Homemade apple latkes!

braving the hoards....

A good New Yorker piece about shopping during the rise of the living dead:

"...So then the only space I can find is next to Macy’s, which is still on fire, by the way, and a mile from any of the open stores. Do you know how aggravating it is to run past all those cars in primo spots, abandoned and overrun with snakes?..."

Is the correct term for a group of zombies a hoard or what about a stagger of zombies? I doubt it's a flock of zombies or a gaggle of zombies...

H/T to Turk

I miss Alaska...

Palin's press release.


The Mrs was asking me about Alaska while we were playing with the puppers in the snow. If you haven't been there (Alaska, not the field where we take the dog), go before you die. It's amazing and you'll leave a piece of your heart there when you leave.

One of my best memories from my short stay there was wandering around at night smoking and I got the "something is different" feeling. I looked up and the sky was full of pulsating green stripes of the Northern Lights (they deserve to be capitalized). The small display I saw was nothing compared to pictures I've seen.

We often talk about moving to Montana, if it doesn't capture part of my heart like Alaska did, then I'll be disappointed.

H/T to Sebastian

and a darkness was spread across the land....

After dinner on Tuesday, the Wife and I plopped down on the couch to watch the remake of Dawn of the Dead. Just when things were getting good, *BOOM* the transformer gets nailed by lightning. Our river shack is on septic and well. No power = no more water after the tank has been drained. I grabbed the flashlights and glo-sticks while Amanda light some candles. Turns out, most of the glo-sticks were past their prime. Looks like I need to restock my emergency kits! According to IPL, the power would be out until midnight.

We spent the rest of the night enjoying the silence, waiting for the power to return. By morning, it was still dark. After a shower at my Mom's place, I grabbed the cooler and some ice to try and save the food.

The power came back about noon. By then, I had made up my mind that we've lived without a generator for too long. So, I'm trading my Kel-Tec and a little cash for a new Coleman Powerman 5000, I mean Powermate 5000w. One step closer to surviving the zombie hordes. But now I'm down a firearm.

Guess it's time to save my pennies for a new carry gun!

IT'S ALIVE!

The CB350 fired up yesterday! We had some gas leaks due to a cracked overflow tube but a bit of tiny fuel line fixed that. I reset the timing but it still needs some fine tuning as do the carbs. But it runs well enough to zip around the neighborhood. I put about 10 miles on it. Good stuff! Now I need some new tubes and tires. Plus a visit to the BMV to make it all legal.


Looks like I'll make it for Ride to Work Day this year!

better late than never!

So, I'm an idiot and never posted wedding pictures from last year. I thought I did but I was wrong. Here are just a select few:

Ruby

Take a moment of silence to remember the 8 Israeli children that were slaughtered senselessly at the J'lem yeshiva.

Hahaha! *edited*

**The posted image is property of Penny Arcade**


If you're like the rest of the modern world, chances are you spend at least a little time on net forums/boards. In a country full of wasted educations and too much hand holding, it's about time someone made this:







There is a lot of jack-assery on the Zombie Boards but it makes for some great laughs when an idiot gets his/her hands on a keyboard.

calling all book hunters!

I'm trying to track down: "From the Battle Returned" by Nikolai Zhuravlyov. It's the story of Roza Yegorovna Shanina (Роза Егоровна Шанина), a WWII Russian sniper. I checked eBay and Amazon but no luck. My Google-Fu turned up squat.



Any ideas?

practice session

The deal with the cool little house on 1.88 acres fell through. Amanda and I decided that our offer was all that we wanted to spend on that particular house. So, we continued the search and toured another house we've had our eyes on. This one is much more us and even bigger with a 2 car garage! (or as I look at it, a multiple bike garage and shop)

We made an offer and they countered with a slightly higher price but still willing to pay $1500 of our closing costs and let us keep all the appliances. We're going to take it, I'm just waiting on the money man to call me back. Kinda crazy, we're getting a house!

It was one of those things where you walk in and your mind says, "this is my house", well before we even made an offer. The guy that lives there has some Suzuki sport bike, a ton of crazy horror movie action figure/statue thingies and he's an EMT. Hell, we share a good amount of interests. The house was built in 1930, it's 936 sqft with a 2 car garage. It sits on a flood plain but that's ok, life gets boring without a little risk! (see if I say that again if it floods!) The important thing is that we really like it and it's in our price range. Plus, it's still close to work and friends. There won't be any fun days of shooting guns in the backyard but that's what Sharky's compound is for!


I'll keep you updated....

