Life is kind of hectic and way too stressful right now but my mind isn't in the right place to swing a leg over and hit the starter. Not that I post a lot these days but it might get even less for awhile.
9.21.2012
a weird slump...
No issues with the bike, my gear or the weather but yet, I haven't been riding much.
Life is kind of hectic and way too stressful right now but my mind isn't in the right place to swing a leg over and hit the starter. Not that I post a lot these days but it might get even less for awhile.
Life is kind of hectic and way too stressful right now but my mind isn't in the right place to swing a leg over and hit the starter. Not that I post a lot these days but it might get even less for awhile.
8.08.2012
north to Holland
On Saturday, the Mrs and I set out on our first out of state motorcycle trip. We had no real plan, just a destination (in hindsight, not the best idea) and a few days off of work.
We hit the road around 10am, after a few stops, we were on the road. The SECA was loaded down with full luggage and it handled quite well for a neutered 1990s "sport bike". We rode in some good crosswinds and the added weight really helped compared to riding solo. Just shy of South Bend, we stopped in La Paz and got to see the locals in all their glory. Like the girl with caterpillars (insects not the construction equipment) tattooed above her eyebrows, a half dozen very heavy men cram into a single cab truck and lots of neck tattoos.
After a brief rest and a snack under a shady tree in the McDonald's parking lot, we headed north for Michigan. The traffic was generally pretty light and the weather was perfect. We had purchased some new riding gear before the trip and I'm glad we did. The Mrs got a nice Rev'It mesh jacket, TourMaster boots and I got a killer deal on a BMW Boulder jacket. All the gear did great but the surprise was the Boulder, it did great even up to 95 degrees. The lack of a fixed waterproof liner really helps the jacket breath. Anywho, back to the trip.
We arrived at Saugatuck around 5pm and found all the hotels/motels were booked except on that had what appeared to be guys from King of the Hill hanging out front but instead of propane and propane accessories, they preferred stolen lab equipment and boxes of Sudafed for the meth lab.
I found an empty room south in Benton Harbor, there were probably nicer places around but a nasty storm was rolling in and we were running out of time. The GPS decided to take us on lovely trip along the coast, then divert us straight through the ghetto of Benton Harbor. After this fun detour, we found our hotel, got the keys and the sky opened up. The Mrs ran to the room carrying the helmets while I rode the bike through sheets of rain around the building and into a tunnel next to a few big Harley Davidsons.
My lack of planning left us staying in a questionable motel, within walking distance of the 'hood. Hmmm, definitely not a good idea.
The next day, we loaded up the luggage and strapped it all back onto the bike. Within seconds of starting the bike, my oil light comes one. Hmmm... it happens once in a while. Being paranoid since this is our first trip, we head to WalMart for some supplies and a couple quarts of oil just to be safe.
After our breakfast, we check the oil again and the level reads normal. Time to hit the road.
We eventually made it to Holland and to the state park.
The area was packed with tourists so we decided to get some lunch. The GPS lead us to a couple of places that were closed. We eventually found a cafe, got some food in us and decided to ride around for a bit. After some sight seeing from the bike, we decide instead of getting a hotel again, we'll just head home.
At the last gas stop, I walked into the restroom and immediately thought I was going to be murdered or sodomized due to my purty mouth. Add to this the lady at the register looked at me like I was 6ft of stacked shit when I asked to get $13 in gas. Weird people...
We made it home in one piece. Our butts were slightly sore but the bike did well. I did learn that the distance between the seat and the pegs is a bit short for me. With any luck, I'll be shopping for a bigger bike this fall or next spring. I'm still heavily sold on the R1100GS. Many times during the ride to MI, I thought about how nice it would be to have all that room and crash bars with highway pegs. In time...
