Triple Pass on a UM Xpeed 250i/Hyosung MS3

[harrywr2]

The weather was grand yesterday...so I took a tool around the 'block' on the Xpeed

Getting to Snoqualmie pass on i-90 was the most challenging part..speed limit is 70 MPH, the road surface is awful...concrete with frost heaves and most folks traveling this road are in a hurry to get somewhere...


Stopped for a bit of a break just short of Cle Elum. Vegetation is a bit on the brown side here..technically entering a desert.


Here is Blewett Pass...SR97 from I-90 to Blewett is a well maintained 2 lane road...speed limit is 60 MPH which appears to be optional...I was doing 70 MPH GPS and a few cars went past me like I was parked.


Another angle of Blewett Pass


Taking a bit of a break at the intersection of SR97 and US2...definitely in the desert now and it's hot


Leavenworth, WA...a Bavarian themed village nestled in the mountains...


Another shot of leavenworth


Rapids/Waterfall on the Wenatchee river


Took a break on the way up to Stevens pass..pass is maybe 10 miles ahead


More scenery


Stevens Pass


All that riding thru passes made me hungry...so stop at Zeke's Drive In just outside of Goldbar...not much in the way or services and food between leavenworth and Goldbar..


Zeke's knows how to make a proper footlong chili cheese dog..


Round trip ended up being 251 miles. Took about 6 1/2 hours including stopping for butt breaks, pictures, lunch, and gas twice.

[kz1000st]

Gorgeous pictures Harry, but tell me. You're going out on a 70 mph road and you leave the Silver Wing at home?? I don't know how fast the UM is, but usually traffic will run over 80 on a road like that. How did the 250 handle it?

[kliff]

Man that's some beautiful scenery Harry!

Uh.....If I get up there a couple of days early for the CBR..... what are the chance for a day or so of guided tours, to acclimate me to the thinner air....hmmmmmmmm..please?

[harrywr2]

Jun 28, 2009 15:26:57 GMT -5 kz1000st said:

Gorgeous pictures Harry, but tell me. You're going out on a 70 mph road and you leave the Silver Wing at home?? I don't know how fast the UM is, but usually traffic will run over 80 on a road like that. How did the 250 handle it?

The places where it was a 'bit intense' were the I-90 curvy bits with ruts in the road, frost heaves, and cross winds....not to mention the 6 miles where the concrete has been grooved in preparation for resurfacing.....the wind always blows in the passes.

In any case..the traffic tends to travel in packs...like wolves..I just hooked up to the tail of a pack so I was fairly free to slow in the curves...and open up the throttle in the straightaways to catch up.

The Xpeed gets up to 78 or 79 GPS fairly easily...more then fast enough given the road conditions.

[jim63]

The Xpeed gets up to 78 or 79 GPS fairly easily...more then fast enough given the road conditions.

Wow now that is impressive. That scooter has some real giddy-up-n-go. My Sym with me on it would be maxxed out at that point or real close to it. Fuel injection gotta love, or be jealous of it... Beautiful pics of the ride, very nice.

[harrywr2]

Jun 29, 2009 22:27:50 GMT -5 jim63 said:

The Xpeed gets up to 78 or 79 GPS fairly easily...more then fast enough given the road conditions.

Wow now that is impressive. That scooter has some real giddy-up-n-go. My Sym with me on it would be maxxed out at that point or real close to it. Fuel injection gotta love, or be jealous of it... Beautiful pics of the ride, very nice.

yeah,,,but the MSRP on a replacement head is just a tad over $1000.
5 extra ponies is nice...but if this things starts smokin a bit it will be parked overnight in a particularity bad neighborhood in Tacoma.

[hakuin]

Great photos, and detail. Beautiful place you ride in, Harry!

[CCProf]

Great pix Harry. Thanks. That chili dog looks lethal.

[dangdawg]

I lived in Seattle some 20 odd years ago. I haven’t been back since I moved away. Your pictures make me want to come back for a visit. Thanks Harry, great job.