I got hired on at the Hospital, not as high as I hoped but better than my contract position. Tomorrow I start all the insurance paperwork and have my orientation on Monday. So, now that I have steady employment, RedQueen and I started house hunting. We found a cool little 1950s house that sits on 1.88 acres. It's still a relatively short drive for us but not surrounded by houses and idiots. The asking price is a bit out of our price range but not too bad. We're going to make an offer tonight, start low and work up. Hopefully they'll take it. But I don't think it will fly with the owners.

I hate dealing mortgage lenders, salesmen and bank crap. It seems like no matter what you do, it's gonna screw you one way or another. I know part of my negative attitude towards it is due to my lack of knowledge in the area. I just don't want to end up spending too much a month and we don't have any money left over after buying food and gas. Sure, we have a cool house but no money to improve it our enjoy our hobbies. That would be worse than renting. But renting just throws money away. And I sure as hell want out of the area where we're living.

This house is quiet and peaceful. You can look out back at the 50+ acres of protected woods and know that you'll never have some vinyl village back there. We've seen tons of wild birds and even deer. The house is small but bigger than our apartment and has tons of potential. I'd even have a nice garage for the bikes and tools. The roads are nice and curvy and have tons of tree cover. It's just a great area. But I'm worried about money and what will be left over after the bills are paid.

beautiful weekend for a crash course

Over the weekend, RedQueen and I completed the MSF Basic Rider Course. It was very educational and a lot of fun. It was great to see people go from barely being able to "power-walk" a bike to completing tight weaves and nice sweeping turns. I was definitely nervous about the class but it all turned out really well. I'll be going to the DMV tomorrow to add the "M" endorsement to by license. RedQueen needs to get her permit and hold it for 30 days before she can get the endorsement. But that will all be taken care of after the wedding which is coming up at the end of May.

In bike news, the Frankencycle is now up at Shorkey's tucked away in the barn with all the other project bikes. I'm not getting rid of it, just don't have the room until we buy a house. Then it will come back home and be a nice winter project. When Shorkey came down to pick up Frankencycle, he brought down the 1977 Yamaha RD400c. It's in great shape but needs the standard tune-up from sitting for so long. I know the oil injector needs to be replaced, along with the fork seals. I can't wait to get that screaming 2 stroke fired up and on the road. But before I get to tear into the RD (no project name yet), we'll finish the 350. I swapped my rear shocks over from the 450 but we still need a tank. The red & white tank was rotted out and didn't fit but my 450 tank is too long. We'll have to search for one that's "just right". I might try to finish up the carbs this weekend, nice easy work that can be done at home.

Last week the mailman brought the fork seals, brake pads and caliper kit. Getting bike parts in the mail is like mini-Christmas, I love it! The piston doesn't need to be replaced but we might as well do it while we've got it apart. After the carbs, forks and brakes, there isn't much left besides tires. Currently the electric start doesn't work but the kick is just fine. Also needs a new set of bars but that can wait until it's up and running. It's gonna be a kick ass scoot. I'm not sure what direction RedQueen is going to take it. Maybe a cafe? Maybe a rat? Stock perhaps, or some mix of the 3?

Here's the new bike:

The 2nd death of Frankencycle

After another couple of days of shop time, we've declared Frankencycle dead. It's not permanent though. I'm putting it on the back burner while we finish RedQueen's CB350. It seems the valves suffered a bit of damage from improper timing. The timing was spot on before the one and only test ride. Rumor has it the 450's used to jump teeth and throw the timing off. Seems to be the case with mine.

So, smoked valves and maybe damaged pistons. The fun just doesn't stop with this project! It's like an abusive relationship. The bike promises to run but never comes through. Meanwhile, I suffer emotional abuse and the occasional busted knuckle.

After the wedding in May, I'll dig into Frankencycle and see what the damage is. Until then it gets to hover in purgatory. Who knows what other projects might come along between now and then. But one thing is certain, I have not given up. I just need a break from this project.

just out of reach.....

We did a few test starts on Sunday but still no luck. The starter is "free wheeling" more often now, so it will need to be replaced. I'm not sure if it can be done with the engine still in the bike...but we'll see. The ignition timing is still giving us fits, so we're pulling the Dyna and taking the whole bike back to stock condition. No more Mikunis, no more Dyna. Surprisingly enough, I still had all the original points hardware (except a few screws). The only part we'll have to modify is the wiring but that's not difficult. Hell, it might still be in the piles of junk in the corner of the shop.

It's getting closer but not close enough. Oh, the left carb is leaking like crazy. Same thing my old carbs did, no clue why it's just the left. They're completely different carbs and even rebuilt.

Any ideas?

doing it right this time

Last weekend was, according to the weather guessers, going to be in the high 40's-50's. Unfortunately, it ended up being about 30 with freezing rain and snow. This didn't slow us down too much but didn't make work any easier. With the heaters cranked and breakfast in our bellies, Funkz and I got to work. The goals for the day were fairly simple, pull his engine and finalize what we could on mine. It's a good thing we double, wait, triple checked the valve clearance on the 450. Turns out we were doing it the wrong way before. Thankfully, it didn't run long enough to cause any serious damage. So we got the valve clearance set, timing was still good and we moved on to the carbs.

