2017 Colorado/Western Rally

[Bonz]

He dropped 10 pounds of weight off the FJR with that battery! No, it probably was not the battery that made the difference... dang, good thought.

It is superior Yamaha engineering in a more modern bike that allows such a performance beast as an FJR1300 to get the gas mileage it does.

Skids, what did you get with the ST1300? I got around 50 miles per gallon with my '04 ST1300 for pretty much anything I did that was out on the highway.

[skids]

Skids, what did you get with the ST1300? I got around 50 miles per gallon with my '04 ST1300 for pretty much anything I did that was out on the highway.

49mpg, 46mpg, and 48mpg. The fuel economy gage is usually conservative in that range. I would say about 50mpg for the entire trip +/-.

[skids]

I got 53 mpg on the trip through Colorado and Utah. Once passed ogden the speed limit increased to 80 so I was averaging 90. Hit a stiff headwind in southern Idaho, still got at worst 42. I can't complain

Harry, if you do something to the battery compartment and/or tuppaware, it will open more possibilities for batteries that aren't such a rare size.

[Bonz]

In retrospect if I had been more involved in the battery caper, having just put a lithium ion in the ZRX in the place of a full-sized battery, when it came down to getting the lithium ion battery in the larger size case, I would have told Harry to get the smaller one because the power is identical.

They simply make a full size version to fill a battery box instead of having to use foam spacers with the smaller size battery. Battery internals, per se, are identical other than the larger case.

That allows a smaller size battery to fit any battery compartment and even be remotely located in another position to save space where the old battery was located for storage possibly.

In any case, that battery will crank his bike for a long time to come and I know he'll figure out a way to make it work perfectly.

[XJOK2PLAY]

Wow Harry! That's awesome mileage!
Maybe I need a new lithium battery too?

[Bonz]

Hey, a lithium battery will drop about 10 pounds of deadweight off the bike. On a 650+ lb. sport tourer or XS1100 I don't think it matters as much. However on a bike like my ZRX 1200 that I have been paring pounds off over the years, when the bike is stock at 540 lbs, weighs 500 pounds and it loses 10 more, that is significant.

When it's time to replace the battery, a lithium battery is low hanging fruit when it comes to reducing weight and really not sacrificing anything in performance if you understand the need to load the battery for a few seconds when it's cold before it will give you top performance. It's a no-brainer.

[Bonz]

Wow Harry! That's awesome mileage!
Maybe I need a new lithium battery too?

Bob, The 80-ish miles from Hayden where we had lunch on Saturday back to Kremmling would have made your mouth water. The first 23 miles after turning on to "20 mile road" was open sweepers and turns, long uphill or downhill straights along sides of ridges, with literally a mile visibility ahead of what you were going to ride. Then cooler temps along the Yampa River for 19 miles with more hammering the throttle and scenery. Finally the 33 miles along Highway 134 back to Kremmling was awesome scenery and nice curves up-and-down Gore pass with easier cruising on open straights to ease on back home.

[3Phase]

Thursday

It's Thursday after riding in the rain.
"Baby" is loaded for that angry deer in Kremmling and resting at the Cove Fort gas station near the junction of the 15 and the 70.


Roo and soccermike on Thursday at the Cove Fort gas station near the junction of the 15 and the 70.


Roo and me at the Cove Fort gas station on Thursday near the junction of the 15 and the 70.



Friday

Brant, Roo and Mike in Brant's garage in Clifton on Friday morning.


Our bikes, Anita, Capton Zap, Jerry, and Brant at the Red River RV group campground in Kremmling on Friday afternoon..



Our bikes, Roo, and Anita on Friday afternoon in Kremmling.


Friday dinner at the bar and grill in Kremmling.


Campfire at the Red River RV campground.



Saturday

I skipped the group ride on Saturday and checked the clutch because it was grabbing and lurching and clunking on the way to Kremmling.
The clutch was fine.


The group campsite at the Red River RV Park in Kremmling.


I made a test ride into town to check for leaks and see if the clutch worked.
There were no leaks and the clutch worked so I got bored and installed a cigarette lighter to charge my phone because there was no power at the group site.



Sunday

The group gathering in Granby before the Sunday ride up 34 to Rocky Mountain Park and Trail Ridge Road.


