Laughlin rumble....

[planedick]

Two XSives in Laughlin for the annual "Laughlin River Run". 300 miles to get there through the 100 degree desert. I guess you know, we didn't waste any time on the ride. He He We passed everything out there, even some sport bike types who just couldn't do it in the long run. Saw lots of Hardly kinds in trucks and along the road. There were almost as many support trucks in the parking lots as bikes. Saw lots of bikes in trucks both going and comming back. There really wasn't any place to park, not even a little space for a bike! Probably tens of thousands of bikes there!!!!!

I made a movie with a camcorder mounted on my bike of a ride down the main strip. The rumble of all the loud bikes was so bad it wasn't possible to even hear my bike. It was everywhere in the city and even accross the river was so loud I couldn't hear it and it made my ears ring long after we left.

We didn't stay long, no rooms, no camp spots etc and we didn't plan on staying anyway. We did finally find a place to park at the Riverside Casino and we went inside to cool down and drink a cold one. We then rode to the AZ side of the river again and went to the beach and soaked our feet and heads to cool off.

We decided to leave and did a real fast run back to Orange county CA. Man I love these machines. There isn't any other MC that will take the kind of riding I do in that kind of hot desert enviroment.

One thing for sure, I will never do that Laughlin River Run again!!!! TOO BORING, TOO HOT.

I left Orange Co at 6 AM and was back at 6 PM with about 2 hrs in Laughlin. 604 total miles, 38 mpg mostly at 90 mph or more. Aint no darn HD ever gonna do that!!!

[thewiz]

battle of the box

Good report, Dick .... sounds like a real XS kinda' ride. In Colo, we used to ride to Breckenridge from C. Spgs ... about 100 miles ... usually took about a little more than an hour. Was cool in the mountains though, and the brewmaster at Breckenridge Brewery is a friend and former coleague. Wish I coulda' rode out there with you two .......

Meanwhile back at the ranch .... Did the Yamaha engineers build the REST of this SF around the airbox, or what? How can you get to the end of a big project and have the last thing turn out to be the most ROYAL PITA, eh? Is it Murphy's law? Hands finally tired of twisting fuel lines and tryin' to slip that POS over the carbs ... tomorrow, I'll be ridin' though .... in the battle of the box, this much is true, ..... I will f---in' prevail ..... somehow ?????

Glad yer both back safe .....

[81xsproject]

Good ride report.

Wiz, now you know one of the reasons I LOVE MY PODS.

[thewiz]

right on, 81XS !!

No doubt the good folks at K&N and the like have benefited greatly over the years from the many XS owners who have SMASHED the evil box tryin' to get it on .... either accidently or on PURPOSE

Soon as the Ibuprophen kicks in and I can feel my mitts again, I'm on it.

[planedick]

Easy way...

There is an easy way to put the airbox on the carbs. the secret is to put the carbs into the airbox part first and tighten the clamps, then slide the whole thing forward into the carb holders on the engine.

[fredintoon]

If it's not one thing - - -

- - - to worry about, it's another.
Hi Wiz,
like you, I used to worry that my knuckles would never heal after fighting with that dreamed-up-by-a-brain-damaged-dimwit stock airbox and I'm sure you have the right of it, they put the bastard on a stand and built the bike round it. But that was then. Now my UNIpods can just pop on and off as I need them to in a minute or less. (and yes I added a support bracket for the carb rack and upsized the main jets like the helpful hint sez)
Trouble is, those UNIs pop on and off so easy that (despite posted assurances that it won't happen) now I worry about them falling off in the street.
Fred Hill, S'toon.

[TopCatGr58]

Hey Fred,

Hows about you get some light chain and link them all at the clamp, and to your support bracket, so if one pops off, it'll dangle and not roll on down the highway never to be seen again?!
T.C.