Oh Honda and your stock carbs, how I love and hate thee. The Keihin carbs are a pretty basic set up and easy to set/tune. The hate part comes in when you try to install an air filter on the right side carb. There just isn't enough clearance to squeeze it all in there. This is one of the many reasons I stopped using the pod filters. Well, the stock filters didn't fit either, so it was time for a bit of 5lb therapy administered via mini-sledge. After a few good whacks, the box moved just enough to fit the filter without being to small for the battery. Now both carbs and filters are one and hooked up. Step back and look at the picture...."what's missing?", I ask myself. Uh...dammit, hose clamps! Three steps forward, two steps back.

Fast forward past lunch, the carbs are, complete with hose clamps and all. The mixture screws are set and the cables are synched as close as I can get them without making an adapter to use a mamogram-0-meter, I mean manometer. Hell, we even have the inline filters in and tank installed. But once again, we're missing on very important piece of the puzzle, gas. That's right, we're out of freaking gas at the shop. So, no test starts that day!

With the Frankencycle buttoned up as best as we can, it's time to pull the mighty 750 engine. I have a feeling we jinxed ourselves on this one.

"Looks pretty simple to remove, definitely easier than the 450...".

That's the moment Mr. Murphy stopped by to visit. Most of the mounting hardware was mismatched. Some a 13mm, others 14mm and even a 12mm for humor's sake. Once all the old hardware was removed, we used the bolts as lift points and began wrenching the engine out. It would move a couple of inches only to catch at a new spot. Clear that one and BANG, two more points are rubbing. The exhaust studs finally became too much for us and won the battle. So Funkz bike sits with the engine half hanging out...waiting. Waiting for the proper tools to remove the studs and finish it's surgery.


until then...

12 inches of frosty winter

34 days until spring. Obliviously this doesn't mean the Indiana weather will magically change. We still have weeks of thunderstorms, tornadoes and maybe some crazy hail to deal with. But scattered here there are nice weekends with lots of sunshine and higher temps. Those will be prime shop time, right now, it's just too damn cold. Our collection of little space heaters just can't compete with the slabs of cold cement and icy metal walls. So the shop sits dormant for awhile longer. Tools thrown about and scattered from our last wrenching session. Normally we're pretty good at putting up or tools and keeping the place clean. But the last time we were there it was raining like mad and getting chilly.

The 350 has been put on the back burner until after the wedding. Frankencycle is still waiting for the last few bits of tweaking. I got my stock air boxes in and they're in pretty good shape. The filters could use a cleaning but not too dirty to use. So, the 450's list is nice and simple. Slap on the air boxes, check the timing, check valve clearance, oil change and fine tune the carbs. That should definitely make her roadworthy enough to ride to get new tires and tubes. I'm going the cheap route with rubber, Cheng Shin Hi-Max. Might even go with a slightly fatter rear tire if I can.

Next Thursday, Funkz, Boxy, OddJob and I are heading to the Cycle Expo here in Indy. It will probably be a chopperfest but I'm signing up myself and RedQueen for the ABATE Course. I'm looking forward to taking the class. I have plenty of rough spots in my "skills" that need to smoothed out.


Keep warm, winter is almost gone...

(if you have seen "The Motorcycle Diaries" rent it. very good flick)

lemme fiddle with yer mixture

We had a carb party the Saturday before last and got some work done. It was a bit nippy out so we worked in the sweltering heat of Funkz apartment. My carbs are ready to be slapped back on and balanced/tuned. RedQueen's carbs are waiting on the new set of floats and a bit of advice from Rob @ CRC2. The other guy said there's nothing except the press in jet in the mystery passage. But that answer doesn't sit well with me, so time to get a 2nd opinion. Funkz carbs are back in their bank and ready to go. Man, putting the choke assembly in the 750 bank is not the easiest task.

While at CRC2, a strange thing happened. We actually taught them something new. I know, sounds incredible but it's true! Rick had never heard of boiling carbs in lemon juice and water to clean them. (Granted, I hadn't either until about 4 weeks ago) But hey, you gotta take your compliments when you get 'em. We didn't get all the parts we needed but enough to get some work done.

We're still searching for a caliper rebuild kit but I think the early cb750 used the same caliper. If so, we're in like Flynn. This Saturday we'll be picking up fork seals, brake pads and hopefully the rebuild kit. I'm not sure if we'll get shop time this weekend but I'm gonna try. The 350 and the 450 are moving along at a good pace. Both should be ready by spring, if not sooner.

