ExNotes Product Review:  Carb Tune Carburetor Synchronizer

By Joe Gresh

A long time ago I had a carburetor synchronizer that used mercury to measure engine vacuum. The synchronizer had four plastic tubes about twenty inches long, each tube was about a quarter-inch in diameter. On top of the rig were four rubber tubes that connected to your intake ports using the little hose barbs molded into the motorcycle’s intake manifolds. This machine worked well, the heavy mercury kind of dampened the vacuum pulses so you could get an accurate reading.

One problem with the mercury gauges was that sometimes, if you revved the engine too much, mercury would get sucked into the engine. The mercury never seemed to hurt an engine but it would pop and miss a bit, then toxic smelling fumes would come out the exhaust pipes for a while. The cure for this problem was to not rev up the engine with the mercury sticks connected.

My mercury gauges went under water in one of the floods that were common in the Florida Keys. Who knows where the mercury that was inside the gauges ended up. Probably in my fish sandwich 6 months later.

Another type of vacuum gauge uses four needle-and-dial mechanical gauges to measure the vacuum. These gauges would jump all over the place reacting to each vacuum pulse. The mechanical type came with plastic clamps that you would fit over each vacuum hose. By adjusting the pinching action on each hose you could slow down the needle reaction enough to be able to read the dials. I didn’t like this type so I threw them away after they sat on my shelf 27 years.

The Carb Tune vacuum gauge uses steel rods and springs inside plastic tubes. They are mostly like mercury gauges except the rods replace the mercury. There are clones of the Carb Tune available (maybe the Carb Tune is a clone of some other brand) but the clones are near enough in price that I sprung the ten bucks extra for the brand name unit.

The Carb Tune need a little work before you can use it. Included in the set is a blue plastic tube with a tiny hole through it that serves the same purpose as those hose clamper deals on the dial gauges. You have to cut the tube into four pieces and then cut each vacuum hose about 100mm from the end to insert the plastic tube into the hose. It’s no big deal but I wonder why Carb Tune didn’t go ahead and complete this final assembly step.

Once put together the gauges work great. The Carb Tunee is very stable and easy to read. Get all four rods even across the top and your carbs are synched. The third rod was stuck on my set but a light tap freed it up to move in the tube.

Normally the actual number of the gauge doesn’t matter; you are going for even-ness. If you had a bad cylinder or your valves were way out of adjustment it might show up on the vacuum gauge so that’s another good use for the Carb Tune.

I rate the Carb Tune gauges 5 stars even if it is a little expensive for what you get. I’m guessing the things are made in China and probably cost Carb Tune a couple bucks a copy. Still, that’s the capitalist system and I was a willing participant for many years so it would be hypocritical of me to bitch about it now.

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Top 10 California Motorcycle Roads: Part 1

By Mike Huber

California is beautiful from every aspect, but once you climb on a motorcycle and get the full experience of this gorgeous state you’ll realize it is difficult to find a place with more riding diversity. From the northern redwoods to the people-watching along Venice beach to the eastern deserts and right up to the Sierras. California is a destination where you’ll want to spend time.  And when I say time, I mean having the ability to savor each region and each road.

Garberville to Fort Bragg

Rated 5 Wheelies

Route Details. This is a beautiful road with twisties that rival the famous Tail of the Dragon in North Carolina, with much more diversity due to the forest and ocean views.

    • Start and Finish Points: Garberville to Ft. Bragg
    • Distance: 68 miles
    • Ride Time / Recommended Time: 3-4 hours
    • Recommended Time of Year: May-Oct
    • Main Points of Interest(s): The stretch from Leggett to Rockport
    • Cautions / Dangers: Minimal but possible sand/rocks on road in mountain twisties
    • Important Contact Numbers  CHP (Ukiah) 707- 467-4420

Road Description. I chose this route as my #1 in California due to the technical street riding, lack of traffic, and scenery. This route also has plenty of classic Americana stops along the way that even for this short ride will add to the enrichment of this route. It is an out of this world experience and you will feel at times as if you are in Star Wars zooming through Endor on a speeder. Once you adapt to that environment you are thrust out of the forest and into views of the vast openness of the mighty Pacific Ocean. It is hard to achieve a greater riding experience from every aspect over such a short distance.

Points of Interest. Garberville is a wonderful place to start as it is a quaint little hidden California town with wonderful people. The people are down to earth and easy to talk with as you consume a cold beverage or lunch while comparing tales from the road. There aren’t a lot of restaurants or stores in Garberville but the two I recommend are:

    • The Blue Room (747 Redwood Drive in Garberville, a great place for a drink/lunch/dinner)
    • The Eel Café (801 Redwood Drive, which offers breakfast and lunch sandwiches)

Another must see spot is the Drive Thru Tree Park for an unforgettable experience and great photo opportunities.  Make sure you drive your moto through the Redwood tree.

Fort Bragg is larger compared to Garberville and offers more choices for nightlife and entertainment.   Two of my favorites are:

    • The Tip Top Lounge, a great place to stop after riding all day for a beer and a solid burge
    • The Piaci Pub & Pizzaria for great pizzas and an environment conducive to unwinding

Where to Stay/Camp. Both Garberville and Fort Bragg offer numerous hotels and camping spots, and even though this is a short ride I highly recommend making this trip an overnighter to fully absorb the culture of this part of the state and its beauty.  These are my favorite spots:

Santa Monica to Oxnard on the Pacific Coast Highway

Rated 5 Wheelies

Route Details. This is the quintessential California beach road with exhilarating sweeping corners that introduce a new view of the Pacific Ocean as you lean through each turn.

    • Start and Finish Points: Santa Monica to Oxnard
    • Distance: 50 miles
    • Ride Time/Recommended Time: 3 to 4 hours
    • Recommended Time of Year: April to November
    • Main Points Of Interest: Beaches along the route
    • Cautions / Dangers: Minimal, but possible sand near beaches
    • Important Contact Number: CHP (Woodland Hills) 818-888-0980

Road Description. As far as a California dream road, this is the one. Riding it early morning can be the best time due to low traffic and the ability to taste the salt from the Pacific Ocean as you wind northbound. There are plenty of beaches and overlooks to stop at. This really allows yourself to fully absorb the beauty of this part of California.

