2011 ColoRally

[jwhughes3]

WOw! What a run today!

Too tired to try and post pics from phone. Maybe tomorrow.

Beautiful ride thru the Colorado mountains. I missed the 0900 kickstands up because even though I rode to dinner last night, this morning Great Ranger would not start. I loaded her up in the trailer and headed to the campground about 0800 after being unable to figure it out on my own.

Capton Zap jumped right in checking things after pulling a wiring diagram out of his secret place. Soon hbonser, 3Phase, Diver Ray, Marty and others were poring over it with multimeters, jumper cables and the like. Turns out my nighttime ride contributed by not fully recharging the 1 month old battery - combined with an iffy main fuse holder meant low voltage to TCI and no spark.

Scott pulled a spare TCI from HIS secret place but that wasnt it. Prolonged charging with cables and rewiring the main fuse got me on the road. Ray stayed with me to be electrician and we eventually caught up without further incident.

Driving over 1000 miles to almost miss the event would have been a severe bummer!!

13bikes. 10 were XS11s in one form or another. It was a beautiful thing.

Rest then more riding tomorrow.


John

[DiverRay]

Well, I had a GREAT time at the rally! Thanks again to Jerry and motoman for the good rides!
I had noticed my BMW "stumbling" at higher speeds, and thoughtI'd look at it after I got to my next destination. The bike had other ideas! Stopped for a break and gas in Los Vegas, NM, got back on the freeway and it DIED! When I got it in neutral, it would idle and rev fine. So here I sit in a Holiday Inn Express. I DID find the problem, though! the "sensor" on the side stand went south, so the bike thinks the side stand is still down. I removed it from the stand tonight, and it runs well! So I'm back on highway 84 in the morning, and down to Texas.
Boy, I wish I could have put all the stuff I needed on the MNS!
I did take HUNDREDS of pictures, and passed around DVD's with them on it. I'm going to need some of the other participants to post the pics, though. Work will have me busy for the next 8 days.
Again, LOVED the rides, and meeting everyone was great!

[3Phase]

What a great rally!

Roo and I left motoman's about 9:30 PM yesterday and got to see some cool fireworks as we rolled down the freeway. Right now we're in Spanish Forks; had to get off the road and find a motel room last night because it was raining and it was 3:30 in the morning....

Next we hit Salt Lake City for lunch, then on to Klamath Falls.

[Bonz]

Yeah, what a BLAST it was to meet all of you and do some great riding. Left Durango Sunday morning (did any of you guys get some funky stomach stuff going on, it sucked riding on Sunday, just didn't feel up to par) and stopped overnight in Westcliffe to see some friends, then headed home the rest of the way yesterday morning. Pulled into Palmer Lake at high noon yestarday. The odo showed 1025 miles total, the GPS said 999. Checked my gas mileage for the entire trip and it was 46.75 mpg based on the odo, 46.5 by the GPS. FD swap or not, the old girl ran like a top, and my BUTT is the only thing worse for the wear.

DiverRay, can you send me a CD with the pics? Unless CaptonZap grabbed one for me.

Mailing address:
Howard Bonser
P.O. Box 385
Palmer Lake, Co
80133

Thanks to the guys that got it all organized, and look forward to it again next time.

[Bonz]

Oops... correction.

Checked my brain faded math... 45.5 mpg based on the GPS for the weekend, not 46.5.

[planedick]

Great trip

It was indeed a great gathering except for the hungry mesquitoes. Still knots and bumps all over my arms and head. I went to Silverton the day everyone went for the group ride, that was a beautiful ride high in the mountains, lots of twisties and beautiful scenery, but the next day I went that way to Grand Juncrion and beyond Silverton there is many many more miles even more beautiful. Saw a deer in the road and a bear rubbing his butt on a tree and at the 10,200 foot elevation in the pass there was snow on the sides of the road and much more up on the mountain. All the streams and low laying fields are full of water from the spring runnoff, really was a beautifun ride.

