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Here is a link for those that have never heard of this: http://www.ironbuttrally.com/IBR/def...TOKEN=67651466
11 days and 11000 miles
The 2013 version will start this Monday out of Pittsburgh and there will be a 1978 XS1100 at the start line. I wish I could share more details on the ride and my progress, but the folks running the event have had issues in the past with riders getting significant outside help. As a result the participants are required to limit communication during the rally, but I promise to provide information post event. The rally organizers will provide daily updates, (with about a 24 hour delay) so the outside world will now where we have been recently. Should you read those reports and see my bike referred to as "hopeless" you will need to remember how few people know that these bikes were built very well. Please forgive them for the know not what they say.
I wanted to say thank you to this forum, many on it have contributed to getting this machine to the start line. I would not have come up with the upgrades like Geezers regulator or the auto CCT on my own. Countless others have provided tips and some of you have sold me parts. Thanks to each of you!
It is about to get hectic as I head up to the start line and run through registration, tech inspection and an odometer calibration so I may not have time to check back to the forum. Once the flag drops monday morning every minute will be used to either to route plan, ride or rest. If I pop back on the forum it will mean something unplanned has happened and I am stuck somewhere with a technical difficulty so let me try to give a brief description of the bike:
1978 XS1100 of undetermined miles, purchased out of shed in Michigan a few miles north east of Midland MI about four years ago for $500. Bike had been down at some time based on bent bars and other indicators, I did not help this when I hit a deer with it last year. I had been using a Pacifico fairing, but have gone to the smaller and lighter Vetter for this ride. The bike has the tubeless wheels with slotted rims, think these are 1980. For suspension I put progressive on rear and front, and a fork brace. Electrical upgrades are from geezer and also went to HID and LED to reduce load as I have heated vest for those cold passes over the mountains. I put a venture tank on it for that extra gallon, plus I have a 5 gall aux tank mounted to give me 11 gallons of range.
Wish me luck and follow along as I see if this bike can stand up to a ride that has chewed up and spit out brand new BMW's and GL's.
Regards,
Scott Thornton
11 days and 11000 miles
The 2013 version will start this Monday out of Pittsburgh and there will be a 1978 XS1100 at the start line. I wish I could share more details on the ride and my progress, but the folks running the event have had issues in the past with riders getting significant outside help. As a result the participants are required to limit communication during the rally, but I promise to provide information post event. The rally organizers will provide daily updates, (with about a 24 hour delay) so the outside world will now where we have been recently. Should you read those reports and see my bike referred to as "hopeless" you will need to remember how few people know that these bikes were built very well. Please forgive them for the know not what they say.
I wanted to say thank you to this forum, many on it have contributed to getting this machine to the start line. I would not have come up with the upgrades like Geezers regulator or the auto CCT on my own. Countless others have provided tips and some of you have sold me parts. Thanks to each of you!
It is about to get hectic as I head up to the start line and run through registration, tech inspection and an odometer calibration so I may not have time to check back to the forum. Once the flag drops monday morning every minute will be used to either to route plan, ride or rest. If I pop back on the forum it will mean something unplanned has happened and I am stuck somewhere with a technical difficulty so let me try to give a brief description of the bike:
1978 XS1100 of undetermined miles, purchased out of shed in Michigan a few miles north east of Midland MI about four years ago for $500. Bike had been down at some time based on bent bars and other indicators, I did not help this when I hit a deer with it last year. I had been using a Pacifico fairing, but have gone to the smaller and lighter Vetter for this ride. The bike has the tubeless wheels with slotted rims, think these are 1980. For suspension I put progressive on rear and front, and a fork brace. Electrical upgrades are from geezer and also went to HID and LED to reduce load as I have heated vest for those cold passes over the mountains. I put a venture tank on it for that extra gallon, plus I have a 5 gall aux tank mounted to give me 11 gallons of range.
Wish me luck and follow along as I see if this bike can stand up to a ride that has chewed up and spit out brand new BMW's and GL's.
Regards,
Scott Thornton
or maybe just the navigator
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