2008 XS 30th anniversary, Idaho Aug 15-20

[davestrike]

Well All,

The ride started out nice and stayed nice all day!
My son and I broke off in Omak and Dennyz, Ratbyk, and another friendly Canadian continued on.
We found a place to sleep for the night then headed down to Beverly. My son and I are safely at my brothers.

The ride for the past 2 days has been fantastic! Very hot though!

Ride on Dennyz and company!

Dave

[Meri]

I got a call from Denny about 4:00 Olympia time. He was in Bonners Ferry, Idaho. At least I think that's what he said. The sound was a little garbled. The weather is hot and they are about 2 hrs behind schedule. Looking forward to reaching their destination and finding a way to get cool!

Last night in Olympia, we had all kinds of excitement in the sky. Thunder and lightning. The house was shakin' at about 1:30 this morning! I love it.

[prometheus578]

'Ah, Meri, Meri, Meri..."

How nice to read your voice again.
Yeah, everyone was talkin' about the storm.
I was up till about 2:00am.. chained to my computer, as usual, yet heard no storm.
Well, I just figger'd it was night firing artillery on Ft. Lewis.

[tarzan]

I missed em by this much

Darn,
I wanted to meet the group in Osoyos the night before last but a wasp stung me and swelled up my hand on Thursday.It was twice its normal size.I can finally bend my fingers today.Anyway Today I figured I could ride to Sandpoint, Idaho and catch them.The itinerary from the tentative schedule Denny posted about a week ago figuerd about 2pm.So I got toSandpoint about 1pm.I had lunch at a burger joint then found SR200 and found a shady spot to wait.
Apparently I'm just a tad too impatient.LOL.I sat there until 4:15 and thought ,well they were 3 hours behind yesterday ,so they may not go as far as planned today.I then decided to ride back to Spokane.I just got back at about 6:05 and read the previous post.If I had waited 1 more hour I would have met them.Ever feel like kicking yourself?I'm goonna blame it on heat stroke ,it was over a 100 degrees.hehe
Well, all is not lost I got to ride a couple of hundred miles today but I sure would have liked to meet the guys.Maybe next year. I'm glad to hear they are still doing good.

[Meri]

Ah my dearest Prom...

Nice to read you too! It's been a while. Were you at Denny's on Friday? I wanted to go over, but had some other plans. Sorry I missed it! I hope you are recovering. We'll have to ride together again one day when you're all better.

Tarzan, too bad about your timing!

[Dennyz]

We are in Thompson Fall (no cell service). Sorry we missed you in Sandpoint. Sorry we missed you Tarzan.

The heat is taking it's toll. Most everyone is heading off in different directions today and tomrrow. I will solo it down to Fruitland to see if I can meet up with Jason. If he does not show, I may bug straight home. I will make that call when I get there.

Stay tuned...........

[davestrike]

Well Dennyz, you kinda got your wish!
You wished for rain to test out your fairing, well I got it heading home!
It started at the I-90 Pass and didnt stop until I got home, 80 miles of rain!

The weather reports are for more rain to Wednesday here in our area.
My son and I were totally soaked as we did not have rain gear.
But it was still fun!
I so the ride!
When you think of it, what was the black paint you used on the engine?

[prometheus578]

"Questioning someone's gender?"

I will solo it down to Fruitland to see if I can meet up with Jason

That's a terrible thing to say about someone, Denny.
Is this how you view people?
"I'm gonna ride my bike to pompous-ass town and visit Prom."
"I'm gonna ride to Ignorance-ville and visit MRO and TRBIG."

As for you, Meri, I was at Denny's Friday night and was disappointed, as usual, that you weren't there. I stuffed my pain deep inside, though.. followed by a few beers and hamburgers.

Oh, and Denny....On the way home, I remembered that I had forgotten to thank you for the food, etc.
Thanks!
(always trying to show good manners.. even if they come a bit late)

[Brent]

riding west & NW

Hi Denny Z,

I am leaving late to catch up to you later. Still in GA, Heading for the PNW this afternoon. Riding red Firefighters edition HD rosd king. Have cell phone for checking messages, but mostly rely on smoke signals from cigar.

I hope to see you for the last part of this rolling rally. Looks like coos bay or y9our house.

[Dennyz]

Well, our rally has ground to a halt. We started out week and fizzled out all together. Basically the heat killed our rally spirit. Everyone split for home from Thompson Falls after 3 days of 100+ degree temps. It took it out of us. To complicate thing cell coverage was very unpredictable. I hope Brent check this sometime soon.

I was was looking at 2.5 day of riding by myself in more hot weather to make CoosBay. I decided to pack it in and head for home. It was not until around noon today that I learn a rider was in Fruitland looking for us. I feel terrible about it. I was not able to get his number to call him back.

This did not turn out like I had hoped.

[ratbyk]

Hi DZ & group. Looks like Denny made good time getting home. Posted up at 4.30 from home.
I too did not stop until I reached home. The horse smelled the stable and would not stop. Caught the 7 pm ferry out of Vancouver to Van. Island and was home in Sooke just before 10pm.
Glad that we are all safe. I will post up in a bit about my ride from Thompson Falls Montana to Sooke BC in one day. It was an adventure and had many challenges along the way. The only interstate I was on the whole way was the run north on I-5 from Hwy 20. The rest was all 2 lane over some fantastic roads.

Thanks for the ride Denny, I had fun but like you. 102+ temps saps you out on a bike.
Later

[ratbyk]

Pictures-Adventures-Mussings

XS11 People I met along the way.

