2018 Colorado Rally, July 12-16

[JeffH]

Here are some random pictures taken with my cell phone. (link to one drive)
https://1drv.ms/f/s!AtDTp3zsWxaK6A3BB1huXiEVY_E1

Skids,
VERY NICE PICS
THANKS for getting those posted
We appreciate that ...................


j

[Bonz]

Ditto, great pics Skids, thanks for the posting of them.

[skids]

Look forward to next year and I will gladly take suggestions for a locale but right now the Durango area is looming large on the radar!

Guys from all over the forum and the country no matter what bike you would ride, we have the XS11 in common and that’s all that matters. Start thinking about it.

Durango is another high rent district! Maybe I will need to relearn how to sleep in a tent again! Haha. I enjoyed the rally. My thanks to you Howard, Joe for his cooking, Scott for sharing the room, and everyone for the good times.

I fretted over an apparent very slow leak around the valve stem with the new tube and tire (bubble tested). It stopped. I aired it up to 39psi before the trip and on day 2 it was 36psi. Today it was still 36psi. I think the bead seated when the tire was mounted, trapping some air between the tube and tire, and it is now gone...

[Bonz]

Yes tenting is fun, all the rage these days! Get an inflatable mattress at Walmart that should fit in just about any tent and sleep like a king at the campground. Jerry had a great set up this year, looked pretty comfy!

How about hold it out in Cortez, same main ride as Durango features (To Rico, Telluride, Ridgway, Ouray, Red Mountain Pass, Silverton, Durango and back to Cortez) and close to Mesa Verde and some other stuff out that way. Hotel rooms are very inexpensive. JAT.

[rdmcguy]

Thanks to all the guys.

Greetings to all,
A BIG thanks to Bonz, for planning a selection of great rides and having a very nice place to congregate....Koa.....Thanks to all attendees, it was great to ride with you again and also nice to see a few new faces.Thanks to Jeff and Jerry for posting the pictures, and thanks again to Jeff for the gifts he bestowed upon me, and to Bohn for the XS Eleven hat,according to Scott I am getting closer to acquiring my secret decoder ring as a member of the group lol..I am happy to hear that Scott escaped injury during his "incident" and Russ and I escaped the kamikaze deer too...And thanks also to Jerry for noticing my baloney skin rear tire,I got the new one put on today...Pleasant and safe journeys to all.

[Jerry]

A few photos...

Bonz and JefH at the KOA.


Harry (left) and Russ (right) at Monarch Pass.


Group shot at top of Cochetopa Pass.


Valley coming down east side of Independence Pass. If you look Real Close you can see some of our group riding on the lower level of the road.


Selfie at Sand Dunes Natl. Park.

Click on any image to bring up a larger version.

[3Phase]

I'm taking off from Motoman's and heading to Cortez to see an old friend from high school. I'll probably go home via Flagstaff and the 40 but who knows.

I'm still looking for a video editor for the GoPro that's not annoying and can handle the humongous files. I just downloaded GoPro's desktop app but I'm out of time to play this morning so I'll fool with it tonight.

Motoman let me use his pressure washer to clean my bike so all the mud and guck is gone, the rims are shiny and the whitewalls are pristine.

There's only one picture in it right now but I made a

2018 Rally album on OneDrive.

[rdmcguy]

Me again..

Howdy all,
I posted some pictures on facebook of the rally .
I don't have much luck posting pics her so , they can be seen on my Fb page,
I am Joseph McCarthy and there is a mountain scene as well as my daughter in the smaller picture on my wall..Or if you are friends with Roo, Harry or Greg, I tagged them in the pics. too

[MPittma100]

Rally

Ok guys,

Sounds and looks like a lot of fun. Someone give us a tally of the bike brands that attended. How many were XS1100s?

Glad to hear all were safe.

Will see some of you in September..

[Bonz]

Mike (soccer4m) rode his XJ from California with Roo (VTX1800) and 3Phase (Scott) on his 2018 Harley Softail 117 cu in. JeffH rode in from Georgia on his GL1800, Bohn Fraser (BMW1200GS) and his friend John (GL1800) rode in from Missouri, Harry (Bigfoot) and his friend Russ rode in on their FJR1300’s, Joe (rdmcguy) trailered his 2 XS’s (Marie-Marie and the fabulous El Toro) from Denver, Sid (Skids) rode his immaculate 78E from Florissant, Colorado, I rode my Kawasaki ZRX1200 from Palmer Lake, Colorado and Jerry Fields was representing Kawasaki as well with his 2006 Concours C10 and towing his bike trailer from De Beque, Colorado.

12 bikes in all, with a number of the folks from recent years that couldn’t make it. Among those were XJOK2PLAY, CaptonZap, tcoop, DiverRay, BA80, Sebastian_99 and his brother, dpotter58, motoman and motowoman.

The comraderie, friendship and riding transcends the bikes that are ridden and like Jerry said, as time goes on it’s going to be more more about those things and the XS1100/XJ1100 is the tie that brought us all together.

[XJOK2PLAY]

Sounds like kudos go to Mike, Joe, and Sid for representing with their 11's!

You guys have no idea how bad I wanted to make this one and see you all again!

Colorado has become my favorite rally, and always enjoy riding with you all, especially in the cooler mountains!

It's been pretty miserably hot here in Tulsa. Almost as hot as Brant's temps, but with high humidity to boot.

It's been almost 3 months since I've been able to ride, and I'm starting to get the jitters!!

Glad to hear you all made it safely... especially you, Scott! (That was too close, buddy!)

Ride safe, and I'm looking forward to seeing you all next rally.
Bob

[Jerry]

My trailer has been mentioned a few times; here is a shot of it from the 2008 Yosemite Rally behind the XJ:



First used in 2000 at the Pipe Springs (Arkansas) rally, it has seen service for the last 18 years and has appeared at several XS11 rallies. As I said, I don't travel light when I go camping.

Broke a fender bracket going home from Gunnison so I had to remove one fender for the rest of the trip, but will get that fixed in short order.

Yes, the trailer is home made. So was the hitch for the XJ. The hitch on the Concours is from a company called Hitch Doc; they make several bike-specific trailer hitches.

[MaximPhil]

Hi Jerry,
That is your trade mark. It has followed you to many rallies.
Nicely made practical trailer. I still practice the minimalist camping approach, though I did pack a folding chair last time
Phil

[Bonz]

Jerry pulling up on the Concours with the trailer in tow is a really cool sight!

I am with you Phil, I have a 5 lb 11 oz 3-person backpacking tent that combined with my down sleeping bag and a light blanket for over top when the bag itself would be too warm, along with a sub-2 pound sleeping pad pretty much takes care of things. Small inflatable pillow goes inside the sleeping bag stuff sack. The three person tent has room for my 6‘11“ body as well as all of my gear. A nice vestibule on each end of the tent allows for great flexibility in drying things and keeping things handy. Well under 14 pounds and I have a have a habitat to exist in under all conditions.

The tent is the Mountainsmith Morrison 3, has been superceded by the Morison 3 EVO. Not as inexpensive as a department store tent, but ultimately more capable and worthy with a full coverage fly to handle any conditions including some snow in the early fall while Elk hunting the high country.

I also have an LED solar rechargeable lantern that in some versions can charge a cell phone or other devices, and a small propane one burner stove with a small cook set provides for cooking if needed. Always carry a few of the freeze dried backpack meal entree’s and never go hungry.

[MaximPhil]

Hi Howard,
Googled your tent. Looks like a very nice set up and very light for that much room. But as you say Not cheap
I have a smaller tent and don't carry any cooking stuff. perhaps i should.

Phil