Points of Interest. Santa Monica is a great starting (or ending) point and you can walk out to the pier or rent bicycles to ride the boardwalk down to Venice Beach which will allow for some outstanding people watching and opportunities to engage in tourist attractions along the way. As you travel north from Santa Monica there are no shortage of quaint restaurants and shops along PCH1 to visit and relax. This is a road that feels as though it’s designed for a leisurely ride in order to fully experience the sights and sounds while on two wheels. A classic place to get some seafood is Neptune’s Net right along the Pacific Coast Highway for great seafood and wonderful people.  If time allows, a worthwhile day can be spent visiting Channel Islands National Park.

Where to Stay/Camp. Camping is limited along this route but Point Mugu State Park is a great place for beach camping. Hotels are plentiful but expensive in both Santa Monica and Oxnard.

Highway 120 and Tioga Pass

Rated 5 Wheelies

Route Details. This is one of the best roads in California.  It runs through Yosemite National Park and over intense switchbacks to Tioga Pass, where you will feel as though you are on top of the world (at almost 10,000 feet elevation, that isn’t too far from the truth). There are minimal fuel stops along this way so make sure you are fueled up.

    • Start and Finish Points: Groveland to Lee Vining
    • Distance: 92 miles
    • Ride Time / Recommended Time: 4 to 6 hours
    • Recommended Time of Year: May-September
    • Main Points Of Interest: Yosemite National Park and Tioga Pass (elevation 9,943 feet)
    • Cautions/Dangers: Wildlife throughout the passes, loose rocks and dirt on some mountain passes
    • Important Contact Number: CHP (Bridgeport) 760-932-7995

Road Description. Some incredible scenery as you pass through Yosemite National Park and even more breathtaking as you lean into some of the tightest switchbacks you can ever hope to encounter with serious drop offs so be sure to not get too caught up in the scenery and maintain focus on the road.

Points of Interest. Although this area of California is not as populated as some of the others there are plenty of places to stop and eat. With Yosemite National Park as the centerpiece of this ride there is a plethora of beauty and experiences to be had.  My favorites are:

Where to Stay/Camp. There are numerous inns, hotels, and quaint bed and breakfasts along this route. All the ones I experienced have been wonderful experiences. Here are two of my favorites on each side of the route, and the camping opportunities within Yosemite.

    • Lakeview Lodge in Lee Vining is a clean safe place to stay with modest rates and parking for your motorcycles
    • Yosemite National Park for camping, where reservations are strongly recommended
    • The Sonora Inn in Groveland is another winner both from a price standpoint and for the quality and cleanliness of the rooms

Cotton Springs Road to Joshua Tree

Rated 4.5 Wheelies

Route Details. A short but deeply satisfying route that winds through Joshua Tree National Park. No services along this way so be sure you fill your tank either east on I-10 at the Chevron Station or in the town of Joshua Tree (depending on which way you are traveling).  Ensure you have water and are hydrated due to excessive heat during hotter times of the year.

    • Start and Finish Points: Exit 173 off I-10 to Joshua Tree
    • Distance: 94 miles
    • Ride Time/Recommended Time: 4 to 6 hours
    • Recommended Time of Year: September to November, February to May
    • Main Point Of Interest(s): Joshua Tree National Park
    • Cautions/Dangers: Loose rocks/dirt on some corners
    • Important Contact Number: CHP (29 Palms) 760-366-3707

Road Description. Beautiful desert and mountain views. In spring there are fields of wildflowers that really show how much life is in the fragile ecosystem of Joshua Tree. The roads are in excellent condition and encompass fun sweeping corners then will open up with straightaways that provide majestic vistas of the region.

Points of Interest. This is a desolate road, which is great for riders looking to just check out of the crowds and embrace riding.  As previously stated there are no gas stations in the park so ensure you fill up prior to entering it.

    • Chevron off Exit 173 along Interstate 10 (62450 Chiriaco Road, Chiriaco Summit, California 92201)
    • General Patton Museum is next to the gas station and worth a visit
    • In included the added mileage here through Joshua Tree National Park to allow you to fully explore the park (including the ride out and back to Keys View
    • For a great diner to fuel up before or after your ride try the Country Kitchen restaurant

Where to Stay/Camp. With Joshua Tree National Park being so desolate, camping there is a magical experience. On a clear night you can see the stars and planets like nowhere else. The campgrounds tend to fill up during peak seasons so be sure to reserve a campsite prior to your trip. As far as hotels go, both the town of Twenty Nine Palms and Joshua Tree have numerous hotels that are perfect for unwinding after the ride.

Mulholland Highway

Rated 4 Wheelies

Route Details. This is a 50-mile route that is beyond filled with some serious mountain switchbacks. This is an incredibly intense road that to me rivals the Tail of the Dragon in NC. The switchbacks just don’t end as you climb through the Santa Monica Mountains and then spit out onto Highway 1 and views of the Pacific Ocean.  It is a motorcyclist’s dream ride.

    • Start and Finish Points: Alizondo Drive Park to El Matador Beach
    • Distance: 50 miles
    • Ride Time / Recommended Time: 2 to 4 hours
    • Recommended Time of Year: Year round
    • Main Point Of Interest(s): The Rock Shop
    • Cautions / Dangers: Speed Traps
    • Important Contact Number: CHP (Woodland Hills) 818-888-0980

Road Description. For being so near to Los Angeles this road is a real getaway without having to travel far. The quality of the road is perfection and something that people from all over the LA area flock to. For this reason be cautious with your speed as there are several places they set up speed traps, however, quite often fellow riders will park ahead of these speed traps and provide you a warning. If you are looking at getting rid of the chicken strips on your tires this is definitely the road where you can accomplish that.

