Thunder Bay to BC (Canada) and back 75XS

As far as gearing goes I would go with 17-33 for most things on a 19” wheel as has been stated by many experts on here I think maybe 17-32 is good on a smaller 16” wheel maybe? There are threads. I don’t regret running 32 but it is high and hard on the clutch in town. On the highway it was a new bike though. I haven’t had really any issues on hills either it’s manageable. 4000 @73mph about. I want to try 33 for all around use.
https://m.facebook.com/casey.mcbryan.50/albums/1441932725993072/
 
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I have made it to bc took about 5 days to hit the border and then took it easy and enjoyed the mountains etc.

Day 3
I Woke up excited. I planned to visit a friend flying Agricultural planes out of Neepawa. Upon leaving the campground I rolled the bike over 15000 miles and followed the perimeter road to highway 6. I followed 6 until road 267 west which started out with fresh pavement and then Turned to 40k of loose gravel at 90km/h -sketchy but the old girl could handle it ! I hit hwy 16 - the Yellowhead and followed that pushing my gas as far as I could and even ran reserve out to see what it would do at 65-70. I managed 18 miles On reserve before running out and filling up with my extra Jerry can. I stopped in Neepawa for lunch and gas. looked at some airplanes and around 230 I headed out to Minnedosa turning left and then right through Rapid city. Two lane highway with 100kmh limit, I passed a tractor trailer going the other way hauling a grain silo on its side. Just as I was passing him on a narrow stretch he went though a rough area and I thought it was going to roll off and crush me like a bug! Kept going through the Assiniboine valley and got on the number 1 highway which is Canada’s main highway and mostly divided and higher speed. Lots of transports I basically tried to avoid it the whole trip. I stopped for gas in Elkhorn MB. I had made a small nav error and google rerouted me. It ended up being all gravel again for about 30km across the Saskatchewan border and dusty! I saw a semi coming from a mile away and just pulled a couple hundred feet down a farm road to avoid the dust. I ended up starting to feel a bit lost out in the middle of nowhere after a few turns. My cell provider didn’t work at all in Southern Sask. And my map scale was too large.I just used my compass and headed west till I hit Highway 8. Then turned Right to 48 west. I finally arrived at Kenossee provincial park and camped for the night. The bike ran good however all the gravel and big bumps I blew out the fork seals. Bike as well as me we’re dusty after 70k + at 65mph We had a few squirrelly moments in the loose gravel “ruts” at high speed. I am pleasantly surprised With how well the bike did on gravel though.

Here is a link with all my photos so far and some videos I did explaining my route alongside the map.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/6iqUJZSY4jRvHqzJ7
 
Day 4
Kenosee Saskatewan - Medicine Hat Alberta 450miles or 712km. My longest day on the bike

Woke up with the sun headed for Weyburn for gas and breakfast and some earplugs! Pushed through to Assinaboia for gas again and then another push all the way through to Cadillac sask mostly because I liked the name! Cool little town though. I was getting a bit cocky with how the bike was running and wanted to blast through the prairies making up for lost time. I was running 4K rpm and around 70-73mph all day and it was HOT like 36c or around 97F. I was hot and the bike was hotter. In Cadillac I had a snack and found a small patch of shade for me and the bike.
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I tightened up the chain added some oil and got her running again and roared down the road to Gull lake sask. There was some fresh pavement on the sacked out two lane I was following across the prairie and it was so hot I could see my tracks in it as I drove across it. I should have let up on the old girl but got into the small town of gull lake and it was clear that she wasn’t happy. I was going to have to get back on the #1 highway and As I let the clutch out it spit the right carb out and I limped to the side on 1 cylinder. I managed to get it remounted and fired up.
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Headed west towards “The Hat” . Traffic was doing 80mph and I stopped in Maple creek Saskatchewan for Gas And water at the sketchiest place ever. Fueled up and she wouldn’t start. Pushed it off the side by the rigs and a trucker offered to throw it in the back and take me to Calgary. Pulled the plugs ran it over to clear it and it fired up. Back on the road Amd I took it easy to Medicine Hat. Pulled into the visitor Center and the bike stalled and would not start!
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No shade and completely exhausted I pushed it down a path into the trees and tried a few things after it cooled down. Nothing worked and I decided to try and push start it for the first time. My saddle bags block the kickstart. It fired immediately but ran rough. I hit all the lights on the way to the campground and the carb popped again a bit so holding it in with one hand and the bike popping away I got to the campsite, shut it off and got a site. Wouldn’t start so I ended up pushing it to my site. What a day! Ordered some pizza to the site and started working on the bike. I found a cracked intake boot and also checked the valve clearance etc. I used some ultra grey to seal up the boot and left it over night. I Hoped I had solved the issue!

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I feel your pain SherpaT. Popped a carb just this morning, after forgotting something at home and looping back. It started fine while cold, but after coming home and trying to re-start it hot, it was grumpy and spit out the right carb. This is not an unusual occurrence. I've become fairly adept at loosening the clamps, popping the carbs back in, and tightening the clamps back up. Fortunately for me, I kept the original boots, which seem of much sturdier quality than replacements.

I guess I should say I feel *a bit* of your pain. My carb popped out in my own driveway, conveniently beside my garage (not to mention my fridge and a bathroom, if needed). Not hundreds of miles from home, with minimal tools, and a big tire for a work bench.

You, my friend, are a hero. An inspiration. I bow in a north-westerly direction, hopefully toward you.

BTW, that gearing of yours really makes a difference. I was out on the 402 highway today, going roughly 70mph (my speedo is currently broken, but I was in that neighbourhood), and I was well above 4000rpm. A bit above 5000, in fact. Think I'll do that 17/32 thing when I replace the sprockets.

Live long, and prosper. May that glue hold fast!
After reading this I took a run on the bike tonight and at 120 kph or 74.4 mph, I was revving 4800 rpm.
 
You’re certainly finding out all about how big Canada is Sherpa - good for you for sticking at it!

Please keep the posts and videos coming. Your courage and determination reminds us all of....us. I don’t know how old you are, but there’s a whole bunch of age 60-70+ guys out here in XS650-land who are re-living their lost youth through your terrific adventures.

....and I’m one of them (photo from about 1978 in Kingston, ON....)
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Pete
 
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By the time u get to BC you'll have excised all the gremlins. Friend and I made a similar trip in '75. From NB to Vancouver and back on my '70 and his '73. Covered 8100 miles in a month, and nary a mechanical problem. Our best day was over 500 miles. Am bone weary after 50 these days!

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