Project Frankencycle only needs some the stock air boxes and new tires. The rest is just fine tuning. Before we do any test starts, I want to check the cam timing again and the valve clearance. Bride of Frankencycle just needs new sprockets, chain, tank and clutch pack. Nothing major at all.

If luck goes our way, we'll be taking the ABATE course this spring. Should be fun and educational. We still have to get RedQueen a good helmet and some gloves. She's really looking forward to learning and riding. It will be a great day when all the bikes roll out and fire up.

cb350k questions....

We tore apart RedQueen's carbs for the rebuild but ran into some issues. The mixture screw doesn't match up, so we'll be using the stock set. Also, there are some misc bits that I can't ID. I know where the pilot and main jets are but there's a 3rd spot that I'm clueless about:





Here's a pic of some dirty old carbs but they're "complete":

Any ideas on the mystery "hole" and parts?

Shop Time!

On Sunday, Funkz, RedQueen and I hit the shop and started tearing into all 3 bikes. While I pulled the Mikunis off my bike, RQ started cleaning out her carbs and pulling old seals. Surprisingly, her carbs weren't all the dirty but they look a hell of a lot better now. I cleaned out the "new" set of stock carbs I won on eBay. They didn't seem to be in bad shape, so I sprayed them out and put 'em on the 450. After all the fun with carb cleaner, RQ and I pulled her caliper and she started cleaning it out.

Funkz started winterizing his bike and prepping it for all the upcoming work. We'll be pulling the engine this winter and giving it a good once over. That's definitely going to require some more man power to get that big lump outta the frame.

We fired up RQ's bike with some starting fluid, so she could her it purr. Man, those aftermarket mufflers sound kick ass. I decided to go back to stock carbs, air filters and side covers. I'm just going to get it back to the basics and upgrade later. So the feelers are out and I'm trying to track down those parts. I had 2 sets before we got the shop but like a dumbass, I threw them out.

Here's a few pics of all the fun:

a few steps back

I found a set of stock CL450 carbs on ebay and a throttle cable. They should be in the mail on Thursday. Not sure when I'll get back to the shop to do the swap. Plus, I still need to clean out the carbs on the 350 and pick up another rebuild kit. Once they're clean, I'll box 'em up and build them at home. Maybe even do the same to the new set of stock carbs. I might sell the Mikuni carbs and just keep the stockers.

With winter starting to settle around the Midwest, prime garage time is upon us. We need a new heater for the garage but I think we're pushing it with our extension cord fiasco. Our power supply is pretty limited to 2 outlets. Guess we're gonna need a few more extension cords! If we stay focused, it shouldn't be a problem to get the 450 and 350 road worthy by spring. I'm gonna do it for the lowest cost. Probably get a set of cheap Ching Shin tires from Cycle Recycle II. Maybe trade those Mikunis for the parts I need.

There's a ton of work that Funkz wants to do to the 750. It will be fun to dig into a new engine, plus it's a SOHC, so that makes it easier. We don't have too much to do to his bike. Getting the engine out will be a big pain in the butt. It's a monster and probably weighs about 200lbs.

In about 3 months, we should be able to roll out all 3 bikes with engines roaring. The RedQueen wants to get some saddle time on the CL350 at Mike's place. I'm glad she's looking forward to it. We both need to find a MSF course to take during the spring. My riding manners are still pretty green, so I know it will definitely help me. We've even talked about riding to Vintage Days and maybe the DOOM ride with UTMC.

slacking time is up... back to work.

shop time

Mike and I hit the shop yesterday and dug into a few projects. He brought down the Norton and the red CB350. We fired up the heaters, turned up the Black Sabbath and began on the Norton. After a short examination we found that his main shaft was sheared off. Might explain why it wasn't really going together right. So we put it back in the van and wheeled in the 350.

The front brake needs to be rebuilt and the fork is about as firm as jello. The carbs are dismantled but I have 1 complete rebuild kit and one partial. The clutch is gummed up and the cable probably needs to be replaced. Plus the standard sprockets, chain, tires and filters. The tank is from a CL so it's a bit short and nasty inside. That will need to be swapped in the future. Shouldn't take much to be a fun little scoots. We got it to fire up w/starting fluid. The first two or three times it blew out some carbon but on the last kick it was pretty clean.

Even the 450 got some attention. Still haven't sold it yet. We decided to find a set of stock carbs to swap with the Mikunis. That way we're only fighting one front at a time. Maybe take the other route and put points back on it. Definitely cheaper that way.

Here's a pic of the 350:

long time no blog

This Sunday, Mike is bringing down the Norton and with any luck, we'll have it's tranny installed and functioning properly. He's also bringing down the CL350 so I can do some wrenching on it over the winter. I'll have to get a pic of the 350 and 450 next to each other. They'll look like long lost siblings or at least step-siblings.

