I could hardly believe it.
And I wish it had been the scooter getting a "Fill Up".
But it was the Subaru. Ice storm possible tomorrow. Family Rule is to keep the vehicles above 1/2 full in the event of inclement weather. I was just a little below 1/2 when I rolled in to the convenience store this morning.
I kid you not.
I was charged the outrageous price of $ 1.67 / gallon.
Where's the Humanity?
When I first bought the scooter , you may remember back then. "Dubya" had just managed to implode the economy, gasoline reached a little over $4.00 / gallon.
I was sure glad I had Max back then.
(I still am)
:)
Ride On and Carpe Diem, my good friends.
Showing posts with label The Machine. Show all posts
Showing posts with label The Machine. Show all posts
Friday, January 2, 2015
Sunday, December 21, 2014
Battery Assistance
I've never really used my battery tender in past years. The reason was because I usually rode thru the winter months. Oh, I might miss some days due to snow or extreme cold, but usually not more than 2 weeks or so.
But I'm not riding much at all right now. There are many reasons, but have also come to the realization that Max is now more of a recreational machine than a daily commuter. That's okay though. Its just that as circumstances have changed, the maintenance needs have also changed.
I had a Saturday task in the garage repairing a ballast in light fixture. I thought I would at least give Max a start and get his juices flowing a bit. It's been cold lately, but today wasn't bad, temps in the upper 40's, might even go for a short ride.
Upon turning the starter though, I heard of the very slow groan of a starter that wasn't being supplied with enough juice. Just barely turning over.
Oh well. Time to get out the battery tender.
The charger comes with a connection ton the battery that you can actually leave connected to the battery. The other end connects to another cable connected to the charger which is actually plugged in to an AC circuit.
The connection is very simple with only one small concern on my part. The battery in Max sits under the floor. Somehow the cable would have to "poke out" somewhere out of the floor.
But it turned out not to be a problem. Connections were accomplished and the red light on the charger showed that everything was working.
Sunday morning, the light turned green!
😀
Ride on and Carpet Diem, my good friends.
And have a Happy Holidays while you are at it!
But I'm not riding much at all right now. There are many reasons, but have also come to the realization that Max is now more of a recreational machine than a daily commuter. That's okay though. Its just that as circumstances have changed, the maintenance needs have also changed.
I had a Saturday task in the garage repairing a ballast in light fixture. I thought I would at least give Max a start and get his juices flowing a bit. It's been cold lately, but today wasn't bad, temps in the upper 40's, might even go for a short ride.
Upon turning the starter though, I heard of the very slow groan of a starter that wasn't being supplied with enough juice. Just barely turning over.
Oh well. Time to get out the battery tender.
The charger comes with a connection ton the battery that you can actually leave connected to the battery. The other end connects to another cable connected to the charger which is actually plugged in to an AC circuit.
The connection is very simple with only one small concern on my part. The battery in Max sits under the floor. Somehow the cable would have to "poke out" somewhere out of the floor.
But it turned out not to be a problem. Connections were accomplished and the red light on the charger showed that everything was working.
Sunday morning, the light turned green!
😀
Ride on and Carpet Diem, my good friends.
And have a Happy Holidays while you are at it!
Monday, April 7, 2014
New Tires for Bruiser
It took me about 30 minutes to change both tires.
(I've done this before)
 |
| The handy dandy tire tool for prying the tire on and off the rim |
Once you get the old tire off the bike, the next step is to remove the tube. I opted to keep the tubes I had, rather than replace them. They aren't real old, never been patched, and I keep new tubes on the bike at all times. If it fails, then I just replace the tube.
(Again, may take just a few minutes, you know, done it before)
 |
| Insertion of the tube in the new tire |
You see, the tires on this old mountain bike were the original tires that came with the bike. And I can't even tell you how old the bike is, for sure. But, I'm thinking it's about 20 years old, early 90's era. It was time to replace the tires.
 |
| New tires are a Specialized Crossroads (puncture resistant, too) |
These new tires have a less aggressive tread pattern. A little better for road and light trail riding because there is less "rolling resistance".
(Love that term)
The other advantage for road riding is that these tires are capable of higher psi's, up to 80 psi. I had been running 40-45 psi, even a little less if I was on a trail. I can still dial down the psi for a trail, but the higher psi will be an advantage for the road. Again, less "rolling resistance".
 |
| Side by side, old and new |
It was almost dark when I finished up, so I just did a quick spin down the street and back to check out the ride. Felt good! Will do a longer ride this next weekend, and hopefully some longer rides next week. Tax season is almost over and I'm hoping to do some riding (motorized and non-motorized) next week after the 15th of April.
.
Ride On and carpe diem, my good friends!
.
Thursday, March 13, 2014
Man, There's a Lot of Sand Out There!
With some of the snows we had this winter, the city/county authorities used sand instead of salt solutions because the temperatures were too cold for the salt to work well.
At least that is the reason they gave.
All I know is that at almost every corner or intersection there is a buildup of sand. And we know how dangerous that can be to 2 wheeled riders.
I'm here to remind you that it is not just the wheels of your vehicle that you need to worry about.
But remember that when you stop at a light or stop sign, what do you do?
You put a foot down, don't you.
Make sure that foot doesn't end up on a pile of sand! OK?
Ride Safe and Carpe Diem , my good friends.
At least that is the reason they gave.
All I know is that at almost every corner or intersection there is a buildup of sand. And we know how dangerous that can be to 2 wheeled riders.
I'm here to remind you that it is not just the wheels of your vehicle that you need to worry about.
But remember that when you stop at a light or stop sign, what do you do?
You put a foot down, don't you.
Make sure that foot doesn't end up on a pile of sand! OK?
Ride Safe and Carpe Diem , my good friends.
Wednesday, January 15, 2014
Feelin' sorry for a Harley
Near my home resides a Harley. I walk by the home of this bike every other day or so when I'm walking the dog (and the cat).
I feel sorry for this bike. It is a very nice yellow in color. I'm sorry that I don't know more about Harleys to even know the exact model. It's big (to me), but not as big as many Harleys. And its a really nice looking bike! Sort of a basic cruiser, but a very nice looking bike.
But Here's the thing.
The bike has been parked right up next to the garage in this driveway for about 4 months now and hasn't been moved. Not even an inch.
Some thoughts.
Why doesn't the owner move it into the garage? No clue here.
It has been exposed to the elements including rain, snow and sub-zero temperatures this winter.
If I were that Harley, you can bet I'd be pissed!
Even just a little bit of TLC would be nice. In this case there has been none.
Absolutely None!
So, my response to this is that I'm going to remember to give a little love to Max, my friend on the road. After all, if you don't take care of your bike, how can you expect it to take care of you?
Just Sayin'!
Ride On and Carpe Diem, my good friends.
I feel sorry for this bike. It is a very nice yellow in color. I'm sorry that I don't know more about Harleys to even know the exact model. It's big (to me), but not as big as many Harleys. And its a really nice looking bike! Sort of a basic cruiser, but a very nice looking bike.
But Here's the thing.
The bike has been parked right up next to the garage in this driveway for about 4 months now and hasn't been moved. Not even an inch.
Some thoughts.
Why doesn't the owner move it into the garage? No clue here.
It has been exposed to the elements including rain, snow and sub-zero temperatures this winter.
If I were that Harley, you can bet I'd be pissed!
Even just a little bit of TLC would be nice. In this case there has been none.
Absolutely None!
So, my response to this is that I'm going to remember to give a little love to Max, my friend on the road. After all, if you don't take care of your bike, how can you expect it to take care of you?
Just Sayin'!
Ride On and Carpe Diem, my good friends.
Monday, November 18, 2013
Some Things Worth Doing are Worth Doing Twice
It wasn't necessarily the Best of Times.
It wasn't necessarily the Worst of Times
Some things went very much according to plan.
Some things I thought that would be difficult, weren't
Some things I thought would be quick and easy, Weren't!
The first task was to clear off the workbench a little bit. The summer and Fall residue of various projects that didn't get all the way put back to normal were all over the place. One of the drawers to the cabinet needed a little repair. Got that Done!
Then there was the "stuff that I wanted to get done.
1) Change Motor Oil
2) Change the Spark Plug
3) Change the Radiator Coolant
4) Change the Gear Oil
Here's the Lineup!
