SF to Canada to Indy on my ebay 1100E

[artbone]

I bought an 83 GS 1100E on ebay a few months ago. I live in Mexico so my friend in SF went down to LA, picked it up, and rode it back to SF. Then he stored it a couple of months while I ordered some bags, a windshield, and other parts for a trip I had planned.

I intended to ride to the International Norton Owners rally in July as I do every year. Since I live in Mexico and all my bikes are down here I have to cross Texas and all that hot, flat country in the mid-west when rallies are in the eastern part of the country. My wife CJ, who is a wise and understanding woman, said, "You need to buy a bike to store somewhere in the US and just fly there and ride up through the mountains instead of across Texas in July."

As I said, my wife is a wise woman, and when she says I need to buy another bike, I listen and obey. At Mid-Ohio last year I saw a really nice 83 GS 1100E for sale and really liked it. I thought it would make a great touring bike with some bags and a windshield. The only problem was the guy wanted $4000 which I thought was a little salty for a 28 year old bike so I looked on ebay and found one just like it (or it looked like it in the pictures) in LA for considerably less. I had my riding buddy Charlie go down and he liked it so it was back in SF that night.

I ordered a set of Samsonite bags and a small windscreen on ebay and had them delivered to SF where Charlie mounted them for me. Right before the trip I decided to order a new stator and R/R to take on the trip. I have 2 Yamaha Visions and I think most all bikes from that era suffer from, shall we say, inadequate electrical systems. Turns out I was right for once in my life.

My plan was the leave SF with CJ on June 19, ride up to Vancouver and spend a few days, then CJ would fly home and I would continue on, visiting friends along the way until I got to Kingston where CJ would meet me and we would spend a week, then I would continue on to the rally in Brandon VT. The rally was July 17th - 20th, then I would ride to Indy and leave the bike at a friends house and fly home.

And that's pretty much what I did. But, as with most things, there's more to the story than that, and if anyone is interested, I'll continue later.

Art

 

[bccap]

It didn't happen ! You would have contacted us. There would have been beer.

 

[koolaid_kid]

My vote is for more beer.
Keep us posted.

 

[Larry D]

Of course we're interested.....hope you have some pictures.

 

[Redman]

.........and if anyone is interested, I'll continue later.

Art

Yes, Art, Yes.
With pictures too.

Are some GSR members that live in Indy.
And will be a few more in town for MotoGP in a few weeks.

.

 

[artbone]

Pictures

Pictures

Here's me the first day I saw the bike, still filled with the bliss that only ignorance can bring.

And here's the bike near the Continental Divide in British Columbia. The bungees are a safety measure. The bags never even looked like they were going to fall off but, if they did, I would probably be the last to know. Better safe than sorry.

Art

 

[artbone]

False Starts

False Starts

When I got to SF Charlie had the bike on a charger and we still had a few details to complete before we left the next day. I installed a new speedo cable, a couple of RAM mounts for my GPS and my SPOT, while Charlie attached the plate for the Givi top box, put the license plate on, etc.

We fired it up about 3 PM and I rode it around the block. It ran okay but the idle was all over the place. It would idle fast one time and the next it would go dead. We fiddled with it until it would idle faster or fast but not go dead and I decided that was good enough for a start. I figured it had been sitting for several months and would get better as I went along. Also, I found the adjustment between the second and third carbs and learned how to reach it and adjust it with a gloved hand. I knew that would come in handy. Then I rode it over to Charlie's girlfriend's house and went out to dinner. We went by the Zeitgeist bar for drinks and to pick up some of their decals before dinner.

The next morning CJ and I got suited and booted, got on the bike, posed for pictures, hit the start button, and. . . nothing.

Why are these people smiling? Because they don't know the awful truth.

The battery was dead. We whipped off the seat and sidecovers and started checking stuff. I won't bore you with a detailed account of what we did but it resulted in us leaving the next day about 5PM and riding over the Golden Gate bridge and spending the night in Sausalito, just to get the trip started.

