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First spring ride on the 82

Started by VisionMeister, April 30, 2007, 12:41:32 PM

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VisionMeister

After doing a short 75 mile exploratory ride on the 83 on Friday, I did a quick oil change on both bikes and swapped the starter on the 82 for one I had been servicing on the bench.
The 82 had been sitting since a December ride when the starter locked up. It started fine and restarted after warming it up and shutting it down so I thought "good to go!".
I left Saturday morning with my neighbor on his Buell. 12 miles down the hill to Jackson to stop for gas and the V wouldn't start. The starter would spin it, just not strong enough to start. Bumped it in 2nd on a slight downslope and it started right up.
50 miles down Hwy 49 to Jamestown, we stopped at the Harley dealer where  I got to visit with the mechanics. Mark Musio used to be the Yamaha mechanic at Modesto back in the late 70's and 80's. He's still riding the 500xt he crashed on a ride Supervision and I sponsored in 1978. Also has a Vision stored for a relative that supposedly will pick it up someday. The other Mechanic has a Ducati 900 CR that he's gradually updating with SP parts so we gett to compare notes on changes.
We left Jamestown out the back roads to Wards Ferry Rd. A single lane steep canyon traverse across the Toulumne River. We took the CROV guys across this in the Spring 05 ride. Great road for the V not so good for big bikes, to tight.
Had a burger (and a Sierra Nevada Ale) at the Iron Door Saloon at Groveland and headed out Feretti Rd. to check it out and avoid the Highway. Nice road once you get past the housing developments at Pine Mtn Lake and Airport.
We crossed Hwy 120 and headed down Smith Station Rd. to Coulterville where we stopped for a break and BS with the Sport Bikers. This town is becoming a destination for sport bikers wanting to run the stretch down the Merced River Canyon to Bagby and up to Bear Valley and back. We were runninng out of time so didn't do this stretch today and instead headed back north on Hwy 49 which is still quite fun for 20 miles or so. We caught up with some 650 Suzuki V-Strom's which had left ahead of us. They picked up the pace and we followed them to the next junction. I found them to be marginally faster than the V but not pushing to hard in the turns with their dual sport rubber. I'm sure the SV models would be quite different.
Took the road around Tulloch Lake to Copperopolis to avoid returning on the main Highway. Turned on Poole Station Rd., for the same reason, back to San Andreas. It's very pretty out this time of year since it's still early enough for the hills to be green and the snow is still on the peaks in the Sierras.
Today is hot for April... 90 degrees or so.
185 mile round trip by the time we get home. Not bad for a short day. I had to bump start the V at all stops. But, this wasn't bad as long as I planned on where I parked to catch a down slope.
The V started right up after I got home and it cooled for a couple hours,. So, I think I may just need a fresh battery. A little more work and it will be ready for Colorado.

kwells

sweet...looking forward to seeing a bunch of other V's in CO.  I think Im a little behind the visionary curve for getting up and running though so I guess I should get on it.  We have a chance of rain nearly every day for the next week so i guess I can spend that time ripping in to my rear carb (again).
...a vision is never complete.

www.wellsmoto.com