Ride FLA 2018

[Huron52]

Kind of thought about this ride but it doesn't fit in with travel from AZ

[JeffH]

Kind of thought about this ride but it doesn't fit in with travel from AZ

Tom, sorry to hear you can't make the Florida Ride, but AZ sounds great too.
Hope to see you this fall or somewhere during the summer.

Hi Jeff,
Sadly can not make it this year. You do make it sound so enticing
Now I have to google your route

Phil

Phil, yep you are overdue for another FLA ride. FUN times.
Been way too long. The old too many places to go and not enough time off.


However, its not to late to for y'all to start planning for the September Rally



www.vintageyamaharally.com

btw: i need a ride NOW so heading up to Marty's on this sunny warm day.

Jeff

[JeffH]

34 days until we Rally in Lake City

Please join us if you can.
> For the weekend - For the week - For a day - For lunch or dinner.

Time to get the bikes ready to roll.
for some leisurely Florida backroads travel

For Planning:
About 350 miles from Lake City south to Naples
Entire trip including Saturdays Day Ride is say 900 miles to/from Lake City

Jeff

[thumperjsa]

Looking forward to riding all the way up to North Florida to meet with you all in about a month. Phil's been helping me straighten out a few things on my bike and it's purring now.

We'll be riding up with Cobia on Friday. Maybe start on Thursday and head up to his place and leave from there Friday morning. Phil and I will be riding back with y'all till Naples. We may both be heading back home on Monday. My daughter is coming home for Spring Break on Sunday (March 4th) and will only be there through Saturday.

-Jonathan

[MPittma100]

Good Ride

Last year's trip was a great ride. I am very much looking forward to heading south from Georgia again with Jeff to Florida to meet up with everyone. A very nice adventure it was. No better feeling than riding a 40+ year old motorcycle to and from a nice long ride with confidence. Looking forward to March 2018. If you can pull it off, you should join us as this is right up there with the best rides that you have ever been on. I would advise bringing an extra pair of boots for certain unnamed participants just in case.

[3Phase]

The schedule didn't work out, I won't be able to make the trip.

More stupidity for the new year. (sigh) It would have been a lot more fun in Florida.

[MPittma100]

Good to Go

Bike (almost) ready. Hotel res made.

[JeffH]

Bump the Rally Schedule in case anybody out there is still thinking about attending

Friday March 2nd & Saturday March 3rd
Days Inn Lake City I-75 Exit 427
3144 West US90 Lake City, Florida 32055

Sunday March 4th
Howard Johnson Lakeland I-4 at Exit 32 / US98
939 West Robson Street Lakeland, Florida 33805
+1-863-333-9878

Monday March 5th & Tuesday March 6th
Super 8 Naples I-75 exit 101 at Collier Blvd $95+ tax
3880 Tollgate (yes by the tollgate) but we ride south down Collier
ph: (239) 300-2588

Wednesday March 7th
TBD depending on what everybody wants to do
We can Plan & Book this when we meet in Lake City
Have a lot of options (Bradenton, Fort Myers, Okeechobee, Fla City if anybody wanted to go to Flamingo (if not hurricane damaged))

Thursday Night March 8th Price $109 + tax
Days Inn Clermont on US27 (between Clermont & Howey-in-the-Hills)


Fri 2: meet in Lake City by sunset and have group dinner (maybe Gondolier if y'all want Italian)
Sat 3: back roads group ride to Georgia, Okefenokee Swamp maybe lunch in Green Springs Cove on St Johns river
Sun 4: e-z 9:30am start and back roads ride to Lakeland
Mon 5: back roads ride to Naples (i promise no sand paths)
Tue 6: explore Everglade City & Chokoloskee
Wed 7: TBD by group after meeting in Lake City
Thu 8: Ride to Clermont and have group dinner
Fri 9: attend Eustis International Bike Show & Swap Meet say 10am till 3:30pm then head home

Guess that's it in the nutshell. Whatever y'all want to do, well that's what we will do.

Please join us! Just Book 'em, Danno!

Jeff

Join us if you can.

[JeffH]

A couple weeks until Ride Time and the meet up in Lake City Florida on Friday March 2nd.


I usually put together a rough cut GPS file of route & alternate waypoints since we ad-lib on the ride to keep the schedule flexible so we focus on FUN not hard riding to get A to B. If you would like the GPS file let me know. I've already sent it to Ted & Heather so they have it loaded in case I break down or throw a shoe along the way.


