Motorcycle Camping on an XS650

Gordon in nc

XS650 Junkie
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Okay......after working almost non stop for months except for trips to visit with my 93 year old dad (who passed away a couple of weeks back RIP) and a shortened trip to an XS Rally (broken clutch cable sent me home early)........I finally get a couple of days off to play.
So I'm loaded up and will be leaving out at 4 am Friday morning to attend The British In The Blue Ridge Rally. Yes, I'm leaving my Brits at home and will be on my ragged XS650B but I'm REALLY looking forward to it. :bike: I'm going to catch a lot of grief over riding the XS ( well it is a British bike rally after all) but I'm a big boy and I can take it. When they start giving me grief.....I'll just walk over the XS and press that wonderful starter button.....and that should quiet them down.....at least for a little bit.

Motorcycle camping is something I TRULY enjoy.....and hope when I finally retire I can spend a many a night under the stars with the smell of oil and gas not too far away from me.:thumbsup:

Now......I've been accused of OVER PACKING :laugh: but damn......a man HAS to have his "stuff" with him or it just isn't any fun. I've also been accused of riding bikes/rigs that are a little out of the ordinary and a lot ragged. I can live with that and can't argue with it. I've never been one to stand in line and blend in.

Here's a sneak peak of what the weekend will be like and if you all don't mind.....I will post an AAR after the weekend is over????????



Rumor has it there just might be an XS regular camping with us.....we'll just have to wait and see.:wink2::thumbsup::wink2:

The people I'm camping with are some of my favorites and I sure am looking forward to it.

Later gators......I can hardly sleep at night because I'm so excited.

Gordon in NC :bike:
 
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Dunno Gordon the silver side car is a bit over the top...

sneak%20peak.jpg


Let us know how all that handles I keep thinking of camping with the XS but day'am the Beemer sez "why bother"? Maybe for rockerbox...
 
I like camping, but i got to have a big cooler full of beer, and sam'ich makins. If i stab my old lady on there also, its like riding three up!!
 
Marty, you fit into two categories.......an XS650 regular and one of my favorite people. It'll be good to see you again. :)

Iowa Mark......I was scrolling down and thinking WTF??????.... then I saw em....and spit coffee all over the computer. PERFECT!!!!! what a hoot!!!!....yep we could be kin.

2m...here, here. :thumbsup: I have to admit....I've always had a soft spot for the Brits (the bikes that is). But this XS is sure growing on me. :)

gggGary....yes sir, getting the Matrix attached to the XS was a bit of a pain....and now I realize that it's wheels are in the wrong direction..:shrug:..back to the drawing board.:thumbsup: I "kinda" miss the cooler bags myself. I could haul a BUNCH of stuff in them. But I'm looking forward to giving these Yamaha bags a try. Marty told me I wouldn't be able to carry as much stuff and he was right. I still was able to load enough stuff to make me feel warm and fuzzy and still have room for a 12'x16' group canopy set up. (I'm a blue tarp camper) Rain is in the forecast all weekend and it's nice to have a place to get out of it.

Angus67.....that's just the reason a SIDECAR is the ultimate motorcycle camping accessory. :wink2:

I have kept track of the load weight when I use the coolers bags but didn't do it this time around. I will try to remember to weigh it when I get back home and unload. The way I look at it is, the bike was designed to be ridden two up and as long as I keep the weight below what a pillion would weigh....i should be good. You do have to worry about getting the load top heavy. Top heavy is what happens when you have a passenger but usually the passenger gets off before you get off the bike. A top heavy load can get hard to handle for stuff like gas stops on a side stand...you gota be careful. (ask me how I know)

Okay enough of this.....I have to get back to work. Leaving out tomorrow am and a yarn and photos will follow.

Seeya..............:thumbsup: your friend in NC......Gordon
 
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Here's a reminder of what we're talking about when we mention the "cooler bags"



And here's the set up



It had been a bit damp so I was trying to dry things out. This was at last year's XS11 Rally (thank you Marty) and since it was my first time around this group......I brought the deluxe "silver" tarp instead of the cheapo "blue"......see??? you can't hide money:laugh:

More XS motorcycle camping to follow and PLEASE FEEL FREE to add your stories/photos to the thread.