I left Grand Rapids Monday at 6:30 AM after a Denny's breakfast and arrived in Yorba Linda at 6:30 PM. A total of 748 miles with an average speed of 74.8 mph. I guess you know I ran her hard the whole way. Had some rain between St. George UT and Las Vegas, but not real hard, just enough to make it pleasant. After Las Vegas the temperature rise was unbearable. In Baker it was 114 and blazing sun where I spent a long time in the Jack in the Box with a big iced tea and sucked up some the cool air conditioned atmosphere, then on the road again. One more stop in Victorville for gas and on home.

Bike ran great, even better now and because of that I will have to do something about my clutch. I has more power and around 6 grand the clutch will slip under hard excelleration. The Hardly muffler on the right side broke on the way to Durango. Yeah, I know I should have expected it, after all it it a Hardly product. My friend in Grand rapids had a welder and welded it up for me and it is still OK.

The Pathfinder just loves being abused in the desert heat. Cleaned all the carbon out and flushed it all out so now it has more power than ever. That bike was designed for the kind of riding I do.

[Bonz]

Yeah, if all our bikes aren't cleaned out from the 1) 100's or 1000's of miles and 2) the crazy heat the most all of us dealt with that let them burn off any unwanted junk, nothing will clean them out.

My 80 SG is running as well as ever now. I'm 100% sure my bike hasn't ever seen a ride like that in it's life, she's just been waiting for someone to take her out and run her like she was made to run.

[motoman]

Hoped it was a good time for all! Was a bit surprised at the number of folks that came! I and Jerry definitely appreciate all those that traveled the distances to attend. Roo and Scott........you two are nuts taking off last nite......and glad to hear you arrived at SpanishForks unscaved! Roo needs to be given alot of credit as one tough hombre! Him and I swapped scoots and I made the fifteen miles from Ridgeway to Ouray on his bobber........I was done.....stick me with a fork! Looks like Roo and Scott are gonna trump anyone else for ridding distance on these 30yr.old scoots......again! Hope the quick carb-sync was a bit of an improvement for the bobber Roo. The best part of the rally........no rider incidents!.......

[planedick]

Saw an XS

I passed a truck Monday with a trailer carrying an XS on I-70 in Utah. Driver honked horn as I passed. Maybe someone from the rally?

[jwhughes3]

that was me Dick...

I saw u go by at 90

I saw u coming up and said to Lisa "that looks like an XS" and then u whizzed by me.

We were only doing 60.

Made it straight thru to Sacramento in 18 hours only stopping to pee and gas up.

Saw Cy today with my son and brother in law while out riding. Nice to finally meet all you guys.

John

[planedick]

90?

And I slowed down some 'cause it looked like an XS.

[planedick]

Miles...

I had a total of 1928 miles for the trip, using 53.48 gal of fuel which means 36.05 MPG. Not too bad for the speeds I maintained for the better part of the trip.

[cywelchjr]

I saw u go by at 90

I saw u coming up and said to Lisa "that looks like an XS" and then u whizzed by me.

We were only doing 60.

Made it straight thru to Sacramento in 18 hours only stopping to pee and gas up.

Saw Cy today with my son and brother in law while out riding. Nice to finally meet all you guys.

John

Was nice to meet you too John. I hope to make the Colo rally next year if it happens again, it just wasn't in the cards this year, but SWMBO kind of wants to start doing stuff (but not if it involves her riding, either on her own or pillion, at least not yet) so maybe the rally's will work into the schedule next year, and maybe, just maybe we can work a Norcal rally into all this madness (or if I can find a place where we can work on the bikes, I can host a Norcal MOM rally ).

[CaptonZap]

DiverRay, can you send me a CD with the pics? Unless CaptonZap grabbed one for me.

Mailing address:
Howard Bonser
P.O. Box 385
Palmer Lake, Co
80133

Thanks to the guys that got it all organized, and look forward to it again next time.

Gotcha covered HB, assuming I can find it in all the baggage.. CZ

[Bonz]

Thanks JR.