Carolyne in Port Angeles, thanks for the help in obtaining a Camel Back and a Polar Vest. Those 2 items got well used on this trip.

Kurt-prometheus578-great discussions and encouragement. Heal fast Kurt, the season is passing. Time to get off the "puter" and back on the horse.

Dave Strike and Lil Dave. Hi guys, great riding with you. Big Dave your riding skills have come a long way since we rode together at the 07 rally. Keep it up. Saddle time is really starting to show.
Lil Dave, you are a good riding partner, always up and lets go. Great attitude and disposition. Hope to see you again.

Andreas Weiss- Osoyoos, thank you for the hospitality. That shower brought me back to life. The beer got rid of the dehydration and the morning coffee got both eyes open to start another hard day in the saddle.
Not that you are counting, but how many days until you retire? LOL

Jurgen-jurgenkeppen-Powell River- Good to meet you and I enjoyed riding with you. You ride that XS Special very well and have it humming right along. It is performing very well. Keep your fingers out of the carbs. If it is not broke-"don't fix it" LOL

Sheila and Ken Talbot-Revelstoke-Hi guys, good to see you again. To bad that we did not get to ride together more than the little hop into town. God it was HOT!! Hope the balance of your ride worked out to be a pleasant experience.

Mike Flynn- first time we met. Good to meet you and I was very impressed with that trick FRONT! single sided swing armed Yamaha that you have. A real conversation bike. Really well set up for touring with the big bags, high (1 of several) windshields, raised handle bars and a very cushy looking saddle. I bet you can spend hours and hours pain free riding that beauty.

If I forgot anyone, sorry! I'm still buzzed from yesterdays ride.

What ground a good rally to a stop!

After 3 days of temps like this 2 riding-1 hiding in an air conditioned motel room/bar/dining room it was time to blow the whistle and head for home. We were drained!!

Keeping cool XS style-1
<a href="http://s327.photobucket.com/albums/k472/ratbyk69/?action=view&current=007-1.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i327.photobucket.com/albums/k472/ratbyk69/007-1.jpg" border="0" alt="Keeping Cool -2"></a>

Keeping Cool-2
<a href="http://s327.photobucket.com/albums/k472/ratbyk69/?action=view&current=008.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i327.photobucket.com/albums/k472/ratbyk69/008.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

<a href="http://s327.photobucket.com/albums/k472/ratbyk69/?action=view&current=006.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i327.photobucket.com/albums/k472/ratbyk69/006.jpg" border="0" alt="Keeping Cool-1"></a>

View from motel room window. Looks great only if you stepped outside you had to pant to breath. Don't know how Arizona's etc, people cope living in such close to hell conditions.
<a href="http://s327.photobucket.com/albums/k472/ratbyk69/?action=view&current=015.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i327.photobucket.com/albums/k472/ratbyk69/015.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

Sheila-Ken-DZ hiding out in dining room. Looking through window looks inviting- it wasn't!!
<a href="http://s327.photobucket.com/albums/k472/ratbyk69/?action=view&current=012.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i327.photobucket.com/albums/k472/ratbyk69/012.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

My mug looking out on a canyon in the Cascade Mts.
<a href="http://s327.photobucket.com/albums/k472/ratbyk69/?action=view&current=005-1.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i327.photobucket.com/albums/k472/ratbyk69/005-1.jpg" border="0" alt="Mug in Canyon"></a>

Bad Ass Black with Cascades in back ground.
<a href="http://s327.photobucket.com/albums/k472/ratbyk69/?action=view&current=003-1.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i327.photobucket.com/albums/k472/ratbyk69/003-1.jpg" border="0" alt="Bad Ass Black looking into Canyon"></a>

Jurgen and his Special with more of our ride across Hwy 20 in the Cascades.
<a href="http://s327.photobucket.com/albums/k472/ratbyk69/?action=view&current=004.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i327.photobucket.com/albums/k472/ratbyk69/004.jpg" border="0" alt="View-2"></a>

Bad Ass Black after dirt biking and stream fording just east of Leavenworth after a sever thunderstorm went though.
<a href="http://s327.photobucket.com/albums/k472/ratbyk69/?action=view&current=017.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i327.photobucket.com/albums/k472/ratbyk69/017.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

Anyway, hope this goes through and makes it on the XS11 site.
Dave, Ken, DZ et all, post some pictures?!!!
Jason, where are those pictures that you promised from the day you, Mike, DZ and I rode around the PNW?
Take care all, keep on trucking and Kurt as Orell Robert's used to say, "HEAL-HEAL-HEAL"

Ken Daniels (ratbyk)

[ratbyk]

Dam, only one picture linked in. I'm bushed, don't know what I did wrong will try and re post some pictures later.

[Geezer]

I'm going to ride out to meet Poprock next Wednesday if any of you stragglers would like to meet up in Tillamook, I'm sure we could find a pizza place to gather at...

Geezer

Originally posted by Dennyz
Well, our rally has ground to a halt. We started out week and fizzled out all together. Basically the heat killed our rally spirit. Everyone split for home from Thompson Falls after 3 days of 100+ degree temps. It took it out of us. To complicate thing cell coverage was very unpredictable. I hope Brent check this sometime soon.

[Poprock]

Hey, y'all! Wednesday 8/27 is good. Main Street Pizza is north of town on 101 in a strip mall on the right. Good pizza.
Got a ETA, Geezer?