"Two wrongs don't make a right......but three lefts do"

Gordon in NC
 
When motorcycle camping and rallying, it's nice to have an item perform double, or even triple duty. For years I've been using a Coleman lil'Oscar cooler. It acts as a travel trunk during the ride, holding things I want quick access to like a sweater and rain suit. At the rally, it's a cooler of course, but also makes a nice little camp stool .....

JOzoAcU.jpg
 
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Hi Gordon,
I see you are cutting back these days and only bringing one flamingo.
Here's how to go on a weekend motorcycle camping trip in 1940's England:-
Buy an ex-military motorcycle for five pounds. It's survived six years of armed conflict so it should be pretty reliable. Be sure it still has it's military panniers.
Friday evening, stop at a local pub for a pie and pint supper.
Continue up the road to find a camping spot that's near a stream and surrounded by gorse bushes.
Wrap yourself in your ex-military ground sheet and dive into the gorse bush to sleep.
In the morning, open your can of beans and eat them out of the can.
Wash out the can at the stream, fill it with water, light a small fire to boil the water to make tea. Drink the tea, cut the bottom out of the can, split it up it's seam, open it up flat, set it on the fire and fry your bacon on it then soak up the bacon fat in a slice of bread and fry the bread. Eat your bacon butty, carefully bury the flattened beans can, fire up the bike and continue the ride.
Note that the necessary bodily functions were also performed but are not mentioned here.
 
Mr Fred.......that trip sounds like heaven to me.:thumbsup: Thanks for those visuals....I could almost smell the bacon frying. :) BTW.....the other flamingo gets car sick so she's staying home.

5-Twins, yes sir that is a GREAT idea ( no surprise coming from you).....I have a couple of those coolers....always liked them better than the pointy top Playmates. (?)

Now here's another tip.............................carry water.



Sounds like a waste of time since no matter where you ride nowadays you always seem to be passing by a store.....BUT. There "might" come a time (heaven forbid) when you break down along the side of the road (probably on your Honda :wink2:) and you have to push the bike a few hundred yards to get to a safer place to sort it out. Middle of the summer and some warm/hot water is still a lot better than nothing. Even if you're calling AAA....there still might be some waiting time. Another good use for it is if you do repair something and get your hands dirty......when you clean them with your hand cleaner ( I KNOW you carry hand cleaner in your kit) the water comes in handy (pun intended) getting them rinsed off. Sticking your greasy hands back into your gloves....well....you know.

NOW.......bring the water along and I can almost 100% insure you.....you won't need it (just like that extra clutch cable I'll never leave home without again) but leave it at home.....yep they'll get ya.

I have to get up at midnight and get a concrete pour started.....and then they can kiss my arse because I'm turning the phone off and heading West.

AAR later......GG in NC aka Opie Gone Bad :laugh:
 
Love camping on a bike. You've got as much stuff on that bike as I pack in my GoldWing's trailer. Tents were always a problem for me when packing without the trailer and on a no-luggage bike, the poles were always too long. Now I see little dome tents in the stores with much shorter poles, gotta get one of those. I'm due for a trip. Next to camping, Waffle House and Motel 6 are my next favorites.

Scott
 
450 mile + round trip and the bike never missed a beat.

We had rain in the camp ground but the only rain I had to ride through was some really nasty stuff........the last 5 miles from home.......go figure.:shrug:

I have several options for routes for this trip (I've made it several times) the fastest is boring but I took that going because I left home at 2 am. (long story) The route I picked to ride back on is my favorite and I'll tell more about that later.

Right now.................................



The bird says we have some unpacking to do.......Gordon in NC
 
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We got a pretty good soaking on our way home. We waited it out on the north side of Blood Mountain. We still managed to make the show. Thanks for the fellowship!
 