Points of Interest. This road has minimal places to stop along the way, but with all these switchbacks why would you want to stop. There is one famous attraction that is a must do as you traverse these mountain roads, and it is The Rock Store. It is a popular place for riders of all types to stop and get a sandwich and a drink. Jay Leno is often seen here talking shop with the riders and being social with others riding this fantastic road.

Where to Stay/Camp. With this ride being so close to the city there are minimal camping options. Hotels are numerous on both sides of this ride however. There are plenty of canyon roads off the main highway that are worth exploring, so even though this is a shorter ride you can absolutely make a full day out of this area. This will allow you time to fully embrace the roads and fellow riders along the way.  My favorite place to camp is the Decker Canyon Camp.

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The Wayback Machine: Riding in the Rain

By Joe Berk

I thought I would repost a blog I wrote in 2019 about riding in the rain.  It’s been raining nonstop here in So Cal for days.   When I say nonstop, that’s what I mean.  Ordinarily when you get caught in the rain, it lasts for a while and then stops, and then maybe starts again. With this atmospheric river (the meteorological term) we are experiencing, it has literally been constant rain.  I’m staying warm and cozy with a cup of coffee here in my home, but looking out the window, I’m reminded of past rides in the rain…and with that intro, here’s our previous blog.

Wow, it has been pouring here for the last week, with little respite other than this past Sunday. Sunday was nice. Every other day this week and the tail end of last week has been nonstop rain. Big time. Buckets full. And my iPhone just started buzzing with a flash flood warning for this area. Wow again.

So I’m sitting here at the computer, enjoying a hot cup of coffee, looking out the window, and I’m thinking about what it’s like to ride in the rain. We’ve all had those rides. Those memories stick in my mind. I remember every one of those rides like they happened yesterday.

The first was the return leg of my first international motorcycle foray, when good buddy Keith Hediger and I rode up to Montreal and back. That was in the early ‘70s, and we didn’t call them adventure rides back then. They were just motorcycle rides. I was on a ’71 CB750 and Keith was on a Kawi 500cc triple. It rained the entire length of Vermont at about the same intensity you see in the video above. We had no rain gear. It wasn’t cold, but it sure was wet. We were soaked the entire day. Wouldn’t trade a minute of it. It was a great ride.

Another time was on the second ride I ever did in Baja with good buddy Baja John. It was pouring when we left at 4:00 a.m., and it didn’t let up for the entire day. I was on a Harley then, and we finally stopped somewhere around Colonet to checked into a cheap Baja hotel (a somewhat redundant term, which is becoming less redundant as Baja’s march in to the 21st century unfortunately continues). Leather, I found out on that trip, makes for lousy rain gear. I went hypothermic, and I had the shakes until 4:00 the following morning. It made for a good story, and the rest of that trip was epic. Down to Cabo, back up to La Paz, on the overnight ferry over to Mazatlan, out to Puerto Vallarta and Guadalajara, back up to Nogales, and a thousand-mile one-day dash to make it home on New Year’s Eve. Wouldn’t trade a second of it.

Riding with Marty on the ’05 Three Flags Classic, we were caught in a downpour the second day out as we rode along the Dolores River in Colorado. It was a magnificent ride, with Marty on his K1200RS and me on my 1200cc Daytona.  It wasn’t a drizzle.  It was a downpour, just like you see in the video above.  I remember it vividly, and I wouldn’t trade it for anything.

Colombia had lots of rain, but it only hit us hard on the very first day. It was raining hard that first morning as we rode out of Medellin and into the Andes early on that fine Colombian morning, but it lightened up by breakfast. I had real rain gear and the only issues were visibility and passing 22-wheelers on blind curves, as my Colombian riders did with gleeful abandon. Exciting times. But good times, and certainly ones I remember. Colombia was an adventure for the ages. I wouldn’t trade a second of it for anything else.

I’d have to say the heaviest rains I ever rode through were in China, where it rains a lot. It probably rained 25% of the time on that trip, and the first few days were the worst. Imagine riding up into the Tibetan Plateau, in the dark, on dirt roads, in rain way heavier than what you see in the video above. That’s what it was like, and I loved every mile of that ride. I wouldn’t trade it for anything else on the planet.

You might be wondering…why no photos? Well, the simple truth is that my cameras on each trip were tightly wrapped in plastic bags, and I wasn’t about to break them out in the rain. That’s something I guess I forgot to mention in my earlier blog about what to bring on a Baja trip: Garbage bags. They take up almost no space when you’re not using them, and they work great for keeping stuff dry when you ride in the rain.

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The Wayback Machine: Suzuki TL1000S

By Joe Berk

The year was 1997 and the Ducati V-twins had been dominating magazine covers for years.  Not to be outdone, two Japanese manufacturers produced similarly-configured V-twins (actually, L-twins).  Honda had the SuperHawk, and Suzuki the TL1000S.  I’ve always liked Suzuki better, so I went with the TL1000s.  Suzuki offered the TL in two colors….a forest green with red accents; and bright red with yellow accents.  For me, it had to be red.

My ’97 TL1000S, somewhere in northern Baja.

I bought my TL at Bert’s in Azusa.  If I recall correctly, I negotiated the guys down to $8700 out the door, and part of that was a Yamaha 650 twin I traded in.  I had bought the Yamaha used from a guy in a course I taught at McDonnell Douglas, thinking the Yamaha would be like my old Triumph Bonnevilles but reliable.  The Yamaha was a bust. It was too heavy, it had cheap fasteners, the Hopper/Fonda riding stance was awful, it didn’t handle, and it lacked the low-end grunt of my earlier Triumphs.

I remember riding the TL home from Bert’s.  The riding was awkward with the bike’s low bars and high footpegs, but I got used to it and I made it less punishing with a set of Heli-Bars.  The Heli-Bars were slighly taller and wider (you got about an inch more in each dimension, which made a difference).

