Gypsy

She came into my life completely out of the blue.  I was online checking out the used bikes at a few of the local shops for a Brother, and then I clicked on her image.  When I showed him the pics, and the price, he was interested.  But only sort of.  More curious than anything else.  So I got on the phone and called.  He wasn't in a position at the moment to put anything down quite yet, but I was more than just curious what I could find out about her.  It's not like I could really afford another bike, but something kept pushing me to call and get more information about this hot little number, and with such a sweet price.

Needless to say, when I got the call back from the salesgal, she gave me all the right answers.  Out of curiousity, I asked what sort of trade-in I could get on my '05 1200 Sporty.  When I heard her say;"Without seeing it, around $5,000 to $5,200" I almost got a hard on.  Then I asked her what the payments would be figuring in that kind of trade-in amount.  "Less than $100 a month." was the reply she gave me.

The next day, I rode Miss Bettie for the last time.  I took her up to Renton to use as a trade-in.  Part of me thought I was nuts for trading in a bike I had bought brand new less than four years before, for a bike that was almost twenty years old.  But I knew at the time that I wanted a big twin again.  I wasn't going to be able to afford a Pan, or even a Shovel (at least in 2009's economy) for what I could pick this sweet Evo up for.  I wasn't completely sold on her yet.  There was still the test ride to come.  That would decide whether I was leaving Miss Bettie or not.

I had never ground Betties pipes or pegs going through a right turn.  At least not while feeling comfortable about it.  She wasn't the tightest cornering bike I'd ever had. She sat almost as tall as my old Norton P11A, Lola.  Which is still strange, because Lola always handled corners really good.  I rubbed the pipes and pegs the first time just pulling out of the parking lot.  She layed over so far, and so effortlessly, and came right back up with nary a lick of effort.  I swung around thru Renton on a test ride of a few miles.  It seemed like everytime I made I right turn, I was dragging the pegs or the pipes. Without even trying.  It wasn't that they were so low, but that I was so easily and comfortably leaning into corners wiht her that I wasn't even thinking about it.

When I got back to the shop, I told the salesgal that depending on the trade-in, it was a done deal.  They gave me a quote of $5,200 as a trade-in on Miss Bettie, and I hung around while the financing got worked out, and the bike washed and detailed.

It was the shops 1st anniversary at their new location.  So there was a big party going on.  I ran into an old friend, and her fiance.  He was looking at a new bike too.  But he was actually shopping for a NEW bagger.  Not my cup of tea at all, but hey, it wasn't going to be my bike, so who cared.  When the bike was brought out front for me, I told Tammy and Doug that I had just traded Miss Bettie in for a bike, and pointed her out.  

Now I had looked the bike over pretty closely before I took it out for a road test.  Sat on it, brought it up off the kickstand, fired it up, and checked out the clutch and suspension.  So when Tammy walked up to the bike and said it had such a cool looking rose painted on it, for a minute I thought she was looking at the wrong bike.  But sure enough, there on the top of the rear fender, was a ghost rose.  It only really shows up if you're in the right position.  It's much more of a ghost than the eagle flames on the gas tanks.

That's when Tammy asked what I was going to call the bike.  "I really hadn't though about it much yet.  But I think I'll call her Gypsy Rose." I added without much thought." I told her.  Since I traded in Miss Bettie; who I named after the queen of the pin-ups, Bettie Page. I thought the ghost rose made it only fitting to name this bike after another famous sex symbol.  This one was even from the Seattle area.  The famous Gypsy Rose Lee.

Gypsy, and I have put a lot of miles behind us since April of 2009.  She had just under 45,000 miles on her when I bought her.  Which, if you figure she was a 18 year old bike, isn't that much.  Something like 2,500 miles a year.  In the past five years, I have probably come close to doubling that amount.  I'd have to 'guesstimate' that she has about 70,000 on her now.  That first winter I had her, I did some modifications to her.  One of which was to disconnect the speedometer cable when I changed from a 21 inch front tire to a 16 inch.  I just didn't feel that having a speedo was important enough to buy a speedo drive geared for a 16 inch wheel.  Besides, did I really want to know how fast I was going?  I'd know if I was doing over the speed limit easy enough.  The only thing I had to worry about was when I was going so fast I was scaring myself....and do I REALLY want to know how fast I'm going then?