If all goes well, we might venture out in the December air for a quick ride. It all depends on the temperature and conditions. I've never done any cold weather riding, so I'm applying my camping/backpacking techniques for keeping warm. I'm pretty cold blooded by nature, so staying completely warm is pretty difficult. I picked up a helmet liner that doubles as a balaclava. Not to be confused the tasty Greek dessert, baklava. I think with that, a fleece scarf, my riding jacket, jeans, insulation layers and gloves, I should be ok. Man that's a lot of commas...

Any winter riding tips?

In nonriding news, most of my Christmas shopping is done. I still have a few select things to buy for my Mom and Dad. Not sure what I'm getting her but something black and orange for the HD store will please my Dad. He's a Harley rider but loves anything with two wheels (except sport bikes). The RedQueen has quite a few surprises coming her way. Might even top last years gift. Last year I picked up a decent Martin guitar for her since she loves to play but doesn't have a guitar.

Well... time to skip out of work early!

bundle up and stay safe if you're braving the winter roads!

2wheels for 2 rings....

The RedQueen and I have set a wedding date, April 7th, 2007. It should take place somewhere in central Indiana. I decided to sell my bike to help fund the wedding and just grab another scoot next spring. The Frankencycle rocks but I'll gladly be bike impaired for a bit and have some of the stress or ring shopping chipped away. If you or anyone you know is interested you can check the ad:

http://indianapolis.craigslist.org/mcy/234680371.html

Of course the price is flexible.


In other news...there is no other news. I've been sick with the Zombie Death Flu. Or as it's more commonly known, Acute Bronchitis with a touch of Pneumonia.

fun!

nice!

Why can't a US company build a true classic style bike? Krugger has a few other bikes I like better than this one but I can't get you pics.

http://www.krugger.net

burnin' up the fretboards....

That's right, Junior Brown. Saw him last night with RedQueen and Funkz. It was an amazing show. My friend used to tell me that you never can fully appreciate Junior Brown until you see him live. Holy crap! To top it all off, he's a riot on stage. Cracking jokes, messing with the crowd and twisting sounds out of BigRed that seem impossible. Plus, he's from Kirksville, IN. He played a few tracks I had never heard before and they were cracking me up! Here you go:




In Moto News:

We might get ride time this Sunday in Kokomo. Last week we had to skip out on it due to having a case of the plague. Friday and Saturday are gonna be super busy if we're gonna make it to Mike's on Sunday. We're moving across the hall to the new 2 bdrm apartment. Doesn't sound too bad right? But we have to paint the new one and clean the old one.

I finally got my pilot jets but haven't had the time to install them. Maybe next week or weekend. I also got a new riding jacket since mine is too big for my scrawny frame. The new jacket fits a lot better. It's reinforced denim with leather sleeves and CE armor all around. I still need to get some good riding pants but I have my eye on a set from Hein Gericke. They've got some cool stuff, check 'em out:

a favor?

I know some of you out there have access to temporary or demo versions of cds. Anyone have a copy of "The Great Beast Speaks"? If so, I sure would like to borrow it for a day or two. Or perhaps you need a backup copy made, which helps protect your investment...

15 minutes put to good use...

Land O Lakes has introduced new instant fancy pants coffee. I like coffee, so I got a pack when RQ and I were at the store. It's been sitting in my desk for almost a week, today my morning caffiene will be complimented by some fun.

Everyone knows the trick with the Land O Lakes girl and folding the box. If not, here's the long and the short of it. You cut out the mini box of butter that the Indian Girl's (Native American if you want to get picky) hands and fold the box. If done correctly, her knees will bear a striking resemblence to her "twins".

Well, I decided to bring this into the 21st Century. It's not quite as easy but it still works:




Hahaha! I love it! Sorry for the crappy pic but it's the best I can do.

(No moto news today just good ol' fashion dirty fun)

enjoy!

The new and improved Frankencycle:


The RedQueen looking coy:



Sorry to confuse people but the red and black 450 I posted isn't mine. It's damn cool though! The Frankencycle doesn't look too different than the last time I posted pics. It has the Mikunis and Uni filters installed which make it look hella tough. It will look even better with some number plates over the filters.

I'm not sure if I'll get shop time this weekend due to possible overtime at work. But, I will be riding the 350 again on Sunday and some MX bikes. I'll try to get some pics of all the fun.