A stop for fuel in Catavina. The guys sell gasolina from bottles along Mexico Highway 1.

The TL was the fastest and hardest accelerating motorcycle I ever owned.  It would wheelie in third gear if you weren’t paying attention, and it went from zero to 100 in a heartbeat.  The bottom end torque was ferocious.  Fuel economy was atrocious, and it had a tendency to stall at low rpm.  But wow, did it ever look good.  Did I mention it was fast?

My friend Marty had an Aprilia V-twin (a Mille, I think, or something like that), another bit of Italian exotica, that cost even more than the Ducati.  Marty’s spaghetti-bender was more than twice what I paid for my TL.  We swapped bikes once on a day ride and I came away unimpressed.  My TL was faster.

Baja a few years ago.  Younger, thinner, and hair that hadn’t turned gray yet. That motorcycle made me look good.

I wanted the look of a sport bike, but I’m not a canyon racer and the exotic look didn’t do anything for me once I had ridden the TL a few times.  Then something funny happened.  My Harley died on a Baja ride.  I nursed my Harley home, parked it, and took the TL.  Surprisingly, it did a good job as a touring platform.  And I could ride at speeds the Harley couldn’t dream about.  In those days, if there were speed limits in Baja, I didn’t know about them.

That first big trip on the TL instead of the Harley cinched it for me.  I bought sportsbike soft luggage and used the TL on many rides after that.  700-mile days in Baja became the norm (I could make Mulegé in a day; the TL wouldn’t break a sweat).  The only downside was the abominable fuel economy (the fuel light would come on after 105 miles), but a one-gallon red plastic fuel container and a bungie cord fixed that.  It was Beverly hillbillies, but it worked. Not that there’s anything wrong with being a hillbilly (somebody’s got to shoot those road signs).

TL1000S touring. The bike was a surprisingly good touring machine.

Even with the TL’s mid-30-mpg fuel economy, I only ran out of fuel twice.  Once was on the Bodfish-Caliente Road (one of California’s best kept secrets).  I didn’t have my gas can with me; Marty rode ahead and returned with a gasoline-filled water bottle he hoped wouldn’t dissolve (it didn’t).  The other time was on Baja’s long stretch headed south to Guerrero Negro.  That road runs straight as an arrow, and I ran the TL at a surprisingly comfortable 145 mph (still well below the TL’s top speed).  The TL was fuel injected and when it ran dry it was like someone shut the ignition.  I poured my extra gallon in and made it to the next Pemex station.  The guys I rode with were still far behind.

I had fun with the TL, but I dropped it a lot more than any other bike I had ever owned.  All the drops were my fault.  The low-mounted sport bars restricted steering, and once when pulling into my driveway, there wasn’t enough to keep the bike upright.  Before I realized it, the bike and I were both on the ground (my first thought was to wonder if anyone had seen me).  The next time the bike was in my driveway, facing slightly downhill.  I started it to let it warm up, and the bike rolled off the sidestand.  Again, my first thought was if anyone had seen me.  The third time was more dramatic.  The TL had a slipper clutch; you could downshift with reckless abandon.  The clutch would slip and not skid the rear tire.  It was cool, until I used it diving hard into a corner.  The curb was coming up quickly and I wasn’t slowing fast enough.  The slipper clutch was doing its thing, but when I touched the front brake, that was enough to unload the rear wheel.  It broke loose and I fishtailed into the curb.  I went over the bars, executed a very clean somersault, and came to rest in the sitting position looking straight ahead.  I had been watching the Oympics on TV the day before and I remember thinking (as I completed my dismount) I could be a competitor. A woman in a station wagon saw the whole thing.  She rolled down her window and I half expected to see a sign with a 10 on it (like they do at the Olympics).  “Are you okay?” she asked.

“Yeah, I’m fine,” I answered.  “I’m a gymnast and I’m practicing.”  The window went up and she disappeared.

I loved the looks of the TL.   Yeah, the carbon fiber was faux, but I didn’t care.  In those days I was running a factory that made carbon fiber aircraft stuff and I never understood the attraction.  Even with fake carbon fiber, the TL was a motorcycle that looked fast.  And it was.

Serious miles were easy on the TL1000S.

Suzuki only made the TL for a few years.  Some guy in the UK killed himself in a speed wobble, the bike got an Internet rep as a tank slapper, and that killed sales worldwide.  Suzuki had a recall to add a steering damper, but the damage had been done.  Bert’s installed the damper on my TL, I couldn’t feel any difference , and my bike never went into a wobble (either before or after the recall).  My hypothesis is that the UK guy rolled on too much throttle exiting a corner, lifting the front wheel with the bike leaned over.  That will induce a wobble, you know.  There was another recall to fix the low speed stalling issue.  I guess it worked; my bike never had a low speed stall after that.

Suzuki offered a more radical fully-faired version called the TL1000R (I didn’t like its looks), but the TL-R didn’t survive, either.  The engine, however, proved to be a winner.  Today, 25 years later, a detuned version is still soldiering on in the ADV-styled V-Strom.  I never owned a V-Strom, but I should have.  Everybody I ever talked to who owned one loved the V-Strom.  Me, I loved my TL.

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The Top Five Southern Colorado Motorcycle Roads

By Mike Huber

As an avid motorcyclist it’s easy to appreciate the beauty in each state and for many riders discovering amazing roads that many would overlook can become second nature to us.  Some might even say it’s an art form.  Throughout this vast and beautiful country called the United States of America we are fortunate enough to have a plethora of both paved and dirt roads that are meant to be sought out like the Ark of the Covenant.  These roads are meant to be experienced intimately the only way they can be, on two wheels. Experiencing them on a motorcycle can become a thirst that is never quenched, and although each state has its own unique characteristics, ultimately some will stand out more than others. One state that has that effect for me is Colorado.

