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1,000 Miles on a 1969 XLCH Sportster to the "Ironhead Rendezvous" (story & photos)

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  • 1,000 Miles on a 1969 XLCH Sportster to the "Ironhead Rendezvous" (story & photos)

    For the past 10 years I have been organizing a gathering of Ironhead RIDERS in New Jersey called the "GBB" with my co-founders 16ouncePBR and Papa Magneto. The GBB brings together Ironhead enthusiasts to meet, talk, and RIDE together....it is a celebration of the greatest motorcycle ever produced.

    Five years ago we were delighted to have two GBB attendees all the way from Ontario, Canada: Scott Fisher and Iron Mick. Scott went back to Ontario, preached the Ironhead gospel, and a new Ironhead gathering was born: The Ironhead Rendezvous! The Rendezvous is organized by Scott, Halfdead Dom, and Lloyd Gadd, and has been held for the last 4 years at Lloyd's business, "Mostly Ironheads Motorcycle Shop" in Elora, Ontario, Canada.

    Ironhead Rendezvous Organizers:

    [url=https://flic.kr/p/2mhKopM]

    I have wanted to attend the Ironhead Rendezvous since it was founded 4 years ago, but life has always gotten in the way. The first year I had commitments at home, the second year the weather outlook was really bad during ride up there, and last year the US/Canadian border was closed due to Covid. I live in southeastern Pennsylvania, so it is not a short trip - close to 500 miles each way with an international border crossing thrown into the mix.

    But at the end of July I heard that the US/Canadian border may be opening in August. As more details emerged, I read that the border was scheduled to open on August 9th for Americans wanting to travel to Canada - 5 days before the Rendezvous! I knew there was no guarantee it would happen, but I began planning.

    I decided to go with my trusty 1969 XLCH for this trip. It is a great running bike with a solid motor, so I spent some time on maintenance to make sure it would be as ready as any 50+ year-old motorcycle can ever be. I also put a pair of factory hardbags on to carry all my gear. However, I don't have a large capacity "turtle tank" painted to match this bike anymore, so I would have to do it with the standard 2.2 gallon gas tank:

    [url=https://flic.kr/p/2mhKze7]

    The small gas tank just meant that I would need to do some careful planning of my route. I mapped out a different route each direction with minimal interstate (only about 25 highway miles at the beginning and end going each direction), mostly 2 lane rural, secondary roads, and planned gas stops every 65-75 miles.

    I left home on Friday with a grim weather outlook, severe thunderstorms likely along most of my route during the afternoon. I hit the road early to get as far as I could before the rain, and surprisingly made it all the way to Niagra Falls with no more than a few minutes of sprinkling rain. There were plenty of ominous black clouds, but it seemed like every time I got close to one, the route would turn and keep me dry. The Ironhead gods were on my side!

    Here are a few photos from the first leg of the trip:

    [url=https://flic.kr/p/2mhExXy]

    [url=https://flic.kr/p/2mhKJ2n]

    [url=https://flic.kr/p/2mhKHXz]

    [url=https://flic.kr/p/2mhNegg]

    The first day came in around 10 hours total with 5 short gas stops and one 20 minute stop to each lunch. I know we have some ironbutts on this forum, but for me that was a looong day on a 1969 XLCH. When I arrived at motel, I was glad to see a swimming pool to cool down! I cleaned up the bike, took a swim, ordered a pizza, and got my documents in order for the border crossing first thing in the morning.

    My home away from home for the next two nights:

    [url=https://flic.kr/p/2mhNjQN]

    [url=https://flic.kr/p/2mhPGvF]

    [url=https://flic.kr/p/2mhKPmR]

    The Ironhead Rendezvous took place on Saturday morning. My hotel was only a few miles from the border, but I had a 2 hour ride into Ontario after crossing, and I was worried about how long it would take to get through the border due to all of the new requirements (passport, proof of vaccination, negative molecular covid test within 72 hours of entry, quarantine plan, etc), and I had seen updates entering Niagra Falls on Friday night that said the wait times were as high as 100 minutes to cross! So I decided to just wake up and go early on Saturday morning. I was surprised to see that there was no one in front of me when I got to the border and I was through in less than 5 minutes! There wasn't even anyone behind me and the border officer had time to ask a few questions about my bike!

    [url=https://flic.kr/p/2mhPL9T]

    If you read this far, you are now in for a treat! After 2 hours of constant math conversions while I rode (Km to Miles, KPH to MPH, Liters to Gallons), I arrived at Mostly Ironheads Motorcycle Shop in Elora, Ontario. It was really cool to see all of the Ironheads in the parking lot as I turned onto the street.....kind of like arriving at a family reunion. Before I even parked my motorcycle I saw my friend Scott Fisher:

    [url=https://flic.kr/p/2mhKUk3]

    Although the Ironhead Rendezvous is only 4 years old, it is a fantastic event! I'm going to take a break from typing for a bit and just post photos of all the amazing Ironheads that were in attendance:

    [url=https://flic.kr/p/2mhKVgw]

    [url=https://flic.kr/p/2mhPNkw]

