Just Ride.

[bosco659]

THE WELSH FLAT TRACKER: Shakedown Ride

This was my chance to actually get out on the bike for a decent shakedown ride.
Covered about 50ish miles to my local coastline at the Gwent Levels.

The embankments were built by the Romans over 2000 years ago to hold back the 8 meter tides that flood inland around these parts.
(River USK has second highest tidal range in the world). Built to reclaim arable coastal land for crops to feed the Legions. Later extended by the Monks for the same purpose. They run for over 35 kilometers.
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The bike ran pretty good with just a few teething problems to sort.
1. Slight fuel leak from left side carb float bowl
2. A fuel weep from the petrol tank seam on left side (My most worrying issue).
Probably caused from water / petrol separation when stored for years; water corroding the inside bottom edge with bike on side stand.
3. Clutch is HEAVY & slipping a bit
4. Bars need pulling back slightly to ease weight off wrists.
5. Occasional metallic sound coming from left side when riding in gear; goes when clutch is disengaged.
6. Rear shocks are frankly shocking; way too hard and fire me out of the seat over potholes!

Bike sounded great and looked brilliant in the sunshine.
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Uni filters make a huge difference to how the engine runs.
17/33 tooth sprockets make the bike so much more enjoyable to ride.

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Bike looks awesome. Congrats!

 

[Kevin Werner]

Ask anybody on the Ozarks ride, I need balls not good shocks...
I have some Triumph take offs on my tracker that seem pretty good. I will have to up my pace to evaluate the shocks better.

 

[Jim]

I have some Triumph take offs on my tracker that seem pretty good. I will have to up my pace to evaluate the shocks better

I've got Triumph take-offs on my SG now. For my 68yr old riding style, they're about perfect. Even better... took 'em in on a trade of some sort...

 

[46th Georgia]

I've got Triumph take-offs on my SG now. For my 68yr old riding style, they're about perfect. Even better... took 'em in on a trade of some sort...

I bought a set from Halfmile for my tracker project. Good to hear you're happy with yours.

 

[TX650A Van Islander]

Adam your bike looks spectacular! Thanks for throwing in that info re the Romans - that is interesting.
I am happy with the Hagons I have on the TX. They have been a good purchase for me.

 

[650Skull]

THE WELSH FLAT TRACKER: Shakedown Ride

This was my chance to actually get out on the bike for a decent shakedown ride.
Covered about 50ish miles to my local coastline at the Gwent Levels.

The embankments were built by the Romans over 2000 years ago to hold back the 8 meter tides that flood inland around these parts.
(River USK has second highest tidal range in the world). Built to reclaim arable coastal land for crops to feed the Legions. Later extended by the Monks for the same purpose. They run for over 35 kilometers.
View attachment 243085 View attachment 243086
View attachment 243087 View attachment 243088

The bike ran pretty good with just a few teething problems to sort.
1. Slight fuel leak from left side carb float bowl
2. A fuel weep from the petrol tank seam on left side (My most worrying issue).
Probably caused from water / petrol separation when stored for years; water corroding the inside bottom edge with bike on side stand.
3. Clutch is HEAVY & slipping a bit
4. Bars need pulling back slightly to ease weight off wrists.
5. Occasional metallic sound coming from left side when riding in gear; goes when clutch is disengaged.
6. Rear shocks are frankly shocking; way too hard and fire me out of the seat over potholes!

Bike sounded great and looked brilliant in the sunshine.
View attachment 243089 View attachment 243090

View attachment 243091 View attachment 243092

Uni filters make a huge difference to how the engine runs.
17/33 tooth sprockets make the bike so much more enjoyable to ride.

Ads.

Great pics. Lot of Roman history in the Isles that we hardly ever hear about. Great engineers not so nice to the locals, read some where they tried to breed out the pure Bloodline to stop revolts.............Kinda hard to know what the pure blood line was taking into account the Isles were joined to Europe at one stage not all that long ago.

 

[Adamc]

Bike looks awesome. Congrats!

Thanks @bosco659

 

[46th Georgia]

Great pics. Lot of Roman history in the Isles that we hardly ever hear about. Great engineers not so nice to the locals, read some where they tried to breed out the pure Bloodline to stop revolts.............Kinda hard to know what the pure blood line was taking into account the Isles were joined to Europe at one stage not all that long ago.