Colorado is one of those states that as soon as you ride past the “Welcome to Colorful Colorado” sign the roads seem to present themselves to you like a feast on a golden platter with an endless amount of wine.   The rides we will review can each be completed in one or two days and are best ridden between late April and early October.  To help with prioritization since there are so many incredible rides we have developed a very complex mathematical rating system of 1 to 5 wheelies (5 being the highest).  The rating uses the following criteria:

    • Road conditions
    • Diversity of riding options
    • Activities along the route
    • Abilities to disperse camp/hotel access
    • Scenery

Route 550:  The Million Dollar Highway

Rated 5 Wheelies

Road Description.  This loop may be one of the greatest roads in all of North America. The road is paved and in immaculate condition.  It combines some of the tightest switchbacks one can expect to experience on a motorcycle. The full route per the map is ~355 miles and can be done in 1 day, but highly recommend taking at least 2-4 to fully experience and immerse yourself in this beautiful part of the country.  There are endless forest roads off 550 to get your fill of dirt riding littered with an infinite amount of beautiful dispersed campsites. Also some wonderful old mining towns rich with history, hiking, restaurants, hotels, and hot springs.

Points of Interest.  There’s no shortage of amazing places to stop along this road.  Below is a small list of the places you should not miss along this route.

    • Silverton is a great little mining town with wonderful people.  It’s a perfect place to load up on supplies if you are camping.  You can warm up after getting some miles in at the Brown Bear Café.
    • Ouray is a beautiful mountain town with several hikes to waterfalls, hot springs, and some wonderful restaurants. My favorite is the Ouray Brewery.
    • Rico is a really tiny town which consists of a great hotel and bar called the Enterprise Bar and Grill, with wonderful people, great food and cold beer.

Where to Stay/Camp.  There is an immense amount of national forest land that can be used to camp on along this loop.  Really any dirt road you ride down will guide you to an epic campsite next to a creek. This makes for a relaxing post ride time to wind down in a hammock, while having a refreshing beverage. The towns of Silverton and Ouray have several hotels that are right in the heart of the town and a short walk to tourist activities and restaurants.

Off-Roading.  There is an endless amount of dirt roads to find here, this goes from flat well-groomed forest roads to find a campsite to the technical challenging mountain passes like Engineer or Imogene Pass (which I have not done due to the size of my GS1200 and conservative riding style).

Out of so many outstanding rides in the state of Colorado, the Million Dollar Highway should be on the top of any list.  This road and area really earn that 5 Wheelie rating due to exceeding each standard for riders of all ability levels. There are so many sights to see along this route that you will never tire of absorbing the beauty that surrounds you in this part of the state. If you are fortunate enough to have the time, doing the loop in reverse can be a great way to add a few more days to your adventure.

Mesa Verde National Park

Rated 5 Wheelies

Road Description.  As soon as you enter Mesa Verde National Park the road begins screaming up in elevation with some incredible views overlooking the valley below you will almost have a sense of vertigo overcome you.  What is wonderful about this feeling as it goes on and on as you travel through the park.  Although the distance from the park entrance to the furthest point is only 28 miles, those miles are filled with numerous overlooks and pullouts that can make this seemingly short ride take 2-3 days.  This is especially true if you are taking in the hikes along the way.  The only piece of concern for this ride is the numerous road snakes in some areas of this ride. Otherwise its full enjoyment as you have a 360 view of the valleys below that outstretch clear into Utah, New Mexico, and Arizona.

Points of Interest.  Since this is a National Park there are ample amounts of short hikes and tours to break up the day(s) you spend in this magical location. A few of the more popular ones are outlined below:

    • The Cliff Palace requires purchasing a tour ticket at Park Visitor Center, but even without one you can walk to the overlook to get a spectacular view of the houses the Hopi built into the cliffs which are all but hidden except from this vantage point.
    • The Balcony House also requires a tour ticket but is well worth it as you can walk through the ruins and really get a sense of the
    • The Knife’s Edge Hike is a great 2-mile hike with little elevation next to Morefield Campground that has incredible sunset views, which enable the rocks to really light up and glow.

Where to Stay/Camp.  Morefield Campground- This is the only campground in the park so making reservations ahead of time is recommended. It is one of the better National Park campgrounds I have stayed at and includes free showers, great Wi-Fi from most campsites (antennas are off the bathrooms), and a launderette, gas, and fully stocked store for all your camping and souvenir needs. There are also several wonderful hiking trails right next to the campground.

Off-Roading.  This is one of the drawbacks of a National Park, as there is no off-roading permitted within the park boundaries.  The beauty and activities from hiking and riding makes up for this shortcoming.

Route 65: Grand Mesa Scenic Byway

Rated 5 Wheelies

Road Description.  Yet another beautiful Colorado mountain road filled with switchbacks that rise in elevation and bring you to over 10,000 feet up and onto the World’s largest Mesa. There are several pullouts along this route to take in the views, but no gas stations from Cedaredge to Mesa (50 miles, but can be close to 100 miles if you are doing the off-road portion) plan accordingly.

Points of Interest. The main point of interest the mesa itself and the amazing views, alpine lakes, dispersed camping, and off-roading.

Where to Stay/Camp. Dispersed camping is plentiful along Rte125 where you can get a lakeside campsite with little issue and make it your own paradise for the evening as you watch the sunset glistening off one of the many alpine lakes. There are also plenty of campgrounds along this way if you are looking for less primitive camping.  Hotels are scattered along this route in the towns of Delta, Mesa, or driving to up Grand Junction for a greater variety of lodging.

Off-Roading.  Route 125 Surface Creek Road is a great 15-mile loop.  This road has you experience the mesa while passing crystal clear alpine lakes with numerous dispersed camping areas.  There is also a 10-mile dirt road in great condition to visit the Lands’ End Observatory. The views off the mesa looking down on the plateau can allow you to see into Utah on a clear day with awe inspiring views.