I like to do things for Max with the tools I normally carry on Max. That way when I'm on the road I should have most of what I need if something happens. One exception to that is a feeler gauge that just stays at home.
I also like to do the harder tasks first. Here, I thought that changing the plug would be the most difficult, so I started with that.
The shop manual calls for a .8mm spark plug gap. Of course I don't have a gauge blade with exactly that gap. But I did find a blade with a .381 width next to a blade with a .405 width, so put them together and what do you have? Something close enough for government work.
And here's a page from the shop manual, displayed on the Nook Tablet, free from the Internet. SYM apparently felt sorry for those of us now without dealers (their sales network collapsed), that they made the owners manuals free for the taking off the web
The gap is easy to set. I just barely needed to change the gap on the plug.
I was easy to get at the old plug without taking most of the bike apart. Now if I wanted to adjust or check the valve clearances, then a lot more parts would have been on the garage floor. But the plug itself was fairly easy to get at.
I compared the old and new plugs.Old one had been in for 3,000 miles. It looked to be in pretty good shape. Just normal wear, nothing unusual or threatening.
Here's the new plug installed. Swapping out the plug really took just a few minutes, easier than anticipated.
I didn't even take any pictures of the oil change. It was simple. The drain plug is underneath the center stand on the left side. The filler hole on the right side. Measured out 800 cc of oil per the manual and filled the reservoir. I have a special sort of plastic drain case for the oils I drain off. I took the oil (back to Auto Zone) to be recycled after I completed my work.
What turned out to be more of a pain in the ass than anticipated was changing the gear oil. When I did this before, my friend Lloyd helped me. He had a particularly handy little syringe that we used. I remember we carefully measured how much oil drained out and replaced exactly the same quantity. The syringe was very handy because the fill hole is particularly tiny. Don't ask me why!
I originally fashioned together a very small funnel and filled the gear oil using that funnel. Didn't work real well and I made a mess on the floor trying to fill it back up.
The problem was that I realized that I had put in the wrong gear oil. I should have used SAE 140, but instead had purchased SAE 90, which is much thinner. Not a good idea. Must have been a brain fart moment. I though I had been careful, but.....
So it was back to the store (yes, Auto Zone, just because it is nearby)
I would really liked to have had a little syringe to replace the gear oil like the one Lloyd had, but couldn't find one. The guy at the store thought this little pump might help and at the time it seemed like a good idea and it was only a few $. So why not! Right?
Not!
So on Sunday morning, I did the gear oil again. To Do It Right! So I wouldn't worry. And after the fiasco with the little oil pump I decided to dump out the wrong gear oil, but use that old bottle, because it has a small nipple at the top, as my new tool to fill up the gear oil. Worked like a charm. To help me remember next time, I even placed a note on the old bottle to help me.
I'm still on the lookout for that syringe. Anybody know where I can get one? Can't we always use a little new farkle now and then?
And I admit, I didn't have the time to get the radiator fluid changed. We had some other chores around the house that we did this weekend, and my beloved Kansas Jayhawks even actually won a football game. (We are better known for basketball)
But the coolant replace is on the list to be done. Hopefully next weekend.
BTW, Max is running really nice with that new spark plug. It's just enough difference to be barely noticeable, but there is seemingly a new little bit of energy with each fire.
Nice!
Ride On and Carpe Diem, my good friends.
It wasn't necessarily the Worst of Times
Some things went very much according to plan.
Some things I thought that would be difficult, weren't
Some things I thought would be quick and easy, Weren't!
The first task was to clear off the workbench a little bit. The summer and Fall residue of various projects that didn't get all the way put back to normal were all over the place. One of the drawers to the cabinet needed a little repair. Got that Done!
 |
| Messy Work Bench littered mostly with "stuff" that just needed to be put away. |
Then there was the "stuff that I wanted to get done.
1) Change Motor Oil
2) Change the Spark Plug
3) Change the Radiator Coolant
4) Change the Gear Oil
Here's the Lineup!
 |
| Castrol this and that, the NGK CR8E, and something called Silkolene for the radiator. |
I also like to do the harder tasks first. Here, I thought that changing the plug would be the most difficult, so I started with that.
The shop manual calls for a .8mm spark plug gap. Of course I don't have a gauge blade with exactly that gap. But I did find a blade with a .381 width next to a blade with a .405 width, so put them together and what do you have? Something close enough for government work.
 |
| Putting two blades together to get the result I wanted |
 |
| Anybody Speak Chinese? Actually the manual is pretty good! |
The gap is easy to set. I just barely needed to change the gap on the plug.
 |
| You wouldn't think a little gap like this is so critical, but it sure can be. |
I compared the old and new plugs.Old one had been in for 3,000 miles. It looked to be in pretty good shape. Just normal wear, nothing unusual or threatening.
 |
| Bought the new plug at Auto Zone, was identical to the old plug. Note the hairy knuckles? |
 |
| Only one panel (easily removed) to get to the plug. |
What turned out to be more of a pain in the ass than anticipated was changing the gear oil. When I did this before, my friend Lloyd helped me. He had a particularly handy little syringe that we used. I remember we carefully measured how much oil drained out and replaced exactly the same quantity. The syringe was very handy because the fill hole is particularly tiny. Don't ask me why!
I originally fashioned together a very small funnel and filled the gear oil using that funnel. Didn't work real well and I made a mess on the floor trying to fill it back up.
 |
| The measuring cup collects the gear oil. |
So it was back to the store (yes, Auto Zone, just because it is nearby)
 |
| The new gear oil with a hopefully handy new little pump tool. |
I would really liked to have had a little syringe to replace the gear oil like the one Lloyd had, but couldn't find one. The guy at the store thought this little pump might help and at the time it seemed like a good idea and it was only a few $. So why not! Right?
Not!
 |
| It fit real nicely into the filler hole, but turned out to be essentially worthless. Oh well, It was worth a try. |
 |
| The lineup of gear oil bottles. |
And I admit, I didn't have the time to get the radiator fluid changed. We had some other chores around the house that we did this weekend, and my beloved Kansas Jayhawks even actually won a football game. (We are better known for basketball)
But the coolant replace is on the list to be done. Hopefully next weekend.
BTW, Max is running really nice with that new spark plug. It's just enough difference to be barely noticeable, but there is seemingly a new little bit of energy with each fire.
Nice!
Ride On and Carpe Diem, my good friends.
Friday, November 15, 2013
Maddening Moments, some Zen and a Self Challenge
I hereby swear that I am going to not drive the automobile to work as much as I have been recently. There are two "Motorcycle Only" parking areas within a block and a half of my office. I never have trouble finding a place to park when I ride the scooter to work. There is always (Repeat, Always!), a place for little old me and Max to park.
Same cannot be said about the friggin' automobile. There's lots of parking around my new office, but some days it seems like it takes an act of the divine to find a place 'close' to my office. A block away is no problem, and I do that often. But there have been days where I think I can park closer to the office only to be frustrated because there are no close places to park. And I am not really being anal about this. I do not mind the walk. What bugs me is the situation of having to change my plan and the resulting waste of time to go back to do something else. And it's really silly, because we're only talking about a few minutes at most. It seems that as I get older, I have lost a certain amount of patience with things that don't go as originally planned.
Maddening!
But I'm sure you don't really care about that....
But here's a Question:
If I say I'm going to do something and write about it in this here blog, Does that mean it will absolutely have to happen?
Let me explain:
Max is way overdue for some maintenance. I'm totally embarrassed about it. It is ridiculously overdue. Substantially Overdue. Criminally Overdue!
I've had good intentions. I bought some motor oil. I bought a new spark plug. I bought some gear oil. I checked and I already had enough engine coolant. Problem is, I bought all this this stuff 2 months ago, and still haven't even turned the screwdriver on Max.
Shame on Me!
I know very well how important the maintenance is for vehicles like this. The investment could easily be wasted by not doing the "little things". And it's not that I have to take Max in to a repair shop to get it done. I'm well capable of doing it all. I've done it before! It doesn't even really take a very long time. (with one possible exception, I'll explain in a moment)
But still, I haven't done it. And I'm usually not that bad about this kind of thing. Oh, I admit I'm not perfect, I may be a little late at times with certain maintenance, but usually I get it done relatively close to the recommended and appointed mileage intervals.
