-
Enjoy XS650.com? Consider making a donation to help support the site.
XS650.com receives a small share of sales from some links on this page, but direct donations have a much greater impact on keeping this site going.
SE-MI - SW-ON meet-up - July 15!!!! REPORT
- Thread starter MaxPete
- Start date
PS - I got permission to post this in the garage - so.....Nyah!
Okey dokey - today was the big day for the SE-MI /SW-ON Meet-up - Vinsetta Garage Restaurant in beautiful downtown Berkley, Michigan (a northern suburb of Detroit).
The day began for me yesterday (July 14) when I took Lucille (my red '76) to the car wash to hose off some dirt that had collected. I finished the soap, rinse, dry, cycle and.....she wouldn't start. The oil light simply blinked when I hit the button. Dammit. Soooo....I kicked it and she started up. Daughter #2s wedding is next Saturday and I had a huge honey-do list and so I was all over town for various errands. By the end of the day, my knee was darned sore from all that kicking. Soooo....last evening I investigated and found that the Starter Safety Relay (SSR) had somehow gotten some dirt inside and that was preventing correct function - and the electric starter from working. Anyhow, I got it cleaned out <once more> and all was well again.
This morning I was delighted to once again meet Forum member Lakeview who was on his very cool 2016 Yamaha FJ09. Lakeview has "several" XS650s, including a running '77, but none have sufficient miles on them for the one hour trip from his place to mine and on to Vinsetta Garage across the Detroit River Ambassador Bridge. NEXT year, we'll both be on 650s!
Anyhow, we set out together and arrived at the bridge by about 9:30 AM or so. Then we shut off the bikes as the line for the US Customs and Immigration booths was very long and very slow. We duck-paddled our way up to the booth and after the usual pleasantries with the chap in the little box (he was keen on my bike) we set off for Vinsetta which is about 25 freeway minutes north of the bridge. After a couple of iterations finding the restaurant (there may have been a distracting young lady on the right hand side of the road when we passed the restaurant which was on the left....but it may also have been a distracting auto parts store), we arrived at the restaurant right on schedule at 10:58 AM.
A couple of minutes later, our first American colleague arrived: WingedWheels of Waterford MI, on his beautiful red & white softailled 72 Yamaha XS650-based brat bobber. The bike (see photos below) is really nicely done and fits WWs view of a fun bike, to a tee. He fabricated it himself and even did the paint (which looks like an expensive professional job to me). I learned a lot from just chatting with him for a few minutes and I'll be applying that knowledge to my own cafe build. After scoping our three bikes, we all went inside and got a table in the rapidly filling restaurant.
About 10 minutes later, another rider arrived: Wizard of Smiles, on his very pretty blue 1973 Standard. WoS arrived sans-chapeau but he had come only a short distance and was excited to attend because he had gotten his bike running just the day before. The bike looks really good and runs great with that nice rumble you only get from those long XS650 Standard mufflers. Here are photos of the bikes and the group seated just inside the wide open doors of the Vinsetta Garage Restaurant.
Wingwheels brat with Lakeview's FJ09 and my Lucille in the background.
Wizard of Smiles' very sharp looking - and running - 1973 Yamaha 650 - with the rest of the group in front of the Vinsetta Garage Restaurant.
The Meet-up group at our bike-side table - very cool and about to be very well-fed! Left to right: MaxPete, Lakeview, Wizard of Smiles and WingedWheels.
We dined on Vinsetta classic burgers (big, meaty and sloppy), hand-made potato chips (crisps for the Brits and ANZACs) and non-alcoholic BEvERages (we were riding motorcycles in Michigan afterall and they have BIG mutha potholes to dodge) and then we just sat and chatted about bikes and solved the problems of the world for about an hour or more.
There was a tiny bit of drama during the start up of the older bikes - but working together, we got everyone going and off we went!
I'd like to thank:
- the three other riders, Lakeview, Wizard of Smiles and WingedWheels, for coming out to this meet-up. I had a great time and I hope everyone else did too.
- all of you for putting up with the badgering and hijacks encouraging you to attend - I hope more folks can make next years event.
Pete
The day began for me yesterday (July 14) when I took Lucille (my red '76) to the car wash to hose off some dirt that had collected. I finished the soap, rinse, dry, cycle and.....she wouldn't start. The oil light simply blinked when I hit the button. Dammit. Soooo....I kicked it and she started up. Daughter #2s wedding is next Saturday and I had a huge honey-do list and so I was all over town for various errands. By the end of the day, my knee was darned sore from all that kicking. Soooo....last evening I investigated and found that the Starter Safety Relay (SSR) had somehow gotten some dirt inside and that was preventing correct function - and the electric starter from working. Anyhow, I got it cleaned out <once more> and all was well again.