Okay......after working almost non stop for months except for trips to visit with my 93 year old dad (who passed away a couple of weeks back RIP) and a shortened trip to an XS Rally (broken clutch cable sent me home early)........I finally get a couple of days off to play.
So I'm loaded up and will be leaving out at 4 am Friday morning to attend The British In The Blue Ridge Rally. Yes, I'm leaving my Brits at home and will be on my ragged XS650B but I'm REALLY looking forward to it. :bike: I'm going to catch a lot of grief over riding the XS ( well it is a British bike rally after all) but I'm a big boy and I can take it. When they start giving me grief.....I'll just walk over the XS and press that wonderful starter button.....and that should quiet them down.....at least for a little bit.

Motorcycle camping is something I TRULY enjoy.....and hope when I finally retire I can spend a many a night under the stars with the smell of oil and gas not too far away from me.:thumbsup:


Now......I've been accused of OVER PACKING :laugh: but damn......a man HAS to have his "stuff" with him or it just isn't any fun. I've also been accused of riding bikes/rigs that are a little out of the ordinary and a lot ragged. I can live with that and can't argue with it. I've never been one to stand in line and blend in.

Here's a sneak peak of what the weekend will be like and if you all don't mind.....I will post an AAR after the weekend is over????????



Rumor has it there just might be an XS regular camping with us.....we'll just have to wait and see.:wink2::thumbsup::wink2:

The people I'm camping with are some of my favorites and I sure am looking forward to it.

Later gators......I can hardly sleep at night because I'm so excited.

Gordon in NC :bike:

Hi Gordon, this thread is right up my ally, what a great post & following posts in this thread. One question, where did you get the OEM panniers from?
The following is what I put up on the "longest rides" thread, maybe I should delete it and move it over.....
Mick
Nothing as legendary as what others have posted, but what a great read this morning from riders doing miles. Mine, was last week, my biggest issue was gas, or the lack of places to get it. So, I had a bottle (.21 US gallon / 800 ml) for "just in case" recorded my consumption as I went, and had a ride of 304 miles (490 kilometres) each way.
Out to a meeting with geotechnical engineers, then beers, sleep, ride home. Learn't a few things, fuel consumption being foremost, my rear tyre vibration, dodging skippies (kangaroos), a sore butt.

Back Story....this is my 1975 XS 650B model, imported from USA last year, re built top end engine this year (valves reseated / re faced, 0.50mm oversize, pins, rings, cam chain and tensioner. Replaced the chain, and sprockets new tyres this year too.

XS%20650%20Dingo%201_1.jpg


GAS..... The book tells me that you get 100 kilometres from 5000ml or 62.13 miles / 1.32 US gallons (hope my conversion is correct) The longest leg was 153k or 95 miles, so it should have burnt 7.6 litres or 2.02 gallons of gas. What I found was it burnt more, probably due to me sitting on 70 Mph for that leg between gas stops. Actual gas burn was 9.6 litres / 2.53 gallons. You might ask why I sat on 70 Mph? Well the bike has an uncanny vibration at 65 and it gets better the faster you go, so 70 is good, 60 is too slow down a road we call "The Beef Road".

Beef Road
Rest stop for 5 minutes note: Tanker is empty diesel road train.
image_3.jpeg


The road is pretty good now, years ago it was a single strip of bitumen with dirt shoulders, cattle road trains use the road to transport "Beef" to other paddocks along its (235k / 146 miles) length.
The road is long, hot, dry, and not much traffic, so after my first leg, in which I started out through fog, watched the sun come up as I went along (very cool) I knew I had enough gas to get me through the longest leg. on return with a headwind I burnt more 10.12litres / 2.67 gallons, so I had some to spare (1/3 of a tank)

Broken bit

image_2.jpeg


The only issue I had was the stand broke, I did media blast it and painted when I did the engine, but missed the hairline crack it had 1/2 way around.