The next day dawned bright and sunny and we had a great breakfast and got on the road about 9. We headed over the mountains to Point Reyes Station where we stopped for gas. As we stopped by the pump another biker was just putting on his helmet and gloves and getting ready to ride away on a Ducati HyperSomething. Carol got off, I got off and removed the tank bag, and got the gas cap off. Then I pulled my helmet off and turned around to put it on top of the gas pump. By then the other rider was just about to pull into the street when I heard, "Art, what the hell are you doing here!"

The rider kicked the stand down and pulled his helmet off. It was Peter MacLaird, a member of MotoClasico in San Miguel de Allende. Well, we had a bit to talk about as you can imagine. Peter lives in SF and has a house about 30 miles up the road from Point Reys Station. We couldn't believe it. What are the chances? Just farther proof that San Miguel is the center of the Universe.

After a few minutes we got back on the road. Our next stop was a bakery Peter recommend about 30 miles up the road where we sampled their donuts and coffee. Excellent!

Then we went up a few miles and crossed back over the mountains to Ukiah where Even Wilcox, metal former extraordinare has his shop. I took a course in working with aluminum from Evan a few years ago and want to go back this winter and take another, week long course, with an eye towards making some tanks, fenders, oil tanks and sidecovers for some of my projects. When I called he explained that he had a dentist appointment but could visit for about 45 minutes. That worked out great, because we needed to get on the road anyway if we were going to make it back over the mountains and up to Mendocino before dark.

Even was making a tank for a TrackMaster frame. Here are all the pieces already formed and he's about to align them so that there is no gap between them when he welds them. He gas welds everything and his work is so good it brings tears to my eyes. A real craftsman!

From there we took a really nice ride over the mountains again and finished up in the fabulously scenic town of Mendocino about an hour before dark. We strolled around a bit and took some pictures and found a very nice restaurant that would have us and had a great meal.

Then it was time for bed and more adventure tomorrow.

Art

To be continued.

 

[erljhnsn2003]

It didn't happen ! You would have contacted us. There would have been beer.

And pictures.

 

[Charlie G]

You've got my attention, thanks!

cg

 

[Redman]

.
.
The next morning CJ and I got suited and booted, got on the bike, posed for pictures, hit the start button, and. . . nothing.

... I won't bore you with a detailed account of what we did but it resulted in us leaving the next day about 5PM
.
To be continued.

Art, I could tolerate reading about that.

Okay, so that is day 1 and 2. (yah, I would count the day you intended to go but didnt go as part of the adventure).

.

 

[artbone]

Long, boring account of my charging system problems

Long, boring account of my charging system problems

As I said, I've got 2 Yamaha Visions, so I'm aware of the problems bikes of this era suffer with charging their charging systems. I ordered a new stator and R/R and had them delivered to Charlie's house. I figured that was good insurance.

When the bike failed to crank after we had charged the batt the day before and just parked it overnight I decided to just change everything. I was going on a 5000 mile trip. I wanted to know what I was starting out with. We bought a new gel batt, put in the new stator, and installed the new R/R. When we cranked the bike we determined the system was only putting out 9 volts.

We went to a bike wreaking yard and bought a R/R off a late model Kaw. It had 6 wires instead of 5 so I just taped up the other wire, since I didn't know where it went.

Keep in mind that we're working on this in my friend's girlfriend's garage in the middle of SF with just the tools I had on the bike, while my wife is asking, "How much longer do you think this is going to take?"

When we fired it up with the "new" R/R it put out 12.5 V. Not enough to keep the batt charged but enough to run the bike. I figured I would buy a charger up the road somewhere and charge the batt every night and it would make the trip and I would sort it out in Indy when I got there.

I also hooked up a voltmeter on the handlebars so I could see what the system was doing. It was crude but I'd rather look bad and know than look good and guess.