This morning I was delighted to once again meet Forum member Lakeview who was on his very cool 2016 Yamaha FJ09. Lakeview has "several" XS650s, including a running '77, but none have sufficient miles on them for the one hour trip from his place to mine and on to Vinsetta Garage across the Detroit River Ambassador Bridge. NEXT year, we'll both be on 650s!
Anyhow, we set out together and arrived at the bridge by about 9:30 AM or so. Then we shut off the bikes as the line for the US Customs and Immigration booths was very long and very slow. We duck-paddled our way up to the booth and after the usual pleasantries with the chap in the little box (he was keen on my bike) we set off for Vinsetta which is about 25 freeway minutes north of the bridge. After a couple of iterations finding the restaurant (there may have been a distracting young lady on the right hand side of the road when we passed the restaurant which was on the left....but it may also have been a distracting auto parts store), we arrived at the restaurant right on schedule at 10:58 AM.
A couple of minutes later, our first American colleague arrived: WingedWheels of Waterford MI, on his beautiful red & white softailled 72 Yamaha XS650-based brat bobber. The bike (see photos below) is really nicely done and fits WWs view of a fun bike, to a tee. He fabricated it himself and even did the paint (which looks like an expensive professional job to me). I learned a lot from just chatting with him for a few minutes and I'll be applying that knowledge to my own cafe build. After scoping our three bikes, we all went inside and got a table in the rapidly filling restaurant.
About 10 minutes later, another rider arrived: Wizard of Smiles, on his very pretty blue 1973 Standard. WoS arrived sans-chapeau but he had come only a short distance and was excited to attend because he had gotten his bike running just the day before. The bike looks really good and runs great with that nice rumble you only get from those long XS650 Standard mufflers. Here are photos of the bikes and the group seated just inside the wide open doors of the Vinsetta Garage Restaurant.
Wingwheels brat with Lakeview's FJ09 and my Lucille in the background.
Wizard of Smiles' very sharp looking - and running - 1973 Yamaha 650 - with the rest of the group in front of the Vinsetta Garage Restaurant.
The Meet-up group at our bike-side table - very cool and about to be very well-fed! Left to right: MaxPete, Lakeview, Wizard of Smiles and WingedWheels.
We dined on Vinsetta classic burgers (big, meaty and sloppy), hand-made potato chips (crisps for the Brits and ANZACs) and non-alcoholic BEvERages (we were riding motorcycles in Michigan afterall and they have BIG mutha potholes to dodge) and then we just sat and chatted about bikes and solved the problems of the world for about an hour or more.
There was a tiny bit of drama during the start up of the older bikes - but working together, we got everyone going and off we went!
I'd like to thank:
- the three other riders, Lakeview, Wizard of Smiles and WingedWheels, for coming out to this meet-up. I had a great time and I hope everyone else did too.
- all of you for putting up with the badgering and hijacks encouraging you to attend - I hope more folks can make next years event.
Pete
Attachments
Last edited:
Sounds like a great day for a ride and a meet and greet! Looks like you all had a great time!
Thanks Bob - it was fun for sure.
Oh, yeah, great meet-up. Wished I was there.
Good lookin' bikes.
I can see the Texican in that group.
Them burgers sound good.
Now I'm hungry.
Good lookin' bikes.
I can see the Texican in that group.
Them burgers sound good.
Now I'm hungry.
Make this an annual and I'll have a hard tail to ride by then.
Scott
Scott
Next year Scott!
If I was just a little bit closer, I would be there for sure!
3000 kms and 30 hours would be a challenge
Maybe meet half way.......................lets say Winnipeg
3000 kms and 30 hours would be a challenge
Maybe meet half way.......................lets say Winnipeg
Works for me RG and you'd be most welcome indeed. If we did a meet-up in the 'peg, I'd opt for a tour of Resto's badge foundry if he was amenable.
Pete
Pete
pago cruiser
XS650 Addict
A garage /restaurant...
What a concept!
I'm not sure about that no beer thing though...
What a concept!
I'm not sure about that no beer thing though...
Yeah....but The Wizard is pretty young Pago, so us older chaps were trying to set a good example...
Last edited:
Wizard of Smiles
Retro Rookie Rider
I'm 39!? LOL. It was a lot of fun and I was blown away at how well you guys knew the forums inside and out. It was a lot of fun and the burgers were really great.
....as I said, young man - we were trying to set a good example.
Really though - your bike is a dish Wizard - really nice!
Pete
Really though - your bike is a dish Wizard - really nice!
Pete
Wizard of Smiles
Retro Rookie Rider
Pete,
Thanks again for setting that up and for the kind words about my bike. Your bike looks great , but we both need to polish the motors.
Thanks again for setting that up and for the kind words about my bike. Your bike looks great , but we both need to polish the motors.
Indeed - not a task I am looking forward to though....