And I even have a pdf file that is the entire repair manual for Max. I can have my tablet computer available to me in the garage as I work to check on the location of a certain drain bolt, or verify the spark plug gap, etc, as needed. I probably won't even have to refer to it much. As I said, I've done this stuff before.
Actually, on a side note, the shop manual reads a little strange in spots. Of course, SYM is a company in Taiwan, and the manual has obviously been written originally in Chinese and then translated to English by somebody that apparently doesn't use English as their original language. The words don't always , shall we say, "flow" real well. But in the final analysis, it works, the pictures and drawings are not bad and I'm happy to say I didn't pay anything for the manual.
But one thing not really explained very well in the manual is how the plastic shroud and body parts fit together. For instance, there are some obvious seams where plastic parts come together, and there are some clip and insert tabs on the inside (not visible from the outside) of the panels that hold things together. These are not pictured well in the manual.
So here's where the "Zen" comes in:
Pirsig talks about becoming "one" with the machine, or at least that's how I interpret it. I'll just have to sit there on the garage floor. Take my time. Play with the panels a bit. Detect how they are held together. (Believe me, it's not real obvious) The fluid changes aren't the problem. The drain and refill bolts are all accessible without taking any body panels off. It's the spark plug that will cause me some grief. The two main body panels will have to come off. And I have to take some other panels off to get to the ones I have to get off, etc. It's like a vicious never ending cycle. There will be a resulting pile of panels, screws and bolts on the floor.
Actually, it won't be all that bad probably. The problem is mostly my own personality and my own difficulty in dealing with things that don't go my way the first time around.
The problem is not the bike, or the panels or the damn spark plug.
The problem is me!
In self diagnosis, seemingly I have a mental block about getting this work done. There is no excuse. It has to be done. I am the only person to do it! Why the hell am I procrastinating?
So, my post today is an attempt to sort of "trick" myself into getting this work done! By the powers vested in me, I pledge that I am going to get this work done this weekend! I'm going to psyche myself up, similar to John Belushi in "Animal House". I'll rally around the house and then run into the garage and get on the floor and get started.
So, back to the original question, if I write about it in this here blog, Will it happen?
It friggin' better!
So here's the deal! If I don't have another post up by, say, next Wednesday, with maintenance pictures and the like, and a description of how it went, feel free to email me, comment me, and tell me what a goofball I am. I'll deserve any and all criticism.
Like John Belushi, I'm going to rally the forces this weekend and do this.
Let's Do It!
.
Let's Do It!
.
Let's Do It!
.
Let's Do It!
.
.
.
Ride On and Carpe Diem, my good friends!
Same cannot be said about the friggin' automobile. There's lots of parking around my new office, but some days it seems like it takes an act of the divine to find a place 'close' to my office. A block away is no problem, and I do that often. But there have been days where I think I can park closer to the office only to be frustrated because there are no close places to park. And I am not really being anal about this. I do not mind the walk. What bugs me is the situation of having to change my plan and the resulting waste of time to go back to do something else. And it's really silly, because we're only talking about a few minutes at most. It seems that as I get older, I have lost a certain amount of patience with things that don't go as originally planned.
Maddening!
But I'm sure you don't really care about that....
But here's a Question:
If I say I'm going to do something and write about it in this here blog, Does that mean it will absolutely have to happen?
Let me explain:
Max is way overdue for some maintenance. I'm totally embarrassed about it. It is ridiculously overdue. Substantially Overdue. Criminally Overdue!
I've had good intentions. I bought some motor oil. I bought a new spark plug. I bought some gear oil. I checked and I already had enough engine coolant. Problem is, I bought all this this stuff 2 months ago, and still haven't even turned the screwdriver on Max.
Shame on Me!
I know very well how important the maintenance is for vehicles like this. The investment could easily be wasted by not doing the "little things". And it's not that I have to take Max in to a repair shop to get it done. I'm well capable of doing it all. I've done it before! It doesn't even really take a very long time. (with one possible exception, I'll explain in a moment)
But still, I haven't done it. And I'm usually not that bad about this kind of thing. Oh, I admit I'm not perfect, I may be a little late at times with certain maintenance, but usually I get it done relatively close to the recommended and appointed mileage intervals.
And I even have a pdf file that is the entire repair manual for Max. I can have my tablet computer available to me in the garage as I work to check on the location of a certain drain bolt, or verify the spark plug gap, etc, as needed. I probably won't even have to refer to it much. As I said, I've done this stuff before.
Actually, on a side note, the shop manual reads a little strange in spots. Of course, SYM is a company in Taiwan, and the manual has obviously been written originally in Chinese and then translated to English by somebody that apparently doesn't use English as their original language. The words don't always , shall we say, "flow" real well. But in the final analysis, it works, the pictures and drawings are not bad and I'm happy to say I didn't pay anything for the manual.
But one thing not really explained very well in the manual is how the plastic shroud and body parts fit together. For instance, there are some obvious seams where plastic parts come together, and there are some clip and insert tabs on the inside (not visible from the outside) of the panels that hold things together. These are not pictured well in the manual.
So here's where the "Zen" comes in:
Pirsig talks about becoming "one" with the machine, or at least that's how I interpret it. I'll just have to sit there on the garage floor. Take my time. Play with the panels a bit. Detect how they are held together. (Believe me, it's not real obvious) The fluid changes aren't the problem. The drain and refill bolts are all accessible without taking any body panels off. It's the spark plug that will cause me some grief. The two main body panels will have to come off. And I have to take some other panels off to get to the ones I have to get off, etc. It's like a vicious never ending cycle. There will be a resulting pile of panels, screws and bolts on the floor.
Actually, it won't be all that bad probably. The problem is mostly my own personality and my own difficulty in dealing with things that don't go my way the first time around.
The problem is not the bike, or the panels or the damn spark plug.
The problem is me!
In self diagnosis, seemingly I have a mental block about getting this work done. There is no excuse. It has to be done. I am the only person to do it! Why the hell am I procrastinating?
So, my post today is an attempt to sort of "trick" myself into getting this work done! By the powers vested in me, I pledge that I am going to get this work done this weekend! I'm going to psyche myself up, similar to John Belushi in "Animal House". I'll rally around the house and then run into the garage and get on the floor and get started.
So, back to the original question, if I write about it in this here blog, Will it happen?
It friggin' better!
So here's the deal! If I don't have another post up by, say, next Wednesday, with maintenance pictures and the like, and a description of how it went, feel free to email me, comment me, and tell me what a goofball I am. I'll deserve any and all criticism.
Like John Belushi, I'm going to rally the forces this weekend and do this.
Let's Do It!
.
Let's Do It!
.
Let's Do It!
.
Let's Do It!
.
.
.
Ride On and Carpe Diem, my good friends!
Monday, July 8, 2013
New Digs
Part of the reason for not posting as much to this blog recently is because we just moved the office.
Ugh!
Double Ugh!
Remind me not to do this again in the next 10 years.
On Friday the 28th of June, the movers came and did the "heavy" stuff.
We're still sorting and putting things away, but we are here now.
Just east of the main downtown area is an older warehouse district where many of the buildings have been converted to offices, restaurants, bars, condos and other uses. It's been pretty successful and this part of town has become much more dynamic than the core downtown area.
This is my first day to ride to the new location.
But when it comes to parking there are some options. There's an outdoor lot dedicated for motorcycles near the front of the Airbus building. It usually has 4-5 cycles parked there. But a block away is a parking garage, also with dedicated motorcycle parking. I opted for that spot.
There didn't seem to be many people, first thing in the morning, parking their motorcycles indoors and then walking a way to their offices, but later that day........
Ugh!
Double Ugh!
Remind me not to do this again in the next 10 years.
On Friday the 28th of June, the movers came and did the "heavy" stuff.
We're still sorting and putting things away, but we are here now.
 |
| We are on the second floor |
This is my first day to ride to the new location.
 |
| Jack Riepe would like it here. This shop is on the first floor of our new building. |
Airbus has a rather large engineering facility in the area. Sort of remarkable because Boeing was such a fixture in this community for so many years. They are phasing out and moving people to Oklahoma City and San Antonio. Lots of people don't want to go, so some of the employees have latched on to Airbus here.
 |
| There's even some archways over some of the streets
|
 |
| Indoor motorcycle parking. Max was a little lonely first thing in the morning
|
 |
| But later in the day Max wasn't lonely at all. Only problem with this spot is that there are pigeon roosts in the ceiling. Might have to watch out for that. |
And finally a view inside.
 |
| And finally from inside my new office.
|
Ride On, and Carpe Diem, My Friends
Tuesday, January 8, 2013
Motivation in Colder Weather
When I first bought the scooter I was very determined to ride in all weather except for ice and snow.
40 degrees F? Yes, no problem!
30 degrees F Hell Yes!
20 degrees F Well maybe not hell yes, but okay!
10 degrees F Well now you're pushing it, but I've done it
This year? Well.....
I admit to being less aggressive in the cold this year. Oh, I've been out there, but not near as regularly.
Potential excuses:
I've needed the car more when at work. Somewhat true.
I've been walking more. True but does not account for the that much of the difference
Weekends have been busier, less free time. True definitely
The heart doesn't like cold weather quite as much. True
The weather hasn't been cooperative. Somewhat true
But then again, most of those are just what I say they are, Excuses!
I need to ride more!
I got Max out this morning. It was about 30 degrees. Hadn't ridden in about 3 weeks. He started up as if to say, "Hey, How You Been!, Where we going today?" Fired instantly on the first push on the starter.
I've been trying to make some plans for the summer and fall. Maybe some longer type trips. Been thinking about even coordinating some of those with a little camping (which I haven't done in ages) and even some long hikes. Saw a movie recently about hiking. Sort of liked it. It's healthy for my heart. Hmmmm.
And another book report might be on the way soon, but the book wasn't near as good as Jack's book.
But for now, we are heading into another "tax season" at work. Lots to do, little free time. Most riding will just be to work and back.
But I hope to do more of that!
Ride On and Carpe Diem , my friends.
Jim
40 degrees F? Yes, no problem!
30 degrees F Hell Yes!
20 degrees F Well maybe not hell yes, but okay!
10 degrees F Well now you're pushing it, but I've done it
This year? Well.....
I admit to being less aggressive in the cold this year. Oh, I've been out there, but not near as regularly.
Potential excuses:
I've needed the car more when at work. Somewhat true.
I've been walking more. True but does not account for the that much of the difference
Weekends have been busier, less free time. True definitely
The heart doesn't like cold weather quite as much. True
The weather hasn't been cooperative. Somewhat true
But then again, most of those are just what I say they are, Excuses!
I need to ride more!
I got Max out this morning. It was about 30 degrees. Hadn't ridden in about 3 weeks. He started up as if to say, "Hey, How You Been!, Where we going today?" Fired instantly on the first push on the starter.
I've been trying to make some plans for the summer and fall. Maybe some longer type trips. Been thinking about even coordinating some of those with a little camping (which I haven't done in ages) and even some long hikes. Saw a movie recently about hiking. Sort of liked it. It's healthy for my heart. Hmmmm.
And another book report might be on the way soon, but the book wasn't near as good as Jack's book.
But for now, we are heading into another "tax season" at work. Lots to do, little free time. Most riding will just be to work and back.
But I hope to do more of that!
Ride On and Carpe Diem , my friends.
Jim
Wednesday, August 8, 2012
The Guy at the Gas Station
There was this guy in a suit at the gas station filling up his SUV.
He was just standing there with his arms folded.
Staring at me. Watching me.
Not sure if he was admiring me, or thinking I was crazy. Ask me if I care.
I had ridden Max to work almost every day for the past 3 weeks. In very hot weather, too. But as long as you are moving, 110 degrees doesn't seem so bad , does it? At least it only takes me about 15 minutes to get home. And Thank God for Mesh Gear.
But I needed gas this morning and there was that guy filling up his SUV. I rode up and he was already there. Arms folded, watching me ride up.
I can do this pretty quickly. I don't even take off the helmet, just pop up the visor. Had my wallet in my jacket with my card ready to go, no need to even open the top case. Key out to open the gas cap. Done. Selected the mid-grade fuel, entered my pin #, popped the hose in my tank. I fiddle with the angle of the hose to maximize the fill. The guy in the suit is still watching me, arms folded.
A couple of minutes later, I'm done. Pop the gas cap back on. Key back in ignition, press start,
Vroom Vroom, I maneuver Max off the stand and start to move off.
As I ride away I notice the "suit" is still watching me, arms still folded, gas pump still pumping away in his SUV.
I wondered about him as I rode to the office. What was he thinking. We made eye contact, but I could not tell what his mood was. I thought for a minute he was maybe impressed that I rode a scooter and was doing my little part in saving planet earth by not using as much fuel as other people. Helping out with greenhouse gases, you know.
But then I thought, maybe he was thinking that I was an idiot to ride a two wheeled vehicle in such ridiculous hot weather. And he might be right about that. I thought about him riding on into work, in his air conditioned SUV, cold air blasting in his face, wearing his suit and tie. Thinking about all the other suited people he would interact with today. Lots of them riding their SUV's to work, cold air blasting as they wore their suits and ties.
But then I thought as I said before:
"I don't really give a S&%T what he was thinking"!
He just doesn't know.
He doesn't know the feeling of freedom! He can't really appreciate how cute that blonde is, in the Honda next to you at the stop light that you just pulled up to. He doesn't smell the aroma of the bakery you just passed by. He doesn't see the color of the trees, how really green they are. He can't imagine the exhilaration of blasting down a country road with no traffic on a beautiful day. He's got windows between himself and the rest of the world while he's in that SUV. As Pirsig says, those windows are like TV screens that insulate you from the real world around you.
He just doesn't get it.
But I do.
Ride on and Carpe Diem my friends!
Jimbo
PS. I bet he spent a lot more than $5 at the pump this morning! Man, He really doesn't know!
..
He was just standing there with his arms folded.
Staring at me. Watching me.
Not sure if he was admiring me, or thinking I was crazy. Ask me if I care.
I had ridden Max to work almost every day for the past 3 weeks. In very hot weather, too. But as long as you are moving, 110 degrees doesn't seem so bad , does it? At least it only takes me about 15 minutes to get home. And Thank God for Mesh Gear.
But I needed gas this morning and there was that guy filling up his SUV. I rode up and he was already there. Arms folded, watching me ride up.
I can do this pretty quickly. I don't even take off the helmet, just pop up the visor. Had my wallet in my jacket with my card ready to go, no need to even open the top case. Key out to open the gas cap. Done. Selected the mid-grade fuel, entered my pin #, popped the hose in my tank. I fiddle with the angle of the hose to maximize the fill. The guy in the suit is still watching me, arms folded.
A couple of minutes later, I'm done. Pop the gas cap back on. Key back in ignition, press start,
Vroom Vroom, I maneuver Max off the stand and start to move off.
As I ride away I notice the "suit" is still watching me, arms still folded, gas pump still pumping away in his SUV.
I wondered about him as I rode to the office. What was he thinking. We made eye contact, but I could not tell what his mood was. I thought for a minute he was maybe impressed that I rode a scooter and was doing my little part in saving planet earth by not using as much fuel as other people. Helping out with greenhouse gases, you know.
But then I thought, maybe he was thinking that I was an idiot to ride a two wheeled vehicle in such ridiculous hot weather. And he might be right about that. I thought about him riding on into work, in his air conditioned SUV, cold air blasting in his face, wearing his suit and tie. Thinking about all the other suited people he would interact with today. Lots of them riding their SUV's to work, cold air blasting as they wore their suits and ties.
But then I thought as I said before:
"I don't really give a S&%T what he was thinking"!
He just doesn't know.
He doesn't know the feeling of freedom! He can't really appreciate how cute that blonde is, in the Honda next to you at the stop light that you just pulled up to. He doesn't smell the aroma of the bakery you just passed by. He doesn't see the color of the trees, how really green they are. He can't imagine the exhilaration of blasting down a country road with no traffic on a beautiful day. He's got windows between himself and the rest of the world while he's in that SUV. As Pirsig says, those windows are like TV screens that insulate you from the real world around you.
He just doesn't get it.
But I do.
Ride on and Carpe Diem my friends!
Jimbo
PS. I bet he spent a lot more than $5 at the pump this morning! Man, He really doesn't know!
..
Tuesday, June 12, 2012
A New "Gut" Feeling
I have this little rule that hopefully might "save" me when I am on the road someday with a mechanical problem. When I am working on the bike, I try to only use tools that I keep on the bike. That way I should always have a needed tool with me for most minor repairs. Oh, and in true Jack Riepe fashion, I always have my MagLite flashlight with me, and I used it today.
Today's mission is to investigate the wiring of the starter circuit on Max. I checked certain things such as the connection of the negative battery terminal to the grounding wire on the scooter frame. It looked okay. I thought it would.
Max's seat can be easily removed. Easy to do.
Once the seat is removed I can see the starter relay (left) and the fuses (center) on the inside wall of the scooter. I am now suspecting that the starter relay is the source of my starting problem. I don't want to replace it yet, but I wanted to see how hard it might be to swap it out if I desire to do so.
In just a few minutes I was able to remove the starter relay. I temporarily violated my own rule as it became apparent that I could not get at the bolts on the relay from on top, but had to get at from the side. So I pulled out a small socket wrench to do the job. (Shame on me)
 |
| Most of the tools stored on the bike. I mostly use the screwdriver and the nut driver. |
Max's seat can be easily removed. Easy to do.
 |
| Undoing six bolts with a 10mm nut driver is all it takes to remove the seat. |
 |
| With the seat removed, there's lots of goodies inside. |
In just a few minutes I was able to remove the starter relay. I temporarily violated my own rule as it became apparent that I could not get at the bolts on the relay from on top, but had to get at from the side. So I pulled out a small socket wrench to do the job. (Shame on me)
 |
| The infamous starter relay or solenoid from Max. Don't see anything wrong with it, it's all sealed. |
The purpose of this "gizmo" is to provide a mechanism whereby the electricity going through the actual starter switch on the handlebar is much less than the electricity required to power the actual starter motor. I have replaced this on a car before, many years ago.
If you want to, note the small wires leading from the relay are the same color as the wires going through the starter switch on the handlebar as seen in the next picture. The bigger screw on posts on the relay are attached to bigger wires from the battery and then to the starter motor. I briefly looked at all these wires to see if they might be damaged. They all appeared to be okay.
 |
| Looking inside the handlebar at the wires leading to the starter switch. |
Okay, to ease my guilt about using a tool not stored on Max, I steal a 10mm open end wrench from my tool cabinet and keep it with Max's tools.
 |
| Theft of a 10mm wrench |
I then use that 10m wrench to out the relay back in the bike. I get the battery back tomorrow after an extended testing. Then I can start testing the relay and see if it is the culprit.
 |
| My "gut" feel now is that this relay is the problem to starting Max |
Lets hope that it is the relay. It will be easy to replace. I might have to wait for shipment of the part since there is no dealer here in Wichita anymore, but should be easy to find the part.
 |
| Oh, and by the way, I cut myself shaving the other day. |
Monday, April 2, 2012
Seen recently at Cabela's
Sorry for the picture quality. The photo attempt was hurried and clandestine in nature.
In other local news Max is temporarily out of commission. He needs a new battery. As soon as I find some time away from work, I'll get him "juiced" up.
In other news I recently wrote a letter to the IRS asking to be taken off their mailing list. Haven't heard back yet.
Ride Safe!
 |
| It says: "Honk if you've never seen a gun fired from a motorcycle" |
I don't get it. Am I just stupid?
In other local news Max is temporarily out of commission. He needs a new battery. As soon as I find some time away from work, I'll get him "juiced" up.
In other news I recently wrote a letter to the IRS asking to be taken off their mailing list. Haven't heard back yet.
Ride Safe!
Thursday, February 16, 2012
The Parking Nazi
In order not to run afoul of the infamous Parking Nazi at the lot we park at in downtown Wichita, I went over to the office to ask for a sticker for Max. You see, a few months ago, the parking lot was sold and the new owners became very adamant about everybody displaying a sticker on the inside of their windshields so that any parking attendant could walk through the lot and make sure everybody was valid. Kind of like our present state attorney general, we don't want any illegals parking in our damn lot.
Well, you see, I had a sticker for Monty (the famous Canadian Subaru), but not for Max. I came to the office prepared to do battle and get that precious little sticker for Max. Would they understand? Would I have to show them a cancelled check and proper ID?
I feared the Nazi!
But, alas, my fear was totally unwarranted. He just said, "Here You Go!"
And I was really prepared to fight.
Then the next problem was "where was I going to put the silly sticker?" I don't exactly have a windshield, and what is there is very dark. Nobody will ever see that sticker if the Parking Nazi comes by. So you now see what I did, upside down and backwards on a reflector.
Who cares! Let 'em sue me!
I actually took the Subaru to work first thing in the morning. I had a dental appointment at 11:00 am and wasn't sure how good I'd feel after the appointment, but knew that if I felt better later, I could still get Max out later in the day.
Which I did!
Max hasn't been downtown in over a year. Oh, I'd ridden him around a little bit here and there, but in very light traffic and circumstances, and only for a very few miles.
I forgot how much attention it takes to ride a two wheeled vehicle on busy streets with everybody seemingly trying to "Get Ya". Oh, it wasn't that bad, but the ride was a reminder to remember SIPDE and other ways of being safe.
My mouth is sore as hell!
But the ride downtown sure was nice. I'm looking forward to the ride home.
Well, you see, I had a sticker for Monty (the famous Canadian Subaru), but not for Max. I came to the office prepared to do battle and get that precious little sticker for Max. Would they understand? Would I have to show them a cancelled check and proper ID?
I feared the Nazi!
But, alas, my fear was totally unwarranted. He just said, "Here You Go!"
And I was really prepared to fight.
Then the next problem was "where was I going to put the silly sticker?" I don't exactly have a windshield, and what is there is very dark. Nobody will ever see that sticker if the Parking Nazi comes by. So you now see what I did, upside down and backwards on a reflector.
Who cares! Let 'em sue me!
I actually took the Subaru to work first thing in the morning. I had a dental appointment at 11:00 am and wasn't sure how good I'd feel after the appointment, but knew that if I felt better later, I could still get Max out later in the day.
Which I did!
Max hasn't been downtown in over a year. Oh, I'd ridden him around a little bit here and there, but in very light traffic and circumstances, and only for a very few miles.
I forgot how much attention it takes to ride a two wheeled vehicle on busy streets with everybody seemingly trying to "Get Ya". Oh, it wasn't that bad, but the ride was a reminder to remember SIPDE and other ways of being safe.
My mouth is sore as hell!
But the ride downtown sure was nice. I'm looking forward to the ride home.
Monday, October 24, 2011
Burley
Yeah, It's spelled right. It's the name of an excellent company that manufactures bicycle trailers among other things.
When our kids were young we used to have one. It was expensive, but it was well worth it. Put a helmet on the kid, slap them into the trailer, fasten the seat belts (yes, it has seat belts) and go for a ride.
We got a few years of use with our Burley and when our kids got too big, we gave it to a relative that had younger kids than we did and it got even more years of service. We occasionally used to take it to the grocery store as well because you could fit a lot of groceries into it.
On a recent Friday morning, I had a couple of errands to perform. We had closed the office that day and I decided to take the bicycle out to do the errands. The first stop was to a local hardware store to return a little plumbing part that didn't work out. That done I headed north with a particular destination in mind. On the way though I noticed a sign for a rummage sale and bake sale at a nearby Episcopal church. (Didn't Robin Williams once refer to that as 'Catholic Light'?)
Now, in past years, I have been known to visit garage sales in our neighborhood. I rarely bought "stuff", but sometimes did and was always fascinated with other people's "stuff" and what they might want to discard from their lives. After seeing the sign for the rummage sale, and having plenty of time, and not a particular need to really have to go to my original destination, I decided to head towards the church.
Sometimes a large sale like this can be more interesting because of better selection. So many garage sales have just things like the dreaded piles of baby clothing that I just frankly don't have much interest in anymore. At one garage sale, however, I came across a complete set of Playboy magazines from 1962 to 1973, but the owner wanted too much and would only sell it as a complete set. Alas, not for me that day. But this sale looked sort of promising even if there would probably not be any Playboy magazines there.
Then I saw it! Right there by the front door. A piece of masking tape identified the price at $20. (Don't they know these things are like $250 new?) Upon closer inspection, it was a little dirty, the tires were flat, but it appeared to be nearly identical to the one we owned very many years ago. Should I get it? Do I really need it? Probably not. But it looked to be in good shape even if it needed a couple of new tire tubes and a lot of cleaning.
I was a bit excited and asked one of the 'church ladies' if there had been any interest yet in the bicycle trailer. (Now don't get me wrong! I don't use the term 'church ladies' in a demeaning way. I just have very fond memories of the old SNL routines (wasn't it Dana Carvey?) about the 'church lady', and the ladies running the sale were definitely from that mold.) She said she would make me a helluva deal on that trailer (though she might not have used the word hell). I said I might be back. (You know, make 'em sweat a bit)
Home was only half a mile away, and I only had $13 on me, so I rode home to tell Jayna about it and see if she was even a bit interested. She immediately asked why I hadn't purchased it on the spot and brought it home. So we raided her purse (she almost always has little hidden stores of cash), and I hopped back on the bike to make the purchase.
I walked right in and promptly and proudly laid my $20 bill down on the table to the same 'church lady' I had spoken to just a little while earlier. She was ecstatic to have made the sale. Well maybe just sort of pleased. Another $20 going to a good cause, don't you know. And I was sincerely proud to help out in my own little way.
Of course the task then turned out to be "How to get it home". But I had faith! I had faith that my new hand held frame pump attached to "Bruiser" (that I had never used) would work. I had faith that the tubes in the tires would take and hold at least a little air, long enough to get me home.
The senior pastor (priest?) was there to watch me attempt to pump up the tires. We struck up a brief conversation. The pump worked and the tires seemed to hold the air! The trailer attaches to the bicycle by way of a rather interesting mechanism that attaches to the bicycle frame just ahead of the rear axle. It works amazingly well in that it is secure and works on just about any bicycle. It attached to "Bruiser" flawlessly.
I put my helmet back on (ATGATT for the head, don'tcha know) and rode off. I was delighted to see that the trailer rolled smoothly, the wheels seemed to be true and was just as light and fun as I remember our old trailer to be.
I actually stopped by a store on the way home and made a small purchase and put my sack in the trailer for the ride home. Worked great! I rode home and Jayna and I spent numerous minutes looking it over and recalling all the good times we had with our first trailer. And there are many very good memories.
The next task was figuring out a place to store the trailer. Mind you, our garage is fairly full, two cars, a scooter, a table saw and woodworking tools. I actually hang up "Bruiser" on a hook in what we call the shed so he doesn't take up a lot of space. But I did find a way to hang the Burley right next to "Bruiser" and I think it will work very well.
When our kids were young we used to have one. It was expensive, but it was well worth it. Put a helmet on the kid, slap them into the trailer, fasten the seat belts (yes, it has seat belts) and go for a ride.
On a recent Friday morning, I had a couple of errands to perform. We had closed the office that day and I decided to take the bicycle out to do the errands. The first stop was to a local hardware store to return a little plumbing part that didn't work out. That done I headed north with a particular destination in mind. On the way though I noticed a sign for a rummage sale and bake sale at a nearby Episcopal church. (Didn't Robin Williams once refer to that as 'Catholic Light'?)
Now, in past years, I have been known to visit garage sales in our neighborhood. I rarely bought "stuff", but sometimes did and was always fascinated with other people's "stuff" and what they might want to discard from their lives. After seeing the sign for the rummage sale, and having plenty of time, and not a particular need to really have to go to my original destination, I decided to head towards the church.
Sometimes a large sale like this can be more interesting because of better selection. So many garage sales have just things like the dreaded piles of baby clothing that I just frankly don't have much interest in anymore. At one garage sale, however, I came across a complete set of Playboy magazines from 1962 to 1973, but the owner wanted too much and would only sell it as a complete set. Alas, not for me that day. But this sale looked sort of promising even if there would probably not be any Playboy magazines there.
Then I saw it! Right there by the front door. A piece of masking tape identified the price at $20. (Don't they know these things are like $250 new?) Upon closer inspection, it was a little dirty, the tires were flat, but it appeared to be nearly identical to the one we owned very many years ago. Should I get it? Do I really need it? Probably not. But it looked to be in good shape even if it needed a couple of new tire tubes and a lot of cleaning.
I was a bit excited and asked one of the 'church ladies' if there had been any interest yet in the bicycle trailer. (Now don't get me wrong! I don't use the term 'church ladies' in a demeaning way. I just have very fond memories of the old SNL routines (wasn't it Dana Carvey?) about the 'church lady', and the ladies running the sale were definitely from that mold.) She said she would make me a helluva deal on that trailer (though she might not have used the word hell). I said I might be back. (You know, make 'em sweat a bit)
Home was only half a mile away, and I only had $13 on me, so I rode home to tell Jayna about it and see if she was even a bit interested. She immediately asked why I hadn't purchased it on the spot and brought it home. So we raided her purse (she almost always has little hidden stores of cash), and I hopped back on the bike to make the purchase.
I walked right in and promptly and proudly laid my $20 bill down on the table to the same 'church lady' I had spoken to just a little while earlier. She was ecstatic to have made the sale. Well maybe just sort of pleased. Another $20 going to a good cause, don't you know. And I was sincerely proud to help out in my own little way.
Of course the task then turned out to be "How to get it home". But I had faith! I had faith that my new hand held frame pump attached to "Bruiser" (that I had never used) would work. I had faith that the tubes in the tires would take and hold at least a little air, long enough to get me home.
The senior pastor (priest?) was there to watch me attempt to pump up the tires. We struck up a brief conversation. The pump worked and the tires seemed to hold the air! The trailer attaches to the bicycle by way of a rather interesting mechanism that attaches to the bicycle frame just ahead of the rear axle. It works amazingly well in that it is secure and works on just about any bicycle. It attached to "Bruiser" flawlessly.
I put my helmet back on (ATGATT for the head, don'tcha know) and rode off. I was delighted to see that the trailer rolled smoothly, the wheels seemed to be true and was just as light and fun as I remember our old trailer to be.
I actually stopped by a store on the way home and made a small purchase and put my sack in the trailer for the ride home. Worked great! I rode home and Jayna and I spent numerous minutes looking it over and recalling all the good times we had with our first trailer. And there are many very good memories.
The next task was figuring out a place to store the trailer. Mind you, our garage is fairly full, two cars, a scooter, a table saw and woodworking tools. I actually hang up "Bruiser" on a hook in what we call the shed so he doesn't take up a lot of space. But I did find a way to hang the Burley right next to "Bruiser" and I think it will work very well.
What a find! What a lot of great memories! Perhaps a future grandchild will ride in this trailer. Certainly groceries are an occasional possibility. Perhaps I will revive my interest in garage sale-ing and take the trailer to hold my new "stuff".
Monday, October 17, 2011
Every Couple of Weeks
It is amazing how much brighter your lights can be if only you would clean off the bugs from your headlight lens. I stood back to admire my work after applying a little glass cleaner (even though the lens was plastic). A few of those bugs had been on there for a long time.
I was thinking that I sure have missed out on a lot of riding this year and this is my favorite time of year to ride. Temperatures ranging from the 50's to the 70's are what I like. A ride to work when the temperature is about 50 degrees is a good way to wake up and feel alive for the day ahead. Just cool enough to be a bit chilly. Not too cold on the fingers.
Invigorating!
I miss it!
Max stood in the driveway gently idling away as I cleaned up the light. We had just ridden around the neighborhood to get his battery charged up a bit (mine too) and to make sure he was operating okay. He started right up, like he usually does. The idle sounded good, steady and even. A touch to the throttle and he responded instantly.
Two weeks ago on a Saturday, I had the same plan. Get Max started and ride around the neighborhood a bit. But it had been about 4 months since I had even tried to start Max. I know, bad idea to wait that long, and as could be expected, the battery was pretty dead. I pulled the battery, attached it to the trickle charger and let it go overnight. Started up fine the next morning. From then on I vowed to start Max at least every other weekend and this past weekend was one of those.
I added a little air to the tires and did some thinking about upcoming maintenance needs. Max has 8,111 miles and will be due for a valve adjustment, new spark plug, cooling system flush and new air filter at 9,000 miles. I am thinking springtime will be perfect for that. With a little help, I have performed those tasks before and am pretty confident I can tackle them by myself next time. I will probably do an oil change before I start riding again, hopefully in February.
Cleaning off the headlight lens reminded me that my helmet visor is pretty dirty as well. I would have cleaned it up as well, but the helmet was locked up in my top case while Max was idling and the key to the top case was on the key ring in the ignition switch. Oh well, that will give me something extra to do two weeks from now.
