Who rides motorcycles?

[RedNeckGeek]

Nothing like a K Bike, for the long haul.

Yep. Put over 100K miles on the first one I had, an '88 K75S. When it spun a rod bearing at 108K, nobody I talked to had ever heard of such a thing happening. Swapped the engine with one from a wreck and the thing was still going strong when I sold it several thousand miles later.

 

[PHPaul]

Another update on the Zook:

Clicky Thingy

 

[Kyle_in_Tex]

Another update on the Zook:

Clicky Thingy

So far, so good. Thanks for sharing.

 

[jerrybob]

Interesting ride here.......

This Detroit Diesel V8 Trike Laughs at Your Puny Harley-Davidson

 

[jerrybob]

duplicate

 

[mostly_gas]

Another update on the Zook:

Clicky Thingy

Nice work! care to share how you balance the wheels ie photo ?

 

[PHPaul]

Nice work! care to share how you balance the wheels ie photo ?

Didn't take a photo, but I can describe it pretty accurately.

Once the new tire is mounted, assemble all the rotating parts: ie, wheel and hub (obviously...) and in this case the sprocket and sprocket carrier, but NOT the brake backing plate, shoes and associated bits. Be sure all old weights have been removed. There are usually two types: Stick on's that are glued to the rim, and crimp on's that are crimped around a spoke. Install the axle.

I use a pair of jack stands and set the wheel/axle assembly on them with the stands far enough apart and adjusted up high enough for the wheel to spin freely. Then:

1. Give the wheel a spin and wait for it to coast to a stop. Note a logical point (I use the highest point on the wheel where it stopped) and mark it. I use a "window paint" marker, but chalk or a bit of tape will do.

2. Repeat the procedure a few times until you're reasonably certain the wheel is stopping in the same place, or nearly so, each time.

3. If you think about it, the wheel will stop with the heaviest point at the bottom. By marking the top when the wheel stops, I've also marked the lightest point. Take a scientific wild guess at the weight needed and apply it at the high (light) point, then return to Step 1 and repeat the process.

When the wheel begins stopping at pretty much random places, you've got it close enough for any non-racing application.

I use the same setup for truing, just spin the wheel and hold some sort of pointer near the side of the rim (I use a screwdriver) and watch the space between the rim and the screwdriver for variations. Tighten/loosen spokes to pull the rim one way or the other to take out wobbles.

Just remember to do both lateral runout (sides of the rim) and radial runout (center of the tire tread) for oblong distortion of the circumference of the rim.

Also, before truing, I usually tap each of the spokes with a wrench or something and listen to the tone. A flat thunk is a loose spoke, and all the spokes should "sing" at more or less the same pitch if they are equally tight. Obviously, this doesn't apply to spokes with lead weights crimped around them...

 

[PHPaul]

Still warm enough to work on the bike: Cruising right along

Not for long tho, 20's tomorrow and our first real snow storm of the year Tuesday.

I'll use the break to start learning how to do my own seat upholstery.

 

[hr3]

https://www.facebook.com/legendaryfinds/videos/1030177207042717/?video_source=pages_finch_main_video&theater

Not my ride but sweet !!!

 

[RedNeckGeek]

Took a little trip down south for New Years to meet with 60 of my best friends out in the Anza Borrego Desert at a little place called Agua Caliente Springs.

Our little camp in the group area is in the foreground, nestled into the hills on a state run park complete with running hot water, great showers, and a pool fed by a natural hot spring. Took two days to get down there, skirting the foothills in the Sierra Nevada mountains and seeing more snow on the ground than I cared to, but arriving safely on New Years Eve. The meals were prepared by three of our club members, and the first was tri-tip with fresh veggies, ranch beans, and a great spinach salad. A fourth member carted in several small kegs of his home brewed beer, and others brought various desserts and treats, so there was no shortage of food. All of the meals were excellent, the best I've had at any large event and even in most good restaurants. I was worried my riding gear wouldn't fit when it came time to leave.

The atmosphere was very casual with a dash of eccentricity thrown in for good measure. Most rode their air cooled BMW motorcycles there, and we enjoyed nice rides during the day to near by historic sites, followed by serious bench racing and trip tails each evening around the roaring camp fire (that U-Haul trailer was stacked with oak a couple feet over the rails when it arrived!).

A yearly tradition is stacking all the folding chairs on the last night, apparently started years ago when one cranky attendee objected to sharing his. Yeah, it was that kind of weekend!

There was no Internet service at the site, but by Saturday the weather rumors were for rains to return by Monday, so a long dash up I-5 got me home yesterday. The winds were quite strong coming down off The Grapevine section, enough to uproot huge tumbleweeds and toss them across the freeway. Some were bigger than the cars, and it was quite entertaining to watch all the dodging and swerving going on. Aside from that, both legs of the trip went by uneventfully, with the bike not skipping a beat or needing any attention more than a pint of oil (the new rings are still seating) and feeding the fuel tank. Man, there's nothing nicer than your own bed after four nights on the hard ground. :cloud9: