Back on the road!

Can't keep a real biker down!

Now, all I need is a way to keep the bugs out from between my toes...

Had to replace the headlight bulb - after 36 years, the low beam of the original died. No one admits to having 7" motorcycle sealed beams any more, so I put in a standard automotive halogen bulb in a housing  from Mike's XS.

The bike was hard to start after sitting for almost a month, but she started!

Vehicle maintenance

In the past two months, I've done quite a bit of needed repairs on various vehicles.

I rebuilt the C5 transmission in my 1984 F150. First American automatic I've ever touched - and it runs like new. If it lasts as long as the inline 6 I rebuilt in the same truck - 28,000 miles - I'll be happy.

Put a new steering gear in my 1991 VW Vanagon. Ended up replacing all the hard lines to it, as the originals finally disintegrated from rust - the torsion of disconnecting them snapped 'em right off. All the Bus needs now is a good brake bleeding, and some body work.

The local golf cart shop near Rockford had a used motor just like the one I have with the chewed-up crankshaft - $100. Had to transfer the piston and cylinder from the original motor to the new one as the new one had a destroyed piston. It ran great until the centrifugal clutch / spring loaded pulley transmission started throwing the big belt. The aluminum spring-loaded driven pulley's thrust collar disintegrated - so I made a new one out of steel. My wife now can get to the back of the property with her gardening stuff again. What with the drought, at least there wasn't a whole lot of work to do back there while the cart was broken.

Had my 1978 Yamaha XS650 die on the way to work a few weeks back - lost power and blew a whole lot of oil smoke. Turns out the cheap gas I was running, coupled with too much advance on the right cylinder caused destructive detonation.

Now I know what that rattling noise on hard acceleration was...

Two new pistons and rings, and new head and cylinder base gaskets. The bike runs better than ever - I don't think the rings ever seated properly after the last rebuild - probably because I neglected to re-hone the cylinder when I had to pull the engine apart last Spring. Lesson learned. I'm running ethanol-free 93 octane from now on.

Still to do - body work on my 1963 Beetle, and a new rear lid and left side center section clip on the Vanagon. I really need a bigger garage...

Almost missed it!

Earth Hour is Saturday!

Just got the Yamaha running right again - and, I did the responsible thing - new valve seals and some new gaskets, so it doesn't get 100 miles per quart of 20W50 any more. Still needs new plug wires - was missing badly on the left from a loose plug cap.

Of course, I did it for all the wrong reasons - like enjoying a long ride without worrying about running out of oil and wasting my money.

Also fired up the lawn tractor for the first time this season. Going to have all the lights on and engines running again this year, as is tradition.

H/t Ace of Spades

Dream

Woke from a vivid dream. Summer, I was riding my bike - pedal, not motor - down a four-lane road, keeping to the right edge as I should.

A blue sedan with roof lights pulled up next to me and cut me off. The person driving was evidently a police officer of some sort - no uniform, just attitude. He escorted me to a park area where dozens of people were sitting. He started to ask me where my helmet was - I guess this alternate world had a law requiring bike helmets for adult riders.

I began to lecture him on the proper duties of the police and about personal liberty. He seemed receptive.

Just as I was winding up for a grande finale, I woke. I do remember saying strongly that I would wear a nanny-state bike helmet in my coffin, not earlier.

I did not seem to be carrying - or maybe it was just so common that I didn't notice.

Six hours sleep - so here I am, in the shop, babysitting the last bits of an Ubuntu upgrade on my web and email server, and looking to do some more code before T-day.