Take care all! Go out and have some great fall rides for me!
I was thinking that I sure have missed out on a lot of riding this year and this is my favorite time of year to ride. Temperatures ranging from the 50's to the 70's are what I like. A ride to work when the temperature is about 50 degrees is a good way to wake up and feel alive for the day ahead. Just cool enough to be a bit chilly. Not too cold on the fingers.
Invigorating!
I miss it!
Max stood in the driveway gently idling away as I cleaned up the light. We had just ridden around the neighborhood to get his battery charged up a bit (mine too) and to make sure he was operating okay. He started right up, like he usually does. The idle sounded good, steady and even. A touch to the throttle and he responded instantly.
Two weeks ago on a Saturday, I had the same plan. Get Max started and ride around the neighborhood a bit. But it had been about 4 months since I had even tried to start Max. I know, bad idea to wait that long, and as could be expected, the battery was pretty dead. I pulled the battery, attached it to the trickle charger and let it go overnight. Started up fine the next morning. From then on I vowed to start Max at least every other weekend and this past weekend was one of those.
I added a little air to the tires and did some thinking about upcoming maintenance needs. Max has 8,111 miles and will be due for a valve adjustment, new spark plug, cooling system flush and new air filter at 9,000 miles. I am thinking springtime will be perfect for that. With a little help, I have performed those tasks before and am pretty confident I can tackle them by myself next time. I will probably do an oil change before I start riding again, hopefully in February.
Cleaning off the headlight lens reminded me that my helmet visor is pretty dirty as well. I would have cleaned it up as well, but the helmet was locked up in my top case while Max was idling and the key to the top case was on the key ring in the ignition switch. Oh well, that will give me something extra to do two weeks from now.
Take care all! Go out and have some great fall rides for me!
Friday, June 24, 2011
Premeditated Droolin'
Some mornings I arrive at the bus stop a little early. There is a bench to sit on and frequently I will sit and look at emails or the web on my blackberry. It is a busy intersection and I also watch traffic and take special note of motorcycles and scooters as they go by. Some of them I see frequently as they are obviously serious and regular commuters. Many times I only catch a short glimpse. Other times a bike will stop at the light and I can get a longer look.
Going east in the morning is a guy on a Suzuki. I am not always good at recognizing the models and this bike appears to be a little older. It is a dark green 2 cylinder, maybe 650-750cc. It is fairly plain looking without a lot of plastic body panels. There is no luggage or cases on this bike and the rider usually wears a backpack. It is certainly not a screamer, but appears to be a very adequate machine for commuting and other purposes. I really like the bike for its simplicity and were I ever to move up to a larger machine myself, this Suzuki would be a bike I would be very interested in.
Going north in the morning is a bike that I have never seen standing still. It is a black bike, not sure of the make or model, and the rider always wears black gear and a black helmet, looking just a bit ominous. It is a little bigger and newer than the Suzuki. The motor sounds real nice, not obnoxiously loud, but very strong. I wish I could get a better look at it.
Another morning as I walked to the bus stop, I noticed a black Honda Silverwing scooter parked in a lot near the sidewalk. I stopped to look at it for a moment. This is a 600cc Maxi scooter and is a nice looking machine. It is also one I might be interested in if I were looking to upgrade to a bigger machine. As I stood there, the rider appeared from a bank ATM machine nearby. He immediately struck up a conversation, telling me all about the bike, who he bought it from, how long he had it, what kinds of trips he had taken with it, etc. I hardly got in a word into the conversation. He was very proud and bragged about it in comparing it to a friends' Harley. His enthusiasm surprised me and in our brief conversation, I never bothered to tell him I also had a scooter. Not sure he would have listened, anyway.
I see some scooters also and some big cruisers sometimes. Some riders wear all the gear, some hardly any at all. As I look at bikes, sometimes I wonder what it would be like to own one. There are some bikes that do not interest me at all. I really don't like bikes with loud pipes. I am not interested in real big machines either. I think 600-800 cc is plenty. I am also not impressed with really small scooters, not enough power.
I guess there are some kinds of bikes I really do not see the point in. How about real high handlebars, for instance. Trying to air out the armpits? Huh? Lots of chrome doesn't really impress me either. I would rather the bike be extremely dependable rather than "pretty". But that's just me. Saw a Goldwing the other day pulling a trailer. I have nothing against Goldwings, but they are immense, and just not my style.
But who am I to judge? After all, I ride a scooter. And don't get me wrong. I love my scooter. But I know it also is not for everyone.
The bus I ride passes by a Triumph and Victory dealer on the way downtown. I really like looking at the Triumphs, the Victory's, not so much. The dealer really seems to push the Victory's for some reason. To me they appear to be big and heavy and inefficient. I like the Triumphs much more. They are also on my potential upgrade short list.
I saw a couple of unusual riders recently. One was a guy dressed in military camouflage and rode south toward the air base a few miles south. I assumed he is stationed at the base. I didn't get a long look at the rider, but as I watched, I thought a bike would be a great way for a single military man to get around. Hard to see though (just kidding).
But then, just a couple of days ago, I heard a motorcycle approach the bus stop. I looked up and in the distance I could see a bike with a sidecar approaching. It even sounded old, a very distinct noise. As it got closer I could make out the distinct jugs of a BMW airhead. It almost sort of creaked up to the stoplight, the age of the bike very apparent, maybe 50 to 60 years old. But the engine wasn't missing a beat. What a sight! I was sad that my view of the bike was partially obscured by surrounding automobiles. But a smile did come to my face. Don't see one of those every day.
Drool !
Oh, I wouldn't want one anyway. But then again......
Drool !
If all goes well, I may get to ride again in about 45 days.
Drool !
Going east in the morning is a guy on a Suzuki. I am not always good at recognizing the models and this bike appears to be a little older. It is a dark green 2 cylinder, maybe 650-750cc. It is fairly plain looking without a lot of plastic body panels. There is no luggage or cases on this bike and the rider usually wears a backpack. It is certainly not a screamer, but appears to be a very adequate machine for commuting and other purposes. I really like the bike for its simplicity and were I ever to move up to a larger machine myself, this Suzuki would be a bike I would be very interested in.
Going north in the morning is a bike that I have never seen standing still. It is a black bike, not sure of the make or model, and the rider always wears black gear and a black helmet, looking just a bit ominous. It is a little bigger and newer than the Suzuki. The motor sounds real nice, not obnoxiously loud, but very strong. I wish I could get a better look at it.
Another morning as I walked to the bus stop, I noticed a black Honda Silverwing scooter parked in a lot near the sidewalk. I stopped to look at it for a moment. This is a 600cc Maxi scooter and is a nice looking machine. It is also one I might be interested in if I were looking to upgrade to a bigger machine. As I stood there, the rider appeared from a bank ATM machine nearby. He immediately struck up a conversation, telling me all about the bike, who he bought it from, how long he had it, what kinds of trips he had taken with it, etc. I hardly got in a word into the conversation. He was very proud and bragged about it in comparing it to a friends' Harley. His enthusiasm surprised me and in our brief conversation, I never bothered to tell him I also had a scooter. Not sure he would have listened, anyway.
I see some scooters also and some big cruisers sometimes. Some riders wear all the gear, some hardly any at all. As I look at bikes, sometimes I wonder what it would be like to own one. There are some bikes that do not interest me at all. I really don't like bikes with loud pipes. I am not interested in real big machines either. I think 600-800 cc is plenty. I am also not impressed with really small scooters, not enough power.
I guess there are some kinds of bikes I really do not see the point in. How about real high handlebars, for instance. Trying to air out the armpits? Huh? Lots of chrome doesn't really impress me either. I would rather the bike be extremely dependable rather than "pretty". But that's just me. Saw a Goldwing the other day pulling a trailer. I have nothing against Goldwings, but they are immense, and just not my style.
But who am I to judge? After all, I ride a scooter. And don't get me wrong. I love my scooter. But I know it also is not for everyone.
The bus I ride passes by a Triumph and Victory dealer on the way downtown. I really like looking at the Triumphs, the Victory's, not so much. The dealer really seems to push the Victory's for some reason. To me they appear to be big and heavy and inefficient. I like the Triumphs much more. They are also on my potential upgrade short list.
I saw a couple of unusual riders recently. One was a guy dressed in military camouflage and rode south toward the air base a few miles south. I assumed he is stationed at the base. I didn't get a long look at the rider, but as I watched, I thought a bike would be a great way for a single military man to get around. Hard to see though (just kidding).
