Nice 150 miler today

[Terry]

Took the freeway to Livermore and then the back roads south of there to the east side entry up and over Mt. Hamilton and back into San Jose. Great weather even if some dark clouds showed up near the top, but no rain and the X really loves the cool air as we all know. Lots of bikes but not as many as I had thought would be out. About 20 at The Junction but also about 50 bicycles! Man do those riders love their spandex! Very few cars and that's always a treat! Mostly (snob riders) at The Junction, RC51s, Yammies, Beemers and Wings, then came in a couple ring dings, a white 500 triple with clipons and big noisy pipes and even an old Suzy 500 twin Titan. An 80 XS Eleven showed up with a guy wearing only a T shirt and jeans despite the cool weather the closer we got to the top. Someone had an old and beautiful 45" Indian with 2 into 1 pipes. Looked really . Sort of a springer front end and solid body rear shocks, and those fenders!



Quite a few 1st and 2nd gear hairpins on both sides of the mountain but nothing a little late braking and leaning didn't take care of. Just a few long straights to open her up a bit but lots of medium speed curves in the road too. Could really tell the difference 20w oil made for the Pro springs in front, now for some pro shocks in back! The new Pirelli worked well too, now if it will only last awhile.



You know its a good feeling after some repairs and maintenance to get out and try her out again (always) listening for unusual sounds etc, but except for a leaky oil seal behind the pulser that I just replaced, the new brake fluid and pads, Galfer lines, oil and filter change, new plugs, 20w fork oil, new Sport Demon, new oil sump screen, oil galley cap (thanks again Mark) and fork cap bolts- all performed nicely-HA BTW, with only 150 miles on that new Pirelli, it always felt good and sticky. Only a few (nubs) left on the tread near the edges and nary a slip. Tracks well with the front GT501 too, no wobble or (fight) at all over which way to go.



Well, tomorrow its supposed to be even nicer, leaky seal or not, (its already on order) I'm heading out somewhere. Have to make sure the bike is roadworthy for the OR trip...don't I :) Hmmm, here to Santa Cruz the back way and then hiway one up to Half Moon Bay, Alice's? Anyone Anyone

[sr71cbx]

Terry,

Sounds like you had a nice run today,the "Junction" sounds a bit like the Rock Store down here on any given Sunday!I know whatcha mean about the different types of riders out there,we got the same here with the "rubbies"(AKA rich urban biker)on the Harleys with 750 lbs.of chrome accessories bolted onto the bike and half the national debt wrapped up in the scoot ,along with the rickeyracer types on the sportbikes,usually the latest offering from the Big Four from Japan with paper plates and the 3 lb.total weight unobtanium racepipe on before the new plates! ---Can't forget the occasional ratbike too,and the die-hard Harley air-compressor riders that show up about 11 am cause they just got up from the previous evening's wild party for an "early morning"putt.Quite the diverse bunch down here too!

Then there's some nutcases that show up on turbocharged bikes....... :twisted:

[E Lee]

Terry,

This exactly what I'm talking about. S.F. Bay Area -- put the word out I could have hooked up with ya at the Junction.

Well maybe next time.

Know what you mean -- Runs before Oregon.

You headed that way I take it.

Still say let's all hook up.

Mark,

What time the T-Bike going to roll from Red Bluff?

Later,

Ed

(Oakland)

[Terry]

Saw a few interesting bikes on my jaunt today. One was an old and mint Velocette single with a long tailpipe that ended in a fishtail with 4 holes in it. The rear shocks were on an arc at the top bolt where adjustments could be made to and fro, rotating the shock forward or aft (straight up really) for preload I presume. The handlebars were unique as well, appearing as clipons but not really. That portion of the bar ends where the grips are, were slanted forward putting the grips on level with the top of the forks. Should make turning into curves a snap! The other unique ride was a brown '90 Honda TT 500 with less than 4K on it. Had a 2 into 1 exhaust and the tailcone on the back of the seat pan. Looked very sweet and the rider had just bought it that morning in San Luis Obispo and rode up to Alice's for lunch. The other bike was a Buell with outboard carbs on each side of the motor with K&Ns mounted on each one. From the front it looked like bull horns. Both exhausts exited on the right side but then curled under the bike into one big short chamber. Very trick floating discs front and rear too. All in all, a good day for riding and the X performed just like it should. Hated to come home.

[EMS]

Terry:



The "Brown" TT500 you saw should have been interesting indeed. Honda sold a single cylinder 500 cc in Europe and NA called the GB500 Tourist Trophy. The color was "Black Green" metallic, a really, really dark green which looks black to most people. It had gold pinstriping. Bike was sold only in 1989 and 1990. The "tailcone" was standard as it was a single seater. The engine was a single 4-valve. Each exhaust valve fed its own header, thus the "2 into 1" look.

Only in "Down Under" in Australia and NZ they also sold a GB400 and a GB250. Same styling just different displacements. The 400 was available in a "brown". Would have been interesting to know if the owner changed the color. Which would be unlikely with mileage that low. I will put a picture of a GB500 in the album. You let me know, if this is what you saw!

[Terry]

That's the one EMS, I suppose it was dark green as the pinstriping was gold and the side covers said Tourist Trophy. The owner said it was a 500 and the head had some large lettering on it but I can't recall exactly what they were. Great looking little bike though

[EMS]

I thought it would be the one. As it is a nightmare to bring anything into the U.S. (and worse so into CA) it would have been a miracle, if it would have been a CB400.

The GB500 in NA represents another one of motorcycle's interesting stories:

Introduced in 1989, the little bike never sold well here. The "small" 500cc single and the one-seat set-up was not attractive to many buyers. The sticker on the bike was $4,300 and Honda had to offer rebates of up to

$800.- to the dealers in order to move it. Still, in 1990, Big Red pulled it off the market again. The two years are identical in technical specs and cosmetics. The engine is a "Radial Four Valve Combustion Chamber" = RFVC, the letters you saw on the cylinder head, with about 35 hp. It is basically the same as in the XL, XR and the Ascot. It is still produced in a newer version with 650cc.

Some 8 years ago, the little GB started to catch the eye of enthusiasts and collectors once again and experienced a surprising revival. Good condition models are sold for more than what original buyers paid back in 1989 and 1990. I have seen "0-mile" bikes where sellers asked 10K. (Doubt that they sold, though)

A friend of mine just sold his 13K mile GB500 on ebay (closed today) for $3,550. (Maybe a little high for the mileage) Most bikes offered for sale have relatively low miles, because the bike does not lend itself well to large trips. Prices for bikes with 6000 to 8000 miles range between $3,500 and $4,500. I sold one with 60 miles on the clock for $5,900. I still own two of them, a 1989 with 2,200 miles and a 1990 with 6,500 miles. Fun to ride on a Sunday morning, or the occasional 50 to 80 mile trip to the motorcycle ride-in.