INOA rally 2015

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I made it home from the INOA rally in Ashville NC yesterday afternoon. Total mileage 3152.

First day -Kansas goes forever.

INOA rally 2015


INOA rally 2015


A bit of a problem.
Before I left I mounted a new rear tire and decided to check the rear wheel alignment.
I got the rear drive belt a little too tight and that caused a little extra tension on the primary belt. At about 350 miles it started to unravel. A 2 inch piece of wire from the belt whipped the crank position sensor and it became intermittent and the bike started to cut out.
After replacing the belt and readjusting the rear belt the bike would run fine for about 30 miles and then it would start to stumble. At a picnic area along the highway I pulled out my tablet PC and plugged it in to see if there were any problem codes. When I started the bike the PC crashed and wiped the ECU. I found I didn't have the files for loading the firmware in the flash card that was in my tablet so I was dead in the water until I could get internet access to download the files from my cloud storage.
A call to AMA got a rollback out there to take me to Great Bend KS and a hotel with internet access where I downloaded the files and re-burned the ECU processor making it back into a fuel injection unit. The next morning I made it about 30 miles and then it started to hick-up again. A new crank sensor from my bag of spares cured the problem.

INOA rally 2015


The bike ran flawlessly for the remainder of the trip.

INOA rally 2015


The arch in St Louis

INOA rally 2015


Finally a few clouds to cool the mid 90's heat.

INOA rally 2015


INOA rally 2015


As we got closer the scenery became more lush.

INOA rally 2015


INOA rally 2015


We made it!- our home for the next 5 days.

INOA rally 2015


Fun and games

INOA rally 2015


At the Wheels through time museum

INOA rally 2015


Lot's of cool stuff.

INOA rally 2015


Cool bikes at the concurs

INOA rally 2015


We left on Saturday morning. We had 3 days to get home so Hannah could get back to her job. We did a 550 mile day, a 600 mile day and finished with a 400 mile day.
The Norton used 4 liters of oil on the trip and the FJ used one liter. The fuel mileage on the Norton averaged out at 67 MPG. The FJ was around 45 mpg.
I lost the LH side cover from my bike somewhere along the highway on the first day of the return trip. With it went the clutch spring compressor and my new gearbox sprocket puller.
All in all it was a great trip. Jim
 
Hi Jim,
I feel for you. That looked just like me two days ago in the third picture down that you posted. My situation was my coil. (Its low tech compared to your rig) I got back on the road and home. The adventures continue. 8)
Cheers,
Thomas
CNN
 
Downloading firmware for your efi system via the cloud from a motel!! Wtf, over.?! Seriously though, glad it was a good trip. Hope that Yamaha wasn't too hard to keep up with...
 
Snorton74 said:
Downloading firmware for your efi system via the cloud from a motel!! Wtf, over.?! Seriously though, glad it was a good trip. Hope that Yamaha wasn't too hard to keep up with...

Flashing computer chips in a motel parking lot with my old tablet PC was a first for me. I had visions of a U-haul and a sad trip home. I was just glad I had uploaded the firmware and the chip flashing program to my online storage.

The Yamaha was easy to keep up with -as long as the road had lots of tight curves....
 
Wait until I tell all my friends a Norton broke down on the road and was repaired with a laptop! :lol:
 
Remember back when you could clean and set the points with a matchbook and a pocket knife and all it took was
a couple of spare sets of spark plugs to get you home?

how the times have changed.
 
Awesome repair work Jim...You should have been in the running for the bent valve award.

So nice to rally with you and Hannah again. Our Feather River Rally should be a cake walk for you next year?

C-ya,
Jerry Kaplan
Davis, CA
 
jerrykap said:
Awesome repair work Jim...You should have been in the running for the bent valve award.

So nice to rally with you and Hannah again. Our Feather River Rally should be a cake walk for you next year?

C-ya,
Jerry Kaplan
Davis, CA

The bent valve award is not something I usually shoot for...

Already looking forward to next year, see ya there. Jim
 
ntst8 said:
The bent valve award is not something I usually shoot for...

It would comfort us mere mortals if you were to win it - just once. :mrgreen:

I have plenty of bent valve "awards".....And they aren't put together with epoxy and superglue.
 
ludwig said:
Jim , it looks like you where on the road the same time like me , in the same hot weather , but in a different part of the globe .
Your fuel consumption is very low , but oil cunsumption is high ! .
Over 3500 (troublefree ) km I used maybe 0.5 - 0.7 L oil .. didn't even bother to check .
You carry a lot of ' stuff ' .
It must be wonderfull to travel with your daughter .
Enjoy it as much as you can .

INOA rally 2015


Somewhere in Austria .
I no longer post trip reports .

Ludwig,
The oil consumption was high. Since I moteled it this trip I replaced the tent and sleeping bag with a 5 liter bottle of oil. A better motor is in line for next years travels.
Some day I hope to be able to make a trip in your part of the world.
Doing this trip with my daughter was definitely something we will remember. Jim
 
How funny frustrating and refreshing as hell for us non Gurus that do not loose pretty parts and nice tools and spares. Those long straights are the pits unless can lay down on tank bag with chin supported no effort and feet on rear sets, or feet forward leaning back on luggage like a chopper, then like trance no body sense just eyeballs and tubro fan smooth thrust. Who will be able to maintain comnoz special, likely have to bury him on top it like warriors on their horses. Swing through NW Arkansas in spring or fall to judge its combo of riding sensations.
 
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