I've changed a few other things over the years.  Those pipes are history.  I actually ground off about an inch off the bottom of the fishtail for the front pipe going around corners.  So, a few of us threw together a different exhaust system that doesn't grind in the curves.  It still needs to be redone, as over the years I have come to realize the front pipe runs too close to the  clutch cable, and also rubs the kicker arm when I kickstart the bike.  I have also pretty well quite running the front fender, and may actually use it as a rear fender on the Frankenbike.  

I have to admit, I just can't see getting rid of Gypsy.  I can see a few more changes coming.  Mostly minor ones.  What I would really like to do in a couple of years, is get a Fab Kevin hardtail kit for her, and just run a sprung saddle seat, and a different rear fender.  But that is a couple of years down the road.  After I finish the Frankenbike.

Next week, I am going to bring Gypsy into the front room again, and spend a couple of weeks just going through and giving her a serious once, or twice over, and replacing al the gaskets in the top end, and primary.  As well as adjusting the shifter pawl drum.  Maybe, if I can score the pipe at the swap meet the end of the month, I'll get that exhaust finished the way I want.  

One thing I can be pretty certain is true; As long as I own Gypsy, I don't think she will ever, really be "finished".

Catch ya on the road sometime...

Still Chugging Along

I've been busy dealing with a screwed up back, the wifes car breaking down, trying to beg borrow or steal a ride to work.  But I still found a minute of two to sketch up the basic layout of what I have in mind for Frankenbikes brake system.  No hand brake, just the foot brake running both front and rear brakes.

I drew this up today shortly before I walked over to the Dr.'s office to get my back checked out.  I laid it out as a schematic, so it wouldn't make any real difference which side of the bike the brake pedal is on.

The pedal pushes the plunger into the master cylinder, the fluid comes out under pressure and hit the 'Tee'.  The fluid going to the dual discs on the front forks gets the majority of the pressure.  The fluid going to the single disc on the back wheel has to go through an adjustable proportioning valve first.  That should keep the back end from locking up if I hit the brakes hard.  Being adjustable, I should be able to get it set-up pretty damn close to perfect without a whole lot of trouble.

It's been a long and painful week.  The wifes car broke down at the drug store 3 blocks away from home when I went in to get the prescription for muscle relaxers the Doc gave me for my back.  I've been fighting the car, my back, and still trying not to spend too much money so I have a shot at buying what I need to get Frankenbike moving forward.  Besides that, I have some parts coming in to work on Gypsy's top end.  So I'll be bringing her into the front room as well.  Gotta clear some space in there.  Plus, I'm taking a bunch of parts to the Monroe Swap Meet at the end of March.  So I'll be organizing and packing all that up too.  At least that will help make some room for Gypsy to squeeze in.

Never any rest for the wicked...or something like that.

Catch you on the road sometime...

One Option

I've been catching myself thinking about throwing a run up into the hills again.  Nothing fancy.  No vendors, no live bands, no prizes.  Just a run truck, and a few bikes heading out into the backwoods somewhere just to hang out and chill.  If we want music, just a ghetto blaster and a few CDs should do the trick.  

All meeting up someplace in the city, and heading out from there.  I know places out on the Peninsula and up around Hood Canal.  As well as a few spots here in the Cascade Mountains that we could roll up into and enjoy.  The only catch with all the free spots I know, is they're also catch as catch can.  So someone would have to go up ahead of time and make sure the place isnt taken.  Then take it for ourselves.

Some of the really cool fee places I know, I have already looked into, and most of them are already taken for the whole summer already.  I did say they were really cool, right?  I'll figure something out, I am sure.  Especially if its just a small handful of bikes, maybe up to 10 or so.  The hardest part is where to start, and where to go.

Here is just one of the possibilities; a run up to the Dosewallips River on the Olympic Peninsula, and camping in the dispersed (and free) camping at the base of Mt Jupiter.  All but the last half mile to a mile of it is paved road, and it is fairly remote.  So we wouldn't have people bothering us, or getting bothered by us as we hang out and enjoy ourselves.  