Last weekend, we went back to Kokomo for more riding. The RedQueen is getting comfy on two wheels and will be ripping it up before we know it. I went for a long ride on the CL350 and it was a blast. I had my baptism by fire with traffic and crosswinds. I got a little nervous with the bad wind but I calmed myself down and just leaned into it. The 350 is a bit wobbly over 65mph, especially with crosswinds. After an hour of riding we headed back and picked up RQ. She rode on the back of Funkz 750 because I'm nowhere near ready for riding 2up. All in all it was a great weekend. I know I still need a lot of practice and I'm looking forward to more ride time (on my bike or the 350). Plus, RQ and I want to take the MSF course next year. Anywho, gotta work....

Holy Crap!!!!

After all the hard work, broken parts, angry words and stress, it's finally done (for the most part)! My bike finally runs under it's own power. It needs some fine tuning and a few odd bits finished up but it runs dammit! We put 2 miles on it and damn it's bad ass.

The pipes are crazy loud. It takes a fair amount of throttle to get off the line but getting the carbs straightened out should take care of that. It also bogs down in 2nd and 3rd. The idle takes a bit drop down after closing the throttle. The tac needs to be fixed too. I'm freaking stoked!!! I have a running bike that was built from boxes of parts and 2 dead bikes.



Thanks to everyone who helped me and urged me not to go the easy route and sell it.

(I have witnesses and a crappy video if you're in doubt!)

3 days of motorized mayhem!

Tonight we'll be hitting the shop in hopes of buttoning up the remaining work on my bike. I got my Uni filters in the mail and a can of aersol oil. Thankfully it all turned out to be cheaper than I thought. Got all the bits at dealer price. Guess it was worth the extra wait time. Maybe a test start? Maybe not. We'll see how the work goes.

Saturday we'll be going back to INS for hours of dirt track racing. Sunday we're heading back up to the compound to ride the trails. I imagine I'll get a little street time in on the CL360. Maybe a group ride to Sonic for lunch? RedQueen is excited about getting back on two wheels. She did great last time and I'm looking forward to watching/helping her progress.

Rumor has it that Surly might be attending the race as well.




sweet...

incoming!

Thanks to the BMV's inaccurate calculator on their website, I know have enough spare cash to order my filters! The site said my plates would cost $95, but they were only $70. So, I placed an order with Competitive Edge in Cali for two 57mm 5inch filters and a can of aersol oil spray. I know the Unis are supposed to be crappy and have a short life but it's all I can afford right now.

No garage time this week but maybe next weekend. RedQueen and I are headed to Nashville to do some lazy car camping with her family. It should be an adventure, the pup's never been on a long road trip before. I'll try to post some pics when we get back.

In moto news, I decided to not use my old airbox covers. Instead, I'm going to get 2 number plates (sporting the number 13) to cover my filters. I still need a set of tires but those might wait until spring. I doubt I'll get much road time this year and the present set is good enough for tooling around short distances. I have a lot of mods I'd like to do over the winter if we get Frankencycle running before then. Future plans include:

- number plate covers
- cut down factory seat
- repaint headlight mounts
- new tank (longer cafe style)
- cut original muffler off and replace
with Emgo Shorty or Tapered exhausts
- replace stock brake light and signals

That's all I can think of with standing infront it and letting my imagination run wild. Man, I'm still giddy from my ride on Sunday. One day I'll be giddy from riding my own bike! When it runs, I'll post a video as proof.

dirt trails and shotgun shells

Yesterday the RedQueen, Funkz, Ruby and I went to Mike's place. It was great! He had 4 XR100s running and his CL360. His friend Jerry spent sometime with RQ teaching her the basics of clutch work and controls. She did great, much better than my first time on a bike when I was a kid. Next time, she'll be ready for more actual ride time. While she was getting instruction, we ripped around on the XRs, then brought out the ATV. The RedQueen and I hopped on the quad and followed everyone around the trails back in the woods, then played on the flattrack. It was too wet to ride the track so we just cruised around the outer edge.

After some dirt riding, we headed back and Mike let me ride the 360. It was good to get a bit of street time in. It's all straight country roads around there, which is good because I need the practice. It even started to rain a bit but I cruised on. I went a couple of miles out then decided to head back. The bike almost stalled on take off (carbs need a good cleaning) but I recovered and eventually made it up to 5th, cruising around 65mph with plenty of throttle left. It gave me a good idea of how my bike is going to feel. The high pipes didn't seem to effect the ride, so I'm pondering keeping mine. More on the 450 later.

Once the rain blew over, we got out the AK and 9mm carbine. Everyone took some shots with the AK, even RQ. She had quite the day of firts! First time riding, first time shooting a rifle. We cranked out enough rounds to make the foregrip start smoking. The title of this post is a bit of lie, no shotguns were fired but there were shells on the ground. We're definitly looking forward to heading up there again sometime soon.