All in all it was a great time and the Mrs handled the trip like a trooper and is excited to do it again. =]
We hit the road around 10am, after a few stops, we were on the road. The SECA was loaded down with full luggage and it handled quite well for a neutered 1990s "sport bike". We rode in some good crosswinds and the added weight really helped compared to riding solo. Just shy of South Bend, we stopped in La Paz and got to see the locals in all their glory. Like the girl with caterpillars (insects not the construction equipment) tattooed above her eyebrows, a half dozen very heavy men cram into a single cab truck and lots of neck tattoos.
After a brief rest and a snack under a shady tree in the McDonald's parking lot, we headed north for Michigan. The traffic was generally pretty light and the weather was perfect. We had purchased some new riding gear before the trip and I'm glad we did. The Mrs got a nice Rev'It mesh jacket, TourMaster boots and I got a killer deal on a BMW Boulder jacket. All the gear did great but the surprise was the Boulder, it did great even up to 95 degrees. The lack of a fixed waterproof liner really helps the jacket breath. Anywho, back to the trip.
We arrived at Saugatuck around 5pm and found all the hotels/motels were booked except on that had what appeared to be guys from King of the Hill hanging out front but instead of propane and propane accessories, they preferred stolen lab equipment and boxes of Sudafed for the meth lab.
I found an empty room south in Benton Harbor, there were probably nicer places around but a nasty storm was rolling in and we were running out of time. The GPS decided to take us on lovely trip along the coast, then divert us straight through the ghetto of Benton Harbor. After this fun detour, we found our hotel, got the keys and the sky opened up. The Mrs ran to the room carrying the helmets while I rode the bike through sheets of rain around the building and into a tunnel next to a few big Harley Davidsons.
My lack of planning left us staying in a questionable motel, within walking distance of the 'hood. Hmmm, definitely not a good idea.
The next day, we loaded up the luggage and strapped it all back onto the bike. Within seconds of starting the bike, my oil light comes one. Hmmm... it happens once in a while. Being paranoid since this is our first trip, we head to WalMart for some supplies and a couple quarts of oil just to be safe.
After our breakfast, we check the oil again and the level reads normal. Time to hit the road.
We eventually made it to Holland and to the state park.
The area was packed with tourists so we decided to get some lunch. The GPS lead us to a couple of places that were closed. We eventually found a cafe, got some food in us and decided to ride around for a bit. After some sight seeing from the bike, we decide instead of getting a hotel again, we'll just head home.
At the last gas stop, I walked into the restroom and immediately thought I was going to be murdered or sodomized due to my purty mouth. Add to this the lady at the register looked at me like I was 6ft of stacked shit when I asked to get $13 in gas. Weird people...
We made it home in one piece. Our butts were slightly sore but the bike did well. I did learn that the distance between the seat and the pegs is a bit short for me. With any luck, I'll be shopping for a bigger bike this fall or next spring. I'm still heavily sold on the R1100GS. Many times during the ride to MI, I thought about how nice it would be to have all that room and crash bars with highway pegs. In time...
All in all it was a great time and the Mrs handled the trip like a trooper and is excited to do it again. =]
7.26.2012
error! error!
Does anyone else see my side bar (profile, links and etc) on the bottom of the page? Looks fine from my PC at home but it's goofed up when I look from work. Maybe it's a sign from the universe to get back to work...
7.24.2012
40th BMW MOA Rally
While Gymi and Surly were at Vintage Days, I was tearing across the Midwest in my Honda box with my wife and my riding buddy, Wheels. We were headed to Sedalia, MO to attend the BMW Rally. Lame, I know, driving to a motorcycle rally. Well, it's for a good reason. Wheels, is partially dependent on a wheelchair and hasn't found a good way to carry his chair on his F800GS, so we drove. (For the record, I did not give him that nickname.)
I'll let the pics speak for themselves. Oh, the odometer pic is correct. 480k miles on an R1100GS. The owner is from Central America and does tours all over the world. I spoke to him briefly but he was setting up his vendor booth and I was probably wasting his time/money. He was a cool guy and I bet he has a ton of interesting stories.
