[operose]

Here are some pics from the last two rides I took on my TW. First set of pics is the ride home from my brother's house via back roads, after my stator got caught by the rotor and tore up all sorts of stuff and we put it all back together with parts from a '98.

This is a nice little pond. Called the wife from here (last point of cell reception before home) and told her I took "the back way" and since this was a test ride, if she didn't see me in a couple hours she better come looking

My ugly mug, having a good time

Shortly before that last pic, I dumped the bike for the first time while riding. Was on a dirt road in some deep forest where the sun could not penetrate the evergreens, with about 2-3" of solid ice covering the entire road. Front tire caught a rut and down we went at low speed. I was able to merely step off the bike, and the tusk handguards and passenger peg took all the impact, leaving the bike without any damage. Sweet!

The next day after work though, decided to go on a 100mile loop from the house through some remote areas, but on pavement due to the nasty conditions in the woods.

YAYYYYYY riding again!

The main purpose of this trip was to shake down the bike.



Secondary purpose was to tour one particular road that follows The Raquette River here in Upstate NY. This river has a succession of 15 dams owned by Brookfield Power. Thirty of its plants are located in the St. Lawrence region, which includes St. Lawrence and Franklin counties. Those 30 plants feature 55 hydropower turbines with a generating capacity of 223 megawatts (!!!).



Here is a picture of the bike next to a penstock for the first dam encountered on the road (depending on travel direction of course)

And the powerhouse:

<knowledge break>



There is a dam at the top of the penstock, which raises the water level in the river. The energy from water flowing downhill through the penstock is converted to electricity to power our homes by spinning a turbine in the powerhouse. To make hydropower, you need "head" (elevation change) and "flow." The vertical drop creates pressure at the bottom end of the pipeline. The pressurized water emerging from the end of the pipe creates the force that drives the turbine. More flow or more head produces more electricity.





After poking around the powerhouse (there are cameras watching your every move, now... those were never around before...) I went up the road a bit, and took the access road to the dam.

 

[operose]

 

[operose]

Looking down from the dam, over the penstock to the powerhouse:

Then it was on up the road to the next one.

One of the themes of my rides seems to be that I am always "chasing the sunset"

 

[operose]

Down another access road

Dam. Another dam.

 

[operose]

Dam+penstock

Penstock+powerhouse

Next dam down the line:

After I pulled out of this spot, back onto the paved road, everything went south. Bike died and rear tire locked up. Managed to pull the clutch and coast into a little picnic area by the next dam.



Called my brother to come pick me up. Oh by the way, happy birthday to me... a screwed up motor always makes a nice gift, right?

Started tearing her down right there on the grass in case it was something i could fix. Not so lucky.

Almost beat the sunset though!!!





Thanks for riding along

 

[jontow]

Well, now at least I got to enjoy the ride before the rescue

Great pictures, great captioning, great road, great riding. Bad end of ride.



If any of you folks are EVER in this area, I totally recommend this ride: on a bright sunny day, it's among my short list of favorites.

 

[operose]

Thanks Jon!



I hope to be able to finish this ride report with pics and history for all the dams...



We have a rich history in the area, largely attributable to The Raquette River. It facilitated logging, transportation, power generation, tourism, and is one of Northern New York's greatest natural assets (in my opinion, at least).



This website has some historic photos from around the Colton area, including logs being run down the river, and the old powerhouses that were first used to harness the energy of the river. http://www.northofseveycorners.com/slcnys/colton_history_info/colton_pics.htm

Raquette River, 1912

Snell Water Plant at Higley Falls 1908

Bertrand Hollis Snell was the proprietor

Above Higley Dam





From http://northcountryguide.com/Visiting/St-Lawrence-Fishing

Raquette River & Reservoirs



The Raquette River is one of the longest rivers in the State, from the headwaters in Hamilton County through St. Lawrence, the river empties into the St. Lawrence near Massena.



From the headwaters to the dam at Colton Flow, the Raquette is typical of other small rivers that flow through the county. Access is available at numerous points, fishing pressure is light. Game fish along the river range from crappies, panfish and muskie on the lower sections to trout in the upper regions.