For this run, we would all meet up in the Tacoma area.  Now just follow along wiht me, I'm just sort of playing this by ear as I roll out what I am thinking.  Not making any plans, just giving an idea or two of just one of the places we could go.  After we meet up, we'd grab some breakfast, and make sure the run truck has everything loaded and secured.  Personally, I was thinking of meeting up at the Tower Lanes on 6th Avenue.  It has a large parking lot, good food, and its handy to Hwy 16 when we head out.

We'd probably roll out the back side of Highland Hill and get on Hwy 16 from Pearl St.  It's a lot easier, and has less lights than going down 6th Ave to Bridgeport Wy and trying to get on the highway.  Once on 16, we'll cross the Narrows Bridge.  No toll going westbound so we won't even have to slow down, and won't have to pay to cross the bridge.  The plan is  to not come back on 16, so we wouldn't be paying no toll anyway.  
From Tacoma to Purdy is about the only streth of freeway we'd be on during the way out.  When we get to Purdy, we'd turn left and cross the bridge.  Since we'd only be about 20-30 minutes out from breakfast, I don't think we'd make a stop at the Floatation Device.  (But that could always be an option)  After we cross the Purdy Spit, we'd either stay on Hwy 302, and go around Dead Man's Curve, or we could take Goldman Rd and snake up the shortcut hook back up with 302 down the road a mile or so.  From that point, we'd stay on 302's two lane road, and follow it through to it's junction with Highway 3.

302 has some nice scenery to it as it twists through the forest.  A lot of sweepers, with a few "S" curves thrown into the mix.  The last few miles of it are along the shore of Case Inlets "North Bay".  But the views from here are just an appetizer for what is yet to come along the way.  

After we would turn right onto Highway 3, we won't be staying on Highway 3 for long, just a few miles.  Just long enough to roll into Belfair and top off the fuel tanks, and  maybe get the road dust washed out of our mouths with a quick, cold beverage at the Hideaway.  Then it's back south on Hwy 3 again for a mile or so to Hwy 106.  We'll swing right off of 3 and onto 106, and here is where the twists become  abit more pleasing, and the scenery begins to improve as we ride along the bottom of Hood Canal.

For the next half hour or so, we'll be riding along the south shore of Hood Canal.  Getting some swet views of the water and the Olympic mountains.  I know, the water front is getting and has been crowded with waterside homes for decades, but it is still a really good road to ride, and the scenery is tough to beat.  Besides, now we are getting down to the home stretch.

When we reach US 101, we turn right and head north.  Passing through Potlatch, Hoodsport, and Eldon as we twist our way up along the west side of Hood Canal.  With the Olympic mountains rising up on our left side, and the Hood Canal on our right. We keep going on up to Brinnon.  

When we reach Brinnon, we'd pull off at the Geoduck for smoe more cold beverages, and maybe a bite to eat.  Even though we are less than 10 miles from where we'll be making camp.  We may as well begin to relax, and enjoy ourselves a bit.  From the Geoduck, we'll ride north another mile or so to the Dosewallips River Rd, and turn left.  We ride down the river road, and climb up the hill and follow the road back to the river again.  At about the 6 mile point the road veers to the right, but there is a dirt road on the left.  We take the dirt road, and ride back down to the river.  After crossing the bridge, we take the dirt road on the left, and find a campsite to call our own for the weekend.

Once camp is made, we can spend time enjoying the roads around the area of Brinnon and Quilcene.  There are some sweet roads, and rides to take.  We could party up in Quilcene at the Whistling Oyster, or in Brinnon at the Geoduck.  Or just hang out along the river at camp.

After the run, we'd just ehad south on 101.  Not swinging back onto 106, but passing through Shelton, and into Olympia.  Maybe stopping for a cold beverage before everyone heading their own way again.  Between Shelton and Olympia is the only other section of freeway we'd have to ride.  But it is still riding through a fairly pretty area, so it's not too bad.  It's a bit over a 150 mile run from Tacoma to the camp spot, and back to Olympia.  Plus however far anyone rides to Tacoma, and back home.  

Like I said, this is just one of the places I know, and enjoy riding to and camping, and where we used to party quite a bit.  So this is just one of the options I have been toying with for an overnight, old style, run  for a good time.  I'll have to post more soon and maybe I'll put one of them together, and just have a blast with it.

Catch you on the road sometime...