Route 141: Grand Junction to Naturita

Rated 4.5 Wheelies

Road Description.  This is a low elevation beautifully paved road that is 105 miles long.  This road will have you leaning your ride until you feel the mist kissing your windshield from Dolores River as you pass amazing rust colored mesas that stretch into the sky and rival that of Monument Valley. The road has very little traffic which will allow you to enjoy some solitude as you embrace the scenery you ride through. The only reason this route is rated as 4.5 is the lack of amenities.

Points of Interest.  This road is in quite a desolate area, outside the tiny town of Gateway.  Gateway Canyons General Store is owned and run by the preacher of the church next door to it.  This is the only place to gas up between Grand Junction and Naturita so be sure to check your fuel levels.

Where to Stay/Camp.  Dispersed camping here is plentiful but mainly in one area just south of Grand Junction, Divide Road. This road is a steep switchback dirt road that connects to numerous other roads which are great fun exploring for campsites to settle down in.  There are numerous dispersed sites with beautiful views over the canyon in which you can see the Dolores River running far beneath you.

Off-Roading.  Divide Road also encompasses numerous off-roading opportunities that sprawl out across this mesa.  This is a perfect place to explore for that unique dispersed campsite while hitting some fun dirt to enhance your day.  There are however areas of slippery clay, so if it is raining it can become slick in portions of this road.

Routes 160 and 149: Pagosa Springs to Lake City

Rated 4 Wheelies

Road Description.  This route consists of 45 miles of a four-lane highway on Route 160 that will have you summit at over 10,000 feet.  The road will then drop you into South Fork, Colorado.  This is where you will turn left onto Route 149.  Route 149 will quickly whittle down to a tighter and quieter road for the next 75 miles, which are filled with mountain passes. South Fork is the only town between these areas so make sure you gas up and grab lunch before heading onto the second part of this amazing road.  The next portion will have you speeding across lower elevation prairies and then climbing high into the mountain tundra that will resemble something from another planet before descending into Lake City.

Points of Interest.  I specifically wanted this trip to begin (or end) in Pagosa Springs so you have an opportunity to experience the hot springs in Pagosa.

Where to Stay/Camp. Throughout the ride there is no shortage of camping in both dispersed and paid locations. In Pagosa there are numerous hotels. I prefer the hotel directly across the street from the spa as it is much more affordable then the spa and in a great location.  For Lake City, the Matterhorn is a beautiful Swiss style motel which will allow you a solid night’s sleep at a great price. It’s a perfect spot to recharge if you are going to take on some of the more challenging off-road portions in Colorado the following day.

Off-Roading.  Lake City is the starting point for some of the more serious off-roading mountain passes, such as a few of the most popular passes including Cinnamon and Engineer.  Both of these passes surpass 12,000 feet.  If you crave technical off-roading challenges with views that can’t be beat, these are the two passes I recommend.

Conclusions

Southern Colorado is a rider’s paradise, and a region that should not be missed for riders of all experience levels. Other avid motorcyclists have also recommended these roads to me, which reinforces my approval for these routes and motivated me to write this comprehensive layout to help others. I hope this breakout has been helpful and serves as a reason to visit Southern Colorado and have the riding experience of a lifetime.

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ExNotes Long Term Test: Vevor Diesel Heater

By Joe Gresh 

Towards the end of last year’s heating season the Vevor 12-volt, 5kw diesel heater started shutting down and giving an error code. The big blue, start/stop button on the front of the machine blinks the code number between pauses. I counted an error No. 8, which the owner’s manual said was a problem with the temperature sensor. This was a little disappointing because I had only run 10 gallons of diesel through the heater. (It runs a long time on a gallon, like 8 hours) I didn’t mess with it at the time as it was warming up and I was busy doing other vital, yet unimportant tasks.

Fast-forward to winter, 2024 and it’s cold again so I figured I’d better fix the heater. I looked up a new temperature sensor for $4 on Amazon and after waiting a few weeks the thing came all the way from China. Installing the new temperature sensor changed nothing. The heater kept shutting down with an error code No. 8.

Utube Academy provided some more ideas, one of which was the fuel pump was not functioning good enough to keep the fire going.  I bought a new fuel pump on Amazon for $18 and installed it. After bleeding the air out of the pump the heater turned on for a few minutes and then shut down showing error code No. 8 again.

Another Utube suggestion was that the glow plug was bad, failing to ignite the diesel fuel. While looking up the glow plug @ $19 I found a complete new heater for $90 with free delivery. I stuck the new heater in the shopping cart and it showed up a few days later.

The new heater was almost an exact duplicate of the Vevor unit and in fact it had a more advanced keypad display instead of a blue button. The replacement unit swapped out easily and in no time I had heat in the shed.

A few more weeks passed and the new glow plug showed up. Taking the unit apart to gain access to the plug was easy and I pulled the wires off of the glow plug so I could put a socket on the thing. That wasn’t a good idea. Turns out the wires are non-removable and you need a special 12mm slotted deep socket to unscrew the plug. When I pulled the wires off I actually broke the glow plug ceramic. The special socket for the plug was helpfully included in the box with the new glow plug. Unfortunately, I didn’t realize this before destroying the old glow plug. That’s just how I roll.

None of this mattered because once I started taking the heater apart I noticed the exhaust port was almost plugged with diesel soot.

It was so clogged I had to take the fuel feed pipe and the combustion chamber apart to clean out all the soot.

The gaskets tore when I dismantled the fuel feed and the combustion chamber so I had to order new gaskets from Amazon @$16. If you’re keeping count I now had almost as much in parts as a heater costs.

These Chinese diesel heaters are pretty simple to work on and after cleaning the combustion chamber and exhaust pipe it was only a few minutes to put the whole thing back together. I rigged it up for a test run and the heater put out plenty of hot air and ran for as long as I wanted to hear it run. It seems to be fixed but I don’t understand why it sooted up so soon. Maybe there was another issue that I have inadvertently fixed while swapping out parts? Maybe not. Keep clicking on ExhaustNotes and I’ll report on this situation as it develops.