The construction of hydroelectric dams on the Raquette River created a series of eight reservoirs called the Upper Impoundments. Carry Falls, Stark Falls, Blake Falls, Rainbow Falls, South Colton, Higley Flow, and Colton Flow reservoirs comprise this 30 mile stretch of river.



The upper Raquette River has good bass fishing and fair angling for pike and walleye, but this 17 mile stretch above the impoundments receives minimal pressure because access is limited and strong rapids are common.



The middle and lower portions of the Raquette River flow for nearly 50 miles from Colton through the larger communities of Potsdam, Norwood and Massena to the Akwesasne Mohawk Reservation. Long river stretches, numerous dams and several reservoirs characterize the middle stretch of the river, while the lower stretch offers 15 miles of gentle uninterrupted flow. If you wish to fish along the final 5.6 miles which is on the Mohawk Territory, you must first obtain a permit from the Mohawk Tribal Council.

From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raquette_River

The Raquette River, sometimes spelled Racquette, originates at Raquette Lake in the Adirondack Mountains in New York. 146 miles (235 km) long,[1] it is the third longest river entirely in the state of New York.

The river is a popular destination for canoeing and kayaking. It passes through many natural and man-made lakes to its final destination at Akwesasne on the Saint Lawrence River. The river is the source of 27 hydroelectric plants operated by Brookfield Power, which at capacity can produce up to 181 megawatts of power.[2]

Historically, the river was a part of the "Highway of the Adirondacks", by which it was possible to travel hundreds of miles by canoe or guideboat with short stretches of portage connecting various waterways. This route is still followed by the Northern Forest Canoe Trail, a 740-mile (1,190 km) canoe trail from Old Forge to Fort Kent in Maine. It is also the basis of the route of the Adirondack Canoe Classic, a three-day, 90-mile canoe race from Old Forge to Saranac Lake.

 

[BigE_50]

Great photos and it looks like an awesome ride! Aside from the tragic ending....

 

[TuggerHiller]

Thanks for the Links. I really have to head up there this spring.

 

[JBme63]

well....Happy Birthday!!!!

 

[B-dub]

I enjoyed the pictures and history. Thanks for taking us along. It sure looks cold though, especially the ice floating in the river. Sorry for the difficulty with your bike, but you're getting pretty quick at pulling that left side case cover! Any idea what caused the oil starvation to the head?

 

[Gerry]

Boy, now I am really confused... Is this your first break-down, your last break-down or a new break-down after replaceing your head. Maybe you need to get your 'head examined'. DAMn . Gerry

 

[admiral]

I know it's that time of year for the snow to be melting and ice breaking up, but I'll have to agree with B-dub, it looks mighty chilly. Thanks for the history of the river. So often we will show pictures of places, buildings etc., and not really mention anything about it. I have to say this old dog learned something...again. I now know what a "Penstock" is. Seen 'em before, just called it a tube or pipe.

 

[lower al]

Thanks for the pictures

 

[operose]

Thanks guys! Happy to be able to share the local scenery and history with you all.



Gerry: The "last breakdown" was by the dam... The bike is back in Jontow's garage with a fresh head but still getting no oil pressure... Had my head examined once but they didn't find anything in there???

 

[Gerry]

Are you talking oil "pressure" or oil 'flow'? When I installed a low pressure sensor in my oil-cooler set-up, once warmed up, the pressure dropped below 2psi when rpm's fell below 5500. Take care and thanks for the adventure. Hope it warms up soon, burrrrr. Gerry

 

[operose]

There is no oil coming out the check-bolt thing in the head while the bike is running. A small amount of oil seems to be making it to the cam sprocket area, and there is oil in the oil filter port in the clutch cover. I just don't think the pump is making enough pressure to push the oil all the way up to the head? certainly welcome suggestions thougH!! I have a post about it in the technical help forum labeled "oil pump gasket?" or something like that (picked a bad thread title...)