The history of the world is a story of one group expanding their empire by conquering weaker people, then having the conquered toil for them. So many here in the U.S. do not understand that and seem to believe that slavery didn't exist before we had it. It doesn't make it right, it's just the way thing were, and in some places, still are.

 

[jpdevol]

Off Brand....but a nice ride nonetheless

 

[Mailman]

Off Brand....but a nice ride nonetheless
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You sure won’t see another one of those on the road!
Well…..how did it run? Is it as fun as it looks?

 

[jpdevol]

Well…..how did it run? Is it as fun as it looks?

Yes, it rides smooth...replaced fork oil with 15wt and it handles good for a '77 era HD. Suspension is pretty decent - gonna forego the Hagons for now - nice ride and corners relatively precisely for a 600lb pig. Cruisin' along in 4th @ 3500rpm gets you 65mph.
IDK what all the carping was about - the seating position is, well, cafe racer and perhaps not typical HD, but it's a cool bike

 

[TX650A Van Islander]

Off Brand....but a nice ride nonetheless
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JP, what a stunner!!! Beautiful artwork that one. I am happy and excited for you to get to ride about on that fantastic machine. Thanks for sharing. Many more photos of this HD would be so appreciated.

 

[jetmechmarty]

Many more photos of this HD would be so appreciated.

I think a thread on it would collect a few hits. I’d certainly look at it.

 

[jpdevol]

JP, what a stunner!!! Beautiful artwork that one. I am happy and excited for you to get to ride about on that fantastic machine. Thanks for sharing. Many more photos of this HD would be so appreciated.

I think a thread on it would collect a few hits. I’d certainly look at it.

In lieu of a thread, how about a pic of gggGary aboard - he stored it, changed tires & fought a carb issue - all for a 5 minute ride

I've since rebuilt the forks, steering stem, carb & petcock.

And then there's the BAT listing with a bunch of pics: https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1977-harley-davidson-xlcr-1000cc-8/

 

[Raymond]

Don't be shy, JP. There's plenty interest for a thread on the XLCR.

I remember paying attention back in the day when they were launched. Looked like a really interesting bike, more to European tastes. The Harley-Davidson big twins were derided as overweight, over done, chromium festooned, slow, unreliable, expensive and irrelevant to British riders. You almost never saw a Harley in the UK and even less in Scotland.

About the only time I remember was seeing an Iron Head 1000cc Sportster parked in a street in Braemar on a hot Summer day. The rider wasn't there but we went over for a drool. Candy red, AMF design with coloured pinstripes, tiny peanut tank, tapered down to the rear giving a glorious view of the matte black top fins. Could imagine it would be real fun to ride, though of course never really in the market in those days.

But down the decades, have owned a few American V twins including three Buell X1 Lightnings - some people just never learn. Just changed Like to Love on your thread:

https://www.xs650.com/threads/just-ride.54772/post-794802

so hoping we might at least see a bit more?

 

[Jim]

Quote from Raymond: "Don't be shy, JP. There's plenty interest for a thread on the XLCR."

Thievery from Jim: Don't be shy, JP. There's plenty interest for a thread on the XLCR.

 

[Vincenthdfan]

Off Brand....but a nice ride nonetheless
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I'm afraid I'd have to use a play from the Peter Egan playbook on that beautiful bike.

Park it "just so" in my shop, pour my favorite beverage, pull up an easy chair and just sit and admire all the different angles until I found the one I loved the most....that Peter fella, he truly gets it.

 

[gggGary]

Oooh there's going to be a thread!!!

 

[Mailman]

It’s gonna be 98 degrees today, it’s already hit 100 a few times and it’s not even June yet.
I‘ve been feeling cooped up in the house lately. It’s too hot to go far so I was just cruising around down by the KC Royals spring training fields, there are parks and public pools and it’s just generally pretty. Stopped by the town lake, there were people fishing and kids on the playground,

Then I rode over to some exhibit buildings, art galleries

The city also built a Xeriscape garden recently to demonstrate low water use landscape ideas for our water challenged desert homes.

It is located behind my bike in this photo. The recent heat has knocked the flowers off of most of the plants, but it’s really surprising how showy and heat tolerant some of these plants are.

After this I rode around for about another hour, but after getting stuck at a couple of long traffic lights, both me and my bike were getting overheated and we headed for home. We are supposed to have an El Nino summer with a more active monsoon season ( I hope we get some more rain! ) and maybe…..just a few more cooler days.

 

[jpdevol]