    [url=https://flic.kr/p/2mhEKJ4]

    [url=https://flic.kr/p/2mhKVik]

    [url=https://flic.kr/p/2mhJD72]

    [url=https://flic.kr/p/2mhJDpw]

    [url=https://flic.kr/p/2mhNqLf]

    [url=https://flic.kr/p/2mhEKPz]

    [url=https://flic.kr/p/2mhEKTs]

    [url=https://flic.kr/p/2mhKVvp]

    [url=https://flic.kr/p/2mhPNHk]

    [url=https://flic.kr/p/2mhKVEN]

    [url=https://flic.kr/p/2mhJDde]

    [url=https://flic.kr/p/2mhPNUN]

    [url=https://flic.kr/p/2mhPNXJ]

    [url=https://flic.kr/p/2mhPNZT]

    [url=https://flic.kr/p/2mhEKL3]

    It was really fun to have Lloyd Gadd, owner of "Mostly Ironheads" show me around his shop to see all of his projects, parts, etc. For an Ironhead lover like me, it is hands-down the best shop I have ever seen! How many motorcycle shops can you walk into and see a KHK, 1959 XLCH, and 1969 XLCH motors on the bench?!?! Lloyd had just about every gasket and maintenance part an Ironhead owner could ever need hanging on his wall. Plus he had all sorts or rare an NOS parts to show me. I wish I had a shop HALF as good as Mostly Ironheads within close range of my house. If you are anywhere within range of Elora, Ontario, you have to check out Mostly Ironheads and meet Lloyd. He is super knowledgable and friendly!

    (continued below...)

  • #2
    (...continued from above)

    Around noon it was time for the group ride. After riding mostly highway after crossing the border, I was excited for my new Canadian friends to show me some of their favorite roads in what I would describe as rural Ontario. I was not disappointed! What a fantastic place to live if you like RIDING Ironhead Sportsters! (at least in the summer)

    And the weather! After suffering through a week of hot, humid, PA weather with heat indexes over 100 degrees, it was such a treat to be riding in 75, sunny, and low humidity, in Ontario!

    [url=https://flic.kr/p/2mhJLiX]

    [url=https://flic.kr/p/2mhNyEB]

    [url=https://flic.kr/p/2mhL3Us]

    [url=https://flic.kr/p/2mhESRv]

    [url=https://flic.kr/p/2mhPVM5]

    [url=https://flic.kr/p/2mhESvL]

    [url=https://flic.kr/p/2mhPVFo]

    [url=https://flic.kr/p/2mhJKZW]

    This historic covered bridge, one of the last in the area, was featured in the movie "It":

    [url=https://flic.kr/p/2mhPYyh]



    237711850_10159587512326449_5732727892403581023_n by [url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/189694310@N02/]

    [url=https://flic.kr/p/2mhJNVv]

    I want to thank everyone who attended the Ironhead Rendezvous for their hospitality. I think I spoke with everyone in attendance, and they were all so friendly. It just goes to show that it doesn't matter if you are in another country, Ironhead RIDERS all around the globe are cool dudes.

    After returning to Mostly Ironheads, there was a delicious cookout by grill master Scott Fisher. The food was delicious, and once everyone was full there was an awards ceremony! It was like a weekend's worth of fun packed into one afternoon.

    There were several awards given out, and all of the trophies are hand-crafted by Lloyd from Ironhead parts! Here are the winners:

    [url=https://flic.kr/p/2mhLabF]

    [url=https://flic.kr/p/2mhLa6R]

    [url=https://flic.kr/p/2mhNFhQ]

    [url=https://flic.kr/p/2mhLa9w]

    [url=https://flic.kr/p/2mhNF93]

    After an amazing day of international Ironhead fun, I was getting tired and it was time for me to head back to the ol' US of A in time to take a swim in the pool before dark.

    My Ironhead fun didn't stop with the end of the Ironhead Rendezvous. I still had another whole day of riding to get back home to Pennsylvania. My route was totally different from Friday, and still consisted mainly of 2 lane, scenic riding. However, to start my day I had to hop onto the Interstate and get clear of Buffalo, NY before the traffic got bad. I'm not a big fan of riding the interstate, but there is something really pleasant about cruising the highway virtually all by myself on a Sunday morning:

    [url=https://flic.kr/p/2mhF3aF]

    The riding through western NY, the Finger Lakes region, and the Pocono Mountains of PA was just truly amazing:

    [url=https://flic.kr/p/2mhF6EB]

    [url=https://flic.kr/p/2mhNLig]

    [url=https://flic.kr/p/2mhF5zL]

    [url=https://flic.kr/p/2mhJYTM]

    [url=https://flic.kr/p/2mhF5GQ]

    [url=https://flic.kr/p/2mhLf3E]

    [url=https://flic.kr/p/2mhLg3R]

    [url=https://flic.kr/p/2mhJXQE]

    Sunday was about another 10 hours of riding to get home. All told, my round-trip milage to Ontario and back was 1,029 miles. Not bad for an old kick-only, magneto fired, 2.2 gallon gas tanked XLCH, eh? They're just girl's bikes, bar hoppers, and bikes for new riders, right? :smoke

    I had great weather the entire way, my bike ran great, and the only casualty was a broken horn:

    [url=https://flic.kr/p/2mhQnKC]

    What we have been doing for the past 10 years with the GBB here in the USA is such a fun opportunity to get together with people who love Ironheads and just feel like part of a community. There have been many people who tried to start their own Ironhead Gathering, but the Ironhead Rendezvous is the only group to do it successfully (to my knowledge).