JeffH at the Continental Divide.


JeffH and his trusty Goldwing at the Continental Divide.


Climbing Trail Ridge Road to the Gore Range Overlook.


"Baby" at the Gore Range Overlook.


JeffH at the Gore Range Overlook.


The Gore Range with a small lake and the mountain tops trimmed by glaciers, not by hungry sheep.


Sir Saint George Gore and Jim Bridger plaque at the Gore Range Overlook.


My GPS shows the altitude is higher than 12,000 feet.


Trail Ridge Road Rock Cut plaque commemorating the road.


Trail Ridge Road Rock Cut rest area.


Trail Ridge Road Rock Cut rest area.


Skids and the group stopped at the Continental Divide on the way back down the mountain.


The group on the way out of Rocky Mountain Park on 34.


Everyone is safe back at the Red River RV campground.


Bonz and our bikes at the Red River RV campground.




Monday

Double Rainbow in Beaver, Utah.


Double Rainbow in Beaver, Utah.

[3Phase]

Tuesday

Roo and Mike at McDonalds in Barstow.


Our bikes and Mike at the McDonalds in Barstow.
It has been an insanely hot ride from our motel room in Mesquite, Nevada back through Las Vegas and the desert to California.


Roo at the gas station in Sand Canyon on the 14, just before we split up and made the last hurrah for home.


Home in Simi Valley. The total for the trip was 2,200 miles.



I haven't checked the gas mileage yet with my receipts but it was horrible, about 25 to 33 MPG.
It's seriously out of tune but that stupid tick was the bad exhaust gasket that everyone suggested, not a valve.
The #1 exhaust gasket had a crease in it where the header moved as I tightened it and it was leaking.

I drained the oil and pulled the filter and oil pan tonight.
The pan is clean enough to eat out of with some flaking in the oil from the new bearings after the trip but it's not bad.

The engine only used about half a quart of oil after I topped it off Wednesday in Barstow and even after all the heat at speed both ways through the desert it's still relatively fresh, it's almost a shame to change it.


At the campground, we were talking about using magnetic drain plugs.
I use a hollow transmission shift drum positioner bolt instead of a stock drain plug because the head is thicker, the body is longer and it engages both sets of threads in the pan.
I plan to epoxy a magnet into the body of the bolt I but haven’t done it yet.

Both bolts compared side-by-side in the oil pan.


The stock drain plug only engages the first set of threads in the oil pan.


The transmission shift drum positioner bolt engages both sets of threads in the oil pan.

[XJOK2PLAY]

Great pics, Scott! TRR looked so good...

Hey, been wondering... Did you guys get a chance to try out the new PackTalk comms?

[3Phase]

Great pics, Scott! TRR looked so good...

Hey, been wondering... Did you guys get a chance to try out the new PackTalk comms?

Thanks, Bob!

No, we never got around to setting up the Packtalks. I brought the whole box with all the pieces parts for both units but it ended up just taking up the lion's share of space in my tank bag and I had to keep bringing the bag inside with me at stops to eat so no one would steal it. Not in a hurry to do that again, maybe if I get some locking luggage.

[skids]

[QUOTE=3Phase;501099]Tuesday

At the campground, we were talking about using magnetic drain plugs.
I use a hollow transmission shift drum positioner bolt instead of a stock drain plug because the head is thicker, the body is longer and it engages both sets of threads in the pan.
I plan to epoxy a magnet into the body of the bolt I but haven’t done it yet.

I hope you don't have trouble with the filter cup in the way as you remove the drain plug. You might want to trim-off the excess length of the plug if it helps.

[3Phase]

Block?

I hope you don't have trouble with the filter cup in the way as you remove the drain plug. You might want to trim-off the excess length of the plug if it helps.

No, well, not yet anyway. The filter cup can't block the new or the old drain plug, it's set over to the right of the drain, to the left if you're looking at it from the front of the engine.

[motoman]

Huge effort and patience posting all those pics Scott! As you know, we all like pictures. Pics DO tell the story well.

[motoman]

BTW, for all those that rode the group ride over Trail Ridge Pass, that pass IS the highest elevation, CONTINIOUS state highway on this WHOLE continent!.