I'll let the pics speak for themselves. Oh, the odometer pic is correct. 480k miles on an R1100GS. The owner is from Central America and does tours all over the world. I spoke to him briefly but he was setting up his vendor booth and I was probably wasting his time/money. He was a cool guy and I bet he has a ton of interesting stories.
7.09.2012
look at those jugs!
I'm going to check this out on Friday. 1981 BMW R65 As the title says, she's got nice jugs and she just let's them hang out in the breeze.
7.07.2012
6.28.2012
a dim light on dark road
The SECA II headlight is not the best.
It's early 90's tech just doesn't cut it any more and I'm not sure it did back when it was new. So, the next mod on the list is a set of LED driving lights mounted to the forks. I'll probably go with something cheap in case they get destroyed or the project doesn't work out like I had hoped. The current plan is to use the mounting points currently occupied by the reflectors. If I can find a flat bar type LED light, that would look the best.
In the meantime, my GPS mounts should be here today. (edit: According to UPS, the parts are sitting at my front door!). I went with a RAM mount for the Garmin Quest I was given. It's old tech but it's free tech! I already have our August destination plugged in and ready to navigate. Not that it's going to be a confusing trip but if you have the toys, might as well use 'em.
**Update**
**Update**
With all these mods to the SECA II, I the stock graphics are going to be removed and replaced with something more appropriate. Maybe a reflective XJ600 II Adventure sticker set? By the time I'm done with this bike, it's going to be a weird hybrid and probably the only SECA like it.
It's early 90's tech just doesn't cut it any more and I'm not sure it did back when it was new. So, the next mod on the list is a set of LED driving lights mounted to the forks. I'll probably go with something cheap in case they get destroyed or the project doesn't work out like I had hoped. The current plan is to use the mounting points currently occupied by the reflectors. If I can find a flat bar type LED light, that would look the best.
In the meantime, my GPS mounts should be here today. (edit: According to UPS, the parts are sitting at my front door!). I went with a RAM mount for the Garmin Quest I was given. It's old tech but it's free tech! I already have our August destination plugged in and ready to navigate. Not that it's going to be a confusing trip but if you have the toys, might as well use 'em.
**Update**
With all these mods to the SECA II, I the stock graphics are going to be removed and replaced with something more appropriate. Maybe a reflective XJ600 II Adventure sticker set? By the time I'm done with this bike, it's going to be a weird hybrid and probably the only SECA like it.
6.23.2012
First Long Trip
I'm planning a bike trip for my wife's birthday in August. The destination is super secret but the trip is not. She started riding with me this summer, at her own request. I never made her ride with me, nor will I ever tell her to get her own bike. Some people just aren't cut out for certain activities. I prefer to never have to jump out of a perfectly good aeroplane, while others would never swing a leg over a motorcycle. To each their own.
What was I talking about? Oh yeah, the trip. So, her first ride with me was to a vintage bike show about 45 minutes north of our house. The ride home was stretched out to about an hour and a half. She did well as a passenger, no sudden position changes or unnecessary movements. We've been out a handful of times since then and it's always a good time. Granted, it would be better on a bike with more oomph but you make do with what you have.
So the destination is about 5 or 6 hours away, depending on where we stop. I don't have an exact target, more of a general area. It's going to be hot so we need to invest in mesh gear. We grabbed a pair of used Joe Rocket mesh pants from ebay that fit both of us. I tested them yesterday commuting to work and they're awesome. I don't ever want another pair of riding pants that don't have at least 3/4 zippers up the legs. In addition to the JR pants, I got a pair of BMW summer paints from the Flea Market on ADVrider. They're khaki and fit well but the armor sits a bit too low. Granted, it's not BMW armor so the fit in the pockets isn't quite right. I haven't tested them out yet, I was too enthralled with the mesh. We'll see how they are when we go out with Wheels tomorrow.
We still both need mesh jackets and RedQueen needs some good riding boots that don't have high heels or other stripper accents. Why is so damn hard to find good gear for ladies?