But then, just a couple of days ago, I heard a motorcycle approach the bus stop. I looked up and in the distance I could see a bike with a sidecar approaching. It even sounded old, a very distinct noise. As it got closer I could make out the distinct jugs of a BMW airhead. It almost sort of creaked up to the stoplight, the age of the bike very apparent, maybe 50 to 60 years old. But the engine wasn't missing a beat. What a sight! I was sad that my view of the bike was partially obscured by surrounding automobiles. But a smile did come to my face. Don't see one of those every day.
Drool !
Oh, I wouldn't want one anyway. But then again......
Drool !
If all goes well, I may get to ride again in about 45 days.
Drool !
Thursday, January 13, 2011
Max Takes a Few Days Off
It had to happen sometime. We haven't had any snow this year, until Sunday and early Monday morning.
That's great for riding. Last year I had already missed out on a number of days. This year I haven't missed much..... until this week.
We woke up to this on Monday morning:
If you look close you can see tracks out to the treee. One of our cats always thinks he will want to go outside for the day even when it snows, but eventually changes his mind and comes back inside. This morning he went out to the tree and back, then decided it wasn't worth it. Too cold on them paws.
Max is safe and sound in the garage with his new cover that he got for Christmas.
Now you might ask why Max uses his cover even though he is safely in the garage. Well, it's partly because of the cats. They like to sit on his seat and you don't know how many mornings I come out to find cat hair on my seat.
There was about 3" of snow, not really a lot, but more was possible during the day on Monday. Schools were cancelled in some parts of Kansas, but not in Wichita. But the streets had not been plowed and travel was very slow on Monday morning. There were the usual accidents. Wichita has a plan regarding accidents in these conditions and they call it "EARP", the emergency accident reporting plan. In effect it says that if there is a fender bender and nobody is hurt and no one has been drinking, then just exchange insurance information with the other driver and fill out an accident report at the police substation later in the day.
.
I drove "Monty", the famous Canadian Subaru, (the one with the heated seats) to work. We didn't have any problems, but don't think I got out of second gear except for a brief moment or two. I followed a Volvo sedan downtown for much of the way, I noticed the car had a "Ron Paul '08" sticker on it. Don't they know that the election was 2 years ago? And he didn't even make the finals?
.
Thw weather is supposed to turn very cold this week, so the snow may stick around for awhile. Usually, with a snow like this, it's gone in a few days. Maybe I can ride again later this week, but I sort of doubt it.
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Oh well,,,,,,
Monday, December 27, 2010
8,000 Miles Later
It's not a monumental feat, but in a little more than 2 years, I now have 8,000 miles on that scooter I call Max. Being sort of a numbers guy, I decided to do a little math, just for fun.
To be somewhat accurate, I need to make a few assumptions.
Average gas price: $2.80
That's a guess. It has probably ranged from $2.55 to almost $4.55 per gallon.
Average miles per gallon:
Max: 70
Subaru: 22
I tracked the mileage pretty close on Max for the first 8 or 9 months. In town, where I do most of my riding, I consistently got 75 mpg. On a highway, if riding hard, I'll get about 60 mpg. For the Subaru I used what I get in town for comparison.
Max: Total gallons used: 8,000 miles / 70 mpg = 114 gallons
I recall that I used to have a pickup that had a 30 gal main tank and a 20 gal reserve tank.
Total cost for gas: 114 * $2.80 = $319
That seems pretty low, but then I remember that a fill up is usually only about $4.
Gallons used if I had driven the Subaru: 8,000 / 22 mpg = 364
Cost for gas: 364 * $2.80 = $1,019
Okay, I saved about $700 in gasoline over the last 2 1/2 years. Maybe not quite a boatload, but.....
Consider the difference if my car was only able to get 15 mpg, or 10 mpg.
.
There are many other differences in cost. The initial purchase for Max was just a little more than half of what I paid for the Subaru. Max was brand new, the Subaru was well used. Taxes are less. Insurance is less.
.
Lots of other differences as well. I can't carry as much with Max. The wagon holds a lot more. And the Subaru has heated seats. And I love the Subaru almost as much as Max.
.
But do you want to know the real reason I prefer taking Max to work each day?
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It's a whole lot more fun!
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But I bet you already knew that.
Friday, September 24, 2010
The Hat's Off Department Vol. 1
The Scooter Cannonball Run
This event comprised 10 Days and over 3,000 miles from Vancouver BC to Portland ME.
.
No easy task.
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It started September 9 and ended September 18, 2010
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The event is held every 2 years. The 2008 event actually went through Wichita although I didn't see them pass by.
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But what an amzing feat!
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My hat is off to all the participants!
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Here's a link to the official website: http://scootercannonball.com/
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The scooters are grouped into 3 classes, a manual 200 class, an automatic 190 class, and an automatic 250 class. Maxi scoots apparently not allowed.
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In 2008, rid.ers on SYM HD-200's like mine placed 1st and 3rd in the automatic 190 class. Alas, didn't find any SYM's in the same class for 2010.
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Some interesting tidbits:
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A 1966 Lambretta won the manual 200 class this year. Pretty Cool!
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A Vespa LX 150 won the automatic 190 class
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A Piaggio MP3 won the automatic 250 class. There were 2 SYM's that placed in this class this year.
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Many riders modify their machines a bit to make the run. The primary modification seems to allow for extra fuel to enable them to go longer between stops. They must check in at various places on the route and are awarded points for each day based upon time in the saddle and miles covered.
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Here's some links to some blogs of some of the riders. Some have written more than others, but there is some interesting reading about their preparations and their rides.
.
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Here's a toast to all the participants!
Monday, September 13, 2010
Exactly What is a Vincati?
Book Report
Big Sid's Vincati
I had seen this book in a catalogue or two, and sort of wondered about it, but the interest seemed only passing at the time.
Some of my family members think I can be dangerous in a bookstore, as evidenced by this
t-shirt I received one Christmas.
In an effort to alleviate the fact that books seem to be trying to take over all of the space in our home, my wife and I both now own a "Nook", the Barnes and Noble electronic book reader. Big Sid's Vincati is the first book I read on my Nook. It's not a long book. I read it in about 2 1/2 days. I was surprised at how much I enjoyed the book.
In 1950 a Vincent motorcycle was priced at about $1,000. Big Sid and some of his friends were very interested in possibly owning one despite the price. Big Sid was an accomplished motorcycle mechanic, specializing in high performace engines. Sid and his friends felt that the machine was quite capable, with a few high performance modifications, of performing like the machine that Rollie Free had used to set a land speed record. But the Vincent was difficult to find. Sid and his friends said that they would travel the corners of the nation if they had to, to find one.
The book is largely about the relationship between Sid and his son. Late in Sid's life, when Sid had experienced some recent health problems, the son concocts the idea that he and Sid should attempt to build a "Vincati". The Vincati is a motorcycle using a Vincent engine, with a Ducati frame. It was meant to be a project where Sid and his son could spend some quality time together.
Big Sid asked his son, "Are we really going to build this Vincati?"
His son responded, "Come Hell or High Water!"
Sid's son did not exactly follow along in Sid's footsteps in life. The son loved motorcycling, but Sid once said to him that "You may be a good college professor, but you are a lousy mechanic".
Now statements like this from Sid would and did anger his son, but knowing that as Sid was getting older, that their time together was becoming less and less. Eventually the son would respond by saying " That's me and don't I know it!"
Their relationship at times was rocky, like a lot of parents and children, but eventually they became more comfortable with each other.
The effort to assemble the machine had some difficulties, some mechanical. some personal. At one point the son wondered whether all the effort was really worth it. After all it was just an object. The son wondered how the motorcycle could have taken possession of him, but eventually decided that he was already and forever had been possessed by the motorcycle. They didn't take an easy road on the assembly, always insisting on the best quality high performance parts. But eventually the machine was finished.
At one point Sid's son had to say, "Damn it Dad, I'm not a kid anymore!"
I recommend this book highly. I didn't expect it to be as good as it was. There was just enough technical information to be interesting, yet not boring. And the descriptons of the relationships between the characters in the book was superb.
While reading the book, I thought many times about my own father.
At other times while reading, I thought about my own son and daughter.
I love it when a book makes me think.
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