California XSives "Yosemite" Rally

[LoHo]

Alternatives...

What is the general consensus on:
http://koa.com/where/ca/05224/

It is on 101 between Paso Robles and San Luis Obispo. There is a lake nearby, it is a little off the beaten track, and there is civilization nearby for non-campers. From there, several nice coastal roads become available, including Pacific Coast Highway (1), coastal towns, and several nice wineries.

[DiverRay]

This has been LoHo's ride, so I think HE should make the call. If Ed and I want to put together a "Central Coast" rally, we will, and post in a new thread. I liked the idea of Sequoia, but I'm not sure I can find a motel near the camp area that Loho has for now. I DO understand how hard it is to try and please everyone. We ALL have a different "priority" and preference.
So LoHo, it's back to you, and what YOU want the rally to be!!

[Jerry]

Have been silent to date, time to speak up! I didn't know if I was going to be able to make a California trip this year, but it does look like I will be able to get there. Any location is fine with me...enjoyed the get-together last year! Just let me know if I need to pack my down sleeping bag or my battery-powered tent fan....

[LoHo]

Weather in Santa Margarita, CA

Jerry, it says the average high in June is 78, the average low is 51, and it usually gets 0.09 inches of rain...your results may vary...

We can ride through the hills, ride along the coast, and there are hotels nearby (Ray and Planedick). The lake is within walking distance, and one can fish (Cail), but not swim, in it. It is a KOA, but I'm willing to risk it. I can't find a site map for it, though. I'll ride over to check it out in a couple of weeks.

[Special Ed]

"This has been LoHo's ride, so I think HE should make the call."

Oops! When you assume... I agree. Didn't mean to step out of line!
I finally got a little work. I'll check out the link when I get the chance.
Special Ed

[bobber]

i 'm up for it.any where,any time.be good too meet you lot.

[Jerry]

OK, let me get this straight...June 12 - 14 at Santa Margarita KOA? If so I'll go ahead and make reservations. Will be on my Concours, though....

[soccer4m]

Hold on Jerry

Hold on Jerry,,,I think LoHo was going to check out a couple of places in the next week or so. As soon as we get the final word on time,place then we can plan ahead. Its good to hear you picked up a Concours for commute, travel. You can fill us all in how its working out for everything. You are right about your ol' xj- lots of memories and miles. Anyway,,,a note for all of us to maybe hold off until the main Man, LoHo gives us the word.. Regards, Mike in San Diego

[Special Ed]

Souds like we might be meeting closer to my neck of the woods. If my old Special is running as well as it is now I should be able to make it. It will be a pleasure to see you Jerry, reguardless what you show up on.

I have an ex client who has a '90 something Concourse collecting dust in his garage. He only road it occasionally, then one day saw a rider down on the freeway and learned later it was a friend of his. Blew the wind right out of his sails and he hasn't been back on it since. If I were in a much better financial shape I bet I could get it for a very reasonable price and ride it while I give the Special the going over I've been wanting to do. Ah well, when my ship comes in. I look forward to hearing how you like it.
Special Ed

[LoHo]

Yes, friends, I will check out the Santa Margarita Lake KOA and post a plan in the next week. I need to make sure that there are comfy hotels nearby for those of us who are NOT going to camp and are NOT going to ride through the desert and are NOT wimps but like the creature comforts...

[DiverRay]

LoHo,
I KNOW there are

comfy hotels nearby for those of us who are NOT going to camp and are NOT going to ride through the desert and are NOT wimps but like the creature comforts...

But I digress, as the "hotel" is for SHMBO! IF I want to go, I must be sure they are near. I don't know just how close, but I DO know there are motels, and GOOD wineries nearby! There are some VERY NICE back roads, as well!

[planedick]

Stimulas

I am committed because O'Bama says he is going to give me free money this spring which I will use for my expenses.

You all should be AMA members as you can get a discount at KOA and probably at most any motel nearby also. When you sign up you can make it an automatic renewal and get free roadside assistance too. Some of the parts houses like Bike Bandit or Old Bike Barn also give us a discount. It don't take many of those kind of things to make that $39 investment pay off. Good magazine every month too....