What was I talking about? Oh yeah, the trip. So, her first ride with me was to a vintage bike show about 45 minutes north of our house. The ride home was stretched out to about an hour and a half. She did well as a passenger, no sudden position changes or unnecessary movements. We've been out a handful of times since then and it's always a good time. Granted, it would be better on a bike with more oomph but you make do with what you have.
So the destination is about 5 or 6 hours away, depending on where we stop. I don't have an exact target, more of a general area. It's going to be hot so we need to invest in mesh gear. We grabbed a pair of used Joe Rocket mesh pants from ebay that fit both of us. I tested them yesterday commuting to work and they're awesome. I don't ever want another pair of riding pants that don't have at least 3/4 zippers up the legs. In addition to the JR pants, I got a pair of BMW summer paints from the Flea Market on ADVrider. They're khaki and fit well but the armor sits a bit too low. Granted, it's not BMW armor so the fit in the pockets isn't quite right. I haven't tested them out yet, I was too enthralled with the mesh. We'll see how they are when we go out with Wheels tomorrow.
We still both need mesh jackets and RedQueen needs some good riding boots that don't have high heels or other stripper accents. Why is so damn hard to find good gear for ladies?
6.18.2012
it's official.
Back in Feb of 2011, I made this post, babbling about how much I like the F800GS.
Well, last night I met up with an old work buddy (from here on out, referred to as Wheels) who always has awesome bikes. Decked out KLRs, Ducati Monsters and now an F800GS. He has some stability issues so the F8 has been dropped about 2 inches and is sporting softer springs front and back. I'm a long legged guy and the stock F800GS is a bit high for me. With the mods to his seat and suspension, it's about the same seat height as my bike but since the seat is so narrow, it felt shorter. I think the short seat would drop the stock height to about perfect for me.
I don't normally ask to ride other's bikes but he offered and I couldn't refuse.
I swung a leg over, fired it up and off I went. Instantly I'm thinking, "Holy crap, the engine is so damn responsive right off the bat. Smooth power, pretty torquey too.". Then, I goosed it a bit too much from a stop and the front end popped up. Oooooh! A smile is instantly plastered on my face from ear to ear. I didn't go too far but I got enough of a taste to know I want more. It honestly felt like I think a motorcycle should. I've sat on V Stroms, Versys, Sprint STs and a lot of other bikes but none felt like I wanted them to until the F800GS. Hell, I sat on the F800ST and didn't like it that much.
I tore through the back road behind the shopping center and out onto a public street and opened it up for a few blocks (didn't want to press my luck). Man, that's a damn sweet exhaust tone. I pulled back into the parking lot grinning like a mad man beneath my helmet.
Had the RedQueen sit on the back to see how the ergonomics were for two-up and she approves. The pegs are much lower and her legs are at a more comfortable angle than on my SECA II.
So...
Hopefully next year, I can start shopping around for a used one. I know the F650 is built more for what I would use it for (commuting, general purpose, riding two-up and light touring) but I know if I bought it instead, I would just lust for the gnarly dual sport function of the 800. Plus, I would have to do some dual sport to keep it happy.
Well, last night I met up with an old work buddy (from here on out, referred to as Wheels) who always has awesome bikes. Decked out KLRs, Ducati Monsters and now an F800GS. He has some stability issues so the F8 has been dropped about 2 inches and is sporting softer springs front and back. I'm a long legged guy and the stock F800GS is a bit high for me. With the mods to his seat and suspension, it's about the same seat height as my bike but since the seat is so narrow, it felt shorter. I think the short seat would drop the stock height to about perfect for me.
I don't normally ask to ride other's bikes but he offered and I couldn't refuse.