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The Legendary Fung Wah Bus

By Mike Huber

Ok, so throughout my life I have tended to do a LOT of dumb stuff.  Almost daily anyone around me is questioning how I am still alive. This is no exaggeration, but there is one activity I partook in that is by far the most reckless.  That is riding on the Fung Wah Bus.  Recently I was in a bar in Boston (yes, imagine that) and I was telling the story of the Fung Wah bus, which entertained the entire bar for close to an hour. My stories of this legendary form of transit must have been quite epic  as when cashing out I was told my entire tab had been paid.  So I thought a write up on my experiences around this hazardous mode of transportation would make for a fun read.

The Fung Wah Bus isn’t in service anymore for reasons described below.  It was a $10 bus ride from South Station in Boston to Chinatown in New York City. I was 27 years old, living just north of Boston.  A close friend was in New York City.  The bus always arrived on time, there was no hassle with airports, and it was just easy.

I was alerted to the dangers of this bus when I arrived to work on Monday.  My manager asked what I had done that weekend.  I replied I had gone to Manhattan to hang out with a friend.  He asked how the flight was.  “Flight?” I asked.  “I didn’t fly. I took the Fung Wah Bus.”  He doubled over laughing and said he paid me enough to do better, which was followed by several explicit adjectives.  I still heard him ranting about it an hour or so later.  I was a bit taken aback.

It didn’t take long for me to realize the history of this bus and the numerous safety violations and failed inspections that made taking this bus not only risky, but in hindsight, downright dangerous.  Massachusetts had even shut the service down a few times over the years.  These busses were flipping over, catching on fire, and wheels were falling off.  Outside that, though, the busses ran on time, no matter the amount of traffic or weather conditions.  They had this trip down to an art.  It was so honed that once when I was stuck in traffic on the Cross Bronx Expressway, a few cars in front of me I spotted a Fung Wah bus.  Here’s my chance!  I followed it off the expressway as it zigged and zagged through the narrow surface streets until it returned to the now less-congested expressway. I felt like a running back following a lineman as a blocker until I could see the end zone. What a rush!

With it being a 4-hour ride, the driver would always stop at a Roy Rodgers Restaurant for a few minutes to allow you to stretch, grab a bite to eat, and pray to the God of your choice for a safe remainder of the trip. To this day having driven that stretch hundreds of times in my car I never saw that restaurant unless I was on the Fung Wah.  Wherever the bus exited the highway, we all went into Narnia.

At the end of the day the Fung Wah never disappointed and although the bus was decommissioned like Old Ironsides, it provided some great stories and an economical way to get to New York City.  As I sat in a Boston bar finishing my Sam Adams, I was thankful to the mysterious patron who got my tab.  I am fortunate that this experience (riding the Legendary Fung Wah Bus) crossed my path.

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Removing Stuck Cases

By Joe Cota

A problem that sometimes occurs when we reload is that a case gets stuck in the decapper/expander die (also known as the resizing die).  This can result from not adequately lubricating the case prior to running it into die, or not cleaning a new die prior to use.  The case gets stuck in the die, and when you attempt to extract it on the reloading press down stroke, the shell holder deforms the case’s rim and it pulls free of the shellholder.   Getting the stuck case out can be problematic.

A friend just bought a new set of Lee .223 dies and forgot to clean out the decapper/expander die.  The result was a stuck case (as you can see in the photo above). Here’s the easy way to remove stuck cases using tools that can all be bought at your local hardware store.

1. Remove the die and take off the pin retainer using the proper 1/2″ box and 3/4″ open wrenches. No crescent wrenches, pliers or vice grips!

2. Put the die in a well-padded vise and knock the pin down with a brass or hard plastic mallet. The brass mallet or brass punch works best.

3. The expander pin will remain in the case. It will be loose and rattle around a bit, but still trapped inside the case.

4. Use a small tubing cutter to remove the base of the case.

5. Clean up and polish the expander pin using a non-abrasive wheel or a Scotch Brite pad with soap and water. Get all that factory gunk out of the sizing die body too. I use brake cleaner, but WD 40 will also loosen the factory crud.

6. Reassemble everything with the pin lining up with the top of the retaining nut. Secure VERY tightly again using the proper wrenches.

Your die will now be better than new because the factory gunk is gone and the expander pin has been polished.

Make sure to use a good case lube on all bottle necked rifle calibers. I’m not a huge fan of the white Lee water soluble case lube but it works. I prefer to use spray lubes such as Lyman or Hornady One Shot.

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The Wayback Machine: Whale Sharks in Baja!

By Mike Huber

Joe frequently posts of the magical experiences in Baja and one he focuses on heavily (for good reason) are the tours in Guerrero Negro to see the gray whales and their babies. Having experienced that twice I concur with Joe’s description of this fabulous encounter, however, the tour operators for the gray whales won’t let you disembark the panga to swim with these giant mammals. I know this because I have asked to jump overboard to swim with the whales during both tours I was on. This to me (with my ever-questionable judgment) seemed like the next logical step in being able to enhance the experience.

Two weeks ago, as I entered La Paz I instantly was drawn to the many advertisements for tour companies offering opportunities to SWIM WITH WHALE SHARKS! This was what I was yearning for! A tour boat will bring you out to a marine preserve, provide you with a safety briefing, a wet suit, flippers, a mask, and snorkel and you are ready to swim with whale sharks. The boat will approach these fish (they are the largest fish in the world growing to upwards of 40 ft).  We were ready to go with legs hanging over the panga as it slowed down near a whale shark and one by one we jumped off the boat into the warm waters of the Sea of Cortez. It was very much like exiting an aircraft as a paratrooper.

Once in the water the guide, who is also in the water with you will point out the whale sharks (in case you cannot spot a 40-ft fish).  You can see these magnificent sharks swimming and grazing on krill. We were fortunate enough to have several around us, which got a bit harrowing as they were almost vertical in the water spinning like some type of aquatic ballerina while drawing in water filled with krill. As we began to close in on them we can feel ourselves being pulled into their mouth like a whirlpool.  I instantly became aware of their size and power.