It's A Question Of Proportion

Since I can't afford the motor I want for Frankenbike, yet, I have been spending the past couple of days trying to work out a few of the other details I want her to have.  One of the things I have been wanting to do, but couldnt quite get my head around was just using the foot brake to run both front and rear brakes.  Then, just by chance I was reading an old article in a copy of Hints & Kinks about that very thing.  Using a proportioning valve to keep the pressures even.  For a stripped down Sporty, that was just what I was looking for.

So I did a little bit of research, and found a wide array of thought on the matter.  Why some people would want to do it on a bagger, or a big heavy bike with abs, and other crap is beyond me.  All I wanted was to keep the bike looking as clean as possible, and to stop as smoothly as I can make it.

With no front brake master cylinder and lever on the bars, that would  give her a real clean look.  Since the bike will be set up to ride solo only, I figure I wont need to worry about an adjustible proportioning valve.  So what I have been thinking about doing is running the rear brake master cylinder to the valve, and both lines from there.  A dual disc up front, and a single disc in the rear.  The main question remains what side of the bike the brake pedal will be.  It seems, I cant mount anything for the brake system up yet until I find a motor.  Well, excpet for the calipers at any rate.

When I decided to clean up the look of the bars...still planning on 6 bend pullbacks...I got to thinking what it would look like with only the grips on the bars.  If the brakes are being controlled by the foot pedal, wouldn't it be cool to have the shifter and clutch together and off the bars where I could just reach and shift?  Of course, that wouldn't work well with a right side shift Sporty.  So again, it all boils down to the motor I get.

Leaving the clutch and shifting out of the picture for a bit, I can still lay out in broad general terms how the brake system should go.  The brake pedal pushes the plunger in the master cylinder.  The fluid goes up to the proportioning valve, and is sent off to the front and rear of the bike.  The line going back runs to the rear caliper.  The one  line going to the front leads to a tee splitter, and each side has a line going to an individual caliper on either side of the forks.  Outside of which side of the bike the master cylinder and pedal will be, this is the general layout of the brake system I want on Frankenbike.

I figure with this sort of set-up, I shouldn't have to worry about loss of traction from locking up the rear brakes when I jam on the pedal in an emergency stop.  It should help keep traction on the front wheel in situations like gravel too.  Because I have to admit, I dont always use my front brake anyway.  I sometimes realize I am on only the rear brake after a second of so, then I apply the front.  Or vice-versa.  So having just the one brake will help on that as well.

I'm not doing this just to get the look I want.  That is just a side benefit.  The main reason, is so I can cheat, and get the braking I want without needing two separate systems to stop.  The fact it cleans up the look of the bars is just a bonus benefit.  I really can't see doing this for a big twin Harley, at least not a modern one.  Not unless it has already been fairly stripped down, and is at least a semi-bare bones bike already.  But that's not what I am working with.  I'm working with a rigid frame, stripped down Sporty chopper.  I like to go fast from time to time, but I prefer to be able to stop ALL THE TIME.  So I can't see anything wrong with this sort of system.  It's been around for decades, and the proportioning valves can be had for a reasonable price.  I'll keep you all informed of how it goes as I get further along in the development phase.  As for the clutch lever and shifter; well, that's a whole other story for down the road somewhere.

Catch ya on the road sometime...

It's A Might Crisp Out There

It has been really beautiful and sunny, but majorly chilly the past few days.  Lows down to the single digits, with 30-40 mph winds.  Then, late yesterday afternoon, the clouds began spiiting out a fine, frozen powdery snow.  Almost to the point that you had to really look at tiems to see it coming down.  But as you drove along the road, it became clearly visible blowing in waves across the highway.  It hadn't gotten above freezing for a couple of days even though it had been clear and without rain.  There was still ice in places, and the snow slowly gathering and blowing across the road didn't make things any better.  I made it home with no trouble from work.  Although out on the freeway several multiple vehicle accidents had traffic stalled for hours.  

By dark, there was a mere half inch on the ground, but the wind kept howling and blowing it from the roof in clouds that made it difficult to see out the windows.  We only got maybe four inches over night.  But it is that fine powdery, frozen snow that blows everywhere.  When I go up this morning, the wind had calmed down, and the clouds were thinning.  So I decided I'd head out and take some photographs of the area around here.