Overnight stop & ready to hit the road the following day

image_4.jpeg


Vibration
When I was coming back, the long stretches of nothing give you time to think, the vibration was really bugging me and I thought that when I replaced the rear tyre 10 weeks ago the wheel weights might be wrong or there was something wrong in the back end. So.....I had a mate follow me through the speed zones it was vibrating the worst. He pulled me up and said, "mate, your rear tyre is skipping nearly completely off the road". So I went to the workshop the following day, pulled the tyre off, set the rim up and checked it for "true" (which it was). The old rubber had a flat spot on it, I am the only person who rides the bike and told my mechanic friend that it had not been flat spotted due to braking....he looked at the bead line and you could clearly see that the tyre had not been fitted properly in the first place and the bead was out. This is what caused the excessive vibration! It also killed a shock absorber, so thats next on the list of replacements bits.
So now I am a happy camper, have new tyre fitted, no vibration at all, an engine that goes really well, I know how much gas it burns and I am looking forward to the next long ride.....

Mick
 
GREAT story Mick......I like for it two reasons....one it's about a trip on a XS650 and we're not talking about a 10 mile run down to get ice cream and back :) and the fact that it's all the way around on the other side of the world from me. That first photo in your post is simply beautiful...looks like an ad for a travel agency.

You gota help me out here....I'm not good at math and not a good reader either. (getting old is not any fun) What kind of actual gas mileage did you get? Unloaded I get close to 50 miles per gallon with my XS650 but with the load I was carrying this past weekend that was down closer to 43 miles per gallon.

LOVE the stories.....I hope you share some more.

The bags are off a XS750 and needed paint and decals to look XS650B. I had to drill extra holes in the mounts to make them work. There's a thread on the classified's about me asking for some. I had a couple of people reply and I got the ones you see on the bike from one of them. I'm still being told they were an option for the XS650B but to date I've not actually seen a set of them (the ones I have have a label inside them that says XS750, see the mentioned thread and there's a photo of it)

I did end up with an extra set......but they are not in the best of shape. The mounts are perfect but one of the bags is warped a bit and I'm not sure how you would (or if you could even do it) fix it. If your interested I would contact those fellows who replied on my wanted thread. One has the bags complete and the other still has the guards that came with them.

I will post more on my weekend after i get home from work.

Take care......Gordon in NC, USA
 
I had a spy out looking for you Gordon. Can't wait to hear the report! (with pictures)
 
I had a spy out looking for you Gordon. Can't wait to hear the report! (with pictures)

No problem Gary......I wasn't hiding, had the "bird" out by the road (first thing I did when I got there) and the XS was in plain view all weekend.

I'll post some photos tonight when I get home from work.

Gordon in NC
 
Okay...here we go. First off if the mods see this as a waste of band width....just delete it and I promise not to do it again. I guess this is for the three or four people on here who find this kind of stuff interesting.

I left home (wheels up :wink2:) around 2 am and the first of the trip was in the dark. No problem with the XS's lights they were plenty bright enough and the engine enjoyed the cool night air. First stop.....mrtwowheels mentioned the Waffle House.....guess the Huddle House would have to do. Just before daylight and I was able to view the radar and saw that I could remove the rain suit. It's on the seat already stuffed away.



After a hot breakfast the ride to the campground would take another couple of hours with a gas stop along the way. Camp was set up and I made sure the "bird" had a good view of the camp road.



In civil war reenacting this is called a shebang.....I normally set this up and then put my tent under it but for this event "the needs of the many out weight the needs of the few" so I set it up so we as a group could get out of the rain and I just jury rigged something over my tent.





Here's a shot of the XS....stripped of it's burden



There was only one food vendor at the event.....but I gota tell you the sides were home made and the meat was wonderful. You had to be in the "know" to get the Collard Greens....oh my they were good. Hey, we were in Georgia after all and I was born and raised in Tallahassee, Florida...you can't take the Cracker out of a fellow and there's sure no way of hiding it. :laugh:



Speaking of Georgia....this part of Georgia is simply beautiful......it has mountains



and the campground was surrounded by a lake



to be continued..............................................
 
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