Dont Take Shit From A Machine

Ok, this is getting a bit ridiculous!!  I was torquing down the last bolt on the inner primary.  Already looking forward to getting the stator, compensating gear, clutch, and primary chain all back on the bike within the next hour or so.  When I heard both the torque wrench click, and the aluminum of the inner primary case crack.


With a new replacement running in the neighborhood of $250 and up, I thought I was fucked.  I posted what happened on my facebook page, and in a parts swap page on facebook.  I was going to post on The Horses Back Talk swap meet forum today, but already had an offer for the replacement part for $50 plus shipping from Mike down at A-1 Cycles in West Palm Beach, FLA.  So naturally I jumped on it.  I want to thank Mike personally, and I am very much impressed with how quick he responded, even having the proper part number and fitment for the case.  It gives me another reason to want to ride down to Florida some time...I've never been around the Gulf Coast, and this is just one more reason.


So, after it arrives here, I can get her all back together and be riding only a week or so behind schedule.  I swear, I think Gypsy has gotten to enjoy being in the warm front room of the house, and doenst want to go out in the cold.  Why else would she start breaking shit like this, the oil line return nipple from the engine case, the brake light switch wire connector...and so on.


oh well, I dont take shit from no machine...so she WILL be on the road ASAP.


Catch ya on the road sometime...

OK, Now I'm Making Progress

i had to pull the tranny to be able to drive the easy-out far enough into the broken off threads of the oil line nipple to extract them.  Got that taken care of, and the tranny is back in place.  Either after dinner, or tomorrow after work I'll put the starter, and the inner primary back on.  I'll replace the oil lines, and put the clutch and primary chain and what not on next.  After that, it wont be long.   So if I dont dick around and get distracted, it should be almost done by next weekend.   I am trying to see if I can get the pipes reworked a bit, as the kicker just kisses the pipes when i kick the bike over...it's always something.

Catch ya on the road sometime.

One Step Forward Two Steps Back

I've been a bit busy with work and other shit lately, and just havent had the time to sit down and post anything interesting.  I'm not sure what the hell is going on with the bike.  With every step forward I make, I end up having to stop go back and fix something else and then get back to it again.  The way work and life in general has been lately I havent been able to really set everything else aside and just wrench on the bike.  It seems like I have only had maybe an hour here and there to actually do anything.  Then, like I said, I end up having to back track to fix something else, because I find some other problem, or something minor but VERY inconvenient breaks.  Thats what happened yesterday...I was removing the old braided oil lines, and had the top one that connects just above the oil pump almost off the nipple, when something spooked  the wifes English Mastiff who had been laying nearby, and she slams into me.
Now, the nipple that was perpendicular to the case was suddenly at about a 45 degree angle.  It had broke off flush with the case.  No big problem...just use an easy-out to extract it.  Except I cant get the easy-out to really seat into it because the tranny is in the way.  I cant get more than a soft tap on it with the room I have available.  So I have to pull the tranny, so I can use the easy-out to extract the broken of threads of the nipple.  One step forward (I got the line off) and two steps back (I got to pull the tranny again)...aint life just grand?
But hey, that is what life is about, isnt it?  Overcoming adversity and all that shit...I'll just keep on hitting it, and I will be back up and on the road soon.  I doubt if I'll be making any LONG rides anyway this year, as I think I have a bad base gasket on the rear cylinder.  For now, I cant afford to fix it, and it isnt a REAL major issue (YET) so I am just going to fix what I can now.  Then I'll flog her until this winter, and then hopefully have a nice place to work on her properly, or the cash to send the motor to the shop to have it gone through.  One thing at a time.

Catch ya on the road sometime...

Guidebook Is For Sale!!

OK, I finally got the guidebook up on Amazon and published for sale.  I uploaded it as a .pdf file, but Amazon is selling it in a Kindle format to be used for use with Kindles.  I am already working on a 2nd guidebook, and have a 3rd in planning.  If they sell, great, if not, well I am not going to give up...there is always something a guy can do to make some extra money to ride on...and with gas prices looking like $5 + a gallon this summer, I'm gonna need the extra cash!!!


Catch ya on the road sometime...

the Cupboard Ain't Bare Now

A good friend brewed up some Moonshine for me, and I brought him down the fixins to make Apple Pie the way we make it here.  So now I have a bit more than 3 Gallons of Apple Pie, waiting for a good reason to enjoy it.  It worked out pretty good, as we hauled the fixins down to his place so he could mix up a double batch for him, and came home with 2 fifths of 190 proof grain alcohol to make into a double batch for here.

I figure I'll be looking forward to a couple get togethers around a campfire, or bonfire pretty soon.

Catch you on the road sometime...