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.

moto news (2 and 4 wheel)

Last night we began puppy proofing the apartment. We pick up our German Shepherd pup on June 17th. She's a German/Czech bloodline, full working/protection dogs. I never had a dog when I was a kid, so needless to say I'm pretty stoked! We plan on training her in Schutzhund and maybe Search & Rescue. It's going to be a lot of hard work but well worth it. Be warned, in the future my blog will be mixed with dog info and bikes. On to the moto news....

I ordered my Mikunis last night from Pro-Flo, along with some new jets, needle and a tuning manual. They should be here by Saturday. I have a new front brake cable and fuel filters to install as well. Thanks to Surly for the tips on checking my tach cable. Soon my bike will be sporting a set of these:



The decision to go back to a larger vehicle (despite gas prices) has been settled. I'm searching for either an older Cherokee, Pathfinder or something similar. I found a 95 Pathfinder today for a good price. Now, I have to convince the bank to give me money for it. Hopefully my credit has improved enough to do so. I'm not anti-SUV as long as they're a reasonable size. Plus, unlike most people, I actually use the 4x4 besides winter. I've had 3 Jeeps, a Samurai and a Pathfinder in the past. All were good trail rigs and fun year round. I'll need to extra space for the pup, once she's grown. We'll be carting her around for training and competitions. Plus it's always good to have a 4x4 incase the Zombie Apocalypse comes.

I'll try to get some pics of the work this weekend and maybe a movie if we get the bike to fire up with the new carbs.

Powered (indirectly) by Team Hansen

After much consideration over the leaking carb issue, I've decided to replace the stock Keihin CV carbs with Mikuni Slides. Sure, I could find a set of CVs, rebuild them and hope they work. But I'd rather upgrade when I replace. Team Hansen hooked me up with their dealer contact. I'm getting 2x 32mm Mikunis with the throttle kit for $230. Not too shabby! I also have a replacement front brake cable and 2 inline fuel filters coming. With any luck, I'll be able to get everything but the carbs installed early next week. Might as well bump up the shipping for the Mikunis and get them before the weekend. I have to get my bike finished up before we get the puppy. Then I have to find a nice balance between riding and working with the pup.

There are other things I need to fix. The tach isn't work but I'm not sure if it's the cable or gauge itself. I have a spare gauge, so I'm hoping that's the problem. I'm still shopping for tires but I gotta save up the cash for those. The present set will be enough to cruise the storage center and Post Office parking lot until I get my skills up to par. Next year, I'd like to take one of the ABATE courses. The training always helps, it discounts your insurance and once you complete the class, you get your endorsment. Too bad you can't bring your own bike.



Have a good Memorial Day weekend.
Keep the rubber side down!

holy crap!

I hit the shop at 8:30 this morning, after a pit stop for breakfast.  The clutch cable took no time, in the process I noticed it could double as a front brake cable!  After the clutch was adjusted to my satisifaction, I started on the tank.  

Apparently, my only choice for a true gas resistant paint is professional quality paint with a clear coat.  The epoxy paint looked better but still didn't take to gas very well.  But it's better than nothing.  

With fresh gas in the tank and everything prepped, I wheeled the 450 out and hit the button.... 

Turns out we had the timing 180 off, how I have no clue.  So, I said screw Dyna's directions and did it on my own.  I had to modify the backing plate as much as I could.  Then had to grind off a corner and edge on botht the lash washer and nut.  But it works and seems to be spot on.  (yeah, I've said that before)

With the dyna adjusted, I tried another test start.  She started up but would only run with the choke and heavy throttle.  So, I tinkered with the fuel screw and it evened out.  Then I noticed the left carb was leaking just like it did before I rebuilt it.  It's still bubbling out of the top cover and around the rod that controls the choke.  So I pulled the carb, adjusted the float and made sure it was nice and clean.  No change.  Then I noticed it was spitting fuel out of the filter.  The right carb is fine but the plug got black prett quick.  So it's running rich, probaby compensating for the shitty left carb.  Since I rebuilt them not too long ago, I'm clueless.  I checked the surfaces and the gaskets, everything looked fine.    


damn you left carb! 

(I did get to ride about 2 feet though!)

argh....

With the new clutch bits installed, still no working clutch. I pulled the pack and oiled it up and checked the assembly. Everything looks good. After we struggled with the adjustment and finally got the clutch to release, it wouldn't return. So now we think we're dealing with a stretched cable (it's 30 years old). A new one should arrive in a couple of days.

Sunday, the RedQueen has a babyshower to attend. While she's off showering babies, I'll hopefully be either prepping the bike for test starts or enjoying test rides. Oh, but before all the shower on Sunday.... Southern Culture on the Skids will be here Saturday night! Finally, after missing 2 or 3 shows in a row, I'll get to see SCOTS.

**edit**
I was informed that this is the guys and gals shower, so I'll be hanging with FatChan and all the others on Sunday.
**end edit**

must smoke....

CRC2 to the rescue!

I called Cycle Recycle asking about a replacement drive cover. I guess they got distracted due to some customer being a dick. I sat on the phone for almost 30min but it's no big deal. It was fun listening to Rick tell some douchebag customer to kiss his ass. Man, I love that store.

Anywho, they have the part I need and it will be in the mail soon. I'm thinking about seeing if that clutch mechanism can be modified to give a bit more clearance. I also found some epoxy based appliance spray paint. I have to work on a buddy's KLR next week, just basic stuff. But it's extra $ to go towards CL. I think painting the tank and getting the clutch straightened out are the last things I need to do. Then it will be time for more testing....


adios