I made it to some town about a days ride east of Calgary. I stopped for breakfast and the bike wouldn't crank when I got back on. I walked a half mile to an auto parts store and bought a small charger that supposedly put out about .5 V and plugged it in to the service station outlet. In about 15 minutes it fired right up and I was on my way again. After that I plugged it in every night and everything was fine. . . until.

I spent the night just north of Toronto and the next morning the batt was almost completely flat. I got a jump and headed down the road but I didn't think it would start if I killed the engine. Several times I shut off the engine and tried the starter with the same result. It wouldn't turn the engine at all, so I would just let out the clutch and keep going. I finally saw a Canadian Tire store sign at an exit so I pulled off, parked in their parking lot and, leaving the bike running, asked the parts guy if they had a batt. They had a choice of 3 which I thought was amazing. I bought one and, while the guy was charging it, I took off the airbox, etc. and got ready to install the new batt. Put it in, cranked it up, and I was on the road again.

I ordered another R/R and had it delivered to my friends house in VT where I planned to spend a few days. Again, when I put the new, stock Ricks R/R on the system only put out 9 V.

Bought yet another 6 wire R/R and the system only put out 12.5 V. Finally read up on R/Rs and found out where the 6th wire goes. It connects to the electrical system to a wire that is only hot when the key is on, so it is reading the difference in the output of the stator and the amount of charge that's in the system. I was in a hurry so I just pulled out a fuse from the fuse panel, wrapped the stripped wire around it, and pushed it back in, and fired up the bike. Now it was charging at 15 V so I put in the 100 W headlight bulb I had ordered for just this contingency and it kicked back to 14.5 V and life was good again.

Conclusions: I won't buy any more jel batts. When they fail they don't give any warning. Always have a voltmeter with you. Read up on charging systems before you start modifying them. The bike has high resistance somewhere in the system that I have to find before I ride it again. That's what caused the new 5 wire R/Rs to not charge.

Ah, but it was a learning experience. As Ted Simon said, "The adventure starts when the bike stops."

And that's the truth.

 

[surviverguy]

It seems a bit odd to me Suzuki didn't include a voltmeter or even an idiot light for the charging system in these 1980's era bikes. I also have a 1998 model which also no electrical system health monitoring. Do engineers think that bikes will never encounter electrical problems? Or has the general public (riders) never complained....adding a voltmeter to a bike adds some peace of mind.

 

[Big T]

Art,

Nice adventure

If you had posted up your problems along the way, I'm sure some GSR member would have found you some garage space and the Stator Papers to solve your problem. It may have been as simple as an additional ground wire.

Plus, we require more pictures!!!

 

[bonanzadave]

From there we took a really nice ride over the mountains again and finished up in the fabulously scenic town of Mendocino

You must have gone over Orr Springs Road out of Ukiah and into the town of Comptche. That would have been a great ride. My Mom lived up there a few years. Bunch of old 60s and 70s rockers live there as well.

Continue with the story any time........

 

[artbone]

You must have gone over Orr Springs Road out of Ukiah and into the town of Comptche. That would have been a great ride. My Mom lived up there a few years. Bunch of old 60s and 70s rockers live there as well.

Continue with the story any time........

Actually we went just south of Ukiah and took Booneville-Ukiah Road (253) then 128 out of Booneville on Evan's advice. It was a spectacular ride. From looking at the map your route looks like it would be just as good.

Is your mom an old rocker?

 

[artbone]

Day 2 and 3 - Into each ride, some rain must fall.

Day 2 and 3 - Into each ride, some rain must fall.

After breakfast the next morning as I was loading the bike it started raining. As those of you who have ridden Hwy 1 know, the next 30 miles or so are some of the twistiest parts. As we rode, the rain got harder until it was a downpour. With an unfamiliar, fully loaded bike, two up, in a driving rain on very twisty roads, I was well outside my comfort zone. We passed a sign for a town 15 miles ahead and it seemed to take an hour to get there. When we finally stopped for gas I asked the guy at the station where the nearest UHaul place was and he said it was right down the road.