    If you are anywhere within riding distance to Elora, Ontario, I would highly recommend that you attend the Ironhead Rendezvous next summer.

    And if you are anywhere within riding distance of Ringoes, NJ here in the USA, I would recommend that you consider attending the 10th anniversary GBB gathering taking place on September 18th. (GBB details can be found here: http://xlforum.net/forums/showthread.php?t=2079970)

    And I hope that this post will make some people realize that "riding distance" on an Ironhead can be farther than they think as long as their bike is properly maintained and in good running order.

    Finally, if you are not in a reasonable riding range to one of the two major Ironhead events, then start your own! Who knows, maybe I'll show up and show my ugly face riding a cool old Sportster....

    [url=https://flic.kr/p/2mhFgd4]

    I would like to thank everyone from the Ironhead Owners of Ontario group (they have a Facebook group if you are interested: https://www.facebook.com/groups/129392004436378) again for the hospitality. Everyone in attendance took time to talk to me about my motorcycle and my trip, and tell me about their bike, etc. It made me feel very welcome outside of my home country. I especially want to thank the organizers: Scott, Dom, and Lloyd, and an extra thanks to Lloyd for the homemade trophies! (Lloyd also has a Facebook page for his shop: (https://www.facebook.com/ironsportyXLs) They will be on display at Ironheadquarters! Maybe you guys can make it to the GBB someday?

    Thanks for taking the time to read about my Ironhead adventure,
    -Magneto Sportster

    [url=https://flic.kr/p/2mhQnps]

    Comment


    • #3
      From an old 60s sportster guy thanks for the report. Great pictures. My sportsters were never that clean and never could keep a rear tire on!

      Comment


      • #4
        Fantastic write-up, pictures and details. That 69 is amazingly clean and oil-tight right to the end, and well done riding 10 hour days with the small tank, yes it can be done on these bikes. A testament to your maintenance and preparation.

        Comment


        • #5
          Thanks for sharing this adventure !
          http://www.harley-memories.com
          http://harley8valves.wordpress.com/
          AMCA Membership#5701

          Comment


          • #6
            Well done. Well done.

            Comment


            • #7
              Thanks for sharing Jerry! Beautiful bike and great story. My first bike was a 1978 XLCH and I had a lot of fun with it. I am 6'2" so long trips were not much of an option for me

              Comment


              • #8
                Geeze, how did I miss this fantastic post? Jerry, you did a first class job of photo documenting, and describing your ride; which was really more than that. It's obvious you put a lot of effort, and dedication into your passion for Ironhead Sportsters, and it looks like you have a great support group. I loved the Sportster pictures and this post makes me want to start looking for one. Again, great post, and one of the best I have seen here.
                Eric Smith
                AMCA #886

                Comment


                • #9
                  Originally posted by exeric View Post
                  Geeze, how did I miss this fantastic post? Jerry, you did a first class job of photo documenting, and describing your ride; which was really more than that. It's obvious you put a lot of effort, and dedication into your passion for Ironhead Sportsters, and it looks like you have a great support group. I loved the Sportster pictures and this post makes me want to start looking for one. Again, great post, and one of the best I have seen here.
                  Thank you exeric, that is why I write posts like this. Early Sportsters are my passion, and I like to share it the best I can in the hopes of inspiring others to buy one and RIDE it!

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Was a great adventure just reading and seeing the pictures of your brave road trip into Canada with the 2.2 gal. tank. I have been following the NJ/PA gatherings online and have been pondering the idea of trailering my 65 sporty up because I live in Florida and have the peanut tank on my bike also ,and hope the gathering yesterday Saturday the 18th went well and maybe one year I might make it up and meet all you other ironheads.

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Originally posted by silver65 View Post
                      Was a great adventure just reading and seeing the pictures of your brave road trip into Canada with the 2.2 gal. tank. I have been following the NJ/PA gatherings online and have been pondering the idea of trailering my 65 sporty up because I live in Florida and have the peanut tank on my bike also ,and hope the gathering yesterday Saturday the 18th went well and maybe one year I might make it up and meet all you other ironheads.
                      The gathering went well, and I will post the story here once I finish editing it. If you ever decide to make the trip up to the GBB we would be happy to have you! Let me know if you need any help planning the trip.

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        What an adventure and great article with pictures. Makes me want to pull out my '77 XLH and take a ride.
                        BTW - I'm in Delaware so I could be interested in an ironhead trip/rendezvous.
                        Craig (Delaware)
                        Delaware Bay Chapter
                        Perkiomen Chapter
                        AMCA Member #1011

                        Comment

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