If I have convinced you...



Just clip it out, fill it in and mail with your check to the address on the bottom.

[planedick]

Ama

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[Jerry]

I look forward to hearing how you like it.

Some comments on the Concours after a few hundred miles of riding.

It takes some getting used to after 10 years on the XJ. Small things, like getting used to toe-shifting again after running the heel-toe shifter for so long. Stock seat is not as comfortable as the custom Diamond seat zI have on the XJ. Although the seating position is not as radical as a sports bike, the forward position does put some pressure on the forearms and wrists. I had gotten used to the throttle lock on the XJ. Good news is that all of these monorpoints are "fixable" with aftermarket parts.

The concours handles much better than the XJ. One complaint that I had heard was that the Councours is top heavy, particularly when full (7.5 gallons) of gas. I have not found this to be an issue. Leaning into corners at any speed the bike feels very comfortable and predicatable. Other common complaint is a buzziness at around 5K RPM. Again, less than on the XJ, but noticeable. Considering that 75 MPH is around 4,700 RPM (65 MPH at about 4K RPM) the buzziness isn't really an issue at cruising speeds.

Stock windshield is to low for me. I am getting quite a bit of turbulence around the helmet. Duck the head a bit to get under it and the engine is very quiet. There is not the low-end pull of the XJ; engine redlines at 10,500 RPM and I find myself shifting at higher RPMs than on the XJ to get the same pulling power. The Concours will pull OK from lower RPM, just not the kick that the XJ has. Concours brakes are considerably better. I had rebuilt both master cylinders and replaced brake lines with SS ones on the XJ, but had not rebuilt any of the calipers. The Concours brakes are quite good, although my impression is that the front brakes don't have the same feel as the XJ. Still getting used to this. Shifting into 1st gives a little clunk on the Concours, all other shifting is quiet and precise. There is no gear selection indicator, just a green neutral light, so I am still getting used to rpm / gear combos. Have reverted back to counting as I go up and down to make sure I am in the gear I want. That 6th speed is great for highway cruising.

Overall, the similarities are air adjustable rear suspension and damping, front suspension adjustable damping, in-line 4 cylinder engine, factory fairing vs the Vetter fairing with lowers (slightly better lower leg coverage on the Vetter) and seat hight is identical. I felt very comfortable making the switch between the XJ and the Connie. However, I am reminded that most of the upgrades I did to the XJ, such as the throttle lock, seat, handlebar adjustments, and fork brace will need to be done to the Connie before I am really comfortable for long-distance hauls. The 120 mile to work and back round trips are excellent for the Connie; any more than that and the wind turbulence due to the low windshield and forward seating position with the stock bars would make 600 mile days less comfortable than the same distance on the XJ. I expected this going in due to the research I had done, so no real surprises. After all, it took a couple years and several hundred dollars in parts and pieces to get the XJ set up the way I wanted.

Overall, the Concours is a nice upgrade from the XJ, and I believe I made a good decision to go with it.

[LoHo]

The KOA near Santa Margarita Lake is a nice spot. Lots of oaks, outdoor fires, and less than half a mile to the lake. It was still in off-season mode, but it has a pool and laundry and several cabins which might even appeal to our tenters, as the prices are better than the Yosemite place. There were nice roads for a hills loop and a hills/coastal loop. It doesn't get as hot as near Yosemite, and there is much less traffic, although there were several fishermen on the lake Sunday afternoon. The town of Santa Margarita has a couple of restaurants and a couple of wine tasting places, but no motel, AFAIK. A few miles away is Atascadero, with full services. I did not ride the roads as much as we will if we stay there, but both the KOA and the surrounding area got the Kelly Seal of Approval. Between CA 101 and the coast is some of the best wine country in the world, but I don't know if a motorcycle-based wine tour is a good idea.

So far, we have thumbs up from the San Diego troika, provisional approval from Diver Ray, and yes-if-I'm-not-working from Ed and Richard. I will ping Tkat through the Plus list, as he doesn't seem to watch this one.