The guys there helped me load the GS in a small truck and we were on our way. As it turned out, we would have probably been fine going on as the road straightened out in just a few miles and the rain slacked off a bit but we didn't know that and, to tell the truth, I was ready to get off.

I can usually come to grips with a new motorcycle quickly but, with the weather, something weird in the handling, worry about the electrical system, the load, and worrying about CJ, it wasn't happening in this case. I knew I needed to take these problems one at the time instead of all at once.

We made it as far as Crescent City where we had a great meal at a place right on the water and found an old-fashioned motel with little cabins under the redwoods and crashed for the night.

The next day things looked much brighter.

As we were riding along in the comfort of the dry warm truck CJ decided she had enjoyed about as much fun as she could handle for now and that I could drop her off at the airport in Portland and she would see me when I got to Kingston, Ont. I thought that was a pregnant idea. I was having bike problems and didn't need wife problems to go along with that.

We spent the night at a friend's house in Portland and I dropped CJ at the airport the next morning. My faithful Zumo led me straight over to the UHaul place the next morning and I had a new challenge. The truck I rented had no ramp and the people at the office had no interest in helping me get the bike out. What to do; what to do?

I got out my trusty International Norton Owner club "Parts, Service, and Membership Guide" that I carry on all trips and soon had a very nice man named Les arrive with his ramp and help me get the big heavy beast off the truck. Membership really does have it's privileges.

I bought him lunch for his help and was soon on my way toward Vancouver.

(to be continued)

 

[artbone]

Canada, at last.

Canada, at last.

After getting back on the road in Portland I finished the day somewhere north of Seattle in a cheap Motel 6. The next day I spent an hour or so making a double connector so I could hook up a volt meter and my GPS and was soon on my way. I crossed the border east of Vancouver at a station out in the country and was soon on the Trans Canada headed east. I decided to spend the night in Lumby where we've had a couple of Norton rallies. I stayed at the same hotel I stayed in during the rallies and had a few beers in the same bar we all drank in right next to the hotel.

I found that small towns are a lot more fun if there's about 500 Norton people there; when it's just locals, not so much. The next morning I had to back-track to Vernon to get back on Canada 1. Since I was in a fair sized city I decided to stop at a Suzuki shop and have the carbs synchronized. I found a place and the owner said, since I was traveling, they would fit me in ASAP. While I waited I chatted with a cute little blonde girl who worked in the shop. She races an SV 650 and said she won her class, I believe for the last two years. I should have got a picture of her but, instead I got one of the mechanic. He's not nearly as cute as her.

I finally got out of town and headed east, well, generally east, but mostly north at this point. I made it to Sicamous where I was turned around and sent back about 25 miles because of a flood that washed out the only bridge. I didn't mind, it was a beautiful day, just the right temperature, and the bike was running great. I stopped at a pond where ducks were swimming and took a few pictures.

I was trying for some arty effects here with my new camera, a Canon G12. I darkened it up as much as I could and got close enough to the bike to use the flash. I was pleased with how it came out. :clap:

In Revelstoke I decided I had had enough for the day so I went looking for a hotel (cheap) and food. I was amazed that a town that looked like a tourist town only had one restaurant except for fast food. It was very nice, the service was great, the waitress was charming and allowed me to use their wi-fi to find a hotel with my steak was being prepared. While I was eating two more bikers came in. After I finished and paid I stopped by their table to see where they were going and got into a conversation. they were two brother, one from Washington and one from Vancouver, and they were out on a week long bike trip, just riding wherever they decided to go. Very nice guys. They were impressed with my old GS. They couldn't believe I had just jumped on it and took off. I had a couple of beers with them and headed to my cheap hotel.

That's one of the things I like about traveling alone. It forces me to strike up conversations with people I wouldn't if I was with another person. I like to talk to people and hear their stories and I do it a lot more when I'm riding by myself.

(to be continued)