Just Ride.

[Adamc]

Three Castles Tour South Wales:
https://www.xs650.com/threads/just-ride.54772/post-853444

Some may remember my little historical ride above. If you have a spare 50mins here is a very interesting video explaining the castles visited.

 

[gggGary]

Honda got a nice run around the country block, 33 to LaCrosse with "Charley from Mauston" on a KLR

he's also got a very nice old Feejer

then over into Minnesota, down gravel roads to Iowa,

Past Lancing, they're getting close on the new bridge.

Pikes Peak State Park


for the evening, then back into Wisconsin at Praire du Chien and back home, bout 300 smiles.

MY screw up, I was fighting an oil leak, in spite of the mess made it home without adding oil. Fixed now. Kinda getting used to that Honda with the goofy DCT. Adjustable long travel suspension pretty nice for flogging on our rough Wisco roads.
Ride on!

 

[Wagner73]

He's also got a very nice old Feejer
View attachment 371953

Oh, very nice! That Feejer is almost a carbon of the 84-85 version I had (avatar).

 

[Dio77]

Did about 50 miles this morning. It was to nice out not to get ol Tom out and let it eat.

 

[Mailman]

Honda got a nice run around the country block…..bout 300 smiles.

Funny, being a city boy, I was going to ask you what a country block was……apparently 300 miles!
Our city blocks tend to be smaller.

 

[Adamc]

Great weather today. Warm at 7.00am this morning so I decided to to take Taffy to work. Drive to lockup 3 miles from home. Pull Taffy from slumber; fill tank with fresh E5 and fire up first press. Tog up for the ride.

20 miles to work along the coastal road, through arable farmland. Sun is warm and fly rise is already hitting my face.
Taffy is running nicely, and all is well with the world from my saddle. I arrive at work early with a big smile on my face.

I took a new rider on an accompanied test ride today. Outbound I ride the 2026 Tiger 900 Alpine; such an efficient and accomplished bike; it’s a real step up from The Brat my R1200GS. Inbound I rode the new Bonneville 1200 T120. The T120 is a grunty bike and similar in feel to my XS650 Taffy, but slower steering and less characterful. Its efficient water cooled, fuel injected engine makes it an easy ride. On Taffy I have to work harder for the thrills, but the rewards are much better; noise, feel and thrill's aplenty. All at lower speeds.

The ride home on Taffy was just as lovely in the evening sunshine.

The newbie rider? He loved both bikes but preferred the Bonneville T120.

Newbie rider came in the store today and purchased a brand new T120 Bonneville for £13,500 with a few toys added.
A good result / end to the story.

 

[gggGary]

Funny, being a city boy, I was going to ask you what a country block was……apparently 300 miles!
Our city blocks tend to be smaller.

My for real "country block" is 4 miles, includes some nice hills and curves.

The standard is it "ready for the road" test route.

 

[gggGary]

Put a Noco NLP9 lithium battery in the s'Norton cuz the ole 12 volt battery was weak. Did some clean up and polishing,


Then two prime kicks, iggy on and FIRST KICK, brm brm and off around the "other" country block (5 miles as the mailman runs it). All good.
Headed to a vintage truck show at the Sauk County Fair grounds with music by Maggie Mae & the Sawmill Creek Band.

 

[Mailman]

Put a Noco NLP9 lithium battery in the s'Norton cuz the ole 12 volt battery was weak. Did some clean up and polishing,
Then two prime kicks, iggy on and FIRST KICK, brm brm

Excellent! Now your ‘ol kick starting leg won’t be crying!

 

[Altizzy]

Honda got a nice run around the country block, 33 to LaCrosse with "Charley from Mauston" on a KLR
View attachment 371952
he's also got a very nice old Feejer
View attachment 371953
then over into Minnesota, down gravel roads to Iowa,
View attachment 371955
Past Lancing, they're getting close on the new bridge.
View attachment 371954
Pikes Peak State Park
View attachment 371956
View attachment 371957
for the evening, then back into Wisconsin at Praire du Chien and back home, bout 300 smiles.
View attachment 371959
MY screw up, I was fighting an oil leak, in spite of the mess made it home without adding oil. Fixed now. Kinda getting used to that Honda with the goofy DCT. Adjustable long travel suspension pretty nice for flogging on our rough Wisco roads.
Ride on!

Beautiful views. I’m in search of some rides here in SoCal. Cheers

 

[cra-z1]

A few of our Vintage guys out for a ride yesterday terrorizing the streets

 

[gggGary]

A few of our Vintage guys out for a ride yesterday terrorizing the streets
View attachment 372360

Some beauties there! I'll guess 4rth from the right is yours?
Out Booling around for ~ 60 miles yesterday.
Local farm has an all natural bakery Got there an hour late, darn it!

Tower Road looking out at Lake Wisconsin.

Downtown LaRue Train Station!

Known as the Rattlesnake Spur.

Bet you can guess why.

"originally Chicago & North Western's Rattlesnake Spur, a seven mile line first opened in 1903 to serve the Iroquois and Illinois iron ore mines in La Rue, WI. Abandoned in 1913 after the mines closed, the track returned to use in 1918 when a quarry purchased it. Once again abandoned in 1962"
Discovery of the Mesabi Range closed all the local iron mines.
Buell was not as uncomfortable as you would imagine, in spite of my not fitting in the fairing leg recess. What dif from the R50/2 ride the day before. Instead of struggling to 60MPH, 3K in 5th is over 70MPH (too easy to look down and see 85+)

 

[Mailman]

Out Booling around for ~ 60 miles yesterday.

Holy Crap Gary! I didn’t realize that bike was so rare! Info I found said that they were from Buells early “hand built in the barn” days.

 

[gggGary]

I asked Erik about this the other day;
"Nice, Gary!
Honestly I don’t remember the history of that specific bike, although the creation of the RSS model is kinda interesting. It might be that it is one of the last before H-D took over Buell."

 

[Its been a long time]

View attachment 372370
I asked Erik about this the other day;
"Nice, Gary!
Honestly I don’t remember the history of that specific bike, although the creation of the RSS model is kinda interesting. It might be that it is one of the last before H-D took over Buell."

It's a piece of motorcycling history, to be cherished. It was a sad day when I sold my 1991 Westwind. But it went to a very good home.

 

[Mailman]

I asked Erik about this the other day;
"Nice, Gary!

Did you hand him a deposit for one of his new models?

 

[gggGary]

Eric has zero involvement with that company. After some wrangling and negotiation they were able to secure the Buell trademark from Harley.
The SX1190 I had several years ago

and the ensuing conversation with a local Gendarme convinced me that a 400 pound 180HP bike just doesn't work on the street.
Those bikes are closely related to the EBR1190s. They (literally) prolly still have quite a few EBR parts in them.

 

[Mailman]

Eric has zero involvement with that company. After some wrangling and negotiation they were able to secure the Buell trademark from Harley.
The SX1190 I had several years ago
View attachment 372374
and the ensuing conversation with a local Gendarme convinced me that a 400 pound 180HP bike just doesn't work on the street.
Those bikes are closely related to the EBR1190s. They (literally) prolly still have quite a few EBR parts in them.

Ok, well that explains a lot. I was wondering how he pulled off yet another new start up. Now I know!

 

[cra-z1]

Some beauties there! I'll guess 4rth from the right is yours?

Yes the green one is mine and the other Z1 I just completed for my friend which makes 4

I have done for him.

 

[gggGary]

Out backroading on Butterscotch, got chased home by a thunderstorm, but stopped to shoot a bit of local history at Ski Hi Apple Orchard.
The Bassetts are My friend Betty's grand parents.






And still beat the rain home.