The Serow

Pretty  as a picture!

Yes, another bike named after a beast, although this one is gentile as a lamb.

As I was writing about the RE HIMALAYAN... I thought about a similar machine that has been in my stable for 27 years. This machine has lots in common with the single cylinder Royal Enfield.  Let's just see... it's light (really light, under 250 lbs) it's a simple air cooled 4 cycle 6 speed engine, she has got me into and out of mud holes around here, the Rockies and across the Sierra Giganta mountains, into the back trails of BAJA Ca.

Lots of gravel/dirt roads to explore with my Serow

Apart from the occasional oil change, valve check, which I do myself, tire change (ditto) and one tooth over on the engine drive-line, she has given me no troubles nor left me stranded.  Even back in '92 after trucking two mated models, a brother and sister from my home in Fort Mac to the Crowsnest pass in southern AB/BC with what turned out to be a dead battery and no prospect of getting a then new leak proof gel cell...



I spent a week bump starting her from the low valley's to the 8,000' peeks of the defunct ELK Pass.  It helped that the bike is very light, that the compression is soft and being in the mountains I always parked at the top of a hill and not pushing upwards against gravity.

The Old Mill in Hunter river

The Serow as Yamaha named them, have decent suspension, remarkable fuel mileage, having topped 100 MPcdnG on occasion.  You don't need a P-D Elephant tank when your 238 lb motorcycle gets 90 MPG routinely.  In those days I would have two of everything.  Two XT' 225's, 2 XT 600's, Two YSR 50's, two TY 175's... you get the picture.  With a M'C riding female living in the house, I needed two of everything!

My older XT (serial 653 vs 645) now belongs to my youngest niece CJ, riding her's in BC, while I ride  645 as often as I can out here on the east coast.  The bikes have been stone reliable, I've just now ordered a needle and seat on mine given that she dribbles a little fuel from the float bowl overflow.  Nothing to keep me from riding in the meanwhile, mind you, only dripping when the pet cock is on and the engine is not.

The other side

Just last week, after a month of playing Mr. Murphy with us east coaster's the day awoke bright and happy, which made ME happy.

One of the local "Kaw" dealers Oversized tank, new for 2020 color scheme.

I rolled on about 120 km, which may not seem like much, but a day like that could easily take several hours with plenty of stops for a cool sip of thawing, frozen canteen water... almost all of it was on dirt trails with the post winter ruts and mud holes to deal with.  Take the Devil's Punch-bowl for example.  It's a steady climb even in the height of summer, but the snow having only departed a month ago left behind flowing water, washed out rocks and deep ruts.




On trails like that I often have to paddle my feet, and  try and ride the rut that allows me the best chance of not getting stranded going up to the 12th floor or with a crashed in engine case!

This I love... 

If I catch them right I can get upstairs with only a handful of puckers.




The good news is the highest elevations on the Island, fun as they may be, don't pose any life threatening stuff!

There is NO crown land on the Island, all the drive able roads are designated public roads even those where ATV's and Snowmobiles travel in their season.

This... I hate!!  Grrrr!

To answer your obvious question... NO.

The Serow (which by the way, translates to a Tibetan/Himalayan mountain goat) has never let me down and has taken me to places you would be awed to transit.

So, if you follow this blog, you will see the variety of motorcycles I have in my garage.  I've just completed a long sunny weekend ride to southern NB for a little "father'" day vacay.

Trout river Millvale

Nope... I didn't ride the Serow although I have every confidence it would make it, but the 16 or so horsepower would make for a long day in the saddle, and thin as it is, I opt for a larger, comfier machine.

I rode the DL 650 V Strom.