2 China Riders Moderators Ride 2 Days in East Idaho

[SpudRider]

Originally Posted by FastDoc

MIC, I gotta tell you, even though Spud is a gentle smooth rider those were not easy 'commute to school' miles. Most of them were acquired in the rugged mountains arorund his home, in first or second gear. That Zong is a very durable motorcycle, not just for a CB, but for any manufacturer.

"Gentle" is a relative term. I don't abuse my bikes, and I am never in a race while riding, either on the pavement, or off road. Nevertheless, I have made many trips to the mountaintops, and "I have seen the promised land." I'm a dual sport rider, not a motocross wannabe. I ride to enjoy the scenery, to see the wildlife, to appreciate the wildflowers, and to soothe my soul with the beauty of God's creation. I can ride a lot faster than I do, but I don't feel the need to prove anything to anyone else; I ride purely for my own enjoyment. In that regard, I suppose I am "gentle" to my bikes, and I maintain them well. Nevertheless, the Zong has a great, little, rugged, Yamaha engine; I have had a lot of fun on that motorcycle.

Spud

[SpudRider]

Originally Posted by MICRider

Wow! 40,000 miles on a china bike... Who'd a thunk it? Testament to your riding and maintenance I would say Spud! That's 64,000 kilometers in Canadian, impressive! 8)

Thank you, Stew. As FastDoc stated, the Zong has seen a lot of rugged, off road riding. Therefore, I think the Zong's mileage is even more impressive considering it is a dual sport bike, and not a street bike.

Spud

[SpudRider]

Originally Posted by davidsonsgccc

its always nice to ride with friends. looks like you guys had a ball.. i hope my zong makes half that mileage..

Indeed, I had a wonderful time fellowshipping with Brother Bill. Change the engine oil regularly, and adjust the valve lash periodically, and your Zongshen engine will last for many miles, Shawn.

Spud

[Pliskin]

That is great that the two of you got together and did this ride together. This will probably be very memorable experience for both of you. Nice scenery as always. I couldn't believe how strong your head light is.8O Congratulations on achieving 40,000 miles. It gives me hope and courage that Zong can do it.

[FastDoc]

The Eagle Cap Winderness in Northeast Oregon:



The Snake River/Hell's Canyon. Some of this area is accessable only by boat or airplane:



A resevoir in South Central Idaho/Rocky Mountains:



The camera is held outside the window facing forward pst the nose of the airplane:



Needless to say, over this terrain, I was in constant communication with ATC, and our Lord Jesus.







These mountains are up to 11,000 feet and higher. Even at 14,000 feet I didn't feel comfortably high over these jagged peaks.



It's a long way down to Wallowa Lake outside of Joseph, Oregon:



Mt. Howard in the Wallowa Mountains of Oregon. This is where Linda and I rode the cable tram up to 8,000 feet for a hike a few weeks ago. It's in this pic, but may not be visible at this resolution.

[FastDoc]

Decending into my home airport I saw a recent brush fire on the hillside. The Columbia River is in the background:





The last mountain ridge on the descent into Spudville:



We're up there for sure:





This cloud bounced me when I flew under it. About an hour later ATC informed us there were thunderstorms forming out of this system:



A view under the wing:



Over the panel. My duck was knocked off kilter by turbulance from that cloud:



Brother Spud tearing it up:

[SpudRider]

Originally Posted by Pliskin

That is great that the two of you got together and did this ride together. This will probably be very memorable experience for both of you. Nice scenery as always. I couldn't believe how strong your head light is.8O Congratulations on achieving 40,000 miles. It gives me hope and courage that Zong can do it.

Thank you, Pliskin. The H4 headlight conversion is very simple, and the benefits are obvious. I certainly encourage all Zong owners to perform this inexpensive modification.

Changing the engine oil on a regular basis is the most important thing one can do to prolong the life of any engine. However, many do not realize checking the valve lash periodically is also very important. Keeping an eye on the valve lash alerted me I needed to perform a top end rebuild of my engine at 31,500 miles. I'm pleased to report my Zong's engine is still running superbly, 8,500 miles after my top end rebuild.

Spud

[SpudRider]

After a good night’s rest, Brother Bill and I loaded up the luggage racks and headed out for another day of riding. Shortly after traveling down a twisty paved road, we paused to celebrate the Zong’s achievement of reaching 40,000 miles on the odometer.



Then we ascended once more into the mountains.









After traveling south along the ridgeline of the mountain, we rode an ATV trail down a wooded canyon into another valley. We paused to stretch, and admire an open meadow.



Entering the forest once again, I crossed a cattle guard ramp. I stopped to take out my camera and photograph Bill negotiating the same ramp on my Zong.



FastDoc later told me he had never before encountered one of these ramps. We paused for several more photographs before exiting the canyon onto a recently graded fire road.





Reaching the fire road, we paused to admire the view of the reservoir in the distant valley.





Descending into the valley, we rode the pavement southward, then eastward toward our next destination. After pausing to hydrate at a local convenience market, we continued riding the pavement eastward until we reached a gravel road leading to our next mountaintop. We stopped to take a photograph of the verdant fields in the valley below.





Reaching the trailhead, we began our ascent. We also paused along the way to soak up the scenery.







Climbing a rocky jeep trail, we stopped along the narrow road to allow 3 UTVs to pass us, and took the opportunity to capture a few more photographs.





Upon reaching the summit, we admired the view from almost 9,000 feet above sea level.









Riding an ATV trail northward along the spine of the mountain, we stopped to eat, and enjoy the panorama.





Rain clouds were skirting us to the north, producing lightning strikes in the valley below.



However, we appeared to be safe, so we finished our meal, and continued to admire the view. In this photograph Brother Bill is posing in front of the road we would ride after descending from this summit.



