Last long ride of the season...

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nickjtc
Posts: 120
Joined: Tue Jul 18, 2006 9:49 pm
Location: Kamloops, BC, Canada

Last long ride of the season...

Postby nickjtc » Fri Sep 01, 2006 5:56 pm

After I post this I am heading out of the office door to embark on my last long ride of the year. I had originally hoped to ride the bike down to Kamloops on the (Canadian) Thanksgiving weekend, next month. As the leaves are already turning, and dropping off the trees hereabouts, and it's getting pretty chilly first thing in the morning, I've decided to err on the side of caution and take the bike south without any fear of getting caught out in ugly weather or on ugly roads.

My plan is to ride from here (Fort St. John) via Prince George, Tete Jaune, Little Fort, 100 Mile House, Cache Creek, Hope, and then north back to the 'loops. Planned journey time, less than 24 hours.

Is this man a fool?

Will Nick's unshakeable faith in Honda reliability carry the day?

Will Silver Sophie rise to the challenge?

Watch this space.
.....to be myself, a pattern for others.

1979 CB650
1971 Norton Commando
1968 CB175

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DammitDan
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Location: Nashville, USA
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Postby DammitDan » Fri Sep 01, 2006 7:05 pm

You're so lucky...

It's still 90+ degrees down here in Tennessee. Hot and muggy, and my bike smokes like a demon (damn you valve stem seals!) :evil:

tsp37
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Joined: Fri Sep 01, 2006 10:01 pm

Postby tsp37 » Fri Sep 01, 2006 10:10 pm

Double D - Friday about 5:30 I passed a man in black on an old Jap four-banger in front of the VA hospital. Was that you? Because of the threat of rain, I was in the mini-van. I haven't ridden all week, but maybe I'll go see Savage Gulf this long weekend.

Steve in M'boro

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DammitDan
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Postby DammitDan » Sat Sep 02, 2006 1:13 am

Nah I don't think so... Although I did ride into work in Nashville today (and got sprinkled on) and I do wear black leathers and full face everywhere I go, I got back around 2pm and parked the bike. I think you would have recognized me though... The damn bike smokes like a corncob pipe.

I have noticed several other SOHC 4s and a few DOHC Nighthawks around Murfreesboro. Always nice to see some of the brethren around town :D

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Ibsen
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Postby Ibsen » Sat Sep 02, 2006 6:07 am

I hope you will have a great ride Nick. :)

In the part of Norway where I live the leaves are still green although they do start to look a bit pale, so fall is just around the corner. But it is still pretty warm, and hopefully we will be able to ride for 5-6 more weeks.

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nickjtc
Posts: 120
Joined: Tue Jul 18, 2006 9:49 pm
Location: Kamloops, BC, Canada

Postby nickjtc » Sat Sep 02, 2006 2:20 pm

OK, OK, call me a big softie, wuss, quitter, or whatever, but the lure of my nice warm bed, snuggled up to the missis (who I hadn't seen for a month) was just too much....so the long ride home, segued into the long ride home - lite.

Left at 4.15pm. I ended up doing 622 miles, and with stops (about 45 minutes total), was snuggled in the aforementioned nice warm bed by 3.30am.

I started in bright sunshine, but into a brisk headwind, so my gas mileage fell from 49mpg (imperial) to 44mpg. Once I crossed the mountains things improved and for the last three fill-ups the bike did 53/51/57mpg, all at steady cruising (5500rpm/110kph-ish).

Believe it or not this was the very first time that I had ridden the bike after dark. So after about 9pm it was new territory, riding wise. I was very impressed with the headlight (not the 'melt ice at 400 yards' brightness of the twin headlights on my VFR but still very good), which allowed me to maintain the same cruising speeds that I had been doing when it was daylight. The glare from my non-faced speedo wasn't too intrusive; I had forgotten how restful the green background of the tach could be.

Apart from it getting pretty cold at the end, and there being tons of bugs at the start (my helmet looked like it had sprouted fur when I got to Prince George), it was a pretty uneventful ride. Well, except for the numbnuts who had pulled his old truck off to the side of the road, leaving most of it actually still in the road; said truck was filthy so the rear reflectors were not reflecting, and he/she had not left the hazards on. So it blended in quite well and I didn't see it until I was almost on it. Passed it pretty close, for a sphincter pucker factor of about 9.75.

The bike ran flawlessly, didn't use any oil, and the chain still does not need adjusting (haven't touched it since I put the Scottoiler on a few thousand kms ago).
.....to be myself, a pattern for others.



1979 CB650

1971 Norton Commando

1968 CB175

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Chris
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Location: New York, USA

Postby Chris » Sat Sep 02, 2006 10:27 pm

Scottoiler?
1980 CB650c

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nickjtc
Posts: 120
Joined: Tue Jul 18, 2006 9:49 pm
Location: Kamloops, BC, Canada

Postby nickjtc » Sun Sep 03, 2006 2:55 am

Chris wrote:Scottoiler?


Automatic chain lubrication system, of which I am a huge fan. If you would like more info go to:

http://www.scottoiler.com/

Or ask away! I would not have a chain driven bike without a Scottoiler fitted....!
Last edited by nickjtc on Sun Sep 03, 2006 11:31 am, edited 1 time in total.
.....to be myself, a pattern for others.



1979 CB650

1971 Norton Commando

1968 CB175

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Ibsen
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Postby Ibsen » Sun Sep 03, 2006 4:04 am

Sounds like a great ride! :D

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nickjtc
Posts: 120
Joined: Tue Jul 18, 2006 9:49 pm
Location: Kamloops, BC, Canada

Postby nickjtc » Sun Sep 03, 2006 11:33 am

Ibsen wrote:Sounds like a great ride! :D


It was!! And I now officially love my bike!
.....to be myself, a pattern for others.



1979 CB650

1971 Norton Commando

1968 CB175


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