We browsed his massive bike collection and drooled over it all. He has a ton of dirt bikes, a 72 Norton, BSA, 2x RD400s, a Kawasaki Triple, 2x Dreams and a lot of newer bikes. Even a couple of road racers, flat track bikes and a trials bike. Motorcycle heaven....

The brief ride on the 360 made me itch to hit the shop and get wrenching. But time is still slim and tough to juggle. I still have to get air filters, fine tune the timing and check the carb set up. Mike and I talked about having a wrenching party some day and see if we can get the Frankencycle finally running. I want the K&N filters but I'm going to settle for Uni's because I can afford them. I also told him to keep an eye out for something for RQ. She wants a bike and I'd love to surprise her with one for Christmas but we'll see. He also has a Yamaha SRX that's just sitting. I had to mention that if he wants to part with it to let me know. It's stripped down for racing but it wouldn't take much to get it road worthy. I have Surly to thank for planting the seed of interest in the SRX. Next time I'm there, I'll be sure to see if I can take it for a spin.

Atleast I got to ride on the street once this year on something close to my bike. But it only made the sickness worse...

X-posted

I've had a big interest in FlatTrack for the last year or two. Finally I got to check out a local race and it was a blast!

On Saturday, we went to Indianapolis National Speedway to watch the races. It was amazing, I had never seen Speedway bikes before. I didn't even know Jawa was still in business! My Mom's friend Mike happens to be a 500cc class racer. He finished 3rd in the heat and 4th in the final. Not too bad. For $10 we watched 4 hours of racing. Everything from tiny 50cc quads to the incredibly agile and fast speedway bikes. Just pure throttle, balance and nerves of steel. If anyone is within driving distance and wants to check them out let me know. I think we're going back on Sept 16th.

This Sunday, we're heading to Mike's house to ride the wooded trails and hopefully his small flat track. It will be my fiance's first time on a bike but I think she'll pick it up pretty quick. I'm itching to get on his track back and see if I can work up the nerve to throw the lean. Probably not but it will still be fun.

Now if I could only find people to bring back Board Track using spookytooth cycles!

frame to bench, bench to frame

My buddy and I got the cam timing set and the engine installed on Sunday. We have the dyna timed but I didn't make any "micro" adjustments to it though. We'll be diving further into that this weekend if I get a chance to do some wrenching. Maybe even get the tank, carbs and all put back on. If we're lucky, perhaps a test start!

I need to ditch my stock pipes and get a 2 into 1. That should cut atleast 25lbs off my bike. Every little bit will help. I know I lost a couple of pounds when I swapped the rear suspension. But I gained about 5 with the epoxy coating in the tank, it's pretty thick up front! Not really sure what else I can do to cut down on weight. I want to keep my fenders but maybe trim them up a bit. The seat needs to be chopped down to a more sleek shape. I'd like to add a Lucas style taillight as well. Maybe some smaller signals as too.

Saturday night is another flat-trak race. We might check it out. My Mom has been hanging out with one of the racers. He's pretty cool and has a ton of bikes. I've always loved flat-track but not as much as board track. Too bad we can't gather a ton of people with SpookyTooth bikes and make our own board track racing! Anywho...



In 4wheel news, a freeze plug on my truck began leaking Friday night. I limped it back home (only about 1 mile away from home) and called my roadside assistance. The truck got towed to the dealership on Sunday and I was without wheels. Now, if I had my bike, this wouldn't be a concern. So, $260 later, I have my truck back. I know the mechanic at the dealership, so I know he didn't screw me on labor. I found horror stories online of people paying much more than $260 to fix a plug.

ever changing mind...

After a few serious buyers contacted me, I backed out on selling my bike. It's tough not to get discouraged when I've been building the bike for a long time and it's faught me every step of the way. The guys at UTMC were the main factor in reinforcing my decision not to sell. Plus, I added up all the money I've put into it and I couldn't justify selling it without riding it.

Last weekend, we fixed the oil leak, rejetted the carbs and then began work on the slide issue. After checking the cable, idle screw and other bits, we determinded it was a cable length issue. So, instead of dropping my hard earned cash on another, I trimmed back the flex housing about 1/4". Now they're all the way down with the throttle closed. I still need air filters but I'm short on cash for a while. After we fixed the carbs and began test starting, I noticed the right plug is black while the left is nice and clean. Definitly a timing issue. I pulled the plug and fired it again to check for spark and it was good. But when I hit the kill switch, it kept turning over! I almost crapped myself. We pulled the battery and began checking for a short but everything looked good. So I pulled the starter selonoid and replaced it with my spare. Problem solved and now onto the next issue.