It was at this moment I am certain the people topside heard some colorful Bostonian language being funneled up through my snorkel when I was too close for my own comfort. The whale sharks are peaceful and aware you are there and not a threat to them, but they are also aware they are bigger, better swimmers, and you are in THEIR habitat. One thing to keep in mind is that they will not move for you and if you get in their path, they may push you or run you over. This was an incident we all clearly wanted to avoid.

There were only four of us on the tour and we performed four dives over about 2 hours.   Their overwhelming size and our proximity to the whale sharks never got old, and our adrenaline never died down. We used Red Travel Tours out of La Paz.  Our guides Siyad and Mario were well informed and they had a passion for ensuring we had a once-in-a-lifetime experience while respecting nature. They were both genuinely as excited as we were when swimming with the whale sharks and educating us on the ocean they live in. For anyone traveling in Baja this is an experience and a tour company you want to go with to see whale sharks.

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A Custom Shop Model 504

By Joe Berk

The good news is when I was recently on the range with my Remington Custom Shop Model 504 the air was dead still and I had the range to myself.  The bad news is the 5-shot 50-yard groups were just so-so, and I didn’t have anything to blame that on but myself.  Well, maybe.  I only tried two kinds of ammo (an old box of Remington Target 22 and a new box of CCI standard velocity ammo).   You have to play around trying different makes (just like you would experiment with different reloads) to find ammo that a rimfire rifle really responds to. I’m not there yet. But I’m having fun along the way.

Representative 5-shot, 50-yards groups from the Custom Shop Model 504. I’m expecting to see groups in the .250-.300 range from this rifle (I’m not done yet).

Sue and I were in Rapid City, South Dakota, several years ago exploring Mt. Rushmore and the Black Hills.  We took a lot out of that trip…we saw Mt. Rushmore during the day and in the evening, we saw bunch of stuff in the Black Hills area, we went out to a little-known Minuteman Missile National Park, we saw the Badlands, we stopped in Wahl Drug, we went to Devil’s Tower, and of course, I had to check out what I now know to be one of the best gunshops in the country:  Rapid City’s First Stop Gun and Coin.  I could have spent the entire day there, but we had other things to see and do.  After our visit, I started checking out what First Stop had listed on Gunbroker.com, and it wasn’t too long after that that I saw a Remington Custom Shop Model 504.

High end walnut, as is appropriate on a Custom Shop Remington rifle. The recoil pad might be more appropriate on a .416 Rigby, but it looks great on this rifle.

I didn’t even know what a Model 504 was, I’d never handled or shot one, but I knew what the Remington Custom shop was all about.  The rifle had my interest.  It was not cheap, but that was maybe a dozen years ago and when you see a Custom Shop Model 504 come up for sale today (which hardly ever happens), the ask is about three times what I paid.  I’ve never seen another Custom Shop 504 in person; I’ve only seen them on the rare occasions one appears on Gunbroker and in a couple of Internet reviews.

Remington wanted a high end .22 bolt rifle in the early 2000s to compete with the offerings from Kimber, Browning, Ruger, CZ, and others, and the Model 504 was the result.  Remington had three versions:  A Sporter model, a heavy barreled Varmint version, and the Custom Shop 504 you see here.  Remington built the 504 from 2004 to 2007.   The Custom Shop Model 504 was the flagship and it had it all:  A machined steel receiver, a highly polished deep blue finish, a free-floated barrel and glass-bedded action, highly figured walnut, a subtle forearm tip, a super smooth action, cut checkering, a recoil pad that might be more at home on a .300 Weatherby, and a barrel from the super-exotic Remington Model 40 target rifle.  I didn’t know any of this at the time I hit the “buy now” button, but I knew any Remington Custom Shop rifle is a collectible item.

The Model 504 receiver is glass bedded.
The Custom Shop markings on the 504 barrel.
A very subtle forearm tip.

My rifle came with the rings of unknown origin and Bausch and Lomb mounts.  I first mounted Bushnell scope, a scope set up to be parallax free at 100 yards.  But I typically shoot a .22 at 50 yards.   I next put an old Weaver 4×12 variable scope (adjustable for parallax) on the rifle, and when I adjusted for 50 yards it had no parallax.  I don’t know how repeatable that old scope is (and as you’ll notice from the photo above, the groups seem to move around a bit), so one thing I’m going to do in the future is put another scope on the rifle, mostly likely Mueller’s 4×12.  I have a Mueller scope on another rimfire rifle and I know it is good.  I like the looks of the old Weaver the 504 is wearing now, but when I tried adjusting it, there didn’t seem to be much correlation between the adjustments I was making and where the bullets were going.

The Weaver scope mounted on the Model 504.

Something that had me scratching my head are the plastic inserts on the scope rings between the scope body and the rings.  I’ve never seen this on any other rifle, but from what I’ve read on the internet, they work well for other shooters (even on heavily recoiling rifles, which a .22 is not).   The scope appears to be secure.

The plastic scope ring inserts. I had never encountered this before.

The Model 504 magazine is apparently scarcer than an honest politician.  Only one magazine was included with my rifle.  Now that I am shooting it more (it’s no longer a safe queen), I thought it might be a good idea to pick up a couple of spare mags until I saw their price.  When you can find one on Ebay or Gunbroker, they go for around $200.  I think I’ll be careful with my one magazine and keep looking; maybe I’ll get lucky and find one in a gunstore’s discounted junkbox (most old line gunshops have these).

The difficult to find and very expensive Model 504 magazine.
High end walnut, starboard side.
High end walnut, port side.

It may be that the Model 504 is just not that accurate.  My findings are consistent with what other 504 reviewers have published (in fact, my gun is turning in tighter groups than what others have previously published).  Recognizing that the Custom Shop model used the same barrel blanks Remington used for the Model 40 .22 rifle, I would have expected more.  Maybe it’s there and I just haven’t found it yet.  At least that’s my hope.

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