I swung a leg over, fired it up and off I went. Instantly I'm thinking, "Holy crap, the engine is so damn responsive right off the bat. Smooth power, pretty torquey too.". Then, I goosed it a bit too much from a stop and the front end popped up. Oooooh! A smile is instantly plastered on my face from ear to ear. I didn't go too far but I got enough of a taste to know I want more. It honestly felt like I think a motorcycle should. I've sat on V Stroms, Versys, Sprint STs and a lot of other bikes but none felt like I wanted them to until the F800GS. Hell, I sat on the F800ST and didn't like it that much.
I tore through the back road behind the shopping center and out onto a public street and opened it up for a few blocks (didn't want to press my luck). Man, that's a damn sweet exhaust tone. I pulled back into the parking lot grinning like a mad man beneath my helmet.
Had the RedQueen sit on the back to see how the ergonomics were for two-up and she approves. The pegs are much lower and her legs are at a more comfortable angle than on my SECA II.
So...
Hopefully next year, I can start shopping around for a used one. I know the F650 is built more for what I would use it for (commuting, general purpose, riding two-up and light touring) but I know if I bought it instead, I would just lust for the gnarly dual sport function of the 800. Plus, I would have to do some dual sport to keep it happy.
6.13.2012
draining out the dino juice
I picked up the $30 paddock stand from Harbor Freight and it was worth every penny. Now, if I can figure out a way to put it on the stand all by my lonesome, I'll love it even more.
I think I might be spending too much time on the UK bike sites. I've noticed u's slipping into words where they don't belong. Colour, harbour, etc. But I can't help it, it's like a completely different universe of motorbike goodness. Don't forget Monday is Ride To Work Day!
I think I might be spending too much time on the UK bike sites. I've noticed u's slipping into words where they don't belong. Colour, harbour, etc. But I can't help it, it's like a completely different universe of motorbike goodness. Don't forget Monday is Ride To Work Day!
6.06.2012
a bit heavier on the right side
If you keep looking to your right, a little farther, keep going, there you go, you'll notice a few new links. Lazy Motorbike is a cool Scandinavian / Euro site with tons of great tips and cool pictures. You'll get to see all kinds of cool scoots we don't get here in the states. Tilted Horizons has some cool posts from Doug in Delaware. Sound Rider is a kick ass site for the Pacific Northwet (huh huh huh). Maybe if the Midwest had more twisty roads and better scenery, we could have a cool page like that too. I also added CycleXchange, they have the craziest webpage and it's packed full-o-parts for CB750 SOHCs. Ken (from CycleX) is the wizard that built the CB970 engine we stuffed into Funky's land speed racer. If you haven't checked out JapanBash, get over there and start checking out awesome ride reports from the land that brought us so many cool bikes.
enjoy!
enjoy!
6.04.2012
pimply faced teenager
I learned a valuable lesson about gear maintenance. I have owned my helmets for about 3 or 4 years, never once have I washed the liners. Well, after sweating in them both recently, I have the forehead of a greasy teenager. Pulled the liners from both, tossed 'em in the washer on gentle, then into the dryer on low. The manufactures warned against doing both of those things but I'm like to roll the dice and take my chance. I also pull the tags of my mattresses. I'm a rebel Dotty.
After some swearing and tetris like moves, I got them both back into the helmets. Now, they fit like new and the clean liners make the cheek pads look terrible. Should have washed those too huh?
So, wash your lid.
5.23.2012
Godspeed Unk...
My sympathies go out to his friends and family. We had planned a trip up north but unfortunately, life got in the way. I deeply regret never getting to know him outside of the net.
**** I updated the post with a few pictures from his brother's blog, ShopTeacherBob. ****
Fun in the south
This past Friday, I headed south to Nashville, IN to meet up with some friends for a bachelor par-tay. The bachelor, his friend and myself headed down SR 9, to 44 and into Franklin to catch 135 South. Our ride was uneventful, especially since we were either stuck behind a truck or stuck behind "Jay Feather" the camper through all the fun twisty parts. As we made our way out of Nashville towards the cabin, the sun was setting and the pavement began dwindle.