The thunderclouds now appeared to be heading in our direction, so we decided to descend the mountain. We paused along the way to relax, and take some more photos.



After riding an ATV trail down the mountain, we stopped to look back at the summit before we rode the pavement northward to our final mountaintop of the weekend.



The shadows were lengthening when we reached the top of this final mountain.







Bill took a photograph of the local airport from which he would depart the next day.



I took a few photographs of the town below.







As sunset approached we traveled along the ridge to another viewpoint, before we descended into town and ended our ride.





Brother Bill looks tired, doesn’t he? We rode approximately 135 miles on this day. Therefore, FastDoc and I rode about 300 miles in two days, allowing Brother Bill to earn his prestigious Idaho Leather Butt Certificate.

Spud

[dmmcd]

Originally Posted by SpudRider

This photo is amazing. Really cool.

Doc, what is the ceiling on the Maule? Isn't there some regulation about staying below 14000ft without oxygen? I've been flying a Piper Arrow every few weeks now, but we typically cruise at 9k or lower.

[Weldangrind]

Really impressive pics. Thanks for all of the detail, Spud; how do you keep track of the order of your ride? Notebook? Steel trap mind?

BTW, this seemed like a classic oxymoron to me:

Originally Posted by SpudRider

...we ate a healthy lunch at McDonalds...

Congrats on 40000 Zong miles! Here's to many more. It occurred to me that you likely have put more miles on your Zong since the top end rebuild, than most people will ever put on a China bike.

[FastDoc]

Under standard conditions the Maule will comfortably reach and cruise at 15,000 feet. On a cooler than standard day the sky's the limit( :wink: ) and I've had it up close to 18,000 which is the bottom of Alfa Airspace which I can't enter without an IFR clearance.

Below 12,000 no O2 is required but it's not a bad idea over 8,000. Between 12,000 and 14,000 you're allowed 1/2 hour without O2. above 14,000 you need O2. The requirements are different for crew and for passengers. It's OK for passengers to fall asleep.

The Arrow is a fine airplane. I have some time in a Turbo Arrow from when I lived in Kalifornia. Are you a pilot Dmmcd?

Spud your pics are wonderful. Thanks for posting them and thanks for your generosity and fellowship for having me out there. Do I get my certificate in the mail? :wink:

[SpudRider]

Originally Posted by dmmcd

This photo is amazing. Really cool...

Thank you, DM. Many parts of the western United States have a big sky, and an arid climate. Therefore, you can frequently see bright sunshine in one part of the sky, and thunderstorms brewing in another part of the sky. If at all possible, it's wise to ride toward the blue sky, and avoid the rain! Here are a few more photographs which exhibit this phenomenon.









I was descending from a summit, trying to avoid the oncoming rain in the last two photographs. However, the rain cut off my exit, and I got pretty wet.

Spud

[SpudRider]

Originally Posted by Weldangrind

Really impressive pics. Thanks for all of the detail, Spud; how do you keep track of the order of your ride? Notebook? Steel trap mind?...

Thank you, Brother Derryk. I remember the order of the ride with my steel trap mind.

Originally Posted by Weldangrind

...BTW, this seemed like a classic oxymoron to me:

...

That statement was meant to be ironic; I was surprised someone didn't comment on it earlier. However, I knew that statement would not escape your keen mind, and sharp eyes, Brother Derryk.

Originally Posted by Weldangrind

...Congrats on 40000 Zong miles! Here's to many more. It occurred to me that you likely have put more miles on your Zong since the top end rebuild, than most people will ever put on a China bike.

If I hadn't acquired my XR650L, I would probably have over 50,000 miles on the Zong by now. 8O However, I think my Zong has proven the Chinese know how to built reliable, small displacement, air cooled engines! I don't think the Zong has anything left to prove.

Spud

[SpudRider]

Originally Posted by FastDoc

...Spud your pics are wonderful. Thanks for posting them and thanks for your generosity and fellowship for having me out there. Do I get my certificate in the mail? :wink:

You're welcome, Brother Bill. I'll mail your Idaho Leather Butt Certificate after you return the two T-shirts I loaned you!

Spud

[dmmcd]

Originally Posted by FastDoc

Under standard conditions the Maule will comfortably reach and cruise at 15,000 feet. On a cooler than standard day the sky's the limit( :wink: ) and I've had it up close to 18,000 which is the bottom of Alfa Airspace which I can't enter without an IFR clearance.

Below 12,000 no O2 is required but it's not a bad idea over 8,000. Between 12,000 and 14,000 you're allowed 1/2 hour without O2. above 14,000 you need O2. The requirements are different for crew and for passengers. It's OK for passengers to fall asleep.

The Arrow is a fine airplane. I have some time in a Turbo Arrow from when I lived in Kalifornia. Are you a pilot Dmmcd?

Not a pilot, but I used to work with a guy who owns the Arrow and a Seminole. The Seminole is charter rated, and he uses the Arrow as a trainer and personal plane. Now my job has me traveling between Philadelphia and Pittsburgh fairly often, which is about 6 hour drive each way. I call up my old friend and he happily shuttles me there in one of his planes (1 1/2 hr flight), but I act as the co-pilot. If we take the Arrow, he bills it as a training flight. If we take the Seminole, he bills it as a charter but he still makes me fly most of the way... Some day I would like to get the licenses, but I don't have the time or money for formal training right now. I do enjoy my "free" training every now and then.

Sorry for threadjack. That last photo of the rain is pretty cool, too. I am no stranger to riding in rain, but still try to avoid it when possible. I found out this weekend that the XF stock tires, which are pretty good in dry conditions, are REALLY terrible in the wet.