As for me,
I'm running behind on my Rally Riding Machine wrenching


Was planning on taking my new 11E but hitting a few snags. New tires are mounted and balanced but surprised to find the left front wheel bearing knotchy and not good. So working on that unexpected twist. Also found the grease in the rear axle and bearings to be like tan / brown sloppy like wet mud. Woops, another unexpected twist. So adding rear right bearing & seal into the work plan.

Have flushed the front brake fluid and flushed the forks. Watery tan brake fluid and the watery greenish brown fork oil, well both were going to create problems if left in there too much longer. So new fluids up there. Test ride will surely show if I got the right fluid in the right reservoir. lol With the findings up front, a Rear brake flush is needed too. Used the tool kit cable to remove the rear axle so since the cable hooks to the FD and left shock I'll have to jockey around to get the cable off and remove the FD for inspection and greasing.

Bike also needs switches and all electric connections cleaned. btw: new oil & filter and new Royal Purple in Mid & FD already done. New to me XS11E and if time doesn't allow to "do it right" then I'll have to roll out an other brand spare. Goldwing and Triumph good trip bikes too.

Welcome - Please join us in Florida if you can

Jeff

[speedlimit85]

I will try to make it to some of this ride. After all, my bike is running great from all your help.

[MPittma100]

Time

Jeff, plenty of time left to get your xs11 ready. I can help. Let me know.

A couple weeks until Ride Time and the meet up in Lake City Florida on Friday March 2nd.


I usually put together a rough cut GPS file of route & alternate waypoints since we ad-lib on the ride to keep the schedule flexible so we focus on FUN not hard riding to get A to B. If you would like the GPS file let me know. I've already sent it to Ted & Heather so they have it loaded in case I break down or throw a shoe along the way.


As for me,
I'm running behind on my Rally Riding Machine wrenching


Was planning on taking my new 11E but hitting a few snags. New tires are mounted and balanced but surprised to find the left front wheel bearing knotchy and not good. So working on that unexpected twist. Also found the grease in the rear axle and bearings to be like tan / brown sloppy like wet mud. Woops, another unexpected twist. So adding rear right bearing & seal into the work plan.

Have flushed the front brake fluid and flushed the forks. Watery tan brake fluid and the watery greenish brown fork oil, well both were going to create problems if left in there too much longer. So new fluids up there. Test ride will surely show if I got the right fluid in the right reservoir. lol With the findings up front, a Rear brake flush is needed too. Used the tool kit cable to remove the rear axle so since the cable hooks to the FD and left shock I'll have to jockey around to get the cable off and remove the FD for inspection and greasing.

Bike also needs switches and all electric connections cleaned. btw: new oil & filter and new Royal Purple in Mid & FD already done. New to me XS11E and if time doesn't allow to "do it right" then I'll have to roll out an other brand spare. Goldwing and Triumph good trip bikes too.

Welcome - Please join us in Florida if you can

Jeff

[JeffH]

Thanks, but my schedule is way overbooked the next two weeks. Might not even get to do any wrenching until Feb 26. I do have a bike ready to go just in case I run out of time to wrench on this one. But WILL be ready to ride it to XSSE / VYR in September.

Jeff

[JeffH]

I will try to make it to some of this ride. After all, my bike is running great from all your help.

WoW, that would be fantastic. Ride up and join us Saturday (that would be great). Likely won't leave until 9am or 9:30 -or- meet us for lunch at maybe Green Cove Springs on Saturday. On Sunday we plan to go backroads via say Branford, Trenton, Bronson so will be riding by west of you. E-Z to meet up by 10am or 10:30. Ride with us until lunch and more. Awesome, we are looking forward to meeting up with you and want to see your bike too.

Jeff & the FLA riders

[speedlimit85]

Yea. Awesome.

[JeffH]

Yikes, only 11 days to get ready to ride

If your on the fence on doing this it is not too late to participate. Please join us .........

As for my xs11, its not going too far with the wheels off. PO had given me 3 packs of Volar brake pads. Volar VBP181 which I guess have mixed reviews on wear and more importantly stopping distance. When I'm rolling around here on i-85, i-75, i-20 or GA400 "almost" stopping soon enough would be problem. Those 80+mph to 0mph happen a lot. Ordered brakes and wheel bearings & seals too. Those were nasty and need replacement. Plus haven't gotten into the carbs (a 78E with 80 Carbs) or check the valve clearances. I don't trust the new to me bike in the rain yet either. So backup bike is fueled and ready if needed

Spring colors are popping. Hit almost 80F a couple days. So we will see what Mar 2nd throws at us for the 340 mile ride south to Florida. If you want to ride, Mar 2 to 9 will be an opportunity.

Jeff