By the time we reached our destination, the road was gravel and we had a good size hill to tackle. We successfully made it up the hill but decided to use a friends car for any trips to town. The bike line up was pretty diverse: VStrom, BMW K bike, a 900 Vulcan and my wee SECA II.
Beers were drank, meat was cooked on the grill, cigars were smoked and stories were told around a campfire. I think we spent about 5 minutes total talking about marriage, the rest of the time was spent talking about motorcycles and future trips.
On Sunday morning we followed our friend on the Strom that lives in the area. He literally rides the road we took every day. It was almost unnatural how fast and smooth he navigated the twists and turns. I know my cornering skills need some work and coming in too hot on one corner only reinforced that. So, time to practice practice practice (and read "Proficient Motorcycling"). The rest of the ride back was up boring 37 North.
The trip was great and it looks like we're going to make it a yearly event.
By the time we reached our destination, the road was gravel and we had a good size hill to tackle. We successfully made it up the hill but decided to use a friends car for any trips to town. The bike line up was pretty diverse: VStrom, BMW K bike, a 900 Vulcan and my wee SECA II.
Beers were drank, meat was cooked on the grill, cigars were smoked and stories were told around a campfire. I think we spent about 5 minutes total talking about marriage, the rest of the time was spent talking about motorcycles and future trips.
On Sunday morning we followed our friend on the Strom that lives in the area. He literally rides the road we took every day. It was almost unnatural how fast and smooth he navigated the twists and turns. I know my cornering skills need some work and coming in too hot on one corner only reinforced that. So, time to practice practice practice (and read "Proficient Motorcycling"). The rest of the ride back was up boring 37 North.
The trip was great and it looks like we're going to make it a yearly event.
the walk of shame...
Today, I rode to work and got to park with all the other bikes like a big boy. I even managed to bring my wife a drink from Starbucks on my way home for lunch. All was well until I was on my home after running errands.
I felt a sputter and thought "Hmmm, my exhaust sounds rather farty.". It wasn't my imagination. Nor was it my brain playing tricks on me when I was riding two-up and thought I heard and felt the same thing.
Well, as the title says, I got to do the walk, or rather push of shame. I pushed the XJ about 3/4 of a mile home.
Turns out, my mileage estimates were a bit, uh, generous. At 160 miles, I have to switch to reserve. So, since the last stretch towards home is all up hill, the bike pooped out a bit early. By the time I got back to flat ground, I was so pissed off I didn't think about the possibility of running out of gas.
Live and learn.
I felt a sputter and thought "Hmmm, my exhaust sounds rather farty.". It wasn't my imagination. Nor was it my brain playing tricks on me when I was riding two-up and thought I heard and felt the same thing.
Well, as the title says, I got to do the walk, or rather push of shame. I pushed the XJ about 3/4 of a mile home.
Turns out, my mileage estimates were a bit, uh, generous. At 160 miles, I have to switch to reserve. So, since the last stretch towards home is all up hill, the bike pooped out a bit early. By the time I got back to flat ground, I was so pissed off I didn't think about the possibility of running out of gas.
Live and learn.
5.13.2012
first two-up ride (of many to come)
The Mrs and I suited up and rode north to Kokomo for a vintage bike meet. While my bike isn't technically vintage, it is 19 years old. I figured it was old enough to sneak in. =] The owners of Throttle Jockey were having a cookout and showing "On Any Sunday" via projector onto the garage door.
There was an awesome assortment of bikes but I was lazy and only took pics of a couple of flat track bikes. We met some cool people, saw cool bikes and had a good ride. It was my first time riding with The Mrs, she did great as a passenger. The ride back at night was a bit crisp but nice. There was a spot where my I swear I felt the engine stumble a few times. Immediately, my paranoia kicked into full swing! It's 10pm, we're in between podunk towns and I do not want to have a break down with my wife on the back. Add to those worries the fact that we were hungry, tired and ready to be home.
