Just Ride.

Should this ride thread be just a.... well, thread? Or should there be a dedicated Forum topic?

  • Yes, it's own topic in the Forums

    Votes: 19 90.5%
  • Nah... threads good enough.

    Votes: 2 9.5%

  • Total voters
    21
  • Poll closed .
Yet another warm clear day in SW QC. Longish ride today on the XT, as the XS is laid-up in the shop. First pic is overlooking the St. Lawrence River Valley just east of the Ontario border. The second is Lake St. Francis, which is a widening of the St. Lawrence river that stretches from Cornwall ON to Valleyfield QC. The mountains faintly seen on the horizon are actually in the US, in Upper New York State. View attachment 228778View attachment 228779
I am thinking, I should get one of my XS650s up and running for next summer, and ride up to your area in Canada, and ride some of those great roads. Those are great pictures you posted.
 
Valleyfield is a pleasant enough destination, but doesn't really stand out architecturally, culturally, etc... it does, however, have a grand cathedral. Its main claim to fame is that it hosts an annual American Power Boat Association regatta in July and has been doing so since 1938. The downtown core flanks a bay which is the site of the race, with grandstands lining the shoreline. It is a three or four day spectacle, drawing apparently up to 130,000 visitors. Quite the show!
 
I am thinking, I should get one of my XS650s up and running for next summer, and ride up to your area in Canada, and ride some of those great roads. Those are great pictures you posted.
Thanks, Bob. From Rochester NY, you are close enough to do that. Some of the best roads would be in what we call the Laurentians, the area north of Montreal. Lots of winding roads, varied topography, rivers and lakes. Propose a date and I'll join you! Then again, some pretty good riding to be done in Upstate NY, say around Lake Placid.
 
Atom, nice pics, bought back some distant memories for me. Spent a few years living and working on the West Island back in the mid to late 70’s. Spent a bit of time in Valleyfield, helping a friend rebuild an old {today old} Fairlane 428cj. I left early 1980 to get away from the politics of the time, with my now wife of 46 years. I remember the cold, the snow, the mosquitos, the crappy roads, etc. But still it was a hoot at the time for a young guy from NZ. All good times as they say.
 
I did that 'update' for me anyway due to my limited inseam on my '77.
I happened to have several standart seats with crappy covers...was waiting to recover some time 'later'. I also had a special seat that also needed a new cover. I cleaned up the rust and painted the standard pan and fitted the special foam to that pan. Only had to trim some of the front nose to fit the raised portion. No pics of the work though.
A few finished pics here....I am not going to install either the standard ring or special spears. but left the markings of the holes (per Mailman) in case. Bought a special cover on Ebay for $20 shipped.
 

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Got a large elm tree in the wood racks after days of cutting and splitting.
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So with the temp hitting 70, an afternoon ride was on tap.
Just the usual haunts, Devils Lake
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slow riding on the township roads out to Sealy Lake
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Any talk of naps on a picnic table in the afternoon sun mere rumors.
I was listening to the breezes and water burbling over the dam with my eyes closed.
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I've gone by this marker hundreds? thousands? of times, finally stopped today.
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Thinking of you grizzly bear.
 
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I did that 'update' for me anyway due to my limited inseam on my '77.
I happened to have several standart seats with crappy covers...was waiting to recover some time 'later'. I also had a special seat that also needed a new cover. I cleaned up the rust and painted the standard pan and fitted the special foam to that pan. Only had to trim some of the front nose to fit the raised portion. No pics of the work though.
A few finished pics here....I am not going to install either the standard ring or special spears. but left the markings of the holes (per Mailman) in case.
Thanks there. The special has all kinds of brackets and support platforms but the loop seems the same. I am mounting a standard seat pan to a special frame and mounting standard side covers as well. My seat pan is 2 months out delivery so I am just trying to get a head start on what I need to remove.
 
The hinge and latch brackets are different length standard to special seat pan.
On madness I have the bumpers and latch removed, the seat pan sits directly on the frame.
 
Thanks there. The special has all kinds of brackets and support platforms but the loop seems the same. I am mounting a standard seat pan to a special frame and mounting standard side covers as well. My seat pan is 2 months out delivery so I am just trying to get a head start on what I need to remove.
Your Special have the hinged or removable seat?
 
Atom, nice pics, bought back some distant memories for me. Spent a few years living and working on the West Island back in the mid to late 70’s. Spent a bit of time in Valleyfield, helping a friend rebuild an old {today old} Fairlane 428cj. I left early 1980 to get away from the politics of the time, with my now wife of 46 years. I remember the cold, the snow, the mosquitos, the crappy roads, etc. But still it was a hoot at the time for a young guy from NZ. All good times as they say.
Cool! Where in the West Island? I grew up in Pte-Claire, south of the 20 (just off the old village of PC). If I say Maples Inn, does that mean anything to you? Lots of people left in the 80's because of the politics and the economics. I stayed because of family, cheap education and what turned out to be a career in aerospace. Guess what, the cold, the mosquitos and the crappy roads haven't changed an iota!
Not to leave folks out, Montreal is undoubtedly one of the great cities of the world. It is a fantastic city historically, culturally, architecturally, geographically, etc... It is also an aerospace city, among other things, with Bell Helicopter, Rolls Royce, Pratt & Whitney, Bombardier, CMC Electronics, Heroux-Devtek, CAE, IATA, Thales and many others having a significant presence.
 
I must have the same GPS that Jim and DownEaster use, took me 60 miles and an hour and half to get to Farm and Fleet for van oil change supplies.
Out on levee road Wisconsin River.
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72 degrees in November.
 
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I wore these to the Barber Vintage Festival. They handled both walking and riding just fine. They’re Worx, or Vietnamese made Redwings. I’ve worn them very little, so I can’t answer as to how well they’ll stand abuse. I walked a lot at Barber and my feet didn’t hurt.
 
Thanks @650Skull. I will kludge up something. I have the lift off version, 81 Special II and I am fitting a 78 and earlier standard pan seat. The tech section diagrams suggest the frame in that area match up so it seems to me it will just be just figuring a secure way to mount. I have also figured a way to mount the standard side covers pretty easily
 
Hey Atom, little late with my reply, stuff happening. The maples Inn, name seemed familiar to me, but still had to google it. Yep, spent my first few days in Canada in that place. The guy that owned the garage I was going to work at put me there, another employee lived close by, got picked up and dropped of each day. Soon moved to a big white house next to a church closer to Dorval ave. Lived there for several months, then on to an apartment on Roy ave. I worked a a few places early on, Lachine, Montreal West, then at the Pontiac dealership at the Dorval circle for a couple of years Building engines and transmissions. Air Canada called in 78, so went there as a mechanic, then transferred to YVR in 80. Yes, Montreal is a fantastic city, especially Old Montreal, spent a lot of time bar hopping around there. Pte Claire, I do remember a few bars and places we used to hang at, but that was long ago and don’t remember the names of them. Maybe they are long gone. Have not been back in a few years now, but for weddings and funerals, and the odd F1 weekend.
 
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