Sutter Buttes

[fret not]

Well I'm sorry I didn't take a camera, but the ride was good.  The day started about 10 as we left the meeting place in Auburn.  It was cool and clear as we dropped down from the Sierra foothills and out across the Sacramento valley, crossing the Sacramento River in Marysville/Yuba City on HWY 20 and headed west for a few miles out of town.  We could see the Sutter Buttes from the foothills, and as we headed out of Yuba City they were sharper and more clear and obviously much bigger since we were closer.  A right turn headed us north through a nice small town that looked like it was 1950s with older buildings among the newer ones.  We took the PASS RD west again and headed through very rural ranch land and some orchards.  

The Sutter Buttes are privately owned and very restricted access is available.  The Buttes are supposedly the smallest mountain range in the world, and they rise directly up from the valley floor to sharp rocky peaks.

A pasture of sheep scattered away from the road and fence line as we passed by, though none of the bikes were noisy.  The road winds and rises and falls gently and we wound our way through some stunning countryside.  Mostly unpopulated countryside of pastures and orchards though there are always a few dwellings wherever one goes.  As we circled north along the odd marshy area on the lower side of the road and rocky hillside pastures and occasional crumbling rock wall to the right on the uphill side.  From there north, east, and west were solid orchards as far as you could see as we were then on the north side of the buttes where we went to a nature preserve with lots of old valley river bottom wetlands.  They allow hunting two days per week if you want to go through all the process and pay.  One of our group is a 'birder' and had been there previously for birdwatching.  

Heading back south to get to the bridge across the Sacramento river in Yuba City/Marysville and back on our side of the river.  Easterly through the rangy outskirts of Marysville and up HWY 20 toward Grass Valley.  It was fairly light traffic and no one was in a rush so it was a pretty leisurely ride up the smooth asphalt roadway as it wound up the hills to Penn Valley for lunch.  After lunch we wound along Indian Spring Rd to McCourtney and back home.  It was good to get out, mostly in the 50s (10 - 15C), and some memorable scenery.  Right now it's pretty nice to be in California.

[Rikugun]

Although some pics would have been nice, your words were enough to have me yearning for spring...well done.  :)

[VisionMeister]

nice ride for January-February. I've always wondered what the Buttes area was like.
We should try to get together for a ride sometime. I live in the Jackson area and have ridden with Motoracer, who is in the Folsom area.
I am currently on non-op with a real funky carb tuning issue that I haven't debugged yet. Looking for April as a target for putting it back on the street.

[fret not]

V Meister,
I have been thinking of adapting a fuel injection system from another bike to my V.  Still in the cogitating stage but it could happen.  It sure would eliminate the finicky set up that came from the factory, but unknown what other issues it might bring.

[motoracer8]

 Mike, I wonder if the injection system from a Suzuki SV 650 could be made to work??

[fret not]

Hi, Ken.  I have thought of that and for a while was headed in that direction, but then I thought of the earlier SV650 carburated models.  Carburetors  would be much easier to adapt since there are no cam position or oxygen sensors, and what about the "computer" brain?  Maybe I'm just giving up too easily but I would rather ride the bike than work on it.  Over the years I have taken on some rather involved and protracted projects and usually had good results, so still thinking. 

[supervision]

  Fred, coil started some manifolds to hold some throtle bodies, I dont remember the rest of what he was trying to use, but it sure looked possible.  The sv650 might be on the big side, sure lot of them out thier. It would be nice to a bike that could deal with this crummy gas we now have.  Maybe the answer is just drain the carbs when we come home from riding!

[VisionMeister]

I have thought CV carbs like on my Duc 900ss would be a possible good conversion.
SV carbs may be CV as well.
I think the Duc carbs are 38mm mikunis. The Duc doesn't rev as high so they could be a close fit for the V revving to 10 grand.

[supervision]

   I dont have first hand experance with modern systems, but in my mind, it seams worth going to a CDI, running with  the fuel injection, to take full advantage of the fuel system conversion.  What do you think fellows? 

[fret not]

I think the stock ignition is pretty good (no ignition points to wear out) as long as the battery and charging system are kept up.  Gotta check all electrical connections etc. but you would have to do that with any system.  The intake is the grit in the ointment for me, which is why I have been thinking of the SV carbs or FI.  I think the carbs would be easier to adapt than the FI but maybe not that much easier.   Slightly different angles of the carbs/throttle bodies on the SV would need to be re-angled for the XZ but that should be simple.  It's the sensors and magic box that will be critical.  Somebody knows all about this stuff, so we can assume we can do it too.  Right? ;) :o  ::)

[Rick G]

Look at the front carb from a Suzuki XV800, same size as a Vision carb and down draft CV.  The rear won't work it's a side draft. PIA to change jets though, and you would need a split  throttle cable  setup.