The odometer was at about 140 miles, too early for reserve but I twisted it over any way. I didn't notice the "stumbling" anymore but that could be because it never happened. The rest of the trip was uneventful unless you can the two botched shifts where I didn't make it past neutral! I guess being tired and hungry was taking it's toll on me, glad we were close to home.
All in all, it was a great time and I'm glad The Mrs had a good time and is looking forward to another trip. This morning, we browsed online for some better riding gear for her. We'll also need to invest in a bigger more comfy bike for longer trips. The SECA is great for short two-up runs or longer solo trips but not so much for longer two-up trips.
Good stuff.
There was an awesome assortment of bikes but I was lazy and only took pics of a couple of flat track bikes. We met some cool people, saw cool bikes and had a good ride. It was my first time riding with The Mrs, she did great as a passenger. The ride back at night was a bit crisp but nice. There was a spot where my I swear I felt the engine stumble a few times. Immediately, my paranoia kicked into full swing! It's 10pm, we're in between podunk towns and I do not want to have a break down with my wife on the back. Add to those worries the fact that we were hungry, tired and ready to be home.
The odometer was at about 140 miles, too early for reserve but I twisted it over any way. I didn't notice the "stumbling" anymore but that could be because it never happened. The rest of the trip was uneventful unless you can the two botched shifts where I didn't make it past neutral! I guess being tired and hungry was taking it's toll on me, glad we were close to home.
All in all, it was a great time and I'm glad The Mrs had a good time and is looking forward to another trip. This morning, we browsed online for some better riding gear for her. We'll also need to invest in a bigger more comfy bike for longer trips. The SECA is great for short two-up runs or longer solo trips but not so much for longer two-up trips.
Good stuff.
5.04.2012
covering your what-ifs.
Last fall, I let my policy with Progressive expire. I went with them because they seemed to offer the best coverage for the money. Now that I'm mobile again, I started shopping around to see if I could get a better deal. I looked into Dairyland, which lots of people on the interwebs recommend but they wanted 4 times the amount Progressive wanted for the same coverage. Really? Let's try GEICO, hmmm, not much better. Still over double of what Flo is asking. I didn't even finish my All State quote due to the "wonderful" customer service I received when I called about an issue.
Looks like I'm going back to Progressive. Who is your policy through?
I love this pic.
Looks like I'm going back to Progressive. Who is your policy through?
I love this pic.
4.30.2012
What the hell? When did Blogger change?
Anywho, I did this yesterday and it was awesome.
Starting to look like my "coil" issues were possibly carb/fuel issues. Found what was left of the o-ring that seals the vacuum port on the petcock, hmmm, problem #1. Flushed out a ton of gunk that had broken free inside my gas tank, problem #2. Rerouted the main fuel line to be less bendy. After priming the fuel pump, with a little throttle wiggle, she fired right up.
I took her out for a short test ride w/o issue and Koji did the same. He came back with a big smile on his face. That's a good sign when the person smiling races motorcycles. Ran great all the way home, kept the revs up high and cut through construction traffic like a knife. I'll have to do a few more shakedown runs before I trust her to start hauling me to work on a regular basis. Hell, I still need to finish scrubbing in the new tires. They only have around 180 miles on them.
Did I mention I had a bit of an incident in the garage? I was moving my bike, slipped on something and ended up under her, guess she was glad to see me. No real major damage, bent my front signal mount and scraped the fairing a bit. I don't really see myself ever selling this one so no big deal.
I took her out for a short test ride w/o issue and Koji did the same. He came back with a big smile on his face. That's a good sign when the person smiling races motorcycles. Ran great all the way home, kept the revs up high and cut through construction traffic like a knife. I'll have to do a few more shakedown runs before I trust her to start hauling me to work on a regular basis. Hell, I still need to finish scrubbing in the new tires. They only have around 180 miles on them.
Did I mention I had a bit of an incident in the garage? I was moving my bike, slipped on something and ended up under her, guess she was glad to see me. No real major damage, bent my front signal mount and scraped the fairing a bit. I don't really see myself ever selling this one so no big deal.
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