California get-together

[LoHo]

Make that four...Spot, Ray, Mike, and LoHo. My wife is attending, but hasn't completed the initiation ritual, so cannot be considered an XSive just yet. "Did all of the other members have to do this?" "Yes, honey, so don't complain...."

Oh, and there is supposed to be a cooling trend...only in the Central Valley is high 90s called a "cooling trend."

[UncleSpot]

I'm still in - sometimes I ride over to Pat Kelly's just to see another XS11...
It would be good to compare notes, get some tips, and see how others keep their quarter-of-a-century bike going...
I've got customers coming in at 6am and I should be able to get 1/2 day's work in before I need to leave for Los Baños.
'ready to meet several more XSivers

[xs650mike]

Hey guys, it's around 4 hours for me but I'm looking forward to meeting whichever Vice Presidents can make it. Let's come up with a better destination next time and we'll likely have better attendance. I'm bringing a couple other riders though they're not yet XSive. Maybe they can be indoctrinated.

SWMBO speaks Spanish (native speaker) and she says "los banos" is "the baths". She does admit that it's been used in this country as a euphemism for what they call in England "the bogs". How do you make a tilda over the "n" anyway? Some computer geek's got to know.

[UncleSpot]

How do you make a tilda over the "n" anyway?

there are "Special Character sets" w/most IBM computer keyboards: (w/NumLock on, and holding ALT button down)
Here are several that are 'common':

ñ = 0241 Ñ = 0209

ß = 0223

¿ = 0191 ¡ = 0161 " = 0148 " = 0147 … = 0133
¾ = 0190 ½ = 0189 ¼ = 0188 ¹ = 0185
µ = 0181 ° = 0176 (degree)
® = 0174 © = 0169 ™ = 0153
£ = 0163 ¢ = 0162

[Pat Kelly]

Even if I was able to get the day off, for me the ride would be pre-empted for my Uncles funeral.

[LoHo]

Sorry to hear about that on both counts, Pat. I used to think that my hours as a restaurant/hotel manager were bad, as I was always working when other folks were traveling or eating. I guess being responsible for putting people back together when they tear themselves up on holiday is sort of the same...

[xs650mike]

Hey Uncle Spot,

Thanks for teaching me how to spell Los Baños!

Looking forward to meeting you and your wife. I'm a guitar player. My main amp for many years is a '65 Twin Reverb which I bought from Jerry Garcia in 1966...JBLs, Mallory capacitors etc. 115w into 4 ohms...too loud for the gigs I play these days.

My friend Ducati Tim has decided to ride up here from Marin County this afternoon and will also be coming along tomorrow so us XSers will barely outnumber the uninitiated 4 to 3. We gotta do better than this. What are we mice or men? Two of these guys just got back from a run to Phoenix and Flagstaff, it was 128F in the Mojave and they also got caught in a monsoon coming back. Said they had a wonderful time!

[xs650mike]

Pat, sorry to hear about your uncle. Maybe we'll see you next time.

[UncleSpot]

great meeting you guys

Lawrence (and your 'brave' wife), Mike, Ray, Tim and Tom.
It was good meeting you (finally), exchanging notes, tips, and seeing what others do with their old XS11s. I'd do it again in a heartbeat.

[xs650mike]

Hi Ron, Larry and Ray,

Was great meeting you all yesterday, we got home safe after a marathon grind up I-5 at 80-90 mph, finally turned northwest at 16 to 20 west back to Lake County. It was sure good to finally see some 2-lane and curves. 460 total miles. I'll post a ride report when I stop buzzing.

[LoHo]

Hey guys...how'd you like my strategy of choosing a closed restaurant for a rendezvous? I think that next time we'll pick a rural park a little further north and bring in sandwiches while checking out our ride in some shady spot. Not that Los Banos isn't a garden spot...

It's always good to meet other nut-cases who love these old bikes. Tim and Tom suggested Barstow in July, but I'd rather hoped for something sooner. Thanks for the luggage racks, Ray, although I'm not sure I want to put them on. Uncle Spot, we ought to hook up with Pat in Modesto sometime.

See you guys in Tahoe...LoHo and Mrs. LoHo

[xs650mike]

Would've worked fine if we'd met at 1 pm instead of 2. Uncle Spot was there at 1. The restaurant closes at 2...oh well. Wish I could make Reno...it's closer to my house than Los Baños and I've got friends in Virginia City where the ride's going. Barstow in July? How about Death Valley? Seriously I could vote for Monterey area. My area here in Lake County is actually really great for riding if anyone wants to make the trip...anyone interested ping me anytime. Meanwhile check out www.pashnit.com/roads/cal/BigCanyonRoad.htm to see what kind of roads we've got up here.

[UncleSpot]

Wish I could make Reno too - I'll be at my youngest daughter's wedding in Spain and NO bike...


I've done Barstow in July, but that was to get to Flagstaff - but I usually do that either one week before Memorial Day or one week after Labor Day (less tourists, kids, dogs, etc... and people 'aiming for you' on the road)

...anybody interested in going thru Yosemite the end of September, into Nevada, thru Zion nat'l park and down into the North Rim of the Grand Canyon?
Camp out at the East Rim and go into Jacob's Lake for eatin'...?
When I get back from Spain I'm actively looking for another fairing and as soon as I find one I'm off for NV, UT, and AZ.

[xs650mike]

Those subscribed to this thread may be interested to read the first 2 installments of my ride report posted (where else) in the Ride Report section of the Forum...yeah I know I'm a wordy bastard but it was a long ride!