Jump to content

Mountain Camping on a '78 xs400


Follyworks
This post is 5434 days old and we'd rather you create a new post instead of adding to this one. You can't reply in this post.

Recommended Posts

Having finally gotten my bike all tuned and running well, I decided it needed to be put to the test - 4 days of riding in and around Shenandoah National Park in the Appalachian mountains. The main road through the park is over a hundred mile long, windy and hilly, surrounded by trees, wildlife, and occasional breathtaking views, snaking along high ridges the whole length of the park.

I have to say that the bike handled it all pretty well - these were roads where light and maneuverable are an asset, though camping gear strapped to her made it a bit more unwieldy then usual. Fortunately, I packed light. Averaged just shy of 60 mpg, and had no real mechanical issues.

3617525275_8cd4bf565d.jpg

Out for some day hikes, and stopping to enjoy the view. The saddlebags are modified military surplus bags, on a custom built bag mount (having welding tools and the skills to use them comes in handy sometimes!)

3617524627_beebf298ef.jpg

Loaded for travel. sleeping bag made for a decent backrest, and my tent-ish gear is tiny, so the load is minimal.

I came back with tons of photos, though few of them include the bike, a sunburn on the back of my neck, from between the bottom of the helmet and top of my jacket collar, and a fresh appreciation for the plan of always bringing rain gear, no matter what the weather forecast says.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Do you want an ad-free experience? Join today and help support the Yamaha Owners Club.

Nice...

How high is that?

the peak in the background there is Hawksbill Mountain, and is about 4000 ft in elevation. Looking a differnt direction from the same overlook, I could see the valley below, at something like 1200 ft in elevation. The ground drops off fast in some of those places.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Who's Online (See full list)

    • There are no registered users currently online
  • Recently Browsing

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...