If I make it to the shop this weekend, we're going to tackle the timing. I'm pretty sure it's off, so time to open those valve covers again. I was hoping that I wouldn't have to mess with the cam chain again but I should have double checked it before I installed the engine. I've also decided to ditch the stock scrambler pipes. They're bent and sit off the engine too far. That throws the balance off to the point of being almost too unstable to ride. I thought about cutting the headers off and fabing a mount for them. But I could get a few pennies for those pipes and put them towards a nice 2 into 1.

My dreams of future projects are starting to get specific. Next year, the RedQueen and I will be getting a house if all goes well. She understands my need for a nice garage to fill with more tools and project bikes. I want to learn how to weld and maybe even start fabbing parts. I want my next project to be either a RD400 or perhaps a GT380. I dig the RD but I know they're not cheap or easy to find.

Enough dreaming for now.. gotta play with the pup. She's 26 pounds now and only 13 weeks old.

enjoy!

Urge to sell rising....

Saturday did not go well at the shop. The first item on my to do list was to get the slides to close more than 3/4 throttle. So, I pulled the idle scews and saw minimal change. I started to adjust the cables on the topside of the carbs. The left side dropped a bit but the right adjuster broke. That really started the day off on a craptastic note. The adjuster is brass and I was being careful to not use too much force but still *snap*. A new one is en route from Pro-Flo. I pulled the carbs, sprayed them out and drained the tank.

After rinsing the gas out of my mouth I sat back and looked at my bike. Then, like always the thought popped in my head. *sell it* But this time it truly sounded like a good idea. I've put a lot of money and time into this bike and I don't have to time to work on it like I used to. Granted that will change but not before this season is over. So that will be 2 missed seasons.

I'm not looking at the CL450 as a failure, it's just getting to the point where it might be smarter to walk away. Funkz and I built a running engine and assembled a bike out of boxes of parts. I'm pretty proud of that (even though it ran kinda crappy due to the carbs).

So, I posted the bike for sale on a few boards and had some hits. But the devils on my shoulders are playing the "sell it, no keep it" game. Say I get the Mikuni's running, what will be next?

Should I just let this one go and be proud of what I built? Is it smarter to just get a set of stock CV carbs and sell off the Mikuni's? They would pay for the new carbs and part of a set of tires. But I won't be able to work more than a few hours every other Sunday or Saturday. I hate making these kinds of decisions. For now the ads stay online.

shop time

Tomorrow I'll be hitting the shop after a long break. I've only found 2 sources for 57mm air filters: Uni and K&N. Reliable sources say the Uni filters are junk, so I'm pinching pennies for the K&Ns. Hopefully I can get the scoot going tomorrow after I crank down the idle and tinker with the Mikunis. My tuning manual is still on back order. If I can't get it running, then I'll have to drain the gas and wait for my filters.


indeed.

taking a couple of steps back....

The bike is currently on the back burner for a bit due to this little monster keeping us busy:




Things are going fairly well with the pup but she can be a handful! I'm hoping to get some of the carb work done in the near future. My shop time is limited to weekends for a bit. Once the pup can relax and isn't wound up like a spring, she can go to the shop with me. My Saturdays will soon be taken over for 2 hours for Puppy Kindergarten, it will be nice to take her for a sane walk everytime! Needless to say I'm pretty beat. A full nights sleep is a thing of the past...

No real bike news beside my friend bought some giant Honda Cruiser. I think it's a VTX but I'm not positive. It's huge, heavy and black. So it's not all bad (except for the chrome). The RedQueen and I have decided to eventually get a Ural Gear-Up but it won't be for quite a while. She really wants a bike but for now that's on the back burner. Plus, we're trying to save up towards a house down payment.

Fear not all 2 people who read my blog, I haven't given up on the caferat. Just took a step back for a bit. Which is probably a good thing because, to be honest, I was getting a bit frustrated!

you shot who in the what now?

So yeah... hey how are ya?

We got the Mikunis installed along with all their necessary hardware. Unfortunatly my air filters don't fit. I found some K&Ns but I can't afford them yet. I've also been given numerous recommendations about the jetting for the VM32s. But for now, I'm gonna stick with stock and see how it will run. The throttle assembly that came with the carbs is crazy. Only after I installed it did I notice it's a 1/4 throttle. Plus, running those cables into the slides is a real pain in the ass!

The bike work will be delayed for a bit, we get the pup this Friday. Here's a pic of the RedQueen and Ruby (it's kinda blurry):



In an effort to fix my credt, obtain a new vehicle and throw away a chunk of my monthly income, I signed the paperwork for my truck a week ago today. I took home a 98 Ford Explorer Sport 2Door. That's right, a Ford Explorer (without the anti-tank firestone tires). It's from Canada but the gauges are in US measurements. I dig it. The payments are a little more than I wanted but no one would finance me. So, in order to clean up my financial history, I'm letting the bank have it's way with me for 36 months.