used. Those that don’t, can come ride with me next time.

NC05600CBR and I stretched the legs on our bikes and really worked out some of the day-to-day stresses of a workaday life. Arriving some time ahead of the remainder of the group, we pulled off the road just a tad northeast of Elma, had a few laughs and waited.

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Once regrouped and refueled, we headed back out towards home. After getting back out of town (I didn’t remember where we went) the lead was again turned over to myself and we headed out. Some miles down the road, I had a major wardrobe malfunction. Sadly nothing as interesting as the famous Super Bowl event, but luckily it did not cost me as much either. A few minutes later the other bikes started to come into view, zipping past me and trying to figure out WTF I was doing! I really don’t want to get into the details of what happened, but I will say it was… less than ideal. After some humor at my expense, I was able to re-assemble my gear, get everything stowed and back on the road.

Perhaps it as a good thing, as it slowed me a down a bit, and not too far up the road I encountered one of the largest deer I’ve every seen. It was massive! And it appeared without warning from the forest on the left edge of the road, narrowly avoiding destruction of an SUV (it might have caused some serious injuries had they collided), and giving me great pause. One of the biggest dangers to those of us whom ride in this area, deer can end a day, or even a life, without warning. After that encounter I ratcheted it back a couple of notches and the rest of the group gathered behind me.

It was a great day of riding, with a fun group of people. Nobody pushed it beyond their abilities, nobody did anything stupid and most important, everyone arrived home unharmed.

Thanks again to the PNWR riders I spent the day with. GOOD TIMES!!!