 

 

 

I took a few really nice photos this afternoon.  It amazed me how completely frozen some streams had been.  Including a few waterfalls coming down off the hills.  In perhaps a weeks time, they have completely frozen over.  It truly was an amazing sight.

But I think the sight that blew me away the most was the one that greated me in my own car port.  In the 9 years I have lived here, snow has never covered the inside of my car port.  Last night, it not only covered the slab in the car prot, but it covered the bike as well.  I was surprised and amazed at how much that fine, frozen crap had spread all over.

I am going to be bringing her into the front room soon for a tear down of her top-end.  So I'm not too bothered by her getting snowed on, but just surprised.  The ol' girl will get a good cleaning too before she rolls back out of the front room.  So I'll make it up to her.  I'm hoping the weather reports are right, and it will warm up in a couple days, and all this will trun to rain.  Then maybe a couple days of sunshine to ride in.  Until then...

Catch ya on the road sometime...

Plans Change

I just found out today, that the financial situation has changed.  There is now no way I can make the cross country trip I had planned in June.  Deals were made, and plans built on those deals.  Then the other party reneged, and set shit adrift.  I am hopeful that my trip to Chicago, via Utah, Oklahoma City, New Orleans, and Birmingham is just delayed a year.  But it is looking like I may have a more difficult time finishing my Ironhead project on time now as well.

What ever happens, I'll deal with it.  It just pisses me off how some people are.  But thats life.  And it is being dealt with.

Catch you on the road sometime...

Life Goes On

It has been awhile, since I actually sat down to put words down here.  too long for my liking, but I have been busy, and it was the Holidays, and I just didn't feel like writing anything down.  Even having two weeks off over the Christmas Holiday still kept me off here.  I just was focussed on other things, and didn't feel like doing more than that.  So screw it.  

I got most of the other shit I was working on done, or at least headed in that direction.  I got the rear fender on the Frankenbike trimmed, and ready to be mounted.  

Then I made it up to Tacoma for the ABATE of Washington Board of Directors meeting.  Windy, nasty day that it was.  Trees getting blown down and shit on the road.  People getting their power knocked out.  All of that during the Seahawks divisional play-off game.

Then this past Thursday, we headed up tp Olympia for the ABATE "Black Thursday" event at the state capitol.  Had a pretty decent turn-out, and hopefully got some votes swung our way on a couple of bike related bills.  Including repealing the MANDATORY helmet law for anyone over 18.  Keeping my fingers crossed that we got more than just hot air from the politicians, but we'll just have to wait and see.

So, yeah, I have been kind of busy doing things, and trying to get stuff ready for the summer.  I just havent had the motivation to sit down and write like I should.  I know it, and admit it, but I have just not 'felt it" recently.  Other things have been on my mind, and they have put a damper on my enthusiasm for this upcoming year.

The trip I had planned for this summer to go to Chicago (via Utah and Alabama) is lookuing like it is going to have to be put off a year.  The Frankenbike project is going to take a BIG chunk of the money I had planned for the trip.  I simply can't afford to do both, so getting the bike on the path to being finished is the priority.  It all depends on how the taxes work out, and I just don't see it working out where I can do both.  Besides, I still have to R&R Gypsy's top end, and that is going to take an extra couple hundred bucks.  Plus put the risers, reroute the electrics and cables, and maybe put heated grips on her for the winter riding (Wearing two pairs of gloves, and stuffing hand warmers in between my hands and the inner pair of gloves in winter time is a real pain in the ass.  But I do it so I can ride).

I know it will all work out in the end, the way it is suppose to work out.  And it probably won't be exactly the way I want it to be, but I'm a big boy, and I'll just have to deal with it.  Life goes on, and we just have to deal with whatever we have to deal with.  

Who knows, maybe I'll win the lottery.  The I'll be on the road all the time, with all my bills paid off, and plenty of cash in my pocket.  Don't need much after the bills are paid, just gas and grub, and overnight crashing funds.  But I heard somewhere that to win the lottery you actually have to buy a ticket.  Just might have to do that again once in a while.  Who knows, it might just ay off.  Maybe...maybe not...either way it's only a buck for a ticket.  Things aren't so bad that a buck is going to break me.  Not yet anyway.

Catch you on the road sometime...