Birth of the SOCC
Another successful Carb Clinic is behind us. Sometimes it's just not possible to make the time for an entire weekend or a scenic cruise hundreds of kilometres north and so there is an interest in something a little further south. It was Ross and Alice Presta who hosted the very first Carb Clinic ever in 2001 and Ross again stepped forward, opening his home in Stouffville to any XJers who wanted to attend. News circulated on the XJ Owners' Mailing List, XJers talked, schedules were checked, plans were made... and thus the Southern Ontario Carb Clinic for 2005 was scheduled for the weekend of October 1, 2005.
Who Attended
Ross' Stouffville homestead is only 30km north of Markham which put it within easy reach of everyone in the GTA (Greater Toronto Area) and the areas surrounding Hamilton and Guelph, but as usual there were still many others that came from greater distances like Huntsville, London, Montreal and beyond. The closer proximity for many made it possible to attend for the day and still return home without upsetting their hectic schedules. No question about it, the SOCC opened up possibilities for a lot of XJers... and it showed in the attendance. By last count there were just short of two dozen in attendance, most with their XJs and some others as well. In fact, unlike other Carb Clinics, there were even some drop-bys at this one - guys who heard from someone who heard from someone that there was some sort of motorcycle event happening somewhere. Whoever it was, they all found their way to Stouffville where Ross and the rest of the group welcomed them all.
A Friendly Invitation
As always, XJers had an opportunity to put faces to the names they spend so much time on-line with. We met people we already knew and a whole bunch of XJers that were new to "the list" and first-timers at a Carb Clinic. We talked shop and exchanged horror stories and generally had a fantastic time. New attendees or not, it was like a giant family get-together without all the family bickering... and Ross was ready for it all. He was prepared for the masses. He happily opened his home (and garage) and was ready with tools, snacks and drinks, even beer and a sit-down filet mignon meal for everyone. Just opening his home alone would have been enough to earn him the "Gracious Host" award in my book because of the large number of people attending. But Ross went the extra mile and treated everyone to the best... even those who didn't expect anything of the sort. The day passed without a ripple - a fantastic event as always.
Productivity In The Extreme
Some Carb Clinics are more social than productive but this one was a large helping of both. Ross had a surprising amount of garage space, counter space and tools - even the driveway had room enough for the entire XJ fleet and some non-XJs too. To add to that, a lot of XJers brought tools and equipment of their own which meant we had everything we needed to look after everyone's mechanical problems. We had three extra fuel sources, multiple vacuum gauges, a few Colortune Plugs and plenty of everything else. We had more than enough to tune three XJs at a time side by side in the garage while others dealt with other problems on the driveway and on the street in front. Bike after bike limped in and sped out and almost everyone was thrilled with their results. Each post-tune maiden voyage had XJers departing with a look of concern and returning with an ear-to-ear grin. To the Carb Clinic veterans, that came as no surprise but newbies were stunned. Some even drove in not knowing there was anything wrong with their XJ, but after some helpful hands made adjustments and repairs, they suddenly realized what they were missing. Virtually everyone left knowing the value of a Carb Clinic and some newcomers were already asking when they could attend the next one.
 
In addition to all the tuning and repairs, some had a chance to see exactly what an XJ engine looks like inside and up close. Using an engine that Ross apparently had kickin' around, Yoda (Dwayne Verhey) led a demonstration of a top end tear down, shim replacement, valve removal and a few other things that we'll all have to get involved in one day. Tragically, not everyone had an opportunity to watch because there was just so much peripheral activity keeping people busy. Cliff even had a chance to rebuild his carbs which I think were re-jetted in the process.
 
Some XJers had electrical problems, some had stuck pilot screws and others had more situations that couldn't be dealt with in the time we had, but most of us drove away with all our "issues" taken care of. Two things are absolutely certain - everyone learned something new, and there was a huge throughput of serviced XJs - possibly even a record. The SOCC definitely had productivity in the extreme.
An Added Touch
Ross of course was a great host, but Jo Foster ("Queen of Everything") provided the added touch. Just to make it all look official, Jo provided a custom-made sign so passers by would have an idea what was going on and so XJers would remember where they were after the wine & beer was gone  . Thanks Jo!
This years SOCC was a complete success. I think this picture of Kevin Peuhkurinen says it all. See you all next year at the NOCC.
 
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