2020 Colorado Rally, July 9th-13th.

[Bonz]

That was an incredible testament to the XS1100 and its resistance to heat. Yeah you've said it has been a touch down on giddy up since then.

[madmax-im]

I cant quite imagine a climb up to 14000 ft and then back down without engine braking the whole way and even some 1st gear riding..geez..that would blow up any other 40 year old motor...I'm not sure i want to do that ride..there are many more roads that would be much more fun and enjoyable to be riding..Colorado is epic... I have a place to stay in Divide..at 9300 ft above sea level..I'll bet it doesnt get much above 80* in the summertime..Winters are pretty brutal..

[Bonz]

That year was brutal. We got behind an SUV from Oklahoma that was having tranny or engine problems and we couldn't get out of first gear at 5 miles per hour in the thin air to get any engine cooling. That azz hat wouldn't pull over and when he finally literally broke down two miles from the top we all went by and gave him the XS1100 salute if you know what I mean. One of Greg's home state boys is directly responsible for his engine's loss.

Bob's C14 was pegged on his temperature gauge before we even got through the gate at the bottom. For whatever reason my ZRX did not have an issue but it was brutal none the less. I have since installed a manual fan switch that I can turn on at any time to aid in cooling which is definitely helpful at higher elevations at low speeds. I can turn it on before the bike would turn it on and keep it from getting warm enough to begin with for it to automatically kick on.

[madmax-im]

I have heard the local authorities will scan your brakes at checkpoints and if they're too hot..they will pull you over and make you wait until they have cooled down...

[madmax-im]

That year was brutal. We got behind an SUV from Oklahoma that was having tranny or engine problems and we couldn't get out of first gear at 5 miles per hour in the thin air to get any engine cooling. That azz hat wouldn't pull over and when he finally literally broke down two miles from the top we all went by and gave him the XS1100 salute if you know what I mean. One of Greg's home state boys is directly responsible for his engine's loss.

Bob's C14 was pegged on his temperature gauge before we even got through the gate at the bottom. For whatever reason my ZRX did not have an issue but it was brutal none the less. I have since installed a manual fan switch that I can turn on at any time to aid in cooling which is definitely helpful at higher elevations at low speeds. I can turn it on before the bike would turn it on and keep it from getting warm enough to begin with for it to automatically kick on.

Yeah that does sound pretty brutal..I'm not sure that would be a good idea since i'd still need to ride back to NC on the bike..Pike's Peak? I think we'll pass on that one...

[BA80]

Yeah that does sound pretty brutal..I'm not sure that would be a good idea since i'd still need to ride back to NC on the bike..Pike's Peak? I think we'll pass on that one...

I was hot anyway because of the SLOW line through the entrance gate. My engine just quit as soon as we got through. Then the bonehead in the Tahoe was the topper. We all made it up to the top though.

Probably would have not been that way during the week but that particular Sunday was a bitch.

[Bonz]

Yeah that does sound pretty brutal..I'm not sure that would be a good idea since i'd still need to ride back to NC on the bike..Pike's Peak? I think we'll pass on that one...

If the cooling system is in good shape you'll be fine. Bob's bike should not have had that issue with fans coming on to keep his temperature down. The rally changes location so we wouldn't be back in this area in 2021 most likely.

The rally before that I rode my 80 SG, traffic was relatively slow, not this slow, and never had an issue. My rally moment was 2011 in Durango going up Red Mountain Pass on the SG. It was making a huge racket in the top end when we stopped partway up for a scenic break. Crazy hot temperatures that weekend over the 4th of July even at high elevation. Got behind slow traffic. Shifting went to heck in a handbasket but when we got back to the campground and I started up the next day everything was back to normal.

With that said, a ride up and over Cottonwood pass this summer will get Greg's bike the distinction of Pikes Peak, Trail Ridge Road which is the highest paved road in the United States, and Cottonwood pass which is now the second highest continuous paved Road.

I'm trying to think of other guys that will have accomplished the same thing after this summer with the same bike. I will have done it with a ZRX, and Mike from Sun Diego will have done it on his XJ if he brings that out. Roo will have the distinction of doing it on three different bikes. Roo will have done Pikes Peak in 2014 on his Kawasaki Nomad 1500, his XS11 Bobber for Trail Ridge Road and probably his VTX 1800 this summer. And by the way, his clutch on that Nomad was toast and he rode the switchbacks with no ability to feather the clutch. His bike couldn't lean over far enough without scraping on those switcbacks, he demonstrated true riding ability.

[Bonz]

Yes, they will check your disc brake temperature with an laser point and shoot thermometer as you come down. SO many people drive Pikes Peak have never seen a hill in their life and while it's a fantastic experience for them, it's agonizing for anyone behind them. I have seen them pull people over and not let them continue until their brake temp came down.

I don't recall if they checked our temps on the motorcycles, typically they wave motorcyclists right through after you stop because they know motorcyclist understand these things.

What I want to do is check Mike in Sun Diego's tire temperature using Ride On tire sealant to see how low his temperatures go. That's based on another thread here on the forum we've been bantering back and forth with.

[madmax-im]

Good discussion here...

[Bonz]

Yeah, Colorado rally boys have a lot of fun!

[3Phase]

I remember a Pikes Peak run when the rings never seated on Columbo so I ran around everywhere on 3 cylinders fogging mosquitoes and basically pumping raw oil out the exhaust almost as fast as I could add it to the engine.

It made it to the top of the Peak but I spent close to $600 on oil for the trip out there and back.

[Bonz]

The moment etched in my mind was on Highway 69 heading south in to Westcliffe on one of our rides the first Colorado rally I did. You came flying from the back of the pack passing everybody and when you pulled in front of me and rolled out. Colombo fogged every mosquito in the state.

[3Phase]

Good times!

[Bonz]

One of the best rally quotes yet, was from Harry. I repeat this every year in the rally thread but it is worthy of repeating.

On the way back from Pikes Peak the second year we opened it up on a stretch and rolled out as we were coming to where the speed limit dropped down as we approached an intersection a little bit further down the road. When we stopped a little while later to gather up the herd, Harry said "What's the penalty for 60 over in Colorado?"

[3Phase]

[...] Harry said "What's the penalty for 60 over in Colorado?"

I would imagine the penalty depends on how many deputies, dogs and helicopters are involved....